Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Plant Nutrient
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"How did you know?"
Back home, I erased my camouflage and wings before flopping onto the sofa, mulling over Baek Moon-hyuk's words.
It seemed like mere conjecture; he hadn't pierced through my disguise.
So I must have appeared as the fabricated image I'd created.
Did other people's skills look like paintings to me as well?
Or was it because he was S-Rank, with exceptionally keen senses?
There was only one way to confirm.
I rolled around, lay flat on my stomach, and fired off a text.
Less than a minute later, Cheon I-ryeong replied at lightning speed.
-I've got a question. With that illusion technique from before, could just anyone waltz into the Association?
-It's possible to a certain extent, but not in restricted security zones. The mana suppression stones installed there would dispel the illusion... And an S-Rank like me can sense something off anyway.
-Ah, what a relief.
-Were you worried? Don't fret, Miss Iroha. I'll stick by your side 24/7 to keep out any pesky flies. Should I just head over to your place right now and stay with you? Oh, and maybe we should just put the Association President's office in your room too. What do you think? Even a single chair next to yours would be fine, right?
-No, I'm good! Sweet dreams!
A single question, and things nearly got way more dangerous.
At least it wasn't my true form he saw.
That was a relief, but it also meant camouflage or illusions like mine wouldn't fully fool S-Ranks.
Luckily, I hadn't tested it while with Cheon I-ryeong.
I'd have to be more careful from now on.
With that resolve, I flopped back down and pulled out the frame to check the golden desert subspace.
As I routinely inspected the mana grass growth, two dark blue specks caught my eye.
I bolted up! Diving straight into the frame,
"Hot, hot, hot!"
I forgot to wear shoes again.
I'd made this place myself, but the scorching desert realism was a bit much. After popping back out to grab shoes and returning, I spotted burrows dug all over the sands as I walked.
This spider sure is industrious.
But was it okay if it didn't eat anything?
With no knowledge of Tower monster ecology, the spider settling in my desert was a bit of a headache.
Maybe I should buy some meat and toss it in.
First things first, though.
I arrived at the refreshing oasis.
In the center's small island, the mana grass farm boasted plump, ripe fruits gleaming dark blue.
"Hehe, my precious seed money."
Seed money—like startup capital from a seed.
In this case, literal seeds, but plant them and the money duplicates!
I carefully harvested the two mana grass fruits and planted them side by side nearby.
A sprout popped up with a pop, drawing a grin across my face.
Another wait, but thinking of four fruits next time made my smile stretch wide.
...Hmm, but what if...?
I recalled the plant hunter who'd grown vines to halt a landslide.
It combined earth's mana with plants for growth, right?
I quietly picked up my brush, infused it with the desert's yellow mana, and breathed it into the fresh sprout.
The sprout, wrapped in faint fluorescent light, began growing as if time were fast-forwarded.
"Ooh, it's growing!"
It sucked up quite a bit of mana, but the rapid growth spurred me to pour in more boldly.
Maybe it'd even bear fruit like this?
"...Huh?"
But excitement proved my downfall.
The expanding fluorescent light spread to the fully grown mana grass nearby. And the mana I'd been pouring in—it felt like the grass was sucking it back in.
Meanwhile, my mana pool hit empty, and Dal-i reacted.
This is bad.
The mana connection to the grass wouldn't break; it kept draining my pool relentlessly.
And the orchid-like mana grass thickened, twisting into vines that intertwined.
No, my retirement fund!
But no matter how I tried to control my mana, the grass greedily guzzled it.
Now I was the one in danger.
Before mana exhaustion hit, I had to destroy it. I drew and hurled a Fireball.
But the fluorescent-wrapped grass shrugged it off, leaving only a faint red glow.
"Dal-i, Seol-a!"
The two spirits answered my call, blasting water and wind at the mana grass.
Yet even that failed to faze it.
Now the light around the grass swirled with every color of mana, shining complexly.
Damn, did my greed turn me into mana grass fertilizer?!
My mana pool was nearing its limit.
Any more delay risked my core vitality. As a last resort, I prepped the S-Rank spell Volcano.
Let's see if it can withstand magma.
Then, like magic, the light vanished.
The mana drain stopped too. I collapsed onto the hot sands with a held breath finally released.
"Huff... huff... Thought I was done for."
Worried for me, Dal-i cooled my face with water droplets while Seol-a's breeze chilled my body.
Thanks to them, I recovered enough to slowly stand and glare at the near-murderous mana grass.
"...Huh?"
It had definitely started as orchid-like mana grass.
Why did I see a stout little tree now?
Not only the two new stalks I'd grown with such effort, but the original two were gone too.
Gone—or rather, transformed into this mystery tree.
Had it evolved or something?
From mana grass to mana tree...?
Full of curiosity and wariness, I cautiously approached and touched the vine-twisted trunk.
It felt warm despite being wood, and then—
What? World Tree?
No way, give me back my retirement fund!
"Welcome, Mr. Baek Moon-hyuk. Thank you for coming all this way."
"Good to see you."
Baek Moon-hyuk's curt greeting made Chae Myeong-in grit his teeth.
He knew the man was rough-tempered and arrogant as an S-Rank, but this was an invitation for the alliance-guild pact.
No respect for the Alliance Chairman whatsoever.
He seemed irritated about something. What happened?
"How was Seoul? Not too bad, right? Oh, and we've prepared lodgings, but if there's somewhere specific you prefer, just say the word."
"Hmph. Just noisy crowds everywhere."
Baek Moon-hyuk summed up his impression of Seoul briefly.
People swarming no matter where you went.
With so many, infrastructure and resources concentrated, but it was equally hectic and chaotic.
"Haha, but with our esteemed Baek Guild Master here, it's like gaining a thousand troops. The Association won't dare act so brazenly now."
"Cut the flattery. The pact's promises still hold, right?"
"Of course. Once the Association falls, the new order restructured by the Alliance will unfold under Manhae Guild's will."
Baek Moon-hyuk nodded at Chae Myeong-in's words.
The Association had barged into Busan affairs, nitpicking about inadequate standards.
Stronger, always aiming higher.
To Baek Moon-hyuk, who'd charged ahead under Manhae's banner looking only upward, the meddling Association was a thorn in his side.
Daring to order me around?
The Alliance's pact terms appealed just then, drawing him to Seoul personally.
Make Manhae Korea's de facto ruler, and lend your strength to the Alliance—it was enough to move him.
The Alliance was his to command with a word anyway, and once the government-backed Association was dealt with, no more flies to bother him.
And the only one who could truly oppose Baek Moon-hyuk was the Association's Cheon I-ryeong.
But she was just a weakling who'd timidly requested aid even for an S-Rank gate clear.
He would've never let himself be carried out unconscious.
Thus, in his eyes, the Association was merely a government puppet guild.
The Alliance, outdone by them, went without saying.
The Alliance's value? Their long-standing claim to protecting Seoul. Worth using to topple the Association—that was it.
Afterward, he'd bend it all to his will.
As the two exchanged inscrutable smiles and signed the pact, Baek Moon-hyuk shifted uncomfortably on the oversized two-seater sofa and asked Chae Myeong-in,
"Do you know any hunters with shape-shifting abilities?"
"Shape-shifting? Like transformation...?"
"Anything similar. Looking for a hunter from that class."
Chae Myeong-in pondered, recalling old info from a government contact.
"I hear there's an illusion user under government employ... Why do you ask? Can we assist?"
"Illusion, hmm. No. Just personal business."
"We could arrange a meeting through government channels. Let me know if needed."
"...Then make it happen. Actually, connect me directly with that government guy. Got a few conditions."
"Understood. I'll check and get back to you."
Baek Moon-hyuk downed the coffee from the oversized cup—prepared with his build in mind—in one gulp, his eyes gleaming coldly.
Chae Myeong-in wondered what was up but figured it wasn't crucial.
Personal grudge or whatever—as long as he secured the needed firepower, that was enough.
Not a bad idea to saddle him with some baggage while at it.