Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 51

Sejun tugged gently on the sweet potato vine. *Crack!* The sound echoed in the quiet field as the ground gave way. One after another, golden Sunbeam Sweet Potatoes emerged from the earth, their rich color almost glowing in the dim light.

[You have harvested 15 Sunbeam Sweet Potatoes at once!]

[Your job experience increased slightly.]

[Proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 4 has slightly increased.]

[Due to the effect of Proficiency Increase Lv. 1, the proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 4 is additionally increased by 5%.]

[You gained 450 experience points.]

[Level Up!]

[You gained 1 bonus stat point.]

Sejun sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Whew. Finally finished!” He had pulled up every last Sunbeam Sweet Potato he had planted. He had even leveled up, becoming level 19! He quickly added the bonus point to his magic stat. His plan was to keep increasing his magic until he could finally unlock those sealed skills, Rainfall and Thunderbolt, from his Thunder skill.

With the harvesting done, Sejun headed towards the crackling bonfire where dinner was being prepared. The rabbits were already busy, steaming and roasting the new potatoes and sweet potatoes, and getting other dishes ready.

“Dinner time!” Sejun announced.

*Squeak!*

*Pyaa!*

The rabbits, who had been waiting patiently, scurried to bring the food.

Just then, from outside the cave, came unhappy noises. *Kkweheng! Kkweheng!*

“Kkweheng is arguing with his mother because he doesn’t want to go home yet, nyaa,” Theo translated.

“He hasn’t gone home yet?” Sejun asked, surprised.

“He says he wants to eat potatoes and sweet potatoes before he leaves, nyaa.”

It seemed Kkweheng had seen the harvest and now insisted on trying the new food. Sejun filled a large basket, woven by the Gray Rabbit, with potatoes and Sunbeam Sweet Potatoes and went to the cave entrance.

“Eat this today, and there will be more tomorrow, okay?” Sejun said, handing the basket to Kkweheng.

*Kkweheng!*

Kkweheng, having gotten what he wanted, nodded happily and quickly climbed onto his mother, the huge Crimson Giant Bear’s, head.

“Ah! Should I have told him not to eat the basket?” Sejun then realized he hadn’t warned Kkweheng about the basket, but the mother Crimson Giant Bear had already gone too far to be stopped.

“Great Black Dragon, shall I go and tell him not to eat the basket?” Elka asked, approaching Sejun.

“No, it’s okay. More importantly, aren’t you hungry? Let’s eat quickly.”

While Sejun had been busy with Kkweheng, the rabbits brought the wolves’ food.

“Thank you, Great Black Dragon…”

“That’s too long. Just call me Sejun from now on.”

“Understood, Sejun-nim. I will enjoy the dinner.”

Sejun and the rabbits finished serving Kkweheng and the wolves, and finally, everyone gathered in a circle around the warm bonfire.

Before Sejun and the rabbits were plates and bowls made by the Gray Rabbits, woven from green onion leaves. They had always eaten with the food placed directly on the green onion leaves, but this felt different. It was just woven green onion leaves, but it felt like they had proper tableware.

Thud.

“I’m hungry, nyaa.” Theo jumped onto Sejun’s lap like it was his usual spot.

“Let’s eat.”

At Sejun’s words, the rabbits began to eat the food placed before them.

“Here.”

“Delicious, nyaa!” Sejun ate grilled fish, carefully removing the bones and placing the meat into Theo’s mouth.

At first, Sejun had found it annoying when Theo climbed onto his lap. Now, he was naturally accepting it, even deboning fish for him.

‘Puhuhu. Just as planned, nyaa!’

Day 213. Theo’s day was passing peacefully.

Kkweheng!

As morning arrived, Kkweheng appeared, poking his head into the cave.

“Oof.”

Sejun got up and added another stroke to the wall, starting day 214. He quickly washed his face and ate the leftover roasted sweet potatoes from yesterday for breakfast. Today was expected to be as busy as yesterday, if not busier.

The land was empty after harvesting the crops, so he had to plant new crops again. So, Sejun and the rabbits ate a simple breakfast and began the morning farming.

Sejun tried to get Theo to work again today, but

“No way, nyaa! CEO Theo is going to use his talents, nyaa!” Theo started packing Magic Cherry Tomatoes and Strength Sweet Potatoes into his bundle, preparing for the next trading trip. The potatoes were still few in number, so it seemed they would only have enough to sell after the next harvest.

“Take some Detox Green Onions too. There might be a hunter who wants them.”

“Okay, nyaa.”

The Detox Green Onions were growing quickly because Sejun kept replanting them, so Sejun had Theo take 100 of them. Theo didn’t think the Detox Green Onions would sell, but he packed them anyway because Sejun had told him to. Theo knew Sejun was always right.

Leaving Theo to pack his bundle, Sejun quickly harvested the cherry tomatoes and took about 10,000 sweet potato slips to the surface field to plant.

Kkweheng!

Grrrr.

Going up to the surface, Kkweheng was playing with the wolves. It seemed he had finally found opponents who were on his level. And next to them was the basket that Kkweheng had taken yesterday, still intact. Thankfully, he hadn’t eaten the basket and had brought it back.

“Hey guys. Help me out.”

Sejun took Kkweheng and the wolves to the empty field next to the green onion field, which was covered with green onion leaves to stop the water from disappearing.

“Please remove the green onion leaves.”

“Yes, Sejun-nim.”

As the wolves picked up and removed the green onion leaves, Kkweheng also excitedly picked up the green onion leaves and stacked them neatly, following the wolves. He always stacked green onion leaves and ate honey in the green onion field, so he thought this was the same thing.

While the wolves and Kkweheng were removing the green onion leaves, Sejun carefully planted the sweet potato slips.

Plop.

He made a space to insert the sweet potato slip with a dagger, then inserted the slip and filled the space, and that was it.

[You have planted a Sunbeam Sweet Potato slip.]

[Due to the effect of Planting Lv. 4, the probability of the Sunbeam Sweet Potato slip taking root increases.]

[Due to the effect of Planting Lv. 4, the probability of pest damage from insects is slightly reduced.]

[Your job experience has increased very slightly.]

[Proficiency in Planting Lv. 4 has increased very slightly.]

[Due to the effect of Proficiency Increase Lv. 1, the proficiency of Planting Lv. 4 is additionally increased by 5%.]

As Sejun was busily planting sweet potato slips,

Kkweheng!

Kkweheng came with a glass bottle.

“Okay.”

Sejun poured 1 glug of honey for Kkweheng and looked around to see the wolves scratching the ground for no reason, looking elsewhere.

“You guys come here too.”

“W-we’re okay.”

The wolves shook their heads, denying it. But they couldn’t fool Sejun. The wolves’ tails were wagging excitedly, answering instead.

“Come quickly.”

As Sejun spoke firmly,

“Yes.”

The wolves quickly ran over, acting like they had no choice.

“Here.”

Sejun poured honey on the green onion leaves that had fallen nearby and gave it to the wolves.

Lick. Lick. Lick.

The wolves, excited by the taste of honey they were experiencing for the first time, began to eat it mindlessly.

At that moment,

Kkweeeeheng.

Kkweheng, who had already finished his honey, pushed his head between the wolves, trying to steal their honey.

“Kkweheng, no!” As Sejun strongly stopped Kkweheng,

Kweh…

Kkweheng turned his body away, being grumpy. But even that was within Sejun’s control.

“We’re going to eat something more delicious than honey potatoes for lunch.”

Kkweheng?!

At Sejun’s words, Kkweheng’s body turned about 30 degrees, reacting. Something more delicious than honey potatoes?!

“But this food is special. If a bad bear who steals eats it, something terrible will happen! So, Kkweheng can’t have any.”

Kkweheng! Kkweheng!

At Sejun’s shocking words, Kkweheng hurriedly turned his body and shook both front paws, denying it. Kkweheng is not a bad bear! He didn’t steal other people’s things!!!

“Okay. I thought our Kkweheng was a bad bear who steals other people’s things. I’m sorry for misunderstanding. Instead, I’ll give Kkweheng five times more than the others for lunch.”

Since Kkweheng already ate more than 10 times the amount of the rabbits, there wasn’t much of a difference.

Kkweheng!

Kkweheng, who quickly cheered up at Sejun’s words, went back to picking up green onion leaves diligently.

“I should go cook.”

He was originally planning to eat something simple, but he had to make something more delicious than honey potatoes because of what he had said to Kkweheng.

“Well, this is sure to be good.”

The dish Sejun was going to make for lunch was something he had wanted to make ever since he harvested the sweet potatoes: sweet potato mattang. He hadn’t been able to eat it because of the lack of ingredients and tools, but now the conditions were perfect to make sweet potato mattang.

Sejun decided to add potatoes to it and create a new dish. “It’s called Potato and Sweet Potato Mattang.”

Sejun went down to the cave, washed the potatoes and sweet potatoes, and started boiling them using three pots. As he was taking out the boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes,

“Chairman Park, what are you doing, nyaa?” Theo, who had finished packing his bundle, approached Sejun.

“Oh! CEO Theo, you’ve come at the right time.”

“Puhuhu. Are you that glad to see me, nyaa?”

“Of course, I’m glad. Cut these with your claws.”

Sejun pointed to the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

“Puhuhu. That’s nothing for CEO Theo, nyaa!” The strongest being in the cave (limited to the cave) was about to show off his abilities.

But

“You’re just going to cut them like that?”

“Yes, nyaa. What’s the problem, nyaa?”

“You have to wash your claws first.”

He was caught by Sejun’s hygiene inspection.

“Understood, nyaa!” Theo quickly washed his claws in the pond and came back to cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes, fully demonstrating his skills.

“Chairman Park! Look at my dazzling front paw movements, nyaa!” While Theo was working hard, Sejun started heating the pot.

Whoosh!

The fire from the bonfire was strong, so the pot quickly heated up. “Good.”

As the pot heated up, Sejun placed a chunk of fat from the giant electric eel that he had set aside into the pot.

Sssssss.

The fat melted, making a delicious sound with a savory smell, turning into liquid.

Splash!

Sejun put the potatoes and sweet potatoes into the pot and started frying the surface. When you eat mattang, it’s crispy and slightly sticky. To create that feeling, you had to fry the surface. The fried potatoes and sweet potatoes were moved to a leaf plate next to the pot. And when the frying was finished, he put honey in the pot and simmered it.

As the honey caramelized and turned brown, he put the potatoes and sweet potatoes back in and stirred them as if coating them. Gradually, the honey coated the surface of the potatoes and sweet potatoes, and they began to shine.

“Done.”

As Sejun took out the potatoes and sweet potatoes to cool them down, finishing the dish,

[You have rediscovered Sweet Potato Mattang, a dish from the Tower!]

[You have rediscovered Potato Mattang, a dish from the Tower!]

[The recipe for Sweet Potato Mattang is now in your cooking knowledge.]

[The recipe for Potato Mattang is now in your cooking knowledge.]

[Your cooking level went up!]

He achieved the achievement, and his cooking skill level increased. But unfortunately, the Tower did not recognize the potato and sweet potato mattang that Sejun had developed.

While Sejun was making potato and sweet potato mattang again,

“Fry the fish here for me too, nyaa!” Theo brought a piranha and pointed to the oil that was still left over from frying the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Theo, being a fish lover, understood immediately. The combination of fish and oil.

“Okay.”

Sssssss.

“Here you go.” Sejun fried the piranha in the oil that quickly heated up when he put the pot on the strong fire and handed the fried fish to Theo.

“Delicious, nyaa!” Theo, who tasted the piranha fried in eel oil, decided to receive this week’s pay in fried fish.

A little later, lunch preparation was finished.

“Let’s eat lunch!” At Sejun’s shout, the rabbits rushed over and carried the potato and sweet potato mattang in baskets to the surface.

Kkweheng! Kkweheng!

Kkweheng, excited at the thought of eating something more delicious than honey potatoes, drooled and diligently pulled up the basket.

And lunchtime.

Kkweheng!

It is said that Kkweheng, who tasted the potato and sweet potato mattang that was more delicious than honey potatoes as Sejun had said, never stole other people’s food again. Kkweheng learned the wrong lesson from Sejun. Kkweheng misunderstood what Sejun meant. Day 214. Kkweheng learned that instead of stealing food, he should ask for it.