"Hamang!"
"Eh…?"
Lloyd opened his eyes wide, his palm feeling the animal wriggling his small, chubby butt.
His head was round and he was gazing up at Lloyd with his beady eyes.
"Thirsty hippo?"
"Hamang!"
"Are you really a hippo?"
"Hamamang!"
The baby pink hippo nodded cutely as he stood on Lloyd's palm. Was he happy because Lloyd brought him into this world? The baby hippo was joyfully smiling and he looked pretty cute.
But of course, I should never judge summon partners by their outside looks. Their cuteness was nothing but a first impression. Their real form was revealed when they ate the red sunflower seed. That was when they showed their true value and power. Buoyed with expectations, Lloyd asked the baby hippo, "Yes, nice to meet you. So your name is Hamang, right?"
"Hamamang? Hamang?"
"How did I find that out? Am I a genius?"
"Hamang!"
"No, I'm not a genius. I'm just an ordinary person."
"Hamamang! Hamang!"
"I mean it. I just assumed based on your cry. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Hamang."
"Hamang!"
New summon partners were always welcome. The senior summons, who were watching beside Hamang, welcomed him with all their hearts.
"Ppodong!"
"Bangul!"
"Hamang!"
With that, the introduction was finished. Seeing it was over, Lloyd asked, "Hamang? Do you carry a manual as well?"
"Hamang? Hamamang!"
"Can you please show it to me?"
"Hamang!"
Hamang opened his mouth. Just like Lloyd expected, he found a badly crumpled note inside.
He took it and carefully opened it up.
[Hamang User Manual]
[Hamang is a lovely baby hippopotamus. Please show him love and care.]
[Hamang will give his utmost loyalty to you, his master. A summon partner is not only your companion animal but also your family, so please don't neglect them.]
[Unlike the other summon partners, Hamang does not eat sunflower seeds.]
[Unlike the other summon partners, Hamang cannot grow gigantic in size.]
[Hamang's Skill Log]
[One Shot (Lv. 1)]
Eh? Lloyd cocked his head to the side. One shot? He only has one skill? Lloyd was slightly confused and doubtful at the same time.
He doesn't eat sunflower seeds and cannot turn gigantic? Lloyd had a feeling that this new summon partner was different from Prodong and Bangul in quite a lot of ways.
His gut told him something was off and ominous.
Forcibly suppressing the growing feeling that he was out of luck this time, Lloyd asked Hamang, "Hey, Hamang."
"Hamang?"
"I am sorry to ask you this question, but do you, uhm, dislike sunflower seeds?"
"Hamamang? Hamang!"
Hamang nodded zealously.
"Hamang! Hamamang! Hamang!"
"You hate it that much…?"
"Hamang!"
He was adamant. So Lloyd hurriedly asked a follow-up question. "So, you don't go boom and turn giant like your older brother Ppodong or older sister Bangul here?"
"Hamang!"
"You don't need to?"
"Hamamang!"
"Because being cute is all that matters?"
"Hamang!"
Oh, crap. I'm screwed.
From the looks of it, Hamang's only ability was to look cute and nothing more. Lloyd was slightly displeased. Tsk, right. I've been pretty lucky up until now.
As Lloyd came to think of it again, this was a "random" summon game. No one knew what kind of a summon partner would burst out of the magic circle. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and sometimes you didn't. But which one had he been hitting so far?
_I've been lucky with Ppodong and Bangui. I obtained the skills that I needed the most. How I wish it was the same case this time. Hmm…No, he had only hoped for a summoned partner who could turn enormous. It would've been fine even if they didn't have a special power.
Lloyd's plan involved mobilizing huge summon partners to drain the water in the wetland. Out of all the summon partners out there, the one that can't get big had to come out. A failure, he thought to himself as disappointment filled his heart. However, he didn't show it as he had brought this creature into this world. The responsibility to take good care of Hamang was on Lloyd.
Even though he may not be useful right now, that might change in the future.
Lloyd might find another way to use him in the future or Hamang could grow up. The situation could change at any time. Thinking that in his head, Lloyd warmly embraced Hamang.
"Then Hamang. Will you come in here?"
"Hamamang?"
"Come in with Prodong. There you go. Good."
"Hamang!"
Lloyd nested Hamang in his embrace.
And he checked his remaining RP.
[Current RP: 831]
Good. I still have enough. He had saved a lot of RP. He still owned over 800 RP after playing the random summon game. This would grant him three or four more attempts. Lloyd opened the summon game window.
[Random Summon Game]
[Cost of 4th Random Summon Game = 150 RP]
Surely, it got more expensive. However, he had no choice but to play it. Determined, Lloyd activated the game.
[Would you like to start the random summon game?]
[Yes / No]
He chose "Yes." Just then…
Zzt! A spark crackled in the air, softly electrocuting his finger that pressed the "Yes" button.
"Ow." He instantly pulled back at the sting.
Then, an unexpected message popped in front of him.
[The Random Summon Game can only be played once a day.]
[You can play the game after 23hr 47m 16s]
Oh, my. I didn't know there was a limit to this game. The corners of his lips twitched at the unexpected turn of events. Tsk. I guess it's a total flop today. He had intended to pick four summon partners in a row and start reclaiming the Maritz Wetland the first thing tomorrow.
But now, he was forced to alter his plans. Great. The new summon partner is useless, and I can't pick anything more today. I can say goodbye to tomorrow's construction. How great would it be, Lloyd wished, if Hamang could turn gigantic?
The more he wished for it, the more wistful he had become. However, there was nothing he could do about it. Well, this isn't anything new if I think about the days I worked on construction sites. Lloyd recalled his difficult life in South Korea. In need of quick cash, he had frequently worked on construction sites as they paid daily wages.
At first, young Lloyd was lofty. I thought I'd make a lot of money if I worked a whole month without missing a single day. He really thought it was possible. He was fairly confident that he could endure the hard, restless labor. He had plenty of motivation, but reality turned out to be a bit different.
I couldn't work every day as I'd wanted. It was outside of my control.
Many construction sites closed when it rained. That wasn't the end of it. Sometimes there was no work for him at all. When he was just starting out, there were times when he had to come back home even though he had gone to the employment agency at dawn. Things didn't get better for him even after he started getting recognized after frequenting the construction sites so often. It was the same even after he gained a regular team. When his senior couldn't get to work, it was a rest day for Lloyd, too, whether he liked it or not. That was the case since he was nothing but an assistant for his senior.
And so, I had to rest quite a lot of days. Working throughout the month and getting paid a heavy sum…? It turned out to be my lofty fantasy.
However, he couldn't remain disappointed with the harsh reality. Productively using his rest days was also important. What would happen if he goofed around in boredom because he had no work? His hard-earned money from the previous day would be spent. If he worked one day, then took a break and spent what he earned the next day Lloyd would have ended up living paycheck to paycheck forever. He had seen quite a lot of people living like that at construction sites. So I engrossed myself in my studies during those days. I did it even when I filed for LOA to earn money.
Getting a permanent job was his dream, and he dreamed of his life turning for the better.
Truly, the days he had to live paycheck to paycheck in South Korea were difficult. Compared to that, my current predicament is a walk in the park. Just because things didn't go according to his plans and wishes, there was no reason he should let disappointment flood his heart.
If he was stumped, he should simply find what he could do right now. For instance, that would be checking out the one skill Hamang thankfully possessed. Resolved to do that, he looked down inside his arms.
"Hamang?"
"Hamgang?"
Could it be that he was drifting off in Lloyd's warm embrace? Hamang looked up, his black eyes slightly drowsy. A pleasant smile formed on Lloyd's face.
"Hamang, can I ask something about your skill?"
"Hamang?"
"The skill you have. One shot?"
"Hamang."
"What does it do?"
"Hamamang? Hamang! Hamang!"
"Drinking water?"
"Hamang!" Hamang nodded zealously.
Lloyd asked, "Uhm, I can drink water, too. Do you like drinking water?"
"Hamang!"
"How much do you like it?"
"Hamamang! Hamang!"
"Very very much?"
"Hamang!" Hamang nodded once again.
Gazing up, Hamang waved his short arms.
"Hamamang. Hamang! Hamang! Hamamang?"
"Hmm… You mean you can drink as much as your stretched arms?"
"Hamang!"
A smile formed on Lloyd's face again. I guess I shouldn't expect too much. Hamang was barely the size of Lloyd's fist. This hippo could stretch out his arms wide, but it was only a hand span long. That's how much Hamang could drink. This meant that even if he drank to his heart's content, it'd be just enough to fill up a small water balloon.
No, you never know. Lloyd shook his head. He decided not to form hasty judgments. He needed to see it with his own eyes. Who knows? He might inflate himself, maybe, around the size of a gym ball. Or a bit larger than that. If he did, that would be enough. Thinking so, Lloyd started to walk, heading out of the dark training hall that sat in his backyard.
"So Hamang."
"Hamang?"
"I know a place with a lot of water. Do you want to go drink water with me?"
"Hamang!"
Hamang nodded several times as though the suggestion excited him. Lloyd patted and stroked his summon partner and walked out of the estate. He cut across the fiefdom under the moonlight. Then, to a place with lots of water, he went. He headed south and finally, he arrived at the northern boundary of the Maritz Wetland.
Buzzz!
As soon as he set foot in the wetland, he was fervently welcomed by a swarm of mosquitoes.
Lloyd waved his hands, repelling away the hungry pests. He resolved to himself, Whew. I need to reclaim this wetland very soon.
Mosquitoes were the source of all evil. Reminding this universal, unchanging truth to himself, Lloyd reached his hand into his embrace. He gently brought out Hamang, who was peacefully sleeping.
"So, Hamang."
"Hamatang?"
"I am sorry for waking you up. So, you told me you like drinking water, right?"
"Hamang!"
The word "water" got Hamang to snap his eyes open. They started to glimmer.
Lloyd smiled.
"I am glad that you like it. That's why we came here. Look ahead to see what's in front of you."
"Hamang?"
Hamang turned his round head and in front of him spanned the outstretched view of the wetland.
"Hamaaang?"
Hamang gaped slightly. There was rapture in his eyes. They resembled the eyes of a man who arrived at a buffet after starving for four days. Smiling, Lloyd gently pushed Hamang's fat butt.
"I am glad that you like it. I took you here because I wanted you to drink to your heart's content."
"Hamang! Hamamang?"
"Are you asking if you could empty this place?"
"Hamang!"
"Yes, of course."
"Hamamang!"
Hamang leaped to his feet in excitement.
Lloyd's bitter smile deepened. How I wish he could really drink all the water. Lloyd told himself that he must not expect too much from Hamang. Looking at his small size, that task would be impossible. Realistically, a bucket load of water would be his limit. While such thoughts were crossing Lloyd's mind, Hamang was getting ready to drink water.
"Hamamang! Hamang!"
He lifted his butt and lowered his head. He brought his mouth to the splashing water. The water drinking began, and it happened with unimaginable force.
Swooosh!
"Eh…?"
The water level lowered in a blink of an eye. The water that splashed some inches away from Lloyd's feet became farther in no time and Hamang was growing gigantic at the same time!
"Hamang! Hamamang! Hamang!"
Hamang became six, nine, and then fifteen-foot tall. He continued to inflate like a balloon.
The larger he became, the lower the water level became. It was getting farther from Lloyd.
Hamang, despite his growing size, didn't stop. He simply shoved his face deeper as the land started to run out of water.
"Hamamang!"
Swooosh! The water in the area was disappearing in real-time. No, it wasn't disappearing. It was getting absorbed by Hamang. In no time, the bottom of the water in one area revealed itself and that's when Hamang lifted his head. He was smiling in satisfaction as he lifted his now gigantic head.
"Hamang! Belch!"
Lloyd looked up at Hamang, feeling awed and terrified at the same time. However, first, he had to retreat several steps in a hurry to make sure that he wouldn't get crushed under Hamang. Hamang reminded Lloyd of a ginormous water balloon whose diameter was over 150 feet. That was his first impression of Hamang as he looked up.
"Uhm, Hamang."
"Hamgang?"
"Are you okay?"
"Hamang! Hamamang!"
"Your stomach doesn't hurt or anything?"
"Hamang!"
I guess he really is fine. Embarrassed, Lloyd turned to look at the wetland, no, at the land that was once a wetland. The splashing water was completely gone. Some minnows and tadpoles and other creatures fluttered on the ground. However, of course, the entire wetland hadn't been drained. The Maritz Wetland was a vast place. The area Hamang had drunken up was only a part of the vast wetland. Even so, it was enough. He did finish one area in one shot, leaving not a drop of water behind.
My goodness! I've hit the jackpot! He thought he failed this time, but once all the cards were revealed, he realized he had hit the jackpot. This will work. I don't have to pick another summon partner. I can get started with the construction first thing tomorrow.
Draining the water in the wetland then, using the vertical drain method afterward would allow him to suck every drop of water stored underneath the peat deposits. Also by accelerating the consolidation phenomenon, the weak foundation would be stabilized and ready to be turned into farmland. All those things, the first steps of his project, would immediately commence tomorrow. Full of conviction, Lloyd clenched his fists. It was time to initiate and reclaim the Maritz Wetland.
***
Translator: https://bettertranslation9.wordpress.com