Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 133

Episode 133

I followed Lucy outside the house to see the egg that was supposedly hatching.

After the battle with Ballakk, the elves had taken full responsibility for looking after Cheondung, who had turned into an egg.

Was it because they were a non-human race that truly loved nature?

They cared for the egg with the utmost devotion.

Perhaps thanks to that, it hatched much faster than expected.

"...It really is."

The large egg, lying on the soft pile of straw the elves had prepared, already had its shell half-broken.

Through the gap, the newborn Thunder Elephant Bird suddenly stuck its head out and cried out powerfully.

"Kkiek!"

"Wow, it came out! It's out!"

Lucy and the elves, who had been watching with bated breath, exclaimed in awe.

"Kkik, kkiiii..."

Finally, the ancient bird monster, which had been struggling and wiggling, pulled itself completely out of the egg.

It was a wondrous moment, but unlike the elves, I couldn't be entirely happy.

Perhaps because it had reverted to an egg due to a fatal attack, Cheondung had lost its former majestic and enormous body entirely.

'...I guess it can't be helped.'

For now, it was a massive relief that Cheondung hadn't died.

Looking at the bird, which had become quite tiny, about the size of a small dog, I composed my troubled heart.

Then I suddenly spotted the letters floating above Cheondung's head.

[Lv.??? Thunder Elephant Bird]

"What. Why is the level..."

The level, which should have been displayed, was marked with question marks.

As I was momentarily confused, Elaine's sister, Elena, who was standing nearby, must have heard me mutter, as she kindly explained.

"Newborn monsters often have unknown biological information because they haven't awakened their powers yet."

"Ah..."

"What's more, according to ancient documents passed down among the elves, I've heard that sometimes an ancient monster's level rises each time it's reborn."

"Its level rises?!"

At Elena's addition, I was startled and looked at the newborn monster anew.

Flap, flutter!

Just then, I made eye contact with Cheondung, who was flapping its dark brown wings and vigorously shaking off its wet feathers.

"Kkueeeek!"

It saw me, suddenly cried out thunderously, and took off with a fwump!

I tensed up a bit, watching it tilt precariously, still unused to flying.

'What. Does it want to fight?'

No matter how small it had become, a monster was a monster.

Besides, that bastard hadn't been particularly fond of me from the start.

So, if it shot a laser beam at me, I would punish it immediately.

Just as I made up my mind.

"Kkueeek!"

Fwump!

The creature, flapping in mid-air, suddenly did something unexpected.

It wasn't shooting a beam; it was charging straight at me.

"Ugh!"

I had no time to dodge.

Smack!

I staggered, hit by that bastard Cheondung as it flew into my chest like an arrow.

"This thing, has it lost its...!"

The moment I reflexively raised my fist at the absurd situation.

[Lv.??? Thunder Elephant Bird feels a deep connection with you.]

[Please show love and affection to your adorable pet!]

A system window popped up out of nowhere.

As I froze at the sight of it, Cheondung, who had buried itself in my chest, started rubbing its head like a baby bird.

"Kkueeeek..."

Just as the system window said, it really seemed to be trying to act cute.

I, who had momentarily thought it was an attack, hesitated, feeling awkward.

"Goodness! It must recognize its owner, Shari!"

"My goodness, what a moving and warm scene..."

"It's a baby bird! Hug it, onni! Babies need hugs!"

Instead of me, who didn't have a shred of sentimentality, Elena, Lucy, and the other elves were moved to tears.

Unable to refuse their urging, I hesitated before gently placing a hand on Cheondung's head.

As if to announce it was alive, I felt a warm heat and a strong pulse through its soft feathers.

It felt a little strange.

It was just a rare pet I got in a game.

"...I'm glad you're okay."

I whispered, as if pushed by the elves' fuss.

I belatedly realized that this warmth, starting from my palm and spreading to my chest, resembled relief.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Cheondung, which had been stuck to me, ate its fill of the chunks of meat the elves brought a little later and quickly fell asleep.

I glanced at everyone and returned to my room.

And I thought about the first test of the tournament, which should be wrapping up by now.

The first test really wasn't much.

To weed out those who had entered through tricks or luck, they mobilized mages to open a portal to a monster habitat in the arena.

And you had to fight the horde of monsters that poured out for a limited time.

They were just low-to-mid-grade monsters, but there were so many that those without the skills would quickly give up.

'...So that's what that "magic-tool-prohibiting barrier" crap was about.'

Thinking about the first test, I came to a belated, unpleasant realization.

"A barrier was activated a short while ago, preventing anyone other than tournament participants from using magic tools inside the arena."

"It means that even if you tear that, you can't escape this time."

The words Kassel had said to me right before I fled.

Well, it's not like he'd mobilize the mages' precious mana just to catch me.

I don't remember clearly, but this must also be one of the tournament's settings.

'Then why did he say it like it was activated because of me!'

Honestly, I had to admit I was really flustered back then.

To think that bastard Kassel had also been stalling for time, just as I was stalling for the forced summon, on top of stopping me from using teleport scrolls just to throw me in the palace dungeon...

I was furious, as if I'd been betrayed.

"What betrayal!"

At the fleeting thought, I hastily grabbed my head and shook it.

And I desperately tried to recall what happened after.

That bastard's face, the look of having been sucker-punched as he watched me fall from the railing.

Recalling that, the absurd, nonsensical thoughts receded, and a sense of satisfaction washed over me.

'He must be seriously pissed off right now.'

I smiled, picturing in the air that bastard's bright red, horrified eyes just before I fell.

"Go ahead and search all you want. See if I show my face."

He could search the Solenian royal lineage until his eyes popped out; he wouldn't find a single trace.

Thinking of Kassel's dumbfounded expression when he greets the real royalty arriving tomorrow, I couldn't stop laughing.

It was then.

Zzziiiing, zzziiiiing.

[High-Grade Communication Crystal]

Suddenly, the communication crystal I'd left on the bedside table began to glitter and vibrate.

It seemed the first test of the Hero Selection Tournament had just ended.

"Ahem, hem!"

I, who had been smiling brightly for the first time in a while thinking about that bastard Kassel, quickly cleared my throat.

And I picked up the crystal and tapped it a couple of times.

A familiar voice immediately poured out.

[Teacher Apothecary-noona!]

It was a good thing I'd given Elaine the crystal beforehand, not knowing how the temple quest would turn out.

Pleased with the crystal, which was commendably doing its job, I quickly asked.

"How did the test go?"

[Tch! Shouldn't you ask if I'm hurt first? Employer-abusing owner-noona.]

Judging by his slick voice, which was no different from usual, he seemed perfectly fine, without a single injury.

However, that bastard Elaine held a grudge, so I asked as a courtesy.

"...Are you hurt? From just that?"

[Just that! There were so many monsters, and so many people gave up...!]

At my unenthusiastic voice, Elaine got excited and started rattling on.

I tapped the crystal to lower the volume for a bit, and when Elaine quieted down, I asked again.

"Who got first place?"

[It was just catching low-to-mid-grade monsters, but the first test ranking was also important.]

[Because they counted the number of monsters caught and assigned dungeons according to rank.]

Elaine answered my question quite triumphantly.

[That was, of course…]

"You?!"

[...not me. It was this guy named Adam Hailey, who's pretty like a girl. He did it.]

[Something about him being the Crown Prince's lackey, and isn't it cheating for an Imperial Palace knight to participate.

I don't know what he didn't like, but Elaine bad-mouthed Adam a few more times after that.

[It was just a little funny, one pretty boy cussing out another pretty boy.]

"So what place did you get?"

[I got ninth place. You told me to be discreet and take it easy.]

Elaine replied grumpily, as if he was disappointed by my request.

'He got ninth place?'

I was inwardly surprised by the high ranking, compared to Elaine's commonly known rank.

Elaine's first test rank, as known on the community forums, was far outside the top 500.

That's why he was assigned a crappy dungeon and went around from dungeon to dungeon, kill-stealing bosses.

But if he's in the top 10 from the start...

'Good. He definitely must have caught Kassel's eye.'

While I was filled with hope that he could get a carry from Adam, he kept grumbling.

[I had plenty of onions, I could have done better!]

[Can't I just get first place?!]

"Enough. Were your party and dungeon assigned?"

[Yes.]

"Where? You're obviously teamed up with Adam, right?"

Elaine was also high-ranking, and Kassel was probably paying attention to him because of me, so there was a high chance he'd be assigned to the same dungeon as Adam.

[Nope? I don't have a party?]

But Elaine's cheerful voice in response was completely different from what I'd expected.

[And Adam Hailey was assigned to the highest-grade Ogre Dungeon.[

"Huh? Then what about you?"

[Me? I was assigned to the Imperial Palace. By myself.]

"The Imp... Palace?"

[Yeah. They must have monsters at the Imperial Palace too, noona!]

[I never knew…]

Elaine's endlessly chattering voice slowly faded.

The Imperial Palace? I tried so hard to avoid it, so why the Imperial Palace of all places!

'Don't tell me... that bastard Kassel did this on purpose?'

A chilling thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

That maybe I was the one who got sucker-punched...