S-Class Hunter Heals with Monsters - Chapter 178



Only Noblemtl

178. Contract for the Garden Roots

“Really… Is that really the root from back then?”

“That’s right. You recognized me right away.”

Joseph’s breathing became short at Cheon Do-un’s words.

The roots I had tried so hard to keep alive were right before my eyes.

It appeared before him for the first time in decades.

How could he express this emotion in words? Joseph’s eyes were moist.

“Where… where did you find those roots?”

“I told you, we got another garden in our yard. This guy lives there too.”

Why that damn garden?

Joseph wanted to shout that. He cried out inwardly that God was not fair.

He looked at the roots with a pitiful face.

Anyway, he won’t let me touch him this time either. The more I knew that, the more despair I felt.

Joseph groaned and turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut and turning away from the roots.

“That… Just move it over there.”

-Huh?

What came back was not Cheon Do-woon’s answer, but the sound of the roots’ response. Joseph’s shoulders flinched at that.

-Huh, huh?

There was another whooshing sound. This is a whooshing sound that means curiosity.

Joseph, who had been studying mandragora all his life, noticed it.

‘Did you recognize me?’

Or maybe he was just curious. Unable to hold it in, Joseph opened his eyes and looked at the roots.

-Whew!

As their eyes met, Mandragora raised both arms in a flash.

That alone was a powerful blow to Joseph’s heart.

It didn’t stop there, the roots stretched out in front of Joseph.

‘Huh…!’

Joseph stopped breathing for a moment.

This is a distance that you can touch if you stretch out your hand. Cheon Do-un has taken root in you.

“Are you… giving it to me?”

“I’m not giving it to you.”

Ah, as expected. Joseph’s shoulders slumped sullenly.

“Go get checked out.”

“what…?”

“Check the health of these roots.”

Joseph’s mouth opened, unable to tell if what he was hearing was real or not.

Examination. That is, you can take that root and try to manipulate it.

“no?”

“No way! A health checkup. That’s important. Of course it’s important. It’s very important to Mandragora!”

Joseph shouted in a robotic, choppy voice. His trembling hands grasped the root.

“Huh….”

An exclamation came out without me knowing.

This feeling that fills the palm of your hand. This sensation. The moisture unique to healthy mandragora.

Joseph trembled with emotion. Cheon Do-woon looked at Joseph and said.

“It must have been thanks to your spell that that guy was able to survive.”

“what…?”

“I was the one who released it at the gate, but if it weren’t for the formula engraved on its roots, it wouldn’t have lived long.”

Malnutrition is a chronic disease caused by an old cultivated type of mandragora.

Such roots did not gain weight even when they crossed over into the gate.

The body’s functions are so damaged that it can’t properly absorb mana.

“But he’s different. As you can see, he’s chubby. Can’t you see that he’s been eating well?”

Joseph nodded. This root was certainly plump.

“The spell engraved on his body must have helped him recover. That must have been why he survived.”

“iced coffee….”

Joseph’s eyes twitched.

The effort he had put in was not in vain. After several decades, the rewards came back to him.

“I see… That’s right. You survived.”

It was truly magnificent. Joseph’s heart was filled with emotion. He stroked the roots and savored the emotion of the moment.

-Ouch, oh yeah!

Of course, that feeling was Joseph’s alone.

The mandragora that Joseph had heard about was hitting Joseph’s hand with a small root.

The root did not remember Joseph, but felt an instinctive aversion to him.

I noticed the alchemist’s signature potion smell.

“Ah, heh, this guy. He’s got a lot of strength. Yeah. Is that healthy?”

Joseph smiled even as he was attacked by vicious gnats.

It was like the face of a grandfather watching his grandson’s talents.

“This guy is healthy. He couldn’t be healthier.”

Joseph returned the roots to Cheon Do-un.

I didn’t want to give it back. I wanted to raise it myself.

However, Mandragora is a monster that lives in groups.

If you leave just one alone, it’s obvious that it’ll get lonely and suffer.

As soon as it passed into Cheon Do-un’s hands, the roots calmed down.

He stopped his attack and fell to the ground on Cheon Do-woon’s hand.

-Ugh… Ugh… .

The root was breathing heavily from the attack.

Cheon Do-un placed a tree next to him so that the roots could rest.

Next to the sleeping Dodak, there was a baby root sleeping with him.

Tunsil Root, who saw that, also lay down on the opposite side.

I was tired, so I thought I should get some sleep. With that intention, I lay down, and soon I heard the sound of rumbling breathing.

‘Ugh…’

Joseph, seeing that, clutched his chest again.

Mandragora sleeping so peacefully. He had never seen such a sight before.

Even though it wasn’t underground, he slept. This was possible because he considered Cheon Do-woon’s side safe.

‘Yes, I want to raise it too.’

Joseph squeezed his eyes shut to suppress his desire.

“That, that guy… Ugh, make him happy.”

Joseph spoke with the intention of marrying off his daughter. Cheon Do-woon held back a laugh at that.

‘I think the atmosphere was like that when the president of the association handed over the silk thread larvae.’

Cheon Do-woon smiled inwardly as he recalled the incident at that time.

Anyway, at this point, there was enough bait. Now, all I had to do was shake it gently and wait for Joseph to bite.

“By the way, the number of mandrakes has increased too much. I need a doctor to do regular health checkups….”

“Oh, your doctor?”

Joseph’s eyes flashed open.

Wild Mandragora Doctor. That’s a nickname he created for himself.

“Until now, Manager Kim has been acting as your attending physician. He seems very busy these days.”

“Yeah, that’s right. He’s busy. He asks me to look after the store every day.”

“So, by the way. I’m thinking of finding a separate doctor for the roots. If there’s anyone who knows a lot about plant-based monsters, please introduce me to them.”

“Cow, introduction?”

Joseph’s mouth opened.

An introduction? An introduction in front of me. He stood up abruptly, startled.

“No one knows plant monsters better than me!”

“I know. So tell me about it. I’m an expert in that field. I’m sure there are a lot of people who know about it.”

“No, that… that is…! I, there is no one else who would be better suited for the job!”

Joseph shouted. Cheon Do-woon looked away as if he was not interested.

Joseph began to feel tired of that lukewarm response.

At this rate, the world’s best job as a doctor of Mandragora might be taken away by some random person.

“Hey, Number 17. No, Cheon Do-woon. Think about it carefully. I know you don’t like me. But no one knows more about plant monsters than I do.”

Joseph said, pounding his chest.

“You know the truth. I am the best person for the job!”

“Well, I’m a bit suspicious of you. I think you might be sneaking out some Mandragora.”

“Oh, I won’t steal it! If you want, you can write a contract!”

“It’s just a paper contract. Break it and that’s it.”

“Then, put a condition and engrave the spell on my body! Wait a minute!”

Joseph ran up to the second floor laboratory, making a loud noise.

“Mr. Kim! Come and testify!”

At the loud noise, Dodak opened his eyes and flinched.

-Huh…?

“It’s okay. You can sleep more.”

Cheon Do-woon patted Dodak’s stomach. Feeling the pleasant sensation, Dodak closed his eyes again and went to sleep.

Cheon Do-woon smiled faintly as he put Dodak to sleep.

Things were going just as he had hoped.

* * *

What on earth is going on?

Manager Kim, who was brought to Joseph, rolled his eyes.

Three people sitting around the lobby sofa. A contract in the middle. Alchemy materials placed around it.

“My condition is to become the personal doctor of the roots of the garden.”

Joseph wrote down his conditions on paper.

“Now tell me your conditions.”

“There’s a condition. Don’t steal the mandragora from the garden.”

“Okay. Is that okay?”

Joseph asked, writing down the conditions of the contract.

“Do not harm Mandragora.”

“Of course! And?”

“Do not touch the mandrake without permission.”

“That, that’s… Hmm. Okay. I’ll get stressed out if I touch people’s hands too much anyway. And?”

“Do not bring anyone into the garden without my permission.”

“Of course! Why would I tell you about that precious place!”

Joseph wrote down the conditions that Cheon Do-un called for on a piece of paper.

“Is there anything else?”

“Come and check the status of Mandragora whenever I call you.”

“As I hoped. And?”

“If you request a formula related to Mandragora, create it without delay.”

“Of course! And?”

“If you know anything about Mandragora, don’t hide it.”

“That’s a natural thing for a doctor. And?”

Joseph said, snorting. Manager Kim, watching from the side, was inwardly embarrassed.

‘This seems more like a one-sided demand than a contract.’

Is this a contract or a slave document? Are you really going to tattoo those clauses on your body?

Manager Kim looked at Joseph. Joseph is a man with a strong desire for knowledge.

I couldn’t believe that he would come forward and write such a contract.

‘What did you do?’

Manager Kim looked at Cheon Do-woon. He thought to himself that it was fortunate that he did not have such a person as an enemy.

Before I knew it, there were more than thirty clauses. They were all conditions put forth by Cheon Do-woon.

“Okay! Are there any more conditions for walking now?”

Joseph stopped looking at the contract with a proud face.

I didn’t know when I was writing because I was so excited.

But after writing it down, I realized that it seemed like a very one-sided contract.

‘Hmm… It’s not often that I get the chance to look after wild mandragora. It’s a chance that I may never get again in my lifetime… .’

If you want to seize the opportunity, you may have to accept these contract terms.

As I thought about that, I regained my composure and hesitated.

Can you really make a contract like this? Are you sure you won’t regret it?

As Joseph was shaking, Cheon Do-woon put his hand into his fanny pack.

“Oh, right. I didn’t write a condition for this.”

“Joe, there’s another condition?”

Maybe it’s better to quit.

The moment he was about to say that he would think about it some more, Cheon Do-woon took out the World Tree fruit from his fanny pack.

The fruit glowed golden. Joseph held his breath when he saw it.

He has spent his entire life studying plant monsters.

Joseph immediately recognized what fruit was in Cheon Do-un’s hand.

“Where on earth did you get that…!”

Joseph’s mouth opened. Cheon Do-woon laughed at his reaction.

“I plan to grind this up and feed it to the roots.”

“What, what… feed me?”

“I’ll feed you half of it. I’ll grind the other half and spread it on the field as fertilizer. You can also make the fertilizer and snacks yourself.”

“What, what, are you in your right mind right now, you idiot!”

Joseph jumped to his feet in excitement.

“Do you know what that is!”

“What is it? It’s the fruit of the World Tree.”

“You knew it and you did it! Ugh…!”

Joseph grabbed the back of his neck. It was a mistake to use the fruit of the World Tree for something like that.

There was no way anyone would do such a crazy thing.

Common sense would tell, but the opponent was Cheon Do-woon.

Then, it seemed like he would put the World Tree fruit into the blender with a calm expression.

It seemed like I could just press the button and change it without any thought.

[Good juice.]

Saying something like that, wouldn’t you feed it to Mandragora?

[The peel is perfect for fertilizer.]

The remaining parts were also depicted being sown in the field.

Ah, that was good fertilizer. I imagined her saying that with a refreshing face.

‘That guy would do it and still have more!’

It must be stopped. It must be stopped.

Of course, it is important to provide nutrition to the roots, but that can be done even without the fruit of the World Tree.

‘For nutritional supplements, I just have to make a formula on my own line and throw it in!’

Although my body would be tired, I could do anything to protect the fruit of the World Tree.

“Me! I will study that fruit! Of course, in a form that preserves its original form!”

Joseph shouted. His hand was already holding a ballpoint pen and writing a new clause on the contract.

I will leave the study of the World Tree entirely to myself.

Of course, Cheon Do-woon would not accept such a clause. Knowing that, he added an additional clause.

A clause stating that if you learn anything about the World Tree fruit, you must tell it without hiding anything.

If you add this clause, it will make sense.

“Think carefully. That’s not something that should disappear as a snack!”

“Well, the fruit is meant to be eaten.”

“No! Don’t eat it! I will maximize the value of that fruit!”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Of course! Don’t you know my skills?”

Joseph shouted, clenching his fists.

Cheon Do-woon stared at Joseph with a blank expression.

Next to him, Manager Kim watched the two with bated breath.

‘Ah, Mr. Chun… Right now, that face looks like it’s thinking about how to peel off more.’

That’s how Cheon Do-woon’s expressionless face looked to Manager Kim.

In Joseph’s eyes, there was a look on his face as if he was considering whether to allow it or not.

“Trust me. Please…!”

Joseph’s heart pounded as he expected the words of rejection to leave his mouth.