The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 65: Strengthening the Mythical Beasts (1)
“Ppodong?”
“…Huh?”
A small voice suddenly came from beside him.
It was soft, like a whisper, creeping closer—or perhaps playfully rolling over.
Hearing it, Lloyd snapped out of his thoughts.
Still holding his sleeve to his nosebleed, he turned to look.
“Ppodong?”
“Ppodong!”
On the workbench of the forge, Ppodong had climbed up unnoticed, its round cheeks and big black eyes staring up at him.
And it wasn’t alone.
“Bangul!”
“Hamang!”
Following behind, Bangul crawled over from the corner of the table, and Hamang rolled its way over with a wobble, not wanting to be left behind.
All three mythical beasts gazed at him with the same round, black eyes.
“Hmm, you three? What are you doing?”
“Ppo!”
“Bang!”
“Ham!”
“What? You want me to play with you?”
“Ppo!”
“Bang!”
“Ham!”
The three lined up and nodded enthusiastically.
Coming to ask him to play, at night, while he was buried in thoughts and worries—it left Lloyd a little flustered.
“Hmm, sorry, but can we play next time?”
“Ppodong?”
“Bangul?”
“Hamang?”
“Look, I’m really busy today. I have a lot to think about and research. This is something I absolutely have to succeed at.”
“Ppodong?”
“Ba-Bangul?”
“Hamang…?”
“I’m sorry. Let’s play next time, okay? Even though I’ve got a nosebleed, I’m stuck here, working nonstop. Honestly, I’d like to relax and play with you guys, too.”
“Ppo!”
“Bangul! Ba-Bangul!”
“Hama-Hamang!”
“No, I didn’t mean I want to rest or play right now…”
“Ppodong?”
“I just mean it’s how I feel. Sorry if I got your hopes up. Really, I’m sorry. Let’s play next time, okay?”
Lloyd gave them an awkward smile.
He genuinely wanted to take a break, even play for a bit.
But he thought he couldn’t allow himself that luxury.
He had proudly taken on the construction project from the count, promising success with his unique method.
Boasting so boldly, yet now stumbling at the preparation stage—it was unthinkable.
Making cement had proven far more challenging than expected.
He couldn’t let this obstacle derail the entire project.
“That’s why, even though it’s tough and exhausting, I have to push through this. But don’t worry. I’ll make it work. And once this is all done, we’ll play to our hearts’ content.”
Lloyd patted the three mythical beasts as he spoke.
They were usually obedient and well-behaved, so he expected them to listen this time, too.
But this time was different.
“Ppodong!”
“Bangul!”
“Hamang!”
For some reason, all three stood their ground, stubbornly refusing to budge.
No, it wasn’t just stubbornness—they threw themselves down on his cement mix notes, rolling around defiantly.
“Ppodododong!”
“Bangul! Ba-Bangul!”
“Hama-Hamang! Hamang!”
“Uh… um, guys?”
Lloyd tried to coax and soothe them, even hugging and patting them affectionately.
He rocked them gently, but nothing worked.
For the first time, the three mythical beasts wouldn’t listen.
To make matters worse, they even looked up at him with teary eyes, their black pupils glistening.
“Ppodong…”
“Bangul…”
“Hama-Maaaang…”
They twisted their little bodies, on the verge of shedding tears as big as chicken droppings.
But their stubbornness wasn’t just from playful mischief.
It stemmed from their sense of duty—to protect Lloyd.
‘Ppodong, Ppodong…’
Companions often understand their owners better than the owners understand themselves.
Why?
Because they spend every moment watching them.
The three mythical beasts knew Lloyd’s condition better than Lloyd himself.
‘Bangul…’
From their perspective, Lloyd had been pushing himself far too hard.
He hadn’t had proper sleep for days.
Even while awake, he spent all his time consumed by worries and experiments.
His excessive focus and chronic fatigue had narrowed his perspective and dulled his usual sharp judgment.
‘Hamang…’
They believed he needed a break.
Even a brief moment of rest or a change of pace was necessary.
That’s why they stubbornly protested and tried to stop him from working further.
They wagged their tiny tails and rolled around, nudging him with their noses and licking his hands and cheeks.
Their antics were like a group of puppies begging for a walk.
That’s exactly how Lloyd saw them, too.
Their pitiful whining reminded him of an old, furry friend.
‘Gaeul…’
The dog he had raised as a child.
A friend who was no longer by his side.
Perhaps that’s why, without realizing it, Lloyd found himself saying the same words he used to utter daily.
“Alright, shall we go for a walk?”
“Ppodong!”
“Bangul!”
“Hamang!”
The three mythical beasts eagerly nodded their round heads.
Ppodong and Hamang celebrated their victory with tiny high-fives, and Bangul joined in with its plump tail.
“Well, aren’t you three something.”
Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.
He scooped up the three into his arms and stepped out of the forge.
They walked into the dark streets of the night.
‘It’s cold.’
The early winter wind by the pier wasn’t just brisk—it was biting.
Lloyd pulled his coat tighter and looked down at the creatures nestled in his arms.
“Are you guys okay?”
“Ppo! Bang! Ham!”
The three replied in unison from his coat’s inner pocket.
Lloyd’s smile deepened into a wry grin.
“Hey, this isn’t really a walk, is it?”
“Ppo? Bang? Ham?”
“I’m walking, while you’re riding for free. Aren’t you?”
“Ppoo? Baang? Haaa?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me. Tilting your heads like that, acting cute. Fine, you’re adorable. So adorable, I can’t even.”
Was it possible that he was the one being taken on a walk by them?
Lloyd let out a faint laugh.
Looking down at the three little creatures gazing up at him with sparkling eyes, he was struck again by the memory of his old dog.
‘Gaeul used to look at me just like that.’
Gaeul was a fluffy white dog—a mix of poodle and Maltese, if he remembered correctly.
The person who gave Gaeul to them had said they couldn’t take the puppy to the U.S. when they emigrated.
Gaeul had joined Lloyd’s family when he was in middle school.
He thought they would always be together.
He felt that way while walking Gaeul or playing fetch.
Gaeul often whimpered and fussed, especially when Lloyd was busy studying for exams.
Every time, Lloyd would say, “Let’s play later. We’ll go for a walk next time. Sorry,” with an apologetic smile.
He hadn’t realized then that “later” and “next time” couldn’t go on forever.
That all those days would eventually pass and never return.
‘I should’ve played with him more.’
By the time Lloyd became a high schooler and then a university student, Gaeul had aged, too.
He grew old before Lloyd knew it.
When Lloyd returned from military service, Gaeul could barely manage short walks anymore.
Even then, Lloyd hadn’t been able to give him the attention he deserved.
The family was struggling under the weight of crushing debt.
Those days were unbearably difficult, and there was no energy left to spare for a small dog.
And so, in the late autumn of that year, on a particularly clear afternoon in mid-November, Gaeul quietly crossed the Rainbow Bridge in his sleep.
He left behind nothing but regret—regret for not playing with him more, not taking better care of him.
‘Damn it. I wasn’t planning on thinking about this.’
It was a painful memory that Lloyd usually tried not to dwell on.
Now, walking through the cold night, he forced himself to bury those emotions again.
Sometimes he blew on his cold hands, and other times he chatted softly with the three mythical beasts nestled in his pocket.
Ppodong, Bangul, and Hamang listened intently, their eyes twinkling with delight.
Their joyous expressions made Lloyd reflect deeply.
‘Am I just using them?’
Ppodong, Bangul, and Hamang might be mythical creatures, but they were also sentient beings with feelings.
And how had he treated them so far?
‘I only sought them out when I needed something.’
He had treated them like tools, like construction equipment.
‘If I keep this up, I’m no better than the person I was after losing Gaeul.’
A sense of guilt and reflection washed over him. Clenching his fists, Lloyd made a vow to do better.
Then, as he returned to the forge, something unexpected appeared before him.
Ding Dong.
A message popped up in front of his eyes:
[The mythical beasts have felt your sincerity.]
[The mythical beasts now view you with warmth, as if you were family.]
[Your bond with the mythical beasts has increased from <Master-Servant Relationship> to <Member of the Pack>.]
‘Huh?’
The content of the message was entirely unexpected.
And it didn’t stop there:
[With the increased bond, a new feature has been unlocked.]
[<Mythical Beast Enhancement> feature has been opened.]
[500 RP is required to use <Mythical Beast Enhancement>.]
[Through <Mythical Beast Enhancement>, new skills can be equipped.]
[Once executed, <Mythical Beast Enhancement> cannot be undone. Please proceed carefully.]
‘What the… This is incredible.’
Lloyd’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Enhancing mythical beasts? Gaining new skills?
He had never imagined this was possible.
‘To think I gained something like this just because I chose to take a walk with them instead of working.’
It reminded him of a saying: life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes the detour is the fastest route.
‘An enhancement requiring 500 RP… What kind of skills could it create?’
Curiosity and anticipation bubbled within him as he looked at the creatures in his pocket.
They were still wriggling around, their black eyes watching him intently.
“Hey, you guys.”
“Ppo?”
“Bang?”
“Ham?”
“Did you notice the message I just read?”
“Ppo! Bang! Ham!”
The three nodded in unison.
Apparently, they understood they could be enhanced.
But that wasn’t all.
“Bangul! Ba-Bangul! Bangul!”
For some reason, Bangul jumped up and down, its eyes shining brightly.
It was as if it was saying, “Pick me!”
Ppodong and Hamang lifted Bangul up as if it were a trophy, pushing it toward Lloyd.
It was as though they were insisting that Bangul be chosen.
Curious, Lloyd asked, “Do you think Bangul should be enhanced?”
“Ppo! Bang! Ham!”
“Wait, can you sense what kind of skill you’d gain if you were enhanced?”
“Ppo! Bang! Ham!”
“What? You’re saying Bangul will be a big help this time?”
“Bangul!”
This time, Bangul itself answered confidently.
“Bangul! Ba-Bangul! Bangul!”
“You’re saying I should trust you and go through with it? That I won’t regret it?”
“Bangul!”
Bangul nodded firmly, its determination clear.
Seeing this, Lloyd couldn’t help but think, ‘If Bangul is this confident, maybe it’s worth a shot.’
A sense of trust began to form.
Ppodong, Bangul, and Hamang had always supported him, playing key roles at crucial moments.
If they were this eager and united in their recommendation, there had to be a reason.
Lloyd decided to believe in them.
‘Alright, nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
It required a hefty 500 RP, but Lloyd wasn’t worried.
He had saved up plenty of RP—no, not just plenty, but more than enough to spare.
‘Let’s give it a try.’
If it didn’t work, he’d only be back where he started. If it did, and a useful skill appeared as they suggested, it would be a jackpot.
With that thought, Lloyd selected the “Mythical Beast Enhancement” menu.
Ding Dong.
[Activating the Mythical Beast Enhancement feature.]
[Please select a mythical beast to enhance.]
“Bangul,” Lloyd said, placing Bangul in his palm and selecting it.
[You have selected the mythical beast ‘Bangul.’]
[Enhancement cost for Bangul: 500 RP.]
[Current RP balance: 2,401.]
[Would you like to proceed with the enhancement?]
[YES / NO]
‘Let’s do it.’
Lloyd nodded firmly.
[Enhancing the mythical beast.]
At that moment—
“Bangul?”
Whoosh!
Bangul was suddenly surrounded by a transparent, mysterious light, radiant and almost divine.
The brilliance lasted only a moment before fading.
Finally, the awaited message appeared.
[Enhancement of Bangul was successful.]
[Enhancement Level: +1]
[A new skill has been created as a reward for the successful enhancement.]
<Bangul’s Skill List>
– [Dirt Eating (Lv. 3)]
– [Accelerated Digestion of Dirt (Lv. 3)]
– [Iron Excretion (Lv. 5)]
– [Volcanic Explosion (Lv. 1)]
‘…What?’
Lloyd carefully read through the message, his gaze stopping at the final line.
‘Volcanic Explosion?’
His eyes widened in astonishment as he took in the name of the new skill.
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