Chapter 14: Mandrake (1)
BMxR1It’s quite common to end up completely worn out from digging. Digging by itself requires brutal physical strength.s2uevjk
cvzxIf you don’t have experience, the next day it’s impossible to move normally, but fortunately I had done military service.2iNT
t8RoThanks to a bit of experience, I was saved; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to move all day.Cok
iJ83mvM‘Isn’t there something like muscle patches?’Eb9M
Sm2While massaging my completely stiff muscles, I went into the gallery looking for something like those patches.LhE2AI
uKkVUnfortunately, there was nothing like that. I suppose it’s a limitation of the era.zKFZz
GEvsKEKInstead, I posted asking if there was something effective for muscle pain.zAc
un4sTitle) What’s good for muscle pain?xATey7c
Dw179WildGrillsIAX
m8lNcTYesterday I was digging and now I’m completely stiffasb0dl
NedReUㄴSwordTasteMaster) The mana circulation method is good for muscle painNii
Qd84syTㄴWildGrills) It’s not like mana is a miracle cure for everything…3LREvl
vQ3B0fㄴHeavenlyDemon) It seems you don’t understand it well. If you practice internal circulation, more specifically guided breathing, it helps quite a lotueSTI
lCxㄴWildGrills) Aren’t there herbs or something like that?OrxcIU
nYSmlFqㄴSwordTasteMaster) The best thing for muscle pain is to let it pass. If you cure it with medicine, it’s harder to increase muscle massmxae4B
Az1e31AㄴHeavenlyDemon) That is new knowledge to me. Are you sure?Gca9S
Gpm8jhㄴSwordTasteMaster) I suppose I get stronger just by breathingy1dPw
SZVJuEㄴHeavenlyDemon) Then you are similar to mewQN
keXXNGㄴWildGrills) What…?qn6
0S18zㄴWhat a bunch of basement nerds talking nonsense hahaT62i
JulㄴA body like that doesn’t exist, not even as a jokepIcoFEd
kB9f9kbㄴIf it did exist, the country would have taken him alreadylMy9Ymc
h4W0ㄴHahaSoL
JHmBOPBI wish I had a body like that.sPaxWlN
qrWmFI let out a sigh.XovY3
S0KogSIn the end, it’s best to endure the muscle pain. I’m not so bad that I can’t move, so it’s bearable.LxROVo
gMAStill, 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.9uDjm
Q1jD‘Muscle pain or not, the first thing is to wash.’TBhOiq
gWqizqI’ve gone three days without bathing and I feel disgusting. Especially my face, full of grease.ooVzO
levH3But I can’t go to the river either. I’m not going to trade a shower for my life.TuzBQ86
Ysh1ibBLuckily this forest is cool and dry; if it were a jungle, it would be hell.Cc4qc
D1x7xcC‘For now I’ll buy water. It hurts to spend it, but there’s no other choice.’8cfQb0
qXReMaintaining minimum hygiene is important for health. At least I have to wash my hands.1h30f
SzuI bought a large amount of water at the gallery auction. It was expensive, but until I find another river there’s no option.H2pfXAn
YCNDwYlThe water came with a bucket included, but before using it I checked its quality.Tdr7
bpmm4V‘After all, it’s water bought at auction; you have to make sure.’ymF3qL
GHiEcxpFortunately, just as the reviews said, it was completely normal water, drawn from a well.kupa5mN
c8i3WPsWith it I washed my face, hands, feet, and the areas where sweat accumulates the most.pYZIxcT
qG83lKI also used soap, following yesterday’s advice—one with almost no scent.bjxP6
rtjwLVVThen I dried myself well with the towel I had bought.5mRVu
jQ2uvbBAlthough it wasn’t a full shower, I felt much fresher.7o5
COQCrunch, crunch.Xsgm
LD9h4“Ugh… so bitter.”6IADIB
HuSP0Breakfast.l161N
qJRp6C7As I chewed the disgustingly bitter fasting pills, I frowned involuntarily.YAz9j5
k73VThe curious thing about these pills is that, although you only chew a few, you barely feel hungry.VZ0o
0fnoJust as the Heavenly Demon said, they must be made with really good herbs, because I didn’t feel much appetite.DJyjAKN
zPzPoOf course, the amount is small, so it doesn’t completely fill you. Even so, it’s enough.YjdaD
XK1F‘For me, meat is a luxury.’OKLGX
VnSI should be grateful that no carnivore has come to this shelter.GyeWQXT
LzkwcTQAfter finishing breakfast, I looked at the sack of fasting pills.qf9dHK5
hYTThere were still quite a few left, but they won’t last forever.u5ZkhmR
V1tbIQI could ask HeavenlyDemon for more, but she said they were made with valuable herbs; that would be taking advantage.wUVCEL
ePgY9PP‘I must not depend on the gallery. I have to keep that in mind at all times.’Ccx6
crVUnder normal conditions, the gallery doesn’t work in the Forest of Four Seasons.HuS2rqz
CJ2For some reason, I can use it.mLS
sHPwSThat means it could stop working at any moment.5OGXp
olr97LThat’s why I need to grow stronger. It’s something I keep repeating to myself.KQc
FLuLU6‘Today I’ll go in the opposite direction of the river.’r9wBs
ropdybToward where I threw the Mad Dog’s corpse and where the Owlbear appeared.oFZnlC
HuuurBEFor a while I didn’t even dare to approach because of the Owlbear.a7zixl
ejVjn5JBut now it’s different.luVz
zv9TIf I want to increase even 0.01% my chances of escaping, I have to take risks.S4xI
Ln20DI don’t intend to live here like a savage forever.3eMqo6
cOxChoosing to stay here would be the worst possible decision. Even if it takes time, I want to keep the hope of escaping.wuhBmmh
aO1Cp‘I’ll take the sword and the shield.’C993
BdprI didn’t take the crossbow. It’s too big and, in an emergency, it’s less useful than the sword.6Sc
iRcBu2SBesides, it takes too long to reload after each shot. A mistake like that can be fatal.BXEZp
NkpTWkjI also need to practice the basic swordsmanship that SwordTasteMaster uploaded. I’ve been reading it little by little whenever I have time.EJdi3k
t9OZ‘When defending, step forward with the left leg…’j3g4
pZZhBefore leaving, I checked my stance.xUhyZ
lVn078fThe sword-and-shield warrior is a class with excellent balance.SWoKw2Q
v5HDAduThe shield provides enormous stability, and that prevents you from being overwhelmed by pressure.howkcW
KJ18MFIn fact, they say that even ancient gladiators stopped using shields because they were too unfair.MnOC
BVz‘Let’s go.’D2avpfJ
LJJWith a bit of tension, I left the cave.HdI
RBYNbAt the entrance was still the hole I started digging yesterday.NT2y9K
TxbOUWhen I return, I’ll have to keep digging. Just thinking about it is frightening.J4cXUf
OyPhwXBut there’s no option. Being alone is sad.rSX1wS
Ge1RCTitle) I’m going to exploreucG
QaSWildGrillsFGOeVqM
iN9uiE(photo looking at the forest with sword and shield)VfvJ6B
7tWw1Today I’m going in the opposite direction of the riverTtI
GCAvJust so you know, it’s where the Owlbear appearedIl3wK
QLIㄴHeavenlyDemon) Isn’t it dangerous? You still have many fasting pills, it would be better to first master internal circulationWtw1xeo
bYrAㄴSwordTasteMaster) I agree with HeavenlyDemon. Why don’t you train a bit more first?de9
rkhㄴStarlightLady) You’re not really going to die… right?rmUkq
9Mj1ㄴSunForEver) I gave you a shield and if you die it would be awkwardhQQv
0qtkㄴDwarfPassingBy) My crossbow is crying… crying…b7QaN
AEeㄴWildGrills) Can’t you encourage me a little…? If the Owlbear appears I’ll run…Cwafr
nFLNwmKㄴWhat a downer hahab8h9
ZiRㄴBut it’s normal to worry heheyOtHzD
Rw2Ar3ㄴThat means they care about youIuH
l6Qk9cmㄴIf you die, the gallery will be sadFXypMX
7Wh8a5Just as the comments say, there are many people worrying about me, and that’s appreciated.NGfYHj
GgpcEQmSo this is why people get hooked on the gallery?lOKN
bm8But unlike true addicts, I really need to talk to someone.LxA
w3ZqkOIf I didn’t even have the gallery, how would I have survived the loneliness?90TNsH
HiNau5‘No… the Mad Dog would have killed me.’EPcNIr
344Thinking that, I headed toward the area where the Owlbear appeared.3KYEs3A
SHiNWhen I reached the place where I threw the Mad Dog’s corpse, I saw that it was surprisingly clean.i2gS
c3uFYASome bones, pieces of meat, and part of the head were still left, but it was much better than leaving it abandoned.dUd
iAY3gYIf the Owlbear hadn’t devoured it, it would be full of worms and an unbearable stench.TAD1JS
YUxvl‘Even so, better not get close.’GDXtle2
KLzSimI used the corpse as a reference and turned right, toward an area full of trees.WXn84h
0n4EROpen spaces are dangerous; if the Owlbear appears there, there would be no escape.SyjsTs
0uwqWEven if with its size it would probably knock down trees, any extra chance of survival counts.W70
TCf2h‘There are many trees.’ZuN
lS2xLFVAs I advanced, I didn’t forget to mark the path with my sword.Lev
Y8RUaJIf the place felt strange, I planned to turn back without hesitation.HWQvepf
CbZSpace twists like my own life, so extreme caution is necessary.l4E
L6Dk6A“Huff… Huh?”hK3TO
5TtKPNVWhen I came out of the wooded area, an enormous clearing appeared.RI6
fAEiHSIt was quite wide and covered in vegetation.VDe
c3z‘…Won’t a boss appear here?’OMFTu
0emC9bIn games, these places usually hide bosses.3kfyO96
ZWyYrAs a precaution, I moved back toward the trees.5pUMF2W
bq7cZ1The place could change suddenly.PAcf
dyuAfter observing carefully, I realized that here the probability of change was low.m1Cx
34HnepRAlthough the clearing was large, there was nothing unnatural.PWMG
q3rQGEAThe trees surrounded it uniformly.Z9TjF
Lg0Q‘Why is it only here so clearly delimited?’V1L
nxilYBIt didn’t seem strange, but the boundaries were very clear.MceRC
a6Ybdl9Without lowering my guard, I observed the plants.QI42S8f
isFThey weren’t simple herbs. They were plants with fruits.dvFJcj7
91RSngRed fruits, like raspberries.YEheOl
0zhGJvJThey could be poisonous, so I didn’t think about eating them.n1trsoH
xIjBInstead, I took a photo and uploaded it to the gallery.mnL
C6OyTitle) Does anyone know what this is?F3rRP
o9A5ArwWildGrillsUbzt
Ge0J(photo of plants with red raspberry-like fruits)Igz2
xPUM5D6Does anyone know what it is? There are a lot hereQJLlS
kMQQIF1ㄴAren’t they wild raspberries?hQB
bLEVㄴMore than raspberries, they look like radishes. Look at the leaves2iTTB
puQㄴDo radishes grow fruits?xERBtw
umdFcㄴThey do, but I think this is a bit differentOyJY
uWPB2v5Most users concluded they were radishes.4R25H
E7XoHonestly, they did look like that.Twbk
Y7MAkpaSo radishes also grow fruits, huh? Then wouldn’t it be fine to pull one out?nJao
1ZUㄴAllFather) Hm? You shouldn’t pull that lightly. It’s just a guess, but it could be a mandrakerGg74X
wpQU0FXㄴWildGrills) What is a mandrake?o5M
fiJrrㄴAllFather) 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 ears3iFIr
SCIㄴAren’t you supposed to die if you hear the scream?BvaX
UpWtydLㄴI thought that tooIPi
EE6g6ㄴAllFather) That is an exaggerated belief. The mandrake’s scream causes temporary confusion, but it does not cause deathmas
1lNkikㄴThen why do they say it kills?1owD
n2W2IvㄴAllFather) 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 confusionCVu
3LfmUㄴDamn…Ab7hWK
Ml4cyㄴPeople are scarier…hhX
T6oCPhfㄴIn the end the worst monster is the humanM1g
ssTiQN3ㄴWhy are humans suddenly coming up?XyafO9G
JSO20PㄴWhenever you see things like this, it’s humans’ fault haha3aSa5wW
hIfJiQㄴDamn, racial discrimination now1meYo7
ZEdwb89In any case, pulling it would only be noisy, not lethal.R2yFa
atLII0But if it messes up my hearing, that would be a serious problem, so I had to prepare.hJAWdF
knE69BYㄴCome on, as if mandrake were a weed hahacQQ9S7s
wH0xXㄴIt’s the Forest of Four Seasons. It could be realUCX
EDXㄴPull it and decide laterNZVus
iTRhㄴIf it’s a mandrake, it’s a jackpotHqYIvF
EdljWㄴWildGrills) Is mandrake expensive?eWlmmPE
8vo1koㄴIs that a serious question? It’s one of the main ingredients of elixirs9GHy
D6hNㄴCollecting it is damn difficult, if you upload it to the auction chaos will break out805
WgoWnLiㄴAllFather) (photo of plant) (photo of human-shaped root)QuOc6
k0HㄴAllFather) Compare them with this, it will be easier for yougFCwcZ
gMeIigaWhile the debate continued, AllFather uploaded some images.fPR
JdZGCeuI compared the photos with the plant in front of me.Wii
6aj2The exterior appearance was identical, but the fruits were different.mNSO
7QkwIn the image they were green, while the ones I saw were red.CDy
43i‘Could it be that they’re ripe?’N6SD
9fRJust in case, I bought earplugs at the auction.0Fp
4kdThey looked similar to those on Earth. They said they were even used in the army.GcOp
j9NCIf they block the ears well, it should be enough.4nK2lOh
jUsTSThe root had a human shape, so identifying it wouldn’t be difficult.IDOCd
uv1fgXㄴWildGrills) You just have to pull it out? I shouldn’t hear anything2NRtMdz
hYpPaEpㄴAllFather) If you are already prepared, pull it out at once, as if it were a radishSm6sdud
p7xrAㄴWildGrills) OkEnJDBqZ
cejSo, you just had to pull hard.DZX
N8puCqI immediately got to work.k0BO
W24LfQIWith the earplugs on, the scream shouldn’t affect me.wSamJiK
5Unw3bAccording to the description, they even blocked cannon sounds.9cRtax
WHZUMaybe that’s exaggerated, but the reviews were quite reliable.O85VgOf
nVQZAfter letting out a tense sigh, I pulled with all my strength.ia5m5y
6faUx“Uraa… haa!”8IVQSj
kNnmU8Fuuush!OGswOUE
ShWThere was sudden resistance halfway, but it came out without problems.UU5fo3Z
UFlw0I immediately checked the root.TZXJz
3W7MsAccording to the gallery, mandrakes have a human shape.7AQ
hBoThey are not exact people, they just resemble them.lwXdQ
asw“Huh?”YtrC
GHMe8lBut what I pulled out was even stranger.cNyK3
2GpBYMBTo be precise, it looked like a real person.P6uC
JjvqNot only did the shape have exact human proportions.2HD
lqu4sWell-defined arms and legs, even a clear facial expression.sJ7u
q5ecrTo top it off, it even had something like beard hair on its chin.ZU5
kwMkY7NIt didn’t look like a human-shaped root, but a human made of root.2JU
HF7Moreover, it had its arms crossed, in an imposing pose.WYK
zmdA‘And why is it so red? Is this a mandrake or red ginseng?’tcg8
hu1WIt looked like a mandrake, but it was too different.d2wLI
IjbeBI would probably have to ask directly.Vi6D7
txlC0Flash!qZkF
lzf4NJust as I entered the gallery, it happened.L42R
vp8hCZThe root, which had its eyes closed, opened them suddenly.b9GH
IcphSqSince its whole body was red, I didn’t notice at first.P0xq
FjgxVupBut when it slowly began to uncross its arms, I realized.VnN
loC9Pp“Huh?”0MwQpQ
FKCF5h“Huuuuuh…”So4E
ej8GWhile I stood frozen, the root inhaled deeply.qbh
iBa6qThat’s when I felt a bad premonition.i2CiQ
zR9CAI tried to let it go, but then exactly what AllFather had described happened.Jgv8Xy
jCShyd[WOOOOOOOOOOO!]0pcB
cfrSfIt wasn’t a scream, it was a monstrous shriek that pierced through the earplugs.zOC
FtG5gYXIf I hadn’t been wearing them, not only would it have damaged my hearing—it would have blown out my eardrums.Zwq0
FvOI grimaced and stepped back.SyBxQy
UtGkkmAs I covered my ears, I dropped the mandrake.KsEzlfl
pVv6‘Don’t tell me it’s going to bury itself again?’yoX7p
dGtwLI opened my eyes carefully.a6G
c3t2AFF“……”DZviR
3LvOD“……?”PADETaG
iCk1XWhy is it still?WqlYCB
pcEAjIt screamed a bit and then crossed its arms again.DAdDQ1S
7xZYKEBecause it resembled a human so much, I felt as if it were staring at me deeply.5AmeMW
MNsAccording to AllFather, it should scream until it buries itself again, so what’s happening?qvJDvU4
zwfeMX8Ruuuuuumble!Ezw
B53zWhile I hesitated, the ground began to shake.Nqru
gGsAI almost lost my balance.jFIQ6k
dorFAEA shriek and now an earthquake.nErU
BGzRJh7That doesn’t sound good at all.fA3
zIM‘At least take this.’tTa
hVpI grabbed the mandrake in a hurry, covering its mouth so it wouldn’t scream.4nUQ0X3
faUCfrIt was thick, so it wasn’t easy, but with both hands it was enough.uKn9wwN
mjgFE0G“Mmph! Mmph!”NzR
ZnGYH2JIt seems it didn’t expect me to cover its mouth, because it started struggling.8zxRxzd
wEYUQ2Why was it standing there so calmly with its arms crossed before?zOYi
waGpIf I stayed here, I was dead.CbLzHKB
9FEhI started running without wasting time.do2
k2vFshk! Fshk!vGt3K7N
Gkls0KA“Huh…?”0MW
1IctesjI stopped abruptly.1RN
XoAeNLRed human-shaped things were emerging from the ground by themselves.zHEdkp7
BtYfGIHIt was as if buried corpses were rising.Z7u3j
eSA20The entire clearing stirred.FBlTxx
9LckPLThe creatures were identical to the mandrake I had just pulled out.9clUOBU
tYxvThere were all ages and sexes, but all were red.FovM
NyRU0‘I screwed up.’ZUe
lLm3qNot just unsettling. This was outright disastrous.9eYNZq
jgofI turned around with the mandrake still in my arms.67qi
3gaAI could already imagine what was going to happen.1gXg4kc
egk5Just yesterday, the golden frogs did something similar.NMz
OI2FThe difference is that their venom could be blocked with a shield.r1KCh
ytsKtJVThis cannot.wlTo6
6iTQAgainst screams, there is only one option—run.iomA20H
77G7jxAnd on top of that, my hands are occupied covering its mouth.e02wTu
6zMy“Inhaaa…”YjpMRN
YG6A“Fuuuh…”ySzDIQ
dGGFCzWhen I entered the trees again.UcGzuy
klFz[WOOOOOOOOOOO!]rbhUxc
i8NA5A gigantic shockwave struck my back.reXS
o2v5***hMf
9epTitle) What do you do if you get hit by a sound wave attack?2uNT
m4ZUEWildGrillsfw7CT0q
pkqvM67The mandrakes started screaming all at once, does anyone know how to treat this?7WV4eal
dSsqIwㄴHeavenlyDemon) Sound waves and screams? Did you get hit by a lion’s roar?FIg
rB9mmpㄴWildGrills) More or less, something like that.oO89
5xdlQPㄴHeavenlyDemon) How severe is the injury?cKZZ79
O6ezVㄴWildGrills) My ear keeps ringing all the time, a piiii—u4oude
QJrcuRㄴHeavenlyDemon) Then you were hit hard. Can you not hear or is your ear bleeding?4As
8yUㄴWildGrills) Fortunately not. I was wearing earplugs.ICPbbB
VBWㄴHeavenlyDemon) 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.XGN0aY
rAYmNKxㄴWildGrills) Thank you. Have you also received a lion’s roar?CF4dA3
xIDQksㄴHeavenlyDemon) Yes. I slowly tore out its throat so it would never scream again in its life.vd15
x2hNㄴWildGrills) That’s scary…HZKwa2
pGtilA5ㄴWhat the hell did you do for the mandrakes to scream together?7GcC
A4uㄴWildGrills) I pulled one out and when that one started screaming, the others came out on their own.Ms9
kyuuSljㄴ??? I’ve never heard of thatK9XC
zBr2ㄴAre you sure that was a mandrake?9Nq
CoSXZgㄴWildGrills) Wait, I’ll upload a photo1RF
TJt4Title) Is this a mandrake?PpY
95EZWildGrillsw3B
kD84U2h(photo of a completely beaten-up red mandrake)bhmUl
OUYGCrlIt does look like a person, but the body is too red, isn’t it?vVY
3XbXㄴWhy is it like that? It looks like a face smashed with punchesiRZLI
HvUKeㄴWildGrills) 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.6lfzzxI
Y5Fg3ㄴLOLp4i
p9TGㄴLOL2u0c
1A6MㄴYou went too far LOL4iK
cjpsㄴSilence magic (physical) LOLi9Nv68U
c0RClglㄴIsn’t mandrake a plant? Does it feel pain?zeh
cYwAkOUㄴYes, 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 hahaOl6t
OyUZSIㄴBut do mandrakes look like that?p8E
osfMㄴThey say they vaguely resemble humans and feel unsettling, but that one is literally a personA9ddt3m
VbyXPJgㄴThat’s no longer a mandrake, it’s a monster, right?1Wzd
6POaBZKㄴNormally mandrakes vaguely resemble humans and give off a creepy vibe, but this one is identical, it’s even more unsettlingDkVozN0
ukUGKGㄴCould it be a hundred-year-old mandrake or something?RrHhj
KxNqpㄴHaha as if it were wild ginsengVVE
dPCYPㄴI looked in a book and it says red mandrakes are a superior subspeciesAz5Tx0R
Jen5XKㄴIn what book did you see that?hQPJpy
jjVVYㄴIn the encyclopedia of medicinal herbs. It says it is extremely raredTSHUig
QkQdJqㄴThat rare?FatPwX
HSoVFjtㄴIt says that being a superior subspecies, it is even more valuable96Qjzta
DL8ewjㄴHaha, surely it’s a book written by a charlatanFN9ksaF
7gyAmㄴTotally, seriouslyDIEg8
PlaYㄴNo, that book was written by a very renowned academic;;TBoi0
QOQDoㄴIsn’t mandrake used to make elixirs? Would that one also work?Woex
pWuUpq2ㄴYes, that’s why mandrake cultivation is only done in the Magic Tower2jK
u2PeㄴIf it’s a superior subspecies, how good must it be then?T62YJKQ
7JbTMUWhile everyone heatedly debated about the red mandrake.sVbF
FxaFㄴAllFather) Oh. By Aragorn… My God. It appears to be an adult mandrake.fI9a
C7AkCAllFather—not FatherMon, but AllFather—reacted almost in horror.WC7I
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