○○○○
The elves, who were busy terraforming Yeonse’s private desert dungeon, worked diligently as always.
Big Olgania, after enjoying a relaxing time with Yujin, had to return to the tedious, sticky negotiations and treaties with the humans. Meanwhile, the elves in Daesanrim, where other terraformings were underway, were busy working under the leadership of the Lotus Lake Knight Commander Elanar and the work chief Lirisia.
“Heeheehee.”
Small Olga, on the other hand, was deeply engrossed in watching Shia’s broadcast.
Although she looked like she was just playing around, the mere fact that Small Olga was the child of the World Tree provided strength to the elves.
In reality, countless spirits and the blessings of nature trailed after Small Olga, making her feel like a living buff totem for the elves engaged in Yagada.
But that wasn’t all.
It was Olga who created the Spirit Nuke, allowing the elves to exert tremendous influence and power over humans.
The method for creating the Spirit Nuke was simple. Countless spirits, commanded by Olga, the child of the World Tree, would imbue tremendous life force into a medium of corn.
As only Olga could manufacture the Spirit Nuke, she also had the role of managing and safeguarding the numerous Spirit Nukes stacked in the warehouse.
Of course, unlike Lirisia and the elves engaging in terraforming Yagada, it remained a fact that Small Olga lounged around on her leaves like a lazy bum, watching Shia’s broadcast.
“I’ve packed up the new modified corn boxes as you instructed, and sent them to Yeonseo-nim.”
“Ah, great job!”
Upon hearing the words of a fellow elf serving Small Olga, she hopped off the leaves that wrapped around her like a bed.
She needed to be careful, lest any Spirit Nukes hanging from the tree fall due to her rough landing.
“[Mother’s Flavor Corn] four boxes. It’s all been sent.”
“Hmm, that name seems a bit strange….”
“It’s a crop blessed by Small Olga, the child of the World Tree, and Big Olgania. The nickname ‘Mother’s Flavor’ is absolutely warranted.”
“…Is that so?”
Naturally, the contents of the boxes sent by Small Olga were not [Spirit Nuke-Nugeo River Green and Green] but rather the improved corn cultivated by the elves.
It was corn that was not only much tastier and larger than what humans cultivated but also had the potential to become a groundbreaking crop if traded in human markets, without consuming much intelligence.
Once the moment was confirmed that Daesanrim would formally enter the community of Earth, they were also set to send various other improved crops blessed by the elves as gifts to each nation.
“Shia unnie is our benefactor and loves good food. She looked really sad while watching the broadcast earlier, so I hope this corn lifts her mood.”
“The Seongnyeo will surely like it too. It won’t compare to crops grown by humans.”
“Then…….?”
Oh?
Suddenly, Olga’s hand paused as she noticed something.
There was a corn kernel rolling around near where the boxes had been placed.
The implication behind delivering it was obvious—Send a message saying, ‘There’s a gift for Shia unnie, so please take it!’ and place the box in the designated area where Yeonseo would use her abilities to collect them.
“That’s strange. Did we send all the stacked boxes?”
“Yes, you mentioned there was a separate one, so we delivered the contents from the left box.”
“But there’s a corn that has fallen?”
Olga picked up the corn that was lying on the floor.
It wouldn’t look good if you opened the box and noticed a corn space empty after sending a gift, would it?
“That can’t be. I checked the numbers and double-checked before sending the box, but….”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I also confirmed it right before Yeonseo-nim collected it with her ability, so I’m sure.”
I see.
“But what about this corn?”
“Perhaps it fell while moving it. There’s a chance other sisters dropped it.”
“Really? So it’s certain that someone filled all the spaces in the box then?”
“Yes. That’s right?”
…Well, what could be wrong?
○○○○
Taurus Great Canyon wasn’t inhabited by dangerous monsters, but it was a dungeon filled with the vast, surreal nature of an alien world and endless rolling plains.
Even if there were monster threats to humanity, the most dangerous ones were only C-grade at most, and besides monsters, various flora and fauna also thrived in this great canyon.
If one had to list the most dangerous risk in this dungeon, it would be getting lost and stranded during long explorations. Unless an F-grade hunter provoked a group of C-grade monsters, there were typically no hazardous elements.
However, it was a bit ambiguous to open this dungeon to civilians.
Though the average monster hazard distribution was C-grade, for ordinary people, it was a world where even F-grade monsters were advised to flee from, let alone C-grade monsters.
If the police or military had secured a safe zone, it would be manageable if there was one or two monsters, but if the numbers increased, it would become challenging to respond with firearms.
Thus, this dungeon was a peaceful place for hunters, much like a picnic spot. Inexperienced novice hunters could gain experience and gather resources here, making it a space for “beginner hunters.”
And today, a Lawbreaker came to this novice hunter’s dungeon.
“Pidgey, it’s time to eat. Coo-cookoo-cook~”
-Coo?
-Cook!
Discovering about ten Fugu Doves, Shia carefully extended her tentacles towards them.
Like fishing, her tentacles stretched out long, conveying the message, ‘I’m harmless and just a delicious treat.’
-Ptooey!
“Hey, you little bastards!!!”
[Yeah, you dumb little bird.]
[Ptoo!]
[Gee, even the birds are smarter than the streamer, lol.]
Of course, it was a given that she failed.
Birds, being quick-witted and nimble, as monsters, the Fugu Doves also knew their weakness, making them much quicker and smarter.
Naturally, they understood Shia’s bizarre attempts to lure them by extending her tentacles from afar. As a result, they would often mock and insult her before spewing dissolving venom and bolting away.
Of course, the venom never touched Shia’s body.
Before it even reached her, the venom was purified by her Seongnyeok, turning into clear water.
“Ahhhhh! I’m so pissed off!!”
[Can the Seongnyeo really yell like that?]
[Angry saint on!]
[LOL, she’s going to rage again like last time.]
[‘KawaiiHorned’ has donated 40,000 won!]
Please don’t be too harsh! The streamer is just a little silly! Not stupid, okay!
“You’re the worse!!!”
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1Y1JoUjh1dXpQd0Y5cmtwZkU4c0NSYTFKa1AzYVJWYkxORUJIZFZlak9jMw
[LOLOLOLOLOL]
[LOLOLLOL]
This marked the fourth of many fails.
Having met several Fugu Doves since arriving at Taurus Great Canyon, she had failed each time.
It wouldn’t be hard for Shia if her goal was simply to kill them.
She could easily cause a wide-range destruction miracle from afar, or fire her penetrating miracle that she used against Lirisia during their fight.
However, Shia’s objective wasn’t to kill the Fugu Doves.
She wanted to capture them alive.
At least, she needed to catch them while ensuring the meat was intact.
But the Fugu Doves, being so quick, would sense her danger and take off if she got within a certain distance. And her awkward fishing with tentacles just wouldn’t work.
Sure, it wouldn’t be any trouble if Shia charged ahead with all her might, as she could easily outpace a Fugu Dove.
However, the bodies of the Fugu Doves were surprisingly fragile.
“No way, I can’t even use miracles. I can’t just dash and grab them. And they’ll run as soon as I get within a certain range. What am I supposed to do!!”
Before she could so much as finish the series of actions to dash and grab the Doves, they would explode into bits with a collision against Shia’s strong grip and indomitable flesh.
“Why the hell are they so hard to catch! I’d rather make some soup with the goblins hiding over there!”
[Are you nuts?]
[Noona, there’s no way to make goblin soup…]
[How can a person make goblin soup, lol.]
[For real, LOL.]
[That sounds like a main menu for your ‘Grandpa Neogeul’ disease pot, not cooking.]
[I haven’t heard ‘Grandpa Neogeul’ in a while, lol.]
[Even ‘Grandpa Neogeul’ would freak out at goblin soup!]
For reference, there was an S-ranked plague lich known as ‘Neogeul’ who invaded Earth during the first Great Rift.
But suddenly, Neogeul sided with humanity, helping to rebuild the fallen society alongside the hunters. He also developed medicine to heal the sick and gained quite a bit of popularity, hence the nickname ‘Grandpa Neogeul.’
“Ugh… Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. The meat of these birds is way softer than tofu, how am I supposed to capture one alive?”
Thinking that capturing them would be easier due to their low monster grade, Shia found herself in quite a predicament.
Her strength was too much; she couldn’t capture the meat alive.
But she didn’t want to give up.
Knowing such soft, tender meat would certainly provide divine taste when boiled would be too tempting to bare.
“Okay, that’s it! Time for my trump card!”
[Trump card?]
[If the fairy shows up, I’ll cut off the stream.]
That’s not it!
“Menelepi!! Teresa!! Help me!! Help! I’m desperate!”
[‘SeongnyeoIsWitchSlave’ has donated 10,000 won!]
Sure, go ahead.
What the hell?
Why did you reject me outright?!
How could you turn me down like this, you cold-hearted witch!
[?]
[What?]
[Menelepi is the hero and Teresa is…who the hell is that?]
[Why does the streamer keep bringing up other BJ’s?]
[Were they BJ’s?]
[Actually not sure…]
[Was that hero over there earlier?]
[No way, right?]
[That’s probably someone like Teresa or whatever.]
[?]
If Teresa were to say something like that, there’s a high probability she would enjoy watching Shia squirm in her predicament.
Teresa wasn’t an idiot. While her affection and fondness for Shia were genuine, she would find Shia’s desperate state to capture the Fugu Doves entertaining.
Menelepi?
Menelepi usually catered to Shia’s whims, wanting to do whatever Shia wanted. But even she couldn’t help but listen to Teresa’s nagging, pulling her hair and saying, “See? This is why Shia’s become such a spoiled brat!”
“Oh, come on…”
[How about finding another hunter?]
[Is the streamer too strong to catch Pidgeys?]
[They’re not Pidgeys; they’re Fugu Doves!]
“Wait? Another hunter…? But how can I find someone else in this vast Taurus Great Canyon…?”
The biggest issue about the Taurus Great Canyon was this.
It was far too spacious. Unless they arrived through the same gate, the chances of running into another hunter were slim to none.
Of course, meeting another hunter could lead to conflicts over resources or take a nosedive into a food fight.
Ugh, it’s a big mess. At this rate, I won’t be able to catch my target at all.
There’s no need for C-grade hunters.
Not even F-grade hunters. Even an apprentice from the Hunter Academy would suffice… It wouldn’t be dangerous, and I could bless, heal, and empower them…
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, Shia had an epiphany.
While she said she needed an F-grade hunter, in reality, she didn’t even need an F-grade hunter.
She just needed someone else.
And that person didn’t necessarily have to be a hunter or an Awakened One.
What is a Seongnyeo?
Although Shia had stood at the forefront of battle as the Mangja Seongnyeo and the hero’s right hand, the true role of a Seongnyeo was to assist combatants.
And Shia could utilize all miracles related to blessing and support, as well as enhancement alongside destruction and battle miracles.
‘So…’
○○○○
“Hey.”
[?]
[Isn’t that the part-time worker who gave the streamer juice earlier?]
[That’s the one.]
[?]
[What’s going on?]
“Ta-da! Special guest!”
“Uh?”
[?]
[What’s happening?]
“This person is going to catch my Fugu Doves!”
“…Huh? Me?”
And so, Shia brought over the part-time student from the convenience store who had given her juice earlier.
In principle, it wasn’t allowed for civilians to enter dungeons.
However, there was an unspoken rule that if an A-grade hunter was present, they could enter a dungeon alongside civilians.
Needless to say, Shia was presumed to be S-grade or above.
Having resolved the Mapo District erosion incident and saved the mermaids and elves, she was a top-tier hunter.
“So, sit in front of the camera and introduce yourself with your name and job.”
“Uh….?”
Thus, the student, who was working part-time at the convenience store, unknowingly… or rather, 100% coerced, began to slack off at work.
