kscans

Chapter 489 - Feeding Time

"Agh, man, you've left me in the dust again."

"I'll admit, I'm pretty aware that I went a little overboard."

After comparing our tamed [Stardust Beasts], we moved on to round two: a comparison of the relics we'd acquired. Having seen the clear 'gap' between us and a tangible point of comparison, I was now sincerely reflecting on my actions.

Tiger Lucky had already fed all of his spoils to his little pup (Star), so he could only give me a rough estimate. Still, it was certain that my inventory was stuffed with about ten times the number of [Stardust Relics] he had collected.

He mentioned that he had entered with an artisan acquaintance this time, so I assume his starting situation was similar to mine. Although there was a difference between being 'in the forest' or 'by the lake,' it seems both our groups chose a base-building style.

Apparently, Tiger Lucky's group's 'Tower Defense' remained on easy difficulty until the final night. He said it was at a level where they had no problems even without Sir Great Tiger lifting a finger.

"I reckon the first day's hunt—the startin' dash—is what's most important. How much ya earn there decides the scale of the first assault, and the size of that night raid becomes the spark that makes the next one explode in size. And so on, and so on."

He's discussing this on the premise of wiping out the entire nightly horde, which just goes to show that Tiger Lucky also has that typical ranker mindset. Still, the speed and substance of his deductions are too sharp to be dismissed as just a 'battle junkie.'

He's not an idiot or a fool. It's just that some of his vibes, his sense of style, and his behavior are those of a natural-born, airheaded tiger.

"What's with that look? It's pissin' me off."

"I'm looking at you with admiration, don't get mad. Say thank you."

"Well thanks, then—wait, why?!"

In any case, it was a productive information exchange all around. Considering the differences between our two groups, the event—which still had far too many unknowns even after it ended—was starting to become a little clearer.

Above all, though, what stood out most vividly was the massive screw-up on my part, a feat of overdoing it that went beyond just overdoing it.

By the way, as I expected, the 'Zodiac series' of [Stardust Beasts] seems to have been a unique feature of the 'forest' where we were dropped. I was a bit confused when Tiger Lucky's beast turned out to be a dog, but apparently, non-zodiac types appeared in his area as well.

"So? What're ya gonna do with that stupid mountain of pebbles?"

"What to do, what to do…"

Having plopped down on the ground again, the beast's owner, who was calmly receiving the affectionate nuzzles of his little dog—a starry creature resembling a Shiba Inu—steered the conversation toward the main issue.

The mountain of pebbles… in other words, what to do with a quantity of [Stardust Relics] that was well over one or two hundred. Not that I have many options.

"Roughly what's the growth rate like?"

"Well, as you'd expect from a former enemy, my Star here puts up a good fight despite his cute looks. His base stats are way higher than ours at Lv. 1, and the increase from stat points is huge. I wouldn't say one point makes a massive difference, but even just three or four points changes him quite a bit."

"Huh… By the way, what level is your dog now?"

"Twelve. I split his points evenly between STR and AGI. With that, he's about—"

As if signaling his loyal servant, Tiger Lucky pointed a finger at the pup's nose and then swung his arm as if to point at something.

In that instant…

"Whoa…"

"Well, he's just decent for his level. High hopes for the future, though."

While I was voicing my admiration for the Tamed Beast's speed as it darted toward a distant target, the victim's scream soon reached my ears.

Lv. 12 with points split evenly means about 60 AGI… and yeah, it would be impossible for a player to reach that speed with those numbers.

This is, in the truest sense, on a monster's scale.

In the future, he looks like he'll become a fairly reliable companion, which fills me with anticipation. With that said, my first option is to go all-in and use them all as 'food' for Sapphire.

Actually, it's not even my 'first option.' All my other options are related to that, anyway.

It's really just a choice between feeding them all at once or saving some.

The wisest, or safest, course of action would probably be to 'seek instructions from above' at the ten-seat council meeting that will likely be convened soon. However, Istia's basic stance is for everyone to get strong on their own, so for choices like this, the answer is almost always, "Do whatever you want."

Goldow once said something like, 'We are the ranked title holders because we all did what we wanted and climbed to the top.'

And yet, it feels like they've all been helping me out so extensively… but well, I'm aware I'm a bundle of irregularities. I'm genuinely grateful.

So, what should I do?

Personally, I'm a bit bothered by the fact that our shared inventory only contains the relics I obtained…

"Hmm…"

I looked back at my gigantic 'servant,' whose shadow was cast not only over me but also over the dog and tiger pair beside me.

With its wings folded neatly, Sapphire stretched its neck, silently gazing at a distant boar. I wonder what it's thinking—Then, as if noticing my gaze, its head turned toward me.

It lowered its head and gently nuzzled against me. I patted its beak. Ah, so heartwarming.

Seriously, when I think back on it, I hit it with a merciless, cruel, one-minute kill, and yet here it is. All sorts of emotions are bubbling up, but at the end of the day, it's no wonder I got attached so quickly.

This is without a doubt a god-tier feature. Pets are the ultimate source of comfort, and when you add the ability to 'interact' with them in a way impossible in existing games, the depth of the rabbit hole is on another level.

Ah, whatever… I'll just give it everything. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

"Alright, Sapphie, you can have it all. But hey, if you get full, don't force it."

Once I've made a decision, I act immediately. I may not be like that certain Southern Faction tag team, but I'm not the type to agonize over my build for long, either.

So, I switched my weapon… just kidding, that's obviously outside the effective range. I opened my inventory and dumped out the mountain of [Stardust Relics] in one go.

"Just as I expected, you're goin' all out—Hey, Star, no! That's not for you."

"A little snack won't hurt. Here, you have some too."

After returning from its hunt, the little dog immediately dashed over to the pile of 'treats,' providing me with even more warm fuzzies. I picked a random stone from the pile and tossed it to Tiger Lucky.

It ran over, but it was a good boy and didn't just dig in. Its tail was wagging like crazy; so adorable.

"Spoilin' other people's dogs now. That's just like you, Acrobat."

"What's that supposed to mean, Great Tiger?"

What's the big deal? I like dogs. And yes, yes, of course, I love dragons too. I'm a guy, after all. Cool, beautiful, cute, fantasy for the win.

Am I overthinking it, or is that a hint of jealousy? Feeling a stronger-than-before nudge-nudge against me, I chuckled and grabbed one of the largest pieces from the top of the pile.

"I'm counting on you again, my starry shadow. Please, grow up healthy and strong."

The starry dragon, which 'understood' its master's words and intentions in a way a real-life pet never could, plucked the [Stardust Relic] from my hand with the tip of its beak… and as if to say, "Understood."

It spread its massive wings and flapped them, looking quite pleased.

From behind me, a complaint from a single tiger blown away by the gust of wind was promptly ignored.

――――――――――――――――――
◇Status / Beast◇
Name：Sapphire
Lv：31
STR(Strength)：10
AGI(Agility)：200
MID(Spirit)：100
――――――――――――――――――

STR is just a little extra.