Chapter 26: Gugune White Sundae (2)

A short while ago.

Chuchu heard it.

What?

Seojoon murmuring that he wished he could get some Seondo seeds.

“Chuu!”

Chuchu’s eyes sparkled.

Because an idea popped into its head about how to get those seeds.

“Chuchu!”

Flash.

It immediately left the lair.

And darted off toward a place it remembered.

Huh?

That’s odd.

It had been running for a while…

So why weren’t the beings it remembered seeing showing up?

“Chuu?”

It tilted its head.

Sniff sniff.

It flared its nostrils, trying to catch a scent in the air.

Then, faintly, from far away—came the deep smell of a dense forest.

“Chuu!”

It didn’t know why, but those beings had moved to a different location.

Chuchu dashed off in that direction like an arrow.

Eventually, it arrived.

A thick, vibrant scent of life was wafting out from the forest.

As it stepped inside…

GROOOOOAAARRRR!

Beings revealed their presence to Chuchu.

They were the tree spirits—

Elatria.

Yes, this was the forest formed by gathered Elatria.

Elatrium.

Chuchu remembered.

When aided by the power of Elatria, even flowers and trees that had trouble bearing offspring could often do so with their help.

[For what… purpose… have you come… follower… of a great… being…]

Massive ancient trees.

One of the foremost stepped forward and spoke.

“Chuchu! Chuchuchu! Chuuu!”

Chuchu straightened its posture and waved its arms dramatically as it shouted.

[You wish… to help… the Seondo fruit… bear seeds… do you…]

Elatria could communicate with Chuchu.

“Chuchu!!”

Fwoooooosh!

As Chuchu nodded, a refreshing wind swirled through the air.

The Elatria were smiling.

[The breath of the seed… is needed…]

Breath of the seed.

The breath of the tree spirits, which boosts a plant’s chances of forming seeds.

That was what Chuchu came to get.

[But… Seondo is… a noble… seed… therefore… requires… many… breaths…]

“Chuu-!”

Chuchu understood the Elatria’s words.

They said it indirectly, but the meaning was clear:

If you want something, you have to give something.

“Chuchu!!”

Chuchu nodded and straightened its back.

It had already figured out the Elatria’s nature in advance.

It came prepared.

It stuck both hands into its belly pouch.

Then pulled them out—

Saaaaah!

A refreshing scent spread into the air.

What Chuchu had prepared was none other than <Clearwater Herb>.

“Chuchu!”

Chuchu confidently held the Clearwater Herb high in the air.

[Hooh… hooo… hoooo…]

The Elatria began showing interest.

Even the ones who had their eyes closed had now opened them, gazing intently at the plant.

“Chuu!”

Chuchu nodded, confident its idea was correct.

Elatria.

Tree spirits.

Naturally, they share the fundamental traits of trees.

Which means?

They love water more than anything.

And that’s why they were especially fond of the water extracted from the leaves of Clearwater Herb.

But this one—

Had grown in a dragon’s lair.

It tasted far better than any regular Clearwater Herb.

The Elatria immediately sensed the difference and took interest.

[Good… Clearwater Herb… however… not enough…]

Right.

Look at their enormous size.

One stalk of Clearwater Herb isn’t even a drop in the bucket.

We’d probably have to uproot every last Clearwater Herb growing in Rare to get water good enough to satisfy them.

But there’s no way we can pull all of that up.

“Chuuu!”

So, It came prepared.

The next card.

Saaahhhhhh!

A cool, sweet scent spreads through the air.

「Ooooh… that is…Lunadria… Icebloom Herb… very nice……」

Not just the Elatria who first spoke with Chuchu—other Elatria begin to show interest as well.

The yin energy flowing from the Lunadria.

A delicacy the Elatria loved.

[Let’s… make a deal…]

[I … first… follow your order……]

[I will… give more… Breath of Seeds…]

Requests for trade flood toward Chuchu.

Chuchu’s plan was a success!

“Chu!”

Now, who’s in charge?

Chuchu crosses its arms and swings its legs smugly.

“Chuchu!”

It means whoever offers the most <Breath of Seeds> will get it.

With a bright smile, Chuchu snaps out its paw.

***

Pop!

From a hole in the ground of Rare, a golden-furred fluffball emerges.

“Chu!”

Chuchu, who had suddenly disappeared, has returned.

“You little rascal! Where did you run off to without a word?”

“Chuchu!”

Chuchu scurries over and jumps onto my shoulder.

Then it starts rubbing affectionately.

“Geez…”

Just as my voice threatens to rise, it tries to butter me up.

I missed my chance to scold it.

Chuchu’s got great timing.

“Fine, fine. I get it.”

The soft fluff of its fur makes me smile before I know it.

“Chu!”

Noticing that my mood’s improved, Chuchu hops back down to the ground.

“But still—next time you go out, let me know, okay?”

“Chuchu!”

It nods eagerly.

Cute little thing.

I can’t even stay mad at it.

Rustle rustle.

I ruffle its head with my index finger.

“Churrr~!”

Chuchu lets out a happy little purr.

“Popopopopo!”

Seeing us, Popo—who’d been anxiously watching to see if I’d get mad—sighs in relief and hops over.

“Popo!”

“Chuuu~”

As Popo approaches, Chuchu hops onto Popo’s back and rubs up against it.

Oh, these two…

Getting along so well.

Then, suddenly—

Chuchu lifts its head abruptly.

“Chu!”

It hops back down to the floor, raises both arms high,

straightens its back, and—pat pat!—starts smacking its belly as if to say, “Get ready!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Popo!”

Popo and I tilted our heads in confusion.

“Chuchuchu!”

Seeing us like that, ChuChu stuck both hands deep into its belly pouch.

Poof!

It pulled something out from the pouch.

Three small, clear crystals—so pure and transparent, like morning dew.

“What is this?”

As I tilted my head in curiosity, ChuChu gently placed the three crystals in my hand.

They were about the size of my finger joints.

These tiny crystals held a faint glow within them.

Looking closer, they shimmered softly, with gentle hues of green and blue blending together.

‘They’re warm.’

The crystals gave off a gentle, comforting warmth as they rested in my hand.

At the same time, I sensed a faint scent of wood and the energy of new life—like budding sprouts.

「Breath of the Seed, LV 110」

Uh…….

I checked the level using <Elixir Master>, and it’s no joke.

Level 110?

I examined them more closely.

……

「Breath of the Seed, LV 110」

A mysterious breath imbued directly by the tree spirit Elatria. It fills the tree’s fruit with magical energy, allowing it to bear seeds.

This breath activates the tree’s life energy, creating the conditions necessary for seed formation.

……

‘Seeds?’

I blinked.

No way.

Could it be?

I quickly turned my head to look at ChuChu.

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu placed its hands on its hips and shrugged proudly.

“No way… Did you go and get this because of the <Leading>?”

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu nodded at my words.

Wow.

ChuChu, you little treasure.

And here I was, about to scold you without knowing.

I’m so sorry, ChuChu!

“Chuuuuu!”

I scooped ChuChu up in both hands and rubbed my cheek against it.

ChuChu didn’t seem to mind, making a pleased purring sound.

“So I just need to use this on that?”

I pointed to the bud on the divine tree, just about to bear fruit.

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu nodded again.

Alright.

Let’s give it a try.

I brought the <Breath of the Seed> close to the bud.

And then—

Paaah!

Tiny streams of light began to flow from the crystals into the tree.

Uuuuuung!!!

The bud trembled, wrapped in green and blue light.

Even standing nearby, the strong vitality could be felt, making me let out a quiet gasp.

Eventually, all three <Breath of the Seed> crystals disappeared completely.

I could just feel it—this divine fruit was going to produce seeds.

“Man… ChuChu. Where did you even find something like this?”

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu looked up at me with a proud expression, hands clasped at its chest, as if asking for praise.

“Haha. Yeah, yeah. You did great.”

Then a sudden thought struck me.

“ChuChu, do you think you can get more of this?”

“ChuChu!”

ChuChu nodded without hesitation.

Then it reached into its belly pouch again.

Shwaa!

“What the—!”

There were at least twenty more <Breath of the Seed> crystals.

Then ChuChu pointed at the Clearwater Herb and Lunadria.

“With those, you can get more?”

“ChuChu!”

Okay. Got it.

Tomorrow, I’ll plant more Clearwater Herb and Lunadria.

‘From now on, I’ll use this every time the divine tree bears fruit. And…’

Glance.

I looked at the medicinal herb planted next to the divine tree.

Mandragora.

I must succeed in cultivating that one too.

‘If I boil Nagatara meat and Mandragora in Clearwater Herb broth, I bet it’ll taste amazing…’

The thought of samgyetang I used to eat in midsummer made my mouth water.

Ah! This—

I have to succeed in growing Mandragora!

I turned to look at ChuChu.

Alright, then. For our hardworking ChuChu, how about a cherry tomato party?

“ChuChu!!”

“Popo!”

At the mention of cherry tomatoes, the two of them jumped up and down in excitement.

Originally, I was going to test out the new <Magic Training> gear I just bought and head into the training field…

But even a trip to Mt. Geumgang can wait until after a good meal.

“For our hardworking Chuchu, let’s start with a gourmet feast!”

“Add roasted sweet potatoes and roasted potatoes to the cherry tomatoes!”

“Chuuuu!!”

“Popo!”

Let’s throw a gourmet party!

***

“There’s little chance of further recovery.”

“Yes.”

Goo Donghyun.

He nodded calmly at the doctor’s words.

“Such a shame, at such a young age…”

“He was said to have a promising future.”

“The heavens are heartless.”

The doctor and nurses muttered in low voices as they left his hospital room.

Thanks to his exceptionally sharp hearing, Goo Donghyun could hear them clearly.

A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

After being declared untreatable by the shrine.

He had been admitted to the best hospital in the country and even tried relying on arcane medicine.

But once again, the result was the same—no chance of revival.

He had tried everything.

‘Ah, there’s one thing left.’

That mysterious potion he received earlier from the Superhuman Archmage Enperor.

No—could you even call it a potion?

He looked at the green and brownish jelly inside the bottle with a curious expression.

「Gagia Slime’s Bodily Fluid, LV ???」

An item name he had never seen before.

Gagia Slime?

Even after searching on SuperNet and Gold Lounge, he couldn’t find a single mention of it.

Where on earth did the Archmage Emperor get something like this?

‘So that’s why he told me not to tell anyone.’

The more he thought about it, the more mysterious the man became.

Could he really be someone who reached the top of the Abyss Tower, as rumors said?

He had believed no one could be stronger or higher-level than <Eden Carter>…

But maybe the Archmage Emperor had surpassed even him.

Sniff sniff.

Goo Donghyun opened the potion bottle and took a whiff.

Surprisingly fragrant and sweet.

He had always heard that slime bodily fluids smelled awful.

But this was different, even its scent.

‘Let’s eat.’

He didn’t fully trust the Archmage Emperor’s words.

But there was no reason not to trust them either.

There was no reason for him to lie, especially after sending such a mysterious item.

Slurp.

The moment he put the 「Gagia Slime’s Bodily Fluid」 in his mouth—

“……!!”

His eyes widened in shock.

“Ah!”

An involuntary exclamation escaped him.

Soft and sweet flavor.

Like tasting gelato.

A cold, smooth jelly-like texture.

It melted the moment it touched his tongue, spreading smoothly and filling his mouth.

The flavor was a blend of fresh honey and tropical fruit.

There was also a subtle natural aroma—like flower petals brushing past—that left a refreshing aftertaste.

Munch.

Gulp.

“……!”

The Gagia Slime’s bodily fluid left a cool, sweet afterglow.

He hadn’t had an appetite lately, but this instantly revived it.

He scraped out every last drop and ate it clean.

And then—

Fwoosh!

Heat suddenly surged across his face.

“Mmm.”

Thud.

Goo Donghyun collapsed onto his bed.

He couldn’t resist the wave of sleep that overcame him.

“…!”

As he quickly fell into deep slumber—

Woooong!

A soft glow of brown and green light spread over his entire body.