Chapter 750: The Life Elixir


    The notifications rang nonstop in Food God Minhyuk’s ears. There were also world messages interspersed among them. However, Minhyuk did not have the time to check those messages right now.


    One look around and he could tell that most of the Swords of the Gods had received severe injuries. One was limping, and someone was holding onto their arm that was going to fall off. Even Knight Commander Don was left speechless by the disastrous turn of events that led to this. He and the Swords of the Gods would be left crippled, on top of being unable to take Mand away.


    The worst was that Mand was on his knees and was on the brink of dying. His tears that were dripping down his chin were a testament to how afraid he was of death. Amidst the crippling despair and misery, Mand felt his senses slowly fade away. When a person was dying, their senses would disappear one after another, with hearing thest to disappear.


    For a moment, Mand thought that he saw his wife, Beinny, appear in front of his own dying figure. He could see her standing under the clear blue sky with the green grass around them, with a beautiful smile on her face that seemed to outshine everything else.


    <em>‘Mand, what should we name this child?’</em>


    <em>‘If it’s a girl, then let’s name them Leny. If it’s a boy, then let’s name them Ford.’</em>


    All he wanted was for his wife and daughter to live happily for a very long time. But the gods had taken that away from him. Mand hated the gods even at this moment as he inched closer to death.


    <em>[The Lowest God’s voice is echoing in your ears.]</em>


    “Mand.”


    Someone seemed to be calling out to him, the gentle and warm voice washing away the fear in Mand.


    <em>[The Lowest God’s name is Food God.]</em>


    <em>[The Lowest God is showing you care.]</em>


    Mand hated the gods. They were selfish and petty beings. However, this god was patting his head and giving him warmth.


    The Lowest God spoke in a soft voice, “You are free now.”


    <em>Pop—</em>


    Something flowed down his throat, along with an unknown sound ringing in his ears. Then, his senses, which had started to disappear, came back once again.


    That was when Mand saw the lowest, yet somehow the greatest, god kneeling in front of him with a bitter and soft smile on his face.


    “…”


    Knight Commander Don and the Swords of the Gods were rendered speechless. This was because they knew the meaning of the words that Minhyuk had said just now.


    <em>‘Is he saying that he won’t take him to the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom?’</em>


    <em>‘Even though he saved Mand’s life?’</em>


    <em>‘No way. That’s definitely not the case.’</em>


    However, Minhyuk drove it deeper with his following words.


    “On behalf of the gods that persecuted you and locked you up in this ce, because they were jealous of your talents, I apologize.”


    Minhyuk grabbed Mand’s hand. He had heard the man mutter to himself, even on the brink of death, about how his wife and daughter were, about how he just wanted to live a normal life.


    “I will not ask you toe to our Beyond the Heavens Kingdom. And…” Minhyuk turned his head to look at Don and the Swords of the Gods. “So will they. Mand. You are now free. Go, go and find the traces of your family. I will definitely help you.”


    “…”


    Mand could not say anything.


    <em>[Some of the gods that have trapped Mand are looking at the Lowest God in anger!]</em>


    <em>[They may be hostile toward you for tarnishing their reputation!]</em>


    Mand also heard how those self-centered and selfish gods would try to restrict and restrain Minhyuk. However, Minhyuk just looked at the sky above them and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to punish those damn gods that put you in this situation.”


    Mand stared at Minhyuk’s soft and gentle eyes. Then, a soft smile appeared on Minhyuk’s face as he said, “But before that, I have a favor to ask you. Please save them.”


    Minhyuk turned around and looked at the Swords of the Gods, whose bodies were ripped apart and broken down by the Great Spirit. Mand was the one who created the Mand’s Elixir. Healing them was but an easy thing.


    Mand slowly nodded. “I understand.”


    He had been locked up in this prison for a very long time. Because of that, he was able to create many potions. Mand slowly approached Beloch. Beloch’s bones were broken. One look and one could tell that he was having a hard time moving. Mand poured the contents of one of his potions and let Beloch drink it. At that moment, Beloch, who was struggling from the throbbing pain brought about by his broken bones, felt his bones move and rebuild themselves.


    “…”


    At the same time, he felt greed for Mand. However, Beloch knew his position. Only Minhyuk could ask Mand to go with him. Because he was the one who saved Mand.


    This time, Mand approached the Sword, who got both of his legs pierced through by spears and poured potion directly on the gaping flesh.


    <em>Sizzle—</em>


    As the potion washed over the gaping wound, new flesh regenerated, and it was healed. Everything happened in a blink of an eye, bringing a huge shock to everyone. That was how ridiculously powerful Mand’s potions were. Of course, those potions were not something that Mand could make freely.


    Then, Mand moved on. This time, it was Revor. He had lost one eye during the battle with the Great Spirit. It had gonepletely blind. He was taken aback to be able to see the world again just after the potion washed over his eyes. With that, Mand had saved everyone.


    Knight Commander Don and the Swords of the Gods looked at Minhyuk and Mand in gratitude. That was especially the case for Minhyuk. This was because Minhyuk was the one who saved Mand with a mysterious potion, who in turn saved the rest with his own potions.


    In other words, Minhyuk had indirectly be a benefactor to all of them once again.


    <em>[You have received Beloch’s favor.]</em>


    <em>[Your favor with Beloch has already reached MAX.]</em>


    <em>[…Revor’s favor.]</em>


    <em>[Your favor with Revor has already…]</em>


    Meanwhile, Mand was wondering to himself. He knew that even with the Mand’s Elixir, the elixir that he made, he would not be able to save himself. After all, he was already as good as dead earlier.


    <em>‘How was he able to save me with a potion?’</em>


    “It’s an item I got from the Six Monster Gods. It’s Gaerna’s Life Elixir.”


    “…”


    Mand had heard about Gaerna’s Life Elixir. It was a potion that could save even the dead. It was basically a potion with a value that could not be measured. However, the man in front of Mand had given him the potion so readily.


    <em>‘You are free now.’</em>


    Mand’s preconception about the gods had started to change. To be exact, his views about Minhyuk had started to change. In response, Mand said, “You can have everything here.”


    “…?!”


    “…!”


    “…!”


    Knight Commander Don and the Swords of the Gods were all petrified with shock. Those words meant that Minhyuk would receive all of the potions that Mand had created himself.


    <em>[You have be the owner of all of the potions that exist inside the prison.]</em>


    <em>[You have acquired the ‘Blue Liquid Salt’ through Mand’s Treasure Hunting Map.]</em>


    <em>[You have acquired 485 Mand’s Bomb Solution.]</em>


    <em>[You have acquired 2 Potions of Destruction.]</em>


    <em>[You have acquired 57 Mand’s Panacea for the Developing One.]</em>


    <em>[…Mand’s…]</em>


    <em>[…Mand’s…]</em>


    <em>[…Mand’s…]</em>


    As he listened to the notifications that rang in his ears, Minhyuk realized just how astronomical the value of the items in this prison was. Then, Minhyuk received a whisper.


    <em>[</em><strong><em>Abel</em></strong><em>: Minhyuk, I found it.]</em>


    Minhyuk had immediately asked for Informant Abel’s help the moment he heard Mand’s words earlier. For Informant Abel, cases where he needed ‘Ordinary Information’ could be easily found within thirty minutes through a hologram.


    Minhyuk wrote down the information that he received and handed it over to Mand. “Go here. What you’re looking for is here.”


    Mand looked at the note for a very long time. He held onto the paper tightly and nodded while biting his trembling lips. Then, he slowly walked out of the prison.


    Knight Commander Don and the Swords of the Gods’ jaws dropped open.


    <em>‘He’s really just going to let the man go like this?! That excellent and very talented Mand?!’</em>


    Mand looked back at Minhyuk as he was departing and asked, “What is the name of your kingdom?”


    “It’s the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom.”


    Mand reflected on the name as hepletely walked out and escaped the prison. Seeing him disappear, Knight Commander Don and the Swords of the Gods looked helpless.


    “Is it… really alright to send him away like that?”


    Minhyuk looked puzzled at Don’s question. So, Don continued, “If you take Mand to the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, you will be able to gain a lot of power.”


    “Don. What you said is just proving what Mand was saying earlier, no? That you’re going to lock him up and force him to make potions?”


    “But… Your Majesty, Gaerna’s Life Elixir is a very valuable…”


    “I have also received a lot. Besides…” Minhyuk looked at the ce that Mand disappeared from. “What’s good in having someone by your side when you haven’t won their hearts?”


    “…”


    “…”


    “…”


    Those words struck the hearts of Don and the Swords of the Gods deeply. They felt like they finally knew why there were many talented people that stayed in the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, and why they were all willing to throw everything away for Minhyuk’s sake.


    As for Minhyuk, there was this indescribable feeling welling up in him, telling him that he would be able to meet Mand again.


    ***


    Mand realized that seventy years had passed since he had been locked up. Following what was written on the piece of parchment that Minhyuk handed over to him, he was able to arrive at a quaint vige.


    The vige was so small that it did not take too long for Mand to find the person that he wanted to find. However, that person was not at home. So, Mand asked the people and went to where she was.


    There, he saw two tombstones. One of the two tombstones had the words ‘Dearly Beloved Mother, Beinny’. Standing in front of the tombstone was ady with a head filled with white hair. She was standing and looking at the two tombstones silently while holding an old fairy tale book in her hands. The moment Mand saw her, he knew that she was his daughter, Leny.


    “You’re finally here, Father.”


    “…”


    Mand was surprised to hear that Leny, who had now be an olddy herself, could recognize him. However, that did not stop him from hugging his daughter and crying his heart out for a very long time.


    After talking with his daughter, he found out the reason why she was able to recognize him. Leny handed over the fairy tale book in her arms and said, “Mother wrote this fairy tale book. So that we won’t forget you.”


    “…”


    Mand held the fairy tale book and slowly started to read it.


    <em>[A long, long time ago, there was a man living in a small vige who liked to make potions.]</em>


    <em>[One day, that man fell in love with a woman.]</em>


    <em>[The man climbed mountains and crossed seas to make a potion for the sick and frail woman.]</em>


    <em>[The man created a potion that shocked even the gods.]</em>


    <em>[And one day, the man suddenly disappeared.]</em>


    <em>[The people said that the gods were jealous of the man and took him away.]</em>


    <em>[Time went by, and the woman gave birth to a beautiful daughter.]</em>


    <em>[The woman believed that even if the man was not by their side, everything that she had right now was because the man loved her.]</em>


    <em>[The daughter grew up listening to the man’s heroic story.]</em>


    <em>[And finally, one day, the man that disappeared came back.]</em>


    <em>[The cool and handsome father, the beautiful and kind mother, and Leny lived happily ever after.]</em>


    It was a fairy tale book that started and ended with a childish tone. However, Mand knew that the gods had erased everything rted to him in the memories of the people. It seemed like before his wife, Beinny, could forget, she made this fairy tale book to remember him by.


    Mand turned to look at the tomb that was right beside Beinny’s own. It was a tomb that was made for him. The words written on the tombstone were the same words written at the end of the fairy tale book.


    <em>[We will always remember you, Mand.]</em>