Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: NIMBY, Battery
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Is there such a thing as fate in this world? Inevitability?
[ A hearing on Hwayeon is set to begin soon. The main issue is the existence of an underground gate, and if it's deemed to truly exist, they'll face massive fines... ]
Maybe you could call it karma.
In conclusion, the horned dinosaur monster didn't inflict much physical damage on Hwayeon—
[ What do you think about this incident? ]
[ Ugh... don't even get me started! My heart's been pounding so hard I can't live like this. Just thinking about some terrifying monster bursting out... ]
Who would've thought it would backfire like this.
Gates had no choice but to be that way.
They were undoubtedly a goldmine, generating massive revenue through hunters...
'But from a regular person's perspective, they're a bit off-putting.'
With monster escape incidents happening all too frequently, people had every reason to fear them.
Of course, direct casualties from those were almost nonexistent.
I think they called it NIMBY.
The phenomenon where people hate having noxious facilities near them.
From that viewpoint, gates felt a bit like nuclear power plants.
Everyone knows they're safe.
They know hunters flock there, boosting local spending, and that they contribute to the nation's prosperity.
They even contributed a portion of their profits annually as tribute fees, albeit small amounts.
But humans gonna human.
[ How are we supposed to live in fear from now on! Huh? You need to take responsibility right now! What happens if our property values drop again! ]
When it comes to risks, people always assume the worst.
"Ugh... a lot of angry folks."
At the site of the hearing, right in front of the Hunter Association's main gate, crowds were venting their fury.
[ Tribute fees! They need to cough up all the tribute they haven't paid so far! ]
Some were straight-up money-grubbers.
Well, the tribute fees weren't huge sums anyway.
'There are people who move specifically for that kind of easy money.'
Plenty couldn't resist slush funds.
Gate-adjacent areas had cheaper housing the higher the gate's rank, plus bigger tribute payouts.
Like killing three birds with one stone?
So how frustrating must it be.
They'd gone decades without S-rank gate tributes.
Of course, whether they'd retroactively collect and distribute it was another story.
Ding!
[ Baekya: Did you see the news? This could be tough for Hwayeon. ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: lol yeah ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: But they'll deny it, right? ]
[ Baekya: Probably try their best. ]
[ Baekya: They've always gotten pushback on related issues, ]
[ Baekya: but lack of evidence lets them weasel out. ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: Yeah. ]
[ Baekya: This time might be different, though. The Association's probably sending a direct underground investigation. ]
From the Association's standpoint, it was a jackpot.
They could squeeze money to fill the national treasury and slap down the arrogant Hwayeon at the perfect moment.
Ding!
[ Baekya: Oh, and civilian certification for Molrangtori should come through next week. ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: Nice. ]
[ Baekya: So... any plans for production? ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: Found a method, but... still researching. ]
[ Baekya: Did you check the factory site info I sent? ]
[ DragonRaiserWannabe: Yep, thanks. I'll get back to you. ]
Beep.
Finished chatting with Ju Ha-neul and turned off the TV.
There's a famous saying, right?
Even if the dog barks, the train keeps rolling.
No matter how much Hwayeon pesters me, I'll charge straight ahead like a rhinoceros horn.
That's why it's test time.
Squeeze!
I pressed a finger into the dark surface. It dented easily under light pressure. It did recover somewhat, but the speed was disappointingly slow.
Meaning elasticity was a weak point.
Maybe half as good as the original Molrangtori?
Woo-woo!
"Good. Mini. Wanna try loading it up right now?"
Woo-woo!
Mini hoisted a massive rock and shoved it into the new Molrangtori's interior.
That rock was over 40kg...
'The capacity's the same.'
The new Molrangtori could hold 50kg per unit, just like the originals.
Combining them was no issue either.
They came from fused giant pudding slime entities to begin with.
You might think, just replace them with regular Molrangtori then?
Especially since I could mass-produce Black Slimes via Kami.
'The extra feature makes it tricky.'
Yeah, there was this new additional function compared to the originals.
It was a good thing, but might require recertification for civilian use.
Whirr!
A rippling crimson glow.
Mana flowed from my hand into the Molrangtori's core.
Just like Kami injecting mana into defective slime balls, I was doing the same trick.
"Roughly 5% goes in, huh."
That's by my standards—actually a massive amount.
B-rank Awakener Ha-young couldn't even fill it completely.
S-rank Hunter Seo-jin could store about 80%.
And while it varied by person,
it usually took 2-3 days to recover 100% mana.
Thus, I'd gone and invented yet another game-changer.
A Molrangtori that doubles as a mana battery...!
Mana is basically an Awakener's everything, right?
An Awakener without mana?
Just a tin can. No different from a regular person.
Sure, Awakener energy drinks helped.
'But those pull from future mana reserves.'
Amazing immediate effects, but with backlash of slowed recovery for days.
That's why hunters generally avoided large gates.
Longer stays meant higher profits, but gates were constant combat zones. Mana drain was inevitable.
Hence, healers and buffers skyrocketed in demand for high-tier parties.
They had mana recovery skills.
'Next normalization target: that crowd?'
Learned this from main gallery binge-reading lately.
Porters were all thriving now.
Elite porters used Molrangtori like scrolls for bigger hauls.
Regular ones picked up cooking side gigs.
Some jumped into industrial labor.
They all cursed me at first.
Now they'd evolved into superior beings.
Porter perceptions were improving naturally.
Shouldn't they make me gallery lord?
Anyway, porters secured as customers, nice and tidy.
But healers and buffers might be tougher to normalize.
In fiction, buffers get shunned.
Kicked from parties, only for the party to regret/wallow/obsess later—classic set.
'This world's more like an MMORPG.'
Healers and buffers were nobility.
Rare gems you paid premiums to recruit. Porters used to be one too.
Naturally, they acted like total jerks.
Never experienced it myself, but the stories alone...
Could mana batteries normalize those types?
Cost-wise, seemed viable.
Hadn't priced new Molrangtori yet, but cheaper than two regulars.
The Hunter Association seriously owes me big time.
In a world where 'hunters = national power.'
How much normalization am I enabling?
Isn't this their job?
Total dereliction of duty.
I'll watch them beat down Hwayeon properly.
Whirr!
"Okay. Storing cleanly."
Half my mana neatly saved in the 10-unit fused new Molrangtori.
Extracting and using it was obviously possible.
But only by the owner.
"Seolbaek, wanna try absorbing some?"
Kiiing!
Seolbaek spun in midair at my command.
Poof! White smoke billowed as it shapeshifted into my likeness.
Kiiing!
...Shouldn't it make human sounds in that form? Feels kinda weird.
Kiiing!
Seolbaek reached for the Molrangtori, trying to absorb the stored mana—my mana.
Kiiing...
No dice.
Crimson light leaked out, but it swirled around without entering Seolbaek.
Like with the slime ball before, it couldn't accept others' mana.
Reason unclear, but probably absorption method difference.
Eating the Molrangtori itself might work... Not eager to test.
Nyaaang!
Kami, from who-knows-where, offered Seolbaek a slime ball packed with its own mana.
Kiiing!
As if Seolbaek would eat that. It bolted behind my back.
"Kami, cut the pranks."
Nyaaang!
Calmed the critters and grabbed my smartphone.
Nyaaang!
Screen not even on, and Kami No.2 greeted me.
Sensing my intent, it accessed the Molrang Mall gallery and started typing.
"Tweak that phrasing a bit? Too aggressive."
Nyaaang!
Convenient. So convenient.
Step up if you've got a better AI assistant.
Nyaaang!
"Good. Post as is?"
**
[Recruiting Beta Testers + Important Announcement!][Poster: DragonRaiserWannabe]
Hello.
How's the new Molrang Mall treating you?
Writing today to recruit beta testers.
What kind?
Right away...!
New Molrangtori beta testers!
This version packs revolutionary tech: mana storage!
Selecting 100 testers for it.
(Apply via link)
And additionally!
Recruiting folks to run Molrang Mall with me going forward.
Quick summary:
R&D Division: 0 slots
Production Oversight: 0 slots
Details next post!
Thanks in advance!
-Wait, so Molrangtori now doubles as mana batteries???
ㄴSolo play era incoming lmao
ㄴThis hits and solo's meta for real ㅋㅋㅋ
-HanSaebyeokNo1Fan: Join Molrang Mall and see Saebyeok daily?
ㄴIn your dreams lol
ㄴHanSaebyeokNo1Fan: Could happen...
ㄴYou see the CEO daily at your job? Let alone, she's just a model?
ㄴHanSaebyeokNo1Fan: ......
ㄴㅋㅋㅋ Go easy
-0 slots is bullshit lol just means not hiring
ㄴLmao skill issue
ㄴWhy so many idiots lately