There Are No Bad Magic Beasts in This World
Even though the Hunter Association's challenge video had already been deleted from the official channel, the clip had still been exported and spread across the internet like wildfire.
Back then, the video was just sitting there with no one watching it at all. Now, however, it had exploded with over a million views, thousands of likes, and hundreds of reposts. People were arguing, sharing, and reacting everywhere.
_"This is the official channel, right?"_
_"What is this vibe? I can't even figure out the intention behind it lol lol lol"_
Despite the official deletion, the wild video had become the talk of the town.
_"Yesterday he was just glaring expressionlessly while slicing villain heads. Now he's dancing with TikTok energy and it's making my brain melt…"_
_"But Seong-ah is dancing without any expression on her face lol lol lol"_
_"Yu Chae-rin... HEREDOC< blushing while dancing... is that Welkewelkem…? Is that really Yu Chae-rin? The crazy one who used to challenge senior hunters to rank battles without mercy?"_
That was the only explanation. The two A-grade female hunters who had been labeled the strongest in the association had watched the video of an elementary school boy and his friends doing a challenge dance. No one could hit the like button.
Even more shocking, the two women had reputations no one would imagine doing something so playful and lighthearted.
_"But who is that kid in the middle?"_
_"He doesn't look like a normal person."_
_"A molu?"_
_"So cute, the little one lol lol lol"_
And the most interesting part was that this was the first time the public had finally seen Yeon-woo's face.
_"Who the heck is he to use those crazy ladies as his TikTok challenge?"_
_"Is he the grandson of President Kwon Seong-muk? lol lol lol"_
_"He must be a hunter since it appeared on the Hunter channel."_
_"No way. If he were a hunter, Yu Chae-rin wouldn't be dancing with him—she would have challenged him to a rank battle."_
Despite his low visibility, more and more people were getting curious about the identity of the guy who had turned two controversial A-grade female hunters into his own TikTok challenge.
“I’m finished…”
“……”
“It’s all over now…”
That curious person right now is Do Yeon-woo. What is he doing?
“I’m sorry…”
“Hey, your hands are supposed to be raised straight up!”
“I messed up…”
With a dazed expression, he was muttering about his troubles when Yu Chae-rin Hunter glared at him with wide eyes. She ordered him to raise both hands straight while he knelt in front of her.
“I understand how you feel, but there is still a good side. Many hunters are watching you and me right now…”
_"I don’t need any of that!!!"_
“Then it’s a shame.”
Right beside him, Do Seong-ah had been trying to defend Yeon-woo. Hearing Yu Chae-rin’s shout, she scratched her head, turned around, and walked away.
“I was called to the scene, so I’ll go now.”
“Hey, aren’t you embarrassed?”
“…Are you talking to me?”
She was about to leave the break room when Yu Chae-rin’s question made her tilt her head curiously.
“Um, I’m not sure.”
“For real?”
“Actually, I don’t even know what embarrassment feels like.”
She muttered with a slightly troubled expression.
“Fine. I don’t need to talk to you anyway.”
“Then please take care of Yeon-woo.”
She bowed politely to Yu Chae-rin, turned around again, and left the break room.
“Ugh…”
“Hey, raise your hands straight up.”
This time she was not defending him blindly. She just gave a sad expression.
“Hey, Seong-ah.”
“Hello, senior.”
“It looks like you’re getting along well with Yeon-woo. That’s good.”
She stepped out of the break room and started walking with the senior hunter waiting in the lobby, Gang Tae-geon.
“It’s fortunate you look that way.”
She answered Gang Tae-geon’s words with a dazed expression after mulling them over for a moment.
“Haven’t you felt anything while living with Yeon-woo lately?”
“Huh?”
“Even something small is fine. Tell me.”
Seeing her, Gang Tae-geon narrowed his eyes slightly before asking the question.
Yeon-woo is cute.
Her answer was very serious, and she immediately started walking again.
“Other than that, I don’t really know anything.”
“Hmm…”
“But why are you asking all of a sudden?”
She turned around to the senior who had been standing behind them and asked back.
“No, nothing.”
“Then hurry up. Dispatch time is running late.”
“Ah, it’s starting again.”
Gang Tae-geon answered vaguely while still walking.
“Is killing villains that fun?”
His reply came surprisingly from Do Seong-ah, who was still moving forward.
“I’m going to watch a video with Yeon-woo tonight.”
“…Oh, really?”
“If you keep hesitating, I’ll leave first.”
Surprised, he frowned and started thinking.
“Hmm…”
He pulled an old notebook from his pocket quietly.
“Eek?”
While rubbing his sore arms and looking gloomy, the status window message floated in front of him.
[The Karma value increases the more you change someone’s predetermined fate or receive a certain amount of favor from the public.]
[The more the value accumulates, the stronger the passive skills of the Star of Heavenly Love become!]
It was simple enough to understand at first, but why was this message popping up now?
Was it because of the TikTok challenge?
Was Seong-ah noona going to retire from being a hunter and become an influencer?
[Karma Level 1 Reward]
※ Induces favor toward magic beasts below 3rd grade.
※ Induces slight liking toward beings older than the user.
Thinking it was pointless, he shivered.
“Hah…”
He read the additional passive explanation and his eyes widened.
“Whoa…”
Even at level 1 it seemed small, but on closer inspection it was a powerful ability with the strength of almost any high-rank skill.
‘I got a scam skill too… The passive skill increased, which is good…’
He felt much stronger than when he had nothing at all.
But the worry remained the same.
‘In the end, the number of magic beasts I’ve tamed is absolutely zero.’
Because when fighting my sister, I would only be able to use the taming ability.
‘It would be hard to tame 1st-grade magic beast Hwanyoho without the Queen of Magic Beasts’ help.’
He had even thought about persuading her, but the permission was uncertain and the Queen would probably not help him again.
‘I have no choice but to rely on 2nd-grade magic beast Wolfgell.’
That meant he had one last thing to solve.
“Hey, little one.”
“Huh?”
“That really was the wolf magic beast asking you to bring her pups to the association, right?”
That was the request he had given to Wolfgell last time: to rescue her children.
“Of course!”
“I don’t not believe it, but…”
He barely convinced Chae-rin noona, who had been angry all day, to come outside the D-Sector outskirts. Now he was scanning the surroundings.
“Even so, it’s unlikely the brats are hiding in this clean place…”
Chae-rin noona muttered beside him. The ruins outside the D-Sector were so quiet that not even an ant would pass through.
But since the one who told him the magic beasts were here was Wolfgell herself, he kept checking carefully.
-Grrrr…
-Goooo…!
-Krrruuung…!
After some time, the magical beasts’ cries finally came from a pile of ruins that looked like an artificial shelter.
“What? They really were here.”
“I was right, right?”
“Hmph.”
Chae-rin noona jumped at the sound and unconsciously reached for his head, then stopped and turned away.
“So what now, little one?”
Her rough voice showed she was still angry.
“We have to tame them!”
“Hmm… Really?”
Even while saying that, he smiled brightly and puffed out his chest.
“This is my specialty, noona. You just sit there.”
“……”
“Don’t get in my way. Leave everything to me!”
She glared unhappily for a moment, then stepped back.
“Fine, fine…”
He had no real power without the Constellations’ help, but he had faith.
‘These little guys are easy pickings.’
The next moment, the status window appeared.
Yes. With this ability, he was invincible.
“Hehe, good. Ilwa.”
“……”
“Brother will tame you…”
He called for help in the friendly match against Hayun.
It was a perfect plan no one could have thought of.
******
Ten minutes later.
“You bad little wolves!”
Yeon-woo approached the baby magic beasts with confidence, but their faces were teary and they were waving their arms.
“Grrruung!”
“S-s-stop it…!”
“Kyao!”
The magic beasts bit at his clothes from three directions while he struggled.
“L-let go! I told you to let go!”
“Kyeng!”
“Hik! Sorry! I’ll apologize later…”
They dodged his pathetic swing and barked fiercely.
Yeon-woo shrank and begged in a small voice.
“P-please don’t eat me…”
“Krrruung!”
“Hiiiiiiiiieeeeek…”
Dragged around by the sparkling baby magic beasts, he finally collapsed on the ground.
“Chae-rin noona…”
“……”
“P-please save me…”
He sent the signal to the watching Yu Chae-rin Hunter.
“Hek hek…”
“Meow!”
“Grrung?”
The happy baby magic beasts were just tongue-sticking out on top of his back, panting happily.
“Good, recording done.”
“…Huh?”
“It was recorded perfectly.”
Yu Chae-rin smiled with her lips curled as she fiddled with the phone.
“Good job, little one.”
“……”
“Now look at the camera and say hello.”
She turned the camera on the baby magic beasts. Yeon-woo, lying flat with a blank expression, asked in surprise.
“Is my ability not secret?”
“Um, this part needs editing.”
“Excuse me, Chae-rin noona?”
She ignored the question and pressed the end recording button.
“This Shorts got really good reactions. President Kwon ordered me to release some information about you on the Hunter channel little by little.”
“……”
“Well, the embargo period is almost over. The association is starting to market Yeon-woo as a hunter.”
She smiled coolly while admitting she had followed him to the scene.
“You’ll have to get used to it, little one.”
“Ah…”
“Half of A-grade hunters are celebrities too.”
Yeon-woo stared blankly with his mouth open.
“C-can you delete this one time?”
“No, I can’t.”
He gathered his hands pitifully, but it was already too late.
[Ep.0 The Appearance of Do Yeon-woo, the Elementary School Boy Hunter]
Yu Chae-rin showed the video title from the association’s marketing department with a satisfied smile.
“You started it, little one.”
“Aaaaaaargh…”
The baby magic beasts, still smiling brightly, kept licking his head with their tongues.