Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 267

Floor 79 of the Tower. Here, high among the clouds, was the kingdom of Korb, home to birds of every feather and song. For hundreds of years, Korb had flourished. Imagine cities built among the highest branches, lakes that sparkled like jewels in the sun, and the air filled with happy chirping.

But that was before. Now, a sadness hung over Korb. It had started some years ago – no one knew exactly why – but the lakes began to vanish. Day by day, the water disappeared, leaving behind dry beds of cracked earth. The land of Korb became thirsty and broken.

Queen Prana of the Korb Kingdom quickly helped a little by having birds carry water from other floors of the Tower. But she still had a big problem.

The Mother Tree was dying. No matter how much water the birds brought, the Mother Tree kept getting worse.

The Mother Tree was very important to the birds of Korb, because all of them were born from its flowers.

To them, the Mother Tree was like their mother.

With their Mother Tree dying, the birds were worried.

The biggest problem was that fewer birds were being born as the Mother Tree weakened.

And since last year, the sound of baby birds chirping had almost disappeared from Korb.

The happy feeling in the kingdom’s capital was gone, and now everyone felt sad.

In the center of the capital was a tall mountain.

At the top of the mountain was Rainbow Castle, the beautiful royal castle of Korb, which had been there for hundreds of years. It was built from shimmering stones that caught the sunlight, scattering colors across the mountain peak. It looked like a palace made of pure light.

Louis landed softly beside Prana on the castle terrace. “Prana,” he asked, his voice heavy with worry, “Do you think… do you think the messengers will bring someone back this time? Someone who can actually save the Tree?”

Prana looked out at the distant, wilting Mother Tree. She took a breath and turned to Louis, her voice stronger than she felt. “We have to believe, Louis,” she said. “They are chosen by the Tree Maiden. They are our only hope.” But Louis saw the worry in her bright eyes, a worry that mirrored his own.

Legend said that the Tree Maiden, a mystical figure connected to the Mother Tree, could hear its whispers.

Every year, the Tree Maiden chose birds to be messengers and sent them out to find a hero who could heal the Mother Tree.

For ten years, they had sent birds out and brought back many people, but no one could figure out why the Mother Tree was dying.

“Prana, then I’ll go get more water.”

“Alright.”

As her husband, Louis, jumped off the castle terrace to fly to another floor,

“Hoo.”

Prana sighed deeply, something she had been holding back.

She was also worried. She just didn’t show it because she knew the kingdom would fall apart if she seemed unsure.

“This year, surely…”

Prana looked at the distant Mother Tree and prayed very hard that one of the messenger birds would bring back someone who could save it.

‘Creating helpers is also work, so I’m working hard, meow! I think I’m done with my tasks for today, meow!’

Theo proudly looked at his helper, Piyote.

Piyot! Piyot?

“[Boss! But what should I call you, Boss?]”

Even though the contract didn’t have his real name, Piyote, who had decided to be Theo’s helper after Theo saved him, looked at Theo and asked.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t said who I am, meow! I am Theo Park, the helper of the great Black Dragon, the deadly Dragon Claw Golden Cat, meow! I’m also Chairman Park’s right-hand man, meow!”

Piyote had just been born and didn’t know what a Black Dragon was.

Piyot!

“[It’s an honor to become Theo-nim’s helper!]”

Piyote was just happy to be Theo’s helper. He was another naive one.

“That’s right, meow! Being my helper is a great honor, meow!”

Theo said proudly, looking at Piyote, who looked at him with respect.

At that moment,

Grumble.

Piyote’s stomach made a noise. He hadn’t eaten in days while fighting the white snakes.

“Wait a moment, meow!”

Theo wanted to show his helper how cool he was, so he opened his bag.

But,

Even when he put his front paws into the bag, he couldn’t find anything.

“There’s nothing here, meow!”

Theo realized that his bag was empty.

“Piyote, eat this, meow!”

Theo took out the peanuts he had packed for Iona from his pocket.

“Thank you!”

Piyote started cracking the peanuts.

And then,

Piyot!

“[They’re delicious!]”

Piyote started eating the crushed peanuts.

“Eat a lot, meow!”

Theo said, crushing the peanuts into powder so Piyote could eat them easily.

Piyot!

“[Theo-nim, thank you!]”

“There’s no need to thank me, meow!”

Theo smirked as he watched Piyote eat the peanuts.

‘One peanut is 50 Top Coins, and I crushed them myself, so that’s a service fee of 100 Top Coins. That’s 750 Top Coins for 5 peanuts, meow!’

Theo, as Sejun’s right-hand man who loved money, never gave anything away for free.

Piyot!

“[I’m full now!]”

Piyote held his stomach after eating 5 peanuts.

“Piyote, if you’re done eating, let’s pay the bill, meow!”

Theo said, holding out his front paw.

Piyot?

“[Pay the bill?]”

“That’s right, meow! If you eat, you have to pay, meow!”

Piyot… Piyot…

“[I don’t have any money… Maybe this will do…]”

Piyote took out an egg the size of his body from the small bag he was carrying.

Besides birthing birds, the Mother Tree also grew eggs like fruit, and the birds sometimes took them as lunch when they went on long trips, like Piyote.

“Meow?! That’s?!”

Theo was surprised to see the egg. ‘It’s Chairman Park’s favorite fried egg, meow!’

Fried egg was a type of dish made with eggs, and Theo remembered the name because Sejun loved it.

Hee hee. Piyot!

“[Hehe. I have a lot of these! I’ll give them all to you! I’ll trade them for peanuts!]”

Piyote said quickly, happy that he could give away the eggs and get peanuts instead.

“Alright, meow! Then let’s get out of here first, meow! Piyote, stay close behind me, meow!”

Piyot!

“[Yes!]”

Piyote moved behind Theo.

Swish!

“Meow!”

Theo drew his dragon claw and swung his front paw down. It was Theo’s second skill, One Meow Slash.

Crack.

Five lines appeared on the Jormungandr fragment, cutting it into six pieces.

Swish.

The dead Jormungandr fragment turned into dust and disappeared.

Clink.

White coins fell to the floor.

Piyot!!! Piyot!!!

“[Theo-nim!!! Amazing!!!]”

Piyote was surprised by what he saw.

“Piyote, pick up the coins, meow!”

Theo told Piyote to pick up the coins.

Piyot!

“[Yes!]”

Piyote respected Theo even more and quickly flew to bring the coins to Theo.

After collecting all the coins,

‘I even got Chairman Park’s favorite fried egg, so I, Vice Chairman Theo, have worked overtime today, meow! So, it’s time to leave work, meow!’

“Piyote, follow me, meow!”

Theo turned to climb the tower and spoke to Piyote confidently.

Piyot! Piyot!

“[Yes! I want to eat peanuts quickly!]”

Piyote, wanting peanuts, forgot his job as a messenger bird to save the Mother Tree and followed Theo closely.

Slurp.

“Kuh. Coffee is best when made by hand.”

Sejun frowned as he drank the coffee he made with the beans and dripper that the Black Rabbit gave him.

“It’s not good…”

It didn’t taste like the coffee he had in the castle. It was bitter and sour, making him frown.

Slurp.

Sejun needed caffeine, so he drank the coffee.

As he finished the bitter coffee,

[You have consumed a bitter medicine.]

[Talent: Good Medicine is Bitter for Stamina is activated.]

[Stamina increases by 3.]

His stamina increased by 3, as if the coffee was medicine.

“Stamina increased by 3?”

Sejun realized how bitter the coffee was.

“Now I have to make rice noodles.”

Sejun went to the kitchen and put money into the Relic: Rice Dough that Swallows Wealth to make rice noodle dough.

Thud. Thud.

While he was kneading the dough,

Kooeng!

[Daddy, Kooeng is back!]

Kooeng, who had been gathering herbs in the west forest, returned.

“Our Kooeng, did you gather a lot of herbs?”

Kooeng! Kooeng!

[Yes! Kooeng brought a lot of herbs!]

Ta-da!

Kooeng showed Sejun his snack pouch, which had 20 sweet blue kudzu roots and 3 bitter white kudzu roots.

And then,

“Huh?”

There was a lime-green kudzu root that he had never seen before.

Kooeng! Kooeng!

[This smells very sour! My mouth waters just from the smell!]

Kooeng said, looking at the lime-green kudzu root.

“Really?”

Sejun smelled the lime-green kudzu root.

“Oh! I smell lime here? Slurp.”

The smell made his mouth water.

“Thankfully, it’s not bitter.”

Sejun said in relief and looked at the lime-green kudzu root closely.

[Overflowing Magic Kudzu Root]

Unlike other kudzu roots that absorb life force, this root absorbs magic power from surrounding kudzu.

It has good medicinal properties because it absorbs the magic power of many kudzu roots.

Eating it increases magic power by 50 or magic power potential by 25.

Eating it may unlock talents related to absorption.

It has a strong sour taste.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

Expiration Date: 210 days

Grade: A+

“Tonight’s dinner is grilled fish.”

Sejun wanted to sprinkle the lime-scented kudzu root juice on grilled fish and eat it.

Kooeng!

[Good!]

Kooeng cheered. He likes all the dishes Daddy makes!

“Then Daddy will make grilled fish, so Kooeng, eat this and make some rice noodles.”

Sejun put 5 honey jellies into Kooeng’s mouth.

Koohehehe. Kooeng!

[Hehehe. Okay!]

Kooeng melted the honey jelly in his mouth, picked up the black noodle maker, put the rice noodle dough inside, and

Kooeng!

Started pressing the dough to make noodles.

And then,

Clang.

Sejun took out fish from the subspace warehouse, skewered them, and started grilling them.

When Sejun had grilled about 300 fish,

[You have completed Piranha Grill.]

[Cooking Lv. 7 proficiency slightly increases.]

[Cooking Lv. 7 proficiency is full, and the level increases.]

His cooking skill level rose to 8.

At that moment,

“Chairman Park, I’m back, meow!”

Theo shouted, throwing himself towards Sejun.

Whoosh.

Again, avoiding Sejun’s hand,

Hug.

Theo embraced Sejun’s face.

“Ptooey! Ptooey! You’re back?”

Sejun had to spit out Theo’s fur again. ‘I need to make one more Theo ball.’

“That’s right, meow!”

“You went with an empty bag, but you seem to be in a good mood? Did you work hard?”

“Of course, meow! I, Vice Chairman Theo, worked very hard, meow! I even rescued a helper, meow!”

Theo said confidently and turned to introduce Piyote.

Kooeng?

[Who is that?]

Piyot. Piyot.

“[Greetings, Great Black Dragon Chairman Park. I am Piyote, Theo-nim’s helper.]”

Piyote greeted Kooeng politely. He thought Kooeng was Theo’s boss because he was the strongest one there.

Kooeng!

[Kooeng is not Chairman Park. Daddy is Chairman Park!]

Piyot?!

“[Yes?!]”

Piyote looked at Sejun.

‘I’m doomed…’

Piyote despaired, having ruined his first meeting with Sejun.