Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 65

This was Floor 55. Long ago, rabbits ruled here in a place called Red Ribbon. Now, a grand mansion stood tall instead.

Inside the mansion, in the grandest room of all, sat its master.

Landlord Grid was a massive boar, his tusks gleaming. He sat surrounded by expensive items.

“Still no straw hat?” Grid grumbled.

“No, sir. I apologize. We have yet to hear back from the Silver Wolf tribe.”

His boar helper answered Grid.

“Forget the hat. Something more important now.”

The straw hat of Patrick, the Saint of the Land, had strong magic to keep things hidden. It was impossible to know what it really was with normal magic.

“Are you storing the food well?” Grid asked.

“Yes, sir. No food has left since you told us to keep it here, Grid.”

“Hee hee hee. The chance is here again after 100 years.”

The Red Locusts were back in the Tower after a century. Grid thought this was another chance to get ahead, like when he took Floor 55 a hundred years ago.

So, he stopped the food from being sold, making prices go up and waiting for trouble to start in the Tower.

The apple seed pushed down, down, trying to escape the burning heat. It felt a cool energy below. It followed the chill all the way to Floor 99, where cool, clear water flowed in underground streams.

The apple tree could now handle the heat by drinking a lot of water. It waited for the day it could feel the sun and grow.

Then, one day…

“…?!”

The apple tree started to feel the heat and woke up.

“Master! The flame is here!”

Flame, the apple tree who had taken in fire and now had fire powers, called out to Sejun, who had planted him. But Sejun couldn’t hear Flame.

“Flame won’t give up!!!”

Flame wanted to see the light, so he kept growing his roots. Soon, the roots of the apple tree were so big that the corrupted Ents wanted them.

Right now, the Flame Apple Tree was holding back its growth so it wouldn’t hurt Sejun’s crops. The small green sprout Sejun saw was only a tiny part of the tree. Most of it was still hidden underground.

Sejun had gotten the apple seed from a coworker and ate it on the second day. He had forgotten about it because the Green Onion Elves and other crops were growing so fast after he planted the seed.

“Wow! Light!”

Sejun felt bad as he watched the apple tree sprout, so happy to see the light. He had even lit a fire on top of the seed.

‘What have I done to this cute sprout?’

“Is there anything you need?”

Sejun asked the sprout, wanting to do anything for it.

“No! All Flame needed was Master and light, and now I have both!”

“Kuh. This little guy…”

The sprout even spoke nicely, making Sejun feel touched.

“But is your name Flame?”

“Yes! My name is Fl!a!me! I’m so happy that Master called my name!!!”

“Flame?”

It wasn’t a name that fit an apple tree.

Then,

Flicker.

A tiny flame, the size of a bean, appeared on Flame’s sprout, who was very happy.

“Oh?! Flame, can you control fire too?”

“Of course! I am the Flame Apple Tree!”

Flame said proudly, making more flames and moving them around like he was playing.

“Amazing.”

“Hehe. Please tell me if you need anything!”

Flicker.

Flame was excited by Sejun’s praise, and his flame grew to the size of a fist before getting smaller again.

“Then light a fire here.”

Sejun gathered Green Onion Elves and branches for his wife rabbit and told Flame.

“Yes! Yap!”

Flame shouted and dropped a bean-sized flame onto the firewood.

Flicker.

The small flame quickly lit the branches and Green Onion Elves, making a big fire.

“Good job.”

“Hehe.”

Sejun spent time asking Flame questions and praising him.

About an hour passed.

Crack.

Flame grew about 5cm.

“Master! I grew!”

Flame had started to grow upwards now that he was getting sunlight.

“Yes. Good job, Flame.”

“Hehe. Thank you! Flame will grow quickly and help Master!”

“Okay.”

Sejun didn’t know how he was going to help, but he didn’t want to discourage Flame.

Sejun stayed by the apple tree sprout, talking to him until lunchtime.

“We have a new friend on our farm. His name is Flame.”

While eating lunch, he told the animals about the apple tree sprout. He warned Kkuenge not to eat it.

Day 238 of being stranded. An apple tree has been added to Sejun’s farm. Or rather, discovered.

The next day, at dawn.

Creak. Creak.

The tree branch scouts came to Sejun’s farm again.

“To dare target our Flame!”

Sejun was angry when he found out why the corrupted Ents had attacked. What were they going to do to this tiny little one?!

“Guys, drink up!”

Sejun shouted, and the Crimson Giant Bear and the Black Rabbit quickly drank Chef’s soup.

Gulp. Gulp.

Sejun also drank his bowl of Chef’s soup. It wasn’t hot because he had cooled it down.

[Combat Ration – You have consumed the standard serving of Chef’s Soup.]

[Strength increases by 7.1 for 30 minutes.]

[Fullness is maintained for 3 hours.]

Sejun and the animals had more power after drinking Chef’s soup.

“Attack!”

Kroooooh!

Kkuenge!

Pyaaak!

The animals ran out and smashed the tree branch scouts. Sejun also attacked with a torch and dagger.

Sejun’s attack power had increased by 7.1 with Chef’s soup. Now he could hurt the big tree branch scouts.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

The weapon was short and the damage was low, so he had to attack many times, but…

After killing the tree branch scouts, Sejun went back to bed.

Then

Thud!

Something climbed onto Sejun’s stomach.

“What is it?”

“I have returned, meow!”

Theo answered proudly.

“You’re here now?”

“That’s right, meow! I made a lot of money this time too, meow!”

“Okay. Let’s talk about it tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, meow!”

Sejun closed his eyes. Theo checked Sejun’s knees, climbed onto Sejun’s stomach, and closed his eyes.

Purrrr.

Grumble.

Theo felt safe on Sejun’s stomach, which moved up and down as he breathed, and fell asleep.

“Ugh.”

Sejun woke up between morning and noon.

“Huh?! Where did he go?”

Theo wasn’t in the bedroom, like he had already woken up.

“Let’s wash up first.”

Sejun went down to the cave.

“If Flame needs anything, tell me, meow. Representative Theo will help, meow.”

Theo was talking to Flame.

“Meow! I don’t like Flame, meow! Don’t come near me, meow! Anyway, you have to listen to me, meow!”

Theo screamed and ran out of the cave, avoiding Flame’s flames, like the conversation hadn’t gone well.

“Haha.”

Sejun laughed because Theo made him laugh in the morning.

Then, he marked the date, washed his face, and went to greet Flame, who had grown to Sejun’s knee.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too, Master!”

Flame answered happily.

“But why did you fight with Theo?”

“Master… I’m sorry. But Theo keeps trying to give me grilled fish that I can’t even eat…”

Sejun asked, and Flame answered carefully, thinking he was in trouble.

“…I’m sorry.”

Theo had been with Sejun for so long, but he was offering grilled fish to a tree…

Sejun thought about what to do with this silly cat as he went up.

“Chairman Park!”

Theo had been waiting for Sejun and ran over.

Cling.

He held onto Sejun’s knee and started to complain.

“Punish Flame, meow! He bullied me, meow!”

Grasp.

Sejun grabbed Theo’s neck, who was holding onto his knee, and looked at him.

“What’s wrong, meow?”

“I heard you gave Flame grilled fish?”

“That’s right, meow. I gave him my favorite grilled fish to be friends with Flame, meow!”

Theo was trying to be nice and didn’t understand what he did wrong.

“How can a tree eat grilled fish?”

“Oh?! Is that so, meow?! Chairman Park knows everything, you’re amazing, meow!”

Theo learned something new from Sejun and wagged his tail, looking at Sejun with respect.

“Sigh. Go and apologize.”

Sejun felt sorry for Theo and stopped himself from getting angry. He went down to help Flame and Theo make up.

“I’m sorry, meow. I won’t give you grilled fish again, meow.”

After they made up, Sejun asked Theo about the money he made.

“Hehehe. Don’t be surprised, meow. I made a lot of money, meow!”

Theo looked proud and started to take the money out of his bag.

Rustle.

Rustle.

He had to take the money out of the bag many times because there was so much.

“It’s 224,600 Tower Coins, meow!”

“220,000?!”

Sejun was surprised. He knew the Detox Daepa was expensive, but this was a lot of money. There must have been more good things about it that he didn’t know.

“Representative Theo, you worked hard. Here’s a bonus. Save it and don’t waste it.”

Sejun gave Theo almost 10%, or 20,000 Tower Coins.

“Okay, meow! And here are the things I bought, coffee, and seasonings, meow.”

Theo took the items out of his bag.

“Huh? What are these contracts?”

Sejun asked, looking at two contracts.

“Ah! That’s…”

Theo talked about the contract with the five hunters who had to pay back 10,000 Tower Coins for attacking him, and the contract with Han Tae-jun.

“Han Tae-jun?!”

Sejun was surprised to hear Han Tae-jun’s name. He was the strongest hunter in Korea. Everyone in Korea knew his name.

“Representative Theo! Amazing! You got a contract that lets you ask Hunter Han Tae-jun for five favors! Great! I’m so happy! From now on, you’re President Theo for a month!”

“Hehehe. Really, meow?! Chairman Park, I want Churu, meow!”

Theo was confident because Sejun praised him.

“Okay. If President Theo wants Churu, we have to give it to him.”

Sejun opened the Churu and gave it to Theo.

Smack smack smack.

Theo started to talk as he ate the Churu.

“And there are some guys who need to be punished, meow!”

Theo told him about Oren’s gang.

“What?! They bothered our President Theo?!”

“That’s right, meow!!! Chairman Park, punish them, meow!”

Theo thought Sejun was the best person to get revenge.

“Okay! They’re going to find the Ox King of Floor 99? Leave it to me.”

Sejun had an idea.

‘So there are nine porters with bundles coming up?’

Oren and his gang were now the target of an evil being.

They walked through the dark, echoing merchant passage, a long tunnel that connected Floor 90 and Floor 99. The air was cold.

“Why is it so cold all of a sudden?”

“Could it be because we’re hungry?”

Oren and the cats were going to Floor 99 to get rich, but they shivered because it was so cold.