The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 12

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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 12

A few days later, the sprout that emerged from the seed didn’t look like a plant at all.

The stem was reddish with colorful spotted patterns embedded in it, and the thin leaves were trembling like a lizard’s tail.

Most of all, there were protrusions shaped like gears at the tips, which suddenly made clicking sounds as they moved like interlocking parts.

Whoa!

Hana was startled and stumbled backward far away.

“Ahem! I wasn’t scared. My body was just stiff, so I was doing some stretching.”

【SYSTEM】

【Who said anything? ┐(´～｀)┌】

After a brief commotion, he somehow managed to plant the seed and carefully cover it with soil.

He brought a small watering can and carefully watered it.

With his dirty face covered in soil, Hana’s eyes sparkled. Full of anticipation.

“There, now this is your home. Live well!”

Until this moment, Hana couldn’t have imagined.

That this small, strange seed would completely mess up the garden’s ecosystem in just a few days!

* * *

“Still haven’t read it.”

Hana scratched the back of his head while looking at his phone.

The Hunter Exchange message window was displayed on the screen.

The recipient was ‘WhenKingFallsKingKong’.

Yesterday, Hana had carefully shipped the harvested potatoes by delivery and sent a confirmation message.

But the number 1 next to the message just wouldn’t disappear.

“Well, they must have received it fine.”

He wasn’t certain, but decided to let it go for now.

There was something more urgent at the moment.

Hana put down his phone and looked at the corner of the garden with a troubled expression.

The well-tended soil was turned upside down here and there.

This was because the new seed was growing at an eerie speed.

“Ugh, what am I supposed to do with that thing.”

Hana held his throbbing forehead.

The seed had grown from roots to petals in just one day, and now it was wrapping around the entire garden.

“Argh, my cherry tomatoes and potatoes!”

Hana hurriedly ran to the garden and knelt down.

There, the cherry tomatoes he had carefully grown over the past few weeks were drooping their heads listlessly.

The stem color had turned murky, and the leaves were powerless like crumpled tissue.

The potatoes were the same.

They were rotting from the roots without even forming tubers.

“What I planted was an ecosystem-destroying bullfrog!”

At this rate, all the garden crops would be wiped out.

Hana stamped his feet in frustration.

Whether it knew his feelings or not, today too the system window turned his stomach upside down.

【SYSTEM】

【Oh my. It seems the home is too small for our new seed friend right now. (∩❛ڡ❛∩)】

【SYSTEM】

【You who are worried! This is a special offer! This isn’t an opportunity that comes every day!】

【Try transplanting the new plant to a Gate!】

Doesn’t it seem like it’s having fun right now?

Hana’s expression became sulky.

“I thought leveling up was too easy.”

Isn’t this complete nonsense?

How was he supposed to plant something in a Gate crawling with monsters?

As if reading Hana’s thoughts, the system window quickly responded.

【SYSTEM】

【Put your worries aside! There happens to be a suitable Gate!】

【It has no owner, so it’s perfect for a garden! (ง •̀_•́)ง】

“I won’t be fooled! And I’m a proper Hunter now, you know?”

Hana hung his Hunter license around his neck. Then he put his hands on his hips.

“I won’t sneak through back paths anymore! I’ll also walk proudly through the official entrance.”

【SYSTEM】

【Hmm, if that’s the user’s opinion, then there’s nothing I can do. But you haven’t forgotten the mission, have you? ☞☜】

Soon after, the system window displayed a notification.

【SYSTEM】

【Warning! The new seed still hasn’t found a home!】

【Mission failure penalty: Seed grows excessively in unstable state → Surrounding crops destroyed + 100% risk of user’s garden loss】

100%?

Hana’s eyelids trembled.

But he tried not to give in and maintain his principles.

But would that really go as planned?

Crack!

At the sound of soil splitting, he turned around to see the monster plant’s roots swallowing the cherry tomatoes whole.

The potatoes had popped up above ground and were swaying in the air as they were being sucked in.

“No, my potatoes! Fine, I’ll do it! I said I’ll do it! I just need to transplant it to a Gate!”

At the scene of one-sided potato massacre, Hana raised both hands in the air and shouted.

The system window displayed a notification as if it had been waiting. Satisfyingly.

【SYSTEM】

【Casting skill ‘Opening Fertilizer Collection Shortcut Lv.1(F-rank)’.】

【Skill rank is being adjusted due to user’s level change.】

【Casting skill ‘Opening Fertilizer Collection Shortcut Lv.1(F-rank)’ → ‘Opening Monster Crop Cultivation Shortcut Lv.1(D-rank)’.】

A blue Gate opened in the middle of the garden.

It was a clear color, but somehow gave him an unpleasant feeling.

“I really don’t know if this is right.”

Eventually, Hana stood in front of the Gate wearing an apron over his work clothes and even work gloves.

Anyone could see he looked like a farmer, not a Hunter.

“Wait, but what kind of Gate is this?”

Hana squinted and asked.

But instead of answering, the system played dumb.

【SYSTEM】

【No time! At this rate, the garden will be completely ruined! You need to transplant it quickly!】

“Seriously. When it’s disadvantageous, it avoids answering.”

Hana had already figured out the system’s tendencies.

Half willingly, half unwillingly, as he stepped into the Gate, dry wind wrapped around his face.

Inside was an empty wasteland.

It really was empty as they said it was vacant.

There was just a desolate field and a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

“…Is it even possible to farm here?”

Hana picked up a shovel with skeptical eyes and poked the ground. Then,

“Kieeeek—!”

The ground cried.

Oh, it really cried?

“Oh my!”

Startled, Hana quickly stepped backward.

From where the shovel had been stuck, something like sulfurous flames was rising up.

“Yeah. Impossible. Not here.”

It was a conclusion reached through very rational judgment.

But the system window wouldn’t let it go at that.

【SYSTEM】

【Impatient you! You have acquired a new skill!】

【Name: ‘Nourish the Earth Abundantly Lv.1 (D-rank)’】

【Changes any soil to be suitable for planting crops.】

For a moment, another sentence faintly passed behind the main window.

【Skill ‘Terraforming (L-rank)’ has been automatically downgraded to match the user’s condition. Gate terraformation is proceeding.】

But it was too small to be visible in Hana’s field of vision.

Though suspicious, Hana decided to give it a try and activated the skill.

Then, the soil really began to change.

The rough earth that had been filled with yellowish dust gradually transformed into soft soil, and a gentle grass fragrance permeated as warm wind began to blow.

“Wow, amazing.”

Hana unconsciously clapped his hands.

Production-type Hunter. Maybe it’s better than I thought?

【SYSTEM】

【How’s that, my handiwork?】

The system window blinked brilliantly as if asking for praise.

At any other time it might be different, but right now he had no choice but to acknowledge the system’s greatness.

After giving appropriate praise, Hana carefully transplanted what he had captured from the garden to the ground.

Then a small fanfare burst overhead.

【SYSTEM】

【Mission Success!】

【Reward Distributed: Seed Stabilization】

It was the moment when a strange green sprout took root in the middle of the desolate Gate interior.

Thus began official Hunter Yun Hana’s wise Gate gardening project.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time.

It was the moment when Kang Hyeon, who had once again entered and exited a Gate, was about to collapse his exhausted body onto the sofa.

The Association emergency bell rang within the Guild.

[Association Emergency Notice]

[Emergency Assembly of All Executive Officers / Location: Main Office Conference Room A / Time: In 30 minutes]

Kang Hyeon let out a short sigh.

As expected, indulging in comfortable sentiments wasn’t permitted for him.

The conference room he headed to.

The faces of the executives who had already arrived showed clear tension.

“As you all know, Hunter ‘1’s account briefly changed to online status recently.”

“Connection time?”

“17 seconds. Additionally, faint but living organism energy reactions have been detected recently at ‘Gangnam Station Gate.'”

“That Gate was still there?”

One of the executives let out a sigh.

“At that time, we understood that ‘1’s sacrifice induced an internal explosion that closed the Gate itself.”

“That’s correct. But for some reason, even after the explosion ended, the Gate didn’t disappear. It’s still there in that spot with only its shell remaining.”

Murmurs went around.

“…Could they possibly be alive?”

Though there was no object, everyone knew who was being referred to.

The conference room fell into brief silence at that question.

“Three years have passed without any signal. Logically speaking, it’s an impossible story.”

“But the connection records prove it. The possibility that ‘1’ is alive is quite sufficient.”

“We’ll need to reinvestigate the Gate interior.”

“I agree. And the Hunter to assign the Gangnam Station Gate reinvestigation to…”

The executive raised his head and scanned the surroundings once.

Brief silence. No one could easily breathe.

At that moment, a strange tension flowed through the conference room.

“—Hunter Seo Ganghyeon.”

Heads turned in unison. All gazes focused on Seo Ganghyeon.

“No one wishes for ‘1’s survival more desperately than Hunter Seo.”

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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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