086 – A New Family Member Has Arrived! #2
—
Still, as the nymphs had yet to awaken, the predawn hours—
Summer had arrived early in this neighborhood, and I awoke to the hoo-hoo cries of an owl echoing in the air.
Four in the morning.
Inoi, who usually sleeps from ten in the evening to seven in the morning, seemed to have woken up due to the owl’s cries spreading through the neighborhood.
—
Swoosh swoosh.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Inoi emerged from her room wearing her pajamas and stepped into the living room.
Inoi noticed Kalilnoi sitting in the yard, already flapping her wings. She spoke.
“The owl of Athena cries at night, but the tiger owl also hoots in the morning…!”
—
In that manner, another day dawned.
“What kind of owl is that big?”
“It’s like a fighter jet. A fighter jet.”
—
Today, the neighborhood elders occasionally came to the front of our yard to observe Kalilnoi. Even the residents whose expectations had been raised by creatures like squirrel beasts, honey ants, and ghost spiders seemed impressed by the immense presence of the large tiger owl, Kalilnoi.
The village chief, also a professor of this primal village and our local owl specialist, watched Kalilnoi from afar and said:
“I have leftover meat; would you like some? Back when I was young, these owls used to live in this village. They would grab cats with their talons and fly off with them!”
—
The professor handed over a black bag filled with raw pork belly that looked delicious when grilled.
—
Swoosh.
Approaching the tiger owl Kalilnoi cautiously, I extended a plate filled with the raw pork belly.
—
…
Kalilnoi simply stared down at the plate without emitting a sound. Apparently, feeding an owl is the best way to tame it, based on what Inoi had once said. So, I offered the meat, but Kalilnoi turned her head away without a second glance.
Witnessing this, the professor commented:
“She’s very picky. Though she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday, she should definitely be hungry. Would she eat this, by any chance? I recently received a gift of Hanwoo beef…”
—
Select Two Plus premium ribeye.
As soon as the professor grilled it on the outdoor BBQ grill, Kalilnoi whipped her head around towards us.
She wobbled over on her two legs, ate only the meat off the plate, and then waddled away to distance herself from us.
Seeing this, the village chief and part-time professor concluded:
“She has a very sophisticated palate. She likely won’t even glance at something unless it’s expensive and of the best quality. She won’t eat raw or live meat either.”
—
That was true.
Kalilnoi, with her elegant bearing, was indeed a tiger owl with distinguished and sophisticated tastes. Given that she was originally a nymph and not a real owl, it wasn’t surprising. Presumably, even during her human form as a full nymph, she had a discriminating and refined palate.
—
“Both me and Inoi still keep breakfast simple, just cereal…”
—
Would the grocery bill be covered if requested?
From whom would the request be made?
—
From Seo Ye-rim?
From Cha Yura?
I’m not quite sure!
—
Nevertheless.
Early in the morning, Telos Corporation arrived and built a special house for Kalilnoi on the rooftop of the well house. The house had a soft red carpet and was cushioned with fluffy feathers, making it cozy.
The general supervisor and Seo Ye-rim’s secretary, An Young-eun, approached Kalilnoi and said:
“Wow, what an enormous owl! You were originally a nymph, right? Can you understand human language? Would you let me pet you? This is really my first time seeing an owl this size!”
—
Kalilnoi, with her majestic and well-behaved demeanor, seemed popular. Of course, as she was a mighty bird of prey, no one dared to touch her carelessly.
And even if someone tried to touch her by extending a hand, she simply flapped her wings and soared about 10 meters away.
—
As the day progressed and lunchtime came around—
Brum-brum.
An old truck glided into the neighborhood and parked in front of our yard. Coris and Lee Jin-A stepped out.
—
“Behold, Coris has arrived! This Coris finds that the ice-filled slush is incredibly delicious! It would be a delight to share some with Kalilnoi!”
—
Coris held up slush filled with juicy fruits towards Kalilnoi perched on the rooftop. Beside him, Lee Jin-A, wearing only a thin towel and jeans, looked up at the rooftop and exclaimed:
“Coris told me a bit about it, but wow, this is quite impressive to see in person. If we categorize her as a demon, she’d be at least A-Rank, wouldn’t you say?”
—
That was accurate.
The tiger owl Kalilnoi was one of the most powerful creatures I’d encountered in this otherworld. She was strong enough that even Kkungkkungi, Bang Bang, and Ahn Ahn would struggle against her.
—
“Wouldn’t taming this creature make her your ultimate ace, Haildo? Imagine bringing her into the rifts—she’d be incredible. Wow!”
—
Lee Jin-A marveled at the magnificent creature. I whispered to her.
“Although I agree with befriending her, dragging her into battles in the rifts might be a bit cruel. She didn’t choose to become what she is now.”
—
“You think so? But honestly, I bet you’ve imagined it too, haven’t you?”
—
That was true.
I imagined what it would be like to enter T-Rank or B~A-Rank rifts with Kalilnoi, the tiger owl. Undoubtedly, she’d attract a lot of attention. My nickname would surely shift from “Haildo, the Squirrel Catapult” to “Haildo, the Tiger Owl Torchbearer.”
—
Whisper-whisper.
Lee Jin-A observed Kalilnoi on the rooftop, her eyes squinting.
“Though, taming her won’t be easy. I sense fear, strong caution, and even anger. A whirlwind of emotions emanates from that tiger owl.”
—
Here, Lee Jin-A, with her yellow hair like a troublemaking delinquent, was especially sensitive to the emotions of living beings.
This was thanks to the mana perception abilities she possessed. She quickly and accurately determined Kalilnoi’s state and concluded that taming her would be difficult— which was why I asked her to come.
—
“You gave me some candy before, right? Traffic light candy. I used the yellow one to quickly tame Bang Bang.”
—
Bang Bang…!
—
Pat.
Thinking that I had called his name, Bang Bang, who had been dozing under the golden apple tree, stood up and climbed onto my leg, inching towards my palm.
—
“Hiooong…!”
—
“Bang Bang here was originally wary and difficult around people. But after eating your candy, he became friendly almost instantly. Wouldn’t the same be true for Kalilnoi?”
—
“Not everything works like magic. The ‘Strange Candy’ I make amplifies existing emotions. It can increase intimacy, but… .”
—
Chatter-chatter.
Lee Jin-A thoroughly explained the efficacy of her candies.
The candies don’t create something from nothing but rather amplify what already exists.
—
“In short, you’re saying it works effectively to increase familiarity with animals that already have some level of closeness towards me? It can’t suddenly make a hostile creature friendly?”
—
“Exactly. That’s precisely it. The other colored candies work the same way. Blue ones make calm emotions even calmer, while red ones heighten existing fighting spirit.”
—
I see.
It made sense upon hearing her explanation.
—
“Bang Bang, so you originally had the desire to be my friend, and that’s why you became closer to me after eating the yellow candy.”
—
Swoosh swoosh.
I gently stroked Bang Bang’s back with my finger.
—
“Hiooong…!”
—
Bang Bang seemed to be in a good mood and began humming a tune, causing Lee Jin-A to laugh in surprise at the peculiar sight.
—
“To think a spider can sing. Truly, I’ve seen some incredible sights here. Though, even without the help of candy, I believe Haildo, you could befriend that owl given time. It might take a while, though.”
—
Likely.
I planned to keep trying to build a connection. It seemed Oiinoy and Coris had also made various efforts for Kalilnoi’s sake.
—
Swoosh.
Oiinoy emerged into the yard, clutching a fistful of garlic.
—
“Kalilnoi! Eat garlic! If you eat garlic for 100 days, you’ll surely return to human form!”
—
“And this Coris has gathered mugwort!”
—
Upon climbing to the rooftop, the nymphs offered garlic and mugwort to the owl’s beak. Of course, the owl didn’t like garlic or mugwort and simply used her wings to gently swat the nymphs away.
Observing this, Lee Jin-A asked:
“Give her garlic and mugwort?”
—
“Well, there’s an old saying about bear women. Oiinoy and the nymphs must believe that if the tiger owl eats garlic and mugwort for a long time, she’ll return to human form.”
—
Who knows if it’ll work?
I hoped it would succeed.
Thinking of that, Lee Jin-A let out a thoughtful hum.
—
“There’s this tale I heard. Someone discovered a peculiar plant growing in an irregular rift. Feeding it to her might help ease the owl’s emotions.”
—
“Really?”
—
Rifts always fascinated me with their unique flora and fauna, each possessing different effects.
—
“Where can you access this rift? What’s its rank?”
—
“The rank is around C-Rank, but it’s rather tricky. I was planning to head into the rift tomorrow to prepare some equipment. Would you like to come along?”
—
Scratching her nose, Lee Jin-A seemed slightly uneasy.
—
—
—
# # #
The Awakened Shop.
Literally, a store that sold items designed for Awakeneds.
There was a massive complex in Seoul’s Myeongdong district where I used to spend all my earnings before Oiinoy arrived. Back then, being a perennial D-Rank, I would splurge on various items thinking stronger gear would be key.
—
“Wow, unbelievable.”
—
Lee Jin-A was astonished. The sheer size and variety of items in this superstore were overwhelming.
Judging by her reaction, this seemed to be her first time visiting the Awakened Shop.
—
“From the cheapest items to the A-Rank or even S-Rank sections where they buy luxury goods, everything’s available here. Look, see Seo Ye-rim’s face on the massive advertisement? That’s the luxury section.”
—
“Well, that place has nothing to do with us.”
—
That was true.
That area was meant for at least A-Rank Awakeneds. A single pair of “Superconducting Leather Gloves” there could cost hundreds of millions.
—
“So, what did you come here to buy and how much are you spending?”
—
I asked the novice shopper, Lee Jin-A.
Deciding what to buy according to the budget would ensure proper planning, minimizing variables and increasing success rates.
Much like preparing for a rift expedition.
—
“I, for starters, wanted to check out new weapons. Preferably a close-combat one since it allows me to channel emotions into my attacks.”
—
I didn’t fully understand what ‘channeling emotions into attacks’ meant, but if she wanted excellent weapons, I knew a good place to recommend.
Besides, I was also planning to welcome a new ‘family member.’
—
Thus, we headed to a shop located in the basement of this complex. The place was filled with strong scents of oil, gunpowder, and burning metal.
A woman with an eyepatch over one eye said:
“Hey, Haildo. Still alive, huh? All your limbs seem intact. Haven’t seen you at the first-year reunion for years.”
—
The woman in a military cap had mechanical arms and legs that noisy clanked as moved, making her more of a cyborg than a human.
When Lee Jin-A squinted at this astonishing figure, I decided to quickly introduce her.
—
“This is Kim Dan, my first-year classmate. And this is Lee Jin-A, my C-Rank comrade.”
—
“Nice to meet you. My name means ‘Forged Iron’ in Korean, as in the character for ‘gold and iron’ and the one for ‘forge’.”
—
Clank.
Kim Dan extended her mechanical arm. As Lee Jin-A awkwardly shook hands, I explained:
“Can you conduct a ‘Weapon Affinity Test’ for Lee Jin-A? I, on the other hand, am considering adding a firearm as a family member this time. I’ve been thinking about a shotgun…”
—
Firearms.
The encounter with Cash left me heartbroken but also opened new paths for growth. Her suggestion that the shotgun fit me hadn’t been just idle talk.
However, Lee Jin-A tilted her head in confusion.
—
“Weapon affinity test? What’s that?”
