Chapter 7: Hong Seolhwa (2)

The post I made asking about the market price of Lunadria.

At first, I considered deleting it because comments kept coming in.

But I left it.

Why?

Because I was too lazy.

But then……

……….

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: Hello, Archmage. I’m Hong Seolhwa of the Hongryeon. By any chance, do you still have any Lunadria….?

……….

Spicy Nuclear Punch.

A nickname reeking of edgelord middle school energy, and yet countless comments followed it.

“Whoa. What is this?”

It just kept going.

Definitely in the hundreds.

And still getting new replies in real time.

‘A big name?’

I searched on 「SuperNet」.

Spicy Nuclear Punch.

“Ah!”

I knew who it was.

Hongryeon Clan.

One of the top 8 clans in Korea.

And their clan master.

Her name is Hong Seolhwa — a top-ranked superhuman with over Lv. 75 and breathtaking beauty that always made headlines.

An extroverted personality, active on 「SuperNet」, and known for leaving a strong presence.

Thanks to that, she had tons of fans.

……….

— What’s she been up to lately? Doesn’t seem active on 「SuperNet」.

ㄴI heard she’s sick?

ㄴWhat? Seolhwa’s sick? What’s wrong?

ㄴDunno. Just heard rumors.

— I miss you, Seolhwa 😢 Are you really sick?

ㄴSpicy Nuclear Punch is sick?

ㄴThat’s what I heard 😢

ㄴHope she gets well soon 😢

……….

Looks like she hasn’t been active recently.

Lots of rumors about her.

Then suddenly, she comments on my post.

And that brought in her swarm of fans like bees to honey.

“I guess I should take the post down.”

Just as I was clicking delete with a sigh,

I re-read Spicy Nuclear Punch’s comment.

…..

[Spicy Nuclear Punch.]: Hello, Archmage. I’m Hong Seolhwa from the Hongryeon Clan. If you happen to have more Lunadria, I’d like to buy it. I’ll pay 100,000 Coins per flower. I’m open to negotiating the price if needed. If there are any other elixirs or equipment you want, I can provide those instead.

…..

100,000 Coins.

Willing to negotiate.

Even offering other elixirs or equipment.

Clearly, she desperately wants this Lunadria.

Hmm.

Should I sell just one?

No, better to sell after I successfully cultivate more.

I already saved the seeds ofLunadria and replanted them nearby.

If I fail at cultivating, I can’t sell any.

Because I’ll need them.

My Lucky Charm will need them.

And I promised to sell some to Mr. Kim.

That’s it.

If I fail, I might regret selling even one flower.

‘There’s even a top-tier superhuman willing to match any price I want.’

Private messages.

By default, I have them blocked, but I’ve made exceptions for a few.

One of them is [Bangbaedong Gourmet].

They won my Lunadria at the last auction, so I had them unblocked.

……….

[Bangbaedong Gourmet]: Hello, Archmage. I’m the superhuman who won the Lunadria at auction. If you have any more in stock, I’d love to buy it. I can match or exceed the previous auction price, whatever you want. Please get back to me.

……….

I could sell to him too.

But Seolhwa really seems desperate…

I hesitated.

If the rumors about her illness are true?

If she really needs my Lunadria for treatment?

If I didn’t know, whatever.

But now that I do know, it feels wrong to pretend I don’t.

Honestly, selling just one wouldn’t hurt that much.

‘Let’s at least talk.’

I’ll hear her out before deciding.

……….

[Archamge Emperor]: Hello, Spicy Nuclear Punch. This is Archmage.

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: Oh! Archmage! You’re the one selling Lunadria, right?

[Archmage Emperor]: Yes, that’s me. I saw your comment and reached out.

[Spicy Nuclear Punch.]: Ah… thank you! I was afraid you weren’t going to respond.

……….

Hmm.

Is she really the master of one of the top 8 clans?

Why does she seem… so unassuming?

I double-checked her username.

Still the same. Hongryeon Clan’s master. Spicy Nuclear Punch..

‘So even the top clan masters are just regular people like us.’

Guess I had some unrealistic expectations.

Top-tier superhumans…

People with massive influence in Korea…

I thought they’d be monsters radiating charisma.

………..

[Archamge Emperor]: You wanted to buy Lunadria, right?

[Spicy Nuclear Punch.]: Yes. It’s something I really need.

…..

Hold on a second.

Why did Spicy Nuclear Punch think the Lunadria I possess was so necessary?

A reaction that couldn’t come from just hearing about it—only from seeing it firsthand.

Were they acquainted with the Bangbaedong Gourmet?

I decided to ask her about that point.

…..

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: That Lunadria was the main dish at the banquet.

…..

The true identity of the Bangbaedong Gourmet someone now regarded as the top chef in the country.

That part, I didn’t know.

But actually, this works out well.

“Do dishes made by that person not go up for trade?”

If not, maybe I could at least learn the recipe.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to leave this place.

But I’ve thought about it—at the very least, I need to make sure I can cook for myself.

If I could learn from one of the best chefs, maybe I could pick it up faster?

Anyway, that curiosity was settled.

“Hmm.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sell one flower and establish a connection.

A Master of one of the Eight Great Clans.

Where else would I find a connection like this?

If I could build a relationship now—

There will definitely come a day when it’ll help me greatly.

And besides, she really does look unwell.

She didn’t explain in full detail.

But—

……

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: My body’s balance is a mess right now. So, my condition’s been really bad, but after eating that dish made with Lunadria yesterday, my symptoms got better.

…..

It was clear now: the Lunadria I had—growing here—was something she truly needed.

…..

[Archamge Emperor]: By any chance, aside from coins, would you be able to trade a Tai yin yang Essence? Something on the level of Public healing oil, perhaps.

……

I had considered the possibility.

Right now, it’s practically extinct on the Superhuman Net.

But if it’s the Eight Great Clans, they might just have access to Tai yin yang Essence.

Especially—

The Hongryeon Clan, known for their affinity with fire-related traits.

I was starting to feel a little hopeful.

…..

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: If it’s a Tai yin yang Essence, we do have one in our possession. White Sun Herb. Would that work for you?

[Archamge Emperor]: ……!!!

……

My eyes widened in shock.

No way.

White Sun Herb?!

A Tai yin yang Essence on par with Public healing oil.

With that, I could neutralize the Public healing oil.

…..

[Archamge Emperor]: Would you be willing to trade?

…..

There’s no way I could pass up White Sun Herb.

***

[Archamge Emperor]: Then I’ll wait.

…..

‘Perfect. Thank goodness.’

Hong Seolhwa.

A long-awaited smile finally bloomed on her face.

The verbal agreement to trade for the White Sun Herb was complete.

The only reason they hadn’t traded immediately,

…..

[Spicy Nuclear Punch]: It’s in the clan vault, so I have to go retrieve it. Two hours… no, give me just one hour.

…..

Would you mind preparing it?

Because it had to be taken from the clan’s elixir storage.

She changed her clothes.

And immediately left her private quarters, heading straight for the clan.

The distance between her residence and the Hongryeon Clan was five minutes.

She arrived in the blink of an eye.

“Master?”

Time to return to the clan.

Her right-hand man and the chief secretary of the Hongryeon Clan, Hong Kanghyun, looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Lately, she had been feeling unwell and usually returned early.

It was only natural for him to be surprised that she had reappeared before evening.

“In a hurry. There’s an elixir I need from the elixir vault.”

“What kind of elixir?”

Sensing her urgency, Hong Kanghyun became flustered too.

Was she looking for an elixir because her condition had worsened?

He looked at her as if asking her to just say the word.

He seemed ready to run and fetch it immediately if she only asked.

“I need White Sun Herb.”

“White Sun Herb?”

Hong Kanghyun froze.

White Sun Herb was different.

Among all the elixirs the Hongryeon Clan possessed, it ranked in the top three treasures.

And now she was suddenly asking for it?

Even if the request came from Hong Seolhwa, he had no choice but to ask the reason.

“I found a spiritual herb that can alleviate my symptoms. To trade for it, I need White Sun Herb.”

“What?! You found a spiritual herb that can ease your condition?”

Hong Kanghyun shot up from his seat.

If that were true, White Sun Herb was the least of their concerns.

“W-Where… I mean, what kind of herb is it?”

If such a thing existed, they’d empty the clan’s treasury to get it.

But her next words were far beyond what he expected.

“Lunadria. Not regular Lunadria, something special.”

“…Pardon? Lunadria?”

Hong Kanghyun blinked.

It was hard to accept what she was saying.

Lunadria was typically a Level 1 to 20 spiritual herb.

It was rich enough in mana to be called a spiritual herb.

But as mentioned, it was only around the 1–20 level range.

Nowhere near the level to be considered a supreme elixir.

No matter how high-quality this Lunadria was, it couldn’t possibly match the value of White Sun Herb.

White Sun Herb was a spiritual herb in the 50–70 level range by default.

It was classified as a top-tier herb.

“It’s a really special Lunadria. It even made headlines on SuperNet recently.”

Hong Kang-hyun was a professional.

Before he voiced any doubts, he swiftly scanned SuperNet.

And found it.

A Lunadria being sold by someone called Archamge Emperor had made waves online for a day.

‘Still though…’

Wasn’t it just an unusually large Lunadria?

To him, it was absolutely not worth trading for White Sun Herb.

Even the price difference was telling.

That Lunadria had sold at auction for 50,000 coins.

But White Sun Herb started at 500,000 coins minimum.

A price gap of more than ten times.

‘I have to say no, no matter what.’

He was the chief secretary.

If the clan master made a poor decision, it was his right and duty to correct it.

But—

“Understood, Master. I will prepare it right away.”

He followed Hong Seolhwa’s orders without another word.

Why?

Because he saw a desperate light in her eyes.

The look of someone who had found the only lifeline in a sea of despair.

Her hope.

He couldn’t bring himself to crush it with his own hands.

After all, before she was the clan master…

Hong Seolhwa was also his one and only niece.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you, Director. No… Uncle.”

Hong Seolhwa looked at him with warm eyes.

She knew, too.

How much Hong Kanghyun had just given up for her.

“It’s nothing.”

At his gentle words,

A single tear rolled down Hong Seolhwa’s cheek.

So—

‘Please.’

Let Lunadria work for her.

Her frail hands trembled as they held the White Sun Herb.

***

「A personal transaction has been completed. 」

“Wow.”

I let out a breath of admiration as I looked at the herb in my hand.

「White Sun Herb, LV 65」

A White Sun Herb at level 65.

Normally, my level wouldn’t allow me to even check something that high.

But since Hong Seolhwa had verified it before trading it to me, I could see its level now.

“Just holding it burns.”

It was like gripping a piece of hot charcoal.

「[A] Mysterious Leather Gathering Gloves」

If it weren’t for these…

I wouldn’t even have been able to touch it.

‘Good thing I bought the A-grade ones.’

A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

Grinning with satisfaction,

I took out another item.

「[A+] Alchemy Furnace」

A tool used for combining mystical herbs and elixirs.

I took out the tool I had bought in a rush with the last of my coins from 「SuperNet」.

I placed 「Public Healing Oil」 and 「White Sun Herb」 into the 「Alchemy Furnace」.

Now then—

Time to mix the two elixirs.