The Strongest in the Game by Dominating Monster - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Monster Domination: Game’s Strongest Episode 46

 

[You have begun companionship with the Minotaur!]

 

As the notification rang out, his thunderous roar erupted.

 

Moo!! (Lord Kairen! Now we can travel together!)

 

“That’s right. We’re traveling together now.”

 

I gently smiled while stroking his forehead covered in fluffy fur.

 

The addition of a pet that could accompany me.

 

It was the most satisfying reward after the ‘Spring of Revival’, and my choice was the Minotaur without a second’s hesitation.

 

The overwhelming prowess he had proven in this subjugation.

 

He would surely become the most reliable warrior outside the territory as well.

 

Of course, if I brought this massive frame into the middle of the city, it would draw unnecessary attention.

 

It was a troublesome problem, but the perfect solution was also provided.

 

[Dimensional Transport (Active)] You can return a monster designated as a companion to your territory, or summon them back to your side.

 

Another reward I had gained this time, Dimensional Transport.

 

With this one skill, my worries about the scandals the Minotaur might cause disappeared.

 

Normally, I could leave him in the territory to help with operations, and only call him out at crucial moments.

 

Moreover, it could also be used for surprise attacks in combat.

 

Since it was a skill that would be useful in many ways, the corners of my mouth twitched upward.

 

And the rewards didn’t end there.

 

[Frigid Arrow (Active)] Frigid cold energy lingers on the arrowhead. On critical hits, there’s a rare chance to freeze the opponent’s entire body…

 

The third dealing skill following Mana Arrow and Flame Arrow.

 

I was quite pleased with this one too.

 

“Now then…”

 

As I looked at the stats I had gained from leveling up three times, I was falling into the happy dilemma of how to invest them when.

 

Hiss. (Master Kairen.)

 

“Ah. You worked hard.”

 

The Giant Spider appeared from the forest, red blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.

 

When I personally wiped the corners of her mouth with my collar, her five eyes curved into crescents, pleased by the care.

 

The Giant Spider savored that touch for a while, then seemed to remember something and moved her mouth.

 

Hiss. (Oh, and Master Kairen. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to handle our comrades’ hunger.)

 

“Hm? Ah. I suppose so.”

 

I sighed and nodded heavily.

 

Quite a few pets had recently joined the territory.

 

Five Skeletons and five Wraiths each.

 

Plus the Minotaur who devoured mountain-like quantities of food.

 

It would be burdensome for the Giant Spider to handle alone.

 

When I hurriedly checked the territory resources, it was just as she said.

 

The eggs the Giant Spider had diligently accumulated so far numbered roughly 500.

 

The daily consumption was about 100, and the spider’s daily production was around 50.

 

In other words, at this rate, the food supply would run out in about ten days.

 

“Hmm… I’ll need to think about this. Ah. Thanks for letting me know.”

 

I gently stroked the Giant Spider’s rough bridge of her nose.

 

Since I had been so focused on the raid, it was an aspect I hadn’t been able to pay attention to.

 

If not for this child, I might have noticed even later.

 

Hiss. (Don’t mention it.)

 

The Giant Spider lightly bowed her head and enjoyed the touch.

 

I continued stroking while lost in thought.

 

Managing a territory really isn’t easy. Not easy at all.

 

When you solve one problem, another one arises.

 

However, all of this was part of the process of the territory growing stronger.

 

Kairen’s lips were full of smiles as he was lost in thought.

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

I boarded a train and headed to Changwon.

 

“Ugh. What will they say.”

 

In front of the front door of my parents’ apartment that I had visited after being discharged.

 

My heart was pounding for no reason before pressing the doorbell.

 

A whopping ten million won.

 

I couldn’t easily guess their reaction when I told them I had earned that fortune through a ‘game’.

 

Would they consider it a deviation?

 

Or would they get angry, calling it a lie?

 

Since I couldn’t guess at all, I pressed the doorbell with half worry, half excitement.

 

“Son!!”

 

Contrary to my worries, Mother welcomed me brightly as soon as the door opened.

 

She hugged me right from the front door and patted my bottom.

 

“Oh my. You worked hard. Was it tiring coming here? Hm? What’s this? Red ginseng? Why did you buy something like this?”

 

“The weather’s gotten cold lately.”

 

“Oh my. Our son has grown up. Coming to his parents’ house and even buying gifts like this.”

 

I followed Mother, who looked fondly at her grown son, into the house.

 

A modest 25-pyeong old apartment.

 

It was incomparably shabby compared to our previous spacious 53-pyeong house, but the atmosphere filling the space hadn’t changed one bit.

 

The warm smell of food prepared to fill an entire table because their only son was coming.

 

“Son’s here!!”

 

Father’s warm greeting, always coming out of his room one timing late.

 

All of it remained the same.

 

“Yes. I’m here, Father.”

 

I smiled brightly because all of it was so welcome and missed.

 

* * *

 

“So, how did you really get that money?”

 

As soon as we started the meal filled with Mother’s love, Father brought up the main topic.

 

At that question, I swallowed Mother’s characteristically sweet stir-fried pork and pondered for a moment.

 

Should I tell you honestly? Or should I beat around the bush a bit?

 

I didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry for my parents who were already having a hard time.

 

But my heart was instantly swayed by the warm gazes of the two looking at me.

 

I already had a secret I couldn’t tell my parents.

 

I didn’t want to add another secret on top of that.

 

“Actually, I earned it through gaming.”

 

“Gaming?”

 

As expected, their reaction was dramatic.

 

As if they hadn’t expected it at all, they widened their eyes and leaned forward.

 

I explained the entire process to them step by step.

 

How I accidentally encountered New World through Jin-woo.

 

How I was able to hold a bow there without any aftereffects from my injury.

 

How things were going well thanks to good luck, and how I made a contract with Rain.

 

I told them everything honestly, except for one secret even my parents didn’t know – that I could communicate with animals.

 

I told them everything honestly, except for the one secret my parents didn’t know – that I could communicate with animals.

 

“…That’s how it happened.”

 

After finishing all my explanations, as I swallowed nervously.

 

The two of them made eye contact and burst into laughter as if they had planned it.

 

“Puhehe. Honey. Blood doesn’t lie, does it?”

 

“That’s right. Baek Jin really is our son after all.”

 

“…Mother? Father?”

 

When I tilted my head, not understanding what they meant, Mother lightly tapped Father’s shoulder.

 

“We met in a game too.”

 

“What?!”

 

I looked back and forth between them in shock.

 

“Didn’t you two get married through an arranged meeting?”

 

I was sure they had told me before.

 

That they had met through an acquaintance’s introduction.

 

At my question, both of them coughed awkwardly with embarrassed smiles.

 

“Ahem. That was just something we said.”

 

“Meeting in a game was a bit, you know?”

 

“Wow… I had no idea.”

 

I let out a hollow laugh at this newly discovered fact.

 

These two, who seemed like they wouldn’t have played even one game of Minesweeper in their lives, met in a game?

 

Learning about your parents’ past is also a great joy for a child.

 

Intrigued by their fascinating history, I put down my spoon and asked eagerly.

 

“No, what game were you playing when you met?”

 

“Hmm. I wonder if you know it, Baek Jin. StarCraft. It’s an RTS game.”

 

“I know it. That’s like a folk game.”

 

“Oh my. You know it? We met in that game. I was playing ranked matches when I met your father. But then, your father suddenly started provoking me through chat.”

 

“Ahem!”

 

Father coughed awkwardly and turned his head away in embarrassment.

 

“Oh my. But he was all talk then and now. All talk. His skills were absolutely terrible. So I gave him a proper beating.”

 

“You were too harsh back then! Drawing mineral patches, drawing obscenities on the map! Ugh! I still get angry thinking about it!”

 

“Then why did you run your mouth? Anyway, do you know what your father did then?”

 

“What did he do?”

 

“He gave out his mobile phone number.”

 

“What?”

 

I widened my eyes at his bold action.

 

Father, whose face was burning red with embarrassment, avoided my gaze, and Mother continued with a sly smile.

 

“Oh my. I was dumbfounded. So I texted this idiot wondering what he was about, and it was real. So I teased him plenty through text too. Then this guy, after all that, asked me to meet up for a fight?”

 

“Wow. Father was amazing.”

 

Giving out his phone number and even asking for a fight.

 

I was amazed at Father’s truly turbulent behavior.

 

“Ahem. I was young back then… No! But I went out alone fair and square, do you know how cowardly your mother was?”

 

“Fair and square and cowardly! Is asking a delicate woman to fight fair and square?”

 

“How was I supposed to know you were a woman! No matter how I think about it! How could you bring your real brother and all his friends to that place?”

 

Huh?

 

She brought Uncle along?

 

“Oh my…”

 

I unconsciously sighed at the picture that formed in my mind.

 

Uncle was a former wrestling athlete.

 

He had the build and fierce face to match.

 

And if they were Uncle’s friends, they would naturally be fellow wrestling athletes.

 

“Seeing about five people who looked like gangsters coming from far away, oh my…”

 

Father shook his head, breathing deeply as if the memory still made him dizzy.

 

“I thought that day would be my funeral.”

 

“If it wasn’t for your face, it would have been your funeral. Your father’s gaming skills were terrible, but his face wasn’t terrible. The moment I saw this face, this mother fell for him at first sight.”

 

Mother lightly pinched Father’s cheek and smiled lovingly.

 

“So well, we talked things out and that’s how we ended up like this.”

 

Mother clapped her hands lightly, announcing the end of their tumultuous love story.

 

Their past that I had never known about.

 

It was so interesting that even after the story ended, the smile wouldn’t leave my face.

 

However, Father’s following statement made me frown again.

 

“Hmm. So you earned that much money through gaming…”

 

Father crossed his arms and fell into thought, then nodded.

 

“Right. I’ve heard about it too. That New World game is very popular these days.”

 

“I’ve heard about it too. The supervisor’s son at the factory is also obsessed with that game.”

 

Mother’s following statement as well.

 

A moment of silence followed as they seemed lost in thought, then Father spoke again.

 

“Alright. First, thank you for being honest with us. And I don’t really worry much if you’re doing well. You handle things well on your own, Baek Jin.”

 

I couldn’t help but smile at his trusting gaze.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Mother feels the same way. I actually think it’s amazing. Earning that much money through gaming.”

 

Mother’s positive reaction followed as well.

 

I clenched my fist under the table at their reactions.

 

Good.

 

Since my parents were positive about it, all my worries were resolved.

 

Relief washed over me and I breathed deeply.

 

“Phew. I should have told you earlier, I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay. And we trusted our son. Has our son ever once made us worry?”

 

Father nodded at Mother’s statement.

 

“To us, you’re a child worth more than ten million gold. You’re good at studying, good at sports. You have a good personality too. I don’t know how we got such a perfect son.”

 

Mother reached out and gently stroked my head.

 

I had always been the one petting my pets.

 

Receiving love like this after so long made my heart swell.

 

Ding dong-!

 

Just then, the doorbell rang and a man appeared on the intercom.

 

“Oh my? It’s the neighbor’s son?”

 

Mother, who had checked the intercom, got up from her seat.

 

“Baek Jin. Could you go answer it? It looks like the neighbors want to give us something again.”

 

“Ah. Really?”

 

“Yes. Oh my. We’re so blessed with good neighbors. The neighbor lady has such a wonderful touch with cooking, and whenever she makes side dishes, she shares them with us. Ah. And the neighbor’s son is incredibly kind too. He’s a year younger than you, Baek Jin, but he has such a gentle personality and treats us so well.”

 

“Oh ho. Is that so?”

 

I nodded my head and quickly got up from my seat, heading toward the front door.

 

It had always been a worry.

 

Would my parents be able to live well after moving down to Changwon where they had no connections?

 

Still, I felt relieved to hear they had met good neighbors.

 

Thinking I should definitely express my gratitude, the moment I opened the front door.

 

“Hello! This time my mother made stir-fried anchovies and seasoned eggplant, so I came to deliver…”

 

A bear-like man bowed his head politely, then tilted it in confusion upon seeing an unfamiliar face.

 

And I also tilted my head while looking at that man.

 

An honest-looking face.

 

It seemed familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before.

 

Still, since it might just be my imagination, I couldn’t rashly open my mouth.

 

However, at the word that soon came from the man’s mouth, I found myself speaking without realizing it.

 

“Ka, Kairen hyung-nim?”

 

“…Theorn?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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