Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 130

The air in the Mana Stone Mine crackled with danger. It felt like the whole place was about to blow up.

“Gonova! Is that you playing tricks again?” Iona hissed, her white fur bristling. She had been carefully searching for the Sacred Stone’s magic when Gonova suddenly appeared, holding a glowing ball. Iona knew Gonova was trouble. They had argued many times before, and she never trusted him.

“Kyuu, kyuu,” Iona muttered, annoyed. “I should have known it was a trap. So obvious!”

Her face tightened with anger. She got ready to use her magic. The Mana Stones around her were unstable, like angry bees ready to sting. She couldn’t use her strongest spells here. But Iona was a powerful mage. She could deal with Gonova quickly and quietly, without setting off the Mana Stones.

Just as Iona was about to blast Gonova with a spell, she paused.

“Wait… what’s that?”

She felt a new magic, different from the wild energy of the Mana Stones. It was faint, but powerful. A *real* Sacred Stone.

Gonova had lied about the Sacred Stone to trick her, but there really *was* one here! Iona almost smiled. Gonova would be furious if he knew he’d accidentally led her to the real prize.

As Iona reached out with her magic to touch the Sacred Stone, it seemed to respond. A voice, cold as winter ice, whispered in her mind.

“I am the Sacred Stone of Ice. Give yourself to me.”

“Kyuu?” Iona blinked, startled. The voice was inside her head, chilling and unwelcome.

*Ssshhh*. A wave of icy magic washed over Iona. It wasn’t just cold; it felt… wrong. Like winter in a place where winter shouldn’t be. A dark, creeping cold that wanted to freeze her from the inside out.

“Kyuu! Get away from me!” Iona cried, pushing back with her own magic.

But in that moment of struggle, she glanced up – and Gonova was gone!

“Don’t resist,” the voice whispered again, stronger now. “Join with me.”

“Kyuu, kyuu, kyuu! You made me lose Gonova!” Iona was furious. “Now you’ll listen to *me*! By the power of magic, I command this space to close! Dimension Shield!”

Annoyed and determined to deal with both Gonova *and* this pushy stone, Iona unleashed powerful barrier magic. A shimmering wall of energy sprang up around her, cutting her off from the mine completely. It would last for days, blocking everything in and out.

Destroying the Sacred Stone would be easy, and it would solve her problem quickly. But Iona remembered Sejun. He would love to have a Sacred Stone. So, even though it was going to be a lot of trouble, she decided to have a *proper* conversation with this Ice Cube, inside her safe barrier. It was going to be a long few days. If they were outside, the Mana Stone Mine would have been blown to bits by now, with all the magic flying around inside the Dimension Shield.

Days later, after what felt like a magical wrestling match and a very loud argument, the Dimension Shield shimmered and vanished with a soft *pop*.

Iona stepped out of the now-still Mana Stone Mine, holding a glowing blue gem. The Sacred Stone. It was quiet now, almost purring with contained power. Whatever “conversation” Iona had had with it, it seemed to have worked.

But Iona was still furious about Gonova. “Kyuu, kyuu, kyuu! That sneaky Gonova! Trying to trick me and blow me up! He will pay for this!”

Magic crackled around her paws. She was going to make Gonova wish he had never been born.

“Power of fire and earth, rise!” Iona shouted. “Volcano, erupt!”

The ground trembled. A deep rumble echoed from below. Cracks spider-webbed across the mine floor, and molten rock began to bubble up from the depths.

But the Mana Stones, already on edge, didn’t like Iona’s powerful magic. They began to hum and vibrate, the sound growing louder and faster – *whirr, whirr, WHIRR!*

“Ice Cube, shield me!” Iona commanded, speaking to the gem in her paws.

*Crack!* Instantly, a thick, clear ice cube formed around Iona, trapping her inside. Just as the ice closed around her, the Mana Stones exploded. Lava erupted from the ground in a fiery geyser, blasting Iona and her ice cube upwards.

*WHOOSH!*

Iona shot out of the volcano like a cork from a bottle, soaring into the sky, encased in ice and carried by the force of the eruption.

As she flew, still inside her ice cube, Iona suddenly paused.

“Kkyut? Wait…”

She felt it – a faint, familiar magic in the air. Even without trying, she could sense it. It was Sejun’s magic, a gentle warmth she had learned to recognize anywhere. She had even put a tiny magical mark on him, just in case she needed to find him.

“Mr. Sejun! He’s close!” Iona chirped excitedly.

And if Sejun was here, Theo would be too! She didn’t know why they were on the 77th floor of the tower, but it didn’t matter. She was going to see them!

But first… “I need to sleep,” Iona mumbled, suddenly feeling all the exhaustion of the last few days crash down on her. She hadn’t slept at all inside the Dimension Shield. She had been too busy having a very firm “chat” with the Sacred Stone, making sure it would behave itself for Sejun.

“Urgent news about Mr. Sejun!” A wolf burst onto the 99th floor of the tower, panting.

“Sejun is safe!” Kaiser boomed, relief in his voice. “See, Aileen? I told you not to worry so much.”

Aileen, a gentle deer, nodded, her eyes still a little sad.

“And,” the wolf continued, “Mr. Sejun said he will be gone for a while longer. He asked Kaiser to look after the farm.”

“WHAT?!” Kaiser roared. “He dares to order *me*, a dragon, to manage his farm?!”

The wolf quickly held out a small bottle. “Oh, and… Mr. Sejun said to give this to Kaiser. He said it was a thank you.”

Kaiser snatched the bottle. “Thank you? What’s this?”

The wolf explained, “Fruit wine, made by the monkeys. Mr. Sejun said it’s a special one, aged for over thirty years.”

Kaiser popped the cork. *Swoosh!* A rich, sweet smell of mango filled the air. Kaiser’s eyes widened. “Mango… my favorite!”

His voice softened instantly. “Ah, our Sejunie! Tell him not to rush back. The farm is in good hands. And… maybe he could bring a bottle of this every time he visits? Hahaha!” Kaiser chuckled, already imagining himself as the farm manager, with wine as his reward.

As the wolf turned to leave, Kellion, a wise old tortoise, spoke up. “Ahem. I will also help with the farm. Tell Sejun… sweet potato soup would be appreciated.” Kellion, too, was now eager to become a farm manager.

*Rumble…* The ground beneath Sejun’s banana farm shook.

“Whoa!” Sejun stumbled, grabbing onto a banana tree for balance. The earth bucked again, and then, with a deafening *BOOM*, a volcano erupted just beyond the edge of his farm. Rocks and ash rained down, but miraculously, none landed on his precious banana trees.

*Plink.*

“Huh?” Sejun looked down at his hand. Something small and soft had landed there. He blinked. It was a tiny hamster, with fur as white and fluffy as fresh snow.

“Kkyut! Hello, Mr. Sejun! Nice to finally meet you!” the hamster squeaked, looking up at him with bright eyes.

“Iona?” Sejun asked, surprised.

“Kkyut, kkyut, kkyut! Yes, it’s me! Here, take this. And… I really need to sleep now,” Iona mumbled, pushing a glowing blue gem into his hand.

Suddenly, words seemed to appear in Sejun’s mind:

*Iona, the Great Destruction Magician, has given you permission to use the Sacred Stone Ice Cube.*

*You have met all requirements to become the owner of the Sacred Stone Ice Cube.*

“Ice Cube? What is this all about?” Sejun wondered aloud, turning the cool, smooth gem in his fingers.

*Kyurorong…*

Iona was already asleep in his palm, tiny snores escaping her. She really *was* exhausted.

“Theo, could you look after Iona for a moment?” Sejun asked gently.

“Nyaang! Of course!” Theo purred, already at Sejun’s side. He flicked his tail towards Iona, like offering a toy.

*Kkyut!* Even asleep, Iona’s paw shot out and grabbed Theo’s tail tightly. She snuggled into it, making happy little noises in her sleep.

“Kkyut, kkyut, kkyut…”

Theo purred louder, pleased. Sejun smiled, watching them. Then, he looked back at the blue gem in his hand. “A Sacred Stone… what exactly *is* a Sacred Stone?”

He looked at the description that seemed to float in his mind:

*Sacred Stone Ice Cube*

*A stone born when a star fell from the sky.*

*It was briefly touched by darkness, but a powerful force cleansed it, leaving only pure ice magic.*

Park Se-jun held the Sacred Stone. He was told it could make ice. Cube-shaped ice, to be exact.

If the owner is in danger, the Sacred Stone automatically protects them by encasing them in cube-shaped ice.

Owner: Top Farmer Park Se-jun

Rank: S+

To use it, he needed magic power – at least 100, they said. And he needed permission from Iona. But for now, he just wanted to see if it worked.

“Cube-shaped ice,” Se-jun murmured to himself. “So, just like… ice cubes you put in drinks?”

Se-jun poured magic into the Sacred Stone, and—

Ding!

A cube of ice appeared before Se-jun. It was about 50cm in size. That was the maximum size he could create with his magic.

Squawk!

Koo-ehng!

As Se-jun made the ice, the Black Rabbit and Koo-ehng took an interest. They touched it, licked it, and even nibbled at it, playing with the ice.

Meanwhile, Se-jun was lost in thought.

Se-jun looked at the ice cube, a thought sparking in his mind. “Hmm,” he wondered, “Could I put other things in it? Like… honey?” He grinned. This could be fun.

This time, Se-jun took out some honey and said,

“Ice cube.”

He poured magic into the Sacred Stone again, this time thinking about mixing honey into the cube.

Sploosh.

The ice cube began to form, sucking in the honey from the glass jar. He decided to try making a smaller one this time, using less magic. He wanted to see if he could control the size.

And then—

Ding.

The ice honey cube, half water and half honey, was complete.

“Koo-ehng! Come here for a second. I’ve got something good for you!”

Se-jun hurriedly called Koo-ehng to show off his masterpiece. Koo-ehng was bound to love this.

Koo-ehng!

Koo-ehng, who had been enjoying the coolness while lying on the ice, came running at Se-jun’s call.

Koo-ehng?

[Did you call, Daddy?]

“Koo-ehng, try this.”

Se-jun gave him the ice honey cube, and—

Crunch!

Koo-ehng immediately chewed it.

Koo-ehng took a big bite. “Koo-EHNG!” he cried happily, wiggling his ears. “[Wow! Sweet and cold! So good!]”

He wiggled his bottom, unable to contain his joy. Se-jun knew he would like it.

Crunch. Crunch.

Koo-ehng began to eat the ice honey cube with gusto.

As Koo-ehng deliciously ate the honey-mixed ice cube—

Squawk!

Squawk! Squawk! The Black Rabbit hopped excitedly, pointing his nose at the carrots. He *really* wanted a carrot ice cube.

“Carrots?”

Squawk!

Carrots weren’t liquid, so he wasn’t sure if it would work, but he decided to try anyway.

“Ice cube.”

He prepared shredded carrots and poured magic into the Sacred Stone, and—

Boom. Boom.

The shredded carrots floated up, and ice surrounded them, creating an ice cube.

“Oh?! It works?”

It seemed like he could freeze almost anything and eat it.

Squawk!

The Black Rabbit urged him to give him the ice carrot cube quickly.

“Here.”

Se-jun gave him the ice carrot cube, and—

Crunch. Crunch.

Squawk!

He happily chewed the ice and carrots together.

Just then—

Moo!

One after another, the Black Manotauruses came. Se-jun kept saying “Ice cube,” again and again. His magic flowed into the stone, making ice as fast as he could. But there were so many of them!

“You want me to freeze it for you too?”

Moo!

The Black Manotauruses nodded at Se-jun’s words.

“Alright. Ice cube.”

Se-jun became an ice vending machine overnight. Grateful that they had come all the way to find him, he diligently made ice grass cubes, mixing in grass as requested by the Black Minotaurs.

“Whew. It’s over.”

Se-jun slumped down on the floor, exhausted. Making ice grass cubes for 500 Black Minotaurs had nearly depleted his magic power.

Still, he had endured this much because his magic recovery rate was fast; without it, he would have collapsed long ago.

“Black Rabbit, break that open.”

He pointed to an ice cube containing a whole watermelon and spoke to the Black Rabbit. While making ice grass cubes for the Black Minotaurs, he had frozen it to eat later when it was cool.

Squawk!

Squawk! Squawk! Squawk! Squawk!

As the Black Rabbit hammered the ice containing the watermelon—

Crack.

The ice cracked, and only the ice broke. Since it had only been frozen for about 30 minutes, the watermelon wasn’t completely frozen.

Squawk!

As the Black Rabbit brought the watermelon—

Thunk.

Se-jun stabbed a dagger into the watermelon and rotated it once, and—

Crack.

The watermelon split open on its own.

“Shall we eat?”

Se-jun held half of the watermelon in his arms.

“Hmm. It’s cool.”

Just holding the watermelon made the heat disappear.

Thunk.

Se-jun began to eat the moderately frozen watermelon with a spoon.

“Ugh. It’s cold.”

Se-jun shivered as he spoke. After eating about three spoonfuls, a cool sensation rose from within, making him feel cold.

As Se-jun was feeling the cold and eating the watermelon—

Thwack.

One spoon pierced Se-jun’s watermelon. It was Koo-ehng. He had already finished half with the Black Rabbit and was now aiming for Se-jun’s watermelon.

Gobble gobble.

Watching the watermelon disappear quickly, Se-jun’s spooning became faster.

However—

“Ugh!”

Eating something cold too quickly gave him a headache.

Koo-ehng!

In the meantime, Koo-ehng finished the remaining watermelon and made a victory V.

Se-jun rubbed his forehead, feeling a little ache. “Koo-ehng,” he asked gently, “Does your head feel funny? Like, does it hurt?”

Koo-ehng?

Koo-ehng tilted his head. What’s that?

That made Se-jun feel even more resentful and wronged.

As Se-jun was feeling wronged—

“Um, Se-jun, sir…”

“Se-jun, sir…”

The wolves looked at Se-jun with pitiful eyes. What about us? We want something cool too.

Luckily, Se-jun had a special place – a subspace warehouse – where he kept things cold. He went there and came back with chunks of frozen Purple Locust meat.

Day 285 of being stranded: a hectic day came to an end.

And the next morning—

“Are you leaving this early?”

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut. Yes! I have something urgent to take care of. I’ll be back as soon as I finish!”

Iona grabbed a few roasted peanuts as soon as she woke up and hurriedly left.

The sight of Iona leaving was ominous.

“I wonder why she touched it…”

Se-jun prayed for the soul of the being who had angered Iona.