Chapter 6
“Hehehe….”
“Pant, pant….”
I gazed at my now-plump bank account and smiled with satisfaction.
Ever since the large pet shop next door opened, sales at my formerly deficit-ridden shop had skyrocketed. Naturally, the source of that revenue was the members of our beloved Moonshadow Guild's Gamma Team.
Perhaps Silphid and Rune Turtle's performances had left an impression, because four or five more people suddenly came in and commissioned pets, giving this month's sales a major boost.
- ‘Could I buy a Silphid model, too!?’
- ‘I'd like to buy an enhanced Rune Turtle….’
Naturally, I didn't just happily sell them pets on the spot.
After all, weren't my pets far too impressive to sell at the old prices?
Let's say the circumstances with Hunter Yoo Dusik and Hunter Lee Yujin justified it… For everyone visiting after them, it seemed right to charge a little more.
I, Yoo Hyun, owner of a hole-in-the-wall pet shop.
I figured it was time to lay the groundwork for creating a brand of my own.
- ‘Ah… I'm sorry, but the Silphid and Rune Turtle models have to be cultivated from scratch…. Besides, since they use technology that sets them apart from ordinary magic beasts, they may cost more than the existing price─’
But before I could come up with an excuse, the Hunters started throwing out blank checks first…
- ‘I'll pay anything! Please, at least take my reservation…!!’
- ‘Same here…!’
The customers who recognized the value of my magic beasts agreed to buy them for prices roughly 30 percent higher than before.
That was an outrageous sum for pets made by an unknown alchemist.
- ‘Whew… Since you're members of Hunter Yoo's team, I suppose I can't refuse. All right.’
- ‘Gasp…! Thank you!!!’
- ‘Thank you, Team Leader Yoo… And thank you, Boss….’
Of course, I didn't forget to butter up Hunter Yoo a little for introducing his teammates to my shop.
Thanks to that, I sold the Rune Turtle for 10 million won and Silphid for 70 million won… Needless to say, my bank account was getting fat.
Of course… Magic beast pets came with taxes that were every bit as onerous as the regulations.
Anyway, I looked at my sturdy bank account and twitched the corners of my mouth.
‘Hehe… Even after subtracting the material costs, there's quite a lot left. I can afford to buy new equipment. The shop's incubator is rather cheap, after all, so it's making me nervous.’
Equipment was incredibly important to a Magic Beast Alchemist. No matter how hard I tried, the shop's current incubator could only handle D-Rank magic beasts at best.
On top of that, I only had one incubator, so handling the sudden flood of custom orders was difficult.
It might be fine if I could find a used incubator in decent condition somewhere for cheap… Preferably one capable of cultivating C-Rank magic beasts…
I went into the workshop and looked around.
“The shop is… so small….”
I could somehow squeeze in one more incubator…
‘Hmm… Should I move the shop to a larger place?’
I left the workshop.
What caught my eye were the cages containing the magic beasts that decorated the shop.
Most of them were slime puppies—Jellykkos.
They were the magic beasts I had designed myself before obtaining my EX-Rank ability, my first creations—and the signature magic beasts of my shop.
“Hmm… Should I just clear them out? Get rid of the cages, install equipment, and only accept custom-order commissions?”
I was seriously considering it. Honestly, given my ability, that probably would have been more advantageous….
“Pant, pant….”
Happy the Jelly Dog looked up at me, panting.
The moment I met those bright, sparkling eyes, my worries melted away like snow.
“……All right, forget it.”
I couldn't discard the Jellykkos, Happy's kin… the Jelly Dogs who had brought me my miraculous opportunity. Besides, people still came to the shop because of the Jellykkos…
Maybe I should try improving the Jellykkos somehow instead…?
The Jellykko's biggest problem was its short lifespan due to its low-grade magic core.
Simply putting in a higher-grade magic core wasn't always better.
If the core's rank was low, the individual would be more stable and easier to create. But what if the core's rank was high instead?
If you couldn't design a body capable of controlling its overflowing magic power, cultivation would fail.
That was why high-rank magic beasts were so difficult to create.
In any case, now that I had gained this ability, there was no harm in enhancing my signature product a little.
*
A 22-story guild building stood in the middle of Teheran-ro in Gangnam.
The office of Yeon Harim, the A-Rank Hunter and Guild Master of the Moonshadow Guild.
Cynthia, a blonde secretary dressed in a sky-blue blouse and high-waisted skirt, finished her report and held out the documents as she spoke.
“…Those are the key findings regarding the reasons behind Gamma Team's improved performance last month. I've marked the more detailed information, so please read it yourself.”
“Hmm….”
The information Cynthia had gathered…
It was hard to believe, but apparently most of Gamma Team had bought new magic beast pets and achieved such an overwhelming performance.
“Cynthia, does this make sense to you in general…? Did they all go out and buy tens-of-billions-of-won high-performance pets somewhere?”
“No, it's exactly as written in the report. The pets they bought use E-Rank and D-Rank magic cores. Their performance is simply abnormal. Apparently, all the pets they bought are magic beasts made by a pet creator named ‘Yoo Hyun.’”
E-Rank and D-Rank magic beasts… performing in C-Rank Gates?
‘That can't be possible…?’
【 Korean Hunter Gallery 】
[ Question ] Magic beast pet technology has been advancing lately, and lots of people seem to be looking for them. Are they worth buying?
Author : Rice-Farming King
For reference, I'm a C-Rank Hunter, yeah. I've got about 500 million won—can I afford a C-Rank pet?
[ Comments ]
ㅇㅇ(106.101) : Hmm… With 500 million won, you could buy a mid-to-upper-tier-brand C-Rank magic beast, I think. But keep in mind your profits won't exactly increase dramatically.
Marine Jjajang : Premium-brand magic beast pets can cover half a person's share, yeah. Save up a little more and buy a premium brand one; you should be fine.
Just last night, I had seen a post about pets while browsing the gallery.
By common knowledge, it was impossible for Gamma Team to produce an absurd 112 percent increase in performance just by purchasing low-rank pets.
“Hmm… Wait a moment.”
Yeon Harim took out her smartphone and called someone.
“Hey, it's me. Is this a good time? I have something to ask.”
[ …I'm busy. What is it? ]
Yeon Harim recited the information from the documents Cynthia had handed her and said,
“So, can an independent Magic Beast Alchemist create a D-Rank magic beast with a spirit-type body and dual traits? And suppose they could finish everything from design to cultivation in ten days.”
No answer came from the other end of the phone for quite some time.
After about thirty seconds, a hollow laugh came back with the reply.
[ Ha…… What the fuck are you talking about? A spirit-type creature with dual traits… in ten days? And it's D-Rank? On top of that, if it only took ten days, then considering the cultivation period, they practically skipped the design process… That's absolutely impossible. If it were possible in the first place, China wouldn't be pulling that shit trying to make an S-Rank pet. Just bring that Magic Beast Alchemist over and the problem's solved. ]
“I thought so too, right? Sorry for calling while you're busy.”
[ No, wait, then why the hell are you asking me that─ ]
뚝-
It was certain now. Whether this alchemist named Yoo Hyun was the real deal or a fraud, they needed to secure him first.
They could verify his abilities slowly afterward.
Yeon Harim rose from her chair and stretched.
“Nngh… An enigmatic pet artisan, huh…? I kind of want to see for myself….”
“Guild Master, you still have work piled up. You also have a meeting with the Barrier Guild afterward, so don't even dream of it for the time being.”
Cynthia's chilly voice.
“No, wait, Cynthia. That alchemist seems genuinely exceptional. If he's an unknown artisan, shouldn't we either bring him into our guild or something? It would be a shame to miss out on him, wouldn't it? If we want to bring him in for sure, shouldn't I go myself?”
“Hmm, you have a point. Assuming he really is that talented.”
Cynthia was still wary of Yoo Hyun.
His abilities were far too unrealistic.
Moreover, according to what she had investigated, Yoo Hyun had been an E-Rank Magic Beast Alchemist until recently.
‘On paper, it says he was recently promoted to C-Rank Magic Beast Alchemist….’
It would be a lie to say there was nothing unsettling about suddenly rising two ranks.
‘I don't know his exact objective, but we have to consider the possibility that he's a fraud.’
He might even be someone backed by another faction.
Could the magic beasts Yoo Hyun sold to Gamma Team have been supplied by that faction?
Besides, the fact that he had specifically sold magic beasts only to Gamma Team seemed to suggest some ulterior motive.
‘……Who is it? A competing guild here in Korea? Or someone overseas? Then why target Moonshadow of all guilds? Could it be… that they're targeting the Korean Hunter industry itself?’
딱-
The sound of Cynthia's fingers snapping brought her back to reality.
“Cynthia, what are you thinking so hard about?”
“…It's nothing. Given the nature of this matter, I'll meet him personally regarding an exclusive contract.”
“Oh, can you do that? I feel reassured with you going.”
With her crisp personality and outstanding abilities, Cynthia was effectively the one who kept the Moonshadow Guild running.
If she went into action, an exclusive contract with the mysterious pet artisan was practically as good as secured.
A few days later
Cynthia came to the office and reported with a shell-shocked expression.
“……He turned us down.”
“Why!?”
They must have promised compensation on the highest level in the industry, so why would an independent alchemist refuse?
“……I'm incompetent… My negotiations don't work on him….”
What kind of opponent could make Cynthia react this way…?!
“……I've just finished my work, so I'll go myself.”
*
And so Yeon Harim, an A-Rank Hunter, Guild Master of the Moonshadow Guild, and a beauty renowned throughout Korea, personally visited Yoo Hyun's pet shop….
The two sat facing each other at a small table set up in the pet shop.
“I heard you turned down an exclusive contract with our guild. May I ask why?”
Yeon Harim continued the conversation as though sizing Yoo Hyun up.
Even as she spoke, her amethyst-colored eyes picked up every movement of Yoo Hyun's facial muscles.
“Would it be fair to say I simply didn't see much benefit in it…? An exclusive contract would be a little difficult for me.”
‘Absolute confidence….’
She could sense the unique bearing of someone confident he could survive in this field through skill alone. His reluctance to accept exclusivity clearly came from his ‘certainty’ that he would rise even higher.
If the source of that confidence wasn't mere bravado…
‘Could he… actually be the real deal?’
Yeon Harim had also considered the possibility that Yoo Hyun's abilities were exaggerated. But this confidence… and the complete lack of disturbance in his breathing or expression as he spoke.
‘He doesn't seem like a fraud, at least… Is he some kind of eccentric with real talent?’
Having finished sizing him up to some extent, Yeon Harim elegantly crossed her legs and said,
“Well… I'll admit that the pets you sold were a great help to our guild members. I heard you identified Hunter Lee Yujin's problems through consultation alone and created a custom-made pet for her in no time at all? I have to admit, that part is a little hard to believe. I'm somewhat interested in pets myself, so I have a rough idea of how long the process takes.”
She was subtly casting doubt on whether he had simply dressed up pre-made magic beasts and sold them.
‘Well? Don't you have something to feel guilty about?’
If he did, she could exploit that opening to create room for negotiation. It was one of the social tactics she had learned as a guild master.
Honestly, ten days was a tight schedule even for cultivation alone. Hadn't she confirmed that herself by asking an industry insider over the phone?
It was common knowledge that the design stage took the longest in the magic beast creation process.
But Yoo Hyun's reaction differed from what she had expected.
“Hmm… Then would you like to have a consultation yourself?”
……Was he planning to meet her head-on?
“Hehe… How interesting. All right, go ahead and do your best.”
This should be entertaining… Let's see what he has to say.
*
A few minutes later
Yeon Harim's flustered voice rang throughout the pet shop.
“No!! How did you know that!!!”
“And now that I hear you mention it, you probably tend to put more weight on your right side… So whenever you perform a martial technique, you must have experienced your balance collapsing because you put extra force into your supporting leg.”
Uh…?
“What the hell are you!! How did you know that, too!!!”
“You probably feel it yourself as well… If you continue like this, you'll hit a wall and Hunter Baek Seol-ah will overtake you─”
“Aaaahhh!!!!! Stop, stop—!!!!! I don't want to hear it—!!!!!!! I'm sorry, I was wrong, stop!!!!!!!!”
That day, Yeon Harim had no choice but to acknowledge Yoo Hyun's terrifying insight, despite him being nothing more than a pet shop owner….