“Will eating this regularly eventually make me transcend humanity and become god-like?”
Ha Suyoung crossed his arms and sat down on the spot.
He squinted, staring intently at the mysterious tree that had appeared overnight.
There were no signs of it being transplanted from elsewhere, and now it was even sending messages directly to his mind.
“My father is definitely a god. If not, then I’ve gone mad.”
Ha Suyoung narrowed his eyes further, scrutinizing the tree from top to bottom.
“But I’m perfectly sane right now. Though, a crazy person would think they’re sane…”
He opened his palm.
The single drop of liquid resting there didn’t evaporate, still shimmering with a brilliant golden hue.
If this wasn’t a hallucination, then this mysterious elixir truly existed before him.
“The exclusive possession of an ancient god… If I consume this regularly, can I transcend humanity?”
Why did his father reveal that he was a god?
Why did he pick him up from Earth and raise him for nearly 20 years?
Was 20 years nothing to a god, just a fleeting amusement?
But then, why leave behind such a tree?
“If only he had left a hefty bank account, I would have managed it well. Was he that distrustful?”
Ha Suyoung felt somewhat wronged.
From a young age, he had managed money with precision beyond his years.
His father must have seen that, yet he left behind this bizarre tree instead of tangible assets.
“What’s the point of transcending humanity? I’ll die when the time comes anyway. It’s better to spend the remaining time having fun and enjoying life.”
Now, he even felt a slight resentment towards his father.
“Instead of giving me a building in Cheongdam-dong and leaving me this, why didn’t you just stay here?”
Muttering half-seriously, Ha Suyoung turned his gaze to the liquid in his palm.
After staring at its subtle glow for a moment, he brought his hand to his mouth and licked it.
“Ugh!”
Instantly, a hot, sharp sensation pierced his tongue.
The pain reverberated through his head, as if it were drilling into his heart.
It hurt.
It hurt a lot.
It felt like the heat was burning through his nerves.
“Aaaah!”
Ha Suyoung rolled on the ground.
His entire body tingled as the intense heat surged to the tips of his toes.
After writhing in pain for a while, he eventually lost consciousness.
When he came to, the darkness of dawn had already settled in.
He opened his eyes blankly and looked up at the tree his father had left behind.
After a long pause, he spoke as if lamenting.
“Father, why didn’t you tell me it would hurt this much?”
At that moment, as if waiting, his father’s response came.
– “Didn’t I tell you that more than one drop a day would cause great harm to your soul? If you overuse it, you’ll really, really get into big trouble, so just one drop a day. I’m worried you’ll get lazy and try to drink it all at once.”
“You disappeared so busily without a word earlier, but now you answer as if you were waiting? Were you watching me suffer and giggling?”
– “Oh, what do you take your father for?”
“Remember when I mistakenly put mustard sauce on a hamburger and took a bite, and you laughed while holding your belly? And when I accidentally deleted my game account, you did the same. Oh, and when I lost one of my AirPods recently, you laughed loudly in the backyard, didn’t you?”
– “Those were all misunderstandings.”
“Misunderstandings, my foot. I know what your true feelings are.”
Grumbling, Ha Suyoung dusted off his hands and turned his back.
Just then, a hurried voice called out from behind.
– “Son! You need to take this! The cooldown is over!
“The elixir?”
– “Hurry and drink a lot, grow well, and shed your human shell as soon as possible.”
As the branch swayed forward, Ha Suyoung looked up with a reluctant gaze and extended his hands.
The tip of the branch glistened gold, and a translucent golden drop fell.
“What should I do with this…?”
Ha Suyoung propped his chin and stared at the elixir in the transparent container.
The golden liquid didn’t disperse, pooling in the center of the container.
At a glance, it looked more like a glass bead than a liquid.
He clutched his chest.
His heart was still pounding hard.
Remembering the pain he had experienced earlier sent chills down his spine.
“Ah, this is too painful. What should I do…”
Ha Suyoung pondered deeply.
The elixir was said to have the ability to promote physical and spiritual growth, complete healing, and resurrection.
Was there a way to utilize it without consuming it?
He slowly turned his gaze around the house. His eyes stopped at a basket in the kitchen. Inside were a few pine mushrooms he had bought recently.
“Ah, maybe I should try that?”
Ha Suyoung clapped his hands lightly.
“It’s worth a shot.”
* * *
The next day.
“Father, quickly give me the elixir.”
– “What’s the occasion? Alright, take it.”
And the day after that.
“Isn’t the cooldown over yet? Hurry and give me the elixir. I’m getting dizzy.”
– “Oh, my lovely one. Yes, drink a lot and shed your human shell quickly. Take it.”
And the day after that.
“Father! Elixir! Elixir!”
– “Here it is. But lately, your screams seem to be getting weaker.”
Ugh! Was my acting too weak yesterday?
“Ah, well… I’m getting used to it now. The pain is bearable once you get used to it.”
– “Very good. My son indeed has the potential to become the Franchise God.”
“Oh, of course. If I, who am one-in-ten-trillion, don’t have potential, where in the universe can you find it?”
– “How admirable.”
The next day again.
“Father, I’ve been thinking, and I think I can handle two drops a day now.”
– “Oh, it’s when you think you’re used to it that big accidents happen. Have you already forgotten when you thought squatting 60kg was too easy and increased it to 70kg? You almost tore your hamstring?”
“I really think it’ll be okay.”
– “No. There’s no history of increasing the elixir dosage this quickly. This father is against it.”
Just as Ha Suyoung was about to feel disappointed, the Galactic Divine Tree spoke gently again.
– “Let’s do it this way. Six days a week, only one drop a day. On the seventh day, two drops.”
“Deal, Dad.”
– “But I haven’t seen you at home much lately. Where do you go so often?”
“I’m growing mushrooms these days. I’m busy with this and that because of it.”
– “Why mushrooms all of a sudden?”
“Remember the patch of land you cultivated in the front yard for planting mushrooms? It’s a waste to leave it idle, so I’m using it as a pastime. Doing this makes the day fly by.”
– “Hmm, you were so reluctant when I asked you to do it together. You just lazed around instead.”
“I guess you only realize the importance of parents after losing them. With you not around, I feel lonely, so I’m tending to the mushroom patch you left behind and reflecting on it.”
– “That’s why you should be filial while your parents are around. Parents never wait for their children. Understand?”
“I’m sorry.”
After Ha Suyoung left, the Galactic Divine Tree, which had been silent for a while, shook all its branches as if sighing.
– “This rascal is trying to fool his father with something so obvious. Well, rebellion and deviation are all part of growing up, so I’ll let it slide. Anyway, you have no choice but to become a franchise god, you rascal.”
And at that moment, Ha Suyoung…
“I’ve been a war hero and conquered the world, lived as a great wizard and saved planets, and tried all sorts of things, but honor and power are all meaningless. A life like a resort, living comfortably, is the best.”
The well-tended garden was surrounded by a two-meter-high brick wall on all sides.
“Indeed, the elixir is the best natural fertilizer.”
Ha Suyoung murmured with satisfaction as he looked at the densely grown mushrooms.
“I decided before I was born that in this life, I’d just relax and live off rent. Why would I spend my life struggling and cultivating myself?”
