Hong Seolhwa (1)
“Gongcheong Oil… Millennium Stone Mushroom? Good heavens!”
The exclamation burst out of me.
Even I, who had only recently stopped being a non-superhuman, knew about these elixirs.
They were legendary treasures said to trigger Hwan-gol-tal-tae and massively boost level growth if consumed properly.
“So this really is Gongcheong Oil?”
Wow.
No wonder.
I had felt a chilling aura the closer I got, almost like frost.
That was exactly why I had never touched it.
“Ah. So that’s why the Lunadria was special too?”
Lunadria.
A spirit herb descended from moonflowers.
It absorbed far more yin energy than yang, thriving in regions rich with yin.
“But I thought Gongcheong Oil was supposed to be milky white.”
When in doubt, check the Superhuman Net.
I searched immediately.
Keyword: transparent Gongcheong Oil.
The results came back empty.
“Huh. Nothing.”
Changing the keywords yielded the same result.
Other posts confirmed that stronger yin energy required a deeper milky color.
Yet the Gongcheong Oil in my purification vessel?
It was perfectly, utterly transparent.
“Don’t tell me it’s just Gongcheong Oil in name, with barely any yin energy?”
Even on second inspection, it was definitely Gongcheong Oil.
The level display of ??? suggested it might be as high-grade as the Lunadria.
‘So this is another special case.’
Perhaps the transparent version actually contained more yin energy than the usual milky kind.
The mushroom was the same.
Normally it glowed blue.
But the one before my eyes?
‘A deep, dark blue, like it had awakened in the middle of darkness.’
A faint bluish-black luster shimmered across its surface.
No wonder I hadn’t recognized it at first.
“Anyway, I probably shouldn’t eat it raw.”
I dipped a finger into the vessel.
The moment the tip touched the liquid—
Zap!
“Whoa, damn.”
I blinked at my tingling fingertip.
The skin had turned bright red in an instant.
The extreme yin energy had burned me just from contact.
“How am I supposed to consume this?”
When in doubt, search the Superhuman Net.
I looked up a guide titled “Properly Consuming Elixirs (5).”
The post explained that Gongcheong Oil and the Millennium Stone Mushroom were usually found together and formed a perfect pair.
If you ever discovered both, the author joked, you should shout “Jackpot!” at the top of your lungs while channeling power into your dantian.
They were that rare and that valuable.
The consumption method required either an A-rank or higher mana circulation technique capable of controlling yin energy, or an extreme-yang elixir to neutralize it.
Ideally both, but at least one was mandatory.
Otherwise the elixirs could become deadly poison instead of a great opportunity.
Comments flooded beneath the post.
Controlling yin energy required either a mana circulation technique or an extreme-yang elixir.
‘The first option is impossible.’
Why?
If I sold a few more Lunadria roots, I could probably buy an A-rank or higher main circulation technique.
But that method had a prerequisite.
‘You need a certain amount of mana already.’
To control the yin energy, you needed both the technique and enough personal mana to match it.
Yet my current level?
‘Only level 4.’
Unless I had an SSS-rank technique, attempting to suppress the elixirs with an A-rank one would just get me killed.
Besides, you needed to be at least level 15 to even learn a main circulation technique.
‘So.’
The only path left was the second option.
‘Find an elixir with yang energy.’
If I neutralized both forces and consumed them together…
Could I achieve Hwan-gol-tal-tae?
‘Nice.’
Then another thought struck me.
“Wait, can’t our lucky charm eat this too?”
My eyes sparkled.
Maybe it could even speed up the egg’s hatching!
Bangbaedong Gourmet.
Real name: An Jaeseong.
He had paid a fortune—55,555 coins—for the Lunadria Seojun had posted.
“Because I’m a chef.”
That was his reason.
He was a superhuman, a gourmet, and a Michelin three-star chef.
“How could I resist ingredients like these?”
The moment he saw the arm-thick Lunadria, the thought had consumed him.
He wanted to taste it.
He wanted to cook with it.
He had already surpassed level 70.
Further mana growth through elixirs was nearly impossible at his stage.
Yet after eating a few petals of the Lunadria he bought from Madoje, his mana had risen slightly.
An elixir potent enough to affect even a high-level summoner.
‘If I hadn’t already planned a dish, I would’ve devoured the whole thing on the spot.’
He had barely restrained himself.
Because he had a dish in mind.
And today—
“Chef An Jaeseong’s course meal is ready!”
The heads of Korea’s eight great clans had gathered.
An Jaeseong was the main chef for tonight’s dinner.
“Tonight’s course will center around Lunadria.”
His assistant chefs moved in perfect unison at his command.
“Lunadria is a mystical flower that drinks the night dew. We must preserve its delicate fragrance and petals that shimmer like moonlight. Even the temperature of your fingertips must be handled with care during preparation.”
“This Lunadria is special. The sweetness that wells up from within is the key. Blanch it lightly to draw out its subtle aroma, then let that fragrance infuse the broth. It will capture the scent of a spring night blooming beneath the moonlight.”
“Keep the flame low and gentle. Everyone, focus. Lunadria is sensitive to heat. To retain its mystical fragrance, we must take our time—like a moonlit night where time flows slowly.”
The completed dishes, prepared under his leadership, were presented to the eight clan masters.
“This dish is called The Garden of the Moon.”
An Jaeseong smiled softly as every gaze turned toward him.
A smile that seemed to hold moonlight itself.
“I wanted to convey the emotion each petal brings. These petals contain the quiet that blooms only under moonlight. Through this dish, I wished to share that serenity and mystery.”
When he finished speaking, the eight clan masters began tasting.
“……!”
Their reactions were unanimous.
Eyes widened in astonishment.
“The flavor is simply breathtaking.”
Eun So-wol, master of the Eunha-rang Clan, wiped her mouth and exclaimed.
“I never imagined such a taste existed.”
“As expected of Korea’s only three-star chef.”
“Thanks to our Cheongpung Clan master bringing such a difficult guest, my palate feels enlightened today.”
“Haha, you flatter me. Chef An, your skills have improved even more since we last met. Remarkable.”
Praise poured from the eight clan masters.
These were the titans who ruled Korea’s superhuman world.
Receiving their admiration and awe—
‘Haha. Yes. This is it.’
This feeling.
The reason he became a chef.
The sight of people marveling at his creations.
He would walk the chef’s path just to witness this moment.
‘Worth every coin. Absolutely.’
55,000 coins felt like nothing.
Just how had Madoje obtained such Lunadria?
He would have to message the seller personally.
If more appeared, he was willing to pay even more than the current price.
And someone else at the table was thinking the exact same thing.
‘M-My goodness.’
Hong Seolhwa, master of the Hongryeon Clan.
Her eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
The moment she tasted Chef An’s dish, vitality had surged through her entire body.
‘How long has it been since I felt this?’
She had been suffering from chronic lethargy lately.
Her once-radiant appearance grew duller by the day.
Like a flower slowly wilting.
Was it because of work?
That played a part.
At only twenty years old, she had become head of one of Korea’s eight great clans.
But that wasn’t the real reason.
‘The yang energy inside my body is stabilizing.’
She possessed the rare Yangmyung Body and had gained solar-level yang energy through a fortuitous encounter.
That power had let her grow stronger faster than anyone.
Yet at some point the yang energy had become uncontrollable.
Her internal balance collapsed, and she had been slowly breaking down ever since.
But today’s Lunadria dish had temporarily corrected that imbalance.
‘They said it came from an unknown superhuman called Madoje.’
Before the meal, An Jaeseong had explained.
The Lunadria used tonight was special.
She had wondered how special any Lunadria could truly be.
For her, however, it was more precious than anything else.
‘If I can obtain even a few more of these, I might restore my shattered balance.’
Starlight returned to her once-dull eyes.
Motivation she hadn’t felt in ages flared to life.
She immediately left a comment on Madoje’s original Lunadria post.
Her comment reignited the previously quiet thread.
Spicy Nuclear Punch’s fandom possessed firepower ranked among the highest of the eight clan masters.
Her single comment set Madoje’s post ablaze once more across the Superhuman Net.
At that same moment, I was deep in the middle of farming.
While searching for extreme-yang elixirs, I had bought extra potatoes and sweet potatoes.
I was busy planting them beside the Cheongmyeong Herb.
I hadn’t found any suitable yang elixirs, so I bought more food ingredients instead.
Plus, I was genuinely curious.
‘What will ordinary crops turn into if grown here?’
Would they stay the same, or become something special?
The question intrigued me.
『Kkyuung. Hungry—』
Just then, Bokdeongi woke up.
The little creature started demanding food the moment its eyes opened.
“Our lucky charm! You’re awake!”
I rushed straight to the Dragon Egg.
“You must be starving, right? Want to try this?”
I shook a finger-sized mana ampoule in front of it.
It was one of the high-concentration mana ampoules I had just received from Mr. Kim.
[Rainbow Potion]: Madoje-nim, thank you. Thanks to you, I finally succeeded in making the potion I was stuck on. I’m truly grateful.
The old man had thanked me over and over.
I felt just as happy about his success.
He said he wanted me to have the very first completed batch and sent it through a trade.
I could guess how he felt and accepted it gratefully.
And now—
I was about to give it to the Dragon Egg.
『Kkyu— It smells nice…』
Oh. Already reacting positively.
Glug glug glug!
I poured it straight onto the egg.
Then—
Vwoooooom!
“Huh?”
The Dragon Egg began glowing with blue light.
A stronger reaction than before.
『Kkyuuuung— Tastes good…!』
Bokdeongi’s delighted voice echoed from inside.
A moment later—
“The color changed.”
The egg had grown noticeably larger, and its original golden hue had deepened.
‘Looks like a good sign.’
It seemed the egg might hatch sooner than expected.
‘Would it be okay to just pour the Gongcheong Oil on it?’
I had held back because the extreme yin energy might harm Bokdeongi.
But seeing this reaction made me greedy.
‘No. I’ll stick to the plan and get a yang elixir first.’
I suppressed my excitement.
Rushing could cause problems.
What if pouring the Gongcheong Oil hurt Bokdeongi?
That would be crossing a point of no return.
“Still, yang elixirs are ridiculously hard to find.”
Elixirs were already scarce.
But yang elixirs seemed to have dried up completely.
All that remained were low-grade scraps.
“Maybe I should post a request on the board… huh?”
I logged back into the Superhuman Net.
Wait.
What was this?