Chapter 87

Chapter 87
Chapter 87: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

After a long duration, a smirk touched Lion’s lips.

‘Phew! I can’t keep my facial expressions in check!’

To Lion at this very moment, that particular Flame Herb held greater worth than gold, carried a heavier price tag than saffron, and possessed far more scarcity than white pepper.

“Hoohoo…”

Despite letting out a rather ominous chuckle, his hands worked industriously, placing the Flame Herbs into alchemy bottles and sealing them away.

Sizzle!

Cut off from oxygen, the burning foliage died down, its hue shifting to a deep crimson.

A faint, steady flicker remained.

The flame hadn’t extinguished entirely; rather, it had dwindled to a gentle, controlled heat.

This method should preserve the material for an extended period.

“Did you manage to find a plant to your liking?”

“It’s incredible.”

Lion proceeded to brief Elvia regarding the properties of the Flame Herb.

“Hoho. That is quite an unusual herb. I have never encountered it myself.”

“Right?”

With that, Lion began collecting every single Flame Herb in the vicinity.

Curiously, harvesting one caused two more to sprout, and gathering two resulted in four taking their place.

Before long, twenty stalks were secured. Then thirty.

As the count approached nearly fifty stalks…!

『Gathering talent has broken through its limits!』

『Congratulations! You have made great progress with your endless curiosity for new things and your willingness to take risks!』

『Gathering Proficiency has reached Lv. 1.』

『You can now gather even more dangerous plants.』

『Gatherable types: Ore Veins and Poisonous Herbs are added.』

“……!”

He had succeeded.

Fortunately, no blinding illumination accompanied the feat unlike his alchemy attempts.

Instead, the change registered directly within his physical form.

The agility required for precise gathering had noticeably improved throughout his body.

The sensation felt perfectly attuned to delicate, meticulous labor.

Lion clenched his fist, savoring the pleasant surge of progress.

‘……Poisonous herbs, though?’

Naturally, alchemy work would require poisonous ingredients for concocting antidotes.

It carried inherent risks, but perhaps the elevated proficiency level would allow him to handle them safely.

“Good. Good.”

With a buoyant mood, Lion casually popped a nearby Stone Mushroom out of the earth using his hoe.

『Acquired Roasted Snow Mountain Stone Mushroom. (★)』

-How was the Snow Mountain Stone Mushroom roasted?

-It’s a mushroom that’s normally inedible, but when roasted well, it becomes chewy like meat!

-It has a slight smoky aroma and a salty, spicy taste.

“……Oh?”

Thanks to the hoe’s special property, the Stone Mushroom emerged fully cooked.

It even gave off steam, accompanied by an aroma that strongly suggested…

‘Charcoal-grilled ribs!’

The scent resembled charcoal smoke, though carrying a faint synthetic undertone.

Indeed. This was…

A hot bar.

Roasting the Snow Mountain Stone Mushroom produced the exact fragrance of a hot bar!

“Wow!”

It had been quite some time since he had last encountered that specific scent.

Instantly, memories of visits to the jjimjilbang rushed through Lion’s awareness.

Back when exhaustion from relentless overtime work drove him to bake in the sauna, fuel himself with hot bars and eggs at the jjimjilbang, and finally drift off to sleep in the resting zone.

Particularly in such a freezing environment, a sudden, powerful craving for the bathhouse took hold.

For some reason, the thought brought genuine warmth and comfort…

“Huh?”

Lion blinked in surprise as a humid, warm draft brushed against his cheek.

Was this more than just imagination?

That made little sense, however.

A hot spring located deep within this jagged mountain range?

‘Could the Flame Herb be responsible?’

He wondered if the botanical heat source had propagated further than anticipated.

“Hoho.”

Elvia, who had observed Lion’s antics throughout, let out an amused chuckle.

“Did you only just notice?”

Gazing at him with gentle amusement, Elvia took the lead.

“Come along this way.”

“You don’t mean…”

Seemingly drawn in by a spell, Lion trailed behind Elvia deeper into the snowy expanse.

The sensation grew steadily more pronounced with every step.

Waves of warm, moisture-laden heat!

‘Unbelievable.’

And there it lay before Lion’s eyes.

“It’s a hot spring.”

“Indeed, Young Master.”

He found it hard to credit.

Hot springs genuinely existed within the world of ‘In the World’.

As someone who had explored every notable location in the game beyond just the main narrative, he was certain.

They simply did not exist within the borders of the Empire.

“A hot spring in a location like this…”

“Yes, exactly. It happened to be here. Given the freezing climate, I thought you might appreciate stumbling upon a bath.”

Though I certainly didn’t anticipate you lingering over those Flame Herbs for so long, Elvia added quietly, though Lion paid her no mind.

Every other concern vanished eclipsed by the steaming pool waiting right in front of him.

“This is incredible…”

Indeed. ‘Appreciated’ didn’t even cover it.

He had been fantasizing about a sauna session mere moments ago.

With a hot-bar-scented mushroom still lingering in his hand, an overwhelming impulse to leap straight into the water took over.

Witnessing his reaction, Elvia felt a rare sense of genuine satisfaction.

Watching their cherished young master endure hardships throughout the trek had stirred her sympathy, and she rejoiced at the appearance of such a welcome refuge.

‘At last, he can properly wash away his exhaustion.’

Regardless of how luxurious their carriage or attire might be, travel fatigue could never truly be ignored.

Besides, hadn’t he suffered terribly from warp sickness earlier?

Seeing Lion look so radiant only swelled her sense of pride.

“Young Master, why not go ahead? I shall stand guard nearby.”

Stepping back, Elvia provided him the privacy to bathe undisturbed.

‘There is no resisting this.’

Approaching the pool immediately, Lion dipped a single finger into the water.

The temperature proved ideal—pleasantly warm and soothing.

“Peep!”

Nature seemed equally enchanted, darting ahead to plop straight into the basin and splash about in the current.

“You really do resemble a toy when you do that.”

The little creature looked precisely like a rubber duck keeping a child company during bath time.

Regardless, if Nature could enter safely, the spring was undoubtedly genuine.

Shedding his outer garments and setting them aside, Lion stepped slowly into the heated water.

Splash!

“Uuuuuh…”

As he settled down, a profound sigh of relief resonated from the depths of his danjeon.

『Entered the hot spring.』

『Stamina recovers faster than usual.』

The thermal water elevated his core temperature, while the dense concentration of surrounding Flame Herbs kept the open air above the waterline from feeling biting cold.

Whenever a slight chill threatened, a quick splash of water set things right, creating a state of absolute bliss.

Furthermore, the exceptional clarity and quality of the water left his skin feeling as smooth as if treated with the finest bath salts.

‘Ah, Grandpa would adore this place too!’

Perhaps arranging a family hot spring excursion later on, when time permitted, would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Leaning back against a smooth stone, Lion lazily enjoyed a partial soak.

The crystalline purity of the water naturally induced a deep sense of leisure and tranquility.

After soaking for a considerable spell, his thoughts drifted back to the roasted snack he had consumed earlier… or rather, the roasted Stone Mushroom.

Fortunately, having been stored within the herb-gathering pouch, it had retained a measure of warmth.

Retrieving the remainder of the Stone Mushroom, Lion took a bite.

Crunch!

The distinct fibrous bite of the mushroom gave way, releasing a burst of sweet and savory juices.

“Oh.”

It felt as though the finest traits of both a natural mushroom and a hot bar had been fused together.

Rich umami notes paired with a distinct smoky charcoal finish!

‘……This is no joke.’

The experience genuinely rivaled a professional sauna visit.

Naturally, thoughts of chilled sikhye or baked eggs floated through his mind, but the magnificent hot spring and the surreal snowy backdrop washed those desires away.

Finishing the last of the mushroom, Lion slowly stood up from the pool.

『Stamina has fully recovered.』

『Currently in the best possible condition!』

A system notice flashed, mirroring the feeling of receiving a direct blessing from a temple priest.

‘That reminds me, I haven’t crossed paths with a priest lately.’

Not that opportunities had been lacking, though visits to the orphanage hadn’t exactly been frequent either.

Could this be punishment for sneaking out in the past?

‘Well, our paths will cross again eventually.’

With his bath thoroughly enjoyed, he figured it was time to dress and head back out…

Sparkle!

A sudden glint caught his eye beneath the water’s surface.

Even during routine gathering tasks, instances of objects shining this intensely were exceedingly rare.

“What is that?”

Cupping his hands, Lion scooped up a portion of the water to inspect it closer.

‘The water itself isn’t glowing?’

The liquid remained entirely clear.

That meant…

Stooping down, Lion submerged his head directly into the hot spring.

『’Expert’s Eye’ skill is enhanced.』

His slightly blurred vision sharpened instantly, bringing the submerged items into stark focus.

“……!”

There it lay revealed.

Embedded directly into the rocky floor of the hot spring was a gleaming mineral.

『Luminous Ore』

-The flowing tears dried and hardened into stone.

-When held, you can open your eyes normally underwater.

-When consumed by a special method, affinity with Beastfolk increases.

-Only skilled individuals can gather Luminous Ore.

『Uses: Alchemy, Beast Taming, Cooking』

『☞ Click to view recipes.』

“Phew!”

Lion broke the surface, gasping for air.

Though encountering Luminous Ore for the first time, a familiar concept appeared in the description.

‘Flowing Tears.’

This referred to mermaid tears collected in vials before evaporating entirely.

Mermaids were long since extinct, making their captured tears astonishingly valuable.

Records indicated that only three such specimens existed across the entire Empire.

Setting aside such extreme rarity, to put it simply in a single word:

It was a top-tier crafting material.

Consequently, this Luminous Ore likely functioned as a lesser derivative of that legendary substance.

‘This mountain range is truly incredible!’

Lion recalled the system prompts he had read earlier.

-Only skilled individuals can gather Luminous Ore.

His extensive harvesting of Flame Herbs had successfully elevated him to the skilled threshold.

Concurrently, the notification regarding ore veins unlocking made complete sense now.

‘I was simply too distracted by poisonous herbs when the message first popped up.’

Ore veins typically belonged within deep mines or rugged stone formations.

Reaching such locations usually demanded venturing into monster-infested territories, likely explaining why a proficiency prerequisite existed.

“……”

Reaching into his pouch, Lion retrieved Mudu’s set of tools.

True to the craftsman’s boast of creating diverse utilities, the kit contained a full suite of basic mining implements.

Most importantly, a pickaxe.

Small chisels and a hammer for precisely fracturing stubborn stone fragments.

Even a soft brush for clearing away residual debris.

“An attempt might just work out right now.”

Extracting something completely submerged underwater would admittedly prove difficult.

Water resistance would sap his efficiency, and even a successful extraction might yield a substandard component.

‘I can hardly ask Nature to drain the entire hot spring.’

Still!

Quitting was out of the question.

Lion decided to target the perimeter of the hot spring basin instead.

Specifically, the rock formations positioned just above the waterline.

If he chipped away at those sections, similar mineral deposits embedded along the edges should become accessible.

“……I ought to dress first.”

Drying off with the towel Elvia had left behind, Lion slipped back into his clothes.

He then neatly rolled up his trousers and cuffed his sleeves past his forearms.

“Right.”

Surveying the hot spring once more in his prepared state.

Sparkle!

Sure enough, there it sat.

A fragment of Luminous Ore, resting just above the waterline!

“Hahaha.”

A grin spread across Lion’s face as he hoisted the pickaxe high into the air.

Luminous Ore!

You’re coming along with me to the Asteri Territory!

Clang!

A crisp, resounding metallic ring echoed sharply through the silent mountains.