Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 183

Sejun carefully painted the last scale onto his arm with the magical ink. He looked up, pleased with his work. “Hoo. Kkueng, come here,” he called gently.

Kkueng… Kkueng.

[Daddy, I’m sorry… Kkueng was wrong.]

He shuffled closer, ears drooping. He remembered the flash of his own power, the way the ground had trembled. He had almost hurt Daddy when he lost control.

“It’s okay. It’s not Kkueng’s fault.”

Sejun said, gently stroking Kkueng’s head as he approached. Sejun knew this would happen again. It wasn’t something Kkueng could control with effort alone.

On TV and YouTube, owners often struggled to handle the energy of large dogs. But that was the owner’s responsibility, not the dog’s fault.

Kkueng had been suppressing even his subconscious, trying his best to consider Sejun. Even when sleeping, Kkueng might kick Iona, but he never kicked Sejun.

Moreover, Kkueng always resisted being held when Theo was being held. When using his strength, he always checked Sejun’s position, adjusting his direction or power to avoid affecting Sejun.

Sejun felt even more sorry for Kkueng, who was trying so hard for him.

Kkueeeeng!

At Sejun’s words, tears streamed down Kkueng’s face like rain, finally releasing the emotions of shock and fear.

“Why are you crying, Kkueng? Daddy’s really okay.”

Sejun said, wiping away Kkueng’s tears. He hugged, stroked, and comforted Kkueng.

‘I don’t like it, nya!’

Theo was displeased that Sejun’s hand was only stroking Kkueng. Still, as the older brother, he quietly sat on Sejun’s lap for his brother’s sake this time.

Tap. Tap.

Theo’s tail patted Kkueng’s bottom.

“But Kkueng, do you want to see Grandma?”

Sejun asked, holding up the bronze mirror as Kkueng calmed down somewhat.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Yes! Kkueng wants to see Kkueng’s grandma!]

Kkueng answered happily to Sejun’s question.

“Okay. Here. This is Kkueng’s grandma.”

Sejun infused magic into the Bronze Mirror of Yearning, showing Kim Mi-ran’s image.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[It’s Kkueng’s grandma! Kkueng wanted to see grandma!]

Kkueng rejoiced, looking at the mirror.

“Next to her are Grandpa and your little uncle.”

It was dinner time, so they were all eating together. Sejun explained about the two who were also visible next to her. Thus, Kkueng learned all of Sejun’s family’s faces.

Kkueng?

[Daddy, what is that?]

He began to ask about the dinner dishes visible in the mirror.

“That’s kimchi stew. It’s a spicy Korean soup. It’s the food Daddy wants to eat the most.”

Kkueng?

[Is kimchi stew that delicious?]

“Well, it gets boring if you eat it often, but when you don’t eat it, you miss it. A nostalgic taste?”

Kkueng.

[It’s difficult.]

Kkueng couldn’t understand Sejun’s words.

“Kkueng will understand later.”

Sejun said, stroking Kkueng’s head. Of course, that might not happen for Kkueng. Kkueng getting tired of food? It was hard to imagine.

“Let’s go home now.”

Sejun took the animals and went up to the 99th floor of the tower.

“This week alone, we have sunk 220 ships that approached the coast without permission.”

“Good work. Please do your best to ensure that not a single suspicious ship enters the United States.”

“Yes, sir!”

Not even in wartime, over 200 ships were sunk just for being suspicious. In normal times, it would be an internationally criticized situation. However, the President was not scolding the Chief of Naval Operations but praising him.

“What about the Mexican border?”

“We have installed a 50-meter-high high-voltage fence on the border and are guarding it with soldiers and unmanned drones.”

This time, the Chief of Staff of the Army answered.

“We must ensure that not even one Locust crosses the border. The moment one crosses the border, America is finished.”

The President said grimly. The Locust’s reproductive power was huge. One could multiply to over 100,000 in just a week.

Currently, the United States was at war with the Locusts. Every country was at war with the Locusts.

“How was the report verification?”

The President asked the CIA Director this time. The US CIA had confirmed that several university reports analyzing the spread of the Locusts commonly indicated artificial intervention.

They were verifying whether there was actual artificial intervention.

“Artificial intervention by an organization called the Three-Headed Society has been confirmed.”

What?!

The people in the conference room were furious at the CIA Director’s words. Only a madman would… If the Locusts spread, the entire human race would be in danger.

“What information do we have on the Three-Headed Society?”

“Currently, operations are underway in various ways, including a suppression operation and an infiltration operation against the Three-Headed Society. According to recent intelligence, a significant number of the Three-Headed Society’s members have entered Korea.”

“Korea, you say?”

“Yes. They are likely targeting Park Sejun’s family.”

There was a time when not only the United States but all governments monitored Sejun’s family to obtain information about Sejun.

However, after Han Tae-jun, the only connection to Sejun, stepped in and declared that he would inform Sejun about any organization or country monitoring Sejun’s family, preventing them from buying crops, all intelligence agents withdrew.

“Hmm. Let’s inform Han Tae-jun for now.”

Han Tae-jun currently controlled the Earth Defense Force and held real power over the distribution of Firm Blade Green Onions. They intended to receive additional Detox Green Onions and Firm Blade Green Onions in exchange for providing information to Han Tae-jun.

“Understood.”

“Then let’s end the meeting here.”

“Yes, sir.”

-The US government has decided to provide information to Han Tae-jun about the members who entered Korea.

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, who attended the meeting, sent a text message somewhere.

Kkueng!

[Arrived home!]

Thud. Thud.

Kkueng, who arrived at Sejun’s farm on the 99th floor of the tower, shouted happily and ran around the farm excitedly. Although it didn’t even take a day to return today, he seemed happy nonetheless.

“Well… there’s no place like home.”

Step. Step.

Sejun said, as if understanding Kkueng, and walked around the field, letting the crops hear his footsteps. The crops were happy because their growth rate was accelerating, and he was happy because his potential was increasing. It was good for both the plants and for Sejun.

“Or is it not?”

If the crops grew quickly, the harvest would be faster, which was also beneficial to Sejun.

[Harvested a well-ripened Magic Cherry Tomato.]

[Job experience slightly increased.]

[Proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 7 slightly increased.]

[Acquired 50 experience.]

As Sejun was walking around the field, harvesting well-ripened crops from time to time,

“How is Ajax working?”

Suddenly curious about Ajax’s work, Sejun took out the bronze mirror, infused magic, and thought of Ajax.

“Why is it so noisy? Is Ajax using a lot of magic? Or is he somewhere with strong magic already?”

Ajax’s image was not visible due to the tremendous noise. It was because of the magic waves emitted by Ajax.

Sejun infused his magic to the maximum, and the noise disappeared a little. But it was still not visible.

At that moment,

Grumble.

Kkueng!

[Daddy, Kkueng is hungry!]

Thud. Thud.

Kkueng, who had run hard and emptied his stomach, came to Sejun. His stomach was rumbling loudly.

“Wait a moment.”

Sejun went to the kitchen and prepared dinner. Tonight’s dinner was cabbage soup. He craved a cool soup dish. First, he put the finely chopped Purple Locust meat in the heated pot and stir-fried it.

Sssssss.

As the meat browned,

Glug glug glug.

He filled the pot with water, added the giant deep-sea tuna bones that he had prepared before, and boiled it over high heat to make broth. The smell of browning meat filled the small kitchen.

While making the broth,

Clang.

He took out shiitake mushrooms and Detox Green Onions from the subspace warehouse, went to the cabbage field, picked 10 heads of cabbage, cut off the stems, sliced them into bite-sized pieces, and put them in the pot.

As he seasoned the dish with soy sauce, salt, and pepper,

[Achieved the first feat of making Cool Breeze Cabbage Soup in the Tower.]

[The recipe for Cool Breeze Cabbage Soup is registered in Cooking Lv. 5.]

[Proficiency in Cooking Lv. 5 greatly increased.]

A message appeared that he had created a new dish for the first time in a while.

“Have I been too complacent lately?”

Sejun self-reflected and checked the dish’s options.

[Cool Breeze Cabbage Soup]

The Purple Locust meat was stir-fried in advance to maintain a clear broth, and the broth made with giant deep-sea tuna bones adds a savory flavor.

The Detox Green Onion detoxifies the potent poison in the Purple Locust meat, preventing the dish from spoiling easily.

All the ingredients harmonize, maximizing the taste and effect of the Breeze Cabbage.

Slightly increases wind attribute affinity for 1 hour upon consumption.

There is a very low probability of awakening wind attribute-related talents below intermediate level upon consumption.

Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

Expiration Date: 120 days

Grade: A

“Oh! Not bad?”

The dish options were decent.

Slurp.

“Kheu. So refreshing.”

The taste was superb. It was a real shame there wasn’t a spoonful of rice.

“Everyone, let’s eat dinner.”

Sejun called the animals and had dinner together. Steamed potatoes replaced rice as the carbohydrate source.

While eating dinner,

“If you guys have someone you want to see, look at this.”

Sejun said, handing the Bronze Mirror of Yearning to the monkeys and rabbits. He thought that some of the animals might miss their families, as they were separated from them.

Squeak!

Ook!

The rabbits and monkeys, touched by Sejun’s consideration, began to look at the people they wanted to see through the bronze mirror.

Gulp.

Kkueng!

[Delicious!]

While everyone was distracted by the bronze mirror, Kkueng downed the cabbage soup Sejun had served him in one gulp and went to the pot to refill it continuously.

As dinner ended,

[Consumed Cool Breeze Cabbage Soup.]

[Wind attribute affinity slightly increased for 1 hour.]

A message appeared, and Sejun felt a refreshing sensation in his body.

Chomp chomp chomp.

“Chairman Park, my body feels refreshed, nya! Good, nya!”

Theo, who was eating Churu, felt Sejun’s change and rubbed his back against Sejun’s lap.

At that moment,

Sway. Sway.

A soft breeze began to stir around the rabbits and monkeys. Then, little swirls of wind started to dance around them, lifting their fur. The animals had awakened their wind attribute talents.

“Huh?!”

Awakening talents after eating just one bowl of cabbage soup? It was supposed to be a very low probability! What about me? Sejun, feeling unfairly treated for not gaining a talent unlike the animals, examined his body.

Not even a hair moved.

“Huh?! Then what about Kkueng?”

Kkueng had eaten the entire pot. As Sejun hurriedly looked for Kkueng,

Kugugung.

A huge wind began to blow from behind.

When he looked back,

Kkueng!

[Daddy, Kkueng got a talent!]

Kkueng, engulfed in a strong gust of wind, was visible. As Sejun expected, Kkueng had also awakened his wind attribute talent.

Kkueng!

[Happy!]

The excited Kkueng hugged Sejun’s body.

“Oh?! Kkueng, stop….”

Flump.

“Heavy?”

Sejun was taken aback as he looked at Kkueng in his arms. He was still big and furry, but… he felt like he was holding a feather pillow, not a giant wolf-bear.

Kkuhehehe. Kkueng!

[Hehehe. Kkueng is light now!]

Kkueng’s awakened talent was the ability to reduce his weight to 1/1000th of its original: Lightweight Agility.

On day 325 of his isolation, Kkueng finally hugged Sejun in his arms, just as he had dreamed.