Chapter 425: Chapter 335: Usage of the Finger Bone of Sloth (Part 2)

"Thank you, goblin." The Elephant Lord’s eyes were fixed on Shire. This was probably the first time it had gotten a clear look at his face. Before, its body was simply too massive and the goblin too small and skinny, so getting a complete view would have taken some effort.

"It’s nothing. Helping you helps me too." Shire smiled and waved his hand dismissively, then reached out to pat the elephant’s trunk. The Elephant Lord sensed the goblin’s goodwill and immediately extended its trunk, coiled it around Shire, and placed him directly on its back.

"What the—?" Shire panicked for a moment, but then he felt the Elephant Lord’s goodwill and relaxed, sitting securely on the great elephant’s neck. The only thing was, the hair on the Elephant Lord’s back was a bit stiff and not very comfortable.

"You probably don’t realize how much this helps me, goblin."

"Isn’t it just so you can stay with the herd at night?" Shire paused, steadying himself with both hands on the Elephant Lord’s neck.

"No, that’s only a small part of it. With this, I can now enter the herd’s Elephant Tomb. After I die, I can return to the embrace of my kin." The Elephant Lord’s voice came again, this time with a hint of joy, as if it wasn’t concerned about death at all.

"Elephant Tomb?" Shire repeated. The first time he met the Elephant Lord, it had mentioned the place, saying it was where members of the herd went after they died, and that a powerful Mage was "buried" there. "Could you take me to see the Elephant Tomb sometime? I just want to see how big the entrance is so I can continue my research on this ’Magic Item’ to help you."

Shire tentatively voiced his idea. The Elephant Lord was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Alright."

Hearing the Elephant Lord’s reply filled Shire with joy. This meant he would get to see what the elephants’ Elephant Tomb actually looked like. He’d always heard that when elephants were near death, they would leave their herd and travel to a mysterious Elephant Tomb to await their end in peace. But no one had ever seen one, nor were there any accounts of such a place. Now, he could see a real one. And who knows, there might be a lot of ivory there. If the Quality was decent, he could try to "salvage" some of it.

Shire abhorred the idea of killing elephants for their ivory. Having spent time with the herd, he had grown increasingly fond of these forest creatures. They were intelligent, sometimes mischievous, but very kind. Both the goblins and the Centaurs were now very fond of the elephant herd. If they weren’t wild forest elephants, the Centaurs would have even wanted to raise a few.

But the ivory from elephants that had already died in the Elephant Tomb... that could probably be collected. If the quality was good, it could be made into crafts or exchanged directly for money.

As for the High Tier Mage’s coffin, Shire felt it was best not to disturb it for now. He had heard that these types set all kinds of magical traps for themselves. If he accidentally triggered one, he might be met with a "Flame Burst Technique" that would blow the "Tomb Raider" to smithereens.

’My current strength isn’t enough to deal with those High Tier Mages, or even their lackeys. To rob their tombs, I have to be powerful enough.’ Robbing a High Tier Mage’s grave was no easy task. It was completely different from fighting an Evil God. You never knew where those old geezers might have set traps, or if you were even in their real tomb. You could wander around in circles and still be trapped in an Illusion Realm. Worse still, you never knew if they were actually dead.

"Well then, I’ll do some more research and see if this thing has any new uses." Shire patted the Elephant Lord’s neck, signaling for it to put him down.

...

"Is this a Phoenix Egg?" Agatha circled the one-meter-tall, pure white "Giant Egg" on the floor, studying it with a frown. "Aren’t Phoenix Eggs supposed to be silver?"

"I’m guessing it was soaked in the Feathered Serpent God’s venom and the color faded," Shire said, a little speechless.

"Faded? It’s not a piece of clothing, how could it fade?" Agatha pouted, then reached out and tried tapping the eggshell. "But judging by the size, it really is the same as the Phoenix Eggs described in books."

"What else do the books say?" Shire asked.

"Let me look for you." Agatha turned and placed the book in her other hand on the table. Shire glanced at it. The title was *Nobles behind the Bed Curtain of Plantagenet City*, Part Two.

Then, Agatha went to the bookshelf, running a slender finger across the spines. "Where was it... not this one... where did it go?"

Shire watched his old classmate and couldn’t help but shake his head slightly. ’If it were a gossip book, she probably would have found it instantly.’

Soon enough, Agatha exclaimed, "Ah, here it is."

She pulled it right out. "This one is all about Mythical Creatures."

Shire glanced at the title: *Where are the Mythical Creatures?*. The author’s name was Rondo Adar.

"Let’s see... Phoenix," Agatha said as she opened the book and began looking for the section on Phoenixes. "These birds are massive. They like to build nests in towering ancient trees or on mountain peaks. A pair of Phoenixes will only lay a single Phoenix Egg every several years."

"Does it say anything else? Like why this thing would be in a cave?" Shire moved closer to the Phoenix Egg and placed a hand on it, trying to feel if the fledgling inside was still alive.

"It doesn’t say anything about that. But it does say that some humans steal Phoenix Eggs," Agatha explained, flipping through the pages. "Those humans first hunt Harpies, then pluck their feathers and stick them to their own bodies. They then disguise themselves as a Harpy to get close to the Phoenix’s nest, waiting for a chance to steal the egg. Such an opportunity is incredibly rare. A Phoenix is highly vigilant when incubating its egg; even a vassal race like the Harpies has a hard time getting near the nest. Plus, the chance of finding both adult Phoenixes away from the nest at the same time is practically zero."

"Then why would people still try to steal them?" Shire raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding their reasoning.

"You have to remember, these are Mythical Creatures. They possess immense power from birth," Agatha said, wagging a finger. "There probably aren’t even ten Phoenixes in the whole world. Imagine how incredible it would be to raise one."

"The Dragon Race is a bit more numerous than Phoenixes, and as Mythical Creatures, they’re even more powerful. They also lay eggs. Once they reach adulthood, they can use the Dragon Race’s unique Magic. The book also says some adult dragons can even use the Transformation Technique, allowing them to take on human form and blend into human society."

"I know about that. I think the White Dragon that Heroic Siegfried slew 110 years ago was one that had been hiding in a human city. What was her name again..." Shire pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking for a few seconds. "Right, her name was Tredilif."

"Mhm, the book mentions that too, just without any specific details." Agatha nodded and continued, "There are other Mythical Creatures, too. The Kraken in the sea, Behemoth on the land, and Leviathan in the sky."

"It’s just that Behemoth and Leviathan haven’t been seen anymore, and since the Kraken lives in the sea, it’s not easy to spot either."

"So, does the book say how to hatch a Phoenix Egg?" Shire frowned, glancing at the Giant Egg beside him. Through his panel, he could see the egg was probably fine. Otherwise, the panel would have likely read [Former Phoenix Egg] or [Dead Phoenix Egg].

"No, it doesn’t say," Agatha said, shaking her head. "The book only explains why people would steal Phoenix Eggs."

"To sell for money?" Shire said with a smile. ’A valuable thing like this... one egg could probably be traded for an entire city.’

"Selling it for money is one reason, but many powerful people also try to steal them, including no shortage of High Tier Mages," Agatha said, glancing at the page before continuing.

"You have to remember, Mythical Creatures are born with power. If you kill them, there are ways to immediately acquire that power."

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