Chapter 32: Kujija Leaf Herb

Bangbaedong Gourmet, Ahn Jaeseong.

Even as his vision blurred, he mustered the focus to write a post on <Gold Lounge>.

Nickname: [Bangbaedong Gourmet (SS)]
Title: I need help… Something is wrong with me.

Content:
This is Bangbae-dong Gourmet… I’m in Shanghai… just moments away from the Asia Master Chef cooking competition finals… But my body… feels off…

I can’t… breathe properly… haah… My vision is blurring… I feel dizzy… like something’s circling above my head… My body… feels like it’s floating… and the things in front of me… keep getting closer and farther…

At first… I thought it was poison… but this feels more like… hallucinations… like I’ve been drugged…

I need to be in the finals… but at this rate… I don’t think I can stay mentally stable… Is there any way… even just temporary relief… (truncated)…

He was alone in a foreign land—China, with no local contacts.

Right now, the only place Ahn Jaeseong could rely on was the <Gold Lounge> on SuperNet.

‘It’s not poison… which makes it trickier.’

If it had been poison, the chances of him getting affected would’ve been far lower.

Ahn Jaeseong was Level 70, with relatively high poison resistance.

Ordinary poisons didn’t work on him.

Even a potent toxin strong enough to affect someone of his caliber would’ve been instantly noticed the moment he tasted it.

But this…

‘It’s a hallucinogen… a drug.’

And not just any drug—one potent enough to affect a high-level Superhuman.
Practically a narcotic.

‘Where the hell did they even get something like this?‘

He’d never heard of any drug that could affect someone like him.

But one thing was clear—Ahn Jaeseong was currently under the influence.

In this disoriented state, there was no way he could perform properly in the finals.

It might not be life-threatening, but it was clearly a malicious act meant to sabotage his competition.

[Chadol (S)]: What? Bangbaedong-nim is drugged?

[Donut (?)]: Woah; I could feel how bad it was just from reading that post.

[Bichobi (SS)]: What the hell did the Chinese whip up this time? A drug that even works on

Bangbaedong-nim’s level?

[Yangnyeom Chicken (S)]: I hope this gets resolved quickly. Is there anyone here well-versed in this kind of stuff?

His post quickly gained traction.

But no one had a solution.

Everyone shared in the frustration—until someone brought up the Archmage.

[Jjapaghetti (S)]: What about asking the Archmage for help?

[Donut (?)]: Oh, I was just about to say that too. Maybe the Archmage’s silk pouch has the answer.

[Glutinous Sweet-and-Sour Pork (S)]: Agreed. It’s worth a shot.

[Chadol (S)]: Bangbaedong-nim seems too out of it, so I’ll leave a comment on the Archmage’s post.

[Glutinous Sweet-and-Sour Pork (S)]: I’ll leave one too.

[Jjapaghetti (S)]: Same here!

Superhumans flocked to the Archmage’s last post, filling it with comments explaining Bangbaedong Gourmet’s current condition.

Dozens of messages flooded in within moments.

“Ah.”

Eventually, the pleas reached Seojoon.

“Huh, they’d stoop this low in a cooking competition?”

This was basically match-fixing—no, even worse.

Seojoon clicked his tongue at the sheer pettiness of it.

“Maybe Popo’s bodily fluid could cure it?”

He had a hunch it just might.

As he mulled it over, his eyes fell to the leaf in his hand—<Kujija Leaf Herb>.

「Kujija Leaf Herb (紫葉草), LV 100」

An aura of greatness lingers.

When ingested, dramatically boosts <Detox Ability> and <Physical Recovery Rate> for 60 minutes.

Permanently increases detox and recovery slightly.

Slight increase in toxin elimination rate.

Continuous use can lead to Immunity to All Poisons (萬毒不侵).

.

.

‘This might just do the trick.’

He had a strong gut feeling it would work.

So, he immediately opened a <Trade> with Bangbaedong Gourmet.

But then, an unexpected obstacle appeared.

Ahn Jaeseong would have to accept the <Trade> to receive it.

But in his current hallucinating state… could he even do that properly?

His concern became reality.

“He is not accepting the trade.”

Without the trade being accepted, even Seojoon had no way to help Bangbaedong Gourmet.

‘Please accept it… Bangbaedong-nim.’

Seojoon didn’t give up and tried requesting the trade again.

The second attempt failed too.

‘Bangbaedong-nim!’

He had lost count of how many times he’d tried.

He invoked the name of Bangbae-dong Gourmet inwardly as he initiated the trade again.

「The other party has accepted the <Trade>.」

“I…!”

It worked!

***

Just moments ago—

When Dania hatched from the egg, The radiant five-colored light that burst forth from Dania’s body had spread far beyond the lair.

「This… this is…」

“Ah… Ah!”

『The blessing… of a Great… Being…』

“The land… is beginning… to grow more… fertile…”

『Reverence… to the Great… Being…』

The five-colored light invigorated the very energy of the land where the Elatrias resided.

Not only that—it even displayed a miracle, instantly restoring the vitality of the Elatrias whose branches had withered and aged.

[Tot… o…]

Among them was the oldest of the Elatrias, a great ancient tree that had long been withered and was awaiting only the end.

“The Elder… has regained… its strength…”

“Ah… Ah… Such an astonishing… miracle…”

『Worship… to the Great… Being…』

“Elder… It has been so long… since we last saw you…”

All the Elatrias rustled their branches in unison.

A wave of green rippled across all of Elatrium.

“Clear… thoughts… after such a long… time…”

The oldest and most frail of the Elatrias.

Yet its voice carried a strength firmer than that of any other Elatria.

『We… have received… a great blessing… from the Great… Being… We must… offer something… in return…』

With those words, green light began to gather before it.

Paaaah!

What emerged was a seed the size of a human fist.

Compared to the great size of the Elatrias, it was incredibly small.

But the mystical and vivid life force contained within it was so dense, it overwhelmed the energy of all the Elatrias present.

“This… this is…”

“Ah… Ah… Mother’s… Seed…!”

All the Elatrias exclaimed in unison, filled with astonishment.

This was—

The ancient, long-forgotten Great Seed.

***

[The personal transaction has been completed.]

“Ah…”

Ahn Jaeseong.

In his dazed, half-asleep state, he had somehow managed to accept the transaction sent by the Archmage Emperor.

‘What… is this…?’

Through his wavering vision—

He saw a leaf tinged with soft green and brown hues.

A herb with a total of nine leaves.

It gave off a subtle yet fresh aroma reminiscent of green tea.

Along with a gentle, natural bitterness, a refreshing scent that seemed to purify the surrounding air deeply filled his nose.

“Ah!”

In that moment, Ahn Jaeseong’s mind became just a little bit clearer.

Though he was still hazy and felt like he was floating on a cloud, he could now think more clearly than before.

“This… is…”

Ahn Jaeseong focused intently on the herb in his hand.

「Gujija Leaf Herb Lv???」

A spiritual herb with a name that felt oddly familiar.

From the countless herbs stored in his memory, one suddenly surfaced in his mind.

‘A legendary-grade… antidote!’

His eyes locked in with sharper focus.

The Archmage Emperor.

He had sent this rare spiritual herb for Ahn’s sake.

He must’ve seen the post and sent it in response.

Shiver.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Ahn Jaeseong’s body trembled as if struck by a wave.

Kujija Leaf Herb.

He didn’t know much, but he was sure it was an extremely rare and expensive herb.

And yet—

The Archmage Emperor had sent it without hesitation after hearing about Ahn’s condition.

‘Ah… Archmage Emperor… just what kind of person are you…’

Touched by the Archmage Emperor’ sincerity, Ahn’s eyes grew damp before he even realized it.

‘Thank you.’

With a lump in his throat, he immediately took a bite of the Kujija Leaf Herb.

Crunch!

The moment it entered his mouth, it felt crisp, like dried bark.

But the instant it touched his tongue, it softened with moisture.

Hssss—

A slight bitterness began to spread across his tongue.

It was quickly followed by a deep aftertaste accompanied by a hint of grassy flavor.

A calm, profound taste—like chewing on green tea leaves.

The bitterness wasn’t overpowering. It settled down gently and left a clean, lingering finish in his mouth.

Gulp!

His throat cooled as a delicate sweetness bloomed at the end.

At the same time, the haze clouding his mind began to fade rapidly.

Crunch!

Crunch, crunch!

With each bite of the Kujija Leaf Herb, his thoughts grew clearer.

It felt like clouds parting to reveal a bright sky.

The dizziness in his head subsided, and the blur in his vision lifted completely.

Objects near and far came back into focus, bringing a sense of stability with them.

The world before him grew crisp, like seeing through a window that had just been wiped clean.

“Whooo…”

As he exhaled, the floating sensation that had weighed down his body also began to ease.

“It worked.”

The Kujija Leaf Herb’s effect was remarkable.

It had instantly detoxified all traces of the drug in his system.

“It really worked.”

Clench!

Ahn Jaeseong clenched both fists tightly in a wave of emotion.

To crawl out from the depths of despair—there were no words that could describe this feeling.

Knock knock.

“Chef Ahn Jaeseong, the final round is about to begin.”

A voice called from outside.

Bang!

He threw open the door.

There stood a Chinese guide waiting for him.

Flinch!

The man flinched as he looked at Ahn Jaeseong, who appeared completely unharmed.

Seeing that reaction, Ahn Jaeseong thought to himself,

‘So it wasn’t just the chef’s own deviation.’

A foul stench of corruption reeked throughout the entire arena.

‘I won’t let this slide.’

A chilling blue glint flickered in Ahn Jaeseong’s eyes.

However—

For now—

“Please lead the way.”

Even in the midst of this collusion, he would show them what it meant to raise the champion’s trophy with dignity.

With quiet fury in his steps, Ahn Jaeseong began walking toward the stage for the finals.

***

At that moment—

“Chuchu!”

“Huh? What’s this now?”

I blinked at the sight of the fist-sized seed that Chuchu had pulled out of its belly pouch.

“Chuchu! Chuchuchu!”

Chuchu gestured energetically with its hands and feet as it explained to me.

“The… Elatrias outside gave it to you?”

“Chuu!!”

“Ho? Is that so?”

Intrigued by Chuchu’s words, I took the seed from it.

At first glance, it appeared to be a normal seed, with a dark brown shell.

But—

The moment I held it in my hand, I could feel it.

Thump!

A massive life force pulsing from within the seed.

“……!”

As I stared at the seed with wide, astonished eyes—

『Kyuu! Seojoon, what is that? I can feel an incredible life force coming from it!』

Even Dania, who had been eating the Nagattara meat, turned her head toward me.

“Popo!”

Popo, who had been nibbling on the leaves of the Kujija Leaf Herb, also bounced over, full of curiosity.

But I said nothing in response to them.

No, I couldn’t speak.

Why?

「<Elixir Master (SSS)> is activating.」

As the Elixir Master trait activated, information about the seed appeared before my eyes.

And I was left speechless at what it revealed—something I had never imagined.