Chapter 62
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Gorani - Fangs = Appearance Patch Complete
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After Park Jin-su vanished, a minor uproar erupted in the political sphere.
The root of it all was Park Min-cheol, the assemblyman, who had confidently blabbed in front of reporters right before his unofficial meeting with Gorani-man.
‘I just received an urgent report from a Management Bureau staffer—we’ve successfully made contact with Gorani-man!’
Park Min-cheol, who happened to be appearing on a live current affairs show, seized the scoop and blurted it out on the spot.
‘The patriot Gorani-man will return a portion of the Disaster Flowers he obtained in Okinawa to our government!’
‘What? That massive haul?’
‘I’ll make it happen!’
He shamelessly scooped up the credit as if it were all his doing.
But instead of boosting his approval ratings, his words triggered a massive backlash.
Return? Why is that national property?
Why try to steal what Gorani-man earned?
Politicians are all thieves at heart.
Did nothing himself and now hogging the credit. Disgusting.
Stop forcing patriotism on us, boomer.
Don’t touch Gorani-man. We’re watching.
Of course, even in the face of poor public opinion, Park Min-cheol figured he could recover if Park Jin-su pulled through and claimed the credit. But when it turned out Park Jin-su had been duped by a fake con artist...
“I prematurely announced my hopes. I’m sorry.”
Park Min-cheol had to bow his head at an official apology press conference.
“The word ‘return’ caused misunderstandings. I offer my deepest apologies to Gorani-man.”
Even with the gravitas of a five-term assemblyman and his thick wall of supporters, this incident left a small but undeniable blemish on Park Min-cheol’s political standing.
In the middle of the vegetable garden.
Hasuo was staring motionlessly at the precious fleeceflower seed that had finally sprouted a flower stalk, watching it for hours on end.
[Fleeceflower Seed Infused with Hope]
This seed was unique—it didn’t grow vines or roots but bore small, round, milky-white beads like candy after the flower bloomed.
The fruit was nearly ripe, emitting a crystalline glow, but...
“Ppoeng...”
Hasuo instinctively sensed that something crucial was still missing.
Unable to pinpoint what it was, it could only fiddle with the surrounding stems without touching the precious fruit.
Just then, a commotion erupted from one corner of the yard.
Crunch! Snap!
It was Gorani.
He was gnawing through the tough Disaster Wood chunks Kang-hyun had brought from Okinawa like they were toys, shattering them with his sharp fangs.
“Krhung!”
Pleased with the power of his mighty fangs, he snorted proudly.
“Neng?”
Suddenly, catching sight of his ferocious reflection in a puddle, he looked dejected.
He seemed to recall how someone had cried upon seeing his fangs not long ago.
If only these weren’t here.
Gorani gazed sadly at his most powerful weapons—his fangs.
For days now, he’d been trying to hide or get rid of them.
He’d ground them against rocks, buried them in dirt, tried every trick in the book.
But nothing worked.
“...”
Finally, with a resolute expression, he prepared to charge at the yard’s largest, toughest rock—his last resort.
He planned to smash into it with all his might and shatter those ugly fangs for good.
“Gorani, no! You’ll hurt the rock!”
At that moment, Kang-hyun rushed in and blocked his path.
“They won’t disappear just because you do that.”
“Kiiing...”
“Hold on. I’ll fix it for you. I’ll check the black market again.”
Kang-hyun patted the sulking Gorani’s head.
“Kiyuuung!!!”
Gorani threw himself into Kang-hyun’s arms with explosive joy.
Of course, his massive bulk made a full hug impossible.
The hospital room, filled with a faint floral scent instead of harsh disinfectant.
The caretaker auntie gazed at the [Fairy Queen’s Little Greenhouse] by the window, murmuring nostalgically.
So-ye and I... this chapter of our lives is really ending.
So-ye’s discharge was imminent, marking the end of her long hospital stay.
Of course, with the child regaining her health, it was pure joy.
But part of her felt bittersweet at the thought of no longer seeing the daughter-like So-ye every day.
She secretly wiped away tears while watching So-ye pack her things stoically.
It’s really a miracle.
Taking care of So-ye had been a blessing.
Her guardian, Kang-hyun, had always been generous, but lately he’d been handing over thick bonus envelopes each visit.
Back then, I collapsed in tears over Ji-ho’s hospital bills...
Ji-ho wasn’t as severe as So-ye, not needing 24-hour care.
But leaving her son’s side to work tore at her heart every time.
Kang-hyun’s money had been a lifeline beyond measure.
Wiping her tears, the auntie called Kang-hyun.
“Yes, Kang-hyun-ssi. So-ye’s results are all clear today.”
-Really? That’s great.
“My Ji-ho’s gotten so much better thanks to those veggies you sent. I can’t thank you enough.”
-No, I’m the grateful one. How’s Ji-ho doing?
“Get this—they thought it was just asthma, but recent tests showed it’s mana particulate allergy.”
-Ah, yeah, that explains why it wasn’t improving.
Since the Tower appeared, pollution-related illnesses had surged.
Especially among kids with weak immune systems, it was as common and deadly as atopic dermatitis.
Tower contaminants floating in the air entered the lungs, causing chronic coughs and breathing issues.
No clear cure existed, making it a nightmare for parents.
“Those [Dew-Kissed Cherry Tomatoes] you sent seem to have helped the most.”
Symptoms mimicked pneumonia or flu, leading to frequent misdiagnoses, and even when correctly identified, treatments were lacking.
Progress had stalled until Kang-hyun’s crops turned out to be the biggest help.
“Anyway, So-ye’s discharge prep is almost done. Just a final check and paperwork, so probably tomorrow or the day after at latest—we’ll head to the countryside house.”
-Got it. I’ll pick you up then.
The day that once seemed impossibly distant was now right around the corner.
The black market was a world of the law of the jungle.
Low-tier hunters risking death to smuggle goods from contaminated zones.
Traitors fencing guild gear.
Wanted criminals who’d killed rivals and looted their spoils.
A haven for every illicit item that couldn’t go legit.
The poor and weak were prey in this lawless den.
Kim Se-jin.
He was a frail boy barely holding onto his stall in this hellhole, surviving on sheer grit.
But lately, crisis loomed.
Rumors spread that he’d bought a prime artifact with mysterious funds—music to the hyenas’ ears.
“Hey, kid. Heard you scored something good? Hand it over to the big brothers first.”
Two sketchy C-rank hunters cornered his stall, picking a fight.
“...It’s mine.”
“Shut it and hand it over.”
One hunter reached for the rare artifact Kim Se-jin had pulled all-nighters and paid a premium for.
“N-No, don’t!”
Kim Se-jin resisted, but he couldn’t match a C-rank’s strength.
“Just let me look!”
Right as it was nearly snatched...
Thwack!
Someone gripped the hunter’s wrist with iron force.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The grip was no joke.
Even a C-rank like him couldn’t budge it.
“W-What the hell, you punk!”
The hunters cursed but froze under the overwhelming pressure radiating from the man.
“L-Let’s go.”
Sensing danger, they backed away and fled.
“You okay?”
“H-Hyungnim!”
It was the man who’d given him soup and cash before.
Kim Se-jin recognized Kang-hyun instantly and ran to him, voice cracking.
“Hyungnim! Thank you for saving me!”
“You good?”
“Yes! And that soup you gave me—my little sister’s so much better now!”
At that, Kang-hyun remembered something and pulled an item from his inventory.
“I brought some of this, too.”
It was a basket of [Dew-Kissed Cherry Tomatoes].
After his call with the caretaker, he’d recalled her son’s symptoms matching this boy’s sister.
“Have her eat these steadily. They’ll help.”
“Hyungnim...!”
Kim Se-jin wiped budding tears and offered the item they’d nearly taken.
“This... I saved it thinking of you.”
“Huh?”
He’d remembered Kang-hyun asking around the black market last time for artifacts that could alter appearances.
He’d scoured every corner for days to snag this.
[Item: Brooch of the Illusion Butterfly]
[Rank: Common]
[Description: Overlays a faint illusion on parts of the body per the wearer’s will, altering or concealing appearance. (Duration and detail depend on user’s mana)]
“This is...”
It matched exactly what Kang-hyun sought.
If it could alter or hide features...
This would solve Gorani’s problem.
“Thanks. This’ll come in handy.”
Kang-hyun eyed it appraisingly.
A common-rank artifact like this went for around 15 million won on the market.
“This is my gift to you!”
Kim Se-jin shyly bowed his head, avoiding eye contact.
He must’ve paid a fortune acquiring it.
Even with the money Kang-hyun gave, it was probably his life savings.
And now a gift...
After a moment’s thought, Kang-hyun transferred 50 million—triple market price.
“H-Hyungnim! I said it’s free!”
“Think of your sister at home. What’ll she eat if you give it away?”
“...”
“In return, show me first next time you get something good.”
Kim Se-jin bowed repeatedly, eyes shining with gratitude.
“Of course! Hyungnim!”
To Kang-hyun, he was just some kid he’d passed by in the black market.
But...
Orphaned siblings down to just the two of them.
And a sick little sister.
It hit too close to his own past to feel like someone else’s business.
If he could help it, he didn’t want these kids suffering like he had.
Besides, young and frail as he seemed, that spark in his eyes was sharp.
His thoughtfulness in tracking down the item from a casual remark made him worth keeping tabs on.
“See you next time.”
Even after Kang-hyun left, Kim Se-jin lingered.
Since his parents died, he’d never met a true adult in this hellish market.
For the first time, he wanted to become one like that man.
I’ll repay this kindness someday.
Faint but firm, a seed of loyalty took root in Kim Se-jin’s heart.
Back home, I called Gorani over right away.
I attached the [Brooch of the Illusion Butterfly] to his mana stone necklace.
“There. Now you can change your look however you want.”
“Kiiing?”
I lightly touched the item with internal energy.
“Gone.”
Like magic, Gorani’s sharp fangs faded into transparency and vanished.
He tilted his head and checked his reflection in the puddle.
Definitely, the ferocious vibe was gone, replaced by a gentle herbivore look.
“Kiyot!”
Gorani bounced in place with excitement.
His mountain-sized bulk and rippling muscles remained, but this was a huge change.
“Oh, does this work too?”
I channeled internal energy into the brooch, tweaking the effect slightly.
Poof!
The vanished fangs reappeared.
Now twice as long and sharper than before.
“Of course, it’s still an illusion.”
It not only altered appearance but imprinted real intimidation and terror—a potent mental attack.
“Kiyooooht!”
Hiding them? Perfect!
Looking fiercer? Perfect!
Gorani roared in satisfaction with his new toy.
Late at night.
Someone lurking beyond the garden, eyeing Kang-hyun’s house.
An old badger who’d been sniffing around the chickens for days.
“Sniff, sniff.”
Definitely in there.
For some reason, that chicken smelled more delicious than any prey imaginable.
The instincts of a lifetime in the mountains screamed it.
That bird would be tastier than anything he’d ever eaten.
Slurp, gulp.
The badger salivated, waiting for his chance.
Finally, all lights out, silence fell.
He dug under the fence toward the coop.
“!”
A colossal shadow loomed, freezing him mid-step.
Gorani.
Yaaawn!
Bored from night patrol, Gorani yawned hugely.
Moonlight glinted off the massive fangs in his gaping maw!
“Hiiiieeeek!”
The badger’s eyes rolled back in a shriek of terror.
What the hell was that?
Were those truly an animal’s teeth?
Those fangs looked like they could rend mountains—ancient beast level.
The bloodlust and pressure rooted the old badger in icy fear.
“Kkie...”
Fur bristling, heart stuttering!
Legs buckled; he couldn’t stand.
One bite, and he’d be erased from existence.
“Kkieeeek!”
The badger fled madly back the way he came.
He’d never set foot in this horrific domain again.