Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 514

Sejun stepped out of the elevator onto the 67th floor, Ggooeng bouncing excitedly beside him. “If you keep making noise, I’ll call Uncle Theo,” Sejun whispered.

The elevator doors slid shut behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. It was a thick, heavy darkness that pressed in from all sides. Sejun couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. There were no glowing lights or flickering torches on the walls, which was strange. This floor didn’t feel like anyone lived here.

Snap.

Sejun snapped his fingers.

Whoosh.

A small flame appeared at his fingertips, casting a warm, flickering light around them. Sejun held it up and looked around the dark space.

“Nothing special except for the trees, huh?” Sejun said.

But what kind of fruit is that?

Just as Sejun was about to examine the round, purple fruit on the tree,

Clang.

“Chairman Park! You’re here! I missed you so much!” Theo exclaimed.

Theo emerged from the subspace warehouse a bit later than usual and clung to Sejun’s face.

“Yeah, I missed you too,” Sejun replied.

“Heh heh heh. But I bet you missed me more!”

Theo, delighted by Sejun’s words, rubbed his face enthusiastically against Sejun’s forehead.

Goohehehe. Ggooeng!

[Hehehe. Ggooeng missed Daddy too!]

Meanwhile, Ggooeng clung to Sejun’s side, rubbing his face against Sejun’s body.

“Yeah, Daddy also… Achoo! Vice Chairman Theo, get down now,” Sejun said.

“Nyaa…”

Sejun, sneezing because of Theo’s fur, grabbed Theo by the scruff of his neck and moved him to his knee.

But where’s Kamang?

When Sejun didn’t see Kamang, he looked around.

Squeak?! Squeak! Squeak!

[Butler, where are you?! I can’t see anything! Butler!]

He found Kamang, who seemed to have jumped out wrong and was squeaking in the wrong direction, looking for Sejun.

Moo moo!

Mubalchil, being a Soobokchi, tried his best to make a light on his horn, but it was so weak that it made little difference whether it was on or not.

“You idiot. It’s this way, not that way,” Sejun chuckled.

Sejun chuckled at the sight of Kamang’s family and quickly scooped them up, putting them in the sling bag.

Squeak?! Squeak?!

[Why didn’t you take care of me sooner?! And who are you calling an idiot?! The great Kamang is not an idiot!]

“Butler, I missed you!” Kamang whined at Sejun, wagging his tail like a propeller.

“Alright, I take it back,” Sejun said.

Pat pat.

Sejun soothed Kamang, stroking him a few times.

Kkirorong.

Eomrorong.

Kkirurung.

…

..

Kamang and his subordinates quickly fell asleep and became quiet.

Sejun, having put Kamang’s family to sleep, finally picked the fruit from the tree.

Then,

[Harvested a fig.]

[Job experience slightly increased.]

[Proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 9 slightly increased.]

[Acquired 1 experience point.]

The message appeared.

“Oh, so this was a fig,” Sejun said.

Sejun cut the fig in half with his dagger.

“Ggooeng, try this. Eat only the inside like this, except for the skin,” Sejun demonstrated how to eat a fig and handed it to Ggooeng.

Wow. It just melts. Melts.

The sweet flesh that entered his mouth was so soft that it simply melted away.

Pop. Pop.

The seeds burst with each chew, providing a delightful texture.

“Ggooeng, is it delicious?” Sejun asked, looking at Ggooeng.

Goohehehe. Ggooeng! Ggooeng!

[Hehehe. It’s delicious! It’s honey-flavored!]

Ggooeng nodded enthusiastically in response.

“Great. Then let’s harvest a lot of these. Daddy will make lots of delicious things with figs.”

Ggooeng!

[Exciting!]

Excited by Sejun’s words, Ggooeng began to harvest figs with telekinesis, and Sejun also harvested figs.

I should make dried figs first. They’re delicious to eat as is, and they’re absolutely delicious when baked in bread. Hehehe.

As Sejun was imagining how he would eat the figs and enjoying himself,

Flump.

“Huh?”

He had certainly harvested a fig, but he felt warmth and the fluffiness of fur in his hand.

What is it?

Sejun picked up the fig and looked closely.

Slither.

A fig opened its sleepy eyes and yawned. No…

A bat?!

Squeak! Squeak!

The bat, despite its cute cry, had a nasty temper.

Crunch.

It bit Sejun’s hand without warning.

“Aargh! My hand’s being cut off!” Startled, Sejun shouted and shook his hand.

Waaah!

The frightened baby bat bit Sejun’s hand even harder to avoid falling.

However,

Whirr! Whirr!

Because Sejun’s strength was incredibly strong,

Squeak? Squeak-!

The baby bat screamed and eventually fell from Sejun’s hand, flying into the sky, leaving two teeth in Sejun’s hand.

Plop. Plop.

Sejun quickly pulled out the baby bat’s teeth from his hand, leaving two pen-tip-sized holes between his thumb and forefinger.

“…Ahem!”

Sejun looked at the tiny holes. They weren’t even bleeding. He felt a little silly for making such a fuss and cleared his throat.

Slither.

Moreover, the wound was healing quickly.

At that moment,

Squeak! Squeak!

Hearing the baby bat’s cry, the bats opened their eyes in the darkness with eerie cries.

Thousands of pairs of red eyes glaring at Sejun and his party.

The bats were camouflaging their bodies with their wings to look like figs.

[A quest has been generated.]

[Quest: Eliminate or negotiate with the Fig Bats who are illegally occupying the fig farm while disguised as figs, and reclaim the rights to the land.]

Reward: Recognition as the rightful owner of the fig farm on the 67th floor of the White Tower.

A land deed quest appeared simultaneously.

Should I fight?

“Heh heh heh. I’m the employee who will stamp the seal!”

Ggooeng!

[Ggooeng will pick the figs! I’ll punish anyone who interferes!]

While Sejun and his party were confronting the Fig Bats,

Squeak! Squeak!

The baby bat, which had fallen from Sejun’s hand, returned, flapping its wings diligently, and sat on Sejun’s shoulder, rubbing its face against Sejun’s shoulder, acting friendly.

Because Sejun had painlessly removed its baby teeth.

Thanks to this, the atmosphere between Sejun and the bats, who were about to fight, became slightly strange.

Batbat wondered, *Is it time to wake up?*

As the surroundings were dark, Golden Bat Batbat, mistaking it for wake-up time, woke up, and the matter was easily resolved.

Squeak! Squeak!

The king has appeared!

The Fig Bats immediately bowed to Batbat.

Among the bats, the color gold signified royal blood, meaning royalty, that ruled over the bats.

Batbat tilted his head, puzzled by the Fig Bats’ words.

“Oh, our Batbat was a bat with royal blood. Should I call Batbat Rumathia III then?” Sejun teased Batbat.

Then,

Batbat cried out, sounding hurt. “No! My name is Batbat Park!”

“Sejun! Are you saying I’m not important to you?!”

“Sorry. It was a joke,” Sejun quickly apologized, held Batbat in his hand, and stroked his head.

Baehehet.

Batbat smiled, seemingly relieved.

[The Fig Bats who illegally occupied the fig farm have decided to follow your subordinate, Batbat Park.]

With a satisfying thump, the Land Deed Quest was officially marked as completed. Meanwhile, back at the farm…

Sejun clapped his hands, calling out to the Fig Bats. “Come on, everyone! Get your official stamp here! With a stamp, you’re part of the team and you get food!”

*Pit! Pit!* The Fig Bats fluttered closer. Sejun carefully pressed a small, ink-covered stamp onto each bat’s wing, officially making them employees of the Sejun Company.

You now have 30 bat workers. Sejun glanced at the message, but frowned. He wasn’t sure if he felt any different. Maybe it takes time to feel stronger, he thought. He stood up from his chair, stretching his arms.

And then, *Bbit! Bbit!* The baby bat on Sejun’s shoulder chirped playfully. Sejun gently lifted the small creature and said softly, “Little one, I know it’s hard to eat with your new teeth coming in. Here, try this.”

He carefully placed the baby bat on the floor and quickly mixed some honey with water in a small bowl.

“Bbit?” the baby bat squeaked, tilting its head. It cautiously took a tiny sip of the honey water. Then, *Bbit! Bbit!* ‘Sweet!’ it seemed to chirp excitedly. It eagerly lapped up the honey water, dipping its whole face into the bowl in its enthusiasm.

Sejun turned to Batbat, a small, fluffy creature perched on his other shoulder. “Batbat,” he said, “can you ask the other bats if they’ve seen anything strange nearby?”

(Batbat! Yes, Master!) Batbat chirped back, its voice surprisingly clear. Batbat had the amazing ability to understand and speak to animals, acting as Sejun’s translator. Sejun waited as Batbat chattered to the Fig Bats.

However, Batbat returned, shaking its head. *Pit? Pit!* the Fig Bats echoed, also shaking their heads. They rarely left the farm, so they didn’t know what was beyond it.

Suddenly, *Bbit! Bbit!* ‘Batbat, I know a suspicious place!’ a small voice chirped. ‘The lights go out when you go there!’

It was a baby bat, who sometimes secretly explored outside the farm when its parents weren’t looking. The eyes of the baby bat’s parents immediately narrowed, their gaze sharp.

Using Batbat as a translator, Sejun told the parent bats not to scold their little one. After making sure the baby bat had a good drink of honey water, Sejun said, “Let’s go.”

He picked up a wooden torch, its flame dancing in the dim light, and headed towards the suspicious place the baby bat had described.

*Pit! Pit! Bbit…* The sounds of the parent bats scolding their baby echoed faintly behind them. Sejun sighed. *It was probably for the best,* he thought. *It’s important for the little one to learn about danger.*

A small smile touched Sejun’s lips as he thought of Dad Rabbit and Mom Rabbit. *I wonder how they’re doing?* The image of the bat parents firmly but lovingly scolding their baby reminded him of the rabbit couple back at the farm.

Meanwhile, high up in the Black Tower, on the 55th floor, it was a day of great excitement. A large, colorful banner proclaiming ‘Welcome to Farming School!’ hung proudly above the entrance. *Bbiit! Bbiap! Bbieot!* Groups of fluffy baby rabbits, some in twos, some in small clusters of five, hopped excitedly towards the school gates, ready for their first day.

*Bbaek! Bbaek!* Among the excited students hopping towards the school was Black Tochi. He was easily recognizable by the three distinctive black dots on his back – a mark of his special lineage. Black Tochi was already undergoing rigorous training to become the strongest Black Rabbit warrior, and normally wouldn’t need to attend farming school.

However, in the Red Ribbon Kingdom, where everything was built on the foundation of agriculture, even royalty like Black Tochi had to learn about farming.

“Black Tochi, hello!” a young rabbit called out, waving his paw. “Yeah, hi,” Black Tochi replied with a nod. “Hello everyone,” another added. It wasn’t just a school entrance ceremony; it felt more like a big family get-together.

Many of the baby rabbits were cousins, nieces, and nephews, all chattering and nudging each other with excitement.

As the baby rabbits hopped excitedly under the colorful banner and followed the path, one of them suddenly squeaked, “Oh?! It’s Grandpa!” “Grandma’s there too! What are they doing?”

At the end of the grassy playground, standing on a small wooden platform decorated with flowers, were Dad Rabbit and Mom Rabbit. They had been chosen as the principal and vice-principal of the Farming School, ready to guide the next generation of farmers.

Dad Rabbit cleared his throat importantly. “Alright, alright, settle down now! I’m not your grandpa here, I am your principal. Entrance students, please listen carefully to my instructions.”

Mom Rabbit added in a similarly stern voice, “And I am not your grandma here, but the vice-principal.”

“Grandpa, what are you doing?” one baby rabbit called out. “Grandpa, play with me!” another squeaked. “Grandma, I’m hungry!” a third piped up. The baby rabbits, full of energy, were barely paying attention to the stern speeches.

However, Dad Rabbit and Mom Rabbit were very experienced at handling young ones. They knew exactly how to get their attention.

Dad Rabbit sighed dramatically. “Hmm,” he said loudly, “if you keep talking and don’t listen, I’ll have to call Uncle Theo!”

*Hiek!* The baby rabbits froze, their eyes wide with fear. They quickly covered their mouths with one paw and shielded their foreheads with the other, desperately trying to avoid being stamped and made into workers. Theo’s reputation for stamping everyone had clearly reached even the youngest rabbits.

The playground fell instantly silent. You could almost hear a pin drop. Dad Rabbit cleared his throat again, puffing out his chest. “Ahem. Welcome, everyone, to the Farming School. Now, if I, your principal, were to tell you a little about myself… back in my day, when I was teaching farming to Park Sejun, the greatest farmer in the Black Tower, and let me tell you, he was the best, the very best farmer…” And so, the principal’s long, rambling lecture about his past began.

Back in the darkness, Sejun continued to walk, the torchlight flickering ahead. After walking for some time in the direction the baby bat had pointed, a strange hissing sound filled the air – *Sssssss*. Then, without warning, the torch flame sputtered and died. ···?!

With a frustrated *click*, Sejun snapped his fingers, trying to relight the torch. But as soon as a tiny flame flickered to life, *Sssssss*, the hissing sound returned, and the torch went out again, as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over it.

“This must be the place,” Sejun muttered to himself. He squinted into the darkness, trying to see anything, but it was impossible without light. *What now?* he thought, feeling a little frustrated. He really wanted to explore this suspicious area, but he couldn’t see a thing in the pitch black.

Just then, a cheerful voice rang out, ‘Kkuengi will light it up!’ It was Kkuengi, a small, energetic creature who always seemed to appear at just the right moment. Kkuengi pulled out his Lightning Rod, a strange, metal rod that crackled with energy. With a burst of speed, Kkuengi zoomed up into the sky. *Bzzzzzt. Kwagwang!* Bolts of lightning began to streak down from the rod, illuminating the area around them with flashes of bright light.

“W-what is that?!” Sejun gasped, staring into the flickering light. A swarm of black bugs, what Kkuengi called ‘Darkness Bugs,’ were flying towards the bright flashes of lightning. They were strange monsters, with streamlined bodies, slimy skin, and black wings. And then, Sejun saw it – a huge creature, even bigger than the others, collapsing to the ground, smoke rising from its body. ‘The Sun-Swallowing Bug, Darkness Bug Queen,’ Kkuengi announced from above. It seemed the lightning had struck true. The fight was over.

“Good job, Kkuengi!” Sejun called out, looking up and giving the little creature a thumbs up. *Thud.* The massive body of the Darkness Bug Queen hit the ground with a heavy thud. Then, a sudden, brilliant *flash* of light erupted from the spot where the Queen had fallen.

As the Darkness Bug Queen’s body lay still, a beam of dazzling light burst forth from where she had fallen. It was the sun, which had been hidden, somehow blocked by the Queen’s presence. The light burned brightly, scorching the Queen’s body. Immediately, the swarm of Darkness Bugs surged forward, surrounding the light. They seemed to be trying to smother it, to block its rays and plunge the area back into darkness.

*Whoosh.* The Darkness Bugs recoiled from the intense sunlight, unable to withstand its power. The sun, now free, shone even brighter, pushing back the darkness. It rose higher and higher in the sky, bathing the area in warm, golden light. Daylight had returned to the White Tower.

Sejun blinked at the message. *Another ten drops of the Elixir of Harvest,* he thought. *That’s good.* ‘Let’s go back,’ he said to Kkuengi. He turned and started walking back towards the farm, the warm sunlight now guiding his way.

Back at the farm, Ajax chuckled to himself, licking his lips. ‘Ehehe. I hope Sejun comes back soon,’ he mumbled. *Slurp.* Ajax was already drooling, eagerly waiting for the meat party Sejun had promised them all.