Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Birth of Signature Poop Cookies!
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‘There’s definitely bad blood between me and Full Moon from a past life.’
Staring at the Full Moon Guild Leader sprawled out on the sofa, Song Yu-hwa wore an expression like she’d just seen something utterly horrifying.
‘Even when we brought gifts to the healer last time.’
And now, even on this hard-won visit under the pretense of neighborly chit-chat.
Full Moon—who she didn’t even want to lay eyes on—had shown up first and was already stirring trouble.
‘But why is that woman even here?’
No way.
It couldn’t be...
Song Yu-hwa narrowed her eyes and spoke in a sharp tone.
“You’re the one who moved into the place next door?”
“Yep.”
“Why? Why? Doesn’t Full Moon stick to your own kind?”
“Just wanted to see her.”
Ha! Song Yu-hwa let out a loud, incredulous laugh.
Honestly, wasn’t it obvious?
Who didn’t know she was cozying up to recruit the healer into her guild?
A woman who couldn’t care less about anyone else’s feelings was trying to peddle some half-baked emotional appeal with “wanted to see her.” It was downright comical.
At least she’d always been upfront with the healer.
She’d never sugarcoated her desire to recruit her or tried to deceive her.
It was utterly ridiculous, enough to clog her nose with frustration.
‘Oh, sure, go right ahead—’ Song Yu-hwa sneered inwardly, then switched to a sweet tone toward Yi Chrog as if nothing had happened.
“Healer, you must be hungry, right? This rice cake is so good—try some!”
Immediately, Full Moon’s mocking voice cut in.
“So outdated... Who hands out rice cakes these days?”
“What!? You done talking smack?”
“Better not to bother with stuff like that.”
“Hmph, whatever. Empty-handed and all mouth...”
The Full Moon Guild Leader shot Song Yu-hwa a pitiful look before silently pulling out her phone.
Moments later, people in matching black team uniforms began filing in one by one, filling the cozy home packed with cute appliances.
“Housewarming gifts. All stuff you can’t get in Korea.”
Hearing that, Song Yu-hwa’s grip tightened on the rice cake in her hand.
‘Damn... she’s really pissing me off.’
Of course, she had more than enough money to drown in.
With cash overflowing, she’d focused on heartfelt gifts perfect for a housewarming—heart over wallet.
But seeing Yi Chrog’s curious eyes darting over the presents, she could tell who’d scored more points.
Bubble bubble.
Her stomach was boiling over.
‘Sae-byeol Leader pulled the same stunt in the middle of everything.’
Bloom Guild had been the first to spot Healer Kim Sae-byeol’s potential and make contact.
So why did Full Moon always swoop in at the last second to steal all their hard work?
Why kept blocking the path forward?
“Why not eat your rice cake alone at home?”
The final barb scraped right across Song Yu-hwa’s already frayed nerves.
“Keep pushing it, and your mouth’s been running a bit wild.”
“Huh? Don’t think I said anything wrong.”
“Guess I look like an easy mark since I’m just rolling in cash.”
Song Yu-hwa drew mana from her body, her eyes dyeing a deep pink.
The Full Moon Guild Leader, lounging casually on the sofa, slowly rose and stretched lightly.
“Not easy. Cute, though.”
It was a powder keg ready to blow.
Right then, the room temperature plummeted, and something popped out from Yi Chrog’s pocket.
“...A spirit?”
“......”
It was a spirit.
“Not even a gate here... Why a spirit...?”
Song Yu-hwa’s momentum crumbled in an instant.
The Full Moon Guild Leader, clearly not expecting a spirit to burst out, stared at it with wavering eyes.
In the thick tension, Yi Chrog furrowed her brows fiercely and scolded the spirit.
“Hey! Don’t glare like that.”
- Piiing...
The spirit, which had been radiating murderous intent moments ago, instantly snuggled into Yi Chrog’s nape and started acting cute.
“......”
“......”
The two women could only stare, dumbfounded.
Spirits... could be tamed?
There’d been rumors lately of a cafe owner taming one.
But seeing it firsthand was another story.
Their gazes naturally shifted to the little girl before them.
She was too tempting.
This girl had too many enviable talents to ignore.
“Come on! No fighting! You two haven’t eaten yet, right?”
Clapping to lighten the mood, Yi Chrog shoved chopsticks into their hands and forcibly seated them at the table.
“Get along, get along.”
And so.
Full Moon and Bloom—who’d been at each other’s throats—ended up side by side at the same table, eating rice cake together in a once-in-a-lifetime freak occurrence.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day.
Worried more uninvited guests might show up, I headed into the forest early in the morning.
“But seriously, who the heck is she?”
Her attitude toward the Bloom Guild Leader made it clear she wasn’t just some guild member.
At minimum, an elite, executive, or...
“The Guild Leader?”
Rumors said Full Moon was crawling with abnormal people.
Then their leader, managing them all, would have to be...
The most abnormal thinker of the bunch, right?
But if she were the leader, she’d be pushing recruitment like Song Yu-hwa or wearing a fake smile.
Would she be that rude to a stranger?
“No idea!”
Elite, executive, leader...
Whatever she was, it meant headaches ahead either way.
‘But this weapon...’
How do you even use it?
I held the weapon up close and frowned.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Nature Resonance] detects a hidden rare gathering item. ...It detects, but I had no clue what or where, so it was just frustrating.
After wandering for a while.
The weapon suddenly started vibrating fiercely.
A faint light glimmered from the round orb embedded in its tip.
Turning left weakened the vibes; right cranked them up.
Following the intensifying shakes, I pushed through bushes my height to reveal a tree laden with plump red fruits.
I approached and plucked one the size of my palm—pop.
A message popped up like when touching a plant.
🍀 ITEM DISCOVERY 🍀 [Rubidel Fruit]
Description: A crimson fruit that rarely grows in shaded forests with frequent mist.
The outer skin is translucent and firm, filled with juice glowing red inside.
Effects:
• Stimulates taste and smell, deepening and enriching flavors.
• Cleans residual textures or aftertastes, resetting oral sensation balance.
Uses:
• ‘Rubidel Syrup’ – Juice mixed with a bit of sugar. A dash in desserts enhances lingering notes.
• ‘Rubidel Crystal’ – Hardened juice crystals. Chewing releases bursts of unique sensations.
Unlike previous plants, this one screamed “flavor” focus.
Drip—
Sweet aroma wafted from the juice trickling between my fingers.
Starving, maybe? I bit in without hesitation.
An intense sweetness zinged my tongue.
Chased by subtle tartness.
They meshed perfectly—eyes wide.
“Holy...”
No wonder it was a hidden rare.
Legitimately, shockingly delicious.
‘Gotta turn this into desserts and sell.’
I filled my basket with the new find, then resumed hunting for more rares—and my original target, Harnel flowers.
But no more vibes or lights from the weapon, no matter how I searched.
‘Weird...’
Tilting my head at the weapon—
A new message appeared.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Additional use conditions not met] – 「Nature Resonance」 already activated. – ※ Daily uses exceeded – Reusable after midnight → To use this function more, raise the weapon’s growth stage. (Current growth stage: Stage 1 – Sprout)
The weapon’s growth stage was holding me back.
‘Ugh...’
I quickly checked its growth conditions.
⚔ GROWTH CONDITIONS ⚔ • – Magic/Healing skill use
• – Nature purification
• – Meditation in nature
No plants to purify, no skills usable now.
Only meditation in nature was feasible.
‘Meditation’s easy—do it now.’
Just sit, close eyes, done.
I plopped down cross-legged and shut my eyes.
Felt silly at first, but my mind cleared fast.
Gentle breeze caressed my face; distant birdsong echoed.
Brook babbling by my ear.
Wind rustling leaves all around.
One with nature, thoughts neatly sorted.
‘Nice.’
Maybe do this often? Then—
Crunch, crunch—
Snap—
Someone stepping on dry twigs, approaching slowly.
‘No one was here...?’
Snapping eyes open in unease—a feline wild beast stared intently.
Short mane of yellow-gray fur.
Small pointed ears perked above brows,
Soft tufts trembling at tips.
Crouched low, watching, it tilted its head and muttered low.
“Weird-looking thing.”
Then dashed into opposite bushes.
‘...Did that just talk?’
Chill raced down my spine, goosebumps rising.
I ended meditation quick and bolted from the forest.
Stunned, I replayed it.
‘...Misheard, probably.’
Yeah, definitely. Neighbor stress causing hallucinations.
Needing a distraction, I checked the weapon for growth.
※ Next stage: Stage 2 – Bloom (Progress 13%) Decent bump for short meditation, but still far off.
‘Gotta go back to that forest for more...’
Better pack wildlife defense next time, just in case.
Decision made, I headed to the cafe to whip up desserts with the new haul.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Among Full Moon’s housewarming gifts, plenty suited the cafe.
The standout: brand-new oven.
‘Got gifts, so return the favor.’
Make sellable cafe desserts, bake cookies for the gift-giver.
Bet she’d love it?
‘Yeah. Let’s try!’
Flour, butter, sugar, etc.
Rough recipe from memory; ratios by feel, measures by eye.
Dropped Rubidel juice in dough—red tint for pretty color.
Shaped rounds, shoved in oven.
Temp? Hot enough, I guess.
Time? When it smells good?
- Piiit!
The spirit sidled up, peeking curiously inside.
Excited for cookies too, huh.
About 20 minutes later.
Mouthwatering sweet scent filled the air.
Ding!
Done signal—spirit stomped impatiently beside me.
Heart pounding.
I eagerly opened the oven.
But.
“......Eww.”
No pretty, appetizing cookies. Just charred lumps stuck to the tray.
Rubidel syrup for flavor had hardened sticky, oozing like blood.
“Eeee......”
I gingerly lifted one, then dropped it fast.
Felt like handling poop...
First cookies ever baked, though.
Dumping without tasting felt wrong.
“...Wanna try?”
Spirit shook head blankly.
...Fine.
Honor my first batch solo.
‘As long as it doesn’t kill me...’
Eyes squeezed shut, I shoved poop—no, cookie—into my mouth.
Crunch—
Crisp break, cheerful sound.
Then unimaginable flavor exploded.
Expected dense; shockingly moist. Chewing unleashed Rubidel’s sweet aroma and richness.
Crispy outside, chewy inside.
Looks aside, sellable now.
I stared blankly, muttering.
“...What is this?”
Why so damn good...?
Then, gravel crunching outside.
“Whoa, smells amazing!”
Admin office ladies, right on time.
They strode in, claimed their usual table.
I sidled up with a sly grin.
“Just baked cookies... Wanna taste?”
“Sure! Sounds great!”
Is it really good?
Or just to me? Time to test.