WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 27: Mansu Precision Works (萬獸精工)
──────
Mansu Precision Engineering was China’s foremost and largest magical beast company, as well as one of the world’s top three magical beast companies.
Its chairman, Wang Xiaolong, who also served as a director of the Central Magical Engineering Committee, looked down at the Sichuan Magical Beast Industrial Complex in Sichuan Province.
Even deep into the night, the colossal magical beast industrial complex operated without pause.
“What happened with the attempt to recruit Yoo Hyun?”
Wang Xiaolong’s rough voice filled the room.
Rustle-
The chairman’s secretary turned a page in the documents they held.
“...He has twenty-four-hour protection, making it difficult to approach him directly. We also sent emails, but he has not replied. In my personal opinion, other companies are likely offering him equally generous terms, so he has no reason to hurry. That Korean has too many options. And given the possibility that he has a psychological aversion to China, I believe recruiting him to Mansu Precision Engineering will be difficult.”
“Tsk... Is that the inferiority complex of a small country?”
Wang Xiaolong thought to himself.
Yoo Hyun’s technologies must have been prepared over a very long time.
People claimed Yoo Hyun had simply thrown them together on the spot to fit the competition themes, but... could someone really develop such groundbreaking technologies on the spot?
‘Impossible.’
If technology could be made overnight, China would not be struggling so much to create an S-rank magical beast.
At the Party’s request, Chinese alchemists and Mansu Precision Engineering, China’s foremost and largest magical beast company, had been working day and night to find a way to create an S-rank magical beast for Cheon Rin, the Continental Sword Princess.
And then an alchemist from a small country had unveiled groundbreaking new technologies one after another?
At a competition, on the spot?
No alchemist in their right mind would believe that nonsense.
Realistically, it made more sense that Yoo Hyun had spent over a year developing them. He probably had assistants too. There was no way he had developed everything alone.
Still, even considering all that, Wang Xiaolong acknowledged that Yoo Hyun was a genius.
Looking down at the magical beast industrial complex where the lights never went out, Wang Xiaolong muttered, “Looks like he put on a show to raise his price... What a pity. He arrogantly revealed too much of his technology. What do you think? With Mansu Precision Engineering’s resources, we can reproduce Yoo Hyun’s technologies, can’t we?”
“I cannot speak for the others, but the Buffering Array has a high chance of being reproduced. It was designed for exceptional versatility, so we can raise its level of refinement simply by accumulating enough samples. Every industrial complex you can see over there is already testing magical beasts with Buffering Arrays.”
Tens of thousands of researchers were testing arrays day and night with materials from various magical beasts. They were making visible progress every day, so they would soon complete the Buffering Array.
“Good... Very good.”
This Buffering Array would become a core technology for one of the Party’s ongoing projects.
China was too vast to manage its Gates effectively. Gate Breaks occurred as routinely as everyday life in places no one could see. Of course, they did not let that fact become known overseas.
To solve the Gate problem, the Party had set its sights on magical beast pets. If they could mass-produce powerful magical beasts, they could solve the Gate issue and use them for military purposes as well.
That was why the Party had poured astronomical capital into building a large-scale magical beast industrial complex in Sichuan Province. Sichuan was packed with factories and research institutes belonging to every kind of magical beast company. It could be called the cradle of magical beasts.
No country could match this place’s development capabilities.
“If this goes well, I too... can move on to the next stage.”
Chairman Wang Xiaolong had risen from nothing to his current position, but Wang Xiaolong’s greed had never known how to stop.
* * *
A few days later, good news arrived from a research lab in the Sichuan Magical Beast Industrial Complex.
“W-We did it...!! Stability secured!!! It is a successful Buffering Array case!!”
The C-rank magical beast in the Incubator appeared to have endured the mana flow caused by high-speed Cultivation, and it showed no significant external problems.
Zhang Wei, Mansu Precision Engineering’s chief Magic Beast Alchemist in charge of technology, immediately visited the lab upon hearing the news.
“...Hahaha! To pull it off in only six days... Excellent!! At this rate, we will complete the technology in no time!!”
They had poured in Incubators bought from companies worldwide and enormous quantities of mana cores for magical beasts.
They had even borrowed the strength of other magical beast companies based in Sichuan. Samples for the Buffering Array were piling up at a terrifying pace.
Whenever signs of Cultivation failure appeared, they immediately disposed of the magical beast and inserted a Seed with a new array, optimizing the process.
At this rate, they could reproduce the technology before Yoo Hyun’s technology patent. Once they succeeded, claiming copyright to the technology afterward would be easy.
“Gather more samples so we can use it to create A-rank magical beasts!”
They could not stop yet. They needed more samples to pass the International Alchemy Association (IAOA)’s technology verification.
Tens of thousands of Incubators were already operating at once, accumulating samples. Since a successful case had appeared, they could use it as a foundation to improve stability further.
Two days passed.
In only two days, they had managed to cultivate B-rank and A-rank magical beasts with the Buffering Array halfway through the process.
So far, the magical beasts inside the Incubators showed no major external problems. They had not turned into unidentifiable masses of flesh, and their appearances did not seem very different from the designs.
“Ah... At last... Mass-producing A-rank magical beasts is within reach...!!!”
If they could mass-produce A-rank magical beasts, which were difficult to create even one at a time, they could dominate the market.
Not only would this make Mansu Precision Engineering the undisputed number one in the industry, it would also allow the Party’s Gate management project involving magical beasts to proceed smoothly.
If magical beasts became forces capable of protecting national security, Mansu Precision Engineering’s status would rise even further.
“...This experiment has exhausted our mana core reserves, but we got enough results. That is fine.”
They had completely depleted the A-rank and B-rank mana cores accumulated over more than a year. They were difficult materials to produce, so there had not been much stock to begin with. But what did it matter?
They had achieved something of incalculable value.
Then one of the researchers cautiously approached Zhang Wei.
“Um... Zhang Wei. There are still parts we have not fully interpreted, so I believe we need to verify this section further...”
Zhang Wei checked the research material the researcher held out.
“Hmm? ...The magical beast sociality array? That part rarely causes problems, so just move on.”
This array was what made magical beasts friendly toward humans, unlike monsters. It was essential to every magical beast’s creation, and because it was so thoroughly optimized, problems rarely occurred.
“But if something goes wrong in this area, controlling the magical beasts will be difficult... And is it not too early to manufacture A-rank magical beasts? According to the International Alchemy Association (IAOA)’s safety regulations, mass-producing magical beasts whose stability has not been secured is strictly prohibited...”
“Hey, do you know how much has been invested in this project? If we stop now, we will suffer enormous losses.”
“But excessive mana output during A-rank magical beast Cultivation can mutate the arrays.”
Frustrated by the researcher’s words, Zhang Wei shouted.
“The Buffering Array solved that problem!!!”
“...The incomplete Buffering Array itself can deform due to mana flow. We have no way of knowing what negative effects that could have on the Seed array. If things go wrong, there could be irreversible mutations...”
The researcher was a talented person who had been the first to succeed at cultivating a magical beast with the Buffering Array, so Zhang Wei restrained their anger before speaking.
“Ha... Why are you being so persistent?”
The researcher spoke in a trembling voice.
“...Abnormal signs have been detected in the first successful case.”
Abnormal signs?
“Why? Did it go insane and start rampaging?”
“...Not exactly, but it is reacting differently from ordinary magical beasts. That magical beast’s gaze is... something about it feels unsettling.”
What was that supposed to mean? Its gaze felt unsettling?
“Ha, its gaze? Do not be ridiculous... We are proceeding as planned. It is already too late to stop. We have already sent a technology verification request to the International Alchemy Association (IAOA), and the articles will be out soon.”
A few minor issues did not matter. The Buffering Array would become an essential technology in the magical beast industry.
Compared to the vast profits this technology would bring, most problems were insignificant.
Zhang Wei left, while the researcher stared blankly into space and muttered, “...Something is definitely wrong...”
* * *
Dongbaek Guild’s lobby.
Baek Seola moved as though she were about to leave the building.
“Good morning, Guild Master.”
“Good morning.”
“Are you heading out again today?”
At that, Dongbaek’s guild master, Baek Seola, only smiled faintly.
She left the guild building, and the Dongbaek guild members talked as they watched her go.
“The Guild Master has been showing up in the morning and heading somewhere every day lately...”
“You do not know? She is going to see President Yoo Hyun. I asked the people guarding him, and apparently he is cultivating a custom pet for the Guild Master.”
Dongbaek’s sponsorship contract with Yoo Hyun had become a huge topic among the guild members.
“But can we get Yoo Hyun’s magical beast pets too?”
“Of course! They say Wolyeong Guild has been pulling ahead because of the pets Yoo Hyun made. After the Guild Master, will it not be our turn? Ah... I want a magical beast pet already...”
“Guild Master Baek Seola’s foresight is seriously something else...”
As they chatted away, their attention turned to two people quietly drinking coffee nearby.
“More importantly, you two personally guarded him, right? What was Yoo Hyun like in person?”
A guild member naturally directed the question toward Kang Sujin and Seong Taesik, who had guarded Yoo Hyun during the Magical Beast Creation Competition.
The others looked at Kang Sujin and Seong Taesik with sparkling curiosity.
Slurp-
Kang Sujin took a sip of coffee and opened her mouth.
“A god.”
“...?”
“He is the god of magical beast creation. There is no other way to put it.”
The guild members looked at one another. It was the first time they had seen the usually stiff and unsociable Hunter Kang Sujin exaggerate like that.
“Come on, that is too much. What about you, Hunter Seong Taesik? Is Yoo Hyun really a genius? What kind of person is he?”
This time, a guild member asked Seong Taesik.
“Rather than a genius...”
Seong Taesik recalled the ten days he had spent guarding Yoo Hyun.
...Yoo Hyun had spent most of that time sightseeing. Not once had he seemed to be pondering anything.
The results he produced during the competition had come as naturally as taking a morning dump.
The fruit of effort? Seong Taesik had never seen him make any effort at all. He had not watched him twenty-four hours a day, but Yoo Hyun had not spent much time on the competition itself. At least not when Seong Taesik was there.
But who would believe that?
“A monster... No, he really is a god. He will probably accomplish things even more incredible than what he has shown so far.”
“Wow... If even Hunter Seong Taesik says that, he must not be an ordinary person...”
“Huh? What is this?”
That was when the articles from China appeared.
* * *
Yoo Hyun’s pet shop.
“This is outrageous!!”
Baek Seola shouted as if she were about to burst with anger. It was completely unlike her usual elegant and dignified self.
The cause was, naturally, the articles China had released.
[ Issue ] “The Fruit of Sichuan’s Magical Beast Special Zone...” “The Buffering Array Announced by Yoo Hyun Was a Project China Began Three Years Ago”
[ People’s Daily ] Sichuan Province National Special Zone, “World’s First Magical Beast Using a Buffering Array” Nears Commercialization...
[ Breaking News ] Mansu Precision Engineering Technology Director Zhang Wei: “Yoo Hyun Only Had the Basic Idea...” “We Developed the True Core Formula of the Buffering Array”
[ Beijing Finance ] Mansu Precision Engineering Shares Surge... “Korea’s Incomplete Buffering Array Perfected Through Chinese Technological Prowess”
What was this...? Every article said something slightly different.
Some claimed they had created the Buffering Array first. Others said I had designed the basics while they had made the core technology. They even said it had been a project in progress for years...
It was unbelievable to read.
“Please calm down, Hunter Baek Seola. Even if they make claims like that, it means nothing if they cannot pass technology verification.”
Honestly, I was pretty annoyed by China acting like this too, but having someone get angry on my behalf made it feel a little better...
Grab-
Baek Seola took my hand in both of hers and looked up at me with concern.
“But... It makes me furious to see these scoundrels paint President Yoo Hyun as a thief...”
She seemed to think I would be deeply hurt by having my technology stolen...
In truth, the Buffering Array, Duality, and Spirit Core were all basic technologies, only the first step on the tech tree as far as my intuition was concerned...
So I was not particularly upset about them.
Besides, it was not even certain that China had truly succeeded in reproducing them.
I really did not care...
...
......
‘No, I am still a little annoyed.’
What were they doing? Did they really reproduce the Buffering Array? Maybe I should have written my paper sooner?
‘...’
I wavered for a moment, but after thinking it over, there was no way that could be possible.
Simply reproducing the technology was not the issue.
Commercialization was impossible without understanding the core formula that could apply to every magical beast.
And they had accomplished that in such a short time? Really?
‘...Could it be?’
A possibility suddenly entered my mind.
China might have cultivated magical beasts to obtain massive quantities of samples while ignoring the International Magical Beast Safety Management Standards.
‘If they attempted Cultivation even while knowing the Design had problems...’
...If they focused only on reproducing the technology over an excessively short period without proper verification, they might have failed to realize the serious problems that arose during the process.
Creating magical beasts meant creating living creatures, so you had to observe the resulting individuals closely for a long time.
Unless you had an EX-rank trait like mine.
Magical beasts often underwent sudden mutations before and after Cultivation... They might have created magical beasts with a fatal array problem, resulting in creatures lacking sociality.
Sichuan... That was Szechuan, right?
‘Sichuan is pretty famous as a tourist destination too...’
If magical beasts there developed problems and rampaged...
It was horrifying just to think about.
“This... China may be in danger. If they reproduced the Buffering Array in such a short time, they must have attempted reckless Cultivation to obtain massive amounts of samples. In the worst-case scenario, China could suffer a biohazard.”
I did not know the scale, but considering China’s size, they might be cultivating tens of thousands at once. If even high-rank magical beasts were mixed in...
Drip-
Cold sweat ran down my face before I realized it.
Baek Seola was startled by what I said.
“What!? A biohazard!? ...But there is nothing we can do, is there...? Um... Should we at least buy some stocks?”
“...Ah!”
At Baek Seola’s words, I put half my assets into a leveraged inverse position on Mansu Precision Engineering.
I still sent them an email with my assessment, at least to prevent casualties...
But Mansu Precision Engineering took it as a desperate struggle to protect my technology from being stolen, and they ignored my warning completely.
And so, a few days later, an unprecedented disaster broke out in Sichuan, China.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
