Amazon, Brazil.
Crunch. Crunch.
The once lush forest was now sparse, with only giant trees remaining, echoing with the sound of locusts feasting. Millions of red locusts swarmed the giant trees of the Amazon, rapidly devouring them.
Gradually, purple spots began to appear on the bodies of these locusts. With their population nearing almost 7 billion, the Red Locusts began to evolve into Purple Locusts.
Initially, the Brazilian government tried to reduce the number of locusts, but things deteriorated rapidly after the disappearance of the Tower in Brasília.
Realizing that their own Towers could disappear, other countries focused on their own defenses, significantly reducing their support to Brazil.
Consequently, the locusts bred at a terrifying rate without any hindrance, devouring the abundant grass around them, while the Brazilian government could do nothing but focus on defending the cities.
Even the recent reappearance of the Brasília Tower in Korea, bringing some relief as hunters returned to Brazil, was short-lived.
Whirr. Whirr.
The now entirely purple Purple Locusts began attacking cities populated with people.
For the first time, the locusts’ attack led to a shocking outcome: a city with zero survivors. The Purple Locusts began their devastating assault on Brazilian cities.
***
“Puhuhut. Little brothers, do you see it, meow?! The glow emanating from my body, meow?!”
Theo, enraptured by the golden glow from his body, bragged to his siblings.
Krueng!
[Big brother looks so cool!]
Cuengi expressed genuine admiration in excitement.
(You’re amazing, big brother!)
The golden bat also complimented Theo with a sense of envy, though it was somewhat indifferent inside. Naturally, since it was golden itself.
As the golden light from Theo’s body gradually faded,
” Vice Chairman Theo, what talent did you get?”
Curious, Sejun quickly asked Theo.
“Puhuhut! I got the talent ‘Insignificant Wealth’, meow!”
“Really?!”
Sejun felt uplifted hearing Theo’s talent also contained ‘Insignificant’.
“So, what does it do?”
“I can burn insignificant wealth to increase my abilities, meow!”
“What?!”
The meaning behind their ‘Insignificant’ talents was entirely different. Sejun’s talent, ‘Insignificant Presence’, was just that – insignificant. On the other hand, Theo’s ‘Insignificant Wealth’ implied that wealth was trivial and could be burned like scraps of paper to increase abilities.
‘I have a lot of money too… I’m envious! And annoyed! Should I eat another one?’
Sejun considered eating another one since there were five Incomplete Platinum Royal Jellies given by the Poisonous Queen Bee, and he was saving it for the Black Rabbit.
But
“No!”
Rather than awakening another talent like ‘Insignificant Presence’, Sejun thought it would be better to invest it in the Black Rabbit.
As Sejun was sorting out his complicated thoughts,
“Chairman Park, can I borrow some money, meow!”
“Your money, what happened to it?”
“I’ve already used it, meow! I’m a pauper now, meow!”
Theo, having just acquired his talent, had already burned all his money to increase his stats and now confidently extended his two front paws to Sejun, asking to borrow money.
“How much?”
“The more the better, meow!”
“Here.”
Although reluctant, Sejun, not wanting to appear petty, generously handed over almost his entire fortune of 70 million Tower Coins to Theo.
“Puhuhut. Thank you, meow!”
As Theo received the money from Sejun, his body began to shine with a golden light. So that was the effect of burning money… A truly expensive special effect. There goes my money…
While Sejun watched Theo burning the money,
Whirr?! Whirr!
[Oh my, Sejun, your beekeeping ability has increased?! Just a moment!]
The Poisonous Queen Bee, sensing the increase in Sejun’s beekeeping level, summoned one of her daughters, a Wild Poisonous Queen Bee.
A moment later,
Whirr!
[A Wild Poisonous Queen Bee agrees to follow you.]
[10,000 Poisonous Honeybees under the Wild Poisonous Queen Bee agree to follow you.]
[Your number of Poisonous Honeybees exceeds 100,000.]
[Your Beekeeping Lv. 9 proficiency greatly increases.]
Sejun tamed the Poisonous Honeybee Queen and 10,000 Poisonous Honeybees.
“These little ones will be sent to the persimmon farm.”
The newly joined Poisonous Honeybees didn’t have a hive yet, and since Sejun had heard that the persimmon trees were blooming, he decided to send the Poisonous Honeybees to the 49th floor of the tower to help with the pollination of the persimmon trees.
“Puhuhut! Chairman Park, I’ve become stronger by burning all of your money, meow!”
Meanwhile, Theo, having used up all of Sejun’s money, proudly clung to Sejun’s lap.
And
“Puhuhut. From now on, just count on me, Chairman Park, meow! I, Vice Chairman Theo, will protect you so that no enemy can even touch a hair on you, meow!”
Theo declared confidently, by vigorously rubbing his face against Sejun’s knee.
“Okay.”
Sejun felt reassured. It seemed worth spending the money.
‘I should start taking the payment for the Samyangju from Kaiser and Kellion in money.’
Sejun thought of raising Theo’s stats further by getting money from the dragons.
Just then,
Krueng! Krueng!
[No way! Cuengi will protect Daddy!]
Cuengi clung to Sejun’s left leg, determined not to lose to Theo.
“Puhuhut. Give up, Cuengi, meow! I’m not the same Vice Chairman as before, meow! I’ve become stronger after burning 70 million Tower Coins of Chairman Park’s money, meow!”
Krueng! Krueng!
[Cuengi can also burn Daddy’s money! Daddy, Cuengi needs about 80 million, please!]
Cuengi politely extended its front paws to Sejun, asking for money. He seemed to misunderstand that burning more money than Theo would make him stronger.
“Here, Cuengi, eat this!”
Sejun calmed down the excited Cuengi by giving him some honey.
Krueng!
[Honey!]
Upon receiving the honey, Cuengi forgot about trying to outdo Theo and
Lick. Lick.
busily licked the honey with its front paws.
Sejun successfully diverted Cuengi’s attention.
“But what flowers are needed to make complete Platinum Royal Jelly?”
Sejun asked the Poisonous Honeybee Queen, wanting to obtain complete Platinum Royal Jelly.
However,
Whirr! Whirr!
[I’m not sure either! I think I’d need to taste the nectar of the flowers to know!]
The Poisonous Honeybee Queen, reliant on her genetically imprinted instincts for making Platinum Royal Jelly, did not know the exact ingredients. She mentioned that only by tasting them directly could she determine.
“Is that so? Alright, I’ll be going then.”
Sejun decided to return to his farm, realizing there was no other way but to diversify his crops.
Whirr!
[Goodbye, Sejun~nim! Take care!]
“Yep. You too. Let’s go, guys.”
Sejun bid farewell to the Poisonous Honeybee Queen and left the hive with the animals and Poisonous Honeybees.
Upon reaching the entrance to the 99th floor of the tower,
“Golden Bat, go with the Poisonous Honeybees and explain everything to Dooku.”
(Okay!)
Sejun instructed the Golden Bat to take the Poisonous Honeybees to the 49th floor.
“Take care, you guys.”
Whirr!
The Poisonous Honeybees, having eaten their fill of honey, bid farewell to Sejun and followed the Golden Bat to their new home on the 49th floor of the tower.
***
“Here it is.”
Ramter, having been scolded by Kaiser and reducing the power of the Essence of Fire to a level usable by Sejun, handed it over. The Essence of Fire was almost depleted, and hardly seemed worthy of its name anymore.
“I’ll make sure to deliver it to Sejun.”
“Thanks. But how do you guys get the Samyangju?”
Ramter asked about their method of receiving Samyangju.
“Kellion and I use a statue imbued with teleportation magic to receive Samyangju.”
“Really?! Then I should make one and send it over too.”
“Yes, that should work. Just so you know, it’s not free…”
Kaiser mentioned that they had to pay with dragon scales engraved with Dragon Skin magic.
“Got it.”
As their conversation ended,
“……”
“Aren’t you leaving?”
Kaiser and Kellion hinted at Ramter, who was still staring at them. They couldn’t continue drinking unless he left.
But Ramter showed no intention of leaving.
Gulp.
“Can I join you guys for a drink?”
Ramter swallowed, eyeing their alcohol.
“Kuh. Fine. But you have to pay back next time there’s alcohol.”
“Okay! Got it!”
Drinking together always makes liquor tastier, so Kaiser, having gained a new drinking partner in Ramter, shared his alcohol without sending him away.
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Clink!
Three dragons clinked their golden cups together and began their drinking session in earnest.
***
“It’s already time for lunch.”
Sejun realized it was lunchtime, even though he had only visited the Queen Bee’s hive.
“Lunch will be simple today: ‘Gogamok¹’.”
Gogamok was an abbreviation for sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn, the staple foods of the 99th floor of the tower. Strangely enough, despite eating the same things for so long, Sejun never got tired of them. Gogamok remained delicious no matter how often he ate it.
Krueng!
[As expected, food tastes the best after work!]
Cuengi, holding a sweet potato and a potato in its front paws, ate as if he had worked hard.
‘Work? Cuengi, you just hung onto my leg, didn’t you?’
Sejun looked at Cuengi incredulously and then realized. For Cuengi, even just breathing was like work.
After having lunch,
Slurp.
While Sejun was sipping coffee and gazing at the sky, when,
“Chairman Park, I’m going to go down the tower for a bit, meow!”
Theo, who had been lounging on Sejun’s lap and getting his belly rubbed, suddenly got up and started packing.
“Suddenly?”
Theo usually only moved when Sejun urged him to go down the tower.
‘What’s going on?’
As Sejun looked at Theo curiously,
“Puhuhut. I need to earn money so that Chairman Park can lend it to me, and then I can burn it to become stronger, meow! Don’t worry, meow! I’ll be back soon, meow!”
Theo boasted proudly as he packed his bag.
“That’s the spirit.”
Though it seemed Theo had no intention of repaying the money, Sejun was pleased with his attitude to earn more.
And,
“Right! Get a buff from Flamie before you go.”
Recalling Flamie’s golden flame buff that increased the chances of acquiring wealth, Sejun had Theo receive it.
“Puhuhut. I like the golden glow, meow!”
Theo was happy as the golden flame seeped into his body.
“Then, I’ll be off, meow!”
“Alright. Be careful and come back safely!”
“Understood, meow!”
Theo, buffed with the golden flame, went down the tower to earn money.
After seeing off Theo, Sejun went to the walnut orchard.
“I can’t take these to the black rabbit’s wedding.”
Looking around the orchard, Sejun felt a bit disappointed seeing the ten walnut trees that had grown up to his waist. It seemed the walnuts would need at least another month before they could be harvested.
“I should prepare some elixirs too.”
Sejun went to the Mushroom Ants to check if there were any elixirs for the Black Rabbit.
Kkwek! Kkwek!
The Mushroom Ants approached Sejun, offering their backs for him to pick mushrooms.
“Alright, line up.”
Although only three ants had elixir mushrooms and the rest were ordinary, Sejun lined up all the Mushroom Ants and picked mushrooms from each one’s back. It wasn’t a significant haul.
Then,
Krueng!
[Daddy, Cuengi has brought herbs for brother Black Rabbit!]
Filial Cuengi brought good herbs, understanding his father’s heart. Of course, these herbs were very bitter. So bitter that Cuengi couldn’t handle it himself, so he decided to give them to the Black Rabbit.
TL Notes:
1) 고감옥 (Gogamok): It’s an abbreviation of sweet potatoes (고구마), potatoes (감자), and corn (옥수수).
*****
4/5
