The Giga Apes here were worshiping a crown.
He couldn't see the information on the object. But he could feel the power radiating from the crown.
He immediately made up his mind to get his hands on it, no matter what.
The Giga Apes were all Steward rank, so he didn't need to be polite at all.
He approached the group with confident steps, water blades rotating behind him in a deadly formation.
The Giga Apes noticed Aegis, but instead of aggression, they immediately knelt on one knee.
They completely surrendered before Aegis could do anything.
"What's going on here? Why aren't they attacking me?" he muttered while heading over to the crown.
There was no trap either. The apes' eyes flashed with fanatical fervor, as if they had been waiting for him all along.
The crown was pulsing with power.
It was a golden, ornate crown with ocean-blue gemstones engraved on it.
Its design was very intricate, resembling horns or spikes, adding a regal and powerful look.
Aegis picked it up and felt a familiar connection with it. It felt as though this crown had always belonged to him.
[ Item Identified: "????" ]
[ Grade: D (???) ]
[ Abilities: Magic Power Amplification +50%, Mana Control +50% ]
[ Note: Item is currently broken. Needs repair to revert back to original grade ]
"So it's a broken item?" he murmured, noticing the pieces missing from the crown.
Looking at the intricate sea creatures on the front, he made a guess.
"Could this be related to the Sea God? If so, what is it doing here?"
He looked around at the Giga Apes for answers, but he noticed they were all gone from sight.
Aegis exhaled a sigh, then carefully placed the crown on his head.
Besides feeling the dormant power, he also understood that this regal crown naturally stood out, begging for attention from others.
But fortunately, it could change shape and size at his will.
It immediately transformed into a single-line golden headband, just like Sun Wukong from Eastern myth.
"This feels much better now. I wouldn't attract attention wherever I go with this."
After this item equipped, Aegis was a little more confident to face the upcoming challenges.
Morning arrived with the continuous climb to the peak of the Tree of Life.
By now, Aegis had crossed 4,000 meters from the ground. Along the way, he ate many more elemental fruits to recover his energy, replenishing both his body and divine energy reserves. Each fruit helped him push further, but there was still no sign of the peak. The climb felt endless, yet he moved with a steady pace, driven by a sense of purpose.
Finally, as he neared another large branch, he noticed a subtle change in the two Blood Eagle eggs he had been carrying.
They were hatching.
The eggs, which had previously been smooth and dormant, now began to shake in his grasp.
Crack!
A faint crack appeared along the surface of the largest egg. He could feel the faint pulse of life inside.
Aegis paused for a moment, watching the eggs.
He was not fond of caring others, but these two promised aerial power.
Beside the Phoenix descendants, these two will add more power to his Aerial Prowess.
As the crack widened, Aegis could feel the energy rising from within the eggs. The hatchlings, whatever they were, were beginning to move.
The very environment around him closed, as waiting with bated breath to watch.
The first egg split open, revealing a small, feathered form.
Sceech!
The second followed soon after, flapping its tiny wings.
He noticed that one was male and the other female, judging by their body structure and organs.
"Okay, from today, you two will be named Billy and Milly."
Chi chi chii...
Hearing the names, the Blood Eagles chirped happily. They flapped their tiny wings and landed on his shoulders.
Aegis then took out several edible fruits and fed them on his shoulders.
"Eat up, little ones. In the future I'll have to rely on you to soar through the sky."
While whispering this, his expression was softer than the one he showed to other humans.
The hatchlings screeched softly and ate happily.
Their bodies glowed faintly as soon as the rich nutrients entered them.
From this alone, he guessed their growth would be far faster than that of common Blood Eagles.
For now, he would have to protect them and feed them carefully.
Afterward, Aegis began his climb once more.
There was only one person above him: Bella.
She had mentioned something about having a God Physique. Maybe that was why she was strong enough to keep up with him.
But that didn't matter.
The ultimate prize belonged to him.
Very soon, Bella paused her movement.
Not because she was tired, but because she noticed something intriguing.
[ Item Identified: Monster Evolution Fruit (S) ]
[ Description: The Fruit of Evolution is formed from dense life essence. It can be used to make beasts or monsters evolve to the next stage. ]
[ Note: Humans can consume it to gain more mana and vitality, but it will not trigger any evolution for them. ]
When Aegis arrived after Bella, he also saw the same description.
An S-tier item.
One that could make their pets evolve to a higher stage.
And there were three of them, attached to the tree, glowing with a vibrant green color.
Aegis looked at the two eagles, then to the fruits.
He instantly made up his mind.
He had to get them, no matter what.
But there was a problem.
[ Target Identified: Chrysalis King ]
[ Power Rank: Count -1 (C) ]
[ Abilities: Mind Control, Extreme Speed, Summon Ant Legion ]
This terrifying creature was currently waiting for the evolution fruits to fully ripen.
The Chrysalis King was not massive, but it was far more unsettling because of that.
Its body was only slightly larger than a large horse, clinging tightly to the trunk of the Tree of Life. With layers of dark green and black chitin wrapped around it like a cocoon that had never fully opened.
Its surface looked hard, yet faintly wet, pulsing slowly as if something inside was breathing.
Across its shell think cracks formed, leaking a dim green glow.
Several sharp, insect-like limbs protruded from its sides, digging into the bark for support. They twitched occasionally in precise control, like a predator conserving energy.
Its head was small and narrow, crowned with two curved antenna-like horns. Between them sat a single compound eye, made up of countless tiny facets.
That eye never blinked. It simply watched, calm and calculating, as if everything around it was already prey.
Its mouth was a narrow vertical slit filled with fine, needle-like teeth.
From those thin strands, a sticky fluid dripped slowly. Where the liquid dropped, it dissolved that area of the bark.
The most disturbing part was not its appearance.
It was the pressure.
Just standing near it made thoughts feel heavier, as if something was quietly pressing against the mind, testing emotions, searching for vulnerability.
The fear it spread, was directed straight in the mind, slowly but surely.
Aegis and Bella both felt like put inside a Ice Cave.
In such condition, would they be able to retrieve the evolution fruits?