Marcus stepped out of the hidden tunnel and stopped instinctively at the edge of the exit. The passage opened directly onto a sheer cliff face carved into an enormous cylindrical chamber. Smooth stone walls rose perfectly vertical around him, enclosing the space like the inside of a colossal tower.

He leaned forward slightly to take in the scale.

The drop to the bottom was roughly fifty yards. The distance to the ceiling above was about the same, and the opposite wall stood equally far away. Everything about the chamber felt precise and deliberate, as though it had been shaped by something far beyond ordinary craftsmanship.

At the center of the chamber floor lay a circular opening roughly five meters wide. From that hole erupted a violent column of black wind, spiraling upward with a deafening howl. The storm shot straight toward the ceiling before breaking apart into countless fist-sized openings scattered across the rock overhead, disappearing into unseen passages beyond.

That roaring column of wind was the Earth-Wind Spirit Cave itself.

Even from this distance, Marcus could clearly see something suspended within the storm. About five yards above the cave floor, bathed in shimmering light, floated a pet egg radiating brilliant seven-colored brilliance.

The Seven-Colored Divine Eagle’s egg.

"Damn..."

Relief washed over him almost immediately. Without Blackie’s ability to walk on air, reaching this place would have meant nothing. The egg sat far below, unreachable by ordinary movement. Anyone without flight would have arrived here only to stare helplessly at the prize.

Yet something about the chamber bothered him.

Despite its immense size and dramatic centerpiece, the space was completely empty. No monsters patrolled the walls. No lurking enemies waited near the cave entrance. Aside from the roaring windstorm, the chamber felt unnaturally silent.

The emptiness made it feel even more dangerous.

"No monsters is good," Marcus muttered, mostly to reassure himself.

After surviving that black wind tunnel, the last thing he wanted was to encounter high-level guardians. A passage that practically demanded Level 80 strength likely protected something equally terrifying. If enemies existed here, they certainly would not be weak.

"Blackie..."

He started to give the command to descend, planning to ride Blackie down carefully along the cliff wall. But halfway through the thought, Marcus paused. His gaze shifted toward the massive wind column swirling at the center of the chamber.

A new idea formed.

"Summon Goldie."

Dark light burst beside him as the summoning circle appeared. From within it emerged a magnificent golden eagle wrapped in faint shadows, radiating both brilliance and menace.

His Grade 9 companion, the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King.

Goldie had grown noticeably larger. His aura carried heavier darkness now, his presence sharper and more imposing. When he spread his wings, their span exceeded five meters, each golden feather gleaming like forged metal.

Screech!

Goldie cried out proudly upon appearing, circling Marcus once with effortless grace. His flight combined elegance and overwhelming power, every motion precise and controlled, the posture of a true king of the skies.

"Come here, Goldie."

Marcus grinned, stepping off Blackie and swinging himself smoothly onto Goldie’s broad back. After countless battles grinding levels inside the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, Goldie had reached Level 48. The gryphon had technically become rideable at Level 40, but until now Marcus had never found an environment spacious enough to truly experience it.

This chamber, vast and open, was perfect.

"Go!"

Goldie launched forward at once. His enormous wings beat once, twice, then he surged into the air with breathtaking acceleration, heading straight toward the roaring wind column.

Riding him felt completely different from Blackie. The movement was smooth beyond expectation, not a single jolt disturbing Marcus’s balance. Goldie sliced through the air with natural mastery, his speed matching Blackie’s air-walking stride as the shadow beast followed behind.

Reaching the upper portion of the chamber, Goldie stopped flapping entirely. Instead, he spread his wings wide and caught the turbulent currents created by the black storm. Using the wind’s own force, he began gliding downward along the spiraling column.

"That’s incredible!"

The sensation was exhilarating. Wind roared past Marcus as the massive storm twisted beside him, turning the descent into something between flight and freefall. The view alone was unforgettable. Without hesitation, Marcus activated his recording function, already imagining sharing this moment later with the girls back home.

As he descended, another thought surfaced.

’Earth-Wind Spirit Cave...’

Liam Windrunner had once attempted to use this very place to evolve his Seven-Colored Divine Eagle. If that was possible, then theoretically Goldie, a creature already possessing Dark, Wind, and Lightning attributes, might benefit even more from the cave’s power.

Marcus frowned slightly.

"Too bad I didn’t ask him exactly how he tried it."

Liam had failed despite his overwhelming strength. That alone was enough to make Marcus cautious. Reckless experimentation here could easily end in disaster.

"What did he actually do...?"

While thinking, Marcus activated Insight toward the raging storm beside him.

—

Earth-Wind Spirit Cave:

Discovered during the construction of the First Emperor’s Four Spirits’ Guard. A naturally formed wind-attuned spirit cave containing immense wind energy. Holds great potential and great danger. Improper use will result in being devoured by wind energy.

—

Marcus clicked his tongue softly.

An impressive description, yet completely lacking practical instructions. The obvious approach would be to send Goldie into the wind column and allow him to absorb its power, but Liam Windrunner’s failure lingered in his mind like a warning bell.

’Better not gamble blindly.’

Goldie continued gliding downward until they reached the base of the wind column. The Seven-Colored Divine Eagle’s egg hovered directly before him now, separated only by the swirling black storm.

Close enough to touch.

"First things first. Secure the egg."

Marcus recalled Goldie and switched back onto Blackie for precise positioning. Carefully guiding him forward, Marcus extended his arm into the black windstorm.

The reaction was immediate.

-5200.

A freezing force slammed into his arm the instant it crossed the boundary. It felt less like wind and more like countless blades of ice tearing through him. In a single second, over five thousand health vanished. Marcus jerked his hand back in shock.

"Damn..."

That was brutal. If he had been any class other than a high-defense Knight, that single touch might have killed him instantly.

Still, it wasn’t impossible.

"No problem."

Marcus activated Dragon Soul Aegis and Wandering Corpse Souls without hesitation. Power surged through his body, his maximum health skyrocketing to nearly fifteen thousand. Golden light enveloped him as Adamant Shield Wall followed, forming a protective barrier around his frame. He swallowed another Super Health Potion and reached into the storm again.

-1500.

-1400.

’Much better.’

The damage still hurt, but it was manageable. Two seconds later, his fingers finally made contact with the glowing egg.

"Got you."

Satisfaction flickered across his face. Then the unexpected happened.

The moment his hand touched the Seven-Colored Divine Eagle’s egg, the seven-colored light surrounding it pulsed violently. Instead of allowing him to grab it, the radiant energy rebounded outward and forcibly pushed his hand away.

Marcus blinked in confusion. He had not obtained the egg.

Instead, a system notification appeared before his eyes.