Chapter 58
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Research Institute on the Snowy Mountain
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“So, how are the Hunters? Are they in any condition to build the research institute?”
He didn’t care if the Hunters were mentally scarred, but it would be a problem if they were unable to work.
At Cheon Doun’s question, Yu Beom nodded.
“No problem there. It’ll be finished by the time you go tomorrow morning.”
That was good news. Just as he smiled in satisfaction, footsteps echoed from the path connected to the waterfall valley.
“Ah! It’s Uncle Sparrow!”
Spotting Yu Beom, Kim Nari ran over with a delighted expression. The small chimeras followed her in a line.
“Welcome, Uncle Sparrow. Your timing is excellent.”
Kim Nari set down what she was carrying in her arms. She had come with a leaf as wide as a human torso rolled up, and when she unfurled it, steaming grilled crayfish were revealed.
“It was bothering me that I couldn’t give the mister any grilled crayfish. So I caught more and cooked them. There’s a lot this time.”
Kim Nari said with a proud look on her face. The chimeras standing behind her stared at the crayfish meat, their mouths watering.
They were all young. At an age where they were hungry again as soon as they finished eating. Yu Beom looked at the chimeras, then picked up the smallest piece of crayfish meat.
“Then I’ll take this.”
Beside him, Cheon Doun picked up a similar piece.
“Give the rest to your friends back there. This is enough for us.”
“Is that enough? The mister and uncle are adults. You are big. You must eat a lot.”
“No. Adults can eat just a little. It’s the growing children who need to eat a lot.”
Cheon Doun nodded at Yu Beom’s words. Hearing them both say that, Kim Nari’s eyes wavered.
Was that really true? Her eyes darting around, Kim Nari bowed her head.
“Then I will gratefully accept.”
Cheon Doun chuckled at her thanking him for the food she had grilled herself. Kim Nari placed the leaf-wrapped crayfish meat on the ground.
“They said we can eat. Let’s eat.”
The moment Kim Nari finished speaking, the small chimeras swarmed the crayfish meat. They each grabbed a piece and began to munch on it.
Once dessert time was over, Kim Nari patted her stomach. The chimeras also lay down, exposing their bellies.
“All done eating?”
“We ate.”
“Hands.”
Cheon Doun took out a water bottle and tilted it. As she usually did, Kim Nari held out her hands and washed them thoroughly.
“Good. Now that we’ve eaten, what should we do?”
“We must work.”
Kim Nari said, raising her hand high. What did she usually do that made such a young child immediately say she had to work? Yu Beom smiled with a strange expression.
Just when you think he’s taking good care of her, it seems work is still work, and business is still business. Cheon Doun showed her the ore he had cut.
“We’re going to make a fence. I need you to cut the ore into this shape. Can you do it?”
Kim Nari’s pupils glowed red. Checking status. Scanning object. Shape analysis complete.
“I can do it. I will try.”
Kim Nari stood the ore upright. A laser shot from her eyes and began to cut through it.
“Oh, what’s this? I didn’t expect this cutting method. Nari, you’re cool.”
“Am I cool?”
“Whoa there. Don’t look over here while you’re shooting lasers.”
At Yu Beom’s words, Kim Nari’s expression turned to one of realization as she turned off the laser.
“You’re cool. But something’s missing.”
“Missing? What is?”
“You don’t have a spirited shout.”
“A… a spirited shout…!”
Kim Nari’s face was one of enlightenment.
*What are you teaching the kid now?* Cheon Doun’s expression said as much, but he didn’t stop them.
Even though he pretended not to, Cheon Doun was also enjoying their banter.
“Alright, try cutting again while making a spirited shout.”
“Uh, what kind of sound should I make?”
“You have to think of that yourself.”
“Myself… Understood. I will try.”
Kim Nari looked at the ore with a serious face. Firing the laser from her eyes, she shouted with all her might.
“Pew… pew pew pew!”
Hearing the strange noises coming from her mouth, Cheon Doun quietly turned his head away.
“S… slice slice!”
Cheon Doun’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“Z, zzzing…! Swish! Crunch crunch!”
“You’re doing great, kiddo!”
“Whoa. Am I doing well?”
“Extremely. So well you could graduate from my tutelage. I acknowledge you.”
“Graduate…! I have been acknowledged by Uncle Sparrow. I will graduate.”
“Good. I’ll recognize you as a master artisan.”
Having already finished one fence piece, Kim Nari beamed. Watching her, Cheon Doun also smiled.
He had no idea what kind of skit this was, but it was entertaining.
“Don’t teach her too many weird things.”
“You were laughing your head off, and now you’re trying to back out. Anyway, since I’m here, I’ll help too. There’s nothing to do on the snowy mountain right now anyway.”
Yu Beom picked up a piece of ore. At that, Cheon Doun’s face became intrigued.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen the siblings’ abilities.’
He had seen them use wind during their first encounter, but he had never witnessed it up close.
Yu Beom unfurled his wings. They were shaped like a pterosaur’s. At the tip of each wing was a sharp horn.
When he touched it to the ore and swiped, the ore was sliced as if a razor blade were cutting through paper.
“Whoa, Uncle Sparrow is amazing. Your wings are so strong!”
“Right? They’re pretty strong, aren’t they?”
Yu Beom smiled playfully. In truth, he hadn’t cut it with the horn.
Mana was enveloping the horn on his wing. That invisible force was rotating at high speed, cutting the ore.
“You seem to mainly handle wind. Is that right?”
When Cheon Doun asked, Yu Beom nodded.
“That’s right. Actually, rather than wind, I often compress air to create a blade. Jia is a bit different… Well, you’ll see if you get the chance.”
As they talked, they finished cutting one piece of ore.
He inserted the luminous stone into the base, and it was complete. Yu Beom placed the ore next to the fence at a suitable interval.
“This faint glow is pretty nice. I should set one up at our house like a lighthouse. Is it okay if I take one?”
“Go ahead. But if you’re going to use it as a lighthouse, don’t you not need it?”
With the siblings’ eyesight, finding their way home on a dark, moonless night wouldn’t be a problem.
When asked about this, Yu Beom shrugged.
“It’s for the aesthetic.”
“The aesthetic?”
“It’s like this fence. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it’s something you’d like to have. You know what I mean?”
After hearing the explanation, Cheon Doun nodded. Come to think of it, he didn’t absolutely need a fence either.
Kim Nari, who had been listening to their conversation, also nodded with a serious face.
“Aesthetic. I will make a note of it. I learn many things by coming here.”
More than half of which were useless.
But from the remaining half, Kim Nari was learning things precious to life.
***
Early in the morning, Kim Nari peeked into the dressing room.
Her usual Guu shirt and pumpkin shorts had been washed and hung out to dry, so she had to choose other clothes.
“I am going to the snowy mountain. Therefore, it must be winter clothes.”
Kim Nari put on a thick sweater that came down to her thighs.
After putting on black pants and fur boots, her defense against the cold was established.
The last thing she chose was a light green coat.
“It is a place where it snows. I must dress warmly.”
Kim Nari muttered, checking her outfit.
As a Machine Lifeform, Kim Nari was unaffected by the weather. The reason she dressed up was to enjoy the atmosphere.
“This is what you call aesthetic!”
Shouting the word she had learned the previous night, Kim Nari left the dressing room. Outside, a fully prepared Cheon Doun and Yu Beom were waiting.
“All dressed?”
“All dressed.”
“You buttoned it up one off.”
“Ah! Th-this. That is. I can just re-button it. Please wait.”
Kim Nari fumbled to unbutton her coat. Once she re-fastened the misaligned buttons, her crooked clothes became neat.
“Guu. I’m heading out, so could you take charge of the chimeras for me?”
-I will. It’s not much to take charge of. They all seem to recognize this place as home, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
The chimeras were dozing off in the remaining pile of ore.
A fox emerged from within. The fox was also still young. It was an age where it needed a lot of sleep, but it fought off its drowsiness and went to Kim Nari.
With a fluid movement, the fox jumped onto Kim Nari’s shoulder.
-I want to go too. I’m going to stay with Nari.
“Mister. The fox says it wants to come too.”
“Let it.”
Cheon Doun took the Mandragoras and Nari and climbed onto Blue. Yu Beom spread his wings and departed first.
A second flight to the snowy mountain. Cheon Doun soared toward his second base.
***
Upon arriving at the snowy mountain, the completed research institute came into view.
Like Cheon Doun’s house, it was a building made of logs, but the overall feel was different.
A proper door that could be opened and closed, a metal handle, glass windows. Even a chimney and a triangular roof.
“This is quite professional.”
“Ah, Teacher. You’re here? I’ve been ferrying building materials through the Gate. I figured we should build it properly while we have high-performance laborers.”
Manager Kim said while organizing the items he had brought from outside the Gate.
“Considering the building’s location, I doubt we’ll be able to use it for long… but while we do, we should set it up to a level where we can conduct serious research.”
“Good job. This kind of thing should be done when you have the manpower to spare.”
Cheon Doun said, looking at the Hunters sprawled outside the institute. Their complexions had turned haggard in just one day.
It wasn’t because the work was hard. Nor was it due to the shock of losing the battle against Yu Jia.
The Hunters’ faces were etched with a despair that couldn’t be compared to such things.
“Looks like you took their Mana Halls.”
“You noticed right away.”
“With reactions like that, how could I not?”
Even without specifically scanning with mana, he could tell from the Hunters’ empty expressions.
“That formula you gave me, Teacher. As you said, one or two parts of the formula were missing, but they were easy enough to deduce, so I started work right away. I just needed to bring the necessary ingredients from outside the Gate.”
Manager Kim placed three blue bottles on the table.
The power of an Awakened being, extracted from the Hunters’ Mana Halls. It was an essence that converted that power into life force.
“I’ve already given one to O Bongsu. The life force contained within is so strong that I think we’ll need to give it to him over time for it to be absorbed.”
“How is he?”
“He’s doing well. He’s sleeping after taking the medicine.”
Manager Kim pointed to the room in the back.
“As long as the life force from the medicine he just took is properly absorbed, his body will recover enough to pass through the Gate.”
“Alright, good work. How long has it been since you used the formula?”
“I did it right after the sun came up this morning… so about two hours.”
“Perfect. I’ll erase your memory of the formula, so follow me. I need to erase it from the moment you first learned it, so you’ll have about a day’s worth of memory missing.”
Manager Kim nodded. To prevent the amnesia powder from affecting anyone else, Cheon Doun led him to the back of the institute.
Yu Beom, who had been watching the situation, left the lab. He approached the dazed Hunters.
“Congratulations. You saved a person.”
“What…?”
“You know that kid you left to die? Thanks to the Mana Halls we took from you, he’s alive. How does it feel to have saved a child’s life?”
The Hunters’ faces twisted. They tried to spew curses, but no words came out.
It was true that they had stood by and watched a child die for their own greed. When confronted with that shameful act, they were momentarily speechless.
Unfairness and anger. A selfish thought that it was just one child’s life, and this was going too far. A conscience somewhere deep inside that prevented them from shouting it out.
In the end, this was all their own doing. Regret over that fact brought a wave of despair.
A few still wore demonic expressions, but they were crushed by the atmosphere and couldn’t make a sound.
“Uncle Sparrow. Why are those people like that?”
Kim Nari, who had been peeking from the side, asked.
“Because they did something bad.”
“A bad thing. That is not good. Why did they do that?”
At the child’s innocent question, a few of the Hunters averted their eyes. At that, Yu Beom smiled.
It seemed Kim Nari’s guileless question had struck them harder than any reprimand.
“They knew it was the wrong path, but they closed their eyes and walked it anyway. This is what happens when people are foolish.”
“They are foolish even though they are adults?”
“Not all adults are smart.”
“Ooh. I see. I did not know that.”
Kim Nari let out a small sound of admiration and looked at the Hunters.
Even seeing a young child inside the Gate, the Hunters hadn’t felt a sense of unease.
That’s how shocked and dazed they were by their situation.
“You shouldn’t become an adult like that, kiddo.”
“Understood. I will remember that.”
Kim Nari nodded with a serious face.
Cheon Doun, who overheard their conversation as he came out of the institute, smiled quietly.
‘The Hunter situation is mostly sorted out. I’ll have Manager Kim cast a silencing spell when he comes to his senses. What’s left… where are the Mandragoras?’
The hundred or so Mandragoras led by the leader root. Those plant roots were nowhere to be seen.
Cheon Doun spread his mana to check.
Drawn by the mana of the high-altitude region, the Mandragoras were climbing the mountain. They must have been walking all day, as they were farther away than he had expected.
‘Looks like they’re returning to where they lived.’
Cheon Doun looked at the pot in his arms. As if sensing the mountain’s energy, the root poked its head out from the soil.
“It’s time to part ways.”
-Huuung?
“You have to go back to your group. I’ll take you there. Let’s go.”
-Huuung.
The root, not understanding human words, happily shook its leaves.
Cheon Doun watched it for a moment, then started walking toward where the roots were gathered.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t sad to part with it. But he couldn’t just kidnap the leader of a group and raise it as his own.
‘Did he say they decide for themselves where they live?’
Guu’s words suddenly came to mind. What choice would this little root make?
“You choose. If you want to live in nature, that’s fine too. I’ve confirmed that you’re alive, and that’s enough for me.”
There was nothing better than living freely.
“If you want to live with me… there’s not much I can offer. I’ll cherish you.”
He would make it a houseplant and give it a name. Thinking that far, Cheon Doun let out a soft laugh.
This root was the leader of a group. Considering that, it was highly likely to choose to stay on the snowy mountain.
‘They say great expectations lead to great disappointment.’
He should empty his mind so he wouldn’t be disappointed. Cheon Doun thought, stroking the root’s leaves.