WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 73: Starting Demon Beast
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At last, the Astrape model had calmed down.
“It’s quieter than I expected, considering the havoc it caused.”
“Chirrr.”
Yeon Harim stood with her arms folded, Chirring perched on her shoulder, watching the Astrape model locked inside a special containment cage.
The enormous bird of prey, nearly the size of a pterosaur, merely lifted its head and stared blankly at us through the glass.
For something that had thrown around enough power to nearly blow an entire artificial island away, it was remarkably docile.
“I think it was startled too.”
The detailed examination showed that there was nothing mentally wrong with it.
It was simply a newborn that could not control its strength and had gone on a rampage.
In any case, Amon said that power running wild was common.
Especially for artificial life-forms.
There had certainly been factors that could cause a rampage, such as the excessive amount of mana infused during Cultivation.
Whatever the cause, it had gone berserk, so quite a few experts besides Yeon Harim and me had gathered outside the special containment cage.
Every one of them was pressed right against the glass, observing the Astrape model.
“Oh... It’s real...!! Its status window says it has reached the realm of a Spirit Beast...!!!”
“If there are Spirit Beasts, does that mean Divine Beasts and even higher realms exist!?”
“I can’t believe it... There was a level like this...”
The Magic Beast Alchemists who had been staring at the Astrape model for a long while kept expressing their amazement.
Most of them were Magic Beast Alchemists with A-rank Traits.
Magic Beast Alchemists with lower-ranked Traits could not even peek at the Astrape model’s status window.
‘That’s something I only learned this time.’
Anyway, they analyzed the Astrape model in their own way and offered their conclusions.
“Hmm... It seems somewhat strong-willed, but not to the point of becoming a serious problem. Still, it is so overwhelmingly powerful that it could be called the strongest magical beast in history. The question is whether it can even be controlled...”
“The danger level is simply too high. There is no control device, and ordinary Hunters cannot deal with it at all.”
“On top of that, it caused that chaos while unstable. Once it stabilizes, just how powerful will it become...?”
‘They’re practically looking at a nuclear weapon.’
I understood.
I was seriously wondering how to control it too.
Rodin, who had reached the realm of a Spirit Beast, had formed such a close bond with Hunter Yoo Dusik that there had been no issue at all.
But this Astrape model had been born into the ranks of a Spirit Beast.
Magical beasts generally became prouder as their status rose, and they chose their owners.
Even the A-rank Panoplia Gamma model selected which Riders it would let equip it.
Of course, each magical beast had its own disposition.
Still.
To control the Astrape model, it would need an owner it could acknowledge.
I glanced at Yeon Harim beside me.
She was unquestionably S-rank, but could she really control a Spirit Beast-class magical beast?
‘She doesn’t have a bond with it, and she can’t overwhelm the Astrape model through sheer force either. Hmm...’
Step. Step.
At that moment, Yeon Harim silently headed for the entrance to the containment cage.
“Hunter Yeon Harim?”
“Yoo Hyun, please open this door.”
Her eyes were gleaming as though she had sensed something. The Astrape model had also been watching Yeon Harim this whole time.
‘No, is it looking at Chirring on her shoulder rather than Yeon Harim?’
Come to think of it, the Astrape model had been made using Yeon Harim’s Keraunos model as a reference, and both possessed the Trait called Mental Resonance.
Could it be that it had been communicating with Chirring rather than simply staring blankly this whole time?
After thinking for a moment, I nodded and operated the device to open the containment cage.
Bzzzz.
If it went on a rampage again, this special cage would be destroyed in no time anyway.
As Yeon Harim entered the cage and approached it, sparks began to fly.
Crackle!!!
It did not feel like it intended to attack. It felt more like it was trying to confirm something.
Chirring flew up and flapped its wings in front of it, and the Astrape model likewise spread its wings wide.
“Chirrr...!!”
“Piyoooo!!”
Crackle!!!
The lightning released by the two magical beasts resonated and intensified.
Rumble!!!!!
Thunder rang out as cracks began spreading across the special containment cage.
“Oh...!!”
“They’re resonating!!!”
“How interesting...!!”
“...No, isn’t this dangerous? The firewall’s about to break.”
Yeon Harim remained calm even inside the cage filled with lightning.
She had already activated Etherization and wrapped herself in lightning.
A moment later, the sparks stopped.
“Piyoooo!!”
The Astrape model rubbed its head against Chirring and Hunter Yeon Harim.
Everyone gathered there tilted their heads at the sight.
“Huh? What is that? Why is it reacting like that?”
“Was it influenced by that resonance just now?”
“I heard birds sometimes form flocks even with different species. Could it be related to that?”
“Are sparrows and pigeons the same as those magical beasts? Say something that makes sense.”
The place became noisy, as though they had discovered a new trait in magical beast ecology.
Boing!
Using the jelly’s elasticity, Amon jumped up and landed on my shoulder.
[ Hmm, it seems to feel secure after meeting a magical beast from the same lineage. It was anxious because it had just been born, but now it is happy to meet its own kind... Is that how I should interpret this? ]
I had a similar impression.
“Still, we can’t let our guard down yet.”
Things seemed to have worked out thanks to the similarities between those two models, but we could not relax.
“Even if we got lucky this time, we’ll need countermeasures if we want to cultivate Spirit Beast-class magical beasts in the future.”
Magical beasts were gradually surpassing Hunters in power, leaving no way to control them.
The greater their strength and intelligence became, the stronger their sense of self became, and magical beasts took on increasingly independent tendencies. If I considered the possibility of making even higher-ranked magical beasts later, a means of control was essential.
“For example... We could implant a parasitic magical beast in the mana core and detonate it if necessary.”
[ ...Isn’t that too cruel? ]
Naturally, I was only joking.
* * *
A few days later.
While experiments were underway to prove the Astrape model’s stability, an unexpected visitor came to see me.
It was Hunter Shin Hayeon of the Cheonseong Guild.
She was the person who had previously informed me that Guild Master Cheon Sanha had gone missing.
This time, she brought news that Guild Master Cheon Sanha was alive.
“Cheon Sanha is really alive?”
“Yes. We confirmed it with an artifact acquired on the market.”
She took something out of a suitcase and placed it on the table.
It was an artifact shaped like a hand mirror. When an item belonging to Cheon Sanha was placed on it, the mirror swallowed the item and briefly displayed Cheon Sanha.
Cheon Sanha appeared to be imprisoned with several others in a dark, damp place that looked like an underground prison.
“...Cheon Sanha really is alive.”
The Echidna model was beside Cheon Sanha too. All its needles had fallen out, leaving it bald.
Honestly, I had thought Guild Master Cheon Sanha was likely dead or had become a Merfolk.
Cheon Sanha had been missing for quite some time.
When I showed signs of thinking about something, she quietly spoke.
“Just in case, the image that appeared is not fake.”
“Well, I understand that, but why are you showing this to me...?”
“Our Cheonseong Guild plans to participate in Britain’s operation to exterminate the Merfolk and rescue the captives. Unlike before, when only the elite forces went, we intend to bring all available personnel.”
They were moving on a massive scale.
Still, a small question occurred to me.
“But before this, wasn’t there almost no movement from Cheonseong Group to find Guild Master Cheon Sanha? They practically treated Cheon Sanha as dead...?”
If I remembered correctly, Cheonseong Group had taken no action after news of Cheon Sanha’s disappearance. The media only mentioned it briefly, then everything became quiet as though someone had intervened.
Shin Hayeon lowered her head as she answered.
“That is because there are many within the group who consider Guild Master Cheon Sanha a thorn in their side. Cheon Sanha’s recent rise also played a part... However, considering Guild Master Cheon Sanha’s personal friendship with Director Yoo Hyun, it seems they decided to support the British operation and rescue Cheon Sanha this time...”
Huh? They were rescuing Cheon Sanha because of our personal connection?
‘Well... Guild Master Cheon Sanha and I are connected through the Jellykko business, but is it really that much? We’re practically business associates.’
But Guild Master Cheon Sanha kept calling me little brother, so perhaps people around us thought we were close.
Anyway, I could guess why Cheonseong Group had suddenly changed its stance.
“Is it because of Essentium?”
There were surely other benefits I did not know about, such as Britain’s financial compensation, artifacts, or a strategic decision made with future expansion into Britain in mind.
Still, Essentium was probably the biggest factor.
She nodded.
It seemed that creating evolution as a fourth factor by allowing completed magical beasts to grow had become quite a topic of discussion within the Cheonseong Group family.
“I’ll get to the point. Before entering the operation, could you make magical beasts for our guild members? Cheonseong Group said it would pay any price. Mass-produced models would be perfectly fine. Director Yoo Hyun’s magical beasts help raise morale simply by existing...”
“Hmm...”
Making magical beasts was not difficult, but mass-produced models...
My magical beasts were special because I tailored them with abilities that suited their owners perfectly. Creating synergy between magical beast and owner dramatically increased combat power.
That was why even I could not create a dramatic boost in power with mass-produced models.
Of course, even if I could not make custom pets, I had a method now.
I nodded and spoke.
“I have a few conditions. First, if you receive one of my magical beasts, record its condition every week and send it to me. This needs to continue for at least three months. Second, use body cameras or whatever else you need during the operation so I can review the magical beasts’ combat later. The magical beasts you receive must be cherished like family. Reselling or abandoning them is absolutely forbidden.”
“That will not be difficult. I will leave the design of the mass-produced magical beasts entirely to you.”
“Understood. Bring your guild members to the research institute before the operation begins. I happen to have just the magical beast for this.”
* * *
A few days later.
Before leaving for Britain, 156 Hunters from Cheonseong Group arrived in front of the Ars Magna Hermes Research Institute for the operation.
“This is crazy... The guild benefits are insane... We get President Yoo Hyun’s magical beasts...!!”
“Hey, they said they’re only B-rank mass-produced magical beasts.”
“If they’re mass-produced, we probably shouldn’t expect much.”
“What!! What’s wrong with mass-produced models!!! Don’t you know Yoo Hyun’s magical beasts? How many S-rank Hunters have they made!!!”
The Hunters were noisy.
Since they would soon be heading into a deadly situation, some felt even more disappointed that they were only receiving B-rank magical beasts.
These days, even A-rank magical beasts could be mass-produced.
“Tch... A B-rank magical beast for an A-rank Hunter is a little...”
“That’s what I’m saying. Wouldn’t it be better if they just bought mass-produced A-rank magical beasts from Ouroboros? I heard we can’t even resell the magical beasts they’re giving us this time...”
“Hey, the guild is buying them for us, so just take them. Magical beasts aren’t cheap. You complain too damn much.”
Some Hunters voiced disappointment at hearing that the magical beasts being distributed were B-rank mass-produced models.
“Shut up, all of you!! Director Yoo Hyun is a god!! I’m getting an autograph on my Jellykko!!!”
“Huff... huff...”
“Is that guy... completely insane?”
The Hunters were boisterous with excitement and expectation, or anxiety and fear over what was soon to come.
Then the doors of the Hermes Research Institute opened, and everyone fell silent as Yoo Hyun appeared.
“Wow... It’s Yoo Hyun in the flesh...”
“Could I get an autograph on my Jellykko...?”
“Hmm...? What are those?”
Behind Yoo Hyun, Luise and Researchers A, B, and C dragged over a container holding magical beasts.
When the container opened, a red lizard-shaped magical beast, a blue turtle magical beast, and a green amphibian magical beast each poked out their heads.
“Now, everyone, choose the starter magical beast you like.”
The Hunters froze at Yoo Hyun’s words.
“...What? Starter...?”
“...What is this feeling of déjà vu? I think I saw this scene on a game console when I was a kid.”
“Professor Yoo?”
For the Hunters who still had not grasped the situation, Yoo Hyun added an explanation.
“These are magical beasts made with essence arrays that react best with Essentium. In other words, they are magical beasts optimized for evolution.”
At Yoo Hyun’s words, the Hunters finally seemed to understand what was happening and exploded.
“Th-this is insane...!!!”
“They’re the first magical beasts made exclusively for Essentium in history, damn it...!!! Which bastard called these mass-produced models!!!!!”
“Wasn’t me.”
“Move!!! Ppa-iri is mine!!!!!!!!!”
“Director Yoo Hyun, please sign my Jellykko...!!!!”
“Huff... huff...”
The first Essentium-reactive magical beasts in history had appeared.
Footnotes:
The three starter magical beasts mirror the iconic starter-selection setup from Pokémon. Ppa-iri is a deliberately altered form of 파이리, the Korean name for Charmander.
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