S-Class Hunter Heals with Monsters - Chapter 186



Only Noblemtl

186. The Mana of the Heavenly Cloud is the Spring Flower of Pongporobong

Cheon Do-un took medicine and seeds.

Kim Na-ri, who saw that, put the easel on her side and held the crayon in her other hand.

“Sir, I’m ready to go too.”

“Are you going too?”

“Yes, I will go and draw a grapevine for you!”

Kim Na-ri said this while wearing the artist’s symbolic beret hat. She also combined the apron and arm sleeves with her body.

“Okay. Then Kim Na-ri will go too. Is there anyone else who will go?”

Cheon Do-woon looked around the group. When their eyes met, the siblings pointed to the waterfall valley.

“We’ll wait here. I think 49 will be able to build a bridge soon.”

At the siblings’ words, Cheon Do-woon looked towards the valley.

The valley was not visible because it was hidden by the path, but the energy of number 49 was felt.

“That’s right. The energy flow will soon return to human form.”

“Right? It’s been decades since you’ve been walking, so you won’t be used to it. You’ll need someone to help you. And I’ll have to bring you some clothes.”

The siblings decided to stay for that.

Seok Woo-hyuk also chose to leave it as it was because he wasn’t very interested in plants.

“Okay. Then, just me, Kim Na-ri, and Joseph will go.”

This time, when I get home, number 49 might be standing on two legs to greet me.

Cheon Do-woon left the house with that thought in mind.

* * *

The destination we arrived at after a long walk.

When she arrived at the place where the grapevine was, Kim Na-ri’s eyes widened.

“Oh, sir! The grapevine has shrunk…!”

The once huge tree had shrunk to the size of Cheon Do-un. It had melted as it was hit by snow during the winter.

“Don’t be surprised. It’s a natural thing in the Demon World. The trees around you have all melted and disappeared.”

“That’s… that’s right. The trees are gone.”

Most trees thaw during the winter, leaving only the stump behind.

Thinking about it, the grapevine that preserved its original shape as tall as Cheon Do-un was incredibly durable.

“The new shoots have grown quite a bit. They must have woken up from hibernation by now. Are they awake now?”

The new shoots moved little by little as if answering.

“When the new shoots are fully sprouted, that is the body’s signal to repair itself. From then on, the tree’s growth will be fast enough to be confirmed in real time.”

“Oh?”

“By summer, it will have grown back to its former size.”

“Oh…!”

“If Joseph’s nutrients are added to it, the growth time will be shortened.”

Cheon Do-woon looked at Joseph. Joseph was already putting the nutrients he had brought around the grapevine.

“Oh oh, Grandpa Joseph is giving me some supplements!”

Kim Na-ri opened her easel and began to draw the scene with crayons.

Meanwhile, Cheon Do-woon took out the communication medicine and dropped it on the tree.

‘If you’ve woken up from hibernation, you should be able to talk. For now… yes.’

Let me say this first. Cheon Do-woon showed me the seeds he had brought.

“Do you see this? It’s the seed you left me. Your child survived the winter safely.”

Cheon Do-un said. At that, a golden light gathered in front of the grapevine.

『Thank you, good, happy, thankful. When I was young, my benefactor』

All kinds of words came to mind irregularly.

Cheon Do-woon was not flustered. He had somewhat expected the interpretation to turn out like this.

‘Because it’s rare to find a monster with a distinct ego capable of complex thinking.’

Thinking about it, it was only natural that the translated phrase would be like that.

Still, he showed a reaction to what he said. That means he can understand human speech to some extent.

That was enough. He could reinterpret the translated phrase himself.

Cheon Do-woon looked at the list of words and laughed.

“Let me see. Thank you for saving the seeds… and thank you for saving you when you were little. Is that what it means? Is that right?”

“That’s it, that’s it. That’s right.”

“Yeah, that’s right. First of all, congratulations on getting through the winter safely.”

Up to this point, the conversation was going smoothly.

The main point is from now on. Cheon Do-woon showed the seed and explained the reason for coming here.

“I’m having trouble deciding where to plant this seed. If you have a favorite type of land, tell me. I’ll find a similar place for you.”

The grapevine was troubled by Cheon Do-un’s words.

He himself was taken to the TDA Research Institute when he was young and was unable to settle down where he wanted.

Even though Cheon Do-woon had brought him to the Demon World, too much time had already passed, so he had no choice but to settle down quickly.

An opportunity he had lost forever. That was what was given to the seed.

That joy made the vines carefully.

『High, Fertile』

“High places? Do you like high altitudes like Mandragora?”

『different, subtle, growing big, reason, securing a view, looking down, good, well-visible, open』

Disjointed sentences flowed out continuously. Cheon Do-woon tried to reassemble them in his head.

If you make those words into one sentence… .

“The reason they grow so big is because they like high places? They grow so big because they like looking down. Is that right?”

“That, that”

It doesn’t like high density mana like Mandragora.

In such high mountainous areas, mana was so dense that it could not grow.

A moderately fertile and moderately high place.

Cheon Do-woon laughed as he was organizing what the grapevine had said.

“What the siblings said might become reality.”

“Sir, what does that mean?”

“My brother and sister said, ‘What if we plant grapevine seeds in Diacity?’”

Grapevines like high places.

It’s hard to find a place higher than Cheonkong Island.

It’s high, but it doesn’t have as high a density of mana as the highlands, so it passes.

“Wait. Is it a problem that we don’t have enough mana outside the gate? I should either inject some mana into it or…”

Cheon Do-woon thought for a moment and then smiled.

“If it comes down to it, I’ll have to bring back Cheonkong Island.”

“Oh? You brought it back. What do you mean?”

“Because the land on that island has been torn away since it was in the Demon World.”

That means that even if you bring it back, it will still be floating in the air. It was a perfect habitat for grapevines.

Kim Na-ri’s eyes sparkled at Cheon Do-woon’s words.

“Great. So is there a new duplex in the Coconut Family home?”

“Duplex?”

“Yes. We have a two-story house made of bones. It has a rib dome. On top of that, we put a sky island. We secure the sky island with the old man’s thread so that it doesn’t slip away.”

Kim Na-ri raised her arm as she spoke of the drawing in her head.

“It’s a duplex!”

A very large duplex. If you put it right above the house, it will block the sun, which is not good.

But what if we let the thread hang long and float freely?

There will be a mobile fortress that floats moderately at a moderate height and moves around the house.

‘No. It’s not for military purposes. A fortress is kind of like that… A mobile duplex?’

It was a subtle feeling. However, Cheon Do-woon, who had no sense to distinguish such things, smiled in satisfaction.

“Moving duplex. That sounds good.”

If the residents of Diacity heard this, they would be shocked. Suddenly, their entire territory was taken over by the Demon World.

Meanwhile, another incomprehensible phrase appeared in front of the grapevine.

『2, old, high, red, ground, disappear』

“This one is difficult to interpret. What does it mean?”

Cheon Do-woon stared at the text.

‘The red light probably means a naturally occurring gate.’

The ‘land, disappearance’ attached to the end means that the land disappeared beyond the gate.

‘The interpretation before that is difficult. Two, old, high place… What does it mean?’

I wouldn’t have said something out of the blue. If so, it would have to be related to Sky Island.

Cheon Do-woon, who was putting words together, paused for a moment. The corners of his mouth quietly went up.

“There are two Sky Islands…?”

A sentence that appears when all the uninterpreted words are combined.

“I saw the island pass the gate twice in the past. Is that right?”

『That’s right! That’s right!』

The vine gave its approval.

This was unexpected information. When he showed interest, the grapevine continued to speak.

『Island, People, Forbidden, Unlivable, Insects』

“Yes. There is an island where people cannot enter because there are so many bug monsters.”

That’s probably the island he’s completed his conquest on.

“What was the other one like? You must have seen it since you’re tall, right?”

“That’s right!”

Ah, I am now helping my benefactor. With that joy, a new shoot sprouted up from the vine.

『Other island, high, very high, quiet, high』

The word ‘high’ appears three times. And also a quiet place.

In other words, it is a place where it is difficult to find living things.

It was obvious that there was a place in the Demon World that could be called like that.

“Alpine region…?”

A place where mana is densely packed and no living creatures can survive.

The only creatures that live in such places are mandragoras.

“Are you saying that a whole mountain fell over?”

“That’s right!”

Cheon Do-woon laughed again.

It was an interesting story that said that a mountain from the Demon World was floating beyond the gate.

‘If there was such a thing, it must have been discovered by now. I wonder. Where did that mountain flow to?’

Whatever it is, just go and see. If the entire mountainous region has been passed over, the high density of mana that has permeated the mountain will be detected.

If you track it, you’ll find it quickly.

“Okay. I know that vines prefer high places. I’ll plant your seeds there.”

Before going home, Cheon Do-woon touched the grapevine with his hand.

I’m trying to give you some strength as you’re probably tired from the winter.

As his mana enveloped the vines, the new shoots trembled.

『Ah, good, good, this is good, the refreshing Pompon Bong』

“Oh? Sir. The grapevine has given us an interesting review!”

“Okay. What is Pongporobong?”

When Cheon Do-woon laughed, Kim Na-ri’s face became like a detective’s.

“I can tell. It’s gentle. That means the old man’s mana is surrounding him.”

“Really? Then what about Pongporobong?”

“It tastes like the uncle’s mana.”

Cheon Do-un’s mana tastes like a sponge cake. Is that so? Is my mana also like a sponge cake?

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Cheon Do-woon thought with a smile.

Compared to that, Kim Na-ri still had a detective-like face.

“Oh oh…! I, I have an image. The old man’s mana is Pongporobong… fresh and refreshing… sweet… ! In other words, it’s a pink spring flower!”

Cheon Do-un’s mana became the pink spring flower mana that makes the sound of the bell.

Somehow, it felt like I had to wave a jewel-encrusted magic wand. Cheon Do-woon smiled at the child’s innocent sentiment.

Joseph’s expression became like a rotten cucumber.

“Yeah. My mana tastes like puffball… Well, let’s leave it at that. Anyway, I’ll come back again once I plant the seeds. Until then, take care.”

Cheon Do-un greeted the grapevine and turned around. Joseph followed him and saw the grapevine.

The gentle Pomporobong. As expected, it is an incomprehensible evaluation. That is why I became curious.

‘What will they say about my mana?’

When fed to Mandragora, it said ‘whoa’.

But that’s only because Mandragora is an extreme gourmet. If it were a normal plant, it might savor its own mana as well.

Joseph touched the vine as Cheon Do-un had done.

‘Will you tell me that my mana is also Pongporobong?’

His heart was pounding with anticipation. But before he could breathe in mana, Joseph hesitated and took his hand away.

He turned his head with a bitter smile.

‘Let’s stop. Anyway… it’ll end up like this, rustling, something like that.’

An estimate derived from past experience.

There was no need to confirm the expected sad ending with one’s own eyes. Joseph turned around with a gloomy face.

In the place they left, new shoots of the grapevine began to sprout one by one.

『Delicious, Pom-po-robong, Pom-po-robong』

It was an appreciation of Cheon Do-un’s mana.

『Golden Water, Soap Bubbles, Tingle』

It was a review of the nutritional supplement Joseph had given me.

『Soap bubbles, tinkling』

Joseph’s Mana was evaluated as a bubble tingle. It was a great compliment that would have made the person involved ecstatic if he had seen it.

It was an unbearable compliment for Joseph, who turned away sullenly.