The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 18

Since it wasn’t a mission to defeat the Shrieking Bird but just to acquire rice seeds from its nest, wouldn’t it be doable?

 

“This guy doesn’t seem to be that high of a grade anyway.” 

 

Since she was about to need new crops to put up on the Hunter Exchange anyway, she figured this was good timing.

 

In her upside-down vision, she could see a massive light, which seemed to be the Shrieking Bird’s nest, wavering faintly not far away.

 

“The rice seeds will probably sell quite well, right?”

 

Hana, slicing through the air while hanging upside down from the Shrieking Bird’s back, spotted the glow of the nest beneath her head. 

 

“There it is!”

 

As if riding the direction of the wind, Hana used the Shrieking Bird’s violent thrashing to twist her wrists and adjust her position.

 

Then, raising her body slightly, she pushed off the Shrieking Bird’s back with the tips of her toes, like taking a running jump.

 

It was a fluid posture like flowing water.

 

Hana’s body, hovering in the air, did a somersault and landed very lightly on top of the nest.

 

“This… actually works?”

 

With an expression of disbelief at what she had done herself, Hana blinked continuously.

 

Unaware that Hana had already fallen off, the Shrieking Bird was still spinning around and around in the air, tracing circles of rage.

 

“Well, at least I can catch my breath now.” 

 

Hana vigorously dusted off the Shrieking Bird’s feathers clinging to her hands.

 

The nest was much larger than she had expected.

 

In the nest made of half-burnt branches and feathers, massive Shrieking Bird eggs were laid out side by side.

 

She had expected it from the size of the Shrieking Bird, but the eggs were also tremendously huge. They seemed to reach roughly up to Hana’s waist.

 

Furthermore, not knowing what material they were made of, knocking on the surface of an egg produced a clang clang sound.

 

It felt as though they were encased in steel.

 

And beneath those eggs, rice seeds with bright red husks were laid out thickly like a buffer.

 

As she approached closer, a hot air current brushed past her face.

 

“Are these those rice seeds?”

 

Perhaps because the eggs were so large, the rice seeds were entirely different in size from the ones normally seen.

 

Because one grain was almost the size of a thumbnail.

 

The rice seed she picked up with her fingertips was imbued with heat, like grain roasted in a fire kiln.

 

Looking at it now, it was the exact same rice seed Popcorn had been frantically devouring earlier. 

 

The scent was quite like roasted sweet potato, so just holding it in her hand made her mouth water considerably. 

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Surprise Mission Complete!> 

<Special Note! It is a ‘grain mutated in a fire-attribute environment’!> 

<Crop Appraisal Skill application complete!>

 

Hana nodded automatically.

 

“Nice. This will sell well.”

 

Just as Hana was about to prepare to pick up the rice seeds, the Shrieking Bird discovered Hana in its nest and shrieked.

 

Perhaps because its eggs were nearby, the Shrieking Bird, having become even more ferocious, flapped its wings towards Hana at a terrifying speed.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Warning! The Shrieking Bird has recognized the user as a threat to its egg.>

<The Shrieking Bird never spares a target it has identified as an enemy. Escape the gate or eliminate the Screechbird.>

 

No, seriously. Please tell me things like that in advance, please!

 

Hana reflexively waved her hands.

 

At that, the toy gun she had summoned in the simulation room wrapped perfectly into her hand along with blue smoke.

 

“Huuph.” 

 

After loading a rice seed she had been holding into the toy gun, Hana held her breath.

 

Then, closing one eye to aim, she pulled the string way back and let go. 

 

With a cheerful twang sound of the snap, the rice seed flew precisely towards the Shrieking Bird.

 

“Kkuruk!”

 

The next moment, the Shrieking Bird fluttered its wings wildly in midair and stumbled heavily. 

 

“Did it hit properly?”

 

Hana placed her hand over her eyebrows and stretched her neck forward.

 

It was hard to see clearly because the surroundings were dark. 

 

However, seeing the Shrieking Bird lose its balance and drop while shedding feathers, it did seem like a direct hit. 

 

Hana hurriedly began to pick up the rice seeds before the Shrieking Bird could attack again.

 

Just then, a whining sound came from her overall pocket.

 

“Kkyang!”

 

Popcorn, having caught the scent, popped out and started stuffing rice seeds into its cheeks again with a munch munch.

 

What is this? It looks like a puppy but acts no different than a hamster.

 

However, there was no time to stop it now.

 

Hana shoved rice seeds into every pocket she had.

 

In the meantime, the Shrieking Bird staggered up and flew towards the nest again.

 

Its right wing, hit by Hana’s slingshot, was almost half torn off and wasn’t functioning properly.

 

It was an appearance impossible to imagine was caused by being hit by a rice seed.

 

Unaware of that and busy picking up rice seeds, Hana realized that all the moist and plump rice seeds were laid beneath the eggs.

 

However, as if it was made of iron inside and out like its steel-clad appearance suggested, the egg was absurdly heavy and couldn’t be lifted at all.

 

“Ugh, why won’t this budge at all?”

 

Eventually, Hana pushed the side of the egg with her shoulder, making only the bottom part lift diagonally.

 

At that, moist and fresh rice seeds were revealed.

 

“Done!”

 

As Hana, fully absorbed in the harvest, poured more and more strength into her shoulder, the egg wobbled like a rooly-pooly toy and tapped the other egg next to it. 

 

Then, the egg at the corner of the nest tilted from that impact, and the eggs standing side by side fell over to the side with a rumble, like falling dominoes.

 

As an aftermath, one egg on the outermost edge rolled roll roll outside, falling right onto the head of the Shrieking Bird that had just arrived below the nest.

 

“Kkiek!”

 

Struck on the head by the egg, the Shrieking Bird couldn’t withstand its weight and plummeted to the ground at high speed.

 

Following that, a tremendously dull impact sound echoed up to the nest with a crack!.

 

“Huh?”

 

Hana, who had been picking up rice seeds with her head bowed, looked down below the nest at the sound and slightly covered her mouth.

 

Down there, the Shrieking Bird, having been struck on the head, was sprawled on the ground, twitching.

 

“…Oh my.”

 

Could that possibly be because of me?

 

Hana scanned the eggs that had tumbled over with a dumbfounded gaze.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<The boss monster ‘Shrieking Bird’ has been defeated.> 

<Gate subjugation has been completed. The gate will be closed in 30 minutes.> 

<Reward complete: 2,000 EXP granted.> 

<Current EXP: 2,520/2,500pt> 

<Preparing to issue ‘A Fragment of Lost Memories’…>

 

“Right. It is because of me.”

 

Hana scratched the back of her head out of awkwardness. 

 

Both pockets of her pants were already as bulged out as Popcorn’s cheeks.

 

“I wasn’t exactly trying to defeat it…… but I guess the result is good, so it’s fine?” 

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at the exact same time.

 

The exterior of the Gate was nothing short of pandemonium. 

 

Even though it was quite late, the residents of Yangpyeong Village, who had rushed out as soon as the alarm rang, gathered together in a huddle, murmuring.

 

“No, why a gate at this hour…”

 

“Evacuate the children out of the village first! Hurry!” 

 

Voices mixed with anxiety covered the night air.

 

The Yangpyeong Hunters who arrived late at the scene broke a sweat trying to calm such residents.

 

And standing in front of the gate, Kwon habitually swept over his chestnut-like head.

 

“Hey, Choi Kwon. The boss monster of this gate is that one, right. The Shrieking Bird that burned up your hair.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Kwon rolled his wrists with a face full of venom.

 

Kwon gnashed his teeth fiercely. 

 

“That Shrieking Bird b*stard that’s only big in size. I’m going to catch it this time and make it into a whole roast.”

 

His colleagues were startled and held back Choi Kwon as he was about to charge straight into the gate.

 

“Are you crazy? The Shrieking Bird is a top-tier monster even among A+ ranks! Have you already forgotten you almost died that time?”

 

“We’ll request support from the Association first, so just calm down a bit.”

 

However, the faces of the Hunters who were rummaging for their communicators turned ashen at once.

 

To subjugate a top-tier A+ rank monster, an S-rank or higher had to be dispatched at least.

 

But as if today was some kind of special day, the replies that came back all said they had been dispatched to other gates.

 

“Should we try calling Hunter Seo Kanghyun at least?”

 

But even that was in vain.

 

They tried contacting the production class Hunter left at the branch just in case, but the only answer that returned was that Seo Kanghyun was still unconscious.

 

There was no choice.

 

Unless they were going to leave it be until the gate burst like this, someone had to go in no matter what.

 

“…Let’s go in.”

 

“Right, we have to get revenge on the Shrieking Bird that made our Choi Kwon’s hair look like this!”

 

They giggled mischievously on purpose, but the hint of fear couldn’t be hidden.

 

As if having a premonition of their end, the Hunters with gloomy expressions adjusted their grip on their weapons.

 

At the very moment when everyone was firming up their final resolve in the heavy air.

 

One of the residents raised their arm high and pointed at the gate entrance.

 

“Huh? Wait a minute! Something’s coming out of there?”

 

All eyes turned towards the entrance.

 

Someone was truly walking out from the gate whose entrance shape had changed in the meantime.

 

Though it was impossible to tell if it was a person or a monster due to the wavering wavelength of the gate entrance.