Chapter 040
[Chapter 040]
< I Personally Ate It >
The day after returning from Seoul.
To start the most important work, I headed to the herb garden.
I pulled out the mana stabilization storage box MK Sphere provided.
It was an artifact box that perfectly blocked any external mana interference.
Inside, the ash-colored seedling was sleeping quietly.
It was exactly to plant the Ash Seedling (Heart Seedling of the Sun Bird) I received from Shin Seung-ah.
[Description: A dormant individual where the immortal Sun Bird uses its own heart as a seed to prepare for resurrection. It holds the extreme essence of the sun, and can be awakened again if intense and special life energy is injected.]
‘A heart and a seed.’
I placed the seedling on my palm and felt the far-off power sleeping inside.
And I carefully dug a hole in the very center of the herb garden, where the sunlight shines best.
-Hmyo?
Before I knew it, the three fellows gathered around me and were watching what I was doing with eyes full of curiosity.
“Now, we’re going to plant our new family member.”
I carefully buried the ash-colored seedling in the soil.
Then I put the spring water into a watering can and sprinkled it moistly over it.
[Item: Moon-White Spiritual Water (月白 靈水)]
[Rank: Heroic]
[Description: Spiritual water that has come to embrace pure Yin Qi as the essence of the spiritual animal White Snake seeped in. Sprinkling it on plants promotes growth, and if a living being drinks it, it purifies the murky energy inside the body.]
Ssssss······
As the spiritual water soaked into the soil, a very faint, red-colored energy began to rise from the ash-colored seedling that had no sign of life.
And in that instant, a system message popped up before my eyes.
[The Heart Seedling of the Sun Bird takes root in the ‘Absolute's Herb Garden’.]
[Caution: This seedling does not grow on its own. It can only grow if it uses special life energy as nutrient.]
‘Special life energy.’
“Pwa-aeng!”
Watching that, Hasuo waddled over.
Then it brought the [Singing Small Pot] it cherished and placed it right next to the seedling.
Soon, a clear lullaby began to echo from the pot.
-Hmyoot?
Muryong also approached at some point and sat its small butt on the very top of the seedling, where the sprout would come out, and began to infuse warmth as if hatching an egg.
“How commendable.”
It would take time for the ash-colored seedling to sprout, but it wasn't something to be impatient about.
I could see it in my eyes.
The enormous energy of flames sleeping inside the ash-colored seedling.
It was only a matter of time; I had strong faith that it would surely sprout.
So I just had to wait enjoyably.
Waiting is by no means just a boring thing.
What kind of change will there be tomorrow, what kind of miracle will it show the day after.
Imagining and expecting the appearance that will change day by day.
Isn't that the highest privilege a person who sows and plants seeds can enjoy?
A new joy of waiting for that day was created.
* * *
[HBN Breaking News] Giant Rift of unknown cause occurred in the restricted access zone in the sea south of Okinawa, Japan. Rank measurement impossible······.
Sitting on the veranda, I nonchalantly flipped through the news with my terminal.
On the screen, a scene like an apocalypse movie was unfolding, where a giant gap in space was opening in the middle of the sea where a dark storm was raging.
-Hmyo, hmyoot!
Next to me, Muryong and Hasuo were squabbling with each other to eat the pear I sliced.
I smirked and turned off the serious news channel.
A giant Rift in the sea south of Okinawa?
It wasn't particularly a problem for the current me to care about.
To me right now, fairly dividing the pear among the small fellows before my eyes was a much more important problem than a disaster in that far-off sea.
* * *
At the same time, White House underground bunker.
“······The situation is serious, Excellency.”
The Secretary of Defense's voice echoed in the hushed conference room.
On the screen, a real-time satellite video of the giant Rift that occurred in the Okinawa sea was floating.
“Cases where a Rift of that scale appeared were only twice in history. 20 years ago in the Nevada desert, USA, and 15 years ago in the Kunlun Mountains, China.”
The Bureau Director said while flipping through materials.
“Both nations managed to block the Rift after paying a massive sacrifice. And as a reward, they came to monopolize new resources never seen before from the debris of the Rift. It's the reason why the US and China currently reign as the strongest nations.”
“Massive sacrifice, and matching reward. Then I wonder what the Director's thought is. Do you believe the Japanese side will request support from us?”
“Yes. They have already sounded out their intention through unofficial channels. Excellency, this is a crisis and an opportunity. If we play a leading role in solving this situation, we can also secure a part of those resources.”
The Secretary of Defense's voice trembled with excitement.
However, the Director blocked him.
“However, we cannot see it entirely positively. If we fail to block that Rift, it is certain that the aftermath will swallow Japan and become a great disaster swallowing the entire Korean peninsula and the East Asian continent. It's a dangerous gamble that might require us to pour in all our power.”
A heavy silence flowed in the conference room.
This was a heavy and sensitive topic where American sacrifice was collateral.
But the conclusion was already out.
If Japan requested support from them, they would have naturally requested support from China as well.
Backing down here meant moving away from being a hegemonic nation.
“Well, the conclusion is already out. Let's try negotiating toward the side of providing support.”
“Yes, Excellency. We will proceed as such.”
Around the time the meeting's conclusion was reached to some extent, the President brought up another topic.
“Right, that Gorani Man of Dang-geun-tap (Tower Market)······ have you tried contacting him?”
At the President's question suddenly thrown, the Director sweated.
He felt the President's cold gaze.
What should he answer here?
The fact that they did try to contact, but now even the purchase of the priority dialogue right is blocked, so the queue is pushed back to number 729?
He couldn't even dare to open his mouth about it. The fact that the United States of America, the symbol of a hegemonic nation, was waiting for its turn because even contacting a single individual was not easy.
* * *
MK Sphere Tower, Yu Jin-hyuk’s private rehabilitation room.
Step, step.
On a giant treadmill, Yu Jin-hyuk was walking at a steady speed.
The speed was slow, but there was a stability in his gait different from before.
Previously, even walking was unnatural as the balance of his right arm was broken.
But now it was different.
“Whew, whew······.”
Yu Jin-hyuk, soaked in sweat, let out a panting breath.
Splash!
He immediately entered the cold water shower booth next door and poured ice-cold water over his head.
It was something he couldn't even imagine for 3 years.
The Curse of the Demon Dragon ruined the temperature control system of his entire body, making it like a chronic fever.
Just by touching cold water, he felt a pain as if his skin were being torn due to the extreme temperature difference.
But now······.
‘It's cool to the bone!’
Just how long has it been since he felt such refreshment and such clarity.
After finishing the shower, he habitually pulled something out of the refrigerator.
Besides the [Carrot of Life], there were [Fresh Carrots] with the soil not yet dry that Gorani Man 12 was additionally sending.
And there was clear and transparent spring water.
Vrrr-
He put them into a blender and made a fresh carrot juice.
Gulp, gulp!
After emptying a cup of juice, he felt the fatigue substances accumulated in his muscles vanishing like melting snow and clear energy rising from within his body.
“······Ha.”
Yu Jin-hyuk had been trapped in a prison called a physical body all this time.
Pain running wild as it pleased, joints not moving according to will.
But now he felt as if he had regained the initiative of his body.
Breathing is comfortable, and moving limbs is enjoyable.
The sensation of being alive is felt from every single cell of his entire body.
Just then, the rehabilitation room door opened and Shin Seung-ah entered.
“How are you feeling, Hunter?”
Yu Jin-hyuk said with a soft smile.
“As you see, thanks to you, it's very good.”
The dark shadow that had weighed him down for the last 3 years had completely vanished from his face.
“The curse in the shoulder is also hardly felt, and I rather feel my body is lighter than in my prime. Those crops he sent······ are truly amazing.”
Watching Yu Jin-hyuk’s appearance, which had become noticeably brighter, she showed a smile of relief.
Since Shin Seung-ah’s gamble returned as the best result.
Looking into the chart where Yu Jin-hyuk’s state was written, she said.
“That’s a relief. For now······ we have to watch the progress, but it seems like a very positive effect anyway.”
“Executive Shin.”
Yu Jin-hyuk stared at Shin Seung-ah with eyes more serious than ever.
“Later······ when everything becomes okay, please let me meet that person once.”
“Pardon?”
“I want to visit him directly and surely repay this grace.”
A sincere gratitude as a human was contained along with a hunter's pride.
“Of course. He will likely readily accept it.”
* * *
Weekend evening, Acro-Palace Tower penthouse.
Shin Seung-ah was standing before the marble island kitchen table in her house.
Before her, three of Gorani Man 12's tomatoes, which she barely obtained with a premium while mobilizing every means, were placed.
Brilliant color red like rubies.
“······Just what is it.”
Thinking about it now, Shin Seung-ah couldn't understand herself for contacting the Gorani so aggressively and obtaining the items.
Paying a price equivalent to an artifact with the company's next-generation technology for mere vegetables.
Even if it was because of Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk’s earnest request, it was an irrational judgment she would never have made normally.
It was truly a judgment and drive as if possessed by something.
And.
There was a reason she had no choice but to get these tomatoes again.
Yu Jin-hyuk’s state.
It was getting better day by day even to the eyes.
It had to be seen that he was escaping from the pain that had weighed him down for 3 years and regaining the vitality of his prime.
However, the chart reported by the medical team was different.
[Patient: Yu Jin-hyuk]
[State: No change in mana curse level. No other special notes besides minute metabolism activation.]
“Why?”
Yu Jin-hyuk’s body was clearly getting better.
Yet the data says there is no change.
“I didn't have high expectations.”
Getting the crops for Yu Jin-hyuk first was a respect and courtesy toward him.
The thought that no matter how great a crop is, it's still a crop.
That was Shin Seung-ah’s judgment.
But how was the Yu Jin-hyuk she saw today?
‘How can that be a state without progress?’
Shin Seung-ah knows the deep depression within Yu Jin-hyuk.
A spirit gnawed away by a long period of injury.
But on Yu Jin-hyuk’s face seen today, that trace didn't remain at all.
He even threw a joke during the cold water shower he used to find extremely hard.
It was the appearance of a person whose body truly became okay, not by will.
“Then, it would be right for me to judge personally.”
People evaluated Shin Seung-ah as picky and lacking humanity, but that was Shin Seung-ah’s way of survival.
A crop achieving what hundreds of billions of won worth of elixirs or S-Rank healers couldn't?
She believed the data she personally analyzed more than the rumors people talked about.
Clang-
Shin Seung-ah held a well-polished kitchen knife instead of analysis equipment.
Tap-tap-tap-
She sliced the tomato thinly and placed it on a piece of freshly baked baguette.
She didn't put any other sauce.
It was to check the original taste of the ingredients.
Crunch!
And, the moment she took a bite.
‘······This.’
Explosive taste touching the tip of the tongue.
First, behind the texture of the crispy baguette, the concentrated sweetness and refreshing juice of the tomato burst out.
And at the end, an umami like the scent of a deep forest softly enveloped her tongue.
“Delicious!”
But is taste the only thing felt from this tomato?
Shin Seung-ah closed her eyes and felt the energy contained in the food.
Energy that makes the fatigue accumulated by several days of overnight work vanish like melting snow, and the complicated head clear up cleanly.
The feeling of the body and mind being purified simultaneously.
“Ha······.”
An exclamation flowed out on its own.
Only now she properly understood with her whole body.
“If the crops circulating in the market are this much, just what kind of carrot did Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk eat······.”
A miracle that is clearly existing, not measured by data.
It was the real deal without room for doubt.
“······.”
After finishing the sandwich, Shin Seung-ah stared blankly out the window for a while.
Executive of MK Sphere.
An ambitious strategist moving the South Korean hunter world.
But right now in Shin Seung-ah’s head, only a single thought was full.
‘This is so damn······ delicious.’
The taste that kept wandering in her mouth.
Honestly speaking, apart from the mysterious ability the crop held, even looking at taste alone, it was a crop of explosive taste that stimulated the appetite mysteriously.
‘If only I could eat such a crop every day······.’
If she could quit this 지긋지긋한 (dreadful) executive position and go down to some rural corner to cultivate a garden, it seemed like it would be a much happier life than now.
“······Wait, I had such a thought?”
For the first time, a primal desire, not money or power, bloomed in Shin Seung-ah’s heart.
< I Personally Ate It > END