Chapter 125: The Mandragora’s Potential

「Who’s this…? 」

I blurted out those words without realizing it.

Right now, in front of me stood a boy with a face identical to Shin’s.

I had said earlier that they looked like twins, but on closer inspection there were differences in their hairstyles and body structures.

However, their faces were so similar that it was hard to believe they were just like other people, and the word “siblings” immediately came to my mind.

「…No way. 」

I asked the Manticore standing behind me.

「Who is this child? Why are you hiding him? 」

「…」

The Manticore didn’t answer my question.

Instead, I got a different answer.

「Heal that child. You should be able to heal him. 」

The Manticore spoke as if I was a doctor or something.

Unfortunately, I had absolutely no connection to the medical field.

I only had general medical knowledge even in my original world.

But why was the Manticore so sure I could heal him?

I got an unexpected answer to my question.

「I know you’re a unique human who can create monsters. You should be able to use that ability to create a monster that can cure this child, or a monster that has a cure for his body. 」

Why did he say I could create monsters?

Even though I was wondering about it, thinking of it now, I believed that it was certainly possible for me to cure the sick person. However…

「It’s impossible. Creating such a convenient monster in a desert cave. It’d have to be at least a seed, egg, or a corpse of that monster…」

The Manticore leapt to a corner of the hall the moment I spoke.

It took something from that corner and then dropped it in front of me.

「…These are seeds, eggs, and carcasses of monsters found in this desert. There shouldn’t be a problem. 」

There were various seeds and eggs, as well as the carcasses of monsters I’d never seen before, including the Cactus Balls, the Killer Scorpions, and Sand Rats I’d seen before.

「How did you gather all this? 」

「This is my nest. A nest should always have food on hand. As for seeds, I only gathered them the other day, so there aren’t many here. 」

Indeed. The carcasses and eggs of monsters could also be used as food, so it wasn’t surprising that they would be kept on hand.

However, we met by chance today, but it knew about my capabilities.

If that was the case, then how on earth did it know about me?

That question came to mind, but as if to interrupt my thoughts, the Manticore spoke another shocking line.

「Above all, you are carrying a monster called the “universal cure”. You should use it. 」

Its words sent chills down my spine.

The “universal cure” I was carrying was none other than the Mandragora Dora-chan.

I felt extreme fear in my heart as soon as I heard that line.

「Wait, I’m not going to use Dora-chan. I’ve decided since the first time I met her that I won’t let her be used or killed no matter what. 」

Yes, the day she was born.

It was also a vow I made from the day those thugs threatened to steal her from me.

Hearing my rant, I felt Dora-chan look up at me from within my heart.

「…Then, I’ll do something to avoid his death. If there’s anything you’re missing, just tell me. I’ll provide you with anything you want for your cultivation. 」

With that, the Manticore moved to the only exit of this space and sat down to block it.

What should I do?

Luckily, even though it was a cave, there were several holes in the ceiling and sunlight leaked in in many places.

Monsters should be able to grow underneath.

The ground wasn’t very different from the place where I was growing plants the other day.

If I asked the Manticore to find some clay, then I should be able to practice clay ball farming.

The problem, though, was what monster could grow.

I took a quick look at the boy’s condition.

He seemed to be asleep and unconscious, but his breathing was shallow, and his face looked pale.

It was clear that he was weakened for some reason.

To cure this illness, I needed to create a monster with some kind of therapeutic effect.

However, looking at the monsters the Manticore had handed me earlier, there didn’t seem to be any that could be used as a cure.

「…Master. I’m ready to sacrifice myself for you at any time. If there’s no other way, you may use me. 」

Dora-chan declared with a smile, but I saw the slight trembling of her body.

「…It’s okay, Dora-chan. I will never let you sacrifice yourself. 」

I made that promise as I said before.

Even if it meant that I was going to be killed, that was something I absolutely had no intention of doing.

But even so, it would be important to confirm Mandragora’s abilities.

It seemed that the efficacy of the Mandragora was contained in its body parts.

In other words, if I wanted t to use the Mandragora as a medicine, then I’d have no choice but to kill it.

The flesh of the Mandragora was said to be exquisite, and it tasted similar to chicken.

Well, I didn’t plan on eating it in my lifetime, though.

Also, from what Lily had told me, even though Mandragora was a plant-type monster, its structure was similar to that of animal-type monsters.

It seemed that there were actually quite a few monsters that had both plant-type and animal-type characteristics.

Isu-chan’s friend, Dryad Dori-chan, was also a monster with both plant-type and animal-type characteristics, with the lower body being a tree and the upper body being a human.

If I thought about it like that, it might not be that difficult to create a monster that was a plant-type monster but also had the characteristics of an animal-type monster.

「…I see. Wait a minute. 」

I came up with a brilliant idea the moment I thought of it.

The other day, I succeeded in taking the best parts of various monsters by combining the seeds and eggs of multiple monsters into one.

At that time, it was a combination of a Jack O’ Lantern, a Watermelon, and a Killer Plant, all of which were plant-type monsters.

As for the other combination of a Killer Plant and a Cockatrice, it was simply a method of evolution in which a Cockatrice egg was laid on a Killer Plant tree.

And what I was about to do was…

…To create a monster that combined the characteristics of animal-type monsters and plant-type monsters.

Looking back, Mandragora was a prime example of this.

They were a type of monster with both animal-type and plant-type attributes, but their effectiveness was contained in their body parts.

But if I could give that effect to the plant parts, that was, the parts that wouldn’t be harmful if I took the flowers on their heads, instead of their body parts, then…

「Dora-chan, can I ask you a favor? Can I have that flower on your head? 」

Dora-chan looked a little surprised at my request.

「Eh, the flower on my head? Of course, that’s fine. I may have told you before, but my flower on my head doesn’t have any healing properties…」

「It’s fine. If you go along with my plan, then it should be fine for you. 」

Dora-chan said, apologetically handing me the flower on her head, but I didn’t mind.

All I needed was a part of Mandragora’s body.

Using that as a base, I wanted to give the efficacy of her healing and not exactly the flesh. A plant part that could be eaten multiple times and had no effect on the human body. I wanted to create such a monster.

If that became possible, then I would be able to safely obtain the healing properties from the Mandragora.

I had originally intended to combine low-ranking animal-type monsters and plant-type monsters, such as Cactus Balls and Killer Scorpions, and try it out a few times before moving on to practice. However, I had never imagined I would try it with a valuable monster like the Mandragora right from the start.

Moreover, once the flower on the Mandragora’s head was harvested, it took several weeks for it to grow back.

And the Manticore here probably wouldn’t wait even a few weeks to try again.

It was literally a trial run.

There was no point in this compound cultivation unless it was successful on the first try.

I picked out a monster that would likely inherit Mandragora’s characteristics from among the monsters that the Manticore had placed earlier.

First, I had to choose a monster that could grow without any problems in this desert, even if the base was a Mandragora.

Even the new Jack O’ Watermelon I created was a mix of a Kalahari watermelon, which could grow in the harsh environment of the desert.

「Huh? What is this…? 」

While I was doing that, I found something unfamiliar, a seed or egg-like thing.

At first glance, it looked like a gummy candy, and also like a transparent salmon roe egg.

「Hey, what on earth is this? 」

I asked the Manticore about the thing I was holding in my hand, and it replied.

「That’s a Desert Jellyfish seed. 」

The Desert Jellyfish.

That was the one I had caught before I was captured by the Manticore.

Was that a monster born from a seed?

I asked the Manticore.

「When the Desert Jellyfish is planted in the sand, a transparent body emerges from the seed, which grows by absorbing moisture and nutrients from the ground. Even a small amount of moisture is enough for it to expand, and once its body has grown in size, it extends its grass-like limbs from the ground and begins to catch prey. 」

I see. So that was the ecosystem.

Did this mean that such Desert Jellyfish also had animal and plant characteristics?

I asked again.

「Probably so. I’m not an expert on the ecology of other monsters, but the Desert Jellyfish’s limbs that become tentacles are plant-like, and its body is considered to be animal-like. 」

An image came to my mind after hearing the explanation of the Manticore.

If that was the case, then if I combined them like this…

「…Maybe I can do it. 」

Muttering, I grabbed the Desert Jellyfish seed and Dora-chan’s flower.

Before that, I wanted to confirm one last important thing, so I asked the Manticore.

「Before I start cultivating, there’s one thing I want to ask. If I save this child, you’ll let us out of here, right? 」

「Of course. If you save that child, you’ll all be released safely, and I’ll take you to where your friends are. 」

That was an immediate answer without a moment’s hesitation, and I nodded, sensing that there was no lie in its assertion.

I had already formed an image in my mind. All that was left was to cultivate it exactly as planned.

I immediately planted the monster seed I was holding in the ground.

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Sorry for this short delay!