Chapter 22: A New Family Member (3)

“Whoa!”

An exclamation burst out of me.

Lunadria, White Sun Herb, Dungeon Potatoes, Dungeon Sweet Potatoes, Clearwater Herbs.

Every single one of them had grown to full maturity without exception.

‘Wait a second.’

They even looked bigger than yesterday.

And that’s not all.

‘Their mana content has increased too.’

Ever since awakening <Dragon Blood>, I’ve been able to see mana particles.

And the medicinal herbs in front of me now radiate a denser concentration of mana than ever before.

「White Sun Herb, Lv 100」

“…!”

Level 100!!

It went up from Level 99!

“Wow!”

I checked the others too.

「Dungeon Potato, Lv 100」
「Dungeon Sweet Potato, Lv 100」
「Clearwater Herb, Lv 101」
「Lunadria, Lv 101」

“Oh my gosh!”

All the crops had surpassed Level 100.

“Popo!”

Popo came bounding over to me.

With its signature n_n eye-smile, it hopped joyfully by my side.

Almost like it was asking:

Did I do good?

“Aww, my sweet Popo. You did so well!”

The reason these herbs broke through to Level 100—

It’s because Popo had enriched the soil even more.

Alongside Dania, Popo is a true treasure of our lair!

Rub rub!

I hugged Popo and nuzzled my cheek against it.

So soft and squishy.

No matter how many times I touch them, Popo’s jelly-like blobs are always comforting!

‘I wonder what’s changed now that they’ve hit Level 100?’

I snuck another look at the herbs.

「White Sun Herb, Lv 100」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases mana amplification for 60 minutes.

Permanently increases mana amplification by a tiny amount.

Permanently increases mana amplification by a small amount.

「Dungeon Potato, Lv 100」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases health regeneration speed for 60 minutes.

Permanently increases health regeneration by a tiny amount.

Permanently increases health regeneration by a small amount.

「Dungeon Sweet Potato, Lv 100」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases max health for 45 minutes.

Permanently increases max health by a tiny amount.

Permanently increases max health by a small amount.

「Lunadria, Lv 101」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases mana purity for 70 minutes.

Permanently increases mana purity by a tiny amount.

Permanently increases mana purity by a small amount.

「Clearwater Herb, Lv 101」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases mana recovery speed for 70 minutes.

Permanently increases mana recovery speed by a tiny amount. Mana purity is also cleansed.

Permanently increases mana recovery speed by a small amount. Mana purity is also cleansed.

‘Wow…’

All herbs and crops had extended buff durations.

But that’s not all.

The permanent enhancement rates for special abilities had also increased.

Which means—

‘If I keep harvesting and eating these every day, I might end up with superhuman abilities.’

There’s that myth about a bear that ate garlic and mugwort for 100 days and became human.

A massive transformation that transcends species.

If these herbs are consumed over a long period, maybe they could bring about a similar transformation.

‘Incredible…’

Swallowing hard, I plucked a petal from the Lunadria before me.

It shimmered with even more gloss than before.

I immediately popped it into my mouth.

“Ahh!”

The flavor was deeper, richer than ever.

A divine sweetness that melted on my tongue and spread throughout my mouth.

Lunadria, now beyond Level 100.

Its effects—and even its taste—had been amplified to an extraordinary degree.

“PoPo!”

Beside me, PoPo begged for a bite.

I plucked a petal and handed it over.

Nom.

PoPo stuck out its tongue and swallowed the petal in one gulp.

“…!?”

Its eyes turned into +_+ and its body twisted and wriggled.

Its way of showing it was deeply moved.

Good.

Next up…

Potato? Sweet potato? White Sun Herb?

No.

‘Cherry tomato.’

My eyes sparkled.

The cherry tomato vine had grown up to my waist in just one day.

Bright red cherry tomatoes hung in bunches.

「Cherry Tomato, Lv 100」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, increases health regeneration speed for 60 minutes.

Thereafter, a permanent minor increase in agility.

Later, a permanent small increase in agility.

Cherry tomato, also at level 100.

It held a buff and power that boosted agility.

I plucked one immediately and popped it into my mouth.

Pop!

As soon as I bit into it, the thin, soft skin burst slightly, releasing a fresh and juicy essence.

The first taste—cool and subtly sweet.

Like the warm sunlight of midsummer captured in one bite.

Then came the perfect harmony of tartness and umami.

A vivid sweetness settled on the tip of my tongue.

Not the kind of sweetness that makes you sick of it—

It was like the sweetness of life itself, grown from deep within the earth.

Ugh!

The cherry tomato skin and juice softly burst in my mouth.

Gulp!

Even with just a few chews, it slid smoothly down my throat.

The lingering aftertaste that followed was refreshing yet rich—

As if a mystical energy had awakened all of my senses with intense satisfaction.

“Wow.”

This was beyond the flavor of a mere fruit.

With special energy and mystique added, every bite felt like a magical taste experience.

“Insane. This one’s a real hit.”

As if possessed, I harvested all the cherry tomatoes from a single vine.

Crunch, crunch!

“PoPo—!!”

Beside me, PoPo widened its ⊙_⊙ eyes and frantically picked up cherry tomatoes, gobbling them down.

A flavor so addictive we couldn’t even pause to breathe!

We were suddenly in the middle of a full-blown cherry tomato mukbang.

Had Dania been awake, I was sure she would’ve screamed at the fantastic taste, too.

「Your mana has greatly increased.」

「Your level has increased.」

“Hngggh.”

I ate so much I was patting my belly—and even leveled up in the process.

“Wow, the moment I start selling these, I’ll become the Hermes of cherry tomatoes.”

That’s how proud I was of their exceptional quality.

‘I should put them up for auction.’

Even if I only release a small amount at first…

I was convinced that word of mouth would spread like wildfire.

Once that happens, the price will skyrocket in the next auctions.

Since I needed a lot of coins to make proper use of the <Lounge Channel>, I’d have to approach this strategically.

“Let’s put it up for auction right away.”

There were a lot of other things to check, but…

Since auctions take some time to complete, I figured I’d start by registering it first.

‘After that…’

I glanced over.

In the direction of the Immortal Peach (Seond)—the Immortal peach.

Yesterday, it had grown to about the size of my forearm.

But now?

There stood a massive tree, easily over five meters tall, far surpassing my own height.

The tree’s trunk was thick and sturdy, covered in bark tinged green with a faint golden sheen.

Its deep green leaves shimmered with an otherworldly glow, radiating a mysterious energy.

Even at a glance, I could tell.

This was a Immortal Peach (Seond) tree.

The cultivation had been a complete success!

And then—

Between the leaves of the Seondo tree, I spotted two golden glows.

They looked somewhat like peaches, but much larger. A brilliant mix of gold and silver shimmered like precious gems.

Their surface had a lustrous sheen, exuding a mysterious aura. And their scent… far beyond ordinary sweetness—this was the fragrance of the heavens.

Yes.

‘Immortal Peach (Seond).’

As I approached, my “Elixir Master (SSS)” trait skill activated, and the information about the Seondo surfaced in my mind.

[Immortal Peach (Seond), Lv 100]

Damn.

The Seondo was level 100, too.

There were currently two fruits.

‘I’ll use one for Arkeron’s energy core…’

And the other one?

I’ll share it with Dania, Popo, and Chuchu.

***

At that moment—

On <SuperNet>, people were still occasionally talking about the potatoes and sweet potatoes the Archmage Emperor had once sold.

……….

-Is the Archmage ever going to sell those potatoes and sweet potatoes again…?

ᄂSince they haven’t gone up again, maybe he can’t get them anymore.

ᄂYeah, makes sense. If stuff like that could be mass-produced, it’d break the balance.

ᄂSomeone said they got lucky and managed to grab a few. Apparently, it cut their dungeon run time by over an hour. The synergy with regular buffs was insane. Now they’re constantly watching SuperNet hoping he posts more. lol.

…..

Even Seojoon himself hadn’t known this:

…..

-The buffs from the potatoes and sweet potatoes he sold actually stacked with existing buff spells.

ᄂThat’s sensational. If those had been widely distributed, they would’ve become a must-have for top-ranking players.

ᄂYeah, no wonder people are watching SuperNet like hawks.

ᄂBut you know what’s really crazy? lol

ᄂWhat?

ᄂPeople say it’s not just the buffs—they’re addicted to the taste too. Like, really addicted.

ᄂWait, what kind of taste are we talking about?

ᄂNow I’m dying to know.

…..

Maybe it was because so few were released.

The thirst for the Archmage Emperor’s legendary potatoes and sweet potatoes was only growing.

…..

ᄂWhoa! The Archmage Emperor just listed something at auction!

News that hit like a thunderclap for those desperately waiting for the Archmage Emperor.

ᄂThis time it’s something else! Cherry tomatoes just went up for auction!

……….

Those who had been holding out for the Archmage Emperor grabbed their coin pouches and rushed to the auction.

And what followed…

Was far beyond what Seojoon had expected.

***

A place where sunlight barely reached, shrouded in thick mist.

Cold, damp ground.

The heavy air carried a musty smell and an unplaceable sense of tension.

Trees covered in moss and vines sprawled across the earth, exuding a silent, perilous beauty untouched for centuries.

Small puddles dotted the area, their surfaces calm, yet giving off an unsettling feeling—as if something was lurking beneath.

“Chuchu!”

In the stillness of the space—

A tiny creature with shimmering golden fur appeared.

Sniff sniff!

Chuchu twitched its nose, sniffing the air, then suddenly darted off in a specific direction.

Shasha-shak!

Golden lines streaked through the air.

It moved with astonishing speed—like a blur of distorted light.

Before long, Chuchu came to a stop in front of a single tuft of grass.

At a glance, it looked like an ordinary plant.

“Chuchu!”

Wearing golden gloves, Chuchu began to dig with lightning-fast paws.

Pababababat!

Then, from deep within the earth, a root shaped like a human figure began to emerge.

“Chuchu!”

In that space filled with silence.

A tiny being with golden fur fluttering in the air.

ChuChu appeared.

Sniff sniff!

Twitching its nose, it looked around, then dashed off in a specific direction.

Sha-sha-shak!

A golden line sliced through the air.

An incredible speed, as if warping reality itself.

Where ChuChu arrived, there was a single small tuft of grass.

At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary plant.

“ChuChu!”

Wearing golden gloves, ChuChu began to dig the ground with lightning-fast movements.

Pababababat!

Then, a root resembling a human figure, deeply buried underground, was revealed.

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu yanked the massive root—larger than its own body—out with great force.

Grrrooooaaar—

Amazingly.

The root squirmed and let out a monstrous shriek.

But.

Pop!

The mysterious plant was swiftly stuffed into the pouch on ChuChu’s belly.

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu raised both hands to the sky and danced joyfully.

A look and demeanor that clearly said, “Jackpot!”

Then, it turned its head and bolted toward the direction of the rare item once more.

All that remained in its place was a desolate wind sweeping by.

And then it happened.

Rustle…

A mysterious figure began to move in the deep darkness.

Flash.

Two blazing red lights emerged from the shadows.

That entity started to follow the direction ChuChu had disappeared into.

***

「Immortal Peach (Seondo), Lv 100」

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, for 60 minutes: Increases <Mana Recovery Rate, Health Recovery Rate> explosively.

Afterward, permanently increases mana amplification and health recovery slightly.

Also, slightly enhances the ability to commune with nature.

Extends lifespan slightly. Continuous consumption may lead to immortality.

“And…….”

Even just reading the effects left me speechless. Especially immortality?

This was the kind of item the rich and powerful would go wild over.

‘What does it mean to “commune with nature”?’

Could it mean… I could eventually summon spirits?

If so, that would be massive.

Spirit summoners are said to be an extremely rare group chosen by fate.

‘That’s a question for later.’

Hooo…

I took a deep breath and focused.

Because what I was about to do could not afford even the slightest mistake.

I was about to insert the Seondo into Arkeron’s energy core.

Woooooong!

As I brought the Seondo close to Arkeron’s energy core, I felt it begin to vibrate.

Then—

KABOOOM!

The Seondo in my hand burst into golden mana particles and was absorbed into the core.

『Activating temporary energy circuit for Arkeron.』

ROAAARRR!!

An unprecedented surge of power emanated from Arkeron’s body.

“Oooh!”

The reaction was completely different from when I used <Tai Yin Yang Essence>.

The idea of inserting Seondo into Arkeron’s energy core turned out to be a huge success!!

“PoPo!”

Was it instinct?

PoPo, with eyes sparkling like +_+, started hopping with excitement beside me.

「Kyuuu… Hungwy.」

Maybe it was the noise, or maybe their belly-clock was ringing.

Dania had woken up.

And I had just been thinking about trying the remaining Seondo.

“This kid. Talk about good timing.”

I picked up the last Seondo and sat down in front of Dania.

“PoPo!”

PoPo was drawn in by the Immortal Peach (Seond)’s sweet aroma and came right over.

“Well then, shall we… try it too?”

“PoPo!”

『Kyuu! It smells sweet! Me likey!!』

With Dania and PoPo responding enthusiastically—

We began preparing to consume the Immortal Peach (Seondo).