030. Sparkling Abalone
Quite some time passed after the guest from Seoul left.
The season had fully entered early summer.
The sea remained endlessly blue.
Lives born in spring received the energy of summer and grew beyond comparison with before.
And that growth applied to me and our fish farm as well.
“Phew. Another failure. What’s the problem?”
I muttered while looking at the tiny abalone slowly crawling across my palm.
Sparkling Abalone.
A special Fantasy Creature that glittered like a jewel underwater.
I was attempting to farm my third Fantasy Creature species after Dragon Palace Rockfish and Jewel Sea Bream.
But...
This was not easy.
If my goal was simply to grow edible abalone, I would already be blowing trumpets to celebrate success.
However...
[Gloss Grade of Farmed Sparkling Abalone: 2+]
This time, I had a separate goal.
Mass farming Sparkling Abalone with a special Grade.
To understand why I was challenging special-grade abalone farming, and why it was proving so difficult...
We needed to turn the clock back a little.
While swimming underwater with Daldal...
We discovered an abalone glittering brilliantly between black rocks.
We immediately approached.
“Whoa, what is that light?!”
“Can’t open eyes! Suho!”
Many creatures living underwater developed survival strategies to protect themselves from predators.
The most common strategy was camouflage.
They developed dull colors that naturally blended into their surroundings.
Or rough shells that looked like stones and rocks at first glance.
Thinking of normal abalone made it easy to understand.
But this special abalone seemed to use the exact opposite strategy.
The closer a predator came...
The brighter and more dazzling its light became.
It blinded the predator!
While the confused predator struggled underwater...
“Ah!?”
“Gasp, disappeared...!”
The Sparkling Abalone used mysterious power to hide itself and immediately escaped.
It was a fascinating experience.
Instead of blending into the scenery, it actively interfered with the predator’s vision.
It reminded me of the ink used by octopuses and squid.
But!
It could not escape an experienced hunter like Daldal.
“Suho! Watch!”
Daldal waited for the exact moment the Sparkling Abalone recognized a predator and prepared to release its bright light.
The instant the light exploded...
He turned his head away and completely neutralized the attack.
After releasing one powerful flash, the Sparkling Abalone returned to being a fairly ordinary abalone.
It simply glittered a little more than normal ones.
Before the confused creature could disappear elsewhere...
“Caught it!”
“Good! Great job, Daldal!”
Using Daldal’s number one treasure, his extremely special stone, he attacked the gap between the abalone and the rock.
Once the abalone came loose, the hunt was over.
[Fantasy Creature Appraisal complete.]
“Good! We did it!”
Name: Sparkling Abalone
Species: Fantasy Gastropod
Rank: B-
Difficulty of Acquisition: Slightly Difficult
Description: An abalone with a special glittering shell. When encountering a predator, it releases an intense burst of light. While the predator is confused, it uses magic to quickly move elsewhere.
However, there is an opening when it uses magic. If this opening is properly exploited, the creature can be hunted.
......
Special Note: Can be farmed, conditional. View details.
Sale Restriction: Can only be sold through the Awakened Shop using exclusive currency.
Special Effect 1: Slightly increases Strength underwater. Permanent.
Good.
We had found a new farmable creature!
But...
“Hm? There’s another Special Effect?”
After checking the Status Window again, I noticed there was also Special Effect 2.
Special Effect 2: Can be used to create special therapeutic food and Items that temporarily weaken possession, curses, and malicious spells. Required number of individuals to unlock therapeutic food and Item recipes: 1/20.
“A special therapeutic food that weakens curses...!”
The moment I read the Status Window description...
I immediately felt that it could greatly help Rako, who kept sleeping because of the curse.
“Suho!”
Daldal seemed to realize the same thing.
His expression visibly brightened.
“Good. Great. Catching this thing was worth the trouble. Let’s get more and unlock the therapeutic food and Item recipes!”
We immediately began hunting more Sparkling Abalone.
Now that we understood the method...
Their survival strategy no longer worked on us.
Flash!
“Good, dodged it!”
Flash! Flash! Flash!
“I catch more than Suho!”
Only a few minutes later...
“This is easy?”
“All thanks to this great Daldal, Suho. Hehehe...”
We finished hunting the number of Sparkling Abalone we needed.
Without wasting time, we immediately checked the recipe.
But...
“Hmm...”
“Suho, what wrong?”
[Special Therapeutic Food Recipe]
[Check the recipe for Hot, Cozy, Sleepy Traditional Sparkling Abalone Porridge! Blah blah blah...]
The therapeutic food recipe was almost identical to the abalone porridge recipe I already knew.
However...
One requirement caught my attention.
[This therapeutic recipe requires Sparkling Abalone with 1+++ Grade Gloss.]
“This isn’t Korean beef. What does 1+++ Grade Gloss even mean?”
I immediately appraised the large Sparkling Abalone moving on my palm.
Its shell shone brilliantly like expensive crystal.
But...
[Appraisal Result: 2++ Grade Gloss.]
“This? This isn’t even Grade 1? It’s only 2++?”
If an abalone this bright was only 2++...
How bright would an abalone above Grade 1 be?
I decided I needed to find out immediately.
Together with Daldal, I searched the Sparkling Abalone habitat from top to bottom.
“Ugh, even one this bright is only Grade 1...”
“Suho, eyes hurt.”
“This isn’t easy. Sorry, Daldal. Let’s go back for today.”
“Mm...”
In the end, we collected only a few Sparkling Abalone slightly above Grade 1.
Then we returned to land.
“Welcome back, Lord Suho. Peep!”
“Yeah. Orlan. I’m back. Nothing happened while I was gone, right? Are you hungry?”
“I ate until there was physically nowhere left to put food... Burp. Peep!”
“How’s Rako?”
“Hmm... She does not appear to be physically injured, but she is still sleeping. Peep. However...”
“However?”
“...It would be faster if you saw it yourself. Peep!”
I headed to the farm cabin and checked Rako’s condition.
“Rako...?”
Kyuuung...
When I called her, Rako rubbed her face with both hands as if talking in her sleep.
But she still did not wake up.
Instead...
Her body occasionally trembled.
Kyuuu... Kyuu!
She suddenly flinched hard with a frightened cry.
“Is she having a nightmare?”
“That appears likely. Peep.”
Even after that, Rako repeatedly made frightened sounds as if seeing something terrifying inside her dreams.
Peep...
[Translation: Looks painful...]
Daldal seemed extremely worried.
He approached the tank and stared closely at Rako’s face.
“I thought it was only a curse that forced her into deep sleep, but it seems she’s having nightmares too. Is it really okay to leave her like this?”
“Hmm. I know little about curses like this myself, so it is difficult to answer. However, leaving her continuously under the effect of such a curse cannot be good.”
“I wish we could at least understand her exact condition...!”
[Information: No Contract relationship with this Spirit Beast.]
[Information: This Spirit Beast is currently unable to be asked about Contract intent.]
[Information: Contract intent cannot be confirmed due to a powerful curse and spell affecting this Spirit Beast.]
[Information: Curse information affecting this Spirit Beast cannot be confirmed.]
Every time I tried to use the Status Window to check Rako’s condition...
I received nothing but negative information.
“Phew...”
“We even requested help from the Dragon Palace to see whether they could provide an answer regarding this curse, but no proper method has been discovered. Peep. Even the Dragon King...”
“There’s nothing we can do. For now, let’s do our best to keep Rako comfortable. She seems to like cold water, so I should lower the temperature.”
I adjusted the temperature control system.
I created the coldest water environment possible.
Then I carefully observed Rako.
Peep-peep...
[Translation: Expression looks little better...]
Daldal let out a small sigh of relief.
But this was only a temporary measure.
Unless we dealt with the curse binding Rako’s body and soul...
She might wander forever inside nightmares.
“Can I really remove a curse even the Dragon King couldn’t solve...?”
“There is another matter that concerns me. Peep!”
“What is it?”
“Rako must awaken before we can identify exactly who placed such a powerful curse on her. We need to quickly discover why someone cursed a Spirit Beast appointed by the Dragon Palace, and what that person is truly seeking. Peep!”
“Hoo...”
“If the safety of the entire sea is involved, we cannot continue doing nothing. I am worried for Lord Suho and the safety of this Small Sea. Peep!”
Orlan was right.
Before whoever had tried to harm Rako began targeting this place too...
We needed to prepare.
That was when the idea entered my mind.
Sparkling Abalone farming and selective breeding.
“What if I apply the breeding process used to produce highly marketable individuals to the Sparkling Abalone...?”
I immediately began improving and farming Sparkling Abalone with high Gloss Grades.
But seriously...
It was not easy.
After creating my first abalone farming environment and heavily using Growth Acceleration, I finally obtained my first results.
I placed the result on my palm.
And became completely disappointed.
[Farmed Sparkling Abalone Gloss Grade: Ungraded.]
“Ungraded...? It’s so bad they can’t even give it a Grade?”
I gathered everything I knew about ordinary abalone farming.
I raised them with complete care.
But the result was a failure that only glittered slightly more than normal abalone.
“What’s wrong? There shouldn’t be a problem with the environment, and I’m even supplying premium feed organisms.”
Of course, I already knew Fantasy Creature farming was somewhat different from farming ordinary creatures.
But with Dragon Palace Rockfish and Jewel Sea Bream, the difference had not been especially large.
My normal aquaculture knowledge had been enough.
This time, however...
Because the target itself was so difficult...
The challenge was on an entirely different level.
Was I wrong from the beginning to assume it would be similar to ordinary abalone farming?
And so began an endless series of trial and error toward farming the highest-Gloss Sparkling Abalone.
Returning to the present...
“All right. Today we’re having Sparkling Abalone Mulhoe.”
Peet-peeeep~!
[Translation: Woohoo!]
“Oh. A refreshing meal suitable for summer. Peep!”
Pee-woo-pee-woo, peet-peep!
[Translation: Cold enough even Rako would love it!]
I placed southern-style mulhoe with floating ice crystals on the table.
Then...
I carefully watched Daldal and Orlan.
Pee-woo! Peet-peeeep!
[Translation: Abalone mulhoe tasty! Refreshing!]
“The texture of the abalone is excellent, and the broth is extremely refreshing and delicious! Hahaha! Peep!”
Positive reviews.
I began feeling relieved.
Then...
Ding!
“Lord Suho? What is that sound?”
“Uh, uh! We worked hard and this is lunch. Serving only mulhoe would feel a little too simple, right? I prepared another dish too!”
Pee-yahoo!
“Oh! I see! Then what is the next dish?! Peep!”
“...Butter-grilled Sparkling Abalone.”
Freeze.
Ah.
I saw it.
Their expressions froze for just a moment.
“...I see!”
...Peeeeep! Peep!
[Translation: ...Wow! Looks tasty!]
As you can probably tell...
We had accidentally entered a state of abalone oversaturation.
It was unavoidable.
To obtain the highest-Grade Sparkling Abalone, repeated breeding improvements were necessary.
Which meant...
Until we obtained the desired Grade, we needed to endlessly breed more abalone.
What had begun with barely ten individuals...
Had now expanded into hundreds.
At this rate, there’ll be nothing left in the fish farm except abalone...
This was a crisis.
The plan to mass-produce abalone in a short time using the leveled-up Growth Acceleration Skill had sounded good.
But I had thought far too lightly about the huge number of abalone that would fail to reach the target Grade.
Thanks to that...
We ate abalone today.
We ate abalone yesterday.
And we would probably eat abalone tomorrow too.
“I need to find some way to use all of them.”
Peet-peeeep! Peep!
[Translation: This is to wake Rako! Can endure!]
“For someone who says that, your eating speed seems much slower than before. Ahem. Peep!”
Peep-peep-peet-peet!! Peet-peep! ...Ugh.
[Translation: What saying! Can eat much faster and more! ...Ugh.]
Even after finishing the meal, countless Sparkling Abalone remained inside the tanks.
For the first time since I began running the fish farm...
I felt completely lost.
Could I really make this work?
