Chapter 10: A Different Step (1)

I blinked my eyes.

Mana Recovery?

“This is a buff!”

No way.

Did drinking the water of the Clearwater Herb just trigger a buff?

…..

<Elixir Master (SSS)> Skill

-Capable of appraising elixirs.

…..

I checked the information on the Clearwater Herb.

…..

[Clearwater Herb, LV 99]

A mighty presence has descended.

Upon consumption, mana recovery speed increases for 30 minutes.

Thereafter, a slight permanent increase in mana recovery speed and purification of mana purity.

…..

“Huh.”

I was dumbfounded.

No way.

Could it be the same for other crops?

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, Lunadria, White Sun Herb.

I checked them one by one in order.

The results:

………

「Dungeon Potato, LV 99」

Imbued with great prestige.

Upon consumption, stamina recovery speed increases for 45 minutes.

Thereafter, a slight permanent increase in stamina recovery speed.

「Dungeon Sweet Potato, LV 99」

Imbued with great prestige.

Upon consumption, stamina increases for 25 minutes.

Thereafter, a slight permanent increase in stamina.

「Lunadria, LV 99」

Imbued with great prestige.

Upon consumption, mana purity rate increases for 50 minutes.

Thereafter, a slight permanent increase in mana purity rate.

「White Sun Herb, LV 99」

Imbued with great prestige.

Upon consumption, mana amplification rate increases for 45 minutes.

Thereafter, a slight permanent increase in mana amplification rate.

……….

“Wow.”

I let out a gasp of admiration.

What the heck.

All of them have buffs too!

Even the original Lunadria didn’t have a buff, but now it does.

“It seems a bit bigger too. The petals look more vibrant.”

What’s the difference?

Oh.

Could it be that the newly planted Lunadria was influenced by <Elixir Master (SSS)>?

That seemed the most likely possibility.

‘Haha’

If that’s true…

This is absolutely insane!

The <Elixir Master (SSS)> Skill skill is invincible.

And the <Dragon Lair> is a god!!

Hooray!!

I raised both arms high into the sky.

Ping-

Grrr!

Then dizziness and hunger hit me again.

“Ugh.”

Why am I so hungry?

I was definitely full before I went to sleep.

“Maybe activating <Elixir Master (SSS)> consumes both my stamina and mana.”

That’s the most reasonable explanation.

It’s probably correct.

Well, it wouldn’t make sense to use such an overpowered skill without any cost.

But that’s fine.

If I can achieve these effects by consuming just this amount of stamina and mana, it’s practically like using it for free.

“So then…”

Clutching my starving stomach,

my gaze turned to the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Let’s try eating these guys this time.

I dug up one potato and one sweet potato.

Scrape scrape.

I wiped the dirt off with water squeezed from the Clearwater Herb.

“They said it’s fine to eat raw.”

Dungeon potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Crops that are naturally safe to eat raw.

Sniff sniff.

Just to be sure, I gave them a quick smell.

“No issues here.”

They smelled fresh.

Chomp!

I took a bite of the potato first.

“…!”

In that moment.

My eyes widened.

It felt as if the cool, serene energy of a tranquil forest spread through my mouth.

The crisp, cold texture soon turned into a gentle sweetness, as if I were tasting the essence of the earth bathed in moonlight.

The bitterness faded, and a subtle vitality rippled through my mouth like waves.

The strange harmony of freshness and sweetness filled my palate.

It was as if the earth’s energy seeped into my body from the tip of my tongue.

“Delicious!”

What an insane flavor!

I could confidently say this was, by far, the most delicious potato I’d ever eaten.

「Stamina recovery rate increases for 45 minutes.」

Whoosh!

The stamina I thought was depleted surged back rapidly.

With the potato’s exquisite flavor and my stamina refilling, this place felt like paradise itself.

“Crazy. Seriously.”

Ugh!

I hurriedly devoured the rest of the potato.

It got slightly stuck in my throat, but—

Gulp!

Swish!

A sip of the water squeezed from the Clear Dew Herb cleared my throat instantly.

The refreshing sensation made every cell in my body tremble with excitement.

“Ah… I’m so happy!”

At 22 years old.

Seojun Park.

Today, I realized what true happiness is.

But.

“I’m still hungry!”

Swish.

This time, the sweet potato.

What would it taste like?

Chomp!

As I bit into the sweet potato, an explosive sweetness, like rich honey, burst in my mouth.

It was as if a golden wave of magic was dancing.

Moist yet intense sweetness.

The sensation spreading from my tongue throughout my body was indescribable.

A cool undertone followed, and the creamy texture at the finish delivered an otherworldly ecstasy.

It was a moment of magical joy.

“Ahh.”

I could die happy right now.

That’s how transcendent the flavor was.

Can this even be called a sweet potato?

Drip.

I’ve always loved sweet potatoes, but…

This was so delicious it brought tears to my eyes.

「Stamina increases for 25 minutes.」

The stamina that had been nearly exhausted?

Fully restored after eating the sweet potato.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes.

With just these two, foodie heaven seemed guaranteed.

「Level up!」

Whoa.

Even my level went up.

I hadn’t expected a level-up since these weren’t rare herbs.

It was a pleasant surprise.

Wait, now that I think about it, I’ve already reached level 10.

Could there be a new passage I can access?

I should check it out.

“Ugh.”

But first, just one more bite…

Burp.

“Ahem.”

A burp slips out without me realizing.

My stomach feels so full, like it’s about to burst.

Ugh, I want to eat more.

But I’m too stuffed to keep going!

“I really wanted to try Lunadria and White Sun herb, too.”

I wonder if there’s been any change with the Lunadria?

I’m curious.

And what would White Sun herb taste like?

Then, a sudden thought hits me.

“What would roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes taste like?”

Roasted sweet potatoes. Roasted potatoes.

They’re great raw, but they really shine when cooked with a bit of fire.

Drool.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

“I should buy the Fire skill.”

Fire.

The basic Tier 1 flame magic.

Once I learn it, I’ll roast them over a wood fire.

I search on SuperNet.

Fire skill.

“…Hmm.”

1,000 coins.

That’s expensive.

For just a Tier 1 magic spell?

Is this for real?

It’s so pricey that I search SuperNet again.

And I find out why.

…..

– Why are magic skills so damn expensive? 😭

ᄂ Magic skill cards are super rare, so there’s no helping it.

ᄂ That’s why mages are called nobles. ↳ And among all abilities, is the most powerful with the highest potential. That’s why mages are the most envied class.

ᄂ  Yup. Especially at higher levels, mages are on a whole other level.

…..

The magic skill cards were so hard to come by, which is why they were so expensive.

“Still, I gotta buy it.”

But I couldn’t buy it right away.

I’m flat out of coins.

But no worries.

Why?

Because selling just one more Lunadria would cover the coins I need.

However.

“Even if I put up Lunadria for sale now, I won’t get its full value.”

A Level 99 Lunadria.

50,000 coins? 100,000 coins?

That’s selling it dirt cheap.

If the Level 99 status were revealed, the price would skyrocket.

“Too bad only I can see it.”

When I list it on SuperNet’s <Trade>, it shows up as LV??? .

The info I checked with my <Elixir Master> skill seems to be visible only to me.

In that case.

“Let’s sell the potatoes and sweet potatoes.”

I pull up one stalk, and a bunch of potatoes and sweet potatoes come along with it.

As expected, these yield the most.

The price?

100 coins each.

In real money, that’s 1 million won. Some might say selling potatoes and sweet potatoes for that price is insane.

But hear me out.

For Level 99 potatoes and sweet potatoes, isn’t that actually a steal?

The flavor.

And the buff effects.

Plus, eating a lot of them permanently boosts your stats, even if just a tiny bit.

“100 coins is a bargain for these.”

I immediately log into SuperNet.

I post about it.

Selling potatoes and sweet potatoes.

And right away, I list the potatoes and sweet potatoes on the <Auction>.

“Hmm. They probably won’t sell right away, right? I’ll take a break and buy Fire once they sell. In the meantime, I’ll check the passageway.”

As I stretch, I get a notification.

「A private message has arrived from <Spicy Nuclear Punch>.」

Spicy Nuclear Punch.

A message from her.

“Oh?”

Looks like she’s already consumed the Lunadria.

So.

Did it work?

Curious, I go to check her message.

But at that moment.

「All the items listed on the Market have been sold.」

“Huh? Already?”

Potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Just posted them not long ago.

And they’re all sold out.

***

Just a moment ago.

Username : Emperor Archamge

Title: Selling Delicious Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Content: I harvested some dungeon potatoes and sweet potatoes that I grew myself this time. And let me tell you, the taste is out of this world.

It’s the kind of flavor where if two people were eating them, one could die and the other wouldn’t even notice.

Not only that, they come with <Heal the Increase> and buffs, <Healthy Recovery> respectively.

100 coins each.

I’ve put them up in the <Trade>, so if you need some, come grab them quick!

…..

[Jackal]: Potatoes and sweet potatoes for 100 coins each? Where’s your conscience?

…..

As soon as Seojun posted the listing, a skeptical comment popped up.

…..

But that didn’t last long.

[BuldakPpokkumMyun]: Yo, I looked it up… Why is the level showing as ??? I’ve never seen dungeon potatoes or sweet potatoes above level 10 before. What’s going on?

[Carbonara]: Whoa, you’re right. What the heck? They even look way bigger than usual. Could… the buffs actually be real?

[SweetTangy]: Lol, it’s just bait. You guys actually believe this? So naive.

[FireKatsu]: Hold up, this is Emperor Archamge we’re talking about. The one who sold that giant Lunadria. This might not be bait—it could be legit.

[Bangbaedong Gourmet]: I just bought them all. I’ll post a review soon.

[Appetizer]: Oh! It’s Bangbaedong Gourmet! Can’t wait for the review!

……….

It was the first time anyone had seen potatoes and sweet potatoes listed as Lv???.

On top of that, the nickname <Bangbaedong Gourmet> was starting to quietly spread because of the giant Lunadria sale.

And as the grand finale, the famous showed up and bought all the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

It was a situation that piqued everyone’s curiosity.

Word spread across SuperNet little by little.

……….

-Yo, Bangbaedong Gourmet, hurry up and post that review!

ᄂ I’m so curious lol

ᄂ Are these potatoes and sweet potatoes special too?

ᄂ Buying potatoes and sweet potatoes for 100 coins each? What a sucker…

ᄂ If there’s something special about them, 100 coins might actually be a steal.

ᄂ No way there’s anything that special… Even if there is, I doubt it’s worth 100 coins.

……….

The buzz was growing louder.

In the midst of it all, Bangbaedong Gourmet, the 3-star chef An Jaeseong, was staring down at the potatoes and sweet potatoes he’d just bought.

10 potatoes.

10 sweet potatoes.

Total: 2,000 coins.

Some might call him crazy for spending that much.

But really?

“They wouldn’t say that if they’d tasted that Lunadria.”

The electrifying flavor he’d experienced when he ate the Lunadria.

It was an ecstatic experience you couldn’t buy even for a fortune.

Sniff sniff.

“Oh…”

The moment he smelled the potatoes and sweet potatoes, he knew.

“They even smell different.”

Just like how every stride is unique.

The herbs and crops sold by Emperor Archamge had a scent that was in a league of its own.

Gulp.

The sensation he’d felt when tasting the Lunadria came rushing back, and his mouth watered instinctively.

What would these potatoes and sweet potatoes taste like?

“For now, just one bite of each, raw…”

Crunch!

He’d only meant to take a single bite of the sweet potato to test it, but…

“…!!!”

He couldn’t help but scream internally.

Why?

Because it was too delicious!!

“Oh!”

When he came to his senses, all that was left were the remnants of the demolished potatoes and sweet potatoes.

“This… this is a flavor that could be called a revolution for potatoes and sweet potatoes.”

He immediately logged onto SuperNet and left a review.

……….

Nickname: Bangbaedong Gourmet

Title: Review of the 100-Coin Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

……….

That day, the review posted by Bangbaedong Gourmet swept through SuperNet like a storm.