WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 50: Energy Infusion
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Bouncy, bouncy Gaepo-dong, Gangnam District.
Yoo Hyun's pet shop.
[ Happy Magical Beast Pet Shop ]
I looked at the shop sign and muttered.
“I'm back here again.”
“Pant, pant...”
The Wakppu Jelly Dog perched on my shoulder looked at my pet shop in confusion.
[ Why did we come here...? It looks like a pretty pathetic building.... ]
Ah... It didn't know?
“Look carefully, Amon. This is where your mother, Haengbok, was born.”
[ ...Have you lost your mind...? ]
The skeleton Jelly Dog looked at me as though I were ridiculous.
Still, it had been cultivated from Haengbok's leftovers. Didn't that make Haengbok its biological parent?
Hmm... Maybe not? Haengbok couldn't reproduce, so it was hard to say.
Then was it closer to a clone than a child?
Well, that wasn't important.
I passed by the shop, unpacked at the officetel provided by Wolyeong Guild, and gave Amon one instruction.
“Just in case, don't talk unless you have to. Stick to panting. I doubt anyone will recognize you, but if they figure out who you are, I'll have no choice but to cut you loose.”
Amon was cooperating with me as a Jelly Dog, but it was still an absolute evil Jelly Dog that had created mist and slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
If people found out I was keeping a Transcendent's servant responsible for a massacre in Japan, things would get seriously annoying.
Japan would be the biggest problem.
No matter how solid my position was there, everything I'd built would collapse if Amon's identity was exposed.
[ Do you think any human could recognize me while I'm trapped in this body...? ]
That was true.
“Just be careful anyway.”
“Pant, pant...”
After warning it, I turned on my computer and checked the Korean Hunter communities.
“It's as loud as I expected.”
An Anomalous Gate had appeared in Shinan, Korea.
Posts about Angel’s Treasure Island, as it was commonly called, filled the trending board.
【 Korean Hunter Gallery 】
[ Title: Holy shit, Treasure Island is insanely good. Already scored two artifacts lololololol ]
Author: LevelUpLevelUp
(Photos of an unusual sword and a horn)
Both got classified as artifacts because they use technology unlike anything that exists today, yep.
This C-rank Hunter scrub's life is turning around lolololololololololololololololol
[ Comments ]
Anonymous (110.70): Fuck, I went there and there were so many people I couldn't do anything?
└ OneShotAtLife: Can't be helped;; Everyone's ditching normal Gates and swarming Treasure Island...
Anonymous (39.7): Fuck;;; Why are posts about people finding artifacts going up every day? What the hell is going on?
JellykkoSalesPlz: Fuck, block the foreign Hunters and visa-free Chinese tourists already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Foreign Hunters are one thing, but why do Chinese civilians keep crawling into the Gate? Goddamn it!!!!!!!!!!
└ CheeseCutletHamburgy: What do you expect from a useless government that let Yoo Hyun slip away? lol
“Hmm, an Anomalous Gate with no monsters, only treasure....”
“Pant, pant...”
They said the Anomalous Gate in Shinan couldn't even be properly measured for mana levels, and there were no monsters inside.
There were only objects that didn't belong to this world.
As far as I knew, this was Korea's first Gate without monsters.
Something about it was suspicious.
‘A servant of a Transcendent like Amon is obviously plotting something, but I have no idea what their goal is.’
The skeleton Jelly Dog beside the monitor crossed its arms.
[ Foolish. That too is a scheme of the Transcendents.... ]
“What is it? Explain it properly, Amon.”
I grabbed Amon and kneaded it. It gave up resisting and spoke.
Creak, squish, squish.
[ ......Transcendents... send servants like me to act in their place... Their true bodies descending... consumes an enormous amount of causality... It is not efficient. ]
“And?”
[ ...Don't you find it strange... that treasure is scattered around for no reason? Treasure is usually used to replenish causality. Do you think it makes sense for a Gate filled with that much causality to have nothing happening inside? ]
That was true...
Causality seemed to be an important resource for Transcendents. It was strange for them to fill a Gate with resources and do nothing else.
Amon, still being kneaded by me, spoke with a serious expression.
[ ...In that case, the objects themselves are probably the problem. ]
“The objects... Hmm....”
Cursed items or something?
Since even Amon couldn't explain further, there were probably countless possibilities.
[ Human desire is gathering inside the Gate called Treasure Island. Humanity's ugly desires are a resource that can be put to many ritual uses. I, too, can gain power from human fear. ]
“You're weak, though.”
[ ...Back then, I was restricted by causality. That was not my true strength. ]
Listening to Amon gave me a rough idea.
Human desire...
People stabbed each other to death over a few tens of millions of won. Then an island suddenly appeared, filled with artifacts whose value couldn't even be measured.
What would happen if conflict broke out over those artifacts?
Inside a closed Gate, there were plenty of ways to kill competitors and clean up afterward.
“...In a place like that, people would be no different from monsters.”
It wasn't hard to imagine people slaughtering each other over artifacts.
And if there really were cursed items too...
Ding!
Just as I was sinking into thought, someone contacted me.
[ Yoo Dusik ]: Boss Yoo Hyun... I'm so sorry to contact you right after you returned...!! Could you please look at Rodin? I'll pay whatever I can, so please save Rodin!!!
“Hm? Hunter Yoo Dusik?”
[ Me ]: Let's meet at my pet shop.
* * *
At the pet shop, I met Hunter Yoo Dusik and Hunter Lee Yujin from Wolyeong Guild's Gamma Team.
They waited anxiously for my examination.
“Rodin's condition is serious.”
The Rune Turtle Rodin they had brought was in terrible shape.
“...Hissss....”
Its shell was shattered, and blood streamed from its body. It wouldn't have been strange for it to stop breathing at any moment.
“What happened?”
After quickly finishing the emergency treatment, I listened to their explanation.
Hunters Yoo Dusik and Lee Yujin told me what had happened.
“Well...”
After the Saitama incident in Japan, an Anomalous Gate had appeared in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province.
The inside of the Anomalous Gate was said to be an archipelago, with one massive island surrounded by clusters of smaller ones.
Rumors spread that exploring the islands would yield immense treasure, and countless Hunters rushed there, dreaming of striking it rich.
That was as much as I knew.
“...It was impossible to gain exclusive rights to the Anomalous Gate through an auction. The International Hunter Association blocked exclusivity, claiming they needed to gather information on the Gate to prevent another incident like Saitama.”
No one could claim exclusive rights, and because it was a massive Gate with no monsters, there were no limits on entry.
On top of that, there wasn't just one Gate leading to Angel’s Treasure Island. They had found three in Shinan County alone.
There were even rumors that undiscovered entrances existed, and civilians were sneaking in and out.
‘What a mess.’
Anyway, they kept clashing with a group of foreign Hunters there, and then...
“Those sons of bitches targeted Rodin on purpose.”
Inside Gates, magical beasts were considered Hunter equipment and treated as disposable supplies.
Naturally, the punishment was lighter than for attacking a Hunter directly.
Lee Yujin spoke from beside him, looking ready to explode.
“And those bastards kept saying your technology was washed up, Boss!! They targeted Rodin because they knew you made it!!!”
Hmm...
The reputation of my magical-beast crafting technology was at its peak.
I'd revealed three things in Japan alone: S-rank magical beasts, Duality, and Attachment-Type Magical Beasts.
Yet they were calling it washed up...
It sounded like they had something to rely on.
Listening further, it seemed they weren't just looking down on my magical beasts. They were dismissing all existing technology.
They also had impressive equipment.
‘It's true that the level of technology and fortuitous opportunities obtained from artifacts has risen sharply lately....’
The bottleneck had broken, and fields beyond magical beasts were rapidly advancing too.
Still, judging by how certain they sounded, they might have formed some kind of cooperative relationship through direct contact with a Transcendent's servant like Amon.
I looked at Amon in the corner of the shop.
“Pant, pant...”
[ ......Pant, pant. ]
The possibility wasn't zero.
I asked Lee Yujin about the foreign Hunters' nationality.
“We aren't certain, but one of our team members said they were probably Russian....”
Russia...
“By the way, isn't Yeon Harim exploring Angel’s Treasure Island?”
We spoke every day, but we didn't often discuss work, so I didn't know the details.
“Well... On the first day of exploration, she hogged all the artifacts, so S-rank Hunters were barred from entering after complaints came in. Ah, the International Hunter Association made that decision, of course.”
“I-I see....”
Something about the International Hunter Association seemed suspicious too. Why was it handling things like Korea?
Anyway, I understood the situation.
Yoo Dusik shed tears as he spoke.
“Boss... I know this is an unreasonable request, but please save Rodin...!!!”
He got down from his chair and fell to his knees.
“Please stand up, Hunter.”
He had been my first Hunter customer, and he cared for his magical beast more than anyone. I wanted to help, but...
[ Name 》 Rodin ]
[ Model Name 》 Rune Turtle V-3 ]
[ Mana Core Rank 》 E+ → E ]
[ Lifespan 》 0 months ]
[ Traits 》 Rune Barrier (C) ]
‘...Its lifespan is already at its limit.’
Rune Turtle Rodin had been the first magical beast I attempted to enhance. It had a low-grade mana core and a short lifespan from the beginning.
Even without the injury, it didn't have long left.
Still, I helped Yoo Dusik to his feet.
“...Alright. I'll save Rodin somehow, so don't worry.”
Only then did Yoo Dusik rise from the floor.
“Thank you... Thank you so much....”
Yoo Dusik left after giving me every artifact he had found on Angel’s Treasure Island.
* * *
I stared at Rodin after finishing its emergency treatment and sighed.
“Phew... What am I going to do with this?”
“Hissss...”
Amon looked up at me.
[ ...Are you sure about this? You know lifespan isn't something you can extend just because you want to. Even if you save it in that state, it won't last long. ]
“That's true....”
My ability was absurd enough that even I could tell, but saving Rodin would be difficult.
It was simply born that way.
It had been born as a life-form that was far too weak.
Its very foundation was weak.
If it had been a golem-type magical beast, there might have been a way, but Rodin was a beast-type magical beast.
The Rune Turtle hadn't even been designed by me. I'd used a blueprint made by another alchemist, and that low ceiling was holding it back.
“...I can't melt it down and cultivate it again, or dismantle it and turn it into a chimera, can I?”
[ ...Sometimes, I seriously doubt you're human. ]
As I seriously considered how to operate on Rodin, Haengbok's presence behind me suddenly became pronounced.
Slurp, slurp.
I could hear something going slurp, slurp-slurp...?
“...Haengbok?”
When I turned around, Haengbok was licking the artifacts Yoo Dusik had left on the table. Then it put one into its mouth, and the artifact began to melt.
“W-Wait...?”
[ ...? ]
It didn't take long for all of Yoo Dusik's artifacts to melt away.
“Oh my god... You melted and ate artifacts? Haengbok, what kind of digestive system do you have...?”
“Pant, pant...”
Plop.
Haengbok immediately pooped out jelly poop.
Clink.
No... It wasn't jelly poop.
“What is this...? A gem?”
[ ......!! ]
As I looked at the radiant blue orb, Amon used the jelly's elasticity to leap forward and snatch it.
Boing!
Amon landed on the table and stared at the orb in shock.
[ ...How can this be? ]
“Why? What is it?”
[ ...It is a crystallization of Spiritual Energy. Did it refine the Spiritual Energy residing in the artifacts into a pure form...? ]
Amon looked at Haengbok with an appalled expression.
[ ...It can refine energy to this level of purity without any equipment or ritual formation...? Human, I've wondered this for a while now. What exactly is this life-form? ]
“Honestly, I have no idea either.”
“Pant, pant...”
Even with the intuition of my EX-rank ability, I still didn't know what kind of life-form Haengbok was.
Anyway...
“Should I try this?”
[ Infusion ]
[ Energy Held ]
[ Spiritual Energy ]: 21
The Infusion function.
I'd never used it before, so I wasn't certain this was the right method.
But...
My instinct told me it was.
I ran my mana through the orb of Spiritual Energy, changing it from a crystal into pure energy.
[ ...Stop. Without the support of a ritual formation, the Spiritual Energy will disperse. ]
Ignoring Amon's warning, I continued according to my intuition.
[ The sub-trait ‘Evolution Lord’s Dexterity’ is activated. ]
Rip!
My finger split open and blood welled out. Then the blood moved like a snake and extended into Rodin's body.
My blood connected directly to Rodin's mana core.
Because of the traits of the Ouroboros Core, the magical beast residing inside my body, Rodin and I became biologically connected.
Ring of Circulation (A+)
Fusion Parasite (A+)
In that state, I absorbed the Spiritual Energy directly and slowly, precisely transferred it to Rodin.
Very slowly, so the turtle's weak foundation wouldn't break.
The skeleton Jelly Dog's eyes widened at the sight.
[ ...You are trying to force its evolution into a Spirit Being... This is not a human way... What is this.... ]
I fell into a strange state of excitement. After finishing the infusion, I spoke.
“It isn't over yet. Let's break down your artifacts too.”
I asked Haengbok to break down Amon's artifacts that I had brought for research...
“Pant, pant...!”
Plop.
[ Energy Held ]
[ Dharma Power ]: 2447
“Damn...!!”
[ ...My ritual implements.... ]
Perhaps because they were artifacts obtained after defeating a boss, they contained a considerable amount of energy.
Excited by the new enhancement, I infused the mist's Dharma Power into Rune Turtle Rodin, which already held Spiritual Energy.
Before long, Rodin surpassed its limits.
* * *
The next day.
Lee Yujin stood in front of my shop with a hand over her mouth, while Yoo Dusik stood beside her with his jaw hanging open.
“B-Boss... Why did Rodin get so huge?”
“Hissssss.”
My pet shop had collapsed, and a 3.5-meter turtle stood there, wrapped in a golden spiritual aura.
I sat blankly in front of the ruined shop with the Jelly Dogs and muttered weakly.
“I didn't know it would get this big either....”
[ Breaking ] Disturbance in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam District... Residents shocked by “house-sized turtle” outside Yoo Hyun's pet shop
[ Feature ] After “Magna Rider,” is “Magna Castle” next?... Rumors spread of Gaepo-dong turtle magical beast becoming a “rideable fortress”
[ Politics ] “What the hell is that now?”... Political circles on “high alert” after giant turtle appears in Gaepo-dong
Author's Note
Thank you for reading again today...!!!
+ I added an illustration of Amon, the skeleton Jelly Dog, Wakppu Jelly Dog, and absolute evil Jelly Dog.
Footnotes:
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