Chapter 60
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Moisturizing Cream for a Mandragora
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Cheon Doun tried to pull the root from his pocket. The root struggled, refusing to be dragged out.
*I know. I know you're trying to leave me behind. You think I'd fall for that a second time?*
The captain root clung to the inside of the pocket with its leaves, holding on for dear life.
Sensing this, Cheon Doun gently patted the root through the fabric.
Pat, pat. At the gentle touch, the root’s body went limp.
*Th-this is cheating, isn't it?* With that thought, it was pulled out of the pocket.
Cheon Doun placed the root on the ground. He spun a white thread from his fingertip, twisting it into a small rope.
After making the thread thick enough, he tied it around the root's stem.
“Should I try a ribbon this time?”
He tied the knot loosely so it wouldn't be uncomfortable.
“There. It suits you.”
Despite Cheon Doun’s words, the root’s leaves drooped sullenly. It had received a new string, but it wasn't happy.
This was just like last time. It had been the same some sixty years ago. His benefactor had tied this white string on him and then left.
*So it’s happening again.* The root plopped down on its plump bottom. Plant sap welled up in its eyes.
Cheon Doun looked at the root, then picked it up. He placed it in his breast pocket, and the root’s eyes widened into circles.
“I gave the string you had to the other Mandragora earlier. So wear this one from now on.”
-Huuung?
“You cherished that string for a long time. I’ll give you a new one, so try cherishing this one instead.”
Cheon Doun covered the smoldering embers of the campfire with snow. After extinguishing the fire, he looked at the cave the captain root had made.
“Let’s come back again sometime if you think of it.”
It might look small and insignificant, but that place was filled with the root’s memories.
“It’s not like it collapsed and disappeared this time. And it’s not too far to visit. Let’s come when you feel like it.”
Cheon Doun turned away. As he started down the mountain, the root’s eyes widened again.
-Hu… Huuung!
*You're taking me with you this time?* There was no answer, but it was certain he wasn’t being left behind. Its leaves trembled with joy.
*It's really happening. I'm going with him.* The root looked at the crevice in the cliff it had made.
A fake place that had become a place of real memories. It let out a mighty roar toward it.
-Huuung!
*Farewell, my secret base. My place of memories. I am leaving. I’m going to a better place. I will come back to play with my benefactor next time.*
It let out another roar in that spirit. Its leaves straightened out stiffly with joy.
The plant sap that had filled the root’s eyes had long since dried up.
* * *
Manager Kim was busy organizing the alchemy ingredients he had brought from outside the Gate. His body was weary, but his heart was joyful.
‘It’s a bit of a shame I can’t open the shop… but well, it’s under renovation right now anyway. No one would come.’
More than that, this place made his heart pound. He was probably the only person in the world with a personal research lab inside a Gate. The very thought was overwhelming.
“You don’t look so good. Aren’t you overdoing it? You should get some rest.”
“I’m fin—Gah! Wh-when did you get here?”
Manager Kim jumped, startled to see Cheon Doun standing behind him.
“I’ve been here for a while. I came in a bit ago, but you didn’t notice. Aren’t you a little too absorbed in your work?”
“Well… haha, it’s a bad habit of us alchemists.”
Manager Kim laughed sheepishly. His gaze fell on the feather lying on the table.
He wasn’t an unobservant man. He hadn't realized it at first, having been in a daze when he was first dragged into the Demon World, but he had a vague suspicion that this feather belonged to the siblings outside.
“About this feather. I’d like to ask, just to be sure… it belongs to the two outside, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“Are those two, by any chance, Chimeras?”
Manager Kim asked cautiously. At first, he had thought the siblings were intelligent Monsters.
But when he realized the feather Cheon Doun had given him was identical to the siblings’ feathers, his thoughts took a different turn.
With an explosion spell carved into their bodies, the answer was obvious.
“It’s what you think.”
Even though he had expected the answer, Manager Kim let out a groan.
Victims of illegal experiments. It was said that Chimeras originated from alchemy. What stood before him was the transgression of alchemists.
“It’s not like you did it, so you don’t need to look like that, do you?”
“That’s… yes… I’m sorry.”
Manager Kim looked at the feather in his hand.
‘The spell used here is from an older era.’
Which meant the bird siblings were from that same era. Manager Kim looked at Cheon Doun.
Cheon Doun, who seemed close to the siblings, was also likely from a similar time.
“Sir, are you perhaps…”
*Are you also from the old era?* Manager Kim was about to ask but held his tongue.
It didn't seem like Cheon Doun was keeping his past a secret, but it was still not right to pry into someone else’s history. With that thought, he remained silent.
‘Still, if he really is a Hunter from the old era, he must have been someone incredible.’
An era of great chaos where even high-ranking ability users had a low survival rate. A living piece of that history was right in front of him.
He was surprised that they were conscious despite being Chimeras, and surprised again that they possessed enough mana to prevent aging over such a long time.
“Have you found any clues to breaking the spell?”
“Ah! I, I did take a look before the Mandragoras left, but for now, there don’t seem to be any individuals ready to bear fruit. We’ll have to wait a bit longer, or perhaps find another way.”
“There’s no rush, so take your time. The Mandragoras might bear fruit before you find another method.”
Cheon Doun looked at the container he had left on the lab table.
Inside were the dried root and the metal root from the garden patch. Seeing Cheon Doun’s gaze, Manager Kim spoke first.
“The dried root in there, that’s the Mandragora I gave you before, right?”
“That’s right.”
“My goodness. You really brought it back to life. And I can feel it’s much healthier than before. It’s filled out a lot.”
“Still not enough. You saw the wild Mandragoras.”
“Well… yes. That’s true.”
They were plump enough to resemble teddy bears. Compared to them, this one was definitely on the skinny side.
“Do a health check on these two as well. They don’t seem to be gaining any weight even after I feed them plenty of mana.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“The metal Mandragora, in particular, is likely a hastily created Chimera. Check if it has any health problems.”
Chimeras were not Manager Kim’s field of expertise. It was an area he had never touched, but he couldn't just ignore it.
“For now, the immediate task is to cast a muting spell on the Hunters outside.”
“A muting spell? Why all of a sudden…”
“Ah, right. I erased your memory.”
Cheon Doun explained the part of Manager Kim's memory that was missing. After hearing the gist of it, his face grew anxious.
“Casting a muting spell is possible. However, it’s not a reliable spell. Other mages will immediately recognize that they’re under a spell. If the Association gets involved, the spell will be easily broken.”
“You have the same worry as Nam Giseok. It’s fine. I’ll take care of the aftermath, so just cast the spell.”
“If you say so, sir… What should the conditions be?”
Cheon Doun looked out the window. Though they weren’t tied up, the Hunters were all gathered in one spot.
Having lost their power, they would be killed by Monsters if they left this place. Knowing that, they stared at the ground with resigned expressions.
“Prohibit them from speaking about anything that happened here. Set the condition so they receive a physical warning the moment they try to speak. If they ignore the warning and speak, make it cause cardiac arrest.”
“Understood. I will add more detailed clauses related to that.”
Manager Kim gathered his materials and went outside.
He would do as he was told, but he was still uneasy. That was the look on Manager Kim’s face. In contrast, the Hunters’ expressions brightened at the mention of a muting spell.
The people at the Association would recognize such a spell immediately. With their help, it could be broken.
They couldn’t get their lost mana holes back, but they could get revenge. A glimmer of that hope flashed across their faces.
‘This is still unsettling… but I’ll just do as I’m told for now.’
Manager Kim began casting the spell on the Hunters.
As he cast the spell on 150 people, his complexion grew paler and paler, and in the end, he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.
Once Manager Kim had finished, Cheon Doun came out. In his hand was a return stone to send the Hunters back.
‘Just you wait.’
‘When I get back, I’ll draw up a composite sketch of all your faces and spread it everywhere. I’ll use all my connections to make sure you can’t set foot in this industry again.’
The Hunters’ eyes shone with a lust for revenge. Watching them, Cheon Doun drew up his mana.
The dense mana that blanketed the area made the Hunters hold their breath.
Their bodies froze in the face of a powerful force they had never felt before. There was no physical compulsion, but it was a power incomparable to when Cheon Doun had forced them to their knees.
That immense energy enveloped the spell sigils carved into their bodies. The mana, hardening like concrete and stacking in layers, interlocked like a latch.
“N-no way.”
“This is… no, it can’t be. But…”
There was no way to break the spell now. A spell with an identical, unbreakable method flashed through their minds.
The muting spell that no one had been able to break for 57 years. The Hunters stared at Cheon Doun in horror.
‘It was him…! He was the one who cast that spell too!’
A chill ran down their spines as they realized who they had been up against. They were desperate to tell others the truth they had just learned.
“You can go back now.”
Cheon Doun shattered the return stone. At that, the Hunters’ faces turned wistful.
They wanted to tell what they had learned. They wanted to tell everyone who they had met. But if they spoke, they would die.
Caught in that dilemma, the Hunters groaned as they entered the Gate.
* * *
With 150 people gone all at once, the area fell silent in an instant.
Manager Kim, just like the Hunters, stared at Cheon Doun with his mouth agape.
He wanted to ask what his true identity was, but he held back. Reminding himself not to pry until the man himself spoke, he followed Cheon Doun back to the lab.
Once inside, Cheon Doun looked over the display shelves.
“Are you looking for something?”
“A container to put this guy in.”
Cheon Doun took the captain root out of his pocket. The root, which had been sleeping soundly, squinted as it was suddenly exposed to the light.
-Huuung…
The root turned over on his palm and lay on its stomach. It blocked the light and continued to sleep.
“As you can see, its surface is pretty dry. It was outside for a long time. Do you have a container of a suitable size? I left its original one on the snowy mountain.”
“For that size… this should be good.”
Manager Kim brought out a large beaker.
“And how about applying some of this?”
Manager Kim took a flat container from a drawer. When he opened the lid, a transparent, semi-solid cream was revealed.
“It’s a moisturizing cream. An essential item for alchemists. Our hands get chapped easily from handling all sorts of materials.”
Manager Kim placed the cream container down with a confident expression.
“It’s made with harmless ingredients, so it’s safe to apply to plants. I made it myself, so you can rest assured.”
If Manager Kim made it, it was trustworthy.
Cheon Doun scooped out some cream and gently rubbed it on the back of the prone root.
-Hu, huung?
The root turned to look. Something cool was being applied to its body.
*It’s moisturizing. A non-sticky hydration. Ooh, my body is getting plump.* The root’s leaves quivered at the instantly absorbing coolness.
-Hu, huuung…!
*Such a good thing should be applied to the front as well.* The root rolled over on Cheon Doun’s hand, exposing its belly.
*I am ready. You may apply it to my front.* The root lay spread-eagled, looking at Cheon Doun with expectant eyes.
“Looks like you like it.”
As he applied the cream to its front, the root’s expression melted into one of blissful languor. The freshness of its leaves was enhanced even further.
-Huung… huuung…
*This isn't enough. I need more.* The root gauged the distance to the cream container on the table and jumped.
“Why are you jumping? It’s too far.”
Cheon Doun cupped his hand in the middle, thinking it would fall.
Using his hand as a stepping stone, the root reached the table. It began to circle the cream container, entering exploration mode.
-Huuung!
*So this is the source of the moisture.* The root scooped out the cream and began to apply it to its own body.
Slather, slather. Pat, pat. Tap, tap.
Its small roots moved nimbly, patting its own body. With each touch, the root’s surface grew plump and vibrant.
It took a large scoop of cream and spread it all over its leaves and stem.
The root’s body was now swaying from side to side. It was a dance of joy.
“Looks like it’s a hit.”
“Ooh…! Has my cream received the Mandragora’s seal of approval?”
Manager Kim’s face was filled with emotion. It had spat out his mana immediately, but it had accepted his handmade moisturizing cream in one go.
‘Why am I so happy about this?’
He wasn't sure, but he was happy nonetheless. Manager Kim smiled with satisfaction. Cheon Doun grinned as well.
‘I should have him make a few more to put on the kids in the garden patch.’
While he was at it, he should also take some to the habitat on the snowy mountain. If the environment improved, they might bear fruit sooner.
‘There are a lot of them over there, so… let’s see. I should probably bring a drum’s worth to be safe. I’ll have to ask him to try making it with some plant nutrients mixed in.’
Manager Kim’s to-do list was already overflowing. He even had to take on the health check of Chimeras, which wasn't his field.
On top of that, he now had to supply Mandragora moisturizing cream.
His work was piling up, but the man in question was smiling happily.