The Gardener in a Hunter World

After clearing the dungeon, Ji-ha couldn’t resist the Seong-ho couple’s invitation to come eat, and went home after filling his stomach. Jumi kept trying to feed him this and that, probably feeling sorry for the skinny Ji-ha, and thanks to that, he returned home with a bloated stomach. 

‘Anyway, those two don’t have a baby yet.’

The Seong-ho couple had been married for quite some time, but they had no children. The relationship between the couple is good and they seem to have a strong will, but is there a problem with one of them?

‘It’s unfortunate.’

it would be really cute if a baby was born between the two of them. He couldn’t sleep for a while because he was worried about his bloated stomach, but he finally fell asleep. The forest in the dream had changed quite a bit during the day. 

‘Humming Bell… It looks like a real bell.’

That’s why it looks almost the same as the golden bell you think of when you think of bells. However, it was not known what role this flower played. 

‘I know how to make a sound……’

Ji-ha taped the humming bell, saw that the stream had widened considerably, and moved closer. 

“Wow.”

A moment of admiration emerges. The stream, which was only a narrow stream of water, became quite wide. I didn’t even know there was life before, but now there are quite a few small ish roaming around. 

‘There are also crayfish.’

Even 20 years ago, it was said that you could see freshwater crayfish by lifting a stone in a stream like this, but now you can’t even think about it because of the monsters. Ji-ha squatted and watched the fish and crayfish for a while, and was startled by the sound of something ringing. 

uh uh – 

‘What is that sound all of a sudden? Ah, these are humming bells.’

I approached the humming bell, but the sound was coming from farther outside. The sound of the humming bell died down as I touched the fog next to the cave. 

‘Looks like this.’

But outside the fog, it was hazy, so I couldn’t see anything. There doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary…… Looking at this and that, he knelt down when he saw the Theradons splashing under his feet.

‘Although the pincers are similar.’

It is very similar to the pincer that cut the troll to pieces in the arctic dungeon. But the size was too different. These guys are the size of fingernails, while those monsters are bigger than SUVs. After all, it’s not the same species…… I thought so, but the Theradrons were going out in the fog. Ji-ha was imprisoned as if blocked by a wall, and these tiny insects escaped casually. As I placed my hand on the ground and observed the boundary line closely, the surrounding fog turned transparent. And a new world opened up. 

‘Wow……’

Ji-ha’s mouth fell open. The world outside the fog was something he had never imagined. It was as if an ordinary forest had been reduced to a factor of one hundred. A forest is a forest, but the size of the trees, rocks, and lakes is so dainty. Just then, Ji-ha, who spotted a very small deer rushing past, had his mouth fall open wide. 

‘’It’s almost like I seem to have become Gulliver.’

But he cannot interfere with this dainty forest. When I looked more closely, the Theradrons were fighting something. 

‘It’s a devil ant!’

A dangerous grade monster named in Korea. However, the hunters fighting in the field disliked them beyond the level of disgust. It is because they come out in groups and emit poison that smells horrible, so it’s not easy to deal with. If you kill one guy, you have to deal with ten guys, so even a hunter with a fairly wide range of skills can’t help but get tired. The Theradons were bigger than the devil ants, but they were struggling with the overwhelming numbers against them.

‘In this moment… Are these guys small or am I big?’

 The forest was reminiscent of miniatures, as well as the devil ants, and everything seemed small to him. Except for the geographical features and animals and plants within the domain. 

‘Those guys are trying to come in here.’

Looking at it, I could see that the devil ants kept trying to invade Ji-ha’s realm. I can’t stay still, but what should I do? I tried pushing the wall of fog with my body, but it didn’t budge. Then a message popped up on the status window. 

{The war between your Theradron army and the invading demon ant army has begun. Would you like to help your legion? Yes/No}

“Uh?”

The bewildered Ji-ha made a stupid noise. Can I intervene in this tiny war?

***

‘Your Theradron Corps……’

It was a heartbreaking phrase. I couldn’t control these little insects, but if I supported them in the rear and won the war, maybe I could expect a small reward. Above all, I felt sorry for the insects with a little affection as they were hit and bitten by the poison of the devil ants. 

‘Those fiends.’

When I clicked ‘YES’, a new option appeared. 

{The Theradron Corps currently needs these things. Would you like to support?

1. 1. Poison Resistance Potion
   2. Stamina Potion
   3. Food with High Preference
   4. Physical Resistance Potion}

‘Hmm……’

So you are saying that you need these things? Potions are something people drink, but I would not have thought they would be applied to the Theradron as well. But I didn’t have any right now. 

‘I only have the food with the high preference.’

The sap jelly I brought from the polar dungeon just in case. I am sure that it said that the Theradrons eat it. Ji-ha took out a plastic bag containing sap jelly from the backpack and placed it on the ground. The Theradrons, who had been pushed back in the battle with the devil ants, began to show interest. 

“Eat this and cheer up.”

This was the only thing that Ji-ha could say. After a while, a large number of Theradrons flocked to the sap jelly mass and began to suck on the sides. 

‘Eating makes them a little bigger.’

Did they starve so much that they shrunk in size? The bigger they get, the stronger that they will have to be. The Theradrons did not disappoint him and began to separate the waists of the devil ants with large pincers.

‘Wow, that’s amazing.’

The devil ants, pushed back by the momentary charge of the Theradrons, responded with quantity. When one died, three would pop out to deal with the Theradrons. From where on earth did they come from, they were pushed back and gradually expanded the occupied territory. The Theradrons instantly regained their strength, but somehow their stamina seemed to be running out. 

‘I’ll have to give either poison resistance or stamina.’

Unfortunately, Ji-ha didn’t have either. Then another message popped up.

{Your Theradron Corps is being pushed back. You can use your essence to apply an area buff. YES/NO}

‘The essence is used here?’

It was a precious essence that I had barely obtained from a polar dungeon. It can be said that there is no meaning to Ji-ha without any combat skills because there would be no more to save in the future. But it is from good people…… The hesitant eyes of Ji-ha saw the defeated Theradron Corps.

‘Maybe the Theradrons could be in charge of protecting the forest.’

It means that the moment the Theradron is completely defeated, his peace may end. After thinking this far, Ji-ha chose YES. The next option popped up.

{The Theradron Corps currently needs these things. What would you like to support?

1. 1. Increases physical strength by 30% for 1 hour – 1 essence
   2. Increases poison resistance by 30% for 1 hour – 1 essence
   3. Increases physical resistance by 30% for 1 hour – 1 essence
   4. Blessing of worker – 2 essence}

‘What is number 4? By worker, do you mean me?’

Class Name Worker

As it required 2 essences, the effect seemed to be better than the above options, but I wasn’t sure. Ji-ha chose number 4 after much consideration. 

‘No matter how much, it will be better than the ones above.’

The moment he chose the option, a pale golden glow radiated from his body. It could not be compared, but it was the same kind of brilliance that the branches he planted in the forest gave off. The Theradrons started to move very busily as if they had gained strength. 

‘Awesome, now the devil ant’s poison is also endurable.’

Perhaps because of the increased physical resistance, even if one of the Theradron fights against four devil ants, it will not be pushed back. The worker’s blessing seemed to increase physical strength, poison resistance, and physical resistance. 

‘It’s cheaper to use 2 essences in exchange for 3 buffs.’

Ji-ha admired the power of bundled products. The devil ants must have realized that they were being pushed back, retreating and regrouping. However, the Theradrons weren’t stupid enough to wait for them, so they intensively penetrated the battle line and separated the devil ants’ waists. 

‘Don’t run away, fight!’

I shouted to myself, but the devil ants moved much faster. They intensively sprayed poison to stop the Theradrons, and finally ran away into the fog.

‘Ah, that’s a pity.’

If I had pushed a little harder, I could have won completely. However, I am satisfied that I have protected this forest. The Theradrons returned to the forest one after another, carrying very small chunks of gold in their pincers. It seems to be loot, but Ji-ha belatedly realized that it was the essence and the ether stones. It was so small that I couldn’t see it very well. A few Theradrons approached Ji-ha with Essence and Ether Stones in their pincers and set them at his feet. 

“Are you giving them to me?”

I don’t know if they are telling me to eat them when I see them going back and forth. But can I eat this little thing? When I brought my finger closer, surprisingly, it permeated my body like in the polar dungeon. Essence changed to 5, and Ji-ha was enveloped in a warm sensation. 

‘This is really essence.’

Then the Ether Stones would be real too. When I found a small stone like a grain of sand and put it in my palm, it turned into a big one. 

“Haha.”

At this point, there was nothing but laughter. Ji-ha was satisfied with the five Essences and Ether Stones. Since the devil ant is a dangerous monster, the ether stone will be sold at a fairly high price. The Theradrons brought more Essence and Ether Stones, but he refused. 

“I am satisfied with this, so you guys eat it.”

When I took a step back, the guys looked at me and quietly carried it into the ground. These guys are pretty cute.

‘The return on a little investment in essence has come back greatly.’

5 Essence and 5 Ether Sones were exchanged for 2 Essence, so it can be said that it was a very successful business. Ji-ha put the 5 Ether Stones in his backpack with a satisfied face. 

***

In the evening, Ji-ha built a bonfire in the middle of the forest.

*Crackle-*

I was processing spark stones into flint while listening to the sound of the bonfire burning when a Theradron approached. 

“Uh, you, it’s dangerous to come here.”

Knowing how dangerous it was, he kept some distance from the campfire. Looking closely, this guy is quite large compared to the daytime Theradron. The guy who used to be the size of a fingernail has grown to the size of a finger. Is this because he got the essence, or did a large individual come?

“Are you the captain?”

Instead of answering, the guy put down the thing he was holding in his pincers. 

“Huh? What is that?”

It was a very small seed, but when I put it in my hand, it changed quite a lot.

{Seeds of the Mist Dispel Flower}

‘If it is a Mist Dispelling Flower, can it drive away the fog?’

Maybe it is for the expansion of this forest. It is not good if the forest gets too big, but I still wanted to see something new. JI-ha very lightly stroked the shell of the Theradron that brought this seed. Perhaps taking it as a compliment, he took out his wings and trembled. 

“You have wings.”

Well, I don’t know if it is natural because it is a drone. As Ji-ha was flipping through the book, a message popped up on the status window. 

{Theradron asks you to rescue the queen. Would you allow it? YES/NO}

“Huh?”

These guys didn’t have a queen. If you choose a queen, they will give birth to babies and call it an army, right?

‘I’ll be able to do more.’

When I selected YES, the guy got busy. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to communicate with the Theradron in this way? Ji-ha used the campfire as lighting to plant the seeds of the Mistflower. Then, within a day, the flower grew and his territory expanded. A new plant colony appeared. 

{Evening Primrose: Increase poison resistance by 20% for 30 minutes.}

‘This is a plant used for poison resistance potions.’

However, it boasted a level of poison resistance that was different from the Evening Primrose seen in normal dungeons. Well, everything in this forest is like this. Ji-ha collected the liquid distributed on the petals of the Evening Primrose. This should make a good poison resistance potion. 

‘With the stamina potion and the poison resistance potion, I will be able to fight against the devil ants.’

Ready to support the little war. The health potion acts as a healer. When the soldier Theradron is wounded and runs to the rear, he recovers his health. The poison resistance potion corresponds to the NBC protective clothing. To withstand the venom of those heinous devil ants, you had to raise your resistance stat in advance. The sap jelly becomes the Theradron’s reliable combat food. These three munitions were almost everything that Ji-ha could prepare to support the Theradron Corps. 

‘Wouldn’t it be something if there was also a wide area buff here?’

There are five essences, so give the worker’s blessing buff to support the Theradron army…… Well, it was true that it was easy to think that way. However, the moment the Theradrons advanced and the house of the devil ants was revealed, Ji-ha was at a loss for words. 

‘Crazy. How big is the house?’

While the size of the devil ant is smaller than a fingernail, the cone-shaped house made of soil reached Ji-ha’s head. It is said that real ants build their nests tens of meters high over hundreds of years, but it is the same with devil ants. How many devil ants are hiding in there? There were dozens of patrols on the outskirts of the ant nest, but when they saw the Theradron Corps, they quickly disappeared. 

‘Is this a full-scale war now?’

Ji-ha swallowed dry saliva. I had wanted to control the Theradrons Corps myself, but it was impossible. And I thought that it would be better to leave it to the instincts of the Theradron than to guide it with clumsy knowledge. Among the Theradrons, a particularly large one stepped forward, opened its carapace, and trembled its wings. Seeing the other Theradrons move in perfect order according to its signal is amazing. 

‘Similar to soldiers.’

This is a war for the fate of the race. Theradron must take a queen from the devil ants to produce offspring and prosper as a species. When I had just arrived at the anthill, the devil ants suddenly appeared. Didn’t it just stick his head out in the middle and spew poison?

‘These guys are smart.’

Ji-ha admired the devil ant’s cunning. Even if the range is the same, if you shoot from a high place, you can go farther. The Theradrons were confused by the attack. If you stick to the front on the flat ground, you won’t be able to compete, but the enemy was using a projectile weapon. 

{The war between your Theradron army and the invading devil ant army has begun. Would you like to help your legion? YES/NO}

Ji-ha thought about giving them the worker’s blessing buff, but decided to wait a little longer. 

‘I believe in them.’

Captain Theradron paused for a moment before moving his feet and charging into the nest. He seems to have decided that it would be better to trust the poison resistance potion and fight in a straight line. Dozens of Theradrons broke through the battle lines following him. A few were poisoned, but not fatally wounded. Theradron waiting in the rear quickly transported the injured soldiers to a wooden bowl containing health potions. 

‘Is it acting as an ambulance in its own way?’

Anyway, there were many times when I was surprised to see these claw-sized insects. As Captain Theradron and the gang tried to reach the entrance of the anthill, something poured out of the hole. it wasn’t as big as a Theradron, but it was a soldier ant that was bigger than an average ant. The guys sealed the entrance with their bodies and confronted the Theradron. It seemed to block them with meat bullets so that they could not go inside. 

‘God, that is amazing.’

If the fight between the two races is replaced by humans, it could be described as a truly terrible bloody battle. 

‘Can’t they bring them inside and fight? Those guys are familiar with geography because it’s their own house.’

Perhaps they don’t have enough troops in the anthill. When Hi-ha thought this, a devil ant was trying to sneak away from another entrance of the anthill. It was a mutant with wings. The system sent an alert. 

{The devil ant army wants to send a messenger! It seems like they are trying to call the main unit from somewhere else for reinforcements. You can interfere directly with your own power only once. 

1. 1. Drop the winged devil ant with an intense slap attack – 3 essence}

‘What is it doing?’

An intense fighting attack costing 3 essences in one shot is too expensive! Anyway, the urgent thing was to cut off the winged ant so that it could not leave. After choosing the option, the Theradrons spread out as if they understood it. Ji-ha screamed as he watched the winged ant fly up. 

“No!”

*Thud!*

Ji-ha’s palm struck the winged ant, leaving a large mark on the floor. The winged ant could not even make a sound and turned into a miserable corpse, and the Theradrons who witnessed it gained courage and charged vigorously. Ji-ha felt a soft force pushing him away. Now that the winged ant is dead, the main force couldn’t be summoned back. I could see that the fighting power of the devil ants had noticeably decreased. 

‘And now this buff.’

When the worker’s blessing buff was applied, Theradron ran amok. The Theradron Corps seized the victory. 

***

Once they got the chance to win, they were in a state of disarray. The corps led by Captain Theradron killed all the devil ants at the entrance and dug into the nest. Perhaps because of the queen ant, it was unexpectedly quite spacious inside. I don’t know what is going on inside, but from time to time the decomposed corpse of a devil ant pops up. 

‘Is everything going well?’

When Ji-ha started to get nervous, a few Theradrons dragged out the devil ant queen. She had a very large belly, the length of Ji-ha’s little finger. 

‘It’s dead.’

The queen ant was limp and motionless. I felt a bit sad, but on the other hand, I thought that it deserved to die because it was a monster that threatened the forest. 

‘By the way, where is the Theradron queen?’

Eventually, the entrance collapsed and the Theradron came out. Dozens, including the Theradron Warriors, brought their queen. Her belly was so big that she couldn’t move on her own. Theradrons placed their queen and the ant queen at the feet of Ji-ha. 

{Theradron Queen}

‘Oh, that’s a bit gross.’

I could see the opaque milky white belly full of eggs. Ji-ha gently stroked the queen. Instantly, the message in the status window was updated. 

{The Theradron Queen wants to swear allegiance to you. If you make a contract with the Theradron Corps, you can become a patron of the Corps and receive various items. Of course, you will have to listen to their requests as well. YES/NO}

There is nothing to worry about. Since Ji-ha and the Theradron are living under the same roof anyway, it seemed like it would be okay to live while helping each other. 

‘It’s not that difficult, right?’

The items and essence he has are of great help to the Theradron Corps. Theradron brings him various items, including seeds, essences, and ether stones. It’s not really an ideal symbiotic relationship. 

‘But these guys are still.’

Are you waiting, wondering what options this human will choose? When I selected the YES option, a new message popped up. 

{Theradron Queen and the legion have sworn allegiance to you. Now you will be able to support the corps more directly.}

‘Be more direct… Does this mean I can support more outside the fog?’

It would be nice if I could do something fancier instead of the intense punching attack. At that time, the captain theradron was enveloped in a golden light and spread its shell and wings. 

{Theradron Warrior}

This guy evolved from a low-end soldier. Ji-ha couldn’t help but admire it when he saw it. Did the Queen congratulate him for his achievements on the battlefield? The Theradrons moved only then. They collected essence and ether stones, and brought out various seeds and food from the ant nest. At the same time, the miniature forest was shrouded in fog. It was a pity that Ji-a couldn’t see the pretty forest a little more. Anyway, what did they bring? The Theradron Warrior commanded several of them and brought 10 essences, ether stones, and seeds. 

‘Is this enough?’ he seemed to ask. Ji-ha smiled and decided to accept the offer. 

“This is enough. Use the rest for your livelihood.”

After absorbing the essence, the theradrons returned with the Queen. Ji-ha put the ether stone in his backpack and placed a seed on his palm to examine it. 

{Shadow Grape Seeds}

{Berry Seeds}

‘What is the seed of the berry fruit?’

So far, all the seeds Ji-ha had seen included the species name, but could it be that the berry fruit is the species name? Once you grow it, you will understand, so I dug a hole in a suitable place in the forest, sprinkled seeds, and watered it. You don’t need a lot of gardening knowledge to grow plants. Because the forest takes care of it. Ji-ha went around the forest and harvested Sun Apples and Winter Strawberries. I wanted to go to the sea, but I decided to refrain from going to the sea. 

‘I can sell the 15 Ether Stones, where should I use the essence?’

10 essences are required to raise the first stat by 1. In other words, if you invest 10, you can increase your strength by 1. However if ji-ha raises his power, where will it be used? Raising attributes and skills required a huge amount, so he couldn’t even think of it. 

‘As expected, collecting them like ants is the best. Don’t be like the devil ant.’

After tidying up the surroundings, Ji-ha put his backpack on his stomach and closed his eyes. What is the point of sleeping on a rock like this, so I’d like to build a house next time. A smile came to his lips as he thought about going to the sea and cutting down palm trees to build a house. 

***

Dungeons in Korea are mainly concentrated in Seoul, but there are also quite a few dungeons in cities such as Busan and Gwangju. There are also hunters who mainly target this side, avoiding rankers. The reason, of course, is to avoid competition. There are only real monster rankers from the single numbers, ranking 2nd to 9th, so instead of competing directly with them, they are targeting relatively empty places. The Busan Seagull Guild, which has the largest power in Busan, has been nervously waiting for a dungeon these days. This is a dungeon where devil ants appear intensively. Hunters were reluctant to go into dungeons with devil ants, but one was an exception. It is a dungeon where the queen devil ant is located. If you somehow manage to attack the ant nest and the queen, you can collect a lot of essence and ether stones. So, the Busan Seagull Guild gathered hunters from nearby towns and waited for the dungeon to open. Seeing that devil ant dungeons are often open these days, he guessed that anthill dungeons would definitely appear. Gates finally appeared. The soldiers stood guard and the hunters went in and checked the quest. But they came out bewildered. 

“Brother, the quest has already been broken?”

“It’s a dungeon that just opened, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“Check it out for yourself. The goal and the time limit are crossed out.”

“Damn it.”

Kim Seong-cheol went directly to the gate and checked the quest, then came out with an absurd expression. 

“No, some guy.”

“Maybe it already opened up in another area?”

“Don’t you know that dungeons that have already been cleared will not open again? Damn, I can’t believe it, I’ll have to check it myself.”

Kim Seong-cheol and the members of the Busan Seagull Guild made their way through the dense forest and finally found the anthill in question. 

“Big……”

The group was overwhelmed by the size of the building-sized anthill. How many devil ants are there in an anthill of that size? However, there was no sign of the devil ant. Seong-cheol Kim found the entrance to the ant nest, but it was completely collapsed. 

“Hey, find the traces of the ants quickly! Find out where it went!”

Dozens of people scattered to find the traces of the devil ants, but they could not see whether they had risen into the sky or had gone down to the ground. It was really a ghost town. But one hunter’s face turned blue and he shouted. 

“Guild leader! Bottom, bottom! Traces on the floor……”

“What traces are there?”

Seong-cheol Kim, who accidentally looked at the floor, gasped and stopped breathing. There were huge handprints. The outline of one finger was thicker than a telephone pole. What kind of monster would you have to be to leave such a mark? The Hunters must have felt that too, and everyone was speechless. Someone who came to his senses guessed. 

“Guild leader, this is the palm of a giant……”

“The giants have never been found, so what are you talking about? It is a monster.”

“If the palm of your hand is this big, you can’t even reach a decent grade?”

“Isn’t this extinction grade?”

People were buzzing and Seong-cheol made a decision.

“Retreat.”

“Really? Looking for more info……”

“Here is something that wiped out the devil ants. We probably don’t want to face him.”

“Of course not!”

The group immediately prepared to evacuate. On the other hand, Seong-cheol tried to guess who left the fingerprints while thinking of something to stop the party. 

‘The others don’t know, but I do. That there are monsters beyond the extinction grade……”

Myth Rating. When destruction grade monsters poured out in the first dungeon, it meant monsters that were not the monsters that fought them. At the time, most of the Awakeners were dead, and the myth-level monsters were forgotten. Seong-cheol was one of the few people who knew about mythical monsters. 

‘Couldn’t be.’

Shouldn’t be. The appearance of a mythical grade monster means the reappearance of extinction grade monsters. Hunters rushed out of the dungeon with stiff faces. Ji-ha, who unknowingly became a mythical monster, was cleaning the front of the store in a refreshing mood. 

“The weather is nice.”

Good morning.