Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 199

A strange sound, *creak, creak*, echoed in the quiet space. Sejun looked closer. The kudzu vine he had planted on the worker fire ant was growing quickly, drawing life from the ant.

“Huh?” Sejun watched, curious.

Once the kudzu was as big as his hand, it stopped growing. Then –

*Pop.*

A small white flower bloomed on the vine, opening like a tiny star.

[Kudzu is absorbing the fire ant’s life force.]

[The fire ant’s life force is steadily decreasing.]

[Kudzu is absorbing the fire ant’s life force.]

[The fire ant’s life force is steadily decreasing.]

…

..

.

Messages kept appearing, telling Sejun the kudzu was taking the ant’s life force. Minutes turned into half an hour, but nothing seemed to change.

“What is this? When is it going to die?”

No matter how long he waited, the fire ant showed no signs of dying. It was clear that the kudzu was supposed to be sucking the fire ant’s life force, but… the fire ant seemed perfectly fine.

“Kooeng!”

[Daddy, Kooeng is bored!]

“Alright, just wait a moment.”

Sejun carried Kooeng on his back, gently bouncing him, and watched for another thirty minutes, but the fire ant still seemed perfectly healthy.

Koohehehe. Kooeng!

[Hehehe. Kooeng is having fun!]

Thanks to this, only Kooeng, who was being carried, was having a great time.

“That’s what I thought.”

Sejun quickly realized what the problem was. The kudzu was just kudzu. No matter how much life force it sucked, it was only a tiny fraction of the fire ant’s total life force.

He would need to plant at least thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of kudzu plants to drain the fire ant’s life force completely. Or perhaps the kudzu could grow and absorb more life force.

“Seriously… how am I supposed to use this in battle?”

He even had to make holes in the skin…

And come to think of it, crops needed to be pollinated before they could bear fruit, so he couldn’t harvest anything until then.

Sejun thought about the skill. “You are a field!” It felt more like a farming skill than a battle skill. How could he fight with this?

Just as Sejun was becoming disillusioned with the battle skill’s performance—

Kieeeh…

—the unconscious worker fire ant began to regain consciousness.

At that moment:

[Special Effect: Restraint is activated.]

Twitch. Twitch.

Along with the message that the special effect had been activated, the kudzu vines began to bind the worker fire ant’s body.

“Oh!”

He thought something might happen, but—

Snap.

The kudzu vines snapped far too easily as the fire ant moved its legs.

Twitch.

The kudzu tried to create new vines, absorbing the fire ant’s life force to bind it, but—

Whoosh.

—the worker fire ant spewed fire from its antennae, burning the kudzu vines and proving once again the futility of Sejun’s battle skill.

“Still, I need to pull out the kudzu. Kooeng, grab it!”

If he left it as it was and the kudzu bore fruit… this place would become like the 85th floor.

Kooeng!

[Understood!]

As Kooeng held the fire ant still, Sejun pulled out the kudzu root that he had planted on the fire ant’s back.

Snap.

A kudzu root the size of a mini-carrot was pulled from the fire ant’s back.

[You have harvested a tough life kudzu root.]

[Your job experience has slightly increased.]

[Harvesting Lv. 7 proficiency has slightly increased.]

[You have gained 50 experience.]

[Deals minor damage to the fire ant.]

Harvest messages appeared simultaneously.

“Huh?! It’s not just a kudzu root?”

As Sejun felt something was strange while looking at the messages—

Sniff sniff.

Kooeng!

[Daddy, I smell a faint herb scent from here!]

Kooeng, who was on Sejun’s back, leaned forward and smelled the kudzu root.

“Herb?”

At Kooeng’s words, Sejun quickly checked the kudzu root’s options.

[Tough Life Kudzu Root]

The root of kudzu that has grown by absorbing life force from a living host.

Its medicinal properties are very weak because it has not yet grown properly.

Consuming it increases health by 0.002 or health potential by 0.001.

Grower: Top Farmer Park Sejun

Expiration Date: 10 days

Grade: E

“It’s really an herb? Then can others become herbs too?”

The performance as a battle skill was now secondary. Sejun quickly planted other seeds on the fire ant’s back.

[Battle Skill – You are a Field Lv. 1 is activated.]

[You have planted magic cherry tomato seeds on the worker fire ant’s body.]

[Your job experience has slightly increased.]

[Battle Skill – You are a Field Lv. 1 proficiency has slightly increased.]

…

..

.

[Magic cherry tomatoes are rapidly growing, absorbing the worker fire ant’s life force.]

However, other crops did not become herbs. It seemed that only certain crops could become herbs.

“Still, I’ve found a way to quickly cultivate crops, so that’s good enough.”

As Sejun was satisfied with his achievement and was about to return to the farm—

Kieeeh.

—the fire ant, with a small, sturdy blade scallion growing on its back, followed Sejun closely. The fire ant’s pheromones had changed after crops were planted on its body. The fire ant now considered Sejun an ally.

“What is it? Let’s go slowly, Kooeng.”

Sejun, riding on Kooeng’s back, said as he watched the fire ant following them.

Kooeng!

[Understood!]

Kooeng moved slowly so that the fire ant could keep up.

And so, the fire ant arrived at Sejun’s farm, and—

Kieeeh.

Kkeeh.

—it naturally joined the group of mushroom ants.

Meanwhile, far away on floor 75 of the tower…

“Haa… I don’t want to go in…”

Patton sighed as he looked at the shabby warehouse that was his workplace. On his first day, Patton had fainted after encountering a ghost in the warehouse, and he had immediately submitted his resignation the next day.

However, the Wandering Merchant Association did not accept Patton’s resignation.

Moreover…

Bang!

The warehouse door opened as if telling him not to dawdle outside and to come in quickly.

“I can’t even run away because of those ghosts…”

Patton trudged into the warehouse like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

The ghosts knew that Theo had sent Patton to clean up the warehouse, so they would even come to his house and harass him if he didn’t come to work. This was so they could avoid being purified when Theo came.

Patton’s heart pounded in his chest as he walked towards the warehouse. He could almost feel the cold air from inside, even before he opened the door.

As Patton entered the warehouse—

A ghostly voice groaned, “Oh, *him* again? The newbie is here.”

Another voice chuckled, “So what if he’s here? Let’s put him to work! Move it, move it, slowpoke!”

The ghosts greeted Patton and made him clean up the warehouse. Still, thanks to Patton installing shelves in the warehouse and storing things on them, the height of the items piled on the warehouse floor had decreased slightly.

As Patton was organizing the items, breathing in the dust of the warehouse—

“Here are 1000 Top Coins, meow!”

Teo’s voice echoed from outside. Just like a child can’t resist candy, Teo couldn’t pass by the gacha warehouse on the 75th floor of the Tower on his way to the 99th floor.

-Creak! Teo has arrived!!!

The ghosts scattered in a panic at Teo’s voice.

Clang!

“Heh heh heh. I have arrived, meow!”

Teo confidently entered, roughly opening the warehouse door.

-Teo, welcome!

The ghosts stood in orderly rows, greeting Teo.

“Oh…”

Patton stared. Were the ghosts really this scared? He understood again how scary Teo was.

Teo wrinkled his nose. “Why is the warehouse still so filthy, meow?!”

-…

“…”

The ghosts and Patton froze completely at Teo’s words.

“Bring me the things you’re hiding, meow!”

-Yes!

The ghosts hurriedly brought four items they had been storing.

“Hmm, meow…”

Teo stretched out his front paw, comparing the appeal of the four items in front of him with items not yet found.

And then,

“Bring the item below this, meow!”

Teo pointed to the floor where items were piled up.

-Yes…

The ghosts carefully brought items for Teo to inspect.

“Not this, meow!”

It seemed Teo would make many ghosts disappear today.

After an hour, about ten ghosts had disappeared.

And then,

-Guys, I think I have to go now.

A ghost was on the verge of disappearing.

“This is it, meow! Then I’ll come again next time, meow!”

Teo chose a tattered black vest that seemed to have been patched dozens of times and went outside.

And then,

-Hey, youngest, did you hear Teo say the warehouse is dirty?

-I almost disappeared. Youngest! You’re on graveyard shift starting today!

-From now on, sleep in front of the warehouse.

To avoid disappearing next time, the ghosts began to torment Patton even more intensely.

“Are you all ready?”

Squeak!

Peep!

Ooh-ooh!

Squawk!

At Sejun’s words, the workers on the 99th floor of the Tower answered energetically and hurried off to their assigned fields.

It was to quickly find crops filled with the energy of the Blue Moon when it appeared. Everyone was excited because late-night snack time waited for them after the Blue Moon disappeared.

Squeak!

[Squeaky’s location is here!]

Thwack.

Squeaky clung to Sejun’s leg.

“Okay. Aileen, are you ready?”

Sejun stroked Squeaky’s head and asked Aileen.

Aileen’s voice boomed, ‘Don’t worry! The Tower’s administrator is here!’

This time, Aileen had fully charged the searchlight with magic. Now, Aileen could step forward herself, but if she did, Sejun, exposed to the strong magic, would faint, so he had no choice but to use the searchlight.

A moment later, as the sun turned into the Blue Moon,

Krooooh!

Aileen hurriedly turned on the searchlight and roared.

And then,

“Oh…”

Stagger.

Plop.

Sejun fainted. It was because Aileen’s roar contained powerful magic as well.

Squeak!

[Daddy collapsed again!]

Squeaky hurriedly moved Sejun to the bedroom. Sejun was never one for easy solutions.

“Umm…”

Aileen, who had been worried, asked as soon as Sejun opened his eyes. ‘Are you alright?’

Aileen thought that Sejun had fainted because she had overlooked the fact that her magic had recently increased significantly after eating a special cherry tomato. Still, Aileen thought highly of Sejun.

“I’m fine except for a slight tightness in my chest… Ah, it was Squeaky.”

The reason for the tightness in his chest was because Squeaky, who was taking care of Sejun, was sleeping on Sejun’s chest.

Grasp.

Squeaaaak…

Sejun lifted Squeaky’s body and raised his upper body.

“I’m okay, so you don’t have to worry. Huh? Teo came.”

While talking to Aileen, Sejun looked down when he felt warmth on his lap and saw Teo, who had returned at dawn, sound asleep on Sejun’s lap.

Plop.

“Meow…”

Plop.

Sejun put Teo and Squeaky on his lap and got up and went outside. In the yard of the house, crops filled with the energy of the Blue Moon, harvested at dawn, were neatly laid out.

“I should use these for breakfast today.”

Sejun took the blue crops and headed to the kitchen. Thanks to Squeaky, he had been eating a lot of herbs in the 85th floor arrowroot field these days, so he didn’t have much desire for these crops.

And so, everyone had breakfast with crops filled with the energy of the Blue Moon,

Chomp chomp chomp.

While Sejun was feeding Churu to Teo, who had woken up late, and having his morning coffee,

“Mr. Park, try wearing this, meow!”

Teo, who had finished eating Churu, carefully took out the vest he had brought from the ghost warehouse from his bundle, making sure not to tear it, and held it out.

“Huh? You want me to wear this?”

A leather vest that seemed to have been mended hundreds of times. If he wore this, he wouldn’t be able to say anything even if he was called a beggar.

“That’s right, meow!”

Teo replied with a proud expression. Teo would never bring him something strange, so Sejun decided to check the options first.

[Leather Vest]

???

Usage Restriction: Lv. 30, Agility 50 or higher

Grade: B

“Aileen, please appraise it.”

Aileen’s voice boomed, ‘Leave it to me!’

The leather vest that had been on Sejun’s hand disappeared.

Meanwhile,

“Mr. Park, I have news about Mr. Park’s family, meow!”

Teo took out the report Han Tae-jun had delivered from his bundle and handed it to Sejun.

“My family?”

Sejun hurriedly read the report.

And then,

“Those damn gangsters!!!”

Sejun swore and raged for the first time since coming to the Tower. How dare they touch his family?!

Aileen’s voice boomed, ‘Who made you angry?’

-Sejun, what’s wrong?

-Sejun, why are you angry?

“Mr. Park, what’s wrong, meow?”

Squeak?

[Daddy, what’s wrong?]

Kroooooh?

The strongest beings in the Black Tower began to gather at the fury of the Black Tower’s true power.