The background of the Elder Mandragora’s birth wasn’t too complicated.
Someone’s indifference.
A hunter’s carelessness.
A miraculous birth created by the overlap of chance and coincidence.
The seeds of the Mandragora are carried by the wind to reproduce.
Normally, seeds that find good soil sprout and grow through a normal development process. However, one seed got stuck in the middle of a deep, endless cliff in the Taurus Great Canyon.
With little sunlight and no nutrient-absorbing soil nearby, only hard rocks filled the cliff.
Naturally, Mandragoras cannot grow properly without sufficient nutrients, sunlight, and moisture nearby.
The sprout of the Mandragora that bloomed in the middle of the cliff withered in less than a month, but this Mandragora managed to achieve growth.
At first, it drank rainwater. By being buried under a mound of soil pushed by rain, it completed the conditions to sprout.
Miraculously, the carcass of a dead animal and monster that fell off the cliff landed right next to the seed, supplementing its nutrients.
Though it couldn’t grow as fast as other Mandragoras, it could survive at least.
Time passed.
Pwoo…
Of course, the Elder Mandragora’s life wasn’t initially pleasant.
While other Mandragoras enjoyed warm and delicious sunlight and air, those that had grown enough would slowly move toward sunny spots.
However, the Mandragora stuck in the middle of the cliff had nowhere to go.
It drank rain mixed with sand and lived off the bodies of fallen animals, a life that could get exhausting, but fortunately, it was a bit laid-back and lazy by nature.
In fact, while other Mandragoras were plucked by humans, this little one was so small and fragile that it didn’t stand out, allowing it to grow into an Elder.
‘As long as I’m alive, that’s good enough~’
If this Mandragora had developed intelligence early and could speak human language, it would have said just that.
Anyway, the Elder Mandragora, driven by its will and instinct to survive, slowly spread its roots further into the cliff. Over time, its range for nutrient absorption increased, and as it absorbed mana, it began to adapt to its environment. From then on, its growth accelerated further.
Since it was originally embedded deep in the cliff, it was also unnoticed by humans. Even as it became an Elder, it not only consumed nutrients but also mana from deep within the dungeon, growing from B-grade to A and then S-grade. Still, it liked to remain slow and quiet.
“Uwaaaa…”
“What are you doing, rookie? Get up! No time to hesitate!”
“I haven’t slept for three days!! Gominjun, Vice Guild Master!!”
“Stop whining! Yeonhwa, the one who loves freezing limbs, told me to turn you into a decent human!”
“Ugh… just kill me already…”
“Don’t worry, rookie! The Yeonpung Guild won’t abandon you!”
As a middle-tier hunter was rolling a novice hunter, the new hunter pushed a goblin off a cliff, and the Elder Mandragora’s tentacle-like vines spread like spider webs nearby and snatched the goblin’s corpse.
“Three got away, rookie!”
“It’s not my fault! They got caught in my confusion skills and went that way!”
“What do you mean ‘what do’? We need to fill the quota! Let’s head to another village, rookie!”
“Uugh… just kill me…”
This goblin corpse would slowly decompose through microorganisms and become fertilizer for the Elder Mandragora.
Undetected by anyone, not harmed by anyone, it lived quietly, cleaning up corpses like a scavenger and absorbing nutrients for a long time.
The reason this tiny Mandragora grew into an S-grade Elder Mandragora was likely its innate quietness.
And so, the S-grade Elder Mandragora was deep in slumber today to conserve energy.
Kyuu?
If it hadn’t suddenly felt a slightly cool and dry breeze…
For the Elder, feeling the air touch its body was very rare.
The flow of air directly touching it meant one thing: someone was digging up the soil covering its roots, exposing it to the air.
Kyuu, hot… cold… hard…
The Elder Mandragora was naturally lazy and laid-back, but it wasn’t kind enough to ignore a human invading its territory.
As it was disturbed, the sensations of fire, ice, and sharp blades made from steel struck the Elder, inducing slight discomfort as it stretched.
It didn’t hurt; there weren’t even scratches. However, the Elder felt displeasure, and in response to this, all the vines connected to its body thrashed around like serpents and tentacles, collapsing the ground.
Thus, for the first time, the Elder emerged into the outside world.
At that moment, the Elder had no particular thoughts.
Since it had reached S-grade, it quickly assessed how weak the humans attacking it were and thought that if it did well, it could end things without attracting attention.
However, upon spotting Shia falling from the sky, the Elder opened its eyes wide.
Though its nature was laziness and calmness, seeing Shia licking her lips and staring at it made its breath catch and its photosynthetic Rubisco cells feel like they were wilting.
That’s going to kill me. That’s going to dry me up. That’s going to uproot me.
For the first time, the Elder felt the fear of death, and Shia, in that moment, became a terrifying target.
Within that small body, a stronger and more terrifying power than mana lurked, but what was even scarier was the endless hunger and malice radiating from that monster in human form.
Scary. Scary. So scary.
And so, the Elder Mandragora decided to resist with all its might against Shia, who ‘tried to eat’ it.
“Hehehe… S-grade ginseng… nom nom…”
…….!!!!!
And the moment Shia uttered those words, the Elder Mandragora realized her intention to completely wreck it.
Mandragoras are inherently sensitive to their environment. When they evolve into Elders, their ability to comprehend surroundings also increases.
The Elder could sense Shia’s ‘intent’ and ‘atmosphere.’ It understood that Shia intended to ‘eat’ it.
Are you going to eat me…?
The problem arose when the Elder, not only aware of Shia but also unconsciously absorbing the intelligence and knowledge of other humans, realized that for humans, ‘eating’ could also have sexual connotations.
Pervert…!
“Eh?”
Unusual, sexual desire!
“Uh….”
Vulgar, degenerate…!
“………..”
That monster is going to eat me! Sexually! A pervert for sure. How could it want to mate with me when we’re of different species? Is that what humans are like? Scary! Terrifying! I don’t want to mate with a filthy land creature that can’t photosynthesize! I’m a plant!
Get away, perverted sexual deviant!!!!
Fury, shame, embarrassment, and confusion surged through the Elder for the first time, launching at Shia at a speed that broke the sound barrier.
“Eh.”
Boom!!!
[Wait, that one’s stronger than I thought???]
[Is the Elder Mandragora this strong?]
[I heard the average is B;]
[Oh shit;]
[Gallery Master got one-shotted?]
[Seems we’re not kidding around, huh?]
“Ow ow ow….”
By the way, the drone was fine.
As I adjusted the drone camera and the hologram of the chat window with my finger, I confirmed everything was okay.
Fortunately, the drone camera hovering near me was within the protective range of the sacred power, so it wasn’t destroyed by the Elder Mandragora’s attack.
They say when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you, and that seems pretty accurate.
If I’m trying to swallow something, that something is also set on swallowing me.
“I never thought I’d get smashed into the ground by vines…”
If it had been another human, they would have been crushed to pulp by the first hit.
In my case, I didn’t get smashed, but the ground couldn’t withstand the impact from the Elder’s vine attack and crumbled beneath me.
[How’s that, Master?]
“Well?”
[Are you hurt?]
[Sensei??]
[Is it a real S-grade?]
[Shouldn’t we run?]
[No, don’t you remember when Master one-shot the Centipede Dragon?]
[You think the Centipede Dragon and S-grade Elder Mandragora are on the same level?]
[If it’s smart, it’s definitely dangerous.]
My oddly buried position felt like I was sitting cross-legged, so the viewers didn’t seem to feel much of a crisis.
Some viewers sent words of concern and worry.
Others seemed confident they could take down the Elder easily.
Of course, there were also trolls and troublemakers, but those types were always around, so it was fine.
Better that than turning my live broadcast into a funeral parlor should I die.
Bam, bam, bam!!
Bang, bang, bang!!
Normally, it’d end here, but what was that Elder feeling? Even after I was buried underground, it continued smashing the ground with hundreds of vines.
“…Ugh. I need to get out.”
I had created a barrier with sacred power so my clothes wouldn’t get dirty or torn anymore, but there was no avoiding being trapped underground.
What a mess it turned into…
‘But this feels like the strongest one I’ve faced so far…’
I’ve hunted two S-grade monsters before.
One was the Centipede Dragon from Rotten Mountain, and the other was the Black Minotaur I faced when I first met Yeonhwa.
There could be more, but anyway, those were the two I clearly remembered.
Though those two were S-grade monsters, that was based on their sheer power and size.
However, this Elder Mandragora was somewhat different.
It not only possessed strength and mana but also intelligence capable of speaking human language.
“They say intelligent monsters are the most dangerous?”
An intelligent monster knows how to use its strength effectively.
It acknowledges what is efficient.
It could feign attacks and identify true ones.
It could use an opponent’s carelessness against them and could even recognize its own power and capabilities.
Alright.
Am I up against a formidable opponent for the first time in a while?
Perhaps I’ve become a bit careless with all this peace.
Woo-hoo!
Boom!
Kyuuuaaaah!?
As I lightly got up and kicked the ground, the stones surrounding me exploded in all directions, and at the same time, the oddly contorted face of the Elder appeared before my eyes.
“Whew, huff! You’re alive!”
“You’re still alive!”
“Hey! Take care of Guild Master!”
“Let’s run together! That Elder is super strong!!”
The hunters, who thought I was dead, had shocked looks on their faces.
They must have been surprised.
If I were a human, my body would usually be crushed to nothingness with that first attack.
Indeed, I took a bit of a hit.
[Wait, what’s with the Elder’s face? LOL]
[It’s dangerous, but the expression is kinda cute.]
However, the Elder looked more ridiculous than the hunters.
It genuinely seemed like it had no idea I would survive.
[But, Master, is that the right direction for your arm?]
[?]
[??]
[Oh wow, it really is!]
[Why is your right hand facing out? LOL]
[Huh…!]
[Oh crap; that must hurt like hell.]
“This?”
Come to think of it, I had blocked the first attack with my arm, right?
The direction of my palm isn’t normal after all.
I thought it was okay after the first blow, but as I took the continued pounding, it seems my bone twisted in the wrong direction.
It hurts a bit, but this isn’t something too bad.
Wood, wood, wood!!!
Hmm, I’m fine now.
I can move.
[AHHHHH!]
[What the hell is that sound?;;;]
[Oh man.]
[That’s disgusting; show some caution.]
[Are you not in pain???]
“I’m fine, guys. It seems some of you are seeing my stream for the first time, huh? Or maybe newcomers who have never seen me get hurt?”
[Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.]
[Newbies must’ve been surprised, LOL.]
Seeing that the long-time viewers like the “mangchidang” group know I don’t care about getting hurt when I’ve been streaming as a hunter for a while, I guess it makes sense that people who only started watching me wouldn’t be accustomed to it.
It might be scary if my arm just suddenly snapped back into shape without any miraculous healing.
But, anyway, I really need to get the Elder.
It’s been a while since I faced a monster that could crush my arm in one blow.
In fact, my arm is still tingling.
Healing isn’t a problem, but it was a sign that the Elder Mandragora possesses the strength to injure my body.
S-grade Elder really lives up to its name, huh?
Alert! A ‘Hunter Association’ emergency request has been sent to the broadcast streamer!
“Huh, what’s that?”
Then, for the first time, a holographic message I had never seen before shimmered in front of my eyes.
It was a notification that looked far more intense than the usual sponsoring holograms.
Hunter Isia, direct request.
S-grade Elder Mandragora subjugation and immobilization. Alternatively, lure and retreat until support arrives.
Reward: To be discussed later.
[What??]
[I’ve never seen that before.]
[Oh, must be something from the association.]
[Looks like they were monitoring the broadcast.]
[For real, LOL.]
[But if it’s an S-grade Elder Mandragora, they really seem to be in a pinch at the association.]
“Ah, so that’s how the association can send requests like this?”
[Yeah.]
[They sometimes put out emergency requests when they see dangerous monsters while monitoring hunter broadcasts.]
[For real, LOL.]
“But ‘to be discussed later’?”
[Usually, those type of requests start at a million won at least.]
[But alone, is that doable?]
[If it’s intelligent, it might be really tough.]
[Are the newbies still questioning Master?]
It’s a mission… Speaking of which, other hunter streamers sometimes receive requests like this, right?
Later on, I realized that unlike most streamers, I was an exception. Most hunter streamers not only rely on sponsorship and advertisement revenue but also receive ‘missions’ directly from the association.
Anyway, since the association made an immediate request, it was clear they viewed the S-grade Elder Mandragora as quite dangerous.
Come to think of it, I should be extending my contract period for the Returnee Shelter by solving various requests or missions from the Hunter Association, but since I earned plenty from my broadcasts and my hunter work, it’s been a while since I did any missions.
I could pay for the Returnee Shelter contract easily just by selling dragon eggs I get.
‘It’s been so long since I took down a wyvern in the Kurtala Mountains…’
‘KawaiiHorned’ has registered a 1,000,000-won mission!
If you catch the Elder Mandragora, I’m gonna take this, too.
‘Shishirobotang’ has added 100,000 to the mission!
Ooh, me too!!
‘Watamewawalkunai’ has added 150,000 to the mission!
Hang in there, Master!
As I saw the mission amount rapidly growing like a snowball, it seemed the viewers genuinely wanted to see me seriously deal with the S-grade Elder Mandragora.
I suppose if the Hunter Association has sent an urgent request to me, there’s no way I can treat this lightly, right?
Alright then.
Miracle – Divine Transformation!
Crunch!
Pshuu!
Thud!
Five strands of tentacles blooming from my spine lifted high.
Perhaps sensing delicious food after a long time, the tentacles’ teeth licked their lips as they drooled.
Hii, hii… you pervert…!
But she’s still calling me that… What did I do to you?
“Hey, I mean… I will definitely create a mess with my tentacles.”
!?!?!!?
[?]
[Whoa!]
[??]
[What?]
Recording has started!
These perverted little bastards.
“Hold on a second, I’ll push the chat aside.”
I can’t see the chat when I’m serious about fighting.
If the Hunter Association put in an emergency direct request, I can’t just take this lightly!
Then let’s get serious…
Thud!
What’s that glare about?
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
Oh, this is the real powerful Seongnyeo!
[Oh crap;]
[Look at that gap difference?]
But what’s that weird sound?
…It seems like it’s time for a serious fight, after a long while.
I collected my sacred power, and the tentacles that bloomed like flowers prepared themselves for slaughter.
As the flow of sacred power warped the air around me, the ground around me began to lift slowly.
“This is a holy crusade to reclaim the ginseng-Mandragora…”
[What nonsense is this?]
[That escalated quickly.]
[LOL]
I mean, ginseng should be crusaded, right?
Shouldn’t it…?
Kyuu, kyuuuu…..
However, as Shia earnestly prepared for battle, the Elder felt a pressure seven times greater than before.
The pervert, the corrupt, the demon, the rapist…!
That crazy human really seemed intent on eating it!
