Popo (2)
Men are extreme Yang.
Women are extreme Yin.
From birth, a favorable energy aligned with one's gender existed.
"Oh! It's a Yangmyeong Body."
"But it's a shame she's a girl. If she'd been born a boy, she could have commanded the world."
Hong Seolhwa.
Despite being a woman, she was born with an extreme Yang constitution.
"Her bones and muscles are excellent too. What a pity... If she'd been a man, she'd have been a candidate for the Twelve Heavens the moment she became a superhuman."
"It must be disappointing for Master Hong."
Stories she'd heard countless times since childhood.
If only you were a boy.
It's a shame you were born a girl.
Your father must be heartbroken.
'No. Dad said he was overjoyed when I was born.'
Among them, the one she couldn't bear most.
The claim that her father was saddened she was born a girl.
She hadn't believed it as a child.
But.
"Our Seolhwa... it's a bit regrettable you weren't born a boy... If you'd fully manifested your innate talents, you could have been the pillar of the Hongryeon Clan..."
She'd overheard him drunkenly revealing his true feelings.
"......!"
That was the moment.
When she became obsessed with training.
One day.
One month.
One year.
Ten years.
Time flowed relentlessly, and mountains and rivers changed.
The power of the Yangmyeong Body was tremendous.
Though she'd endured bone-grinding asceticism and training.
Even as a woman, it propelled her to one of the top five superhumans in Korea.
"Impressive... truly impressive... my daughter!"
Her father now smiled brightly at her.
That was enough.
It felt like full recompense for all her efforts.
But.
That happiness was fleeting.
"Cough."
A mouthful of blood from her mouth.
Her body, rapidly amplifying its extreme Yang energy, had begun to lose balance.
Vomiting blood was a sign of impending physical collapse.
It was lamentable.
If she'd been born with a Hanwol Body instead of Yangmyeong, she might have rivaled Eden Carter, the top of the Twelve Heavens.
"Ah..."
Her whole body ached and burned.
Brain-melting agony.
Excruciating pain as if her organs were incinerating.
She endured it.
Days passed where she couldn't sleep without painkillers.
Her world-shaking beauty began to wither into frailty.
'Is this... the end?'
As life's end loomed.
Everything became meaningless.
Chronic apathy.
Her expressions faded away.
Then one day.
"Master, an invitation from Chef An has arrived. I hope you'll at least have a proper meal after so long..."
Hong Ganghyeon.
Hong Seolhwa's uncle and her longtime emotional pillar.
He handed her An Jaeseong's invitation.
She didn't want to go.
But for his efforts, she moved.
No great expectations.
How delicious could it be?
But.
"......!"
The moment she tasted the dish called Garden of the Moon.
Her palate awakened dramatically.
And not just that.
The runaway locomotive of extreme Yang energy halted, hesitating.
She rediscovered hope.
After the meal, she sought out An Jaeseong.
"Ingredients obtained from someone called Madoje."
Madoje?
A nickname she'd never heard.
She first encountered him on the Superhuman Net.
A gentlemanly tone, unlike his domineering nickname.
He could have gouged her, but didn't.
Even delicate consideration and worry for her.
In that moment, Madoje seemed like a true angel.
Tears of gratitude welled up, dripping onto the back of her hand.
She owed Madoje an immeasurable debt.
'I'll definitely repay this kindness.'
She was the type to carve favors in stone, grudges in water.
So.
Right here, now.
From this interminable torment.
To break free... just a bit more strength...!
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!
Her will finally touched the flower bud, and new possibilities began to bloom.
Brilliant golden radiance enveloped her body.
A blessed light visible only to those attempting to break their limits.
Lv 80.
The Wall of Lamentations.
A realm permitted to only ten people worldwide.
Her fully bloomed potential now challenged that great threshold!
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Your level has risen.
Hong Seolhwa.
Age 25.
One sunset-dyed evening.
The eleventh worldwide, the first in Korea.
She shattered the Lv 80 wall.
"Ma, Master!"
"My God!"
"Ah, thank you!"
And.
As the news spread outside.
The world erupted in chaos.
"Hm?"
I tilted my head at the alarms from the Superhuman Net.
Why the sudden flood?
I checked my recent post.
The one selling potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Innumerable comments there.
No, still pouring in real-time.
'What is all this?'
Holy site pilgrimage?
Eleventh Heaven?
And pleas to sell them spirit herbs or crops too.
Instinct told me something exploded related to the crops and herbs I'd sold.
'This commotion... has to be Hong Seolhwa.'
Sure enough.
A private message from her.
Sincere, lengthy message.
She'd poured her heart into it.
"Oh. Good for her."
I'd had a feeling it would work.
And my intuition was spot on—the Taeumyangjeong made here cleanly solved her issue.
Even propelled her to Lv 80.
Was it her exceptional talent?
Or the elixir I made here?
'If it's the latter...'
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
This Dragon's Lair was already invaluable, but now it would hold inestimable supreme value.
"Heh. And maybe I can hit Lv 80 just with elixirs too."
To that realm called the Twelve Heavens.
"Now including Hong Seolhwa, it's the Eleven Heavens, so Eleventh Heaven realm, I guess."
But why did she want a private chat?
I replied anytime was fine, just tell me her convenient time.
Anyway, I now knew why my post was blowing up.
If I hadn't blocked privates, I'd have tasted a real message bomb.
I turned off the real-time notifications blaring now, then stood.
"Alright, I can't just sit idle."
"Popo?"
Popo reacted to my words, tilting its head.
"Time to work!"
"Popo!"
I raised one hand, and it bounced excitedly.
"Time to plant the Seondo."
Heh heh.
The Seondo seeds she'd saved me.
What would happen growing them in the Dragon's Lair?
Especially in the fertile spot Popo enriched?
Like my gut feeling that giving her would heal her.
A strong intuition hit again.
That the fantastical Seondo I imagined might grow.
Scritch scritch.
I dug appropriately, planted the Seondo seeds, and covered neatly.
Squeeeze!
I wrung Qingming Water Herb leaves for one more watering, then finished.
"Grow well."
Even my final wish.
Results soon.
Then I headed to the spirit herbs.
Why?
To make more Taeumyangjeong.
I'd given her all I had left.
Gulp one swig each time my stomach empties, diligently level up.
Level up Dania faster for quicker hatching too.
Ah, but what level unlocks the second guardian?
And the second passage.
Second passage too.
Probably Lv 20 branching point.
So make first.
"Baekyang Herb first... Huh?"
I stopped approaching the Baekyang Herbs.
Why?
Half had yellowed and withered.
"Wh-what?"
Looking closer, the withered ones were those I'd sprayed with .
No way!
Too strong energy?
Seems I over-sprayed the .
"Lunadria... Qingming Water Herb too... potatoes, sweet potatoes."
All the same.
Yellowed and wilted.
One more day, and they'd rot completely.
"Whoa. My mistake."
I scratched my head.
Greed caused disaster.
Should've tested one or two drops first.
Instead, I poured freely...
"Sorry, guys."
I muttered bitterly at the dying herbs and crops.
Probably uproot and replant all.
I reached to pull the withered ones.
"Popo!"
Hop, hop.
Suddenly Popo bounced in front of me.
"Popo! Popo-!"
Making a -_- face while hopping nonstop.
What?
Don't pull them?
"What's up? Okay, I won't."
I withdrew my hand, and it returned to ·_· normal.
"Popo! Popo!"
Then pointed at withered Baekyang Herb, hopping again.
Wait... that gesture.
The one before hugging Dania.
"You'll... hug the withered ones?"
"Popo! Popo!"
Popo nodded eagerly.
"Okay, try it."
With permission.
Popo jumped onto the withered Baekyang Herb and hugged it.
Then.
A miracle occurred.
Paaaaaaa!
Green and brown light intertwined.
That light enveloped the withered Baekyang Herb.
Tssst.
Yellowed leaves reverted to vibrant green.
Tsstst.
Dried petals regained life.
Tsstststst!
Drooping buds straightened vigorously.
As if time reversed—a miraculous moment!
"Whoa..."
Then I realized.
Popo's abilities weren't all shown yet.
And this one was astonishingly powerful.
'This is straight-up Recovery level.'
The legendary 9th-circle absolute recovery spell from legends.
Perhaps rivaling that magic?
"Popo! Popo!"
Popo, grinning ∩_∩ after healing, bounced; I swallowed.
A thought flashed.
"Hey, Popo. Don't misunderstand."
"Popo?"
"Could you... spare a bit of your slime?"
"......Popo?"
Popo's head seemed to sprout a !
o_o.