The Strongest in the Game by Dominating Monster - Chapter 5

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

Monster Domination: Game’s Strongest Episode 5

A smell that adventurers love?

While Kairen was momentarily lost in thought at the somewhat cryptic answer,

Rookie buried his head again and started digging into the ground.

What on earth could be buried there to make him act like this?

For 10 minutes, Kairen watched Rookie’s actions with eyes mixed half with curiosity and half with concern.

Soon, Rookie, who had dug down as deep as a young child’s height, let out a cry filled with ecstasy.

Woof! (I found it!)

This must be how a ginseng hunter cries when finding wild ginseng.

At the voice full of joy, Kairen suddenly stuck his head out.

What could it be? What did he discover to make Rookie react so intensely?

The answer to his curiosity came quickly.

Rookie, who had jumped up from the hole he dug, soon spat something out of his mouth.

It was a strange root plant that resembled human form.

And the moment Rookie spat it out, a tremendous smell vibrated through the air.

“Ugh! What kind of plant gives off such a smell!”

Kairen quickly covered his nose and frowned.

It was too strong to be called a fragrance, yet too familiar to be called a stench.

Right. This was indeed a familiar smell that many people go crazy for, just as Rookie said.

Alcohol. A terrible smell of liquor was violently emanating from that root plant.

Whine! (Ugh! My nose! My mouth!)

Rookie, unable to bear it any longer, covered his nose with both paws and rolled around on the ground.

If it was strong enough for me to cover my nose, how torturous must it be for Rookie who carried the plant in his mouth?

With a worried heart, I approached Rookie and asked.

“Rookie! Are you okay?”

Whine… (I’m okay. I made a mistake. I kept breathing through my mouth but accidentally breathed through my nose at the end.)

“…You know how to do that too?”

Whine. (Of course. Ugh… This is torture…)

Well, I’ll be. A dog knows how to breathe only through its mouth?

Feeling awe for Daron’s training methods, I shifted my gaze to the plant.

I had never heard of anything like this in the real world. It was clearly a virtual plant implemented in the game.

Whine. (Because of that smell, animals wouldn’t even approach near this cave.)

Was it because he had inhaled too much unfamiliar alcohol?

Rookie’s face had turned reddish as he staggered over to the side.

At Rookie’s words, Kairen nodded and reached out his hand.

What exactly was this strange plant?

Would it be a jackpot? Or a bust?

Soon, a deep smile spread across Kairen’s lips, flushed with anticipation.

Jackpot. And a huge jackpot at that.

* * *

[Lesser Mandrake Root (Unique)] A plant that holds mysterious power. Be careful, as just touching it can make you intoxicated. Effect: When consumed, permanently increases all basic stats by 5. Restriction: Cannot be traded.

Had enough time passed for the smell to fade a bit?

Or had I gotten used to the smell of this potent liquor-like herb?

Feeling that the smell had become fainter, Kairen clenched his fist.

This was an item that even the word “huge jackpot” couldn’t adequately describe.

A Unique-grade herb, no less. And it had an overwhelming effect to match its grade.

Basic stats permanently increased by 5 each?

“Let’s see. Then… Status window.”

Name: Kairen Class: Beginner Level: 3 Health: 130/130 Mana: 130/130 Stats Strength: 3 Agility: 3 Magic Power: 3 Luck: 3

Befitting a low-level beginner, his status window was pathetically modest.

“When you’re a beginner, stats automatically increase, but once you choose a class, stat distribution becomes possible, right?”

As he recalled information he had picked up somewhere, an important fact suddenly flashed in his mind.

After obtaining a class, class-specialized stats would be additionally unlocked.

For example, swordsmen would get swordsmanship stats, and mages would get magic stats.

However, Mandrake Root was an item that only permanently increased basic stats.

Since it had nothing to do with class-specialized stats, it was fine to consume it now.

Kairen put the Mandrake Root in his mouth without hesitation.

His brow automatically furrowed at the bitter yet strong alcoholic taste.

[You have consumed Lesser Mandrake Root and your basic stats have each increased by 5!]

Name: Kairen Class: Beginner Level: 3 Health: 130/130 Mana: 130/130 Stats Strength: 8 Agility: 8 Magic Power: 8 Luck: 8

Still modest but somewhat improved status window.

Kairen smiled gently and turned his gaze to Rookie.

“Rookie. How are you feeling now? Are you better?”

He could only feel grateful to Rookie.

Thanks to him, he had easily caught rabbits, found his way without much difficulty, and even discovered such a gift.

When he returned to the village later, he wouldn’t mind giving him 100, no, 1,000 treats.

“Ro, Rookie?”

Kairen stammered in confusion.

Woof~ (The, the world is spinning round and round~)

Rookie’s eyes became drowsy as he staggered and collapsed on the spot.

It was the first intoxication of his dog life.

* * *

A few hours later.

Kairen, who had spent the night in the cave, climbed the mountain again as soon as the sun rose.

Although he had rested and even obtained an unexpected gift, his steps were twice as heavy as yesterday.

It wasn’t simply a matter of mood—they had physically become much heavier.

Last night, Rookie, who had gotten completely drunk, was being carried on his back.

“Ugh….”

As Kairen groaned and took steps forward, Rookie cautiously looked around from on his back.

Whine…. (S-sorry.)

“No, Rookie. Don’t worry about it.”

Kairen smiled with difficulty and patted his back once.

Well, the current situation was absurd.

He never thought he’d have to climb a mountain carrying a dog suffering from a hangover on his back.

However, the target was Rookie.

Carrying him up the mountain was nothing.

Considering what Rookie had done for him, he could do this several more times….

Ah, no, thinking about it again, several times might be a bit much.

Our Rookie was quite sturdy despite his appearance.

Whine…. (H-here, go left….)

Still, Rookie continued to guide the way faithfully, fulfilling his role even while struggling.

Finding this admirable, when he turned his head to look at Rookie.

“Rookie. Tell me if it’s hard or uncomfortable. Let’s rest…!”

Kairen faced a scene quite familiar to him, someone who was strong with alcohol.

The old memories of unconscious friends clinging to toilet bowls.

And now, Rookie was retching and convulsing just like those friends.

Right. You can throw up when drunk. He understood.

But if it was on his back, that was a different story.

“No, no! Rookie! Hold it in! I’ll put you down right now!”

At the sight of him about to spill everything, Kairen panicked and quickly put Rookie down on the ground.

* * *

A few hours later.

Having avoided disaster and emptied his stomach in the mountains, Rookie stretched refreshingly and barked.

Woof! (Whew! I feel like I can live now!)

“Really? Don’t need a hangover cure?”

Woof? (Hangover cure? What’s that?)

“Never mind. It’s a thing.”

Kairen chuckled and patted Rookie’s head.

Thanks to Rookie getting himself together, their steps became light again.

As if nothing had happened, the energetic Rookie led the way ahead.

The closer they got to the mountain peak, the more treacherous the path became, but there were no major difficulties.

How many more hours had they climbed?

Finally emerging from between the dense trees, a massive rock cliff revealed itself.

And above that cliff, a steep mountain peak pierced through the clouds, rising majestically.

“W-we made it.”

Mixed with the sense of achievement of finally arriving and the overwhelming feeling that this was just the beginning, Kairen’s voice trembled subtly.

“Rookie. Do you smell anything special around here?”

Kairen asked while catching his breath.

The legend of Rudenville Village, the divine beast that Daron had witnessed 10 years ago, should be here.

Woof. (No. I don’t smell anything. Just the scent of very old rocks and clean wind.)

Rookie tilted his head, and Kairen fell into deep thought while stroking his chin.

The Quest information only said ‘Find the legend,’ with no specific method.

Daron had only mentioned the vague word ‘qualification.’

How exactly was he supposed to meet the divine beast?

He checked the Quest window again, but there were still no particular hints.

In his frustration, as he looked up at the massive cliff.

Kiiiiiiiiik-!

A sharp cry tore through the sky and echoed throughout the mountain.

“…!”

Following the sound, Kairen looked up and froze in that position.

He had been amazed by the overwhelming graphics many times since connecting to New World, but this was on a different level.

Splitting the clouds that filled the sky in half, it appeared and slowly descended through the clouds.

As massive golden wings flapped, the wind rippled and made thunder-like sounds.

Its beak and talons were sharp enough to split even massive mountain ranges in half.

Its ruby-like red eyes froze anyone who looked at them to the bone.

As Kairen stood frozen in place with goosebumps all over his body.

[Warning! The legendary divine beast, Garuda has appeared!]

[Warning! The level gap with the target is extreme! Due to the extreme gap, your health decreases just by being nearby! You will die if your health reaches 0.]

[You have completed the Legend of Rudenville Village (Hidden Quest)!]

[Continuing to Legend of Rudenville Village 2 (Hidden Quest)!]

[Legend of Rudenville Village 2 (Hidden Quest)]The legend was true! You are now facing the legend, and everything is now in your hands. Restriction: Only those who have cleared the Legend of Rudenville Village Quest. Reward: ??? Warning 1: This Quest may affect your future profession. Warning 2: Events that pose massive threats to Rudenville Village and you may occur. Warning 3: Upon accepting the Quest, all progress on other Quests and experience gain will be suspended.

Alarms bloomed chaotically before Kairen’s eyes.

The divine beast Garuda, whose very existence was considered legend.

At its majestic appearance, Kairen momentarily lost his breath.

Its overwhelming size and brilliant golden feathers inspired awe, but also instinctive fear.

Grrrrr…. (T-this is bad….)

Rookie also hid behind Kairen’s legs, terrified.

All his fur stood on end and his tail was tightly curled.

His pride as a tamer’s dog and his loyalty to humans were meaningless before pure terror.

Garuda’s massive eyes turned toward the two tiny beings below.

The moment that gaze reached them, Kairen’s body stiffened involuntarily.

As if crushed by a massive boulder, even breathing was difficult.

He could feel his health rapidly depleting as the warning message had indicated.

Damn. What was he supposed to do now?

Even in that urgent moment, Kairen pulled himself together and focused on the current situation.

First, he had cleared the first Quest.

However, a follow-up Quest that was almost unknown had been triggered.

The content was unclear and the reward was hidden.

With nothing certain right now, only one thing was clear.

The connected chain Quest was also a Quest that absolutely had to be conquered.

At that moment, Garuda tilted her head slightly and showed interest in the two insignificant beings.

(How many years has it been since humans came here?)

Garuda’s voice that others couldn’t understand.

But it came through clearly to him, and Kairen forced a smile as he spoke.

“It’s been exactly 10 years since Lord Daron came to visit.”

(Oh ho. You. You understand my words.)

Was that answer quite interesting?

Garuda covered her mouth with her wing. It looked like a human woman covering her mouth while laughing.

“Yes. It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Garuda. I am a novice adventurer called Kairen.”

(An adventurer, not a tamer? To understand my words despite not being a tamer, you possess a mysterious talent.)

Garuda’s eyes curved like crescents with curiosity.

It had been hundreds of years since she reigned over this place.

Though contact was rare these days, the humans she had met during that long time were countless.

Among all those humans, Kairen was the first who could communicate without being a tamer.

(It’s an excellent talent. Perhaps you might have the possibility of becoming that existence.)

“Pardon?”

Kairen asked back at the incomprehensible words, but Garuda lightly shook her head.

At her gesture indicating she wouldn’t say more, Kairen changed the subject.

He wanted to have a calm conversation, satisfy his curiosity, and find hints to clear the Quest, but he didn’t have time.

If he delayed any longer, his health might reach 0 and he could die.

“Thank you for your kind words, Lady Garuda. And though I know it’s presumptuous, this humble one can no longer endure, so I dare to speak. Lady Garuda, could you lend me your power?”

He lightly bowed his waist to show courtesy.

(Right. That’s how it was. The tamer who came 10 years ago was the same. And back then I clearly said this: You are not qualified.)

Perhaps pleased by the old memory that surfaced, Garuda smiled while lightly flapping her wings.

Then she swept over Kairen’s entire body with sharply gleaming eyes.

That gaze was cold and sharp, so Kairen clenched his fists tightly and tried to calm his trembling body.

When the brief moment felt like an eternity.

Garuda’s voice rang out softly.

(Interesting. Truly interesting. Perhaps traveling with you might become a form of entertainment.)

“…!”

Kairen’s eyes widened as he looked at Garuda.

Really? This could work?

Without realizing it, he clenched his fists and hurriedly spoke.

“Thank you! Lady Garuda! If you help me….”

(Wait. Don’t be hasty.)

“…Pardon?”

(You are an interesting child with special talent. However, you are still too weak.)

“What do you mean?”

Kairen asked back with a trembling voice due to the encroaching anxiety, and soon his earnest wish was shattered by cold reality.

(It means you are too weak to be with me. Look at yourself now. You’re dying because you can’t properly withstand my aura.)

Kairen frowned at the sharp observation that pierced through his weakness.

Hah. This is really too much.

To come this far only to nitpick over something like that?

“Lady Garuda! That’s simply a matter of level, not a problem with my qualifications! If time passes and I become stronger, the concerns you have can be sufficiently resolved!”

Kairen shouted with a confident voice.

He looked at Garuda with eyes that had sharpened slightly with irritation.

However, Garuda only remained silent while meeting his gaze, and Kairen clicked his tongue briefly and checked his remaining health.

Had he hurried but it still wasn’t enough?

His steadily dropping health had already approached 0.

Tsk. Almost there but it’s going to be a failure.

Sensing failure, Kairen slowly closed his eyes.

In the dark vision, his past gameplay came to mind in sequence.

Meeting Daron, meeting Rookie, and climbing the mountain.

Reviewing all the past situations, Kairen looked for his mistakes.

What went wrong?

Where and what did he mess up to fail?

When he failed, Kairen was always like this.

Rather than being dominated by emotions and venting anger, he calmly reflected on his past actions.

Failures always had reasons, and he would chew over those reasons and improve.

That was the kind of man Kairen, no, Yu Baekjin was.

But….

“I don’t think I made any mistakes this time.”

When Kairen tilted his head after finishing his review, Garuda opened her mouth.

(Right. Your qualifications are certainly special. Though I’ve lived for ages, such interesting creatures are rare. You have sufficient value to be watched. So, I shall give you….)

“Huh?”

Garuda’s statement that seemed to offer hope.

Kairen’s eyes flashed, but unfortunately he couldn’t hear the rest.

[You have died!]

[Beginner’s Protection activates! The death penalty of reconnection restriction is reduced to 30 minutes!]

Though he felt dejected by the death notification, just before logging out of the game, Kairen heard another alert.

[You have completed Legend of Rudenvil Village 2 (Hidden Quest)!]

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