WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 48: A New Change
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The two Korean Hunters who had spent a week sightseeing around Japan with me came to the airport to return home.
A huge crowd of Japanese people had come to see them off. There was even a small event where people thanked them and handed them bouquets.
They would probably be busy even after returning to Korea. After all, they were the first Hunters to clear an S-rank Gate.
“I had a great time, Yoo Hyun. I should get going now!”
“Thanks to you, I was able to relax without a care in the world, Boss Yoo Hyun.”
“It was nothing. If either of you ever has something you want to ask me, just let me know. Oh, and I’ll have to make your magical beasts next time. The equipment still hasn’t been repaired.”
Thankfully, the two took it in stride, saying they had only come to see me, and left.
Ding!
[ Baek Seola ]: From now on, you’re going to contact me every day too. Got it?
[ Me ]: Yep...
...Things with Hunter Baek Seola were still a little... well, kind of... awkward because of what, um, happened inside the Gate...
‘What the hell was that?’
With that thought in mind, I returned to the Hermes Research Institute in Ars Magna.
The equipment was busted, but that was not a big problem.
I also needed to prepare papers and patents for S-rank magical-beast production, Duality, Attachment-Type Magical Beasts, and more.
Besides, I had plenty to think about.
First, there was the change in my ability.
[ Causality requirements have been met. Some functions of your trait have been unlocked. ]
Maybe defeating Amon had triggered it, because I had gained a new ability.
[ Design ]
[ Cultivation ]
[ Enhancement ]
[ Infusion ]
“Infusion...”
This function was completely different from ordinary magical beast production.
The existing method used monster materials to create artificial life forms called homunculi.
Designing a life form, cultivating it, and sometimes enhancing it.
Those three elements completed magical beast production.
But Infusion was different.
It was something beyond magical beast production...
Closer to an ability that encompassed the evolutionary lineages of living creatures.
[ Select the type of energy to infuse into the target. ]
“...This is a real headache.”
“Pant pant...”
Why was it such a headache?
[ Spiritual Energy ]
[ Demonic Energy ]
[ Divine Power ]
......
......
[ No energy currently held. ]
“I’ve really only been doing the tutorial this whole time...”
“Pant pant...”
What was this supposed to mean?
It felt like I had only been doing addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division suddenly showed up.
Maybe, in the study of Magic Beast Alchemy, magical beasts were the most basic form of life.
“I don’t know how to obtain energy, but I can make one guess. Could the type of energy infused into the same magical beast determine whether it becomes a Spirit Beast or Divine Beast? What do you think, Haengbok? Does that sound plausible?”
“Pant pant!”
There were no examples at all, so I could not be certain.
It was only a guess.
“Hmm...”
I could instinctively sense that this ability, magical beast production, the power to create artificial life as if defying divine authority, did not end at simply creating life.
“And there are still so many locked abilities left... Ha...”
I could not see the bottom of the abyss called magical beast production.
Even in my increasingly fried mental state, imagining its outline was enough to scare me.
I had only just created an S-rank magical beast...
Yet I was starting to think S-rank might not be all that special.
No, I was sure of it.
Magical beast production? Magic Beast Alchemist?
What was this ability for? Was making magical beasts really all it did?
The origin of Awakened traits must have come from another world. They settled into humans through mana, causing their awakening.
Then what was the original source of the Magic Beast Alchemist trait dissolved within mana?
The creation of perfect life? The creation of vessels for transcendence?
My thoughts were a mess.
“Uhh... goo-goo...”
“Pant pant...”
Either way, I would have to verify Infusion after the facility was restored.
There were so many types of energy that could be infused. If I experimented enough, I was bound to obtain some.
That brought me to the next issue.
To clear my head, I began thinking about something else.
The Gate of Fog that had appeared in Saitama Prefecture.
There was no need for a long explanation. From what I had experienced firsthand, it felt like an outpost for an invasion.
“Hmm. I have a feeling invaders like Amon will keep appearing from beyond the Gates...”
“Pant pant...”
Squish. Squish.
I kneaded Haengbok as I thought.
In my opinion, Gates were a kind of tunnel. A way for beings from outside to cross into this world...
More than ten years ago, Gates appeared, mana became a thing, and Awakened emerged.
The reason beings from another world had not invaded right when the Gates first appeared was probably because it would violate the special law of causality.
Considering my ability had also been unlocked when its causality requirements were met, I was nearly certain of it.
In other words, Amon and beings like it had only begun acting now because enough causality had finally accumulated for an invasion.
I had defeated this invader with ease because I had the advantage in our matchup, but if the Crimson Fog incident had occurred in a country other than Japan, where I was, it would not have ended at this level.
Thanks to the Magna Riders’ efforts, the casualties had been limited to tens of thousands. If they had not been there...
“I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Pant pant...”
Gurgle.
Anyway.
Considering Amon’s level, stopping an invasion from another world would normally be almost impossible unless someone like me happened to be there.
Was there at least some way to learn the invaders’ goals and identities?
“Tch. There was so much I wanted to ask Amon...”
“Pant pant...”
Gurgle.
“Has Haengbok had indigestion lately?”
The jelly fat around Haengbok’s belly kept churning.
Indigestion...
Could a slime even get something like that?
Hmm. Haengbok was a special Jelly Dog, so it might be different from normal slimes...
“Eat this, Haengbok.”
“Pant pant...”
Lick.
I gave Haengbok medicine that helped expel waste, and soon...
“Pant pant!”
Plop.
Haengbok pooped out jelly poop.
It was not that rare.
Jelly Dogs sometimes pooped out leftovers when they ate a lot.
But...
This jelly poop looked strange.
“What is this...? Gray poop?”
It was ash-gray jelly poop, clearly different from Haengbok’s usual jelly color.
I seriously considered what could have caused it when the jelly poop suddenly began trembling. It split apart with a riiiip, and then...
Riiiip!!
[ Ngh... Kuaaaagh...!! Where am I...?! Why can’t I feel my connection to the Lord...?! ]
Haengbok’s jelly poop transformed into the shape of a face and wailed.
“W-what the hell...? It’s talking poop...?”
* * *
Whoooosh.
A snowstorm raged around a research institute in Russia.
Before the gathered researchers, a man slammed his hand down on a desk and shouted.
Bang!!!
“Does it make any sense that you still don’t understand this?! You have the design plans right there!!! Why can’t you make it?! You can’t make an S-rank either! You can’t pull off Duality either! What the hell are you all doing here?! Japan has cleared five S-rank Gates already!!”
After shouting, the man covered his face with both hands.
He let out a sigh, draped an arm around Igor, Russia’s A-rank magical beast maker, and held the design plans up in front of him.
“Igor, look. The plans are right here. You just need to apply them to another magical beast. It’s not difficult, is it? Hmm?”
“We know that, but... it is impossible.”
At that, the man repeatedly jabbed a finger into Igor’s chest and barked back.
“Yoo Hyun created those techniques in a hole-in-the-wall shop!!! In a place the size of your damn bathroom!!!! With equipment that was little better than a pile of scrap metal!!!!!!!”
Huff... Huff...
Igor looked at the furious man with a grim expression.
“...I’m sorry... But I am not Yoo Hyun.”
Haa...
The man looked over the researchers as though they were pathetic, then placed a special case from the floor onto the desk.
“Yeah... I know, I know. I’m just frustrated. Still, I have good news for you. You know about the strange Gate that appeared recently? One appeared in our territory a few days ago.”
“That is not good news. Isn’t it a national emergency? How has it been kept quiet all this time? Don’t tell me you controlled the information so it wouldn’t leak outside?”
“No. Fortunately, the Gate that appeared on our side was different from the one in Japan. It was also a Double Gate, but inside it was something like a massive research facility. We met an AI there that called itself a Strong AI.”
The researchers erupted into murmurs at the man’s words.
“What do you mean...?! You’re saying there is another civilization inside the Gate, not monsters?!”
“What is there to be surprised about? We have already made indirect contact through artifacts and the like, so this is nothing new. More importantly, this is what you should focus on!”
Click.
When the man opened the case, it contained a device that could display information and a vial filled with an unknown liquid.
“These were handed over by that Strong AI. It also gave us various things, including Hunter equipment and potion formulas.”
“No, why would it...? More importantly, can we trust it? It is still a being from beyond the Gate...”
“The technology and information it provided have already been verified in other fields. Every single technology was more advanced than what we have achieved. Naturally, this device contains information about magical beast production.”
The man handed the device to Igor, who began reading the displayed information.
“M-my God...! This kind of technology...! But... it is closer to machinery than biology... closer to golems... No, that makes it even more interesting. Their perspective is completely different from ours...”
Igor could not hide his shock. Every technique was refined beyond existing methods.
The man smiled at Igor.
“What do you think, Igor? Can we make one with this? An S-rank magical beast?”
“Of course...! With this much... one month... no, we can make one within three weeks...!”
Yoo Hyun...
The world called him a genius, but from Igor’s perspective, Yoo Hyun had already spent a great deal of that genius.
Creating the S-rank magical beast in Japan was probably his final peak.
Igor, on the other hand, might be able to aim for the stage beyond S-rank within a few years through this fortunate opportunity.
‘With this data, I can surpass Yoo Hyun...!!!!’
The thought of leaving his name in the world filled Igor with excitement.
“...Then what is this liquid?”
“Oh, that? They said it contains nanorobots that help cultivate magical beasts. They said to use it if stabilization goes poorly when creating an S-rank magical beast... But it is too suspicious, so it would be best not to use it if possible. I have a feeling they tampered with it.”
“That is certainly possible. This data alone is enough for me. I will analyze these nanorobots separately.”
The man nodded at Igor’s words.
“Good... With this, Russia will lead the world in equipment, potions, and magical beasts.”
* * *
Ars Magna
Hermes Research Institute
Yoo Hyun stared gravely at the object inside the flask.
[ Kill me.... ]
“No.”
I had gone through the trouble of capturing it alive. I could not kill it so easily.
Then what should I do with this jelly poop?
Hmm...
After finishing my calculations, I made it an offer.
“You have two choices, Amon.”
[ Speak.... ]
“One, you live inside this flask as jelly poop for the rest of your life. There will be no salvation of any kind, and that jelly poop will become the prison of your soul. Without my help, you will spend eternity as jelly poop.”
The gray jelly poop trembled.
[ What is the other choice.... ]
“The other is to cooperate with me completely and give me all the information you have about other dimensions. Then I will give you a new body.”
[ You are asking me to betray the Lord.... ]
This thing still had not come to its senses.
Then I had no choice but to show it a glimpse of the horrible future awaiting it.
“Fine, negotiations are over. Since you’re jelly poop, I’ll dump you into an old-fashioned rural outhouse toilet. Oh, and I’ll give you special treatment first, so don’t dream of naturally decomposing. If I preserve you properly, you’ll last for at least several thousand years.”
[ W-what do you mean...?! ]
“You’re already disconnected from your master anyway, right? Then you’re strangers now. Wouldn’t it be better for both of us to negotiate while you’re still useful? I can always catch another invader later and interrogate it instead of you.”
The gray jelly poop wriggled as though deep in thought, then opened its mouth.
[ ...Fine. Ask me anything. I will give you the information. ]
“By any chance, if I catch your master too, can I get essence from it?”
[ ....... ]
Author’s Note
Graaah...!!! Double update...!!
Sowwy I’m laaate...!!!! Please beat this weak, pathetic author up real good...!!!
From now on, if I think I’m gonna be late, I should just do double updatesies!!
Thanks for reading today tooo.
Footnotes:
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