I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over - Chapter 4

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

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

Chapter 4: Design

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One month ago

Gamma Team had nearly been wiped out by Arachne, a B-rank special species.

They had narrowly survived thanks to the barrier cast by Rodin, the Rune Turtle.

Naturally, the team members took a great interest in the magical beast that had saved their lives.

“...Hunter Yoo, things were so hectic back then that I couldn’t ask, but where did you buy that Rune Turtle? Its barrier was sturdier than most defensive spells cast by mages...?”

The team had assumed Hunter Yoo had no choice but to bring home a cheap pet because Team Leader Kim had raised hell about it...

Yet the pet they’d dismissed as cheap had saved the team with its incredible defensive power.

“That’s right! We would’ve all died if it weren’t for that turtle... Isn’t the Rune Turtle E-rank? Why is its barrier this tough? It held out against Arachne for so long...”

“The tiger Team Leader Kim bought for 400 million won got ripped in half in one hit. How much did Hunter Yoo pay for that thing?”

Unable to make sense of its overwhelming performance, they fired off question after question, their eyes gleaming.

Even Yoo Dusik, Rodin’s owner, hadn’t known the turtle’s defenses would be that strong.

‘Boss... Just how did you enhance it?’

He was curious enough to wonder about the pet shop owner’s true identity. Still, Rodin had made Yoo Dusik’s shoulders swell with pride.

“Ahem... Rodin is an E-rank Rune Turtle, so it was certainly cheap, but... it’s a somewhat special specimen.”

“Oh, I knew it... It did look unusual. Is it an enhanced specimen? What brand is it from? Don’t tell me it’s that place whose stock has been soaring lately?”

A brand...?

The first thing that came to Yoo Dusik’s mind was the pet shop owner’s tiny store.

“Um... It’s not a brand. It’s more like a hidden gem that only I know about.”

He said that because he had no better way to explain it, but the team members seemed to think Yoo Dusik was hiding Rodin’s source.

That was why they each offered subtle incentives while asking where he’d gotten it.

“Come on, tell us! I’ll buy you a meal next time! I’ll treat you to so much beef you’ll burst!”

“Ahem... I’ll recommend Hunter Yoo as the next team leader, so just tell me...”

“Can you even say that? I’m sure everyone wants the team leader position...”

“...Honestly, Hunter Yoo basically saved all of us. He may be C-rank, but his maximum firepower is almost at B-rank level. I think he could handle being acting team leader for a while. Once his Hunter rank goes up, he could remain team leader.”

Rodin, the Rune Turtle, had made up for Yoo Dusik’s weakness and allowed his true ability to shine.

“Now that you mention it... I had no idea Hunter Yoo’s firepower was that strong. Your casting always got interrupted...”

...Until then, he had mainly used spells with short casting times whenever possible. Team Leader Kim’s tanking had been so pathetic, after all...

But against Arachne, Rodin had let him show what he could really do in battle. His standing within the team had shot up because of it.

Anyway...

‘Acting team leader...?’

There would be more work, but he could get a better settlement rate from the guild.

In other words... a promotion...!!

More money...!!!

“Hahaha!! All right! I’ll make a special exception and give you the store’s address!”

He’d already been planning to promote the boss’s store anyway. What a lucky break.

* * *

That was how Lee Yujin, the archer on Yoo Dusik’s team, became the first to visit Yoo Hyun’s store.

“The budget really is 50 million won... right?”

Yoo Hyun asked again, trying to hide the tremor in his voice.

“Ah, yes! I haven’t been a Hunter for very long, so I haven’t saved much money... I looked it up online, and it said 50 million should be enough to buy a D-rank magical beast...”

“You’ve come to exactly the right place!!!”

Starting at D-rank, pets were so expensive that my pet shop didn’t have any ready to sell.

Their price tags were in the tens of millions, so how expensive would the materials be?

If they didn’t sell, the loss would be enormous, so I hadn’t cultivated any in the first place.

‘No one would look for them at an unbranded shop, either...’

Still, since there were no D-rank pets in the store, I needed to shift directions a little.

Instead of selling one of the pets in the cages, I would take a commission to cultivate a new pet.

“We don’t have any D-rank pets in stock right now... Starting at D-rank, we take commissions for custom-made pets. It’ll take some time. Would that be all right?”

“Ah, yes! That’s fine!”

“Then please look over these documents.”

I handed her a sheet explaining the magical beast pet commission.

While Lee Yujin reviewed the documents, I planned to check her information.

‘Customer Window.’

[ Name 》 Lee Yujin ]

[ Species 》 Human ]

[ Awakened Rank 》 C-rank ]

[ Position 》 Precision-shooting archer ]

[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers carefully targeting weak points one shot at a time to land critical hits. Prefers constantly changing firing positions. ]

[ Areas for Improvement 》 Unskilled at infusing arrows with magic power. Frequently exposed to unexpected danger due to frequent changes in position. Has room to improve when working with an excellent supporter. ]

‘Hmm, so the main issue is a lack of firepower? Her tendency to target weak points probably stems from that.’

Since monsters kept moving, she must have been constantly changing position to get the right angle...

She was on Hunter Yoo’s team, so she was probably another case of someone who suffered because their tank couldn’t hold monster aggro properly.

Anyway, should I say that insufficient firepower was an archer’s chronic problem...?

‘Most monsters are huge, so it isn’t easy to hurt them with small arrows.’

That was why mages made up the bulk of the main damage dealers.

It wasn’t as though archers were bad, though... They were simply a class that required more technique. They could use specially made arrows and create unexpected openings by striking vital points like the eyes.

Then there were rapid-fire archers who could turn a monster into a beehive.

They were generally quite good at clearing lesser monsters, too.

‘Anyway, I’ve got a rough idea of the problem.’

Now I had to naturally use the information I’d learned to make a custom pet...

But acting like I already knew everything would be incredibly suspicious, wouldn’t it?

So I came up with this...

“Then shall we have a consultation?”

“A consultation?”

“Yes, a consultation about the magical beast pet I’ll be making for you. Like I said earlier, I create custom pets. This is one of my specialties.”

“Ah... So that’s why Hunter Yoo...!”

Well, I’d gotten lucky in that man’s case.

Anyway, I began Lee Yujin’s consultation.

Since I already knew various details through the Customer Window, I guided the conversation like some gifted fortune teller.

“Oh dear... You’ve recently had conflict with one of your teammates... especially the tank...”

“Gasp...!! How did you know? Did Hunter Yoo tell you?”

“No. Anyway... From what you’ve told me, Hunter Lee Yujin, it seems you haven’t been a Hunter for long, so you’re still unskilled at infusing your arrows with magic power.”

“Gasp...!! How did you know that...!!!”

That was the general idea. I used information I already knew to steer the conversation.

It was similar to how fake shamans searched through their customers’ social media beforehand, then tricked them into thinking they’d guessed everything...!

“I can see it... I see it... A magical beast perfectly suited for Hunter Lee Yujin...!! What you need most right now is an excellent supporter... You must feel it yourself, too. You often get into danger because you have to keep changing positions when you can’t find a firing angle...!!”

“Gasp...!!! That’s amazing! You’re not some kind of male shaman, are you, Boss?”

“I simply made a few deductions based on the information I gathered during our consultation.”

“Gasp...!!!! That’s incredible!!!”

Before Lee Yujin could gasp herself unconscious from amazement, I wrapped up the consultation.

“Since it’s a small magical beast, it should be complete within ten days.”

“That quickly...? I heard the design stage alone usually takes several weeks...”

“Hehe... Since you came through Hunter Yoo’s recommendation, I’ll give it special attention. I’m knowledgeable not only about Enhancement, but also Design and Cultivation, so don’t worry.”

“Gasp...!!! As expected...!!!”

After taking the deposit, I got to work.

* * *

Inside Yoo Hyun’s store.

A cultivation room, enhancement room, storage room, and workshop all in one.

I stood in front of the workbench.

“Whew... At last, it’s time to make a D-rank magical beast.”

“Pant, pant...”

Right beside me, Haengbok, the slime puppy, looked up at me and panted. I picked it up and kneaded it.

Squish, squish.

“Pant, pant...”

As I kneaded the Jelly Dog and activated my ability, a work window appeared.

I selected the Design option.

【 Design 】

It was the most basic ability of a Magic Beast Alchemist and, without exaggeration, the most important process in magical beast creation.

‘Normally, it would take countless rounds of trial and error.’

There were more than one or two things that could go wrong during the design stage. Like writing a complicated program, changing one thing caused two or three problems elsewhere.

That was why Lee Yujin had said that the design stage alone usually took weeks.

But who was I? An EX-rank Magic Beast Alchemist.

I had already experienced a fragment of that ability during the previous enhancement procedure.

A sense and intuition that seemed far beyond the realm of humanity.

That ability would surely manifest in 【 Design 】 as well.

And I was right.

[ Select the direction of the design. ]

[ The user’s database information is of the highest grade. ]

[ Sub-trait ‘Evolution Lord’s Intuition’ is activated. ]

[ Designing a new magical beast based on the collected information. ]

An overwhelming sense of omnipotence washed over me, along with the sensation that my brain was being cooked. Information surged through my head.

The basic information on magical beasts I already knew mixed chaotically with information about creatures I had never seen before. Amid it all, a single line that seemed to shine gold guided the way.

Still kneading Haengbok, I collapsed to the floor.

“Gasp... Gasp... Found it...”

A Design blueprint was completed in an instant, accompanied by inspiration so powerful it felt as if my head would explode.

Drip.

“Ah, a nosebleed...”

“Pant, pant...”

Sway.

I was too dizzy to keep myself upright.

Using the ability clearly still put a strain on my body, but...

I couldn’t help laughing as I stared at the status window that appeared.

“This is seriously broken...”

[ A new Design blueprint has been completed. ]