Chapter 3
[ Name 》 Yoo Dusik ]
[ Race 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 C-Rank ]
[ Position 》 Backline Support Mage ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers acting as a stable fixed artillery platform. Prefers spending a long time casting from one spot to unleash a powerful finishing blow. ]
[ Points for Improvement 》 Due to the inadequate frontline of his current team, he is unable to properly display his abilities. He appears capable of fulfilling his role when paired with an excellent tank. ]
‘How did this happen…? My trait has a function like this, too?’
Not only could I peek at other people's status windows, I could also see advanced information like their combat tendencies and detailed information about their current situation…?
They say that as a trait's rank rises, extraordinary abilities begin to manifest… I suppose that was true.
This function itself must only be a fragment of what an EX-Rank ability can do.
“…Boss? Boss!”
“Ah… yes. Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Yoo Hyun belatedly answered the voice calling him.
“That happens. Still, I'd appreciate it if you could focus on assisting me for now.”
“Yes, I'll bring out a specimen that matches the conditions you mentioned right away.”
Yoo Hyun brought out the Rune Turtle that had previously undergone enhancement treatment.
“Hmm… A turtle…? A Rune Turtle…? No? Is it a little different?”
“It is a Rune Turtle. It's the V-3 model, and I personally performed the enhancement treatment on it. Its defense is extremely high. You'll probably be surprised.”
Incidentally, only Magic Beast Alchemists could see a magic beast's status window. I handed Dusik a document listing a regular Rune Turtle's specifications and remaining lifespan.
“I see. A Rune Turtle… That sounds good. Boss, is there anything I need to pay special attention to while raising this little one?”
“Basically, it replenishes the basic energy needed for life through its magic core, but it's best to give it feed whenever possible. Rune Turtles aren't very active, so as long as you keep the environment reasonably humid and provide something like a waterside area, there shouldn't be any problems. Also, because of the enhancement treatment, you'll need to replace the magic core on its back after it activates its ability a certain number of times.”
“Oh, really? It sounds easier to raise than I expected. How much does it cost…?”
Was he thinking of buying it right away? He had made his choice faster than I expected.
“The price is 7.2 million won. It's a little expensive because it's an enhanced specimen. It's in exceptionally good condition.”
A regular Rune Turtle usually cost anywhere from four million to 5.5 million won, depending on the shop.
That was simply how this business worked, but there was plenty of price gouging.
But I was an honest shop owner.
I had set the price based on the standard rate registered with the Alchemists Association, taking the enhancement treatment into account.
‘Ahem… Still, I have a C-Rank trait, so I should be allowed to charge this much.’
I had created the only specimen in the world with my EX-Rank trait. If anything, I thought it was extremely cheap.
The problem was whether the customer would recognize its value…
……He isn't going to run away because it's expensive, is he…?
“Umm… seven million… All right. I'll pay in full. Come to think of it, do you need a license to raise a magic beast pet?”
“Yes. This one is E-Rank, so you don't need a license. Just fill out a few forms.”
I took out several sheets of paper.
“……There are this many things to fill out?”
“Well… overseas, you'd only have to fill out about two forms, but as you know, Korea has strict regulations. In short, the main point is that the owner is fully responsible for any problems caused by their magic beast pet. Take a look.”
“Tsk… Why are this country's regulations so strict about everything, from Hunters to magic beasts…? You must have a hard time too, Boss.”
“Haha….”
Well, there was nothing to be done about it.
Still, with the situation developing so strangely, I had a feeling that some major change related to magic beast pets was approaching.
And so my first enhanced creation, the Rune Turtle, met its new owner.
“…Hiss.”
“…Yeah, let's get along, little guy.”
*
A few days later, Yoo Dusik headed to a newly discovered C-Rank Gate in Gyeonggi Province.
It was a new Gate his guild had won in an auction, and Dusik's team happened to have an opening in its schedule.
“Of all things, we got assigned to a newly discovered Gate….”
“We should investigate first, right?”
“The Gate's magic level is definitely C-Rank. Once we confirm the monsters that appear, we should be able to farm as usual. Team Leader, is that okay?”
“Yeah, sure. You guys handle it however you want.”
While the roughly ten team members decided how to proceed with their exploration of the Gate, Dusik took Rodin the Rune Turtle out of his cage.
“Rodin, it's dangerous, so stay close to me if you can.”
“Hiss….”
Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a shield and armor approached from a distance.
“Doo-yoo, doo-yoo, Yoo Dusik. Is that the new magic beast you bought? A Rune Turtle? Isn't it E-Rank? It's not for combat, is it?”
“……He's an enhanced specimen, so he can fight.”
That was obviously a lie. The pet shop owner had said its defense was on another level compared to a normal specimen, but… it was still an E-Rank magic beast, wasn't it?
“Really? It doesn't look like it at all. Anyway, I guess you were short on funds, Dusik. You went and bought a cheap pet. But honestly, wouldn't a rabbit suit you better than a turtle? Every time I see you in the back, you're always hopping around, hahaha!! You guys think so too, right?”
“Ah… yes… Well… Hunter Yoo is pretty good at evading attacks….”
Team Leader Kim's bullshit had started again.
Not a single person found it funny, but he did this every time just to humiliate me.
Apparently, someone else had suffered the same treatment before I joined the team. The guild only gave him warnings, though, since he was a talented B-Rank Hunter and they couldn't easily get rid of him.
“What do you think, Hunter Cha? Isn't our Baekho awesome?”
Team Leader Kim had already taken a white-furred tiger-like magic beast out of a large cage in the truck and was showing it off to the team members.
“Grrrrr….”
“Oh my, is this the pet you said you bought before?”
“Yeah, it's a model designed by a famous foreign alchemist. This thing cost over 400 million won, and it can supposedly beat down C-Rank monsters all by itself. It's probably more useful than Dusik, huh?”
This was driving me insane.
‘……Sigh. When the hell is transfer season coming…?’
“All right, all right, let's get going!”
*
The Gate expedition proceeded smoothly.
That damn Team Leader Kim couldn't draw aggro properly and let another monster through to me in the third row, but a nearby melee damage dealer took care of it, so I didn't have to run around like last time.
There was just one strange thing.
‘The pace at which monsters are appearing is weird…?’
Unlike a normal C-Rank Gate, the monster placement—or rather, the intervals between waves—was far too short.
It was a forest-type Gate, and the monsters that appeared were giant spider-like creatures. Even taking their insect nature into account, there were far too many of them.
“Team Leader Kim, are you sure this Gate is really C-Rank?”
“It is C-Rank. Do you think I've only been running Gates for a day or two?”
“……I have a strange feeling about this one. We should stop exploring for a moment and remeasure the Gate's rank—”
At those words, Team Leader Kim, who had been walking ahead, stopped short.
“Sigh… Dusik. How many years have you been a Hunter?”
“…Three years.”
“You've been a Hunter for three fucking years and you can't even tell a C-Rank Gate apart? Huh? As usual, you're a mage with no sense and a brain made of rocks… No wonder you can't pull your weight!”
The team's mood sank in an instant.
“Um… Team Leader Kim? I had a similar thought to Hunter Yoo… Something feels strange right now.”
“What…?”
The moment another team member backed up Dusik's opinion—
Whirrrl-!
A flash of pure-white thread streaked past—and─
“Keheng!!”
Something dragged the 400-million-won tiger magic beast into the forest with tremendous force.
“Whoa!! Baekho!!!”
Slash-!!
With a gruesome sound, the corpse, split in two, rolled to a stop near Team Leader Kim.
Thud-!
“……Ah.”
The tiger magic beast's corpse had been cleanly severed at the waist.
“You fucking bastard!!!”
Team Leader Kim cursed at the sight.
“Kishishit.”
Then a massive spider-like monster appeared.
“……That specimen is a B-Rank variant, an Arachne!”
And so a battle with an unexpected B-Rank monster began.
“Aaaagh! Team Leader, please tank properly!!!”
“Team Leader, it's pulling aggro off you!!!!”
“I'm tanking just fine!! I said I am!!! Aaaagh!!!”
The team's shoddy tanking by Team Leader Kim made them experience hell.
*
Yoo Hyun's Pet Shop
“Hmm… I wonder how things turned out?”
If the status window was accurate, my Rune Turtle should have been able to make up for Hunter Yoo Dusik's weakness.
[ Trait 》 Rune Barrier (C-Rank) ]
Its low-rank magic core meant it couldn't use Rune Barrier many times, but at C-Rank, it should be able to block most attacks.
Though the Rune Turtle was only E-Rank, it was a magic beast whose entire set of stats had been poured into defense. If its trait had reached C-Rank, it should even be able to block a B-Rank monster's attack.
“…Or not? Even you think that's asking too much, Happy?”
“Pant, pant….”
In any case, this was a new ability that let me peek at another Awakened person's status window.
I decided to call it the “Customer Status Window,” shortened to the “Customer Window.”
Was the name lame? It wasn't as if anyone else was going to see it, so who cared?
Regardless, if I could create a custom-made pet perfectly suited to any customer who visited the pet shop, that was an incredible ability.
Especially now, when the value of pets was rising rapidly.
【 Korean Hunter Gallery 】
[ Free ] I'm really feeling the performance of pets these days…
Author : I'm a Poet
Magic beasts don't count toward the number of people allowed in a Gate, so it definitely feels like an increase in combat power. Of course, cheap pets are useless, but who knows what will happen if the technology develops further, yeah;;;
[ Comments ]
- Yeah (110.70) : Equipment still comes first for now, though lol. Pets are something only old-timers who have hit a wall in their specs look for.
└ I'm a Poet (Author) : Really? Technology's gotten so good lately that even cheap pets have decent value for money…
[ Overseas ] China is going to make a magic beast pet for Sword Princess Cheon Rin lmaoㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Author : Yeah (106.101)
Here's a news headline I copied below.
([ Exclusive ] Chinese authorities launch a ‘national-budget-scale custom magic beast pet’ project for Sword Princess Cheon Rin… “All-out effort to prevent an SS-Rank disaster”)
It just came out. Pet theme stocks are surging for the second time lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[ Comments ]
Yeolpacham : But to match Sword Princess Cheon Rin's rank, they'd have to make an S-Rank or higher magic beast. Is that even possible? There isn't a single S-Rank magic beast yet, right?? I heard there are only a handful of alchemists who can make A-Rank ones…
└ Full-Bellied Rehu : If they pour in enough Chinese capital and manpower, maybe? They must be conducting a ton of inhumane experiments out of sight lol
└└ Yeah (128.0) : Inhumane experiments are just a conspiracy theory.
The turbulent era of magic beast pets was gradually approaching.
A massive, unstoppable tide was coming—a trend in which Hunters began searching for pets one after another…
I could feel an immense current that no one could resist approaching.
For now, people were still questioning the price and practicality of pets… But if the value of Magic Beast Alchemists skyrocketed and they received national support…!!
“The tide is coming. The tide of skyrocketing prices…!!”
Then Korea would also gradually loosen its magic beast-related regulations, following the other countries while keeping an eye on public opinion…!!
The previous regulations had already driven every Magic Beast Alchemist overseas, leaving the industry in an extremely precarious state. Surely, this time things would move in a direction favorable to me.
“…The shop can't go under before that time comes….”
The magic beast pet shop still had not received a single customer.
Thanks to Yoo Dusik, the customer who had bought the Rune Turtle recently, I had enough breathing room until next month…
But if the large pet shop next door kept taking all my customers, it would only be a matter of time before my shop went under.
Just as I was wondering how much I would have to cut my living expenses to survive the month after next—
Ding-
“Welcome.”
“Hehehe… Hello, Boss.”
Yoo Dusik arrived carrying all sorts of things. Along with the Rune Turtle's cage, he had brought several cases filled with carefully wrapped packages.
“Is there somewhere I can put these?”
“Ah, please put them over here. But what are they?”
There were no fewer than three boxes on the table. Was it just my imagination, or did they look like the gift sets people only saw around the holidays?
“Hahaha! This is a small token of gratitude to the Boss who introduced us to our Rodin. It's nothing much, so please accept it.”
When I sneaked a look inside, I found the boxes packed with premium two-plus-grade Korean beef.
“Gasp…!! Oh my, you shouldn't have…! No, ahem… I can't accept something like this. Who am I to receive it…?”
“Come on…! It really isn't much, so please accept it, Boss. Aren't you Rodin's father?”
“Ahem… Then I'll gratefully accept it.”
I accepted the Korean beef gift sets, pretending to be unable to refuse.
‘Crazy… I could eat nothing but Korean beef for a month…? I should send some to my parents, too.’
Judging by his reaction, my Rune Turtle must have been an incredible help to Hunter Yoo Dusik.
When I asked him about it…
“Whew… Don't even get me started. Without our Rodin, the team would have been wiped out that day! That idiot Team Leader Kim… No, that bastard nearly got me killed, and our Rodin saved me.”
To summarize, Team Leader Kim, the only main tank capable of standing up to the B-Rank variant Arachne, couldn't withstand the tanking and ran away by himself.
Naturally, with the B-Rank Hunter capable of blocking its attacks deserting them, the team was on the verge of annihilation…
At the moment Arachne pounced on Hunter Yoo while he was casting his spell, Rodin the Rune Turtle's Rune Barrier appeared and bought Hunter Yoo Dusik the time he needed to finish casting…
Hunter Yoo Dusik, whose firepower was among the best of all C-Rank Hunters, dealt Arachne a devastating blow. They barely managed to bring it down and return alive.
“But if he was a B-Rank Hunter, shouldn't he at least have been able to hold off a monster of the same rank?”
“No, that bastard wasn't B-Rank. We found out later that he'd falsified everything. No wonder he only applied to C-Rank Gates. There was a reason for it all.”
“Good grief….”
Anyway, I performed a checkup on Rodin the Rune Turtle, whom Hunter Yoo had brought in…
“Hiss….”
“Fortunately, there's nothing wrong with him. I replaced the external magic core with a new one.”
“Thank you, Boss!! I'll promote your shop as much as I can!!”
Ding-
Hunter Yoo Dusik bought all kinds of additional magic beast pet supplies and left.
Thanks to him, the shop's sales received a major boost.
*
A few days later
Ding-
“I heard you sold a pet to Hunter Yoo… Could I buy one to accompany me in a Gate, too?”
“……?”
I was grateful that he had promoted the shop, but this wasn't a combat pet shop… Hmm.
“I'm thinking of a budget of around fifty million won.”
“Welcome, customer!”
*
One month later
A 22-story guild building in the middle of Teheran-ro, Gangnam.
The office of Yeon Harim, the A-Rank Hunter and master of the Moonshadow Guild.
Yeon Harim, a black-haired beauty wearing a form-fitting dobok, skimmed through the backlog of paperwork while listening to her secretary's report.
“This is the report on the unusual phenomena at the C-Rank Gate we won in the previous auction.”
“It's an absolute mess… They falsified the rank and even skipped the most basic Gate investigation…? Why do these document forgeries keep happening? Shouldn't the Awakened Management Bureau undergo a major overhaul?”
Cases of rank falsification surfaced every year, but she had never imagined one would occur in her own guild.
And there was one other unusual point.
“Gamma Team's performance has risen significantly compared to last month.”
“It looks like expelling that vermin who falsified his rank immediately improved their performance. Can we consider this a return to normal?”
“……Even after taking that into account, their recent performance is abnormal.”
At her secretary's words, Yeon Harim checked Gamma Team's performance report.
“Huh…?”
No matter how she looked at the paperwork, the numbers seemed strange.
[ Gamma Team up 112% from last month ]
“……Is this for real?”
Why was their performance like this?