-Nadia POV-

Dad told me not to wander far from the village, but what does he know? I'm a big girl! I can do what I want! I'm totally in control and NOT lost after chasing a bug...

OK, I am, but the bug was really cool! It sparkled like Mom's harp, and the wings looked like one of Dad's crystals! It was pretty. Plus, Dad told me what to do if I'm lost, so I'll be fine. First, I need to find shell-tur to hide in case monsters try to get me!

Looking around, there were some nice trees, but not much else. The stone wall of the mountain was as smooth as any other rock. So I started to walk along the wall, and after a while, there was a cave!

The sky began to darken, but I knew it wasn't even dinnertime yet! Was it going to rain? I headed into the cave just as the first few drops hit the ground.

"I hope Dad will come and get me soon..." I said, peering back into the forest. There were no monsters in sight, so it should be safe for now. Turning back around, I saw my home until Dad got me. "Wow... pretty lights..."

The cave was so pretty! There were blue crystals glowing on the walls. The walls weren't bright, but it was still good! I could even see the egg in the middle of the room! Wait... an egg? Now that the crystals weren't so new in my mind, I saw it. A large brown egg. Sitting in an indent in the cave. It was HUGE! Bigger than my torso! I may not be the biggest girl in school, but I'm not the smallest, so that's saying something.

Wait. This is perfect! Dad said I have a rare skill. Apprize? Opraiz? No, that's not it. What was it? Oh, right!

"[Appraise]!"

I felt a tingle in my ear and saw the blue square.

『Monster Egg - Unknown』

"Monster Egg!? " It was a monster! If this is an egg, where's its momma? I rushed to get as far from the cave's entrance as possible, back against the cave wall.

I need out of here! I want to go home. What did Dad say to do if I got lost? Find shell-tur, then use... MY PRISM!

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I pulled my crystal from my backpack, remembering what Dad said: "Just break this prism, and mine will glow, so only use it when you're lost or in danger. Daddy will get to you as fast as he can. Understand?"

But how do I break it? Maybe the crystals on the walls. No, it's too high to reach. A rock? I looked around and found a blue round rock next to the egg.

I picked it up... and felt my ears tingle again? Whatever! I need to break my prism! I raised the stone as high as possible and smashed it against the prism. The rock was OK, but the prism looked like the glass cup she dropped yesterday.

The sound was loud, but it was OK; Dad would find me, hopefully before the egg’s momma. I shoved the rock in my pocket. It was a pretty rock!

I looked at the egg again. What was it? Was it a dragon? No, the cave is too small. A dire wolf? No, they don't lay eggs, and there would be more than one. SPIDERS!? Oh my gosh, please don't be a spider!

My eyes stung after thinking of spiders big enough to lay the egg. I lay my head on my knees as I started to cry. But I'm not scared of spiders! It's just... I'm cold, hungry, and lost. But looking back at the egg from the back of the cave, it looked more like a giant chicken egg, like the eggs Mr Hilltop had us incubate last fall.

But it can't be a chicken. The blue square said it was a monster egg... what was it?

Then, to break me out of my confusion, I heard Dad calling from outside, barely louder than the rain. "NADIA! CAN YOU HEAR ME? NADIA!"

My tears were forgotten; I leaped to my feet and ran out of the cave. "DADDY!"

After a second, my father came rushing to me. Still running, he picked me up and entered the cave, hugging me close. "Nadia, what were you thinking?" he scolded, but I didn't care—I was safe!

Now that I was safe, curiosity filled my mind again. Sniffling, I looked back to the egg. "D-dad..."

"Yes, Nadia?"

"What kind of egg is that?" I freed my arm from Dad's hug and pointed at the "too-big-to-be-a-chicken-but-looks-like-a-chicken-egg" egg.

"What are you- OH MY GODDESS, THAT'S A BIG EGG!" Dad screamed as he finally noticed the egg. He eyed it curiously before looking back at me. "I... Don't know?"

"What? But you're an adventurer?"

"EX-adventurer, also why would that matter? It's not a monster."

"But the blue box said it was a Monster Egg!"

Dad looked back at the egg in shock. While his eyebrows lowered, he crouched to pick the egg up without dropping me. "I'll take this with us. I have books on monster eggs back home," he said with a smile, but I could tell he was worried. "Why don't we look together?"

I felt worried at his expression. "Am I in trouble?"

His face lost its worry and looked sad. "No, you're not in trouble, I just don't want to lose sight of you for a while."

"OK." I leaned into his silk shirt; it was safe there. I was safe. I cried in relief. Everything would be OK.

-Dungeon POV-

Getting knocked out differed from what I expected from my first day as a dungeon core. But after coming to, I was confused. My core looked like it was in some sort of pouch, filled with river stones and an honestly pretty cool rock shaped like a fist.

"Did I just get kidnapped by a fucking child?"