Mandragora (1)
“Whoa.”
A gasp escaped my lips.
Before my eyes stretched a dazzling wave of colors.
Over a hundred different spirit herbs and elixirs.
Everything from SS-grade at the lowest to EX-grade at the highest—names I’d never heard before or had only seen in ancient texts.
When I placed my hand on a translucent silhouette, its information appeared.
Honcheon Orb
An elixir that condenses the energies of heaven and earth into one. Consuming it temporarily unites body and mind, allowing the user to wield boundless power. Its ability to maximize potential is especially remarkable…
Dragon Heart Pill
A legendary elixir distilled from the energy of a dragon’s heart. Upon ingestion, a powerful force spreads throughout the body, granting the user a fleeting share of draconic might. It greatly enhances both stamina and mana…
Gulp.
Reading the descriptions made me swallow involuntarily.
Honcheon Orb? Never heard of it, but it maximizes potential.
Dragon Heart Pill? Same story, yet it’s tied to dragon energy.
Both would probably create huge synergy with the traits I already possessed.
Besides those, countless other radiant herbs and elixirs filled the list.
Phoenix Blood Essence, Heavenly Star Jade Nectar, Vajra Pill, Jade Emperor Pill, Seven-Treasure Ring, Heaven-Earth Great Reversion Pill…
“If I ate all of these, forget 500. I’d hit 1,000 in no time.”
The thought of wielding overwhelming strength made my heart pound.
“But what I can actually buy right now…”
Only the lowest-grade spirit herbs.
The need for more coins hit me all over again.
“Gujijayeop Herb is here too.”
The same legendary herb Chuchu had brought back.
And this was supposedly one of the lowest-tier options.
After a moment’s thought, I made my decision.
What I’d buy today:
Heat Yang Fruit and Glacial Fruit.
Three million coins each—six million total.
Whoosh.
The fortune I’d earned from the auction melted away like snow.
In exchange, two fruits rested in my hands.
One glowed ruby-red, the other snow-white.
It was obvious which was which.
“Popo!”
“Chu!”
『Sweet smell!』
Popo, Chuchu, and even Dania rushed over.
“Haha. Yeah. Let’s share.”
I started with the Heat Yang Fruit.
Great Flame energy resides within.
For 60 minutes after consumption, Fire affinity is explosively enhanced.
- Permanent body temperature increase and physical ability boost afterward.
- Slightly faster burn recovery and muscle regeneration.
- Repeated use greatly improves control over flame energy.
An elixir that strengthened the body and improved flame manipulation.
Level 80 was a bit low, but it didn’t matter.
Why?
Because if I planted the seeds here in the lair, they’d grow back at Level 100.
“Alright, let’s split it into four pieces—one each.”
I wished Archeron could join in.
Every time this happened, a strange guilt crept up on me.
『Keron… I am fine.』
The golem stood quietly to the side, watching us, and spoke first when he noticed my gaze.
Somehow that only made me feel worse.
I’d have to look into something Archeron could actually use next time.
I nodded once in apology, then brought my piece of Heat Yang Fruit to my mouth.
Whoosh!
The moment I bit down, scorching juice burst from the crimson flesh.
A faint sweetness hit my tongue, followed by an intense, spicy heat.
It started sweet and smooth, but the more I chewed, the more it felt like a spark igniting in my mouth—sharp, fiery, and addictive.
“Huuu!”
A hot breath escaped with my gasp.
The universal truth of sweet-salty-sweet-salty had a rival: spicy-spicy.
And right beside it sat another beloved pairing: spicy-sweet-spicy-sweet.
Spicy, sweet, spicy, sweet.
Truly, spicy-sweet-spicy-sweet.
Delicious.
“Popo!”
“Chuuuuu!”
『This is tasty!!』
Everyone reacted intensely.
Especially Popo.
※_※
Its eyes trembled while it diligently nibbled away at the fruit.
Spicy things really were addictive.
“Pooo—!”
After finishing, Popo bounced around wildly.
Probably complaining about the heat.
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu was no different.
It rolled across the floor, then scurried back for another bite, only to roll again.
“Heh.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
I understood exactly how they felt—I’d been tearing up while eating mine too.
『Kkyu! Everyone’s weak! Can’t handle spicy!』
Dania, on the other hand, was completely unfazed.
Wow.
Did dragons have dragon scales on their tongues too?
Impressive.
I let out a quiet internal gasp and divided the Glacial Fruit into four pieces.
Cold glacial energy resides within.
For 60 minutes after consumption, Ice affinity is explosively enhanced.
- Permanent body temperature decrease and cold resistance boost afterward.
- Slightly faster wound and frostbite recovery.
- Repeated use greatly improves control over glacial energy.
This one focused on raising cold resistance.
Crunch!
The moment I bit into the Glacial Fruit, icy juice flooded my mouth.
It felt like taking a huge bite of perfectly melted ice cream.
The first taste was subtly sweet and smooth, but as I chewed, the cold flesh melted gently, wrapping my tongue in refreshing coolness.
Even as it slid down my throat, a crisp chill lingered, cooling my entire body like shaved ice on a summer day.
“Whoa!”
The exclamation burst out on its own.
I devoured the remaining pieces in a frenzy.
The flesh dissolved softly in my mouth, releasing a clean, icy fragrance that spread gently.
The sweet flavor left behind a long, lingering aftertaste—like biting into solid ice.
The cool sensation that remained felt exactly like the refreshing afterglow of finishing a bowl of melted ice cream.
Coming right after the spicy Heat Yang Fruit, the contrast made it even more satisfying.
“Popo!”
“Chu!!”
『Kkyuuuung! Tasty!』
We all cried out in unison.
My level rose—probably because mine had been so low.
Now at Level 33.
Only two more levels until 35.
『More, Seojun. Give me more!』
“Popo!”
“Chu!”
They really seemed to love the Glacial Fruit.
The Heat Yang Fruit had been tasty, but the Glacial Fruit tasted like delicious ice cream and left a stronger impression.
“I don’t have any more right now. But wait a little. I’ve got the seeds.”
The seeds from both fruits.
Time to plant them somewhere nice.
“Chuchu!!”
Chuchu darted over and immediately started digging.
I placed one seed of each fruit into the holes.
“Popo!”
“Chuuu!”
『Grow fast, little ones!』
The three of them huddled around the planting spots, staring intently at the ground.
The sight was so adorable I couldn’t help laughing.
‘Haha.’
I prayed for them to grow quickly too.
As I gazed at the planted seeds, a sudden sensation stirred inside me.
‘Hm?’
It felt like the seeds and my blood were resonating.
‘This is…’
Right.
The Rapid Bloom skill I’d gained from Dania’s blessing not long ago.
I had a feeling it would work here.
‘Rapid Bloom.’
Rapid Bloom
Vwoooom!
The moment I activated the skill, a pulse of life spread through the soil.
Fwoooosh!!
A faint light burst from the planting spots.
In that instant, a miracle occurred.
Pop!
Tiny sprouts peeked above the ground.
“Popo!”
“Chuuuu!”
『Sprouts came out!』
Everyone cheered at once.
The miracle didn’t stop there.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The earth trembled as young stems rapidly thickened and grew.
The small sprouts soon became thicker than my thigh, taking on the shape of young trees.
『The little sprouts grew so much at once! Seojun, you’re amazing!!』
Dania’s praise made me chuckle.
They hadn’t reached full maturity with fruit yet, but it looked like they’d bear fruit within a day or two.
‘Oh, wait a second.’
A surprising realization hit me.
‘This feels way easier than before.’
I was a little hungry, but nowhere near the exhaustion I’d felt when using it on the Gujijayeop Herb.
“Wow, don’t tell me…”
I whipped around to look at Dania.
『Kkyu?』
She tilted her head.
“Did the potential boost from the trait skill affect this one too?”
I had no way to confirm it, but my gut told me I was right.
This opened up so many more options.
I could rapidly grow and consume almost any elixir with Rapid Bloom.
Leveling up would become much faster.
That tiny snowball would grow into an avalanche, eventually letting me surpass the level I’d originally aimed for.
‘Heh. As expected of our lucky charm.’
I looked at Dania with loving eyes.
Then—
『Kkyu! Glacial Fruit! I want more Glacial Fruit!』
“Haha.”
Yeah. Our Dania could eat as many Glacial Fruits as she wanted!
***
The next day.
『Kkyu! Seojun! Glacial Fruit! The Glacial Fruits are ripe!』
When I woke up, both the Heat Yang and Glacial Fruit trees had borne fruit.
Two of each.
They weren’t the type to produce many at once.
But that was fine.
Why?
Because I could just plant more seeds and increase their numbers.
『Can I eat them?』
“Sure.”
When I picked a Glacial Fruit and handed it to her, Dania stared at it for a moment.
Then—
Pop! Pop!
She split it into four pieces and offered one to me.
『This one’s for Seojun!』
『This one’s for Popo and Chuchu.』
『This one’s mine!』
“Popo!”
“Chuuuu!”
Oh, our sweet Dania.
How kind.
She could’ve kept it all for herself, but instead she divided it so everyone could share.
『Kkyu! Tasty! Glacial Fruit!』
Dania’s eyes turned into hearts as she slowly savored her piece.
It looked like her love for Glacial Fruit would last a while.
‘I should make Taeumyangjeong while eating these too.’
I glanced toward the first passage—the Guardian Room.
Today, I’d reach Level 35.
But an unexpected variable appeared.
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu led me to the Mandragora.
“Huh?”
The Rapid Bloom I’d used on it had been fully absorbed.
Seeds had formed on the Mandragora’s petals.
“It finally made seeds.”
Three seeds.
Now I could plant three Mandragoras at once.
‘Will Rapid Bloom work on Mandragora?’
I’d tried it on the Gujijayeop Herb yesterday and failed.
The level gap had been too wide.
But Mandragora felt doable.
I’d already bloomed a Level 100 Gujijayeop Herb, after all.
A Level 115 Mandragora should be possible.
With that hope, I planted the Mandragora seeds.
‘Rapid Bloom!’
Rapid Bloom
Fwoooosh!
Green light exploded from the ground.
Pop!
Three cotyledons burst upward.
Success!
Though the Mandragoras had only sprouted and grown a little more, I now had a foundation to cultivate them much faster.
“Huu.”
Mandragora really took a lot out of me.
Because of its higher level, I felt hungrier than yesterday.
‘In that case…’
Time for some nourishment.
“Alright, let’s boil some Nagata meat with this guy.”
Pop!
I pulled the original Mandragora—the one whose seeds I’d taken—out of the ground.
“Chuchu!”
“Popo!”
Chuchu and Popo bounced excitedly in front of me.
They’d figured out we were making something delicious.
“Boil the Cheongmyeongsu Herb water!”
Bubble bubble!
Now all that was left was to add the Nagata meat and the Mandragora…
Just as I was getting ready—
@Greeeeeeeee!!
The Mandragora in my hand began to thrash violently.
It sounded terrified and pitiful.