< Repetitive Work Specialization >

I was frozen for a short while, and then I urgently went to the next page of the skill window.

[(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Standby)(Yoo Myeongwoo-F)(Kim Sunghan-A)(Peace-C)

Skill growth targets – Bak Yerim, Yoo Myeongwoo]

……Peace? Wait, really our Peace? Even though a window about being influenced never came up?

‘Explain a little. Please explain a little. Give an explanation. If you just give a detailed usage instruction manual, really, no matter what I have to do, I’ll fill it with S-Ranks like you want, so please kindly explain a little.’

But a thick usage instruction manual didn’t descend from the sky with light and the background music of trumpets. This crappy system.

Let’s just think it over calmly and in earnest.

If it wasn’t a system error.

The title was Perfect Caregiver, the skill’s name was My Brat is the Best, and the keyword to influence was ‘I love you’.

Until now, I had thought that the keyword was something that was applied in one blow after paying a lot of lip service.

But if I were really a proper caregiver, it was only right to consistently express my love towards my brats. Not just once.

‘…Could it be that, me continuously telling Peace that I loved him was the proper way to use it, something like that?’

There was no way for me to know which way was the right one. But thinking of the caregiver title, it seemed like steadily heaping affection and influencing them was the answer.

At any rate, the end justifies the means[1].

‘Still, with this, it’s definitely possible to raise monsters now.’

I was worrying about what I should do if the keyword happened to not be applied to Peace, but I was relieved of a big worry. And I could probably substitute the system’s crazy demand with monsters.

Of course, filling it with 50 S-Rank monsters wasn’t an easy task either. First, I had to have them to raise them. It was extremely rare for S-Rank dungeons’ middle bosses or boss monsters to come with a baby. And since I had to capture them alive, the level of difficulty in obtaining them was atrocious.

‘Even if people caught one with good luck, if they confirm that it is impossible to grow, then they probably would kill it. Even up to 5 years from now, there were barely any cases of raising monsters to adulthood.’

It wasn’t that there weren’t any at all. In those cases, it probably was that the conditions happened to be met. They were all low rank monsters, so it was highly likely that the growth conditions were easy.

‘Unless some guy pops up suddenly out of nowhere with a monster-rearing special skill, probably only I would be able to raise high rank familiars[2].’

I should try to negotiate with the giant guilds with this. If you would guarantee my safety, I will impartially raise one at a time. Of course, I would receive the reward separately.

It would be better that way than being monopolized by one place, so mediating wouldn’t be difficult. Then Yoohyun would definitely be able to worry less.

Of course there would probably be a lot of salivating bastards going ‘come~ there’s a little F-Rank with a money-making skill rolling around’, but I wouldn’t need to concern myself with the small fries. I would just need to be a little careful until I got my exclusive use magic beasts.

Would they go so far as to go into the Haeyeon Guild building and try to kidnap me?

Thanks to Peace, I arrived at the guild in a good mood.

First of all, there were a total of 48 standby slots. No matter what kind of crazy guy who made the system was, they wouldn’t expect me to fill them in a few days. In the first place, why did I have to do it? I refuse until you tell me the reason, it’s a strike.

“Hey, Yoojin.”

I was about to quickly go up and give Peace a kiss or something, when Yoo Myeongwoo started talking to me with a face like he was going to die and a voice that was dying away. Why was this guy like this again?

“The first dungeon was pretty brutal, right? This was a special case, so don’t worry, and let’s hurry up and return the equipment and go up to rest.”

You had to rest well today and start the physical labor tomorrow. And sell the magic stones to buy bladed tools. Instead of new ones, would older ones be better? Should I search a junk shop?

“No, I’m… definitely not a guy who can do this I think.”

Said the guy who would get an SS-Rank skill after suffering for a little bit. It was something that would make the entire country’s millions of FF-Ranks throw rocks.

“In the end, I didn’t even get… a skill with 10 levels……”

“There’s really nothing to worry about. They said cases when they appear late are common. Hey, I didn’t get a skill with 10 levels either.”

“Huh? You too?”

“That’s right. My level went up when Yoohyun was catching the bird bastard. But I didn’t get anything.”

Even with the consolation that we were both in the same boat, Myeongwoo didn’t regain his energy, unlike normal.

“Still, you’re completely different from a guy like me. Your dongsaeng, he seemed really happy. If you’re someone who can give that kind of advice, something like your class[3] must be somehow good? You’re really special.”

His look when he said so was gloomy like he would crawl into a hole[4]. It seemed like his state was a little more severe than normal. What should I do? Should I give him alcohol to drink?

“First let’s go up and talk, go up.”

“No, I think it’s only right for me to start to leave. They said there’s only theory left for the novice training too. I should probably be able to continue that at the Association. No, I don’t think there’s any need for me to take that either. I don’t really think I can do something like a dungeon attack. I’m sorry I made you waste time on someone like me. Still, I was really thankful. I won’t be able to forget you for the rest of my life.”

Yoo Myeongwoo mumbled like he was saying his will or something. It wasn’t a little, but a lot more severe. If I sent him away like this, it seemed, from his face, like he would try to commit suicide again.

Was it because he was forced to interact with S-Ranks? It seemed like I was one of the causes too.

Even if I said ‘actually you have the aptitude to get an SS-Rank production skill!’ he wouldn’t be convinced. It wasn’t something you could believe normally, so if I said it now it might have the opposite effect instead.

And anyways, revealing the skill – Myeongwoo was a great guy but I didn’t have enough confidence in him to do that. Something that I hadn’t even told in detail to my younger brother.

“If you think that way, then I can’t really do anything about it.”

I gave a big sigh and continued speaking.

“I don’t intend to force you to stay. It’s just… I got really good information, but now I don’t have a use for it so it’s a little regretful.”

I really did have a really good piece of information. An amazing one.

“…Information?”

“Yeah. It’s information that would really help you a lot. But seeing how you’re having a hard time… I would feel sorry making you suffer more. It’s regretful, but if you don’t want to, I won’t force you. They say you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.[5]”

Sighing deeply, I searched Yoo Myeongwoo’s gaze.

“Before you go, do you want to hear about it just once? It’s really precious information. So…”

I lowered my voice and said as if whispering.

“You know Suk Hayan-ssi, right? The young lady who was in charge of the theory class a few days ago. She’s a genius who received a license to be a professor at that young age, and she’s pretty deep into studies about Awakened People. And her family is influential so she has a lot of all sorts of important information.”

“R-really? That person?”

“Yeah. Normally, I can’t tell others, but I got something specially. You can’t ever tell anyone that you heard this from someone, okay? Only you can know.”

Myeongwoo immediately nodded his head. Only to you specially, only you know. It was a magic phrase that hooked in people.

“You know weapon-related assistance skills. Like your Whetstone.”

“Yeah… what about it?”

“There’s a training drill to make Awakened People who have those kinds of skills get a really great, special skill.”

“A training drill… to get a special skill?”

“That’s right. Of course, it’s not easy. Still, if you diligently, quickly finish the drill, according to your luck, you could get a really great skill.”

“I don’t really have much luck…”

“What do you mean you don’t? Hey, just hearing about this is great luck. And it’s guaranteed to be at least a C-Rank. If you have a C-Rank assistance skill, you know there’s a~bsolutely no obstacle to living well, right?”

Saying SS-Rank would seem like too much of a scam, so around C-Rank seemed to be sufficient.

“……Really?”

The light returned to the eyes of Myeongwoo, who had seemed like a dead frozen pollack. Then, then. It’s real, right? Believe just in me.

“It’s just that it’s pretty hard…”

“How hard is it?”

“You know bladed tools, right? Like knives or scissors. You have to sharpen them. Exactly ten thousand of them.”

Yoo Myeongwoo’s mouth dropped open.

“Te-ten thousand…?”

“Yeah. It’s definitely hard, right? I don’t want to see you suffer either…”

“You just have to do ten thousand? Really?!”

Myeongwoo yelled as if cheering. The light in his eyes hadn’t just revived but was on fire. What, do you happen to like physical labor?

“…That’s right. Though rather than ‘just’, it’s quite a lot.”

“No, it’s not that much. If I sharpen a hundred each day, I’ll finish in exactly one hundred days!”

“A hundred each…?”

In just a hundred days? To finish that fast, even if you said one took ten minutes, that was 6 in one hour and you had to work for seventeen hours, and eat and sleep in the remaining seven hours…

“……Do it slowly, slowly.”

It was good to be passionate, but first you had to be alive to use the SS-Rank skill.

“Slowly? Should I do fifty each? But then it’ll take long… Troubling you[6] for that long is a bit……”

“It’s okay. Your food is tasty.”

It was true. And as time went on, he became even more capable so it was to the extent of anticipation. Did he have any cooking related skills?

“So, don’t worry. Instead of me, it would probably be harder on you? Shutting yourself in somewhere and only sharpening knives all day wouldn’t be easy.”

“Don’t worry. There was a time when I was young when I was engrossed in making a model of the Battle of Hansan[7]. I won a prize with it too. I have confidence in doing repetitive work all day in a house corner!”

Is that so. Was this nature also related to skill aptitude? It might be that he would roll out equipment like a factory after he gets Forge.

“Ah, I’ll take and put away the equipment. Yoojin, you go up first and rest.”

I was about to say it was okay but then I just gave him the equipment. If these little things were helpful, he would probably feel less burdened.

Really, being too kindhearted was a problem.

Then again, if he was someone who gobbled up anything given and didn’t know to be thankful, I would have thrown him away first. Since, if he betrayed me after getting the SS-Rank skill, it would be worse than not having one. And the keyword influence effect would be useless if there wasn’t a caregiver model.

It was because Yoo Myeongwoo was a trustable character that I was able to grab onto him to this extent.

“Yoojin, seriously, thank you. I’ll work hard and pay it all back to you. Definitely.”

Myeongwoo said, before he turned. If you’re that thankful, just make me a good piece of equipment later or something.

I figured out the matter of Myeongwoo and went towards the dorm floor with light footsteps. Now I really only needed to wait and then just take the harvest. Everything was mostly done, hooray.

Time to play~ I’m going to slack off a lot~. The house was big and the days would get hot and I would turn the A/C on full and roll around all day with Peace. I was going to stop caring about the weirdly changed status window and such.

If you want to make me work, please descend[8] down directly, person who made the system. Definitely with the instruction manual.

Cheerfully[9], I opened the door. The ‘click’ noise was so heartwarming. I should cursorily get through the remaining theory class and then become one with the sofa. Thanks to my dear dongsaeng-nim, I packed a ton of magic stones and wouldn’t have to worry about money. Should I buy some more stocks? Or should I pick out a car? Right, I should get my driver’s license first.

As soon as I entered, a bright light shone on the entrance. Across from the shoe rack, the smiling face of a man was reflected on the full-length mirror.

I didn’t know who it was[10] but his expression looked quite good. It seems to be a face of one who would play and live well.

But, behind him, there was another person wearing mourning clothe…

Something clammy suddenly grabbed my ankle. Then, it pulled firmly. Ack, wait, that’s a foul-!

Bam!

I barely dodged to the side to avoid hitting my head against the steel frame of the inner door and fell.

Fuck, Dokkaebi, this bastard, I told you to scare me, not to make an assassination attempt. I’m weak. Really weak. Don’t take an F-Rank’s weakness lightly.

“Ughhh, my hip… knee… arm…”

I only defended my head and hit everything else. It seemed like I would become one with the bed instead of the sofa.

“I didn’t think you would fall down that easily!”

“…Apologize first.”

“Sorry!”

A good child who listens well gets 1 point. When I tried to stand up, staggering, a hand stretched out from behind me and supported me. Ughh, my entire body was stiff. To think I would go around a dungeon unharmed and then get injured at my house entrance. Did I have luck or not? Did I have a pain relief patch at home?

When I turned around, I saw the mask-wearing Dokkaebi crying. They wouldn’t have come here wearing it from the start, so did they put it on in the meantime?

Looking at that unfunny appearance, I lost the intention to get mad too.

“You came later than I had thought?”

At my words, the Dokkaebi’s two shoulders drooped down.

“……I got scolded.”

“You got scolded?”

“I got scolded a lot! I got nagged at for two days for signing a contract as I please!”

Well. It seemed like Subordinates 1 and 2 were close to being guardians. Just how old were they? Since they didn’t say anything about the contract being invalid, they were probably at least over fully 14 years. Just looking at their height, they were an adult, but were they immature mentally?

“Still, I talked big that it’d be okay because I could win! It wasn’t scary?”

“Rather than being scary, I was about to go on the road to the underworld.”

“Usually the moment when you get home is the most careless moment…”

The Dokkaebi said sullenly. I was certainly careless. Still, putting aside the resistance skill, even if I thought of it objectively, the time at the classroom seemed scarier. Was it because of Suk Hayan? The screaming had a big impact. Sound really was important.

“There’s still chances left, so hang in there.”

Of course, I had no intention of losing on purpose though.

“Yeah! I’ll work hard!”

“And go to a drugstore and buy a pain relief patch.”

“P-pain relief patch?”

“Quickly. Right now. One that works well.”

Saying ‘okay’, the Dokkaebi suddenly disappeared. It sure was comfortable. Did you hear, person who made the system? Teleportation for me too, please.

[1] lit. sth like ‘even if you go sideways/diagonally, you just have to get to Seoul, that’s it’. It also means ‘no matter what path you take, you just have to get to your goal’, which I personally feel has a slightly different connotation than ‘the end justifies the means’ and suits this context better, but ‘the ends justifies the means’ is a lot smoother/flows better… rolls off the tongue nicer??

[2] So I tried looking up 기승수 again and found nothing useful. All I’m (99%) certain about is that 수 definitely has to be ‘beast’. I’m also 90% sure that 기 is 技(talent, aptitude)/伎(talent, skill). 승 could be 承(connect, inherit??, support) or possibly even 乘(ride). Whatever it is, I’m keeping ‘familiar’ even if it ends up not exactly being a familiar bc at this point it seems to be a pet/combat-support monster, and you can possibly stretch the definition of familiar to that I guess. It’s a made-up word so to tl, I’d have to use the exact word, make up a new word, or twist similar existing ones to fit it anyways, so…

[3] he uses a word that means ‘rank, class, grade,’ that had been sometimes used interchangeably with the ‘rank’ in stuff like ‘s-rank’, but I didn’t think he was talking about that kind of rank bc then the sentence doesn’t make sense, but idk

[4] lit. ‘dig a hole and go inside’ but I think this is what it means

[5] lit. ‘if one doesn’t even want to be a pyeongyang mayor, then that’s that’ where pyeongyang (as in the current capital of n.k.) used to be a major city in joseon (what kr was called bf the war & division) so being assigned as the official/mayor of there by the king was a rly good position but if u don’t want to do sth that’s good for you, then there’s nothing anybody can do abt it.

[6] this is that ‘owe you’ phrase that you can use to mean to stay over at someone’s house, from ch. 23 (see footnote [1]), which I just realized has a similar eng equiv with ‘trouble you’

[7] it’s actually the ‘great victory [of/at] hansan’ in krn but apparently it’s officially called this in eng. It’s a famous naval battle by a really famous admiral (Yi Sun-Shin) in krn history against the jpn.

[8] this is a word that specifically means ‘a god comes down to the mortal world’

[9] lit. ‘looloolala’ which is analogous to eng ‘lalala’ (as in like singing) and used to signal being cheerful or excited, but using it that way sounded weird in eng

[10] he’s probably being… well not sarcastic, but funny, bc he’s talking about himself. This and the following sentence are in honorific speech to further highlight that.