Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Standing beneath the tree, with his back turned to her, was Simon. He stood there silently, his eyes fixed on the tree's glowing branches, more precisely, it was focused on something more profound—something nestled among the branches of the glowing tree.

Cradled gently in the intricate weave of the tree's branches was an egg. Not just any egg, but one that radiated a faint glow of its own, almost as if the tree's light had infused it with life.

The egg looked mysterious and ancient and gave off a unique ripple. The branches of the Tree of Spirit held the egg carefully, tenderly, like a mother cradling her child. It was as if the Tree of Spirit itself was nurturing the egg, providing it with warmth and protection.

Simon's eyes were locked on the egg, his expression one of deep contemplation which was why he failed to notice someone else's presence so near him.

Irene did not alert Simon, instead she observed him as he stood there. It was rare to see him so focused, so absorbed in something beyond the immediate concerns of the dungeon or the battles that lay ahead.

There was a certain tranquillity, a certain charm about him in that moment that drew others to him.

"Hm?" at this moment, Simon turned slightly at the sound of a footstep catching sight of Irene standing just a few feet away. She looked a little lost, as if her body was here but her mind was not.

"What are you doing here at this hour? Are you unable to sleep?" Simon asked.

Irene who was pulled out of her thoughts, blinked and put on a faint smile.

"I couldn't sleep," She admitted. But she didn't mention the dream—not because she didn't want to share it, but because it was something that even she herself didn't fully understand.

The emotions the dream had stirred within her were still swirling around in her mind, unresolved and confusing.

"What about you? Why are you here?" At that question, Simon pointed his finger at the egg nestled in the branches of the Tree of Spirit.

"The egg... It called to you?" If it wasn't Simon who was telling her that, she would wonder if the other party was right in the head.

And besides, the egg nestled in the embrace of the Tree of Spirits was no ordinary egg either. It held a tremendous amount of power and released a powerful oppressive aura even before hatching.

With a voice lost in thoughts, he spoke "I was asleep, but then..." He paused, searching for the right words "I felt something. A transmission of sorts. It was like a voice calling out to me, but not exactly. More like... a presence. It came from the egg."

He glanced at Irene, "I can't say for sure what it was, but it woke me up. And so, I came here."

The latter's gaze also drifted towards the egg, momentarily forgetting about her strange dream.

"The egg... It called to you?" If it wasn't Simon who was telling her that, she would wonder if the other party was right in the head.

And besides, the egg nestled in the embrace of the Tree of Spirits was no ordinary egg either. It held a tremendous amount of power and released a powerful oppressive aura even before hatching.

There were also several ancient markings on the egg's shell and it looked quite and mysterious. The being incubated inside was no doubt extraordinary after all, the egg was something that was pulled out of that Mysterious Abyss.

Irene wouldn't be shocked if another exquisite being like the Null Elemental popped up from it.

"Yes. Though I can't tell if it was truly a voice or something else. All I know is that it wanted to tell me something."

The stillness of the night wrapped around them like a blanket and the soft glow of the Tree of Spirit cast a gentle, ethereal light.

At this moment, the entire floor was sleeping after a day of heartful festivity. Perhaps the only one awake right now was the two of them. A man and woman alone in the night… the atmosphere quickly became amorous.

"I wonder what's inside?" Realising the mood, Irene quickly changed the topic "It must be something important if it's calling out to you like that".

Simon's smile deepened as he observed Irene's attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere. There was a certain charm in seeing her flustered—a rare sight considering her usual composed demeanour.

He felt like teasing this cold beauty a little.

"You seemed to be staring at me earlier. Are you sure it's the egg you're curious about?"

He leaned in slightly, closing the small distance between them, his eyes twinkling with mischief. There was only a few centimetres of distance between their bodies and lips.

Caught off guard, Irene froze momentarily at his sudden boldness. The gentle breeze of the night seemed to carry a hint of electricity now, or maybe that was just her imagination, but she was feeling quite jittery.

Clearing her throat, Irene quickly tried to regain her composure, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her efforts.

"I… of course it's the egg that I came to see. I can feel that it won't be long before the bing inside comes out" she replied, though her voice faltered slightly.

"Really?" Simon drew closer. At this point, their bodies were practically touching each other.

Finding her reaction endearing, he reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears. It was a simple gesture, but this gesture sent a shiver down her spine, making it impossible to ignore the increasing intimacy between them.

"I suppose you are here for a different reason. But it cannot be a coincidence that both you and I arrived here in the middle of the night. Perhaps tonight is not about the festival, the tree or the egg"

"Perhaps it is tying to tell us something. Do you understand what I am getting at? A man and a woman in the middle of the night, surrounded by the moonlight and the warm glow of the tree of spirits…"

Simon whispered into her ears, his voice low and smooth.

Feeling his breath touch her skin, Irene's body flinched. As she met his gaze, she felt there was something more in his eyes—a warmth, an affection that she hadn't allowed herself to fully acknowledge before.

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