โWhoa.โ
A gasp escaped my lips.
A dazzling, colorful wave stretched out before my eyes.
ใFlame Sun Fruit (SS) โ 3,000,000 Coinsใ
ใIce Cold Fruit (SS) โ 3,000,000 Coinsใ
ใKujija Leaf Herb (SS) โ 5,000,000 Coinsใ
ใBlue Spirit Herb (SS) โ 5,000,000 Coinsใ
ใSeven Star Flower (SS) โ 5,000,000 Coinsใ
ใSeven Star Pill (SSS) โ 100,000,000 Coinsใ
ใTen Thousand Year Mushroom (SSS) โ 150,000,000 Coinsใ
ใNine Dragon Herb (SSS) โ 300,000,000 Coinsใ
ใHeaven-Earth Great Restoration Pill (EX) โ 3,333,333,333 Coinsใ
ใHarmonizing Pearl (EX) โ 5,555,555,555 Coinsใ
ใDragon Heart Pill (EX) โ 7,777,777,777 Coinsใ
Hundreds of spirit herbs and elixirs filled the list.
Starting from SS-grade up to EX-grade, all of them were either unheard-of or sounded like something out of ancient texts.
As I hovered my hand over a translucent silhouette, detailed information popped up.
Harmonizing Pearl (ๆทท็ )
An elixir that condenses the energies of Heaven and Earth into one.
Upon consumption, body and mind briefly unify, allowing the user to unleash limitless power.
Particularly effective at maximizing latent potential…
Dragon Heart Pill
A legendary elixir distilled from the energy of a dragonโs heart.
When consumed, powerful energy surges throughout the body, temporarily granting the strength of a dragon.
Greatly boosts both stamina and vitality…
Gulp.
Just reading the descriptions made me swallow involuntarily.
Harmonizing Pearl? Never heard of it before, but it says it maximizes potential.
Dragon Heart Pill? Also unfamiliar, but itโs infused with draconic power.
Since I possess <Dragon Blood>, both of these would probably create a massive synergy if I took them.
There were countless other dazzling herbs and nutrients as well:
Phoenix Blood Crystal, Celestial Nectar, Vajra Pill, Jade Emperorโs Elixir, Seven Treasure Ring, Heaven-Earth Great Restoration Pill, and more.
โIf I consumed all of this, never mind level 500โI’d probably hit level 1000.โ
I could feel itโthe overwhelming strength I could gain from this.
Just imagining it made my heart race.
But for now, what I can actually afford is…
The lowest-grade spirit herbs.
Once again, I acutely felt the urgent need to earn more coins.
โThereโs the Kujija Leaf too.โ
The Kujija Leaf Herb that Chuchu had obtained.
It was considered legendary, and yet, it turned out to be one of the lowest-tier herbs here.
After a moment of thought, I made a decision.
As for todayโs purchasesโ
ใYou have purchased <Flame Sun Fruit>.ใ
ใYou have purchased <Ice Cold Fruit>.ใ
Flame Sun Fruit and Ice Cold Fruit.
3 million coins each. Total: 6 million coins.
Woof.
The money Iโd earned from the recent auction vanished like snow under the sun.
But in return, I held two fruits in my hands.
One was a brilliant red, like a ruby.
The other, pure white, like freshly fallen snow.
It was obvious which one was which at a glance.
โPopo!โ
โChu!โ
It smells sweet!
Popo and Chuchu.
Even Dania.
They all rushed over to me.
โHaha. Sure, letโs share.โ
First up was the Flame Sun Fruit.
Flame Sun Fruit (็ฑ้ฝๆ), LV 80
Imbued with the power of great flame energy.
Upon consumption, for 60 minutes:
<Body Temperature Increase, Physical Ability> will be explosively enhanced.
Afterward, permanent minor increase in body temperature and physical ability.
Slight boost to burn and muscle recovery speed.
With continued intake, drastically enhances ability to control fire energy.
A fruit known for strengthening the body and improving fire manipulation abilities.
Its level was only 80, which was a bit of a letdownโbut it didnโt really matter.
Why?
Because if I planted its seed in this lair, it would grow into a level 100 fruit again.
โAlright, Iโll split it into four and weโll each have a piece.โ
If only Arkeron could eat too.
I felt a pang of guilt againโlike I always did at times like this.
ใArkeronโฆ Iโm fine.ใ
It quietly stared at us from one side, but perhaps sensing my gaze, it spoke first.
That just made me feel more guilty somehow.
Next time, I need to find something that Arkeron can use too.
As a token of apology, I gave it a little nod, and then brought my piece of the Flame Sun Fruit to my mouth.
FWAAH!
The moment I bit into it, hot juice burst forth from its crimson flesh.
A gentle sweetness spread over my tongue, followed by a sharp, spicy heat.
At first, it was sweet and smooth.
But the more I chewed, the more it felt like embers were blooming in my mouth the fiery spice danced wildly.
โHuh-hah!โ
A burst of hot air escaped me with a gasp.
That timeless flavor combo: sweet and salty.
But here, it was spicy and spicy then spicy and sweet.
And then the popular favorite, sweet-spicy-sweet-spicy.
Yes.
Sweet-spicy-sweet-spicy.
Delicious.
โPopo!โ
โChuuu~!โ
ใThis is delicious!!ใ
They were all reacting strongly.
Especially Popo.
Its eyes trembled as it nibbled furiously at the fruit.
Spice really is addictive by nature.
โPoooโ!โ
After finishing its piece, it bounced around like crazy.
Looks like itโs complaining about the spiciness now?
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu was no different.
It rolled around on the groundโtumble, tumble.
Then it came back and took another crunchy bite.
And againโtumble, tumble.
“Heh heh.”
I let out a small laugh as I watched them.
Because I could relate to that feeling.
Honestly, I teared up a little while eating too.
ใKkyu! Youโre all weak! You canโt handle spicy food!ใ
In contrast, Dania was perfectly fine.
Wow.
Are dragon tongues covered in dragon scales too?
Impressive.
While I let out a quiet gasp of amazement inside, I cut the <Ice Cold Fruit> into four portions.
Ice Cold Fruit (ๆ), Lv 80
It holds the energy of cold snow and ice.
Upon consumption, it explosively boosts <Body Temperature Reduction, Cold Resistance> for 60 minutes.
Afterwards, permanently grants <Slight> body temperature reduction and increased cold resistance.
Slightly increases healing speed for wounds and frostbite.
Continued intake greatly enhances the ability to wield icy energy.
This fruit was focused on raising cold resistance.
Crunch!
The moment I bit into the Ice Cold Fruit, cold juice filled my mouthโlike taking a big bite of perfectly melted ice cream.
At first, it was subtly sweet and smooth, but the cold flesh gently melted with each chew, wrapping my tongue in a refreshing chill.
Even as it went down my throat, a crisp coolness lingered, like eating shaved ice in the middle of summerโmy whole body tingled with chill.
“Wow!”
A spontaneous exclamation escaped my lips!
I eagerly devoured the remaining pieces.
As the pulp dissolved smoothly in my mouth, its icy, refreshing aroma spread gently like cold air.
The frosty aftertaste that followed the sweetness lingered for a long time.
The lingering chill in my mouth was like the refreshing coolness after finishing perfectly melted ice cream.
Having just eaten the fiery Flame Sun Fruit, the coolness felt even more delightful.
“Popo!”
“Chu!!”
ใKkyuuuu! So tasty!!ใ
We all let out cries of delight in unison.
ใYour level has increased.ใ
Maybe because Iโm still low level, I even leveled up.
That brings me to level 33.
Just 2 more to reach 35.
ใMore, Seojoon! Give me more of that!!ใ
“Popo!”
“Chuu!”
Looks like they really liked the Ice Cold Fruit.
The Flame Sun Fruit was tasty too, but the Ice Cold Fruit mustโve left a stronger impression like eating delicious ice cream.
โWe donโt have any more right now. But just wait a little, everyone. Iโve got seeds right here.โ
Seeds of the Flame Sun Fruit and the Ice Cold Fruit.
Letโs plant them well in one spot.
“Chuchu!!”
Chuchu came scampering over and immediately began digging into the ground.
I planted each of the two seeds in the spot it dug up.
“Popo!”
“Chuu!”
ใLittle ones, grow up fast and strong!ใ
The three of them sat huddled together, staring intently at the patch where the seeds were planted.
They looked so adorable that I couldnโt help but let out a small chuckle.
โHaha.โ
Iโll pray for them to grow quickly too.
As I gazed at the place where Iโd planted the seeds, I silently offered up a prayer.
Woom…!
โHm?โ
Suddenly, I felt somethingโlike the seeds and my blood were resonating with each other.
โThis is…โ
Yes.
Itโs the skill I received not long ago through Daniaโs blessing <Rapid Bloom of Spirit Herb>.
I get the feeling I can use it now.
‘Rapid Bloom of Spirit Herbโ
Wooooong!
The moment I activated <Rapid Bloom of Spirit Herbs>, a pulse of life surged through the earth.
Flaaash!!
A faint light began to radiate from the spot where the seeds were buried.
And then,
A miracle happened.
Pop!
Tiny sprouts peeked out from the soil.
“Popo!”
“Chuuu!”
ใSprouts are out!ใ
They all shouted joyfully in unison.
But the miracle didnโt end thereโit continued right on.
Ruuumble!
The ground quaked as young shoots rapidly swelled in size.
The tiny sprout quickly thickened until it was bigger around than my thigh and began to take the form of a young tree.
ใThe baby sprouts grew up so fast! Seojoon, youโre amazing!!ใ
Daniaโs praise made me burst into a quiet laugh.
They hadnโt matured enough to bear fruit just yet, but at this rate, it looked like they might bear some as early as today or tomorrow.
โOh, come to think of itโโ
Thatโs when I realized something amazing.
โItโs… not as exhausting as I expected?โ
I did feel a bit hungry, but unlike last time with the Kujija Leaf, I didnโt feel utterly drained or close to collapsing.
โWait, donโt tell me…โ
I looked quickly over at Dania.
โDid the upgrade to your trait skill affect this one too?โ
Dania tilted its head in confusion.
I had no way to confirm it, but I had a strong hunch that I was right.
And if thatโs true, then my options just expanded dramatically.
With <Rapid Bloom of Spirit Herbs>, I could whoosh whoosh grow most spirit herbs instantly and eat them quickly.
That means faster growth and even faster level-ups.
This little snowball could grow into a massive one, becoming a stepping stone for me to reach even higher levels than Iโd imagined.
โMan… my lucky charm, through and through.โ
I looked at Dania with affectionate eyes.
And thenโ
ใKyuu! Ice Cold Fruit! I want more Ice Cold Fruit!ใ
โHaha.โ
All right. My sweet Dania, Iโll let you eat all the Ice Cold Fruit you want!
***
The next morning.
ใKyuu! Seojoon! Ice Cold Fruit! Theyโre ripe!ใ
When I woke up, the Flame Sun Fruit and Ice Cold Fruits had borne fruit.
Two from each tree.
Looks like these arenโt the kind of trees that produce a lot of fruit at once.
But thatโs fine.
Why?
Because I can just keep planting more seeds and increase the yield.
ใCan I eat it?ใ
โOf course.โ
When I picked a Ice Cold Fruit and handed it to Dania, it stared at it for a moment.
Then,
crack, crack!
It quartered the Ice Cold Fruit and handed me one of the pieces.
ใThis oneโs for Seojoon!ใ
โThis oneโs for Popo and Chuchu.โ
ใAnd this oneโs mine!ใ
“Popo!”
“Chuuuu!”
Aigo, my sweet little Dania.
“How kind.”
It would’ve made sense to be greedy and keep it all, but instead, it split it up so everyone could share.
ใKkyu! Tasty! Ice Cold Fruit!ใ
Daniaโs eyes turned into heart shapes as it savored each small piece of the Ice Cold Fruit.
It looked like Daniaโs love for Ice Cold Fruit was going to last for quite some time.
โIโll just finish eating this and start making the Taeumyangjeong.โ
I glanced at the first passage, the Guardian Room.
Today.
I would reach level 35.
But then,
An unexpected variable appeared.
“Chuchu!”
Chuchu led me to where the mandragora was.
โHuh?โ
The Breath of the Seed that had enveloped the mandragora, it had been completely absorbed.
A seed had formed in the petals of the mandragora.
โIt finally bore seeds.โ
There were three seeds.
Now I could plant three mandragoras at once.
โWill the mandragora become a Swift-Bloom Spirit Herb?โ
Yesterday, I tried using it on the Eldrias Seed, but unfortunately, it failed.
The level gap was just too wide.
But with the mandragora, it seemed doable.
After all, I had successfully germinated the 100LV Kujija Leaf.
So wouldnโt the 115LV mandragora also work?
With that hope in mind, I planted the mandragora seeds.
[Spirit Herb: Swift Bloom!]
KWAHHHH!
A green light burst from the ground.
Pop!
Three cotyledons sprouted up from the earth.
Success!
Though the mandragoras only reached the sprouting stage and didnโt grow much further, this still laid the groundwork for faster cultivation.
โWhew.โ
Mandragoras are a bit tough.
Maybe because their level is higher, I felt even hungrier than I did yesterday.
โIn that case.โ
Time to nourish the body, right?
โOkay, letโs simmer some Nagattara meat with this little guy today.โ
Pop!
I pulled up the first mandragora I had harvested seeds from.
โChuchu!โ
โPopo!โ
Chuchu and Popo started bouncing around excitedly in front of me.
They mustโve realized I was about to make something delicious.
โBoil the Clearwater Herb water!โ
Bubble bubble!
Now I just needed to prepare the Nagattara meat and the mandragora…
…but just as I was about to add them.
GRAAAAHHHHH!!
The mandragora in my hand suddenly started thrashing violently.
Its cry sounded frightened, pitiful, like it was begging for its life.