The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 16

Meanwhile, Hana, the person responsible for being that ‘crazy person,’ was secretly watching the situation from behind a tree a short distance away. 

 

Still with the fertilizer bag over her head.

 

Ah, but if there was a difference from before, it was that there were holes neatly cut out where her eyes, nose, and mouth should be.

 

Seeing the Yangpyeong Branch Hunters supporting Kanghyun inside, Hana nodded in satisfaction.

 

“Done.”

 

For now, as an emergency measure, she had squeezed out the juice of a few more cherry tomatoes and fed them to him. 

 

Since they were Hunters too, they would know better than anyone how to handle a status abnormality.

 

So they would quickly recognize that popcorn as an item, too. And take appropriate measures.

 

Now that Seo Kanghyun was taken care of, there was only one thing left for Hana to do.

 

“Before I get caught by any chance, I need to go destroy that garden plot I made inside the Gate right away.”

 

Hana scooped up Popcorn, who was following her with a patter of its short legs, into her arms and quickly headed home before anyone could see her.

 

As much as she wanted to open a shortcut right here, she couldn’t risk being seen, so she had to return to the safety of her garden plot.

 

Anxious to get back even a little faster, Hana didn’t take her usual path but chose a shortcut leading to the village rice paddies.

 

The night air was quite chilly.

 

The water gathered in the rice paddies gleamed silver under the moonlight, and the wind rustled through the grass, creating a crisp brushing sound. 

 

Amidst that, at the end of the paddy path, the dark air began to twist bizarrely.

 

The direction of the wind instantly flipped backward, and a brief chill slipped past. 

 

However, Hana failed to notice it in time. 

 

“Wow, this smell is no joke.”

 

She merely took off the fertilizer bag, sniffing and scrunching her face.

 

Popcorn let out a small whine from her arms, but Hana was entirely consumed with worrying about the smell and the Gate. 

 

“I know. Let’s get back quickly!”

 

With her steps feeling much lighter without the cart, Hana hurriedly moved along the shortcut. 

 

Once she became aware of how uncomfortable she felt, she wanted nothing more than to get back quickly and wash up.

 

In such Hana’s arms, Popcorn kept tilting its head continuously.

 

“Kkuung?”

 

Hana looked down and stroked Popcorn’s round head.

 

The warm body heat touching her fingertips calmed her down at least a little.

 

“Come to think of it, what should I do with you, Popcorn?” 

 

Even if it was said to be bound, a monster was still a monster.

 

Was there ever a case in the Hunter Association regulations of someone carrying around a monster that wasn’t even a summoned beast?

 

At that moment, the system window blinked unhappily in the corner of her vision.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<So are you going to keep calling that monster ‘Popcorn’?>

 

“If this kid is okay with it?”

 

【SYSTEM】

 <I’ve felt this since last time, but you really have no talent for naming things!>

 

What the. Why are you picking a fight again?

 

Hana glared at the system window with sullen eyes.

 

And then she looked into Popcorn’s round, pitch-black eyes as if seeking confirmation.

 

“Is that true, Popcorn? Do you not like your name?”

 

“Kkyang!”

 

At that, Popcorn flapped its ears as if to say what was she talking about, it loved it.

 

It seemed to like its name very much.

 

Triumphant at Popcorn’s reaction, Hana lifted her chin. As if telling it to look at that.

 

“See. Popcorn says it likes it?”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Hmph. What’s so good about a name like that? Stupid monster. If it were me, I’d absolutely refuse a name like Popcorn! –ㅅ–>

 

It was a strangely crooked tone.

 

Wondering if that was the case, Hana slyly curled the corners of her eyes. 

 

“What’s this. Are you sulking by any chance? Because I only gave this kid a name?”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Me? No way! Why would I be upset with a heartless user who, despite going through thick and thin with me while I give out missions, decided to give a name to some monster they just met for the first time? -3-> 

 

Right. It’s sulking.

 

“What kind of system gets pouted over something like this.” 

 

It was peculiar, anyway.

 

Still, because of the affection they had built up, seeing the emoticon with pouting lips made her feel bothered.

 

So Hana gently coaxed the system.

 

“Right. I was too thoughtless. I should have given you a name first.” 

 

【SYSTEM】 

<…Hmph, then why don’t you give me one even now. ( -᷅ ⤙ -᷄ )=3>

 

“Shall I? What would be good? Since you talk so much like chatter chatter, hmmm.”

 

With a rather serious face, Hana rested her chin in her hand and pondered before snapping her fingers.

 

“Ah. How about Chirpy?”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<……It’s the absolute worst.> 

 

Ah, whatever if you don’t like it.

 

Hana’s cheeks puffed out with air.

 

She had actually thought about it carefully, but it wasn’t even close.

 

It was right when that disgruntled feeling was about to surge up. 

 

Popcorn suddenly struggled in her arms, slipped right out, and started running wildly pitter-patter toward the end of the paddy path.

 

“Ah! You can’t just run around like that!”

 

Running after Popcorn, it wasn’t until they almost reached the end of the paddy path that Hana barely caught the little guy and held it in her arms again.

 

It was that moment.

 

A cold energy swept down her spine.

 

It was an unfamiliar energy that gave her goosebumps instantly, but strangely, it was somewhat familiar.

 

“…Huh?”

 

The moment Hana looked back in bewilderment.

 

Beeeep—! 

 

A sharp warning sound rang out.

 

In a flash, a black hole tore wide open around the space where Hana was standing. 

 

A gate had opened.

 

And right under her feet, of all places.

 

“Wow… What kind of day is it today, seriously?”

 

No sooner had she spoken to herself as if complaining, the space she was standing on was swallowed whole by the gate, and the ground beneath her gave way.

 

Hana’s bangs, who found herself suddenly plummeting, shot straight up blown by the wind.

 

Along with a thunderous scream.

 

“Aaaahhh!”

 

* * *

 

Kwon, who had laid Kanghyun down on the sofa, stretched while bending his back backwards.

 

“Ah, seriously, he’s so damn heavy.”

 

In time with his stretch, a crack crack sound of bones aligning came from his back.

 

Beside Kwon, an A-class hunter who was taking out and evaluating the crops and popcorn delivered in the cart slid his eyebrows upward. 

 

“Oh, wait, these are all items?” 

 

“What? Really?”

 

At that sound, one of the Hunters who had all gathered around without exception clapped his hands.

 

“I think these are those items that are sold out and causing a frenzy on the Hunter Exchange these days?”

 

“No way, that one? Those cherry tomatoes that sell out in three seconds?” 

 

“Yeah, yeah! That one!” 

 

In an instant, the atmosphere heated right up.

 

Then, one of the Hunters glanced at Kwon and poked him in the ribs with a face full of mischief.

 

“Hey, Kwon. Want me to give you one? You never know. Your hair might grow back if you eat this?”

 

Kwon’s face instantly turned bright red.

 

“Hey you punks! I told you not to talk about my hair!”

 

In truth, this unique chestnut hair was not Kwon’s preference.

 

To be precise, Choi Kwon preferred to walk around with red hair that covered the nape of his neck tied in a half-updo. 

 

Why, you ask?

 

Choi Kwon was a wind-attribute ability user. 

 

So wouldn’t it just be a waste of breath to explain how cool his hair would look fluttering every time he used his ability?

 

For Choi Kwon, who absolutely lived for style, his hair was incredibly precious. 

 

To the point that he maintained it daily with the highest grade treatments. 

 

But that hair he had grown with such care was entirely burned away one day by a bizarre fire-attribute bird monster he encountered in an A-rank gate.

 

And it hadn’t grown back since.

 

“Damn it, what the hell did that bird bastard do that my hair won’t grow!”

 

Choi Kwon gnashed his teeth fiercely, unable to contain his rage.

 

It was then.

 

Beeeep—! Beeeep—!

 

An alarm sound echoed explosively inside the building.

 

The expressions of the Hunters, who had been giggling amongst themselves, hardened in an instant.

 

[Gate Appearance] 

[Location: Yangpyeong Village Area] 

[Rank: A]

 

* * *

 

“Ugh!”

 

Hana let out a groan as she fell onto a bed of leaves. 

 

Fortunately, the leaves seemed to have piled up quite high, so the impact wasn’t major. 

 

“Where on earth am I now…?” 

 

Holding Popcorn tightly, Hana stepped down from the pile of leaves and looked around.

 

The first impression of the Gate she had been swept into out of nowhere was, how should she put it, exactly like a jungle. 

 

The dirt ground was damp with moisture, and above her head, long, drooping vines like willow branches were swaying in the darkness.

 

Hana walked forward, groping against a large boulder next to her to carve her way through the dark forest path. 

 

It was that moment.

 

Popcorn slipped out of her arms again and dug at the ground with its front paws.

 

And then, didn’t it just pick something up and eat it?

 

“Uh, uhh! Popcorn! You can’t just eat anything!”

 

Hana hurriedly ran to stop Popcorn, but it was already too late.

 

Both of Popcorn’s cheeks were already puffed up as full as an adult’s fist.

 

Looking closely, something like a red rice seed was stuck to its round nose.

 

“Why is something like this here?”

 

At the appearance of a quite heterogeneous crop, Hana, a self-proclaimed farmer, turned the rice seed over in her hands.

 

A vine hanging down over such Hana’s neck swished, tickling her skin.

 

At that annoyance, Hana roughly waved her hand to shake off the vine.

 

But the vine, having good elasticity, came back to Hana’s neck and began to shake even more distractingly than before.

 

“Ah, really! It tickles to death!”

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Hana finally grabbed as much of the vine as her hand could hold and yanked hard.

 

Rip!

 

She hadn’t even applied much force, but a whole handful of the vine was pulled out.

 

But the feel of the vine she grasped in her hand was a bit strange.

 

The surface was rough like leather, and things that she couldn’t tell if they were thorns or suckers sprouted all over.

 

“No matter how I look at this, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary plant.”