Chapter 113:
Seo Jae-yi’s flower shop was practically becoming a sanctuary for Espers.
It wasn’t unusual to see posts titled <Dungeon Plant Usage Review> popping up on the community forums.
It was exhilarating. This was what it felt like to be a successful businesswoman!
She was getting more used to being called “Boss” than “Esper.”
“Hello, Esper Seo Jae-yi!”
Of course, those who knew her identity still called her an Esper.
It wasn’t long after she’d seen off a group of customers when a group of somewhat familiar faces arrived.
They were members of Sunghwa Guild, whom she had met during the Pohang dungeon raid a few days prior.
“We came after seeing the business card you gave us!”
Ah, right. Back then, the guild members had asked about the grass that had suddenly sprouted from the ground, and Seo Jae-yi had readily told them it was a dungeon plant she was selling.
Upon learning that Seo Jae-yi, of all people, was the one selling the hottest dungeon plants among Awakened individuals, the Sunghwa Guild members were stunned.
No one had imagined that Firestarter would be selling dungeon plants.
“Just call me Boss here. Are you here to buy dungeon plants?”
“Yes, Boss! That, and there’s someone who wants to meet you.”
As the guild members stepped aside, someone entered.
It was Seon Ju-hee, the Guild Leader of Sunghwa Guild, with her distinctive blue hair and eyes, a result of her ability.
“Oh, it’s been a while.”
“I heard you were running a flower shop, but I never imagined you were the dungeon plant seller.”
Seon Ju-hee, visiting the shop for the first time, looked around.
“And the shop is surprisingly…normal. How curious.”
Kwon Yi-soo, and now Seon Ju-hee. Had everyone who came here made a pact to say the same thing?
She couldn’t understand why they all said the same thing.
“I heard you helped our members in the Pohang Fixed dungeon. I came to thank you.”
“I just went because Seon-min unnie asked for support. Besides, I have a paired Guide now, so that kind of thing is nothing.”
“Right, you paired with Guide Baek Joo-won, didn’t you? That’s too bad.”
Seon Ju-hee clicked her tongue. She was one of the S-rank Espers without a paired Guide. While she had a Guide with a matching rate close to 60%, she didn’t have anyone who exceeded the 70% pairing threshold.
While her situation was better than Seo Jae-yi’s, whose maximum had been 37%, it was still difficult for an S-rank Esper whose overload levels rose faster than others.
That’s why she, too, had been interested in Baek Joo-won, whose matching rate with her was 56%. Since they were both S-ranks, the efficiency would be close to 70%.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do since your matching rate with Baek Joo-won is 93%.”
However, unlike Park Hyung-woo of Taesan, she was polite and reasonable, so instead of getting angry, she accepted it.
“But are you okay? I heard his Guiding is rough. It’s said he drove even Director Yoon Ji-hyun, an S-rank, as well as several A-ranks from the Center, out of their minds.”
Baek Joo-won’s Guiding experiment. Excluding Seo Jae-yi, about three people had participated, and the results weren’t good.
In particular, even S-rank Esper Yoon Ji-hyun lost control and used her ability, causing Seo Jae-yi to get hurt.
“It’s not rough, it’s just…intensely good. ……Or is it rough?”
She recalled the forceful Guiding she received after returning to the flower shop from the Pohang dungeon raid a few days ago.
That day, Seo Jae-yi learned that even pleasant and gentle Guiding could feel violent if it was too overwhelming.
If she had lost control even a little more, she might have dislocated his shoulder.
“It does seem quite intense. And the two of you seem pretty passionate.”
“Huh?”
Seo Jae-yi tilted her head at Seon Ju-hee’s words. Seon Ju-hee tapped her neck, as if asking if Seo Jae-yi was unaware.
“The marks are pretty noticeable. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed something so obvious.”
She was referring to the marks left by Baek Joo-won. He was particularly fond of biting and sucking on her neck, so the marks never faded.
‘You have no idea how good it feels.’
Suddenly, the memory of that day resurfaced. His whisper, rougher than usual.
‘Seo Jae-yi. Have you ever received Guiding here?’
His finger touched her lips, his eyes filled with the same desire and satisfaction as before.
‘No? I thought you would have, since you said you received Guiding from Kwon Yi-soo.’
No matter how urgent the situation, she had never received Guiding beyond a kiss. Kwon Yi-soo never crossed that line, as if it were sacred.
Wondering if he simply didn’t want to, Seo Jae-yi never asked.
‘Then I’ll be the first.’
It was the same for Baek Joo-won. He always bit and sucked on Seo Jae-yi’s neck but never touched her lips. That day was no different.
However, his words were a declaration that he would eventually cross that line.
‘And the last.’
The look of satisfaction on Baek Joo-won’s face was so captivating.
Seo Jae-yi was secretly pleased because it meant he would never leave her, no matter what happened or if another Guide appeared.
“Look at your expression. It must have been some good Guiding.”
Seon Ju-hee’s words snapped Seo Jae-yi back to reality. Baek Joo-won’s voice, which had been lingering in her ears, also faded.
“It was good. Baek Joo-won’s Guiding is the best. Of course, I’m not sharing him with anyone, so that’s my little secret.”
Seon Ju-hee chuckled at Seo Jae-yi’s proud declaration as she stuck out her neck.
The Sunghwa Guild members, who were listening, looked embarrassed. Why were they embarrassed when they received Guiding too?
“But it’s not easy to leave marks on an S-rank Esper. Did you receive it right before we arrived?”
Ah, so that’s why they were reacting like this.
“A victory of persistence…?”
Unable to say that it was because her Guide wasn’t human, Seo Jae-yi gave a vague answer.
Seon Ju-hee’s expression became more dubious.
“At this rate, you might even be able to imprint. Your matching rate is 93%. Since you’ve paired, it’ll probably go up soon.”
As Guides and Espers shared Guiding more frequently, their wavelengths synchronized, further increasing their matching rate.
Especially since Seo Jae-yi carried Baek Joo-won’s power within her, she expected it to reach 100% eventually.
“Of course. We’re very close right now.”
Instead of mentioning that imprinting was impossible due to their different species, Seo Jae-yi smiled shyly.
“I shouldn’t have asked about couple things. Let’s talk about dungeon plants. The members say they’re quite useful.”
“They’re not just useful, they’re perfect.”
Seo Jae-yi showed Seon Ju-hee a catalog listing the dungeon plants.
Seon Ju-hee was more surprised by the neatly organized catalog than she had been by the shop itself.
There was no way she could be this organized… This was 500% Guild Leader Kim Yoo-sung’s work.
“This is what I used in the Pohang dungeon. Back then, I brought the bulb and quickly grew it using water, but a Life Force Esper should be able to do it too. It’ll take about five minutes. If you’re worried, you can take the plant instead of the bulb.”
“I heard you grew it instantly?”
“I have a special ability. Don’t underestimate a flower shop owner.”
“How is a Heat Manipulation Esper so close to plants? I thought you’d be more likely to burn down the entire shop.”
Just how much did she know about her?
Unaware that the shop had nearly caught fire several times, Seon Ju-hee chose a few more plants, including the one Seo Jae-yi used in Pohang.
“As expected of a Big 3 Guild Leader! You’re so generous!”
In an instant, she had made a sale worth hundreds of millions of won. It was her highest sales record yet.
The Sunghwa Guild members carefully carried the packaged plants out of the shop, expressing their intention to return.
“Seo Jae-yi.”
When everyone had left and only Seon Ju-hee remained, she asked quietly, “There are rumors that the government isn’t pleased with your pairing with Baek Joo-won. You’re aware of this, right?”
“They’re not even trying to hide it, are they?”
How could anyone not know? Of course, it was likely only the Center, the Association, and the Big 3 Guilds, who had close ties with the government, that knew.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Perfectly fine. No problem at all.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If a problem arises, I’ll just eliminate it, and then there won’t be a problem, right?”
Seon Ju-hee was speechless at the simple logic. Right, what was there to worry about with an S-rank Guide? Seo Jae-yi was stronger than her.
Glancing at the greenhouse one last time, Seon Ju-hee waved and left the shop.
Like other S-rank Espers, she seemed to have sensed Airok’s presence in the greenhouse, but since Seo Jae-yi was there, she decided to ignore it.
Seon Ju-hee wasn’t the type to pry into other people’s business anyway.
“Oh, it’s Shin Woo-hyun.”
Seo Jae-yi’s phone rang. It was a text from Shin Woo-hyun, the potion maker she had contracted with a few days ago.
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened as she read the message.
The news she’d been waiting for had arrived.
【Title: Anyone seen the Sunghwa Guild certification shot?】
【Sunghwa Guild posted a certification shot of them using dungeon plants in a raid. Did anyone else see it?? Wow, I’ve seen other guilds post, but this is the first time a Big 3 Guild has posted one;;;
Seeing Sunghwa, of all guilds, use them makes them seem really reliable. We’re a small guild, so before dungeon plants, clearing Rank 5 dungeons was our limit, but with these, we can even manage Rank 4 dungeons.
I was hesitant because dungeon plants are expensive, but after successfully clearing a Rank 4, I’ve changed my mind. Even after buying dungeon plants, the profit from Rank 4 raids is higher!!!!
Everyone, blaze your own trail! If you’re Awakened, blaze your trail!!】
【Comments】
—The first part was fine, but what’s with the last line? I know the flower shop is called Blazing Trail, but it feels like she’s telling us to run the path to hell;;;
—I heard Haeil uses dungeon plants too. The shop is right next to Haeil’s headquarters. Two of the Big 3 are using them?? Totally trustworthy. A shop you can trust.
└Hey, that sounds like a trustworthy garbage dump.
└lol For real, let’s just call it a shop you can go to. A shop you can trust to go to.
└That’s a little…
—Wow, Haeil and Sunghwa are using them too? So, Bean Mountain is the only one of the Big 3 who isn’t? Why?
└Why do you think? lol Blazing Trail is right ‘next to’ Haeil’s headquarters lol
└Ah I see lol This must be it lol
└This is it, this is it lol Mystery solved lol
└Bean Mountain: What?!! The shop is next to Haeil’s headquarters?!!! I’m never going!!!! I’m scared of Firestarter!!!!!!!!!
└You crazy bastard lol You’re going to get sued by Bean Mountain lol
└What’s he going to sue for?? Truthful defamation???
└This guy is seriously crazy lol
└It’s not wrong though lol
—|Author|: Oh, I just heard that Shin Woo-hyun’s new potion is out. I heard even regular people can use this one?? Check the link below.
Perhaps thanks to Seo Jae-yi’s full support, including ingredients and research funds, Shin Woo-hyun had developed the Sleeping Flower-based tranquilizer sooner than expected.
The liquid in the finger-sized bottle was the same cotton candy pink as the Sleeping Flower.
“It’s remarkably refined. No impurities, and no dangerous scent.”
After receiving the tranquilizer from Shin Woo-hyun, Seo Jae-yi first had Baek Joo-won and Airok examine it.
Fortunately, both Baek Joo-won and Airok nodded in approval.
“The dosage that person wrote down is accurate. At this dosage, even non-Awakened individuals and Guides can use it safely.”
Shin Woo-hyun recommended using the undiluted solution for Espers and diluting it with water for Guides and non-Awakened individuals.
Apparently, even lethal doses of drugs didn’t affect Espers easily.
“I need to give this to my aunt right away.”
With the clinical trials completed, there was no reason to delay.
Leaving Airok in charge of the greenhouse, Seo Jae-yi headed straight to Seo Won-yeong’s house with Baek Joo-won late that night.
Seo Won-yeong’s eyes widened when she heard the tranquilizer was finally ready.
“Aunt.”
Leaving Baek Joo-won and Seo Won-yeong outside the room, Seo Jae-yi entered Seo Hye-ryeong’s bedroom alone.