Chapter 75

75 The Leaves Grow Lush on Dodak

-Hoo…

The dried Root, sprawled on the palm, curled up as much as possible.

Its eyes, glancing at Cheon Dowoon, trembled relentlessly.

Is he going to stab me? Is he going to stab me with that? As if saying so, Cheon Dowoon lowered the needle.

“I guess… I need to put it to sleep before I stab it.”

“Put it to sleep? How?”

Instead of answering, Cheon Dowoon took out a moisturizing cream from his hip bag.

He sat on the dirt floor of the yard. He sat cross-legged and laid the dried Root on his knee.

The siblings and Kim, the manager, also sat down, influenced by the solemn atmosphere.

Cheon Dowoon opened the lid of the moisturizing cream.

After loosening it with his finger, he gently began to apply it to the dried Root’s body.

-Hoo, hoo…?

Moisture enveloping the whole body. Non-sticky hydration.

A gentle touch that massages to ensure good sap circulation.

-Hoo, hoo… hoo….

Ah. Melting. The dried Root’s eyes slowly closed.

The corners of Cheon Dowoon’s lips lifted. As he had done it once before, his touch to put the Mandragora to sleep was skillful.

“Oh, it’s sleeping. It’s sleeping. That ferocious Root is sleeping peacefully.”

Kim, the manager, was surprised to see the dried Root’s eyes completely closed.

The ferocity that swung Rootlets at the slightest approach. The sensitivity that made it open its eyes wide at the smallest sound.

That plant was now slightly opening its mouth and starting to breathe softly.

Now for the finish. Cheon Dowoon slyly turned the Root over.

He applied cream to its back and began to Dodak it with three fingers, as if playing the piano.

Todok, todok, dodadadak.

The leaves fluttered with the light tapping.

-Hoo, hoo, hoo.

The dried Root’s mumbling came out intermittently, like making noise in front of a fan.

The languidly relaxed leaves drooped towards the ground.

That’s it.

The coldness of the cream and the Dodak of the massage dulled its senses. Now was the right time to stick the needle in.

Cheon Dowoon picked up the IV needle.

He laid the needle on the Root’s back and gently inserted it.

-Hoo…?

It feels like something pricked me just now, what is it?

Scratch, scratch. The dried Root scratched the spot where it was pricked with the needle, along with its mumbling.

It didn’t wake up. Kim, the manager, looked deceived when he saw that.

“Was it all an act until now?”

“Well, it’s still a baby.”

“How did you come up with this idea? Putting it to sleep with moisturizing cream. I never would have thought of it.”

There was also the option of putting it to sleep with sleeping pills or a Spell.

But these were already weak individuals. Who knew what would happen if they were forcibly put to sleep.

“Such a safe way to put it to sleep. I should try it later.”

Kim, the manager, said with a burning face.

It would be difficult unless he transplanted Mandragora cells, but Cheon Dowoon didn’t bother to say it.

“The needle’s in. Now, inject the Nutrient Solution.”

“Ah! Right. Just a moment.”

Kim, the manager, took out a 5cm IV pack and connected it to the needle.

It was a size reminiscent of a miniature, but the drops of fluid falling one by one showed that the IV pack was functioning properly.

“How are the effects of the Nutrient Solution?”

“In theory, if it gets about three packs, its energy will recover quite a bit. After that, it can be treated naturally.”

“Natural treatment?”

“Yes. After examining it, it seems that Mana wasn’t being absorbed well even when it was eating it.”

It had been in a state of malnutrition and suspended animation for a long time.

The dried Root’s bodily functions were not functioning properly.

“More than 80% of what it eats is not absorbed into the body and is lost. To put it simply, its current body is like a bottomless pit.”

That was why it didn’t gain weight even when it was fed plenty of Mana.

It had been desperately eating the Mana in the garden to survive, but most of what it ate was not absorbed and flowed out.

“But the good thing is that it has a strong appetite. Its will to live is strong. Once its bodily functions are restored, it will gain weight quickly.”

Kim, the manager, looked at the IV pack.

“This Nutrient Solution will restore the body’s damaged functions. If the absorption organs move properly, the rest is natural treatment. It can eat and live happily here.”

“That’s all it needs?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief. Then this guy can stay in the garden, right?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you how to change the IV later.”

After receiving confirmation, Cheon Dowoon took the Root and the IV and went to the garden.

As he buried the Root in the garden, Kim, the manager, took out a stand from his bag and stuck it next to it.

“You can hang the IV pack here. I made a support separately.”

When the IV pack was attached to the stand, the Mandragora Nutrient Solution injection was completed.

The Mandragoras in the garden circled around the dried Root getting the IV.

One of our kin has returned. The giant Mandragora has brought it back.

The bodies of the garden individuals swayed. It was a dance of joy.

Cheon Dowoon looked at it and turned to the glass tank.

“Now, all that’s left is the Metal Root.”

The Metal Root, left alone in the tank, was huddled in the corner, looking uneasy.

Cheon Dowoon took the Metal Root out of the tank.

The surface is metal. I wonder if the needle will go in.

Cheon Dowoon gently pressed the Root with his finger.

-Hoo…?

The Metal Root fluttered its leaves as if tickled.

“It’s surprisingly soft.”

It wasn’t surprising. Kim Nari was also a Mechanical Creature, but she was no different from a human in normal times. Considering that, it wasn’t a big deal.

Even if metal was mixed in, the basic base was a plant.

Then the method was the same. Relax it with a moisturizing cream massage and then insert the needle.

Cheon Dowoon sat on the floor as before and scooped up the cream.

When the cream was applied from the leaves, the Root’s eyes widened. What was this happy feeling?

-Hoo….

The Root’s eyes slowly closed.

Until then, Cheon Dowoon thought he would be able to insert the needle smoothly.

But the moment he turned the Root over and put the needle on its back, the Root’s surface hardened like real metal.

-Hoo, hoo!

The languidly relaxed body stiffened.

The Root struggled on Cheon Dowoon’s palm.

-Hoo, hoo…!

The Metal Root crawled into Cheon Dowoon’s sleeve.

The base of the Root stuck out of the sleeve, but the Metal Root, thinking it was well hidden, held its breath.

I won’t go out from under this adult Mandragora’s leaves. I’ll hide here.

The Root wrapped its leaves around Cheon Dowoon’s wrist to fix its body. Its parched body trembled.

Silence flowed. Cheon Dowoon quietly put down the needle.

“This one won’t work.”

This reaction was different from before.

Fear from experience. Learned physical reaction.

This was the reaction of a test subject who had undergone Chimera experiments. Cheon Dowoon’s eyes darkened.

The siblings also didn’t look good.

Cheon Dowoon Dodaked the Metal Root over his sleeve. After a little time passed, the Root, which had calmed down, came out of the sleeve.

It only peeked out its face, as if it was still afraid to come out from under the adult leaves.

-Hoo…?

“It’s okay. Come out.”

-Hoo….

The Metal Root wriggled out.

It plopped down on Cheon Dowoon’s palm as if it had relaxed. Cheon Dowoon Dodaked the Root’s leaves.

“This one can’t get an IV. Find another way.”

“I understand.”

Kim, the manager, immediately agreed.

He was also a perceptive person. He guessed why the Metal Mandrake was reacting like that, so he nodded without complaint.

“What condition is this one in?”

“It’s similar to the dried Root. It seems that it didn’t gain weight because it didn’t absorb what it ate properly. Other than that, there are no side effects from being combined with metal.”

“That’s a relief. You said that absorbing Nutrient Solution from the outside has little effect?”

Kim, the manager, nodded.

“Yes. In theory, it’s only about 5% as effective as an IV.”

“If it’s in theory, it could be more effective.”

Of course, it could be less, but it was worth a try.

Cheon Dowoon brought a bowl from the house.

He tore open the IV pack and poured it into it, then laid the Root in it.

-Hoo…?

The Metal Root lay on the bottom of the bowl and blinked its eyes.

It didn’t seem to dislike it, as it didn’t get up and swished its Rootlets around. Each time, the IV fluid spread low on the bottom splashed.

-Hoo, hoo!

The Metal Root was excited about the water play it encountered for the first time and splashed the IV fluid.

“Find a new way to inject medicine into this one.”

“I understand.”

“Should I take it and study it? It seems like it would be very stressed if it was left alone.”

“Then I’ll leave the Mandragora here. The overall data has been documented, so it’s okay. I’ll come and go when needed.”

“Okay. Then do that.”

Cheon Dowoon put the bowl containing the Metal Root in the garden. The garden individuals gathered around the bowl.

As they did before, this time they circled around the bowl.

-Hoo-oong!

-Hoo-oong, hoo-oong!

The dried Root has returned. The Silver Root has also returned. The big adult Mandragora has brought them both back.

The garden individuals, whose joy soared into the sky, swayed their bodies from side to side.

“That side is settled for now. I think you said you completed the hair loss medicine earlier. Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s right. I’ve finally completed it.”

Kim, the manager, took out a spray from his bag.

“The Mandragora Nutrient Solution and the manufacturing formula are almost the same. In fact, you could say that I discovered it while making the Nutrient Solution.”

Kim, the manager, looked at Dodak, who was sitting on Cheon Dowoon’s arm.

“It would be faster to see it directly. Can I spray it on that Mandragora?”

“If it’s not bad for its body.”

“It’s not harmful.”

Kim, the manager, sprayed the spray near Dodak’s head.

-Hoo-oong?

Dodak suddenly stood up and stepped back when something cold was sprayed on its head.

The Root’s head was wet. A thin sprout sprouted from there. It grew rapidly and turned into a small leaf.

-Hoo, hoo-oong?

Dodak tilted its head at the leaves that were growing rapidly from its head.

A Mandragora’s leaves are usually three. Five at most.

But a total of thirty leaves grew.

-Hoo-oong!

Dodak’s eyes widened at the suddenly lush leaves.

The densely grown leaves were rounded like an afro.

Dodak, whose leaves had become heavy, couldn’t balance and its head shook from side to side.

“Look. This phenomenon occurs when nutrients are concentrated in one place.”

Dodak, unable to overcome the weight of its head, flopped down on its palm.

What on earth is going on? My leaves have suddenly become magnificent.

Dodak tilted its head, touching its leaves here and there with its Rootlets.

“Can’t you turn it back to normal? It’s too heavy to get up.”

“Ah, don’t worry. This is the initial spray. Over time, the leaves that have grown now will naturally fall out.”

“So you completed the hair loss medicine based on that.”

“That’s right. I changed the formula to make a medicine that prevents the grown leaves, that is, the hair, from falling out.”

The moment Kim, the manager, finished speaking, the sound of a pot falling rang out.

Everyone’s eyes turned to where the sound came from.

There, Nam Ki-seok, who was coming after finishing the dishes, was standing with a blank face, having dropped a bowl.

Nam Ki-seok looked at Kim, the manager, with a dazed face. His gaze turned to Dodak.

Dodak, feeling the gaze, raised its body.

Every time its small body moved, the afro-haired leaves placed on top shook voluminously.

“Fu… Full.”

Nam Ki-seok muttered, looking at Dodak’s leaves.