[Chinese President preparing congratulatory address for Hyeonak…….]
[Chinese Ambassador: “We only wish to congratulate Korea’s development; we hope for continued mutual prosperity…….”]
On Suhyeong set down his phone with a headache written all over his face.
For a brief moment, unprecedented attention had been focused on how China would react to On Jurim’s insulting remarks.
Everyone had expected China to come out swinging, but its response seemed not merely mild, but almost as if it were watching the other side’s mood. As a result, everyone was frantic trying to analyze the situation.
Cautious speculation was circulating that it might be for the sake of trading Critato, but it was still only F-rank. For now, it was an item with potential and nothing more.
There was no way China would lower itself for such an uncertain future.
And On Suhyeong, having checked the articles at home, had just reached his own conclusion.
“Looks like Jurim caused another incident.”
No matter what the other party babbled with their mouths, that child would simply let it slide, so China must have been the one to make a direct move first.
The President himself was sending a congratulatory address? She must have scared them quite thoroughly.
He had told her again and again that it was no good to keep increasing the number of enemies.
“To think the one son I have left causes trouble every single time, honestly.”
China was such a huge market, too…….
On Suhyeong sighed and looked out the window toward the road.
Srrrk—
A familiar sedan was gliding into the parking space of the house next door.
It seemed Geuru had arrived.
*
“Perfect!”
Geuru’s third Filial Piety Factory, the “Critato Reactor Seed Potato Automated Farm,” had been moved to the yard of the second house.
This was all the result of a deal made with Jurim. In exchange for not interfering with Geuru’s experiments, she would supply the Critato Reactors to Hyeonak and Doan Gnovation.
‘Now Geuru’s bag won’t be full of potatoes anymore!’
Geuru was utterly satisfied.
The factory work was temporarily entrusted to the unemployed Unfinished Bears No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.
Their respective roles were to make seed potatoes and water them on the first, second, and third floors, and no matter where the factory was moved, the fellows were carrying out their duties well.
“Mm.”
Geuru brought over the flowerpot she carried around every day like a jar of honey and planted the elixir beside the farm.
Following Chuen’s advice, once she began juicing the universe, the elixir grew to 88%. The day when she would harvest a perfect elixir was now not far off.
‘Geuru saves Master, and Master saves Dad.’
This was chain filial piety!
Geuru huffed proudly through her nose, patted the soil, and was humming the theme song of an animation when—
“Ppi!”
Mephisto tugged at Geuru’s hair as if startled.
“Ung?”
When she raised her head, she saw the Snow Rabbit’s two tiny leaves trembling.
At the same time, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, who had been watering the seed potatoes, shrieked “Ppiiiiek!” and ran around in all directions.
“Uuung?!”
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
For an instant, the elixir’s stem seemed to swallow something down as though drinking water, and at the same time—
‘The potatoes!’
All the potato stems inside the farm withered away into ash-gray death.
“All the potatoes died?!”
My potatoes!
The Snow Rabbit ate all the potatoes!
[Bloodkin “Snow Rabbit” can evolve. Would you like to proceed?]
“E-evolve?”
Was it because it ate a whole lot of Reactors earlier?
Geuru looked once at the seed potatoes that had pitifully dried up and died, then once at the elixir.
Evolution? There was no resisting that.
She would not forget the sacrifice of the seed potatoes that had died so tragically.
“Snow Rabbit! Evolve!”
Shouting like a Gundam pilot pressing the sortie button in an animation, Geuru pressed the “Confirm” button.
“Kyuu!”
Then the plump rabbit stretched one arm straight out and sprang up from the ground.
“Oh!”
So this was the start of evolution!
And then…….
Roll, roll—
An acorn dropped from the Snow Rabbit’s head and rolled away.
“Kyung!”
The rabbit landed stylishly in a superhero landing pose and glared at Geuru with fierce, round eyes.
‘Is it going to evolve now……!’
Geuru clutched her pounding heart, imagining clusters of light gathering around the Snow Rabbit and its form transforming.
Thump, thump.
“…….”
Thump, thump.
“…….”
Thump, thump.
“…….”
“……Did you maybe already finish evolving?”
At that, the Snow Rabbit grinned vacantly and answered.
“Kyung!”
So it was done……. With a slightly disappointed face, Geuru squatted down and picked up the acorn.
‘Nothing really changed…….’
It could have just said an acorn grew.
“Only the potatoes died…….”
“Ppi-pit!”
When she spoke in a sulky, grumbling tone, Mephisto flapped his wings.
Seeing him raise his wing to a point and jab it accusingly at the Snow Rabbit, it seemed he was scolding it as a useless fellow.
Veilak, triggered by that wicked sycophant behavior into his Heosubei trauma, growled, and the Snow Rabbit’s body trembled as it teared up.
Snot streamed from the tiny rabbit’s nose.
“Kyuuung…….”
“Don’t cry. Your nose is running. Blow!”
“Kyun!”
The rabbit blew its nose. The rims of its eyes were flushed red.
“Kyuu, kyuu.”
Geuru held the babbling Snow Rabbit in her arms and patted its bottom, as if it felt very wronged.
On the Snow Rabbit’s head, a new sprout had appeared again—
[Sprout Imbued with Elixir]
[Resting…… 0%]
Looking at the information window, it seemed it would probably take a long time for the elixir to grow again.
‘It’ll be all right, won’t it?’
More importantly.
‘I have to make new seed potatoes.’
Geuru poured a whole lot of D-rank mana stones she had bought in advance into the funnel where mana stones were inserted, like dropping in bright, tinkling coins.
The shrunken mana stones rolled along and entered the round machine, piling up together with potatoes.
Seeing this, No. 1 came running over in a hurry and pulled the lever. The Metallic Armor Changer mounted on the cylinder activated, and the cylinder began rattling around like a washing machine.
Then, soon after, pop! A charred potato was born onto the conveyor belt.
‘Oh, it’s a D+ rank seed potato.’
So the seed potato’s rank changed depending on the ingredients put in.
Meanwhile, No. 2 and No. 3 busily began planting the seed potatoes.
It would be nice to have more workers, but because the Filial Piety Factory’s level was still low, there were only three workers.
She could level it up with Filial Piety Points, but since she even had to spend Filial Piety Points to make seed potatoes, she couldn’t use them lightly.
‘It’d be nice if there were more places to get Filial Piety Points.’
While lost in thought and stroking the Snow Rabbit, Geuru unconsciously gazed steadily at Mephisto and Veilak.
The two tilted their heads, not knowing why Geuru was acting that way.
Geuru stared intently at the Snow Rabbit, then carefully observed Mephisto and Veilak again.
Several formulas were being organized in her mind.
‘Snow Rabbit + Critato Reactor = Evolution’
In that case.
‘Mephisto or Veilak + Critato Reactor = ?’
Wouldn’t the result be evolution as well?
There hadn’t been much besides the acorn growing, but—
Wasn’t the fact that it could live in rabbit form like this itself the result of evolution?
When Geuru smiled, “Heh,” Mephisto cried “Ppii-ppi-ppi” and smiled along with her. On the other hand, Veilak, sensing something, took one step back.
“Myu…….” (Evacuate…….)
“Pit?”
“Myu!” (Run!)
“Let’s plant them.”
“Ppi?”
Geuru dug up fistfuls of soil with a trowel.
Then she grabbed Mephisto and Veilak, who was trying to run away with him, put them into the holes, and filled them with earth.
“Ppiiiiiii—!”
“Myuuuuuu—!”
Soon, the sorrowful cries of a baby bird and a hamster planted in the ground with only their heads left out began to echo through the yard.
“Don’t cry. If it works out the way Geuru thinks, Mephi and Bei can evolve too. Amazing, right?”
Geuru spoke like a mad scientist seized by madness as she wiped away the tears gathered in their eyes.
“Geuru, what are you doing?”
“Hup!”
‘Grandpa?’
Geuru greeted her grandfather and rolled her eyes to the side.
‘Grandpa might find out about the Filial Piety Factory!’
“I-I’m pwaying!”
“Aha, is that so. Is this a factory? Let’s see…….”
Thump!
On Suhyeong turned the factory this way and that and spoke as if impressed.
“It’s quite well made. It wouldn’t have been easy to implement it so it operates properly like this.”
At a single word of praise, Geuru’s face brightened all at once.
“But how does this move?”
“You put potatoes and mana stones in this funnel. Then they go down into this container and spin round and round, and seed potatoes come out. You plant those seed potatoes in the fields on the second and third floors, water them, and grow them.”
“Mm, the movement path doesn’t look that efficient. The design is…….”
Was the design bad?! When Geuru’s mouth fell open, On Suhyeong smiled gently.
“The design is very good, but I think it could become even more wonderful with a little adjustment. Would it be all right if Grandpa tinkered with it a bit?”
“Yes.”
“Since it grows crops, we should make a window on this side so it can receive more sunlight, and temperature and ventilation will be important too……. Geuru. Would it be all right if Grandpa drew up a blueprint for you?”
“Geuru would like that!”
“All right, I’ll prepare it right away. Ah, what did you say the factory makes again?”
Geuru beamed brightly and said clearly in a loud voice.
“Critato Reactor seed potatoes!”