Power of Runes
Chapter 151: Stealing (3)

Chapter 151: Stealing (3)

Looking at the egg placed exactly at the center, a grin slowly spread across Ash’s face beneath the cloth mask hiding his expression.

Hehe...

Then, his attention shifted toward Taylor, who was moving quietly among the many dragon eggs.

I expected him to be fuming, desperate to catch me, but it seems like he actually knows how to control his emotions.....

Ash crouched low, hiding himself behind one of the large platforms that held a dragon egg. It was wide and tall enough to completely shield him from sight.

His eyes, however, remained fixed on the red egg in the center of the chamber. In all the novels and manhwas he had read, one thing was always consistent—the rarest or most important treasure was always placed right in the center.

If I go for any other egg, there’s a good chance that dragon will notice something. It’s safer to grab the one at the center first, and then I can snatch another on my way out and escape in a single move.

At that moment, Taylor came to a stop in front of one of the crimson-red eggs, not the central one but one nearby. He gently placed his hand on the smooth shell and spoke in a soft, affectionate tone.

"When will you come out, child? Your mother may not be here anymore, but your father is still waiting."

His voice carried a deep warmth, the kind only a parent could show. A gentle, proud smile appeared on his face.

"I’m just glad that you’ll definitely grow up to be strong—stronger than me, maybe even stronger than even your mother"

Dragon eggs were mysterious and unpredictable. They did not hatch quickly like normal creatures.

Their incubation periods could range from decades to even centuries, depending on the egg. But the longer the egg remained unhatched, the stronger the dragon inside was believed to become.

Ash continued to watch the interaction in silence. His expression didn’t change, but something flickered briefly in his eyes.

Let’s not think too much about it. I already have enough on my mind. If I dwell on this any longer, I might actually start to feel like I’m the villain in all of this.

Quietly, and with sharp awareness, he began to move again—step by step—making his way toward the red egg placed at the exact center, while keeping Taylor’s movements in the corner of his vision.

Reaching the center platform, Ash tried to store the egg into his space ring.

But the egg did not budge.

Oh right, it’s a living being... I can’t store it in the space ring.

Realizing that, he quietly held the egg in his hands. The moment his fingers wrapped around its surface, a strange sensation flowed through him.

The egg felt strangely warm, not like heat from fire, but more like the warmth of life itself. Its smooth surface was solid and polished like ruby, yet it had a softness beneath, as if something alive was breathing gently inside.

The faint golden mist swirling around it reacted lightly to his touch, as if recognizing him or acknowledging his presence.

It didn’t resist; instead, it accepted his hands as they cradled it, almost like a quiet welcome.

But as soon as he lifted the egg off the platform, everything changed.

A deep red light instantly spread across the chamber, and alarm lit up across the walls. A sharp, echoing sound rang out, shaking the calm silence of the space.

Shit!!!

Ash cursed in his mind and immediately turned to look at Taylor.

And Taylor was staring back at him.

His expression was completely different from earlier. His face was darkened by shadow, and his eyes were glowing with a fierce red light. A wild and chaotic aura surged around him, making the atmosphere feel heavy and dangerous. That calm, almost fatherly look from before was completely gone.

Ash instantly understood the danger and didn’t waste even a single breath.

He didn’t even consider picking up another egg. There was no time.

With the egg still in his hands, he activated [[Transcendent Step]]

But at that very moment, Taylor’s figure flickered and vanished, appearing right in front of him with terrifying speed.

A dragon claw shot forward, aiming straight for Ash’s heart. The air tore with the strike,

But he was lucky.

The teleportation completed just in time, and his figure disappeared from the chamber.

Left behind, Taylor stood still, breathing heavily. His claw hung in the air, stained faintly with blood. His red eyes burned with fury as he roared, voice echoing through the egg chamber like thunder.

"Damn you humans!!!!"

The words came out not just in rage but from deep pain, a scream that shook the walls and rumbled through the very foundation of the place.

Immediately, Taylor reached for the communication artifact and roared into it with fury,

"THAT FUCKING HUMAN STOLE AN EGG!!!"

His shout echoed like thunder in the ears of all the Dragon Elders, shaking their hearts with disbelief and fury.

For a moment, everyone froze. Then the pressure exploded.

Some widened their eyes in shock, while others flared their auras uncontrollably. A few growled in disbelief, as if they could not believe what they had just heard.

Then, Alarion’s expression changed for the first time.

His face twisted in anger as he roared in a thunderous voice, "Ariel, Taylor, stay where you are and do not allow this to happen a second time. The rest of you, LOCK DOWN EVERYTHING AND FIND THAT RAT BASTARD."

"YES!!!"

The Dragon Elders roared in unison, their voices shaking the sealed dimension, the pressure rising to unbearable levels.

---

Meanwhile, far away on the Dragon Continent—

Ash released the breath he had unknowingly been holding as he appeared inside one of the hidden caves he had stayed in before during his time on the continent.

His body collapsed to the ground, and his hands were still holding the dragon egg tightly.

My mana is exhausted...

He could feel the weight pressing down on him, his concealment was undone, and fatigue was catching up with him fast. But that was not all.

Just then, a sharp pain surged through his chest. He looked down and saw that the area around his chest was badly burned. Blood was flowing out from five deep holes near his heart.

I am still injured. If I had been even a second late, my heart would have been destroyed... and the egg might have slipped from my hands while I was dying...

Ash was more worried about the egg falling from his hands and him teleporting away from the egg chamber without it, rather than dying itself.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts.

Still, I need to rest. I have to recover my mana... just for a while...

But as always, luck never favored him.

Barely five minutes had passed when the cave began to tremble violently—and then it exploded without warning.

BOOM!!

The explosion was deafening, shaking the entire area as smoke and debris filled the air, signaling the next wave of chaos that was already upon him.

***

"I found the thief, contact the Elders!" one of the young dragons roared in his full dragon form, wings flaring as he hovered above the shattered treetops, his golden eyes locked onto the figure fleeing below.

"Are you an idiot?! What if the egg breaks?! Don’t just blast him!" another dragon shouted, his voice full of panic, flapping furiously as he tried to hold back the others.

"You’re the idiot!" the first dragon snapped, flames curling at the edge of his jaws. "That egg is strong enough to survive a few attacks. Stop acting like it’s made of glass!"

While they bickered above, Ash, lying beneath a collapsed boulder, quietly shoved the stone off his body with all his remaining strength.

The red egg, still glowing faintly in his arms, remained untouched—resting peacefully as if unaware of the chaos surrounding it.

They found me this fast... but when I entered the continent, no one even noticed, and that too without using Absolute Concealment...

His thoughts were frantic, his breath sharp and rough..

Shit! I have to run before I get surrounded from all sides!

He didn’t wait to think further. His instincts screamed louder than his wounds, and his body reacted like it was possessed.

He darted in the opposite direction of the dragons, sprinting across the broken landscape, his arms wrapped protectively around the egg.

He had barely taken a few strides when—

BOOM!!!

A blast of fire exploded behind him, shattering trees and sending burning splinters flying through the air.

"FUCK!!"

The shockwave slammed into his back and hurled him forward, but instead of crashing, Ash twisted midair and landed in a roll.

Using the force to fuel his momentum, he shot forward even faster, wind ripping past his ears and leaves brushing across his skin.

He ran like a madman through the dense forest, his breath ragged, clutching the egg close.

Above him, shadows blotted out the sunlight as more dragons began to flock in his direction.

Their roars echoed through the sky, primal and furious, shaking the very air itself.

The ground trembled with each wing beat, and the scent of fire, ash, and raw mana hung heavy in the atmosphere.

Time blurred into pain and adrenaline. Around fifteen minutes passed as Ash weaved and dodged the elemental blasts raining down from the sky.

BOOM!!!

Another explosion lit up the forest ahead, tearing open the ground and sending another wave of smoke and dirt into the sky.

Damn it... how many more...?

Then—

ROARRRRRRRRR!!!

These dragons are seriously crazy... completely out of their minds...

BOOM!!!

Just then, another massive explosion rocked the ground behind him, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Ash flat on his face.

Dirt flew everywhere, and he stumbled, coughing as he scrambled to his feet and started running.

"I SWEAR, YOU FUCKING LIZARDS, LEAVE ME ALONE OR I’M GONNA COOK YOU ALL INTO STEW! I’LL TURN YOUR WHOLE CLAN INTO FREAKIN’ BURNT CHICKEN!!"

His bold declaration echoed through the valley... only to be answered by a thunderous roar and a blazing burst of dragon fire.

ROARRRRRRR!!!!

BOOM!!!

These damn lizards, I swear...

Why the hell did I steal that egg? What was I thinking?! Am I stupid? I am definitely stupid. Oh my life...

Suddenly, a voice thundered from above like a broken loudspeaker.

"MAKE SURE THAT THIEF DOES NOT ESCAPE!"

Ash barely had time to react as more dragons swooped down from the sky, their wings slicing through the clouds like blades, eyes glowing like they were all on a revenge arc.

"Oh, come on! That was ONE egg! Just ONE! You guys have hundreds! You could’ve at least put up a sign or something!"

But his desperate whining didn’t help. The dragons only roared louder, fire building in their throats as they dived straight for him.

Ash ducked behind a rock, his heart hammering like a war drum.

I have to endure... endure until my mana is full in at least one core. After that, I will leave this continent within a heartbeat.

These long-tailed, overgrown turkeys are chasing me like I stole their bank password.

Another Dragon breath exploded a tree nearby, sending flaming splinters flying past his ear. He yelped and rolled over the ground, slapping at the sparks on his sleeve.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OTHERWISE—"

BOOM!!!!!

"YOU IDIOTS!!!!"

The dragons clearly didn’t care about his speech on proper stolen-egg etiquette.

They answered with more fire.

Ash kept running, flailing like a madman, his eyes wide with panic and regret.

If I somehow survive this, I am never stealing dragon eggs again. I swear. Okay—maybe I’ll think twice. Depends on the egg.

And just like that, Ash found himself in this chaotic mess—dragons behind him, fire all around, a stolen egg cradled in his arms, and no time left to think.

***