Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Mutant Lumina Flowers Flood the Market
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"I... I think she hates me."
The sudden, out-of-left-field remark made Ryu Se-yeon, chief secretary of the Full Moon Guild, doubt her own ears.
'The leader hates someone?'
Who the hell... could that be?
Did anyone in this world even dare to hate the leader of Full Moon?
'No, no.'
That wasn't the point.
The person who had never cared even a speck about anyone else's feelings—how had she even noticed that someone hated her?
Se-yeon sat frozen in her seat, rolling her eyes to glance at her leader.
"......"
An indescribably heavy aura emanated from the leader.
Having stayed by her side for so long, Se-yeon could easily read what that aura meant.
'She's sad...!'
Lee Hyun, leader of Full Moon, was currently steeped in profound sorrow.
'Live long enough, and you see even this cold-blooded woman get sad.'
Snapping out of her shocked silence, Se-yeon finally gathered her wits and asked back.
"...Pardon? What did you say?"
"I think that kid hates me."
'That kid?'
If it was "that kid"...
Then it had to be the healer who had gone into the gate with the elites last time.
The one whose type matched the leader's tastes perfectly?
Lately, the leader had been holed up in the monitoring room, endlessly replaying footage of that healer.
Work had naturally taken a backseat, with guild matters piling up and handled by Se-yeon and the other elites.
So "that kid" definitely meant the petite, cute healer the leader had been staring at through the screen all day.
"Did the healer visit headquarters by any chance?"
"Yeah. But I think she hates me."
The leader seemed utterly shocked by the idea of being hated, repeating the same words like a parrot.
It was somehow funny and pitiful at the same time.
Our leader, who had no equal in raw power in this world, completely zoned out all day over something like being hated.
'But seriously, why?'
Why on earth had our leader earned someone's hatred...?
'The kind-hearted healer wouldn't have picked a fight first...'
If there was a cause, it had to be on the leader's side.
As Se-yeon pondered deeply, a flash of horror crossed her face.
'No way.'
Every time the healer's face was zoomed in on the monitor, the leader's gaze had always locked onto those soft, plump cheeks.
She'd fidget with her fingers, unable to stay still.
...Nah, no way. It couldn't be.
She wanted to believe no one would do that to a stranger on first meeting, but...
Se-yeon knew better than anyone that her leader was the type who never hesitated to turn thoughts into action.
With earnest caution, she asked.
"Leader, you didn't... the moment you met the healer, go and touch her cheeks, or tug on them, or pinch them, or anything like that, right?"
The leader looked up at Se-yeon without a word.
In her eyes, Se-yeon could read thoughts like, 'Why? Is that a problem?'
I see...
So she really went and committed a huge faux pas on first meeting...
'Guild recruitment is totally dead now.'
They hadn't formally proposed recruitment to the healer yet, but it hadn't been off the table entirely.
Chief Secretary Ryu Se-yeon let out a deep sigh.
"Leader......"
"I couldn't help it. I just couldn't resist."
Recruitment was already a lost cause, and yet here was that shameless face claiming she did nothing wrong.
Times like this only reinforced Se-yeon's suspicion that most of the leader's emotional wiring was busted.
"But her angry face was cute, too."
"Well, what now? She's probably marked you as a total creep."
Still, Se-yeon saw a glimmer of hope here.
Psychopath. Cold-blooded. Empathy-deficient.
The leader had every unflattering label in the book, but finally, she'd acted like a normal person.
This was practically a miracle.
All the efforts Se-yeon had poured into teaching the leader about "emotions" over the years...
'If the leader spends more time around the healer...'
Then... maybe...
Our leader might develop a normal way of thinking like everyone else?
A cold glint flickered in Se-yeon's previously dulled eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After wandering through a maze of similar-looking buildings for a while...
I finally arrived at the location Ha Do-yeon had sent.
"Hello!"
Ha Do-yeon, who had been intensely focused on her work, lit up the moment she spotted me.
"Oh my, Healer! You really came all the way here! I'm so grateful... I have too much work to step away..."
"You personally delivered last time, Necromancer. So of course it's my turn now!"
As I approached, beads of sweat instantly formed on Ha Do-yeon's face.
Grown somewhat used to this, she pulled out a prepared handkerchief and dabbed at them.
'I kinda feel bad...'
With an awkward smile, I took out the ten Lumina Bells I'd prepared.
"Goodness... Five would have been plenty."
Despite her words, an unstoppable grin spread across Ha Do-yeon's face.
'Now's the time.'
After gauging the moment, I handed her a sparkling mana potion.
"Huh? This mana potion looks so pretty. Is this the one you said you were making?"
"Yes. A gift!"
"W-Wait. The description seems a bit off..."
Suddenly, her eyes darted left and right rapidly.
Soon, she muttered things like, "Wait, permanent mana increase...?" and stared at me with wide eyes.
"Th-This... You made this mana potion yourself, Healer?"
Having awakened her unique ability as an alchemist, she could apparently see the potion's exact details.
I nodded with a smile.
"The same as the one from the auction house... No, you're just giving this priceless thing to me?"
"Come on, it's not 'just.' It's a thank-you for helping clean the gate."
"Still... this is way too much for a gift..."
Seeing Ha Do-yeon fidget without taking it, I figured it was time to bring up my real purpose.
"Um, Necromancer, I have one favor to ask."
"What is it? Tell me right now! Anything you want...!"
To Ha Do-yeon, eyes sparkling like she'd grant any wish...
I swallowed hard and carefully opened my mouth.
"You mentioned your alchemy level is high... By any chance, can you make a potion that changes someone's appearance?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The whole way home,
I stared at the glass vial in my hand, lost in thought.
'This is the appearance-changing potion...'
Inside the small, delicate glass bottle swirled a liquid shimmering with radiant light.
Clear as water, yet shifting to subtle purple, jade green, and pink hues depending on the angle.
- Just drop one droplet from the pipette onto your tongue, and it'll instantly change you to the desired form.
- Lasts six hours! Don't forget!
"Great, perfect."
Teaming up with Necromancer Ha Do-yeon for trades had been a godsend, no matter how I thought about it.
Especially since I could now easily get my hands on dark-element potions like this.
"Almost all set now!"
Gate trash cleared, purification nearly done.
All that remained was interior decorating and smoothly launching the cafe.
Decor? Outdoor cafe vibe— just place some tables and chairs.
The real issue was 'how to run the cafe.'
After showing my face on the news once, practically everyone knew what I looked like.
The cafe was bait. The true goal was selling rare goods.
But selling ultra-rare items while everyone knew my face felt... off.
Plus, people trying to recruit me to their guilds, or begging for one gate party together, were bound to show up.
No way proper business could happen like that.
That's when I thought of Ha Do-yeon's alchemy.
With her dark-element awakening and spirit control, maybe she could whip up an appearance potion.
It was just a hunch, of course.
I'd asked without high hopes.
- With the flowers you gave me, I can level up proficiency and make it right now!
Luckily, my guess hit the mark.
Brimming with pride on my way home...
[Choi Han-ul]
A sudden call from Sprout Guild Master Choi Han-ul.
...He wasn't usually the first to reach out?
What was this about?
Tilting my head, I answered.
- Hello, Healer. Hope you've been well.
His usually overflowing cheer was subdued and heavy today.
"Hello, Han-ul. What's up?"
- Nothing major, but we might need to pause bulk Lumina Bell sales for a bit.
"Huh? Why?"
- Well... Seems someone else besides you succeeded in cultivating Lumina Bells.
- They're flooding the market right now. Prices are dropping...
- I'll send the sales link first.
Click. The call ended.
Standing still, I quietly furrowed my brow.
'Someone else has this ability besides me?'
No, impossible.
If another Plant Lover had awakened, they'd have monopolized Lumina Bells long before me, someone who avoided gates.
'Then, someone with item duplication?'
Just then, the link from Choi Han-ul arrived.
I opened it immediately. There they were—flowers identical to Lumina Bells, dumped on the market dirt cheap.
'If they're duplicating my cultivated ones, they'd have the two stars too.'
I needed to check.
I hit purchase right away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The cheap market Lumina Bells arrived by delivery.
I calmly unpacked and touched the petals.
Right then...
A shocking message popped up before my eyes.
⚠️ ITEM ANALYSIS ⚠️ [Artificial Lumina Bell]
- Artificially bred mutant plant - Grown in manipulated soil with excessive growth accelerators; contains unstable mana mixed with toxins. [Side Effects & Risks]
- Excellent mana recovery, but repeated use builds 'mana resistance' in the body. - Once resistance hits critical levels, no mana recovery becomes possible. - Long-term use may induce mild hallucinations and mana poisoning symptoms. A chill raced up my spine.
'...They actually put this on the market?'
Honestly, even if Lumina Bells flooded the market and lost value, it wouldn't hit me hard.
Thanks to our lucky charm, the Lumina Spirit, I could make permanent expansion potions.
But this...
This wasn't just about value drop.
This could unleash a disaster on the world.
People consuming mutant Lumina Bells would gradually build mana resistance, eventually becoming immune to all potions.
And yet, oblivious, they'd keep using it.
'Hallucinations and poisoning on top of that?'
The more I read the info window, the more one thought dominated my mind.
"I have to stop this before it's too late."
I immediately opened the Awakener community app on my phone.
The community was filled with posts blindly praising the mutant Lumina Bells, clueless to the dangers.
Naturally, hate poured onto Sprout Guild, who had been selling limited quantities.
"Ha..."
Guilt washed over me for the Sprout Guild, who'd become my shield. I squeezed my eyes shut.
'Still...'
I had to warn them.
The risks were too grave for Awakeners to bear.
With trembling hands, I began writing the post.