Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 167

Kooeng jumped up! He bounced on his paws. ‘Birthday! Birthday!’ he shouted. ‘Kooeng’s birthday! Rice cakes today, meow!’

However,

“Kooeng, wait!”

Sejun, who had been preparing the birthday party food since dawn, restrained the excited Kooeng.

Kooeng?!

[When does Kooeng get to eat rice cakes, meow?!]

Kooeng’s voice got louder and angrier. He thought he would eat rice cakes right away! He was very hungry and upset.

“Wait, Kooeng!” Sejun said gently. “Eat these first, okay? We’ll have rice cake cake soon!”

Nom.

Sejun gave Kooeng sweet chestnuts, shiny with honey and sugar.

Munch, munch.

Kooeng!

[Delicious, meow!]

Kooeng was happy again! He wiggled his bottom and danced because they tasted so good.

“Oh no, if you dance so much, you’ll be hungry again fast! Hurry, everyone!”

Squeak!

Sejun, who hoped to finish before Kooeng got hungry again, called to the rabbits helping him. They worked quickly.

Soon, “Phew… done! Good job, everyone.”

Squeak…

Sejun and the rabbits, tired from setting up the party, sat down. Their whiskers drooped, and they looked very worn out. They needed a rest.

At that moment,

Moo!

Uma King led the Black Minotaurs to the farm.

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut.”

Iona led the black bats, and wizards from the Magic Tower also arrived for the birthday party. Jeff, the new cat, brought a message that the wolves couldn’t come. They were busy chasing the thieves who stole the strong scallion daggers.

“Okay, birthday party time!”

When everyone was there, Sejun announced the party was starting.

Koooreooong!

Pink Fur carefully brought out a giant rice cake cake.

“-Hahaha! Look, it’s the Black Tower!” Kaiser recognized the tower shape and smiled, happy.

“-Kkeueung… I want one too,” Kellion grumbled, jealous.

But Sejun had done more than just make a tower. On top, he had made little rice cake dolls. He had stayed up late, carefully shaping them. At the front, a tiny tree had green onion leaves for flames. Each leaf was a different shade of green! Behind the flames, a rice cake Sejun in a straw hat sat with crossed legs. Rice cake Black Wolf, Silver Wolf, rabbits, and mushroom ants were beside him. Theo and Kooeng, also rice cakes, sat on his lap, eating pretend Churu and honey. In real life, Kooeng was too big to sit on Sejun’s lap!

‘One day, I’ll be strong enough to sit on his lap,’ Kooeng thought. Sejun knew what Kooeng wanted. Kooeng was too big and clumsy now, afraid of hurting Sejun if he jumped on him. So, Sejun made Kooeng’s dream come true on the cake. Behind Sejun and the animals, rice cake Black Minotaurs, Pink Fur, and Uma King stood. Little rice cake poisonous honeybees, stuck on thin sticks, flew around the empty spaces.

Kooeng! Kooeng!

[Kooeng is on Daddy’s lap, meow! So happy, meow!]

Everyone loved the cake. They saw all the small details Sejun had added. It was a cake that made everyone smile.

“Hey, Chairman Park! My dragon claw is missing, meow!”

Of course, not everyone was completely happy, but most people loved it.

At that time,

[The tower manager is sad she’s not on the cake.]

Aileen was sad she wasn’t part of the cake decorations.

“Wait!” Sejun said. “There’s more! Iona, open the special storage!” Sejun opened the subspace warehouse and nodded to Iona.

“Kkyut kkyut kkyut. Yes! Magic threads, move as I command! Marionette!”

Iona used her magic.

Krooooh!

Three rice cake dragons, roaring, flapped their wings and flew out of the storage, moved by Iona’s magic. A small black and white dragon flew beside each side of a huge black dragon. The big black dragon was Aileen! The smaller dragons were Kaiser and Kellion.

[The tower manager is very happy with her size!]

“-Eh?! That’s me?”

“-Hey! Why am I so tiny?” Aileen was pleased Sejun made her dragon the biggest. Kaiser and Kellion complained about being small.

“Okay, time to sing the song I taught you! Happy birthday~”

Sejun didn’t listen to the dragons and started singing.

“Happy birthday, meow~”

Kooeng~

[Happy birthday, meow~]

Koooreooong~ Moo~ Squeak~ Kkeaek~

Everyone sang in their own way. It wasn’t perfect harmony, but it was happy.

“Dear~”

As the song reached the end, “Kkyut kkyut kkyut. Power of fire! Do as I say! Give the enemy… a bright fire!” Iona made a huge fire in the sky instead of candles. Candles were too hard with so many different ages!

And “Happy birthday-!” The song finished.

“Okay, blow out the fire now!”

Sejun called to the animals and blew at the hellfire. He knew his breath wouldn’t put it out, so Iona was ready to stop her magic.

“Hoo-!”

“Hoo, meow!”

“Hoo-! Kkyut!”

Koooeng!

Koooong!

Eueueeumma!

Sejun and all the animals blew at the fire. Suddenly, Pshooosh. The hellfire went out too soon!

“Iona, not yet…”

“Kkyung! I didn’t do it!” Iona said, surprised. She looked at Uma King and Pink Fur. She had forgotten how strong their breath was! Their breaths met in the middle and made a whirlwind. If the fire hadn’t gone out, and they kept blowing, the whirlwind would have grown bigger and swept away the cake and everyone!

“Kkyu-kkyu-my fire!” Iona was a little embarrassed.

After the fire was out, “Pink Fur, lift me up!” Sejun asked Pink Fur to lift him onto the cake. It was time to cut it!

“Thanks, Pink Fur. Vice Chairman Theo, claws out!”

“Okay, meow!”

Ppatting!

Theo showed his claws and put magic into them.

Heh heh heh. “Chairman Park, watch my dragon claws, meow!”

“Happy birthday again, everyone! Here we go!” Sejun wished everyone happy birthday one more time and started to cut the cake with Theo’s claws.

Swoosh.

The dragon claws were so sharp, it cut easily. Too easily!

“Huh?!”

It felt like something was cutting even before Theo’s claws touched it. Invisible magic claws had grown because Theo used so much magic to show off!

“Aargh!” Theo’s claws sliced through the cake in a flash. Sejun was suddenly at the bottom of the cake, the first layer!

Boom.

The cake split in two.

Kooeng!

[Rice cake time, meow!]

Kooeng, who had waited so long, jumped at the cake!

Koooreooong! Moo!

The other animals rushed forward too.

Thump!

“Oh no…” Sejun stared. The cake was being smashed by the animals! He had imagined everyone sharing the cake nicely…

Kooeng!

Kroooooh!

Squeak!

Ookkie!

This was the wild way!

At that time,

Moo!

When the Black Minotaurs pulled the green onion leaves to eat, Roll roll roll. Sejun, still on the leaves, rolled around in the rice cake. It was a total mess!

But “Hehehe,” he laughed. It was so much fun!

“Eek! Who cares!” If it’s fun, it’s okay! Sejun hugged Theo and rolled around even more.

“Nyaang! Sticky, meow!” Theo was annoyed by the rice cake in his fur, but he knew he could wash it later. Theo was a water cat now!

That’s how the cake cutting ended, and the real party began.

“Okay, makgeolli time!” Sejun brought out 11 kinds of flavored makgeolli from the brewery.

“-Come get a drink! Birthday drinks for everyone! One for you, one for me! Hahaha!”

“-Ahem. My drink too.” Kaiser and Kellion joined in. Sejun almost stopped them from drinking too much, but then he saw the animals lining up, their eyes saying, ‘It’s an honor!’ He realized the dragons were very important in the tower. Getting a drink from them was a big honor, something the animals would talk about for a long time.

While the grown-ups got drinks from the dragons, “Okay, kids, eat this!” Sejun gave sweet snacks like candied chestnuts and sweet potato candies to the young animals.

And “I want some too!” Sejun sat down and sipped makgeolli with the food.

Just then, [The tower manager says happy birthday!] [The tower manager says, here’s a gift!] Aileen’s words appeared, and a paper was in Sejun’s hand. It was a land paper for a persimmon tree farm on the 49th floor of the tower. Aileen had found it in the Pritani family’s storage as a birthday gift.

“Oh! Persimmon trees?! Aileen, thank you! What a great gift!” Sejun was so happy! Now he could eat sweet persimmons, dried persimmons, and all kinds of persimmons!

[The tower manager says sorry she can’t give it to you herself.]

“It’s okay.” Kaiser had told him about Aileen. He didn’t want her to come if she wasn’t well.

[The tower manager says she has lots to tell you.] [The tower manager says she met a very important grandmother in the Dragon Heart piece.]

“A very important grandmother?” Aileen told him about meeting Kai-Ra in the Dragon Heart piece Theo had brought.

“Really?!” While talking to Aileen, “Haaam…” Sejun yawned. He was getting drunk. As he got drunk, he felt all the tiredness from getting ready for the party.

“Chairman Park, your face looks tired, meow! But don’t worry, meow! Vice Chairman Theo, the healing cat, will give you a massage, meow!” Theo started to massage Sejun’s face with his paws. Theo had healing powers now, and Sejun felt better right away. But Stick. Stick. Theo’s paws still had rice cake on them! Every time he pressed Sejun’s face, it felt sticky.

“I can’t do this. Let’s wash up first.”

“Heh heh heh. Okay, meow! Bath time, meow!” Theo, being a water cat, didn’t mind a bath.

Splash.

Sejun and Theo went to the fountain and got in the water. But “Huh?!” The water didn’t wet Theo’s fur!

“What’s going on?”

“Heh heh heh.” Theo smiled at Sejun.

“Hey! Who told you to use your water power like that?!” Sejun was annoyed when he understood.

“Heh heh heh. I’m waterproof now, meow!” Theo wasn’t becoming friends with water. He was blocking it! Theo was using his water power in a way Sejun didn’t expect. Luckily, only his fur was waterproof, so he could wash off the rice cake.

Splash. Splash.

In the end, Sejun had to lift Theo and dunk him in the water again and again, like washing clothes.

“I feel great, meow!” Theo, dry and happy, smiled.