Chapter 3: Breaking the Shell
Plop!
The water in the pot was boiling, and a smooth, round white egg was unceremoniously dropped into it, on the verge of being cooked on the spot. In the next second, the hot water suddenly receded like a tidal wave, leaving the dragon egg to crash onto the dry bottom of the pot, rolling around with a gurgling sound.
Dragon egg: “…”
Su Muluo scooped the dragon egg out, which had remained dry. He said, “Surprised? Excited? Touched?”
Dragon egg: “…”
The dragon egg didn’t dare to move.
Seeing it unmoving, Su Muluo’s lips curled slightly, and he poked it, saying, “I just wanted to scare you.”
He didn’t explain why he wanted to scare the dragon egg, and the dragon egg certainly couldn’t ask. It could only lie sulking in Su Muluo’s palm, not rolling around happily.
Su Muluo didn’t care, he tucked this emotionally sensitive egg into his pocket and left after getting ready.
Today, he was planning to get an ID from the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings — the Bureau was an organization dedicated to handling affairs related to supernatural creatures and had branches in various cities, including Lin City.
Since it was an organization for supernatural beings, its existence, like theirs, couldn’t be made public. Therefore, the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings often concealed itself within the city. It appeared as a regular office building from the outside, and those entering and exiting, whether human or supernatural, all appeared as ordinary office workers, indistinguishable from normal people.
However, no matter how well they hid their appearance, without strong supernatural abilities, it was difficult to completely contain their supernatural auras. So, as soon as Su Muluo approached the place, he felt various supernatural auras in the air.
His first reaction was, they’re weak, not as formidable as the minor supernatural creatures he had encountered a few hundred years ago.
Then he stepped into the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings.
Hundreds of years ago, after a thousand years of conflict, humans and supernatural beings reached a peace agreement. Humans no longer hunted or indiscriminately killed supernatural creatures, and the supernaturals chose to hide, with most retreating to the mountains and forests. However, in the past hundred years, with the rapid development of human technology, more supernatural beings emerged from the wilderness, wanting to integrate into human cities. Due to the rapid increase in the number of these supernatural beings, after re-negotiations between both sides, the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings was established.
Su Muluo had initially expected the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings to be quite different, but it turned out the building was not at all remarkable. Not only did it look like a regular office building on the outside, its interior division was also not much different from a typical company. After asking the receptionist, he successfully found the registration office. Since he arrived early, he was the only supernatural being there, so he didn’t have to wait in line.
“Hello,” the employee in charge of registration was an enchanting woman in a green dress. She smiled sweetly, and when she did, her red lips revealed a forked tongue, appearing both sweet and eerie. “Your human form is quite attractive. Are you from the fox clan?”
Su Muluo could tell she was a snake supernatural being. He shook his head and stated the excuse he had prepared before coming, “I’m from the bird clan.”
The snake supernatural being said, “Oh,” raising her eyebrows with a giggle. “I really like the bird clan; their taste is often delicious… But among the bird clan, I’ve never seen a supernatural being as beautiful as you, at least I haven’t.”
She had no idea that the being in front of her was not from the bird clan but the Phoenix, the lord of all birds. She took out a form from a drawer, pushing it toward Su Muluo with her fingers painted with bright red nail polish.
“Fill out your information first,” the snake supernatural being said. “You must be new to the human city, so you may not know the rules here. To obtain a legal ID, you need to stay here for a year.”
Su Muluo was about to pick up the pen and write down the information he had fabricated when he paused upon hearing that. “A year?”
It seemed different from what he had in mind.
The snake supernatural being extended her hand, seemingly unconcerned about his hesitation, and wanted to touch the long, slender fingers lying on the table before him. “But you don’t need to worry. Humans and supernatural beings have been living in peace for hundreds of years. As long as you don’t cause trouble and don’t expose your true identity to humans, getting an ID is quite simple.”
Su Muluo withdrew his hand before she could touch it. He said calmly, “Is there a faster way?”
“A faster way? Of course,” the snake supernatural being replied with a smile, her voice soft and sweet. “If you can join the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings and become a member here, you can get a legal certificate immediately, and you can enjoy various benefits. But getting recruited by the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings isn’t that easy. You need to pass a strict examination and review.”
Su Muluo had no intention of joining the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings, and he had promised the old rabbit supernatural being that he would give a response within half a month. This short amount of time probably wouldn’t be enough for him to pass the Bureau’s review. It seemed that the coffee shop might not be able to open.
With a faint sigh in his heart, he lowered his eyelashes and filled in the identity information he had fabricated on the form.
The snake supernatural being patiently waited beside him. When Su Muluo paused, she smiled and said, “Alright, someone will take you for a supernatural power test later, and then you’ll receive a special bracelet. If you wear that bracelet, the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings will monitor you for the next year. Don’t worry, the bracelet can only detect fluctuations in your supernatural power. Generally, as long as you don’t use your powers for anything harmful, the Bureau won’t interfere too much.”
Su Muluo thought it was quite troublesome. He wanted to return to the mountains. However, he maintained a calm demeanor and said, “Thank you.”
The snake supernatural being nodded and suddenly remembered something, reminding him, “By the way, do you have a partner? If you do, they also need to be registered.”
Su Muluo replied, “Yes,” and then took a egg out of his pocket.
A smooth, round, somewhat proudly looking egg.
The snake supernatural being: “…”
Dragon egg: “?”
“Pfft.”
Dragon egg: “…”
Su Muluo: “Is there a problem?”
His voice grew colder, like frost crystallizing in the heat of summer, instantly lowering the temperature in the room.
The snake supernatural being was startled, and an instinctual fear of danger ran up her spine, but this fear also made her quickly suppress her laughter. She straightened up, “Sorry, I lost control… Since your partner is not very convenient, you don’t have to register them.”
Su Muluo: “…”
Before, the old rabbit supernatural being didn’t tell him that getting a legal ID in the human city would be so troublesome.
The snake supernatural being kept nodding, “Of course, of course. I’ll have someone take you for the test.”
She pressed the button on her desk, and an employee soon walked over. Su Muluo stood up, nodded slightly to the snake supernatural being, and thanked her.
His voice was elegant and pleasant, and his appearance was flawless. Such a person politely thanking her should have been a pleasing sight. However, the snake supernatural being remembered his gaze from earlier, and the fear lingered, making her unable to look at him for long.
Once Su Muluo left, the snake supernatural being, still trembling from the earlier fear of offending a powerful being, wiped her sweaty palms and muttered, “Bird clan? Since when did the bird clan have such outstanding individuals? Could it be a reclusive powerful supernatural being?”
She took a deep breath to calm herself, thinking, “Well, regardless, he’s very good looking.”
Su Muluo didn’t pay much attention to the little incident earlier. He followed the staff for the supernatural power test. Since he concealed his aura, the testing device didn’t register anything significant. In the end, they categorized him as a bird clan minor supernatural being with less than a hundred years of cultivation. He left with the bracelet provided by the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings.
According to the rules, he had to stay in the human world for a full year to get an ID. Su Muluo had originally planned to contact the coffee shop owner to inform him that he couldn’t rent the space. However, he decided to visit the supernatural forum first to see if there were any other solutions.
On his way back home, the dragon egg remained quietly in Su Muluo’s pocket, not moving much. Su Muluo keenly sensed that the egg’s mood was a bit off, as if it wasn’t very happy. However, this unhappiness wasn’t directed at him but seemed like the egg was sulking on its own.
When he got home, Su Muluo took the egg out, gently placing it on the coffee table. The surface of the table was smooth, and the dragon egg couldn’t stand steadily. Normally, it would roll towards him, cuddling affectionately, but this time it lay still on the table, not moving.
Su Muluo stared at the dragon egg for a few seconds, then reached out to touch it and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He could feel some subtle emotions from the dragon egg, as if it wasn’t very happy. However, this unhappiness wasn’t directed at him but was something the dragon egg was experiencing on its own.
Thinking of this, Su Muluo’s attractive brows curved slightly. He picked up the dragon egg, kissed it lightly, and said, “Don’t worry, even if you don’t hatch, I’ll always wait for you. I won’t leave you alone.”
In reality, he didn’t know how long the dragon egg had been inside the egg. At least, when he first hatched, the first living thing he saw with his newly opened eyes was this dragon egg. At that time, he was still a soft and small phoenix, curled up next to the dragon egg, instinctively drawing warmth from it. He spent the first night of his life like this.
For the next 1,800 years, he and the dragon egg had never been apart. Perhaps in the long years before the egg hatched, they had been keeping each other company like this. So, he had a natural fondness and attachment to the dragon egg. Even if it never hatched, he was willing to wait for it.
With the soothing words and a light kiss from the Phoenix, the dragon egg seemed dazed for a moment. It then turned over in a slight but incredibly graceful motion in his hand.
It was comforted.
Su Muluo smiled, his fingers gently caressing the dragon egg. He said, “Don’t overthink it from now on. Others are others, and we don’t need to care about their opinions.”
The dragon egg rolled over again and affectionately rubbed against its own Phoenix. Su Muluo held it in his hands, letting it stick to him.
The day went by peacefully, and Su Muluo didn’t have any strange dreams that night. He slept soundly, but when he woke up the next morning, he found that the dragon egg was no longer by his pillow.
He got up and searched the house but couldn’t find the dragon egg. He also noticed that the front door was slightly ajar, so he went outside. Eventually, he found his dragon egg in the kitchen.
The dragon egg was upright beside the induction cooker, appearing to contemplate the meaning of its existence. Su Muluo had no idea how it had gotten there. He reached out, touched it, and said, “What’s the matter? Do you want to cook yourself?”
The dragon egg seemed to roll toward the pot after hearing this, then remained still.
Su Muluo: “?”
He looked at the dragon egg, then at the pot, and after a few seconds, he said, “You don’t really want me to cook you, do you?”
The dragon egg turned in place, seemingly contemplating.
Su Muluo: “…”
Could it be that cooking it would make it hatch? Then why didn’t it hatch before?
Full of doubt, he reluctantly turned on the induction cooker, boiled a pot of water, and as the water started to bubble and steam rose, he poked the dragon egg with his finger, saying, “So… am I supposed to throw you in now?”
The dragon egg nudged his finger, giving its approval. So, Su Muluo carefully picked it up and placed it in the pot.
At first, the dragon egg floated on the water, but as the temperature increased, it gradually sank.
Su Muluo: !
Is it getting cooked?
In a hurry, he retrieved the dragon egg from the pot, and because it was too hot, he rinsed it under cold water for a while, asking, “How are you feeling now?”
The dragon egg remained motionless, not even rolling.
Su Muluo tried shaking it, asking, “Wake up, are you asleep? Can you hear me? If you can, roll a bit.”
The dragon egg continued to stay still, as quiet as a dead egg.
Su Muluo: …
Oh no, did he actually cook his dragon still inside the egg?
What should he do now?
Su Muluo stared silently at the dragon egg, a jumble of thoughts in his mind, not sure how to sort them out. After a while, he seemed to have an idea. He slowly raised his hand, tentatively tapping the eggshell on the table’s edge.
It didn’t break.
Su Muluo tapped it again.
Still intact.
He added a bit more force and tapped it a third time.
This time, there was a “crack” sound, and a small crack appeared on the smooth eggshell.
Su Muluo: !
He hadn’t used much force, yet the eggshell actually cracked. He immediately put it down, afraid to touch it again.
However, the crack on the eggshell didn’t disappear; instead, it grew larger. With his heart pounding, he saw a small piece of the eggshell being pushed open.
Su Muluo was in shock.
It really hatched!
He stared intensely at that small piece of eggshell, afraid to miss anything. Inside, he found a tiny black dragon, still with its eyes closed. It grasped his finger, seeking warmth, and raised its head with two little horns, making a cute, cooing sound.
“Aw.”
Su Muluo: …
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!
I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!
Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!
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