Mandragora (2)
@Greeee-!
"What the—"
I stared at the thrashing mandragora with a troubled expression.
"Chuchu!"
Chuchu pulled a long stick from its belly pouch.
It looked like a switch.
"Chu!"
Thwack! Thwack!
The little guardian smacked the mandragora with the stick, as if scolding it to stay still.
@Greeee-!
But the mandragora kept struggling.
It sounded like it was howling that it didn't want to die.
'Hah, this is something.'
It almost felt like the plant had a personality.
I scratched my cheek, unsure what to do.
『Kkyu-ung, plant sad.』
"Popo!"
Dania and Popo gazed at the mandragora with pitiful looks.
Kids...
This is supposed to be our dinner today...
If you get that emotionally attached, how are we supposed to eat it?
'No choice, then.'
I decided to play the villain.
The mandragora's desperate will to live was pitiful, sure.
But we couldn't afford to waste something this precious.
Just eating it would probably shoot me straight to level 35.
And who knew how much the other guardians would gain.
So.
I had to make the hard call for everyone's sake.
@Greeee-!
Maybe it sensed my resolve.
The mandragora let out another miserable wail.
Its arms and legs flailed toward Chuchu.
"Chuchu?"
@Greeee-!
"Chu?"
@Greeee-!!
Every time the mandragora cried out, Chuchu nodded along.
Wait, were those two actually communicating?
"Chuchu!"
Chuchu dashed over to me.
"Chu, chu-chu-chu!"
It started gesturing wildly with its paws.
"......What?"
The more Chuchu explained, the wider my eyes grew.
***
A short while earlier.
The mandragora that had been abducted to Seojun's lair experienced something truly mystical.
Fwoooosh!
A warm, iridescent light wrapped around its entire body, as if healing wounds on its very soul.
@Greeee-!
Right after, the mandragora realized the energy inside it had grown stronger.
Its arms and legs had thickened.
Even its once-simple mind had become capable of slightly more complex thought.
Fwoosh!
Another change followed.
It had produced seeds from the flower it bloomed.
"Alright, let's boil this guy together with the Nagatara meat today."
At that moment, the human male pulled it from the ground.
The mandragora understood.
Ah!
So this was the end.
But it was fine.
Why?
'Greeee...'
Because it had succeeded in creating seeds.
For a mandragora, this wasn't an ending—it was a new beginning.
There was no need to resist.
Besides, once a mandragora expelled its seeds, it could no longer move like before.
Its nascent spiritual essence would flow into the seeds.
So.
It had resigned itself to its fate of being eaten.
'......Greeee?'
Why wasn't its mind fading?
Realizing the "spiritual essence" that should have transferred to the seeds remained intact, the mandragora felt profound confusion.
Bubble, bubble!
When it felt the scorching heat rising from below, even fear crept in.
@Greeee-!
So it thrashed.
Wait, just listen to me!
But it couldn't communicate with the human who was mercilessly trying to drop it into a hellish broth.
In that moment of despair—
"Chu?"
The golden-furred creature that had first kidnapped it understood its words.
@Greeee-!
(You understand me?)
"Chu!"
(Yeah.)
@Greeee-!
(Save me... I'll work for you all.)
"Chu-chu!"
(Can't. Master needs to eat you and get stronger.)
@Greeee-!
(I'm special. If you keep me alive, I'll help you grow more mandragoras.)
"Chu?"
(Help grow more? How?)
@Greeee-!
(Other mandragoras will try to run away all the time. I can keep them in line.)
"Chuuu?"
(Tempting.)
The mandragora realized something.
The golden-furred creature right in front of it was its lifeline.
The fact that it had been the one to abduct it no longer mattered.
@Greeee-!
(I'll work hard!)
The golden-furred one nodded once.
Then it ran to the human male and began explaining with frantic gestures.
Please! O heavens!
O Mandragora God!
Have mercy on me!
***
"Ho, so it says it'll supervise the mandragoras we grow from now on?"
"Chu-chu!"
I let out a dry laugh at the unexpected claim.
'Now that I think about it, this one does seem special.'
I'd never seen another mandragora, so I couldn't compare.
But my gut was telling me loud and clear.
The mandragora in front of me really was a unique specimen.
'What should I do...'
I stared at the bubbling Cheongmyeong Herb water and hesitated.
Should I trust it and wait?
Especially since I was already worried about the three mandragora seeds I'd used Spirit Herb Rapid Bloom on—if they grew overnight and tried to escape again.
"Hmm."
As I rubbed my chin—
@Greeee-!
The creature wailed pitifully again.
Good grief. My resolve was crumbling.
'Fine.'
I made my decision.
Rather than short-term gains, I'd aim for long-term benefits.
If it really could keep the other mandragoras in line, we could eventually run a large-scale mandragora farm.
"I'll be watching to see if what you said is true."
@G-Greeee-!
"But remember—one chance. That's all you get."
@Greeee-!
The mandragora nodded its head with all its might, as if begging me to believe it.
In the end, the mandragora was returned to its original spot.
"Hahaha."
Looking back at the whole situation, I couldn't help but laugh.
Now I was even negotiating with plants.
"In that case, let's just eat the Taeumyangjeong and Cheonji Hoesaeng Soup again today."
『Dania wants meat!』
"Ah, this? Want me to grill it again?"
『Yes. Grill meat!』
Taeumyangjeong, Cheonji Hoesaeng Soup, and Nagatara meat.
That was tonight's dinner menu.
Eating the same things repeatedly was starting to feel a little repetitive, but it wasn't bad.
Once dinner was over—
Your level has increased.
My level rose by one, reaching 34.
Guardian <Popo>'s level has increased! 108Lv ▶ 109Lv
Guardian <Chuchu>'s level has increased! 146Lv ▶ 147Lv
Popo and Chuchu leveled up too!
And the one who gained the most levels was—
Elemental Dragon <Dania>'s level has increased! 110Lv ▶ 111Lv
Elemental Dragon <Dania>'s level has increased! 113Lv ▶ 114Lv
Dania, who had risen a full 4 levels!
'So this is the difference in growth limits.'
Wow.
That was an absurd leveling speed.
She'd been lower level than Popo just yesterday, and now she'd overtaken everyone in a single day.
The energy of the First Horn (Horn of Potential) has grown even stronger.
And because her level rose, the First Horn had grown a little larger too.
In response, my Dragon Blood reacted.
Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!
At this rate, my potential might rise again.
Ah.
So that's why every skill in the Perk Shop except Elixir Master had been grayed out.
Both my level cap and the potential tied to those perk skills seemed to be loosening as Dania grew.
'Alright. Dania is definitely hitting 1000.'
The more I learned about her, the more I realized that Dania getting stronger meant I was getting stronger too.
I was starting to understand why my trait was Oath of the Dragon (EX).
So I'd better focus on raising Dania's level!
"Aww, our little lucky charm. When's that second horn coming in?"
『Kkyu? Second horn needs more level-ups!』
Hmm...
Probably around level 120 or 130.
I'd been hoping it might show signs at 115, but no luck.
"Then shall we plant these together?"
『Kkyu? What this?』
"Chuchu?"
"Popo!"
I pulled out the crop seeds the Bangbae-dong Gourmet had sent.
He'd delivered every single request as S-grade seeds—five different crops in total.
Nice. Growing all of these would make our food supply even richer.
'A person can't live on spirit herbs and elixirs alone.'
"Alright, everyone take one type. Plant them in order in the spots Chuchu dug!"
『Kkyu! Okay! Dania try!』
"Popo!"
"Chuuu!"
We gathered together and planted the crops with great enthusiasm.
With four of us working, it was done in no time.
"Everyone did great... huh?"
I stood up with a satisfied smile, only to freeze when I saw what had appeared.
—i—
A sprout had poked its head through the soil.
And that sprout was—
「Eldrias Seed, Lv 500」
The legendary tree that gave birth to spirit kings!
Its seed had finally sprouted.
『Kkyu!! Smell nice!』
"Popo!"
"Chuchu-chu!"
Dania, Popo, and Chuchu hopped around the Eldrias sprout in excitement.
I understood why.
'What is this amazing scent?'
It was pure and refreshing, like morning air heavy with dew in a deep forest.
Mixed with a faint sweetness of grass and the gentle aroma of tree sap.
Every breath carried the essence of nature, as if the life of an ancient forest was breathing as one.
It felt like my mind was clearing and my body was being purified.
'Don't tell me this is...'
『This! Spirit! Smell good!!』
Dania gave me the answer.
Right. This was the scent of spirits.
'Wow. It really does smell incredible.'
The more I breathed it in, the more my mood lifted.
No wonder the others were so excited.
『Kkyu-ung! Excited! Baby sprout, grow fast!』
"Popo!"
"Chuchu-!"
The three of them spent a long time simply watching the Eldrias sprout.
Eventually—
『Kkyu-ung! Seojun! Dania sleepy!』
Dania flapped her wings and flew into my arms.
She was getting drowsy.
"Haha, okay. Come here. Let's take a nap."
I patted Dania's back as she nestled against me and closed my eyes for a short rest.
Hoping that when we woke up, the newly planted mandragoras would have fully grown.
***
While Seojun, Dania, and the guardians were napping—
The energy of Elixir Master flowing from Seojun's body accelerated the mandragoras' growth.
As a result—
@Graaah!
@Greeee-!
@Guuuu-!
All three mandragoras had fully matured.
Hum, hum-hum!
The energy within them surged to its peak in an instant.
@Graaah!
@Greeee-!
@Guuuu-!
Pop! Pop-pop!
They pulled their roots from the earth and stood upright.
@Graaah!
The lead mandragora gestured toward the distant tunnel.
The three of them immediately tried to dash toward it—
@Greeee-!
Only to be blocked by a much larger mandragora.
@Greeee-!
It gestured for them to return to their original spots.
@Greeee...?
@Greeee-!
@Guuuu-.
Eventually, the newcomers were herded back.
The first mandragora had kept its promise and fulfilled the role it had been given.
@Greeee-!
Not stopping there, it used the Breath of the Seed it had received from Chuchu to help the others form seeds immediately.
And then—
One of the three succeeded in forming a seed first.
@Greeee-!
The first mandragora approached.
It reached out and harvested the seed.
@Guuuu-.
The donor mandragora's movements grew sluggish at once.
Yes. This was the normal state of a mandragora after expelling its seeds.
Its spiritual essence flowed into the seed, leaving behind nothing but an elixir-rich body.
Only the first mandragora existed in an abnormal state.
@Guuuu-.
After fully expelling its seed, the mandragora let out one final sound before its movements ceased completely.
The first mandragora looked at the now-still body and spoke.
@Greeee-
(I'll remember you.)
This wasn't an ending for mandragoras—it was a new beginning.
It offered a blessing for that new start.
Then it turned away.
The two harvested seeds were planted in the prepared soil.
The motionless mandragora was carried over and placed neatly beside the sleeping human.
@Greeee-!
Having perfectly completed its role, the first mandragora let out a proud cry.