The Horn (1)
「Eldrias Seed, Lv 500」
‘Huh.’
The information floating before my eyes left me speechless.
‘Level 500?’
The number was overwhelmingly high.
‘I figured Dania might reach around 500 when she reaches maturity.’
Seeing the number “500” with my own eyes sent a shiver through my entire body.
‘What exactly is Eldrias?’
A name I had never heard before.
I immediately searched for it in the Gold Lounge.
Nickname: [BoiledEgg(S)]
Title: What is the Eldrias Tree?
Content: It sometimes appears in ancient records from the Abyss Tower.
There was a post mentioning Eldrias.
‘The tree where Spirit Kings are born?’
If that was true, it would be an enormous jackpot.
Spirit Kings, not just ordinary spirits.
Discovering unexpected information filled me with excitement.
I searched for more posts, but found nothing else useful.
Next, I checked the Superhuman Net.
There was no information about the Eldrias Tree itself.
However, there was a post that mentioned related details.
Nickname: ElixirHunter30000
Title: Let’s Identify Unusual Elixirs (61)
Content: Hello? This is my sixty-first post. Today I’m introducing the elixir of mystery and legend, Eldra’s Essence.
You know Eldrias, right? The mysterious tree said to be connected to the birth of spirits.
Eldra’s Essence isn’t something that forms naturally. It’s the condensed fruit of life force and elemental energy from the Eldrias Tree.
This Eldra’s Essence contains the energy of all elements. It maximizes the consumer’s body and mana while granting the ability to freely wield every elemental attribute.
That’s why it shows especially outstanding effects for those who handle multiple elements.
In other words, Eldra’s Essence is a legendary elixir that harmonizes the body’s energies according to the balance of elements and helps unleash dramatic power through elemental harmony.
‘Eldra’s Essence, huh.’
This was also an incredibly intriguing story.
Setting everything else aside, the fact that it was a fruit allowing free control over all elemental attributes was already extraordinary.
‘Here too, it’s described as a tree connected to the birth of spirits.’
Spirits.
Still largely unknown beings with only a tiny fraction of information revealed.
Yet from the rare occasions I had seen spirit users command them, I could tell just how immense their power was.
‘So it’s the tree that gives birth to the kings of those beings.’
That explained why a mere seed had a level of 500.
‘Huh.’
The valuation was clear.
This seed had to be nurtured with the utmost care.
Those Elatria guys.
Handing over such a treasure.
They had given me something far more valuable than mere rent.
“Popo!”
Popo bounced over with a sparkling ☆_☆ expression brighter than ever.
It seemed the slime had also realized how precious the Eldrias Seed was.
Then it led me to the center of the Lair.
“You want me to plant it here?”
“Popo!”
Popo jumped around energetically at the center of the Lair.
It was the spot Popo had poured its heart into cultivating, coming and going countless times.
Thanks to that, this place held the strongest earth energy within the entire Lair.
“Alright.”
I rolled up my sleeves to plant the seed.
“Chuchu!!”
Chuchu came scurrying over first.
Then it slipped on its golden gloves with a satisfying sound.
Scritch-scritch-scritch!
It dug out just enough soil to plant the Eldrias Seed.
Goodness, our Chuchu.
It really knew how to read the room and act without being told!
“Nice work, Chuchu.”
I patted Chuchu’s head once, then planted the Eldrias Seed in the spot.
“Popo!”
Popo dashed over and began working diligently.
Shff-shff-shff!
Soil naturally covered the seed.
“Haha. Our Popo’s doing great too.”
“Popo!”
When I patted Popo’s head as well, it grinned with a ∩_∩ expression and bounced happily.
Cute little guy.
A satisfied smile naturally formed on my face.
‘I need to succeed with mass cultivation of Seondo soon and consume them diligently.’
Why?
Because Seondo had the effect of slightly increasing the ability to commune with nature.
If I worked hard to raise that ability, it would surely help when the time came to contract with a Spirit King—that was the intuition that flashed through my mind.
‘Better safe than sorry.’
I stood up, brushing off my hands.
‘Grow well, Eldrias Seed!’
Then.
“Huh?”
A puzzled sound escaped my lips.
While I had the Superhuman Net open, I checked the sales proceeds from the crops and herbs I had put up for auction earlier.
「6,741,000 Coin has been paid.」
“Six million… seven hundred forty-one thousand coins?”
A higher amount than expected.
“Whoa, what’s this?”
I looked at the sales details.
Potatoes: 200 coins each. 300 sold.
Sweet potatoes: 200 coins each. 300 sold.
Cherry tomatoes: 400 coins each. 300 sold.
Lunadria: 250,000 coins each. 5 sold.
Baekyang Herb: 1,200,000 coins each. 5 sold.
Total: 7,490,000 coins.
After deducting the 10% fee, 6,741,000 coins were paid.
‘Impressive.’
Potatoes and sweet potatoes had doubled from the previous 100 coins.
Cherry tomatoes had gone from 300 to 400 coins.
Lunadria had risen from 50,000–100,000 to 250,000 coins.
Baekyang Herb, which usually sold for 500,000–700,000 coins, had fetched 1,200,000—twice the market price.
“But.”
I still believed even this price was a severe underestimation.
‘I should get more.’
These were crops and herbs from a 100-level Lair, after all!
They still felt too cheap, so I was releasing them to the market only little by little.
Look—after just two sales, the price had already doubled.
If I continued releasing them gradually, buyers who recognized their value would flock in, and the price would skyrocket until I finally received their true worth.
‘For now, let’s focus on consuming them ourselves and raising our levels.’
Before leaving the Lair, I needed to break through at least Level 100.
Raise my level, summon more guardians.
Learn every magic I could.
Check all the remaining passages.
Busy, busy!
There was so much to do.
While I was making future plans.
Dania flew over to me, flapping her wings.
『Seojun! My head is itchy.』
Hm?
I looked at Dania nestled in my arms.
Huh?
‘On her head…’
A bump?
***
An Jaeseong.
He began preparing his dish as if nothing had happened in the finals.
His concentration was so intense that it was impossible to tell he had just been drugged.
As expected, he was a professional chef.
‘Right now, I only need to focus on perfecting the dish.’
Shhhk.
The cherry tomatoes he had bought from Madoje.
He washed them thoroughly in water and removed the stems.
Bubble-bubble.
He quickly dropped them into boiling water to blanch them briefly.
This step was the most important.
Just over ten seconds—long enough for the surface to barely split—then immediately into ice water to cool them down.
Afterward, with delicate hands, he peeled off the skins.
Smooth, vivid red flesh.
As he carefully peeled each one, he checked the moist, glistening texture of the tomatoes.
‘Perfect.’
His own refined technique played a part, but these cherry tomatoes themselves were simply flawless.
Even while focused on cooking, he couldn’t help but admire them.
How on earth had Madoje grown produce like this?
Anyway.
If he made the sauce properly now, he could create the perfect Tomato Marinade.
‘Focus.’
An Jaeseong’s concentration sharpened even further.
‘The key to marinade is blending rich aromas.’
He added balsamic vinegar to olive oil for acidity, then mixed in minced garlic, fresh herbs—basil, thyme, oregano—to create the sauce.
The scent of herbs gradually infused the olive oil, filling the competition hall with a fresh aroma.
‘Finally.’
He added a touch of lemon zest, salt, and pepper to complete a deep, harmonious flavor.
‘Done.’
Tasting the sauce made him nod in satisfaction.
Now all that remained was to combine the tomatoes with the marinade.
Swish, swish.
He tossed the tomatoes and marinade together in a prepared bowl.
The tomatoes absorbed the sauce, becoming glossier as their flavors and aromas melded.
Since they needed time to marinate slowly, he checked the tomatoes’ condition with care at every moment.
“Ten minutes remaining.”
With the judge’s announcement, the dish was complete.
But it wasn’t truly finished yet.
Presentation.
He arranged the marinated tomatoes neatly on the plate one by one.
He added fresh sprouts and basil leaves for a touch of freshness, then drizzled a bit of olive oil for extra shine.
The natural color of the tomatoes and the gloss of the sauce harmonized beautifully on the plate.
It was a dish worthy of the finals stage.
A single plate filled with care and artistry, not just a simple tomato marinade.
“Time’s up!”
At the judge’s words, the plates containing An Jaeseong’s dish and his opponent’s were carried before the judges.
His opponent’s dish was Dongpo Pork.
Its visual and aroma were formidable.
“Wow. I’ve never had such tender Dongpo Pork before.”
“Great!”
“It’s so moreish.”
The moment it entered their mouths, a soft, savory flavor spread, perfectly balancing the pork’s rich umami with the sweet depth of the soy sauce.
The strong spices and juices left a long aftertaste.
The judges from China, America, and Singapore all exclaimed in admiration and cleaned their plates of the Dongpo Pork.
Everyone gave a thumbs-up.
It was undeniably the best Dongpo Pork any of them had ever tasted.
“Excellent. Chef Wang Kang.”
“Truly worthy of being called Shanghai’s top chef.”
“So delicious.”
Praise poured in.
Amid it all, Chef Wang Kang wore a confident smile.
Next came An Jaeseong’s dish.
“Hmm. Tomato Marinade?”
“This feels like having dessert after street food.”
“Tomato Marinade doesn’t really have many ingredients besides the tomatoes. Betting the finals on just tomatoes—that courage deserves praise.”
The judges’ reactions were somewhat ambiguous.
Especially the final American judge’s comment carried a deeper meaning.
Oh? Trying to win with just tomatoes? Aren’t you underestimating the competition?
That was the implication.
Amid this strange atmosphere, the tasting began.
Pop!
When the cherry tomato entered the judges’ mouths, its juice burst forth softly.
“Hm?”
“Oh?”
“……!”
The moment they tasted that single bite.
The judges’ demeanor changed.
Pop! Crunch-crunch.
The judges silently savored the tomato marinade.
The tomato’s juice was sweet yet refreshing, sending a subtle thrill through their mouths like tiny sparks.
An incomparably deep and rich sweetness lingered gently.
This sweetness filled their mouths and left a long aftertaste, as if a magical power was seeping into their tongues.
“Wow!”
“Insane.”
“Kuh!!”
The judges exclaimed the moment they swallowed the tomato.
Pop, crunch-crunch.
Pop, crunch-crunch-crunch!
Pop, crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch!!
The atmosphere was completely different from when they had eaten the Dongpo Pork.
Without even a moment to give commentary, they were busy stuffing the tomato marinade into their mouths.
“Aah!”
Finally, one judge let out an exclamation with an ecstatic expression, as if their tongue were melting.
The balsamic’s acidity, the olive oil’s richness, and the herbs’ aroma blended with the tomato’s natural flavor to create an even more fantastical, three-dimensional taste.
Each bite felt like a drop of magical power bursting and exploding.
This marinade offered a mystical, euphoric flavor—an unforgettable experience for anyone who tasted it.
“W-what on earth is this?”
“Wonderful!! Fantastic!!”
“This is a tomato that surpasses human cuisine!”
Yes—this was not human cuisine.
It was a dish from the heavens, fit for gods, that had descended before them.
The judges who had initially shown lukewarm reactions were nowhere to be seen.
Staring at their scraped-clean plates, they could only continue praising the tomato marinade.
The result.
“The winner is Chef An Jaeseong!!”
A victory that was only natural.
“Congratulations on your win! Please share a few words.”
An Jaeseong calmly raised the microphone.
His victory speech.
He had already prepared it.
Gratitude toward Madoje.
And.
The Chinese officials who had played dirty.
He would settle that debt right here, once and for all.
He could already see several of them wearing anxious expressions.
An Jaeseong’s lips curled upward.
He slowly opened his mouth.
Thud.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The words that left An Jaeseong’s mouth swept through the hall like a massive nuclear explosion.
***
At the same moment the world and the Superhuman Net were thrown into chaos by An Jaeseong’s victory and his statement.
『Kkyu-ung. It’s itchy—!!』
I held Dania in my arms and gently rubbed her head.
‘No matter how I look at it, this is definitely a horn, right?’
A dragon’s horn.
The bump rising from Dania’s head looked as if the horn was just beginning to bloom.
The problem was.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
‘Why is my heart racing so fast?’
Dragon Blood is boiling.
Potential is stirring!
Whoa, what’s this?