Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Trial of Strength
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⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Going straight tomorrow? "Yeah, gotta go right away."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Hell yeah, tomorrow's gonna be lit. ⚔️Fr real, ordering chicken now. "What's so fun about a stamina test?"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️So what're you doing today? "Today? Hmm... Should we start with the morning routine?"
『Please... Please...!』
I checked Radelri's stream, and he had this desperately pleading look on his face.
"We'll do it later."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️lolololol ⚔️Did he get a mission or something? Roll roll.
As I was pondering what broadcast to do today, Snowy came rolling her toy over.
"Snowy, wanna go out and play?"
"Yeah!"
Snowy always stuck right by my side whenever we went outside.
She was so tiny that it felt wrong leaving her alone, but more than that, there wasn't really anywhere in this concrete jungle of a city for her to run around freely.
The training grounds were the only place where she'd gotten to play excitedly, but even there, she probably hadn't been able to romp much because she was matching her pace to mine.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Whoa, she's seriously smart. ⚔️Her likes are so cute lol "Let's wipe off just a tiny bit of eye gunk and head out."
"Okay!"
I scooped up Snowy, who came flying at the word "go," and started walking.
Descending the dim attic stairs, a sky filled with pretty sculpted clouds welcomed us.
"Can you all see okay, guys?"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Looking radiant again today. ⚔️Her butt's the cutest lol ⚔️Where's the destination? Even in this forest of concrete, there's one spot bursting with green, like a dandelion peeking from the cracks in the sidewalk blocks.
"Let's go to the mountain."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Ku ku ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! "If you're gonna play hard, Snowy, eat a big meal first."
"Okay!"
I placed a flower bought from the shop on my head, and Snowy snatched it right away.
"Phew, nice weather."
It was quiet, probably because everyone had gone to work.
I'd always taken the main road and ridden to the market, so walking the opposite way felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Tasty?"
"Yeah!"
Snowy, munching on her meal atop my head, slid down to my shoulder.
The sound of her nibbling tickled my ear.
"Eat lots. Tell me if you need more."
"Tasty!"
Watching her wiggle her butt while eating, it seemed Snowy was thrilled to be outside too.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️How's she eating while standing on your shoulder? ⚔️lol so weird ⚔️Too cute As I walked slowly, I could feel the surroundings gradually changing.
Gray gave way bit by bit to green.
"Ta-da. Snowy, this is the mountain."
Snowy perked up her ears, probably catching the thick grassy scent.
If it was a mountainside like the training grounds, thick with grass, Snowy could run around to her heart's content.
Aside from benches scattered along the winding path, it was nothing but trees and grass.
"Go play."
Snowy, who'd been perking her ears atop my shoulder while scouting around for a good while, slowly hopped down to the grass.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Snowy's really tiny. ⚔️Living the dream, climbing mountains from her room corner. ⚔️lololol Standing still and watching Snowy hop around the grass, at some point she froze in place.
As I approached slowly, all I saw was the back of her head, focused intently on something.
"What're you doing, Snowy?"
Hearing my voice, Snowy turned her head.
"Caught it."
"Huh?"
Snowy fiddled with her front paw and held it out to me.
"Bug."
"Eek!"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️lololololololol ⚔️Choked on my water lololol "Snowy, drop it."
I shook off her front paw, and the bug shot away like an arrow.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Cute af 🔔 [1MinuteCut donated 1,000 won] I've petted Snowy before ⚔️lol gonna prep for moving right next to her As I slowly walked along the mountain path, Snowy poked around here and there, following along.
With my heightened senses, the forest that usually felt so quiet now buzzed with life.
A squirrel peeking out from behind a massive tree, staring at me.
A woodpecker glancing my way mid-peck.
Thwack!
Snowy kicking away a diving bird with a foot strike.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Takes after her owner. ⚔️Is Snowy really a bunny? With its sharp beak and talons, it looked like a raptor.
Animals that were usually hard to spot were all peeking out because of tiny little Snowy.
"You okay, Snowy?"
"I won!"
"Uh... Good job."
"Yeah!"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️What'd Snowy say? "She said she won."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️lololololol ⚔️Streamer's translation is adorable too In a place full of earthy browns and greens, a little white rice-cake-like fluffball hopping around was impossible to miss.
I sat on a nearby bench since Snowy seemed to be having fun, and she came over with a green grass blade in her mouth.
Was the leaf big or Snowy small? It looked like the grass was moving on its own.
"Gonna eat it?"
I held out my hand, and she placed the fresh-picked grass on my palm.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Bear's Wort "Bear's wort. Safe to eat."
I bought a bottle of water and rinsed the dirt off, shaking away the moisture until it was clean.
I offered Snowy the washed bear's wort, but she tilted her head.
She took a nibble, then shook her head vigorously at the bitterness.
"Hahaha, bitter, huh?"
I poured the leftover water from washing onto my palm, and she rushed over to lap it up.
"You should've foraged something tasty."
Apparently tired of bitter foraging games, she climbed onto my shoulder and rubbed against me nonstop.
"Let's see."
I went to where she'd gotten the grass, and there was quite a bit of spring greens growing.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Shepherd's Purse "This one's tender and tasty."
Miso Paste 300g Price: 5,400 won Back at the bench, I dipped the fresh shepherd's purse in miso and popped it in my mouth. A fresh aroma filled it.
"Tasty."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Where'd that miso come from? ⚔️lolololol Snowy, still grimacing from the bitterness, shook her head when I offered her some shepherd's purse.
"Don't like it?"
"Yeah!"
"But it's good."
It filled my mouth with the fresh scent of spring.
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️From the countryside, so she knows all this stuff? "Not countryside, provincial kid."
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️Same diff ⚔️Where you live anyway? ⚔️East Buyeong City ⚔️lolololol While chatting away with viewers for a while, I belatedly realized the cotton ball by my side had vanished.
"Snowy?"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️???? ⚔️Snowy disappeared? ⚔️She's smart, won't go far on her own "Where'd this kid go?"
With her sharp ears, she should've heard me, but she didn't show up for a good while.
As anxiety started creeping in...
A dirt mound twitched, and Snowy poked her face out from inside.
"Yeah!"
"Whoa! Snowy... Aaaah!"
⚔️ Viewer Chat ⚔️lololololololololol ⚔️Must've had a blast playing lololol She must've dug the hole pretty deep—the pure white fluffball was caked in dirt.
"Snowy, let's go home and wash up..."
"Fun!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hmph! Get savory!"
Crash!
Crash!
The golem turned fragrant in one go.
"Hungry."
"Let's just catch this one and eat."
"Okay!"
I gripped the last vial in hand and hurled it with force; it smashed into the golem's upper body.
Crack. Crack.
"No wonder it felt off."
A hidden red power core inside contrasted sharply with the white frost, glowing brightly.
Last time it'd been in the chest, but now the red light pulsed from the shoulder.
No wonder the golem with its caved-in chest was moving so well.
[Gale]
Bam!
My body shot upward.
[Soaring Wind]
Foot stomp.
"Hup!"
I gathered power into my fist,
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! Heavy Strike infuses the blow [Super Heavy Strike!]
I strike!
—KABOOM!!
A massive explosion roared out.
The recoil sent me landing far from the golem; only then did its huge frame slowly topple.
Thud!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ +500,000 won Experience +25 Growth Rate: 75% A combo I'd grown used to by now.
"Phew, tiring."
As I approached the golem, Snowy hopped down and poked at it playfully.
"Goshi?"
"Gosurehalrae?"
"Yeah!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Sesame Seeds 1kg Domestic fresh sesame. Price: 38,000 won I grabbed a handful of sesame seeds and offered them; she used her tiny paws to sprinkle them everywhere.
"All done?"
"Yeah!"
She shook the sesame powder off her paws and snuggled into my arms.
"Now that I think about it, I had leftover sesame from last time in my subspace. What a waste."
Excited for mealtime, Snowy wriggled happily.
"Excited?"
"Excited!"
"Let's finish that up and eat."
"Okay!"
As I reached out for Gluttony, an inexplicable chill ran up my spine.
Right after battle, my still-heightened senses carried a heavy foreboding.
Eerie.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Gluttony devours the foe "W-Wait a sec!"
Krunch!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ +500,000 won Experience +25 ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! Growth Rate: 100% Commencing ascension Too late.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Scanning past karma Scanning past deeds The messages flashing before my eyes scrolled by so fast it made my eyeballs spin.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! For ascension... Just as something was about to be decided...
—Rumble!!
"..."
A familiar sight.
—Rumble!!
The sky flipped, and the ground bloomed wildly with bodhi trees and lotuses.
"Fuck, here we go again."
Something surfaced.
A massive presence too vast to even perceive swallowed the world.
"《The Ascetic laments that the flesh tone is too dark》" "《The Demon declares Heavenly Peach is their successor》" The flora blooming on the ground grew even denser.
"《The Ascetic demands the contract be fulfilled》" "《The Demon is displeased》" ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! The budded lotus begins to bloom The ascension trial distorts "《The Ascetic declares that only pure strength reaches the essence》" "《The Demon shakes their head》" "《The Ascetic chants the Great Wisdom King incantation》" "《ભેય લસશ...》" ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ding! For ascension, the Niou's trial begins Suddenly the world inverted, filling with darkness.
I craned my neck to look at the sky; something enormous was blotting out the moonlight.
"...Fuck, Dad, save me!!"
"《Marapason squeezes their eyes shut》" So huge that the claw right in front of me looked house-sized.
"《The Niou gazes upon Heavenly Peach》" Grrrind!
The sound of its neck turning boomed loud enough to tear eardrums.
Grind... Grrrind...!
...
..
.
"《How presumptuous》" ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Guardian Deity Vajra Yaksha's trial begins ```