Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 29

Day 177 of being stranded.

Today, I went to the pond before the Black Rabbit called me. I needed to move the piranhas and get lunch ready.

Because my Agility was higher, I worked faster. This gave me a little extra time in the morning before I started farming.

I don’t have a clock, so I can’t measure it accurately, but I definitely feel faster.

Since I had some time before lunch, I went to the green onion field, grown from seeds Sejun took from leek flowers, and cut a few leaves from the still thin green onions.

Chop chop chop.

I thinly sliced the green onions with a dagger and put them on top of the grilled fish as a garnish.

While Sejun and the Black Rabbit were preparing lunch, the White Rabbits finished their work and helped with the meal preparations.

From today, the White Rabbits would eat separately in the cave because the wife rabbit was now so pregnant that she could barely move. It seemed like the babies would be born soon.

“Pull!”

Squeak! Squeak!

Sejun and the Black Rabbit took the lunch the baby bear pulled up, and the three of them ate lunch on the ground.

Sejun took a bite of the grilled fish with green onions and salt and put a dried sweet potato in his mouth to chew it together. He wanted to feel like he was eating a proper meal as much as possible.

Munch munch.

The taste was still strange, like always. As soon as the salty fish entered my mouth, my brain naturally thought of white rice. The dried sweet potato was also a carbohydrate, so it felt a little similar, but it couldn’t replicate the texture and taste of rice.

“Ah, I want to eat rice.”

Sejun looked at the wide wasteland and imagined golden rice ripening. The ground was dry and cracked under the hot sun. Dusty brown and grey stretched as far as he could see. Only a few tough, dry plants grew here and there. He ate the grilled fish and dried sweet potato together again, but it was not enough for Sejun’s mouth.

“Someday, I will eat rice.”

Until recently, Sejun was happy just to be able to eat sweet potatoes, but human greed was endless.

Just as Sejun was setting a new farming goal,

Whirr!

Ten poison honeybees came up from the cave hole, split into pairs, and began patrolling the surrounding 300 meters.

From the day Sejun came up to the ground, the poison honeybees followed him up like this and patrolled. They were protecting Sejun.

“Good job, you guys.”

Sejun finished his meal, watching the poison honeybees fly around.

Squeak…

Squeak…

The Black Rabbit and the baby bear came to Sejun, who was drinking coffee, to take a nap as if it were natural.

The Black Rabbit was small, so it didn’t matter, but the baby bear pushed its head in without hesitation.

However, Sejun’s lap was too narrow for the baby bear, who had grown bigger in the past few days.

Squeak.

It seemed like it didn’t like that it couldn’t sleep in Sejun’s arms like before. The baby bear tossed and turned a few times and then changed its method.

The baby bear laid down next to Sejun, pressing its belly against Sejun’s back, curling up and falling asleep. It was as if Sejun had entered the baby bear’s arms.

Grumble.

The baby bear fell asleep as soon as it lay down.

Slurp.

Sejun took a sip of coffee and completely leaned his body against the baby bear’s fluffy body. The baby bear’s fur was soft and warm against Sejun’s back. The sun felt gentle on his face. He closed his eyes and listened to the quiet sounds of the forest. Soon, he drifted off to sleep.

“It’s fluffy.”

Feeling the cozy feeling of covering himself with a blanket for the first time in a while, Sejun also fell asleep.

How long had he slept?

Slap! Slap!

“Umm…”

Sejun woke up to the sound of something hitting his thigh.

Squeak!

The husband rabbit had come up to wake him up because Sejun hadn’t come down. It seemed he had fallen into a deep sleep without realizing it because the baby bear’s belly was too fluffy.

“Okay, let’s wake up.”

Squeak…

Squeak…

Sejun woke up the Black Rabbit and the baby bear, who were fussing in their sleep.

The Black Rabbit had been training with the baby bear in the afternoons these days. Or, to be precise, the baby bear was playing, but only the Black Rabbit was desperately fighting.

Squeak!

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

The Black Rabbit dodged the baby bear’s forepaws and diligently hit the baby bear with its hammer, but

Squeak!

The baby bear was excited and ran towards the Black Rabbit. “Hyung, this is fun!”

It seemed like it thought it was playing tag.

While the two were playing and training, Sejun planted the carrot tops he had brought up and went down to the cave to start harvesting cherry tomatoes.

Rustle.

While he was cutting cherry tomato branches,

Whirr!

He saw a poison honeybee carrying something the size of a fist and struggling to get out of the cave.

“What is it?”

Curious, Sejun stopped harvesting cherry tomatoes and followed the poison honeybee up to the ground using the rope.

“What is that?”

Sejun asked the poison honeybee, which was wandering around looking for something,

Plop.

Instead of answering, the poison honeybee carefully placed what it was carrying on Sejun’s hand and returned to the cave. It left it with Sejun to get rid of.

“What is it?”

Sejun carefully grabbed the ivory-colored, larva-like thing with his hand.

[Acquired Poison Honeybee Queen’s Cocoon.]

“Poison Honeybee Queen’s Cocoon?”

The message meant it was an item. Sejun examined the cocoon in detail.

[Poison Honeybee Queen’s Cocoon]

The poison honeybee larva has accidentally consumed only royal jelly and is preparing to emerge as the poison honeybee queen.

10 days left until emergence.

It regards the first target it sees after emergence as its owner.

It was not yet time to swarm, but the poison honeybees had come out to abandon it because a new poison honeybee queen was about to be born.

But for Sejun, it was an opportunity to get a second beehive.

Sejun dug a hole in the shade near the rock where he had tied the rope and carefully placed the poison honeybee queen’s cocoon.

Then, he brought green onion leaves from the cave and covered it.

“Will this work?”

Sejun didn’t know how to ensure the poison honeybee queen’s cocoon would safely hatch and emerge, so he minimized external stress as much as possible.

Then, he harvested cherry tomatoes again and helped with the other White Rabbits’ work, and the day passed.

Day 178, morning.

Squeak!

The baby bear announced its arrival at the cave hole. As expected, the baby bear arrived early again today.

“Okay. Hello.”

Sejun and the rabbits woke up and busily prepared for the morning farming.

Munch munch.

Crunch crunch. Crunch crunch.

While Sejun was having dried sweet potatoes and the rabbits were having carrots for breakfast,

“I will have my revenge, nyaa!”

Theo’s voice was heard.

“Huh? What revenge?”

Sejun hurriedly climbed up the rope.

Theo hastened his steps to take Sejun’s lap.

“Nyanyang. I’m finally getting to Park Sejun’s lap, nyaa!”

Theo sang with happiness as he moved to the cave where Sejun was.

At that moment,

Thud. Thud.

A Crimson Giant Bear was digging in the ground above Sejun’s cave.

“This was it, nyaa…”

He had hurried because of an ominous feeling that something was after Sejun’s lap. Sejun was already dead. Why was his ominous feeling always right, nyaa?

Theo mistook that the Crimson Giant Bear was burying Sejun’s bones.

If the Crimson Giant Bear had really eaten Sejun, it wouldn’t have left any bones, but the enraged Theo was not in a situation to judge.

To kill Park Sejun, nyaa!

To take away my comfortable lap, nyaa!

He hasn’t even used up all of his remaining time as Representative Theo, nyaa!

“I will have my revenge, nyaa!”

Clang!

Theo took out his hidden claws and rushed towards the baby bear.

At that moment,

“Theo, you’re here?”

Sejun climbed up the cave using the rope and poked his head out.

“Huh?! That’s right, nyaa! I have returned, nyaa!”

Theo quickly changed direction and rushed towards Sejun’s face.

Thwack!

“Get off.”

Sejun said to Theo, who was stuck to his face.

“Hehe. Okay, nyaa.”

Theo smiled as he climbed up Sejun’s face and jumped to the ground, relieved that Sejun was safe.

“But what is this Crimson Giant Bear, nyaa?”

“It accidentally fell into the cave and we became friends. Now, its mother is protecting this area in exchange for giving honey to the baby bear.”

Sejun answered as he completely climbed up to the ground.

“Is that so, nyaa?”

“More than that, did the trip go well?”

“That’s right, nyaa! I completed all the missions this time and sold everything, nyaa!”

Theo answered loudly and climbed onto Sejun’s lap. He purred happily.

“This time, I sold 1800 cherry tomatoes for 220 Top Coins, nyaa!”

Theo took out the money from his bundle and handed it to Sejun. The amount was less than last time, but it didn’t matter. Higher-grade cherry tomatoes were waiting to be released.

“Good job. Here’s a 5% incentive.”

Sejun gave Theo 11 Top Coins. Sejun raised Theo’s incentive to 5%, the representative level, because Theo was doing a good job.

“There’s also this, nyaa!”

Theo took out the items Sejun had requested, Churu, and Sejun’s favorite seasoning and coffee from his bundle.

“Representative Theo, how many hours are available, nyaa?”

Theo waited for Sejun’s words with expectant eyes.

“Including the last one, 38 hours?”

“Okay, nyaa! I’m going to use it all up this time, nyaa!”

Theo, who had realized the importance of the lap, decided to enjoy the lap for a long time.

“Okay, good job.”

Sejun stroked Theo’s head and tore open a Churu, bringing it to Theo’s mouth.

“That’s right, nyaa! I worked really hard, nyaa!”

Chomp chomp chomp.

While Theo was strutting around and diligently licking the Churu,

Lick lick.

An unfamiliar tongue came in.

“What, nyaa?”

Squeak?

The baby bear tilted its head and looked at Theo. “Who is this hyung?”

The baby bear fearlessly put its tongue on Theo’s Churu.

Haa Haa!

Sejun tightly grabbed Theo’s body, who was pulling out his claws and trying to hit the baby bear, preventing Theo’s rampage.

Squeeeeak!

The baby bear, surprised by Theo, began to scream.

Krooooh.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear, who had not gone far, heard the baby bear’s cry and ran over.

Squeak! Squeak!

The baby bear ran to its mother, the Crimson Giant Bear, pointed at Theo with its paw, and began to tell on Theo.

“Ah… Hello! I am Theo, the wandering cat merchant!”

Theo hurriedly got off Sejun’s lap and bowed 90 degrees to the mother Crimson Giant Bear. He was so flustered that he forgot his dialect and suddenly spoke in standard language.

Krooooh.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear glared at Theo and growled.

“Yes! I was wrong. I will get along well with you from now on.”

Theo apologized diligently, as if she understood him.

“They just fought a little. Nothing happened.”

Sejun also became nervous and hurriedly defended Theo. He had worked hard from afar, and this happened as soon as he arrived… It seemed like it was his responsibility too.

Krooooh.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear blew a strong gust of air, warning Theo not to touch her baby, and went back to patrolling.

“Hunyaang. Nya-hic. Nya-hic.”

Theo, who was relieved, suddenly started hiccuping.

“Okay. It’s over. Calm down.”

“Thank… Nya-hic… you… Nya-hic… Nyaa.”

Theo hiccuped and thanked Sejun.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance either.”

Sejun hugged Theo and stroked Theo’s chest.

Grumble.

Theo calmed down at Sejun’s touch and soon fell asleep.

Squeak.

The baby bear thought it was nap time when Theo fell asleep and lay down, hugging Sejun’s back,

Squeak!

The Black Rabbit also climbed onto Sejun’s lap.

“Guys?”

Grumble.

Squeak.

Grumble.

Instead of answering, only low snoring sounds were heard. They had all fallen asleep in the meantime.

“Oh well. Huh?”

Just as Sejun was giving up and trying to sleep with them, he saw a straw hat next to him. It seemed to have flown over when the mother Crimson Giant Bear blew air earlier.

“Good.”

Sejun, who needed something to block the sun, put on the straw hat and fell asleep.

Day 178 of being stranded. Theo realized that it would be a disaster if he touched the baby bear.

“Baby bear, let’s get along well from now on, nyaa. But just a little Churu…”

Theo mumbled in his sleep.