Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 136

Iona’s eyes snapped open. “Where… where am I?”

Everything around her was red. A deep, blood red color filled the air, making it hard to see.

Then, a voice, like thick, sticky honey mixed with something rotten, echoed around her.

“-Welcome, Iona, to the world of nightmares.” The voice chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. “I have been waiting for you. Heh heh heh.”

It was Nightmare, the ancient demon king. Iona knew it instantly. She had fallen into his nightmare.

“-Now,” the voice continued, “entertain me again today. Heh heh heh.”

As Nightmare spoke, the red air seemed to twist and form shapes. Suddenly, all around Iona, creatures appeared – ten thousand black incubi. And among them, she saw familiar faces: Gonova and the three Master Magicians. They were no longer faint shadows, but solid, real, and filled with rage.

They saw Iona and screamed at her, their voices full of hate.

“It’s all your fault we are here!” one of the Master Magicians shrieked.

“Let us out of this nightmare!” Gonova roared.

They blamed Iona for their fate and rushed towards her, their eyes burning with anger.

“-I made sure they remember everything,” Nightmare’s voice chuckled, dripping with cruel pleasure.

But then, something unexpected happened.

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut!” Iona giggled happily. She wasn’t scared at all! She was still sleeping soundly on Sejun’s warm lap, and somehow, being on his lap made the nightmare feel… weaker.

Because of this, Iona was having a wonderful time! She bounced around, happily hitting Gonova and the Master Magicians every time they came close. It was like a fun game to her.

But after she had defeated these enemies again and again, maybe a hundred times, she paused, confused.

“Huh? Wait…”

The shadowy figures were getting stronger. They moved faster, and their attacks hurt more.

“Why are they getting stronger?” Iona wondered, tilting her head. She didn’t understand, but she knew one thing: she was stuck here. She was in Nightmare’s world, and she had to keep fighting and entertaining him until he got bored. Nightmare liked to watch people suffer. It didn’t matter if it was her suffering, or the incubi’s, or anyone else’s. He just loved pain.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu!” Iona chirped. “If they’re going to get stronger, then I’ll just get stronger too! Power of fire, burn them all! *Hellfire!* Power of wind, blow them away! *Tornado!*”

In her left hand, a ball of blazing *Hellfire* appeared. In her right, a swirling *Tornado* began to spin.

“Eat this! Firestorm of Doom!” Iona shouted, bringing her hands together.

The two spells crashed into each other, exploding into a massive whirlwind of fire. It roared across the red landscape, sucking in the incubi and burning them to ashes. If she had used a spell this big outside the nightmare, it would have destroyed a huge area. But here, in Nightmare’s world, she could use all her power without breaking anything real.

This was how Iona learned to be such a powerful mage. She could test out all kinds of dangerous spells in the nightmare without worrying about hurting anyone or destroying anything. It was her secret training ground.

And so, Iona kept fighting, blasting away enemies with bigger and bigger spells, making the nightmare her own playground.

Back in the real world, morning light was starting to peek through the windows. Sejun slowly opened his eyes. Something heavy was pressing down on his legs. It felt much heavier than when Theo, his cat, curled up on him. This felt more like… a rock.

“Huh?” Sejun mumbled, looking down.

*Kkulorong.*

“Kkuengi?”

There, fast asleep on his lap, was Kkuengi, the little black dragon. It looked like Kkuengi had quietly climbed onto his lap while Sejun was still sleeping. Usually, Theo would be there, taking up all the space. Sejun suddenly missed Theo.

“Maybe I was too quick to send Theo away,” Sejun thought to himself.

*I was a bit angry then… But I still need to trade with Theo sometimes…*

Sejun was still trying to convince himself he had done the right thing when…

“Kyu-kyu-kyu-”

Iona’s angry cries came from the floor. It seemed Kkuengi had pushed her off. There was no other explanation, because Iona used adhesion magic before going to sleep.

“That Kkuengi… He’s going to get beaten up by Iona at this rate….”

If Iona found out later that Kkuengi had pushed her off, she might take Kkuengi to a secluded place and beat him with magic. A flick on the forehead with a meteor spell….

“I don’t want to see that.”

Sejun quickly picked up Iona and placed her on his lap.

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut.”

Her cries quickly turned cheerful.

At that moment,

Kkuengi….

Plop!

Zzzzzing.

Kkuengi kicked Iona with his foot as soon as he noticed something next to him. He didn’t just push her off, he kicked her?! If Iona knew, she might really give him a meteor flick. Sejun discovered that a shield magic had been cast around Iona thanks to that.

“Kkuengi, wake up.”

Kkuengi….

“Let’s lie down and sleep with Daddy.”

Sejun had no choice but to wake Kkuengi, lay him down next to him, and give his lap to Iona.

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut.”

As expected, Iona didn’t make angry cries only when she was on his lap.

Kkuengi….

[I want Daddy to pat me….]

Kkuengi, lying next to him, grabbed Sejun’s hand and placed it on his belly.

“Alright.”

Pat. Pat.

As Sejun patted Kkuengi’s belly,

Kkuengi….

[I’m sorry for eating all the bananas during the day, Daddy….]

Kkuengi apologized for what he had done during the day in a sleepy voice. It seemed he had come in the early morning because it bothered him.

“It’s okay. But next time, tell Daddy before you eat them, okay?”

Kkuengi…. Kkuengi….

[Okay…. I’m happy….]

Kkuengi smiled happily as Sejun said it was okay, and fell asleep again.

“Ugh!”

Sejun, who had fallen asleep again while putting Kkuengi to sleep, stretched and woke up. When he woke up, Kkuengi and Iona were gone.

“Oh, my aching body.”

Instead, his whole body felt stiff, and there wasn’t a place that didn’t hurt. It was all thanks to being pressed down by Kkuengi.

“I should have some health-boosting food today.”

He didn’t expect to eat them this quickly, but Sejun decided to make a medicinal mushroom hot pot with the medicinal mushrooms he had prepared yesterday.

So, as soon as he washed up, he went straight to the mushroom ant’s house to see if there were any more medicinal mushrooms.

When Sejun went to the mushroom ant’s house, he saw several large buildings with giant mushroom heads. The houses were shaped with holes in the middle of the mushroom heads for entry.

Kkeaek!

The mushroom ants welcomed Sejun as he came to their house. The mushroom ants approached Sejun, each offering the mushrooms growing on their backs for him to harvest.

“Yes, hello. But today, I came to pick medicinal mushrooms. Do you have any medicinal mushrooms?”

Kkeaek······

The mushroom ants drooped their antennae, disappointed at Sejun’s words. ‘I guess not?’

“No. It’s not like I absolutely need medicinal mushrooms… Oh?! Is this the button mushroom I wanted to eat?!”

Feeling sorry for the disappointed mushroom ants, Sejun harvested the mushrooms on the mushroom ants’ backs, making a fuss.

Kkeaek!

Thanks to this, the mushroom ants, feeling better, offered their backs for Sejun to pick mushrooms.

Sejun harvested mushrooms at the mushroom ants’ house for about an hour.

“Oh, I’m going to die.”

His body felt even worse.

“I should just put in what I have and eat it.”

Sejun, who had only suffered more trying to eat more, gave up looking for medicinal mushrooms and headed to the kitchen.

At that moment,

Kkuengi!

Kkuengi, who was looking at something in front of the tombstone in front of the house, called out to Sejun.

“Kkuengi, where were you?”

Kkuengi! Kkuengi!

[I was playing with Iona and Fire in the cave while eating fish! I ate peanuts too!]

“Peanuts?! You’re not talking about a flick on the forehead, are you?”

Sejun touched Kkuengi’s head, looking for a bump, wondering if Iona had noticed Kkuengi’s misdeeds and launched a meteor spell.

Kkuengi? Kkuengi?

[What’s a flick on the forehead? Is it delicious?]

Kkuengi rubbed his head against Sejun’s hand, which was touching his head, and asked.

“No! A flick on the forehead is very scary. So, if someone says they’re going to give you a flick on the forehead, you have to avoid it, okay?”

Kkuengi! Kkuengi?

[Okay! But Daddy, what’s this?]

Kkuengi pointed to two plants next to the tombstone. Each plant had a pod with five colors: black, yellow, red, green, and blue.

“Ah. You planted the five-colored beans! They grew really fast?”

It had only been a little over two weeks since Sejun planted the five-colored bean seeds, but the five-colored bean tree had already grown to Sejun’s knee. And it already had pods.

“Do beans originally grow this fast?”

Sejun wondered and picked a pod. The pod was plump, and it seemed like it was full of beans inside.

And when he opened the pod,

[You have acquired 4 five-colored beans.]

[You have acquired a red bean that strengthens your stamina.]

[The proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 6 has slightly increased.]

[You have gained 700 experience.]

“Huh?!”

There were other beans besides the five-colored beans.

“Red bean that strengthens stamina?”

A bean with a strange name. Sejun first examined the five-colored beans.

[Five-Colored Bean]

A bean with five colors grown inside the tower, it is delicious because it has absorbed enough nutrients.

Cultivated by a farmer familiar with farming, the taste and efficiency have improved.

Planting it in the field increases the fertility of the surrounding land.

You can sometimes harvest 5 kinds of beans with special abilities.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

Expiration date: 90 days

Grade: C

“Special ability?”

He was probably talking about the red bean with the strange name. Sejun then examined the red bean.

[Red Bean that Strengthens Stamina]

A red bean grown inside the tower, it is delicious because it has absorbed enough nutrients.

Cultivated by a farmer familiar with farming, the taste and efficiency have improved.

When consumed, stamina stats increase by 100% for 1 minute.

It is a bean that does not take root even if planted.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

Expiration date: 90 days

Grade: C

“100 percent?!”

Although the duration was short at 1 minute, it could double his stats! He had hesitated a lot when he first bought it from the raccoon tribe chief Emil for 10,000 tower coins….

“It was a really good thing!”

Sejun then picked the pods from the other five-colored bean trees and harvested the beans. This time, he got 4 five-colored beans and 1 yellow bean that boosts strength. The yellow bean naturally had the effect of increasing strength stats by 100% for 1 minute.

Sejun immediately planted 8 five-colored beans around the tombstone. The advantage of farming was that if there was something good, he could plant it and increase it.

After planting the five-colored beans,

“Shall I try eating one?”

Munch munch.

Sejun chewed and swallowed the yellow and red beans. They tasted a bit grassy, but the more he chewed, the stronger the savory taste became.

[You have consumed the yellow bean that boosts strength.]

[Strength stats increase by 100% for 1 minute.]

[Strength stats have increased by 20.8.]

[You have consumed the red bean that strengthens stamina.]

[Stamina stats increase by 100% for 1 minute.]

[Stamina stats have increased by 21.]

As soon as he ate them, his stats increased, and he felt his strength surge and his body harden.

And

“Shall we try hugging our Kkuengi?!”

Sejun, confident in his increased strength and stamina, reached out his arms towards Kkuengi.

However,

Kkuengi!

[Dad’s gonna die at this rate!]

Kkuengi hesitated and refused to be hugged.

“It’s okay! Come gently into Daddy’s arms!”

Thud. Thud.

Sejun said, hitting his chest. His stats had doubled, but he was afraid of being hugged too strongly.

Kkuengi!

[Okay!]

Kkuengi carefully jumped towards Sejun.

Thud.

Wham!

“Ugh!”

Kkuengi?!

[Are you okay, Daddy?!]

Kkuengi asked urgently at Sejun’s groan. Still, since his stamina exceeded 40, Authority: Unbreakable Body did not activate.

“I’m… I’m okay!”

Sejun barely answered, catching Kkuengi. But unlike his answer, Kkuengi was gradually sliding down. It was difficult for Sejun to hold Kkuengi with his strength.

“I’m sorry.”

Sejun said, looking at Kkuengi, whose bottom had touched the floor.

Kkuengi! Kkuengi!

[It’s okay! I’m satisfied with just flying into Daddy’s arms!]

“Kuh!”

Such pretty words again! Sejun was touched by Kkuengi’s words.

“Look forward to it. Daddy will definitely accept Kkuengi’s jump hug!”

Sejun said firmly.

‘From now on, I shouldn’t give up crops that increase strength and stamina.’

With that resolve, Sejun entered the kitchen and began to make the medicinal mushroom hot pot.

Kkuengi!

[It smells delicious!]

Kkuengi danced, smelling the food.

“Keueung.”

‘I shouldn’t give it up starting tomorrow.’

Seeing Kkuengi happy at the thought of eating delicious food, he couldn’t bring himself to eat alone. It’s not like he was giving it first because he was afraid of having it stolen!

As Sejun was eating the medicinal mushroom hot pot with Kkuengi for brunch,

Bang!

“Chairman Park! I’m here, meow!”

Theo opened the door to the kitchen with a confident attitude.