Chapter 110

Jio’s cabin was set up in an environment where any human would feel comfortable.

“The air is very mild.”

“I think it’s because the weather is always like spring.”

“That could be it, but….”

There was a sense of stability, as if being held in a parent’s embrace.

“…I think I’d sleep well if I slept here.”

“That is indeed the case.”

Jio, who had nodded his head, soon asked.

“Is there a meal you would like?”

“…Ah, are you going to treat me to a meal?”

“That is why I invited you, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“So that was the purpose.”

For Yu Seong-un, who had accepted the invitation to analyze Jio’s identity, it was a slightly embarrassing situation.

‘Well, there’s no way this grandmotherly fellow would be careless in treating a guest.’

Whatever the purpose, Jio had received Yu Seong-un here as a guest.

There was no way Jio, who went around handing out gifts to everyone he met, would not treat Yu Seong-un to anything.

“Anything is fine, but you’d dislike it if I said that.”

“There is no food in the world called ‘anything’.”

“But I’m really not a picky eater. I don’t have any preferences either.”

“In that case, I will prepare it as I wish. Is there any food you cannot eat?”

“No, I don’t have allergies or anything, so it’s fine.”

“Understood.”

As Jio nodded his head, something approached from the kitchen, making a pong pong pong sound.

What is that?

Yu Seong-un’s eyes were captivated by the white cotton ball.

“Thank you for helping to welcome the guest, Father.”

“Kku.”

A teddy bear holding a teacup…?

“…….”

Wait, a teddy bear?

‘…A teddy bear brought a welcome drink?’

Yu Seong-un fell into confusion.

Yu Seong-un, who frequently encountered beings of the Source, was particularly sensitive to the aura of non-human things.

He was usually able to grasp what kind of being his opponent was, but as he saw it, the teddy bear before him held an aura close to divinity.

‘…Wait a minute, if this is a divine power that resembles the sun….’

Having finished his assessment, Yu Seong-un looked back at Jio.

“…Your father?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Then is he the predecessor Sun God?”

“That is correct.”

“Thanks to you, I understand.”

There was no divinity itself, but an aura comparable to it and the unique, tingling warmth of the sun that he had felt from Jio several times.

This teddy bear seemed to be the Sun God, holding the remaining power after passing on his divinity to Jio.

“Still, does one normally enter a teddy bear…?”

“He said he is accustomed to this body, so I could not change it.”

“I don’t quite understand that either. Is there any reason a god would be accustomed to a doll’s body?”

“He got into the habit of eating meals in this body….”

“So you’re the cause, in the end.”

“That is correct.”

“…….”

With an awkward gesture, Yu Seong-un received the teacup offered by the Sun God.

“…Thank you.”

“Kkukku.”

Did it just laugh?

‘To think I’d live to see a god laugh.’

Of course, the fact that the Sun God was inside a worn-out teddy bear was a surprising thing in itself.

“It’s strange, usually the predecessor god and the successor god are on bad terms.”

“Is there a reason to be on bad terms with my father? We are family.”

“Hmm….”

There are many reasons, but.

“…I speculate that it’s because the difference in their way of thinking is large. A god who has to govern the life, death, and dimensions of living beings will have a different scope of thought, even if they inherited the same divinity.”

Since a very long time passes before one divine era ends, it was a similar logic to how it would be difficult for a primitive man and a modern person to get along.

“It’s even more so in the case of a human who became a god.”

“…….”

Jio asked.

“Then am I a god?”

“…Oh… that… hmm….”

“So there are gods who do nothing like this. Gods are not such a big deal, I see.”

“…I think you can just think as you wish.”

“I think I am still a human. Since nothing has changed much.”

“Then I guess that’s what it is.”

It seemed Jio thought of himself as a ‘human who inherited a license called divinity.’

He wondered what else that could be if not a god, but since the person himself said so, Yu Seong-un kept his mouth shut.

‘It is true that the ego named Jio has not been consumed by divinity.’

To become a god meant to hold the qualification as nature and fate and to give up thinking as a living creature.

Nevertheless, Jio still enjoyed meals, was good at cooking and found fulfillment in sharing with others, so there were certainly many problems with calling him a god.

No matter what happened, the being called ‘Jio’ would not change.

“…….”

Because he is the Source?

‘…How can such a being exist?’

Yu Seong-un watched Jio enter the kitchen, saying he would prepare a meal.

‘I don’t think he’s not the Source. As a Gardener, there’s no way I would mistake that. This portrait is a Source in a form that humans can perceive, and in a form close to a personage.’

But he couldn’t understand the process.

‘That thing isn’t simply living on top of the Source. If that were the case, this space and Jio should have been separate entities. But they aren’t, and are attached like bone and flesh, which means….’

As Yu Seong-un was contemplating, the teddy bear approached with soft, pong pong footsteps.

“Hm?”

“Kku?”

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Kkuu, kkukkukku. Kku.”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un felt troubled at the sight of the teddy bear waving its cotton paws around in front of him.

‘Is it blasphemy to feel that a god is cute? Religion isn’t my specialty.’

Even though it was in a state without divinity, which could be called the heart of a god, it was still true that it was a being close to a god.

Yu Seong-un carefully observed the well-stuffed teddy bear, worried he might make a mistake.

“…Ah.”

Soon, Yu Seong-un picked up the teacup.

“You want me to drink?”

“Kku.”

“Thank you.”

Yu Seong-un was momentarily surprised by the teacup that fit perfectly in his hand.

“…Oh….”

This feels nice.

‘It’s smooth yet soft.’

Should I say it feels like touching a silk-like fur hide?

It was clearly a solid teacup, but it was so soft it felt like powder would come off on his hand, and it was quite light for its stable thickness, making it comfortable to hold.

‘The grip is good too.’

Even though it wasn't tailored to Yu Seong-un's own hand, it was shaped in a way that was easy to hold.

“Somehow, it feels fluffy….”

It was like a teacup made of clouds or fresh cream.

“As expected, Jio doesn’t even use a teacup carelessly.”

“Kkuukku.”

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know. What did you say?”

The white teddy bear, which had a toasty color like lightly grilled rice, soon pointed at something.

“…Ah.”

It was Honey.

“Kururu?”

“…We saw each other earlier, right? I was invited? I’m a guest?”

“Kkung-uk.”

“It feels like it’s letting me off the hook.”

He had wondered why the teddy bear pointed at Honey, but it seemed it wanted to let him know that this teacup was also drawn and created by Jio.

Yu Seong-un understood without realizing it.

“No wonder the texture was extraordinary.”

The light pink tea water held inside it also had a nice scent.

“…This is….”

A fresh sweetness similar to vanilla bean, yet completely different.

It had a somewhat tangy part, a nutty aspect like milk with honey, and the unique lightness of a plant was added, making it a scent that wasn’t overwhelming.

Yu Seong-un narrowed his eyes.

‘Is this tea really okay for a person to drink?’

He used his Appraisal Skill without realizing it.

[Tears Blooming Silk]

[Grade: - ]

A flower tea made by aging the Weeping Garok that grows naturally in the Water Vein of Fate.

The unique tangy scent of the unbrewed Weeping Garok remains faintly, giving a variation to the sweetness.

Processed by the master of the forest, Jio, so that the human body can also accept it.

The moment you drink it, heat gathers in the eyes, then the optic nerve is restored.

It is effective in nullifying mental-type skills.

“…….”

What the hell.

‘It says it’s edible.’

Yu Seong-un downed the small amount of tea in one go.

“…Sweet.”

Usually for tea, the sweet scent would be all there is, but this tea, which didn’t seem to have any sugar in it, was sweet enough to make his mind go hazy for a moment.

It felt as if the limit of pleasant sweetness had been pressed down and filled to the brim.

‘It also has a tangy scent like pepper.’

Sweetness and pepper sounded strange, but after drinking it himself, he could feel that the two scents didn't clash and were well-harmonized.

He felt his head fill up with the clear sweetness and the tingling scent that pricked his brain.

There was a pleasure that was hard to take your time with, like a course meal that kept coming out without a break.

‘It would be hard to enjoy this with a relaxed mind….’

Around that time, Yu Seong-un frowned.

“Ugh.”

He could feel his eyes stinging, like a tongue that had eaten something spicy.

It was a strange sensation that was hard to call pain, but it was similar to the feeling of putting mint-scented eye wash in.

After waiting for about 3 seconds, the sensation that had been making his eyeballs hot vanished in an instant.

“…This might be why it’s called ‘Tears Blooming Silk’.”

A few tears came out, perhaps because heat had risen in a sensitive organ.

‘My vision definitely feels clearer.’

It would be hard to enjoy it with a comfortable mind, Yu Seong-un thought once again.

How could one drink with a comfortable mind a tea with a taste and scent so full it makes the inside of your mouth go numb, makes your eyes sting and even makes you cry after drinking it, and on top of that, has the effect of improving your eyesight.

“…….”

So I get free eyesight from a cup of tea like this.

“I’m feeling restless….”

“Kururu?”

“…Have you tried this too?”

“Kkung.”

“It was delicious.”

Yu Seong-un smacked his lips.

‘I feel like I’ve come to a place where I shouldn’t be.’

The goodwill of the Source was too much.

Even on Earth, stories of ‘a person who set foot in the world of the gods and had their identity as a human threatened’ were common.

‘A representative example in the East is the story of the Peach Blossom Spring.’

It was difficult to say that the situation was exactly the same as that, but he couldn’t help but feel a similar sense of crisis.

‘It’s burdensome…’

He felt like if he stayed here for about 3 days, he would leave with immortality.

***

Meanwhile, the master of the house knew nothing of Yu Seong-un’s feelings.

“Hmm.”

Jio was planning the meal to serve to Yu Seong-un.

‘Koreans run on the power of rice.’

That was right.

“What’s needed is rice, side dishes, and soup.”

As it happened, there was rice that had been freshly cooked at dawn, and since it was cooked with water boiled with various vegetables and medicinal herbs, its flavor was outstanding.

The rice grains, tinged with a faint light green, were particularly sweet and nutty.

‘Next is the side dishes….’

For fish, there was one salmon caught from ‘The Breathing Sea,’ there was ham and sausage stored in the underground cellar, and in the vegetable garden behind the cabin, various vegetables were growing sturdily.

“Grill the fish, steam the meat, and stir-fry the vegetables.”

As if he had heard his murmur imbued with a strange determination, Yu Seong-un called out from the living room.

“Jio, I can walk out of here as a human, right?”

“You will walk out healthy on two feet.”

Though he would have to be prepared to become a pig.

‘I will definitely send this scrawny office worker back with a full belly.’

Jio decided to bet on the honor of his grandmother, who had been the big hand of the village.

For the soup, he prepared the bone broth he had simmered before.

The soup, made by boiling the bones of a Tree-Horned Deer, had an incredible umami flavor, and simply slicing some green onions on top would be enough for it to serve its role as a soup.

‘They are not dishes that take that long….’

Jio called for Dana, who was lying down in the kitchen.

“Daughter.”

“Meow.”

“Are you meowing half-heartedly because you’re bothered.”

“Mwaalk.”

“You’re back to normal.”

Jio had Dana hold a basket in her mouth.

“Can you go to the garden and pick some eggplants and bok choy for me.”

“Meeuuuung….”

Fortunately, Dana did not refuse the errand.

“Such a good girl.”

Dana, who had recently grown to the size of an ordinary cat, stretched out like an arched bridge, and then ambled out the back door with the basket in her mouth.

Honey, who had confirmed this, followed his sister’s errand.

‘Since Honey went too, they’ll do fine on their own.’

Jio, relieved, scooped the rice.

It was a heaping bowl of rice, filled with the generous heart of a countryside grandma.

The light and deep scent unique to vegetable broth stimulated the taste buds from a thousand li away.

And it would also stimulate Yu Seong-un’s taste buds.

‘Become a pig, abracadabra….’

Jio, who spent his childhood in the arms of his grandmothers, was taught to share a lot of food.

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