A Shattered Egg

In the heart of a vast and bountiful forest, the ground suddenly shook. Cracks began to appear on the soil as the trees around moved together with the rising of the land. Soon, a mysterious object that looked like an egg emerged from the ground.

It was about 2m in dimensions and was vibrant green. It exuded extraordinarily warm light together with seemingly endless amounts of life. Not long after it surfaced, beasts surged and surrounded the green egg. At that time, no one was a predator or prey. All beasts basked with immense life from the egg. The trees and plants around started to grow at a rapid pace. All was boosted by the energy coming from the green egg.

Years had passed before someone finally discovered the egg. There, a twin, a 17-year-old boy and girl, stood curiously looking at the egg.

"Sis, do you have any idea what this is?" the boy asked as his brown hair was blown by the wind while he looked at the egg with his curious brown eyes.

"None. Let us report it to dad," the girl answered.

The boy did not say anything; instead, he moved his hand and reached for the egg. Just as he was about to touch it, he heard a call that made him stop.

"Jun! Jia!" a male voice called from behind.

"Dad!" the twin greeted gleefully.

"Why are you both so fast? Haha, did you have fun?" their father asked.

"Yes! It had been a while since we were able to get out of the clan," Jia said with a small smile while looking at her father with her gentle black eyes as her hair flew by the wind. Despite being twins, she looked very different from her brother.

"Alas, what can we do? Even now, we are only experiencing this since there was a temporary ceasefire," her father said.

"Let's forget about that first. Look, dad, do you know what this is?" Jun asked.

His father carefully looked at the egg before shaking his head no. He then proceeded to touch the shell of the egg. "These engravings are beautiful--" the father could not finish his statement. He suddenly fell down lifeless as if his soul had been sucked by the egg.

"Dad!" the two cried simultaneously. They then look at the egg in horror. The egg showed signs of hatching as cracks began to show on it. The twins could not help but step back a little in fear of the creature inside the egg.

"Ack!" They cried as a burst of energy came out of the egg, pushing them all away. Then, the cracks grew larger, and the originally green egg turned pitch black. Darkness emanated from the egg, causing the twin to shiver in fear.

Slowly, the cracks grew larger and larger. The twin wanted to run away, but they could not bring themselves to do so. They were frozen in fear.

"Boom!" echoed through the forest as the egg suddenly exploded. Jun and Jia were holding their father's soulless body while looking at the figure still covered in dust. As the dust settled, a man with peerless looks can be seen. An overwhelming pressure descended on the vicinity as the man stood straight. His long and straight black hair draped down his bloodied and torn black suit. The man stood there unmoved for a while before snapping back to reality and looking at the twin holding their father.

He then looked at the sky and moved his hand toward it. He grabbed the air, causing black threads that emitted horrific death energy to manifest and be dragged by his fingers. With swift and elegant motion, he moved his fingers, turning the threads into runes. Black Runes that can only be attributed to death were created one by one. After he finished, the Runes slowly crept into his body and merged with him. He then pulled out a soul from his body before returning it to the father of the twin.

"He will live, but he will never grow as an adventurer again. The Great Universe will not permit him to gain power; much more be recognized by the laws since Death Law already filled his soul. However, he will live. As a thank you for being a tool for my rejuvenation, I shall grant you a wish. I shall fulfill it as a price for my revival," the man spoke. All of the Death Energy that plagued the vicinity vanished when he spoke. The twin no longer trembled in fear; instead, they glared at the man in contempt.

"As thanks? A wish?! You monster!" Jia shouted in disdain. She no longer cared about whether she should live or not.

"Jia!" Jun shouted as he tried to prevent his sister from offending the man any further.

"What? Why are you stopping me!? Am I supposed to thank him that he brought my father's soul back!? He killed our father's future!" Jia shouted.

The man then looked at both of them with his seemingly bottomless black eyes. It did not carry any killing intent, but both of them still stepped back in fear.

"Think of it as you will. Your father had no business touching my seal. I don't know how long it had been, but I clearly remember there being a law in this place that no one shall touch what is not theirs. Despite this, I acknowledged your father's contribution and gave his life back," the man spoke indifferently.

"What!? No business?! You had no business taking his soul as well! Why create a seal that would kill anyone who touches it!?" Jia shouted in anger.

"Why? To kill anyone who touches it, of course."

"You! You are a monster! Killing anyone who touches it!? How can you make such a seal!?" Jia asked while moving to get near the man.

"Jia!" Jun hugged her tightly from the back to prevent her from moving to the man.

"Were you born yesterday?" the man asked.

"What?!"

"Is it the stars' fault that numerous creatures die because they tried to touch them? Wrong? You are far too weak to decide what is right and wrong."

"What did you say? How is strength related to right and wrong!?" Jia erupted.

The man was still looking at her with an indifferent expression when he said. "I guess you do get chatty when you get old. Jia, is it? Good and bad were not born with the universe. It is the consensus of creatures. However, when you reach the upper class of adventurers. Once you get out of this planet and venture out into the Great Universe, the one with power is the one whose right. If you want to uphold your beliefs, you must have the power to do so. If you want to live a dignified life that is in line with your beliefs, you need power. Don't get blinded by fallacious hopes."

Jia and Jun could only stare at the man in response. They could not help but realize that he was right.

"But--" Jia could only barely start her statement before being cut off by her father.

"Ji-a...cough," his father coughed.

"Dad!" the twin rushed to their father and embraced him, but their father moved past them and looked at the man.

"I deeply apologize for the behavior of my children. Thank you for your help," the father bowed and said.

"Dad!" protested Jia.

"Shh!" shushed her father.

"I don't need the apology. As I have said earlier, this is a thank you. Now, state a wish. I shall fulfill it," the man said.

The twin could only stare at their father as they waited for his decision. The father then bowed until his head hit the ground before saying, "Oh great one, please make the Ferren Clan the ruler of the Lone Island!"