Translator: Nox
Chapter: Chapter 30
Homeward Bound
Chief Kim took a step back without realizing it. The magical energy emanating from Cheon Dowoon was suffocating.
'Is he even human?'
Chief Kim wasn't a combat-type Awakened. Because of this, he rarely had to cross through Gates, but he occasionally had to set foot inside to acquire materials.
Once, he had hired an Escort hunter and crossed a Gate together. There, he had seen a Calamity-class monster.
He had only seen it taking off from hundreds of meters away, but he would never forget the pressure he had felt at that time.
'Why am I getting that feeling now?'
No, this was even more intense. Was that thing in front of him really human?
That confusion stopped when the Mandragora in Cheon Dowoon's hand moved.
'Wh-what? It looked like it just moved. Did I see it wrong?'
The Rootlets dried on its body seemed to twitch.
It must be his imagination. The moment he thought that, the withered leaves visibly trembled.
'Huh? Uh... Uh? Wh-what is that? Why are its eyes... They were definitely dead...!'
Chief Kim's eyes widened. The Mandragora's eyes also slowly opened and grew larger.
Creak. The dried-up eyes were half-open before freezing in place.
-Hoo... Hoo...
A small, faint sound. It was completely different from the spirited "Hoo-eung" of the individuals in the garden.
But even that weak sound made Chief Kim's eyes widen.
'The Mandragora made a sound!'
The only sound Chief Kim knew a Mandragora made was the scream it let out when pulled from the ground. He had never heard it make a sound that seemed to express its intentions in such a way.
-Hoo... Hoo...
A faint breath escaped.
A sticky liquid filled its dried-up eyes. Chief Kim became uneasy as it welled up like tears.
"Don't make juice. You're already dry."
Cheon Dowoon closed the Mandragora's eyes with his fingers.
"Keep them closed."
-Hoo...
The withered leaves slowly trembled.
"Just what are you, Mr. Cheon...?"
Chief Kim was speechless after seeing a Mandragora that had been dead for over a decade come back to life.
Was he perhaps a resurrection ability user? Chief Kim almost asked that.
The ability to revive the dead did not exist. Even knowing that, the sight before his eyes almost made him blurt out that question.
'Let's not ask. It's best to keep my mouth shut right now.'
Chief Kim discreetly zipped his lips.
Come to think of it, the young man in front of him hadn't revealed a single piece of information about himself so far.
There was nothing more rude than prying into something someone didn't want to reveal. Now was just the time to express his gratitude. Chief Kim suppressed his curiosity and bowed.
"Thank you so much for the great offer today. Thanks to you, I think I can pay off my debt and make a fresh start."
"You have debt? A high-level Alchemist?"
"Well... my family is a bit poor."
Chief Kim smiled with an embarrassed expression.
"I'm actually from the slums. When I was a kid, my family didn't have money to buy rice, and we went hungry for over ten days. My parents took out private loans to feed me somehow. It snowballed and hasn't let go until now."
He scratched his head and laughed. As he smiled, his eyes crinkled, giving him a naive impression.
"It's a good thing I became an Awakened and can at least pay off the principal. Otherwise, my whole family might have had their organs harvested."
It was half a joke, half the truth.
Alchemy-type ability users earned good money.
Even so, the reason Chief Kim couldn't save money was because no matter how much he paid off the principal, the interest on the private loans grew even more.
It was also a big factor that he hadn't had the chance to make big money because he had been caught by Director Noh and had his achievements stolen.
"When someone from the slums becomes an Awakened, people say a dragon has risen from the gutter. But behind my back, they actually laugh about it. They say that because of my background, I can't escape the bottom, that I'm just making the loan sharks richer. They say that someone from the gutter can't help it."
Chief Kim didn't know that Director Noh was the one who spread those rumors.
But that was all in the past. If he sold the clam and Red Moss that Cheon Dowoon had given him to the association, he would have a huge amount of money left over even after paying off his debt.
The hard times were really over now. All that was left was for his family to sit together and eat warm rice.
Cheon Dowoon looked at him and broke the Return Stone.
"I'm from the slums too."
"Yes...?"
"I was born in this neighborhood. Show everyone around how well a dragon from the gutter can live."
"Ah..."
Chief Kim's eyes widened. He wanted to say something, but complex emotions welled up and choked him. In the meantime, Cheon Dowoon entered the Gate.
"I-I'll work hard to live well! Goodbye!"
He was flustered and gave a strange greeting, but he believed his heart would be understood.
"Thank you so much for today! Really!"
Chief Kim bowed. When he raised his head, Cheon Dowoon had already entered the Gate.
Even that looked amazing to Chief Kim. To go without any armor or weapons. How strong would you have to be to cross the Gate like it was your own living room?
'It's probably at a level I can't even fathom.'
The fact that he could form a connection with such a person was a great blessing that would only happen once in his life.
He looked around the three-story building.
It was an old building with cracks in the walls and one of the letters on the sign had fallen off.
He couldn't leave the slum branch because of his contract with Cheon Dowoon, but he had no regrets.
He already had enough money to live comfortably even after paying off his debt. He didn't have to be tied down to performance or anything like that, and he actually felt relieved.
"Yeah. I'd rather decorate this place nicely like it's the headquarters."
This was where he would be working anyway. Considering the market price in the slums, it would be cheap, so he should buy this building and decorate it properly.
"If I do that, will I be getting rent from the Alchemist Association?"
He was a landlord now too. Chief Kim, who had made a joke to himself, went inside the store.
* * *
Cheon Dowoon, who had crossed the Gate, arrived in front of his garden.
When he took out the Mandragora he had brought, its Rootlets squinted open its eyes.
A Mandragora cultivated in the Human World. It had never been beyond the Gate before, but it instinctively knew that this was its home.
-Hoo... Hoo...
The Mandragora made a sound like air escaping and swayed its Rootlets.
A sound calling for its kin. As if responding to it, the garden stirred and three roots rose up.
-Hoo-eung?
-Hoo-eung, hoo-eung?
Whose energy is this? Who is so weak? With such a feeling, the Mandragoras gathered around Cheon Dowoon.
When he put down the dry Mandragora, the three roots stepped back. Their leaves stiffened as if surprised.
Being naturally grown, they had never seen a kin so withered.
Its leaves were yellowed and only one remained.
-Hoo-eung!
-Hoo-eung, hoo-eung!
The Mandragoras, who had a strong sense of kinship, moved in perfect order without anyone telling them to.
Two small roots ran to the garden and began to dig in the ground.
The largest individual carried the newly arrived Mandragora on its back.
Ah, how small and light it is! The 10-centimeter Mandragora trembled its leaves at the light weight of the 5-centimeter Mandragora.
It must be buried in good soil quickly. The Mandragora ran towards the garden at full speed.
-Hoo-eung, hoo-eung...!
Rough breathing, rapidly moving roots, and a noble gaze to save its kin.
The Mandragoras gently planted the small root in a hole in the ground. They gathered soil with their Rootlets and covered it.
The Mandragora buried in the ground trembled its leaves. It couldn't come to its senses from the Mana-filled soil it was tasting for the first time.
-Hoo... Hoo... Eung.
It even let out a faint Mandragora-like roar. Cheon Dowoon watched it and sat down in front of the garden.
This was all he could do. Whether it could live depended on the Mandragora's stamina. He would have to wait and see what happened.
'Now that's done. Do I just need to get the roots?'
Cheon Dowoon lifted the largest Mandragora.
"I'd like you to give me two Rootlets."
He tried talking to it, but there was no response.
Mandragoras had a gentle disposition. But that didn't mean they had the intelligence to communicate with people.
The Mandragora only made a "Hoo-eung" sound while lying on Cheon Dowoon's palm.
'I thought it would give them to me if I asked.'
Was it impossible to communicate even if they had Mandragora cells mixed in? There was no choice. Cheon Dowoon turned the Mandragora over and examined the state of its roots.
'Let's see. Which Rootlets are about to fall off... Is it this one? This one will naturally fall off in three days.'
Cheon Dowoon pulled a 3-centimeter Rootlet from the back of the Mandragora.
Pop. The Mandragora's eyes widened as the Rootlet was cut off.
-Hoo, hoo-eung?
As it looked back at Cheon Dowoon in surprise, he drew up Mana.
High-Density Demonic Energy with the feeling of a high-altitude area. He wrapped the Mandragora with it.
The Mandragora, which had eaten the High-Density Demonic Energy, felt its body relax. Now was the chance. Cheon Dowoon pulled another Rootlet.
Tingle.
-Hoo-eung?
The Mandragora looked back at Cheon Dowoon again. Its eyes trembled slightly.
There was no Mandragora in the world to trust. The young Mandragora looked at the large Mandragora with betrayed eyes.
"That should be enough."
Cheon Dowoon put the Mandragora down in the garden. The Mandragora, which had two Rootlets torn off, trembled. It rubbed the area near its stinging butt with its Rootlets.
My two Rootlets that were here. Where did it disappear to, that exuded a majestic charm?
-Hoo, hoo-eung...
My lost Rootlets. The Mandragora dug into the ground with a dispirited look. The drooping leaves told of the shock to its stinging butt.
Seeing that, Cheon Dowoon placed his hand on the ground.
A special meal for the mental recovery of the glass-cannon Mandragora. He instantly drew up Magical energy and injected it into the garden.
The sound of "Hoo-eung" echoed one after another from the ground. The drooping leaves straightened out and rose up. After confirming that, Cheon Dowoon shook his hands and stood up.
'Now I just need to bring the medicine.'
Cheon Dowoon looked north. The sun was already setting and it was turning into night.
Switching his vision to nocturnal, he loosened his body and took a stance.
Distributing Mana throughout his body, he ran north. An afterimage that disappeared in an instant. Only a breeze remained where he had been standing.
* * *
The night sea of the Demon Realm was calm.
A huge wave rose on that calm surface. What surged up from within were two figures with wings.
"Hey, Yoo Ji-ah! Snap out of it!"
Yoo-beom called out to his sister with all his might.
Instead of an answer, what came back was a sharply curved, hook-like claw.
"Yoo Ji-ah!"
He called out once more, but it was no use.
When she lost her reason like this, she wouldn't recognize him. He gritted his teeth and looked at his sister.
At first glance, it seemed like she was just committing destructive acts. But in reality, she was just writhing in pain due to the rampaging Mana Hole.
Knowing that made Yoo-beom feel miserable.
'Damn it... Is there no other way?'
As expected, she wouldn't regain her reason with words. In this case, only the use of force. It wouldn't end until one of them was incapacitated.
Yoo-beom drew up Mana. Sensing his hostility, his sister flew straight towards him.
The moment they rushed at each other, something that fell from the sky collided with his sister.
"Cheon Dowoon...?"
Cheon Dowoon, who had suddenly appeared, kicked Yoo Ji-ah in the head.
Yoo Ji-ah fell into the sea. She skipped across the surface like a stone, hitting it with a "thunk, thunk" sound, before colliding with a rock and getting stuck.
Yoo-beom's mouth dropped open at the sight.
"H-hey, hey, hey! That's my sister!"
"So?"
"So?! She's my sister!"
"I know. Is there any other way to subdue her without doing that?"
There wasn't. He was right. He was right, but something, something was a bit...
Yoo-beom went to the rock and pulled his sister out of the wall.
In fact, he knew that doing it this way, as Cheon Dowoon had said, was better.
To subdue someone with the power of a Calamity-class, it was natural to do this much.
If he had been weak-hearted and had taken his strength away halfway, his sister's rampage would have worsened.
'He kicked her just enough to knock her out. He's skilled.'
Yoo-beom checked his sister's condition and smiled. His sister had simply lost consciousness even after being stuck in the rock like a dart.
My sister is strong. I raised her well. Feeling proud, he carried his sister on his shoulder.
"How's the medicine? Did you get it?"
Yoo-beom asked as he flew to the rock where Cheon Dowoon was standing.
Expectation, anxiety about what to do if he couldn't get it. When their eyes met, Cheon Dowoon grinned.
"I got it."
He was holding two small bottles in his hand.
