3. First Customer
3. First Customer
[ Name 》 Yoo Dusik ]
[ Race 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 C-rank ]
[ Position 》 Rear Support Mage ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers the role of a stable stationary turret. Prefers standing in place to cast for a long time and land a powerful single blow. ]
[ Point for Improvement 》 Currently unable to showcase proper skills due to the weak front line of the team he belongs to. Seems capable of fulfilling his role properly when paired with an outstanding tanker. ]
'What on earth is this...? My trait has a function like this too?'
Not only can I peek at others' status windows, but I can also learn high-level information like their combat tendencies and their current situation in such detail...?
They said that as a trait's rank gets higher, bizarre and imaginative abilities manifest... That was spot on.
Even this function right now is likely just a mere glimpse of an EX-rank ability.
"...Boss-nim? Boss-nim!"
"Ah... Yes. I'm sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment."
Yuhyeon replied belatedly to the voice calling him.
"That can happen. Still, I'd appreciate it if you could focus on helping me right now."
"Yes, then I'll immediately bring out a little one that meets the conditions you mentioned."
Yuhyeon brought out the Rune Turtle that he had previously finished enhancing.
"Mmm... A turtle...? A Rune Turtle...? Is it not? Is it a bit different?"
"It is a Rune Turtle. It's a V-3 model, and I personally performed the enhancement procedure on this little one, so its defense is extremely high. You'll probably be surprised."
For context, unless one is a beast alchemist, a magical beast's status window is not visible. I handed Dusik the documents listing the standard Rune Turtle's specs and remaining lifespan.
"I see. A Rune Turtle... That's nice. Boss-nim. By any chance, are there any specific things I need to pay attention to while raising this little one?"
"Basically, it replenishes the basic energy needed for vital activity through a mana core... but it's best to feed it pet food whenever possible. Rune Turtles have low activity levels, so as long as the environment is moderately humid with a small water area provided, there shouldn't be any problem. Also, due to the enhancement procedure, after activating its ability a certain number of times, you'll need to replace the mana core on its back."
"Oh, is that so? It'll be easier to raise than I thought. By any chance, how much is the price...?"
Is he planning to buy it right away? His decision is faster than expected.
"The price is 7.2 million won. It's a bit pricey because it's an enhanced individual. This little one is in exceptionally good condition."
A standard Rune Turtle varies by shop, but they usually rip people off anywhere from 4 million won on the cheap side to 5.5 million won on the expensive side.
As is typical in this industry, there are many ripoffs.
However, I am an owner who runs his shop conscientiously.
I set the price based on the standard rate registered with the Alchemist Association, factoring in the enhancement procedure.
'Ahem... Still, it has a C-rank trait, so it should be fine to charge at least this much.'
This is a one-of-a-kind individual in the world, created by me who possesses an EX-rank trait. If anything, I think it's very cheap.
The problem is whether the customer knows its value...
...He won't run away saying it's too expensive, right...?
"Mmm... Seven million... Understood. Please charge it all at once in a lump sum. Come to think of it, do I need a license to raise a magical beast pet?"
"Yes, since this one is E-rank, you don't need a license, just fill out a few documents."
I pulled out several documents.
"...There's this much to write?"
"Well... overseas, you'd only need to fill out about two forms, but as you know, South Korea's regulations are strict. Roughly summarized, the main content is that the owner takes full responsibility for any problems caused by the magical beast pet. Take a look."
"Tsk... Why are regulations in this damn country so tight for both hunters and magical beasts... You're suffering a lot too, Boss-nim."
"Haha..."
Well, it can't be helped.
However, the current situation is flowing strangely, giving me a feeling that a big change regarding magical beast pets is approaching.
And so, my very first enhanced creation, the Rune Turtle, met its new owner.
"...Shuik."
"...Yeah, let's get along well, little guy."
*
A few days later. Yoo Dusik headed to a newly appeared C-rank gate in Gyeonggi-do.
It was a new gate that his guild had won the bid for this time, and Yoo Dusik's team, whose schedule happened to be open, headed there.
"Of all things, we got assigned to a newly discovered gate..."
"We should start with an investigation first, right?"
"The gate's mana rank is indeed C-rank. I think we just need to check the appearing monsters and farm as usual. Team Leader-nim, would that be okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, you guys figure it out yourselves."
While about ten team members decided on the direction for exploring the gate, Dusik took the Rune Turtle, Rodangi, out of its cage.
"Rodangi, it's dangerous, so try not to stray away from me as much as possible."
"Shuik..."
Right then, a middle-aged man armed with a shield and armor approached from afar.
"Duyu-duyu, Yoo Dusik-ie. Is that a newly bought magical beast? A Rune Turtle? Isn't that E-rank? It's not for combat, though?"
"...This one is an enhanced individual, so it can fight."
Naturally, it was a lie. According to the pet shop boss-nim, its defense is on a whole different level compared to a normal individual... but even so, wouldn't it still be an E-rank magical beast?
"Really? It doesn't look like that at all? By the way, your budget must have been tight, Dusik-ie. Buying a cheap pet like that. But honestly, wouldn't a rabbit suit you better than a turtle? Every time I look back, you're always running around, hahaha!! Don't you guys think so too?"
"Ah... Yes... Well... Hunter Yoo does have good evasion skills..."
Team Leader Kim's bullshit was starting again.
Not a single person found it funny, yet every single time he tries to humiliate me like this.
Before I joined the team, another person went through this same crap, but they say the guild only gives him warnings and can't easily kick him out because he's a B-rank hunter talent.
"Hunter Cha, how about it? Our Baekho is cool, isn't he?"
Before anyone realized it, Team Leader Kim pulled a tiger-type magical beast with white fur out of a large cage in the truck and showed it off to the team members.
"Grrr..."
"Oh my, is this the pet you said you bought before?"
"Yeah, it's a model designed by a famous foreign alchemist. This guy cost over 400 million won, and it easily beats up C-rank monsters all by itself! It's probably more useful than Dusik-ie!"
Driving me fucking crazy.
'...Haa. When the hell is transfer season coming, seriously...'
"Alright, alright, let's get moving soon!"
*
The gate progression went smoothly.
This fucking Team Leader Kim failed to draw aggro properly and leaked monsters to me in the third line again, but a nearby melee dealer hunter took care of them, so I didn't have to run around like last time.
However, there was one strange point.
'The pace at which the monsters are spawning is strange...?'
Unlike a typical C-rank gate, whether it was the placement of the monsters... the wave intervals were excessively short.
A forest-terrain gate... The monsters appearing were giant spider-type monsters... Even considering that they were insect-types, their numbers were excessively high.
"Excuse me, Team Leader Kim-nim. Is this gate really C-rank?"
"It is C-rank. Have you only been clearing gates for a day or two?"
"...I feel like something is strange this time. How about stopping the exploration for now and remeasuring the gate rank first—"
At those words, Team Leader Kim, who was walking ahead, stopped dead in his tracks.
"Haa... Dusik-ie. How many years have you been a hunter?"
"...Three years."
"You fucking bastard who's been around for 3 whole years can't even distinguish a C-rank gate? Huh? As expected of a bastard called a mage, you have no tact and your head is total stone, ha... That's why you can't even pull your own weight!"
The mood of the team sank in an instant.
"Um... Team Leader Kim-nim? I have a similar thought to Hunter Yoo... Something is strange right now."
"What...?"
The moment another team member backed up Dusik's opinion.
Swiriririk-!
A pure white thread flashed—
"Keheng!!"
Something dragged the 400-million-won tiger magical beast into the deep forest with tremendous force.
"Uh-oh!! Baekho!!!"
Pugak-!!
Along with a gruesome sound, a corpse severed in two tumbled down near Team Leader Kim.
Toowoong-!
"...Ah."
The corpse of the tiger magical beast, cleanly sliced at the waist.
"Fuck this shit!!!"
At that sight, the team leader spat out profanity.
"Kishishit."
And then, a giant spider-type monster appeared.
"...That individual is a B-rank mutant, an Arachne!"
Just like that, an unexpected battle with a B-rank monster began.
"Keuaaaak! Team Leader-nim, please tank properly!!!"
"Team Leader-nim, aggro is bouncing!!!!"
"I am tanking just fine!! I'm doing great!!! Aaaak!!!"
Due to Team Leader Kim's terrible tanking skills, they tasted hell.
*
Yuhyeon's Pet Shop
"Hmm... I wonder how it turned out?"
If the status window's display was correct, my Rune Turtle should have been able to complement the weakness of the hunter named Yoo Dusik.
[ Trait 》 Rune Barrier (C-rank) ]
Since the mana core rank is low, it won't be able to use the Rune Barrier multiple times, but if it's C-rank, it should be able to block most attacks.
Although the Rune Turtle is E-rank, it's a magical beast with all its stats poured entirely into defense. If its trait reached C-rank, it should even be able to block a strike from a B-rank monster.
"...Is it not? Even you think that's unreasonable, right, Haengbok-ah?"
"Hek-hek..."
At any rate, it was a new ability that allowed spying on other Awakened ones' status windows.
I decided to call this 'Customer Status Window', or 'Customer Window' for short.
Is the name lame? Who cares, nobody else is looking at it anyway.
In any case, if I can create a customized pet perfectly suited for a customer visiting the pet shop, that's a tremendous ability.
Because right now is a time when pets are soaring in popularity.
【 Korea Hunter Gallery 】
[ Free ] Lately I'm really feeling the performance of pets...
Author: IAmAPoet
Since magical beasts don't count toward gate member limits, it definitely feels like a boost in combat power. Of course cheap pets won't cut it, but if technology advances further, I don't know how it'll turn out, yeah, yeah;;;
[ Comments ]
└ IAmAPoet (Author): Is that so? Technology has gotten good lately, so even cheap pets are pretty cost-effective...
[ Overseas ] China decided to make a magical beast pet for Sword Empress Cheonrin, crazy hahahahaha
Author: Anonymous (106.101)
Below is a news headline copied and pasted.
([ Exclusive ] Chinese Authorities Launch 'National Budget-Level Customized Magical Beast Pet' Project for Sword Empress Cheonrin... "All-Out Effort to Prevent SS-Rank Disasters")
This just dropped, pet theme stocks are having a 2nd massive surge hahahahaha
[ Comments ]
Yeolpacham: But to match Sword Empress Cheonrin's rank, they'd have to make an S-rank or higher magical beast, is that even possible? Isn't there not a single S-rank magical beast yet?? They say alchemists capable of making A-rank are extremely rare too...?
└ Baebureunlehu: Wouldn't it be possible if they grind down Chinese capital and manpower? They probably do a fucking lot of inhumane experiments behind closed doors, lol.
└└ Anonymous (128.0): Inhumane experiments are just a conspiracy theory.
Little by little, the turbulent era of magical beast pets is approaching.
The trend where hunters, one after another, start looking for pets...
An irresistible, massive wave was coming.
Right now, it's still at the stage of doubting the price and practicality of pets... but if the value of beast alchemists gradually skyrockets and receives national support...!!
"The wave is coming. The wave of skyrocketing value...!!"
Then South Korea will also keep an eye on public opinion and gradually relax regulations related to magical beasts following other countries...!!
Since all the beast alchemists fled overseas due to the last regulations, putting the authorities on pins and needles anyway, things will definitely flow in a favorable direction for me this time.
"...The shop can't go bankrupt until that time comes, though..."
A magical beast pet shop still without a single customer.
Thanks to customer Yoo Dusik who bought the Rune Turtle a while ago, I gained breathing room until next month...
But if all the customers are taken away by the large pet shop next door like this, the shop going under is only a matter of time.
Just as I was worrying about how to cut living expenses to survive the month after next.
Ddal-lang-
"Welcome."
"Hehehe... Hello, Boss-nim."
Yoo Dusik came carrying a whole bunch of stuff. Along with the Rune Turtle cage, he brought an armful of neatly packaged cases.
"Is there somewhere I can put this?"
"Ah, please set it over here. But what is all this?"
Placed on the table were a whopping three boxes. Was it just my imagination, or did they look like the gift sets usually seen during holidays?
"Hahaha! It's a small token of gratitude to Boss-nim for introducing me to our Rodangi. It's nothing much, so please accept it."
When I subtly checked the contents, inside was filled to the brim with 1++ grade Hanwoo beef.
"Heok...!! Aigoo, something like this...! No, ahem... I can't accept something like this. Who am I to..."
"Ehei...! It really is nothing, please accept it, Boss-nim. Aren't you our Rodangi's father?"
"Khem... Then I will gratefully accept it."
Pretending to yield, I accepted the Hanwoo beef gift set.
'Crazy... I'm going to be eating only Hanwoo for a month...? I should send some to my parents too.'
Judging by his reaction, it seemed my Rune Turtle was of immense help to Hunter Yoo Dusik.
So when I asked him about it...
"Whew... Don't even get me started. If not for our Rodangi, the team would've been wiped out that day! That stupid Team Leader Kim... No, our Rodangi saved us from almost dying because of that son of a bitch."
To summarize the story, Team Leader Kim, the main tanker who was the only one capable of standing against the B-rank mutant Arachne, couldn't endure tanking and pulled a hit-and-run solo escape.
Naturally, with the B-rank hunter who could block attacks fleeing, the team was on the brink of extermination...
And at the moment the Arachne pounced on Hunter Yoo who was casting a spell, Rune Turtle Rodangi's Rune Barrier manifested, buying casting time for Hunter Yoo Dusik...
And Hunter Yoo Dusik, possessing firepower that ranks among the top even among C-rank hunters, dealt massive damage to the Arachne in a single blow, barely succeeding in bringing it down and returning alive.
"No, but if he's a B-rank hunter, shouldn't he be able to hold down a monster of the same rank?"
"No, that bastard wasn't B-rank. Finding out later, it turned out everything was forged. No wonder he only applied for C-rank gates, there was a reason for it all."
"Heo..."
Anyway, I proceeded with a check-up on the Rune Turtle Rodangi brought by Hunter Yoo...
"Shuik..."
"Fortunately, there are no issues. I replaced the external mana core with a new one."
"Thank you, Boss-nim!! I'll promote the shop a lot!!"
Ddal-lang-
Hunter Yoo Dusik purchased a bunch of additional magical beast pet supplies and left.
Thanks to that, it was a big help to the shop's revenue.
*
A few days later
Ddal-lang-
"Um... I heard you sold a pet to Hunter Yoo... By any chance, could I also purchase a pet to take with me into gates?"
"...?"
I'm thankful he promoted me, but this isn't a combat pet shop, hmm...
"I'm thinking of a budget around fifty million."
"Welcome, customer-nim!"
*
A month later
A 22-story guild building in the middle of Teheran-ro, Gangnam.
The office of A-rank hunter Harim Yeon, Master of the Wolyeong Guild.
Harim Yeon, a black-haired beauty wearing a tight-fitting martial arts uniform, scanned through backlogged paperwork while listening to her secretary's report.
"This is the report regarding the abnormal phenomena of the C-rank gate won at auction last time."
"Overall, it's a total mess... Faking the rank, and even skipping the most basic gate investigation...? Why do these paper forgeries keep happening? Shouldn't the Awakened Administration Bureau do a massive overhaul?"
Cases of rank falsification pop up every year, but she never expected it to happen in her own guild.
And one more unusual point.
"Gamma Team's performance has increased significantly compared to last month."
"Purging the trash who faked his rank definitely brought up the performance right away, it seems. Should we consider this a return to normal?"
"...Even considering that, their recent performance is abnormal."
At the secretary's words, Harim Yeon checked Gamma Team's performance report.
"Uh...?"
No matter how she looked at the document this way and that, the numbers were strange?
[ Gamma Team up 112% compared to last month ]
"...Is this for real?"
Why is their performance like this?