Chapter 107: How a Veteran Tames a Pet (3)
One must either warm the eggs at an appropriate temperature.
Or stimulate them with a special item.
There are usually multiple methods to hatch the eggs,
But for a ‘Ancient Species’, there is only one defined way to induce hatching.
“Thank you. For giving such a gift to me.”
Jinhyuk expressed his genuine gratitude.
At the same time, his fingertips reached for the black egg.
Then, with a twitch, the body of Anubis shivered slightly.
Perhaps he expected this.
Of course, it was the best among the three eggs he selected.
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Yet, Anubis only moved slightly, not showing any signs of being greatly flustered.
He was confident,
Believing firmly that a mere human couldn’t possibly know how to wake an Ancient Species.
But what if?
‘What if I know how to wake an Ancient Species?’
A smirk formed on Jinhyuk’s lips.
In this world, there is nothing that could fluster or frustrate me. Even if it is a deity.
-Ancient Species are so rare that almost no information exists about them. However, the great explorer ‘Pesis’ revealed some secrets about Ancient Species.
An oddball, perhaps?
Pesis loved exploring the tower.
Unlike typical tower residents, he had a different curiosity and fervor to discover the other floors.
And thanks to his pioneering ventures, Jinhyuk had come to know numerous secrets of the tower.
‘He’s virtually the resident who knows the most about the tower, apart from me and the deities.’
I bet he’s around the 20th floor by now…
I should meet him in person someday.
He chuckled.
Pleasant fortune made Jinhyuk firmly grip the black egg.
[Level 4 ‘Affinity’ has been activated.]
An ability that can make even strangers feel friendly.
He had spared Park Hana back in the labyrinth for the purpose of acquiring this skill.
A bright light gently wrapped around the surface of the egg.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Something inside the egg began to beat rapidly.
“Ho, ho.”
Rick narrowed his eyes, watching the proceedings.
Even the slightest movement from an Ancient Species egg was enough to capture everyone’s attention.
Jinhyuk steadied his breath.
‘Keep calm.’
Gaining attention through Affinity is just the beginning.
What’s important is to succeed in the following steps without even a single mistake.
Jinhyuk stimulated the bottom of the egg slowly with the ‘Ice Sculpture’ spell while keeping the ‘Affinity’ skill activated.
‘If I activate ‘Stellar Blessing’ at this timing…!’
A faint energy swirled from the left side of the egg.
Twitch! Twitch!
The egg’s response grew even more intense.
‘Right. So tempting you can’t stand it?’
Indeed.
The way to hatch and tame an Ancient Species is through one method alone: drawing their attention with mana, their main energy source.
Ordinary mana wouldn’t suffice to satisfy their cravings, of course.
Simply strong or massive mana would bore them quickly.
‘I completely understand that feeling.’
Even the most delicious food becomes bland if you eat it 365 days a year.
Whether it’s chicken, pizza, or ramen, it’s all the same.
Then,
‘I will train you with various kinds of mana.’
A buffet overflowing with thousands of dishes never feels monotonous. Especially if that buffet is first-class.
Jinhyuk manifested ‘Grave of Swords’ and ‘Fire Elemental’ one after another. Dense mana and hot mana tickled the egg.
Twitch! Twitch! Twitch!
Now the egg began to squirm as if struck by lightning.
From its perspective, it must be like being offered the world’s delicacies.
“Give up and come out.”
By now, you must realize?
‘That no one but me can satisfy you.’
When Jinhyuk also activated the mana of ‘Great Blue Sky Sword Technique’ and ‘Daylight’,
Crack!
At last, a crack appeared on the surface of the egg.
“This… this can’t be…”
“It’s unbelievable.”
“I never thought it was really possible to hatch an Ancient Species.”
Tangled voices sprung from the mouths of the deities, filled with complex emotions.
“……”
Rick stood in place, speechless.
However, Jinhyuk concentrated all his nerves, ignoring the shocked reactions.
What was important now was checking what kind of Ancient Species was coming out of there.
Shortly after,
“Kyao!”
The Ancient Species that emerged from the egg roared softly.
Resembling a reptile about one meter in size,
Its obsidian black skin shone with amber-colored eyes blinking constantly.
Gulp.
Swallowing dry, Jinhyuk’s throat moved.
‘This hits the spot a little too well?’
Honestly, I want to rush over and hug it tightly right now, showering it with love.
But I must resist.
Unless it’s officially branded, that creature is just an extremely dangerous Ancient Species.
Touching or hugging rashly might roll the ending credits of my life.
Concentrating the mana of all the skills he used until now to his fingertips,
Whoosh!
The mana materialized into a round shape and then turned into a small glass marble.
“Kyao?”
The Ancient Species approached, sniffing cautiously.
It was wary, but could hardly resist the temptation of the mana crystal.
“This is your first meal from me. If you want to continue with me, just eat this.”
“Mogi?”
The Ancient Species tilted its head quizzically.
“It’s called food. Food.”
“Mogi!”
“Alright, mogi then.”
If it had been another being, I would have thrown a fireball.
But for some reason, even the dumb tone of this Ancient Species felt endearing.
Is this what it feels like to be a mother?
At that moment,
Chomp!
The Ancient Species bit into the food.
[Branding is being engraved on ‘Ancient Species ???’.]
[If you name it, the pet will show higher loyalty to its owner.]
[The first achievement of taming an Ancient Species will be recorded in the ‘Hall of Fame’.]
[All beings in the tower are paying attention to your achievement.]
[The Ancient Species and spirits will…]
Numerous status windows appeared in succession.
That’s it!
Jinhyuk internally cheered.
Previously, I had only fought against such a being, never successfully adopted as a pet. Finally, that long-held wish was realized.
“Mogi!”
After swallowing the glass marble, the Ancient Species shivered. Its short, stumpy tail swayed from side to side.
That must mean it feels good.
Grow big and strong.
Later, I’ll tenderly cook Anubis, who’s sulking over there, and feed him to you.
‘It looks like one isn’t enough.’
Jinhyuk made another mana crystal and watched the Ancient Species eating with satisfaction.
However,
‘I have to give it a name.’
To foster loyalty, a fitting nickname is necessary.
I can’t always call it Ancient Species or mogi.
“Hmm…”
After a moment of contemplation, Jinhyuk slowly opened his mouth.
From the first moment I saw this creature, a name had sprung to mind.
Black skin with bright yellow eyes.
“Let’s name you Sweet Potato.”
Yes, it matches perfectly with a well-cooked sweet potato.
“Gokuma?”
“No, Sweet Potato.”
“Sweeeet Potato!”
Pleased, Sweet Potato opened its mouth wide.
Yes.
From now on, your name is Sweet Potato.
＊＊＊
Time flew in a frenzy, and Jinhyuk headed toward the gate leading back to reality.
Horus, rejected by Jinhyuk, seemed quite disappointed.
“If your mind changes, let me know anytime. The Egyptian deities will always welcome you.”
He’s desiring to such an extent, it seems.
He does have the eye of Horus, not just as a trinket, I suppose.
Identifying a promising one just by sight.
“Thank you for your kind words, but I’m afraid my answer will remain unchanged.”
Jinhyuk replied, diplomatically rejecting the offer with a smile.
On the other hand, Anubis, having been dealt a blow again, seemed very angry, having concealed himself altogether.
Well, it must be difficult to contain his rage at himself.
Everything he planned fell apart, and he even lost an Ancient Species egg.
Lastly,
“It was another interesting encounter. I thought there was nothing that could surprise people anymore, but you’ve changed my mind, Mr. Jinhyuk. I never imagined a player could hatch and tame an Ancient Species.”
Rick approached Jinhyuk to say farewell.
“There are a few special humans in the world.”
“Heh, to say ‘a few’ is an understatement for the impossible things you’ve accomplished… But hearing you say that makes me look forward to our next meeting all the more. I’ll be waiting. Hoping that day will come soon.”
Excitement and anticipation.
And even beyond that, a longing to see the future of one human being.
Not as the librarian of the Magic Library or as the owner of a trading company, but as a member living in the tower.
Just then,
[The intermediate manager ‘Rick Hennessey’ has subscribed to your channel.]
[You have earned 10,000 coins.]
[The applicable commission rate has been lowered from 90% to 80%.]
A golden status window appeared.
“……eh?”
This time, even Jinhyuk was unavoidably flustered.
＊＊＊
Tower of Trials community.
This was a hotspot among hotspots, with over a hundred thousand videos uploaded every day.
Of course, among the countless videos, only a very few of them were worthwhile.
‘It would be a blessing even to have that many. Damn it, most of the time it’s just a miss.’
Choi Heejae, the PD of KDS Broadcasting Network and the person in charge of the program ‘Climbing the Tower of Trials’, had stayed up all night and was despairing at not having found a single remarkable video.
The stack of coffee cups on the table seemed to echo his troubles.
Then,
THUD!
“Se, Senior. Don’t tell me you haven’t gone home yet?”
The door swung open, and a woman with long hair and a suit entered.
It was Kim Dawun, who worked on the same program.
“What use is going home or to the sauna if you don’t catch anything worthwhile? This week was a total disaster.”
“Is it that bad?”
“It’s not just me whining. Even the kindergarten-going son knows to change channels. When the vanguard only made it as far as the sixth floor, but most of the videos on the first floor are still about goblins or orcs, how can you expect the viewers to care?”
A greater stimulation.
More spectacular and intense action.
To captivate audiences accustomed to heightened sensory experiences.
“Because of these useless videos swamping the servers, the station staff can’t even go home! Do you know my son saw me at home and asked why the neighbor uncle was visiting? At this rate, my wife might believe I’m a hermaphrodite!”
As Choi Heejae quickly ranted and massaged his eyes with his index fingers, Kim Dawun started browsing with the mouse.
“Uh… Senior. Have you seen this?”
“I’ve seen everything. All night long. Have you been listening to me at all?”
“This video just uploaded.”
“What?”
Choi Heejae jumped up from his seat at Dawun’s words.
Indeed.
The revival of an Ancient Species.
And the first player ever to receive a subscription from an administrator.
Unbelievable bait had been thrown out twice, causing the forum to almost crash due to viewers biting en masse.
“This crazy!”
Choi Heejae clasped the monitor with both hands, nearly giving it a headbutt trying to confirm what he saw was real.
“The two who posted this! Get them for an interview immediately! I’ll try to pull some budget strings through the director if need be. Got it? If not, even kidnap them or something! Go!”
Choi Heejae shouted desperately.
However,
“Se, Senior.”
Kim Dawun’s voice trembled faintly.
“It’s all from the same person.”
