Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 48

[Name: Park Sejun. Title: Top Farmer]

As Theo leveled up to a mid-level wandering merchant, information about Park Sejun suddenly appeared on the D-grade magic cherry tomatoes. Why? Theo’s upgrade had revealed this information to the world through the tomatoes.

“Who is Top Farmer Park Sejun?”

“His name sounds Korean, doesn’t it?”

“More than that, there’s a job called Top Farmer?”

News spread like wildfire. Whispers of ‘Top Farmer Park Sejun’ echoed in hunter circles from London to Tokyo. Suddenly, flights to Korea became the hottest tickets in the world.

The office of the Chairman of the Korea Awakened Association was simple, with just a desk and a table. The office was an icebox. The air bit at exposed skin, and Kim Dong-shik could see his breath misting in front of him.

A muscular, white-haired old man in his sixties sat shirtless at the head of the table, his bare feet resting on a one-meter-thick ice slab. He glared at a man.

Sssssss.

The ice was melting in this cold place because his feet were so hot.

“Dong-shik, I will be direct. Tell me everything you know.”

Association Chairman Han Tae-joon spoke to his youngest disciple, Kim Dong-shik, the leader of Phoenix Guild’s Team 5.

“Master, what do you mean?”

Kim Dong-shik, wearing a thick padded jacket, asked, his breath clouding in the frigid air.

“I heard you went to Park Sejun’s house twice.”

“Ah, Master… about that…”

“Have you ever met Park Sejun?”

Han Tae-joon asked with a serious expression.

“No. Only through a wandering merchant named Theo…”

Kim Dong-shik explained everything he knew to Han Tae-joon in detail, not daring to hide anything.

If he did, and got caught, Han Tae-joon would beat him within an inch of his life. He was over 40 and couldn’t afford a beating like that.

Though officially retired due to a fire curse, everyone knew Master Han was still incredibly powerful, having reached the 52nd floor of the Tower. He constantly had to cool his body because of the curse.

When Sejun said he had climbed to the 40th floor, Kim Dong-shik easily believed Theo’s words because he had already seen the peerless genius that was his master, Han Tae-joon.

“I see. Good. Dong-shik, you will guard Park Sejun’s family.”

Association Chairman Han Tae-joon wanted to prevent the magic cherry tomato producer, who was receiving worldwide attention, from leaving for another country because of family issues.

“Huh?”

“Why? What? You’ve already met them and they know you, so it’s better for you to do it. Any complaints?”

“Ah… no, sir.”

Kim Dong-shik wanted to protest. Guarding a farmer’s family? Team 5 Leader Kim Dong-shik? It felt like a demotion. But looking at his master’s icy glare, the complaints died in his throat.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have your senior disciples take turns.”

Thus, Han Tae-joon decided Kim Dong-shik would guard Sejun’s family, and that was that.

As darkness deepened, the Blue Moon ascended, casting an eerie glow over the land. *Boom!* A wave of energy pulsed outwards, but then, a calming presence descended.

“That’s a relief.”

Sejun watched Eileen circle in the sky bathed in the ghostly light of the Blue Moon, turning the fields silver and blue, and looked at his crops with relief.

After some time passed,

Sssssss.

A soft, blue glow started to emanate from the crops, like tiny stars rising from the earth in the cherry tomato field, the potato field, and the sweet potato field.

“Huh?!”

Then he remembered. It was also time to harvest the sweet potatoes.

“Good heavens! I forgot about the sweet potatoes!”

Sejun blamed his foolishness and checked the crops where the Blue Moon’s energy had gathered.

Thirteen in the cherry tomato field, three in the potato field, and seven in the sweet potato field. The Blue Moon’s energy had gathered.

Sejun quickly remembered the locations of the crops before the Blue Moon’s energy completely permeated them.

As soon as the blue energy completely permeated the crops, he harvested the potatoes and sweet potatoes first, as the produce was hidden underground and the color was not visible.

“Was it here?”

Heart pounding, Sejun carefully pulled at the potato stem. *Plop, plop, plop* – potatoes tumbled out of the earth, and among them, a faint blue glow caught his eye. A power potato!

Sejun pulled two more potato stems and obtained a total of three power potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy, then hurried to the sweet potato field.

Crack!

He dug out seven power sweet potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.

Finally, as he was harvesting the magic cherry tomatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy,

[The Tower’s administrator is strutting, saying they saw your performance.]

“Of course, I saw it. Now, hurry up and create a quest and take this.”

Sejun held out five blue cherry tomatoes, one potato, and one sweet potato. He offered the crops before Eileen even asked because he wanted her to actively block the Blue Moon in the future.

[The Tower’s administrator says thank you.]

[The Tower’s administrator boasts that they will take care of the Blue Moon from now on.]

Eileen did not betray Sejun’s expectations.

[The Tower’s administrator stammers, asking for the potatoes and sweet potatoes to be cooked.]

Eileen spoke cautiously, perhaps feeling sorry for asking for more when she was already receiving something.

“I’ll do it.”

Sejun did it without complaint, having experienced Eileen’s disaster-level cooking skills. ‘Steamed and roasted it is,’ he thought. He still remembered the last time Eileen had ‘cooked’ – a smoky, charred mess that was barely edible.

He didn’t want to waste the crops. And he didn’t want to see Eileen’s message looking upset that she ruined the cooking.

Since he was going to make steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes anyway, it wasn’t much more work.

While the harvested potatoes and sweet potatoes were being made into steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes, Sejun picked up one of the cherry tomatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy and looked at its options.

[Magic Cherry Tomato Imbued with the Blue Moon’s Energy]

[It is delicious because it has been sufficiently nourished by growing cherry tomatoes inside the Tower.]

[The taste is even better with the energy of the Blue Moon.]

[The taste and efficiency have improved due to being cultivated by a farmer familiar with farming.]

[Magic power permanently increases by 0.3 upon consumption.]

[Cultivator: Top Farmer Park Sejun]

[Expiration date: 120 days]

[Grade: C]

“Magic power increases by 0.3.”

He noticed that as the grade went up, the Blue Moon boost wasn’t always double anymore, but it was still a good increase.

“I should only eat four for now.”

He had to use it as a light when obtaining food outside the pond, so he wasn’t going to eat it right away, but Sejun prepared to eat the giant electric eel’s core at any time by making his magic power 10 or higher.

Sejun put the cherry tomato he was holding in his mouth and chewed.

Pop!

Splash!

The plump skin burst, and the sweet and sour juice inside burst out. The juice exploded in his mouth, a burst of sunshine and sweetness, intensified by the Blue Moon’s magic. It was like eating liquid candy, but with a zing.

“Krooooh. Delicious.”

[You have consumed a magic cherry tomato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.]

[Magic power permanently increases by 0.3.]

He ate the next three quickly, savoring each burst of flavor.

[You have consumed a magic cherry tomato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.]

[Magic power permanently increases by 0.3.]

Sejun, who had eaten four blue cherry tomatoes, finally made his magic power 10 or higher. It was exactly 10.25.

A little later, when the steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes were finished, Sejun sent five cherry tomatoes, one steamed potato, and one roasted sweet potato to Eileen to complete the quest.

Then Sejun peeled the blue skin of the steamed potato.

“Hoo. Hoo.”

Sejun blew on the potato to cool it down quickly. He was planning to eat all the potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy when no one was around and destroy the evidence.

“It’s a shame there’s no sugar.”

He was sure that it would taste good with salt, but he couldn’t help but think about it more because he couldn’t eat sugar.

At that moment,

“Ah!”

He didn’t have sugar, but he had something better: the organic honey collected by the poison bees from the cherry tomato flowers he grew himself.

Sejun quickly brought the glass jar containing the honey, opened the lid, and poured the honey into a bowl.

Glug. Glug.

Unlike when he gave honey to Ggoeng-i, the tilt of the glass jar went down without hesitation.

Plop.

Sejun dipped the steamed potato deeply into the bowl of honey and put it in his mouth. The honey-coated potato entered Sejun’s mouth.

“Hoo-ah. Haaa.”

Sejun cooled the hot potato with his breath and chewed it. Each time he chewed the potato, the honey, warmed by the potato, melted into a golden syrup, soaking into the fluffy flesh. Each chew was an explosion of textures and tastes – the earthy potato, the floral honey, a perfect harmony.

Gulp.

“……”

No other words were needed. This was truly a honey combination.

[You have consumed a power potato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.]

[Magic power permanently increases by 0.3.]

When he had finished eating one steamed potato,

[You have achieved the feat of recreating the forgotten dish, Honey Potato, in the Tower.]

“This is a forgotten dish?”

Forgotten dish? Honey potato? It was just… potato and honey.

Eileen ate five magic cherry tomatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy that she received from Sejun at once,

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

She focused on her dragon heart, which was beating slowly and weakly but steadily. This time, her body had adapted, and she didn’t faint.

“Grrr. Grrr. Grrr.”

Eileen felt the throbbing of her dragon heart and swallowed the steamed potato and roasted sweet potato in order.

“Too bad.”

The potatoes and sweet potatoes disappeared as if melting in an instant. As Eileen felt the aftertaste and regretted it,

“Huh?”

Beyond the crystal ball, the commendable human dipped the steamed potato in something.

[The feat of recreating the forgotten dish, Honey Potato, in the Tower has been achieved.]

Eileen nodded. Recreating delicious food… he was indeed a *very* commendable human. One who deserved a special reward. A reward… involving more food, perhaps?

“I should give him a reward for doing something commendable.”

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Eileen’s heartbeat grew stronger. This time, it was a different beat than the dragon heart, but

“Commendable human, accept the quest!”

Eileen, blinded by the honey potato, did not notice.

[The Tower’s administrator nods, seeing you achieve a great feat.]

[A quest has been generated.]

[Quest: Serve Honey Potatoes to the Tower’s Administrator.]

[Reward: 1 job skill]

[Rejection: Well, I’d be disappointed if you rejected, but I won’t show it!]

“What?”

Disappointed, but I won’t show it? Then don’t show it in the quest…

“Can I just make it with potatoes?”

There was no reason to refuse since she was giving him a skill after a long time. It wasn’t difficult either.

[The Tower’s administrator nods vigorously, saying they know their place.]

Sejun peeled the skin of the steamed potatoes in the pot and put five of them in a bowl of honey.

“Here.”

The bowl in Sejun’s hand disappeared completely.

[Quest completed.]

[As a reward for completing the quest, you have acquired a special job skill – Cooking Lv. 1.]

He obtained a new skill.

“Cooking?”

[The recipe for Honey Potatoes is registered in the special job skill – Cooking Lv. 1.]

“Recipe?”

Sejun checked the cooking skill.

[Special Job Skill – Cooking Lv. 1]

[-The taste and effect of dishes made using ingredients from the Tower are slightly increased.]

[-Registered recipes: 1]

“The effect is slightly increased?”

Sejun peeled the blue skin of the steamed potato again and dipped it in honey.

[You have completed a Power Honey Potato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.]

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 1 slightly increases.]

[Due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 1, the taste and effect of the Power Honey Potato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy are slightly increased.]

[Power Honey Potato Imbued with the Blue Moon’s Energy]

[Power potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy are steamed, peeled, and seasoned with honey.]

[The combination of steamed potatoes and honey makes the taste sweet and soft.]

[The taste is slightly improved.]

[Strength permanently increases by 0.3 upon consumption. (The magic power increased by Cooking Lv. 1 is too small to be displayed.)]

[Cook: Top Farmer Park Sejun]

[Expiration date: 1 day]

[Grade: C]

“I can’t make it in advance and eat it.”

The strength increase was still small, but the taste was definitely better.

“Shall I eat it?”

Sejun put the completed honey potato in his mouth.

Gulp.

Scritch scritch.

He buried the blue potato skin in the cherry tomato field, completely erasing the traces of eating the power potato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.

Day 212. Another Blue Moon passed, bringing with it new challenges and unexpected rewards. And Sejun, the Top Farmer, now also had a new title: Cook.