Chapter 87: The Gryphon King

The Shadow-Stained Gryphon King circled Marcus once before settling. Fresh from the egg and only Level 1, it was still small enough to perch easily on his shoulder, where it let out a series of eager, chirping cries.

“Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven has obtained the pet Shadow-Stained Gryphon King. The pet has no name. Please name it.

“Goldie.”

“Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven’s Shadow-Stained Gryphon King has entered the Pet Leaderboard. Player Stonehaven, do you wish to reveal your name?

“No.”

Marcus pulled up the Pet Leaderboard. Just as he expected, Goldie had immediately knocked his Darkfire Phoenix down to second place.

1st Place: Level 9 Pet, Shadow-Stained Gryphon King. Owner: Name Hidden.

A slow grin spread across his face. ’Now we’re talking.’

“Stonehaven, your gryphon is insane! A Level 9 pet, and it’s already number one!” FreshwindElara’s face was alight with an excitement that seemed to outshine his own.

“Yeah, Goldie’s not too shabby.”

“Goldie? You named the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King… Goldie?”

“What’s wrong with Goldie?”

“Nothing,” she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “My Three-Winged Dark Gold Bat King is named Goldie, too.”

He shot her a wry look. “Original.”

She just smiled, the blush deepening.

Curious, Marcus called up Goldie’s stat sheet.

Shadow-Stained Gryphon King: Level 9 Dark-Advanced Pet. Attributes: Dark, Wind, and Lightning. Direct blood relative of the Divine Beast Great-Winged Sky Leviathan King.

Level: 0

Health: 500

Magic: 500

Attack: 300

Defense: 300

Ability: Resurrection: At least once per day. Full recovery upon resurrection, with all attributes increased by 30% for the first three minutes.

Skill: Small Storm: Active attack skill. Attacks enemies in a straight line.

Passive: Great Wingspan: Passive skill. Flight speed increases by 1 for every five levels. Flight speed increases by 50% when Health is below 30%.

Can be ridden after Level 40.

“Stonehaven, are you seeing this? These stats are ridiculous!”

In her surprise, FreshwindElara grabbed his arm, pulling herself close. The sudden, warm pressure of her body against his was a pleasant shock. His arm was pressed against the soft curve of her breast, a distinctly inviting sensation that made him very aware of her proximity.

He’d never noticed how captivating she was, or how generously she was built. He was just about to let his eyes wander when her surprised gasp pulled him from his thoughts.

’Get a grip,’ he chided himself. ’This is nothing. I’ve still got that Dark Violet Sky Dragon egg waiting.’

If a Level 9 pet was this broken, what would a Divine Beast be like? The thought alone was enough to make his head spin.

He kept the grin off his face, but just barely.

Still, the gryphon’s power was no joke. Only one pet tier above his Darkfire Phoenix, but the stat difference was like night and day.

“Stonehaven, can I pet him?”

FreshwindElara gave his arm a little shake, her lower lip jutting out in a playful pout that was clearly a negotiating tactic she had no intention of losing.

A low groan escaped him before he could stop it. She seemed completely oblivious to the effect she was having. With every shake, his arm moved against her, the friction a sweet torture in the warm valley between her breasts. It felt like his arm was sinking into a cloud, a dangerously comfortable one.

“Yeah, go ahead. Pet the bird,” he said, his voice a bit tighter than usual. He needed to redirect this before he did something stupid.

“You’re the best,” she beamed.

As she stroked Goldie’s feathers, she looked back at Marcus, her dark eyes wide and shining with something more than admiration. A soft, almost dreamy smile played on her lips, and the words that followed were pure ego fuel, stripping away the last of his restraint.

’Screw it. I’m only human.’

He moved before he could second-guess himself. Leaning in, he caught her completely off guard, stealing a quick, firm kiss from her surprised lips. The taste of her was sweet, and over far too soon.

“Stonehaven!” she gasped, her eyes wide.

Flustered, a deep crimson flooded her cheeks. She buried her face against his chest, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. Yet, beneath the embarrassment, a thrill of pure joy surged through her. She could still feel the phantom pressure of his mouth on hers, and she secretly savored the lingering sensation, wanting to memorize it.

Looking down at her, so beautifully flustered and tempting, he felt a pang of regret for not making it a proper kiss. But he didn’t want to scare her off.

It hit him then that his approach to women was… direct. Was he really the “playboy” Chlo had always called him?

He didn’t know about that, but he was absolutely sure of one thing: he was a man who appreciated beautiful women, and he had no patience for games or pretending otherwise. He liked the thrill of the chase, the spark of a new connection.

And frankly, he was good at it. He could feel that part of himself, the confident, charismatic part, clicking into place. He decided then to stop fighting it; to own it.

With a new, easy confidence, he took FreshwindElara’s hand, his fingers lacing with hers as he drew her closer.

“Come on,” he said, his voice now calm and self-assured. “Let’s go grind some levels.”

Her blush deepened, but her hand tightened in his. A wave of happiness washed over her, so strong it was dizzying. She let him lead her, their hands linked, as they walked toward the Stone Carving Forest.

’What is happening to me?’

For years, she’d kept men at a careful distance. Now, she’d just melted because some guy who’d literally just kissed her was holding her hand. She’d completely abandoned her usual reserve, and she didn’t even have a good reason why.

’Why him?’

The question echoed in her mind, but her thoughts were too jumbled to find an answer. All she knew was the solid warmth of his hand around hers, pulling her forward.

“I don’t care. I’m just… happy.”

No answer came, and she stopped looking for one. She simply loved the feeling of his hand in hers, the solid presence of him at her side, and the faint, clean scent of him on the air.

“Chirp, chirp…”

“Chirp, chirp…”

Above them, their two pets, the gryphon and the bat, chirped in unison, swooping and playing in the air. They circled each other with obvious affection, following their masters’ path.

’A damn shame,’ he thought.

The game’s rules only allowed one active combat pet at a time. Otherwise, he’d have his Darkfire Phoenix out too. The image was tempting; three high-tier flying pets circling overhead. Flying mounts were the rarest find in Dominion, and the display would be utterly intimidating.

Soon, though. Once the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King hit Level 40, he could ride it into battle and still have the phoenix fighting at his side. The fact it was ridable at all was a one-in-a-billion roll. Even a basic, non-combat flying mount would sell for a king’s ransom.

But it still wasn’t enough. Not while that Dark Violet Sky Dragon egg sat waiting in his inventory. If only he could deploy his entire arsenal at once.

He mentally scanned his collection; Dark Violet Sky Dragon, Shadow-Stained Gryphon King, Darkfire Phoenix. A wry thought struck him. They were all creatures of shadow and darkness.

’Well, that’s not exactly subtle,’ he mused. ’Makes me look like a Villain building a dark army.’

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