The Miracle Carrot

“The plants filling that entire field — that’s what I meant.

Inside the city, purification systems keep everything stable, but outside, it’s nearly impossible to grow anything.

The air and the soil are both contaminated.

Someone like Lee Jaeheon might be able to bring in clean soil, but to actually grow plants successfully? Impossible.”

If that were true, then he wouldn’t have had to pour elixirs into that damned flowerpot to keep it alive.

Instead of nearly killing it and reviving it with a potion worth more than gold.

When he’d dumped an elixir into the pot, people had literally screamed.

“So you’re saying he really grew them himself?”

“Most likely.

But who could he have been in the past?”

“Perhaps… a farmer?”

“Isn’t he too young for that?”

It was common sense that few young people worked in agriculture anymore.

As the two of them discussed him endlessly, Yoon Ji-ho puffed out his cheeks.

“Fine, sure.

But why are you so interested in him?”

Kim Sun-young gave him a look of sheer pity, but he didn’t notice.

“The city is a comfortable place for people now.

The population keeps growing.

But there’s a limit to how much we can feed people with monster meat.

In the end, self-sufficiency determines survival.”

Choi Gun-woo explained gently, almost kindly.

“Couldn’t we just reduce the population?

Kick out the useless ones?”

Kim Sun-young clicked her tongue openly.

“Mr. Yoon Ji-ho.”

“Yes?”

“I’d rather not.

In this changed world, population equals power.

If people decrease, so does national strength.

I want to make Haetae the largest, safest city there is.”

And naturally, such places drew Awakened from all around.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes…”

Ji-ho’s answer dragged out reluctantly, but he gave it.

“Good.

Then we’ll have to learn more about him.”

“What about Lee Jaeheon?

You think he’ll just let that man be taken?”

“He’ll enter the Tower soon, won’t he?

When that happens, this Garam person will be alone.”

“We could bring him to the city — house him in the guild building.”

“Even better.”

As he said that, Choi Gun-woo waved his hand through the air.

An orc that had been charging suddenly clutched its burning blue head and collapsed, writhing.

“The city is my domain, after all.”

Choi Gun-woo smiled softly as he said it.

“They were city people, no doubt.”

Kang Jung-bae spoke in a bitter tone.

“Greedy bastards, all of them.

They think they’re the center of the world.

Stay away from folks like that.”

Something had clearly happened between him and some city dwellers before.

Wanderers often dreamed of becoming citizens, yet hated them all the same.

It wasn’t unusual.

But what surprised Garam more was something else entirely.

“You’re not using that weird dialect anymore?”

“What?”

Kang Jung-bae scowled mid-rant, and Park Deok-pal jumped in cheerfully.

“Big bro’s actually from Seoul.

He just talks like that to sound tougher.”

“Hey!

Why’d you tell him that!”

Kang Jung-bae roared, but Deok-pal only shrugged.

Imitating a dialect didn’t exactly make him look intimidating anyway.

Garam squinted.

‘Whatever.’

Today was a sacred day — he didn’t have the energy to care about their antics.

“Finally!

At last!”

Today was harvest day — his very first carrot harvest.

Garam grinned like a man possessed as he set a basket down at the edge of the field.

He grabbed the leafy tops of one plant and carefully dug around the soil with his hoe.

[You have harvested your first carrot! EXP +5]

“My carrot!

My lovely carrot!”

[You can now view the carrot’s status window.]

“What, even carrots have status windows now?”

Garam tilted his head and called out,

“Status window!”

[A carrot grown by a novice farmer.

Remarkably well-cultivated for a first attempt.

Restores 0.5 HP per minute for 10 minutes.

Permanently increases Max HP +2.

Permanent HP increase applies only once per crop type.]

His hands trembled.

Was he seeing that right?

He rubbed his eyes with his gloved hand — only to get dirt in them and roll on the ground.

“Aagh!”

“What’s he doing?”

“Who knows.”

“Shut up!”

After a painful minute, he recovered and checked again.

Nothing had changed.

It was real.

“The carrot.

The carrot!”

It was a glorious carrot.

Holding it reverently with both hands, Garam admired it like a relic.

The healing power was modest, sure… but—

“That’s one fine carrot,” said Kang Jung-bae.

“Is he really just a farmer?” muttered Deok-pal.

“Who knows.”

Garam ignored them.

‘Magnificent carrot!’

His HP was barely 10 points — this carrot could practically heal him fully.

Other Awakened had HP in the thousands, but that didn’t matter.

What mattered was—

‘Permanent HP increase!’

Permanent!

HP!

Increase!

Just eating this would boost his max HP from 8 to 10 — average adult level!

He gently placed the first carrot in the basket like a treasure.

Then he pulled out the second one.

No special traits this time.

Probably beginner’s luck.

Still, it was something.

He danced around with the basket in hand.

He’d planted fifty seeds, but not all had survived — only around thirty carrots in total.

Not bad at all for a first harvest.

[Level Up!]

He even leveled up in the process.

But more importantly — the carrot.

Garam stared at it, drooling slightly.

‘Should I… eat it now?’

He could gain health immediately.

But another thought crossed his mind.

He’d been living off Jaeheon’s supplies all this time — maybe he should give it to him.

As thanks.

Or as… a bribe.

Sure, he’d spent days vomiting mana potions just to power Jaeheon’s flowerpot skill, but still.

Jaeheon could easily treat him worse, and no one would object.

But he’d always drawn a line — except for that one time he’d almost cut off Garam’s leg.

‘Still, maybe I can trust him once more.’

He hummed and skipped toward the house — but then an old memory surfaced.

“When you’re weak, don’t trust people.

It’s because you trust that you get betrayed.”

That jerk had said that, right before smacking Garam on the back of the head.

Bastard.

Next time they met, Garam would make him pay.

He clenched his teeth — then sighed deeply.

‘He was awful, but… he wasn’t wrong.’

Not entirely.

Still—

‘Would someone who pours elixirs into flowerpots really care about one carrot?’

Probably not.

That man treated priceless items like plant food.

Garam thought hard.

‘Let’s just take it inside and think there.’

He carefully brought the carrots into the house and brushed the dirt off the first one with a soft brush.

So gentle, afraid even one hairlike root might snap.

Just then, Jaeheon came in from outside.

Seeing the heap of carrots on the table, he asked,

“Did you harvest them?”

“Yes.”

Normally, Garam would have been dancing by now, showing off proudly — but he hesitated.

“You grew them well.”

“Right? They turned out amazing!”

Praise was his weakness.

Within seconds, his resolve crumbled.

“I’ve never seen such big, beautiful carrots in my life!”

He pressed his cheek against one lovingly.

The rough surface scraped his skin, but he didn’t even feel it.

Alright.

He’d trust Jaeheon one more time — or rather, trust the insane logic that made the man pour elixirs into soil.

“Would you like to try one?”

Garam offered the first carrot with trembling hands.

“Are you sure?”

Jaeheon asked.

He seemed reluctant, knowing how hard Garam had worked.

“Of course! You’ve given me canned food all this time!”

Pushed by Garam’s enthusiasm, Jaeheon accepted it.

It wasn’t cooked, just freshly brushed and raw.

Without hesitation, he bit into it.

Crunch. Crunch.

The sound of chewing filled the quiet room.

He paused once — then calmly finished the whole carrot.

“How is it?”

“Tasty.

But this…”

“Yes! It permanently raises HP by two!”

Garam couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.

“The others don’t have that bonus, but still! Isn’t it amazing?

I never imagined something like this when I started farming!”

He puffed out his chest proudly.

Once, being a farmer had felt like a curse.

Now, it felt like destiny.

The age of the farmer had arrived.

He began brushing the second carrot, hands still trembling with joy.

The brush vibrated in rhythm with his shaking fingers — but the dirt came off even faster because of it.