[Tot-st] (TL: note at the end.)
A reclusive monster that hides underground and likes to bake soils for some reason. Causes massive amounts of headaches because it often bakes subway lines and basement floors.
It can be found in pretty much every environment except below a body of water, where it's harder to increase the temperature. However, it also doesn't seem to like deserts.
Its sole weakness is its fragile Core that can be shattered as easily as ceramics.
"Really now...."
The director of a certain hospital, Seong Sil-Nam, had managed to earn some handsome profit after advertising himself as the trusted physician of the one and only MS Cameraman. At the moment, though, he was carrying a deeply troubled expression while looking at a report held in his hand.
This report came from overseas.
The level of technical expertise or the information network of Korea didn't lose out to other nations on the planet, but it was inevitable that the country wouldn't be able to excel in every field of science there was.
For instance, such as 'anthropology'.
Or, more correctly speaking, 'experimentation on human subjects'.
Throughout the world, people went missing often after getting killed by the monsters, or after exhibiting strange symptoms. Compared to 'them', the government of Korea was definitely more honest.
Them, as in those large, powerful nations that had openly thrown away their morality.
'Well, that's why they're powerful nations, isn't it."
The information he held was something utterly impossible to buy in Korea. Just how many people had to be sacrificed for this data? The good doctor couldn't even begin to imagine.
Perhaps, because he was a doctor, it was harder to do so...
Seong Sil-Nam picked up his smartphone. He hesitated ever so slightly, before calling the contact number found in the patient's personal details.
- "Hello?"
The voice of a young man came out from the speaker.
"Hello. Do you have time to talk?"
- "Sorry, but who is this? I'm in the middle of a broadcast at the moment."
As expected, the first thing spoken by a famous MS was quite different from that of normal people.
The director of this famous hospital Seong Sil-Nam nodded his head in satisfaction. It was only par for the course for a patient he was personally looking after to possess such a fierce spirit, indeed.
"It's your doctor, Seong Sil-Nam."
- "My doctor? Hmm. Is this a new type of voice phishing, I wonder?"
"Can't you memorise your own physician's name, at least?!"
Didn't his spirit a bit too fierce like this?
- "Ah-ha! You're that thick-faced... ahem, I mean, the excellent doctor who looked after me. But, didn't you say I should come back in a month's time?"
"The results came back much earlier than expected."
If he were to be specific, then the person he asked the favour for took care of it much faster than what would be deemed normal.
This was the sure proof of the MS Cameraman's fame being influential in other countries as well. Seong Sil-Nam couldn't help but feel that this was an unprecedented situation.
'And that stubborn guy did it so quickly, too....'
- "I'm a bit occupied at the moment."
"With what?"
- "Didn't you feel that earthquake just now?"
"You're from the new generation, so why are you panicking over a minor thing like that? Something like that happens all the time, no?"
- "Yeah, that is true, too...."
"....Hello? Hello? Mister Choi Kahng-Sik?"
*SFX for the continued bleep of the disconnected call*
The Republic of Korea is safe from earthquakes... was a story from the distant past.
And no, it wasn't because of some sort of a geological problem. When a huge, impossibly powerful monster decided to make a move, that event naturally translated to many occurrences of earthquakes and tsunamis.
In that case, what was the cause of this earthquake, then?
*SFX for the ground splitting apart*
Huge spiderweb-like cracks formed on the front lawn of the Monster Association, already ruined by the marauding flock of Pig-Jons.
The ground cracked apart all around the spot where Choi Kahng-Sik pulled the shovel out. The chasms formed on the ground were so uniform that, when viewed from above, it was as if looking at a sheet of bullet-proof glass with a bullet stuck in the middle.
The once-flat ground became pulverised into tiny bits and pieces in an instant.
"Aigoo!!"
"It, it's an earthquake!!"
"Mommy?!"
"Is Mother Nature angry with us?!"
The crowd got utterly spooked by the sudden tremor and became mired in confusion and panic.
However, unfitting the level of panic settling in them, the actual material damage wasn't all that high. One could say that most of the force was focused near the spot where the shovel was pulled out from.
But, that presented a problem of its own. Because everyone's attention fell on the MS standing there as well as to his shovel.
"Well, now. This is....."
Choi Kahng-Sik bought himself a bit of time by answering the sudden phone call, but now, he could only scratch the back of his own head and form a deeply troubled expression.
He sneaked a glance at the shovel.
'Did a new ability get added in when the handle appeared? But then, was there a need to attach this handle in the first place?'
Couldn't the gods add new functions, as if you were swapping out a car's engine to another one or something?
It was difficult for a mere human to decipher the deep and profound thought process behind the gods' actions, though.
[A certain god is searching for his navel, lost after laughing too hard.]
[A certain relaxed god is congratulating you.]
[A different god is losing his navel after hearing the congratulations.]
….He didn't feel like deciphering it either, all of a sudden.
Choi Kahng-Sik studied the mood of the surroundings for a bit, before lightly stabbing the shovel back in the ground.
It could have been a pure coincidence, so just to confirm... One more time.....
"......"
Nothing else worthy of being called a miracle happened.
Feeling let down, Choi Kahng-Sik's eyes narrowed to a slit.
'Was this 'donation' a one-time use only? Or, could it be that I didn't meet the activation requirements? Is anyone among you willing to explain?'
[A certain god is decisively refusing you.]
[Another god is cackling softly.]
As he read those messages, even deeper frowns etched on his forehead.
It was here that he heard the murmurings of the surrounding people.
"What was that earthquake all about?"
"Look at the cracks on the ground! It's coming from there."
"I thought as much! That shovel is a magical item!"
Since the cracks formed as soon as he pulled the shovel out, he found it hard to explain his way out of this one.
Choi Kahng-Sik deliberated on the matter for all of 0.1 second and then spoke up.
"Thanks to an unexpected earthquake, it seems that the situation has become a bit strange. If you're curious to find out what's going on, please bookmark the MS Cameraman's channel. If you continue to tune in, then you'd get closer and closer to uncovering the truth! In any case, thank you all for tuning in!"
Choi Kahng-Sik theatrically bowed his waist and bade farewell.
'Yup, making excuses is a crime!'
This thing called 'suspicion' was a pretty serious incurable disease. Fixing it completely was almost impossible, and no matter how hard one tried, it couldn't be reversed in a short period of time.
It was the same story about how building up trust in another person couldn't be done in a day. So, he decided to brazenly face it.
┖ Wowsers! He wants us to keep watching if we're curious. ㄷㄷ
┖ Oh, my dear 'mom'. I just lost to the fighting spirit of the MS.
┖ What's up with the two above me lying down? ㅋㅋㅋ
The complaints of the viewers pounded on the channel's chatroom window, but Choi Kahng-Sik remained calm and composed. He took the camera and the shovel and left the Monster Association's grounds for good while humming to himself.
'I wasted too much time at the Association.'
Something new and unexpected continued to happen just when he thought it was over. As this place used to be the former grounds of Korea's national assembly building, maybe it was cursed or something?
So, he should make his exit now before...
"How will you explain all those cracks in the ground?!"
….Before something like a guy suddenly shouting at him from behind.
When Choi Kahng-Sik took a look, a young man with a fairly okay face stood there. Judging by the Cameraman following that guy around, he was an MS too.
And that guy was busy pointing at the centre of the numerous cracks - where Choi Kahng-Sik pulled his shovel out.
The naked proof that the shovel and that mini-earthquake were intrinsically linked to one another.
'Ehehe. This is where I become instantly famous!'
The man's lips began forming an insidious smile.
He figured that, by using the hottest rising commodity in the broadcasting world, the MS Cameraman, his own flagging audience rating would perk up in an instant.
A once-in-lifetime opportunity had landed on his lap, in other words!
'Now, MS Cameraman! Become my stepping stone, and.... Huh?!'
"I'll be streaming from a dry sauna next. As for which dry sauna it could be... That's a secret! I'll continue streaming once I finish mailing the prize to Thumbelinnim. This has been your MS Cameraman coming to you live. Thank you and goodbye."
….He got openly ignored.
"You b*stard! I was talking to y...."
"What was that? Did you want to say something in front of my viewers? What a brazen idiot you are. You haven't even tried to pull the shovel out, but you thought you'd be able to sell your name and become famous? Just like that?"
Choi Kahng-Sik dug bits out from his ear canal with his fingertip while retorting back to the fellow MS.
And after hearing him, the eyes of the embarrassed Hunters who failed to pull the shovel out underwent a sudden and scary transformation.
'Now that I think about it, that's true, isn't it?'
'What an insolent little punk!'
"Hiiick?!"
The foolish MS got scared out of his wits and swiftly ran away from there.
"..."
"..."
After that, no one else tried to get in Choi Kahng-Sik's face. Everyone feared being 'misunderstood' like that poor sob of an MS just now.
And so, finally, he got to end the day's broadcast.
┖ Mister MS? Don't do this, man. (Serious.)
┖ There will be another incident happening soon. I saw it.
┖ The guy above me is a level 100 Oracle. Cuz I know. ^0^
Choi Kahng-Sik ignored the viewers' petition along with their pleadings and curses with an amiable laughter and turned the camera off. For the time being, he couldn't worry about the audience rating. He definitely needed to take a break.
'Just how many times did I broadcast today?'
Still, he somehow managed to end the day alive and in one piece.
It was time now for a much-deserved bre....
[A certain god is asking you for the itinerary of the promised adventure.]
[Another god wants to go on the adventure of dreams right away.]
Oh, that?
'It's been delayed for three days after experiencing way too many incidents today.'
He put on a show imitating the legend of Excalibur just so people would stop lusting after his shovel. But a new problem rose up with the follow-up earthquake.
It ended up garnering even more attention than necessary!
As a punishment, he'd delay this adventure of dreams or soya bean paste or whatever for the time being.
[A certain god is getting dejected.]
[Another god is getting shocked by the mention of punishment.]
[A certain impatient god is leaving.]
[Number of viewers: 12]
"Eh? Seriously?"
For the first time in a while, he lost a divine audience member.
Although the loss of each divine viewers was regrettable, Choi Kahng-Sik remained firm. He even thought that this was probably for the best.
'I knew that impatient dude would leave sooner or later!'
The just desserts of the traitor - he'd take very good care of the remaining gods from now on.
"Caw~?"
"What is it now?"
Just as his trudging steps strode past the front gate of the Association's grounds...
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
"Caaaw! Caaaw!"
The baby Oh-Racle was falling fast asleep on his shoulder until then. But all four of its eyes shot open completely out of the blue, and it began cawing like crazy.
Was it the right head? The left?
Choi Kahng-Sik's eyes opened up extra wide.
'What does it mean to be both heads at the same time?!'
*SFX for something heating up quickly*
Suddenly, he noticed that hot air and steam slowly rising up from the ground as if it was the lid of a hot pot. Specifically, the ground behind him, on the lawn of the Monster Association.
The tough grass that even survived the trampling by the unruly Pig-Jon flock began withering up in the blink of an eye.
*SFX for things scattering away as ash*
Hell, they even became ash and were blown away by the evening breeze.
"H-hot!"
"The steam is rising from the ground?!"
"Is it another monster?!"
The people standing on the lawn were not spared, either. Falling into a messy state of panic and fear, they began running around to everywhere like headless chickens while trying to shield their legs somehow.
This sudden rising heat was swallowing up the Monster Association's Korean branch.
"Keuk?!"
Choi Kahng-Sik too sped up his steps.
He thought that the heatwave rising from the ground would bake him alive if he remained still.
'No, even if it's hot enough to bake... Wait a minute?!'
*SFX for things shattering*
Suddenly, sounds of ceramic shattering resounded out in the evening sky.
The ground collapsed and formed a large crater, and from its bottom, countless pieces of ceramic rose up and began flying in all directions.
As if they were shrapnel.
Choi Kahng-Sik flung himself behind one of the parked cars.
*SFX for multiple sounds of shrapnel hitting objects*
The compact vehicle began tottering dangerously after being struck by hundreds of small shrapnel. Even though they were ostensibly ceramic pieces, these little bits easily pierced past the sheet metal of the car and made an utter mess of the interior.
And a monster capable of doing something like this?
"A d*mn Tot-st...!"
There could be no other.
A two-star monster that would be baking ceramics underground if everything was normal.
As long as it wasn't disturbed by noise or from underground construction taking place nearby during its period of, uh, 'creation', then it'd not attack anyone.
Indeed, as long as it was not disturbed...
'Is this because of the earthquake?!'
There could be only one reason for a normally placid monster to suddenly attack like this.
Choi Kahng-Sik massaged his temples with his fingers.
"Just looking at it makes me dizzy."
In front of his eyes, the ground sizzled and burned like the plains of hell.
He had not one lick of desire to walk on something like that.
'No luck with this one, huh.'
The two-star monster, Tot-st, was the worst possible match-up for someone like Choi Kahng-Sik, who was what you'd call a physical type melee fighter.
He couldn't come up with a single method to deflect those ceramic shrapnel bits raining down on him and get close enough to its main body to kill it.
So, he quickly made up his mind.
'Let's leave this to other Hunters. It's already getting late, too.'
If there was one thing tugging at his mind about making an exit now then that would be...
That would be the divine viewers starved of stimulating adventure willing to understand his reasons for exiting from this stage.
[A certain impatient god is taking a peek.]
[Number of viewers: 13]
'A traitor can go away! Shoo! Shoo!'
He could clearly see the black heart of the impatient god who was only returning to see if there was anything interesting happening here. Well, that guy wouldn't be able to see anything interesting, though!
Because he was going home now. End of business for today!!
[A certain impatient god is introducing a new friend to the channel.]
[A new god has been dragged in.]
[Number of viewers: 14]
"Okay! Now that I've received overtime pay, should I get down to business?"
< Chapter 25: Donations (1) > Fin.
(TL: Okay, so. A small rant: This author doesn't seem to know how to name his monsters. This isn't the first time he did this - he messed it up with Oh-Racle, too. In the raw, he named this creature "Toh-toast" but expects us to pronounce it as "Tot-st". It's an obvious wordplay on "toast", and the first letter, "Toh" is a Hanja word signifying "soil" or "earth". Incidentally, it's also the first letter used to write Saturday in Korean, as well.)