novelraw Chapter 296 296: 296. The Egg
Chapter 296 296: 296. The Egg
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Unlike most new players, Dio did not head toward the plaza exit to speak with the obvious quest-giver, a white-bearded old man who practically screamed, "Important NPC."
Instead, he scanned the plaza for a moment, already forming a plan, and set off toward the southwest corner.
His destination was a small private shop, spotless and well-kept. Perhaps because its prices were slightly higher than the official League stores in town, the place had very little business.
After all, the game had only just launched. Most players were still struggling financially, and whatever money they had was usually spent on strengthening their Pokémon. Hardly anyone would bother visiting an out-of-the-way shop with higher prices.
But Dio was not like the others.
With nearly ten years of experience ahead of every current player, he had come here for a reason.
Jingle.
The half-closed door creaked open, and a small bell rang softly.
Ignoring the curious look from the middle-aged clerk behind the counter, Dio walked straight to a shelf in the corner and began searching.
It didn't take long.
With precise, purposeful movements, he soon pulled out an unusual seashell with a deep azure color.
A spark of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
Without any attempt to bargain, Dio immediately used the twenty silver coins granted to him as a starting bonus to purchase the shell.
Holding it in his hand, a strange light flickered in his gaze.
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Ancient Seashell
Quality: Common
Description: An ordinary seashell with no special function. Its unusual color might make it valuable to collectors.
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There was a reason Dio was willing to spend his precious starting funds on what appeared to be nothing more than a decorative shell.
As someone reborn with ten years of future knowledge, he possessed an enormous advantage.
Many players in his previous life had loved to show off their discoveries on forums. Some posts revealed the habitats of rare Pokémon. Others documented the hidden methods of obtaining powerful items.
Right now, in the earliest days of the game's launch, Dio was the only person who knew about them.
And this strange blue seashell was the key item for a hidden quest.
Unlike the complex hidden quests found in many games, this one was almost absurdly simple.
As long as you had the correct item, the entire quest could be completed in under two hours, yielding extremely generous rewards.
That was why Dio had chosen it as his starting move.
He stored the shell inside his system inventory and carefully made his way through the narrow alleyways of the town. As he walked, he examined every intersection and every doorway he passed.
About twenty minutes later, he stopped in front of an old, weathered door.
The wooden door looked ancient, its dark brown surface scarred with the marks of time. From inside came the faint murmur of voices.
"This is it."
Dio raised his hand and knocked three times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The dull sound echoed down the alley. Instantly, the noise from inside fell silent.
Moments later, soft footsteps approached.
The door slowly opened.
Standing there was a weathered man who looked to be around fifty or sixty.
His shoulder-length hair was unkempt, streaked with gray at the temples. Two jagged scars cut across his rough face. One eye was cloudy with blindness, while the other was hidden beneath a black eyepatch.
"Who are you?"
His voice was hoarse and cold.
Despite his age and disability, the man gave off the feeling of a dangerous predator like a shark lurking beneath the sea.
Dio didn't answer.
Instead, he reached into his inventory and took out the blue seashell, holding it forward.
The old man's gaze locked onto it instantly.
His body trembled slightly.
The hostility in his eyes melted away, replaced by something far deeper—nostalgia.
"…Sigh."
The gray-haired man let out a quiet breath and pushed the door open wider.
"Come in."
An hour and a half later.
Dio stepped back out through the old wooden door, and a satisfied smile spread across his youthful face.
"Quest complete."
"Nice…"
The old man he had just met had once been a formidable sea captain. For more than thirty years, he had battled storms and danger on the open ocean.
Five years ago, however, an accident had cost him his left eye and with it, the will to keep sailing. He had returned to his hometown and retired, living off the savings he had accumulated during his years at sea.
The blue seashell sitting forgotten in that shop had been a token tied to a promise he made long ago.
Dio had simply followed a guide he remembered from an old forum post, returning the shell to the retired captain.
The reward had been substantial.
He opened his inventory and nodded in satisfaction.
Finding a quiet corner with no one around, he retrieved the quest reward.
Thud!
Something heavy hit the ground.
Before him sat a metal chest roughly the size of a small table.
Its surface was mottled with reddish-brown rust, and a cloud of dust rose into the air as it emerged from his system storage.
Dio slowly opened the lid.
The next moment, a vast ocean-blue glow filled his vision.
Inside the chest were three items.
The first, and most eye-catching, was a palm-sized sapphire. Under the sunlight, it shimmered brilliantly, faint blue ripples spreading outward from it like gentle waves.
The second item looked like a strange disc, similar to an old compact disc. Its purpose wasn't immediately clear.
But it was the final item in the chest that made Dio's breathing quicken.
Inside a glass container lay an oval Pokémon Egg.
Its shell was a deep navy blue, decorated with circular yellow markings. Even from over half a meter away, Dio could feel the rich, moist aura radiating from it.
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Pokémon Egg
Species: Unknown
Quality: Deep Purple
Description: A Pokémon Egg containing a lively new life waiting to hatch.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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P-atreon/iamxeno
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