Chapter 80
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Badger's Rejuvenation
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Rural home, Hasuo's vegetable patch.
He was bustling about, planting the treasures he'd dug up from Jeju Island into the small garden bed.
Papak! Papapak!
Using his tiny root hands to dig up the soil, he carefully planted the mini Hallasan bellflower roots and Tamra bracken.
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo fetched the [Mysterious Storyteller Watering Can] and watered the freshly planted seedlings.
"Once upon a time~"
As the rich, old folktale flowed from the watering can, the plants' leaves shivered in delight, as if they were in a good mood.
Hasuo was sweating bullets, but he couldn't hide his pride at the sight of the garden filling up.
-Heumyu?
Muryong was gazing at the scene from behind.
I climbed to the rooftop, holding the [Root of the Dream Beast].
To complete the final step of the building's security.
"This spot should do."
I chose a secluded corner on the rooftop where the dimensional gate was open.
Then I placed the root fragment on the concrete floor.
Wriggle...!
The root wriggled like a living creature and began burrowing into the floor.
"Will this work?"
The tree root aggressively pried open tiny gaps to avoid damaging the building as it dug into the concrete.
Kikik...?
But this wasn't soft soil—it was solid concrete.
The root struggled desperately to burrow deeper but got caught somewhere and couldn't advance.
It twisted in frustration.
'Wait, this isn't the garden.'
An area beyond the reach of my [Absolute's Herb Garden] skill.
I pondered for a moment.
What if I could use my power outside the garden?
"I'll help you out."
I crouched down and placed my hand on the floor where the root had touched.
Closing my eyes, I drew internal energy up from deep in my dantian.
With the precise control I'd honed through the [Breathing Method], I extracted the energy as a fine thread.
Saaaa...
Internal energy poured from my fingertips, melting the hard concrete like soft soil and creating a small gap.
"Now!"
Slurp!
The Dream Beast root eagerly slipped into the hole like it had been waiting.
"!"
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The concrete where the root touched rapidly transformed into rich, black fertile soil.
The Dream Beast created its own environment, rooting itself throughout the entire building.
Wooooong...!
Moments later, a hazy mist rose across the rooftop, subtly distorting the building's appearance.
"It's done."
I could feel the illusion barrier perfectly enveloping the whole structure.
'Internal energy is more incredible than I thought.'
I vaguely sensed it.
Right now, I'd only mastered a single breathing technique.
Thanks to the crops from my garden and stalactite petroleum, my internal energy reserves were constantly replenishing without end.
But I hadn't truly learned how to wield it yet.
'If I could handle internal energy better, I could've changed the concrete's very nature instead of just softening it.'
If I mastered more heart methods and raised my cultivation level.
If it wasn't limited to the garden, the domain of my EX-rank skill.
I might even gain power over the principles of the world itself.
A few days later, at the foot of Bukhansan near Seoul.
"...With this, you're really saying we can catch that Gorani?"
One Phantom Guild member nervously asked while spraying [Moonlight's Temptation] pheromone on the surrounding trees, following Jayden's orders.
"Just set it up."
"No, but... That Gorani wrecked our servers with a single sonic attack. Word is, it single-handedly blocked a disaster-grade beast during the Okinawa Great Rift. You think this will work?"
Another guild member grumbled.
"Of course not! The branch chief's about to get the boot from HQ, so he's lost it and can't think straight."
"Right? No way this works."
"Look at how much money we're wasting on this. Where'd he even snag all these illegal items? Guy's the world champ at blowing cash."
"Money's rotting away on him, that's his catchphrase."
"He won't last long anyway. This place is doomed too."
"Let's just do what we're told and quietly prep to jump ship to another guild."
They exchanged glances and sighed.
The promised night, in the Bukhansan area where the pheromone had been scattered.
[Shin Seung-ah: Promised spot is Hyangro Peak Point 3. Pheromone deployment complete.]
[GoraniMan12: Got it.]
"Gorani, time for a night stroll."
"Kkiyot!"
I donned the mask from the Okinawa Great Rift and headed to the meeting spot with my excited Gorani in tow.
I couldn't hide my anticipation on the way.
'Ingredients so rare you might never see them in a lifetime, walking right to me.'
Perfect timing—I needed them for the next cooking class menu anyway.
'Wonder how much they sprayed.'
Moonlight honey dew.
A top-grade ingredient worth hundreds of millions per gram.
The more pheromone Jayden used, the more butterflies it'd lure, yielding more dew.
Since it only forms at night, I'd specifically requested this time.
"Kkhum, kkhum!"
As we neared the spot, Gorani sniffed eagerly.
Jayden spotted me and flashed a greasy smile.
"Finally, a pleasure to meet you, GoraniMan."
"Yeah, hi."
True to rumors of being the son of a Singaporean conglomerate family, Jayden was draped head to toe in exorbitant luxury brands.
"So, what's the reason for summoning me?"
"An obvious scout offer. Join Phantom. Anything you want—money, fame... Name it."
He snapped his fingers and continued.
"No one turns down money in this game. One trillion won a year. Deal? Got a favorite actress? I'll have her at dinner tomorrow night."
I let his cheap talk go in one ear and out the other, eyes on the shimmering moonlight butterflies starting to settle on the branches around us.
'There they are.'
Mystical butterflies with translucent wings fluttered in from across the way.
"...Is the offer lacking?"
My silence twisted his smile a bit.
"No, I'm not looking to switch."
"Really? Then negotiations are off."
Snap!
Jayden snapped his other hand, and the [Moonlight's Temptation] pheromone scattered across the forest rose like mist.
"Kkiing?"
Gorani sniffed the sweet scent.
Jayden's plan seemed to be addicting Gorani to the pheromone's pleasure, neutralizing it, then blackmailing me.
"Heh, hooked as expected."
Jayden shook a vial of the remaining concentrate.
"No beast can resist this potent pheromone."
"Kkiyot?"
But Gorani showed more interest in the concentrate in Jayden's hand than the dispersed honey scent.
And without hesitation, it charged straight at him.
Dudududu!
"Kkiyoooooot!"
"...!"
Jayden sensed something wrong at Gorani's ferocious charge.
The sight of Gorani locking onto its target and barreling forward was terrifying in itself.
Once those black eyes fixed on prey, no changing course.
Only destruction ahead!
Thud-
It sounded light enough from the outside.
"Uwaaaaaak!"
But Jayden flew dozens of meters like he'd been hit by a dump truck, crashing into a tree.
"That far..."
Confirming he'd flown beyond earshot of screams, I seized the chance to survey the forest for honey dew collection.
And I froze at the fantastical scene before me.
"Whoa."
The entire forest glowed like a starry night sky galaxy.
Hundreds, thousands of moonlight butterflies lured by the [Moonlight's Temptation] pheromone filled the woods.
Ting-a-ling-
Their translucent wings reflected light like stained glass, and instead of wingbeats came a faint, clear, bell-like mystical chime filling the air.
Each time a butterfly alighted on a leaf or petal, a sparkling droplet of dew formed, shimmering brilliantly.
Drip, drip-
[Item: Moonlight Honey Dew]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Description: The ultimate elixir crafted by moonlight butterflies blending lunar essence and pheromones. Effective for curing unknown diseases and restoring disrupted energy flows.]
An item with ancient legends of being a panacea, traded at exorbitant prices, though unverified.
Not quite a cure-all, but it clearly had real effects.
"Quite a haul."
If preserved well, this would last forever.
"Big score."
Gorani pawed open a fallen [Moonlight's Temptation] vial on the ground and sniffed it.
But just tilted its head.
Having grown up drinking stalactite petroleum and tempered by my garden's spiritual herbs, this level of pheromone naturally had zero effect on Gorani.
"Good job. Head home?"
I leisurely rode Gorani back.
A few days later, cooking class.
"Today, we'll make Italian panna cotta—cold cream topped with fruit and honey."
The moonlight honey dew I'd brought for today's menu.
A light drizzle over the chilled pudding preserved its effects while letting us fully savor the flavor and aroma.
"Um..."
A familiar voice came from the seat next to me.
"Hello."
"Oh, hi."
It was I-hana.
'Hm?'
I hadn't noticed before, but I-hana's arm bore a black arm guard faintly etched with the Phantom Guild emblem.
"You're with Phantom Guild."
"...How'd you know?"
"That there."
"Oh no, this thing!"
I-hana yanked off the guard like she'd found a bug.
"I'm leaving soon."
"Huh? Why?"
"Upper management's too rotten. Can't take it anymore."
I-hana bluntly spilled her guts.
"They pay well, but that's it. Not sure if they're even serious about running a guild in Korea or if it's just a scammer outfit."
Phantom Guild's arbitrary operations and absurd orders had become open gripes among its hunters lately.
"Planning to pay the penalty and bail."
"Probably best not to leave just yet. Wait a bit, and something good might happen soon."
"Huh?"
I just shrugged instead of explaining.
As I refocused on cooking, I-hana hesitated before holding out a small piece of clothing.
"Oh, this... Might fit your pet?"
"Pet?"
"Yeah. Don't you have a dog?"
I-hana offered a cute honeybee-patterned hoodie.
"Ordered it overseas from a famous brand, but it's too small for my pup."
"Ah, then... Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
I-hana returned to her seat with a satisfied look.
'Who to put this on?'
The medium dog-sized outfit was too big for Muryong or Hasuo, and even the fattened chicken might struggle.
Suddenly, I thought of one guy whose size had ballooned lately.
'Maybe the badger.'
A badger in a honeybee outfit? That'd be a sight.
That evening, an entertaining scene unfolded in the yard.
"Kr... Kkrong?"
Kang-hyun and So-ye clutched their stomachs laughing at the badger frozen stiff in the honeybee outfit.
"Oppa, where'd you get this? Too cute!"
"Fits the badger perfectly."
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo bounced happily at the valiant elder badger's adorable look.
"Ahem, ahem!"
The badger awkwardly cleared his throat.
Not sure if it suited him, half-doubting.
But deep down, he was quite satisfied.
In the old days, his sagging belly wouldn't have fit.
The firm body regained from recent diligent training made the outfit fit just right—not bad at all.
Taeng-taeng-
It even complemented his plump, rejuvenated skin nicely.
-Heumyu.
Slipping away amid the commotion, Muryong toddled toward Hasuo's garden.
Tok-tok-
Muryong eyed Hasuo's garden patch.
After a moment's thought, he waddled to the Disaster Flower in the center.
Flutter...
The Disaster Flower trembled its petals tensely at Muryong's approach.
Muryong carefully pawed off a single drop of dark red dew from the tip of a crimson petal.
-Muryong!
The Disaster Flower lowered its leaves to help Muryong harvest safely, then he returned to Hasuo's garden with the dew.
Ppogle-ppogle-
Mixing a tiny bit of his own energy into the Disaster Flower dew before seeping it into the soil.
The earth around the seeds glimmered faintly.
-Heumyut!
Mission complete, Muryong toddled back casually and contentedly rubbed his head against Kang-hyun's leg as he laughed.