It's Fine If I Stay a Few More Days, Right?

Park Jaeyoung, Lee Jia, and Porri headed straight out to the vegetable garden. On the spot, Lee Jia bestowed a blessing upon the seed potatoes.

"I've cast every plant blessing I know on them, Oppa."

"Thanks. Porri, let's go."

Squeak, squeak!!

Jaeyoung and Porri went around planting the seed potatoes. Perhaps because they had done this several times already, their teamwork was flawless.

In the blink of an eye, Jaeyoung and Porri finished planting two whole rows of ridges.

"Even with the blessings, it'll still take a few hours."

"Let's go inside and wait. I'll whip up something delicious for you."

"You know how to cook, Oppa? You used to order hamburgers every single day."

"I bought a skill book."

"Well, then it's bound tho be delicious."

The two of them and Porri headed inside.

"How does kimchi pancake and makgeolli sound?"

"I'd love that."

"No soup to go with it?"

"How about fish cake soup?"

Jia gave him a big thumbs-up.

"Maybe I should stay here a few more days. Just thinking about food made with a skill is making my mouth water."

"Suit yourself. It's not like you're tied down anywhere anyway."

"True. I'll decide after I see how the potatoes turn out."

Jaeyoung started by boiling the fish cake soup first. It would take time for the flavors of the radish, blue crab, and green onions to seep out and create a rich, savory broth.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Don't worry about it. You can't cook either."

"Fair enough. Once you get used to eating out, cooking is hard."

Jaeyoung mixed the chopped kimchi, pancake ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mix, and squid together. He figured a nice kick of heat would make it perfect.

"Could you go grab a few Cheongyang chili peppers from the garden?"

"Sure thing."

Jia returned shortly with a handful of Cheongyang chilies in each hand.

"Here you go."

"Thanks for the trouble."

He finely sliced the chilies, added a pinch of salt, and finished the batter. Jaeyoung placed a frying pan on the induction cooktop and poured in a generous splash of oil.

The moment he poured the batter into the pan, the skill automatically took over. Jaeyoung tilted the pan this way and that, spreading the batter into a perfect, even circle.

Sizzle!

The kimchi pancake cooked, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Once it seemed cooked enough on one side, he flipped it with a deft flick of his wrist—a movement executed with the flawless assistance of his skill.

"Skills really are amazing."

"Yeah. The more I cook with it, the more I feel like it was worth every penny."

Soon, the first golden-brown kimchi pancake was complete. Jaeyoung whipped up a quick soy-vinegar dipping sauce and set a bottle of makgeolli on the table. In true makgeolli fashion, he chose wide brass bowls for their cups.

"Pour me a glass."

Jia shook the bottle of makgeolli and filled Jaeyoung's bowl. Jaeyoung tore off a piece of the crispy edge of the pancake with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

Gulp, gulp!

Washing it down with a deep draft of makgeolli, an involuntary gasp of pure satisfaction escaped his lips.

"Wow, this is incredible!" Jia nodded in agreement after taking her first bite.

"It's seriously delicious. I especially love the Cheongyang chilies in it. The spiciness cuts right through any greasiness."

Jaeyoung got up, poured another batch of batter into the frying pan, and sat back down.

"Can't let the momentum stop."

"I knew I could count on you, Oppa."

While the two of them devoured the pancake, Porri was right beside them, busily nibbling on a large piece of his own. The kimchi pancake was clearly to his liking, as his truth tail wagged back and forth without a single pause.

"Oh! What about Gomdori?!" In the middle of eating, Jia suddenly bolted upright.

"Take a pancake out to him."

Jia returned shortly with an empty plate.

"Did he like it?"

"He swallowed it in a single bite."

"Considering his size, shouldn't you bring him a few more?"

Jia shook her head.

"I told him to forage for himself in the forest. If he gets really hungry, he'll come knock on the door."

The two of them and Porri didn't stop eating until the batter was completely gone. The massive pot of fish cake soup was also emptied to the very last drop before they knew it.

"Thanks for the meal!"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I'm so glad I came."

After cleaning up, they moved to the living room. Jaeyoung and Jia cracked open some beers and began reminiscing about the old days. If Kim Minseo was his successor and Ha Eunchae was his partner, then Lee Jia was his ultimate drinking buddy.

Out of the three, Jia shared the most small, casual memories with him. Right up until his retirement, they had practically lived at the street food stalls in the alleyways behind the Association.

As they chatted, the clock slipped past 1:00 AM. Jaeyoung guided Jia to one of the guest rooms.

"Thanks for coming."

"I loved it too. It's been so long since we just sat down and had a drink together."

The next day.

After eating breakfast, Jaeyoung, Jia, and Porri headed out to the garden. Hand hoes were gripped in the hands of the two humans.

Arriving at the garden, the two of them squatted down and began digging up the soil, while Porri unsheathed his tiny claws to help harvest the potatoes. Soon, clusters of potatoes hanging heavy from the roots revealed themselves.

"I knew I had a green thumb. Is it because of the seed potatoes I blessed? They're incredibly plump!"

"Can I count on you again next time?"

Jia grinned.

"For you, Oppa, I'll do it for free."

As he picked up one of the freshly dug potatoes, his Appraisal skill activated.

"This is ridiculous."

"What does it say?"

Upon checking the potato's effect, Jia's jaw dropped.

"Insane, right?"

"Completely."

"But you know..."

"Yeah?"

"I wonder if the effect will remain if I cook it. Eating raw potatoes is a bit much."

If it could raise stats, hunters would line up by the truckload to eat raw potatoes. But Jaeyoung had no desire to do that. His stats were already more than enough—they were overflowing.

"Who knows. I'm not really sure."

"Let's finish harvesting them first, then boil some."

The two of them and Porri worked diligently to harvest the potatoes. Once they were all dug up, they had a total of two hundred.

They carried the yellow plastic crates overflowing with potatoes back to the house. Jaeyoung grabbed a handful of them and headed straight into the kitchen, eager to satisfy his curiosity immediately.

If the effect remained even after cooking, this would be an absolute jackpot. Hunters would gladly shell out a million won for a single bowl. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of selling them for money.

Jaeyoung washed the potatoes thoroughly and arranged them neatly in a pot. He poured in enough cold water to submerge them completely and added a pinch of salt for seasoning.

After chatting with Jia for a bit, he checked on the pot. When he poked a potato with a chopstick, it slid in effortlessly, indicating they were perfectly boiled.

Jaeyoung turned off the heat and let them steam for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a moment. This was a crucial step to bring out that light, fluffy texture.

"Are they done?" Jia, who had been in the living room, walked into the kitchen cradling Porri in her arms.

"Yeah, they're all boiled."

Jaeyoung set the pot on the table. As Jaeyoung and Jia each picked up a hot potato, the Appraisal skill instantly triggered.

"Am I seeing this right?"

"Stamina increases by 3?"

"Yes, it does."

Jaeyoung and Jia stared at each other, their faces filled with shock. Not only did the effect remain after cooking, but it had actually increased.

"Let's test it out first."

Jaeyoung peeled a potato and popped it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. The moment the potato went down, a system message appeared.

Jaeyoung nodded.

"Did it go up?"

"It did."

"How on earth is something this ridiculous even possible?"

It was common knowledge that elixirs became useless once a stat surpassed a certain threshold. There were a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠few exceptions, but those were strictly limited to S-rank elixirs or higher. In other words, they were incredibly rare on the market.

Yet, this boiled potato completely shattered all established common sense regarding elixirs.

"Eat another one."

"Alright."

Jaeyoung popped another potato into his mouth. The moment he swallowed it:

Sure enough, his stamina increased again. This meant he could eat them indefinitely, making a stamina stat of over 100 million a very realistic dream.

"They don't stack, right? There's no way."

"They do."

Jia let out a hollow laugh.

"You're already absurdly strong. Just how much stronger do you plan on getting?"

"I know, right?"

"At this rate, won't you be able to survive a nuclear blast with your bare body?"

Jaeyoung pondered for a moment before replying.

"I think I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could survive that right now, actually."

Jia was left completely speechless.

Jaeyoung and Jia harvested other crops as well. The spring cabbage and Cheongyang chilies increased Agility, while the green onions and onions boosted Strength.

"Should we grow some corn?"

"Why corn all of a sudden?"

Jaeyoung pointed toward the chicken coop. Tiny chicks were cheeping and scurrying around.

"I'm raising some chicks."

"And?"

"I want to see if chicks raised on elixirs turn into elixirs themselves."

Jia let out another dry chuckle.

"No way... Well, I'll bless the corn seeds anyway."

Jia pulled a leather pouch from her coat. Reaching inside, she drew out a handful of corn seeds. Holding them tightly in her palm, she activated her skill.

A vibrant green glow emanated from her body and seeped into the seeds.

"Here."

Taking the seeds, Jaeyoung gently patted Porri, who was perched on his shoulder.

"Porri! Let's dig some holes."

Leaping down from Jaeyoung's shoulder, Porri began digging into the earth. Perfectly spaced holes quickly appeared along the ridges.

Plop! Plop! Plop! Jaeyoung and Jia dropped seeds into the holes Porri dug, and the industrious squirrel followed behind them, covering each hole back up with soil.

Together, the two humans and the squirrel filled the entire garden with corn.

"It's fine if I stay a few more days, right?"

"Of course it is. Don't ask stupid questions."

Since he had two guest rooms, it would be fine even if Kim Minseo dropped by. Surely Ha Eunchae wouldn't show up too, right? There was no way all three of them would swarm his house at once.

"I'll be in your care for the next few days, then."