Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 15

On the first day the Poison Honeybee ate honey in Sejun’s cave, it felt changes beginning in its body. Afterward, each time it ate honey, a darker scent came from it, and it grew plumper.

At first, the Poison Honeybee didn’t know what was changing. But recently, the queen bee in its hive started to act strangely towards it. Then, it understood: it could lay eggs itself. So, the Poison Honeybee decided to become independent.

Sejun’s cave was the natural choice for its independence, being close to food. Soon, a huge number of cherry tomato flowers would bloom, so there seemed to be enough food even if its family grew.

Whirr!

To make friends, it rubbed against the cave owner every day, showing it wasn’t an enemy. It hoped to get permission to live in the cave. Sejun didn’t realize he was giving permission, but the honeybee felt welcome.

Rub rub.

Today, the Poison Honeybee started its day by rubbing against the cave owner.

And

“Let’s work.”

Peep!

Peep!

Pyaa!

Pyak!

Sejun and the rabbits also started their morning by doing their jobs.

“Hmm… roughly 70%?”

Sejun said, looking at the carrot sprouts that had grown to about his ankle. He kept watering them, waiting for them to sprout, but only 700 out of 1000 carrot seeds sprouted.

Out of the 1200 cherry tomato seeds he had harvested from the magic cherry tomatoes, about 61% sprouted. That’s 732 out of 1200. The germination rate of the corn seeds and sweet potato seedlings was similar, around 70% and 60%.

“Hehehe. Thank you for growing.”

About 1000 of the things he planted had died, but seeing the sprouts that had survived, his complaints disappeared, and he smiled.

At that moment, a message appeared in Sejun’s eyes.

[Additional quest has occurred.]

[Quest: Give 10 magic cherry tomatoes to the Tower Manager!]

Reward: None

Rejection: Disappointment

The Tower Manager had been watching Sejun and Theo’s deal. Realizing something, he didn’t ask for too much.

The words ‘offer’ or threats to kill if refused had disappeared. Instead, he just showed his disappointment. Even a hateful person has affection, so Sejun couldn’t refuse when he looked so pitiful.

“Take it.”

10 cherry tomatoes disappeared from Sejun’s storage.

[Quest completed.]

[The Tower Manager is grateful for your kindness.]

Now he’s even grateful. Sejun felt good that the Tower Manager was thankful.

“Huh?!”

Sejun quickly erased his pleased smile.

‘Did I just look a little foolish?’

I have to be careful. Sejun focused on farming again.

However, seeing the field, now a sea of bright green sprouts waving gently in the breeze, a pleased smile appeared on his face.

It wasn’t that he was foolish, but that his heart had widened, but Sejun didn’t realize it.

Stranded Day 143.

“I’m back, meow!”

Theo’s voice echoed through the cave as he landed lightly from the hole in the ceiling. He bounced with energy, his tail twitching happily – he had sold every single cherry tomato.

But Sejun’s reaction was not what Theo expected.

“You?! What are you doing back so soon?”

Sejun’s voice was sharp with surprise. He meant to ask why Theo hadn’t sold *more*, but Theo’s ears drooped, misunderstanding.

“I was wrong, meow. From now on, even if I sell out completely, I will come back right away without playing on other floors, meow.”

Theo immediately confessed his mistake.

“What?! You went to play? For how many days?”

“I played for 4 days, meow. I was wrong, meow…”

As Sejun’s voice lowered, Theo, who had been watching carefully, quickly grabbed Sejun’s leg and begged for forgiveness.

However, Sejun’s serious expression did not ease. He was listening to Theo’s words and calculating in his head.

According to Theo, it takes about 10 days to go back and forth to the 30th floor where the hunters are.

‘But he had 4 days to play even after selling out completely?’

Considering that Theo returned 14 days after leaving, it meant that he had sold out as soon as he went down.

“Tell me in detail. Or I’ll show you how scary a boss can be.”

Sejun threatened Theo. Well, he was already carefully watching Sejun’s mood, so it didn’t seem necessary to scare him.

“I understand, meow…”

Theo, who had shrunk back, began to explain.

“That’s what happened, meow… The humans bought everything as soon as I said a few words, meow.”

Theo still had the last bit of sense, so he left out the part where he had stopped them from buying.

“Really? Without using your special move?”

“That’s right, meow.”

Sejun listened to Theo and realized that the cherry tomatoes were even more popular than he had thought.

“Here are 50 tower coins, meow.”

“Good job, Theo. Here’s an incentive.”

Sejun handed Theo 2 tower coins, which was 4% of the sales amount.

“Huh? Aren’t I Theo CEO, meow?”

“You just got demoted. What kind of CEO goes out to play for 4 days? If you work hard from now on, I’ll make you CEO again. And if you become CEO, I’ll raise the incentive to 5%.”

“I understand, meow! I will work hard and become CEO, meow!”

Theo answered passionately to Sejun’s words.

“But your speech is…?”

“I’ve just decided to live like this, meow.”

After realizing that the Granian dialect was pleasing to humans, his inferiority complex about the dialect disappeared.

“Hehehe. Now my name will be known.”

“What does that mean, meow?”

“The grower is displayed in the cherry tomato options. So people will know that I made those cherry tomatoes.”

“…!”

Theo fidgeted at Sejun’s words.

Wandering merchants have a rule to protect new sellers. For merchants who didn’t sell much, the system hid who made the goods. This stopped bigger merchants from stealing their customers. Theo knew Sejun’s name was hidden because Theo was still a new seller.

The magic cherry tomatoes that Theo sells do not show that Sejun grew them.

The only way to lift this restriction is to become a mid-sized wandering merchant by selling 1000 tower coins worth of goods.

‘This is a disaster, meow.’

Theo felt that if he revealed this fact to Sejun, he would be demoted further and his incentive would be cut to 3%.

However, he couldn’t hide it.

Then there is only one way: to get out of this place!

“Give me the magic cherry tomatoes, meow. I’ll leave right away, meow.”

“Already? Rest for a few days. You have to get paid.”

“No, meow! I’ll get it later, meow. I want to make money quickly, meow!”

Theo hurriedly filled his bundle with magic cherry tomatoes and left.

“He’s obsessed with money.”

Sejun misunderstood, not knowing Theo’s worry.

While Sejun firmly believed that the cherry tomatoes with his name on them would become famous, the hunters who bought the magic cherry tomatoes were realizing their effects.

“Dad! Dad! You have to buy more of this next time. Okay? Definitely! I love this so much!”

Phoenix Guild leader Kim Dong-sik bought 20 magic cherry tomatoes out of curiosity and for his daughter, who was always dieting.

After eating the magic cherry tomatoes, his daughter no longer got annoyed and peace came to the house.

At first, she ate 3 a day, but now she saves them and only eats one in the morning.

The cherry tomatoes gave vitality to the body and helped burn fat.

The vitality effect lasted a long time, and even if she ate less, her body was full of energy. Because it wasn’t difficult, she moved more, burning more calories and helping her diet.

‘I shouldn’t have given in then.’

He regretted not buying more. He gave in because the other team members were buying them and only bought 20, but seeing his daughter’s reaction, he wished he had bought more.

“Okay. Trust me. I will definitely get it for you.”

It was the first time in a long time that his daughter had asked for something like this. Kim Dong-sik really wanted to get magic cherry tomatoes for his daughter.

-Entering the tower in 3 days.

Kim Dong-sik sent a text message summoning his team members to enter the tower earlier than planned.

He expected complaints, but he was planning to use his power as leader to hunt spider monsters around the place where he met Theo on the 38th floor, as he didn’t know when Theo would appear.

‘If I meet Theo this time, I should ask for a fixed deal.’

At that moment,

Thud. Thud.

Replies from team members came.

-Yes.

-I’m ready.

-We’re going today! Right now!

Kim Dong-sik expected the team members to grumble, but they said they would enter the tower as if they had been waiting. They urged him to enter even faster.

They were in a similar situation to Dong-sik.

As soon as Jessica finished hunting and returned home, she handed the magic cherry tomatoes to her younger sister, Anna.

She didn’t have high expectations.

However,

“Sister, where did you get these cherry tomatoes?!”

Anna, who had eaten about 20 cherry tomatoes, asked Jessica excitedly.

“Why? Is something wrong?!”

“No. I love them so much. I’m not depressed anymore. I’m full of energy! I want to move!”

“What?!”

Jessica looked at Anna in disbelief. To get Anna to exercise, she had to yell and beg for hours to get her to pretend to move for about 10 minutes. But now she wanted to move on her own.

“Sister, I want to walk.”

“Okay. Let’s go out.”

That day, Jessica walked around the neighborhood with Anna for three hours and returned home.

After a few days, Anna’s weight quickly dropped to 80kg.

Now, Anna eats a diet and magic cherry tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without being told, and walks around the neighborhood three times a day on her own.

The number of magic cherry tomatoes that used to give her energy when she ate 20 has also decreased to 13 as her body became lighter.

It seemed that Anna would be able to live a normal life in a month or two.

However, the magic cherry tomatoes were running out.

‘I have to go back to the tower and meet Theo.’

At that moment,

-Entering the tower in 3 days.

A text message came from the leader saying to enter the tower.

-We’re going today! Right now!

Jessica hurriedly replied and began to pack her equipment.

“I came out, but what should I do, meow?”

Theo wondered as he went down to the lower floors of the tower.

“When will I sell 1000 tower coins worth of goods, meow?”

This time, he carried 1500 magic cherry tomatoes.

However, even if he sells 1500 like this, he has to go back and forth more than 10 times.

“I have to make money as quickly as possible, meow.”

He needed a way to quickly sell 1000 tower coins worth of goods and become a mid-sized merchant.

He didn’t want to be demoted below employee by Sejun.

“I want to become CEO quickly, meow.”

Once he had something, he wanted it even more when it was taken away.

So, Theo walked to the 38th floor, where he had traded with humans a few days ago, carrying a bundle full of magic cherry tomatoes.

Since it was the first place he had traded, he was thinking of stopping by and going down to the lower floors if no one was there.

At that moment,

“Oh! Theo is here!”

“Why are you so late?!”

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

The humans he had traded with a few days ago ran towards him.

“Human, were you waiting for me, meow?”

Theo looked at the humans and asked.

“Yes. We’ve been waiting for 3 days.”

“Is that so, meow?”

Seeing the humans waiting for him, a good idea came to mind.

“Do you want magic cherry tomatoes?”

“Hehe. I do, but the price has gone up, meow.”

Theo’s salesmanship, wanting to be CEO again, bloomed.