The Life of a Returned Genius Farmer

Chapter 10: Blessed – Part 2

[Translation By Divinity]

“Ruins, huh…” Lee Han mused, intrigued by the prospect of exploring remnants left by the humans who once inhabited the Great Forest. However, a hint of apprehension lingered.

“But what if there are monsters there?”

Shredder chuckled at Lee Han’s concern. “Ehehehe! No need to worry. That place is devoid of monsters. Think of it as visiting an old, forgotten tomb.”

“Hmm. Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Monsters need sustenance to survive. They wouldn’t bother with ruins that offer nothing to eat. Only old sentimental fools like me, who yearn for the past, would be interested in such a place.”

Despite his self-deprecating remark, Shredder didn’t appear old at all, moving with a youthful vigor that belied his words.

Lee Han observed him with curiosity, then nodded. If Shredder was this confident, perhaps it was worth exploring.

“Nya. Are we going?”

“We should,” Lee Han replied. “We might find something useful there.”

“Nyaan, nya. Then I’m coming too!”

“That’s reassuring.”

Having Seolmyeong’s knowledge and guidance would be invaluable.

Shredder, pleased that both Lee Han and Seolmyeong were willing to accompany him, grinned and quickly finished the remaining meat.

Once they had eaten and cleaned up, Shredder scooped Lee Han onto his shoulders.

“Hold on tight,” he warned. “I’ll be running a bit fast.”

With Shredder’s assistance, they swiftly reached a location far from the riverbank. It was an area they had never explored before, filled with unfamiliar plants and trees.

“That’s Snow Herb, nya!” Seolmyeong exclaimed, pointing to a patch of delicate white flowers. “If you get burned, crush it and apply it to the wound to heal, nya!”

“Oh, really? Then let’s gather some.”

“And this is cement, nya! And this is…”

“Ah, I recognize this one,” Lee Han interrupted. “If you grind it and mix it with sand, it becomes concrete, right?”

“How do you know that, nya?”

“It exists where I used to live too. Shredder, can you remember this location?”

“Sure, but why?”

If they had stumbled upon cement, there were many possibilities. He could build a proper fireplace, or even a sturdy house. Of course, without rebar, constructing a large structure would be challenging, but it would still be a significant improvement over his current wooden tent.

“There’s not much here. Should we dig it up now, nya?”

“Hmm… perhaps we should.”

The downside was the limited quantity of cement. If there were more, they could settle down and excavate it properly.

Shredder shrugged at Lee Han’s sigh. “I travel around a lot, so I’ll let you know if I find more.”

“Oh, really?”

“In the meantime, you focus on your farming.”

“Haha. I’ll do my best.”

They decided to collect the cement on their way back and continued their journey.

After traveling for a while, Shredder stopped at a small building nestled against the mountainside.

“Is this the ruin?” Lee Han asked.

“Nyaan… Judging by the style, it looks like a temple dedicated to the Goddess Gaia.”

“Ooh! This little guy knows a lot,” Shredder remarked, impressed. “That’s right. This is a temple where the humans who lived here long ago worshipped their god.”

“Is it okay to just enter a place like this?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Is there a problem, nya?”

“No, not really, but…”

“Come on, let’s go in,” Shredder urged. “It’s a human ruin; it’d be a shame for a human not to explore it.”

“Don’t worry, nya. The Goddess Gaia is benevolent. She doesn’t curse those who seek her out. Besides, you pray to her every day, don’t you?”

“That’s true.”

“Hey~! If you don’t come, I’m leaving you behind!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

The inside of the ruins was surprisingly clean. Despite its age, there was no dust or cobwebs to be seen.

Lee Han looked around in wonder, and Seolmyeong, perched on his shoulder, explained proudly, “Temples built in places like this often have good ventilation, nya. Look over there. The wind flows through that hole, preventing dust from accumulating.”

“And temples are usually blessed by the god they’re dedicated to, so they rarely get dirty,” Shredder added.

“Oh… that’s amazing.”

‘No need to clean then,’ Lee Han thought as they ventured deeper into the ruins. They entered a large chamber. In the tower, such spaces were often filled with traps and monsters, so Lee Han tensed up. However, Shredder and Seolmyeong seemed completely at ease.

“This doesn’t seem like just any temple,” Shredder observed. “It feels like a hidden sanctuary.”

“A hidden sanctuary?”

“Yes. And places like this usually contain interesting records or artifacts. Let’s see…”

While Lee Han and Seolmyeong looked around, Shredder skillfully examined the surroundings. He discovered a hidden mechanism next to a pillar and activated it, revealing a descending pathway.

“Let’s go.”

Despite venturing underground, the path was illuminated by luminous stones embedded in the walls. Lee Han made a mental note to collect a few on their way back.

They continued downward until they reached a spacious chamber containing a single, imposing iron cauldron.

“Hmm? What’s this?” Lee Han asked, intrigued.

“I don’t know… Maybe some kind of sacred relic?”

[Cauldron of Blessing]

[An iron cauldron blessed by the Goddess Gaia. Cooking with this cauldron increases the grade of the dish and grants it special effects.]

“It’s called the Cauldron of Blessing,” Lee Han read aloud.

“Hmm, a cauldron,” Shredder pondered. “Gaia is the goddess of the earth and production. Cooking is certainly a form of production. I suppose this temple was dedicated to cooks.”

“Are you looking for something specific, nya? It’s unusual for a beastfolk to visit a human temple.”

“Oh? Ah, yes. I want to find out why humans disappeared from the Great Forest.”

“What are you going to do with that information?”

“An old friend of mine was curious about it.”

Shredder’s expression turned somber as he mentioned his old friend. It seemed there was a story there, but Lee Han didn’t pry.

“Aren’t you going to ask?” Shredder inquired.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to delve into personal matters.”

“Haha. Well, it’s not that serious. He was an old elf who constantly searched for traces of humans, until the day he died.”

“…”

“Hahaha! Do you want to visit his grave?!”

“Oh? Sure, let’s pay our respects while we’re here.”

“But what are we going to do with this cauldron?!”

It seemed pointless to leave it here. Lee Han thought it would be better for him to use it. He looked at Shredder, trusting his judgment since he had discovered the ruins.

“Why don’t you just take it?” Shredder suggested. “I don’t think there’s any problem with that. Gaia would probably approve. Besides, you’re a follower of hers now, aren’t you?”

“I’m not sure if I’d call myself a follower…”

“If you take care of her statue and pray to her every day, you’re a follower.”

Lee Han couldn’t deny that. He claimed the Cauldron of Blessing from the Goddess Gaia’s temple.

“You said that cooking with this cauldron makes better dishes? I’m looking forward to it.”

“I wonder what kind of dishes we can make with a cauldron, nya~”

“It’s hard to make anything right now because we don’t have enough ingredients.”

There were plenty of dishes he could make with a cauldron, but his current selection of ingredients was limited. After all, salt was his only seasoning.

It would be nice if there was a way to get other seasonings or spices.

“Shredder, you said there are elves outside the Great Forest, right? Can’t we trade with them?”

“Hmm? What do you need?”

“Spices and seasonings. I need those to cook or make anything.”

Shredder crossed his arms and thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I’ll get some for you next time I go. But it won’t be free. Something they might want… Honey Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Radishes should be enough.”

“Let’s trade when the crops are ready.”

After a brief conversation, they left the temple and ventured outside.

Not far from there, they arrived at a humble burial mound.

“Is this it?”

“Yes,” Shredder replied, a touch of bitterness in his tone. “This is where my friend Johan rests.” He gazed at the mound, lost in memories that seemed to bring him little joy.

Shredder knelt down and began clearing away the weeds, tidying the area around the grave. “He was a devout priest,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Even after coming here, he prayed every day.”

“A priest…”

“He was also quite strong for an elf,” Shredder continued. “We used to hunt undead together. There were quite a few ruins in those areas.”

“Undead are monsters that don’t die, nya. Things like vampires, zombies, and ghouls. They’re a real nuisance to deal with!”

Lee Han’s heart sank. He hadn’t realized that the undead existed in this world too, just like in the tower. Memories of those horrifying creatures resurfaced, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Where are the undead?”

“Are you worried they’ll attack?” Shredder chuckled. “No need for that. They rarely leave the Cursed Lands. But if you ever venture outside the Great Forest, be wary. The passage out lies near the Cursed Lands.”

It seemed leaving the Great Forest wouldn’t be easy.

Shredder noticed the concern on Lee Han’s face and patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry too much. With this, you can move around the Cursed Lands without any problems.”

He began digging in front of the tomb, unearthing a worn-out box.

“What is it?” Lee Han asked.

“A Holy Nail.”

Inside the box was a single, unassuming nail.

Shredder held it out, and Lee Han carefully took it.

[Nail that Pierced the Hand of a Saint]

[A nail that pierced the hand of a great saint. Stained with the blood of a holy being, it wards off evil.]

[Grants ‘Divinity’ when used in production]

“This is…”

“It’s a nail Johan and I found in the ruins we were exploring,” Shredder explained. “It seemed like a treasure of the Gaia Church. It was hidden in a secret chamber, just like that cauldron. With this, lower-level undead won’t attack you.”

“Really?”

“But it won’t work on high-level undead,” Shredder cautioned. “And they’re a real pain to deal with. Fortunately, they rarely leave their territory, so you can use this when traveling elsewhere.”

“But… isn’t this precious?” Lee Han asked, hesitant to accept such a valuable item.

“It’s of no use to me,” Shredder said with a shrug, “and lower-level undead are no threat. Besides…” He grinned slyly and patted Lee Han’s shoulder.

“It’s best for a human to have what belongs to humans.”