Chapter 671: Random Box (6)

“…What in the world is happening?”

“No, I didn’t even pull it, but it suddenly just started to open.”

Even though Evelyn had let go of the lever, as if it wasn’t her intention at all, the box wouldn’t close.

“I grabbed it and pulled, and something just kept pouring out. It won’t stop.”

In the meantime, unidentifiable emerald luminescence continued to spill out at her feet.

Others around them, with slightly excited expressions, picked up the glowing objects.

“Hey, hey, look at the mana contained in this!”

“But it doesn’t seem to be piling up as much as I thought?”

“It looks like it’s disappearing into the ground.”

“Now that you mention it, the ground beneath my feet feels like it’s shaking…”

Meanwhile, Mila, who had picked up something sparkling from the floor, tilted her head.

“This isn’t a gem.”

“It’s not a gem?”

“It contains a bit too much mana, but it also feels a little squishy…”

Mila, who had been wiggling her fingers, furrowing her brow, suddenly widened her eyes as if she had just realized something.

“…A seed?”

At that moment, the ground of Lennok’s mansion garden greatly writhed, and vibrations began to rise from below.

Rumble-rumble-rumble!

All sorts of plants and vegetables in various parts of the garden shot up, leaving the random box and the people beneath them.

Thump-thump-thump!

Amidst the mountains of vegetables piling up, giant trees sprouted from everywhere.

A miracle of trees laden with various fruits and vegetables gathering to instantly surround Lennok’s mansion and transform it into a lush orchard.

“Ah-buh-buh-buh!”

“F-f-f***… Vegetables are falling from the sky!!”

The rain of vegetables and fruits falling from the sky instantly filled the garden, building hills as high as mountains.

Thump-thump-thump-thump!!!

People desperately scrambling to escape the undulating waves of vegetables everywhere.

Even the sight of faintly glowing spirits rolling around amongst the piles of fruit.

“Everyone, get away! You’ll all become too healthy!”

“…No, isn’t that a good thing?!”

[Time to become organic spirits~]

Lennok silently gazed at the extraordinary spectacle unfolding in his mansion garden, then turned his gaze to Evelyn.

Evelyn, who had casually lowered the lever, was profusely sweating.

“…”

Should he call this good luck, or rather, bad luck?

It seemed the person with the strongest bad luck among the group had been determined from the very beginning.

“No. 23, bay leaf shape. Magical residue.”

“No. 41, purple avocado. No mana.”

“No. 59, withered tree root. High mana…”

The mansion garden was a bustling scene of disarray.

People with sporadic growths sprouting from their heads lined up in front of Lennok.

With slightly dazed expressions, they placed the items they held down, and then took them back after Lennok made his judgment.

Lennok checked the tree root Weian had brought, then recorded it in his ledger.

“This root isn’t artifact-grade. Could you take it to organic material classification?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mine too.”

“This fruit seems close to a medicinal elixir. For now, place it on the potion storage shelf.”

Weian tossed the tree root he had brought into a makeshift storage pile, which was stacked like a mountain in a corner of the garden.

Jenny, who followed, yawned and placed a fruit on the storage shelf.

There were old branches and roots, leather, and even underdeveloped plants that hadn’t taken the form of fruits or vegetables.

“…Oh?”

Weian, who had leaves dangling from his head, tilted his head.

“I’m sure they were happy about hitting the jackpot just a moment ago… Why is this happening?”

Clearly, everyone thought they would be happy when Evelyn pulled the lever and sparkling things poured out.

But before they knew it, they were struggling to sort and organize the mountain of items piled up all over the garden.

And every single one of them was a garden of vegetables and plants imbued with an unknown mana.

“Indeed, something remarkable has happened, Weian.”

Felix replied in a grudging tone as he passed him.

“Most of the crops here are rare varieties not found in the existing ecosystem.”

“Oh…”

“It’s just that it wasn’t the kind of… windfall we were imagining.”

A flower of an unknown species bloomed even on the beak of the bird-headed giant, who was carrying a fruit the size of a human head.

Not only that, but unknown flowers and plants were growing on the shoulders and heads of people working throughout the garden.

What Evelyn Marcia had taken out of the random box were not treasures of gold and silver or lavish artifacts.

They were all seeds of plants and vegetables imbued with incredibly powerful growth potential.

As soon as they spilled into the garden, they began to germinate everywhere, bearing fruit and taking root, growing rapidly.

Lennok’s mansion instantly transformed into a lush forest.

“…”

Evelyn, who had initially worn a triumphant expression, couldn’t even properly lift her head and was pulling out plant roots that had taken root in the garden.

“Just how strong is her obsession with vegetarianism…?”

“Her will must be as powerful as her skill.”

“Was she intending to turn us all vegan… It’s terrifying.”

“N-no.”

Evelyn, subjected to the unidentifiable gazes of others, desperately denied it.

“I do think it would be good if others understood the charm of vegetarianism… but I wouldn’t wish for such a thing in this kind of situation!”

Despite Evelyn protesting loudly, raising her voice for once, no one present fully believed her.

They merely kept their distance with gazes mixed with a slightly different kind of wariness.

Lennok watched the bickering people, then chuckled softly and set down the ledger he was holding.

“I don’t know what Evelyn’s true wish is, but she’s probably not lying.”

“Not lying?”

[Are you still saying that after seeing this spectacle?]

Lennok’s Mini Ascension Gate tended to twist the user’s wishes slightly before granting them.

If so, this chaotic scene in the mansion must also be part of Evelyn’s wish.

Was it not because Evelyn Marcia’s yearning for vegetarianism, which she wished for as she pulled the lever, was more powerful and immense than anyone else’s here?

However, Lennok looked back at the somewhat deflated Evelyn and nodded.

“I, too, initially thought Evelyn was just incredibly lucky… but this goes beyond anything explainable by mere luck.”

Lennok said, pulling out a tree root that was still germinating and sprouting beneath his feet.

“It reacted to Evelyn’s disposition or nature, drawing out a massive quantity of those items even before her wish.”

“I didn’t realize a vegetarian tendency was such a powerful trait.”

At Jenny’s grudging reply, Felix, as if something occurred to him, turned his gaze to Evelyn.

“Evelyn, is maintaining vegetarianism a kind of precept you must strictly follow?”

“…”

“If it troubles you, you don’t have to answer.”

Though he phrased it as a ‘precept,’ Felix was asking if Evelyn’s vegetarianism was an action akin to a Geas or a prohibition.

If it were a Geas or prohibition placed on an 8-level Peak of Extremes practitioner, it would be powerful enough to react first in the random box, superseding Evelyn’s wish.

But Evelyn quietly shook her head with a dubious expression.

“…No. It’s just a personal preference. How would a field agent survive if their diet was a condition?”

“That’s true…”

Evelyn was a former Agent and a sniper specialized in solo operations.

Naturally, supplies, including food, were often procured locally during missions.

For her to impose a Geas on her dietary habits and stick to it would be quite inefficient.

Lennok watched those lost in thought, then silently cast his gaze towards Evelyn.

Lennok already had some idea why the random box had produced such a result.

“…”

Dylan, regardless of what his wish had been, pulled out the heart of the Papal State beyond the Ascension Gate.

That was because his origins functioned as such a powerful connection to the Ascension Gate.

If this massive quantity of seeds Evelyn pulled out wasn’t related to her wish, then, conversely, it must be related to her origins, birth, or lineage, wouldn’t it?

‘The personal information recorded in the Agent database said she was from the Eastern Outer Sea Tribe… I should investigate further.’

Perhaps there was something in Evelyn’s origins or lineage powerfully linked to Old World seeds or plants.

It might even be that her personal preference for a vegetarian diet was related to it.

However, Lennok held his tongue instead of immediately advising Evelyn of that fact then and there.

Just as he had done with Dylan, it would be better to discuss personal origins or secrets when they were alone.

“Van. What are you going to do with that item now?”

Felix approached from behind Lennok, who was deep in thought, and placed a hand on his shoulder, asking.

“I vaguely explained it away to the others, but that item isn’t something that can be explained by existing magic. Is it?”

Felix quietly murmured, lowering his voice.

“For an artifact that grants wishes, its principle and function are twisted to an absurd degree.”

“…”

“The source of the stolen goods pouring out is mostly unidentifiable… What exactly did you see and bring back from the Machine City?”

In that brief moment, had he intuitively grasped that the item was unusual and might not be from this world?

Perhaps Felix had already realized that this item was connected to the Ascension Gate.

But even knowing that, the fact that he deliberately didn’t utter that word now was out of consideration and care for Lennok.

It was a judgment that only Felix, with his keen insight and mature experience, could make.

“No, you don’t have to answer. Just promise me you’ll dispose of it after the party is over.”

Felix nodded, meeting Lennok’s eyes with a clear gaze.

“If the existence of this item were to leak out… the city government would stop at nothing to get their hands on it.”

Was he not suspecting Lennok, but rather worried about the repercussions if the City Council were to discover the item’s existence?

He wasn’t wrong.

If the Central Council or Ex Machina were to learn that Lennok had obtained the Ascension Gate, they would surely react with extreme measures.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Lennok took a sip of his drink and chuckled lightly.

“Thanks to Evelyn, I seem to have achieved all the objectives for creating that item today.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Simply put…”

Lennok tapped the ledger he had placed on the table and nodded.

“It means I’ve gathered enough data.”

Giving gifts to his acquaintances using the Mini Ascension Gate wasn’t merely out of goodwill.

Lennok’s true objective was the current situation itself: extracting data from the Mini Ascension Gate.

‘Kaiser had said I needed to secure the Heart of the Dragon-wyrm using the Mini Ascension Gate.’

Lennok fell into thought, watching the people busily moving around.

‘But even though I can create the Mini Ascension Gate, I don’t know its principles or how to operate it. So…’

He had no choice but to extract as many samples as possible, study the patterns, and thus figure out how to operate the Mini Ascension Gate.

The reason he specifically gathered people and had them use the gate once was a marketing ploy to entice his companions with the Gate’s abilities.

It was, so to speak, a free one-time draw ticket service.

Lennok, with the help of others, accumulated samples on the Gate’s operation.

He intended to study how to use the Gate to reach beyond the void of the Old World.

Since the people gathered here had different origins, Hierarchies, abilities, and races, they could function as various variables in the research process.

Which type of mana reacted more sensitively to the Ascension Gate’s activation, and which Hierarchy of ability user was more suitable.

What kind of wish was needed to extract items of a certain theme from beyond the gate.

This gathering today was a testing ground to directly extract such data in practice.

“Honestly, I thought Van’s work was unusually lenient… and now I see why.”

“It was all a setup to exploit us.”

“Make sure you buy us drinks again after all this.”

Despite their grumbling, the people obediently followed Lennok’s instructions.

Regardless of their identities, Hierarchies, skills, or origins, they chattered amongst themselves while resuming the task of classifying the plants.

Lennok stood behind them, holding his drink, and watched contentedly.

“Very satisfying. It’s truly a desirable scene for a researcher.”

[You only did this because you were too lazy to accumulate samples by yourself.]

As he clutched the tail of the grumbling spirit in his arms, Weian, waddling with an armful of purple vegetables, approached.

“Van, where should I put these eggplant-like things?”

“Eggplant?”

“Yeah. I really hate these vegetables, but the mana contained in them seems considerable.”

Lennok listened to his words and carefully observed the vegetables Weian had collected.

Indeed, the vegetables he had chosen were all exceptionally mana-dense foods compared to other crops.

Perhaps the form of the eggplant itself was suitable for containing mana.

“Good, that works out perfectly.”

Lennok grabbed Weian’s shoulder, who seemed reluctant to even touch the eggplant, and made him sit in his own spot.

“I’ll leave the remaining classification and recording to you. I’ll give you a generous bonus.”

“…W-what?”

“I have a lot of other things to do.”

He needed to start disassembling the random box to erase its traces and also check on Dylan, who was unconscious.

Although others were helping clean up, Lennok would have to personally finish the aftermath.

There were many tasks besides just classifying and recording the crops.

However, Weian stammered, flustered by Lennok’s words.

“Oh, ex… in that case, wouldn’t it be better for smarter people than me to…”

“Your Mana Sensitivity is the most outstanding among everyone gathered here. Didn’t I tell you?”

“…”

“In classification work like this, your judgment is the most accurate. No one else can compare.”

Weian’s Mana Sensitivity was an extraordinary talent, comparable to Lennok’s own.

Even if his other aptitudes, such as mana manipulation, recovery, and capacity, didn’t quite match up.

His sense for feeling mana and synchronizing with it was nearly as close to Lennok’s own sensitivity.

It went without saying how powerful and rare that talent was.

That was why Lennok had offered Weian several growth methods that would best utilize his Mana Sensitivity.

And Weian, accepting that advice, had grown rapidly, becoming one of the top-tier practitioners within the company, hadn’t he?

However, Weian’s expression, upon hearing Lennok’s words, was somewhat clouded.

“Ah, about that… I’m not sure these days.”

“What do you mean?”

Weian sighed, subtly glancing at Lennok, and replied.

“Mana Sensitivity, at most, is just about perceiving mana. When I try to go beyond that, I feel like I’m losing my touch.”

“…”

“It feels like something more is needed to complete my Hierarchy…”

He had grown by leveraging his talent for Mana Sensitivity, but was he saying he felt like he’d hit a wall just before reaching Level 7?

As Lennok pondered for a moment, Soo-ryun, who was walking by carrying a handful of leaves, asked.

“Speaking of which, isn’t Van of the standing to take on disciples by now?”

“…Disciples?”

“Even if he’s much younger, his skill is already at an unapproachable level.”

Soo-ryun said, as if it were nothing unusual.

“In fact, I think it’s strange that you haven’t considered it until now.”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it occasionally.”

Jenny casually interjected.

“I actually thought you were secretly raising a few of them, but I guess not?”

“…You think I can just ‘cultivate’ disciples like equipment.”

Lennok retorted, dumbfounded.

“I have no intention of secretly playing the role of a master. But yes, actually…”

Because he had been teaching undergraduates as an assistant professor at the university, he hadn’t even thought about it.

But for a mage of Lennok’s Hierarchy, taking on disciples wasn’t unusual.

Apart from simply passing down magic and continuing a lineage, having excellent disciples also significantly streamlines a mage’s research.

Of course, in this world with a predetermined ending, raising disciples might be a meaningless endeavor itself.

However, Lennok believed that even if time was short, there was meaning in such acts of planning for the future.

“Hmm-hmm.”

“…?”

People subtly approached Lennok, plucking off the sporadic leaves on their heads and tidying their clothes.

Mila subtly slipped a crumpled banknote into Lennok’s hand and said.

“Van, I may not be smart, but my instincts have always been excellent since I was a child.”

“What?”

“I’m sure I’d do well if I learned magic.”

“…”

As Lennok remained silent, unable to comprehend her sudden words, Belver, hugging a large slime, cleared his throat.

“Hmm-hmm, profit-loss calculation and asset management skills honed as a stock investor aren’t entirely unrelated to a mage’s aptitude…”

[This guy, who should be busy checking the temperature at the bottom of the Rayver River, is spouting nonsense.]

Manson scoffed at Belver and immediately cut in.

[Van, as a multi-body adaptable individual, I can use various bodies to study diverse lineages of magic…]

As if Lennok were holding auditions for disciples right there, people subtly flaunted their mana aptitude.

Felix, Evelyn, and even Jenny watched with interest.

A faintly glowing entity flew around above their heads, whispering an unknown message.

[Line up, you clueless organic beings~]

[If you praise the fox, I’ll secretly let you cut to the front of the line~]

“…”

Only then did Lennok realize what was happening. He let out a small sigh and stood up.

It seemed he would need some time to reprimand the spirit who wanted a youngest sibling instead of a disciple.

“Disciples, huh…”

The moment Lennok, deep in thought, unconsciously cast his gaze around.

The others straightened their backs and began to watch Lennok warily.