Hatching Cute and Shy
Nam Gyuil returned home, bags stuffed with all sorts of things.
He first pulled out the golden horn and examined it. It was in good condition.
Only one advanced elixir ingredient left now.
The final advanced elixir ingredient was, surprisingly, the heart of a warrior orc. That was what would complete the advanced elixir.
A warrior orc was an elite among orcs, on the level of an officer.
It's an incredibly dangerous monster—you need to wield a Mana Sword freely to stand a chance.
It hadn't appeared yet anyway, and catching one would be tough.
Unless someone artificially opens a gate, no orcs should show up.
In any case, once the time came and he got his hands on a warrior orc's heart, he'd become far stronger than he was now.
I'll think about the advanced elixir later.
He took out the items he'd grabbed from U Seongjin's secret warehouse. There were various things, but the most eye-catching were the crystal orbs. Two of them.
U Seongjin had apparently bought them without knowing what they were, but Nam Gyuil recognized them at a glance.
Monster eggs.
They just looked like a pair of crystal orbs on the surface. That must be why U Seongjin hadn't realized.
Time to use the Taming Necklace I got from killing the Shaman Hobgoblin.
But there was one problem.
I can't tell exactly what kind of monster eggs these are.
There were dozens of similar-looking varieties.
For now, let's tame them.
Nam Gyuil put on the Tamer Necklace. The condition for using its power before hatching was already met.
I used it once before when the Shaman Hobgoblin tamed the Steel Ent, so only two uses left—and U Seongjin gave me exactly two eggs. Perfect.
Nam Gyuil activated the Tamer Necklace. It flashed, rainbow-like colors flowing out to envelop the eggs.
A smile crept across his lips.
Crack!
A bursting sound came from the eggs, and the shells began to crack.
"Krang, krang, krang."
"Ssus, ssus."
Finally, the two hatched.
One was an enormous lizard, about the size of Nam Gyuil's thigh. He had no idea what kind it was. No wings or horns, so probably not a dragon.
A monster I've never seen before?
It seemed to be from a dimension higher than Arnnia.
The other monster let out a "ssus ssus" cry as it looked around curiously. Its appearance was very unique. It looked draped in a robe, floating without legs. Its head resembled a hooded robe, with glowing blue eyes. Black smoke wafted around the robe.
It had a fearsome look, but it was only slightly larger than Nam Gyuil's head. Honestly, it was kind of cute. It even felt like a little ghost at first glance.
Nam Gyuil tilted his head.
This one's new to me too? Not from Arnnia.
A strange curiosity stirred in him.
Meanwhile, the lizard-like monster blinked cutely at the new world. Its body was covered in pure white scales, eyes a clear sky-blue. It stretched like a cat waking up, then suddenly leaped into Nam Gyuil's arms and nuzzled his chest.
What an affection machine.
"Krang, krang."
The lizard blinked sparkling eyes, begging for pets. Nam Gyuil stroked it, and it grinned, hugging him tight in delight.
"Hm?"
Then something tugged lightly at his clothes. Turning, he saw the ghost-like one. It looked away, gripping his hem tightly.
Nam Gyuil blinked.
"You're a shy one, aren't you?"
He chuckled and petted its head. It stayed still, enjoying it meekly. Adorable.
Better give them names first.
The ghost-like shy one could be Shy.
"Shy."
At his call, Shy glanced over. It seemed displeased, narrowing its eyes slightly, but stayed quiet, so Shy it was.
"Now, for the lizard... so affectionate. What to call you?"
After pondering, Nam Gyuil hit on a good one.
"Cute."
"Krang!!"
"You like Cute?"
"Krang krang!!"
Cute climbed up to his chest and rubbed its head against him—a sign of pure joy.
Nam Gyuil pondered how to raise these little ones.
Can't take them outside.
They might get hunted as monsters. And they were newborns.
Like raising puppies?
Just then, gurgles came from Cute and Shy's stomachs.
Time for food first.
No milk since they're not mammals... Just make some food?
He checked their mouths. They had teeth.
Good, they can chew properly. Regular food it is.
According to Akashic Records knowledge, monsters could eat meat right after birth.
He headed to the fridge, but Cute and Shy followed, getting in the way. Cute clung to his face, blocking his view. Shy pretended disinterest but kept tugging his pant leg.
No way to even open the fridge like this.
Do I smell that good?
Cute even licked his face with its tongue. At this point, was it a lizard or a dog?
"Sigh."
Nam Gyuil reluctantly sat them on the sofa and turned on the TV. The LED screen showed President Toro, the kids' favorite.
"Krang?"
"Ssus ssus?"
Cute and Shy flinched at the sudden TV, but soon fixated on Toro, mouths agape.
Nam Gyuil found it fascinating.
What magic does Toro have that quiets them like this?
He finally understood why parents thanked Toro. He went to the kitchen, pulled veggies and meat from the fridge, and cooked.
Carnivores would eat just meat; omnivores, veggies too. He used both. Simple sausage-veggie stir-fry done.
Sniff sniff.
Cute reacted first, toddling to the kitchen and sitting expectantly. Shy, curious from the sofa, followed and stood blankly.
"Here, eat up."
Nam Gyuil set bowls down. Cute sniffed the stir-fry, stretched its neck, and snapped up a sausage. Eyes sparkling, it dove in face-first.
Shy tilted its head, then picked up a piece with a tendril and tasted it.
"Ssus?!"
First food ever—Shy's eyes widened in delight. Soon it was scarfing too.
Must've been delicious. Eating both veggies and sausage meant omnivores.
"Gulk!"
Done eating, they clung to Nam Gyuil again.
Good appetites. Glad for that.
He tapped the Tamer Necklace.
"Krang?"
"Ssus ssus?"
Tamed monsters could communicate via the necklace.
- You two must never go outside this house. Stay here no matter what. Don't let anyone see you. Got it?
Cute and Shy nodded. The necklace let them understand instantly. Tamed monsters obeyed commands unless impossible.
As long as no one spots them, raising them should be fine.
Nam Gyuil smiled in satisfaction.
Just feed them properly and train them.
It'd take time for them to become real assets, but as adults, they'd be powerhouse allies.
Might even make great guild mascots.
He chuckled.
Speaking of, guild founding's right around the corner.
Everything was falling into place. Just needed guild creation approval and his 01 Team comrades' buy-in.
Hope it goes smoothly. They're all great guys.
He thought of them: playful Lee Chanu, steadfast Hwang Ilsu, admiring Hong Shinu, and Han Kangsu who'd followed his lead.
He wanted them all in his guild.
"Yaaawn."
A soldier by the gate yawned noisily. He was a private first class.
The corporal next to him scolded him.
"Hey, it's been almost a week since the gate appeared. Monsters are coming any second—why so lax?!"
"S-sorry, sir."
"Stay sharp. You're a first class now, not a second."
"Yes, sir."
The corporal grumbled dissatisfiedly.
"Not one national hunter who entered came back alive, and you're yawning? Discipline's shot."
The private kept apologizing.
Soldiers gathered around the gate, setting up machine guns. Landmines dotted the ground. Claymores last—they were ready.
Guns trained on the gate, safeties off, single-shot mode.
Soon, a monster trudged out.
They fired.
Bang bang bang.
Muzzles flashed.
But something unbelievable happened.
"Wha?!"
Soldiers' eyes widened in shock.
"G-guns..."
The private's legs shook like leaves as he muttered.
"Guns aren't working."
Landmines didn't stop it. Claymores neither. Not even a scratch.
The monster was huge, muscled, green-skinned.
An orc.
"Wooorrrraaagh!!"
It bellowed incoherently and charged.
Splat!!
Bullets riddling its body, it grabbed a soldier's face and crushed it barehanded. Tore the corpse apart, hurling chunks everywhere.
Splatter.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
"Aaaah!"
"Damn it!"
Screams and curses filled the air. No one expected bullets-proof monsters.
The orc kept ripping soldiers limb from limb.
"My eyes, my eyes!!"
Blood seeped into the private's eyes; he dropped his gun. Wiped with his sleeve amid screams.
When he cleared his vision, silence. No more shots.
Opening his eyes revealed horror.
The orc grinned toothily, face-to-face.
"......"
Terror made the private piss himself. Corpses everywhere. One orc wiped the platoon.
He was the last.
"Grrr."
The orc seized his throat, hoisting him.
Crunch.
It chewed his head, bones and all.
A gruesome sight.
Meal done, the orc roared skyward.
"Wooorrrraaagh-!!"
Dozens more orcs poured from the gate.