Chapter 33: Horn (1)

「Seed of Eldrias, Lv 500」

“…Whoa.”

The information about the seed floating before my eyes left me speechless.

“A level 500 seed…?”

The number alone sent chills down my spine. It was an overwhelmingly high level.

‘I vaguely thought Dania might hit around level 500 once it became a full-grown dragon…’

But seeing that number—500—with my own two eyes made my whole body shudder.

‘What even is Eldrias?’

It was a name I’d never heard before.

I immediately searched for it on <Gold Lounge>.

Nickname: [BoiledEgg (S)]
Title: What is the Eldrias Tree?

Content:
I’ve seen it pop up in ancient texts from the Tower of the Abyss a few times.

[AMugOfMilk (SSS)]: That’s the tree of the Spirit King.

[BoiledEgg (S)]: The tree of the Spirit King?

[AMugOfMilk (SSS)]: Yeah, I saw a record that said it’s a mystical tree from which elemental spirit kings are born~

[BoiledEgg (S)]: Oh… You sure about that?

[AMugOfMilk (SSS)]: Yup. Saw it myself during a visit to the High Elf Temple.

[BoiledEgg (S)]: What the—High Elf Temple? You’re seriously high level then! LOL

There was indeed a post that mentioned Eldrias.

‘A tree from which the Spirit King is born?’

If that statement was true, it was a jackpot beyond jackpots.

Not just a regular spirit—A Spirit King.

The unexpected info sent a thrill through me. I searched for more posts, but there wasn’t anything else helpful.

Next, I turned to SuperNet.

There wasn’t any direct information on the “Eldrias Tree” in SuperNet either.

However, I did find a post that shared a related piece of information.

Nickname: SeekingElixirsFarAndWide

Title: Let’s Learn About Rare Elixirs (61)
Content: Hey, it’s post number sixty-one. Today, I’m introducing the mystical and legendary elixir, <Essence of Eldra>.

You know Eldrias, right? That mysterious tree said to be tied to the birth of spirits.

The <Essence of Eldra> isn’t naturally occurring—it’s the fruit formed from the life force and elemental energy concentrated within the tree of Eldrias.

This essence contains the energy of all elements. Not only does it amplify the body and mana of the one who consumes it, but it also allows them to freely wield every elemental attribute.

That’s why it’s especially effective for those who command multi-elemental forces.

In short, the <Essence of Eldra> is a legendary elixir that tunes the body’s energy in balance with the elements and draws out immense power through elemental harmony.

‘Essence of Eldra, huh.’

Another fascinating detail.

The fact alone that it allows the user to freely control all elemental attributes was extraordinary.

‘This also says the tree is connected to the birth of spirits.’

Spirits.

Still shrouded in mystery, with only scraps of confirmed information known.

But if you’ve ever seen one of the rare Spirit Summoners in action You’d understand just how powerful spirits really are.

‘And this tree supposedly gives birth to the kings of such beings.’

That certainly explains why the seed is level 500 despite being just a seed.

“…Whoa.”

I instantly knew what had to be done.

This seed needed to be raised with the utmost care.

The Etartria folks really went above and beyond.

To give me such a treasure as payment for rent?

“Popo!”

Popo leapt up with a ☆_☆ expression brighter than ever.

Even it seemed to realize how priceless this <Seed of Eldrias> was.

Then it led me to the center of the lair.

“You want me to plant it here?”

“Popo!”

Popo bounced excitedly at the lair’s center.

It was a spot it had clearly cultivated with care, coming back again and again.

Thanks to that effort, this area had the richest flow of earth energy in the entire lair.

“All right.”

I rolled up my sleeves to plant the seed—

“Chuchu!!”

But Chuchu came scampering over first.

With a quick flick of both hands—fwip fwip!

Golden gloves snapped into place!

Padadadat!

It dug out a hole just big enough to plant the <Seed of Eldrias>.

Oh my sweet Chuchu.

It always knows exactly what to do, even without me saying a word!

“Nice work, Chuchu.”

I gave Chuchu a pat on the head and planted the <Seed of Eldrias> right in the hole.

“Popo!”

Popo ran over and gave a happy wiggle.

Tsstsstsst!

Soil naturally flowed back over the seed, covering it neatly.

“Nice. Well done, Popo.”

“Popo!”

When I patted Popo’s head too, it smiled with a happy n_n expression and hopped up and down.

What a cute little thing.

I couldn’t help but smile warmly at it.

‘I really need to succeed in mass-cultivating Seondo soon and start consuming it diligently.’

Why?

Because Seondo has the effect: <Slight increase in ability to commune with nature>.

And if I keep improving that ability, I have a strong hunch it’ll really come in handy when the time comes to form a contract with a Spirit King.

‘Better safe than sorry, right?’

I clapped the dust off my hands and stood up.

‘Grow well, seed of Eldrias!’

But then—

“Huh?”

A confused sound escaped my lips.

Since I had SuperNet open anyway, I checked the sales proceeds from the crops and spirit herbs I’d listed in the auction earlier……

「6,741,000 Coins have been received.」

“Six… million, seven hundred forty-one thousand coins?”

That was higher than I’d expected.

“Whoa, what is this?”

I checked the sales details.

• 300 potatoes at 200 coins each
• 300 sweet potatoes at 200 coins each
• 300 cherry tomatoes at 400 coins each
• 5 Lunadrias at 250,000 coins each
• 5 White Sun Herbs at 1,200,000 coins each

Total: 7.49 million coins.
After a 10% commission, 6.741 million coins were paid out.

‘Incredible.’

The potatoes and sweet potatoes had originally sold for 100 coins each—now they were going for double.

Cherry tomatoes, which were 300 coins, now sold for 400.

Lunadria, which usually went for 50,000–100,000 coins, sold at 250,000 each.

And the White Sun Herb, which had a market price of 500,000–700,000, sold for 1.2 million each—nearly double the going rate.

“But still,”

I thought even those prices were severely undervalued.

‘I should be charging more.’

These are level 100 crops and spirit herbs, after all!

It still feels like I’m selling them too cheap, so I’ve only been putting them out on the market little by little.

Look—just two sales and the prices have already doubled.

If I keep releasing them gradually like this, buyers who understand their value will start flocking in, and the prices will skyrocket until I finally get what they’re truly worth.

‘For now, let’s have me and the Guardians consume most of them and focus on leveling up.’

Before leaving the lair, I plan to break past level 100, no matter what.

Level up, summon more Guardians, learn all the magic I can, explore every remaining path.

So much to do!

As I was laying out my future plans—

Dania came flapping its wings quickly and flew over to me.

[Seojoon! My head’s itchy.]

Huh?

I looked at Dania as it snuggled into my arms.

Wait—

‘On its head…Are those… bumps?’

***

An Jaeseong.

He began preparing his dish in the finals as if nothing had happened.

The level of focus he showed made it hard to believe he’d been drugged just moments ago.

As expected, he was a professional chef.

Right now, all he cared about was the perfection of the dish.

Ssshhhhhh.

The <Cherry Tomatoes> purchased from the Archmage.

He washed them clean with water and removed the stems.

Bubble bubble.

He quickly blanched them in boiling water.

This step was the most critical.

Just about ten seconds—he cooked them only until the skin just barely split, then immediately transferred them to prepared ice water to lower the temperature.

Then, with delicate hands, he carefully peeled the skins.

Smooth, vibrant red flesh.

As he peeled them one by one with care, he confirmed the moist and glistening texture of each tomato.

“Perfect.”

His precise handiwork played a role, but more than anything, these cherry tomatoes themselves were just too perfect.

How in the world did the Archmage grow crops like this?

Even in the midst of focusing on the cooking, he couldn’t help but be amazed.

Anyway—

As long as he nailed the sauce, he could complete a perfect <Tomato Marinade>.

“Focus.”

Ahn Jaeseong’s concentration sharpened even further.

‘The key to a marinade is in blending rich aromas.’

He added balsamic vinegar to olive oil to bring acidity, then mixed in minced garlic, fresh herbs, basil, thyme, and oregano to create the sauce.

As the herbs gradually infused into the olive oil, the competition hall filled with a fresh and fragrant scent.

“Final touch.”

He added a bit of lemon zest, salt, and pepper to round out the deep, balanced flavor.

“Done.”

He tasted the sauce and gave a satisfied nod.

Now, all that remained was to combine the tomatoes with the marinade.

Swish swish swish.

He tossed the tomatoes and the marinade together in a prepared bowl.

As the tomatoes absorbed the sauce, they became glossier, and their taste and aroma blended beautifully.

Since the marinade needed time to soak in slowly, he carefully monitored the condition of the tomatoes at every step of the process.

“Ten minutes remaining!”

With the judge’s announcement—

The dish was complete.

But it wasn’t over just yet.

Presentation.

He plated the marinated tomatoes one by one, arranging them with great care.

He added baby greens and basil leaves for freshness, and drizzled a little olive oil to finish with a glossy touch.

The natural color of the tomatoes and the sheen of the sauce blended harmoniously on the plate.

It was a dish worthy of the final round.

Not just a simple tomato marinade, but a plate filled with devotion and artistry.

“Time’s up!”

With the judge’s call, Ahn Jaeseong’s dish and his opponent’s were moved to the judges’ table.

His opponent’s dish was Dongpo Pork (Braised Pork Belly).

Its visual appeal and aroma were no joke.

“Wow. This is the softest Dongpo Pork I’ve ever had.”

“Great!”

“It’s a flavor you just can’t stop eating.”

The moment it touched their mouths, a rich and savory taste spread out, with the unique umami of pork harmonizing with the deep sweetness of soy sauce.

The dense spices and meat juices lingered long after.

Judges from China, the U.S., and Singapore.

All three were visibly impressed and emptied their plates of the Dongpo Pork.

They all gave thumbs up.

It was undeniably the best Dongpo Pork any of them had ever tasted—no one could dispute it.

“It’s the best, Chef Wang Kang.”

“You really are Shanghai’s top chef.”

“Delicious beyond words.”

Praise poured in.

And Chef Wang Kang responded with a confident smile.

Then came Ahn Jaeseong’s dish.

“Hm. Tomato marinade?”

“This feels kind of like dessert after eating some street food.”

“There’s really not much besides the tomatoes themselves in this dish. To bet everything in the final round on a single tomato… that’s a bold move worthy of recognition.”

The judges’ reactions were ambiguous.

Especially the last comment from the American judge—it carried a subtle tone.

You could interpret it as:

“Oh? Trying to win this with just a tomato? Are you not taking this competition seriously?”

Amid that peculiar tension, the tasting began.

Pop!

As the cherry tomato entered the judges’ mouths, its juice burst gently and smoothly.

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

“……!”

The moment they took a bite—

The atmosphere among the judges shifted.

Crunch. Crisp.

Without saying a word, the judges savored the tomato marinade.

The juice of the tomato was both sweet and tangy, delivering a subtle thrill like tiny sparks bursting on the tongue.

It was a deep, rich sweetness incomparable to ordinary tomatoes, lingering in the mouth long after the bite was gone, as if magic itself was softly seeping into the tip of the tongue.

“Wow!”

“Insane!”

“Crk!!”

As soon as they swallowed the tomato, the judges burst into spontaneous exclamations.

Crunch. Crisp.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!!

The atmosphere was the complete opposite of when they’d tasted the Dongpo pork earlier.

Now, without even sparing time for commentary, they were too busy stuffing their mouths with the tomato marinade.

“Ahhh!”

At last, one of the judges let out a cry of delight, his expression one of euphoric bliss,
as if his tongue was melting.

The acidity of the balsamic, the nuttiness of the olive oil, and the fragrance of the herbs they all harmonized with the tomato’s natural flavor, creating a truly fantastical, multi-layered taste.

Every bite burst like a drop of magic-infused nectar, offering a mysterious, enchanting flavor an unforgettable experience for anyone lucky enough to taste it.

“What… what is this!?”

“Wonderful!! Fantastic!!”

“This tomato… it transcends the flavors of the human world!”

Indeed, this wasn’t food from the human realm.

It was divine.

A dish fit for the heavens, something only gods would eat, had descended before them.

There was no trace left of the initially lukewarm judges.

Now, with their plates completely licked clean, they could do nothing but sing endless praise for the tomato marinade.

And the result—

“The winner is Chef Ahn Jaeseong!!”

An expected, and well-deserved, victory.

“Congratulations on your win! Please share a few words.”

Jaeseong calmly lifted the microphone.

He had already decided what to say.

His gratitude to the Archmage.

And—

To settle the score with the Chinese officials who had caused such trouble.

He could already see a few faces turning uneasy.

A slow smile crept up on Jaeseong’s lips.

And then, he began to speak.

BOOM.

KWA-AAAAAAANG!!!

The words that came out of Ahn Jaeseong’s mouth exploded like a massive bomb,
ripping through the competition hall like a shockwave.

In that moment, with Jaeseong’s victory and his explosive statement the world, and SuperNet, were thrown into chaos.

***

[Kyuuuuu! It tickles!!]

I was holding Dania in my arms, gently stroking its head.

‘No matter how I look at it… this has to be a horn, right?’

A dragon’s horn.

The bump rising from Dania’s head looked just like a horn on the verge of sprouting.

But the real issue—

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

‘Why is my heart beating so fast?’

「Dragon Blood is boiling.」

「Your potential is stirring!」

‘Uh… what the heck is this?’