Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 282

Podori felt uncomfortably full. Its tiny leaves drooped, heavy with the nutrients Blazing had forced it to absorb. [Phew, I need to get rid of this feeling quickly,] Podori thought. Luckily, Blazing, the fiery plant, had turned its attention away for a moment. Taking its chance, Podori quickly began to push out the excess nutrients.

Some nutrients had been used to create sweet, juicy grapes, but there was still too much. Podori spread the rest across the dry, dusty earth around its roots.

[Phew. Much better now.] Podori sighed in relief, feeling lighter.

But the relief was short-lived. “Oh?” a cold voice hissed. “You feel *better* after throwing away the nutrients I gave you?”

[···?!] Podori jumped, startled. Blazing’s voice, now sharp and chilling, rang out. It looked up and saw Blazing’s fiery gaze fixed on it once more. Even the light from Blazing seemed icy and dangerous.

Whirr.

Conversely, Blazing’s roots were engulfed in flames and growing hotter.

[Th-That is, Blazing…]

Just as Podori was about to quickly beg forgiveness from Blazing, feeling as though it would burn to death from the heat,

[What are you doing?]

[Yes?]

[Suck back up the nutrients you expelled! Now!]

[Yes!]

And so, Podori reabsorbed the nutrients it had scattered around, all to avoid being burned to death by Blazing.

At that moment,

“Wow! Master, this is my first time outside!”

“Really? Is this your first time here? Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“No. I’m happy just being by your side, Master.”

Podori discovered Sejun and a small being chattering away on Sejun’s shoulder. It was Blazing, moving its five green leaves like a head and limbs.

[Blazing?]

There was no mistaking it, as the energy was the same.

[Blazing, you’re a pile of pretense. How disgusting.]

Podori said, looking at the Blazing root in front of it.

[What?! What?! If you tell Master, you know what’ll happen?! You’re dead! You’re dead!]

Blazing, feeling embarrassed for no reason, raised its voice and threatened Podori.

In front of the kitchen.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Nya… I’m bored, nya…”

Theo waited for Sejun, lying down in front of the door, listening to the sound of Sejun kneading rice noodles. He was forbidden from entering during kneading because of his fur.

“This cannot be, nya!”

It was too unfair to be kept off Sejun’s lap because of his fur.

Lick. Lick. Lick.

Theo thought if he ate all his loose fur, there wouldn’t be any left to shed. So, Theo diligently licked his fur, swallowing it all.

And then,

“Heh heh heh. Chairman Park, I don’t shed anymore, nya!”

Theo called out to Sejun and trotted into the kitchen.

“Really?”

“Heh heh heh. That’s right, nya!”

“Let’s see.”

Swoosh.

Sejun ran his fingers through Theo’s fur, gathering a handful. If managing his fur were easy, Sejun wouldn’t have had a reason to forbid Theo from entering.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

After a few strokes, a clump of fur was quickly formed.

“It’s not true.”

Sejun showed Theo the clump of fur in his hand.

“Nya… I definitely ate all the fur, nya. That’s strange, nya… Should I eat more, nya?”

Theo drooped his tail and ears and trudged out.

“Hey! Why are you eating fur?! Come here.”

Thump.

Sejun, his heart softened by Theo’s attitude, lifted his right leg and said, “Vice Chairman Theo, I grant you my right knee.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Snatch.

At Sejun’s permission, Theo grinned and clung to Sejun’s leg.

“But you have to stay still so your fur doesn’t fly around. Got it?”

“Heh heh heh. Got it, nya!”

Just as Theo was happily occupying Sejun’s knee,

Peep!

[Theo, I’ve finished scouting!]

Flap. Flap.

Piyot, who had been scouting the farm, entered through the kitchen window.

Thump.

Peep!

[There was nothing strange around!]

Piyot saluted Theo with his wings, reporting the scouting results.

“Heh heh heh. Good work, nya!”

Gotta keep Theo safe! That’s my job as his future right paw!

Piyot was pleased with himself at Theo’s praise.

At that moment,

[Heh heh. The sun is nice.]

Piyot?

Piyot saw a strange fellow sitting on Sejun’s right shoulder, basking in the sun. How dare he?! That’s my spot?! You’re in trouble now!

He had been failing to make subordinates lately, but he felt like he could handle this one.

I, Piyoreureu Yoteu, Theo’s future right paw, shall grant you the honor of becoming my first subordinate!

Flap. Flap.

Piyot, excited at the thought of making a subordinate, climbed onto Sejun’s shoulder.

Tap. Tap.

Piyot? Piyot! Piyot?!

[Do you know whose spot this is? It’s mine, Piyoreureu Yoteu, Theo’s future right paw! Get out of here now?!]

Piyot flapped his wings against Blazing’s shoulder and spoke in the scariest voice he could muster. ‘Heh heh. I’m so scary. What if that guy gets too scared and faints?’

Just as Piyot was reveling in his fearsome appearance,

Slap.

A leaf slap flew at Piyot’s face.

“Humph, humph, humph.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Sejun was currently engrossed in kneading. Blazing was demure when Sejun was watching, but when Sejun wasn’t looking… it was very scary.

Piyot?

Piyot, suddenly slapped, had tears welling up in his eyes.

Peep…

Just as the wronged Piyot was about to ask why he was hit,

Thump.

Blazing raised a leaf like an index finger and blocked Piyot’s mouth.

Eek! Why did you hit me?!

So, he asked Blazing with his eyes. He felt like he would get hit even harder if he made a sound.

[I only hit you once because you’re Theo’s subordinate. Be careful from now on.]

It was a quiet and gentle voice, but

Shiver. Shiver.

Piyot’s legs, already completely subdued by Blazing, were trembling violently.

‘The first strike wins the fight!’

Piyot learned something new today.

Black Tower Administrator Zone.

“Kehing. I’m tired.”

Aileen was exhausted from painstakingly imprinting magic on a fragment of Kai-ra’s heart.

“Kehihihi. But it’s almost done.”

Aileen smiled proudly as she looked at the magic circles densely engraved on the fragment of Kai-ra’s heart.

If she worked a few more days, she would be able to give Sejun the gift on the date she had planned.

Munch. Munch.

“Kehihihi. Sejun’s tomatoes are delicious.”

As Aileen was eating the elixir cherry tomatoes Sejun had given her to recover her magic power and checking the alarm lights on the crystal ball,

[One of the Black Tower’s growth conditions has been exceeded.]

A golden message caught her eye.

“Huh? Exceeded?”

When Aileen clicked on the message,

[Black Tower Growth Conditions]

-Tower Farmer (A): Achieved

-Create 10 or more new varieties: Exceeded (15/10)

-Cultivate 100 million pyeong or more of arable land: Not achieved

-Raise the World Tree: ?

-Secure 10,000 or more pieces of world energy: Not achieved

-Possess 5 or more artifacts: Not achieved

-Achieve 3 great achievements: Not achieved

-Increase the number of Black Tower entrances to 120: Not achieved

The Tower’s growth conditions appeared.

“Huh?! When did we get 15 new varieties?”

Aileen said, checking the conditions.

“But is there anything good about exceeding the limit?”

When Aileen brought her hand to the words ‘exceeded,’

[If there are two exceeded growth conditions for the Tower, one condition will be recognized as achieved.]

A new message appeared.

“Kehihihi. Sejun, you did well! I need to work harder too!”

Gulp.

Aileen put a mouthful of elixir cherry tomatoes in her mouth and began imprinting magic on the fragment of Kai-ra’s heart again.

On the 44th floor of the Tower, Han Taejun and Kim Dongshik were surrounded by the Blue Penguin Tribe and imprisoned.

“What’s today’s date?”

“It’s May 6th.”

When Han Taejun asked Kim Dongshik for the date, Kim Dongshik checked his hunter phone and answered.

At first, they fought the penguins to avoid being captured, but the armor the penguins wore was impervious even to Han Taejun’s Magic Missile.

“Dongshik, drop your weapon.”

“Yes.”

Since the penguins’ attitude didn’t seem to indicate they were trying to kill them, they surrendered willingly.

“There’s not much time left.”

“We need to hurry and deliver the kimchi to Sejun…”

Kim Dongshik said with a regretful voice.

They were planning an event to deliver kimchi and other food to Sejun on May 11th, the one-year anniversary of Sejun’s disappearance.

And today, under the supervision of Sejun’s mother, Kim Miran, the Awakened Association employees were scheduled to make kimchi and record the recipe.

In addition, 1,000 Earth Defense Force members had entered Korea to transport the food made by Kim Miran to the Tower.

Originally, they should have returned before capturing the boss on the 43rd floor of the Tower to have enough time, but Han Taejun insisted on capturing the boss first, which led to this situation.

Somehow, the two top commanders of the kimchi transport operation were unable to command.

“Timing is important for kimchi…”

At this rate, completely spoiled kimchi might arrive by the time it was delivered to Sejun.

“Ahem… I really only intended to defeat the boss and leave, but who knew this would happen? Still, the others will deliver it well to Sejun.”

Han Taejun also seemed sorry, as he spoke quietly, whereas he would usually shout or punch Kim Dongshik for saying such things.

At that moment,

“Do you know Sejun, peng?”

One of the penguins guarding the prison asked them.

“Kneading complete.”

Sejun put the 1000kg of finished dough into his subspace warehouse.

The state would remain the same in the subspace warehouse, so he could pull out the noodles with a noodle maker whenever he needed them.

“Heh heh heh. Is it finally over, nya?! Eunyananyang!”

Theo, who had been sleeping, stretched and yawned at Sejun’s words that he was finished.

Peep!

Piyot, who had been sitting on Sejun’s instep, leaning his head against Theo’s leg and dozing off, quickly stretched his wings, following Theo.

Piyot, who had lost his spot on Sejun’s right shoulder to Blazing, had taken a spot on Sejun’s right instep. Thanks to that, he was able to get closer to Theo.

“I should rest while drinking coffee.”

To take a coffee break,

Creak.

Sejun ground the coffee beans with a mill and then,

Tap. Tap.

He put the coffee grounds in a black, glossy dripper and,

Drizzle.

He began pouring hot water in a circular motion.

The dripper was made of dragon scales by Aileen and had a warming spell on it, keeping the water hot.

Thanks to that, the coffee extraction was more active, allowing him to extract a rich coffee.

Slurp.

“Kuh. Rich.”

As Sejun sat at the table, drinking his self-brewed coffee and taking a coffee break,

“Heh heh heh. Good, nya!”

Theo was on Sejun’s lap,

[Heh heh. It’s warm.]

Blazing was on Sejun’s shoulder,

Hee hee.

[Hee hee.]

Piyot was sitting on Sejun’s instep, basking in the warm sun with Sejun.

At that moment,

Kooeng!

[Daddy Kooeng brought herbs!]

Tap tap tap.

Kooeng, who had met Pink Fur and visited the herb field, ran over with herbs and,

Jump.

He jumped into Sejun’s arms.

Kooeng!

[Here are the herbs!]

Kooeng, nestled in Sejun’s arms, began taking herbs out of his snack pouch.

Ten sweet-tasting blue kudzu roots, one bitter-tasting white kudzu root, and one sour-tasting light green kudzu root.

[Heh heh. Hello, Kooeng?]

Flutter. Flutter.

Blazing waved its leaves to greet Kooeng, who had handed the herbs to Sejun.

Kooeng?

[Is that Blazing, noona?]

Kooeng asked, sensing the unique energy emanating from Blazing’s body.

[Yes. I can come with you now.]

Koohehehe. Kooeng!

[Hehehe. That’s great!]

While the two were talking,

“Let’s go down now.”

Sejun, having finished his coffee, went down to the 79th floor of the Tower with his animals and plants.

And,

[Oh?! There was a decent World Tree candidate here too? Come, my roots.]

Blazing, seeing the tree that conceives birds, guided its roots to the 79th floor of the Tower.