Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Gardener of the Mother Goddess (3)
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For the next half a day, an endless wave of monsters continued.
But there wasn't much for me to do.
"Hey, Divine Seat. For that Chicken King just now, it would've been better to just roast it completely."
"Oh, no. This won't be enough. You need to fill this side up before the next wave comes."
"Ah…! That's not how you use Ari's charm."
Just as the mission had changed, my job was to offer advice while tilting the cup filled with the World Tree's sap.
The Gardener of the Mother Goddess took my pointers to heart.
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess presents a new layout.]
"Oh, I don't see a single hole this time. You must've been pretty good at MonMonMak too, Divine Seat."
And soon, he improved by leaps and bounds.
As expected of a Divine Seat.
The Divine Seat did well even when left alone, and when taught, he did twice as well.
In other words, it was satisfying to teach him.
That's why I could give my advice so passionately.
Perhaps thanks to the sap's effect, I didn't even feel tired despite being awake all day.
[The hundredth monster wave will arrive shortly. Prepare yourself!]
And finally, it was the last wave.
"This is the last one."
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess burns with fighting spirit.]
Good.
Seeing the Divine Seat's reaction, it seemed I could finish this with just a bit more advice.
"Check wave information."
But right after I checked the wave information.
I couldn't help but frown.
"Hmm."
I guess the final wave is the final wave for a reason.
It looked like I'd have to do more than just give pointers this time.
* * *
THUD!
A monster the size of a house, resembling a mammoth, entered the garden entrance.
Behemoth.
A disaster-class monster, rated S-rank in terms of danger by the Administration Bureau, had appeared, matching its ferocious appearance.
Even with three or more S-rank hunters, this beast would be difficult to handle. It smashed through the garden entrance and charged forward without hesitation.
In its path, carnivorous plants and acid-spore-shooting flora tried to block it.
"-----!"
But the beast tore through the passage of grassy walls, reducing the garden to rubble as if trampling weeds.
Literally an unstoppable force.
But even a monster like that.
[The Behemoth has reached the 'First Garden Chamber'!]
It couldn't overcome the plants that had completely taken over one of the garden's chambers.
SWOOSH!
As soon as it passed through the garden's passage and arrived at the 'anti-beast' room that the Divine Seat and I had prepared.
Countless pre-installed vines entangled themselves around the Behemoth's legs.
The vines were made from the roots of the World Tree, so even the Behemoth couldn't easily break free.
"------!"
SNAP!
Of course, the vines alone couldn't completely restrain the Behemoth's movements.
As the beast thrashed, even the stubbornly entangled vines began to tear away bit by bit.
But at that moment.
FWOOSH!
This time, thousands of round, bead-like objects rained down on the mammoth's body from all directions.
They were adhesive shots from the Beanweed.
"GWEEEEEEH!"
The Behemoth let out a monstrous roar, its eyes bloodshot.
It couldn't have taken any real damage.
Vines and bean shots couldn't even scratch its tough hide.
No, in the first place, none of the 'garden' plants could damage a disaster-class monster like that.
Nevertheless, the beast thrashed as if it were in pain.
That's how firmly the combination of bean shots and vines had immobilized the house-sized Behemoth, enough to make it go berserk.
"You've worked hard, Divine Seat. The idea of combining World Tree vines with bean shots was great."
I gave a thumbs-up to the floating beholder.
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess shrugs its shoulders.]
'That's enough praise for now.'
I wanted to praise the Divine Seat's rapidly improving application skills more.
But there wasn't much time.
CRACK!
Its movements were slowed by the adhesive shots, but a Behemoth was still a Behemoth.
Every time it heaved, the vines shook precariously.
I had to finish this quickly.
And that finishing touch was my job, not the plants'.
I asked Gono, who was next to me.
"Gono, will your club work on that stupid elephant?"
"Kiruk."
Gono scratched his head.
It was his way of saying he wasn't sure.
Well, no matter how much of a cheat character Gono was with his gear, the Behemoth was a monster on a different level.
Then, a new problem arose.
"--------!"
With a roar that shook the very earth, something began to fall from between the hairs covering the Behemoth.
"...What is that?"
It looked as if it were shaking off fleas.
And indeed, the things falling from its fur were insectoid monsters resembling fleas.
The problem was that due to the Behemoth's overwhelming size, those fleas were as big as goblins.
I quickly put on my silver-rimmed glasses, and the monster's information appeared in my vision.
[Blood Flea]
[Type: Normal Monster]
[Rank: 2-star (MonMonMak standard)]
[Stats: Strength 10, Agility 25, Stamina 5, Intelligence 3]
[Skills: Bloodsucking Lv.1]
[A monster that lives in the fur of a Behemoth. When threatened, it inflates its body with sucked blood, increasing its size.]
HSSSST!
In an instant, over a hundred Blood Fleas landed and began to charge.
Leaping and bounding to avoid the vines and bean shots, they were a grotesque sight.
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess is flustered.]
Judging by the reaction, it seemed this guy didn't know these things would pop out either.
But there was no time to blame the Divine Seat.
LEAP!
A Blood Flea at the forefront leaped high and lunged at me.
"Kiruk!"
CRUNCH!
Before the flea could crush me, Gono's club drew a sharp arc.
SPLAT!
Warm droplets of blood splattered across my face.
I stared straight ahead through my blood-soaked vision.
Gono had already activated Crow's Flapping and was swinging his club indiscriminately.
With every swing, a spray of blood erupted in the air as a flea was smashed to pieces.
But.
'Gono alone isn't enough.'
The creatures were endlessly pouring out from the Behemoth's body.
No matter how skilled Gono was, it was impossible for him to handle all of them.
In that case.
"Odolph!"
This side would go all-out too.
Wiping the blood from my face, I quickly rolled the marble in my hand.
POOF!
An ogre wearing a wizard's hat emerged from the marble amidst a cloud of smoke.
SPLAT!
Fleas that mindlessly charged at the ogre were turned into a bloody pulp by a giant log.
Odolph asked, shaking the remains off his log.
"My Lord, what are these insignificant creatures?"
"Questions later. Take care of all the bugs coming at me."
"As you command, my Lord. Hah!"
Odolph immediately began to sweep away the fleas around me with the staff in his hand.
I glared intently at the pixelated status window before me.
The all-out battle wasn't over yet.
An all-out battle, by definition, meant throwing in all your manpower and resources.
"Lord's Castle, you got the gold ready?"
[The Dream Lord's Castle has deposited 4000 gold as payment for Jen Karuk's soulstone.]
With a lightning-fast movement, I touched my earlobe and tapped the pixelated window.
[Activating Deal with the Lord Lv.1.]
[Consuming 2500 gold to hire Lizardman High Priest Jen Karuk.]
VWOOM!
Jen Karuk's marble shot out from the rift.
It was a transparent marble with green swirling inside.
I immediately threw it onto the floor, where the remains of Blood Fleas were scattered.
[Summoning Lizardman High Priest, Jen Karuk!]
Smoke spread, and a lizardman wearing a feather headdress appeared.
"Ki, kiit?!"
Jen Karuk looked utterly bewildered upon appearing.
"Hey, High Priest!"
"Kit!"
Jen Karuk's eyes widened as he turned his head at my call.
He seemed to clearly remember the moment Odolph and I smashed his head in.
WHOOSH!
I dodged a Blood Flea that was sent flying by Odolph's log and shouted urgently.
"Quick, do that thing, that thing!"
"Kit, kiit?"
"Make the water spray!"
"Kit!"
Only then did Jen Karuk see the garden swarming with Blood Fleas and grasp the situation.
And also, who his master was.
[Jen Karuk casts Tears of the Ancient God. Potency is reduced by 40 percent due to hiring adjustment.]
The lizardman slammed the staff he was holding into the ground.
Simultaneously, a torrent of water swirled out from the staff as its epicenter.
The torrent soon turned into a hurricane, rapidly beginning to engulf the garden's interior.
WHOOOOOSH!
It was nothing compared to the power I had experienced at the 'Lake'.
More like a light rainstorm.
But it was enough to damage the Blood Fleas' chitin.
SIZZLE!
Torn apart by the torrent, the Blood Fleas fell to the ground with a thud.
The same happened to the fleas in the fur of the Behemoth, which was being forcibly bathed while bound.
"---------!"
The Behemoth let out a furious roar.
Even with all the Blood Fleas annihilated, the disaster-class monster was still standing.
But there wasn't much it could do.
The 'Bean Vines' devised by the Divine Seat were still holding it firmly in place.
Of course, there was no telling how long they would hold.
I had to deal with that elephant before the vines were torn apart.
"Jen Karuk, that stream of water coming from your staff, can you focus it on one spot?"
"Kiit."
The lizardman nodded.
"Excellent. Odolph!"
I called out to Odolph, who was still finishing off the remaining Blood Fleas.
"Yes, my Lord!"
"Throw Gono at the Behemoth's head."
"Pardon me?"
Odolph asked blankly.
"Kiruk?"
Gono, who was next to Odolph, also tilted his head.
A simple method wouldn't be able to penetrate the Behemoth's thick hide and deal damage.
I needed an attack with formidable piercing power, enough to break through its hide and inflict damage.
"We're going to use Gono as a sort of magic bullet."
"A magic bullet... you say?"
"Yes, let me explain."
I explained for about a minute.
When I finished, Odolph scratched his head.
"Is that possible? Of course, with my strength, it doesn't seem impossible, but..."
"Ki, kiruk."
Gono, on the other hand, had gone completely pale.
"It's okay, Gono. If we get the timing right, it'll work."
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess makes a pitiful expression.]
Please, Divine Seat, don't jinx it.
In the end, Gono climbed onto the ogre's massive hands with a look of resignation.
"You get ready too."
"Kit."
Jen Karuk also planted his staff in the ground.
"--------!"
Just then, the Behemoth, having almost completely torn through one of the vines, roared.
Without hesitation, I pointed at the beast and shouted.
"Go!"
"My apologies, goblin friend!"
"Ki, kiruk..."
Odolph began to charge forward, holding Gono in one hand.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
The massive footsteps shook the earth.
And at the moment Odolph's acceleration reached its peak.
"Throw!"
Odolph threw Gono with all his might toward the Behemoth's head.
The tiny goblin began to hurtle toward the beast like a baseball.
And when the distance between Gono and the Behemoth had closed by about a third.
"Gono!"
[Goblin Slave activates 「Crow Set Effect - Crow's Flapping (A)」!]
POW!
The goblin accelerated once more in mid-air.
A green meteor hurtling toward a house-sized beast!
"--------!"
The Behemoth finally noticed something flying toward its brow and let out a shriek.
It then tried to protect its brow by swinging its log-like trunk.
But that alone wasn't enough.
"Jen Karuk, cover him!"
[Jen Karuk activates 「Tears of the Ancient God - Shield」!]
Suddenly, the blue streams of water drifting across the field began to coat the green meteor.
The Tears of the Ancient God, that hurricane of formidable power, enveloped Gono.
"------!"
The Behemoth screamed, its eyes bloodshot.
But before its death cry could end.
CRUUUUNCH!
A blue concentric circle spread out.
Its large trunk shattered as if hit by a large-caliber bullet.
Immediately after, the blue-green meteor pierced through the mammoth's brow and shot out from the back of its head.
The beast stood frozen for a moment, stunned.
Then, belying its massive size, it collapsed anticlimactically.
THUD!
The massive body that had filled the garden slammed into the ground, a rupturing sound shaking the earth.
[The Gardener of the Mother Goddess laments.]
Well, a section of the garden was destroyed, so I could understand.
But what did it matter?
[Congratulations. You have passed the 'Garden's' trial.]
What was saved without being lost could always be restored.
[You have cleared the Garden of Cultivation. The final reward will be distributed.]
And I could just take my reward and get out of here...
But wait a minute.
[A ?-rank item is being provided as the final reward.]
The item's rank was strange.