Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Giving Up Is for Counting Cabbages
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"Oh, right."
Before posting, I needed to change my nickname from 'Plant Fanatic' first.
It was unthinkable in my community life to operate under any other name besides 'Plant Fanatic'.
But my second self, practically an alter ego called 'Plant Fanatic', had already been banned twice in a single week.
There was no way it'd earn any trust now.
The day had come when I had to break my community creed for the first time...
'Sorry, Plant Fanatic!'
I never thought the day would come when I'd abandon you...
But this time, I have to set you aside for a bit.
I headed to the user settings to change my nickname.
But then.
[You can only change your nickname once per account] This warning grabbed me by the ankle.
"Yeah. Just delete the account and rejoin."
This time, I hit the 'Delete Account' button at the bottom of the user settings.
And then...
[Rejoining after deletion requires a 3-month wait.] Now three months was holding me back.
Since this was an Awakener-only community, I couldn't even make another account—I only had one.
'Maybe ask someone else...'
It was a good idea, but I hesitated a bit.
I didn't have many Awakeners close enough to confide in.
And if they said,
"Healer has more influence than you—why ask someone else when she can post herself?"
I'd probably choke on the spot.
It was enough to drive me insane.
'But I can't just sit here.'
Plant Fanatic had always been a troll, sure.
But if I poured out my sincere plea, wouldn't it get through...?
No, since he'd always been a troll, showing sincerity for the first time might actually draw more ears.
"No choice."
Time to go full frontal with Plant Fanatic.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Post [Plant Fanatic: Do NOT consume the cheap Lumina flowers circulating on the market] Sorry for muddying the boards all this time. But I swear there's no troll or lies in this post. The first couple times might be fine, but keep consuming those flowers and you'll build up mana resistance. That turns you into a constitution where mana potions don't work anymore. Don't keep taking them just because they feel effective. The side effects are extremely serious. This should convey enough sincerity.
I hit the post button.
One second, two seconds... I waited for time to pass.
But maybe because I wrote it so straightforwardly and honestly.
My post sank without a trace amid the praises for artificial Lumina flowers, ignored completely.
'Title and body too nice...?'
Time to change strategy.
📰 Post [Plant Fanatic: Eat those dirt-cheap Lumina flowers now and you're dead within a week] Sounds fake, right? But it's real. These flowers have serious side effects. Eat too many and you build up mana resistance in your body, turning you into someone potions don't work on. Hell, you'll catch some weird disease and drop dead in a week. I know you all think I have zero credibility since I'm always trolling. Yeah, sure. But I'm not the type to joke about people's lives. At least you reading this—please don't buy them. I beg you. 💬 Comments — Anon [How do you even know that?] — Plant Fanatic I know because I ate them. That's why I spent all day munching nothing but those flowers and turned into a mana-recovery-proof freak. — Anon But you're still alive and kicking? — Anon It's not even been a week since Lumina flowers hit the market lol. This guy's trolling again, confirmed. — Anon [lolol this guy's at it again] — Anon [Sigh, he's totally lost it...] — Anon [No Healer posts, so now flowers are the target?] — Anon [You're the guy from Sprout Guild growing Lumina flowers, right? Gotcha lol] — Anon [Yup~ Now we get to enjoy Lumina flowers too~ Not just you guys~] — Anon [This dude's super sensitive to trends lol. Gotta admit the effort tho] — Anon [This one's kinda creative, approved] The page was filled with mocks and jeers—it was practically all ridicule.
But it wasn't completely ineffective.
A few people got the sincerity.
— Anon [But the troll suddenly going serious is kinda scary...] — Anon [Hmm... Can't fully trust it, but worth watching the situation?] The problem was how few they were...
I'd failed to warn about the severity of artificial Lumina Bells, but as Plant Fanatic, I'd done my utmost.
Posting more would just spark backlash.
'Plant Fanatic failed despite expectations. Now all that's left is...'
I slowly lifted my head to the mirror.
There was a girl with anxious eyes, wanting to escape reality.
And beside her, the 'Healer' trusted by countless Awakeners.
'I'm the only one who truly knows the danger of these artificial flowers.'
Then I had to reveal my face and warn everyone, no matter what.
Before I knew it, the anxiety in the mirror girl's eyes faded, replaced by calm resolve.
'If only there was one more way to add credibility to my words...'
As I pondered deeply, a flash of inspiration hit me.
"Appraisal!"
Like mana potions made from spirit-born flowers, getting an official appraisal from a national institution could prove the flowers' dangers formally, right?
I headed straight to the national office without further thought.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Appraisal result: Confirmed as artificially cultivated plant. Growth accelerator detected, and some traces of presumed genetic hybridization observed."
My heart pounded.
I clasped my hands, awaiting the appraiser's next words.
"However."
A wrinkle formed on his brow for a moment.
"While long-term consumption of artificially cultivated plants carries risks, the specific side effects you mentioned, Healer, were not detected."
"Pardon...?"
What... was this?
All those nasty side effects plastered on the artificial Lumina Bells weren't even mentioned in the appraisal?
Was it only detectable with my 'Plant Lover' ability?
"I fully believe everything you've said, Healer. I can see the sincerity in your eyes."
The appraiser gave me a warm smile.
"But the appraisal certificate is an official record, so I can't include anything beyond confirmed facts... I'm truly sorry."
He bowed his head politely.
"Ah, no! It's fine..."
It wasn't quite the result I'd hoped for, but...
Artificial cultivation, concerns over long-term use...
It wasn't empty-handed.
"Could you write up the certificate with all the info so far?"
"Of course. I'll prepare it right now."
After receiving the paper envelope from the appraiser, I headed straight to the public relations office on the fifth floor without hesitation.
'This is totally insane, but...'
A lone individual knocking on the PR office door begging for a disaster alert? No matter how I thought about it, it wasn't sane.
But I had no time for common sense or face-saving now.
I opened the thick, soundproof door and cautiously stepped inside.
"Whew..."
I caught my breath for a moment, clutching the envelope tightly, and slowly advanced one step at a time.
"Oh? Healer!"
One of the staff hammering away at their keyboard spotted me and greeted me.
I immediately approached and explained why I'd come to the PR office.
His face gradually filled with bewilderment.
"Um... I understand the appraisal you brought and what you're saying, Healer, but..."
I clasped my hands and pleaded with the troubled man.
"I'll take full responsibility for whatever follows. Even if no alert goes out, just one article..."
But it fell on deaf ears.
He firmly cut me off.
"I'm truly sorry, Healer. Official announcements from PR are based on 'confirmed damages'."
I felt the eyes of the other staff, glued to their monitors, slowly turning toward me.
Whispers exchanged with nearby colleagues: "What's up?" "What's going on?" "Dunno...?" "Wants a disaster alert...?" and so on.
Whoosh—
My face burned hot.
"S-Sorry for the interruption!"
I hurriedly shut the PR office door and bolted out of the administration building.
Humiliation heated not just my face but the tips of my ears.
But.
• Healer... thank you for saving my dad. Sob, sob...
• Thank you so much for saving our daughter...
• I don't know how to repay you... thank you...
Back during the Seongbuk-gu rampage gate incident. For the people who'd gripped my hands with heartfelt gratitude... I absolutely could not stop here. If the administration wouldn't sound the alert. Then even if it was just me, by any means necessary. I had to inform everyone of this crisis. 'Giving up only after you've done all you can—that's not too late.' Now it was time for the last resort I'd put off until the end. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The moment I got home, I created a new Nertube account.
Then I fixed my phone in place and hit record.
"......"
A tense girl stared back from the phone screen.
Whew—
She took a deep breath, looked straight at the camera, and opened her small mouth.
"Hello, I'm Healer Yi Chrog."
I faced the girl on the screen and began reading my prepared script.
"Thanks to my unique ability, I can quite sensitively detect dangers or abnormalities in items."
I framed my unique ability as 'detecting item dangers' just enough to be believable.
I calmly explained my suspicion that the Lumina flowers on the market were artificial, my certainty they contained toxic mana.
And the dangerous side effects clinging to them.
I firmly warned what continuous consumption ignoring side effects would bring.
And ended the video by showing the appraisal certificate up close to the camera.
I uploaded it right away, but a corner of my mind felt uneasy.
'This alone isn't enough.'
The account was brand new, and I'd never done Nertube before—the video would take time to spread.
'For the video to spread fast...'
My gaze naturally turned to the community app.
📰 Post [Plant Fanatic: Proof my post isn't bullshit (deleting in 10 mins)] (Video link) Healer you all love posted a video on the same issue. You won't believe me, but you'll believe her. So just this once, close your eyes and trust it. I beg you... I knew what I was doing was extremely risky.
The Healer 'Yi Chrog', trusted by the world,
Could be exposed as the community troll 'Plant Fanatic' everyone mocked and ignored.
Still, I murmured quietly.
"Doesn't matter."
If my actions saved even one person from the artificial Lumina flowers' danger.
If that one person could be someone's precious loved one.
Then I,
Was fully prepared to take the risk.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The 'Healer warning video' drew brief attention in the community.
But it was soon buried under the artificial Lumina flowers' overwhelming effects.
Worse, posts started popping up like, [The Healer who first cultivated Lumina Bells is stirring people up because flower prices might drop]
Suspicion posts, one by one.
But.
Exactly one week after the video posted.
📰 Post [Mana junkie here. Mana potions aren't filling mana no matter how many I chug...] The community's mood began to shift, little by little.