Chapter 136
“Kyarrgh-Where is this?!”
Iona looked around. It was world entirely engulfed in red.
And then,
-Iona, welcome to the world of nightmares. I’ve been waiting a long time for you. Kukuku.
A sticky and unpleasant sound resounded. It was the voice of the ancient Demon King, Nightmare. Iona had entered the nightmare.
-Entertain me today as well. Kukuku.
Along with Nightmare’s words, 10,000 black phantom demons appeared, among which were Gonova and three wizard tower lords, not in black phantom form.
As soon as they saw Iona,
“It’s your fault!”
“Let us out!”
They cursed Iona, who had made them like this, and charged at her.
-I have specifically left their memories intact.
Nightmare said in a gleeful voice.
But then,
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot.”
Iona was enjoying it as well. Currently, she was asleep on Sejun’s lap, where the power of the nightmare was much weakened.
Thanks to that, Iona had a good time defeating Gonova and the Wizard Tower Lords.
But after she had killed the resurrected enemies hundreds of times,
“Huh?! What’s happening?”
Suddenly, the enemies began to grow stronger.
“Why?”
She couldn’t figure out the reason. All she could do now was endure this nightmare. Once in the nightmare’s world, she had to entertain Nightmare until he was satisfied to be able to leave.
And so, Nightmare’s pleasure was someone’s pain. It didn’t matter whether it was the subject of the nightmare or the phantoms. Nightmare enjoyed all the pain that occurred in his world.
“Kyoo-Kyoo-Kyoo-If I can’t avoid it, I must enjoy it! Power of fire, obey my command and unleash hellfire on the enemy that never goes out! Hellfire!Power of wind, blow my enemies away! Tornado!”
Iona created Hellfire with her left hand and a tornado with her right.
And then,
“Go! Hell-devouring firestorm!”
She combined the magic in both hands to activate a new spell. Hellfire and tornado magic spells combined to create a flaming tornado that sucked up and incinerated the black phantoms.
If she were inside the tower, it would be a large-scale magic spell capable of destroying about 10% of a floor. But because she was inside the nightmare, she could use it without any burden and restraint.
This was also the reason why Iona could become a great destructive wizard. No matter how big the magic spell was, it didn’t harm anything around her in the nightmare’s world, so Iona had been researching various magic spells inside the nightmare and using them in real battles.
Thus, Iona killed the enemies and endured the nightmare.
***
“……!”
Sejun woke up, feeling a heavy weight on his lap. It felt different from when Theo was back, almost like a lump of iron on his knee.
“What’s this?”
When Sejun sat up and looked at his knee,
Kurrr.
“Cuengi?”
Cuengi was sleeping on Sejun’s lap. He seemed to have sneaked in at dawn. Normally, Theo would occupy his lap, so this wouldn’t have happened… Suddenly, Sejun felt Theo’s absence.
“Did I send him away for no reason?”
‘At that time, I sent him away in anger… But still, he had to trade sometimes…
As Sejun tried hard to rationalize his decision, when,
“Kyoo-Kyoo-Kyoo-”
He heard Iona’s angry cry from the floor. It seemed Cuengi had pushed her out. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense. Because Iona used an adhesive magic spell before sleeping.
“Cuengi, this kid… he’s going to get hit by Iona if he does things like this…”
Sejun knew that if Iona found out Cuengi pushed her off, she might take him somewhere remote and hit him with magic. She might even hit him with a meteor magic spell.
“I don’t want to see that.”
Sejun quickly picked up Iona and put her back on his lap.
“Kyoot-kyoot-kyoot-”
Her cry quickly turned happy.
Then,
Krueng…
Thump!
Thud.
Seeing something next to him, Cuengi kicked Iona off with his foot.. It wasn’t a push, but a kick?! If Iona found out, she might really hit him with a meteor. Thanks to that, Sejun discovered that Iona had put a shield spell around herself.
“Cuengi, wake up.”
Krueng…
“Lie down and sleep beside Daddy.”
With no other choice, Sejun woke Cuengi up, laid him down next to him, and gave his lap to Iona.
“Kyoot-kyoot-kyoot-”
Sure enough, Iona only made angry cries when not on his lap.
Krueng…
[It would be nice if Dad patted me…]
Lying next to him, Cuengi grabbed Sejun’s hand, placed it on his belly, and spoke.
“Alright.”
Pat. Pat.
As Sejun patted Cuengi’s belly,
Krueng…
[Daddy, sorry for eating all the bananas today…]
Cuengi apologized in a sleepy voice for what had happened during the day. It seemed to be bothering him, which was why he came at dawn.
“It’s okay. But next time, tell Daddy before you eat, okay?”
Krueng… Krueng…
[I understand… I’m happy…]
As Sejun said it was okay, Cuengi made a contented smile and fell back asleep.
***
“Ugh!”
Sejun, who had put Cuengi to sleep and then fell asleep again, woke up stretching. When he woke up, neither Cuengi nor Iona were there.
“Ouch, my whole body hurts.”
There wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t ache, all due to being pressed by Cuengi.
“I need to take care of my body today.”
He didn’t expect to eat so soon, but Sejun decided to make mushroom hotpot with the elixir mushrooms he had prepared the day before.
So he washed up and went straight to the mushroom ants’ house to check if there were more elixir mushrooms.
As Sejun approached the mushroom ants’ house, he saw several huge buildings with massive mushroom heads. The houses were shaped with openings in between the mushroom heads to allow entry and exit.
Kkwek!
The mushroom ants greeted Sejun as he arrived at their home. The ants approached Sejun, encouraging him to harvest the mushrooms on their backs.
“Yes, glad to see you. But I came to pick the elixir mushrooms today. Do you have any?”
Kkwek…
The mushroom ants were disappointed at Sejun’s words, drooping their antennae. None?
“No, it doesn’t have to be the elixir mushrooms… What?! Is this the button mushroom I wanted eat?!”
Seeing the disappointed mushroom ants, Sejun’s heart softened, and he harvested the mushrooms from their backs, exaggerating all the while.
Kkwek!
Thanks to this, the mushroom ants, who became happy, offered their backs so Sejun could pick more mushrooms.
After about an hour of harvesting mushrooms at the mushroom ants’ house, Sejun came out.
“Ah~, I feel like dying.”
His body felt even worse.
“I’ll just put in what I have and eat.”
Having made unnecessary efforts trying to eat more, Sejun gave up searching for the elixir and headed for the kitchen.
Then
Krueng!
Cuengi, who was looking at something in front of the divine stone in front of the house, called Sejun.
“Cuengi, where have you been?”
Krueng! Krueng!
[I played with sister Iona and sister Flamie in the cave while eating fish! I ate peanuts too!]
“Peanuts?! You’re not talking about flicking¹, are you?”
Sejun, fearing Iona might have discovered Cuengi’s mischief and cast a meteor spell, checked Cuengi’s head for any bumps.
Krueng? Krueng?
[What’s a flick? Is it delicious?]
Cuengi asked, rubbing its head against Sejun’s hand as he touched its head.
“No! Flicking is very terrifying. So if someone offers you one, you must avoid it, okay?”
Krueng! Krueng?
[Got it! But Dad, what’s this?]
Cuengi pointed to two plants next to the divine stone. On each plant were black, yellow, red, green, and blue beans, each one colored differently.
“Ah, these are the five-colored beans I planted! They grew so fast?”
It had only been just over two weeks since Sejun planted the five-colored bean seeds, and they had already grown to his knee, bearing bean pods.
“Do beans usually grow this fast?”
Sejun plucked the bean pod, looking puzzled. The bean pod was plump, and it seemed like it contained seeds inside.”
And when he opened the bean pod,
[You have acquired 4 Five-colored Beans.]
[You have acquired a Sturdy Stamina Red Bean.]
[Your proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 6 has slightly increased.]
[You have acquired 700 experience points.]
“Huh?!”
There were other beans inside besides the five-colored beans.
“Sturdy Stamina Red Bean?”
He examined this bean with an odd name along with the five-colored beans.
[Five-Colored Bean]
→ A bean with five different colors grown inside the tower. It delicious, having absorbed enough nutrients.
→ Cultivated by a farmer skilled in farming, improving taste and efficiency.
→ When planted, it increases the fertility of the surrounding land.
→ Occasionally, you can harvest five different beans with special abilities.
→ Grower: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
→ Expiration Date: 90 days
→ Grade: C
“Special abilities?”
It must be referring to the oddly named red bean. Sejun examined it too.
[Sturdy Stamina Red Bean]
→ A red bean grown inside the tower. It’s delicious, having absorbed enough nutrients.
→ Cultivated by a farmer skilled in farming, improving taste and efficiency.
→ When consumed, stamina increases by 100% for 1 minute.
→ It’s a bean that doesn’t sprout when planted.
→ Grower: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
→ Expiration Date: 90 days
→ Grade: C
“100 percent?!”
Although the duration was only a minute, the fact that it could double the stat was astonishing! He had agonized over spending 10,000 tower coins to buy it from raccoon chief Emil in the first place…
“It turned out to be a great deal!”
Sejun then proceeded to pick the bean pods from another five-colored beanstalk, harvesting the beans. This time, he got 4 five-colored beans and one sturdy strength yellow bean. The Sturdy Strength Yellow Bean naturally had the effect of increasing the strength stat by 100% for one minute.
Sejun immediately planted eight five-colored beans near the divine stone. A benefit of farming was that you could plant and multiply anything good.
After planting the five-colored beans, he thought,
“Shall I try one?”
Squish squish.
Sejun chewed and swallowed the yellow and red beans. Although they had a raw taste at first, the more he chewed, the richer the flavor became.
[You have consumed a Sturdy Strength Yellow Bean that boosts strength.]
[Strength stat is increases by 100% for 1 minute.]
[Strength stat has increased by 20.8.]
[You have consumed a Sturdy Stamina Red Bean that strengthens stamina.]
[Stamina stat is increases by 100% for 1 minute.]
[Stamina stat has increased by 21.]
Right after eating, he felt his stats rise, his strength surge, and his body becoming stronger.
And then,
“Shall I hug our little Cuengi?”
With his increased strength and stamina, Sejun confidently reached out to Cuengi.
However,
Krueng!
[If I do that, Dad will die!]
Cuengi hesitated, refusing to be embraced.
“It’s okay! Come gently into Daddy’s arms!”
Thump. Thump.
Sejun said, patting his chest. Though his stats had doubled, he was still afraid to hug too tightly.
Krueng!
[Okay!]
Cuengi cautiously jumped towards Sejun.
Thud.
Thump!
“Ugh!”
Krueng?!
[Daddy, are you okay?!]
At the sound of Sejun’s groan, Cuengi hurriedly asked. Fortunately, his strength had surpassed 40, so the <Power: Indestructible Body>, wasn’t activated.
“I’m… I’m fine!”
Sejun barely managed to respond, holding onto Cuengi. But contrary to his words, Cuengi started to slip down. It was hard for Sejun to hold on with his strength.
“I’m sorry.”
Sejun said, looking at Cuengi, who had landed on his bottom.
Krueng! Krueng!
[It’s okay! I’m satisfied just to have tried to fly into Daddy’s arms!]
“Ahh.”
Such sweet words! Sejun was moved by Cuengi’s words.
“Look forward to it. Daddy will surely catch Cuengi’s jump hug!”
Sejun spoke with firm resolve.
‘From now on, I must not yield the crops that increase strength and stamina.’
With that resolution, Sejun went into the kitchen to start making the elixir mushroom hot pot.
Krueng!
[It smells delicious!]
Cuengi, smelling the food, began to dance.
“Argh.”
‘I mustn’t yield them, starting from tomorrow.’
Looking at Cuengi, who was happy at the thought of eating delicious food, he couldn’t bring himself to eat alone. It wasn’t that he was giving it first because he felt like it would definitely get snatched!
So, while Sejun and Cuengi were having the elixir mushroom hot pot for breakfast,
Bang!
“President Park! I’m here, meow!”
Theo appeared, opening the kitchen door full of confidence.
*****
TL Notes:
1) Here Peanut (땅콩) and Finger Flicking (딱밤) have a similar starting sound.