Mandrake (2)
└Adult?
└A fully grown mandrake?
└Olfather Yes. Once a mandrake finishes growing, its body turns red. I even wrote a paper on it.
└So what were all the mandrakes we've known up till now? Immature ones?
└Olfather That's what my past research indicates. Did it maybe pause before letting out its scream when you pulled it?
└YasaengGrill Yeah. It was standing there with its arms crossed when I yanked it out. Then it screamed after that.
└Olfather That makes it even more certain. Just like how human babies only cry in their infancy, mandrakes are the same. Their creepy appearance is probably because they haven't fully matured.
Olfather's explanation went something like this. For a mandrake to grow, it needs land overflowing with mana—not just rich in it—and zero threats from its surroundings. But land that abundant in mana is rare in this world, and the odds of failing against competitors are sky-high. Lower the conditions even a bit, and it'll get chomped up by humans, monsters, or beasts before it can grow. In other words, only under perfect conditions can a mandrake reach adulthood. Even trying to cultivate them artificially is impossible—you'd need to feed them massive amounts of mana continuously.
└Got the gist that it's a grown-up mandrake, but is it better than regular ones?
└Olfather Yes. One adult can make a top-grade elixir. Considering it normally takes ten mandrakes for a top-grade elixir, that's huge.
└Whoa
└Grill's gonna make bank again whoa
└Thinking of selling it?
Well. When asked if I planned to sell it, I glanced at the mandrake. It had gotten noisy, so after slamming it against the wall a few times, it quieted down. More like it passed out, but I wasn't sure if I should sell it.
'Just think of it as a 100-year-old wild ginseng, and it'll be easier.'
I looked into mandrakes some more, just to confirm what they were. From what I found, they're one of the main ingredients for elixirs and tons of potions. From the roots to the leaves and stems, every part is medicinal—nothing goes to waste. A plant literally born to be a potion ingredient. That said, alchemy is essential to maximize efficiency.
'Give it to SwordTasteStar?'
She'd given me an elixir before, so this could be payback. I could dig up more later and give them to Cheonma and the other high-nics. Especially Cheonma—she's an elder, so it'd be perfect for her. I'd even given her rare herbs back when her body was in bad shape. SunForever gave me a shield for free, so I planned to return the favor. First up, repay SwordTasteStar. I could always harvest more mandrakes.
└YasaengGrill Not selling, but giving it to SwordTasteStar. Repaying her for the elixir she gave me before.
└SwordTasteStar I don't need it.
└YasaengGrill Think of it as a health supplement.
└SwordTasteStar I'm healthy.
└YasaengGrill Can't hurt to get even healthier, right?
└SwordTasteStar I don't wanna get any healthier here;;
└YasaengGrill Wait, what? Why not if it's gonna make you healthier...?
└Someone who doesn't wanna get healthy lol
└Why tho lol
└Ah lol anyway I don't wanna get healthy lol
└For real, can't comprehend lol
└Olfather Even just brewing and drinking an adult mandrake normally will massively boost your mana.
└SwordTasteStar Hearing that makes me wanna refuse even more.
└YasaengGrill Why tho...?
I couldn't understand it. Were there really people in this world who didn't want to get healthy? SwordTasteStar wasn't as old as Cheonma, but she was still a grown-up. Sure, she had her eccentric side like any Gallery user, but she was pretty respectable overall.
'She's refusing so hard I can't force it on her.'
That left Cheonma. She'd just given me an antidote and a great remedy for tinnitus, so we could trade. I was about to propose a deal to her when one comment caught my eye.
└StarlightPrincess If it's not too much trouble, could you give that mandrake to me? I'll make it worth your while.
It was StarlightPrincess. The one who'd been posting daily prayers for a cure. Come to think of it, there was someone who needed it most.
I replied to her comment.
└YasaengGrill You gave me a compass before, so no need for payment. But can a mandrake cure your illness?
└StarlightPrincess It should help some. Mandrakes carry positive energy, after all.
I remembered. When I found the New Moon Herb, she'd said she needed positive energy. Her prayers had been going on for so long, it had to be serious.
Cheonma seemed to think the same.
└Cheonma If it needs positive energy, is it the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?
└StarlightPrincess That's what the physician said. Does Lady Cheonma know of it too?
└Cheonma Of course this lady knows it. It's the most infamous blocked meridian condition—how could I not?
└StarlightPrincess Then you know the symptoms well too.
└Cheonma How tragic. Stay strong.
└YasaengGrill Is it that serious?
└Cheonma 'Tis a disease that trades talent reaching the heavens and long life for early death. Even the hardy don't pass forty.
└StarlightPrincess You know it well. Lately, my body can't even handle getting out of bed. Probably getting dangerous now.
└YasaengGrill ;;; Feels like I should give it right away.
It was way more serious than I'd thought. Hard to find a cure, but her prayers kept coming steadily. She'd said something on the level of the New Moon Herb was needed for a full recovery—basically impossible.
└YasaengGrill Didn't realize it was that bad. Sorry.
└StarlightPrincess It's fine. You're living day-to-day yourself, Grill.
└YasaengGrill Teacher?
└StarlightPrincess Just kidding.
└Feels not like a joke lol
└Wants us both to die? lol
└Like a water ghost lol
└Who goes first? Kinda curious
└You were straight-up mean;;
I was a bit flustered, but realizing it was a joke, I gave a wry smile. Probably her way of lightening the mood. A self-deprecating gag. Seeing stuff like this really drove home that health is the greatest treasure. Nothing could replace it.
└YasaengGrill Anyway, will an adult mandrake work on Nine Yin Severed Meridians?
└Olfather Regular ones, maybe not—but adults should.
└StarlightPrincess Any effect is welcome. Mandrakes are rare to begin with.
└Cheonma It seems not exceptional enough to fully cure Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
└No cure for Nine Yin Severed Meridians?
└There is. Usually three ways: meds, a physician manually clearing the meridians, or a man infusing energy directly.
└First two sound good, but what's the last one? What I'm thinking?
└Yeah, that's it. But the man has to be strong enough.
└Ooh. I'm strong, possible?
└How strong?
└I win all arm-wrestling in the village lol
└lololol
└lolol this lunatic straight-up sexually harassing a patient
I made a sour face. The Gallery's anonymity led to a lot of crude jokes like this. Fine in the right mood, but it felt gross right now.
└StarlightPrincess If you're confident, come on over. Fail to meet the conditions, and I'll cut it off—got it?
└Cut it off? Like Johnson?
└StarlightPrincess What'd you think I meant? Hate that? I can take your head instead.
└Holy crap
└Sorry. Won't mess around.
She clapped back hard—seemed used to this crap. Anyway, option three was out for obvious reasons, and two was like extreme surgery. Even Earth's advanced medicine would struggle; here it'd be impossible. Basically, only option one was viable, but even that was insanely tough.
└Cheonma Nine Yin Severed Meridians requires divine herbs like Solar Flower, Millennium Flower, or Solar Flower Grass.
└YasaengGrill First time hearing any of those. Rare?
└Cheonma Comparable to the New Moon Herb you gave this lady.
└YasaengGrill Super rare then.
└Cheonma This lady was most fortunate. Thus, you are this lady's fated benefactor.
└YasaengGrill I got lucky too. Anyway, can't an adult mandrake fully cure it?
└Olfather Not impossible. Quantity's the issue.
└YasaengGrill Quantity?
└Olfather Yes. Adult mandrakes aren't quite divine herbs, but close. Brew 6-7 into one elixir, and it should recover her.
6-7? Doable. I recalled the adult mandrake grove. I'd bolted in panic, so not exact numbers, but way more than ten. Nah, dozens at least. Tons of 'em.
'Beat 'em after pulling, and they quiet down.'
I turned to the adult mandrake. Still limp and passed out. Even if it looked dead, replanting in soil would revive it fresh. Not that I'd replant—too much hassle next time. Better to tell people first. And get what I wanted from StarlightPrincess on the side.
└StarlightPrincess That much needed... Tough to get, huh?
└Olfather Seen three in my life. If found, someone's probably eaten 'em already.
└StarlightPrincess Shame. Oh, I got greedy when you didn't even offer.
└YasaengGrill There's a shit-ton here? Like, adult mandrakes everywhere.
I posted that, and comments stopped for a while. Maybe she closed the Gallery to do something else.
└StarlightPrincess Huh?
Nope. Just stunned silent.
└StarlightPrincess Lie, right? If you're teasing, it won't work.
└YasaengGrill For real. I said they all screamed together earlier.
└StarlightPrincess All adults?
└YasaengGrill All red.
└StarlightPrincess Won't believe without pics.
└YasaengGrill One sec.
Pics were fine. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the grove. Close, but beasts could pop out, so I stayed cautious.
"Huh?"
At the grove, I blinked at the changed scene. Not the location, but some adult mandrakes were above ground without being pulled. They were looking around like sentries—adults had smarts, apparently.
'This is a problem.'
Get spotted, they'd scream, and it'd be lion's roar hell again. Wait till they burrow back. Good enough for proof.
Adult mandrake on sentry duty (Adult mandrake on sentry duty video)
No lies here. StarlightPrincess, check the vid and reply pls.
└Wtf lol
└Why is it real lol
└Mandrakes normally like that?
└No way lol
└Olfather Ooh! Adult mandrakes on sentry... Paper material! Are all those grasses mandrakes?
└YasaengGrill Yeah. Took a friend earlier, so they're on alert.
└Olfather Mind ongoing observations if possible?
└YasaengGrill Sorry, no spare time.
└Olfather Shame.
While chatting with scholarly Olfather, StarlightPrincess posted.
└StarlightPrincess Those are all... adult mandrakes?
└YasaengGrill Yes.
└StarlightPrincess Dozens buried too.
└YasaengGrill Yep.
└StarlightPrincess Who the hell are you?
I pondered her question. Say "Miryang Park Clan," and I'd get roasted for joking. No good answer anyway—I didn't know why I was here either. While thinking, comments flooded in.
└Right! Fly-by-night!
└Right! Four Seasons Forest castaway!
└Right! Beggar!
└Right! Momless!
└Don'tAbandonHero Right! Weirdo!
└YasaengGrill Ffs, dunno about the rest but wtf head mod?
└Don'tAbandonHero Bored! Btw, pad rip = 1hr ban!
└Wait, Grill really has no mom. Why say it?
└Don'tAbandonHero Bad vibe! And telling an orphan they're orphaned hurts!
└YasaengGrill You're worse.
└Don'tAbandonHero Eek! Sorry!
└lolololol
└lololol
└lolol
Spicy bunch as always. I chuckled and asked StarlightPrincess again.
└YasaengGrill So, want it? First one's free, but not after.
└StarlightPrincess What do you want? Anything I can get is yours. Money?
└YasaengGrill Nah, not urgent. Olfather's cash is plenty. Food only in emergencies. One thing I need now. Maybe second after food.
└YasaengGrill StarlightPrincess, your family's loaded, right?
└StarlightPrincess Can say that.
└YasaengGrill If I send mandrakes, can you make elixirs right away?
└StarlightPrincess Takes time, but yes. Deep into alchemy.
└YasaengGrill Perfect. One request then.
She could provide exactly what I needed most. And alchemy expertise? Jackpot.
└YasaengGrill If cured, can you supply elixirs? Never know when I'll get hurt. Don't wanna just take, so I'll send mandrakes sometimes.
└StarlightPrincess Elixir per mandrake trade. If cured, position, wealth, body—all yours.
└YasaengGrill Wanna come here? lol
└StarlightPrincess Ah, that's a bit haha;
└Bad guy
└Four Seasons Forest? Die before lol
└Cured just to suicide lol
└Elixirs not potions? Def noble
Good enough. Now just deliver the mandrakes. Catch 'em first.
I eyed the sentries.
'Sentry duty, but not that tight.'
Monsters or not, plants are plants. Alertness down from before. Gotta burrow eventually. I waited till the last one.
Squish! Squish!
A few burrowed, last one prepping. Now! I dashed.
It spotted me, freaked, mouth gaping. Grab before scream. Too far. Good thing I prepared: a big rock.
"Ugh...!"
Whoosh! Thunked right before it yelled—baseball days paid off.
Splat!
"Kweack!"
Rock to the head, weird yelp. Now grab it. Soon had it by both hands.
And... Pow! Thud! Pow!
Punched the stem connecting to the roots. No screams allowed. Shoved dirt in its mouth too. Full cheeks, no noise.
Efforts paid off—it went limp quick. Out cold.
'This how you catch 'em?'
If it works, it works. Best hacks aren't far from proper methods.
'One for StarlightPrincess, one each for others.'
This should repay some debts.