Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 706

Inside the grand Temple of the Creator God, a noisy group had gathered.

“Haha! See? Only Sejun would think of this!”

“That’s right! Sending us booze and snacks like this!”

“Heh heh heh. Sejun knows we’re suffering because of him.”

The leaders of the Great Nine Dragon Tribes cheered loudly, their faces bright with smiles. They were overjoyed to receive the liquor and snacks Sejun had sent through his dragon sculpture.

Just then,

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

The Creator God rushed into the room, his face tight with worry. He saw the leaders laughing and holding bottles, and his eyes flashed with anger.

From the Creator God’s point of view, it was only natural.

His lifespan was dwindling, and to send Sejun to the Land of Destruction to resolve this crisis, he needed to quickly finish building his room.

But in this urgent situation, the leaders were only thinking about having fun, so the Creator God couldn’t help but be angry.

“Creator God, it’s not that….”

Kaiser hurriedly stepped forward to explain, “Creator God, it’s not that… Sejun sent this for you to share with us.”

But the Creator God, his mind filled with the urgency of his task and the shortness of his life, wouldn’t listen.

“Enough! I am greatly disappointed in you all!”

The leaders couldn’t utter a word at the Creator God’s cold attitude, and after a heavy silence of about a minute,

“[Huh?! These are the liquor and food Sejun made! What are you doing not eating them? They’re not as good when they’re cold! No! Sejun’s food is always delicious, but it’s less delicious when it’s cold! Eat quickly! Hurry!]”

Suddenly, a voice boomed. It was Fire 205, the Incarnation of Fire and foreman of the construction, his fiery form glowing brightly. He seated the Creator God, the leaders, Emila, and Amur in a circle.

“Ahem. Sejun made it?” the Creator God asked, his voice softer. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. “You should have said so.”

The Creator God cleared his throat in embarrassment and picked up a glass.

“I’ll pour it!”

“Heh heh heh. Very well.”

Kaiser quickly grabbed the bottle and poured liquor into the Creator God’s glass.

‘I was going to do that! Kaiser, you sly dog!’ The other leaders glared at Kaiser.

Meanwhile,

Glug.

The Creator God gulped down the Samyang brew.

“Krooooh,” he sighed, a sound of deep satisfaction.

‘I don’t have much time left, and I’m only realizing this taste now…’ It was filled with surprise and regret.

Just then,

“Creator God, please try this! It tastes even better after drinking the liquor.”

Lamter, who had been waiting for an opportunity, quickly picked up a pan-fried dish made of slime meat with his chopsticks and politely offered it.

“Ahem.”

‘I was wanting something a bit oily since the liquor was so clean.’ The Creator God accepted the pan-fried dish, unable to resist.

Munch. Munch.

The Creator God chewed on the pan-fried dish with a satisfied smile.

‘We know that feeling all too well.’

‘Indeed, we do.’

‘I’d like to tell you about other combinations too.’

The leaders also nodded with satisfied smiles as they watched the Creator God.

Emila and Amur watched, their faces blank. They exchanged confused glances. ‘What’s so special about this food?’ Emila whispered to Amur. Amur just shrugged, equally puzzled by the sudden change in mood.

Waiting to be told to eat quickly.

A little later.

“Now, fill the glasses.”

“”Yes!””

At the Creator God’s words, the leaders, Emila, and Amur filled their glasses with Samyang brew.

“And you, eat this.”

[Hehet. Yes. Thank you.]

The Creator God poured a drop of dew onto Fire 205’s hollow leaf.

And

“To creation!”

“””For creation!”””

The Creator God raised his glass. ‘To creation,’ he said, his voice filled with a new warmth, ‘and to those who help us build it, even with snacks and drinks!’ They toasted together and drank happily.

The workers enjoyed a sweet break after several days.

[Alright. Let’s start again!] With the shout of foreman Fire 205, they began the final work.

Meanwhile, far away in the Black Tower…

In the quiet of the 99th floor of the Black Tower, Sejun worked in his garden. He hummed a cheerful tune as he pulled out large, red radishes from the soil.

Rustle.

[You have harvested a radish with strong legs.] The familiar message popped up, but Sejun barely noticed. He was in a good mood, thinking about the leaders enjoying the snacks he sent.

Around him, the animals made their own noises. The cat meowed, the pig oinked, the squirrel squeaked, and the chick chirped. It was a strange mix of sounds, not really music, but somehow, it was pleasant and comforting to Sejun.

(Baet baet···)

Even Baet, who was sleeping nearby, joined in with soft snores that sounded like a low hum. ‘Even Baet is adding to our song!’ Sejun chuckled. ‘He’s got a good ear for music, even in his sleep!’

As Sejun and his group were singing and working happily,

“This is the room of Rascal, the God of Thieves.”

[Thank you.]

The heavy iron door of the dungeon creaked open as Dalkom entered. The air was cold and damp, and the only light came from torches on the walls. Dalkom arrived at Rascal’s room, imprisoned in the dungeon, guided by the warden.

Creak.

As she entered the prison,

“Roommate? Or a warden?”

Rascal, wearing an eye patch over his right eye, asked with a smirk.

Rascal, despite being called the God of Thieves, was a plump man with smooth, shiny skin. He didn’t look like a thief at all. According to the prison records she had checked before coming here, Rascal had disappeared for a while before being brought to Tartarus, and when he reappeared, he was missing his right eyeball.

“Are you Rascal, the God of Thieves?”

Dalkom answered Rascal’s question with a question.

“Judging by your attitude, you’re not a roommate. I’ve been lonely lately, which is a shame. Yes, I am Rascal, the God of Thieves.”

Rascal answered with a wide smile, his left eye almost disappearing.

“Heh heh heh. I heard you defeated Heta, the God of Tyranny, and became the new warden? Tsk tsk tsk. What’s so good about being a warden? It’s just hard work….”

Rascal continued, clicking his tongue with a pitiful voice, as if talking to himself. As if for Dalkom to hear.

Rascal’s words and actions contained several meanings.

First, even though I’m trapped here, I know everything that’s happening here.

Second, you changed the warden without my permission.

Third, therefore, I will not cooperate with you.

And

Whirr. Whirr. Whirr?

[There are more good things here than I thought. But you’re in the underground and you’re so well-informed. Do you have an informant?]

Dalkom spoke in a slow, relaxed voice, watching Rascal closely.

She expected him to react to her words, but…

Rascal’s sunken left eye remained still and silent.

He was skilled in mind games.

This won’t be easy.

Dalkom looked at Rascal and creaked.

She left the prison without hesitation.

Dalkomi buzzed with fury. Giving up? Never. She was no ordinary honeybee. She had become the Poison Honeybee Queen, the strongest of her kind.

Sejun had helped her, but Dalkomi knew it was her own strength that made her queen. She had learned much ruling the poison honeybees.

First, she thought, I must show everyone who is in charge here.

Dalkomi knew what needed to be done right away. Rascal has spies everywhere in Tartarus, she thought. I need to get rid of them. It will be a messy job, but it must be done.

A wave of angry buzzing began to spread through Tartarus, a warning and a promise.

“Another one,” grumbled a voice. A figure in a dusty robe looked up from digging. “We just had one arrive!”

“Why so many today?” another voice sighed. In the Resting Place of Forgotten Gods, the work never stopped. Dead gods, their forms now faded and grey, kept arriving. The gravediggers, weary but dutiful, prepared their final resting places.

“Name, please,” one gravedigger said, his voice tired. “Starting with the first to arrive.”

“Heltada,” a booming voice echoed, “God of Tyranny.”

The gravedigger paused, his shovel still. “God of Tyranny… Warden?” He looked at his colleague, a question in his eyes. Wardens were usually… different. This was unexpected.

The next day, as the first light touched the horizon, Sejun found himself in Blackie’s mental world. Blackie and his family, the little black bunnies, were huddled together, making soft, worried gurgling noises. It seemed they had been causing mischief again, and now Corruption was here to deal with it.

Corruption was not a person, exactly. It was more like a shadowy presence, a being of pure dark energy that Blackie sometimes called upon for help… or punishment. Today, it seemed to be punishment. Corruption shimmered into view, its form shifting and indistinct, like smoke in the shape of a tall figure.

“Thank you for coming,” Sejun said quickly, bowing slightly to the shadowy form. “Thank you for listening to my request.”

-Heh heh heh. Don’t be silly, little human. I wasn’t listening to your request. Just doing my job! – Corruption’s voice was a low rumble, like distant thunder. It tried to sound annoyed, but Sejun thought he detected a hint of something else… amusement?

But Sejun could see past the grumpy act. Corruption’s eyes, two narrow slits of darkness set far apart on its smoky face, seemed to curve upwards just a little. And were those the edges of a smile twitching at the corners of its mouth-like opening?

Wait a minute, Sejun thought, surprised. Are Corruption’s eyes… kind of cute? No, no, focus Sejun! Aileen! He shook his head, remembering Aileen’s bright, loving gaze. Compared to Aileen, everyone else faded away.

-What?! Why are you grinning like that?! – Corruption’s rumbling voice sharpened with sudden anger. Sejun’s smile, even a small one, seemed to irritate it greatly.

“Oh, nothing!” Sejun said quickly, wiping the smile off his face. “More importantly, I brought you a treat. Try this!” He held out a piece of royal honey sweet potato jerky. He kept a safe distance, though. You never knew with beings like Corruption.

-I don’t want it. – Corruption refused instantly, its voice flat.

“Really? It’s super delicious!” Sejun insisted.

-I said I don’t want it! – Corruption’s shadowy form flickered, and dark energy began to crackle around it. Its voice rose to a roar. “And don’t offer it again!”

Back in his own realm, the Land of Destruction – a desolate place of cracked earth and shadowy skies – Corruption raged. “Oh! I wanted to try that jerky too!” he roared, his voice echoing across the empty landscape.

“But look at me!” he cried, gesturing to his many mouths with a shadowy hand. “Would anyone think I was… pleasant to look at if I ate with these mouths? Would they still… like me?” A strange, unfamiliar feeling twisted inside him. Loneliness? He didn’t understand it.

He snatched up a small, shadowy creature – one of the mental entities that drifted through his realm – and shoved it towards one of his mouths. Crunch, crunch. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a pool of black water.

He tried to eat neatly, using the mouth closest to where a normal mouth should be, under his jaw. But dark saliva still dripped down his form as he chewed.

Ugly. Strange. Unpleasant. He hated the way he looked. He hated himself.

“Blast it!” Corruption screamed, his voice filled with self-disgust. “Why do I have to look like this?!” His resentful scream echoed through the Land of Destruction, and the shadowy ground seemed to darken further.

A sharp pain shot through his form, and with a sickening crack, a new eye and mouth ripped open on his side, making him even more strange-looking than before. Tears of black energy welled in his many eyes.

Sejun arrived at the Black Calamity Fortress, the 99th floor of the towering Black Tower. He had already checked on his Disaster Farm, a strange garden where he grew dangerous plants, and the 10th Tower, another part of this strange world.

“He was so angry yesterday,” Sejun murmured, thinking of Corruption. He looked out at the fortress grounds and saw groups of ogres and giant, planet-destroying turtles setting up camp.

What if Corruption hates me now? he worried. To try and make amends, Sejun opened a portal – he called it the Black Moon – a swirling doorway to another place. He sent through the same number of ogres and turtles as the day before, hoping it was enough.

“Did he really not like the roasted sweet potato jerky?” Sejun wondered aloud.

Squeak?! Squeak! Blackie, who was always nearby, barked loudly. [Who dares dislike the roasted sweet potato jerky made by the butler?! It’s the best food in the world! If anyone dislikes it, the great Blackie will be very, very angry!] Blackie loved Sejun’s jerky more than anything.

“Okay, okay, Blackie,” Sejun chuckled. “I need to bring Gguengee.” He knew just the place to find him.

Sejun went to Pink Fur’s garden, a beautiful place filled with soft, pink flowers. There, curled up asleep in Pink Fur’s fluffy arms, was Gguengee, a small, but surprisingly powerful creature. Sejun gently woke him and brought him back to the fortress.

Gguengee! Gguengee! Gguengee shouted at the planet-destroying turtles. [Surrender now! Or Gguengee will punish you!]

Beep! Beep! The Beep Beeps, small, robotic creatures that followed Gguengee, chimed in. [Show your soft bellies to the Demonic Beasts of Destruction! It’s the only way to be safe!]

Beep! Beep! [Hey you! Ogres! Go away quickly! Hurry!]

Somehow, between Gguengee’s threats and the Beep Beeps’ strange advice, the planet-destroying turtles seemed to understand. They slowly turned and lumbered away. The ogres, seeing the turtles leave, also grumbled and retreated.

Zzzzzing. Zzzzzing. The sounds of monsters disappearing filled the air.

Sejun smiled. He was getting closer to his dream. He checked his quest log:

Quests: Defeated 10,000 Ogres, the Sixth Disaster of Destruction (2121/10,000) Defeated 1000 Planet-Destroying Turtles, the Seventh Disaster of Destruction (215/1000)

“Heh heh heh. Just eight more days,” he said to himself. “Then I’ll be a landlord!” He grinned, imagining his future. It was another peaceful day for the Sejun family.

But in the quiet elixir field near his house, a tiny voice whispered, “Sejun… have you forgotten about me? Please help me grow soon.” Baby Ginseng waited alone, its small leaves drooping slightly with sadness.