Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 583

Zeras’s office.

“There are signs of a rebellion in the Lizard Kingdom.”

An agent from the Wandering Merchant Association’s Secret Inspection Bureau was reporting to Zeras.

“A rebellion? Who is the ringleader?”

“The Special Task Force, Black Shield.”

“Black Shield? They were disbanded…”

The Lizard Kingdom’s Special Task Force, Black Shield.

Though skilled, they committed many misdeeds, trusting in their own power, and were eventually disbanded by the Lizard Kingdom, their members arrested.

However, some members of Black Shield escaped capture, and the Lizardman Kingdom had placed a high bounty on their heads.

They were angry because the kingdom had turned its back on them. Commander Ulkan and the members who escaped prison were now leading a rebellion, and some of the tower’s maintainers have joined them.

“Hmm. I understand.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be going.”

Whoosh.

With a bow, the Secret Inspection Bureau agent vanished.

“Looks like I won’t be going home tonight.”

Zeras had to work overtime to write a report on the new information.

Black Tower, 75th floor.

“Puhu-hut. You interfered with my brother Kkueng and angered the great Hybrid CEO Park, so you’re a permanent employee, meow!”

Thump.

Theo stamped the Nine Dragons’ employee contract seal on the forehead of the Black Lizardman, whom Sejun had personally knocked out. Even asleep, his scales looked tough and his claws were sharp.

[You have stamped the Nine Dragons’ employee contract seal.]

[The eternal contract is activated.]

[You have entered into an eternal employee contract with the other party.]

A message appeared in front of Theo.

[An alliance has been formed with Eileen Fritani, the great Black Dragon and administrator of the Black Tower.]

[From now on, Eileen Fritani, the great Black Dragon and administrator of the Black Tower, will monitor and protect the allied employee.]

There was more to the message than usual.

It was a message about the alliance with Eileen.

Only those subdued by Sejun, who was recognized by the great Nine Dragons, could form an alliance with the tower’s administrator and become an allied employee.

“Puhu-hut. As expected, it’s good to work with the great Hybrid CEO Park, meow!”

Theo was pleased as he looked at the message.

Not because an allied employee was created, but because he had accomplished something together with Sejun.

“Hehe. How about me?”

Not knowing this, Sejun, who had defeated the Black Lizardmen, proudly held out his palm to Theo.

“CEO Park is truly great, meow!”

Theo also held out his paw, and his paw met Sejun’s palm.

Clap! Sejun grinned at Theo, and Theo puffed out his chest with pride.

“Kkueng!”

[I want to high-five with Daddy Kkueng too!]

“Kking!”

[Butler! Me too!]

Naturally, Kkueng and Kkamangi held out their paws to Sejun, as if it were their turn.

Clap.

Clap.

Sejun bumped his palm against their paws as well.

As the high-fives ended,

“Sejun, thank you so much for your help.”

Olivio, who had regained his composure, bowed to Sejun and expressed his gratitude.

“But who are these guys? They seem to know Olivio.”

“They are Lord Heroba’s subordinates who collect taxes from the village. They probably came here on business and targeted Sejun after seeing him give me a lot of money.”

“Is that so? It’s late today, so you should stay at the hotel and leave tomorrow. I’ll take care of everything. You should rest. Come on, let’s get you to a good hotel.”

Sejun led Olivio towards the Golden Sheep, known as the finest hotel on the 75th floor.

Mimyr ran it, so Sejun and his party could use it for free anytime.

After getting Olivio’s room and returning,

“Meow! CEO Park, these guys are broke, meow! They don’t have much money, meow!”

Theo, who had searched the Black Lizardmen’s belongings, was angry.

“Kking?! Kking?!”

[Broke?! What’s wrong with dogs?!]

Kkamangi barked, offended by Theo’s words.

“Kkamangi, you’re a wolf.”

Sejun corrected Kkamangi’s identity.

“Kking! Kking! Kking!”

[That’s right! The great Kkamangi is a noble wolf! The great Kkamangi, you are a noble wolf!]

Kkamangi, who had come to his senses at Sejun’s words, seemed angry at himself for being offended by the word dog, and huffed alone, muttering to himself about the dignity of wolves.

“Why are you getting angry again?”

Sejun patted the huffing Kkamangi, put him in the sling bag, and said,

“Let’s go to Zeras.”

He took the five raccoon thugs and ten Black Lizardmen with his party and went to find Zeras again.

Arriving at Zeras’s office,

“Sejun, you’re here again!”

Zeras greeted him warmly.

Because Sejun and his party had brought beings who looked like criminals.

Am I solving another case? I’m glad I worked overtime today.

As Zeras held expectations,

“Zeras, do these guys have a bounty?”

Sejun asked.

“Just a moment. These guys are… just petty criminals, so there’s no bounty.”

Zeras shook his head after checking the raccoons’ faces.

“Then what about these guys?”

Sejun pointed to the Black Lizardmen.

“Hmm…”

Zeras carefully examined the Black Lizardmen.

At that moment,

“Huh?”

A portion of a tattoo was visible through a torn part of the armor on their backs.

Something looks familiar?

Zeras removed the Black Lizardman’s armor to properly identify the tattoo.

A massive shield, square at the top and pointed at the bottom, with two swords crossed in an X shape in the center of the shield, was visible.

“This is?! Wait… that symbol!”

Zeras’s eyes widened as he saw the tattoo.

It was the mark of the Black Shield, the Special Task Force he had just been writing about in his report.

As expected of the Sejun Family!

Zeras cheered. He might not have to write the report after all.

“Zeras, do you recognize the tattoo?”

Sejun asked with anticipation.

“Just a moment. These are Black Shield members… Ah. Here it is. The bounty is 10 million Tower Coins per person, so the total bounty is 100 million Tower Coins.”

“Hehehe. Is that so?”

“Puhu-hut. Good, meow!”

Sejun and Theo laughed at Zeras’s words.

“For reference, the bounty for Black Shield’s commander, Ulkan, is 350 billion Tower Coins, and the bounty for the vice-commander, Motius, is 150 billion Tower Coins.”

Zeras threw an even bigger bait to the two of them, but

“Shall we go to sleep now?”

“Puhu-hut. Good, meow! Sleepy, meow…”

Kkueng…

Kking…

The Sejun Family did not react.

The criminals they had caught so far were caught because they had caused trouble, and they don’t usually go looking for trouble.

“And they said they would pay an additional 1.5 trillion Tower Coins if you find the Lizardman Kingdom’s seal ring that Ulkan stole.”

Sejun leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. “Where is Ulkan?”

Jeras, a stout man with tired eyes, sighed heavily. “Where is he?!” Jeras echoed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “If I knew that, do you think I’d be stuck in this dusty office all day?”

Of course, if the amount gets bigger, things change.

Finding the signet ring and catching the commander and vice-commander would total 2 trillion Topcoins. It was a lot of money, worth the risk.

“Top 65th floor,” Jeras said.

Sejun frowned. “Really? But there are no land deeds there…”

“Hee hee! Just trust Chairman Park and Vice-Chairman Te! We know what we’re doing!” Teo chirped.

“Alright. We’ll figure it out somehow. Jeras, just trust us,” Sejun said.

“Yes! I trust the Sejun Family! We’ll try to get the land deeds too!” Jeras shouted, his voice filled with joy at Sejun’s words.

“Then, I’ll be going,” Sejun said.

“Goodbye!” Jeras replied.

Sejun and his party left Jeras’s office and headed to the Golden Ship to rest.

On the way to the hotel…

*Thud!*

Yuren stumbled back, bumping into something large and soft. He turned to see a massive hippo, swaying slightly and smelling strongly of cheap alcohol. The hippo blinked at him with bloodshot eyes.

“Ack!” Yuren yelped as the hippo’s bulk knocked him off balance.

With a surprised grunt, the hippo went tumbling backwards, landing with a wet *splat*.

“Eek! You clumsy pig!” the hippo roared, scrambling to his feet. He puffed out his chest, clearly believing himself to be intimidating. “Do you know who I am?!”

Kaba, even though he started the fight, flaunted his wealth and raged at Yuren.

“Shut up! I am the Great Merchant Yuren!” Yuren retorted.

He was no longer the pushover Yuren. Besides, Kaba’s wealth was insignificant compared to Yuren’s.

*Thwack!*

“Gack!” Kaba cried out.

Yuren landed a spinning side kick on Kaba’s face, knocking him out.

“Hee hee! Another employee acquired, nya!” Teo chirped.

*Squish.*

Teo stamped Kaba’s head with his seal and searched his belongings. Kaba didn’t become an affiliate employee because Sejun didn’t hit him.

Teo rummaged through the belongings of the unconscious Kaba.

“Hee hee! This guy has a lot of money, nya!” Teo rejoiced as he confirmed the 3 trillion Topcoins in Kaba’s subspace pocket.

The money Kaba had was an enormous amount that even a wealthy person on the 71st floor couldn’t possess. In fact, it was military funding that was supposed to be delivered to the Black Shield members Sejun had handed over to Jeras.

At that moment,

“Nya?” Teo said.

Teo pulled out two land deeds from Kaba’s possession. They were the Top 63rd and 65th floor land deeds that Sejun needed.

As expected, the synergy between the King of Luck, Teo, and the King of Misfortune, Yuren, was incredible.

“Hee hee! Chairman Park and Vice-Chairman Te have done it, nya!” Teo exclaimed.

He flew into Sejun’s lap with the money and land deeds.

“Oh! Vice-Chairman Te, well done!” Sejun praised Teo after confirming the money and land deeds.

“Hee hee! I, Vice-Chairman Te, am always good, nya! Didn’t I tell you to trust only me, Vice-Chairman Te, nya? Didn’t I, nya?! Chairman Park, give me Churu, nya! I’m craving a late-night snack, nya!” Teo puffed up his chest and acted grandiosely. He was in such a good mood that he even asked for a late-night snack, which he usually didn’t eat.

“Alright,” Sejun said.

Sejun accepted Teo’s grandstanding and stroked his head, as he had done something commendable today.

And then,

“Koohehehe. Kooeng!”

[Hehehe. Kooengie wants a late-night snack too!] Kooengie said.

“Keeheeheet. Kking!”

[Heehee. Butler! Me too, a late-night snack!] Kkamangi said.

“Ppeuh-heut. Ppiyot!”

[Heu-heut. Since Teo is having a late-night snack, I, his right forepaw, can’t just sit still!] Ppiyot said.

“Wooheheh. Are we having a late-night snack?” Yuren asked.

The party was excited at the word ‘late-night snack.’

“First, let’s take that guy to Jeras,” Sejun said.

*Drag drag drag.*

Sejun and his party took Kaba and visited Jeras’s office again.

“Hmm. The nouveau riche Kaba from the 71st floor. But this guy has no bounty. He settled everything with money,” Jeras said.

There was no bounty.

“Really? That’s too bad,” Sejun said.

“Too bad, nya…” Teo echoed.

The two made disappointed expressions, even though they had taken 3 trillion Topcoins from Kaba.

*Drag drag drag.*

Sejun and his party dragged Kaba out again and laid him down next to the main gate of the Wandering Merchant Association headquarters.

“This is for travel expenses, nya!” Teo crouched down and placed 1 Topcoin in Kaba’s hand, making sure he didn’t drop it.

Teo was unusually kind today.

Leaving Kaba behind, Sejun and his party entered the Golden Ship and were guided to the best room.

“Alright. Let’s wash up,” Sejun said, wanting to soak in hot water for the first time in a while.

He entered the huge, steaming bathhouse with his party.

“Come this way,” Sejun said.

He washed each of his companions one by one as they splashed around.

A little later,

“Hoo. That’s refreshing,” Sejun said as he, the last to wash, came out of the bathhouse.

*Gnoron.*

*Kkurorong.*

*Kkirorong.*

…

..

Teo, Kooengie, Kkamangi Family, Ppiyot, and Yuren were all huddled together, fast asleep.

Washing each of his companions had taken too long, and they had fallen asleep waiting for Sejun to come out.

“I guess I’ll have to eat the late-night snack alone,” Sejun said.

Should I just have some ramen?

*Clang…*

As Sejun put the water on and carefully opened the subspace warehouse as quietly as possible,

(Batbat. Good evening, Sejun!) Batbat greeted Sejun.

“Our Batbat woke up? Are you hungry? Just a moment,” Sejun said.

Sejun quickly took out some fruit and prepared it.

(Batbat. Thank you for the food!) Batbat said.

*Slurp. Slurp.*

While Batbat was sucking the juice from the pear,

What ramen should I eat?

Sejun pondered for a moment, looking at the ramen he would eat for a late-night snack, and chose Jjajang ramen and tore it open.

*Rustle. Rustle.*

He tore it open as carefully as possible, but he couldn’t help the sound of the bag.

…

Instantly, the snoring sounds from the bed disappeared.

“Guys, do you want to eat together?” Sejun asked his companions, who were staring at him with eyes full of betrayal, as if to say, ‘Why are you eating alone?’

*Tap tap tap.*

The companions, who had woken up from their sweet sleep, rushed to Sejun and ate the late-night snack together.

At that moment,

“Kkuik!” Yuren, who bit his tongue while eating ramen, screamed.

The night was getting late, but Yuren’s misfortune didn’t seem to be over yet.

And then,

“Is that it?!”

“Yes! Vice-Commander!”

In the distance, beings wearing black hoods were flocking to the Golden Ship.