Chapter 14: Mandrake (1)

It’s quite common to end up completely worn out from digging. Digging by itself requires brutal physical strength.

If you don’t have experience, the next day it’s impossible to move normally, but fortunately I had done military service.

Thanks to a bit of experience, I was saved; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to move all day.

‘Isn’t there something like muscle patches?’

While massaging my completely stiff muscles, I went into the gallery looking for something like those patches.

Unfortunately, there was nothing like that. I suppose it’s a limitation of the era.

Instead, I posted asking if there was something effective for muscle pain.

Title) What’s good for muscle pain?

WildGrills

Yesterday I was digging and now I’m completely stiff

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) The mana circulation method is good for muscle pain

ㄴWildGrills) It’s not like mana is a miracle cure for everything…

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) It seems you don’t understand it well. If you practice internal circulation, more specifically guided breathing, it helps quite a lot

ㄴWildGrills) Aren’t there herbs or something like that?

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) The best thing for muscle pain is to let it pass. If you cure it with medicine, it’s harder to increase muscle mass

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) That is new knowledge to me. Are you sure?

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) I suppose I get stronger just by breathing

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Then you are similar to me

ㄴWildGrills) What…?

ㄴWhat a bunch of basement nerds talking nonsense haha

ㄴA body like that doesn’t exist, not even as a joke

ㄴIf it did exist, the country would have taken him already

ㄴHaha

I wish I had a body like that.

I let out a sigh.

In the end, it’s best to endure the muscle pain. I’m not so bad that I can’t move, so it’s bearable.

Still, today doesn’t seem like a good day to work. If I keep this up, tomorrow my urine might end up the color of Coca-Cola.

‘Muscle pain or not, the first thing is to wash.’

I’ve gone three days without bathing and I feel disgusting. Especially my face, full of grease.

But I can’t go to the river either. I’m not going to trade a shower for my life.

Luckily this forest is cool and dry; if it were a jungle, it would be hell.

‘For now I’ll buy water. It hurts to spend it, but there’s no other choice.’

Maintaining minimum hygiene is important for health. At least I have to wash my hands.

I bought a large amount of water at the gallery auction. It was expensive, but until I find another river there’s no option.

The water came with a bucket included, but before using it I checked its quality.

‘After all, it’s water bought at auction; you have to make sure.’

Fortunately, just as the reviews said, it was completely normal water, drawn from a well.

With it I washed my face, hands, feet, and the areas where sweat accumulates the most.

I also used soap, following yesterday’s advice—one with almost no scent.

Then I dried myself well with the towel I had bought.

Although it wasn’t a full shower, I felt much fresher.

Crunch, crunch.

“Ugh… so bitter.”

Breakfast.

As I chewed the disgustingly bitter fasting pills, I frowned involuntarily.

The curious thing about these pills is that, although you only chew a few, you barely feel hungry.

Just as the Heavenly Demon said, they must be made with really good herbs, because I didn’t feel much appetite.

Of course, the amount is small, so it doesn’t completely fill you. Even so, it’s enough.

‘For me, meat is a luxury.’

I should be grateful that no carnivore has come to this shelter.

After finishing breakfast, I looked at the sack of fasting pills.

There were still quite a few left, but they won’t last forever.

I could ask HeavenlyDemon for more, but she said they were made with valuable herbs; that would be taking advantage.

‘I must not depend on the gallery. I have to keep that in mind at all times.’

Under normal conditions, the gallery doesn’t work in the Forest of Four Seasons.

For some reason, I can use it.

That means it could stop working at any moment.

That’s why I need to grow stronger. It’s something I keep repeating to myself.

‘Today I’ll go in the opposite direction of the river.’

Toward where I threw the Mad Dog’s corpse and where the Owlbear appeared.

For a while I didn’t even dare to approach because of the Owlbear.

But now it’s different.

If I want to increase even 0.01% my chances of escaping, I have to take risks.

I don’t intend to live here like a savage forever.

Choosing to stay here would be the worst possible decision. Even if it takes time, I want to keep the hope of escaping.

‘I’ll take the sword and the shield.’

I didn’t take the crossbow. It’s too big and, in an emergency, it’s less useful than the sword.

Besides, it takes too long to reload after each shot. A mistake like that can be fatal.

I also need to practice the basic swordsmanship that SwordTasteMaster uploaded. I’ve been reading it little by little whenever I have time.

‘When defending, step forward with the left leg…’

Before leaving, I checked my stance.

The sword-and-shield warrior is a class with excellent balance.

The shield provides enormous stability, and that prevents you from being overwhelmed by pressure.

In fact, they say that even ancient gladiators stopped using shields because they were too unfair.

‘Let’s go.’

With a bit of tension, I left the cave.

At the entrance was still the hole I started digging yesterday.

When I return, I’ll have to keep digging. Just thinking about it is frightening.

But there’s no option. Being alone is sad.

Title) I’m going to explore

WildGrills

(photo looking at the forest with sword and shield)

Today I’m going in the opposite direction of the river

Just so you know, it’s where the Owlbear appeared

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Isn’t it dangerous? You still have many fasting pills, it would be better to first master internal circulation

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) I agree with HeavenlyDemon. Why don’t you train a bit more first?

ㄴStarlightLady) You’re not really going to die… right?

ㄴSunForEver) I gave you a shield and if you die it would be awkward

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) My crossbow is crying… crying…

ㄴWildGrills) Can’t you encourage me a little…? If the Owlbear appears I’ll run…

ㄴWhat a downer haha

ㄴBut it’s normal to worry hehe

ㄴThat means they care about you

ㄴIf you die, the gallery will be sad

Just as the comments say, there are many people worrying about me, and that’s appreciated.

So this is why people get hooked on the gallery?

But unlike true addicts, I really need to talk to someone.

If I didn’t even have the gallery, how would I have survived the loneliness?

‘No… the Mad Dog would have killed me.’

Thinking that, I headed toward the area where the Owlbear appeared.

When I reached the place where I threw the Mad Dog’s corpse, I saw that it was surprisingly clean.

Some bones, pieces of meat, and part of the head were still left, but it was much better than leaving it abandoned.

If the Owlbear hadn’t devoured it, it would be full of worms and an unbearable stench.

‘Even so, better not get close.’

I used the corpse as a reference and turned right, toward an area full of trees.

Open spaces are dangerous; if the Owlbear appears there, there would be no escape.

Even if with its size it would probably knock down trees, any extra chance of survival counts.

‘There are many trees.’

As I advanced, I didn’t forget to mark the path with my sword.

If the place felt strange, I planned to turn back without hesitation.

Space twists like my own life, so extreme caution is necessary.

“Huff… Huh?”

When I came out of the wooded area, an enormous clearing appeared.

It was quite wide and covered in vegetation.

‘…Won’t a boss appear here?’

In games, these places usually hide bosses.

As a precaution, I moved back toward the trees.

The place could change suddenly.

After observing carefully, I realized that here the probability of change was low.

Although the clearing was large, there was nothing unnatural.

The trees surrounded it uniformly.

‘Why is it only here so clearly delimited?’

It didn’t seem strange, but the boundaries were very clear.

Without lowering my guard, I observed the plants.

They weren’t simple herbs. They were plants with fruits.

Red fruits, like raspberries.

They could be poisonous, so I didn’t think about eating them.

Instead, I took a photo and uploaded it to the gallery.

Title) Does anyone know what this is?

WildGrills

(photo of plants with red raspberry-like fruits)

Does anyone know what it is? There are a lot here

ㄴAren’t they wild raspberries?

ㄴMore than raspberries, they look like radishes. Look at the leaves

ㄴDo radishes grow fruits?

ㄴThey do, but I think this is a bit different

Most users concluded they were radishes.

Honestly, they did look like that.

So radishes also grow fruits, huh? Then wouldn’t it be fine to pull one out?

ㄴAllFather) Hm? You shouldn’t pull that lightly. It’s just a guess, but it could be a mandrake

ㄴWildGrills) What is a mandrake?

ㄴAllFather) It is a plant that screams when you pull out the root. You don’t die from hearing the scream, but it can cause serious damage to the ears

ㄴAren’t you supposed to die if you hear the scream?

ㄴI thought that too

ㄴAllFather) That is an exaggerated belief. The mandrake’s scream causes temporary confusion, but it does not cause death

ㄴThen why do they say it kills?

ㄴAllFather) Because of human greed. Mandrakes are extremely rare plants. People often kill each other to obtain them, and many times they are pardoned claiming they were in a state of confusion

ㄴDamn…

ㄴPeople are scarier…

ㄴIn the end the worst monster is the human

ㄴWhy are humans suddenly coming up?

ㄴWhenever you see things like this, it’s humans’ fault haha

ㄴDamn, racial discrimination now

In any case, pulling it would only be noisy, not lethal.

But if it messes up my hearing, that would be a serious problem, so I had to prepare.

ㄴCome on, as if mandrake were a weed haha

ㄴIt’s the Forest of Four Seasons. It could be real

ㄴPull it and decide later

ㄴIf it’s a mandrake, it’s a jackpot

ㄴWildGrills) Is mandrake expensive?

ㄴIs that a serious question? It’s one of the main ingredients of elixirs

ㄴCollecting it is damn difficult, if you upload it to the auction chaos will break out

ㄴAllFather) (photo of plant) (photo of human-shaped root)

ㄴAllFather) Compare them with this, it will be easier for you

While the debate continued, AllFather uploaded some images.

I compared the photos with the plant in front of me.

The exterior appearance was identical, but the fruits were different.

In the image they were green, while the ones I saw were red.

‘Could it be that they’re ripe?’

Just in case, I bought earplugs at the auction.

They looked similar to those on Earth. They said they were even used in the army.

If they block the ears well, it should be enough.

The root had a human shape, so identifying it wouldn’t be difficult.

ㄴWildGrills) You just have to pull it out? I shouldn’t hear anything

ㄴAllFather) If you are already prepared, pull it out at once, as if it were a radish

ㄴWildGrills) Ok

So, you just had to pull hard.

I immediately got to work.

With the earplugs on, the scream shouldn’t affect me.

According to the description, they even blocked cannon sounds.

Maybe that’s exaggerated, but the reviews were quite reliable.

After letting out a tense sigh, I pulled with all my strength.

“Uraa… haa!”

Fuuush!

There was sudden resistance halfway, but it came out without problems.

I immediately checked the root.

According to the gallery, mandrakes have a human shape.

They are not exact people, they just resemble them.

“Huh?”

But what I pulled out was even stranger.

To be precise, it looked like a real person.

Not only did the shape have exact human proportions.

Well-defined arms and legs, even a clear facial expression.

To top it off, it even had something like beard hair on its chin.

It didn’t look like a human-shaped root, but a human made of root.

Moreover, it had its arms crossed, in an imposing pose.

‘And why is it so red? Is this a mandrake or red ginseng?’

It looked like a mandrake, but it was too different.

I would probably have to ask directly.

Flash!

Just as I entered the gallery, it happened.

The root, which had its eyes closed, opened them suddenly.

Since its whole body was red, I didn’t notice at first.

But when it slowly began to uncross its arms, I realized.

“Huh?”

“Huuuuuh…”

While I stood frozen, the root inhaled deeply.

That’s when I felt a bad premonition.

I tried to let it go, but then exactly what AllFather had described happened.

[WOOOOOOOOOOO!]

It wasn’t a scream, it was a monstrous shriek that pierced through the earplugs.

If I hadn’t been wearing them, not only would it have damaged my hearing—it would have blown out my eardrums.

I grimaced and stepped back.

As I covered my ears, I dropped the mandrake.

‘Don’t tell me it’s going to bury itself again?’

I opened my eyes carefully.

“……”

“……?”

Why is it still?

It screamed a bit and then crossed its arms again.

Because it resembled a human so much, I felt as if it were staring at me deeply.

According to AllFather, it should scream until it buries itself again, so what’s happening?

Ruuuuuumble!

While I hesitated, the ground began to shake.

I almost lost my balance.

A shriek and now an earthquake.

That doesn’t sound good at all.

‘At least take this.’

I grabbed the mandrake in a hurry, covering its mouth so it wouldn’t scream.

It was thick, so it wasn’t easy, but with both hands it was enough.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

It seems it didn’t expect me to cover its mouth, because it started struggling.

Why was it standing there so calmly with its arms crossed before?

If I stayed here, I was dead.

I started running without wasting time.

Fshk! Fshk!

“Huh…?”

I stopped abruptly.

Red human-shaped things were emerging from the ground by themselves.

It was as if buried corpses were rising.

The entire clearing stirred.

The creatures were identical to the mandrake I had just pulled out.

There were all ages and sexes, but all were red.

‘I screwed up.’

Not just unsettling. This was outright disastrous.

I turned around with the mandrake still in my arms.

I could already imagine what was going to happen.

Just yesterday, the golden frogs did something similar.

The difference is that their venom could be blocked with a shield.

This cannot.

Against screams, there is only one option—run.

And on top of that, my hands are occupied covering its mouth.

“Inhaaa…”

“Fuuuh…”

When I entered the trees again.

[WOOOOOOOOOOO!]

A gigantic shockwave struck my back.

***

Title) What do you do if you get hit by a sound wave attack?

WildGrills

The mandrakes started screaming all at once, does anyone know how to treat this?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Sound waves and screams? Did you get hit by a lion’s roar?

ㄴWildGrills) More or less, something like that.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) How severe is the injury?

ㄴWildGrills) My ear keeps ringing all the time, a piiii—

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Then you were hit hard. Can you not hear or is your ear bleeding?

ㄴWildGrills) Fortunately not. I was wearing earplugs.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Then there will be no hearing damage. With rest it will pass soon. Still, you will have tinnitus for a while, I will get you medicine.

ㄴWildGrills) Thank you. Have you also received a lion’s roar?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Yes. I slowly tore out its throat so it would never scream again in its life.

ㄴWildGrills) That’s scary…

ㄴWhat the hell did you do for the mandrakes to scream together?

ㄴWildGrills) I pulled one out and when that one started screaming, the others came out on their own.

ㄴ??? I’ve never heard of that

ㄴAre you sure that was a mandrake?

ㄴWildGrills) Wait, I’ll upload a photo

Title) Is this a mandrake?

WildGrills

(photo of a completely beaten-up red mandrake)

It does look like a person, but the body is too red, isn’t it?

ㄴWhy is it like that? It looks like a face smashed with punches

ㄴWildGrills) Since it wouldn’t stop screaming, I grabbed it by the head and smashed it against the wall. I also shoved dirt into its mouth.

ㄴLOL

ㄴLOL

ㄴYou went too far LOL

ㄴSilence magic (physical) LOL

ㄴIsn’t mandrake a plant? Does it feel pain?

ㄴYes, it’s closer to a monster, so it feels pain. But it’s the first time I’ve heard of someone shutting it up with punches haha

ㄴBut do mandrakes look like that?

ㄴThey say they vaguely resemble humans and feel unsettling, but that one is literally a person

ㄴThat’s no longer a mandrake, it’s a monster, right?

ㄴNormally mandrakes vaguely resemble humans and give off a creepy vibe, but this one is identical, it’s even more unsettling

ㄴCould it be a hundred-year-old mandrake or something?

ㄴHaha as if it were wild ginseng

ㄴI looked in a book and it says red mandrakes are a superior subspecies

ㄴIn what book did you see that?

ㄴIn the encyclopedia of medicinal herbs. It says it is extremely rare

ㄴThat rare?

ㄴIt says that being a superior subspecies, it is even more valuable

ㄴHaha, surely it’s a book written by a charlatan

ㄴTotally, seriously

ㄴNo, that book was written by a very renowned academic;;

ㄴIsn’t mandrake used to make elixirs? Would that one also work?

ㄴYes, that’s why mandrake cultivation is only done in the Magic Tower

ㄴIf it’s a superior subspecies, how good must it be then?

While everyone heatedly debated about the red mandrake.

ㄴAllFather) Oh. By Aragorn… My God. It appears to be an adult mandrake.

AllFather—not FatherMon, but AllFather—reacted almost in horror.