I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over - Chapter 51

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

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

Chapter 51: Revenge

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In front of the collapsed pet shop.

My pet shop building had collapsed overnight, but thankfully, I had bought it before leaving Japan, and no one had been hurt.

Of course, the noise and dust from the collapse might have woken the nearby residents...

‘I'm sorry, everyone....’

Most problems other than that could be solved with money.

I had noticed the collapse so quickly thanks to the Dongbaek Hunters. Security had been stationed around the pet shop again as soon as I returned to Korea, so I learned what had happened the moment it collapsed.

In the end, the only thing seriously hurt was my heart.

“Haah... This place held so much of my history....”

I looked at the pet shop bitterly.

But what could I do? It had already collapsed.

Still, I should try to restore it as closely as possible.

“Pant, pant....”

For my peace of mind, I kneaded Haengbok.

Squish, squish.

Boing!

Then Amon bounced onto my shoulder using its jelly-like elasticity and whispered in my ear.

[ You were careless. You poured in that much Dharma Power, so be thankful it only ended like this. ]

“That's true....”

The problem was that I had left Rodin alone in the pet shop in the first place, then conducted an untested experiment in the middle of the city.

Its condition had stabilized right after I infused it with Spiritual Energy and Dharma Power yesterday, so I observed it for around two hours before going home...

Who could have expected a tiny turtle to grow as large as a house?

It had grown so quickly that even my magical beast knowledge couldn't make sense of it.

Amon pressed a front paw against my face as it spoke.

Press, press.

[ This is the power of the Second Order. Do not judge it by your common sense. ]

“Then you should've told me before this happened.”

From the look of it, this thing hadn't known Rodin would undergo such a super-evolution either. Hmm...

Then Hunter Yoo Dusik, who had been petting Rodin in the distance, approached me and bowed deeply.

“Boss, thank you so much for saving Rodin...!! I thought everything was over... I can't believe it recovered completely overnight... But... the pet shop building....”

“Ah, don't worry about that. This was my mistake. More importantly, Rodin got a little too big while I was trying to save it....”

That was a bit of a big problem.

Keeping that enormous turtle in a house would be nearly impossible.

But Yoo Dusik shook his head as though it were no problem.

“It's fine! I'll take this chance to move somewhere else. I'll switch my car for a truck too!”

Rodin really had met a good owner.

...Though it looked too big to fit in a truck too. Would it barely fit if it pulled into its shell?

Hard to say...

I checked Rodin's status window as it rubbed its head against Hunter Yoo Dusik.

“Hissss....”

[ Name 》 Rodin ]

[ Model Name 》 Rune Turtle V-3 ]

[ Inner Core Rank 》 A+ ]

[ Dharma Arts Organ Rank 》 A+ ]

[ Lifespan 》 99 years ]

[ Traits 》 Guardian Spirit Being (S), Dreamlike Mist (S), Mana Amplification Domain (S), Destruction Beam (A+) ]

[ This magical beast has undergone a special Enhancement process. ]

[ This magical beast has reached the realm of a Spirit Beast. ]

It seemed Rodin's mana core had changed into an inner core. Perhaps due to the Dharma Power from Amon's artifact, it had also developed something called a Dharma Arts Organ.

And the Rune Turtle had been a creature born with an inferior mana core and a short lifespan. So what was that lifespan supposed to be?

I muttered without thinking.

“...There's a saying that when a turtle dies, the owner who went ahead comes to greet it. I really like that saying.”

[ What kind of bullshit is that all of a sudden? ]

“It's a saying.”

Even setting everything else aside, its traits alone were impressive enough to rival those of an S-rank magical beast.

What would its actual combat power be like? As Amon said, Rodin was probably the first magical beast to reach the Second Order.

The status window displayed A+ rank...

But I didn't think it was equivalent to an A+ mana core.

Even an E-rank Rune Turtle, an incomplete magical beast, had reached that realm through energy infusion...

What kind of magical beast would be born if I infused enough energy into one with a high degree of completion?

Its evolution direction would vary enormously depending on the type of energy.

A completed essence array, along with Second Order energy that could strengthen it further.

‘How exciting.’

As I huffed excitedly while imagining a new evolution tree, Amon spoke as though it knew exactly what I was thinking.

[ Just in case, the power of the Second Order is not that convenient. That life-form evolved thanks to your abnormal ability, but ordinarily, such a weak creature's vessel would have shattered. No, now that I think about it, it makes no sense that such an inferior creature endured my Dharma Power in the first place. ]

I had felt that too.

Other Rune Turtles definitely wouldn't be able to withstand that power.

Rodin had probably reached that realm because it was special.

“Hmm....”

Then what made a magical beast special...?

Seeing how it had accepted power it normally couldn't endure, it seemed the important part wasn't physical, but mental...

Come to think of it, there was Haengbok.

“Pant, pant....”

Haengbok had wanted to live longer with me while it was dying from its lifespan problem.

Then it had coincidentally met the God of Jelly Dogs and surpassed the limits of magical beasts.

Likewise, Rodin had wanted to live while it was dying. It desperately accepted the energy I infused into it in order to survive.

So it could return to its owner, Hunter Yoo Dusik.

Hmm... Was the bond with its owner important, then?

Was a bond with an owner that strengthened a magical beast pet's willpower the key to controlling that power?

Still, that felt far too abstract...

I needed more samples.

Just as I was lost in thought, the onlookers gathered in front of the pet shop suddenly became noisy.

Murmur, murmur.

People filming Rodin with their smartphones began staring wide-eyed, and a YouTuber in the middle of a livestream was left speechless while talking with viewers.

“Uh, uh, uh?”

“?????????”

“I-Is that real?”

“Holy....”

I naturally looked up as well, following an onlooker pointing at the sky.

And there...

Rodin was flying through the air with Hunter Yoo Dusik on its back.

Whoosh!!

Fwoooosh!!!

The flying turtle passed over the onlookers' heads, whipping up a gale.

Only then did stunned cries erupt from every direction.

“Holy fuck...!!!! I-It's a Flying Turtle!!!!!!!!!”

“C-Crazy... I've lived long enough to see a house-sized turtle fly with my own eyes... Have I lived too long?”

“Mom!! I want to ride it too!!”

My reaction wasn't any different from the onlookers'.

A magical beast without wings was flying...?

“Wow, holy shit... Hunter Yoo Dusik, let me ride too!!!!!!!”

“Pant, pant...!!”

[ ...... ]

[ Breaking ] “A house-sized turtle is flying over Gaepo-dong”... Sightings and videos flood Gangnam

[ Society ] “Gaepo-dong flying turtle” video goes viral... Experts: “Even magical beasts cannot fly as turtles. It is likely fabricated.”

[ Exclusive ] “What do experts know?”... Rumors it was “made by Yoo Hyun” prompt, “If it's him, he could make an elephant fly, not just a turtle”

[ Issue ] “Will an airborne turtle mount be released?”... Online communities explode: “We'll pay anything, just release it”

* * *

The Flying Turtle Rodin caused quite a commotion, but I still had things to do during my visit to Korea, so I went to Cheonseong Guild's headquarters.

As expected of Korea's largest guild, the building was enormous.

There, I met the guild's owner, A-rank Hunter Cheon Sanha.

After exchanging greetings, we sat down.

Cheon Sanha looked at Amon with interest.

“It appears to be a new Jellykko model. Quite a cute appearance.”

“It is, right? It's also pretty fun to knead.”

[ ...Pant, pant. ]

After some ice-breaking conversation, we began discussing business in earnest.

I skimmed through the proposal Cheon Sanha had handed me.

‘There's nothing to criticize... So it was true that they had prepared for a long time.’

The mass-production facilities for Jellykko were practically complete. They had even finished preparing everything related to promotion and distribution.

It was ready to start the instant I stamped the contract.

“...Honestly, I didn't expect you to accept our proposal, Mr. Yoo Hyun. I heard you hadn't checked your email for a while, so I thought you weren't interested.”

The fact that Cheon Sanha had prepared so much despite having no certainty made me wonder whether Cheon Sanha was an extraordinarily unhinged person too.

“I was just too busy to check it lately. I've always been considering mass-producing Jellykko. It looks like there won't be any problem proceeding like this. Could I come inspect the production facilities later?”

“Of course. Please let us know if there is anything else you need as well.”

“Then, I have a lot of money sitting around, so I'm thinking of setting up a research institute. Could you help with that?”

“...Pardon? Ah, yes, of course!! We would welcome it!!! We will make it the best research institute in the country!”

The Rodin incident had taught me that I needed a dedicated research institute in Korea too.

More than anything, there were invaders. To establish even minimal defenses in Korea, where my parents and acquaintances lived, I needed a base.

‘And if possible, I want to create my own guild while I'm at it....’

I had many supporters, including Wolyeong, Dongbaek, Japan's S-rank Hunter, and the Magna Rider, but they all ultimately belonged to other factions.

Thinking about the future, I needed people loyal only to me.

‘I don't need many. Just a small number will do.’

I was going to create a magical beast-centered guild, so all I needed were Hunters who could control magical beasts.

I could increase my personal force, use them to collect artifacts, and secure resources to make high-rank magical beasts. It would be killing two birds with one stone.

After roughly finalizing Jellykko's mass production with Cheon Sanha, I was about to leave. But Cheon Sanha looked like there was something else to say, so I brought up a light topic.

“Hmm, come to think of it, aren't you going to Treasure Island, Guild Master Cheon Sanha? It's been pretty popular in Korea lately.”

“Treasure Island... It is certainly an attractive place, but there have been too many incidents that have not become public knowledge.”

“Ah, I know there are often conflicts between Hunters. Still, wouldn't that be no problem for someone like you? You're the guild master of a guild competing for first place in Korea. Who would pick a fight with you?”

But Cheon Sanha shook their head.

“No, it is not simply that kind of problem. ...Hunters are engaging in massacres among themselves. It is not public knowledge, but from what I have learned, there are more than one or two missing people. They are not hunting monsters. Humans are killing one another. This is clearly abnormal.”

Cheon Sanha spoke in a trembling voice.

Cheon Sanha seemed afraid.

“Mr. Yoo Hyun, as a member of a chaebol family, I have seen human greed since childhood. The guild members who returned from there were not normal.”

“....”

...It seemed the Treasure Island problem was getting more serious.

We continued chatting, and when I stood to leave, Cheon Sanha cleared their throat.

“Ahem... Um... If it would be alright, could I commission a magical beast pet from you later?”

“Ah... Sure. Contact me later.”

As I turned away, I sensed Cheon Sanha clench a fist behind me in a small gesture of victory.

* * *

Inside the Shinan Anomalous Gate.

Having gathered enough artifacts, Heuksan Guild members were heading toward the Gate in high spirits.

“This is insane...! I don't even know how many artifacts we found today. If I sell these alone, I could live without working for the rest of my life.”

“Khahaha!! A real man needs grand ambitions! Don't sell them all. Let's use what we can and raise our ranks even more!”

“Come on... Looking at the current situation, artifacts are probably worth the most if we sell them now, right? Don't you think so, Guild Master?”

But there was no answer.

The moment they turned around, sensing something wrong...

“Guild Ma─”

Slice.

Their vision flipped upside down.

* * *

A blond man rummaged through the Hunters' corpses and spoke.

“Hahaha!! Look at this stuff!! Their backpacks are packed full!”

“As expected, hunting people on their way back gets far better results than wandering around ourselves.”

“Seriously. Those guys who were traveling with that fucking tiny turtle had pretty full backpacks too. We should've killed them and taken everything earlier.”

Russian Hunter Aleksei licked their lips.

A companion who had been searching through the backpacks seemed to have finished looting and stood up.

“But is this really okay? If Hunters keep dying, the Korean Hunter Association will notice something's strange, won't they? An S-rank Hunter might enter to investigate.”

“Kukuk... It's not just us. They're killing one another too, so don't worry. And even if an S-rank Hunter comes, I'm confident we can win. Look at our equipment! The research institute says it'll support us with S-rank magical beasts soon too. Who can stop us then?”

Their equipment and potions had performance beyond common sense, and they would soon have S-rank magical beasts too...!

Objectively speaking, their overall force surpassed that of an A-rank Hunter.

Then one companion stared somewhere and muttered.

“Uh, a turtle....”

“Oh? Is that the guy from before? But didn't the turtle die then?”

“...No... Um....”

The companion could not continue.

Sensing something was wrong, Aleksei followed the companion's gaze toward something floating far in the distance.

Something hovered faintly above the ocean.

As its form slowly became clearer, Aleksei muttered without realizing it.

“Fuck... What is that....”

A familiar-looking figure standing atop it stretched out an arm toward them.