Elatrias.
They confirmed Chuchu’s words were trueโthrough the branch imbued with their <Spirit Power> that they had given it.
[Ahโฆ ahโฆ the remnantsโฆ of Motherโฆ can be feltโฆ]
[Itโs trueโฆ it truly isโฆ]
Once they realized that the land blessed by Gagia did indeed exist, there was no more room for hesitation.
โRise, my Brothers.โ
With those wordsโ
The massive trees slowly, yet with unmistakable resolve, began to rise from the darkness of the forest.
Their movements, as though pulling free from where they had been rooted for hundreds of years, seemed powerful enough to split the earth itself.
Rrrrrrrumble!!
The Elatrias began to move, dragging their deep roots from the soil with a low, heavy rumble.
As the hulking Elatrias moved, their thick branches and leaves swaying vigorously, they collided with thunderous crashes.
Thud. Thud. Thud!!!
Each step shook the ground, the earth trembling with their advance.
The monsters nearby fled in every direction, overwhelmed by their sheer presence. T
he air became saturated with the heavy, earthy scent emitted by the swaying Elatrias.
Kwoooooaaaaโ
Their march resembled a green tidal wave sweeping through the forest.
Hundredsโno, thousandsโof Elatrias moved as one, creating a rolling sea of vibrant greenery.
With each movement, deep emerald leaves and soft green vines sparkled under the sunlight.
The light pouring through the leaves shimmered like the sun dancing upon ocean waves.
โChu!!โ
To meet that wave of green, Chuchu came dashing out.
Thump,
‘Churururu~!!’
With lightning speed, Chuchu leapt onto the head of the leading Elatria.
โChuchu!โ
Then, as if it had become the captain of a massive fleet, it began to lead the Elatrias.
Their destination was clear.
โChu!!!โ
Its homeโand its mastersโ home.
The Dragonโs Lair.
[This isโฆ the placeโฆ]
[Ahโฆ ahโฆ I feel itโฆ Motherโsโฆ presenceโฆ]
[Thank youโฆ servant ofโฆ the Great Beingโฆ it trulyโฆ existedโฆ]
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Elatrias circled the lair and planted their roots firmly.
Kwoooaaah!!
In an instant, the surrounding mana density surged.
Overflowing with life energy, they established a forest of abundance and prosperityโElatrium.
โChuchuchu!!!โ
Chuchu cried out in celebrationโit had successfully completed the migration!
Then it turned back to the Elatrias with one final request.
โChuchu!โ
This was the dwelling place of the Great Being.
It was only by the Great Beingโs grace that they could remain here.
They must never do anything to offend that Great One.
[We shallโฆ bear that in mindโฆ and offerโฆ our deepestโฆ gratitudeโฆ for this graceโฆ]
[We shallโฆ not forgetโฆ the favorโฆ we have receivedโฆ]
[To the Great Beingโฆ our utmost respectโฆ]
โChu!โ
Chuchu nodded in satisfaction, believing it had thoroughly established discipline among the Elatrias.
โChuchu!โ
But Chuchu had no intention of stopping here.
Now that the Elatrias had settled hereโฆ
It was time to collect every benefit possible!
Firstly,
[The forestโs protectionโฆ worry notโฆ]
Defense of the forest.
To fortify the lair into an impregnable bastion.
[Now that we have rooted hereโฆ we shall naturallyโฆ put more effortโฆ into its protectionโฆ]
โChu!โ
Chuchu nodded.
This was something that wouldโve happened on its own, even without asking.
Next,
โChuchu!โ
[The Seedsโฆ likewiseโฆ as promisedโฆ whenever neededโฆ as much as neededโฆ the forestโฆ shall provideโฆ]
Perfect.
Now the cultivation of legendary elixirs like Seondo and Mandragora could proceed even faster.
And finally:
โChuchuchu!โ
ใAre youโฆ asking for seedsโฆ of high-grade spiritual herbsโฆ?ใ
Indeed, Chuchu was demanding seeds of rare spirit herbs.
After all, they were tree spiritsโthey must have grown and nurtured countless legendary spirit herbs.
Of course, that was back during the golden age of Elatriumโฆ
But just like they say: โEven when a noble house falls, its fortune lasts three generations.โ
Surely, somewhere, they still held onto some legendary-grade spirit herbs.
Chuchuโs true target was to raid that storeroom.
ใYouโreโฆ stripping us bareโฆ right down to the rootsโฆ But since weโveโฆ been granted graceโฆ far beyond what we deserveโฆ Thisโฆ is notโฆ an unreasonable requestโฆใ
โTake it, servant of the Great Being.โ
Flash!
Seeds wrapped in green light.
They floated down in front of Chuchu.
โChuu!โ
The seeds, tinged with a brown hue.
Chuchu immediately tucked them into its belly pouch.
But Chuchu wasnโt satisfied with just that.
โChuu?โ
When it asked if there were moreโ
ใNot now… there are none… Later… later… when our… glory… is restored… Then… come back… again…ใ
The Elatrias wore sorrowful expressions.
Only then did Chuchu nod in understanding.
***
Not long after Chuchu entered the lairโ
Sssrrrr…
Something appeared near the lairโan enormous being over 30 meters long, resembling a serpent.
Its appearance was identical to the <Nagattara> that had died here not long ago.
Noโit possessed an even more savage and menacing aura and exterior than that previous Nagattara.
It was a being that had undergone one more stage of shedding and evolution.
Why had such a creature come here?
Sss…
Because it was the mate of the Nagattara that had been killed here.
โTssrrrโโ
It was seething with rage over its mateโs death.
It had come with the resolve to tear apart and devour every last being involved in her demise.
Butโ
โTssru.โ
The Nagatara froze in place, as if startled.
Dwooom!
Before it surged a colossal wave of green light.
As a being that had surpassed the 200 Lv wall, it could tell.
It could sense just how massive and dense the mana was within that green wave.
Ordinarily, it would have given up and turned back.
Howeverโ
โTssrrrโ!!โ
It could not endure without releasing the fury piled up in its chest.
And soโ
It unleashed a full-force breath toward the green wave.
Flash.
KWAHHHHHHHHH!!!!
A cataclysmic blast, as if the sky would flip and the earth would melt away.
Butโ
ZHHHHHHRRRMMM!!
The forestโs shield absorbed that breath completelyโwithout so much as a scratch.
โTssriiit!โ
The Nagatara, about to unleash another breath, froze as a voice echoedโ
ใWhat… being… dares… to challenge… the wall… of Elatrium…ใ
GRRRRRRRRRR.
The ground trembled.
The wrath of the forest pressed heavily upon the air.
โT-Tssrrrtโโ
Before that overwhelming pressure, the Nagattaraโs blazing fury melted away.
Ssssss…
It curled its tail and fled.
Only then did the surging mana in the air settle down.
ใThe land… imbued… with blessing… No matter what happens… we shall… protect it… This place… the forest… of prosperity and abundance.ใ
Or ratherโ
Elatrium, once called a natural fortress.
This was the moment when the forgotten glory of that past began to be revived once more.
***
โOh. Is it finally over?โ
โChuchu!โ
I lit up at Chuchuโs words.
The trembling of the ground that I had been feeling for a while.
The sudden surge in atmospheric mana density.
All of it was a result of the Elatrias.
โWow, I donโt know about the rest, but this mana density is no joke.โ
You know that feeling when you enter the mountains and the fresh, clean air clears your head?
Thatโs exactly what it felt like now.
Cool, clear, and crisp mana filling the air.
โNice.โ
It really felt like I was deep in a mountain forest.
A smile naturally formed on my face, lifted by the refreshing surge of pure mana.
โChuchu!โ
Then, Chuchu pulled something out of its belly pouch.
โHuh? Whatโs this?โ
Brown seeds.
As I placed them in my hand, information surfaced.
[Kujija Leaf Herb (Seed), LV 100]
โKujija Leaf Herb?โ
I got an odd feeling.
It felt like a name Iโd heard before.
Immediately, I searched on SuperNet.
Username: Thirty-Thousand-League Search for Elixirs
Post Title: Letโs Learn About Rare Elixirs (39)
Content: Hey there! This is my thirty-ninth post.
Today, Iโm introducing a rare herb known for its mysterious healing and powerful detox effects: the Kujija Leaf Herb.
The Kujija Leaf Herb is a mystical plant discovered deep in ancient forests, with its purplish leaves giving off a uniquely lustrous sheen.
Itโs been regarded not just as a herb, but a powerful detoxifier.
Since ancient times, it has been considered an essential ingredient to counteract poisons. Thanks to its excellent detoxifying properties, people whoโve been poisoned or who handle poison-based powers often seek it out…
(omitted)…
Whatโs particularly interesting is that the Kujija Leaf Herb thrives in toxic environments.
It even absorbs poison and converts it into its own energy.
Because of that, itโs incredibly effective at alleviating symptoms of poisoning and purifying toxins in the body.
Hence, itโs known as a legendary detoxifier in myths and…
(omitted)…
With long-term use, itโs said one can attain โAbsolute Poison Immunity.โ
Information about the Kujija Leaf Herb.
The explanation was long, but…
It could be summed up in one phrase:
โLegendary Detoxifier.โ
And itโs not like itโs lacking in magical energy either.
Even setting aside its detox ability, its inherent mana reserve alone makes it highly useful.
And the most important benefit of allโ
โYou can become immune to all poisons.โ
Damn. How could I possibly pass that up?
One of the biggest threats in the Superhuman World is poison.
Take Donghyun, for example.
Heโs no exception.
His mana circuits were damaged beyond repair by the poison of the Assassin.
โIf I become immune to all poisons, I wonโt have to worry about anything like that again.โ
Even before I knew it, I was already planting the Kujija Leaf Herb seeds into the soil PoPo had tilled.
โHow did you get these?โ
Judging by the looks of it, Chuchu probably got them from the Elatrias.
โYou didnโt… rob them or anything, right?โ
โChuchu!โ
At my words, Chuchu jumped up and wagged its index finger side to side.
โChuchuchu!โ
Definitely not, it insisted. It simply received fair compensation!
Thatโs how hard it was appealing.
โHaha, alright, alright. Well done, good job.โ
Seriously, Chuchu, what a clever little creature.
So full of talent.
I donโt know how it managed to get such a valuable item, but thanks to it and PoPo, the lair was growing ever more abundant.
Wuuuuung!!
And thenโ
โHuh?โ
โChuchu!โ
โPopo!โ
‘..Arkeronโ
We all simultaneously looked up.
That directionโ
Was where Dania was.
Our gazes were all drawn in unison.
Why?
Becauseโ
Paaaaah!
A brilliant light of five radiant colors began to pour out of Daniaโs egg.
***
At that moment.
A building in Shanghai.
In the waiting room before the final round of the Shanghai Asia Master Chef Cooking Competition, Ahn Jaeseong steadied his breath, calming his nerves.
โThis is it.โ
He had poured everything into reaching the finals, and now the moment was here.
โWhew…โ
Ahn Jaeseong let out a heavy breath.
The pressure of representing Korea on this stage weighed on his shoulders.
Up until this very moment…
It wasnโt easy.
With fierce competitors.
And local bias against Koreans.
He overcame all of it and made it to the finals.
โThe Archmage… If it werenโt for his ingredients, it mightโve been tough.โ
From the preliminaries to the finals, he showcased dishes worthy of praise using <Lunadria>, <potatoes>, and <sweet potatoes>โall ingredients he had purchased from the Archmage.
โThe finale will be decorated with cherry tomatoes.โ
He was the person who had recently won cherry tomatoes at an auction hosted by the Archmageโfor 300 coins each.
That person was none other than The Bangbaedong Gourmet.
He had spent a fortune preparing for todayโs event.
Thatโs how confident he was.
Becauseโ
The final dish he had prepared was not only one of his personal favorites, but also a specialty he was proud of:
Cherry Tomato Marinade.
โIf I win with this, it wouldnโt be wrong to say I won not alone, but together with the Archmage.โ
He let out a soft chuckle.
Because it wasnโt a lie.
โThen Iโll do just that.โ
He made up his mind.
For his victory speech.
โThatโs why Iโll give it my allโso I have no regrets.โ
As he steadied himselfโ
Ping!
Suddenly, his head started to spin.
A subtle tremor starting from his shoulder began to spread through his entire body.
With a puzzled expression, he looked down at himself.
He remembered the drink handed to him earlier by a Chinese chef.
It had been exchanged as a gesture of camaraderie after the matchโbut now, an uneasy feeling gnawed at him.
It was shortly after drinking that his senses began to dull.
“No way… was it poison or drugs?”
As his vision blurred, a surge of panic washed over him.
His heartbeat grew erratic, and the objects in the waiting room began to sway and distort.
He tried to stay conscious, but his mind was already in chaos.
โI… need help…โ
He reached for the call bell to summon a staff memberโbut hesitated.
This placeโ
He could no longer trust anyone.
โIโd be better off… getting an antidote on SuperNet…โ
With labored breath, he pulled up SuperNet.