Chick 163
by CristaeChick Class Hunter Is Doing His Filial Duty! Episode 163
Simulation Room.
Dan set the monster’s level and type on the massive bio-printer, then stepped aside.
Soon, a large hologram appeared in the center of the simulation room, projecting the design of an S-Class monster in full 3D.
When Dan pressed confirm, the bio-printer began following the blueprint.
Piece by piece, from claws to bones to flesh, the monster dummy took shape.
The bio-printer, resembling a 3D printer, fabricated biological structures, realistically reproducing monster tissues and defensive strengths.
Although lifeless and incapable of movement, it was extremely useful for testing how much damage an attack could inflict. That’s why every well-funded guild owned one.
“We’re not really supposed to use this lightly…”
Granted, it cost a fortune with every use, so it was rarely employed.
“Come on~ That’s not for kids to worry about.”
Team leader Hwang Yumin smiled brightly, assuring them she’d take responsibility.
The only reason they were able to use the simulation room today was because of a very special guest.
Groo creaked forward, approaching the newly manifested monster dummy.
To be precise, the guest now wearing a training jacket like Dan’s had brought along a chick drone, which had caught everyone’s eye.
The naïve kindergartner had blurted out in front of the hawk-eyed Hwang Yumin that he was here to test a new weapon…
“And that means we should use the simulation room!”
And so it had come to this.
Perhaps because of his nerves, Groo moved stiffly, looking even more like a doll, but that seemed to lessen suspicion.
‘Will this really be okay?’
Contrary to Dan’s worry, Groo chattered away to Hwang Yumin, responding with bright confidence to all her questions about the new weapon.
- It can target and attack within a radius of about 100 meters…
“Ooh! Incredible!”
- You think so?
With someone showing interest in his new weapon (well, toy), the teddy bear’s ears twitched and his nose vented puffs of air.
“What grade is it?”
- It hasn’t been determined yet.
“What does that mean? Is it not finished?”
- Not being determined means, it hasn’t been determined yet.
Baffled, but accepting the maker’s statement at face value, Hwang Yumin nodded.
‘Not that I’m expecting much anyway.’
As Japso had always been famous as a potion maker, expectations for him gravitated toward pharmaceuticals.
Today, he was just here as a surprise guest.
The mysterious Hunter Japso was sure to cause a stir just by showing up.
And accompanying him, Dan of Hyeonak, playing with Japso’s toy!
‘Unreal. Should I upload this as a vlog?’
Giggling to herself, she raised her arms and waved.
“All right, everyone, take your places and get ready!”
While Yumin directed the staff to prepare for filming, Groo pulled up the information on the chick drone.
[Mephisto Series Prototype mk.1 (Grade Undetermined)]
The item grade has not been set. After the item is activated, the system will evaluate all contributing factors and assess the grade.
*Item use may be dangerous. Children should always test and evaluate items with a guardian present!
‘Hmm, this is weird.’
After getting an idea from Uju, Groo had started modifying the toy drone.
And just when he thought the upgrade was complete and working…
The information window changed to that notice.
‘Huh!’
Items always had their grade assigned in advance.
So seeing it assessed only after a demonstration felt odd and unsettling.
Curious, Groo had asked AI Juju if any similar cases existed, but she had replied that she didn’t know of anything like it.
That’s why he’d put on his gear and come running to Dan.
Dad would never allow something risky!
And among the adults, Dan was the easiest for him to rope in.
‘Well, it’s come to this anyway…’
A bit self-conscious under the many watching eyes, Groo fiddled nervously with the chick drone.
Still.
This was something he had to do.
Groo raised his chin resolutely.
- Let’s show them.
The film crew aimed their cameras.
Soon, the propeller atop the chick’s head began spinning and the drone rose into the air.
Once it reached the appropriate height, it hovered in place.
From here, if an attack was detected within a 100-meter radius, it would target and fire electric energy.
- Begin the attack.
At this, the promo team leader gestured at Dan.
She wanted him to start the test.
“I have to make sure Joorim knows I had nothing to do with this…”
Dan grumbled but drew his weapon, “Beate’s Void.”
‘No need to use any skills, right?’
It was just a test—just channel a bit of mana and strike.
Tap—
Dan struck the dummy, barely thinking about it.
Crackle!
At that moment, the magic stone in the chick’s chest sparked with electricity. The forsythia-yellow fuzz puffed up like a dandelion.
Dan couldn’t help but laugh softly at how cute it was.
Then—the chick’s beak opened, gathering a wave of energy rising from its chest.
Crackle!
Szzzzzzip—
With a slicing sound, a projectile surrounded by an electric field shot out in a perfect straight line.
“…?”
Sizzle—
Around the entry wound, the dummy’s surface blackened and seared.
Only Dan, with his superhuman senses, had managed to track the projectile’s speed.
‘Even I struggled to follow that…’
It gave him chills.
Dan was one of Korea’s two Hunters with extrasensory perception. That meant he had far superior visual acuity compared to an ordinary S-Class.
Which meant that chubby, dopey-looking chick drone had just fired an attack at a speed far faster than sound.
The rest of the team, finally snapping out of their daze, rushed to examine the dummy.
There was a gaping hole, about ten centimeters wide.
Dan swallowed nervously and asked,
“What did it shoot…?”
- Electricity. Converts mana to electricity, creates a path, and fires.
Dan seemed lost in thought, then muttered,
“…Then this is a railgun.”
The very same weapon even America had tried but failed to develop.
“A railgun…?”
Some staff recognized the term, others did not, sparking a buzz of confusion.
“A portable railgun?!”
“What’s that?”
“You know, like those electric guns you only see in games?”
“Huh?”
Startled surprise mixed with blank incomprehension, but—
The important thing was that Japso had just brought a proud drone equipped with a new weapon even the U.S. had given up on.
And this railgun’s energy source was a magic stone.
That meant it could be used even inside dungeons, where only mana-based powers worked.
‘I’d heard Switzerland succeeded in developing a mana-powered “coil gun”…’
But a coil gun was an inferior variant of a railgun.
And this wasn’t even a main weapon, but a support tool.
The chick drone operated as an auxiliary weapon, programmed to automatically attack foes within range.
If a coil gun served as a main weapon, the chick railgun could provide additional, supplementary damage beyond the primary armament.
Amid the stunned silence of Dan and the staff, the first to recover was, of course, Hwang Yumin.
“…How did such a genius suddenly appear right before our eyes? Is this karma blessing Hyeonak after all its struggles?”
She was nearly hysterical. Her eyes wild, Hwang Yumin began showering Groo in a torrent of praise.
“Of course, you’re amazing! I always knew our Hunter would do great things! This is the one! The one to raise Hyeonak! Our hope! When you joined, I clipped and saved every article—I’d love to show you someday, truly!”
Hugging Groo tight, Hwang Yumin planted kisses all over the bear mascot costume.
- I-Is that so?
Embarrassed and delighted by the praise and affection, the teddy bear’s ears stood up straight.
“Noona, please, let go while you talk.”
Flustered, Dan circled Yumin and whined for her to set Japso down.
Eventually, only after giving a long speech about Hyeonak’s future and Japso’s vital role in it did Hwang Yumin finally release Groo.
Now, there was no need to worry about lost sponsor deals.
Where had such an adorable genius come from?
“He rode in on a bicycle! Pahahaha!”
Unable to suppress an impish laugh, Hwang Yumin signaled to the cameraman.
The team moved smoothly into filming mode—
“Our Hunter! Turn around, please, perfect. Dan, you stand here too.”
She positioned the two to show off the bold sponsor logo on the back of their training jackets.
“Let’s do it once more. Make it look cool!”