WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈

Chapter 10: Jellykko

──────

[ Breaking News ] Government to fully review magical beast pet regulations... Is it finally fixing the barn after losing the cow?

[ Exclusive ] “We will not fall behind China anymore”... Korea’s magical beast pet industry bill passes the National Assembly!

[ Analysis ] “China is flying while Korea is still learning to walk”... The grim history of Korea’s magical beast pet industry, three years behind

[ Issue ] They cried “safety” and lost it all... Korea announces looser pet regulations, but the industry’s response remains frosty

[ Economy ] “The United States and China are soaring...” Korea announces belated deregulation for its magical beast pet industry, once held back by regulations

[ Special Feature ] “What’s the point of easing regulations now?”... Technology and capital have all been taken overseas, the bitter reality of Korea’s pet industry

“Oh...! Magical beast pet regulations have been eased!”

At last, regulations related to magical beasts had been broadly relaxed.

Word had probably spread that Hunter Yeon Harim had been making a name for herself thanks to a magical beast pet, leading the government to view the matter favorably this time.

The Keraunos model had played a decisive role in Yeon Harim’s success, and she might even become the next S-rank.

Its presence was impossible to conceal, even if one wanted to hide it.

It was a bird of prey wreathed in lightning, after all. It was bound to stand out.

Anyway, the regulations on magical beast pets, the biggest problem, had been greatly eased. That worked in my favor.

‘Of course... public opinion is still bad despite the deregulation, but that’s none of my business.’

The government had made a huge mess of things with magical beast pets before, leaving Korea seriously behind in the pet industry. You could call it karma.

From the public’s perspective, the government had stepped in and wrecked an industry that was on the rise. Of course they would be frustrated. This was an age when the Hunter industry was practically national power itself!

‘Well, when they were tearing it all down, they probably never imagined the pet meta would arrive.’

I had not expected the pet industry to grow this much either.

* * *

“Pant, pant...”

The spotted Jelly Dog wandered through the unfamiliar space, sniffing around.

“Yeah, yeah, Haengbok. This is the new workshop. It’s spacious, right?”

“Pant, pant...”

I used the large sum Hunter Yeon Harim had paid me to expand the shop first.

The second floor directly above the shop had been vacant for a while, so I signed a lease to use it as a workshop.

I tore down the wall around the old first-floor workshop, doubling the shop’s floor space. The newly rented second floor would serve as a cultivation room, enhancement room, storage room, and workshop all at once. Right now, it was waiting for the brand-new equipment I had ordered.

These days, technology was good enough that interior construction could be completed in the blink of an eye.

“Let’s see...”

I placed a Jellykko on the temporary workbench and considered it.

“...Pant, pant... Pant, pant...”

[ Name 》 Undecided ]

[ Model Name 》 Jellykko MK-1 ]

[ Mana Core Rank 》 F ]

[ Lifespan 》 6 months ]

[ Trait 》 None ]

Providing customized pets for Hunters was great, but I wanted to make household pets too.

Wolyeong was currently building a system for me, and I had no custom pet orders at the moment. I decided to use this opportunity to enhance the Jellykko model I had been thinking about for so long.

Jellykko was my first creation, and one of the reasons the shop had managed to survive until now.

And then there was the ‘God of Jelly Dogs’ that had given me my EX-rank ability...

Thinking of that being, I could not possibly neglect Jellykko.

“First, I need to solve the lifespan problem.”

Haengbok, the Jellykko prototype, had a lifespan of only four months. Now that my proficiency had risen greatly, I could make one with the same Design blueprint that lived two months longer.

Even so, that lifespan was still far too short.

The reason was that I had used an F-rank mana core, the lowest grade possible.

The lower the mana core’s rank, the easier it was to design and cultivate.

Since it was my first creation, I had designed Jellykko around an F-rank core. The materials had been cheap, and the difficulty had been low.

‘That’s why Jellykko’s existing design can’t contain a high-rank mana core.’

With Jellykko’s weak physical specs, it could not even handle an E-rank mana core. Ordinary magical beasts had their core ranks optimized from the Design stage, so there was no shortcut where you could simply replace the core with a higher-rank one after it was complete.

‘Replacing a mana core is insane anyway. It’s practically like cutting every nerve in the body and reconnecting them.’

【 Enhancement 】

“But... with my ability, I can find another way.”

“Pant, pant...”

It was something close to impossible under normal circumstances...

But what if I could make Jellykko’s mana core ‘grow’ along with its body?

Some Magic Beast Alchemists had spent years researching magical beasts that could grow alongside a Hunter.

The more they studied it, though, the more they realized it remained a fantasy with current technology.

But I had an EX-rank trait, along with data on Haengbok, a Jellykko that had surpassed the realm of magical beasts.

That was why I was confident I could pull off this absurd enhancement, at least with a Jellykko, which had the simplest possible F-rank structure.

The first Growth-type Magical Beast in history.

I intended to make that first magical beast a Jellykko.

* * *

A new banner hung outside Yoo Hyun’s shop.

[ Shop Expansion Celebration! Slime Dog “Jellykko Model” Discount Event! ]

[ Jellykko’s Lifespan Dramatically Improved from 6 Months to up to 10 Years! ]

[ A Guardian Deity That Protects Your Family! Comes with the Jelly Barrier Trait! ]

[ This dog... pants its heart out! Feel its bouncy texture that surpasses all limits! ]

“Wow... Boss, did you solve the Jellykkos’ lifespan issue? Now that I think about it, Haengbok is still doing great too.”

Kim Jia, a school-age regular customer at the shop, said as she petted the Jellykkos.

“Yeah, pretty much. Want to take home a Jellykko too? I’ll give you a special discount.”

“Um... I want to, but my parents really don’t like magical beasts.”

Ah, that explained it. She came to the shop every week to see the Jellykkos, but she never seemed interested in buying one. Her parents must hate magical beasts.

Since magical beasts ultimately originated from monster materials, people who had gone through terrible experiences during the Gate disaster back then deeply despised them.

‘Can’t be helped...’

I understood that.

Jingle.

A young mother entered the shop with her child.

“Sir, um... I heard the jelly dogs were on sale... Could I buy one? My child really wants to take one home.”

“Oh, you came to the right place, ma’am! Do you see one you like? Go ahead and pick one.”

The shop had been renovated, and thanks to the discount event, the Jellykkos sold extremely well.

They did not bark, shed fur, and were easy to train. Their droppings were jelly, so they did not even smell. Their teeth and claws were jelly too, so they were not dangerous.

With the lifespan issue solved, Jellykko had become the perfect pet.

As for Jellykko’s enhancement...

It had been a huge success.

[ Name 》 Undecided ]

[ Model Name 》 Jellykko MK-1 ]

[ Mana Core Rank 》 F+ ]

[ Lifespan 》 1 year 6 months ]

[ Trait 》 Jelly Barrier (E+) ]

[ This magical beast has undergone a special enhancement process. ]

First, I drew out its potential as a slime and pushed its feeding ability and regenerative power to the limit.

Jellykko could now absorb mana cores to restore its own core.

Of course, ordinary households would not feed it mana cores. They would feed it the Jellykko Treats I specially made.

Anyway, in theory, a Jellykko could live for several decades if it consistently ate my treats.

After more than ten years passed, the people who had bought Jellykkos would probably start finding it strange...

By then, people would reevaluate my first creation.

EX-rank Magic Beast Alchemist Yoo Hyun...! The truth revealed after ten years! His first creation was an immortal Jelly Dog!?

“Hehe...”

Thinking that, I sold the Jellykkos.

That was the day the shop received the most visitors.

“Excuse me! How can you sell such dangerous magical beasts to people!? Will you take responsibility if our Minho gets attacked by one of the magical beasts you sold!?”

There was a troublesome woman, of course. I saw this woman around often, so I did not think much of it.

* * *

That night, I had my regular check-in with Yeon Harim, which had become routine by now.

[ Yeon Harim ] : A, a Growth-type Magical Beast!?

She sounded very surprised. Well, it made sense from her perspective. I had decided not to do anything conspicuous for a while.

[ Yeon Harim ] : Hyun... I think you should be careful until the system is established. Are you sure this won’t cause a problem?

[ Me ] : Even though they’re Growth-type Magical Beasts, they need expensive mana cores to truly grow... and Jellykkos are F-rank by default, so there should not be any issue.

A Jellykko raised in an ordinary home could not grow enough to increase in rank, even if it was a Growth-type Magical Beast.

Its true growth ability had not manifested yet, so unless it met special conditions, an enhanced Jellykko was simply a Jelly Dog that lived a long time.

In other words, it would look like nothing more than a panting Jelly Dog to everyone else.

Even someone with the Magic Beast Alchemist trait would have no issue if they saw a Jellykko, because the unmanifested growth ability did not appear in its status window.

Besides, it was a household Jelly Dog that merely felt nice to touch. Since it was not for combat, it was bound to draw less attention.

I explained that to Yeon Harim.

[ Yeon Harim ] : Then there’s no problem at all. That’s a relief.

Still... an F-rank magical beast did have a defensive trait called Jelly Barrier.

“Hmm, it’s an E-rank trait... but it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

It was common for household magical beasts to have defensive traits.

* * *

“Seriously... People must all be crazy to pay money for monsters like that... What a world.”

A well-known user on the Gaepo-dong Moms’ Cafe, ‘Minho’s Mom.’

She was heading home after filing a complaint against Yoo Hyun’s shop.

As an influential figure who even held a title in an anti-magical beast civic group, she found the government’s decision to ease magical beast regulations deeply irritating.

And now there was even a pet shop holding a discount event as if to celebrate the deregulation...

Magical beasts were no different from monsters. Were people in their right minds, bringing those things into their homes?

She waited for the light at a crosswalk, and Minho, her son, happened to be standing across the street.

But...

“Wait, that kid next to him...?”

She recognized the face. It was Youngmin, who often played with Minho.

No, that was not the important thing.

That disgusting magical beast panting near Youngmin...!!

“That’s the magical beast from that shop earlier...!! I told him to stay away from magical beasts!!!”

She would have to tell Minho not to play with Youngmin anymore.

For her child’s safety, if nothing else.

Minho had been petting Youngmin’s Jelly Dog when he spotted his mother standing at the crosswalk across the street.

“Mom!”

“Pant... pant...!”

The moment the light changed, Minho ran toward his mother.

The yellow Jelly Dog, panting away, followed after Minho.

“Mom!! I want a Jellykko too, so bu─”

Crash-!

But then a truck struck Minho.

Whether it had entered recklessly to save time or the driver simply had not been watching the road, the reason did not matter to Minho’s Mom.

“Ahhhhh! Minho!!!!”

Minho’s Mom panicked as she watched Minho fly more than ten meters after being hit by the truck.

The truck driver got out of the cab, looking stunned.

The child had bounced several times as he flew through the air. Considering the force of impact, there was no way he could have survived.

“Ah... Ahh...”

Minho’s Mom’s mind went blank.

With trembling steps, she approached Minho... and soon noticed something strange.

A yellow mass of jelly completely covered Minho’s body.

“Th-this is...?”

Boing-!

The jelly covering Minho’s body contracted again and returned to the shape of a dog.

“......Pant, pant.”

“Mom...!!”

Without a single injury, Minho burst into tears and hugged his mother.

* * *

The next day, neighborhood mothers gathered at a cafe in Gaepo-dong and chatted.

“So I filed another complaint yesterday too. Honestly, does it make any sense to walk around with dangerous magical beasts? What if they bare their teeth at our children?”

“Exactly. People really don’t understand how scary magical beasts are. Shouldn’t we use this opportunity to completely wipe out all the magical beasts in this neighborhood? What do you think, Minho’s Mom?”

Minho’s Mom elegantly raised her teacup to her lips. Under the other parents’ gazes, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Well? I see things a little differently.”

“...What?”

Only a few days ago, Minho’s Mom had led the group with one aggressive example after another about how dangerous magical beasts were. Her attitude seemed strange somehow.

A sudden change.

Minho’s Mom looked around the room and said, “Have you been following international affairs lately? The magical beast industry is receiving attention as the next generation of the Hunter industry. Interfering with the magical beast industry would cause a national loss.”

“B-but there was that case where a magical beast attacked an ordinary person and seriously injured them...”

“That case concluded that an ordinary person had secretly smuggled in and raised a combat magical beast. There were even signs that it had suffered severe abuse. Cases of household magical beasts causing trouble are extremely rare. If we’re only talking about danger, large dogs are similar. No, a well-made magical beast could become a reliable shield that protects a household. An age will come when every home keeps a magical beast pet.”

“Wh... what?”

“Uh...”

...What was wrong with this woman all of a sudden...?

* * *

The next day.

Yoo Hyun woke up in the morning and stared blankly at the articles online.

“What the...?”

[ Breaking News ] “Shocking” Magical Beast Saves Child at Moment of Truck Collision!

[ Issue ] “Is This Real?” Seven-Year-Old Nearly Crushed by Runaway Truck Survives Thanks to Magical Beast’s Protective Trait!

[ Video News ] Dump Truck Charges In! Seven-Year-Old Boy Protected by “Pudding Shield”! “Accident Footage Released”

[ Trending ] “I Heard a Crash and Found the Child Inside Jelly...” A Magical Beast Pet’s Miracle Shakes Korea!

Bzzzz.

His smartphone vibrated.

When he checked it, a message had naturally arrived from Hunter Yeon Harim.

[ Yeon Harim ] : ......Yoo Hyun...?

[ Me ] : ......This is so unfair.

It had only been two days since he started selling enhanced Jellykkos. How could this happen?

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried