The realization hit him: the time flow in the dungeon was different from Earth’s.
This meant he could make use of far more time going forward.
With the emergence of the land, Sang-woong had developed one major concern.
The more time he spent in the dungeon, the less feasible his life on Earth would become.
This could mean not only closing his restaurant but also living a life not much different from his previous one.
However, if the time flow was different, all these problems could be resolved.
“This inventory is really convenient.”
Sang-woong grabbed the necessary tools and stepped back into the dungeon.
As if waiting for him, messages flooded his vision without pause.
- Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –
- Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –
- Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –
A total of 50 goblins had invaded the land, and the Wood Golems had fended them off like an impenetrable wall.
“Phew, thank goodness.”
Sang-woong let out a sigh of relief.
Buying additional Wood Golems with his remaining points had been a stroke of genius.
If he had only had two golems, they might have been in serious danger.
As Sang-woong walked toward the land, Aria greeted him.
“Master, hehe! You’re back!”
Her enthusiastic greeting, like a puppy welcoming its owner home, brought an involuntary smile to Sang-woong’s face.
“Did you wait long?”
With the time flow difference between Earth and the dungeon, Aria must have waited quite a while.
“This amount of time is nothing!”
To Aria, who had waited eons for the land’s master, a few hours were but a fleeting moment.
“You worked hard fighting those goblins.”
Sang-woong gently patted Aria’s head.
Aria burst into a bright smile, clearly delighted.
The Wood Golems’ bodies were scarred, like warriors returning from battle.
Their bodies had been scratched and chipped by the goblins’ weapons, but fortunately, the damage wasn’t deep, and their functionality seemed unaffected.
Still, they didn’t look great.
“Can’t the Wood Golems be repaired?”
Sang-woong muttered as he inspected them.
At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.
- Would you like to repair the Wood Golems? –
“Repair is possible?”
This was good news.
He just hoped the repair cost wouldn’t be too high.
“How much?”
- Repair costs are calculated based on damage. Individual or full repairs are available. –
Checking the message, Sang-woong examined the Wood Golems.
Each golem had a repair cost displayed, totaling 37 points.
“Not bad. How much for a full repair?”
- Full repair costs 20 points. –
As expected, a full repair was much cheaper.
Since the Wood Golems were his most critical defense force, Sang-woong used 20 points to repair all of them.
The repair was instantaneous.
The scratches vanished, and the golems were restored to their original state, as if freshly purchased.
Sang-woong immediately began digging a pit to bury the goblins.
There were many to bury, requiring a large pit, but for a Rank 8 Hunter like him, it was no trouble.
“Phew! All done.”
Having buried all the goblins, Sang-woong caught his breath.
As they decomposed, they would become excellent fertilizer, enriching the land further.
He took a moment to survey the land, which he hadn’t had time to explore due to the sudden goblin invasion.
Various plants and trees grew across it.
Using his Appraisal Skill, Sang-woong checked the details of everything growing on his land.
- Montesra: Edible. Has a spicy, pungent aroma. Enhances stamina. –
- Piroden: Common dungeon weed. Used as animal feed. –
- Clorella: Common dungeon weed. Used as insect feed. –
- Artichokra: Edible. Has a strong bitter taste. Detoxifies a hunter’s corruption. –
Upon seeing the effects of the Artichokra plant, Sang-woong’s eyes widened, and an incredulous smile spread across his face.
“Oh, it can lower corruption?”
While ordinary people contracted dungeon disease from the bad air in dungeons, hunters faced rising corruption levels.
When corruption exceeded a certain threshold, it not only reduced a hunter’s abilities but also negatively affected their mental state.
In severe cases, hunters could go berserk, losing rationality and committing various crimes.
Mass slaughter was not uncommon.
Thus, hunters periodically consumed detox potions to lower their corruption.
However, detox potions were expensive and not very effective.
As a result, hunters spent significant amounts on them.
Sang-woong was no exception to corruption’s effects.
Having retained his abilities from before his regression, his corruption level was a staggering 67%.
He simply hadn’t paid it much mind since retiring as a hunter.
Sang-woong carefully harvested the Artichokra plant.
He wouldn’t know its effectiveness until he tried it, but he had a good feeling about it.
- The Master of the Land has acquired a valuable item. A well-grown superior Artichokra plant can be sold in the Shop Window for 100 points. Would you like to sell it? –
Sang-woong’s eyes widened as he read the message.
“I can earn points by selling Artichokra plants?”
This was very welcome news.
Restoring the land’s energy and expanding it would require an enormous number of points.
Relying solely on points from defeating monsters and selling mana stones would be nearly impossible.
Now, he had another, far more effective way to earn points.
“Can I sell other things too?”
Sang-woong tried pulling up weeds to sell, but they were worthless.
“Only plants with effects like Artichokra can be sold.”
Even among Artichokra plants, prices varied by quality: top-grade, superior, mid-grade, and low-grade.
“This is going to keep me busy.”
The discovery that he could sell valuable plants gave him a new task.
Farming.
He planned to cultivate valuable plants himself.
To do so, he first needed to identify all the plants growing on his land.
There were many plants with intriguing effects.
The Umami plant, which enhanced the savory flavor of food, also slightly boosted immunity.
The Golden Peach, resembling Earth’s peaches, boasted a taste superior to any peach he’d ever eaten.
Though the land was only about 200 pyeong, it was teeming with diverse plants.
Sang-woong began serious reclamation work.
Having already cleared land behind his building, the task was familiar.
He started by digging up the middle of a small stream.
Water was the most critical element for farming.
He created a pond to secure water.
Then, he turned over the soil in areas overgrown with weeds, leveling the ground and removing stones.
He dug furrows at regular intervals and built ridges with the soil.
“Has it gotten this late already?”
As it grew dark, Sang-woong bid Aria farewell and left the dungeon.
As expected, about 30 minutes had passed on Earth.
Having spent roughly five hours in the dungeon, it seemed one minute on Earth equaled ten minutes in the dungeon.
The next day, he was busy from the morning.
He planned to test the effects of the plants he’d harvested from the dungeon.
He took out the Artichokra plant, worth a whopping 100 points, from his inventory.
“How much will it lower my corruption?”
His current corruption level was 67%.
While not high enough to affect his mental state, it did slightly impact his physical abilities.
He placed a pot of water on the gas stove and thoroughly washed the Artichokra plant under running water.
“Boiling it whole with the roots should be more effective.”
Sang-woong placed the Artichokra in boiling water.
The clear water turned green.
He boiled it for another ten minutes and took a sip.
“Ugh!”
The bitter taste was so intense it made his face scrunch up.
The message had warned of a strong bitter taste, but this was on another level.
It was almost impossible to take a single sip.
“Think of it as medicine and just swallow it!”
Encouraging himself, Sang-woong gulped down the Artichokra tea in one go.
His face crumpled like paper under the torture of the taste.
It was so bitter he wanted to rip out his tongue.
He hurriedly shoved a spoonful of sugar into his mouth.
Though the bitterness was somewhat neutralized, he had to stick out his tongue like a thirsty dog for a while.
“Detox potions taste awful too, but this is just as bad.”
But the effect was astonishing.
His corruption level dropped by a full 1%.
Considering that higher corruption levels reduced detox effects, a 5 million won detox potion would only lower his corruption by about 0.1%.
In monetary terms, a single Artichokra root was worth 50 million won.
“This is truly amazing!”
The taste was dreadful, but there were plenty of ways to mitigate it.
He could mix it with honey or dry it and steep it in hot water, as drying often reduced bitterness.
The Montesra plant, which boosted stamina, was also highly effective.
He could feel vitality surging through his body.
His status window showed a temporary 2-point increase in stamina.
Finally, he took out the Umami plant.
It was the one he was most excited about.
It enhanced the savory flavor of food and even slightly boosted immunity—a natural MSG and, in a way, a panacea.
For breakfast, he made a simple doenjang jjigae and added a single Umami leaf at the end.
“How good will this taste?”
Taking a spoonful of the doenjang jjigae, Sang-woong froze as if time had stopped.
It was far tastier than before.
“What is this?”
It was on a completely different level from the savory taste he knew.
There was no greasy or artificial flavor; instead, a natural, deep richness filled his mouth.
It was like a dish crafted with immense care and time by a top-tier chef.
“Wow, this is incredible!”
He devoured the doenjang jjigae in a flash, as if possessed.
But his meal wasn’t over yet.
Dessert awaited.
Sang-woong ate a Golden Peach from the dungeon as dessert.
Sweet juice flooded his mouth.
It felt refreshing and invigorating, like a summer rain.
The flesh was soft and juicy, and the sweet-tart flavor with each bite lifted his mood.
It was as if he’d stepped into a scene from an animated film set in a ripe peach orchard, embarking on a blissful culinary journey.
The Golden Peach was absolutely phenomenal.
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