World Tree Pollen
Honestly, he'd be better off heading to the hospital and puking it all up there. Way faster than howling like this.
That's the standard emergency treatment for this kind of thing anyway—works like a charm.
But this beastkin guy didn't seem interested in that option.
The minotaur, his whole body packed with muscle, was gritting his teeth and toughing it out.
Probably because of the live stream he had going.
The viewers were cracking up at the sight of him puffing steam from his mouth like a chimney.
Reckless stunts like this must be his main content.
"Grgh... ughhh... Bros! I'm seriously about to die here! Feels like a bomb went off in my stomach."
The minotaur yelled, sniffling, selfie stick in hand.
White steam leaked from his mouth with every word.
The viewers fired off mocking chats alongside their donations.
The minotaur bantered back with them, even as sweat poured down his face.
From watching on the side, I could tell he was at his limit.
'He's gonna burn his esophagus for real at this rate.'
I couldn't just let a customer collapse on our store floor, foaming at the mouth.
Calling the cops and ambulance now would definitely delay closing time again.
Methods to beat the spice burn...
"Excuse me, sir."
"Y-yeah? Hoo, got any more ice?"
"We do, but..."
"Then just a bit more ice..."
"More ice won't cut it. You'd be better off with a potion..."
"Hoo, haa—no way!"
He shook his head vigorously.
"Challenge rules say no potions..."
"...Is that the standard for these challenges?"
"Urgh, huff—no, not really. But it's my challenge. Hic! Lava fruit endurance for 30 minutes, no potions or treatment. Just 10 more minutes!"
Lava fruits carried heat that regular potions from convenience stores couldn't touch—hospital was the recommended route.
But this guy refused to go.
This was unexpected.
"It's a whopping 2 million won! No way I'm quitting!"
2 million was big money, sure.
Given his resolve, hospital or potion were off the table.
But I couldn't just leave him...
"Well, it's not like there's no way."
"R-really?"
Back when fire noodles, spicy tteokbokki, and death curry were trending, I had this drink I'd chug after spicy food.
Magical stuff—one sip and the burning gut would settle right down.
Didn't know if it was legit effective, but it always worked for me.
I stood and headed to the freezer case.
Two big-size iced cups.
A 1-liter pack of peach Coolpis.
And some creamy milk.
The K-antidote cocktail.
"I'll mix this for you—drink up."
As I poured Coolpis and milk into the iced cups and stirred, the minotaur and his viewers reacted with confusion.
The minotaur blinked at me.
"D-does this really work?"
"No idea."
"Huh?"
"Dunno if it'll work great—I'm no doctor. Just the cocktail I drink after spicy food."
"Oh..."
"You said no potions."
He looked flustered at my blunt reply.
The chat sped up.
Glancing at the stream, the minotaur squeezed his eyes shut.
"Screw it! I'll drink! If it doesn't work, hospital it is!"
Hospital might still be faster.
He started chugging the Coolpis milk.
And that was the moment.
Whoosh—
A faint pale green light rippled from his body.
"Hm?"
Neither the minotaur nor the viewers noticed.
Chats mocking it as useless, him desperately gulping away.
But my eyes clearly saw his body glowing softly.
Didn't that stuff cling to your hands too! The World Tree pollen!
The store manager's shout echoed in my head.
The pollen that stuck during the World Tree planting.
But I'd never seen it before...
Was that the pollen's power?
The minotaur chugging Coolpis milk suddenly went wide-eyed.
"Wha—?"
He stared at the cup in shock, milk smeared on his lips forgotten.
"What is this? Why's my stomach settling so calm..."
He set down the empty cup, and the faint light faded from his body.
Whatever it was, he'd absorbed it properly.
The guy who'd been screaming his guts were boiling was now calmly poking his belly.
The minotaur set down the cup and kept rubbing his stomach.
"Bros! I'm good now. Still a bit tender, but totally bearable. Felt like death earlier—now I can live!"
He yelled at the camera in disbelief.
The madly scrolling chat froze for a beat, then exploded.
"Whoa... how'd you do that?"
Sonya was savoring a rare schedule-free day.
Since conquering the tower recently, she hadn't had a single off day.
TV interviews, variety shows, sparring with colleagues, simulations for the next raid, lectures for juniors on her 72nd-floor攻略 feedback.
Ten bodies wouldn't have been enough.
Now finally with a break, she flicked on an internet stream she'd left queued.
Ubong's hunter stream.
Not because it was fun.
Just happened to be top of the list.
Habit, routine.
Whatever stream was top when she logged in.
She hated the silence of an empty room.
She, who felt burdened by everyone's stares more than anyone.
Who sought darkness when alone.
Couldn't stand the quiet when it came.
She mainly watched internet streams because streamers chatted live with viewers.
It eased the loneliness a bit, made solitude feel less absolute.
"Boring."
Tongue clicking at the lack of dopamine hit, she reached to close it.
Then she realized the convenience store Ubong had dashed into looked familiar.
"Huh? This place..."
It was that store.
The one with the part-timer who hadn't recognized her.
About to shut it off, she kept watching.
Watched the part-timer mix the cocktail for Ubong.
"No way..."
That odd reaction in the instant he mixed it.
A subtle sparkle no viewer—or even Ubong—noticed.
As an S-rank hunter, she clocked the light from Kim Minchul's hands.
World Tree pollen?
World Tree pollen.
Famous for clinging only to those the World Tree truly acknowledged.
Healing power alone was immense, and it was top-grade alchemy material for spells and circles.
"No way! That's really World Tree pollen?"
How hard was it to get?
Even elves couldn't obtain it reliably—specialists existed just for that.
Pollen only for those acknowledged by the World Tree... on a non-elf?
"How...?"
The World Tree was notoriously picky.
She, an S-rank hunter, hadn't earned its acknowledgment.
Yet this part-timer had it.
"Knew he wasn't just some ordinary clerk..."
World Tree pollen was what she'd struggled for ages to get.
Essential for 73rd floor.
No leads despite conquering up to 72.
And now it was right there.
She couldn't hold back.
Springing up, she ignored the bright midday crowds.
Grabbed a cap and mask, headed out without a care for the stares.
"Gotta ask."
Where from.
How.
Maybe.
Spare a little for her?
Her steps quickened.
"Bros! Thanks for watching Ubong Challenge today. Gonna remake this magic cocktail next time—total legend! Alright, that's the stream! Ubai!"
He winked at the camera, finally hit end on the selfie stick.
"Sorry for the mess. Truly grateful—saved my life. Thought I was done for."
Bowing, his face was dead serious, unlike on stream.
Probably his real self.
"Check please."
"Ice, Coolpis, milk—34,000 won total."
After swiping his card, he scratched his head, eyeing me.
"That cocktail recipe... mind sharing?"
"Not hard..."
I gave him the rough Coolpis-to-milk ratio.
"And this is thanks."
He handed over crisp bills.
400,000 won.
"Succeeded thanks to you. Without the staff here, I'd be hospital-bound. Consider it covering my bill—no pressure."
"Huh? But..."
"Take it. I'm a hunter too. Couldn't feel it while drinking, but now... that milk cocktail had some serious energy. Gut cleansed in an instant—lava heat no potion fixes easily, but milk did it? Unreal."
He was clearly misunderstanding big time.
The World Tree pollen on my hands must've calmed his stomach, and he thought it was some epic magic from the cocktail.
Nope.
But I didn't correct him.
Would've needed a boring, pedantic explanation.
"Honestly, this is way too little for that power. Hospital would've cost way more. Please take it."
I thought it over, then pocketed the bills.
Turning it down would've been rude.
"Thanks. Next time spicy stuff hits, hospital's still better."
"Haha! Won't go near lava fruit again! Take care!"
As I sent him off and cleaned the scattered ice,
Ding-a-ling—
New customer bell.
I looked up.
"Welcome."
The woman from last night stood at the door.
Black cap pulled low, black mask covering half her face, baggy hoodie.
Exactly the same suspicious getup.
I propped the mop and headed to the counter.
Figured she'd ghost around the store like yesterday, but she beelined straight to me.
"Uh, no items picked out for checkout yet...?"
"Where'd you get that powder?"
Golden eyes fixed on me.
"Pardon? What powder?"
As I stammered back, she leaned slightly over the counter, whispering.
"The power you used on the minotaur earlier."
"..."
"World Tree pollen."
'She saw through it?'
Minotaur himself and thousands of viewers missed it completely.
He only noticed way after drinking.
Someone not even in the store spotted it?
What was this woman's deal, having manager-level insight?
"I just mixed Coolpis and milk to soothe a customer's burning gut—that's it."
"..."
Her eyes didn't waver.
Finally blinking long, she pulled back.
"...I see. Everyone has secrets they wanna hide. Sorry. That was rude."
She dropped it.
Her gaze softened; she grabbed tuna mayo onigiri and a drink like yesterday, set them on the counter.
"Ring me up. Trash the receipt like last time."
"Yes. 2,700 won paid."
She took the items, headed to the corner table from yesterday.
Unwrapped and bit into the onigiri—her eyes stuck to me the whole meal, all clingy.
'It was just milk and Coolpis—why's she staring like that.'
I broke a sweat inwardly, grabbing the mop again.
Super awkward.