Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 716

They stood in the Land of Destruction. The name was no exaggeration. Cracked, barren earth stretched in every direction, littered with the grey dust of ages. A silence, heavy and absolute, pressed down on them. Then, Sejun heard a small sound – a soft munching. He turned and saw him: a child, sitting amidst the desolation, happily eating a rice cake.

“Is it yummy?” Sejun asked gently.

The child, face smeared with rice, looked up. He didn’t speak, but nodded with fierce enthusiasm, his small head bobbing up and down. Sejun watched him, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. Even as he ate with such innocent delight, Sejun couldn’t forget the flash of anger he’d seen in those same eyes just moments before. This one has a temper, Sejun thought.

“Iona, could you call Emila or Amur?” Sejun asked.

“Yes! O, power of light…” Iona chanted, and a burst of pure white light erupted into the sky, a beacon against the dull landscape.

A moment later, Emila and Amur hurried over, their faces etched with concern.

“Sejun! What happened? Are you injured?” Emila asked, her voice sharp with worry.

“Sejun, are you alright? We sensed the signal – is everything okay?” Amur added gently.

“I’m fine. More importantly, please take a look at that child,” Sejun replied, gesturing towards the boy.

“A child?” Emila questioned, surprised.

“Why is there a child here?” Amur wondered aloud.

Following Sejun’s gaze, Emila and Amur noticed a naked boy. Finding a naked child in this desolate place surprised and confused them. They faintly felt the aura of the Creation God from the child.

They approached the child, examined him, and hurriedly dressed him. But as they were dressing him, the child woke up.

Angered by being woken up, the child stood up clumsily, flailing his arms and attacking them with surprising strength, his tiny fists swinging wildly.

Despite his small size and innocent face, the child attacked with surprising strength, his tiny fists swinging wildly. The child was strong, but his fighting skills were terrible, so they seized the opportunity to wrap his arms and torso tightly with chains made of the power of creation, subduing him.

“Eek! Eek!” the child cried, unable to move as he pleased.

“Waaah~!” he then burst into tears and began to wail.

At that moment, Sejun stepped forward. He often found himself calming Kkamangi, felt a familiar instinct kick in.

“Stop. I’ll give you this if you stop crying,” Sejun said gently.

Immediately, he stopped.

What’s that? Am I going to eat it? Gulp.

The child stopped crying and swallowed, staring intently at the rice cake that Sejun had brought as a snack. Each time the rice cake wobbled up and down, the child’s eyes followed it.

Heh heh heh. He’s just a child after all. Nothing beats food.

“Emila,” Sejun said.

“I understand,” Emila replied.

Emila, in place of Sejun who couldn’t get close to the child, placed the rice cake in the child’s hand.

Munch. Munch. Oh! Yummy!

The child ate the rice cake ravenously.

Thump. More, please.

He had already eaten a rice cake as long as himself and was now holding out his hand in an impudent manner. He seems to understand words, but can he speak?

“You have to say ‘please,’” Sejun said, taking out another rice cake but not giving it to him, speaking to him to see if he could talk.

The child, with a sulky expression, emitted energy towards Sejun, expressing his displeasure. However, there was also a cat here who was very displeased.

“Haa! Haa! Haa! How dare you threaten the great Hybrid Park CEO, meow!” Theo hissed, his fur bristling.

Theo was a thug who could hit anyone regardless of age or gender.

Thwack.

Theo instantly teleported and hit the child on the back of the head.

Why did you hit me?!

The child sent resentful eyes towards Theo, who had already returned to Sejun’s lap.

“Waaah~!” he burst into tears again.

Whoooosh. A massive energy began to press down on the surroundings.

“Ugh!” Sejun struggled with the energy emanating from the child.

Thwack.

“Stop crying, meow! Park CEO is having a hard time, meow!” Theo hit the child on the back of the head again.

What did I do wrong… Why are you hitting me again?!

The child was very upset, but he held back his tears. He didn’t want to get hit again. As the child stopped crying,

“Theo, give him this,” Sejun said.

“Puhuhu. Understood, meow! Eat this, meow!” Theo put the rice cake that Sejun gave him into the child’s mouth.

I’m scared of the one who hits me. I like the one who gives me food.

In that way, fear of Theo and fondness for Sejun grew rapidly in the child’s mind.

Munch. Munch.

Slide. More, please.

This time, he held out both hands a little more politely. It was an instinctive action.

“Pwease,” the child said, beginning to imitate what Sejun had said earlier.

“Heh heh heh. Alright,” Sejun said, handing the rice cake to Theo.

“Puhuhu. Eat it while being grateful to the great Hybrid Park CEO, meow!” Theo put the rice cake in the child’s mouth, taking full credit.

Munch. Munch.

“Bak Cheo?” The child repeated the word he heard most clearly from what Theo said while eating the rice cake.

“It’s Park CEO, meow!” Theo corrected.

“Bak Cheo,” the child repeated.

“No, meow! It’s Park CEO, meow!” Theo insisted.

“Bahk. Cheo,” the child struggled.

Sejun’s title was getting stranger and stranger.

“Can’t you say it right, meow?!” Theo raised his voice.

The child froze at Theo’s raised voice.

“Theo, don’t bother him when he’s eating. Come back,” Sejun said.

“Puhuhu. Understood, meow!” Theo replied.

The child focused on eating again.

A moment later, the child held out his adorable little hands again.

How cute.

“Pwease.”

“Heh heh heh. It’s even tastier if you dip it in this,” Sejun said, taking out a jar of golden honey, thick and sweet-smelling.

“Dip pwease,” the child said, the words now coming out automatically.

Sejun smiled and dipped the rice cake generously in honey before handing it over. The child ate about 10 rice cakes like that and fell asleep, breathing softly, still clutching the rice cake he hadn’t finished eating in his hand.

He’s similar to Kkamangi.

Sejun decided to consider Kkamangi as 1 year old, watching the child. What’s the point of being old? He’s acting like a baby.

“Emila, what should we do with this child?” Sejun asked Emila for her opinion, looking at the soundly sleeping child.

“Well, I think we should take him and talk to the Creation God first,” Emila replied.

“Okay. Then, just in case, I’ll leave the rice cakes and honey,” Sejun said. At Emila’s answer, Sejun entrusted the child to Emila and Amur and returned to the Creation God’s temple. The two decided to register a waypoint when the child woke up and take him to the Creation God.

Thus, Sejun disappeared from the Land of Destruction. The scent of honey that Sejun had left behind wafted from the desolate Land of Destruction, where there was nothing. And it smells delicious.

A child, appearing to be about 1 year old, toddled towards the waypoint.

The Creation God’s Temple.

“I should stop here for today.”

Sejun carried the day’s cooking to a small stone building beside the grand Temple of the Creation God. He had built this little building himself, using his amazing talent to shape stone. Iona, with her magic, added a spell to keep the food fresh and safe inside.

“Let’s go now,” Sejun said.

“Puhuhut! Okay, meow!” Theo replied happily.

“Ggyut ggyut ggyut! Yes, we will!” Another voice agreed.

Sejun, Theo, and Iona set off. Later, as the sun began to set, Emilia and Amur reached the Temple of the Creation God. They carried two small children who were so busy chewing and swallowing rice cakes that they didn’t notice where they were going. *Munch, munch, slurp.*

Emilia and Amur walked to the large wooden door at the front of the temple.

*Knock, knock, knock.* Emilia knocked gently.

A moment later, a voice came from inside. “Ahem,” it cleared its throat. “Has Sejun gone?”

“Yes, Great One,” Emilia replied. “But there are people here you should see. It’s important.”

“People to see?” the voice questioned.

“Yes,” Emilia confirmed.

“Very well.”

*Creak.* The heavy door slowly opened, and the Creation God stepped out.

And then – the Creation God stopped. He stared at the children in Emilia and Amur’s arms. They were still happily eating, rice cake crumbs on their faces. A wave of emotion washed over him. *It couldn’t be… but it was.* He recognized something in their small faces, a flicker of something familiar. *My child.* The child he had cared for long ago. They were different now, smaller, younger, but the spark was still there.

“Where… where did you find these children?” he asked, his voice a little shaky.

“We found them in the Land of Destruction, Great One,” Amur answered.

“The Land of Destruction?!” The Creation God’s eyes widened.

“Yes. What should we do with them?” Emilia asked.

“Hmm,” the Creation God murmured, lost in thought.

Just then, the child in Amur’s arms finished his rice cake. “More!” he demanded, holding out a sticky hand.

“No, little one,” Amur said gently.

“HAA! HAA!” The child shrieked, suddenly twisting and squirming like a little snake, trying to get down. *Wriggle, wriggle!* He even made a hissing sound, just like Theo the cat!

“No, no, you stay here!” Amur held him tighter.

“HAA!” the child yelled again.

“No!” Amur repeated, a little strained. It was becoming a small wrestling match.

*Wriggle, wriggle!* The other child, seeing his brother’s tantrum, also finished his rice cake and started kicking his legs against Emilia. “Gimme! HAA!” he copied, watching his brother.

“Come here, little ones,” the Creation God said, reaching out. *They used to be so calm with me.* He took the children into his arms, trying to rock them gently. But instead of calming down, they got worse.

“HAA! HAA!”

*Thump! Thump!* Tiny feet kicked the Creation God in the chest.

“Oh dear! Now, now, you mustn’t do that!” the Creation God said, trying to sound firm, but his voice was a bit shaky.

“HAA! HAA! HAA!” The children just yelled louder, kicking and wriggling even more. They were definitely full of wild energy from the Land of Destruction, and maybe… just maybe… they had picked up some bad habits from Theo. Or perhaps, he thought with a sigh, they were just naturally very naughty children. Whatever the reason, they had terrible tempers.

“Ahem,” the Creation God said, a little desperate. “Bring more of those… those rice cakes they were eating! Quickly!” He needed something to calm these tiny terrors.

But Emilia and Amur exchanged worried glances. “Great One,” Emilia said hesitantly, “we… we ate them all.”

“Sejun didn’t leave very many,” Amur added apologetically.

The Creation God’s face fell. “Gone? All gone?”

“Yes, Great One.”

“Then… when will Sejun return?” he asked, his voice now filled with a hint of panic.

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” Emilia replied.

“*Tomorrow?!*” The Creation God exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief.

“HAA! HAA!” The children seemed to sense his rising panic and yelled even louder, kicking harder. *Thump! Thump!*

*Tomorrow?* The Creation God thought, looking down at the two screaming, kicking children in his arms. *I have to look after these… these little monsters until tomorrow?!* His heart sank. Emilia and Amur looked at each other, their faces also showing a mixture of pity and worry. This was going to be a very long day.

Back in the Black Tower, on the 99th floor…

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!*

[Hey, Butler! Where did you go without the amazing Blackie?! You should have taken me! You’re in trouble now!] Blackie had woken up from his nap and was stomping around the farm, looking for Sejun and barking loudly.

As soon as Sejun appeared, Blackie rushed over. “Blackie,” Sejun said, raising an eyebrow, “shouldn’t *you* be the one in trouble?”

Blackie’s loud barking suddenly stopped. *Squeak!* [Run away!] He tucked his tail between his legs and darted off to hide in the sweet potato field. He was all bark and no bite.

“Dinner time,” Sejun said to himself, shaking his head with a small smile. He went into the kitchen.

*Hee hee.* *The butler is cooking!* Blackie peeked out from behind a sweet potato plant, watching Sejun through the leaves. Soon, curiosity overcame fear, and he crept towards the kitchen again.

A little while later, *Gguhehehe! Ggueng!*

[Hehehe, Papa, Ggueng is back! I brought herbs!] Ggueng, beaming, came running from the herb garden, holding out five knobbly roots of turmeric.

**[100-Day Guardian Turmeric]** *This special turmeric has grown in the Black Tower for 100 days, carefully grown by the skilled herbalist Ggueng. It has extra strong powers! Eating it will make you stronger (+10 to all stats) and give you a shield of protection around your body for 24 hours.* *Grower: Superior Herbalist Ggueng* *Best Before: 100 days* *Quality: A*

*Guardian aura?* Sejun read the description. He was a little curious, but tried not to get too excited. He’d been disappointed too many times before when things sounded too good to be true. *Curry would be good with this later,* he thought.

He took the turmeric from Ggueng. “Well done, my son!” he said, giving Ggueng a hug and a pat on his fluffy bottom.

“Puhuhut!” Theo purred, pushing his own bottom forward. *Kee hee hee!* Blackie did the same.

“Alright, alright,” Sejun chuckled, patting Theo and Blackie’s bottoms too, until he needed his hands free to cook again.

Soon, dinner, cooked by ‘Sejun Unit 12’ (as he jokingly called himself), was ready. “Everyone, dinner’s ready!”

“Hey, Sejun!” Theo called out. “Where’s the grilled fish and peanuts for Iona and me, meow?”

“Coming right up,” Sejun laughed. “I almost forgot about my girlfriend’s special meal.” He shook his head, smiling, as he quickly grilled fish and stir-fried peanuts.

“Okay, all done! Let’s eat!” Everyone gathered around, enjoying a happy and delicious dinner together.

“Ahhh, I’m stuffed!” Sejun sighed happily after dinner. He leaned back with his friends, watching the stars twinkle in the dark sky. It was a peaceful end to a busy day.

“Time for bed, everyone,” he said, yawning. He went to his bed, closed his eyes, and then, in his mind, he travelled to Blackie’s mental world.

“I’m sorry,” he began, as he always did. “I am so sorry.”

Just then, a low *grumble* echoed in the darkness. Corruption appeared, shadowy and indistinct as always.

“Oh, hello,” Sejun said.

-Hello, Corruption replied, his voice still short and a little cold, but he did answer this time.

-Are you still wondering where I am? Corruption asked. *You are curious, aren’t you? Just say you are!* He seemed to be almost… pleading, in his own strange way. He gave Sejun a look that was heavy with unspoken questions. Corruption was sure now that he wouldn’t hurt Sejun. He just wanted to talk.