Chapter 37

< Monster Tamer (2) >

As he emptied his glass, he organized the matters ahead.

I decided to collaborate with Hyeon to raise the Kiseungs. Negotiating with the large guilds was too much for me to handle alone, and it was also a hassle. Why go through the trouble when there are capable people to do the job?

"Will you still maintain your independence as a Hunter?"

I nodded in response to Yoo Hyun's question.

"If I make a Hunter contract with Hyeon, the number of people who will be wary of me will only increase. Even if the chances are slim, having an opportunity is different from not having one at all."

Even if I am already related to Hyeon's guild leader, if I make a contract, they might try to stomp me out before I can grow. There are plenty of people who drool over what they can't have.

"We should at least appear fair. When Hyeon firmly grasps the domestic Hunter scene, I'll make the contract then."

"It won't take long."

Yoo Hyun confidently said. Originally, it took five years to stabilize, so with Yelim and Myungwoo added, it should be faster. Kim Sung-han also has the potential to grow to S-rank. ...Will Seok-hyang join Hyeon? He is Seok Shimyeong's nephew... It feels like I'm giving out a lot more than I expected.

Eh, whatever. It's good for Hyeon to grow quickly. Yoo Hyun isn't the type to betray me.

"As I said earlier, the reward for Hyeon's assistance will be raising Peace. We'll finalize the detailed contract after the new A-rank dungeon raid, which is scheduled in three days, right?"

"Yeah. I need to send people to the auction to sweep up the monster eggs and babies."

"We don't need low- or mid-tier ones, and high-tier ones are unlikely to be available."

"If we check overseas, there might be a few bad stocks. They're expensive and not very useful. We should also contract tamers in advance."

...I hope you're not planning to assign a dozen or so at once. Feeding and taking care of them will be a full-time job.

"We can't raise too many at once."

I preemptively mentioned this, just in case. There is a real limit, and it takes time to tame them. I need to train them personally for rapid growth.

So, taking care of three to four at a time would be appropriate.

"Is that so? How many can you handle?"

"Three is ideal, and up to five at most. The more there are, the slower the growth rate."

"Will you allocate a spot for Hyeon? Even if they ride in pairs, we need at least ten for the S-rank team."

"...Ten?"

"Yeah, the S-rank raid team is composed of at least 20 members."

...It feels like I'm about to be overworked. I just wanted to train them moderately and live a good life. How much time will it take to raise ten?

Even if high-tier ones grow twice as fast as Peace and I raise five at a time, it will take at least two to three months.

And that's just the start, only from Hyeon. From the looks of it, they want to assign one to each person if possible.

"...I'm already feeling annoyed."

I hugged Peace and sank into the sofa. I thought it would be easy. Even if I only train the top-tier ones and use skills for the high-tier ones, I still need to feed and take care of them until they are tamed. With care and affection.

I haven't even dated, let alone married, and now I'm starting with the hell of child-rearing.

"Kiseungs aren't essential for dungeon raids, so you can take your time, right?"

"They're not essential, but having them will significantly speed up the raid."

"How much faster?"

"Based on S-rank dungeons, it could reduce the time by more than half."

"What? Half?"

"Even the D-rank dungeon we went to today took a long time. S-rank is even more challenging. Running directly is a problem for stamina and speed, which is much slower compared to four-legged monsters of the same level. So, it will naturally be faster in many ways."

Ah, damn. It's a bigger deal than I thought.

This is the difference between a practitioner and someone who only knows theory. I can't be lazy just because I heard that.

Reducing the raid time for high-tier dungeons by half means doubling the safety of the dungeons. Although the number of high-tier dungeons is currently low, in two to three years, the number of awakened individuals will not be enough to cover the dungeons.

Naturally, the risk of dungeon breaks will increase.

However, with Kiseungs, the situation will be completely different.

'If the raid time is reduced by just 30%, it's similar to increasing the S-rank raid teams by 30%... Sigh.'

A world that is 30% safer... My conscience... My morality... My ethics...

I'll just work hard. Yes. The number of S-rank raid teams isn't that high, and it will eventually end. I want to retire as a happy tycoon after 40 raids.

"...First, give me a training room. Peace's skill effect only lasts for two and a half days now. I need to raise him as much as possible to have evidence for the negotiation table."

"Now? It's late."

"It's not a big deal to stay up all night. Peace needs to rest too, so I'll catch some sleep in between."

"Still, don't overdo it. You'll need recording equipment for documentation, right?"

"Yeah."

While Yoo Hyun was on the phone, I sprawled out on the sofa. How long has it been since I decided to play on the sofa? My waist aches.

'System creator, I'll be busy for a while, so don't contact me.'

I need to raise the kids. I'm taking a parental leave.

The place Yoo Hyun provided was the new Hunter training room.

The spacious area, large enough for a young Flame Unicorn to run around, was equipped with various training machines. Additionally,

"Here are ten Tooth Rats."

He even provided monsters.

"The Tooth Rats are weakened to the point where they can handle F-rank, but don't release more than two at once."

The training room manager, who was an Awakened individual optimized for defense, pointed at us and said.

"In case of an emergency, press the emergency button immediately. Refer to this manual for the use of the training machines."

After the explanation, the manager gave me a doubtful look and left.

Since the Kiseung raising had to be kept secret until negotiations with the large guilds, I borrowed the training room under the pretense of training Peace.

Using the F-rank monsters to monopolize the guild training room will probably get me some criticism.

"Alright, Peace. Sit here."

I sat Peace next to the Tooth Rat cage to record his current state. The front of the cage was transparent, allowing a clear comparison of the two monsters' sizes.

-Grumble

Peace showed interest in the Tooth Rats, baring his fangs. The Tooth Rats waved their long-clawed front paws in response. They are so stupid, not even recognizing their opponent.

"No, sit down. That's right."

I turned on the camcorder mounted on a tripod and recorded Peace.

"2nd-rank Unicorn subspecies Flame Unicorn, no growth after two months of capture. Body length 41cm, weight 2.8kg. Currently, the first day of the Monster Taming skill, 11:21 PM."

After the explanation, I turned off the recording function. I placed a large clock with a timer on the table and wrote down the current time and Peace's remaining growth time in a notebook.

"What should I start with?"

I needed to test the efficiency and responsiveness of each training machine. I started with the pitching machine.

'I'm not sure if using the machine is effective.'

When I threw the balls to Peace myself, it reduced his growth time by about 18 minutes per 10 minutes. Throwing for an hour would reduce it by 48 minutes, which is quite efficient. If my shoulder can handle it.

"Peace, look here!"

-Quack?

Peace, who was sitting, stood up and approached me. No, don't come. I operated the pitching machine and lightly threw a ball.

-Sniff

Peace's gaze briefly turned to the ball and then ignored it. Hey, you chased it well when I threw it.

I threw another one, but this time he didn't even look and came to my feet, flopping over.

-Grumble

"...Peace."

Could this mean I have to train him directly? My stamina, my strength... I swallowed a sigh and called the training room manager.

"I need equipment that focuses on stamina and includes strength. For all parts. Do I need special permission from the guild leader?"

[No, you can have everything you need.]

"Then, please give me equipment that increases stamina."

The manager on the other end of the phone was slightly taken aback.

[The stamina-increasing equipment is only available in low grades.]

"I know."

This guild is full of stat-rich individuals. I have to use what's available.

Shortly after, the requested equipment was delivered. Wearing it all, my stamina stat barely reached 100, equivalent to S-rank level 2. Wow.

My strength was just under 50, but since Peace is still at C-rank, it should be fine. He's level 1 with no combat experience.

"I've already tested throwing balls. Now, let's try hitting the punching bag."

I took Peace to the punching bag, which was not an ordinary one but a sturdy training tool that automatically measures damage.

"Look, Peace. I'll hold it for you, so jump up and hit it. Scratching and biting are also fine. It's tough."

I demonstrated, and Peace followed, jumping and hitting the bag with his horn. He's quite strong.

"Good, well done! Go on, hit it!"

-Grumble, Grumble!

I occasionally shook the bag, and he became even more enthusiastic. It feels good. I have a strong premonition that the training efficiency will be significant.

After exactly 30 minutes of training, I checked Peace's remaining growth period.

'Oh, it's reduced by over an hour!'

The growth rate during training was about 2.3 times faster. If this continues, he could reach adulthood with the third skill application.

Training for three days straight could reduce 15 days to 7 or less. But that's too much, so if I take it easy and aim for 9 days, it will take exactly two months.

"Good, let's try something else!"

-Quack!

Peace, excited by the punching bag game, hopped around. Our Peace has good stamina.

I then trained for five hours straight using various machines. The most efficient was a 3x simulated battle, and the least tiring for me was a 1.7x laser pointer game.

"...I'm dying."

-Grumble?

Peace looked at me sprawled on the long chair, tilting his head.

I clearly have a higher stamina stat, so why isn't he tired? Maybe he recovers quickly because he's young. Or is this the difference between a C-rank with the potential to become S-rank and an F-rank pretending to be high with equipment?

An Awakened individual's stats are not limited to the five displayed. Researchers believe there are hidden stats like recovery, endurance, durability, intelligence, luck, and various senses.

Experiments with identical equipment and no skill usage showed differences in ability, proving that even with the same stats, the originally higher rank was superior in all aspects.

So, there are limits to equipment. Sadly.

"Still, my stamina stat is three times higher. They say monsters have strong recovery, and it seems to be true."

-Quack, Quack!

"No, I can't play more. Let's rest a bit."

It would be nice to have a stamina potion, but it will take another year to make one. The dungeon that provides the ingredients appears in a year. It would be good to claim that dungeon, but it's overseas.

'It's in Japan.'

Why there? If Hyeon establishes a foothold quickly, maybe we can attack Japan. Two birds with one stone, that sounds good.

-Grumble, Grumble!

Peace, who was pestering me to play, started shaking my pants with his teeth. Hey, you.

"Maybe you've been pent up from being confined at home. Peace, do you want to play with the Tooth Rats over there?"

I need to test the training with them. I got up, feeling like a waterlogged sponge, and approached the cage. The Tooth Rats bared their sharp front teeth at me. Without equipment, they are weaker than me, so they're being—

-Kyaah!

Suddenly, Peace raised his fur and let out an angry roar.

"Peace, Peace?"

-Kyaah! Kyaah!

-Keeek!

Peace lunged, and the Tooth Rats, separated by the cage, responded with their own roars. Even the Tooth Rats in other cages joined in.

-Keeek, Keeek!

-Keeek!

Oh, what a commotion. Even young monsters are still monsters.

"Wait, calm down. I'll let them out."

I pressed the button above the cage, and the door opened. Then,

-Keeek!

The Tooth Rats were torn to pieces in the blink of an eye. Wow. Our Peace... you're quite tough. When I first saw you, your attack on me was just a formality.

-Grumble!

Peace, with a face covered in blood, proudly grunted. He then pushed the remains of the Tooth Rats with his front paws, as if to show me.

"Good, good. Well done."

I can't train with monsters. It ends too quickly. Using higher-tier monsters would be too dangerous.

"Come here, let's clean your face."

-Grrr, Grumble

The little guy seems to be in a great mood. Grow quickly and raid dungeons with Yoo Hyun.

< Monster Tamer (2) > End

ⓒ Geunseo

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