Chapter 197
Administrator Area.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted…”
Aileen, tired from engraving magic onto the fragment of Kai-Ra’s Dragon Heart.
Munch.
She quickly consumed the Elixir: Cherry Tomato Imbued with Powerful Magic Power that Sejun had given her to replenish her magic power.
Thanks to the constant consumption of the elixir-grade cherry tomatoes, her magic power was gradually increasing, which in turn extended her engraving duration slightly.
At that moment,
[Tower Farmer Park Sejun has created the job: Herbalist.]
[The prestige of the Black Tower rises.]
An alert appeared in the crystal orb.
“Kehehe. As expected of, our Sejun!”
Aileen didn’t understand the significance of the rising prestige of the Black Tower, but she was simply happy that Sejun had achieved something.
“This is not the time to relax! I’ll work even harder! Sejun, wait for me!”
Burning with motivation, Aileen began to engrave magic onto the Dragon Heart fragment once more.
***
Krueng!
[This one’s for Dad to eat, too!]
Emerging from the ground, Cuengi handed Sejun a glowing red kudzu root.
“Okay. Thanks.”
Sejun carefully examined the glowing red kudzu root he received. Lately, he had been extremely uneasy every time Cuengi gave him anything.
[Crimson Flame Kudzu Root]
→ A kudzu root that grew by absorbing nutrients from surrounding kudzus due to its strong will to survive. It underwent an evolution by absorbing the energy of hot fire.
→ Upon consumption, all stats increase by 20, or the potential of all stats increases by 10.
→ Upon consumption, fire attribute related talents are enhanced.
→ It has a strong bitter and spicy taste.
→ Usage restriction: Lv. 55 and above, all stats 100 or above
→ Grade: A+
“It keeps getting tougher.”
Sejun liked the part about the enhancement of the fire attribute related talents upon consumption. However, this time, instead of a sour taste, it included a spicy one.
Just then,
Rumble.
Krueng!
[Dad, Cuengi’s hungry!]
“Just a moment.”
For Cuengi, who had worked hard digging for herbs, Sejun quickly retrieved a box of sweet potatoes from the void storage.
And then,
“Crop Gigantification. Here, Cuengi, eat this.”
Sejun used his skill to enlarge the sweet potato and gave it to Cuengi.
Krueng!
[Thanks, Dad! Cuengi will it eat well!]
Munch munch munch.
Upon receiving the giant sweet potato, Cuengi ate it voraciously.
“Guys, time for lunch!”
After confirming Cuengi was eating well, Sejun called the hedgehogs.
Dadadada.
Responding to Sejun’s call, 10,000 hedgehogs eagerly rushed forward.
Kwieek! Kwieek!
The hedgehogs lined up neatly in front of Sejun.
Then,
“Crop Gigantification.”
Swish. Swish.
Sejun sliced the gigantic sweet potato and handed each hedgehog a piece.
Kwieek!
Each hedgehog, having received a piece as big as itself, expressed gratitude to Sejun and began eating.
Munch. Munch.
Only the sound of eating sweet potatoes could be heard around.
While everyone was eating,
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Sejun flattened the red kudzu root by tapping it with the blunt side of his hand axe.
He then mixed soy sauce, salt, and honey in a bowl, creating a dipping sauce to smear it on the kudzu root.
Crunch.
“Hmm. Not bad.”
Swoosh. Swoosh.
After tasting the sauce with his pinkie, Sejun, with a satisfied expression, smeared it over the flattened root. Sejun planned to season and roast the Crimson Flame Kudzu Root as if it were Deodeok-gui.”
(TL: Deodeok-gui)
Ideally, he would have liked to soak it in honey for three days and eat it as honey-pickled. However, the enhancement to the fire attribute talent swayed him.
Currently, only half of the kudzu field on the 85th floor of the tower was burnt. Within two days, the place where Sejun planted the kudzus, including other lands, was rapidly being overtaken by them due to the nutrients from the fire. There was an urgent need to burn the remaining kudzus.
However, without the Flamie’s Enhanced Flame of Affinity buff, he couldn’t make a strong fire, and any fire he set to the roots quickly went out. As time passed, the kudzus could encroach upon the farm, potentially causing him to lose the precious tangerine tree he had worked so hard to acquire.
‘That can’t happen!’
Sejun already had this grand dream of peeling and eating harvested tangerines inside an igloo made of ice cubes, snuggling under his blanket, with Theo and Cuengi serving as his heaters.
In front of Sejun was the kudzu root, which greatly enhanced the fire attribute talent, and all he could think of was that he had to consume it by any means.
“I’d rather faint for a day than lose the tangerine tree!”
With such resolve, Sejun was applying the sauce to the kudzu root to improve its taste when,
Krueng!
[Dad, Cuengi wants that on his sweet potato too!]
Cuengi held out his sweet potato to Sejun. Watching Sejun apply sauce to the kudzu root, Cuengi seemed to want to do the same.
“Just a moment.”
Making the sauce wasn’t too difficult, so Sejun quickly prepared some and spread it on Cuengi’s sweet potato.
However,
Chomp. Chomp.
Krueng!
[The sweet potato tastes salty!]
It seemed that the taste of the sauce didn’t quite go with the sweet potato. Cuengi quickly lost interest and went back to eating his plain sweet potato.
And then,
“It’s ready.”
Once Sejun ensured the kudzu root was evenly coated with the sauce, he took out dry kudzu stalks, lit them on fire, and began grilling the seasoned kudzu root.
Once the kudzu root was grilled to perfection,
[Achievement unlocked: First to make Grilled and Marinated Crimson Flame Kudzu Root in the Tower.]
[Recipe for Grilled and Marinated Crimson Flame Kudzu Root registered in Cooking Lv. 6.]
[Your proficiency in Cooking Lv. 6 has significantly increased.]
The achievement message appeared as the dish was completed.
“Hehehe. Excellent.”
Expecting something with a more regular name, Sejun eagerly inspected the dish.
[Grilled and Marinated Crimson Flame Kudzu Root]
→ The Crimson Flame Kudzu Root has been well-grilled and marinated with the sauce prepared by a skilled chef, enhancing its taste.
→ The heat has intensified the root’s flavor and effects.
→ Upon consumption, all stats increase by 22 or the potential of all stats increase by 11.
→ Upon consumption, your fire attribute talent is greatly enhanced.
→ Chef: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
→ Shelf life: 140 days
→ Grade: S-
The dish was a resounding success. The name was ordinary, the increase in stats upon consumption was enhanced, and the description changed to ‘greatly’ enhancing the fire attribute talent.
“Perfect!”
Sejun quickly put the grilled kudzu root into his mouth, thinking it was so delicious that Cuengi might try to steal it.
Chomp. Chomp.
Thus, Sejun secretly consumed the grilled kudzu root, ensuring Cuengi didn’t see.
“Uh!”
At first, the flavor of the sauce masked it, but soon, a strong bitter and spicy taste rose in his mouth, and his face began to heat up.
“Is this what they meant by intensified taste?!”
Sejun had misunderstood the ‘intensified’ taste to mean it became more delicious.
Gulp.
As the taste became increasingly bitter and spicy with each chew, Sejun hastily swallowed the root. Thankfully, he had minced the kudzu root beforehand, which made it easier to swallow.
[You have consumed Grilled and Marinated Crimson Flame Kudzu Root.]
[The potential of all stats increases by 11.]
[Your existing fire attribute talent is significantly enhanced.]
[Talent: Fire Mastery has evolved to Enhanced Fire Mastery.]
Despite the struggle, it was worth it. The fire talent had evolved.
“Hehehe.”
Sejun chuckled as he checked the evolved talent.
[Talent: Enhanced Fire Mastery]
– A talent that allows skillful manipulation of the abundant energy within oneself.
– You can create a strong flame by snapping your fingers.
Snap.
Whoosh.
“Wow!”
When Sejun flicked his finger after examining the talent, a flame as big as his palm was formed. This was similar to when he received the enhanced flame buff from Flamie.
“Alright. Let’s burn it… Argh!”
Grumble.
Sejun, who was preparing to set the kudzu field on fire using his evolved fire talent, suddenly felt a churning in his stomach. The intense bitter and spicy flavors from earlier seemed to have upset his stomach.
“I need to find a restroom first…”
Sejun hurriedly headed to the deep hole Cuengi had dug earlier when retrieving the red kudzu root, swiftly piled up some kudzu stalks to obscure the view, and attended to his pressing business.
However, he couldn’t block the distinct sounds.
Sneak. Sneak.
While eating their sweet potatoes, Cuengi and the hedgehogs quickly distanced themselves from Sejun.
Three hours later.
“Ugh… My stomach still feels upset.”
Sejun, with his slightly settled stomach, prepared to set the kudzu field on fire. He quickly consumed a Power Potato and activated its effect, but it didn’t seem to counteract the effects of the kudzu root which might have already reached his intestines.
“Guys, bury these.”
Sejun took out sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn from the void storage wrapped with kudzu leaves and handed them to Cuengi and the hedgehogs, instructing them to bury them beneath the kudzu field.
By wrapping the crops in kudzu leaves and burying them in the ground, they won’t burn directly in the fire but will be cooked nicely by indirect heat.
The reason for taking the trouble to cook the crops in this manner was to provide Cuengi and the hedgehogs, who will soon be heading to the 83rd floor of the tower, with a fun memory.
There’s no need to worry about not being able to find them later since Cuengi, with his incredible sense of smell, is around.
After burying the crops in the kudzu field for roasting,
Snap.
Sejun produced fire with a snap of his finger.
“Let’s set it on fire!”
As Sejun ignited the kudzu field,
Whoosh.
The flames blazed fiercely in no time. Sejun waited for the flames to become strong enough that they wouldn’t be extinguished by Cuengi’s breath and then had Cuengi spread the fire with his breath.
Krueng!
After Cuengi used his breath about 10 times, the flames spread in all directions, beginning to burn the kudzu field in earnest.
Then,
“Let’s eat!”
Sejun and the animals dug up the ground where the flames had passed and searched for their dinner.
Krueng!
Kwieek!
Cuengi and the hedgehogs raced to find the crops they had buried.
“Land Moving!”
Using Myler’s hoe, Sejun turned over the ground to find the buried crops.
After overturning the ground about three times,
“Found it!”
Sejun found a corn buried in the ground.
Tap. Tap.
As he was about to eat the corn after dusting off the soil,
Kwieek…
One of the hedgehog, which hadn’t found anything to eat yet, looked at Sejun enviously. How can I eat while you look at me like that?
“Here.”
Sejun handed the corn to the hedgehog and,
“Land Moving!”
He searched for more crops. This time, he found a potato.
“This looks delicious.”
As Sejun was about to eat the potato after removing the kudzu leaves,
Kwieek…
Another hedgehog, drooling, was looking at him. Why did he even do this in the first place?
“Here.”
Sejun handed the potato to the hedgehog. He couldn’t let the hedgehog starve when it was his idea.
Munch.
Sejun just filled his stomach with Aileen’s Healthy Meatball piece and,
“Land Moving!”
continued to search for crops to share with the hedgehogs that hadn’t found any food yet.
Although he didn’t get to eat with them,
Kwieek!
[Thank you, Sejun!]
Kwieek.
[Sejun, you’re amazing!]
He received gratitude from the hedgehogs.
And then,
Krueng!
[Dad, Cuengi found some herbs!]
“Good job, Cuengi.”
The Dutiful Son, Cuengi delighted Sejun by finding more golden kudzu roots in between.
After digging up the ground and eating their dinner until late,
“Let’s go to sleep now.”
Watching the kudzu field burn in the distance, Sejun and the animals fell asleep.
The next morning,
Kwieek!
[We’ll head down now!]
The hedgehog leader, Godori, prepared to depart with the other hedgehogs, each carrying a sweet potato on their back. Sejun had provided the sweet potatoes as a gift.
Of course, he didn’t intend to repay them with just sweet potatoes, he planned to give a proper reward them a later.
“Take care!”
Krueng! Krueng!
[Thank you for helping Daddy! Take care!]
Following Sejun, who was seeing off the hedgehogs, Cuengi also waved his front paws to bid farewell to the hedgehogs.
After sending off the hedgehogs,
“Let’s get back to work.”
Krueng!
[Understood!]
Sejun and Cuengi resumed their work. Sejun began planting kudzu seeds, while Cuengi, who had become a herbalist, started searching for herbs.
And then,
…
..
.
[You have completed the job quest.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, Level 61 is unlocked.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, you’ve acquired 500,000 tower coins as a reward for completing the quest.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, you’ve acquired the Job Combat Skill – You’re a Field! Lv. 1.]
On the 330th day of being stranded, Sejun completed his job quest and acquired his first combat skill in his life.
*****