The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 40

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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 40

 

* * *

 

And so.

 

On the first day Lee Haechan was supposed to come to the garden.

 

Ganghyeon really did visit the garden together with Haechan.

 

Unlike the flustered Hana, Ganghyeon’s expression didn’t change one bit and he looked shameless.

 

That much was fine.

 

But there was one more uninvited guest.

 

“My benefactor!”

 

Why on earth did Choi Kwon come again?

 

Hana already felt like his ears were getting noisy and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

‘My peaceful daily life has been shattered.’

 

Hana made a tearful face at the garden scenery that had instantly become bustling.

 

“I’ll accept that Seo Ganghyeon came because he had a promise, but why exactly did you come?”

 

“‘You’? Call me by my name too, benefactor.”

 

Choi Kwon, who was very naturally plucking and eating cherry tomatoes from one side of the garden, grinned showing his canine teeth.

 

That was both annoying and somehow cheeky in a way that was absurd.

 

Next to him, Haechan kept glancing at Hana nervously.

 

“Um… I’m sorry. Kwon kept whining that he’d be bored alone…”

 

“Right, Haechan hyung said I could come along. And it’s not like it’s my first time here, so don’t be so strict, benefactor.”

 

Oh my.

 

Had they decided to become brothers in the meantime? Choi Kwon stuck close to Haechan.

 

“Wh-what should I help with? I, I studied hard and came prepared!”

 

Haechan hurriedly held out his phone.

 

The screen was packed with viewing history of videos like ‘Beginner’s Guide to Gardening’, ‘Organic Cultivation Tips’, and ‘How to Improve Soil Aeration’.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Hana made a sound in his throat, recalling how Haechan had tilled the soil in the flowerpot with silver lines he’d made like a rake last time.

 

He was planning to till new fields and plant additional potatoes today anyway, so should he ask for that?

 

“Then could you till the soil like before?”

 

“Of, of course! I’ll do it right away!”

 

Haechan smiled brightly and used his skill to smoothly draw out lines.

 

Choi Kwon, who was watching this, stretched out his index finger and pointed to himself.

 

“What about me, benefactor? I want to help too. I’m bored just sitting around.”

 

“Ugh, you just staying still would be helping.”

 

“Hey! Why are you discriminating against people! I can do well too!”

 

Pretending not to see Choi Kwon making a fuss, Hana slowly moved away.

 

“But is it okay to give work to Lee Haechan?”

 

Now that he’d dumped the work on him, he started to worry.

 

Haechan would definitely be helpful ability-wise.

 

But now that he thought about it—

 

‘What about experience points? Don’t I have to tend the garden myself for them to increase?’

 

This concern came to him belatedly.

 

The experience points he’d been gaining recently were already at a measly level.

 

‘Since then I’ve only been able to collect small points, so I’m still far from getting the next memory as a reward.’

 

Hana carefully opened his stat window.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【Current Experience Points: 3,000/7,500pt】

 

He still had a long way to go to reach 7,500pt.

 

But if he shared the work of tending the garden with other people, wouldn’t his already insufficient experience points accumulate even less?

 

Hana’s expression became serious.

 

At that moment, as if noticing Hana’s concern.

 

Ding-.

 

A system window sparkled before his eyes.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【A true farmer needs workers! ⸜(◍’꒳’◍)⸝】

 

【As crops grow thanks to workers, some experience points are absorbed by the user too!】

 

【※ Absorption rate increases with proficiency】

 

“…Huh?”

 

Hana’s eyes widened.

 

Even without doing the work directly, some experience points would come in?

 

This… this is totally amazing!

 

Even if it’s just some, getting experience points is something.

 

Hana was overjoyed at this unexpected harvest.

 

Of course, that didn’t mean he had any intention of completely leaving the garden to others.

 

Still, there were countless days when entire days disappeared just tending the garden, so if he could get even a moment to breathe, that would be something.

 

After all, how sweet is auto-hunting in games too.

 

At this mouth-watering new ability, Hana unconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth.

 

Then he looked up at Choi Kwon.

 

His gaze must have been too sparkling, because Choi Kwon flinched and hunched his shoulders.

 

“Wh-what? Why are you suddenly looking at me so intensely?”

 

“You said you wanted to help too, right?”

 

“It’s not ‘you’, it’s Choi Kwon, how many times do I have to say it!”

 

“Right, Choi. Kwon. Hunter-nim.”

 

Hana smiled and put work gloves on one of Choi Kwon’s hands and placed a hoe in the other.

 

“Choi Kwon, please pull some weeds.”

 

“Huh? I’m really doing this?”

 

“Experience poi—, I mean, it’s important for crop health.”

 

Choi Kwon looked suspicious, but eventually crouched down and started pulling weeds.

 

Hana watched that diligent hoeing with satisfaction.

 

But that satisfaction didn’t last long. There was still one person left undealt with.

 

Hana quietly stepped away from Ganghyeon who was standing beside him.

 

“It’s… been a while, hasn’t it?”

 

“Didn’t we see each other before? At the guild.”

 

“Ah, did we? Ahaha.”

 

Was he caught saying something random out of awkwardness? Ganghyeon chuckled and held out the bag he was carrying.

 

“I’m sorry for suddenly kicking you out before. Yun Hana said exactly the same thing as someone I know, so I panicked.”

 

“Someone Seo Ganghyeon knows?”

 

Just as he wondered who that might be.

 

An exclamation burst from Hana’s mouth as he received the bag.

 

“Wow!”

 

The bag was full of various ice creams.

 

He’d been wondering if he should go to the convenience store soon since the last one he ate was his final one. What a coincidence this was.

 

“Thank you, how did you know I like ice cream!”

 

Though it was a somewhat random visiting gift since the weather wasn’t that hot yet.

 

Hana simply assumed that Seo Ganghyeon must like ice cream too and let it pass.

 

Hana took out the popsicle that was on top, immediately tore off the wrapper and put it in his mouth.

 

“Ah…”

 

While Hana was happy with the sweetness spreading throughout his mouth, Ganghyeon walked toward the cabin.

 

And he leaned back in the wooden chair Hana had placed in front of the cabin. It was a position where he could see the entire garden at a glance.

 

“Huh? You’re not planning to sleep there, are you?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Why don’t you lie down and sleep properly? You’ll get a crick in your neck like that.”

 

“This is comfortable.”

 

Kang Hyeon crossed his arms and closed his eyes while facing the sunlight directly.

 

Seeing his carefree appearance, Hana didn’t bother to dissuade him further and pulled over another chair to sit beside him.

 

While eagerly devouring his ice cream, Hana recalled the system window’s guidance from earlier.

 

That he could absorb part of the experience points when workers grew crops.

 

“Then if I have more workers, wouldn’t I gather experience points faster too?”

 

If that were the case, then the more workers the better. But would there be more people willing to lend such precious labor?

 

Hana glanced sideways at Kang Hyeon.

 

An SS-rank Hunter would be a bit much as a worker candidate, wouldn’t it?

 

As soon as he had that thought, Kang Hyeon responded like a ghost.

 

“What is it.”

 

Kang Hyeon spoke with his eyes still closed.

 

“Something else to say?”

 

Feeling like his thoughts had been read, Hana flinched and tensed his shoulders.

 

“…No. Just.”

 

The words ‘Would you like to try farming?’ ended up being swallowed back down his throat.

 

Having an SS-rank Hunter do things like pulling weeds was, no matter how he thought about it, a little—no, very unreasonable.

 

Hana took an unnecessarily large bite of his ice cream.

 

“By the way, where is that Yun Taegyeom?”

 

The brow of Kang Hyeon, who had been leaning back with his eyes closed while basking in the sunlight, moved very slightly.

 

“Why are you curious about that?”

 

Hana took another bite of his ice cream and spoke nonchalantly.

 

“Well, it seemed like you two were always together whenever I saw you. He also said before that he really wanted to visit the garden. So I thought he’d come with you today too.”

 

“Who knows. He’s been holed up in the training ground for days without coming out, so he’s probably there.”

 

Along with his answer, Kang Hyeon’s closed eyelids slowly lifted.

 

Hana, who had been swinging his legs while focusing on his ice cream, belatedly noticed Kang Hyeon like this.

 

“Why did you get up?”

 

Kang Hyeon turned his body diagonally and raised his upper body slightly.

 

“Isn’t there anything you’re curious about regarding me instead of Yun Taegyeom?”

 

“No?”

 

It was an answer that popped out without any time to think.

 

Then for some reason, the corners of Kang Hyeon’s mouth curled upward.

 

“Aha. Nothing? Nothing at all?”

 

Somehow he was smiling, but it felt chilling down his spine, so Hana looked toward the distant mountains.

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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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