Chapter 116: "Mount Eggsplosion and the Fowlcalypse"

The ominous silhouette of Mount Eggsplosion loomed in the distance, its jagged peaks shrouded in clouds of smoke—or maybe steam. The distinct smell of sulfur mixed with something... buttery wafted downwind, making everyone's stomach churn.

"I don't trust a mountain that smells like breakfast," Ravynne muttered, glaring at the steaming summit.

"Look on the sunny-side up," Sylvara quipped, earning a collective groan from the group.

Kazuya, holding the glowing map fragment, squinted at the path ahead. "This says we have to 'navigate the molten cheese rivers' and 'beware the Hashbrown Golem.' Is this mountain a deathtrap or a brunch buffet?"

"Both," Cluckminster declared solemnly, his monocle gleaming. "And only the most yolk-worthy may survive its trials."

The Journey Up

The ascent began with a rickety bridge suspended over a bubbling river of molten cheese. The thick, gooey substance glowed a dangerous orange, sending up gassy bubbles that occasionally burst with a faint pop.

"This is gross," Ravynne said, tiptoeing across the swaying planks. "And I swear, if I fall in, I'm haunting all of you."

"Just keep moving!" Kazuya called from behind, clutching a wobbly rope for dear life.

Halfway across, Sylvara stopped abruptly, causing a traffic jam on the precarious bridge. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

A low rumbling sound echoed from the depths of the cheese river. Suddenly, a massive claw broke the surface, followed by the glistening form of a giant crab-like creature coated in melted cheddar.

"The Cheddar Krab!" Cluckminster squawked. "Run!"

Chaos erupted as the Cheddar Krab lunged at the group, snapping its claws and flinging molten cheese everywhere. Sylvara narrowly avoided a splash, her hair sizzling from the heat.

"Why is it always food?" Kazuya shouted, dodging another swipe from the cheesy monstrosity.

The Hashbrown Golem

After a harrowing escape from the Cheddar Krab, the group reached a plateau littered with crispy, golden debris. The air smelled like a greasy diner, and the ground crunched beneath their feet.

"This place is giving me heartburn just looking at it," Ravynne grumbled, kicking a chunk of hashbrown.

Before anyone could respond, the ground trembled. A deep, gravelly voice rumbled, "WHO DARES TRESPASS IN MY DOMAIN?"

A towering figure rose from the debris, its body made entirely of sizzling hashbrowns. Grease dripped from its limbs as it glared down at them with ketchup-red eyes.

"The Hashbrown Golem," Cluckminster whispered, trembling.

"More like Heartburn McGee," Sylvara snorted, earning a snicker from Kazuya.

The Golem roared and stomped toward them, shaking the ground with every step. Kazuya unsheathed his sword, but the blade bounced harmlessly off the creature's crispy exterior.

"This thing's tougher than overcooked bacon!" Kazuya yelled.

"Allow me," Ravynne said, pulling out a bottle of syrup she had swiped from the hunters' camp earlier. She hurled it at the Golem's head, the sticky substance coating its eyes.

Blinded and flailing, the Golem stumbled backward, slipped on its own grease, and toppled over the edge of the plateau with a loud splat.

"Welp, that was anti-climactic," Sylvara said, brushing grease off her cloak.

A New Threat

The group finally reached the summit, where a massive golden egg sat atop a pedestal surrounded by swirling storm clouds. Lightning crackled ominously as they approached.

"Behold," Cluckminster intoned, his voice reverent. "The Egg of Eternity."

"Looks more like a Fabergé knockoff," Sylvara quipped, poking the egg with her staff.

Before anyone could stop her, the egg began to glow. The storm intensified, and the ground shook violently.

"Did you seriously just poke the ancient artifact?" Ravynne shouted over the noise.

The egg cracked open, and from within emerged a giant, glowing chicken with wings of fire and eyes like burning coals.

"BEHOLD!" the creature roared. "I AM PHOEN-EGG, GUARDIAN OF THE FOWLVERSE!"

Sylvara stared at it, unfazed. "Is it just me, or does that sound like a Pokémon?"

The Omelette of Truth

As the group faced down Phoen-Egg, it unleashed a fiery barrage of scrambled egg-shaped projectiles. Kazuya dove behind a rock, Sylvara threw up a shield spell, and Ravynne frantically tried to reload her crossbow with ketchup packets.

"We're doomed!" Cluckminster wailed, flapping around in circles.

"Not yet," Kazuya said, pulling out the map fragment. It began to glow, projecting an image of the Yolk of Destiny into the sky. The sight of the glowing omelette seemed to calm Phoen-Egg, which landed in front of Kazuya and tilted its fiery head.

"You seek the truth?" Phoen-Egg boomed.

"Uh... sure?" Kazuya replied, unsure of what else to say.

The giant chicken nodded solemnly. "Then you must answer my riddle. What came first: the chicken or the egg?"

The group exchanged bewildered looks.

"Is this a joke?" Sylvara asked.

"Just answer it!" Cluckminster hissed.

Kazuya took a deep breath. "Neither. It was a plate of bacon."

The storm clouds parted, and Phoen-Egg let out a triumphant cry. "CORRECT!"

To Be Continued...

As the storm cleared, the group stood in awe as Phoen-Egg gifted them the Egg of Eternity, which began to hum with mysterious power.

"Great, now what do we do with it?" Kazuya asked.

"Figure out how to make an omelette big enough to feed the world," Sylvara joked, earning a laugh from everyone—even Cluckminster.

Their laughter faded as they noticed the glowing egg had started pulsing ominously.

"Uh-oh," Ravynne muttered. "I think we just scrambled more than we bargained for."

With the Egg of Eternity in hand and more chaos undoubtedly ahead, the group prepared to face whatever absurdities the Fowlverse had in store for them next.