[ Chirp (4) ]
“What the hell are you doing?!”
A sudden burst of anger surged through me. Of course, Peace wasn’t hurt in the slightest. He landed lightly on the ground.
But that didn’t mean Yuhyun could just throw him like that. Look at him—he’s so startled he’s frozen in place.
“…Huh? What…?”
Even Yuhyun looked confused. He had no idea why I was yelling. Seeing that expression on his face only made me angrier.
When I think about it, this guy’s never really cared much about Peace. Sure, he tried to kill him once because he wasn’t growing, but back then he just saw him as a regular monster. But now, Peace is going to be his Monster Mount soon!
“Why did you throw him like that?!”
-Chirp!
“Huh? Well, at C-rank stats, he wouldn’t even feel that—”
“So, does that mean you can just throw anyone with high stats?! Do you seriously think that’s a good excuse?!”
-Chirp?!
“No, that’s not what I meant, but…”
“Don’t look down at me—sit down!”
-Chirp!
Yuhyun quickly plopped down on the sofa. For some reason, Peace sat down next to him too.
Seeing the two of them sitting side by side with wide eyes looking up at me made the corners of my mouth twitch. No, I have to hold it in. They look so cute.
“Hunter Kang Soyeong said Peace would be her lifelong partner. Even before she brought him in, she said she’d take care of him like he was her own child. And of course, she was very interested in Peace. The hunters from Breaker and Hanshin were the same. They asked all sorts of questions and said to contact them anytime if I needed anything. The guild master of Sesung even brought gifts for Peace. And what about you?”
The more I spoke, the angrier I got. You pay for his food, which is the bare minimum, but other than that, what have you even done for him, you punk?
“Is he just a caught fish to you? Huh?”
-Chirp?
“That’s not it…”
“Then what? Look me in the eye and explain yourself, Han Yuhyun.”
-Chirp!
Why does this bird keep chiming in?
“I don’t ignore him. Of course, I care. He’s a top-tier Monster Mount, so of course I’m excited. I’m looking forward to him growing into an adult. But, uh… how do I put this… Even with my best equipment, I make sure to maintain it, but I don’t really… give it gifts or anything—”
“Equipment? Equipment, you say?”
Yuhyun averted his gaze again.
“…I think I’ve really misunderstood.”
“You thought of Peace like equipment?”
-Chirp?
“I was wrong.”
Just listening to him talk, it’s clear he doesn’t get it. He’s acting just like he did when he was a kid. Maybe because he’s only twenty, after all.
“I’m not asking you to take care of him like a child, like Hunter Kang Soyeong does. But at the very least, you should think of him as an independent partner, not something you can just use however you want. You know he’s not fully tamed yet.”
“I know… but after a couple more dungeons, that’ll be sorted out… No, you’re right. I was wrong. I’ll do better.”
His answer didn’t feel very reassuring, but I can’t force him to care more than he does. Maybe I should make sure they spend more time together. Like he said, a few more dungeons and they’ll develop some camaraderie, or something.
“Hug him.”
“…Hug who?”
“Who do you think? Peace.”
Yuhyun glanced at Peace, who was sitting next to him, looking rather unimpressed. Peace glanced back at him, then looked over at me.
-Kiung.
“…I don’t think he’d like that.”
“He loves being hugged.”
He’s gotten bigger, but he still constantly begs to be held, to the point where it’s exhausting.
Yuhyun hesitated, extending his hand toward Peace, who bristled slightly.
“It’s fine, Peace. He won’t throw you.”
-Kuuung.
They both looked incredibly awkward, but it was kind of nice to watch. I hope they become closer before the dungeon difficulty increases. When I sat next to Yuhyun, Peace immediately tried to climb into my lap.
“Nope.”
I blocked him with my arm, and his ears drooped as he gave me a pitiful look.
-Kiiing.
Then, for some reason, he turned to look at the little chirp and wagged his tail slightly.
-Kuung, whine.
“What? You’re not going to attack Chirp anymore?”
Just in case, I picked up Chirp, which I had set aside, and showed it to Peace. Instead of baring his teeth, he gave it a small lick. Then, he tilted his head and looked up at me.
-Kiang.
-Chirp!
“Good boy, Peace~.”
As soon as I praised him, he tried to climb into my lap again. This time, I didn’t stop him, and he curled up, looking satisfied.
Maybe he thought I wasn’t letting him come to me because he attacked Chirp earlier.
“Even if he’s pretending to be calm, don’t ever leave them alone. That chick wouldn’t survive.”
“Of course.”
You can’t leave a bird and a cat together.
“By the way, are you free next week? I want to check your skills, level up, and take Peace into a dungeon too.”
Not to mention, I needed to talk to the system creators. Yuhyun checked his phone schedule and nodded.
“Should be fine. I’ll be ready.”
Alright, then the dungeon run in a week is set. Now, I just need to buy exclusive dungeon passes for the E and D ranks.
I only have four days left in the Blessing skill’s duration. Since I don’t want to enter a dungeon on the last day, I effectively have three days. If there are no competitors in the exclusive bidding, I should be able to win both within 24 hours and complete the raids within the time frame.
I’m looking forward to seeing what title I’ll get this time. Please, give me something useful.
[The OOO building will be demolished tomorrow, and a monster breeding facility will be built in its place. While many have expressed concerns about raising large numbers of monsters in the heart of Seoul—]
The TV was broadcasting a segment on monster breeding. The building next to Haeyeon Guild would be completely vacated today and demolition would begin tomorrow. There had been some minor issues, but things were moving quickly thanks to generous compensation.
‘They’re building a two-story facility and connecting it to the original ten-story building, huh.’
I sprawled out on the couch, looking at the blueprint I had just received. Peace was perched on my back, and Chirp was on my head. It’d be a problem if the others wanted to pile on too. Even with the Blessing effect, my body’s durability maxes out at mid-tier D-rank. My hidden stats are probably still F-rank. I can handle Peace, but if more jump on, I’m done for…
Maybe I should start taking those herbal tonics Kim Seonghan’s been sending.
‘They say the breeding facility will be done in two weeks. Is that even possible?’
Even if most of the workers are awakened and using dungeon by-products, it sounds like a rush job. The TV commentators were also discussing the construction speed and potential issues, but the general consensus was that it wasn’t impossible.
‘They’re reinforcing the foundation instead of building a basement, and they’re putting the training and breeding rooms on the first floor. Most of the time will be spent on the foundation work.’
Peace might be small, but there are other monsters with massive bodies, even as babies. The first floor will have spaces to accommodate them as adults. The cells for adult monsters are where the majority of the construction budget is going.
Meanwhile, the second floor will be my living quarters. It’ll be much smaller than the first floor, but they’re using dungeon materials, so even if the first floor collapses, the second will stay intact. They’re even planning to install a mini portal for entry. The remaining space on the roof will be landscaped into a park, just as I requested.
Basically, they’re pouring a ton of money into this.
The building that will connect to the breeding facility is more standard. It’ll undergo some remodeling, but nothing major. The breeding facility will be double-walled, with access through the connected building. The remodeling will take longer than building the breeding facility itself.
‘Isn’t Goblin supposed to be back soon?’
I need to meet with Seok Hayan to deliver the information. I wonder if Myungwoo will want to tag along.
‘It’d be easier for him to stay as a guild blacksmith.’
Knowing Myungwoo, he’ll probably want to stay with Haeyeon, but I can’t help that.
‘I need to bring in Do Hamin too. As for the Special Skill Awakening Center…’
Once I hit level 20, I’ll say I unlocked a related skill. I’ll need to awaken two or three people with optimized initial skills to prove the skill works.
That ridiculously good-looking guy from the broadcast came to mind. What was his name again?
But what kind of environment would he need to awaken an optimized initial skill? If it’s something related to his looks, he’s already in the perfect environment. If he just keeps acting in movies and gaining popularity, won’t he awaken naturally?
‘Most people with special skills awaken while doing work related to that skill.’
Or they awaken when they’re in life-threatening situations and survive using that skill. I wonder if a monster would back off after falling for his good looks. That guy’s situation is really tricky. Maybe I should look for someone else.
[Han Yujin, known as the ‘Monster Daddy’ for his monster-breeding skill, and the young flame-horned lion, Peace—]
Damn it. They’re playing that old broadcast of me again. Why do they keep showing it? If they’re going to keep airing it, they should at least stop calling me “Monster Daddy.”
-Chirp!
Little Chirp chirped at the TV. Did it recognize me?
-Chirp chirp!
“Hey, where are you going? That’s not me.”
I think this bird might be a little… slow. Well, it’s only F-rank, so I can’t compare it to C-rank Peace.
As Chirp flapped excitedly in front of the TV, I heard the door open. It must be Myungwoo.
“You’re back.”
“…What’s that?”
“I found it. It’s a monster, but it’s only F-rank, so it’s harmless.”
-Chirp chirp!
“Cute, though.”
“Right?”
Yuhyun just sighed when he saw how cute Chirp was. Then again, he’s never been interested in animals, even when he was little.
Chirp, having given up on the TV, was now flapping helplessly, unable to climb onto the couch. I picked it up as I instinctively checked Myungwoo’s knife-sharpening progress.
[Sharpening 10,000 blades (Progress: 8,266/10,000)]
Almost there. It’ll be done in about four days.
“You’ve sharpened over 8,000 blades by now, right?”
Myungwoo looked surprised at my words.
“How did you know?”
“On the first day, you sharpened a thousand, and after that, you’ve been doing around 400 to 500 a day. You’ve mentioned how many you’ve done here and there, so I just put it together.”
“You’ve been keeping track of that?”
Myungwoo looked genuinely touched. It’s hard to deal with this guy. Even a casual remark leaves him emotional. I’m not as altruistic as he thinks.
“I’ll come with you to the workshop on the last day. I’m curious about what kind of skill will come out, and since I started you on this, I should be there for the end.”
“Yujin…”
There he goes again.
“No matter what happens, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’ll repay you for the rest of my life.”
That’s too much, though. Just cook me some side dishes now and then. Snacks would be nice too. Or bread. Anything, really.
…Damn, should I just ask him to move in? Four days left… I’m about to tear up.
“…Myungwoo.”
“Yeah?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Damn it. I’m starting to sound like one of those overly attached boyfriends. Maybe it’s better to be embarrassed now than to act pathetic later. Yeah, so what if I’m a little embarrassed? Food is important.
Hugging the little chirp tightly, I opened my mouth.
“When you move out later… could you still cook for me sometimes? I don’t care what it is, anything.”
I don’t even have picky tastes, so please.
Myungwoo froze. Maybe I went too far?
“Uh… wait, am I overstaying my welcome? Sorry if I’ve been imposing for too long—”
“No, no! I’d love it if you stayed!”
Screw it. If I don’t say anything, my meals will go from heaven to hell in four days, and I can’t stand it.
“I can’t eat anything but your cooking anymore!”
“…What?”
“So please, just keep making side dishes for me…”
Myungwoo, who had been standing there in shock, twitched the corners of his mouth. Don’t laugh. I know it’s funny, but don’t laugh.
“That’s not a big deal at all! Sure, don’t worry. I’ll make you anything you want. Do you have any requests?”
“…I’m fine with anything.”
“Alright. If you ever crave something, just let me know!”
Myungwoo headed to the kitchen, looking very pleased. But what’s he going to do when he gets busy? Sure, he doesn’t have to keep his promise, but knowing him, he’ll do his best to follow through.
I feel embarrassed and a little guilty, but I’m also happy.
I managed to win exclusive dungeon passes for both the E and D-rank dungeons by the next afternoon. Since I had already taken Peace to the training room that morning, I didn’t need an excuse. Myungwoo hadn’t come back yet, so I left Peace in the living room cage and Chirp in a basket in my room, locking the door. I texted Myungwoo to say I was sleeping and not to disturb me.
Praying that I wouldn’t get caught again, I snuck out the same way as yesterday.
This time, the E-rank dungeon had an underground cave environment. Personally, I hated caves, but this was the closest dungeon I could get an exclusive pass for.
“Ugh, it’s so damp.”
As soon as I stepped through the gate, I was hit by the smell of mold mixed with the cold, wet air. Glowworms floated around in the dim light. And then—
[(′ ? ? ) ? O┣┗┗＝｜○!! ? (· ?·)]
“…Oh, hi. Nice to meet you.”
What kind of greeting is that?
–TL Notes–
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