Miracle Fries and the Explosive New Seed
Let's go find some new seeds! Potatoes! Fries!
In a world like this, there are foods that have become hard to come by, but to the survivor group gathered around Sam Mart, french fries were an object of pure curiosity.
Seola, who they'd thought was dead after being dragged off by a boss-grade monster Griffin, came back perfectly fine. Then she suddenly started raving about french fries! French fries! It was only natural they'd react that way. And according to Seola, they tasted heavenly, so even setting aside the healing effects, plenty of people were curious about the flavor.
"This is…"
"Yeah. It looks just like the french fries I ate."
Seola hurriedly pulled out the french fries and handed them to her comrade.
"Get these to the wounded fast…!!!"
"Got it!!"
The survivors rushed desperately to the critically injured. Was feeding french fries to someone who could barely breathe the medically sound choice? The question crossed my mind, but cornered as they were, they grabbed at any straw—shoving fries into mouths and even manually working jaws to make them swallow.
They fed them with great difficulty. But nothing changed.
"I-Is this the right stuff?"
"Was it all a lie after all?"
Even Seola despaired. These were definitely the french fries from the girl. Why weren't they working? Her hands began to tremble.
But then the miracle began.
"The bleeding's stopping!!!"
"Not enough—feed 'em more!!"
"We're out of french fries?"
"Boil some of the regular potatoes quick!!!"
The survivors moved with lightning speed the moment the healing kicked in. Thanks to that, the critically wounded got treatment in time and clung to life.
"Doesn't seem like the healing effect is instant."
"Healers are way more efficient overall, but their mana isn't infinite. For non-combat situations, these potatoes are probably better."
They delivered overwhelming performance without threatening the healers' unique role. Truly a miracle food.
To everyone who'd thought they'd lose another comrade to french fries, it was a godsend. They all teared up, shouting in joy.
Seola cautiously gazed at the sky—the direction where she'd first spotted the girl—silently offering thanks once more in her heart.
Thank you.
Hoping the words would reach her, Seola headed off to clean up the battlefield.
(Photo of person with critical injuries)
(Photo piled high with potatoes)
(Photo of french fries)
(Photo of healed person)
(Link to related post)
It's the guy who posted about the healer last time. Got help from that girl again. We tangled with orcs pouring out of the gate in front of City Hall, and while regrouping, our healer collapsed from overwork. Thought we were done for. But this time, instead of the white tiger, some eagle-looking thing drops from the sky with a whole box of potatoes;; And on top, a bunch of french fries too.
Remember I said she healed me with french fries last time? It was real. Fed them to the critically wounded, and their injuries started healing. Took a bit of time, sure, but the effect was as good as a healer's.
I gave her the Ark antenna last time as thanks for helping me. If you're seeing this, let me thank you again. Thank you, nameless girl. You're the savior of our survivor group.
The comments kept pouring in endlessly after that. I smiled reading them.
Then—thunk—the laptop powered off.
Ah, battery dead already? But a warm, fulfilling feeling washed over me. I'd sent them originally thinking of trading, but knowing they'd helped made me happy anyway.
"They were in a rush, so no time to explain or read the letter attached to Mae, but it turned out fine."
"Indeed. Who has time to read in a crisis like that?"
My original plan was to give potatoes and show the letter on Mae to negotiate a trade. But they'd shown hostility toward Mae, and the situation was urgent. I'd ask for what I needed next time I sent potatoes.
"Still, this one thinks just putting the letter in the potato box would've sufficed, no?"
"…Ah."
Turtle's sharp point. Come to think of it, why not just tuck the letter in there?
"Moreover, even if Mae carried only the letter, they would surely provide what is needed!"
"Y-Yeah…"
Guess I got too fixated on Mae. I'd have to write a new letter.
The original was polite about trading and conservative on requests. But after bestowing such favors, maybe I could ask for more?
"Let's go check what we need!!"
"Understood!!"
"Let's go, nyang!!"
"I shall follow."
As I resolved to do that and stood—
Acquired new skill!
What? It's notifying me of a level up this time? It skipped level 2. Maybe because of the new skill?
Anyway.
Whoa!! Level 3!
"So eating plants I grew definitely gives me that much EXP, right?"
"Seems so!!"
I'd grown tons of potatoes before but never leveled up. But once they ate the ones I shared, boom—level up. Can't be from laptop browsing.
"What about EXP from playing with companions…?"
"No way, nyang. Positive on that, nyang."
"Cool. Guess I need to trade more actively then."
Giving homegrown plants for EXP, trades, and saving lives? Triple win. Finally felt like I knew my path forward.
Next, I opened the skill window to check the new one.
├─ Friend of Nature (P)
├─ Taming (A)LV2 ✓
├─ Plant Rapid Growth (A)LV1 ✓
└─ Rare Seed Creation (P)(NEW++) LV0 ★
Rare Seed Creation? I tapped details to see the effect.
Rare Seed Creation (P) - LV0
Generates a rare seed at regular intervals.
Simple and straightforward. But like the existing passive Friend of Nature (P), no detailed explanation. Still, new skill—gotta invest, right? As I raised my finger—
"Ahem!!! AHEM!!!!"
Turtle suddenly cleared his throat dramatically.
"Not the new skill—you want me to pick you instead?"
"Y-Yes! This one wishes to shine like Mae and Nyangnyang too!"
"No can do. Wait a bit."
"……Understood."
Turtle deflated instantly. I felt bad for my companion, but testing new skills first is standard, right? No helping it.
Click. No sound, but the skill level shot up instantly.
Rare Seed Creation (P)
Generates a rare seed at regular intervals.
The level vanished right away. Passives stay at LV0 until invested, then level disappears? Too few skills to confirm, but maybe passives level up differently later.
"So, the seed?!"
Then, a new concept flooded my mind—like I'd always known this magic. Naturally, I channeled mana. A green magic circle drew itself at my feet.
With a burst of intense light, something formed at the center.
"Gahhh!! Don't dirty the houseeee!!"
I scooped up the magic circle and bolted outside. Whew—it followed me, not stuck to the floor. Crisis averted.
"Summon!!!"
Whoosh—dust billowed everywhere. In the settling cloud, a brilliantly shining seed appeared.
"…What's this?"
Never seen it before. I know all basic Korean garden seeds—foreign crop maybe? Then—
A plant that blooms with dazzlingly beautiful flowers.
The small fruits inside its tough shell explode on strong impact.
Plant the seeds in organic matter killed by the explosion to grow.
Fruits mainly for attack; flowers for alchemy materials.
"Bo-Bomb Flower…?"
First time hearing of it.
"Must be some unknown plant…?"
Couldn't wiki it now. Never heard of exploding flowers/fruits. If real on Earth, it'd be all over YouTube—pop pop! Step on these exploding fruits! Trusting the algorithm, if Bomb Flower existed here, I'd know. So this "rare seed" means plants not from Earth.
"Shall we plant it…?"
"Splendid idea! But this one has a suggestion."
Turtle wiggled toward me persuasively. Couldn't help smiling at that convincing wiggle.
"What?"
"Recommend planting far from the house. If it explodes, could damage home, no?"
"…Good point."
Brain Turtle indeed. Perfect role for him.
"Alright. Know a spot—follow me, everyone!"
I led my companions out. Destination: the mountain. We crossed unmanaged, weed-choked dirt paths. Plants parted before my feet.
"Thanks, everyone."
I thanked them instinctively as trees and grass slid aside. A wide clearing appeared ahead, choked with weeds—but no issue.
"Mind stepping aside briefly?"
Weeds slid to the sides at my will, leaving bare earth in the center. Buried the seed. Turtle watered it.
"Exciting…?"
Plant unknown to Earth. Heart pounding, I poured in mana at once.
"Rapid Growth!!!!"
"High-speed growth, that is."
The plant shot up. A single crystalline blue flower bloomed.
"Hm?"
Felt the growth mana lingering, but it stopped. Flowers aren't the end—usually fruit after bloom. Exceptions exist, but flower’s midway.
"Not enough?"
More mana—no change.
"This flower the fruit?!"
"Dunno."
Unknown plant—boundless unknowns. Can't judge by human standards.
"Gotta use the flower, then."
"Description said fruits explode. No issue with flower, nyang. Pluck it?"
"Yeah."
Reached out. Flower bowed obligingly into my hand, as if saying pluck here. Gave a gentle twist.
"…Huh?"
Instant pluck—stem and leaves withered fast. Something grew from the soil: a large blue fruit.
"…This structure?!!"
Birth-first ecology. Curiosity exploded.
"Harvest carefully!!"
"Falconer, if scared, I shall."
Companions worried, but I was fine. Felt the Bomb Flower fruit whispering: Twist here to harvest safely. No boom, don't worry.
Perfect form—plucked flawlessly. Tough shell. Knocked it—solid.
"Tons of small fruits inside, huh."
"This hardness means internal blasts no problem."
"Storage fine then."
Scary to warehouse raw, but not fragile. Safer than thought—relief.
Curiosity surged.
"Since we're out far, test time?"