Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 709

“How *dare* you! Staring at me like that! Do you want to feel my poison needle?” A shrill, buzzing voice echoed through the cold stone halls of Tartarus, the prison of the gods.

*Psh.* Dalkom, Queen of the Poisonous Honeybees and Warden of this desolate place, barely registered the guard’s pathetic whimper.

“Kerk!” she snapped, her voice sharp as a sting. Before the guard could even flinch, her hand, tipped with a glistening, venomous needle, flashed out.

Bee-ing?

Her eyes, cool and assessing, turned to Ganjal. *Was this truly Rascal’s last crony?* she wondered, distrust coloring her gaze.

Dalkom did not like mistakes, for even a small one could lead to great danger later.

“Yes! That’s correct!” Ganjal trembled with fear at Dalkom’s question, his answer bursting out of him like a scream trapped too long.

Bee-ing. Bee-ing. Bee-ing.

*Good. Then let’s go see Rascal. I wonder what kind of expression he’ll be wearing this time.*

“Yes!”

Having cut off all of Rascal’s sources of information, Dalkom revisited the prison where Rascal was confined.

With the information she had gathered during her investigation, Rascal would not be able to keep smiling for long.

Creak.

As Dalkom entered,

“You visit too often. They say familiarity breeds fondness… but Tartarus has been quite noisy because of me. Aren’t you being a bit too extreme?” Rascal greeted Dalkom with his usual smirk.

However, he seemed less at ease, the corners of his forced smile twitching slightly.

Bee-ing.

*You have a slightly more tolerable expression than last time.* Dalkom ignored Rascal’s words and spoke in a haughty voice, as if to show him who was in charge.

Bee-ing. Bee-ing.

“Rascal, I’ve obtained some rather interesting information. It seems you were planning an escape.”

She spoke of something Rascal desperately wanted to keep hidden.

“······.”

Rascal merely smiled faintly at Dalkom’s words, remaining silent.

*How did she find out?!* No. He was desperately trying to conceal his agitation.

Bee-ing. Bee-ing. Bee-ing?

*There’s no use playing innocent. I’ve already secured all the evidence and witnesses. And you know the rules, don’t you? A prisoner who attempts to escape must rot in this prison for the rest of their existence, until they are extinguished.*

Rascal’s face hardened at Dalkom’s continued remarks.

At the same time, he felt regret. He should have been more careful…

The former warden, the god of tyranny, Heta, had little interest in managing Tartarus, so he had confidently planned his escape, never expecting the warden to change.

A long silence followed.

*I can practically hear you thinking.* Dalkom waited patiently, as if to hear what Rascal would propose.

“Warden, is there anything you desire from me?” Rascal asked, using polite language and a respectful tone.

It was a sign of complete surrender.

“Hmm. I wonder. Is there anything I want?” Dalkom responded ambiguously to Rascal’s words.

Revealing what you want first in a negotiation is something only amateurs do.

I don’t have overwhelming power like Sejun, so I have to do things this way, even if it’s a bit bothersome.

Dalkom wasn’t talking about Sejun’s personal strength, but the influence of the powerful Sejun Family.

As Dalkom fell silent again,

“Warden, I will give you everything I possess. So please, turn a blind eye to this,” Rascal pleaded, sending Dalkom a desperate look.

It was more advantageous to give up all his treasures and gain an opportunity than to rot here until he was extinguished. He could always steal the treasures again later.

“Well, let’s see the goods first.” Dalkom conditionally accepted Rascal’s offer, hiding a victor’s smile.

“Hoo. Thank you. If you take this key, you can go to the world where the treasure is located. And the treasure vault too…” Rascal handed Dalkom a key and spoke of the name of the world where his right eye was located.

No wonder he was one-eyed before entering Tartarus; it was to hide his right eye, which could open the treasure vault.

Thus, Dalkom obtained the key to the treasure vault.

Bee-ing.

*Seventh, come to me.*

Whirr?!

*Dalkom, did you call?!*

Using the authority of the Queen of Poisonous Honeybees, she summoned Seventh.

And bee-ing.

*You shall be the warden in my stead.*

Whirr!

*Yes!*

She passed the position of warden to Seventh.

That was the only way she could return to the Black Tower.

The other poisonous honeybee queens had also gained divinity by eating Fire’s nutrient solution, so there was no problem with Seventh receiving Dalkom’s position as warden.

Bee-ing. Bee-ing.

*Manage this place well, and secure any helpful information you find.*

Whirr! Whirr!

*Yes! Leave it to me!*

As Dalkom entrusted Tartarus to Seventh and departed,

Whirr. Whirr?

*Wee hee hee. Am I going to rule this place?*

Power is sweet.

Seventh sat arrogantly at the warden’s desk, delighted.

A short while later.

“Huh? Who are you?!” Ganjal, who had entered the warden’s office to give a report, saw Seventh instead of Dalkom and shouted.

Whirr!

*I am the new warden, Seventh!*

“What?! Why are you the warden?! I was supposed to be next!”

The treacherous god Ganjal and the treacherous honeybee Seventh glared at each other. They did not get along well.

Thus began their battle of wills.

Whirr! Whirr?!

*How dare you! How dare you stare directly at me! Would you like a taste of my poison needle?!*

Seventh took out the poisonous honeybee’s ultimate weapon, the poison needle, with a shrill voice.

“No!” Ganjal quickly cowered.

Kkamyeol Great Castle.

It was the morning of the third day since returning from the White Tower. Sejun and his party could see the two groups of disasters sent by Tarrak again today.

Kkueng!

*We will make them surrender!*

Buk buk!

*Death before surrender!*

Buk buk! Buk buk!

*Show your belly and live! Show your back and die!*

The 800 Buk Buks, under Kkuengi’s command, subdued the 200 planet-destroying turtles, and eliminated the 2,000 ogres.

As the anticlimactic battle ended,

[You have completed the Tower Lord Quest.]

[As a reward for completing the Tower Lord Quest, you have been recognized as the owner of the 10th Tower.]

The quest completion message appeared before Sejun.

*I’m a real landlord now!* Sejun was deeply moved.

*System, if you try to screw me over again, I won’t stand for it!*

As Sejun was wary of what the system might do,

[Tower Lord-exclusive abilities, only usable by the owner of the 10th Tower, are being granted.]

[Due to limitations in ability, some abilities have been restricted.]

[[Tower Lord-exclusive ability for the 10th Tower Lord: Banishment> has been granted.]

[[Tower Lord-exclusive ability for the 10th Tower Lord: Demotion> has been granted.]

[[Tower Lord-exclusive ability for the 10th Tower Lord: Blessing of the 10th Tower> has been granted.]

A message appeared before Sejun, stating that Tower Lord-exclusive abilities had been granted.

*So, you’re screwing me over after all. I’m definitely going to impeach you.*

Sejun really wanted to change things. He looked at the special powers he had just gotten.

First, there was ‘Banishment’. Sejun read that it could send someone away from the 10th Tower. But it also said it would use a lot of magic, especially if the person was strong.

Next was ‘Demotion’. This power could erase someone’s waypoints and send them back to the first floor. But just like ‘Banishment,’ it needed a lot of magic if the target was strong.

Finally, there was the ‘Blessing of the 10th Tower’. This power would protect Sejun, but the description didn’t say how.

“Hmm, are these powers even useful?” Sejun wondered, reading the words. “It’s hard to tell just from this.”

“Herr, Banish!” Sejun said, deciding to test it out on Herr, who was always around and never paid rent.

[Trying to banish Herr, the god who lost his powers.]

[Herr, the god who lost his powers, is fighting back!]

[You need 1 billion magic points to banish Herr.]

“Hmm.” One billion magic points? That’s way too much! “These powers are useless,” Sejun thought. “Let’s try the next one. Herr, Demote!”

[Trying to demote Herr, the god who lost his powers.]

[Herr, the god who lost his powers, is fighting back!]

[You need 300 million magic points to demote Herr.]

Herr fought back again.

“This is useless too.”

Sejun sighed. “Okay, forget ‘Banishment’ and ‘Demotion’,” he said to himself. “They’re not going to work.”

“Kkooeng, can you show me a little bit of your power?” Sejun asked. He wanted to test the last power, the blessing. He asked Kkooeng to unlock just a tiny bit of her seal.

“Kkooeng!”

“[Daddy, I’ll be very careful! But even a little bit of my power is strong!]” Kkooeng said.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Sejun said, a little nervous.

*Crack!*

“Stop, stop!” Sejun yelled quickly. The blessing power around him was already breaking, just from a tiny bit of Kkooeng’s energy.

Sejun shook his head. “Well,” he said, “I guess these powers are not very helpful after all.”

Maybe Herr was too strong to test these powers on. But Sejun thought, if these powers couldn’t even work against Herr, they probably wouldn’t be useful for anything else anyway.

“Oh well. Being a landlord is still great! Heh heh.” Even though the powers were useless, Sejun was still happy to own the 10th Tower.

“Today is a day to celebrate! Let’s have a party!”

“Puhuhu. A party sounds great!” Theo said. “Let’s have grilled fish!”

“Kkyut kkyut! Yes! A peanut party!” Iona added.

“Kkooeng wants honey rice cakes!” Kkooeng shouted.

“Dried sweet potatoes!” Kking yelled.

At Sejun’s words, the group began to argue about which party they wanted to have.

“Hehehe. Why argue?” Sejun said, smiling. “We can have all of them!” Being the landlord of the tower made him feel generous.

Happy with their decision, they all went back to the Black Tower to get ready for the party.

“Vee! Sejun!” Dalkom flew to Sejun. She had just come back from Tartarus, a dangerous place far away. She rubbed her head against Sejun’s face, purring loudly. She was so happy to see him.

“Dalkom! Are you hurt anywhere?!” Sejun asked, examining Dalkom’s body.

“Vee. Vee…” Dalkom said, trying to get Sejun’s attention. “[I’m okay! But Sejun, I have something important!]” She really wanted to be praised. Quickly, Dalkom told Sejun everything she had learned from Rascal. Then, with a flourish, Vee. “[Here it is!]” She gave Sejun a rusty key.

[The Thief God Rascal’s Secret Key]

This key will open the way to Rascal’s secret treasure room. You need to put magic into the key to make it work.

“Hehehe. Good job, Dalkom.” Sejun stroked Dalkom’s head. *I knew I should have come to find out!*

Dalkom smiled brightly, looking proud.

As Sejun was praising Dalkom,

Thud. Thud.

Pink Fur came to get his Choco Pie.

“Just a moment.”

Sejun went to the kitchen, filled Pink Fur’s snack pouch with Choco Pies, and had breakfast with his companions.

“Okay, everyone ready?” Sejun asked, standing up. “Let’s go find Rascal’s treasure!”

“Vee!” Dalkom shouted excitedly from Sejun’s shoulder. She was coming with them this time! Around them, with a soft *whirr whirr*, a million honeybees gathered to protect Dalkom.

“Open up!” Sejun shouted, putting his magic into the key. He felt confident. But… nothing happened. The rusty key stayed still. Sejun’s magic wasn’t strong enough to open a door to another world.

“Ahem.” Sejun cleared his throat. “Maybe… maybe we need more magic. Anyone want to help?” Sejun asked, acting like it was their idea.

“Puhuhu! We can help!” Theo said.

“Kkyut kkyut! Yes!” Iona agreed.

“Kkooeng!”

“Kking!”

“Vee!”

One by one, they put their paws and hands on the key with Sejun. *Oooong.* The key glowed, and suddenly, the air in front of them shimmered and tore open, like a curtain being pulled back. A swirling doorway appeared in the air.

[Welcome to the 0-level world, Manota.]

A voice in his head told Sejun the world’s name and level.

“A 0-level world?” Sejun said, surprised. “What does that even mean?”

“Theo, take in as much energy as you can, just in case,” Sejun said. He wasn’t sure what to expect in a 0-level world.

“Understood!” Theo replied.

Sejun was a little worried. If there were creatures here, Theo taking in energy might hurt them.

“Chairman Park,” Theo said after a moment, “it looks like no one lives here!”

Sejun looked around. Theo was right. The place seemed empty.

“Kkyut kkyut. Yes, I don’t sense any living things around,” Iona said. “Except… wait. I feel something big over there!” Iona pointed.

*Thud. Thud.* The ground started to shake. Something huge was coming towards them from the direction Iona pointed.

Then, it appeared.

[One-Eyed Sentinel]

A giant golem, with one huge eye in the middle of its face, stood before them. It was bigger than a house, bigger even than a small hill!

*Kkuong!* Before anyone could react, the golem swung its massive fist down at them!

“You punched Daddy!” Kkooeng roared.

[Kkooeng is furious!]

Kkooeng grew even bigger, her fur bristling with anger. She swung her own giant fist in a powerful counter-attack.

*Wham!* Kkooeng’s fist smashed into the golem’s middle. The golem cracked and crumbled, falling to the ground. Its huge eye popped out and rolled towards them.

The golem’s eyeball resembled the Thief God Rascal’s eye.