4. Design
4. Design
A month ago.
The moment they almost suffered a total party wipe against the B-rank rare species, Arachne.
The members of Gamma Team, who narrowly escaped death thanks to the barrier of Rodangi, the Rune Turtle.
Naturally, they took a huge interest in the magical beast that saved their lives—the Rune Turtle.
"......Yoo-hunter-nim, I was too panicked to ask back then, but where did you purchase that Rune Turtle? Its barrier was sturdier than most defensive magic from actual mages...?"
Naturally, the team members had assumed Yoo-hunter was forced to bring a cheap pet because of Team Leader Kim's bullshit...
But that pet they thought was cheap ended up saving the team with its astounding defense.
"Right! Honestly, if it wasn't for that turtle, we all would've died... But isn't a Rune Turtle an E-rank? Why is its barrier so tough? Just how long did it hold out against an Arachne...?"
"That son of a bitch Team Leader Kim bought a tiger for 400 million won and it got sliced in half in one hit, so just how much did you pay for yours, Yoo-hunter?"
With performance so overwhelming that common sense couldn't possibly explain it, everyone's eyes gleamed as they launched a barrage of questions.
Even though Yoo Dusik, the owner of the pet himself, hadn't known Rodangi's defense was that high either.
'Boss... just how in the world did you enhance it?'
He was at the point of wondering who the boss truly was, but anyway... thanks to Rodangi, Yoo Dusik felt his shoulders puff up naturally with pride.
"Keu-heum... Well, first off, Rodangi is an E-rank Rune Turtle, so it was definitely cheap... but it is a bit of a special specimen."
"Oh, I knew it... It looked unique! Is it an enhanced specimen then? Which brand is it? Don't tell me it's from that place whose stock is skyrocketing lately?"
Brand...?
For a moment, what popped into Yoo Dusik's head was the pet shop boss's tiny hole-in-the-wall store.
"Mmm... It's not a big brand, but more like a hidden gem of a restaurant that only I know about?"
He said it like that because he had no other way to explain it, but to the team members, it seemed as if Yoo Dusik was hiding the Rune Turtle's origin.
Because of that, everyone clamored to offer Yoo Dusik subtle bribes to ask for the source.
"Eey, don't be like that, tell us! I'll buy you a meal next time! I'll seriously treat you to beef until your stomach bursts!"
"Keu-heum... I'll recommend you as the next team leader, Yoo-hunter, so just tell me privately...."
"Can you even say that out loud? Pretty sure everyone wants the team leader spot though...."
"...Honestly, Yoo-hunter practically saved all of us. Even though he's a C-rank, his peak firepower is almost at B-rank level, so I think acting as temporary team leader for the time being is well deserved. Once your hunter rank goes up, you could probably just stay as official team leader."
Thanks to Rodangi the Rune Turtle covering Yoo Dusik's weakness, his true skills were able to shine.
"Come to think of it... I had no idea your firepower was that high, Yoo-hunter-nim. Your casting always used to get interrupted before...."
......Until now, he had mostly relied on spells with short casting times. After all, Team Leader Kim's tanking was utterly abysmal...
But during the Arachne battle, thanks to Rodangi, he was able to display proper combat performance. As a result, his standing within the team skyrocketed.
By the way...
'Temporary team leader...?'
There would be a lot more work to do, but he would also gain a larger share during raid distribution with the guild.
In short... a promotion...!!
More money...!!!
"Hahaha!! Alright! I'll make a special exception and give you the shop's address!"
He had intended to promote the boss's shop anyway, so what a massive stroke of good luck!
*
For that very reason...
Hunter Lee Yujin, the archer of Yoo Dusik's team, became the first to visit Yuhyeon's shop.
"Is your budget really... 50 million won?"
Yuhyeon asked back, barely hiding his trembling voice.
"Ah, yes! It hasn't been long since I became a hunter, so I haven't saved up much money... When I searched online, it said that fifty million could buy about a D-rank magical beast...."
"You've come to the right place!!!"
Starting from D-rank, pet prices are so steep that I don't currently have any in my pet shop.
After all, if the selling price is tens of millions of won, how expensive would the raw material costs be?
If it didn't sell, the loss would be immense, which was why he hadn't cultured one in the first place.
'Since I'm no-brand, no one comes looking for them anyway....'
Anyhow, since there are no D-rank pets in the shop, I need to pivot my approach slightly.
Rather than selling the kids in the cages, I should take an order for culturing a new pet.
"Customer-nim? We don't have D-rank pets in stock right now... Starting from D-rank, we take commissions for custom-made pets. It will take a bit of time, would that be alright with you?"
"Ah, yes! That's fine!"
"Then please check over these documents."
I handed over a sheet of paper containing explanations regarding the pet creation commission.
While Hunter Lee Yujin checked the document, I intended to check her information.
'Customer Status Window'
[ Name 》 Lee Yujin ]
[ Race 》 Human ]
[ Awakener Rank 》 C-rank ]
[ Position 》 Precision Archer ]
[ Combat Disposition 》 Prefers aiming for weak points with each careful shot to land critical hits. Prefers constantly shifting firing positions. ]
[ Areas for Improvement 》 Unskilled at imbuing mana into arrows. Frequently exposed to unexpected danger due to frequent position changes. Potential for skill enhancement when paired with an outstanding supporter. ]
'Hmm, so the issue is basically a lack of firepower? It seems her tendency to target weak points stems from this problem.'
Since monsters move continuously, she must be constantly shifting positions to get a clear angle....
Since she's on the same team as Yoo-hunter, she's probably a victim of that same tanker who couldn't hold monster aggro properly.
At any rate, is lack of firepower a chronic issue for archers...?
'Monsters are generally huge, so dealing damage with tiny arrows isn't easy.'
Which is why main damage dealers are predominantly mages.
It's not that archers are garbage, though... should I say it's a class that requires more technique? They can use specially crafted arrows and create tactical advantages by striking vital spots like the eyes.
Or there are rapid-fire archers who turn monsters into pincushions.
Plus, they're generally pretty good at clearing out minor mobs.
'Regardless, I've got a rough idea of the problem.'
Now, I naturally need to use this information I've gleaned to design a custom pet...
But acting like I suddenly know everything would be extremely suspicious, wouldn't it?
So what I came up with was...
"Shall we do a brief consultation now?"
"A consultation?"
"Yes, a consultation regarding the magical beast pet we'll be making. As I mentioned earlier, we're creating a custom pet. This happens to be my specialty."
"Ah... So that's why Yoo-hunter also...!"
Well, in that guy's case, it was a lucky fluke.
Anyway, I proceeded with Hunter Lee Yujin's consultation.
Having already gathered various pieces of information through the Customer Status Window, I steered the conversation like a renowned fortune-teller.
"Dear me... You've recently had friction with a teammate... especially the tanker...."
"Gasp...!! How did you know? Did you hear it from Yoo-hunter-nim?"
"No. By the way... listening to your story, Hunter Lee Yujin, it seems your career is still short, so you're inexperienced at imbuing mana into your arrows."
"Heo-eok...!! How on earth did you know that...!!!"
Something like this. Using information I already knew to guide the direction of the conversation.
It's a similar principle to fake shamans checking customers' social media beforehand and pretending they predicted it all along...!
"I see it... I can see it... The perfect magical beast for Hunter Lee Yujin-nim...!! Right now, it's best for you to be paired with an outstanding supporter... You must feel it yourself, how often you put yourself in danger while moving around because you can't get a good firing angle...!!"
"Heo-eo-eok...!!! That's insane! Boss, you're not a male shaman or something, are you?"
"I merely deduced it based on the information I picked up during our consultation."
"Heo-eo-eo-eok...!!!! Jackpot!!!"
Before Hunter Lee Yujin could pass out from sheer marveling, I wrapped up the consultation.
"Since it's a small magical beast, ten days should be plenty to complete it."
"That fast...? I heard design alone usually takes several weeks...."
"Fufu... Since you came through Yoo-hunter-nim's referral, I'll pay extra attention. I have a knack for design and culturing as well as enhancement, so don't worry."
"Heo-eo-eo-eo-eok...!!! I knew it...!!!"
After receiving the down payment, I got straight to work.
*
Inside Yuhyeon's shop.
The incubation room slash enhancement room slash storage slash workshop.
I stood in front of the workbench.
"Phew... Finally, the long-awaited creation of a D-rank magical beast."
"Hek-hek...."
Right beside me, Haengbok the slime puppy looked up at me while panting. I picked the little guy up and kneaded him.
Jumulleok- jumulleok-
"Hek-hek...."
As I kneaded the jelly dog and activated my ability, the task window popped up.
I selected the Design tab.
【 Design 】
The most fundamental ability of a Beast Alchemist, and a process that wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the most vital aspect of beast creation.
'Normally, this would require countless trial-and-error attempts.'
Generally, there isn't just one or two roadblocks during the design phase. Like coding a complex program, touching one part causes two or three issues somewhere else.
Hunter Lee Yujin didn't ask if design took several weeks for no reason.
But who am I? None other than an EX-rank Beast Alchemist.
I had already experienced a glimpse of that power during the previous enhancement procedure.
Senses and intuition that seemed to lie far beyond the realm of humanity.
Surely that power would manifest during 【 Design 】 as well.
And that expectation wasn't wrong.
[ Select the direction of the design. ]
[ User's database information is of the highest grade. ]
[ Sub-trait 'Intuition of the Evolution Monarch' is activated. ]
[ Designing a new magical beast based on collected information. ]
Along with an overwhelming sense of omnipotence, a feeling as if my brain were boiling over hit me, and information raged inside my head.
Information on basic magical beasts I originally knew and information on creatures I had never seen before tangled together, and amid the chaos, a single line shining with golden light guided the path.
Kneading Haengbok, I collapsed onto the spot.
"Heo-eok... heo-eok... Found it...."
With an inspiration that felt like my head was exploding, the blueprint was completed in an instant.
Jureuk-
"Ah, a nosebleed...."
"Hek-hek...."
Hwicheong-
I felt so dizzy I couldn't keep my balance.
Using this ability definitely still takes a physical toll on my body, but....
Looking at the status window that popped up, I couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
"This is seriously fucking broken...."
[ A new blueprint has been completed. ]
[ Model Name 》 Sylphid ]
[ Mana Core Rank 》 D ]
[ Lifespan 》 3 years ]
[ Traits 》 Blessing of the Storm (C+), Low-Grade Spirit Body (C) ]
[ The completion level of the magical beast blueprint is extremely high. ]
[ Culture success rate increases significantly. ]
[ Culture Success Rate 》 Extremely High ]
"Haha... Getting a C+-rank trait is shocking enough, but not just one trait, two? This is insane...."
Two traits when one is usually the standard?
And on a D-rank Mana Core at that?
A case like this is extremely rare even on a global scale.
No, maybe it's a first.
"If other Beast Alchemists saw this, they might faint on the spot...?"
"Hek-hek...!"
I couldn't wait to see the finished product of this blueprint.