Chapter 23: I Found It! (1)

The Immortal peach (seondo) had an unbelievably fragrant aroma.

‘My mouth’s watering.’

It was a soft, subtly sweet scent that gently teased the tip of the nose and spread out slowly.

It was similar to the scent of a peach, but deeper.

Blended with the scent of honey and the faint aroma of herbs, it was pure mighty presence.

It resembled the feeling of breathing in crisp morning air wrapped in a mysterious fog.

At the same time, it evoked the natural flavor of sweet honey and fresh fruit juice mixed together.

Just smelling the seondo made the body and mind feel calm and at peace.

Moreover, the fragrance lingered long after, leaving a deep sense of elegance and mystique.

‘When I handed the seondo to Arkeron earlier, I almost lost my mind because of this scent.’

Gulp.

Saliva filled my mouth.

“Popo!!”

“Dania, I wanna eat that!!”

Popo and Dania were fired up with anticipation.

Alright.

Let’s all take a bite together, then.

“Is there a way to cut this?”

“Popo!!”

At my words, Popo hopped forward toward me.

Looks like Popo can handle it.

“Can you cut it into four pieces?”

We need to save a piece for Chuchu too.

Popo nodded in response.

Slrrrp!

A long jelly strand extended from Popo’s body and wrapped around the seondo.

Then—

Flash!

“Huh?”

I was shocked.

Inside Popo’s jelly, the seondo had been cut perfectly into four equal parts.

Not a single drop of juice was spilled.

A flawless cut.

What? That’s even possible?

“Popo–!!”

Popo gave me a smiling, n_n look, as if saying, I did great, right?

“Ha! That’s our Popo.”

Truly the ultimate helper.

“Alright, let’s each take one piece.”

I set aside Chuchu’s share.

For Dania, I placed the piece so the flesh touched the outer surface of her egg.

Popo popped a slice into their mouth.

I took the last remaining piece and took a big bite.

Chomp!

As soon as we all took a bite—

Everyone let out a gasp of amazement.

“Wooooow…!”

“Popo!!!”

[Kkyuuuu~!! Soooo good─!!]

The seondo truly wasn’t exaggerated when they said it was the fruit of the gods.

The moment it entered my mouth, the soft juice burst out, filling it with refreshing sweetness and cool clarity.

It was a delicate yet intense sweetness, on a whole different level from ordinary peaches.

It lingered on the tip of the tongue, engraving in my memory what “heavenly sweetness” really meant.

And it wasn’t just sweet.

There was a subtle, mysterious depth hidden in the juice.

The moment you ate it, it felt as if your body and soul were being purified.

‘I can even taste a hint of acidity.’

Despite being full of juice, it was soft, with just the right amount of tartness to keep you wanting more.

The sweet scent grew stronger toward the center, but it wasn’t overpowering—it left behind a luxurious aftertaste.

This was a flavor so unique and addictive that it would stay in your memory for a long, long time.

“Ha!”

I devoured every last bit without leaving a single drop.

It felt as though heavenly energy was flowing through my body.

‘Is this what it feels like to gain lifespan?’

Tingly…

It felt like every cell in my body was cheering.

[Your total mana has greatly increased.]

「Your level has increased!」

「Your level has increased!」

「Your level has increased!」

The taste was divine—and I even leveled up.

Even though I only ate a quarter, I leveled up three times instantly.

Now I was level 29.

Only one more level left until 30—when I’d presumably be able to use the second portal.

[Kkyuuuuu so goooood!!!!!!]

Flash!!

Dania’s whole body started glowing with golden light.

‘Wow.’

I could actually see Dania’s egg body growing slightly larger in real time.

Fine lines began to appear on the surface of the egg, too.

[Kkyuuuu! I’m full of power!]

Our Dania…

It really felt like her hatching was just around the corner.

“Popo!!”

[Guardian <Popo>’s level has increased! 106Lv → Lv.107!]

Popo leveled up too!

The seondo had brought us a truly magical moment.

A party of taste and level-ups!

“It’s a shame Chuchu wasn’t here.”

Should we have waited?

But after smelling that aroma, there was no way we could hold back.

“It’s also a shame we didn’t get a seed.”

Seondo seeds…

Not only are they hard to grow, but it’s extremely rare for one to even produce a seed.

That’s why they’re so astronomically expensive.

“From now on, we’re not selling seondo. We’re eating it all ourselves.”

For the first time, I actually thought, this is too good to share.

Even the cherry tomatoes I used to think were divine don’t come close to this.

“Chuchu!”

Just then, I heard Chuchu’s voice from within the tunnel it had gone down earlier.

Poof!

A golden furball appeared at the same time.

Chuchu had returned!

“Oh, Chuchu. Welcome back. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Chu…!”

The moment Chuchu emerged from the burrow, its eyes locked onto the remaining piece of the elixir fruit, Seondo.

Swoosh.

As I picked up the elixir fragment and moved it, Chuchu’s head followed it in sync.

Left, then right.

And its gaze followed from left to right.

“Haha, wow. It’s totally mesmerized.”

It was understandable.

Not just Chuchu—none of us could keep our composure in front of the elixir.

“Do you want some?”

“Chu…!”

Chuchu clasped its little hands together and gazed longingly at the seondo with dewy eyes.

It looked so cute I wanted to tease it more.

“Popo—!!”

But Popo jumped beside me with a @_@ expression as if to say, “Don’t mess with it,” so I decided to stop there.

“Here you go! Enjoy it.”

“Chuchu!!!”

As I handed it the elixir fragment,

Chuchu darted over and began munching on it furiously.

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!

The seondo visibly shrank in real-time.

“Chuchuchu!!”

At one point, it let out a gasp of delight with an ecstatic expression—

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!

And then resumed devouring it like a madman.

“Chu!”

A short while later, Chuchu had eaten the entire thing without leaving a single drop of juice behind.

It flopped onto the ground and patted its now bulging belly with one hand.

Pat, pat!

“Chuuuu…”

It lay there with its mouth slightly open, eyes closed, as if it had transcended.

It was the face of someone who had tasted paradise.

‘Still not leveling up, huh.’

Given Chuchu’s level, a mere elixir shard wasn’t enough to raise it.

But seeing it so happy made it all worth it.

“Chu!”

Suddenly, Chuchu sprang up from the ground.

“Huh? What is it?”

“Popo?”

As we all turned our attention to it, it reached into the pouch on its belly.

Then—

Poof!

“Chuchu!!”

Chuchu pulled out a giant root—one that was bigger than it was.

Uh…

But wait, this root… kind of looks like a person?

“Chuchu!”

Chuchu set the root gently down on the ground.

“That’s unusual.”

I poked the part that resembled a human face with my index finger.

Grrrrrrraaaah!

Suddenly, the root let out a terrifying scream and writhed!

“Popo—!!!”

Startled, I stumbled back in shock.

Popo also jumped on the spot with an (O_O) face.

“W-what is this?”

The strange plant twitched once and then went still.

Right away, <Elixir Master> activated, revealing its name and level.

「Mandragora, LV 115」

“Oh my god!”

“Did you say… ‘Mandragora’?”

「Mandragora (Lv 115)」

It is imbued with ancient energy.

Upon consumption, for 60 minutes:

<Physical regeneration> and <magic resistance> increase dramatically.

Afterward, permanently grants a slight increase in physical regeneration and magic resistance.
Sensory abilities are slightly enhanced.

The ability to sense the flow of nature slightly increases.

The more frequently it’s consumed, the more dramatically one’s potential magical resistance increases, and with continued intake, one can potentially reach magic immunity.

An information window floated up before my eyes.

“Wow……”

This was an elixir on the level of <Leading>.

Where on earth did this come from?

As far as I know, Mandragora has never actually appeared in the real world.

Even Mandragora was only known through mythical records discovered in the <Abyss Tower>.

‘Search: Mandragora.’

I searched for information about it.

……….

Nickname: SeekerOfElixirs

Title: Let’s Learn About Rare Elixirs (31)

Content: Hey there! This is my thirty-first post.

Today I’ll introduce a mysterious elixir that has been passed down in ancient legends—Mandragora.

First, a confession.

I’ve never actually seen a real Mandragora either. This is just based on records discovered in the Abyss Tower, so keep that in mind.

Now, let me explain.

Mandragora is a plant found in nature, but it’s far from just a common herb.

This elixir, which has roots shaped like a human, is said to possess legendary powers because of its form and nature.

Especially, its true secret lies in its root.

The root of the Mandragora, when consumed, offers powerful regenerative properties and maximizes the circulation of internal energy.

But it goes beyond mere recovery—it’s recorded to excel in boosting both mental and spiritual energy.

In addition, it’s highly effective in increasing magical resistance.

…(omitted)…

It’s also said that Mandragora has the power to completely transform a person. Some powerful individuals sought it out when attempting to transcend their limits…

…(omitted)…

…..

As expected from a legendary elixir—

The description was long.

But every detail was eye-opening and fascinating.

…..

– Wow. Mandragora was a real elixir.

– I wanna dig one up.

– Me too.

– If I keep climbing the Abyss Tower, I might eventually find one, right?

……….

Maybe because of that, all the comments were about wanting it.

***

“Chuchu, you little rascal…!”

I looked at Chuchu with admiration.

“Chuchu!”

In response, Chuchu put its hands on its hips with a proud little “ahem!” expression.

“Haha.”

I burst out laughing at its cute behavior and said,

“Good job, well done!”

“Popo!”

Popo and I hugged it and showered it with praise.

“Chuchu!”

It got even more excited, raising both hands into the air and shaking its butt with a wiggle.

‘This little one’s a blessing.’

To think it brought back Mandragora right from the start.

Now I was really curious what it’d bring next.

“Alright, let’s plant this for now.”

Mandragora.

It felt like a waste to just eat it now.

So I made a decision—

Grow it here, let it bloom, and harvest its seeds.

And then, if I plant them all across my lair?

‘…I could make a whole Mandragora farm.’

Ohhh.

Just imagining it gave me chills.

And this plan wasn’t just for Mandragora.

The same goes for Leading or Daoist elixirs too.

Every time I get seeds, I’ll plant them and keep increasing the population.

At this rate, instead of becoming a myth-level superhuman who awakened dragon’s blood…

…I might become a legendary elixir farmer even faster.

Pop—

A pleased smile spread across my face.

That might not be so bad, actually.

***

Later, after all the happy commotion…

Seojoon, Popo, and Chuchu all fell asleep next to Dania.

That’s when—

Outside the lair.

A shadow slowly began to appear in the darkness.

Srrrkk…

A creature, resembling a snake, with a body stretching over 15 meters from head to tail.

It was covered in sleek black, glossy, razor-sharp, shining scales—

This creature was the mystical beast <Nagattara>, with silver and red coloring.

It resembled an Eastern dragon, so people often called it a lesser version of a <Dragon>.

The <Core> it carried inside its body scaled with its level, and magical beast hunters, upon discovering it, would often shout “Jackpot!”

But—

That only applied within a certain level range.

As its magic capacity grew—

This <Nagattara> was now Lv 185.

A Disaster level that could potentially bring about the end of the world single handedly.

Not something you could even dream of hunting—

A being so terrifying, you’d fear meeting it even in your nightmares.

“Shrrrrrk.”

Its blazing red eyes turned toward the lair.

The golden-furred, delicious-looking creature it had been tracking—

Its trail ended here.

“Shrik!”

Nagattara realized that this was the lair where Chuchu had hidden.

It licked its lips, gathering red magical energy into its tail.

It was preparing to shatter the lair’s barrier in a single blow—

To force Chuchu out.

Zzzzzing!!

The energy in its tail peaked.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The air around its tail twisted violently as a burst of chaotic, explosive magic surged out.

A destructive magical force, as if it could annihilate the entire land.

Just as the tail, charged with that magic, was about to strike the barrier protecting the lair—

Click!

Crack-crack-crack!

The air tore open like a long rip, and a being burst forth from the void.

“Shreet?”

A tiny figure, seemingly less than 50 cm tall.

Clad entirely in black armor, the being initially appeared completely non-threatening.

However—

The moment crimson light flared from its two eyes—

“Sh-s-shreet.”

Nagatara realized.

That this being before him was not one he could possibly contend with.

And that the master of the place guarded by such a being…

Belonged to a great race.

There could be no other explanation.

“Arkeron. Intruder identified. Commencing incineration protocol.”

Screech, scree-eech.

A small arm raised slowly.

Even in the face of that sluggish motion, Nagatara couldn’t move a muscle.

Like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web—

He had no choice but to submit to the execution enforced by Arkeron.

Flash!

KWAHHHHHHHHHH!!

A beam of crimson light fired from Arkeron’s arm swept through Nagatara’s head.

Thud!!

Nagatara’s now-headless body crashed to the ground.

[Corpse incineration procedure.]

As Arkeron raised both arms to cleanly dispose of the body—

“Chuchu!”

Suddenly, Chuchu appeared in front of Arkeron.

“Chuchu! Chuchu!”

Chuchu stood before Arkeron, crossing both arms in an X shape.

Then, it rushed toward Nagatara’s corpse again.

And then—

“Chu!!”

Eyes sparkling, it put on golden gloves it had pulled from its belly pouch.