Surrounded by the people of the tribe and Ferrus, Datch and Leman Russ faced the first round of the contest.
Leman Russ moved first.
He approached a boulder far taller than himself, let out a roar, and lifted it by brute force.
The entire tribe erupted in cheers that surged forward like a tidal wave.
After holding it for a while, Russ threw the rock down with a dull thud, making the ground shake.
It was easy to imagine just how terrifyingly heavy that massive boulder was.
"Now it's your turn." Russ brushed the dirt and debris from his hands and turned toward Datch.
Ferrus approached the Nameless One and asked in a low voice.
"Nameless Lord, shall I help you?"
"Don't worry. I can beat him," Datch said while looking around to choose a suitable stone.
Ferrus: ...
What are you thinking?
Isn't beating him the normal thing to do?
The current concern is not to drive Leman Russ into depression.
The tribe had been built deep in a canyon, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the remaining side facing an ice field.
On the northern side of the village, right next to the mountain wall, there was a massive pile of rubble.
All of it had been carried here by tides of ice that had surged from other places millions of years ago.
Datch stretched his limbs and then walked toward the mountain of rocks.
Seeing this, everyone lowered their voices and whispered among themselves.
"What does this stranger want?"
A young warrior of the tribe furrowed his brows and lightly elbowed his companion.
"Could it be that he's going to move that rock?" The man next to him scratched his stubble.
"How is that possible? That rock isn't something human strength can move."
"Then what was he doing over there? Did he admit defeat?"
Datch's gaze swept over the mountain of rocks and stopped on a boulder over twenty meters high.
To be precise, it was no longer a "stone." It was a low, rocky hill.
This rock stood deep within the pile of boulders with its back against the mountain wall, like an ancient statue with blurred features that had been forgotten for millions of years.
When the tribal warriors saw Datch walking toward the rock, they all grimaced.
That rock was like a small mountain. Who on earth could lift it?
Has this man gone mad?
A loss is a loss. There's no need to go to such extremes!
Leman Russ also stood among the crowd, holding a roasted leg of lamb in one hand and a glass full of ale in the other.
"With that small body of yours, do you really think you can lift that giant rock?"
However, what happened next was so shocking that everyone was left speechless.
It should be known that while that massive boulder stood over twenty meters above ground, it was actually buried dozens of meters underground.
As you can imagine, it was unbelievably huge, rivaling a rocky mountain.
Datch walked up beside the rock, found a depression where he could exert his full strength, and, borrowing the power of the Power Stone, gripped it with both hands and cleanly pulled the rock out of the ground, leaving behind a surprisingly deep hole.
"It still feels a little light."
Datch casually tossed the rock he was holding and said with a slight look of dissatisfaction.
The entire tribe was enveloped in a deathly silence.
Everyone stared at the scene in disbelief, barely able to hide their astonishment.
Even Leman Russ, who had been eating meat and drinking wine with a confident expression, was dumbfounded.
This… is this man really this strong?
Moreover, even though the stone is already quite large, he still says it's too light.
Can this even be called human?
Seeing this, Ferrus shook his head inwardly with an expression that said he understood everything. "I knew it would turn out like this."
What simple-minded fools. They have no idea what they're facing.
Lifting a stone is nothing. If necessary, the nameless one can even lift the entire continent beneath your feet and show it to you.
When Datch threw the rock to the ground, there was a dull sound.
The rock fell into an open space adjacent to the pile of rubble and created a crater several meters deep.
The enormous impact pushed the snow and gravel around the mining site outward in all directions, forming a ring-shaped bulge.
Datch clapped his hands, brushed the dust from his palms, and returned to the astonished crowd.
"So, who is the winner of this contest?"
The people of the tribe looked at one another, then all turned their gazes toward their king, Leman Russ.
"You win, stranger," Leman Russ frankly admitted.
"Come, let's begin the second contest. When it comes to drinking, I won't lose to you."
Leman Russ's strength lay in his drinking ability. On Fenris, no one surpassed him in drinking prowess.
At his most extreme, he had once drunk every drop of wine in the wine cellar by himself.
For Leman Russ, drinking alcohol was easier than drinking water.
Datch was led by Russ and the others toward the wine cellar deep within the tribe.
It was a massive cave dug into the mountainside. The entrance was sealed with a heavy wooden door. Iron bars were driven into the door, and dried moss was packed into the gaps to prevent cold air from entering.
The moment one entered the cellar, a strong aroma of malt, honey, berries, and a unique wild yeast that existed only on Fenris spread throughout the area.
The cellar was packed with large barrels three to four meters high and over two meters in diameter. They were made from single pieces of oak and iron hoops.
"The rules of the game are very simple." Russ approached a wine barrel, deeply inhaled the aroma, then turned toward Datch and said, "The one who drinks the most wins."
"Understood." Datch nodded and took out the "Invincible Drinker" badge from his game inventory. With this badge, the user would be completely unaffected by alcohol.
Under the gazes of the spectators, they began the second round of the contest.
The two of them gulped down entire barrels of alcohol one after another, like cattle.
Even if it were drinking water, this would be an overreaction.
The people of the tribe were dumbfounded.
They had seen Russ drink before. It was a traditional custom of their tribe.
The highlight of a banquet was watching the Wolf King empty glass after glass and drink everyone at the table under the table.
They had never seen anyone who could beat Russ at drinking like this.
While drinking, Russ glanced at the Nameless One and noticed that the man was completely unharmed and that his face had not even turned red.
He immediately went on the offensive, drinking even faster, trying to overwhelm his opponent.
However, Datch remained unmoved and continued drinking even after Leman Russ lost consciousness.
Only when the astonished people of the tribe confirmed his victory did he finally stop moving.
…
By the time Leman Russ woke up, it was already the next day.
As expected, he had once again lost the "drinking" challenge.
When he came out, Datch, Ferrus, and the rest of the tribe came over to him.
"When does the next contest begin?" Datch asked.
When Leman Russ saw Datch's figure, he felt uneasy.
This outsider could lightly lift a rock dozens of meters high and drank so much that it made him question the meaning of his own existence.
If it actually came to a fight with him, he would probably be blown away with a single punch and would have no chance of winning at all.
We must not contend with the other party.
We must find a way to turn the contest into a hunt.
The people of Fenris are masters of hunting, and Leman Russ, King of Fenris,
is the most skilled hunter on the planet with abundant experience. If this project is changed, the possibility of him winning will become very high.
"Then let's move on to the final contest. However…" Russ continued slowly.
"Fighting just the two of us is too boring. Why don't we fight the giants of Fenris and compete to see who can defeat the biggest giant?"
Hearing this, Ferrus was a little surprised.
He had always thought that Leman Russ was a bit slow-witted.
Judging from the two contests yesterday, this Wolf King of Fenris had behaved like a barbarian who only knew brute force and drinking.
But now it seemed that had been his mistake.
Don't you think it's quite a clever idea?
They also knew how to make use of their own strengths, but unfortunately, they were still destined to lose.
Datch did not object, because he knew that no matter which plan Leman Russ chose, he would win.
There was no way he would lose now. Even if he lost, he could just start over again. Choose better props and try once more.
Hehehehe, little husky bastard, are you dreaming of defeating the Player?
You're just inviting disaster upon yourself.
The two parties held a meeting the next day and agreed to compete by seeing who could bring back the larger prey.
Russ immediately headed to the harbor, boarded a longship, and sailed north toward the Dragon Sea.
In the Dragon Sea lived terrifying sea monsters — sea dragons.
Their bodies could reach hundreds of meters in length. Their skin was as hard as armor, their teeth as sharp as spears. And every time they appeared on the surface, they raised massive waves.
Russ made them his prey in order to defeat the mysterious outsider.
The weather at sea can change in an instant. When Russ set sail the sun was shining brightly, but the next moment the weather suddenly turned into a storm.
Thick dark clouds covered the sky. Despite it being midday, it was as dark as night.
Fierce winds blew, and massive waves crashed one after another.
Russ's longship was like a leaf tossed about in the storm. It was lifted to the crests of the waves and then swallowed into the troughs.
Without flinching, Leman Russ continued sailing deep into the Dragon Sea.
Perseverance is rewarded. Just as a massive wave surged…
What appeared from the sea surface was a terrifying head larger than the ship, with sharp teeth. It was truly a giant creature.
"You're already mine!" Seeing the sea dragon appear, Leman Russ shouted excitedly.
The Primarch took a massive harpoon in hand, threw it with all his strength, and pierced the sea dragon's left eye with pinpoint accuracy.
The giant sea dragon let out a roar filled with anger and pain, violently churning the surrounding seawater and creating massive waves.
Russ showed no sign of fear — he was only excited. He used the momentum to leap into the air and swung his battle-axe, cutting at his opponent with savage and brutal movements.
Both sides continued fighting for nearly an hour. The sea was stained with blood and turned a deep red.
And Russ's efforts were not in vain.
He finally defeated the sea dragon and succeeded in overcoming this terrifying beast.
Afterward, Russ hunted several more sea dragons and ventured deeper into the Dragon Sea in an attempt to hunt an even larger individual.
When he realized it was about time, he chose the largest one, dragged it back to the harbor, and forcibly brought it back to the tribe.
The sea dragon he had hunted was unbelievably huge. Everyone in the tribe was amazed by its size.
"It seems our king has won."
"Long live the King of Fenris!"
"..."
Many people raised cheers, extremely excited and moved.
Ferrus watched quietly from the side. He felt that they were celebrating too early.
Suddenly, cries of astonishment rang out.
"What is that?" One warrior pointed at something far out on the sea, his finger trembling.
"Is that a monster?" another person shouted. "It's a sea dragon! Damn it, it's huge!"
"It's dead. Its head has been smashed through."
"..."
Hearing the shouts, Russ turned around—
The scene that appeared before his eyes made him widen his eyes.
This… this is too exaggerated!!
A terrifying sea dragon the size of a mountain range appeared. There was a severe wound on its head, clearly the work of that stranger.
Compared to this terrifyingly huge sea dragon, the sea dragon Russ had hunted looked like a newborn child.
Datch had also gone to the Dragon Sea, dived directly to the seafloor, and subdued the giant sea dragon that had been sleeping on the ocean floor.
Upon reaching the tribe, Datch threw the sea dragon onto an open space and walked over to Russ.
"Now, what should we say?"
His voice was not loud, but in the deathly silent harbor, every single word could be heard as clearly as if it had been carved into stone.
"I lost." Seeing this, Leman Russ had no choice but to accept reality. "What do you want? My throne, or my loyalty to you?"
"I don't need any of that." Datch shook his head. "I only came to challenge you. I'm not trying to take anything from you."
"Is it that simple?" Leman Russ showed a suspicious expression.
"The people here like you very much, Leman," Datch said. "Conquering this world doesn't mean much to me."
"If it would put your mind at ease for me to take something, then make a promise."
"A promise??" Leman Russ furrowed his brows and asked. "What kind of promise?"
Datch said, "Always maintain independent thought. Think carefully before doing important things, and do not become anyone's tool."
Leman's original problem was that he blindly followed the Emperor's orders, which led to many tragedies.
After the Battle of Prospero, he learned to think independently, but at the same time he was also impulsive and rashly challenged Horus to a duel. He succeeded in seriously wounding Horus,
but this action completely stripped Horus of the remaining humanity he still had, plunging him fully into Chaos, and also resulted in the loss of the few remaining Space Wolves.
"Your request is strange, but I will comply," Leman Russ said with furrowed brows.
The moment he finished speaking, Datch saw the exclamation mark that had been displayed above Leman Russ's head disappear.
He realized that the mission was complete and that it was time to move to the next mission location. He smiled and nodded. "Don't forget the promise, Leman Russ."
"I've decided to give you one more gift."
While speaking, Datch took out all the fragments of a blue giant star from his in-game inventory.
Using the Infinity Gauntlet, they were fused into a delicate gem the size of a palm.
This gem contained most of the power of a star. With a little guidance, it could unleash attacks powerful enough to destroy everything, and it could also freely change the climate of Fenris.
Datch placed the gem on top of the tribe's statue. The heat emitted by the gem warmed the surroundings.
After placing the gem in its designated position, Datch taught Leman Russ how to operate it and instructed him to use the gem for the people of Fenris.
Next, Datch opened the World Editor interface and lifted the highest peak of Fenris into the air, floating it. That place was destined to become the future base of the Space Wolves.
Furthermore, he created an eternal rainbow above the floating mountains.
"This is proof of your promise, Leman Russ. Do not betray the words you spoke."
Datch's series of actions left the people of Fenris dumbfounded.
He could easily compress a star, create floating mountains, and even generate a permanent rainbow.
This was something ordinary people could not do — something only the creators who appeared in many myths could do.
Having received such a precious gift, Leman Russ immediately held a banquet to express his gratitude to Datch and publicly announced that a statue of him would be erected to commemorate all the achievements Datch had made for Fenris.
However, Datch did not want to waste any more time, so he shook his head.
"I've already stayed on Fenris long enough. It's about time to leave."
After saying that, Datch summoned the TARDIS phone box.
"Are you leaving already? Why not join our banquet first and leave the next day?" Russ tried to persuade them to stay.
However, Datch simply shook his head and walked into the TARDIS phone box.
"Goodbye, brother. See you later," Ferrus said as he entered the TARDIS phone box.
Leman Russ was puzzled by his words. What did "See you later" mean?
Would they be coming back soon?
Leman Russ wanted to know the details, but the TARDIS phone box had already activated.
As space distorted, the TARDIS phone box entered the time tunnel and disappeared.
Datch inputted the coordinates of the mission location into the TARDIS phone box's control panel. That place was the toxic gas planet Barbarus.
He was going to thoroughly wash that stinking canned-food boss.
...
Russ and the people of the tribe watched the two outsiders leave, holding complex emotions.
These two outsiders were far too mysterious. They had come to accept a challenge.
After winning, they took nothing back and instead gave precious gifts.
"Prepare the banquet. Even though the nameless one has left, we should still hold a banquet and build a statue for him."
Russ and the others held a grand banquet to thank the nameless one for the gifts bestowed upon the world of Fenris.
After the banquet, at the request of King Leman Russ of Fenris, the various tribes of Fenris commissioned the creation of a statue of the nameless one and revered him as their father.
That was all. Some time later, when Russ and the others were celebrating the completion of the Nameless One's statue,
another stranger appeared, dressed like a vagrant. The moment he entered, he declared himself the savior of all humanity.
Hearing this, Leman Russ and the others looked at one another with puzzled expressions.
It was complete nonsense. Like a cow flying off into space.
"What is your name? And what abilities do you possess?" Leman Russ asked.
"I am the Master of Mankind, Ruler of the Stars, the Emperor." The moment those words ended, the wanderer transformed into a sturdy man clad in golden armor, emitting dazzling light from his entire body.
"The purpose of my coming here is to take you back. Because you are my son, and your future should not be limited to this planet alone, but should expand into the vast starry sky."
"You will lead a Legion and, in the name of humanity, embark on the grand undertaking of conquering the galaxy."
"I see. That sounds interesting." Russ was not particularly enthusiastic. He had known long ago that he was not a native of Fenris.
The moment the Emperor appeared, the information engraved in his genes made it clear that the person before him was his biological father.
Leman Russ's indifferent reaction eased the Emperor's wariness somewhat.
Upon entering Fenris, there were statues of the nameless ones everywhere, clearly showing that they had visited this place.
That damned Nameless One had crippled another of his sons again.
I am so angry and feel so cold!
In this family that is always trying to steal other people's sons, who exactly is the good person?!