WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 5: Sylphid
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“Mmm... That new core smell.”
A polished blue gem nestled in an elegant case.
It was the key material for the new magical beast model, Sylphid.
[ D-rank mana core ]
“I finally went through with it.”
A D-rank mana core processed for magical beasts by Lionel.
Even among D-rank cores, this Lionel product had been precisely refined to maximize output efficiency.
A luxury item? You bet. It had cost a whopping 27 million won.
“I never thought I’d be buying something like this to use myself... My hands are shaking.”
I kneaded Haengbok, the slime puppy, to calm my trembling nerves.
Squish, squish.
“Pant, pant...”
“Whew... That calms me down. Slimes really are the best.”
The higher a magical beast’s mana core rank, the more absurdly difficult it became to process. That was why mana cores accounted for such an enormous share of magical-beast material costs.
‘For a D-rank, the usual choice would be a cheaper brand...’
Still, I couldn’t use some bargain-bin item in a newly designed model. That was why I bought one from Lionel, one of the higher-end magical-beast core brands.
This was the first model I’d designed with my EX-rank ability. I wanted to see the best performance possible.
I brought up the Design blueprint I had created.
[ Model Name 》 Sylphid ]
[ Mana Core Rank 》 D ]
[ Lifespan 》 3 years ]
[ Traits 》 Storm’s Blessing (C+) Lesser Spirit Body (C) ]
The expected basic information for the completed magical beast floated before my eyes.
The Sylphid model was a rare Spirit-type magical beast in the magical-beast pet market.
That meant it required one additional special material unlike ordinary magical beasts.
Which was why I had prepared this...
[ Lesser Wind Spirit Stone ]
A small green gem that fit in my palm emitted a soft glow, creating a mysterious beauty.
“I need this, too.”
“Pant, pant...”
As its name suggested, Spirit Stones were materials normally used by Hunters with the Spirit Mage trait.
They were resources used to form contracts with spirits or create new spirits. Since they contained the essence of spirits, they could also impart some spirit characteristics to equipment or magical beasts.
In other words, the key materials for this magical beast were the D-rank mana core and the Spirit Stone.
The problem was that spirits were not particularly compatible with magical beasts.
I had to fuse a mana core obtained from a monster with a Spirit Stone without causing rejection, making this far more difficult than ordinary magical-beast production.
‘Under normal circumstances, this would be impossible for an individual to complete.’
Even a D-rank Spirit-type magical beast required research-institute-level development capability. It was far beyond what the owner of a tiny pet shop like me could even consider attempting.
“Pant, pant...!”
“Yeah, yeah. Even a job like that is possible with my current ability.”
The most difficult process, the Design, was already complete. As long as I didn’t make a mistake during Cultivation, completion was practically guaranteed.
“Shall I get started right away?”
* * *
Jingle.
Ten days passed, and Hunter Lee Yujin visited the pet shop with Hunter Yoo Dusik.
“Boss! I’m here!”
“I’m here as well.”
“You came together?”
Hmm. Was this an unexpected pairing...?
Yoo Dusik lifted the cage and laughed heartily.
“Haha! We got close while talking about magical-beast pets. I came to see the new magical beast Hunter Lee Yujin commissioned, and to get Rodin a checkup!”
Hunter Yoo... Should I say he looked healthier these days? He had the air of someone whose life was going smoothly.
“I see. Please wait here.”
I was grateful, of course. Not only did he bring his magical beast in for regular checkups, he bought External Cores and pet supplies from me every time.
Could I call Hunter Yoo Dusik a VIP? Either way, he was a valued customer.
‘More importantly, there’s something going on between those two...’
...Could it be that I, Yoo Hyun, had become their cupid? My stomach was starting to hurt for some reason, too.
I headed into the back of the store, which served as the Cultivation room, Enhancement room, storage room, and workshop, then brought out the case I had prepared.
A faint yellow-green light spilled from inside it.
Opening the case in front of them, I said, “This is Sylphid, a custom model made specifically for Hunter Lee Yujin.”
Whoosh!
Something flew out of the case.
A Spirit-type magical beast with a round, streamlined body and shining wings, scattering glowing particles the color of fresh greenery.
At a glance, it looked like a plump, morbidly obese dragonfly.
Sylphid buzzed around the shop and cried out.
“...Wiiind...”
“Wow, it’s so pretty!”
Lee Yujin exclaimed in admiration.
“But... can it talk? Wind? Carcinogen? What is it???”
“No... It doesn’t mean anything. That’s just its cry.”
Even I, its creator, had no idea why its cry had turned out like that.
‘There wasn’t anything wrong with the Design blueprint...’
Well, performance was what mattered.
I briefly explained Sylphid’s information to Lee Yujin. Ordinary Hunters couldn’t see a magical beast’s status window.
“As you can see, it’s a Spirit-type magical beast... I used a D-rank mana core and a Lesser Wind Spirit Stone. It has a C+ trait called Storm’s Blessing, along with the C-rank trait Lesser Spirit Body.”
“Gasp...!! Dual traits!!! And both are C-rank or higher...!!!”
Before I had even finished speaking, Yoo Dusik let out a strangled cry.
Yoo Dusik had recently become far more interested in magical beasts and started studying magical-beast pets. Magical beasts with dual traits were only seen among high-end magical beasts occasionally discussed on MeTube or in online communities.
“As expected... Boss...! You’re amazing.”
At his reaction, Lee Yujin’s eyes widened.
“Is it really that impressive?”
“Of course it is! I’ve never even heard of a D-rank magical beast with two traits in Korea! Even Hunters get recruited everywhere if they have two traits! It’s the same for magical beasts!”
At Yoo Dusik’s explanation, Lee Yujin’s gaze toward Sylphid changed. Her gaze dripped with adoration, as though she were looking at a luxury handbag limited to one hundred units. No, something even better.
“Wow...”
Heh. So she understood how amazing this little one was.
That was right. She had obtained a magical beast with dual abilities for only 50 million won. In a way, this could be called a stroke of luck for Lee Yujin.
But what really mattered was actual combat. Her reaction then would probably be far more intense than it was now.
It was a shame I wouldn’t get to see it...
‘Well, like Hunter Yoo Dusik, Hunter Lee Yujin will probably come back and tell me all about her magical-beast pet’s accomplishments.’
Looking forward to that day, I had Lee Yujin complete the magical-beast pet paperwork and performed the Owner imprint.
“Thank you, Boss! I’ll do my best with this little one!”
“Hahaha! I’m really looking forward to the next Gate exploration now.”
“Take care~”
Jingle.
The two of them left the store.
“Hm... If I’m going to sell Sylphid as an official product, I’ll need to raise the price quite a bit.”
A magical beast with dual abilities... It might not get a huge reaction right away, but the Hunter industry was so small that word about me would soon spread.
For the record, I had no intention of selling this Design blueprint to some corporation.
Not for now, anyway.
* * *
In front of a C-rank Gate.
The members of Gamma Team, led by temporary team leader Yoo Dusik, had gathered.
“Oh, is that the magical beast Hunter Yoo... no, Team Leader Yoo mentioned? The one from that shop?”
“Yes! It’s a Spirit-type magical beast called Sylphid! Its name is Sylphie!”
“Uh... Aren’t Elemental Types expensive?”
“The boss gave me a great price because Team Leader Yoo introduced me!”
After returning home, Lee Yujin had looked up Spirit-type magical beasts and magical-beast pets with dual traits. Both were special types that sold for far more than usual.
A Spirit-type magical beast with dual traits, combining both of those qualities?
‘He really did give me an incredibly good deal...’
After searching online, she had fully realized the value of this magical-beast pet.
“Really? He gave you such a deal on a rare Elemental Type? What kind of connections does Team Leader Yoo have?”
“Ahem... Well, the boss was simply good to us. It’s not like I did anything.”
Yoo Dusik had been appointed temporary team leader starting with this Gate exploration.
He announced the start of their exploration.
“Anyway, let’s head in! We need to make good money today, too!”
* * *
As they moved deeper into the Gate, the team members showed interest in the model called Sylphid.
“...Wiiind...”
“That’s one unusual cry.”
“It sounds kind of weak... Not very promising.”
The Spirit-type magical beast buzzed around nearby.
They knew it was a rare magical beast, but hearing that Lee Yujin had gotten it cheaply made the team members doubt its abilities.
Even if it had come from the magical-beast pet shop that sold Rodin, the Rune Turtle that had saved their lives, one success could have been a coincidence, after all.
“...Wiiind...”
Bang!
Sylphid fired a compressed blast of air toward the bushes to Gamma Team’s front right, and a Gray Wolf sprang out from within.
“Grrrah-!!”
“...Huh...!”
Slash!
The melee damage dealer at the front reacted quickly and easily dispatched the Gray Wolf.
He looked at Sylphid with a puzzled expression.
“...What was that? Does it have detection abilities?”
One of Sylphid’s abilities was Lesser Spirit Body (C).
It came equipped with the ability to detect nearby enemies by blending with nature, a trait of spirits.
“Our team’s weakness was detection, so this worked out perfectly. You bought something that suits us well.”
“Hehe...”
Lee Yujin felt oddly proud at her teammates’ praise, and Yoo Dusik rubbed beneath his nose as though he understood exactly how she felt.
But Sylphid’s performance did not end there...
When they reached an area dense with monsters, dozens of Gray Wolves appeared.
True to their intelligent wolf-like nature, they had gauged Sylphid’s detection range and slowly tightened their encirclement from beyond it.
“Grrr...”
“Grrr...”
One team member clicked their tongue and watched their surroundings.
“Tch... Looks like there’s a command-type boss somewhere in this Gate. They got us good.”
“Group up and form a defensive formation! Buy time for me to cast my magic!”
At Yoo Dusik’s command, Gamma Team packed together and formed a formation.
There were many monsters, but Yoo Dusik had enough firepower to suppress them.
If things went wrong, they still had Rodin the Rune Turtle’s barrier, so there was no chance they would be wiped out. They would just have to accept a certain amount of damage...
Boom!!!
A flash of light streaked out, and a Gray Wolf’s head exploded.
“Huh...?”
The vanguard slowly turned toward their allies at the sight.
Lee Yujin stood frozen in the very pose she had fired the arrow from, wearing a dazed expression.
It seemed that even Lee Yujin herself had no idea what had just happened after blowing apart the Gray Wolf’s head.
“Whoa...”
“W-what was that? Hunter Lee Yujin’s firepower...”
“I-I’m not sure either...”
As Lee Yujin was about to say something, Sylphid cried from where it floated beside her.
“Wiiind...”
“...No way.”
Lee Yujin took out another arrow and drew the bowstring.
Then a green light began to gather faintly around the arrowhead.
‘This is...!!’
At that moment, her consultation with the pet shop owner flashed through her mind.
- “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...!!”
The boss had said he would make a custom pet suited to her.
And as if proving those words, Sylphie had shown an ability to detect danger, while light now wrapped around her arrow...!
The first ability came from its spirit body, but the second...
‘Storm’s Blessing, the C+ trait, is an enchantment...!!’
A firepower-support trait!
Sylphid really was a support-type magical beast perfectly suited for her.
After grasping the situation, Lee Yujin fired enchanted arrows wildly.
“...Let’s go, Sylphie!”
“...Wiiind...”
Arrows enchanted by Storm’s Blessing did not need to strike vital points against lesser monsters.
No matter where they hit, the result was fatal.
As a result, Lee Yujin’s firing speed was on a completely different level than before, and a rain of arrows poured down at a fierce pace.
Even nimble Gray Wolves could not dodge every arrow enchanted by Storm’s Blessing...
Whoosh! Boom!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom, boom!!!
A one-sided massacre unfolded.
“...Hunter Lee Yujin?”
“That’s supposed to be a D-rank magical beast...?”
“Crazy... I need to visit that pet shop after work, too.”
The D-rank Spirit-type magical beast Sylphid was clearly overpowered compared to magical beasts of the same rank.
After wiping out the entire pack of Gray Wolves, Lee Yujin stared at the devastation she had caused and muttered,
“This... would be useful to anyone, not just me...?”
It had certainly improved all her weaknesses, but the Sylphid model showed broad versatility that went beyond any specific purpose.
But that was not what mattered right now.
What really mattered was the boss who had created such an absurd magical beast...!
‘The boss is still at his low point...!!’
He was bound to appear on TV someday and become a famous figure in the Hunter pet industry! By then, it would be hard enough to make a reservation, let alone see him in person.
Lee Yujin resolved to maintain her relationship with the boss somehow.
‘...I wonder if the boss likes Korean beef?’
Footnotes:
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