Chapter 136 – Dad Will Die at This Rate

“Kyu- Here?!”

Iona looked around. A completely red world.

And,

-Iona, welcome to the world of nightmares. I have waited a long time. Kekeke.

A sticky, unpleasant voice resounded. It was the voice of the ancient Demon King, Nightmare. Iona had entered the nightmare.

-Amuse me today as well. Kekeke.

Along with Nightmare’s words, 10,000 black nightmares appeared. Among them were Gonoba and the three Tower Masters, who were not black silhouettes.

As soon as they discovered Iona,

“It’s because of you!”

“Let us out!”

they rushed at her while cursing Iona for making them like this.

-I have specially left their memories intact.

Nightmare’s cheerful voice echoed.

However,

“Kyu-kyu-kyu.”

Iona was equally pleased. Currently, Iona was sleeping on Se-jun’s lap. Sleeping on Se-jun’s lap made the power of the nightmare extremely weak.

Thanks to that, Iona also had a good time beating Gonoba and the Tower Masters.

However, when she had killed the revived enemies hundreds of times like that,

“Huh?! What’s happening?”

Suddenly, the enemies began to grow stronger.

“Why?”

The reason was unknown. The only thing she could do right now was endure in this nightmare. Since she had entered the world of nightmares, she could only leave by providing amusement until Nightmare was satisfied.

And Nightmare’s amusement was someone’s pain. It did not matter whether it was the subject of the nightmare or the nightmares. Nightmare enjoyed all the pain occurring in his world.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu- If it cannot be avoided, I must enjoy it! O power of fire. Burn my enemies until they die! Hellfire! O power of wind. Blow away my enemies! Tornado!”

Iona created Hellfire in her left hand and a tornado in her right hand.

And,

“Go! Fire wind that swallows hell!”

She fused the magic of both hands to activate a new magic. As the Hellfire and Tornado magic combined, a flame-shrouded tornado arose, sucking in and burning the nightmares.

It was a large-scale magic that would have destroyed about 10% of a floor if it were inside the tower. However, since this place was inside a nightmare, she could use it without any burden.

This was also the reason why Iona could become a wizard of great destruction. Since using any large magic inside a nightmare caused no damage to the surroundings, Iona had researched various magics inside nightmares and used them in real combat.

In that way, Iona killed the enemies and endured the nightmare.

***

“……!”

Se-jun opened his eyes at the heaviness felt on his lap. The degree of heaviness was different from saying Theo had returned. It felt almost like having a lump of iron placed on his lap.

“What is this?”

As Se-jun raised his body and looked at his lap,

Purr.

“Cuengi?”

He saw Cuengi sleeping on Se-jun’s lap. It seemed he had snuck in during the early morning. Normally, since Theo would occupy the lap, such a thing would not have happened… He suddenly felt Theo’s absence.

“Did I send him away for nothing?”

‘At that time, I sent him away in a fit of anger… No, but we still had to trade once in a while…’

While Se-jun was trying hard to rationalize his decision,

“Kyu-kyu-kyu-”

The angry cry of Iona resounded from the floor. It seemed Cuengi had pushed her off. Otherwise, it could not be explained. This was because Iona slept after using adhesive magic before sleeping.

“This Cuengi fellow… at this rate, he will get beaten by Iona…”

If Iona found out later that Cuengi had pushed her off, she might take Cuengi to a secluded place and beat him with magic. A forehead flick with meteor magic…

“I don’t want to see that.”

Se-jun hurriedly picked up Iona and placed her on his lap.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu.”

The crying sound quickly changed to a pleasant one.

At that moment,

Kkueng…

Thud!

Zing.

Finding something next to him, Cuengi kicked Iona hard with his foot. He didn’t push her, but kicked her?! If Iona found out, she might really give him a meteor forehead flick. Thanks to that, Se-jun discovered that a shield magic was also cast around Iona.

“Cuengi, wake up.”

Kkueng…

“Let’s lie down and sleep together with Dad.”

Having no choice, Se-jun woke Cuengi up, laid him down beside him, and gave his lap to Iona.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu.”

As expected, Iona was one who did not make angry crying sounds only when she was on his lap.

Kkueng…

[I wish Dad would pat me…]

Llying beside him, Cuengi grabbed Se-jun’s hand, placed it on his belly, and spoke.

“Okay.”

Pat. Pat.

As Se-jun patted Cuengi’s belly,

Kkueng…

[Dad, I’m sorry for eating all the bananas during the day…]

Cuengi apologized for what happened during the day in a sleepy voice. It seemed he had come in the early morning because this was weighing on his mind.

“It’s fine. Instead, tell Dad before eating next time. Got it?”

Kkueng… Kkueng…

[Understood… I’m happy…]

When Se-jun said it was fine, Cuengi fell asleep again with a pleasant smile.

***

“Ugh!”

Se-jun, who fell asleep again while putting Cuengi to sleep, stretched and got up. When he woke up, neither Cuengi nor Iona was there.

“Oh, my aching body.”

Instead, his whole body was stiff, and there was nowhere that did not ache. It was thanks to being pressed under Cuengi.

“I must build up my strength today.”

Although he had not expected to eat them so soon, Se-jun decided to make and eat elixir mushroom hot pot with the elixir mushrooms he had set aside yesterday.

Therefore, as soon as he washed, he visited the home of the mushroom ants. This was to check if there were more elixir mushrooms.

When Se-jun went to the mushroom ants’ home, several giant buildings with giant mushroom caps were seen. They were houses in a form with holes that allowed entry and exit here and there in the mushroom caps.

Screech!

The mushroom ants welcomed Se-jun when he came to their house. The mushroom ants approached close to Se-jun, telling him to harvest the mushrooms growing on their backs.

“Yes. Nice to see you. But today I came to pick elixir mushrooms. Do you happen to have any elixir mushrooms?”

Screech…

The mushroom ants, disappointed at Se-jun’s words, drooped their antennae, as if asking if there were none.

“No. It’s not that I absolutely need elixir mushrooms… Huh?! Is this the button mushroom I wanted to eat?!”

Seeing the disappointed mushroom ants, Se-jun, whose heart weakened, busily made a fuss while harvesting the mushrooms picked from the backs of the mushroom ants.

Screech!

Thanks to that, the mushroom ants, whose moods improved, offered their backs so Se-jun could pick the mushrooms.

Having harvested mushrooms at the mushroom ants’ home for about an hour in that way, Se-jun came out.

“Oh, I’m dying.”

His body condition became worse.

“I should just put in what is available and eat.”

Se-jun, who only suffered more trying to eat more for no reason, gave up searching for elixirs and headed to the kitchen.

At that moment,

Kkueng!

Cuengi, who was looking at something in front of the tombstone in front of the house, called Se-jun.

“Where were you, Cuengi?”

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[I played while eating fish in the cave with Iona-nuna and Flamie-nuna! I ate peanuts too!]

“Peanuts?! You don’t mean a forehead flick, do you?”

Wondering if Iona had found out about Cuengi’s misbehavior and had thrown meteor magic, Se-jun touched Cuengi’s head to look for a bump.

Kkueng? Kkueng?

[What is a forehead flick? Is it something delicious?]

Cuengi asked while rubbing his head against Se-jun’s hand that was touching his head.

“No! A forehead flick is something very terrifying. So if someone says they will give you a forehead flick, you must avoid it, got it?”

Kkueng! Kkueng?

[Understood! But Dad, what is this?]

Cuengi pointed to two plants next to the tombstone. On the plants, one bean pod made of five colors—black, yellow, red, green, and blue—was borne on each.

“Ah. So this is the five-colored beans I planted! They grew extremely fast?”

Although it had only been a little over two weeks since Se-jun planted the five-colored bean seeds, the five-colored bean stalks had already grown up to Se-jun’s knees. And there were even bean pods on them already.

“Do beans originally grow this fast?”

Wondering, Se-jun picked the bean pods. The bean pods were plump, looking as if the beans inside were properly filled.

And when he opened the bean pods,

[You have obtained 4 Five-Colored Beans.]

[You have obtained a Healthy Stamina Red Bean.]

[The proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 6 increases slightly.]

[You have obtained 700 experience points.]

“Huh?!”

Another bean was contained in addition to the five-colored beans.

“Healthy Stamina Red Bean?”

A bean with a strange name. Se-jun examined the five-colored beans first.

[Five-Colored Bean]

It was a bean with five colors grown inside the tower, which had absorbed sufficient nutrients and was delicious.

Cultivated by a farmer accustomed to farming, its taste and efficiency had improved.

If planted in a field, it increased the soil fertility of the surrounding ground.

Occasionally, five types of beans with special abilities could be harvested.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration Date: 90 days

Grade: C

“Special ability?”

He thought it probably referred to the red bean with the strange name. Se-jun subsequently examined the red bean as well.

[Healthy Stamina Red Bean]

It was a red bean grown inside the tower, which had absorbed sufficient nutrients and was delicious.

Cultivated by a farmer accustomed to farming, its taste and efficiency had improved.

Upon consumption, the Stamina stat increased by 100% for 1 minute.

It was a bean that did not root even if planted.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration Date: 90 days

Grade: C

“100 percent?!”

Although the duration was short at 1 minute, to think it could inflate his stats by twofold! Even when he first bought them from Raccoon Chief Emil for 10,000 tower coins, he had hesitated a lot…

“It was something extremely good!”

Subsequently, Se-jun also picked the bean pods on the other five-colored bean stalks and harvested the beans. This time, four five-colored beans and one Bursting Strength Yellow Bean came out. The yellow bean naturally had the effect of raising the Strength stat by 100% for 1 minute.

Se-jun immediately planted eight five-colored beans around the tombstone. Being able to multiply good things by planting them was the advantage of farming.

After planting the five-colored beans in that way,

“Shall I try eating one?”

Chew. Chew.

Se-jun chewed and swallowed the yellow bean and the red bean. Although there was a raw smell of beans, the savory taste became stronger the more he chewed.

[You have consumed a Bursting Strength Yellow Bean.]

[The Strength stat increases by 100% for 1 minute.]

[The Strength stat has increased by 20.8.]

[You have consumed a Healthy Stamina Red Bean.]

[The Stamina stat increases by 100% for 1 minute.]

[The Stamina stat has increased by 21.]

As soon as he ate them, his stats rose, and he felt his strength surging and his body hardening.

And,

“Shall I try hugging our Cuengi?!”

Se-jun, who became confident with his increased strength and stamina, stretched out his arms toward Cuengi.

But,

Kkueng!

[Dad will die at this rate!]

Cuengi hesitated and refused to be hugged.

“It’s fine! Come on, hug Dad gently!”

Thump. Thump.

Se-jun spoke while beating his chest. Although his stats had doubled, he was afraid of a strong hug.

Kkueng!

[Understood!]

Cuengi jumped cautiously toward Se-jun.

Thud.

Oof!

“Ugh!”

Kkueng?!

[Dad, are you okay?!]

Cuengi asked urgently at Se-jun’s groan. Fortunately, since his stamina exceeded 40, the Authority: Unbreakable Body did not activate.

“I’m… I’m fine!”

Se-jun barely replied while holding Cuengi. However, contrary to his answer, Cuengi gradually slid down. It was difficult to hold Cuengi with Se-jun’s strength.

“I’m sorry.”

Se-jun spoke while looking at Cuengi whose bottom touched the floor.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[It’s fine! I’m satisfied just to have thrown myself into Dad’s arms!]

“Ugh.”

Sweet words again! Se-jun was touched by Cuengi’s words.

“Look forward to it. Dad will definitely receive Cuengi’s jump hug!”

Se-jun spoke with firm determination.

‘In the future, I must not yield crops that increase strength and stamina.’

Making that resolution, Se-jun went into the kitchen and began to cook the elixir mushroom hot pot.

Kkueng!

[It smells delicious!]

Cuengi danced, smelling the food.

“Sigh.”

‘I guess I will stop yielding from tomorrow.’

Seeing Cuengi rejoice at the thought of eating delicious food, he did not have the confidence to eat alone. It was absolutely not that he was giving it to him first because he thought it would be taken away!

While Se-jun was eating the elixir mushroom hot pot with Cuengi as brunch in that way,

Slam!

“Chairman Park! I have returned, meow!”

Theo appeared, opening the door of the kitchen with a confident attitude.