Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 117

 

This place is definitely a dungeon with a boss.

 

There are several reasons why I’m so confident about this.

 

‘First of all, that Jelly Machine…’

 

Isn’t the very existence of a machine in the middle of a dungeon that produces ‘jelly’-type items with special effects far too tempting?

 

Anyone with even a little eye for profit would immediately recognize that machine as nothing short of a lottery jackpot.

 

‘And even if that weren’t the case, it’s worth approaching out of curiosity alone.’

 

It feels like a trap waiting for prey.

 

Moreover, the lines spoken by the people holding telephones were unsettling.

 

-Hello, happy SOL Citizens. This is SOL Community Center Building 1.

 

While the content of the calls was set against the backdrop of a community center, considering the wasteland-like scenery inside the dungeon, I felt there was another purpose.

 

‘My guess is that purpose might be the mana of whoever answers the phone…’

 

Finally, the hint Noah’s Father left in the computer notepad.

 

-This place is a dungeon that devours ‘mana’.

 

…Combining all of this, I ultimately reached this conclusion.

 

First, this place uses the tempting device called the ‘Jelly Machine’ to lure living beings into the dungeon.

 

Second, living beings that enter the dungeon have their ‘mana’ drained in real-time while simultaneously bringing in mana from other living beings outside the dungeon through the communication method of ‘telephone calls’.

 

Truly, a structure where mana is continuously supplied both inside and outside the dungeon.

 

And third, I believed that no simple monster could have set up this place that operates like a kind of circulation system.

 

‘This is a setup that only an intelligent entity capable of high-dimensional thinking could create.’

 

“I’m not entirely opposed to your opinion, Teacher… But how exactly can Noah summon the Dungeon Boss?”

 

Lee Seo-hyeok woke me from my brief contemplation with an anxious expression.

 

“….”

 

The gate that should be the exit is nowhere to be seen, and the Dungeon Boss has also vanished without a trace.

 

‘Just waiting around in a dungeon that drains mana in real time is no different from suicide.’

 

Then there’s only one way.

 

If it won’t appear, I’ll have to summon it.

 

However… for that, I’ll need Noah’s help this time.

 

Though it was already several months ago, I recalled Noah who had rarely come to school in the morning with his lips pouting.

 

-Teacher~ I got scolded by Mom this morning!

 

-It’s because you didn’t listen to Aunt and made something weird.

 

-That’s not it, Nam Tae-jae~ Honestly, aren’t you curious? That there’s a potion that can directly summon a Dungeon Boss monster! Teacher! You’re curious too, right?! Right?

 

-Noah, have you ever seen a Dungeon Boss?

 

-No? I’ve never seen one? Isn’t a boss like Cheonji hyung?

 

He’s a young child who doesn’t even have the concept of ‘monster’ properly embedded in his head.

 

He learned somewhere that ‘boss’ is connected to ‘representative’…

 

I hid my complicated feelings and said to Lee Seo-hyeok.

 

“Noah knows how to make a potion that summons a Dungeon Boss.”

 

To be precise, he can make a ‘potion’ that can summon the strongest entity within a dungeon.

 

It’s a potion that spreads like fragrance, and I heard from Noah’s Mother that it requires detailed mana control and precise handling to make…

 

But what’s surprising is that this child, who doesn’t even properly understand ‘monsters’, succeeded in making that potion.

 

-Teacher, is this really right…? He said he looked at a potion recipe in my study room and made it exactly as written, and he made it perfectly… It was only recently released and there aren’t many people who know how to make it yet, so I don’t know whether to praise him or…

 

I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t heard Noah’s Mother complaining with a mysterious expression.

 

I asked Noah for permission, then poured everything from the child’s bag onto the sandy ground.

 

Kang Ho-won looked at the things spilling out of the bag and exclaimed in small surprise and admiration.

 

“Wow… The twins’ friend is also extraordinary, isn’t he? These are all basic potion materials.”

 

Noah, who has an A-Grade Alchemy Crafting Ability, carries bags full of potion materials wherever he goes.

 

I looked down at them with familiarity.

 

He always brought these things to kindergarten too, and I had kept a close eye on them more than once or twice… Who knew they would be helpful like this again.

 

‘He brought bottles of different sizes and types too.

 

I can see several already completed potions as well.

 

After finishing my quick check, I knelt down to face Noah, who was still wearing his helmet.

 

When I gently opened the visor… Noah’s face, streaming with tears, was revealed.

 

‘I don’t want to burden a child in this situation, but…’

 

Of course, Plan B did exist.

 

A rather extreme plan where I… would possess a troublesome complainant at the community center and smash the jelly machine with a helmet to summon an enraged Dungeon Boss.

 

‘But this option… I have a feeling the aftermath would be difficult to handle.’

 

For now, the result of thinking about a way for everyone to get out safely was, regrettably, borrowing Noah’s power.

 

“Noah, stop crying and shall we make a potion with Teacher?”

 

“…Right now, a potion?”

 

Yes, it might seem audacious to say this in this crazy situation where we’re trapped in a dungeon and your father isn’t in his right mind… but we have no choice if we want to survive.

 

“Teacher heard from Noah’s Mother before that Noah succeeded in making a ‘potion that can instantly summon a Dungeon Boss.'”

 

“…”

 

“At that time, your mother praised Noah tremendously to Teacher, saying Noah seemed like a genius.”

 

“…Mom did?”

 

“Of course. She said you succeeded with just simple materials, and no matter how she thought about it, Noah seemed like a genius.”

 

“…A genius?”

 

It’s not a lie. What else would you call a 7-year-old alchemist who can whip up potions just by looking at recipes if not a genius?

 

Behind me, I can hear Lee Seo-hyeok and Kang Ho-won chattering in low voices.

 

“Is it really okay to leave things like this?”

 

“Do you have any other ideas?”

 

“…No.”

 

“Then staying quiet is how you help.”

 

Lee Seo-hyeok is keeping Kang Ho-won in check.

 

‘That’s right. Seo-hyeok, make sure you keep that guy Ho-won under control.’

 

Meanwhile, Noah, who had suddenly stopped crying, is now looking up at me with curious eyes.

 

“Want to try making that potion right now, secretly from Teacher and Parents?”

 

“Secretly…?”

 

“Yeah, secretly. That’s more fun, isn’t it?”

 

I’m sorry.

 

I’ve become a teacher and I’m really teaching bad things….

 

“…Yes, I, I want to try making it…!”

 

And so, I sold my conscience and succeeded in tempting Noah.

 

***

 

Kim Noah was kneeling on the Sandy Ground, busily moving his small hands.

 

While doing so, he kept glancing at the person across from him who was working hard following the instructions he had given.

 

Alone, facing the sandy wind while taking on the supporting role – Teacher.

 

Teleportation Uncle and the twins couldn’t understand the instructions properly, so he ended up chasing them away.

 

“Yes! Put that and that in, then mix it! But you can’t put that one in, but this one is okay! You have to shake it gently, not roughly, but softly!”

 

Making dangerous potions secretly from Mom or just memorizing recipes was the best option… but now that such an open opportunity was given, Kim Noah got excited!

 

Moreover, there was even an assistant who understood his words perfectly.

 

The child quickly became absorbed in Potion Making as if enchanted.

 

He made the basic base of the potion with the materials he brought, then went through the process of properly recombining and strengthening the completed potion.

 

This is what Crafting Awakening is like.

 

Instinctively realizing how to combine things to create the best potion, as if it were natural, without anyone having to teach you.

 

Kim Noah carefully poured the pre-made Bomb Potion slowly into the lidless beaker.

 

He could see Teacher securing the area around it with sand using his firm hands.

 

The yellow Bomb Potion sloshed inside the beaker.

 

“If I put this like this…”

 

Finally, on top of the sloshing Bomb Potion, he floated a bottle containing potion liquid that he made ‘secretly from Mom and Dad’…

 

“Complete!!”

 

What was inside that bottle was a Special Grade Potion that could summon a Dungeon Boss in one go!

 

Kim Noah’s heart pounded.

 

‘How did he think of such a thing?’

 

He watched the situation with sparkling eyes at Teacher’s incredible proposal.

 

Bobbing.

 

The yellow Bomb Potion began to bubble and boil… He could see cracks forming on the small potion bottle floating on top like a sailboat.

 

Kim Noah moved his face closer and closer as if enchanted…

 

-Grab.

 

“Huh?!”

 

While quietly peering inside in that state, my body was suddenly lifted and carried away at high speed.

 

“Hurry and take cover!”

 

Looking to the side, Teleportation Uncle and the twins’ uncle were also running in confusion at Teacher’s sudden shout.

 

“Do po, potions normally explode?”

 

“No! I made it explode!”

 

“…What?!”

 

“The potion Noah made can summon the strongest entity in the Dungeon! Just opening the lid spreads it like a fragrance, but… how would that properly spread in such a wide area?!”

 

“…What do you mean?”

 

“I borrowed the power of a bomb to let the fragrance carry on the wind!”

 

Clatter clatter.

 

Meanwhile, Kim Noah, wearing a helmet and being carried with both feet off the ground, had this thought even while being hauled around like luggage.

 

‘Doesn’t this look exactly like… a scene from a space movie?’

 

The heart of the 7-year-old kid who was obsessed with space, aliens, stars, and planets began beating wildly.

 

Me, wearing a helmet and walking on a planet like a sand desert.

 

-Bang!!

 

Me, running away with an exploding rocket behind me!

 

And finally, after a moment… an alien appearing through the swirling sand mist!

 

“…It’s the boss.”

 

He could hear Teleportation Uncle’s words spat out like a groan, but Kim Noah’s ears heard nothing.

 

‘It’s an alien.’

 

If the three adults desperately struggling to survive heard this, they would have grabbed the back of their necks.

 

***

 

-Bang!!

 

As the Bomb Potion exploded, the Boss Summoning Potion bottle that was on top of it also shattered, and the potion’s scent flew away on the wind.

 

I forgot to breathe and just prayed for the sandstorm that came with the explosion to pass.

 

And… after a moment.

 

Through the floating dust, I saw a human silhouette slowly walking toward us.

 

“…!”

 

It really came out.

 

Walking barefoot across the sand toward us, it wore a Golden Veil draped from its head, sweeping the floor as it walked.

 

Mysterious, dreamlike afterimages appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

 

From a distance, I could see it moving its lips toward us.

 

‘Status Window’

 

I called up the Status Window while trying not to take my eyes off the approaching opponent.

 

『 A new Target Subject has been detected in the vicinity. 』

 

I narrowed my eyes.

 

To read what the approaching thing was trying to say.

 

‘I’

 

『 NEW! aka. Seat of Discernment > Please give your friend a name. 😀 』

 

‘have no intention of becoming…’

 

『 NEW! aka. Seat of Discernment has rejected the friend request. 』

 

‘friends with you.’

 

A chill runs down my spine.

 

A complete sentence forms in my mind.

 

『 NEW! aka. Seat of Discernment has declined your friend request. 』

 

I have no intention of becoming close friends with you.

 

Beneath the fluttering veil, the overlapped lips finally part.

 

Golden eyes that seemed somewhat bored at first glance were staring at me.

 

“There’s a limit to delusions.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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