Oh, shit. I’m dead. This Skyrend Aegiron was awake now, fully towering over me, and looked like it could crush me without a second thought.

Then, out of nowhere, a little creature, about my size, trotted up. It sniffed at me, tilting its head like it was curious, and then darted back to the massive bird-like beast. Wait, *was this thing its kid?*

And then I heard it—a voice, low and echoing, like it was speaking directly into my skull.

"Human..." The voice made me flinch. "I am Nyx, a Skyrend Aegiron, ruler of this cursed forest you humans trespass in. I am the top of the food chain."

Oh, great. So not only am I stuck in a nest, but I’m having a face-off with the head honcho of Cursed Wood.

I blinked. It talks?!

“Fear not, human…” Nyx said, her voice echoing like thunder through the trees. “We Skyrend Aegiron were blessed by the gods to understand and speak your language.”

I shoved down the rising fear bubbling in my chest. “So…uh, why am I here?”

Nyx’s eyes, intense and ancient, bore into mine. “The world is shifting, human. Forces are rising that even we cannot contain. Recently, my mate was killed… by humans. My time is coming as well, and before it does, I need someone to watch over my daughter, Nyxis. She’s young, naive to the world.”

I opened my mouth, trying to digest all this. “But… why me?”

“I received a prophecy.” Nyx’s voice softened, a somber tone even in the booming timbre. “A vision from the gods that showed me my end was near. It spoke of a man—one who would come flying toward my mountain and into my nest. It said that I could trust him to protect my daughter.”

This was getting crazier by the second. Not only had I stumbled into the nest of a legendary beast, but now she wanted to entrust her kid to *me*?

“Oh, and human…” Nyx continued, “the gods also mentioned something about your Gluttony skill.” With that, she turned and… **bit off her own ear.**

Before I could even process what was happening, she handed it to me. “This is my gift,” she said, a strange calm in her voice. “Eat it.”

I stared at the blood-slick piece of her ear, still warm in my hands.

I stood there, jaw hanging, clutching Nyx’s ear in my hand. I’d just…eaten it raw without thinking, practically choking it down. The thought hit me halfway through, and I scrambled to spit it out, but it was too late. Awkwardly, I cast a little *Fireball* to crisp the rest, burning my fingers as I frantically tried to finish the thing. And Nyx? She just stared, unblinking. Nothing like a giant beast watching you chow down on her own ear.

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Finally, I swallowed the last piece and tried to look dignified—an impossible task when you’re swallowing raw meat in front of a goddamn mythical creature.

Then, a chime echoed in my head.

**Screen pops**

[Gluttony skill progress 100/100: Unlocked]

A surge of energy tore through me, knocking me back. I clenched my fists, feeling raw power pulse through every fiber. Abilities and knowledge poured in, wild and chaotic, like I was some kind of ancient beast myself.

**Abilities of Skyrend Aegiron obtained.**

**Red Bear Abilities obtained.**

**Orc Abilities obtained.**

My mind raced. *Abyssal Shriek*, *Skyshard Barrage*, the pure strength of the red bear, the orcs' relentless power—they were all mine now. I felt unstoppable, a walking force of nature. This...this was what I was missing all along. I’d unlocked my true potential, finally more than just a cursed, exiled prince.

"Thank you," I managed, looking up at Nyx, feeling gratitude mixed with terror for this deadly gift.

She gazed down at me, as if sizing me up for the task ahead. “Do not waste this gift, human,” she said in her thundering voice. "My daughter's life...and perhaps your world...depends on it.”

Now lets look at the status.

***beep**

[ Abilities and Level in 100 ]

Name: Alexander Solheart

Level: 50

Age: 18

Class : Exiled Prince,

Mana: 100

Strength: 8

Special Skill: Gluttony

I looked down at my status, and honestly, the only thing I could focus on was that fucking strength stat. *Strength: 8.* Are you fucking kidding me? Eight? How the hell does an exiled prince with the powers of a goddamn Skyrend Aegiron, a red bear, and orcs have a stat that low? What the fuck is this shit?

I was ready to throw my phone—I mean, my status screen—into the fucking abyss, but then I felt a soft, warm presence against my side. It was Nyxis, snuggling against me like I was her personal pillow. Her little body vibrated with a gentle pulse of warmth and comfort.

"Are you comforting me?" I said under my breath, completely caught off guard. *What a good girl.*

She nuzzled my side again, almost like she knew what I was thinking.

Then came Nyx's voice, strong and proud. “Human, don’t fret. Nyxis is a good girl. Please... take care of her.”

Her words hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I looked up at Nyx, the mighty Skyrend Aegiron, as she stood before me. Her massive form cast shadows like a mountain, her wings stretched wide. She was saying goodbye, and I was the one she trusted with her daughter’s life.

"I promise you, Nyx," I said, my voice steady despite the weight of it all. "I will protect her. Till death do us part." The words were firm, even though my heart was hammering in my chest. This wasn’t just some wild promise. I felt it deep inside me, right down to my bones. *I would protect her.*

Nyx nodded slowly, looking almost at peace. "I will be taking my leave now. From this point on, this forest... it is your domain. Be stronger, human. Protect my daughter."

I watched her closely, trying to hold it together. "Where are you going, Nyx?"

She didn’t look back as she spread her enormous wings, the air cracking with power. "To fight the humans," she replied. Her voice was softer now, resigned. "It’s safer this way. Rather than having them chase me... it’s better I go and die by their hands. But don’t worry, human. I will cripple their nation to my extent."

She turned her head, eyes gleaming with a mixture of sorrow and strength. "So be strong."

And with that, she flew—*no, she soared*. The gust of wind from her wings hit me like a full-force storm, and I shielded my face. I watched her climb higher and higher, looking back just once.

Her eyes were filled with tears as she fluttered her wings with all the might of her mother’s last lesson. I could feel her pain. *She was saying goodbye.*

"Farewell, Nyxis... human." Nyx's final words echoed in the air, and then she was gone.

Nyxis, on the other hand, didn't quite understand. She cried out in her little voice, flapping her tiny wings with desperation, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t lift off the ground. It broke me. The little girl, lost, confused, and alone.

I crouched down, my heart feeling like it was about to break as I pulled her into a tight hug. "Shh, it’s okay," I whispered, rubbing her back. She calmed down a bit, but her tears didn’t stop. "I’ll protect you, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise."

I held her there, and in that moment, I realized—*no matter what happens next*, my fight wasn’t just for me anymore. It was for Nyxis. For the little bird that needed me to be strong.

And for once, I felt the weight of responsibility, the true meaning of protection, surge through me. This was my mission now. To fight, to grow stronger... to protect what Nyx left behind.