“Golden Bat, go to the 83rd floor and call over the hedgehogs and poisonous honeybees.”
(Yes!)
The Golden Bat, which had been resting on Sejun’s back, flew straight to the 83rd floor upon his command. Sejun decided to borrow the labor of the hedgehogs from the nearby floors to quickly harvest the kudzu fruits.
The reason he summoned the poisonous honeybees was because of the kudzu flowers blooming among the kudzu vines. The kudzu flowers emitted a rather sweet scent, so Sejun wanted to see if the poisonous honeybees could harvest nectar from them.
Even if they didn’t, they would obtain the pollen from the kudzu flowers.
While the Golden Bat flew to the 83rd floor to bring reinforcements,
Thunk. Thunk.
After digging out and thoroughly washing the kudzu roots, Sejun said,
“Cuengi, try squeezing this hard.”
He cut the kudzu roots to the size of a fist and asked Cuengi to squeeze them. He wanted to try making kudzu juice. Although he’d never tasted it, he’d seen it sold frequently and thought it might be edible. He was curious about the taste.
Krueng!
[Okay! Cuengi will squeeze it hard!]!]
When Cuengi lightly pressed the kudzu root with his two front paws,
Squish.
Drip. Drip.
The sound of the roots being pressed was followed by the flow of kudzu juice. Sejun quickly placed a tumbler on the ground to collect it.
Krueng!
[It’s not coming out anymore!]
Cuengi discarded the squeezed root and grabbed another to continue. Sejun touched the discarded root.
“Wow, it’s so dry, it could be used as dry firewood right away.”
The root that Cuengi discarded was almost completely dried out, resembling a dried branch. Cuengi’s squeezing ability was impressive. The squeezed Kudzu roots could be collected and used as firewood later on.
Swish. Swish.
Once a decent amount of kudzu juice was collected,
Slurp.
Sejun tasted it. Upon sipping, the distinctive scent of the kudzu juice swirled around in his mouth, followed by a strong bitterness. However, having grown accustomed to bitter flavors, it wasn’t too overpowering for Sejun.
Gulp.
After savoring and swallowing the kudzu juice, he felt a sweet aftertaste in his mouth, making the experience quite pleasant.
“Mm. Nice.”
While Sejun was relishing the aftertaste of the kudzu juice, smiling,
Lick.
Daddy said it’s good! Cuengi, who had been watching Sejun’s expression, licked the kudzu juice on his front paw. He was expecting it to be somewhat sweet.
But then,
Kueugh!!!
[It’s bitter!!!]
Cuengi, having licked the kudzu juice, reacted with extreme distaste and was visibly repulsed by the intense bitterness. The bitterness was too much for Cuengi, who had never experienced such a taste before.
“Here, take this.”
Sejun put a honey jelly in Cuengi’s mouth.
Kuehehe. Krueng!
[Hehe. Cuengi’s fine now!]
With his face brightening up again thanks to the honey jelly, Cuengi prepared to squeeze another kudzu root. This juice is just for Dad! Cuengi had generously decided to leave the kudzu juice for Sejun.
But then,
“Cuengi, stop squeezing.”
Sejun felt the juice wasn’t something he’d drink often and capped his tumbler to store the remaining juice.
“Let’s continue harvesting the fruits.”
About 5 hours after Sejun began harvesting kudzu fruits,
(Sejun!)
Buzz! Buzz!
The Golden Bat returned, leading about 5,000 poisonous honeybees.
And then,
Kwieek! Kwieek!
Following behind the Golden Bat and the bees, about 10,000 hedgehogs, led by Godori, rushed in.
“Thanks for coming, guys.”
Sejun expressed his gratitude to the reinforcements that had arrived.
Buzz!
[Pleased to meet you, Sejun. I’ve heard a lot about you from our queen mother.]
The queen bee leading the 5,000 poisonous honeybees greeted Sejun. This queen was a newly born successor to the 83rd floor’s poisonous honeybee queen. When Sejun asked for support, the original queen had decided it was a good opportunity to send out this new queen and her bees on an independent mission.
“Yes, glad to see you. For now, please harvest honey from these flowers here.”
Buzz!
[Understood!]
At Sejun’s command, the poisonous honeybees dispersed and began sucking honey from the kudzu flowers.
Kwieek?
[What should we do?]
The leader of the hedgehogs, Godori, asked Sejun with a look that conveyed readiness to take on any task.
“You guys can help me pick these kudzu fruits. These are the fruits. This is how you harvest them.”
Sejun demonstrated how to harvest the kudzu fruits to the gathered hedgehogs.
Kwieek! Kwieek!
Seeing Sejun’s demonstration, the hedgehogs nodded vigorously in understanding.
“Then let’s each harvest 10,000 fruits.”
Kwieek! Kwieek!
Shh.
At Sejun’s command, the hedgehogs swiftly dispersed and began harvesting the kudzu fruits. If 10,000 hedgehogs each harvested 10,000 kudzu fruits, a total of 100 million kudzu fruits would be collected.
“Hehe. Just wait a little longer.”
Delighted at the thought of detonating the 100 million kudzu fruit bomb in the Green Tower, Sejun placed the harvested kudzu fruits into boxes and stored them in his void storage. Cuengi and the wolves also helped Sejun move the fruits.
Just then,
[A tenant used the Landlord’s Seed Harvesting Lv. 6 skill and obtained 5 kudzu fruits.]
[You have received a 7% skill proficiency reward.]
[Your proficiency in the Seed Harvesting Lv. 6 skill has increased slightly.]
[The proficiency of Seed Harvesting Lv. 6 is full, and the level has increased.]
Sejun’s Seed Harvesting skill level had increased. This was because he had designated 500 of the hedgehogs that had come to help as tenant farmers and was receiving a skill proficiency reward. Sejun wasn’t going to miss such a beneficial opportunity.
With the hedgehogs’ help, once the 100 million fruits were harvested,
“I’ll go up for a bit, so stay here and keep harvesting the fruits.”
Kwieek!
Sejun instructed the hedgehogs to continue harvesting the kudzu fruits and headed towards the 85th-floor waypoint.
“It’s empty here?”
Sejun remarked, looking at the waypoint. The boss that was supposed to guard the red crystal was nowhere in sight.
“Yes. There was a boss guarding it originally, but it gave up and left because of the condition of the floor.”
“Really?”
Listening to Elka’s words, Sejun placed his hand on the red crystal.
[Waypoint of the 85th floor of the tower has been saved.]
[Loading other saved waypoints.]
[Saved Waypoints]
-Tower 99th floor
-Tower 83rd floor
-Tower 77th floor
-Tower 49th floor
“Let’s go in, guys.”
“Understood, meow!”
Krueng!
[Got it!]
Sejun sent Theo and Cuengi into the void storage.
And then,
“Elka, guard this place.”
“Yes, don’t worry!”
“Alright, I’ll be back.”
After leaving the remaining hedgehogs and poisonous honeybees in Elka’s care, Sejun moved to the 99th floor of the tower.
***
Purple Tower, 99th floor.
-How’s the acquisition of the land deeds going, Bekah?
“We currently have 77 land deeds from the Purple Tower, 13 from the Black Tower, 12 from the Gold Tower, 5 from the Blue Tower, and 1 from the Green Tower.”
Bekah, a dark-skinned tower farmer, trembling with fear, answered as she held up the purple dragon statue in front of her.
-Hurry up!
“Yes!”
After Bekah left,
Flap. Flap.
Tier Peten flew to the tablet located at the center of the 99th floor of the tower. The tablet, known as the Creator’s Stone, indicated the reason Tier was gathering the land deeds.
[Ninth Commandment – If a tower farmer collects more than half of another tower’s land deeds, they can seize ownership of that tower.]
In short, by merely collecting the land deeds, a tower farmer can seize another dragon’s tower. For the dragons, being stripped of their tower’s ownership would be quite humiliating.
By Tier’s estimate, there were 99 land deeds given to each tower, one for each floor. This meant that with just 50 land deeds, one could seize another dragon’s tower.
-Hehehe. Be complacent. Then, in a blink, I’ll snatch them all. The glory of carrying out the task given by the Creator God will be mine alone to enjoy.
Even without knowing the Creator’s exact task, Tier Peten intended to monopolize the towers for himself.
***
Krueng!
[We’re home!]
Cuengi, who had rushed back carrying Sejun and Theo, shouted.
“Good job.”
As Sejun stroked Cuengi’s head,
Kuehehehe. Krueng!
[Hehehe. Cuengi’s going to sleep with Mom now!]
Cuengi happily ran towards Pink-fur, laughing. It was late evening.
“We should get some rest too.”
“Alright, meow!”
The next morning,
As soon as Sejun finished breakfast, he went to see Kaiser to ask if there was an easy way to spread the kudzus in the Green Tower.
Although Sejun had land deeds from the Black Tower, he could have personally gone to the Green Tower, spread the kudzus, and returned. However, he didn’t want to. For Sejun, who prioritized safety first, that was too risky.
-Hmm.
In response to Sejun’s question, Kaiser became lost in thought while looking at the Green Tower’s land deed. The spatial movement activated by the land deed required an entity that could own it.
– It’s impossible just to send the land deed and kudzu fruits.
Kaiser, who made a decision, responded.
“Is that so? Well, there’s no helping it.”
Sejun wasn’t disappointed with Kaiser’s response because he had another idea for scattering the kudzu fruits in the Green Tower.
– But why would you send something like this to the Green Tower?
Kaiser couldn’t understand why Sejun would want to scatter a seemingly useless fruit, especially after the hard work of harvesting 100 million of them, in the Green Tower.
“Hehehe. Probably something interesting is going to happen. Lord Kellion, may I send Ajax to the Green Tower for a moment?”
Sejun, laughing like a villain, asked Kellion, who was beside him.
– What?! What are you talking about?! Why would you send my grandson to the Green Tower?!
Kellion was agitated by Sejun’s request.
“If Lord Kellion gives the kudzu fruits to Ajax, he can scatter them in the Green Tower and return quickly. In return, I’ll give you 100 bottles of soju.”
– What?! Why would you give him 100 bottles for such a trivial task?!
Kaiser got angry at Sejun’s words. It wasn’t dangerous for Ajax, though it was for Sejun.
Of course, the tower’s administrator wouldn’t stay still upon realizing someone had invaded their tower, but Ajax could return quickly, so it wasn’t a big issue.
However, to Sejun, it was a reasonable deal.
Transferring the kudzu fruits between towers would consume nearly 100 million tower coins. Moreover, Ajax could use the White Tower’s land deed to return, conserving Sejun’s Black Tower land deed.
– 150 bottles! Then I’ll send my grandson.
– Hey! You scammer! What do you mean by taking 150 bottles? You are taking advantage of Sejun?!
Kaiser was agitated since the number of soju bottles he’d receive later would decrease because of Kellion’s request.
– When did I take any advantage?
– Just admit you’re taking advantage of it since you are!
While the two dragons quarreled,
“Guys, help me take out the kudzu fruits.”
“Understood, meow!”
Krueng!
[Understood!]
With the help of Theo and Cuengi, Sejun began to take out the 100 million kudzu fruits from the void storage.
– Ahem. You know what to do, right?
– Yes, I got it.
Kellion, who had agreed to share ten bottles of soju he received from Sejun in the evening with Kaiser, replied with an annoyed tone. He was irritated by Kaiser’s interference.
– So Ajax just needs to scatter this in the Green Tower?
“Yes, scatter half on each floor. Make sure not to spill any in the White Tower. If you do, it’ll cause you significant problems.”
Sejun handed two Green Tower land deeds to Kellion and cautioned him. If a single kudzu took root, it would transform the surroundings into a kudzu field in no time.
– Got it.
Kellion swallowed the land deeds and the kudzu fruits.
After a moment,
– I’ve passed the kudzu fruits to Ajax.
Ajax protested furiously, questioning why he had to go. However, Kellion quietly gave him only the kudzu fruits, because Sejun will take care of the rest.”
“Yes, thank you. Here’s the soju.”
Sejun handed Kellion 150 bottles of soju he brought from the brewery.
And then,
“Go! Ajax!”
Sejun dispatched the bombing dragon, Ajax, armed with kudzu fruit bombs, to the Green Tower.
*****
