[ Preparation Complete (2) ]
“You finally got back to me. Can I start getting my hopes up?”
Seok Hayan’s eyes sparkled as she sat down in the chair opposite me. Today, she was dressed in a vibrant long dress, the kind you might see at a summer resort. Large pineapple-shaped earrings dangled from her ears.
“First, take a look at this.”
I handed her a tablet containing data on a Japanese dungeon. Her white fingers brushed across the screen a couple of times, and her eyes gradually widened.
“This is…”
Her fingers started moving faster, her gaze flitting up and down the screen. After a short while, Seok Hayan placed the tablet on the table, took a deep breath, and spoke.
“Is this data thoroughly investigated?”
“It is. I guarantee it.”
“So much data in such a short time… And you’ve organized it all so systematically.”
“Is there anything that needs to be supplemented?”
“You shouldn’t be asking me that. I’ve barely had the chance to investigate a few domestic dungeons. The Hunter Association hasn’t been very cooperative yet. I guess it’s understandable since I’m still not fully prepared for anything. That’s why I wanted to set up a research lab.”
“By the way, has the Haeyeon Guild contacted you about the lab?”
Seok Hayan nodded.
“My uncle said he’s willing to help. But I’m not keen on being affiliated with any one guild. I don’t want my dungeon research results to be exploited for purely commercial purposes. Not that I think the Haeyeon Guild would do that, but I believe dungeon information should be accessible to everyone, as long as they pay a fair price.”
“That’s a commendable mindset. I share that sentiment. But if you produce valuable results, it will be difficult for you to protect them on your own.”
At my words, Seok Hayan’s brows knitted slightly.
“Yes, that’s true. Do you think it would be better to cooperate with the Haeyeon Guild?”
“That wouldn’t be a bad choice, but I have another suggestion.”
“From you, Han Yujin?”
“Yes. You know we’re building a monster breeding facility, right?”
“Of course. I saw the construction site on my way here. Ah, could it be!”
With a bang, Seok Hayan slammed her hand on the table.
“I saw it on the news! The monster breeding facility and the adjacent building will be under the protection of five guilds for the next five years, right? Are you offering me a spot for my research lab?”
Sharp as ever. No need for a lengthy explanation.
“Yes, that’s correct. At least for the next five years, your safety will be guaranteed. An A-rank Hunter will be stationed there, and in case of emergency, you can receive immediate support from the Haeyeon Guild next door.”
Of course, once the research results start coming out, this won’t be enough.
‘An S-rank Hunter will definitely be needed.’
The Liette siblings would be perfect. They’re not affiliated with any guild and have exceptional skills. I’ve already followed them. After some back-and-forth comments, I’ll officially reach out to them.
‘The best option would be a top-tier monster.’
Monsters are much less likely to be swayed or betray than people. They also won’t need to leave for dungeon raids. The problem is that it’s currently harder to find a top-tier monster than an S-rank Hunter. There are only two so far—Peace and one more on the way by ship.
Guilds capable of clearing S-rank dungeons wouldn’t easily give up the baby monsters they painstakingly obtained. If worst comes to worst, I might attach the one that’s meant to be my guardian. Not that it would matter since there will be plenty of kids flocking around me in the future.
For now, it’s just Haeyeon, but once other guilds start sending in baby monsters, they’ll protect them even more diligently, considering the situation. As much as I hate to put it this way, the kids would serve as a sort of hostage. Or should I say, monster leverage?
“More importantly, it’s going to be a place where top guilds from around the world will seek out on their own. Especially the Hunters who mostly tackle high-level dungeons with limited information. Since they’d be visiting as the ones in need, it won’t be hard to obtain information from them. I also plan to assist you with that aspect. Furthermore, since the research results will be most valuable to high-level Hunters, Seok Hayan, you could build connections with them as well. Depending on how you handle it, your lab could expand significantly without my help.”
Not just a lab, but an independent, massive institution could definitely be possible.
“Ah…”
Seok Hayan was frozen.
“Uh, really? That’s true, isn’t it?”
“All S-rank Hunters will visit at least once. Especially if they’re entrusted with a top-tier monster, they’ll have no choice but to come in person out of concern.”
Or they’d send multiple A-rank Hunters at the very least.
“Um, I’m honestly not great with that kind of stuff…”
Seok Hayan mumbled hesitantly.
“My grandfather has a lot of connections, so I didn’t have to ask for much help even while earning my degree. So, negotiating with results in hand, rather than just presenting at research meetings, feels a bit… Well, I’m good at locking myself in the lab for days on end, though.”
“But you made a proposal to me, didn’t you?”
“Oh, that wasn’t really a proposal. I just went at it full force. And I thought of you as a fellow researcher.”
Well, you did shout, ‘Let’s research together! Let’s collaborate!’ without hesitation.
“Don’t worry. You’re not expected to handle everything alone, nor should you.”
It would be a waste to have Seok Hayan deal with every little thing. Besides, negotiations should be handled by experts.
“You’re not going to run the lab by yourself, right?”
“Yes, of course! Oh, would you like to see this?”
Seok Hayan showed me her phone. The screen displayed a picture of her with five other people who seemed to be foreigners. They ranged in age from her own to middle-aged and elderly.
“This is D-Mate. It’s a dungeon and awakener research group that’s been around for two years.”
“A research group?”
“Yes. I haven’t mentioned the data you’re providing yet. But if it’s alright with you, can I bring my friends along? They’ll love it.”
I looked at the photo more closely at her words. The elderly man with graying hair and the middle-aged woman looked familiar. They were researchers who had worked with Seok Hayan in Dungeon Persons. I vaguely remembered them from the few times they appeared on TV as representatives with Seok Hayan.
“If they’re people you trust, Seok Hayan, they’re welcome.”
“That’s a bit of a heavy statement.”
“Heavy? It’s your lab, after all.”
“But you’re helping so much that I don’t feel like I can just do whatever I want. Oh, and this here is Jaiden. He’s more interested in awakeners than dungeons, so if high-level Hunters frequent the place, he’d probably pay to stick around. Once he hears about it, he’ll be up for two or three days straight looking for ‘Jesus.’” (TL Note: Wonder if he’s looking for someone that has the power of turning Water into Wine)
Seok Hayan’s face lit up as she introduced the rest of her group. Her voice was as bright as a song. They seemed like a very close-knit team.
‘If I just provide some support, they’ll probably manage well on their own.’
So, there was a research group. Come to think of it, it would be odd if someone with both passion and ability for dungeons hadn’t been doing anything until now.
“Go ahead and take the tablet with you.”
“Is that okay? Aren’t you worried about data leaks?”
“It’s just some dungeons in Japan, after all. And I’d like you to research something other than dungeon generation rules first. Like mana saturation.”
“But isn’t the generation rule the most urgent?”
“It is, but just for a while. I have something else I need to verify.”
There’s the Liette situation, and the dungeon generation rules might have changed from the original future. I’ll check when I meet with the system folks in a few days.
This time, I hope they explain everything clearly.
When I returned home, I found Yu Myungwoo pacing anxiously in the living room. He was circling the table in the center like he was performing some kind of ritual.
[Sharpen Blades 10,000 times (Progress: 9,839/10,000)]
There were fewer than two hundred left. It would be finished today.
“Are you that nervous?”
Myungwoo came to an abrupt halt. His eyes were bloodshot, probably from a restless night.
“…I think I did it too fast. What if I rushed and ended up with some weird D-rank or lower skill?”
“That won’t happen.”
I said firmly, as I took Peace out and went to my room to get Chirp as well. I put Chirp on my head and held Peace in my arms. They both wanted to stick close, which was a bit troublesome. At least Chirp could be occupied with a mana stone bottle for an hour or two, but Peace didn’t have anything like that. I just hope he doesn’t keep asking to be held even after he grows up.
“But… if it’s useless, it will be disappointing, right…?”
“Don’t be too discouraged, even if that happens.”
Of course, he’ll get an SS-rank skill, but even if a system error ruins it, it won’t change the fact that Yu Myungwoo is an extraordinary guy. With the right direction, he could succeed and live comfortably anytime.
“No, I mean, you’ll be disappointed…”
Myungwoo said with a gloomy expression. Huh? Me?
“Me? No, I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
When I said that, his gloomy face turned to one of complete despair.
“You… didn’t expect anything, did you…?”
“No, no. It’s not that I didn’t expect anything. Of course, I do. If I didn’t expect anything, I wouldn’t be waiting to go with you on the last day, right? It’s just that even as you are now, Myungwoo, you’re already amazing to me. Even if you don’t get a skill, I won’t be disappointed at all. It’s not just me—Yerim raids our fridge all the time, doesn’t she?”
One day, she grabbed me and started with, ‘Don’t ever spread the rumor that Myungwoo is a good cook. We don’t even have enough for ourselves!’ and then went on to talk about the food for over an hour. I’m not sure why she was telling me this instead of Myungwoo, though.
“Honestly, if you went into the food business instead of becoming a Hunter, you’d be a huge success. You might not want to run a full-fledged restaurant since it’s busy and exhausting, but a café would be nice. You could hire people to handle drinks, and just make some pastries or cakes to sell. There would be lines out the door, and you could even open a franchise if you wanted. I could give you a place anytime.”
I’d be sad if Myungwoo got too busy, so I’d oppose opening a proper restaurant. It would definitely be packed.
“…I appreciate the suggestion, but that’s not really something I want to do.”
“Really?”
That’s unexpected. …He doesn’t dislike cooking, does he? I’ve never noticed any signs of that.
“Calm down and let’s go. You have to see it through.”
“Yeah.”
As Myungwoo was heading to the front door, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at me.
“Whatever the outcome, I’m really grateful. I mean it. So as long as you’re not disappointed, I’ll be okay too.”
“I won’t be disappointed.”
When I reassured him again, his expression brightened noticeably.
We headed down to the equipment management team together. Of course, an A-rank Hunter accompanied us, and somehow, I ended up carrying Peace along with Chirp. Peace refused to leave my arms. Maybe it’s because I’ve been busy with dungeon runs and other matters recently, so I haven’t been paying enough attention. He was stubborn today, so I just brought him along.
As a result, the equipment management team members gave us some odd looks, but oh well. I probably should have put Chirp on my shoulder instead of my head. But Chirp isn’t great at balancing on my shoulder.
The crafting room where Myungwoo had been working was much different from when I first came. Two large new shelves had been added, everything was neatly organized, and the lighting had been replaced with brighter ones. The chair in front of the grinder looked more comfortable and better than the previous one.
“Looks like people have been taking care of you.”
Myungwoo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Yeah. They’ve been really supportive. One day, Mister Minseok watched me sharpening blades and asked if I wanted to join the management team. He said the strength issue could be solved with the right equipment.”
That’s the obvious response after seeing him.
“I told you, you’re something else.”
He managed a smile, albeit a shy one, indicating that his tension had eased a bit.
Yu Myungwoo took his place in front of the grinder. I grabbed the old chair that had been pushed aside and sat down. As soon as the power was turned on and the machine started running,
-Chirp!
Chirp, startled, flapped its wings and tumbled off my lap and onto Peace. After briefly flipping over, it righted itself and tried to jump toward the machine, but I quickly caught it. It seemed more fascinated by the running grinder than scared.
“Stay still.”
Meanwhile, Myungwoo was skillfully sharpening the blade. His actions were still precise, fast, and fluid, with no pauses in between.
[Sharpen Blades 10,000 times (Progress: 9,843/10,000)]
The status window’s number climbed steadily. Peace didn’t seem very interested, but Chirp was watching the sharpening process with its beak slightly open. I wondered if it understood what was happening. Even if it didn’t, it was a mesmerizing sight.
Without a moment to feel bored, the number surpassed 9,900. Nine hundred ten, twenty, thirty.
Usually, he would take a break after sharpening forty or fifty blades, but today, he didn’t stop for even a second. I was a bit worried that he might overdo it and get sick, but since it was the last time, it should be fine.
And finally,
Clang
The ten thousandth blade fell onto the pile of blades on the floor.
(Progress: 10,000/10,000)
The status window’s requirement disappeared. I looked at Yu Myungwoo, who had stopped moving. On the surface, there was no change. But his eyes were fixed on the empty space before him. He was reading a message I couldn’t see.
Did it succeed? Did it trigger properly?
A sense of anxiety I hadn’t felt before suddenly crept in.
“Myungwoo?”
Please, say something. Then, I heard a sharp intake of breath. Thick tears fell to the floor. The machine had completely stopped, and the scattered blades quietly reflected the light.
I waited. I didn’t have to wait long.
The chair screeched as it slid back, and Yu Myungwoo stood up from his seat. When he turned to look at me, his face was bright, without a trace of tears.
Confident.
“Yujin.”
“Yeah?”
His voice was calm. My voice, on the other hand, wavered.
“I got an SS-rank skill.”
As soon as he said those words, a smile naturally spread across my face. Even though I had expected it, I felt like I hadn’t known at all, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I was genuinely happy without having to pretend.
“Congratulations.”
I didn’t say much. It was enough. As if to say the same, he smiled back.
–TL Notes–
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