Chapter 18: Abundant Rewards

After her first meal, Ao Tenshin happily retreated into her shell.

He couldn’t bring himself to send her to her pocket dimension. Instead, he cradled her in his palm and turned back to Samu.

"I don’t have time to practice cooking today. I’ll be back tomorrow to complete the first cooking quest," he said, still not sure how he was supposed to keep up with both combat and non-combat classes with only one hour a day.

Weekends would get busy, but it wasn’t like he had much to do in the real world, either.

Samu nodded. "Yeah, it’s pretty late. You must not be one of those ’hardcore’ players. They bother me even in my sleep. I’ve had to slap a few cheeks to teach them some manners!"

Martin laughed. "Some players just want a head start. They chase an advantage as fast as possible. Still, yeah, slap them."

Samu’s expression turned dead serious. "I will."

"I’ll check the leaderboard, then log out," Martin said, bidding farewell to the Five-Star Chef.

After Martin left, Samu watched his back from afar while stroking Buracchu’s head. "The real world, huh? Is our world that surreal to you all?"

—

A crowd had gathered at the base of the Light Tree, waiting for the leaderboard to update. It was only minutes away, and the agitation was obvious.

Players talked loudly, like adventurers in a novel. No one seemed worried about hiding strategies for the Light Tree’s dungeons.

"I’ll log out after checking my rank to see the Hidden Leaderboard. Someone will post it on social media," one player said.

Another nodded. "Yeah, same. We won’t know what rewards they got, though, right?"

"Yep, unless they share it themselves," the first player replied.

He only half listened as he scanned the crowd for a familiar face. Sure enough, Chaosgraphy was sitting alone on a bench, waiting for the results.

He headed over. "Can I sit next to you?"

"Yes," Chaosgraphy said with a small nod.

He didn’t bother hiding Ao Tenshin. "Look, I got a pet. Her name’s Ao Tenshin. Her late mother gave her that name. She’ll grow into a small island someday."

"You’re the first player I’ve seen with a pet," Chaosgraphy said, eyeing the shell in his hand. "Are you sure it isn’t just a shell?"

Ao Tenshin was simply asleep inside, happy and full. She had no clue what was happening outside.

"It’s not," Martin said instantly. "She has an adorable baby face and sparkling eyes. You’ll see later."

Chaosgraphy’s eyes stayed closed, but her tone sharpened. "About the bet. How confident are you?"

From how rigid she was sitting, Martin could tell she’d pushed herself hard for damage.

"More than confident," he said. "I’m satisfied. I defeated the Baby Kraken."

"You did... what?" Chaosgraphy said, like she genuinely thought she had misheard.

Not many players had even seen the name Baby Kraken. Only a handful had caught a glimpse of its status while fighting its tentacles.

And defeating it sounded impossible.

"I took it down," Martin said, chest out. "Ao Tenshin was the reward."

"You’re serious," Chaosgraphy said, and her eyes opened fully.

Just then, the leaderboard updated.

[The Hidden Leaderboard has been updated.]

[Level One Dungeon]

[#1 Thorn’Shield - Damage Taken (Solo Run): 22510]

[#6 Emperoar - Damage Taken (Solo Run): 17961]

Martin’s hand clenched as he stared at the system window, eyes widening.

Then another line appeared.

[You have reached the top six spot on Damage Taken Solo Run.]

[Your runs have been calculated and adequate rewards have been distributed.]

[You have received new skills: Bulwark Rush (Rare), Aegis Tumble (Rare), Ricochet Shield (Rare), Solitary Edge (Rare)]

[You have received Control Devil’s Shield (Purple)]

[You have received Hermit’s Bulwark Cuirass (Purple)]

Chaosgraphy’s eyes flicked to his face, and the air between them turned tense.

Rare skills. Purple gear.

In his head, those tags meant the same thing: real rewards, not filler.

Oh wow.

The urge to tap the items and read every line nearly won. He forced it down.

Not now.

Two of the skills matched moves he’d already been doing on instinct: Bulwark Rush and Aegis Tumble. Ricochet Shield and Solitary Edge were new, though, and the two items sounded like they belonged to a real build.

Still, he didn’t have time to dig into the details.

Where is she? Is she higher than me?