Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 91

Theo held tightly to Sejun’s knee and looked annoyed as he watched Iona come out of the dimensional storage. “Why is Iona here, meow?!” he grumbled.

Theo thought he had left Iona far behind in the Tower.

“This Tower is tricking us, meow! It’s a fake!”

As Theo complained about the Tower, Sejun exclaimed, “Excellent!”

Sejun was happy to find a loophole: even without making someone a subordinate, they could come with him if they were in the dimensional storage. Now, he could bring more subordinates when the green alarm appeared.

As Sejun celebrated, the Purple Locusts began to swarm towards Sejun and the animals, wanting to kill the enemy in their hatchery.

However, Iona, the magician of great destruction, was there. “Kyoo-Giga Lightning!” she shouted.

Blue lightning bolts shot from Iona’s tiny fingers, hitting the Purple Locusts.

The blue lightning spread, frying the Purple Locusts until its power ran out. In an instant, all the Purple Locusts in front of Sejun fell.

[Guardian Iona… ]

Experience messages flashed by too fast to read.

But Sejun wasn’t completely happy.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have gained 1 bonus stat.]

[You have reached the daily maximum level-up limit of 10.]

[You cannot acquire experience other than that gained directly until the day passes.]

“Huh?! What about the experience I just got?” Sejun was upset as he read the message. The experience that could have quickly boosted him to level 50 for the job quest had disappeared.

“I didn’t know there was such a limit…”

Most hunters on Earth did not know about this daily level limit. They never leveled up so quickly to find out.

“No choice then. Retreat for now!” Sejun decided to return to the Jewel Frog habitat instead of fighting. Even if he fought hard, he wouldn’t gain much experience.

So, he planned to guard this place and wait for the day to pass. Protecting this place would also prevent the Jewel Frogs from disappearing.

“Kids, grab some meat.” Sejun had the animals collect the Purple Locust corpses. The roasted chicken smell from Iona’s electric magic made him want to cook something tasty.

He opened the dimensional storage, took out 20 sturdy Blade Scallions, and planted them at the entrance to keep Purple Locusts from entering easily. Then, he went inside the Jewel Frog habitat.

“Kyut? Where are we now?” Iona asked, looking around.

“We’re in the Jewel Frog place, meow! On floor 67! We’re here to help the Jewel Frogs, so they don’t disappear!”

“Jewel Frogs?”

“That’s right, meow! I’ll introduce you to the Jewel Frogs, meow!” Theo answered Iona. He was cautious of Iona but still did what he needed to do.

Meanwhile, Sejun looked at the Purple Locust meat he had brought to cook.

“Let’s see.”

Some of the locusts hit directly by Iona’s attack were charred and couldn’t be eaten, but the ones hit when the lightning was weaker were only burnt on the outside.

The inside was already lightly cooked, making it easy to prepare and eat quickly.

“First, I need to take out the Detox Scallion.”

Sejun opened the dimensional storage and went inside.

“Wow… it’s huge.” The upgraded dimensional storage was much larger than before. It was big enough for three Black Minotaurs to fit inside comfortably.

“This and this.” Sejun put the ingredients in a pot and came out.

He cut the Purple Locust meat into pieces and made slits, stuffing them with Detox Scallions to stop the poison from working.

After making 10 chunks of meat filled with scallions, he called Kkuenga, who was watching from the side, drooling. “Kkuenga, make me thin, long branches.”

Kkuenga! Thinking he could eat something tasty, Kkuenga was very helpful. He used magic to shape the Ent’s branches as Sejun wanted.

“Good.” Sejun skewered the meat onto the branches and placed them on a support made of stones, about 20cm away from the flames.

“Now, just turn them sometimes so they cook evenly. Got it?”

Kkuenga! Kkuenga nodded. This time, he planned to cook it like roasted chicken using indirect heat.

It could be called Purple Locust Roast.

At that moment, his stomach growled. He hadn’t finished his meal on the 99th floor.

But Purple Locust Roast took time to cook since it wasn’t using direct heat. He needed another dish to satisfy his hunger.

“Theo, chop this up finely.” Sejun pointed to the Purple Locust meat and ingredients, speaking to Theo, who was returning. Iona was gone.

“Understood, meow! Leave it to me, meow!”

Theo took out his claws and finely chopped the meat and ingredients.

“Thanks.”

‘Hehe. Chairman Park needs me, meow?’ Theo, happy about Sejun’s thanks, held onto Sejun’s knee.

Sejun put the Purple Locust meat, potatoes, and scallions that Theo had chopped into a pot, seasoned it with salt, and began to boil it. It was Chef’s Soup.

“Ppyu ppyu. Help me.” To cook faster, Sejun called Ppyu Ppyu and asked him to make the fire stronger.

Ppyu Ppyu! Ppyu Ppyu went to the fire and used fire magic.

The fire got stronger.

The soup turned purple as it boiled.

[Violet Chef’s Potato Soup has been completed.]

[Cooking Lv. 4 proficiency slightly increases.]

Sejun checked the options of the dish.

[Violet Chef’s Potato Soup]

[Thinly sliced Purple Locust meat, Detox Scallions, and Strength Potatoes are simmered together, blending all ingredients and enhancing all effects.]

[Detox Scallions stop the poison in the Purple Locust meat from working, making the meat more tender.]

[The Detox Scallion effect keeps the dish from spoiling easily.]

[The taste is slightly improved.]

[Upon consumption, Strength increases by 10.5 for 30 minutes. (Strength increases by 0.5 due to Cooking Lv. 4 effect)]

[Fullness is maintained for 4 hours.]

[Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun]

[Expiration Date: 30 days]

[Grade: C+]

The dish’s options were better than when using Red Locust meat.

“Kids, let’s eat.” Sejun called the animals.

However, the animals didn’t look happy when they saw the color of the soup. They looked like he was playing with their food.

Of course, Kkuenga, who ate anything, didn’t care.

Kkuenga! Kkuenga drank the soup that Sejun gave him in one gulp.

The animals started discussing how they would eat the purple soup.

“I won’t eat it, meow,” Theo said.

The Black Rabbit closed his eyes and suggested eating it that way.

“We can use hallucination magic,” Iona suggested.

Ppyu Ppyu! Ppyu Ppyu suggested using dyeing magic.

Meanwhile, Kkuenga drank the soup in one gulp and held out his empty bowl to Sejun, who was eating the soup. It was already his fifth gulp.

“Come on, try it. There’s not much left, and it’s really good,” Sejun said, urging the animals. He gave Kkuenga another bowl.

“Just eat it.”

The animals, unable to agree, began to eat the purple soup in their own ways.

Then, Theo, who wasn’t eating the soup, climbed onto Sejun’s knee and demanded Churu. “I want Churu, meow.”

“Alright.” Sejun tore open the Churu packet and handed it to Theo.

As the meal ended, the smell of roasted chicken filled the cave. It was from the Purple Locust Roast.

“Is it done?” As Sejun went to the Purple Locust Roast,

[You have achieved the first Purple Locust Roast creation in the Tower.]

[The Purple Locust Roast recipe is registered in Cooking Lv. 4.]

[Cooking Lv. 4 proficiency greatly increases.]

[Due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 4, the special effect: Lower-Grade Poison Resistance is granted to the Purple Locust Roast.]

The dish was completed just in time.

“Lower-Grade Poison Resistance?” He seemed to know what it was just by the name. Sejun checked the dish.

[Purple Locust Roast]

[Detox Scallions are stuffed inside and the Purple Locust meat is roasted for a long time, making it non-greasy and savory.]

[With skillful cooking, the Purple Locust meat and the Detox Scallions are well-cooked, making the texture tender and the taste delicious.]

[Detox Scallions have stopped the poison in the Purple Locust meat from working.]

[Special Effect: Lower-Grade Poison Resistance]

[Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun]

[Expiration Date: 15 days]

[Grade: C+]

“Kids, try this.” Perhaps because they had already eaten the purple soup, the animals began to eat the Purple Locust Roast without hesitation.

As the animals ate the Purple Locust Roast, the delicious smell began to spread outside the cave.

The Purple Locusts eating the corpses of their kin near the Jewel Frog habitat smelled the roast.

Following the scent, the Purple Locusts began to swarm into the crevices of the rocks, the Jewel Frog habitat.

[Your crops have eliminated a pest.]

[You have gained 1 experience.]

[Your crops have eliminated a pest.]

[You have gained 1 experience.]

[Your sturdy Blade Scallion withers from poison.]

“Huh?” As Sejun looked for a weapon at the message,

Hundreds of Purple Locusts entered the cave.

“So fast?” Sejun grabbed his dagger and hand axe.

At that moment, Iona stepped forward and said, “Kyut kyut kyut. Sejun, open the dimensional storage and shout ‘Freeze Storage’ when the Purple Locusts come in!”

Sejun opened the dimensional storage towards the Purple Locusts.

The Purple Locusts entered the dimensional storage to eat the crops inside.

Then, as Sejun spoke, “Freeze Storage.”

A strong wind was created, sucking in the Purple Locusts.

[Purple Locusts are being freeze-stored.]

[Purple Locusts are entering hibernation.]

[If the Purple Locusts are not taken out within 10 hours, they will freeze to death.]

[5% of the space is filled.]

The Purple Locusts were frozen into square ice blocks and stacked neatly in the corner of the dimensional storage. Moreover, they weren’t dead, so he could take them out later to gain experience.

“Kyut kyut kyut! Did you see? I added a new magic thing! ‘Freeze Storage’!” Iona said proudly.

“Iona, you’re amazing! Do you want some roasted peanuts?” Sejun handed Iona the roasted peanuts he had roasted on the 99th floor.

“Kyut kyut kyut! Yes!”

Iona carefully received the roasted peanuts with trembling eyes, raising both hands, and carefully put them in her dimensional pocket. She was too full to eat them now.

‘It’s dangerous, meow.’ Theo felt worried as he watched Sejun praise Iona. His position was in danger.

However, ‘Hehe. Chairman Park has no choice but to adore me, meow!’

Fortunately, Theo had something to believe in. Theo took out a rainbow-colored jewel he had found while wandering around the Jewel Frog habitat.