The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 45

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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 45

 

That seriousness was so absurd that Hana also smoothly raised his thumb.

 

And both of them eventually couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

 

“Since Hana brought potatoes and corn, let’s eat them together. They go well with meat too. Ah-.”

 

Taekyeom, who had been chattering away just fine, suddenly sighed.

 

“If I had known this would happen, I should have brought some leafy vegetables for wraps. What a shame. Anyway, I’ll go find a stone slab suitable for grilling meat.”

 

Taekyeom dusted off his hands and stood up.

 

“I’ve cleared out all the monsters in the area, so there’s no danger. Rest for a bit.”

 

With that, Taekyeom disappeared between the rocks to find stones.

 

Hana sat there blankly and read through the system window once more carefully.

 

It’s not like lettuce that hadn’t shown even a trace until now would suddenly fall from the sky just because he did that.

 

Hana clutched his head in frustration.

 

“But seriously, where am I supposed to find lettuce?”

 

However, contrary to his worried words, Hana’s gaze kept drifting toward the pork belly.

 

“Stone slab pork belly…”

 

It would be delicious, really.

 

It wasn’t even a conditioned reflex or anything. Once again, his mouth filled with saliva.

 

Experience points aside, the existence of lettuce became even more urgent.

 

“I’d like to find some now if possible. To wrap and eat with the meat.”

 

Though it had the modifier “contaminated” attached to it…

 

‘Shouldn’t it still be edible?’

 

That’s why the system window told him to mix it with mushrooms.

 

Originally, even things dropped on the floor are fine if you pick them up and eat them within 3 seconds, so contaminated lettuce should be nothing.

 

Hana licked his lips.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Suddenly, his back felt chilly.

 

“…?”

 

Just today alone, how many times had he felt this sensation?

 

Hana let out a deep sigh as if fed up.

 

“Even if I turn around, there won’t be anything there again anyway, I know-.”

 

And while muttering as if resigned and seeming to bow his head deeply, he suddenly turned around.

 

“-is what you thought I’d say!”

 

Shouting this loudly.

 

It was quite the confident feint.

 

But making Hana’s efforts meaningless, the back was indeed empty as expected.

 

No, to be precise, it wasn’t completely empty. There was a large rock placed some distance away.

 

Though he wondered what a rock could have seen, remembering how he had just performed a one-man show made Hana feel embarrassed.

 

“A, ahem!”

 

So he unnecessarily cleared his throat and turned his head to look forward again.

 

But at that moment.

 

Clatter.

 

There was a sound like pebbles falling.

 

It was a very small sound.

 

But Hana turned his body toward the back again faster than light and faced it.

 

The large rock sitting right before his eyes.

 

“Was the rock here before? I thought it was farther away?”

 

Huh.

 

Hana narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

 

“That’s strange.”

 

Hana, who had been staring intently at the rock, suddenly stood up.

 

“Oh! Could that be!”

 

Hana’s eyes lit up.

 

The green leaves fluttering on top of the rock were.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【You have discovered ‘Underdeveloped Lettuce🥬(D-rank)’.】

 

“I, I found it! Lettuce!”

 

It was the lettuce Hana had been searching for so desperately.

 

As soon as he saw the lettuce, Hana’s mind automatically spread its wings of imagination, picturing placing well-cooked pork belly on top and bringing it to his mouth.

 

Hana, who had been cheering, soon became suspicious of the item’s name.

 

“But why is it underdeveloped lettuce?”

 

The system clearly told him to find contaminated lettuce, didn’t it?

 

Hana’s brow furrowed.

 

Maybe that’s not it.

 

“But then what does it matter? If it’s not contaminated, wouldn’t it be even better for making wraps?”

 

Since he could just find more lettuce later, thinking he should pick it first, Hana grabbed the lettuce.

 

And pulled hard.

 

But contrary to its delicate appearance, when it didn’t budge at all, Hana’s round cheeks puffed out.

 

“What’s with this lettuce? Why won’t it come out?”

 

Hana straightened his posture and even put one leg up on the rock, pulling the lettuce with all his might.

 

But the lettuce still showed no signs of being pulled out. It was as if something was holding it tightly.

 

The lettuce that should be pulled out wouldn’t come out, and instead the innocent rock shook.

 

As if it was gradually reaching toward Hana. As if it was moving alive.

 

But to Hana, even that shaking was just annoying.

 

Since the rock kept moving, he couldn’t apply proper force.

 

“Ah, seriously!”

 

When the lettuce absolutely refused to be pulled out, an irritated Hana raised his hand high.

 

“If I break it, it’ll come out!”

 

Finally, Hana’s fist, having run out of patience, fell without hesitation right onto the rock.

 

Bang!

 

Though he had clearly just tapped it lightly, when a louder sound than expected burst out, it was Hana who was more surprised.

 

Countless small cracks starting from where his small, white fist touched began spreading everywhere.

 

Crack!

 

The next moment, along with a fierce noise, there was a sound of something bursting with a pop!

 

“Huh? I didn’t hit it that hard…did I?”

 

Flustered by the huge rock crumbling down, Hana quickly pulled out the lettuce with its roots and backed away while holding it.

 

Shattered rock fragments poured down like hail, and Hana’s eyes spotted a stone with black dots embedded in it among them.

 

“Where have I seen that before?”

 

Hana hugged the head of lettuce tightly and stretched his neck forward a bit more.

 

And soon let out an exclamation of realization.

 

“A rampage item!”

 

Right, it was definitely that item that had driven Haechan to rampage.

 

“But why is that item coming out from inside a rock?”

 

Hana blinked rapidly.

 

Could it be that the rock from before wasn’t just a rock, but the host of that item?

 

“Then it was a golem?”

 

Hana alternately looked at his own fist and what was presumed to be the golem that had crumbled to powder.

 

“My fist… was this strong?”

 

Had he gotten trained just from doing some garden work?

 

From the start, trying to break a rock with his fist wasn’t something a typical F-rank would think of, but Hana didn’t even question that part.

 

He was only interested in the sturdiness of his own fist.

 

At that moment, the black speck that had lost its host fluttered helplessly in the air before falling onto the lettuce that Hana was clutching.

 

“Ah!”

 

The black speck, recognizing the lettuce as its new host, instantly took root.

 

Black roots spread through the lettuce leaves like spreading ink.

 

Soon, black spots bloomed here and there on the fresh light green leaves.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【You have obtained ‘Contaminated Lettuce🥬(D-rank)’.】

 

Hana stared down at the lettuce in a daze.

 

It had an overwhelmingly unappetizing appearance, as if mold had grown on it.

 

Wrinkles like a walnut formed on Hana’s chin.

 

“Ugh, what is this thing.”

 

Hana fell into contemplation while holding the spotted lettuce.

 

About whether this was safe to eat or not.

 

The lettuce looked so unappetizing that it shrank the earlier enthusiasm he’d shown when punching rocks to make wraps – it looked more like a failed biology experiment than food.

 

Then, the system window appeared again.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【’Immature Lettuce🥬(D–rank)’ has combined with a runaway item and transformed into ‘Contaminated Lettuce🥬(D-rank)’.】

 

“Uh… I guess it’s still edible.”

 

As he looked at the lettuce with a reluctant expression, the next notification appeared in succession.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【You have dealt with the ‘Contaminated Golem’. A new ability is unlocked as a reward.】

 

【You have acquired the skill ‘Stones Get Lost! Perfect Ground Leveling (F-rank)’.】

 

Hana’s lips pressed together in clear displeasure.

 

Why were all his skill names like this?

 

But the embarrassment was temporary, and Hana became serious again.

 

He wondered why the modifier ‘contaminated’ was attached, and it turned out the runaway item was the cause.

 

“Who the hell keeps doing this…”

 

Deciding to inform Seo Ganghyeon about this as soon as he left the Gate, Hana let out a deep sigh.

 

“Let’s just do what I came here to do first.”

 

Hana took out oyster mushrooms from his backpack.

 

“Please succeed this time.”

 

Hana began combining the mushrooms and lettuce with a trembling heart.

 

Along with earnest prayer.

 

‘Please explode, experience point jackpot!’

 

Actually, calling it combining made it sound grand,

 

but it wasn’t like other combat Hunters who combined spears and guns to make new weapons, or merged mana and attributes to create special attacks.

 

What the system called combining was just eating. The two ingredients together.

 

Hana wrapped the mushroom in the spotted lettuce, squeezed his eyes shut, and shoved it into his mouth.

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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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