WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 8: Keraunos
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The consultation after I learned about Yeon Harim’s trait yesterday had gone like this.
“How was it after seeing it for yourself...? Do you think my problem can be solved?”
“I don’t think it’s impossible. I’ll need to look into Ether a little more first, though...”
“Is that so...? To be honest, I’m not expecting much.”
Well, I could understand that.
Yeon Harim had probably looked into Ether more than anyone else. Even so, she had failed to find a solution.
If I, someone she had only met today, claimed I could solve it, I couldn’t blame her for thinking I was a con artist.
“So how much will it cost to make my custom pet? If it’s A-rank, the production cost alone would probably be tens of billions...”
“No, the pet I’ll make for Hunter Yeon Harim will be C-rank.”
“C-rank...?”
“My shop doesn’t even have the equipment to make an A-rank pet. Still, it will definitely help. I can promise you that.”
She seemed a little disappointed to hear it would be a C-rank pet, but she soon paid the deposit.
And it was an enormous amount.
“If it’s C-rank... would one billion be enough?”
Yeon Harim was offering more than twice the price of a C-rank magical beast from a midrange or high-end brand.
At that absurd amount, I barely restrained myself from throwing myself at her feet.
“Oh my goodness!! Of course! That’s more than enough!!!”
“Then I’ll pay one billion as the deposit. If my problem is cleanly resolved as you said, I’ll give you another two billion.”
“Gasp...!! I love you, Customer Yeon Harim!!! My loyalty is yours!!!!”
“......”
Three billion for a mere C-rank magical beast...? That was ten times the price of a cheap branded C-rank magical beast, enough to buy a B-rank magical beast.
...She knew I was making a C-rank magical beast, yet she was immediately willing to invest three billion...
I could somewhat understand just how desperately she wanted her problem solved.
Anyway, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a small-time pet shop owner like me.
...Even after taxes, three billion would let me move to a larger pet shop and furnish it with much better equipment.
Brand-new equipment, not secondhand stuff!!!
‘I’ll provide the best pet possible and make this request a success.’
And so, I came to make a custom pet for the A-rank Hunter Yeon Harim.
* * *
“Let’s see...”
Before designing the pet, I brought up her Customer Window.
[ Name 》 Yeon Harim ]
[ Species 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 A-rank ]
[ Position 》 Melee Damage Dealer and Sub-Tank ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers countering an opponent’s attacks. Prefers hit-and-run tactics, striking briefly before retreating. ]
[ Areas for Improvement 》 Tends to put too much force into attacks, resulting in poor balance. Her physical enhancement ability is lacking compared to her mana capacity. She appears to need an exceptional supporter to compensate for her lower weight class. ]
“Hmm... Honestly, this status window isn’t much help right now.”
“Pant, pant...”
Standing before the workbench, I kneaded Haengbok, the spotted Jelly Dog, to sharpen my focus.
Squish, squish.
‘How should I fix this...?’
In Yeon Harim’s case, the Customer Window information was not very useful. My Customer Window seemed to be based only on combat information gathered so far.
Ultimately, the biggest problem was that she could not use one hundred percent of her ability, making the Customer Window almost useless.
“Ether...”
Etherization was fundamentally an ability close to entering an incorporeal state.
If that was the case, she could easily deflect an opponent’s physical attacks and follow up with a counterattack.
If used properly, it was a trait perfectly suited to Yeon Harim’s combat tendencies.
The fatal problem was that whenever she used it, all her clothes slipped off, leaving her looking no different from a lewd exhibitionist.
No matter how useful an ability was, she could not expose herself every time she fought in a Gate. Gates were generally entered in parties, and there were usually more male Hunters.
The numbers of male and female Awakened might be even, but those without combative inclinations could not fight in Gates in the end.
Anyway, unless Yeon Harim was willing to give up her dignity as a woman, she would not be able to use her ability. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the gap between her and Baek Seola widened.
I had to solve that problem first.
After looking through all sorts of materials, I had found that Etherization was an extremely unusual and unparalleled ability.
‘...If I use Design right away and draw out my intuition, I’ll find the answer, but...’
This power placed strain on the human body, so I could not use it often. It would be more efficient to gather as much information as possible before using it.
As I pondered, my smartphone vibrated.
Bzzz!
[ VictorKreutz ]: Hey, I found the material you sent very interesting. You said you had something you wanted to ask?
“Hm?”
Last night, while looking for information on Ether, I had sent a DM to the alchemist who created the Aether Cat. Now, I had received a reply.
“Perfect timing.”
They had even made a magical beast out of Ether. They were bound to have useful information.
[ HY1234 ]: Right, it’s about the Aether Cat. From what I’ve researched, Ether is the purest form of energy. It’s contradictory for it to take the form of an animal. How did that happen?
[ VictorKreutz ]: Hmm, that’s certainly a sharp observation! The Aether Cat’s very existence is a contradiction. Taking the form of a cat goes against its purest nature.
‘It is strange for energy to take on a material form and act on its own.’
To me, the Aether Cat felt as though heat and light had taken the form of a cat and behaved like a real one.
But...
[ VictorKreutz ]: But your premise is wrong, my friend. We need to take a broader view. What if Ether is energy that affects the human mind while also being affected by it?
At the words of Victor Kreutz, the creator of the Aether Cat, something suddenly flashed through my mind.
[ HY1234 ]: You mean Ether is not simply energy, but has mental activity like a living creature? And the human mind affects it? Then the Aether Cat did not have the form of a cat from the beginning. It was influenced by human perception during the Cultivation process. You never intended to make an Aether Cat in the first place. It was simply the beginning of the process of creating a spirit body from the purest energy—
I stopped before I could continue.
“...No, I said too much.”
This damn intuition kept flashing through my mind even normally. Whenever I wrote messages like this, my fingers moved more than necessary.
[ VictorKreutz ]: ...Hm? You reached that conclusion immediately? Ha! What ridiculous intuition. I’m becoming more and more interested in you. It’s nice to meet someone I can actually talk to for once. How about we exchange opinions from time to time?
Well, fortunately, they seemed to take it well.
Still, I would have to be more careful from now on.
More importantly...
“...Hunter Yeon Harim awakened a truly troublesome ability.”
It was impossible to use that ability properly in the same way as ordinary Hunters.
Yet, as troublesome as it was, its potential far exceeded anything I had imagined...
If I intervened and enabled her to use it properly...
Hunter Yeon Harim.
The next S-rank was guaranteed.
* * *
Fifteen days later.
“Hmm, is it about time?”
Yeon Harim checked the clock in her office.
Her secretary, Cynthia, approached with a worried expression.
“...Guild Master, are you really going to see that alchemist?”
“Of course I am. I entrusted a request to him, didn’t I?”
Why was she asking something so obvious?
Ever since visiting Yoo Hyun’s pet shop that day, Cynthia had kept asking whether anything had happened. Yet she would not say why, which was frustrating.
“...He hasn’t threatened you or anything, right? Like taking strange pictures of you...”
“No, he hasn’t.”
Why did Cynthia keep saying such strange things...?
Yoo Hyun was not even a combat-type Hunter. Besides, why would she, an A-rank Hunter and the guild master of Wolyeong, be threatened by some ordinary alchemist?
‘Is there something I don’t know?’
As Yeon Harim left the guild building, Cynthia’s worried voice called after her.
“...He’s an alchemist, so he might use underhanded drugs. Please be careful.”
“...Uh-huh... Sure...”
She had no idea what Cynthia was thinking.
* * *
Yoo Hyun’s Pet Shop.
Ding!
“Welcome.”
Kim Jia, a regular student customer who had been playing with the Jellykkos near me, spotted the person entering the shop and jumped in surprise.
“Gasp, H-Hunter Yeon Harim!? I’m a fan!! This is crazy! Harim is visiting a tiny hole-in-the-wall like this...!!”
“...Jia, there really isn’t anything you can’t say.”
Well, it was a hole-in-the-wall shop.
Apparently used to such reactions, Yeon Harim gave Jia a wave for fan service before walking over to me.
“...Hello. I’m here to pick up my pet.”
“Jia, I have something to do today, so I need to close the shop now.”
“Y-Yes...! This is crazy...”
Jia left the shop making a big fuss.
“So... it’s already finished?”
“Why else would I have called you?”
“Honestly, I can’t believe it.”
It had only been fifteen days since the request.
The production period was far too short, so Yeon Harim felt more doubtful than hopeful.
Solving the problem with her Etherization ability could not possibly be that easy.
“Can you really solve the issue with my clothes?”
“Hmm... I couldn’t solve the issue of your clothes falling off.”
Ha... Of course. What else could she expect?
It was only natural. She had spent years researching Ether, yet had not made any progress at all.
Thinking an alchemist at a hole-in-the-wall pet shop like this could solve her problem had been nothing more than an overly optimistic fantasy.
‘...Did I overestimate him...?’
Her desire to surpass Baek Seola through perfect control of her ability had clouded her judgment and made her expect too much from Yoo Hyun.
‘It isn’t this alchemist’s fault that he can’t solve it...’
No one in the world could solve this problem anyway.
Yeon Harim forced down her bitterness.
But...
“More precisely, I suppose I only solved half of it.”
“What? What do you mean...?”
“Your clothes will not fall off, but you will also be subject to physical interference.”
...???
Then would she not be hit by her opponent’s attacks too?! That would make it the same as not using Etherization at all!
Dumbfounded, Yeon Harim raised her voice.
“Then my trait is completely meaningless!!!”
“No, it isn’t. Etherization’s true application is not an incorporeal state.”
“Its true application...?”
The clue I had found through my conversation with Victor Kreutz, the creator of the Aether Cat.
Ether changed its nature in response to the human mind.
Its variability and expansiveness were on a completely different level from ordinary matter.
That also made Ether incredibly difficult to control. It was practically a divine art.
Yet my EX-rank trait could analyze even the unknown energy called Ether, as though I had known it from the start.
As a result...
I succeeded in Cultivating a magical beast that could control Hunter Yeon Harim’s Etherization ability.
“Hunter Yeon Harim. I’ll make you the strongest Hunter in Korea.”
“...What?”
* * *
I brought out a cage from the cultivation room, enhancement room, storage room, and workshop all rolled into one.
“Chirrr...”
Crackle, crackle.
Inside was a bird-type magical beast that looked like a bird of prey, giving off pale lightning.
“Is that... my custom pet?”
“That’s right. This one will awaken your ability.”
I opened the cage door.
The bird of prey, lightning constantly sparking from its body, flew through the shop.
[ Model Name 》 Keraunos ]
[ Mana Core Rank 》 C+ ]
[ Lifespan 》 15 years ]
[ Trait 》 Thunder God Body (B+) Mental Resonance (B+) ]
“As you can see, this one is a magical beast close to a lightning-elemental spirit body. It also has powerful Mental Resonance.”
“...! A spirit body with Dual Traits...!!”
He had made another new specimen...?
A strange light filled Yeon Harim’s eyes as she looked at Yoo Hyun.
“...I admit it. You definitely have skill. But what does this one have to do with my Etherization?”
“From what I’ve researched, Ether has a nature that resonates with mental energy.”
“...Mental energy?”
To wield Etherization’s true power, she needed mental energy strong enough to twist reality.
“There’s a realm mentioned by Cheon Rin, the Continental Sword Princess, where one can wield Intent, right? That’s what you need.”
“Intent...? But I haven’t reached that level.”
“Heh, that’s why you need this one. Let’s proceed with the Owner imprint and test it right away.”
Etherization might be an ability with the greatest potential in history.
To make proper use of Etherization, she needed mental energy powerful enough to twist reality. But that part could be replaced with a Mental Resonance pet that possessed Thunder God Body.
If I was right... Ether synchronized with the Keraunos model’s mind would change to possess the same properties.
And my prediction was correct.
Crackcrackcrackle!!
“Th-This is...!!!”
Blue lightning wrapped around Yeon Harim’s body as she used Etherization while mentally resonating with Keraunos.
She looked as if a thunder god had descended.
Unlike before, she clearly possessed physical force in that state, but her combat power would be on an entirely different level.
“...Th-This is my true ability...?”
Powerful lightning wrapped around her entire body. And her clothes were not falling off.
Whoosh!
Tears began to well up in Yeon Harim’s eyes as she looked at me in disbelief.
“I... I really... I-I don’t know what to say, th-thank... Sob...”
“...That’s good.”
‘She must have been through a lot.’
I wanted to comfort her, but I stayed still because I did not want to get electrocuted.
In any case, Yeon Harim could now use every one of her abilities. As she was now, she would show combat power beyond not only Baek Seola, but even other top-ranked Hunters.
I did not know how the Hunter world would change after I made such a big impact, but...
I would keep making magical beasts.
Just as things were about to end on a heartwarming note...
Crackle, crackle.
Fwoosh!
Perhaps she still had difficulty controlling her power, but a spark that leaped from her body burned her clothes.
“Uh...?”
“Wow...”
The moment her lightning recognized her clothing as a foreign substance, her clothes turned to ashes in an instant.
* * *
“...Guild Master, let’s go.”
In the end, Yeon Harim could only return home after Cynthia came to meet her with new clothes.
“...Hunter Yeon Harim... Please practice controlling your ability... And if possible, wear clothes with high elemental resistance...”
“...Yes.”
Hunter Yeon Harim left the shop with her head hanging low.
For some reason, the eyes of the secretary serving her were incredibly cold. I felt like a criminal for no reason and could not meet her gaze.
Then, a few days later...
[Breaking News] “A-Rank Gate Solo Clear” Yeon Harim Nears Becoming Korea’s Second S-rank Hunter...! “Descent of the Thunder God”
[Exclusive] “She Cleared an A-Rank Gate Alone in an Instant?” Yeon Harim Successfully Clears a Gate Solo... Was the Secret a New Pet?
[Issue] “A God Has Descended Upon Korea” Hunter Yeon Harim’s Designation as the Next S-rank “All But Confirmed?”
[Hot Issue] “Baek Seola’s Camp in Crisis!” Hunter Gallery Explodes After Yeon Harim’s Successful Solo Clear of an A-Rank Gate!
“...That’s amazing. These days, it’s all anyone talks about.”
Yeon Harim, disguised as she visited my shop, stood right next to me. Well, she was here to pay the remainder of the request fee...
But she was acting a little strange.
“It’s all thanks to our Yoo Hyun. Hehehe...”
We were looking at the articles together, but was she not a little too happy? She looked happy, but also a little foolish.
‘She has such a pretty face, but she’s wasting it.’
Anyway... She had already paid the full amount, so why was she not leaving? Was this not supposed to be a busy time for her?
“Is there something else you wanted to say?”
At my words, Yeon Harim pressed herself right up against my side.
A pleasant scent, perhaps shampoo, filled my nose.
Swoosh.
She leaned her face closer and made a subtle offer, her eyes practically dripping with honey.
“What do you think? I’m about to make you a very good offer...”
“You mean the Wolyeong Guild contract?”
I had already turned that down. Still, she must really want my ability.
But I, Yoo Hyun, would not be shaken by this level of seduction. Probably.
Yet her offer was something else.
“No...? Not with the guild. Make a personal contract with me.”
“...?”
What was the difference?
Footnotes:
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