Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 93

Dust and smoke filled the air on Floor 67 of the Tower.

“Whew,” one soldier gasped, wiping sweat from his face. Another slumped to the ground, letting out a shaky breath. “We actually lived.” The sound of bodies dropping heavily echoed around them as exhaustion took over.

Suddenly, the buzzing of the Purple Locusts stopped. They turned as one and flew away to the east.

Soldiers, their bodies aching from hours of fighting, collapsed onto the dusty floor, weapons falling from their numb fingers.

Their moment of peace didn’t last.

“Malcai!” A voice called out. Elka, Chieftain of the Silver Wolves, hurried down from the stairs leading from the 99th floor. Her face was urgent.

Malcai looked up, his face smudged with dirt and sweat. “Chieftain Elka! It’s been a mess here! What’s happening?”

“Malcai, we must hurry to the Navia Swamp!”

Malcai blinked, confused. “What? Navia Swamp? What are you talking about?” He forgot all about telling Elka about the fight on this floor.

Elka explained quickly. “The Golden Bat told me! Sejun is fighting Purple Locusts in the Navia Swamp!”

“Sejun?!” Malcai exclaimed, his eyes widening. *Awoo!* Elka howled, a sharp, urgent sound that echoed through the floor.

Elka quickly called the Silver Wolves together with another howl. Then, she went to find Tamuro, the Lizardman Great Warrior in charge of this area.

“Navia Swamp?” Tamuro repeated, his lizard eyes thoughtful. “Why are you going there?” Elka nodded firmly. “Yes! We have to.” Tamuro was silent for a moment, considering.

“I’ll come with you,” Tamuro decided. “I was wondering why the Locusts went that way anyway. It’s important to see what’s happening there.”

And so, Tamuro, with his Lizardman soldiers marching behind him and 120 Silver Wolves running ahead, set off towards the Navia Swamp. Dust rose from their hurried steps.

After Sejun and Theo entered the cave, messages popped up regularly, showing Sejun was gaining experience as his crops eliminated the pests.

The Firm Blade Leek was struggling against the poison.

The sound of metal on metal, a *clang*, came as Sejun opened his subspace warehouse, preparing for the imminent swarm of Purple Locusts. Once the Firm Blade Leek weakened, they would try to enter the cave.

“Everyone! Gather around!” Sejun called out, a knot of worry tightening in his stomach. He needed his animal companions close.

“Yes!”

Pyak!

Kkueng!

Ppyu ppyu!

The animals rushed to Sejun’s call. About twenty minutes passed.

Sejun leveled up and gained a bonus stat.

“Something’s strange.”

Sejun decided to go outside himself, as the Purple Locusts still hadn’t entered.

Kkueng!

Kkuengi, as if sensing Sejun’s worry, pushed forward, flapping his little paws. He wouldn’t leave his dad alone. Such a loyal little creature.

Sejun stepped outside, Kkuengi leading the way, and stopped dead. “Huh!” He stared in amazement. The ground around the cave was covered in dead Purple Locusts.

And among the dead insects, a few green plants stood tall – leeks, like his Detox Leeks, but a darker shade of green.

“What is this? I didn’t plant any Detox Leeks.” Sejun said, examining the leeks.

Their color was different from Sejun’s Detox Leeks. While the Detox Leeks were closer to a bright, light green, the leeks in front of Sejun were a much darker, deep green.

Sejun frowned, touching one of the strange leeks. He couldn’t understand it. He carefully pulled one from the ground to get a better look.

[You have harvested a Detox Leek that has slaughtered a swarm of poisonous insects.] [Your job experience slightly increases.] [Your Harvesting Lv. 4 proficiency slightly increases.] [You have gained 30 experience.]

“A Detox Leek that has slaughtered a swarm of poisonous insects?”

Just then, [You have discovered a cultivation method that enhances the medicinal properties of crops grown in land with specific conditions.] [Your job experience greatly increases.]

“A cultivation method that enhances medicinal properties? What does that mean?”

Sejun quickly checked the leek’s options.

[Detox Leek that has slaughtered a swarm of poisonous insects] This Detox Leek has not only neutralized the poison of the Purple Locusts, but also killed them in large numbers. Its healing power is stronger now, and it’s become a higher quality leek. When consumed, it can cure strong poisons (up to C+ grade) for an hour. For normal people, it greatly improves liver function for a whole day. Grower: Tower Farmer Park Sejun Expiration Date: 90 days Grade: C

The medicinal properties of the Detox Leek that slaughtered the Purple Locusts improved, and its grade rose to C. Moreover, its detoxification ability is C+.

“Oh!” Sejun exclaimed. It was the first time the grade of a crop had risen in this way.

Sejun looked at Theo, a thought forming in his mind. *Could it be…?* He hadn’t planted these leeks. That left only one possibility.

“Nyang nyang nyang,” Theo purred, completely focused on his task. He kneaded Sejun’s tired face with his paws, humming happily as he tried to soothe away the stress.

Theo looked up at Sejun, grinning proudly. “Am I doing a good job, nyang?” He had been working hard, and Sejun’s face was starting to look much better.

“Yes, Theo, you’re doing great,” Sejun smiled.

“Puhu! I knew it, nyang! Then give me Churu quickly, nyang!”

“No.”

“Nyang?! Why not, nyang?!” Theo was shocked by Sejun’s refusal. After all the hard work he had put into kneading!

“I have to plant leeks.”

“Okay, nyang! I’m generous! You plant the leeks first, *then* give me Churu, nyang!”

“Alright.” Sejun replied to Theo, glancing at the intermittently appearing experience gain messages.

Sejun looked around at the dead locusts. “The Detox Leeks are working, but where are the *living* ones dying now?” He couldn’t see any more locusts moving nearby.

“Theo, do you hear anything?”

“Sound, you say, nyang? I hear purple bug sounds over there, nyang!” Theo pointed to one side with his paw.

“That way?” Sejun asked, and started walking in the direction Theo indicated. The ground crunched under his feet with every step, covered as it was with the brittle shells of dead Purple Locusts.

The closer he got, the stranger it became. He noticed marks on the dead locusts – bite marks. They were eating each other! And the locusts further away were even more mangled, as if they had been attacked fiercely.

He walked for about 500 meters, when a strange feeling came over him, a sense of being held back. *You cannot stray more than 100m from the Navia Swamp.* It was like an invisible wall. He realized he had reached the edge of the swamp’s influence.

Then he heard it – a sickening *crunch, crunch* sound in the distance. And then, *plop*. He saw Purple Locusts, still munching on the bodies of their fallen comrades, suddenly shudder and fall to the ground, legs twitching.

Sejun breathed, understanding dawning. *The Detox Leeks aren’t just killing them directly – they’re making the dead locusts poisonous!* That’s why the locusts further away were less affected – the poison in the dead bodies was getting weaker as it spread.

“I can plant them *here*,” Sejun said decisively. *Dig, dig.* He used his dagger to quickly make holes in the ground, planting Detox Leeks, spacing them out carefully. He became completely focused, determined to create a strong defense line, and planted almost all the Detox Leeks he had left.

“This should do it,” Sejun muttered, stepping back to admire his line of Detox Leeks. He felt a surge of farmer’s pride. For now, experience points were forgotten. All he cared about was seeing his crops become even better.

Soon, the buzzing sound grew louder again. More Purple Locusts were coming, still driven by their hunger, even eating the dead bodies of their own kind as they advanced.

As the locusts reached the Detox Leeks, they ate them without hesitation. And then, they fell. Others, drawn to the fallen bodies, began to feed, only to succumb to the poison themselves. Death spread outwards from the line of leeks, like a dark wave.

Suddenly, a low *grumble* came from Kkuengi. *Kkueng!* He nudged Sejun’s leg with his head, patting his own round belly with a paw. He was hungry again!

“Alright, alright, let’s eat,” Sejun chuckled. It hadn’t been long since their last meal, but Kkuengi was growing fast. Sejun led the animals back to the cave, his own stomach rumbling now too.

Back in the cave, Sejun grabbed some more Purple Locusts and quickly started cooking.

“Here you go, eat up!” Sejun said, placing bowls of food in front of the animals. *Kkuengeing!* Kkuengi chirped happily, humming with anticipation. The other animals quickly gathered around, ready to eat.

“Now give me Churu, nyang!” Theo demanded Churu again.

“Alright,” Sejun agreed, tearing open a Churu stick. *Smack, smack, smack* – Theo happily devoured the treat.

“Master Theo,” Gae-ron said hesitantly, “Could I… could I have some food too?”

“No, nyang! You are too big, nyang!”

“-Master Theo! But I can shrink myself!” Gae-ron insisted. Theo considered this. “Hmm, you can? Okay, nyang. Come on out then, nyang.”

“-Yes! Thank you!”

A puddle of dark liquid appeared beneath Theo’s paws, swirling and bubbling. From it, a tiny frog, shimmering with rainbow colours, hopped out.

Bow.

“-Great Master, I would like to eat the food too. Please allow me!” Gae-ron bowed to Sejun and asked.

“Alright,” Sejun chuckled, pouring some soup into a small bowl and placing it near Gae-ron. With a happy *hop*, Gae-ron jumped right into the warm soup. “-Great Master! This is delicious! Ahhh, so refreshing!” He splashed happily in the soup, clearly enjoying both the meal and the bath.

As they were eating,

“But Gae-ron, why did you sneak into the Tower?” Sejun asked, suddenly curious.

“-That’s…because I don’t want to die.”

“Don’t want to die? What do you mean?”

“-Great Master is the Great Black Dragon, so you know. That everyone will die on the Final Day if they don’t enter the Tower…”

“The Final Day?”

The Final Day? Everyone will die if they don’t enter the Tower? This was all new to him.

“-Yes,” Gae-ron said, his voice serious. “The Final Day. The day this world, the world where the Tower appeared, is destined to end.”

“-The world will *perish*?!” Sejun repeated, stunned. “-Yes! You didn’t know? Really? Where did you even learn about the Tower?” Gae-ron seemed genuinely surprised.

*The Tower Administrator doesn’t know something even a frog-god knows?* Gae-ron thought, bewildered.

“Haa! Haa!” Theo suddenly hissed, fur bristling along his back, Churu forgotten. “Gae-ron! How *dare* you! Are you disrespecting Chairman Park, nyang?!”

“-N…No! Not at all!” Gae-ron stammered, shrinking back in the soup.

“-Haa! Just answer Chairman Park’s question, nyang!” Theo snapped.

“-Yes! Yes! The Tower… it appears in worlds that are going to be destroyed. Worlds where terrible disasters are about to happen.”

“Beings of disaster?”

-Yes. Like the Locusts we fought a little while ago.

“Locusts are appearing?” Sejun’s mind raced. He pictured swarms of these insects on Earth, devouring everything, spreading poison. He knew how quickly they could multiply, how devastating they could become. *If they reached Earth…* He felt a chill run down his spine.

“-Yes,” Gae-ron confirmed. “The Tower comes to a world just before it’s destroyed, to save a few people.”

“-Only those chosen *before* the end…” Sejun murmured, his thoughts swirling. *This changes everything.* If this was true, panic would erupt on Earth. His plans… his hopes of helping his old world… they might all be for nothing.

“Stopping the Locusts… before they destroy everything?” Sejun wondered aloud.

“-Well…” Gae-ron hesitated. “Many worlds have tried… but they all failed. My world too… Ah! But maybe… maybe your leeks are different! Maybe they can change things!”

Gae-ron had never seen the poison of the Purple Locusts detoxified and killed before. Usually, the true beginning of destruction starts with the evolution into Purple Locusts. Because all the land in the world becomes contaminated with poison.

Just then, a voice echoed from the cave entrance. “Sejun! We’re here!” Elka, leading the Silver Wolves, burst into the cave, her eyes scanning the scene, having tracked Sejun’s scent through the swamp.