Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Abnormal Weather and Decision
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[Snow falling white from the sky~]
The song is lively, but my mood is anything but.
Woo-ee! Woo-ee! Woo-ee!
"Kids, not there—dump it behind the yard."
Woo-ee!
It started snowing from the sky three days ago.
At first, I thought it was just a precursor to early winter, like fireworks announcing its arrival. But it turned out to be far more serious than that.
I look up at the sky, and pure white flakes keep pouring down relentlessly. When the hell is it going to stop?
I can’t even tell if this is Gyeonggi Province or the middle of Siberia anymore.
The snow has piled up to just a bit below my height so far. A little more, and it might bury me completely.
“This is driving me crazy….”
Of course, I used to love snow as a kid.
It gave us new games like snowball fights, building snowmen, or sledding.
The snow-covered landscape itself was pretty, too.
But I can’t feel that way anymore.
Splat!
Snow is trash.
I realized that back in the army when I was stuck shoveling it off the roads.
“Stop! Just! Come! Here!”
Thud! Thud!
I lash out in frustration at the piled-up snow, kicking it hard.
“Wh-whoa!”
I nearly got swallowed whole. My foot slipped, and I sank right into it. Ugh, it’s freezing! My clothes are soaked through.
By the way, I was holding a snow shovel in my hand. Made from some high-grade monster material—it’s sturdy and performs great as a snow removal tool.
I’d been trying to clear the snow with it for two days straight now.
“…No end in sight.”
It just doesn’t stop.
Clear it, and it piles up again. Clear it, piles up more. Forget the freak weather miracle—this much snow is just too damn much.
But I can’t just leave it be. I wouldn’t be able to run Molrangmol like this.
For starters, Hayeong can’t even commute anymore. And the express delivery service for Hunter Gallery is shut down.
The only road connecting our factory to Gyeonggi City center?
Of course, it’s buried under a ton of snow, and there’s no one around to plow it.
It’s too long for people to clear by hand anyway.
I tried calling a professional snow removal company, but they’re swamped and said I’d have to wait at least three more days.
Splat! Splat!
So all I can do is try to clear at least in front of the factory like this.
If I can just make space to store the goods, I can switch to drone delivery. It’s way more expensive, but whatever.
Woo-ee! Woo-ee!
Thud!
But whether they know my plight or not, the mini golems have abandoned shoveling and launched into a fierce snowball fight.
Woo-ee!
Thud!
“Ouch…!”
Not content with playing among themselves, they even hit me. Seeing them all clutching their bellies laughing, it was definitely on purpose.
“…Hey! I said no snowball fights!”
I yell at them, but they don’t even pretend to listen.
The golems get even more excited and start pelting me with snowballs.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
…These little punks! They’re not puppies—why do they love snow so much?
“Ugh!”
I grumpily scoop up a snowball.
“……”
But I don’t throw it at them.
Thinking about it, they work hard for me every day, so letting them have some fun isn’t so bad.
They’ve actually cleared quite a bit around the factory entrance since we started at dawn.
“…Ah-choo!”
A sneeze bursts out of nowhere.
Probably from falling into the snow earlier—my body’s starting to shiver.
With the blizzard, temps have dropped to -15°C. At this rate, I’m definitely catching a cold.
“Seolbaek!”
I head back to the rooftop room to change, planning to leave the others in Seolbaek’s care.
Kiiing?
But the little guy, whose roots are Arctic fox, is busy digging burrows. It felt too much to burden him like that.
Kiiing?
Look at him, covered head to toe in snow, gazing up with those big, round eyes. He’s even wagging his tail—and not just any tail, but now he has three since one grew back recently.
How could I ask a guy like that to work?
“…Nah. Keep playing.”
Pabababak!
In the end, I give them free time and head inside the factory.
Under the heater’s sweltering warmth, the factory feels almost summery.
We’d even installed underfloor heating like a boiler in prep for winter.
Molrang….
All the pudding slimes are stretched out, dozing lazily.
“…Sigh.”
I’d originally planned to enlist the pudding slimes for snow removal. Feed them a ton of snow, then have them spit it out on the nearby mountain.
-‘Hey, kids?’
-Molrang…!
But the slimes that ate the snow all complained of pain. Exact reason unknown. Probably a stomachache.
That’s why they’re all laid out like this. Who knew there’d be something they couldn’t eat?
Maybe the snow melts into water inside them? Worth researching later.
Anyway.
Creak!
Back in the rooftop room, I strip off my frozen-stiff clothes.
Feeling the strange chill hit my bare skin, I slip right into the Molrangtex. A custom job from Byakuya.
Not like the latex bodysuit Haneul wore—more like a hero suit, less clingy.
I’d turned down the magical girl outfit she offered and went this route instead.
…Okay, I do have the magical girl one. Deep in the closet, in a secret spot no one can reach.
She insisted on making one extra? Using the Molrangtex she gave them to wear, or whatever.
As thanks for the fan meet, she said.
Of course, I’d never wear it willingly.
…Unless there’s another fan meet later, and the fans demand it, and I absolutely have no choice but to wear it.
“…Feels good?”
Anyway, standing in front of the mirror in the Molrangtex, I feel a forgotten spark of childlike wonder.
Creak!
Just in the Molrangtex—a one-piece lady—I step out onto the rooftop and lean on the railing.
Not cold at all.
Tests by Byakuya showed it can handle -60°C.
Face is a bit chilly, though.
“Hoo…!”
I watch my breath puff out like dragon smoke and tilt my head up.
The snow’s still dumping hard.
No effect without a cause. There’s a reason for this abnormal early-winter weather.
Tap tap tap.
[WantToRaiseADragon: ? A gate?]
[Byakuya: Yes. We’ve confirmed a new gate generated above the clouds. The heavy snow seems to be its effect too.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Above the clouds?]
A gate born in the open sky.
When Haneul first told me, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
This situation was probably only the second of its kind worldwide. That’s how rare it is.
Two days ago, syncing senses with Ppangppang revealed the gate formed midway between my rooftop room and the five great skyscrapers.
Altitude around 2,000 meters.
I wanted more details, but Ppangppang’s cold resistance is basically zero, so that’s all we got.
[Byakuya: Yes. And it’s not a one-off—it’s fixed in position too.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: So no monsters coming out…?]
Critical issue.
No gate management facility yet, so monsters escaping could raid the factory.
We’d prepped via Seolbaek, but it might not hold against high-rank A-grade or above.
[Byakuya: Probably… high chance there are no monsters.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Huh?]
[Byakuya: Our guild’s on dedicated recon,]
[Byakuya: and it looks like a shell of a gate. No real rank—probably harmless D-grade.]
An incomplete gate without a proper core. Flawed parent, no offspring monsters. Makes sense.
Happens sometimes. They cause brief abnormal weather too—well-documented.
[WantToRaiseADragon: But what about ownership?]
[Byakuya: Ranking finishes tonight, then auction in two days probably.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Guilds buy D-grades?]
[Byakuya: Special gate, so… some guild aiming for civilian tourism likely.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: That’s possible?]
[Byakuya: Yes. Monster-free D-grades can open to the public after safety checks.]
Tourist gate? What’s to see in a monster-free gate?
Though the sky-high location might sell it.
And that’s the problem.
That gate is too damn close to our factory.
Fine on cloudy days like this, but on clear sunny ones?
‘The factory’ll be visible from the gate.’
Anyone’s eyes on the factory is a big problem.
So far, it’s so remote no one comes, so monsters can roam outside freely.
But if people start coming and going from that gate, it blocks that completely.
Woo-ee! Woo-ee!
Kiiing……!
No more romping near the factory like now, no tending the mana grass in the half-jungle yard.
Only one way to stop it all.
Ding!
[Byakuya: Decided?]
Buy the gate.
Byakuya estimated bid at 5 to 20 billion won, all in.
I can cover it.
She offered some help too.
But burn 20 billion to hide my identity?
Stings. Hurts like hell, but….
Tap tap tap.
[WantToRaiseADragon: Yes. Gonna buy it.]
[Byakuya: Got you on the bidder list then.]
[WantToRaiseADragon: Thanks.]
Gotta do it.
Better than getting caught by assholes like Hwayeon.
Might even have rare resources inside.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Decision made, and relief floods in.
Auction tomorrow.
Online, so snow’s no issue.
“Just clear it all away.”
My personality demands finishing one thing before focusing on the next.
So, time for the method I’d avoided using. Don’t wanna labor more either.
Wooooo….
Crimson mana begins gathering above the rooftop.
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