[Blue(1)]
[Don’t worry. I won’t overdo □.]
[Just finish him off and let’s □.]
[Couldn’t you □ a little?]
[Still, you couldn’t even raise a single □ level.]
[Don’t □! Peace!]
[What kind of □ nonsense are you □□. No, that’s not it.]
[I know. Even if you sneak out, make sure to □□. It’s not like there’s anything □□ to do for a while.]
A pair of red eyes, devoid of whites, swiftly scanned the text floating in the window. Meanwhile, more notifications popped up one by one.
[Awakener Naredd Passamuha 10th Level Skill Requirement Satisfied]
[First Clear of I-25 Dungeon]
[Special Clear of I-3 Dungeon B-2 Accomplished]
‘Newbie’ skillfully moved the tips of their segmented fins to check Naredd Passamuha’s aptitude information while simultaneously handling the first and special clear rewards. Since there were no special conditions for the rewards, the system automatically processed them upon acceptance. However, the 10th level skill had to be manually chosen and linked according to the aptitude and current state.
While doing this, Han Yujin’s chat window disappeared. He had left the dungeon.
After taking care of a few more tasks, Newbie waved their long, flat fin and exited to the break room.
There, perched on a white chair shaped like a crescent moon, ‘Droplet,’ which had once been the source of water in a past world, was fiddling with a broken deer antler. The translucent crystal-like antler emitted a faint glow.
“That was nerve-wracking.”
Newbie let out a sigh as they gathered their fins together and sat down in front of Droplet.
“I can only see part of what Honey’s saying, so I don’t know exactly what’s going on. The atmosphere is really unsettling. I’m glad things seem to have ended well this time, but isn’t Honey’s little brother still kind of dangerous?”
Droplet gave an ambiguous smile at Newbie’s comment.
“The Perfect Nurturer skill’s keyword effect and the fact that it applies multiple times are unprecedented, so it’s hard for us to predict. But he already saved Honey’s life once. With the right guidance, I think he’ll become the most reliable protector.”
Despite Droplet’s words, Newbie’s expression didn’t lighten. Instead, the frown on their face deepened.
“I still feel more comfortable with a classic Hero. The system works better with prophecies than games anyway. Of course, the least troublesome world is the one that’s developed into full virtual reality.”
“If it’s come to virtual reality, then it’s already teetering on the edge of disaster.”
“Right! That’s why I like the Hero and Demon King storyline the best! Playing god is fun too. Next time, I want to be the god of chicken and beer. That world’s food tends to be pretty bland. Fried chicken, spicy chicken, soy sauce chicken, scallion chicken, fire chicken…” (TL Note: Chicken and Beer is considered staple food in Korea… For men, at least)
Newbie was rattling off different types of chicken when they suddenly looked at Droplet as if they’d remembered something.
“But what about the Blacksmith? Isn’t he a possibility too? Honestly, Honey is both worrisome and makes me feel guilty, so can’t we switch targets?”
“It’s different from Shallos. That Mister had already been a blacksmith for hundreds of years, but Myungwoo hasn’t even made a single hoe. Even with Shallos’ gift, it’ll take at least 30 years to forge mythic-level equipment. We don’t have that kind of time.”
Droplet twirled the deer antler in their hands as they spoke.
“If, by some chance, Honey fails, we’ll smuggle the Blacksmith to the next world. All he needs is time.”
“What about Honey?”
“As much as we’d like to, do you think Honey would accept? Not with that title.”
“Well… yeah. He’d refuse. If we tried to forcefully take him, it’d be too dangerous….”
Newbie’s long, fluttering ears drooped. Just then—
“This team’s problem is just time, right? Congratulations, congratulations!”
A translucent, ghost-like woman suddenly appeared. With a cheerful laugh, the ghost extended her neck toward Newbie.
“Why the long face, Newbie?”
“It just feels unsettling, this skill.”
“I heard. It’s unusual, for sure. But Honey will probably think it’s a relief rather than a problem.”
“You think so?”
“Of course! It’s better to have some hope than none at all. Besides, at this rate, you’ll soon lose that ‘Newbie’ title yourself!”
At those words, Newbie clapped their fins together.
“You’re right! That’s true! Ah, I want to decorate Honey’s room. How should I do it? They said the people in that world love Christmas! A big tree, reindeer, a red-suited old man!”
“Yeah, yeah. We should make the most of our situation. No more long faces. Let’s raise a glass early to celebrate!”
A glass of clear liquor appeared in the ghost’s hand. She raised it lightly and smiled.
“To the incarcerated miscreants!”
“Once the skill is applied, they can grow through regular training.”
[Time Remaining Until Adult Form (71:01)]
After about thirty minutes of intense ball throwing, the time had decreased by roughly twenty minutes. The efficiency was much lower. Still, with just two or three hours of attention each day, a two-month growth period could be shortened to around one month.
But still.
‘Don’t take on more work. Don’t take on more work.’
Let’s just pretend I didn’t know about this unless it’s really urgent. If word got out, people would constantly pester me to pay more attention to their kids, and I’d end up stuck in a web of favors and power plays. Not to mention, bribery tucked in between the kids’ toys.
But maybe I should tell Yuhyun. I can’t have him losing his mind thinking I’m hiding something again.
“He wasn’t like this when he was younger. I guess being a hunter isn’t great for your mental health. Peace, you shouldn’t change.”
-Kyuu!
“But don’t stay this small forever either.”
I had no idea he’d already grown to the adolescent stage. Wait, so was our reinforcement really useless? It was only designed to hold up to C-rank, so if he’s B-rank, he could’ve broken out whenever he wanted. Yet, he stayed quietly inside.
“My Peace, you’re such a good boy.”
-Gyarung
At least now I don’t have to worry as much about him attacking Chirp.
Since I was in the training room anyway, I played with Peace a bit more before heading back up. As soon as I opened the front door, I heard the TV. Was Myungwoo home early for once?
But there was no one in the living room. Except for Chirp.
“…Chirp?”
-Chirp!
Chirp, sitting on the sofa with the remote next to him, turned to look at me. No way, Chirp didn’t turn on the TV, did he? And how did he even get on the sofa? Looking around, I noticed the basket where Chirp had been was flipped over under the couch.
Did he push the basket over and use it as a step? Unbelievable.
“…My kid is a genius.”
Look at that—he’s even pressing the remote with his foot. Should I get him on TV? Is there a talent show for animals?
“My Chirp, watching TV all by yourself. What were you watching? Was it fun?”
-Chirp, Chirp, Chirp! Chirp, Chirp!
He chirped as if explaining something, but of course, I couldn’t understand a word. Isn’t there an item for translating monster languages?
“Yes, yes, you’re so smart.”
I set Peace down on the sofa and took a mana stone out of my inventory.
“This is a mana stone from the D-rank dungeon boss that Yuhyun caught.”
Since it was from a high-level D-rank dungeon, it was pretty big. It was almost like a regular C-rank mana stone. So naturally, I expected him to be excited about it.
-Chirp
But Chirp barely reacted.
“…Chirp? You’re not sick, are you?”
One of the first signs that an animal isn’t feeling well is a lack of appetite. Can you take monsters to a vet?
“Are you really not going to eat—”
-Chirp!
Oh, he’s eating. With his little beak, he’s quickly gobbling up the mana stone fragments like he hadn’t been acting all disinterested a moment ago.
-Chirp, Chirp, Chirp!
Then, he fluttered his wings happily and—
-Thud!
—slipped right off the sofa. Even with the basket nearby, he was hopping around, trying to get back up.
…Does eating mana stones make you dumber?
The ship carrying the three monster cubs Haeyeon Guild purchased arrived at Incheon Port. One was top-tier, and two were high-tier.
Until the monsters were loaded onto the ship, they were considered valuable only as rare pets. But they were pets with food costs so high it was almost not worth it. Even wealthy collectors of rare animals usually only bought mid— or low-tier monsters. Anything high-tier or above was difficult to manage without a mid-rank hunter stationed nearby.
But now, the situation had completely changed. Especially with the top-tier monster cub, which was being eyed by the world’s major guilds, Haeyeon’s hunters were already crowding the dock before the ship even anchored. It seemed like everyone except the two teams currently tackling dungeons had shown up.
“Haeyeon might need more hunters, don’t you think?”
Standing by the dock, I spoke as I gazed out at the sea. The air was thick with the salty smell of the ocean. It had been a long time since I’d seen the sea outside of a dungeon. I hadn’t had much reason to come. Life had been too hectic.
“Yerim will have to start tackling S-rank dungeons soon, so we’ll need to form a new S-rank team.”
We couldn’t keep operating as an elite group forever. As the number of dungeons we managed grew, the current personnel wouldn’t be enough. We’d need to recruit not just A-ranks, but B and even C-ranks as well.
“We’ll start expanding once we’ve dealt with MKC.”
Yuhyun, who was looking in the same direction as me, replied.
“Hunter Park Yerim will form her own team.”
“On her own? The guild won’t put the team together for her?”
“S-rank teams work like that. The S-rank hunter has to choose their own teammates. I did the same. If the guild interferes, it only makes it harder to form a proper team.”
“There aren’t that many unaffiliated A-ranks, and poaching them from other teams or guilds won’t be easy. Our Yerim’s going to have a tough time, huh?”
If we find an A-rank with combat aptitude, should I discreetly tip Yerim off? If they’re combat-oriented, she could take them into a dungeon and help them awaken instead of waiting for the Awakening Center to open. Combat skills are easier to optimize for awakening anyway.
“Oh, by the way, Hyung. Here, take this.”
Yuhyun took out a necklace from his inventory and handed it to me.
“What is it?”
As soon as I saw the small metal charm hanging from the chain and its design, I knew what it was, but I pretended not to. It was still an extremely rare item.
“It’s a translation item. Once the breeding facility opens, we’ll have visitors from overseas, so you’ll need it.”
“You said you were blocking people from contacting me, but you’re giving me this…”
I was touched. The kid really has changed. He’s so thoughtful. I should’ve tried talking to him sooner.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Sesung’s guild leader mentioned it in passing.”
Well, actually, Liette told me.
“Thanks. I’ll put it to good use.”
I was already thinking I needed to get one.
“Long time no see, Hyung!”
Just then, a familiar voice called out. When I turned around, Breaker’s guild leader, Moon Hyunah, was striding toward us on her long legs. Her face was beaming, looking like a mischievous boy.
“Did the kids arrive safely?”
“The ship has just docked. Since there’s been no word, I assume everything’s fine.”
Yuhyun answered. Moon Hyunah glanced at him before turning and coming to stand right next to me.
“Everything went well?”
“Yes.”
Just snuck into a few dungeons, earned some new titles, killed a few people, and almost got locked up by my brother. I guess it has been eventful these past few days. But it all ended well, so it’s fine.
These things happen when you’re alive. And hey, I’m a regressor.
“If you’re bringing in three at once, won’t you have at least one left over?”
“There won’t be any left.”
Yuhyun answered firmly.
“I wasn’t asking you, though.”
“You don’t have the authority.”
“So cold. But Hyung’s getting the top-tier one, right? That was the plan.”
Was that already decided? Moon Hyunah hooked her arm around mine and leaned even closer. It’s hot enough already; could you stop clinging?
“What do you say, Hyung? Maybe you could lend it to me occasionally. It’d be a waste not to take such a top-tier monster into dungeons. If you let me take it with me to gain some experience, it’ll be good for both of us, right?”
That’s true. Honestly, it would be a waste to keep it just by my side.
“You’re right, but there’s no reason it has to go to Breaker.”
“Why not? Yuhyun, Yerim, and even Hyunjae all have their attributes, but I don’t. As long as it’s fast and tough, that’s all I need.”
“Do you think only S-rank hunters use mounts? Even S-rank raid team members need mounts to clear dungeons quickly.”
Maybe in the distant future, but right now, we can’t even provide one mount per A-rank hunter.
“Plus, you can use mounts as substitutes for S-rank hunters.”
At my words, Moon Hyunah’s expression turned sullen.
“Don’t be so picky. Just let me borrow it, even just once. I’m dying to see how much difference it makes when you add the charge power of a top-tier mount to an attack. I’m desperate to find out!”
It’s normal for high-rank combat hunters to be obsessed with improving their stats, but to come all the way here and practically beg? She must be really curious.
“I’ll lend it to you once or twice. But it won’t be free.”
“Of course! I’m not that shameless. Especially since it’s Hyung we’re dealing with—I’ll make sure to repay you properly. Just name it.”
At that moment, Yuhyun, who had been on the phone, hung up and said,
“They’ve just finished unloading the monsters.”
“Really?”
Finally, I get to see them. I’m curious about what they’ll be like.
–TL Notes–
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