17. Emotion House
[As you might have already anticipated, the elves who couldn’t adapt to the changed world had long severed their bloodline. Especially for those who had a strong aversion to meat, each day must have been agonizing.]
…Is that so.
The environment changed their nature. For survival.
It was a bitter story without a doubt.
However, that was only for a moment.
Han now saw before him the elves who were smiling and enjoying a single apple.
Seeing them delight in a simple meal, it seemed that their fundamental nature of enjoying plants remained unchanged.
In fact, since coming here, Han had not seen Irina consume anything else as a staple.
That alone seemed to signify that he could gain vitality from it.
“Giggle.”
Under the feet of those three elves, young wolf cubs had been coming and going restlessly since earlier.
They were quite mischievous.
They never left the elves’ side for a moment.
Wagging their tails vigorously, they tried their best to attract the elves’ attention by whimpering.
However, at this moment, what caught the cubs’ interest was not the elves but the apple held in Irina’s hand.
Noticing this, Irina gently cut a piece and offered it to them.
“Would you like to try some?”
At that, with a sniff, taking in the scent and swallowing it whole, the eyes widened, and with a whimper, the fervent sound grew louder.
Seeing even the appetite return seemed to be more pleasing than expected.
Watching, another was also intrigued by such an unexpected sight.
“So, monsters can be herbivores, quite surprising.”
[Dire Wolves primarily carnivorous, but that doesn’t mean they don’t eat plants. Especially in this place where sunlight is scarce, the need for it is even stronger. Some monsters change their eating habits completely depending on environmental and weather changes, even if they belong to the same species.]
“Like the Elves who changed their nature to survive, right?”
“That’s right.”
Listening quietly, it seemed that the ecosystem in this world was even more intricately intertwined than expected.
Elves needing to eat meat out of necessity, while monsters, on the contrary, needing to be herbivores.
Perhaps amidst the ongoing changes towards survival, they were in the midst of adapting to more suitable directions.
Maybe, the distant future of the Elves on this planet might not involve relying on crops for sustenance but transitioning to complete carnivores.
At that moment,
“hehehe, you’re kind.”
[Whimper-]
The wolf cubs were nestled in the arms of the Elves, one by one.
Each time their heads were petted, the little ones’ tails wagged vigorously as if enjoying the rhythm.
Wagging their tails, they would immediately approach and act cute if they sensed even a little less attention from the Elves.
These seemingly adorable creatures would grow up to become fierce and gigantic wolves.
It was hard to believe even when seeing it with one’s own eyes.
‘…as long as they can stand on their own.’
Yet, despite constantly reminding oneself, Han’s gaze never left the wolf cubs.
Truly adorable little ones.
If they happened to wander behind the Elves and stumble in the grass, they would be promptly lifted up in surprise, checking for any injuries was a bonus.
“Truly, the gods are warm-hearted.”
However, such actions of Han.
Unexpectedly, seemed to have won the favor of the Elves.
The gentle act of Yumina, his younger sister, subtly holding onto Han’s finger was one example.
And the behavior of Zion, the older brother, faithfully praying while looking at him, was mainly one of them.
“Yumina? Zion understands, but I didn’t expect Yumina to do that.”
It seemed even the timid Yumina clearly saw him as a protector.
It wasn’t an intentional act, but good things come naturally.
***
As lunchtime passed.
Once again, without fail, they prayed towards the statue resembling Han.
However, the difference now was.
“Lord. Thank you for always watching over us.”
“Thank you!”
The number of people offering prayers seemed to have increased compared to before.
Iriona and the young children.
As the three elves prayed together, the radiance shone even more brightly than before.
[Iriona’s sincere prayer has reached you.]
[Offering transmission is commencing.]
[Please accept her heart.]
With that, the results of the elves’ prayers were transmitted.
Thud!
In an instant, accompanied by a warm golden glow,
a tomato fell with a soft thud into Han’s hand.
“Today’s offering is a tomato.”
Han savored the tomato that had appeared in front of him.
Anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary tomato fruit, but he knew it was something special.
Even the tree’s name was ‘Positive Tomato Tree.’
As such, though uncertain of its exact effects, one thing was certain…
[The effects of this fruit have a positive impact on the body.]
‘A positive effect. I wonder what effect it has?’
In reality, tomatoes are a food that many people dislike.
The peculiar smell is quite off-putting for some, but at least Han liked it.
Somehow, just by smelling it, he felt healthier.
Anyway, the unique scent was not unpleasant at all.
Perhaps some would disagree with that statement.
“System, can you tell me what effect this has?”
[Cannot disclose.]
It was a sharp refusal.
Having faced this situation several times before, he was gradually getting used to it.
It was no longer surprising.
“You’re just not going to tell me?”
[You must consume it at least once.]
“Is this also some sort of fairness or something?”
[That’s correct.]
He couldn’t fathom why this requirement was attached to fairness.
Perhaps the system had its own reasons, but it was beyond his comprehension.
Nevertheless, due to these reasons, he found himself in a position where he had to eat it again.
Of course, the fruit had some explanation of its own, but it was so vague.
“It’s a shame… But still, this offering was given by Iriona not to anyone else but me. I should consider her sincerity.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Far away.
As Han took a big bite without much thought.
He thought that surprisingly, in terms of taste and smell, it didn’t seem much different from an ordinary tomato.
“I don’t feel anything unusual….”
But in the next moment, Han seemed to freeze in place as if he had come to a standstill.
“Wow, wow.”
Truly, an unexpected change was felt.
Energy began to surge through his entire body.
A sensation of being born anew crept in.
It was as if a cool, subtle feeling, like showering the whole body in cool water, arose.
Han instinctively sensed.
“This is also amazing.”
It wasn’t something he had been told.
He just knew it himself. After eating the tomato, he felt that a significant change had taken place within him.
He lightly clenched his fist.
However, a more vigorous surge of strength different from before was felt in his body.
It was as if his body had become much stronger than before.
“Now that I’ve eaten it, could you tell me exactly what effect this has? Something seems to have happened.”
[Some of the imbalances permeating the body have been resolved.]
…Problems?
At the literal nonsense, Han blinked for a moment.
Han was healthy. At least, he had always thought so himself.
But what problem could there be for him? Could it be a serious illness?
[There were no major issues in the body. It is generally free of disease and considered healthy among humans.]
“Then?”
[One of the major problems, the ‘fatigue-related disease’ issue, has been resolved.]
Fatigue? If it’s fatigue….
Soon, Han’s mouth opened as he continued his thoughts.
The reaction that followed was a natural progression.
“My goodness.”
There were hardly any modern individuals who did not suffer from fatigue.
No, it would be more appropriate to say there were none at all.
It was so prevalent that fatigue was considered a common ailment to the point where it might not even be recognized as a disease.
But now, a perfect, all-purpose fruit that could solve fatigue in one bite was in Han’s hands?
It couldn’t be an impossible feat.
If this tomato could be cultivated and spread worldwide?
“…That could even make winning a Nobel Prize not an impossible dream.”
The fact that a substance that perfectly resolves fatigue had come into his hands meant that a great potential for innovation and growth had emerged for all of humanity.
“Wow.”
For a moment, Han stood there, mouth agape, continuing the flight of imagination of receiving a Nobel Prize.
Although his grand imagination was not entirely impossible, what momentarily swelled him up was the advice from the system that awakened him.
[Humanity is not yet ready to accept such a significant leap.]
“Is that so?”
[Even if you were to claim that you are prepared, it wouldn’t make sense for the existence of such a potion to emerge from just an ordinary person like you. After all, you are neither a high-level hunter capable of exploring the depths of dungeons nor a renowned researcher.]
As advised by the system.
The conclusion this time, just like during the previous apology, remained the same.
Either way, it’s dangerous if anyone notices.
Moreover, if he were to bring this out, isn’t it natural to inquire about the origin of this tomato?
“…It cannot be disclosed paradoxically due to its exceptional nature.”
But ironically, this is the reality.
Han casually popped the remaining half of the tomato into his mouth.
He even scraped off every last drop of juice from the tomato that had fallen to the floor.
Once he realized its effects, he couldn’t just let that go to waste.
He understood that the value of this fruit surpassed even a pile of accumulated silver and gold treasures.
“What a jackpot, seriously.”
With each bite, a new sensation washed over him.
It was as if his body was engulfed in an intense sensation, like being washed by cool water.
And while it might not be the elixir of immortality that Emperor Qin Shi Huang desired in the past, this fruit possessed the ultimate health benefits that humanity craved for…
Gulp.
Unbeknownst to anyone, it vanished into someone’s stomach.
“So refreshing and delicious.”
***
Han searched the internet community for answers to his questions.
The reason was to find a corner to sell the apples he had obtained some time ago.
“Ah, here it is.”
After a long search, he unexpectedly found a different purpose.
And that purpose was right here.
“So, this is it…”
Han raised his head to look up.
What met his eyes was a towering building that could easily be mistaken for a skyscraper.