Translator: Nox
Chapter: Chapter 29
The New Resident of the Garden
"Wh-what's delicious about it?"
Chief Kim looked at the clam with a horrified expression.
It was a creature overflowing with magical energy just by looking at it. Eating it was unimaginable.
The Red Moss was the same. It had value when refined into medicine, but it could never be used for food.
'Could this be some kind of joke among young people these days? What should I say?'
He couldn't ruin the deal by not understanding the atmosphere. Chief Kim forced a smile and nodded.
"Hahaha, right. I heard it's so good for your health. I've heard the rumors too. It's so delicious that you wouldn't notice if one of you died while eating it... Yes. The clam."
Was this right? He was embarrassed. Ashamed. Even while feeling confused by his own words, Chief Kim steeled his resolve.
"So, uh, Teacher. Do you have any intention of selling these items to us?"
He knew they would be taken to Gold City anyway. He knew there was no possibility of selling them here, but he asked anyway.
"Tell me the price you want, and I'll match it as much as possible."
"As much as possible?"
"Yes, as much as possible! If the clam or moss isn't possible, even a few Black Pearl... no, a few beads from the bracelet would be great. If you sell them to us, I'll match a satisfactory price."
Please sell him even one. Chief Kim spoke with such desperation.
At this point, it wasn't just a matter of performance. Chief Kim's blood as an alchemist seemed to boil at the sight of high-quality materials he had never seen before.
Cheon Dowoon became intrigued by Chief Kim's reaction. Out of curiosity, he scanned his body with Mana.
'His stats are considerable. His specialization is Alchemy. He seems to have abilities in combination and appraisal... If his Mana Hole is trained to this extent, he must be an A+ class Awakened.'
Originally, he was someone who had risen to the position of Chief in the Gold City branch. He had no combat abilities, but his skills as an alchemist were top-notch.
Cheon Dowoon smiled, not expecting to meet such a talent in the slums.
"I heard it's difficult for high-level Awakened to emerge in the Alchemy specialization. Impressive."
"Yes?"
"I didn't expect to see such a talent in the slums."
Money had no value to Cheon Dowoon. If it was something he could have at any time, it was no different from a pebble rolling on the street.
To him, Chief Kim's abilities seemed much more valuable than money.
"Forget the money. How about making the medicine I need whenever I want? That's more appealing."
"The medicine you need? What kind of..."
"The term is 10 years. There will be many materials that you can't get on the market, so I'll provide the ingredients. I'm just buying your combination skills. How about it?"
Chief Kim's mouth dropped open at the unexpected words. He looked back and forth between the clam on the counter and Cheon Dowoon.
The reason there were no personal transactions of such items was because no one had the ability to pay the price.
And now, such a thing had flown into his life as a personal transaction. The price was not money, but his own abilities.
Being recognized for one's abilities was a joyous thing.
It was even more so if an item with a price that was difficult to estimate was placed on the same level as his own abilities.
Chief Kim found it hard to breathe with excitement. He couldn't speak, feeling dazed.
"You don't like it?"
"Ah, no! That's..."
Just as he was about to answer, the lobby door opened, and a middle-aged man entered. The moment Chief Kim saw him, his expression stiffened.
"Why is Director Noh here..."
A superior who had often stolen his achievements since he was in Gold City.
Director Noh went to Cheon Dowoon with a gentle smile. Two executive assistants holding hard-case bags followed him in.
"Hello. My name is Noh Gi-jeong from the Gold City branch."
Director Noh handed Cheon Dowoon his business card.
When he didn't accept it, his eyebrows twitched, but he managed his expression and continued.
"I rushed here after receiving a call from headquarters. Ah, my assistants here are Awakened with flight abilities. It was so cold flying here from Gold City. Haha."
Director Noh gestured to the assistants standing behind him.
The assistants placed four rectangular case bags on the table.
Click. The bags opened with a cheerful sound. Chief Kim couldn't bear to watch and lowered his head.
'You son of a bitch.'
It was a mistake to contact headquarters to raise funds. It was a mistake not to expect it to reach Director Noh's ears.
How many times had he been robbed of his achievements like this? He felt pathetically tearful. He gritted his teeth at the thought of losing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right before his eyes.
"This is the down payment. I've called a limousine outside, so let's go."
"Go? Where to?"
"Why, to headquarters, of course. You're not someone who should be doing business at a slum branch like this. Haha. You're going to be our VVIP, of course."
Director Noh said exaggeratedly in an excited voice.
"Now, now. First, take this down payment. The equipment here is old, so you wouldn't get proper measurements. How about getting re-measured at headquarters and making a deal you won't regret at the best price?"
It was an offer that couldn't be refused. Director Noh's face was full of such confidence. Cheon Dowoon stared at that face silently.
'I don't like it.'
He didn't like that he had suddenly interfered with his deal with Chief Kim, but more than anything, Director Noh's face grated on his nerves.
"You look alike."
"Yes?"
"You look too much alike. The mole next to your nose too. Is your grandfather's name Noh Bok-deok by any chance?"
"Oh? How do you know? Were you acquainted with my grandfather?"
If so, all the better. He would make him a regular customer with this connection. Director Noh smiled brightly, but Cheon Dowoon did not.
The researcher who threatened to push children into the Gate.
The man with a mole on his face. The descendant of that man was right in front of his eyes.
"You act the same too."
"Yes?"
"Noh Bok-deok's specialty was stealing the achievements of his fellow researchers. His specialty was sticking next to talented people and sucking them dry. Seeing you doing the same thing, blood is thicker than water, I guess."
Director Noh's expression twitched. Chief Kim, who had been looking at the floor in despair, also looked at him with a surprised expression.
Director Noh maintained a forced smile and said.
"There seems to be some misunderstanding. My grandfather was not such a person. He was a scholar who only did research alone without belonging to any organization. He was a wonderful person who donated to orphanages all his life."
Cheon Dowoon laughed at the rebuttal. He was someone who worked in an illegal research lab that used people as test subjects. He couldn't have told his family about that.
"Did he relieve his guilt by killing children behind the scenes and donating in front of them?"
"What... What are you talking about! Please stop insulting the deceased!"
"The deceased? He's already dead. I thought he would live a long time since he was an Awakened. Ah, no. He started to weaken after I pushed him out the window. He couldn't have lived long."
"Wh-what..."
"I was originally going to push him into the Gate. But thanks to my roommate, I used the Return Stone elsewhere. So I just pushed him out the window."
Cheon Dowoon said, reminiscing about the past.
He was already dead. He had no intention of taking revenge on his descendant who knew nothing.
But he wanted to mess with him at least a little for doing the same thing.
"What is this rudeness all of a sudden! Apologize for what you said about my grandfather!"
Director Noh shouted, revealing his energy.
He had risen to the position of Director in the Gold City branch. He wasn't a combat-type Awakened, but he was confident that he wouldn't lose to anyone.
'A good relationship is gone. All the better. I was annoyed at having to bow down to a young punk. I'll have to subdue him with force and coax him.'
Director Noh strode towards Cheon Dowoon. He moved his Mana to press down on Cheon Dowoon.
He would be flattened on the floor, unable to withstand the pressure that felt like dozens of times the gravity.
In fact, Cheon Dowoon's rude attitude wasn't that annoying.
Once, the world had collapsed. In the Hunter industry, where power was everything, there were many who were much rougher and more rude than Cheon Dowoon.
Compared to those people, Cheon Dowoon's attitude was mild.
That's why he had come to terms with the rude attitude, but he was twisted with envy at the fact that he was young and had a lot of money. He also didn't like his handsome face.
As those personal feelings overlapped, Director Noh wanted to break the nose of the arrogant young man.
"My grandfather received the Peace Prize. I can't stand the insult to that upright man!"
"Then don't stand it."
Thud. Director Noh and the two executive assistants fell face down like frogs at the same time. It was hard to even breathe under the vast Mana pressing down on them from above.
'Wh-what is this...!'
The action he was about to take had come back to him as it was. His mouth dropped open at the amount of Mana that was incomparable to the Mana he had exerted.
"You shouldn't press people down with force."
You're doing it! He wanted to shout, but no sound came out due to the pressure.
Director Noh's face turned pale. He realized that something was wrong with the difference in power that he couldn't even resist.
Someone with this much power wouldn't hold a grudge over something trivial.
He didn't know what had happened, but his grandfather must have done something to offend such a person. That much was certain.
Cheon Dowoon turned to Chief Kim. He was looking at Director Noh and the executive assistants who were lying on the floor with their mouths open.
"The answer?"
"Yes...?"
"The offer I made earlier. If you accept, go make the medicine."
"Ah... Ah, yes! I will! Of course!"
Chief Kim ran into the workshop. There was no need to think deeply. He had to seize the offer from someone with such abilities no matter what.
After changing into his work clothes, he took out the materials to make the medicine. As he drew up Mana, an Alchemy circle formed under his feet.
Combination ability user Chief Kim. His abilities as an alchemist were A+.
'I'll make the best medicine!'
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Chief Kim felt a surge of motivation for the first time in a long time.
* * *
Chief Kim, who had exhausted all his Mana to make the highest-grade medicine, was sitting blankly in front of the counter.
Too many things had happened at once, and he couldn't come to his senses.
[You, don't go anywhere else and stay at this branch. I'll come here when I need medicine.]
Cheon Dowoon, who had received the medicine, left those words and went out.
He didn't write a separate contract or anything. That was even scarier.
It felt like pressure that he could be found even if he broke the contract and disappeared. He also thought that it was possible for that person.
Chief Kim looked at the clam and moss placed on the counter. He still couldn't believe that these had become his property.
He didn't have to worry about being taken away by Director Noh from behind.
[If those items come out on the black market under someone else's name, I'll be upset. Do you understand what I mean?]
At those words, Director Noh left the association with a pale face. Chief Kim realized for the first time that a languid voice could sound terrifying.
"Chief Kim. It looks like that person is about to leave. Shouldn't you say goodbye?"
At the employee's words, Chief Kim jumped up. He took out a small wooden box from the drawer and chased after Cheon Dowoon.
"Wa, wait a minute! Teacher!"
Cheon Dowoon, who was about to break the Return Stone, turned around at the sound of someone calling him.
Chief Kim gasped for breath and held out the wooden box he had brought.
"Please accept this!"
"Out of the blue. What is it?"
"I received too much. I felt like I had to repay you somehow. Please accept it."
Money had no value to Cheon Dowoon. Chief Kim vaguely felt that, so he offered something other than money.
'That's right. Someone with that much power must already be outside the sense of monetary value that people have set.'
He was someone with different values than ordinary people. In that case, it was better to repay him with something other than money.
"Please accept it. It may be a trivial item to you, but... I have nothing else to give as a thank you."
"I didn't expect a thank you to follow a deal. You're the type to live at a loss."
"A loss? My abilities and that clam are not equal. I think I'll feel better if I give you something like this."
"Putting yourself down is a bad habit. Well, I'll take it since you're giving it to me."
It would be rude not to accept it when he said that much. Cheon Dowoon opened the box he had handed him.
What came out from inside was a withered root about 5 centimeters long. Cheon Dowoon's eyes widened at the unexpected item.
"Mandragora...?"
What was in the box was a Mandragora.
"Yes. It's already been dead for 10 years, so it's useless as a medicinal ingredient. I happened to get it a few years ago, but since it's such a rare thing, I had it as a specimen. As you know, even specimens are hard to find."
Even as he spoke, Chief Kim had an embarrassed expression.
The other person had a real Mandragora that could be used as medicine.
He wondered what he was giving to such a person.
Cheon Dowoon examined the Mandragora. The individuals in his garden had roots that were plump enough to resemble teddy bears.
But the one in the box was different. It was only about the thickness of a pencil. The roots were so dry that it was hard to believe they were the same species. The surface was cracked like a drought.
'It's still alive.'
Contrary to Chief Kim's words that it was dead, the Mandragora was alive.
Suspended animation. A phenomenon in which it stopped its biological activity on its own to prevent as much vitality from escaping as possible.
The 5-centimeter-sized Mandragora was struggling to survive in the small box.
Cheon Dowoon injected Mana into the Mandragora.
Concentrated magical energy surpassing high-altitude regions enveloped the Mandragora.
