episode_0027

“Slurp.”

“Meww.”

For the past ten minutes, Mew and I lay down to calm our stomachs.

Damn it all.

Even though it’s lamb, maybe because it’s all chunks of flesh, something keeps rising in my stomach.

It was no small discomfort.

“…Ugh. Feels like I just ate a hundred servings of braised ribs.”

In reality, it felt worse than that.

That bastard Tojuwon.

Clearly, his blood must be thick with cholesterol, having consumed who knows what on a regular basis.

I can guarantee it.

“So, this is what being a boss is all about.”

To keep shoving this crap in until the end…

Truly fitting for a B+ grade rare boss prepared by those GM bastards.

Yet, it was worth it.

The reward for greedily sucking it up was significant.

My durability stat increased by +2.

Durability is the most basic attribute that increases easily, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless.

“Strength of the body and damage reduction. It also affects vitality and lifeforce.”

No matter how good your skills are, if your basic stamina can’t support you, they’re as good as useless.

Durability must be maintained at a minimum level.

Especially for our Mew, being a Guardian class, durability was even more crucial.

As for me, with the high power of [Dragon Fist], neglecting durability could lead to death from recoil, so I needed to diligently raise it.

Glancing at each other, we then turned away simultaneously.

At the sight of Tojuwon’s bloodied mess.

It made me feel ashamed to have just eaten the blood pooled on the floor moments ago.

But we couldn’t continue like this.

I spoke first.

“Uh, hey.”

“Hey.”

Oops, we talked over each other.

“S-Sorry. You go first.”

“No, Mew, you…”

After conceding to let her speak first, Mew hesitated for a moment, then quietly sat beside me.

She subtly leaned her head against me.

Initially puzzled, I soon realized what she wanted and gave her a warm smile.

Gently, I brushed through her blood-soaked hair.

“…Did I do well?”

“Yes.”

“…Hehe.”

Despite her embarrassment, the sparkle in her eyes was incredibly endearing.

“As expected of the one and only tank I chose.”

“…Hey, Seha.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“Why are you suddenly feeling shy?”

“…I’m really thankful…”

Tears welled up in Mew’s eyes.

Beside her, a semi-transparent status window appeared.

Perhaps she couldn’t believe the growth recorded there.

“It shouldn’t be like this already.”

“Mew?”

“Trust me. I’ll feed Tojuwon until he bursts, enough to make him seem laughable.”

…”

Mew stared blankly at my words.

Various emotions flickered in her eyes.

Gratitude, apology.

And a hint of suspicion.

Why does she know this?

Why is she so confident?

Why is she specifically helping herself?

All these thoughts rushed through her mind in a fleeting moment before fading away.

What remained was solely one thing.

Her trust and faith in me.

And…

“…Yes!”

It was nothing but the smile of my beloved character.

—

“Hmm.”

Having washed her face cleanly with water, Mew gazed solemnly at Tojuwon’s corpse.

Beside her, a bulging sack was filled with Tojuwon’s remains, brimming with crimson hues. Yet, the remaining carcass was massive.

I held up a single scale of Tojuwon in my palm and remarked, “This could fetch a good price, right?”

It looked sturdy enough to be crafted into armor for our Mew.

“…I’m not sure about that.”

“Huh?”

“Seha, you might not know, but monster byproducts often fetch high prices due to market demand.”

Mew explained.

While ‘Mana Stones’ have fixed prices due to their various utilities, other byproducts vary significantly based on societal factors and research outcomes.

“For example, goblins were considered worthless except for magic stones just five years ago. However, after it was revealed that goblin eyeballs could be used in the production of fertility potions by the ‘H-Cup’ pharmaceutical company, they started to be priced.”

“…Fertility potions?”

Could it be what I’m thinking?

“Yeah. The chances are low, but it’s a potion that enlarges breasts upon consumption. It sold for a high price at auctions. Especially unmarried women were said to be desperate to consume more of it to find a husband.”

Even as I thought it was a truly desirable company, the explanation continued.

“That’s the problem. As far as I remember, I’ve never heard of a monster called ‘Tojuwon.’ The sea turtles that come out in the marine fields are somewhat similar. Their nature seems completely different.”

That makes sense.

From the start, this guy is an exotic species without any basis, meant for newbies to catch and use as medicine.

I don’t even think there are more of these guys.

“So, it’s doubtful whether this byproduct we’re collecting will actually be priced…”

“Ah, if their stats increase from drinking blood… wouldn’t it be expensive?”

“…Hmm, that does seem likely. Anyway, let’s stop here.”

“But there’s still a lot left?”

“We’ve already collected more than our weight limit. If we collect more, we might not be able to return.”

Indeed, that’s true.

This only made me feel regretful about the absence of a [porter].

“If only we had a proper 3★ porter…”

We could gather more efficiently and effectively, you know.

But for now, it’s just greed.

Without having the proper strength, what would we do with a support worker in production?

“Now, only this is left.”

The Meonyangi cat, sewing shut the eyes of the cut-off Tojuwon.

She clenched the bag dangling under her chin in her hand.

Seeing her about to slice with a knife immediately, I raised my hand.

“Meonyang, wait a moment!”

“…Hm?”

“Can you leave this part to me?”

“Meow?”

She looked at me puzzled by my request.

This part needed caution.

That bead pouch is the alpha and omega of rewards obtainable from Tojuwon.

Depending on how much she knows about the hidden inside, the variety of rewards available here can change drastically.

“Yeah, sure.”

Meonyangi nodded.

It seemed like she thought I had something in mind when I asked.

Oh, those eyes full of trust.

How lovely they are.

By gradually building up this favorable relationship, someday it might be possible.

Recalling the numerous expressions of affection(?) I showed to Meonyangi in Gosla.

“…Hehehe.”

“…Sehaya. Is there something strange about my gaze?”

Hmm, as expected of Meonyangi.

She’s really good at picking up on my sinister thoughts.

It was when I gestured that it was okay while looking at the retreating Meonyangi.

Whoosh―!

I realized that the magical waves emanating from afar were coming closer.

“…Meow?”

Meonyangi also turned her head.

In the middle of the lake, a small island emerged as the water receded like the ebb and flow.

On the island barely big enough to hold a house, there was quite a large tree. Various fruits of peculiar shapes hung all over it.

“…What is that?”

“Meonyang. This is one of the rewards. Let’s go eat.”

“…Meow?”

*

A short while later.

After swimming to the island, I examined the state of the tree.

“It’s ripe.”

I could feel the condensed magic crystals in each fruit.

The color, size, and appearance were undoubtedly top-notch.

“The divine tree reveals its form sealed within the guardian’s death.”

“The divine tree offers an opportunity to those who have defeated the valiant guardians.”

“Pass the final trial of the divine tree and grasp the glorious fruit in your hands.”

“Divine tree?”

Meonyangi tilted her head at the incoming message, then realized something and asked a question.

“…Did the Togu Temple really guard this?”

“Yes. The reason the Togu Temple has been here at this dilapidated lake all along was to protect this.”

“…So they’ve been guarding this for hundreds of years?”

“Probably?”

Well, I know it’s just roughly crafted data setting by the GM, but Mu-nyangi seemed to feel something and gave me a slightly pitiful look.

She gazed at the fruit in a daze, then belatedly realized its identity, showing a surprised reaction.

“S-Seriously? Is this the Dragon Heaven Fruit?”

She nodded affirmatively.

[Dragon Heaven Fruit].

A rare item found in dungeons, fields, and trials of the dragon lineage.

It evenly boosts the user’s stats, a precious item that stands out for its exceptional effects and extreme stability. (Excluding the divine aspect.)

At first glance, one might think it’s no different from a potion.

However, the Dragon Heaven Fruit distinguishes itself in its significant effects and extreme reliability.

Typical potions always come with side effects.

It’s just a matter of whether there are many or few side effects.

How well these side effects are eliminated and absorbed directly affects stat growth significantly.

Hence, no matter how remarkable a potion is, it’s challenging to consume multiple of the same kind.

In reality, in “Gosla,” most characters had a limit on how many potions they could ingest.

“…But the Dragon Heaven Fruit is different.”

Remarkably, this fruit had absolutely no side effects.

This meant that consuming it directly led to a direct increase in stats, making it highly valuable.

Well, even if the average stat exceeded 150,000, the increase would be minimal.

Moreover, it was famous as a healing potion.

It invigorated the consumer’s energy and corrected any distorted vital energy.

So, when given to a character affected by the debuff commonly known as ‘Ju Hwa Ip Ma,’ some improvement could be seen.

Given such excellent rewards, they probably left some dog-like behavior until the end.

Anyway, those GMs are wicked bastards.

“Mu-nyangi?”

“Meow?”

Mu-nyangi looked at me as if asking why I called her.

“Should we pick first?”

“Huh? Can we just pick these fruits?”

“Yes. You can choose as many as Mu-nyangi wants.”

“…As many as I want?”

“Yes, as many as you want.”

Mu-nyangi stared blankly at me for a moment, pondering.

Even though she couldn’t count the number of fruits, it was natural for her to have the desire to take them all.

After about a minute of contemplation, she turned to look at Togu Temple’s corpse.

“…”

Soon, as if she had made up her mind, she nodded.

“…Two.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s take only two.”

I was quite surprised by her words.

“In my opinion, Togu Temple… Well, he probably expected this too.”

Mu-nyangi said.

Hunter and Monster.

It’s inevitable for them to risk each other’s lives in their positions.

Therefore, it’s natural for each to take the other’s life.

“If you kill someone, you should be prepared to die yourself.”

That’s fate and law.

“But at least I want to respect the pride he’s maintained for hundreds of years…”

Mu-nyangi murmured with a serious look in her eyes.

Realizing her gaze, I hastily spoke.

“M-Mu-nyangi! If Serha wants, we can just take them all-”

-Chin.

Instead of answering, she raised her hand above her head, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“No. Mu-nyangi, you did well!”

“…Meow?”

“If you don’t do as you said, we won’t be able to take even one.”

“…Meow?!”

I smiled brightly and gently squeezed Mu-nyangi’s cheeks.

“Meoww!”

Her choice was right.

This is the final test of the Togu Temple’s Garden.

An old lesson about greed leading to trouble, manifested as a warning here.

For the Dragon Heaven Fruit, only one per person is allowed.

If anyone touches more than that, including what’s already collected, all the fruits will rot instantly.

I, too, had the experience of trying to take everything in the game and failing.

“…I see.”

Mewnyangi looked at me with a surprised expression as I explained.

I picked two fruits and handed one to her.

“Shall we eat it now?”

“…Yes!”

Crunch!

I took a bite and tasted the sweet juice.

And before my eyes, a sweeter information window flickered.

[Eating Dragon Heaven Fruit.]

[The fruit imbued with the noble power of a dragon swirls around your body, invoking the aura of dragon blood.]

[Strength, speed, endurance, mana, and spirit each increase by 1.]

[You gain affinity. Upon reaching a certain level, you will acquire related skills.]