Chapter 43: Absolute Obedience to the Owner’s Words

**[Boss’s Watermelon — Grade: Yellow]**

**[Moisture Replenishment]**

**[Mana Recovery Speed Increase +9.5%]**

**[Mana and Intelligence increase with long-term consumption]**

**[Warning: Strong diuretic effect — rapid waste discharge occurs when consuming more than a certain amount]**

Everyone remembered the moment the watermelons were sliced.

However, everything after they reached out their hands was a total blank. By the time they regained their senses, they were all licking the watermelon rinds, which had turned completely white.

They were living proof that the intensity of mana could accelerate the stomach’s digestive power. None of them even felt full. There were three watermelons in total. Even if they sent one to the laboratory, they still had one to spare.

Park Ki-beom spoke as their "representative."

"…… Should we cut one more?"

The watermelon’s "precautions" unfortunately appeared with a slight delay. Kim Gu-bok’s family had experienced the effects in stages because there were ordinary people among them, but everyone here was an Awakened. Because of that, it led to the catastrophe of immediately slicing the second watermelon.

At the moment they were greedily eyeing the third watermelon after finishing off the second one...

Park Seong-yeon’s phone rang. It was Kim Jae-won.

— Seong-yeon, I forgot to mention, if Brother Nam-tae gives you any watermelons, you have to eat them just a little bit at a time at first.

"Huh? Why, why……?"

Park Seong-yeon asked back, looking at the mountain of watermelon rinds in confusion.

— Because they are re……ally delicious! So at first, you can’t help yourself and end up eating until your stomach bursts. Ugh, my sister and I actually had a bathroom battle! To put it nicely, it completely flushes out impurities, but……

There was no one in this place who couldn’t hear that phone conversation.

Three, two, one……

The signal dropped simultaneously.

*Rumble!*

A bathroom battle? No, it was the moment the Great Bathroom War began.

***

"A strong and energetic morning!"

— Waaaa, a strong and energetic morning!

It was a morning where the changes brought by the new family member could be felt. The little creature that had taken up its sleeping spot next to Go Nam-tae’s pillow woke his spirit instantly.

*Growl!*

As soon as they woke up, the sound of a stomach rumbling was loud. Since it was a chorus that included Go Nam-tae, he went out to hunt for breakfast, pretending not to notice.

"What should we eat?"

'Grilled tofu!'

'I want grilled earthworms!'

'I want soybean dregs stew.'

— I like rice cakes! And pumpkin pancakes, grilled pumpkin, and…… let’s leave out the cucumbers.

She was a creature with very firm tastes. Nam-tae stopped Danhong in the middle of her attempt to recite everything she had tried the day before and began preparing breakfast. Danhong assisted with the preparations on her own.

— I’ll bring the rice cakes!

Thanks to the rice cake feast they held twice the previous day, there were many rice cakes left. He wondered how such a small creature would bring all those rice cakes, but she indeed had a way.

— Heung-bok, carry them carefully. You must never drop them! Do you want one too?

A bundle of rice cakes was hanging from the tip of Heung-bok’s vine. Danhong was sitting on top of it, nagging diligently. Looking at them, it seemed as if Heung-bok was pampering and supporting Danhong quite well.

Once the table was set, every single item the creatures had recited was served. Stopping Danhong’s mouth halfway through had been a truly wise choice. As soon as they finished breakfast, Danhong buzzed around like a jet bee.

— Let’s go take the dishes out quickly!

Fortunately, watching the kiln didn't seem to be because of the "price of the rice cakes" Danhong had mentioned initially. The little fairy genuinely enjoyed stoking the fire in the kiln.

As soon as he opened the door, she shot out like an arrow. Without fail, she dropped gems as she went.

*Shake, shake.*

The tendrils picking up the gems shook slightly as if shaking their heads.

Go Nam-tae had built several kilns from the start. Whether it was with failure in mind or for mass production was unclear, but thanks to that, they were opening a new one every day.

"Pick whatever you like today as well."

— I’m going to pick three!

'Me too, three!'

'Me too, me too!'

When he told them to pick whatever they wanted, the creatures started calling out for more items than were actually in the kiln.

'I'll bring the dishes out!'

'I can do it too!'

— Me first!

Even taking the dishes out became a competition.

One by one, as the finished products emerged, Go Nam-tae’s eyes and hands became busy. This one is okay, that one isn't bad, this one is good…… *crack!*

He had said he’d be lucky to save even half, but surprisingly, two-thirds were intact. Of course, they were items that wouldn’t pass a master’s standards.

— This is it, this is it! It’s mine!

Danhong bragged while holding a dish embedded with her own gems. The other creatures were the same. They were all holding and presenting plates engraved with their own patterns.

Danhong’s item stood out because of the gems, but its shape was already overflowing with her desires. A dedicated jar for rice cakes with a lid, a plate for serving rice cakes…… it was a dedicated rice cake set. However, the color looked even more beautiful and mysterious this time.

"…… Does *onggi* usually turn out in this color?"

If general *onggi* was a heavy dark brown, this was completely different. It was a color that contrasted strangely with the mysterious navy blue he had given a passing grade to.

**[It is red gold.]**

'Red gold.'

It was an alluring color that suited that exact expression. The system also reacted.

**[Jar of Flame — A jar containing the breath of the Boss’s fairy]**

**[Aids in the fermentation of food.]**

**[Consuming food fermented in this jar for a certain amount of time purifies curse and undead-attribute energy.]**

"…… Wow!"

***

Quite a few things Go Nam-tae made had become items, including kimchi containers and the food he prepared himself.

However, the *onggi* was not yet at a level where he could expect much. This meant the reason this jar became an item wasn't because of his skill.

"Danhong, your jar is an item. I think it’s thanks to your gems."

— Really? Waaa, waaa, waaa……!

As Danhong jumped around in joy, the other creatures looked on with envious eyes. Then, she rummaged through the pouch hanging at her waist and held out some gems.

— You guys use these to make yours too!

She was a truly generous soul. In Go Nam-tae’s eyes, her gem pouch seemed like his basket, capable of holding an endless amount. Danhong was even generous toward Go Nam-tae.

— Boss, you use this!

She handed the entire pouch over to Nam-tae. She was the type of creature that might give away her very foundation if he wasn't careful.

"Give them to me later, when we make the dishes."

— Tell me whenever you need them. I’ll give you everything!

'Can I really just call this being generous……?'

Go Nam-tae became worried. While everyone was choosing their dishes and Danhong was being generous, Heung-bok came out with the last piece of pottery. It was a round, wide dish with handles on both sides and holes poked through the bottom. Seeing that dish, Danhong asked with a nervous face.

— Is, is it done? Can I use this?

"…… Yes, it’s very good. Shall we try making rice cakes with this *siru* today?"

— W-Waaaa! It’s done, it’s done!

Danhong suddenly burst into tears.

*Pitter-patter!*

Gems began to drop like rain. It seemed she had still been worried about the broken *siru*. Danhong climbed inside the new *siru* and cried for a long time. He felt he should have comforted her sooner if he had known she felt this way.

"It’s okay. I told you that other *siru* would fix itself. You saw that it’s already about half-restored, right?"

— B-But…… I broke it…….

"Even so, we can make as many rice cakes as we want. Besides, you’ve made an even better *siru* like this."

— …… Is it really okay?

"Would I have taken someone I disliked into the family?"

— Ah……. Hehe! I’m the Boss’s family! Hehehehe……!

Danhong immediately broke into a wide grin, and her tears stopped instantly. Like the innocent creature she was, her mood shifted quickly. One could tell she was originally a bright and well-adjusted creature, despite the shock of being cast out.

— Quickly, quickly, let’s make rice cakes with this!

"We just ate rice cakes."

— You can make rice cakes now and eat them later! Look!

Danhong waved Heung-bok’s leaf like a secret weapon. If he said that freshly made ones were the best even after that…… she would be disappointed. Like Danhong said, if they wrapped the rice cakes well in Heung-bok’s leaves, they could be kept and eaten for a long time. Or they could be shared with Kim Gu-bok or Park Seong-yeon.

**[You must go and take out the cheonggukjang.]**

Toto subtly reminded him of the next task, but it wasn't too late to do it after Danhong made up for the mistake she had been dwelling on.

"All right, let's make rice cakes!"

— Hee-hee, rice cakes!

Her smiling face was a hundred times better to see than her crying. Thus, rice cakes were reserved for lunch and dinner today.

…… It was still only morning.

***

The moment Go Nam-tae lifted the lid.

*Beep-beep-beep-beep!*

Ha-eul’s entire family fled outside. It was similar to when he was mixing red chili powder. Back then, at least the Underworld remained, but this time, every furry creature left without exception.

"This is so delicious, though……"

As Go Nam-tae grumbled dejectedly while stirring the *cheonggukjang*, the girl sitting on his shoulder chattered.

— Why are you rotting delicious beans? Did you mess up while making tofu?

It was the kind of question creatures seeing *cheonggukjang* and *meju* for the first time would ask. Since she was a creature who had been horrified by eating a cucumber, there was no hope of spreading the taste of *cheonggukjang* to Danhong.

Go Nam-tae set aside his hopes and began his explanation.

"This is called *cheonggukjang*. It’s really delicious if you make a stew out of it. And this is called *meju*. Both are made by fermenting them……"

Surprisingly, Danhong listened intently to Go Nam-tae’s explanation before rummaging through her pouch and pulling something out. It was her jar that the system had identified as an item earlier.

'Jar of Flame.'

It possessed the incredible ability to aid in the fermentation of food and even purify curse and undead energy. He wasn't going to use Danhong’s jar for this, but a possibility had opened up.

Go Nam-tae lifted Danhong high and spoke.

"Danhong, you’re truly amazing. Thanks to you, I think I can make the best special fermentation room."

She should have been rejoicing or bragging. The creature who usually rattled his eardrums was somehow only moving her mouth without making a sound.

*Hic, hic.*

She couldn't even cry out loud, and gems simply fell to the floor in a flurry. Go Nam-tae had to comfort the creature, who was shedding thick tears with a wide smile on her face, for a very long time.

***

In the dawn while Go Nam-tae slept.

In the darkness, inside the tightly wrapped leaves, something began to rustle.

*Crack, snap.*

It was the sound of life breathing its first breath into the world.

Born on Earth and reaching this place through the crack, it finally woke up, harboring the energy of the Boss and an unknown existence within the Boss’s territory. The creature that emerged from the egg while still wet soon became fluffy as its down dried, and its eyes brimmed with life.

*Cheep, cheep!*

*Shhh!*

'Shh, be quiet. The Boss is sleeping.'

*Cheee-ep.*

The first one to be born tried to raise its voice robustly before quickly quieting down. That was the beginning.

*Rustle, rustle.*

The second one also began to break through its egg.

From the deep night until dawn, the chicks broke through their eggs one after another. One, two, three…… ten!

All the fertilized eggs Go Nam-tae had initially provided had hatched safely. They appeared to be nothing more than yellow-downed chicks, but every one of them was an existence that had grown while feeding on Heung-bok’s energy to their very bones.

'From now on, you shall be my eyes and ears!'

The chicks straightened their bodies all at once and engraved the owner’s words into their being.

**[Absolute Obedience to the Owner’s Words]**.

Absolute obedience to the Boss, who was the owner’s owner.

The chicks knew instinctively. They knew they were different from the other eggs hanging from different roots. Unlike those that were merely growing by feeding on "delicious energy," they were the glorious subordinates of the Boss.

'Make a good impression on the Boss.'

*Cheep……*

The chicks immediately silenced themselves as they looked toward the quiet house.

If one were to look closely at the chicks, they would find something special. Something was sprouting atop the heads of the newborn chicks.

The things swaying gently resembled pumpkin leaves.