I Became a 6★ Gacha Character
Chapter 565: Wild and Feral 5

I remembered reading something on the internet about the differences between dogs and wolves, particularly in their eyes. Unlike wild wolves, dogs that lived with humans developed eye muscles that allowed them to communicate better.

This memory suddenly popped up because of the orc and wolf beast-kin in front of me.

'So this is what it means to curse someone with your eyes.'

The beast-kin with human faces and wolf ears aside, an orc's face was clearly different from a human's. Yet the intent in those pupils was perfectly readable.

It gave off the feeling of: You told me the Orc Champion is dangerous, but you want a fair duel? Are you humans insane?

Well, it must be confusing for this deserter orc. Human adventurers typically move in parties—with tanks, damage dealers, healers, and guides—working together to face monsters with bodies stronger than human flesh. That was common sense.

But we had the holy sword that completely ignored defense, and a balance-breaking skill that awakened to 7★ when health dropped low, instead of going berserk and attacking everyone indiscriminately.

"I understand what you mean and what you're thinking, but I have my own reasons. Actually, it'll minimize damage if he and I face each other alone. ...This isn't baseless confidence but a revelation from the Goddess."

"A revelation?"

"Ah, divine possession. In that case, it can't be helped."

I couldn't explain about passives or awakenings, so I mentioned the Goddess, and the wolf beast-kin immediately understood. Since they were warriors who served divine beings themselves, they seemed to grasp it right away.

The orc, on the other hand, had become intelligent but lacked basic common sense. Not knowing what a Goddess was, his eyes turned to me like I was a madman running off to die based on someone else's word. It would have been easier if he'd gotten angry or argued, but his genuine concern made it even more absurd.

The orc's eyes mixed despair—realizing there was no paradise in his escape—with sympathy, wondering how this seemingly normal person had gone crazy. Great, now I was even getting pity from an orc.

"What are you talking about?"

"How to deal with the Orc Champion."

Was she curious about what we were doing? Grace, who had been scanning the surroundings, quietly approached and asked what the human, beast-kin, and orc discussion was about.

When I told her the orc had explained the rituals the Champion used, she nodded, seemingly less suspicious. The wolf beast-kin departed to rejoin his survey team as Grace and I started talking, and the orc also discreetly slipped away.

Thanks to this, once we were alone, Grace grabbed my elbow without hesitation. Going from being treated like a lunatic by an orc to dating a beauty in the forest—what a whirlwind.

"By the way, what is that egg? The mages are all obsessing over it."

"...Are they researching the gate at least?"

"They said they only look at it during breaks from gate research."

I'd much rather share my personal space with Grace than with an orc. Looking around, I saw Katie and Irene surrounded by beast-kin girls, while Han Se-ah was cornered by Magic Tower geezers undergoing what looked like an interrogation.

No wonder there was no camera filming our suspicious little huddle—she was on the verge of being kidnapped by graduate students.

Grace gave a slightly bitter smile when she noticed my gaze directed at Han Se-ah. Even someone as good-natured and smooth as Grace couldn't handle wild-eyed wizard geezers, apparently. She could only chuckle helplessly as she watched Han Se-ah desperately looking for an escape.

"At least Hanna tells forest stories well. You know, Hanna's surprisingly good at storytelling. With that nice voice and way with words, if she hadn't become a mage, she might have been a famous minstrel."

"Hmm, maybe so."

Well, she was already doing something similar.

Perhaps Grace appreciated Han Se-ah's everyday clowning around. Come to think of it, it hadn't even taken a month for the women to drop formalities and become like sisters.

Han Se-ah was quite a unique existence when you thought about it. Even describing her simply resulted in contradictory terms like "extroverted homebody" or "social gaming nerd." She was a hybrid who spent all day gaming at home and even exercised through home training, yet was skilled at dealing with people.

Though she whined to her viewers, she handled socially awkward mages without issue. Combined with her unique mana control and reflexes, she reminded me of those random talented people from old variety shows.

"Anyway, what really is that egg? The beast-kin don't know, the orcs don't know, and even the mages don't know."

"Right. Judging by its appearance, it looks like some dragon might hatch from it."

"A baby dragon... even predator cubs are cute, but I'm not sure if a dragon that size would be cute. Wouldn't it be more like seeing a huge alligator?"

Starting with Han Se-ah, then the giant rock egg that caught everyone's eye, we walked around the clearing making useless small talk about beast-kin and forests.

A date doesn't have to be about dressing up and going to cafes, movie theaters, and restaurants in sequence. Having relaxed time alone together amidst everyone else's busyness was enough to make for a wonderful date.

Apart from the slightly noisy Magic Tower geezers, wasn't the forest truly beautiful? They had cleared away trees to make room for the egg, creating an open space where sunlight beautifully streamed down.

"Uh...?"

"What the fuck are you doing, you crazy bastard!"

"No, I just, a little mana..."

Rustling leaves, streaming sunlight, and an egg cracking open to reveal large, innocent eyes.

It was truly a fucked-up day.

※

The massive egg cracked without warning—crack!—splitting open. Like some pet gacha system from a mobile game for simpletons, the egg cleanly split in half—crack!—as a large head suddenly popped out.

Eyes the size of human heads staring brightly, reptilian scales that gleamed like jewels unlike the eggshell, the disproportionately large head characteristic of babies, and a deflating cry completely devoid of aggression or ferocity.

Gwaang——

Gyaang———

It had a cute appearance, as if it had heard Grace wondering whether a baby this size could be cute. Anyone without a reptile phobia or lizard aversion would find its appearance appealing.

"Oh, wow. It looks like, what do you call it, a dragon hatchling? Like a baby dragon? It doesn't even have teeth but it's eating its eggshell really well. Munching away like it's a cookie. ...But isn't its head a bit big?"

-Isn't it cute because the big head makes it look like an anime character?

-The scales look sort of opal-colored? Anyway, they're really shiny, totally different from the egg

-So which mage opened it and how? LOL

-Did they just need to feed it mana? Was the gimmick that simple?

-Don't animals that hatch from eggs imprint on the first person they see as their parent? Or is that just birds?

To be honest, watching the hatchling—which had to be over 2 meters tall—crunching and munching on its rocky eggshell was fascinating entertainment, prompting active chat from the viewers.

In a modern society where beyond dogs and cats, even unusual pets like otters, reptiles, and insects become streaming content, it would be hard not to be interested in a jewel-dragon hatchling with scales that sparkled like opals.

Though the overall gimmick remained unclear, it seemed some mage, driven by curiosity, had recklessly pumped mana into the egg to examine its contents, triggering the hatching.

"Let's talk about our contract."

"Um, Miss Cavendish. That wasn't my intention—"

"I'll be the one doing the talking. Not you."

Beyond Han Se-ah, who was collecting donations while debating whether to hand more eggshell pieces to the baby dragon, I could see a mage being dragged deeper into the forest by Charlotte and Mari.

The mages desperately stole glances while researching the gate, the beast-kin bristled their fur and flinched every time the hatchling crunched on eggshell, and Han Se-ah was already feeding more eggshell to the baby dragon alongside Katie.

The scene looked so much like children participating in an animal feeding experience at a zoo that both Irene and Grace let out small "pfft" laughs.

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"Seeing how it's more interested in rocks than meat with all these people around, I don't think it's carnivorous. So it should be fine, right?"

Irene on my right, Grace on my left. Somehow our one-on-one date had turned into three people walking side by side. But having experienced everything there was to experience, I was the kind of man who wouldn't hesitate to extend my hands despite the awkward situation.

The calluses from drawing bowstrings and the calluses from helping with Temple chores felt so different. As I thought this, their fingers tickled the backs of my hands as if in response.

Full of mischief, Grace unhesitatingly began scratching the back of my hand as if trying to tickle me, while Irene, seemingly a bit embarrassed by such public affection, hesitated as she moved her fingers. As a result, it was actually Irene's hesitant fingers that made me feel itchy.

"...By the way, doesn't that orc seem suspicious?"

"How so?"

The starlight finch's stellar mana, the closed gate, and the baby jewel dragon. Amid the chaos of excited mages and trembling beast-kin, with Han Se-ah diligently collecting donations, we were enjoying an intimate moment without camera interference when Grace slightly furrowed her brow.

Her eyes were directed toward the deserter orc who was leaning against a dense tree, fidgeting restlessly as he stared at the clearing. Not trying to escape, not trying to hide—just making strange movements.

Wondering what was happening, I approached, and he frantically rushed toward me as if relieved.

"Hey! Holy sword warrior! Aren't mages supposed to be wise beings like shamans?"

"That's right... what's wrong?"

"Then why aren't they doing anything when a dragon hatchling was just born? What will they do if the mother dragon comes looking, seriously!"

...He had a point.

In a gathering of beast-kin, mages, and the hero's party, the most normal and sensible one was the orc?

Enjoy the chappy!

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