Orson forced himself to stay calm, suppressing the overwhelming joy in his heart as he turned his attention to the other item.
His gaze flickered with shock.
"...This is…"
A crimson egg?
Wait.
What the hell was Xyla thinking?
"Adventurer," Xyla said gently, "I believe you are someone worthy of trust. Please, take care of him."
Though she spoke with conviction, a trace of unease flashed in her eyes—her hesitation was practically written all over her face.
"...Ahem."
Orson's heart pounded wildly. He forced the twisted, deformed grin on his face back into something resembling sincerity.
He needed to at least pretend to have a conscience.
"Heh… heheh… well, let me just take a closer look first."
His awkward laughter filled the air as he reached out and pulled the egg toward his chest.
But—
Xyla's wide, unblinking eyes remained locked on him, and she refused to let go.
Their hands froze mid-air, both gripping the egg.
"Divine Blood Phoenix is examining you. You must prove yourself to be a kind and compassionate person."
"If you fail, she will take back this reward at any time."
The system notification rang in his ears.
Orson met Xyla's burning gaze, his remaining rationality screaming at him—
DO NOT TRY TO FORCE IT.
Unless he wanted to die instantly, he needed to handle this carefully.
Summoning his Crimson Lizard King, Orson watched as the beast emerged cautiously, its eyes filled with deep-seated wariness toward Xyla.
Ancient instincts stirred within the Crimson Lizard King.
Its massive frame tensed up.
The sharp spikes on its back stood erect—each one like a drawn blade.
It had sensed it.
The being in front of it was a threat beyond imagination—on par with the supreme entities of the Death God Dragon Clan.
Orson's forehead dripped with cold sweat as he struggled to suppress the mounting tension.
With a forced grin, he patted his war beast's head.
"Look at him—so big, so healthy! Every day, he eats tons of meat and lives his best life!"
"Give this little baby to me—I promise he'll be well-fed and happy!"
Turning to the Crimson Lizard King, Orson coughed dryly and gave it a pointed look.
"Big guy, show some support here!"
To emphasize his point, he raised his staff threateningly.
The Crimson Lizard King hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly nodding its massive head.
Xyla's gaze remained on the Crimson Lizard King, a flicker of recognition flashing in her eyes.
After a long silence, she murmured, "This presence… it feels so familiar. But the memories are too distant… I can't recall them clearly. He is older than I am. He should know the truth."
Orson's expression shifted.
Divine Blood Phoenixes were born at the dawn of this era.
They were ancient, yes—but the Death God Dragon Clan was said to be from the previous era.
By all logic, there should be no overlap between them.
But now…
Was Xyla implying that some members of the Death God Dragon Clan still lived in the present era?
And the "older one" she spoke of—was she referring to her mate?
For him to be even older than Xyla, it would mean that the Divine-Winged Blood Phoenix had survived across two different eras.
But now, he was dead.
If Orson wanted to uncover the truth behind the Death God Dragon Clan, he would have to dig much deeper.
The information was too important to ignore.
The existence of the Ancient Dragon God's corpse in the Orc Sanctuary had already proven that the Crimson Lizard King held the potential to ascend into godhood—or perhaps even surpass it.
After all—
That legendary primordial dragon that had once created and destroyed worlds…
Orson suspected its true power had surpassed even the phoenixes and the gods themselves.
A few moments later, Xyla's eyes shimmered with tears—but before they could fall, the surging fire elements around her instantly evaporated them.
Then—
The crimson egg fell into Orson's hands.
"You've got a good eye."
Orson's smile twisted into something wicked.
Employee No. 3 was onboard.
Time to welcome it to the glorious life of unpaid labor.
"Quest Updated!"
"Exclusive Quest Unlocked!"
[Find the Resting Place of the Divine-Winged Blood Phoenix]
Difficulty: Legendary Objective: Travel to the Phoenix's final resting place and pour Phoenix's Lament as a tribute. Requirement: Level 80 and divine approval. Location: Unknown. Not detected in the current world.
The system notification shook Orson to his core.
He immediately checked the quest details again.
"Not in the current world"?
Did that mean…
Orson's back went cold.
There were two possibilities:
The quest location wasn't in the US region and required traveling to another server. The quest world itself… wasn't in Infinite Dimensions at all.
The first option was unlikely.
In his experience, personal quests had never required inter-server travel—only large-scale faction wars ever bridged different servers.
Which meant…
The second option was far more terrifying.
"You have triggered a hidden questline!"
Another notification followed.
[Heavenly Spirit's Heart]
Difficulty: Legendary Objective: Travel to the Phoenix's final resting place and retrieve the final gift from Player Tecumseh. Requirement: Level 80 and divine approval. Location: Unknown. Not detected in the current world.
Two quests.
Identical descriptions.
Orson's mind spun in chaos.
But one thing had just been confirmed—
Tecumseh… was Blaze King's real name.
And that meant—
Infinite Dimensions had existed before in another timeline.
The players from the previous era…
Were ancient people from a thousand years ago.
"Divine approval… does that mean I need to reach 30% Weaponization?"
Orson's skin crawled with goosebumps.
If he hadn't been reincarnated, he probably wouldn't have accepted this truth.
If he went around claiming that players from a thousand years ago had played the same game they were playing now, everyone would call him insane.
It was too mind-boggling, completely beyond rational understanding.
This quest…
Was it pointing to the real world itself?
A brilliant red glow suddenly interrupted Orson's thoughts.
He snapped back to reality just as Xyla turned to wave goodbye.
A blazing divine fire engulfed her.
The humble cloth robes she wore disintegrated into ashes, revealing her flawless, celestial body in all its glory.
Orson's eyes flickered.
"I like this little red bird."
Not only had she given him generous rewards, but she had even offered him an unforgettable farewell gift.
The ultimate beauty was often accompanied by the ultimate danger.
As the land turned to ash, the air ignited, and space itself fractured, Xyla vanished—replaced by a majestic, crimson phoenix woven from blood and fire.
Her final melodic cry echoed across the world.
In Barrel Town, the villagers fell to their knees, gazing at the fiery silhouette in the sky.
"Mother… Did that cursed adventurer drive you away?"
"That must be it! That bastard! I'll kill him!!!"
"Jenkins' Hostility +1000!"
"Jenkins will attack you on sight the next time you meet!"
"...What the hell?!"
Orson was speechless.
"I was your mom's good friend, and now you wanna kill me?"
"...Whatever. I won't argue with a brat."
With a sigh, he turned away, clutching the Phoenix Egg.
"Alright, little baby. Your mom's gone now."
Grinning, he immediately pulled up its stat panel.