Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Tired Dawn, Monster Love
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Beep beep beep beep beep!
A blaring noise assaulted my eardrums.
...Damn, morning already?
In the face of this unbelievable horror, I pulled the blanket over my head and racked my brain.
My fatigue-soaked mind grudgingly spat out an answer—a sort of self-justification.
‘...Did I set the alarm wrong?’
Beep beep beep beep beep!
“Ugh......”
I squirmed. Squirmed some more.
Somehow, I stretched out my hand and grabbed the smartphone on the nightstand.
[05:01 AM]
It was still nearly an hour before dawn.
The time when I should rightfully be enjoying sweet sleep.
“...I wanna die.”
But horrifyingly enough, today I had to get up.
Not just today—for the next two months.
Rustle.
“Chuuuong......”
Before getting up, I pulled the blanket back over me first.
Spring was in full swing, but the temperature swings were still severe.
Mornings were sneakily chilly, and being in a rooftop room made it feel even worse.
Warmth. I needed warmth.
The kind of warmth that could melt my body.
So I wriggled around, searching diligently nearby.
‘Where’d it go......’
I couldn’t find Seolbaek-i at all—the source of warmth, my security blanket for happy sleep.
“Ugh......”
In the end, I curled up as tightly as possible.
Like a squirrel hibernating, conserving heat to the max.
It’s probably... around 5:05 now.
If I compromise on washing and dressing, I could squeeze in another 15 minutes of sleep.
Just in case, I set a backup alarm for 5:20, so it should be fine......
Kyaang! Kyaang!
“Wh-what?”
A sudden racket jolted my eyes wide open. I even kicked off the blanket and bolted upright.
Woo-ee!
“...Mini?”
Mini was banging away on a gong like mad.
Mercilessly, it had turned on every light in the room too.
For the mini golems, sleep was—how should I put it—like a hobby.
Meaning they didn’t strictly need it.
Of course, Mini’s minions slept properly every night, but Mini itself was content with just naps.
By the way, lately Mini had been spending nights in the game room I’d set up for it.
So I had asked it to wake me if I didn’t get up...
...but not today, please.
Kyaang! Kyaang kyaang!
“Got it! I’m up, I’m up, so stop already!”
Woo-ee!
“Fwaaaaaah......”
I rubbed my eyes, but they still wouldn’t open properly.
I dragged myself out of bed, feet shuffling to the bathroom.
Splash!
After splashing cold water on my face like a cat, my mind finally sharpened a bit.
[05:29 AM]
I must’ve zoned out while washing—time had slipped by more than expected.
“This is tight......”
Hayoung was due at 5:45. Not enough time for breakfast.
Whirr!
Of course, skipping was fine for just me.
“Yeah, yeah. Hold on a sec.”
I tossed some freshly imported dragon meat to Seolbaek-i, who was whining for food, and got dressed.
I checked my outfit in the mirror.
“Let’s hurry.”
Whirr!
With Seolbaek-i, who’d already devoured one chunk, perched on my head, I left the rooftop room.
The moment my foot hit the stairs, a shiver ran through me.
The factory was filled with a serious chill.
Which made sense, all things considered.
One wall had collapsed completely.
I’d patched it roughly with slime blobs, but that was just a temporary fix.
Lately, I’d been too busy for proper repairs.
“You’re here? You look tired.”
“Eh...... Kinda, I guess.”
Unlike me, Hayoung brimmed with energy.
Not sleepy at all? She’d worked late with me last night too.
“Hold on, Dawn.”
“...Yeah?”
“You came out barefaced again, didn’t you?”
“Ah.... It’s just a hassle......”
“You can’t do that. Your skin’s getting dry these days.”
I tried to hop straight into the car, but sadly, it ended in failure.
“Eek...... Ack......”
In the end, caught by Hayoung, I suffered the punishment of ‘moisturizer on the face.’
A special cream bestowed by the heavens.
Apparently even the Hunter Association president used it. Unlike regular creams, it felt suffocatingly thick, so I wasn’t a fan.
But the effects were top-notch, it seemed.
“Done. Let’s go.”
With that, we got in the car and headed out.
Our destination: a gate in Gangwon Province.
One I’d borrowed from Baekya for a bit. Couldn’t keep summoning Cheonkyung in the factory.
It was ridiculously spacious inside, with absolutely nothing there.
Perfect for Cheonkyung summoning.
Aside from the two-hour one-way trip.
I’d considered riding a dragon...
‘Too many eyes watching.’
Better to avoid drawing attention.
Especially after that tail-moving incident last time—conspiracy theories were spawning like weeds.
And hey, this wasn’t so bad either.
Vroom!
Good practice for polishing Hayoung’s still-99%-there driving skills.
Whirr!
I could churn out mana orbs on the way too.
“If you’re tired, shouldn’t you rest? Close your eyes at least. You barely slept last night.”
“I’d love to, but...... Better to finish quick and rest after.”
Honestly, it was still dicey.
Might even run a bit late at this rate.
The researchers and Kevin Construction showed no major issues.
So if I just pushed through, it’d be obvious the project would succeed on time.
“Wanna hear the news?”
“Yeah. Turn it on.”
Click.
Hayoung switched on the radio.
The 6 AM news had just started. I listened with my ears while molding mana orbs with my hands.
[All members of ATK Mercenary Group, known as one of Korea’s largest illegal hunter organizations, have been arrested. According to the Hunter Association, ATK was behind various terrorist acts and crimes... However, the mercenary leader remains at large.]
“They nabbed them all already? Fast.”
“Yeah.”
The ATK scouts we caught a few days ago.
Baekya had finally sprung into action based on that.
They’d held back this whole time.
ATK operated like cockroaches, skittering around, so they’d waited to gather solid evidence.
But wiping them out in just two days? Didn’t expect that.
Is this S-rank hunter power?
They’d completely demolished their base.
I’d thought about helping if it got tough, but tough? No way.
Then why not step in sooner?
‘Probably because of Hwayeon.’
Ultimately, the goal wasn’t ATK—it was Hwayeon.
So maybe they’d finally uncovered the connection between Hwayeon and ATK.
Had to uproot them properly in one go.
They’d regenerate if you didn’t cut off the head.
Which made catching the mercenary leader crucial.
Of course, I trusted Ju Haneul.
She was basically Molrangmol’s field commander—no such thing as failure for her.
[Next, news on the Maris Expedition. In the early hours today, the expedition passed the 55th floor, known as the Wall of Demons.]
“They’re actually gonna clear it?”
“Yeah.”
I hadn’t expected much.
Even with max support, they were a hastily assembled group.
Smooth teamwork was out of the question.
But maybe because of all the veterans?
[Experts estimate the expedition’s clear rate at nearly 80%. Attention is pouring in.]
Smooth sailing, really.
Worth every penny dumped in.
No casualties yet, and Kami’s clones hadn’t even lifted a finger.
Wow. What reward to give if they clear?
A delightfully happy dilemma.
Their return lined up perfectly with my US trip too.
‘Gotta take ’em up on Cheonkyung.’
Make them the inaugural honored guests.
With such an overwhelming reward, their loyalty would skyrocket.
“Okay. That’s done......”
I whipped up about 30 mana orbs in the car.
About 20 minutes left till arrival.
I logged into ‘Monster Gal’ for the first time in ages. Had a question.
[Anyone know about the monster called Core Nest?][Posted by: WantToRaiseADragon]
Core Nest.
The only monster that nests in a gate’s core and interacts with it.
Not planning to summon one.
Just curious how it used the core.
Ding!
-Is Core Nest a thing?
↓Rare monster. No records in Korea lol
↓lol yeah
-What’re you up to now..
↓Large monster fragments? Corpse? That was you, right?
↓(OP): Huh? What’s that?
↓lololol ok got it
-BreedingGod: What do you wanna know?
↓(OP): Oh? Expert?
↓BreedingGod: A bit. Failed breeding one recently tho
Scary, BreedingGod.
Is there no limit to your monster love?
[WantToRaiseADragon: You.]
[BreedingGod: Yeah?]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Core Nest draws energy from the core, right?]
[BreedingGod: Similar but not quite.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Huh?]
[BreedingGod: More like it duplicates the core. In mini form.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: How’s that work?]
[BreedingGod: Check this.]
[BreedingGod: (Image)]
I pored over the image he sent.
Less a photo, more an anatomical diagram.
Specifically, of a gate core’s internals.
[WantToRaiseADragon: ??? How do you even know this? Drew it yourself?]
[BreedingGod: Yeah, my major. But no one’s studied it detailed enough for this.]
[BreedingGod: Drew it figuring out Core Nest tho]
Talk about a lucky break.
Had some worries, but now they’re gone.
Solved the biggest hurdle for Cheonkyung summoning.
[WantToRaiseADragon: Thanks... GOAT]
[BreedingGod: ?]
[WantToRaiseADragon: I’ll repay you for sure!]
Tap.
I immediately handed the diagram to Kami No.2 for analysis.
Once done? Use it as reference for the summoning.
Smooth sailing.
Might even succeed way ahead of schedule.