I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over - Chapter 15

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

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

Chapter 15: A New Production Method

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The host briefly explained the competition rules to the audience.

[ Contestants may modify the magical beast Design blueprints we provide, or create an entirely new structure from scratch that is superior to them. However, the time limit is only 180 minutes. Even if you do not finish in time, you must still submit your work. ]

Only three hours had been allotted for the process of Design, which could take weeks depending on the difficulty.

Of course, the designs provided by the organizers were for magical beasts that used D-rank cores, so they were not overly difficult for contestants at this level.

Even so, the time limit was undeniably short.

What this Design competition demanded from contestants was the ability to instantly grasp the core of a design and produce a better magical beast design than the original through appropriate optimization.

It could have been a somewhat static competition, but a system had been set up that allowed the audience to view the contestants’ designs in real time, accompanied by commentary. It made the event feel a little like watching Go or chess.

On top of that, the judges were exceptional talents invited from all over.

With each of them adding commentary in real time, it became quite an exciting spectacle.

“...No, but what the hell is that Korean doing? Starting from scratch is one thing, but what is that horrible structure even supposed to be? Is he not even trying?”

“Hmm... Time is already short enough, and that has no chance. The fundamentals are completely wrong. Forget its functions, I doubt a structure like that could even be cultivated properly.”

“Looks like he went big because he wanted to at least place in the competition. He clearly has no idea what we are looking for this time. Tsk, tsk...”

Even those competing as teams rarely chose to design from zero. Creation could earn more points than modification, but it was that much more difficult.

In fact, complete creation was, in a way, little more than a trap set by the organizers.

Contestants could not overlook the essence of the designs provided by the organizers.

Even if someone unveiled a polished design prepared in advance, they could not receive a high score if it differed from the intended purpose of the design presented to them.

In other words, this competition was not a place to show off a pre-made design. It was a place to demonstrate the ability to see through the essence of the presented design and incorporate one’s own distinct style into it.

That was why the organizers provided designs in an unfinished state, with many possibilities still open.

The organizers allowed creation from scratch solely for the freedom it offered.

“That is why most people take the safe route and modify it. That Korean is an idiot.”

“Hey, Victor, shut up and get your hands moving.”

The other contestants also glanced at Yoo Hyun, decided his work was hopeless, and continued with their own.

Only two people in the venue watched Yoo Hyun’s design with interest.

One was Luise, who knew Yoo Hyun.

The other was Maximilian Karlstein, the Magic Beast Alchemist who had provided the design for this competition.

Now in his sixties, he was one of Germany’s leading Magic Beast Alchemists, like Luise, and the prominent figure who led Adlers Kraft, a massive German magical-beast brand.

He watched the design displayed on Yoo Hyun’s screen with a steady gaze.

“……”

Then 180 minutes passed, and at last...

[ All right, that is it...! Even those who have not finished, please press the submit button! ]

“Ah...!”

“Just a little more time!!”

A few contestants cried out in dismay, apparently unable to finish their work.

But the work period ended without exception, and the judges walked around to evaluate each contestant’s design.

“Hmm... What exactly is this meant to represent? This arrangement will cause interference around the spine.”

“Uh, well... I did not notice that...”

“Ha... This does not even look like a difficult modification. Are you joking? You added a single pair of wings and gave it paralysis below the waist!? Congratulations! You have just created a disabled magical beast!!”

Along with the merciless critique, a large X appeared on the contestant’s screen.

It was a brutal scene, with people being executed one after another.

“Hey, Korean... What exactly did you make?”

The group of judges surrounded Yoo Hyun.

They looked as though they wanted to execute him on the spot, but would hear his excuse first.

Despite that pressure, Yoo Hyun calmly explained his design.

“I completed the magical beast the original designer wanted to create. With the existing design, it would inevitably remain unfinished.”

“Ha... You call that an excuse? Did you not know the organizers intentionally provide unfinished magical beasts?!”

“No. I knew, of course. Like I said, I made it according to the competition’s intent. The provided design was twisted from its foundations, contrary to the original creator’s intention, so I redesigned it from scratch. That Design blueprint could never achieve what its original creator intended.”

“This is ridiculous... Hey, Korean. This is a Design competition, not a speech contest!! No matter how eloquently you try to persuade us, you cannot make a proper magical beast with that kindergarten scribble of a design!!!”

Just as the enraged judge was about to eliminate Yoo Hyun, Maximilian, the original creator of the design, stopped him.

“Wait a moment. Hey, Korean. Why did you create a magical beast in that form? I am the original creator who submitted the design used in this competition, and I find what you said very interesting.”

The other judges remained quiet, seemingly thinking Maximilian intended to thoroughly tear Yoo Hyun apart.

Even in that hostile atmosphere, Yoo Hyun spoke without the slightest sign of being shaken.

“Hmm... First, the magical beast in the original design was clearly intended for combat. More precisely...”

“Ha... Hey, Easterner, a D-rank magical beast is not suitable for combat...”

Maximilian stopped the judge, who was glaring at Yoo Hyun with disgust and trying to interrupt him.

“Enough. I want to hear more. Continue.”

“……More precisely, you wanted to create a magical beast that exceeded the rank of its mana core. Since producing an S-rank magical beast normally is difficult, your goal was likely to raise the performance of an A-rank mana core to S-rank levels. You intended to make a D-rank reach C-rank levels as its prototype.”

“Ha...”

He had seen through it completely.

Because magical-beast production grew more unstable the higher the rank became, S-rank was a realm even China could not reach despite pouring in limitless manpower and capital.

That was why Maximilian had changed his approach. He intended to enhance the performance of an A-rank by every available means and bring it up to S-rank.

That was also why Maximilian’s Design blueprint submitted to the competition had so many possible directions. Yoo Hyun could see the parts that held Maximilian’s struggles.

“...What incredible insight. You figured out that much from only that Design blueprint...?”

“……What? What do you mean, Maximilian? Is that true?”

“Ha... I can hardly believe it myself. He exposed every detail of the magical beast I was trying to create. He must have submitted such an absurd design to tell me it was impossible. It is a clever answer in its own way. But it does not fit the purpose of the competition... Have a meal with me later.”

With a strangely relieved expression, Maximilian was about to press the elimination button when...

“I have not shown you my entire design yet.”

He froze.

“Hey, Korean... No, Yoo Hyun... We were about to end this on a good note. Do you really want to ruin the mood?”

“No. This is not the full answer to your line of thought.”

Ding!

At that moment, another Design blueprint appeared on Yoo Hyun’s screen.

Two magical-beast Design blueprints floated side by side.

The judges murmured among themselves.

“Huh... You managed to make two in that short time.”

“No... But what is different from the earlier one...? Both are horribly unstable...”

“I cannot understand the intent.”

Still, they were respected Magic Beast Alchemists.

Their intuition told them there was something there. They looked like completely fucked-up designs, but there was definitely something to them. Yet they could not identify what that something was with their knowledge.

Luise and Maximilian stared at the Design blueprints for a long time, but they could only feel an irritating itch without grasping its source.

The competition hall fell silent.

The host knew the competition had to continue, but seemed to feel it would be wrong to interrupt and could only watch cautiously.

Only Yoo Hyun leisurely opened his mouth.

“Should I give you a small hint? These two are one.”

He tossed it out lightly, like a professor giving students a hint for a problem, and the judges seriously tried to understand its meaning.

It was a strange sight, with the positions of judges and contestant reversed.

Feeling as though his throat were burning, Maximilian gulped down water.

‘The two are one...? Is this some kind of riddle? What the hell does that mean?’

Slowly swallowing his water, he looked at the designs. He pictured the two magical beasts in his head and...

Soon realized it.

‘No, wait...!!! This... Could it be... This is not a riddle. Are they literally one?’

The two unstable magical beasts became perfectly complementary when they were together!!!

“Pffft!!”

Maximilian spat out the water he had been drinking.

“E-Eureka!! Eureka!!!”

“Jesus, you scared me!!! Maximilian, did you figure something out?!”

“Th-this is an impossible production method!! I cannot believe it!!! I cannot believe it!!!!”

Maximilian told the judges what he had realized. Once they heard his explanation and looked at the designs, they finally saw it too.

The two magical beasts, unstable to the extreme, meshed together and harmonized perfectly like the Eastern taegeuk. Their instability itself had created perfection...!

It was nothing less than a new horizon in magical-beast production.

“Gasp!!! Inspiration is coming to me!!!!”

“This is unbelievable!!! I cannot find a single flaw in the design...!! It will definitely produce at least C-rank output!?”

“You made this in only three hours?”

“Can we not cultivate this right now!? I want to verify it so badly, damn it...!!”

“Jesus!!! A talent like this is just running a pet shop in Korea? That is a crime!!! What is the Korean government doing!? Hey, have you thought about escaping that shitty place and coming to America? I cannot believe they are letting talent rot in a gutter!!”

The host cautiously spoke, trying to calm the excited judges.

[ Um... Everyone, please calm down. You still need to proceed with the competition.... ]

“Shut up! The competition is not the issue right now!! A new school of thought in magical beast production has been born here!”

[ Ah, yes.... ]

Maximilian approached Yoo Hyun with a refreshed expression.

“Yoo Hyun, you heard them, did you not? You have shown the magical-beast world a new possibility. I would like you to give this new production method a name.”

From my perspective, this was still a woefully inadequate technique. It was not even worthy of a name. In game terms, it was no more than a basic attack.

Still, it was true that it had brought a new wind to current magical-beast production techniques.

‘A name... A name, huh....’

...This design had a dual-polar complementary structure, where two extreme and unstable magical beasts filled each other’s flaws like yin and yang...

“I will call it Duality.”

* * *

A Korean YouTuber named Petite Cream had come to visit the Magitech Technology Expo.

He made a living producing Hunter-equipment videos. As he passed in front of the competition hall, he saw that a Korean was taking part and planned to watch briefly before leaving.

Then he witnessed an absurd moment.

Contrary to his nickname, he was a well-built man. Watching the scene unfold, he could not close his mouth.

“Th-this is insane... This is huge...!!”

[ Chat Window ]

- Cream, what is wrong? Did the Korean win?

- What happened? Translate it for us.

- I am asking whether the Korean contestant won. Second try.

- No... Winning is not the issue... If I understood this right... I think a new school of thought in magical beast production has just been born?

- ??????????????????????

- Really?

【 Magical Beast Pet Minor Gallery 】

- [ Free ] The Jellykko shop owner opens a new horizon in magical-beast production lmao