Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 66

The sound of happy chewing filled the quiet room.

Theo, the black cat, purred loudly as he ate a Churu treat from Sejun’s hand. He had told Sejun about the Oren gang earlier, and now he was enjoying his reward.

“Meow!”

Theo’s green eyes gleamed. *Praise from Sejun!* he thought. *Yes, I need to find something else to impress him!*

He began to dig through his bundle of items. *Rummage, rummage,* went his paws, pushing aside stones and bits of string. Then, his claws caught on something hard and wooden.

“‘Master Park, look! Meow!'” Theo cried out, pulling with all his might. He dragged out a small hand axe, holding it up proudly.

“A hand axe?”

Sejun picked up the small axe, turning it over in his hands. The handle was short and worn, and the blade was just the size of his palm.

“Why this?” he asked, looking at Theo.

Theo puffed out his chest.

“‘It felt… important, meow! My paws just knew I had to bring it to you!'”

Sejun chuckled. “Really?” He looked at the axe more closely.

As Sejun looked at the axe, a voice echoed in his mind, clear as a bell. *Give the unappraised hand axe to the Great Black Dragon, Aileen Fritani.* Sejun jumped, looking around. Had he imagined it? Then, the voice spoke again, stronger this time.

*And bring Chef’s Cherry Tomato Soup. Only then will you know the axe’s true name.*

A moment later, the voice returned, laced with a hint of something like… approval? *Hmm,* the voice mused. *This hand axe… it is… quite interesting.*

Sejun remembered the last item Theo had found, a cursed ring that Aileen had dismissed as worthless. He hoped this axe would be different.

Sejun, holding Theo, went to the kitchen. The smell of rich tomato soup filled the air. He ladled a spoonful into a bowl, carefully tasting it. The tomatoes, softened and sweet, mixed perfectly with the savory meat and his special herbs. *Perfect,* he thought. He sent the soup to Aileen, feeling a little proud of his cooking.

Suddenly, the voice spoke again, filled with satisfaction. *Here is your reward.* And in Sejun’s hand, the plain hand axe transformed. It now seemed to glow faintly, the metal looking stronger and sharper.

*Great Warrior Uka’s Throwing Hand Axe,* the voice announced. *This axe was made by the dwarf blacksmith Uka himself, for his own use. It is perfectly balanced for throwing, and the blade is so sharp it can split grains of wheat with ease. It even has magic to bring it back to your hand after you throw it.*

Sejun grinned, feeling a surge of excitement. *This is amazing!* He held the axe, feeling its weight and balance.

“‘Theo, you are incredible!'” he exclaimed, scooping up the cat and giving him a kiss on the top of his head.

Theo froze, then frantically started licking his forehead.

“‘Meow! What was that for, Master Park?!'”

At the same time, the voice of Aileen boomed in Sejun’s mind, filled with mock outrage.

*Your lips are now tainted! How dare you!*

Sejun laughed, feeling happy and a little silly.

Just then, a notification popped into Sejun’s mind. *Growth Promotion skill ready.* Sejun’s eyes widened. “‘Firefly!'” he thought. He rushed outside to the apple tree, eager to use the skill.

“‘Firefly, my friend!'” he called out. The apple tree rustled its leaves happily.

“‘Master! Welcome!'” Firefly’s cheerful voice echoed.

“‘Get ready, Firefly! It’s time for a boost!'” Sejun said, activating the Growth Promotion skill.

The 67th floor of the Tower was a harsh, rocky landscape. Lizardmen warriors, their scales gleaming in the dim light, stood ready, holding rough-hewn weapons. Before them, swarms of Red Locusts, insects with hard red shells and buzzing wings, filled the air.

“‘Attack!'” roared Tamuro, a huge Lizardman with a scarred face.

“‘Waah!'” the Lizardmen and human mercenaries cried, charging forward.

They were defending an area surrounded by tall, sharp Blade Leaves, plants that sliced through the Red Locusts like knives. The ground was littered with the bodies of the insects, their red shells dull and lifeless.

“Hurry!”

Tamuro shouted, simultaneously cutting down five Red Locusts with his massive greatsword.

“Yes!”

The Lizardman transporters loaded the Red Locust corpses onto the carts and pulled out the withered Blade Leaves.

They planted the new Blade Leaves brought by the wolves into the ground.

Thanks to Tamuro, the Lizardmen who had eaten Chef’s soup before departure were able to finish the job quickly due to their increased strength.

“Great Warrior Tamuro! The work is finished!”

“Good! Send the carts ahead first, and we will retreat slowly!”

At Tamuro’s command, the Lizardmen prepared to retreat slowly, making space for the carts to move.

Just then,

“Great Warrior Tamuro! Five Red Locust units are approaching from the front!”

A Lizardman scout, who had been patrolling the area, ran up and reported to Tamuro.

Sejun frowned. Something was different today. The Red Locusts usually flew in consistent numbers, but today, there seemed to be more of them.

Sejun had just noticed a new leaf on his Fire Leaf plant. He quickly ate his lunch, his mind still on the locusts.

“Uma King,” Sejun said to his wise old cow, “I need your help.”

Moo! Uma King mooed softly, as if understanding.

Sejun then went to Cheon-sam Woo, the big, strong bull. “Cheon-sam Woo,” he said, “Some cats might come to the farm soon. Please scare them away, but don’t hurt them, okay?”

With those tasks done, Sejun started his afternoon farming work, hoping the locusts wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

“Nyaang. Nyaang.”

“Move a little,” Sejun said.

Sejun was cutting green onion leaves. He gently pushed away Theo, who was rubbing his face around Sejun’s mouth and blocking his view.

However,

“Nyaang. Nyaang. Give me a kiss, nyaang.”

Theo knew that Sejun’s kiss meant ‘good job!’ He then rubbed his head against Sejun’s lips, wanting more praise.

“Enough,” Sejun said.

Theo kept meowing and getting in the way. Sejun was starting to get annoyed. He placed Theo on his lap and resumed cutting the green onion leaves.

At that moment,

[Acquired 1.1mL of honey from the cherry tomato flower.]

[Beekeeping Lv. 3 proficiency slightly increased.]

[Beekeeping Lv. 3 proficiency is full, leveling up.]

The level of the beekeeping skill has increased.

And then,

Whirr! Whirr!

About 1300 poison honeybees, who were sucking honey, flew towards Sejun.

“Chairman Park, I was wrong, nyaang!” Theo cried.

Theo thought that Sejun had called the poison honeybees to punish him, so he quickly hid inside Sejun’s shirt.

“Hey! Get out!” Sejun said.

“Eek! I don’t want to, nyaang!”

Sejun barely managed to pry Theo, who was stuck to his back, off and put him back on his lap.

“What’s going on?” Sejun asked the poison honeybees.

Whirr!

As Sejun asked, one of the poison honeybees landed on the back of Sejun’s hand.

And then,

Whirr!

[Please instruct which flower to collect to make honey jelly.]

“Honey jelly?” Sejun asked.

Sejun looked at the beekeeping skill that had just leveled up, surprised by the sudden words of the poison honeybees.

[Special Job Skill – Beekeeping Lv. 4]

-You can beekeeping when you own a beehive.

-The activity area of the beehive bees you own slightly increases.

-The speed at which the queen bee lays eggs slightly increases.

-The honey collecting speed of the bees slightly increases.

-The amount of honey collected by the bees slightly increases.

-The pollination probability slightly increases.

-You can produce honey jelly with special effects. (Currently, honey jelly can only be made from honey and pollen collected from one type of flower.)

-Currently owned beehives (3/4): 3 poison honeybee beehives

You can make honey jelly with special effects?! Sejun was lost in thought while looking at the new explanation of the beekeeping skill.

“First, make honey jelly from cherry tomato flowers for beehives number 1 and 2,” Sejun instructed.

Since there were many cherry tomatoes, he entrusted it to the poison honeybees of beehives number 1 and 2, which had a large number of individuals.

And then,

“Beehive number 3, take care of the peanut flowers and the remaining flowers,” he told them.

He entrusted the peanut field and the flowers of the remaining plants to beehive number 3, which had a small number of individuals.

Whirr! Whirr!

The poison honeybees, having received Sejun’s work instructions, flew to their respective locations.

“What kind of honey jelly will come out?” Sejun wondered.

Scritch scritch!

While Sejun was thinking about honey jelly and cutting green onion leaves, it was time to eat dinner.

“Okay, let’s eat,” Sejun said.

Dinner was Chef’s carrot soup. The soup was a vibrant orange color, and the aroma of carrots filled the air. It tasted sweet and earthy, warming Sejun from the inside out.

Squeak!

Pyaa!

Pyak!

The rabbits were excited about the carrot soup.

After finishing the soup,

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

[Agility increases by 7.1 for 30 minutes.]

[Fullness is maintained for 3 hours.]

Agility increased.

“Let’s work quickly and rest,” Sejun said.

It was the perfect effect for Sejun and the rabbits, who were expanding the fields by 1000 pyeong every night before going to bed to grow the talent of the landlord.

[Created 1000 pyeong of cherry tomato field.]

[Acquired 2000 experience.]

Sejun and the rabbits, who created 1000 pyeong of cherry tomato field in just one hour with the increased agility, finished their work and fell asleep while resting.

Kroooooh!

It was dawn on the 240th day of being stranded.

The roar of the mother Crimson Giant Bear woke Sejun up. A tree branch scout had invaded.

“Ootchah!” Sejun shouted, excited to use the newly acquired throwing handaxe of Great Warrior Uka.

He got up energetically, holding Theo and the black rabbit in both hands, and ran to where the battle was taking place.

Kkueng!

Thwack! Thwack!

Kkuengi was cutting off the limbs of the large tree branch scout when Sejun arrived. He greeted Sejun.

“Did you sleep well, Kkuengi? Let’s go, everyone!” Sejun greeted Kkuengi and shouted.

“Chairman Park, trust only me, nyaang!” Theo declared.

Patsching!

Shashashak.

Theo darted like a shadow, his sharp claws flashing as he attacked the large tree branch scouts, eliminating them.

Pyak!

Pyok! Pyok! Pyok!

The black rabbit swung its hammer greatly, sweeping away the small tree branch scouts from the ground. The rabbit was small but strong, its hammer a blur of motion.

While Theo and the black rabbit were active,

Thwack!

[Defeated a large tree branch scout of the corrupted Ent.]

[Acquired 500 experience.]

…

..

.

Sejun had eliminated all the large tree branch scouts that Kkuengi had handled.

‘Shall I throw it once?’ Sejun thought.

With no enemies to defeat, he strongly threw the handaxe towards a large tree branch scout approaching from about 50m away.

Whoosh!

The handaxe powerfully cut through the wind and struck the center of the large tree branch scout’s body.

Thwack!

Crack.

[Attacked the grain.]

[Grain Splitting Lv.1 is activated, succeeding in splitting.]

[Defeated a large tree branch scout of the corrupted Ent.]

[Acquired 500 experience.]

“Oh!” Sejun exclaimed.

With the first attack, he attacked the grain, and the large tree branch scout split in half and fell with a single attack.

“Retrieve,” Sejun commanded.

When he used the retrieve skill, the handaxe had already returned to Sejun’s hand.

Whoosh.

Sejun, having gained confidence, attacked another large tree branch scout again. Kkuengi, watching Sejun fight from behind, nodded.

Kkuengi thought, ‘Dad is getting a little bit stronger. Maybe one day he will be as strong as me, but not yet!’

Kkueng!

Pleased with Sejun’s growth, Kkuengi didn’t pay attention to his dad and began swinging his front paws at the tree branch scouts in earnest.

Wham!

With one punch filled with Kkuengi’s sincerity, the enemies 10m in front were cleanly annihilated.