Chapter 166 – Making Tuna Fish Porridge

The northern cliff of the 38th floor of the tower.

“Find it! The Three-Headed Society’s hideout is near here!”

“Yes! My King!”

At Urchi’s shout, the Black Orc soldiers dispersed and entered search mode. Originally, they were going to have the captured hunter of the Three-Headed Society guide them to the hideout directly, but… the hunter committed suicide during transport. No, strictly speaking, he was suicided.

The hunter strangled himself to death, but…

“I feel the energy of curse-type magic.”

Luken, the shaman, discovered traces of curse magic on the dead hunter’s corpse. Once the Three-Headed Society lost contact with the hunter captured by the Black Orcs, they activated the seal they had placed in advance.

Thanks to that, the Black Orcs had to go through the trouble of finding the Three-Headed Society’s hideout themselves.

At that moment,

“My King! There is a cave here.”

A Black Orc soldier who was searching while climbing down the cliff shouted.

A moment later.

“You are saying there is nothing?”

“Yes, My King. Looking at the pattern engraved on the wall inside, which is the same as the tattoo of the guy who committed suicide, it is indeed the Three-Headed Society’s hideout, but… it seems they have already departed.”

The Black Orc soldiers who searched the cliff cave returned and reported the search results.

“Hmm… Already?”

Seeing that they were unable to erase their pattern engraved on the wall, it seemed they had hurriedly packed up their hideout and fled.

‘They are no ordinary guys…’

Urchi thought that the Three-Headed Society was an extraordinary organization due to their boldness in abandoning the hideout just because they lost contact with a single member.

‘In that case, to prevent them from interfering with the path of the great Black Dragon and Theo Park, I must track them down even more thoroughly and erase them from the tower!’

As Urchi strengthened his resolve to erase the Three-Headed Society for Se-jun and Theo,

*Krrr.*

Hegel arrived, leading the Black Wolves, after receiving a message from another cat intern. Elka and the Silver Wolves had split off while coming down together, protecting the Earth Defense Force members and transporting the Sturdy Blade Green Onions.

“Lord Hegel, you have arrived.”

“Yes, Lord Urchi.”

Urchi and Hegel exchanged greetings. They had greeted each other a few times since Urchi became Theo’s subordinate.

“Did you find the hideout?”

“Well…”

Urchi explained the current situation.

“Please leave it to us. We will go inspect the hideout for a moment.”

“Yes. Please do.”

Hegel took the wolves, entered the cave on the cliff, and began to search the Three-Headed Society’s hideout.

And,

“We have found the scent. Let’s go.”

*Sniff, sniff.*

The wolves began to move, tracing the scent of the fled Three-Headed Society.

***

“It’s all done!”

When Se-jun, who had finally finished steaming all the rice cakes to make the rice cake cake, shouted hurrah,

Cueng!

[Now we can eat rice cakes after sleeping for just one night!]

Cuengi also shouted hurrah excitedly at the thought of being able to eat rice cakes soon. They were a father and son with different dreams.

“Shall I begin?”

Having finished steaming all the rice cakes, Se-jun entered the process of making the rice cake cake.

“First, spread green onion leaves on the ground…”

Spreading the leaves thickly on the ground so that dirt wouldn’t get on the rice cakes, Se-jun began to stack the rice cakes like bricks.

One hour. Two hours…

Se-jun stacked the rice cakes with concentration.

And,

“Completed! Ta-da! How is it, Cuengi?”

Se-jun asked Cuengi, pointing at the towering, massive 99-story rice cake cake with a diameter of 2 meters.

Cueng!

[It looks delicious!]

“No. How is the shape?”

Since it was not the answer he wanted, Se-jun asked again.

However,

Cueng! Cueng!

[I don’t know! It just looks delicious!]

Cuengi had absolutely no interest in the shape of the rice cakes. He was slightly disappointed, but on the other hand, it was understandable.

“Indeed… since the kids have never seen the tower from the outside.”

What Se-jun made was a Black Tower rice cake cake. He decided to have it colored black with dyeing magic once Iona arrived later.

“Hmm… Is it a bit lacking to recognize?”

Looking at the Black Tower rice cake cake, Se-jun began to make rice cake dough again.

As time passed like that,

*Rumble.*

Cuengi’s stomach clock announced dinner time.

Cueng!

[Dad, Cuengi is hungry!]

“Alright. Wait just a moment.”

Se-jun hurriedly prepared dinner. For dinner, he put dough balls made by rolling the remaining rice cake dough into sweet potato soup and gave it to the animals.

Cueng!

[This is chewy and delicious!]

Cuengi rejoiced as he chewed the dough balls.

*Ppi-ik!*

Ukki!

It was also popular among the rabbits and the monkeys.

“They eat well.”

While Se-jun was watching the animals eat deliciously,

“Chairman Park, give me Churu too, meow!”

“Right. Let’s eat Churu, Vice Chairman Theo.”

*Chwap, chwap, chwap.*

Se-jun fed Churu to Theo too.

At that moment,

‘But why am I so relaxed?’

Se-jun felt something strange about his relaxed feeling. And he was soon able to know the reason for that relaxation.

“I have leisure because I didn’t eat dinner.”

It was thanks to Aileen’s fist meat pieces that he was not hungry.

‘But is this a good thing? It’s nice to have leisure, though.’

Se-jun was somewhat confused.

“Chairman Park, if there is nothing to do, stroke my belly, meow! I think I’m not feeling well, meow!”

Theo spoke, looking at Se-jun’s idle hand.

‘It’s not a good thing.’

Se-jun stroked Theo’s belly, thinking that next time he should at least drink coffee to replace food.

*Stroke, stroke.*

“Nyaaa~”

*Chwap, chwap, chwap.*

Theo ate Churu diligently, making sounds of dying of happiness.

And when Theo finished eating the Churu,

*Rolls over.*

Cueng!

[I wish Dad would stroke Cuengi’s belly!]

Cuengi, who had quickly polished off his dinner, lay down next to Se-jun.

“Sure.”

Se-jun, without a moment of rest, stroked Cuengi’s belly with the hand that had been feeding Churu to Theo.

In that way, the dinner time ended,

*Knead, knead.*

Se-jun made the last rice cake to be placed on tomorrow’s birthday party cake in the kitchen area.

“Chairman Park… aren’t we sleeping, meow…?”

Theo pestered Se-jun to go to sleep.

“Vice Chairman Theo, wait just a moment. It’s almost done.”

“I understand, meow… I will wait, meow…”

Since he still had work left, Se-jun coaxed Theo and continued his work. Theo’s voice was weak, but Se-jun thought it was because he was sleepy.

However,

*Shiver, shiver.*

“Chair… man Park… I’m cold, meow…”

After about an hour had passed, Theo began to tremble.

“Huh?! Vice Chairman Theo! What’s wrong?!”

Only then did Se-jun sense something strange and check Theo’s body.

“What? Theo, why is your body so hot?!”

Se-jun, who touched Theo’s body here and there, was flustered. His entire body was a ball of fire.

Moreover,

*Wheeze, wheeze.*

Theo’s breathing had also become rough.

‘I must bring Theo’s fever down first!’

Se-jun hurriedly spread leaves on the ground, laid Theo down, and tried to bring Theo’s temperature down with a wet towel, but

*Cling.*

“I don’t want… to let go, meow…”

Even while lacking energy, his obsession with Se-jun’s lap remained the same. Theo clung to Se-jun’s lap and would not let go.

“Alright.”

Se-jun first held Theo with one hand so he wouldn’t fall from his lap, and wiped Theo’s body with the other hand to lower his body temperature.

Then, using a rope, he tied his lap and Theo’s body together, went outside, and climbed up to the fountain.

“Lord Kaiser!”

Having climbed up to the fountain, Se-jun hurriedly called Kaiser.

-What is it that you aren’t sleeping?

Kaiser, who had been sipping makgeolli alone, looked at Se-jun and asked.

“Theo is very sick! Please help!”

Se-jun said, pointing to Theo who was clinging to his lap.

-Tsk, tsk. Foolish fellow. Heal.

As Kaiser looked at Theo pitifully and used Dragon Words Magic,

*Flash.*

Theo’s body began to glow with a green light.

-There.

*Purr.*

Perhaps because Kaiser’s treatment worked, Theo began to sleep comfortably, snoring.

“But why did Theo suddenly fall sick?”

-Why else would he be sick? He fell sick because he overexerted himself.

“Pardon? Overexertion?”

Since he had never seen Theo overexert himself, Se-jun asked in confusion.

-He received the Dragon Fear of two dragons, so it’s natural for him to be sick.

“What?! That can’t be… He definitely looked perfectly fine?”

-That is because Theo, that fellow, is dense.

Due to his absolute belief that he was invincible when with Se-jun’s lap, Theo did not properly perceive his body’s condition. As Kaiser said, Theo was in a significantly overexerted state lately.

Having withstood the magic power of the adult dragon Aileen and then the magic power of Ajax, a normal cat merchant from the 75th floor of the tower like Theo was bound to experience strain on his body after receiving the Dragon Fear of two dragons.

Moreover, in that state, he overexerted himself even more to take care of the weak Se-jun, and that strain had come back as body aches belatedly.

Conversely, Se-jun, who received care from Theo and Cuengi and consistently ate elixirs, was perfectly fine, recovering quickly through his job trait ‘Does Not Suffer Minor Illnesses’ and .

“Thank you, Lord Kaiser.”

-You know what to do if you are grateful, right? Hmm?

Kaiser spoke, shaking his liquor bottle with his hand.

“Yes! Next time, I will give you 10 bottles of a new liquor.”

-Oh?! New liquor?! I will look forward to it! Kuhahaha!

Leaving behind Kaiser, who was rejoicing at the news of new liquor, Se-jun descended the fountain.

“Theo needs to nourish his body too.”

Just as Se-jun thought that he should make nourishing food for Theo,

*Thump!*

From the direction of the cave where Sparky was, a loud sound was heard.

“Sparky, what’s going on?”

As Se-jun looked down the cave and asked Sparky,

[Master! Suddenly, an extremely large tuna came up here!]

Sparky replied, waving its leaves excessively.

“Huh?! A tuna came up?!”

The giant tuna had appeared on its own in front of Se-jun, who had just been about to make nourishing food for Theo. It was truly exquisite timing.

When Se-jun went down the cave after hearing Sparky’s words,

[Giant Tuna of the Deep Sea]

Indeed, a single giant tuna of 30 meters was up out of the pond. Perhaps because it could not breathe, the tuna was already dead.

“I can make Theo’s nourishing food with this.”

*Slice.*

As Se-jun happily butchered the tuna,

*Roll.*

A blue-glowing bead rolled out from the giant tuna’s chest.

“Huh?! This is?”

Se-jun picked up the bead and examined it.

[Giant Tuna of the Deep Sea Core]

This was the core of a giant tuna that lived for over 2,000 years in the deep abyss of the dimensional sea.

It contained the powers of healing and water.

Upon consumption, magic power increased by 50, and one could obtain Skill: Healing and Talent: Water Attribute.

A strong fishy taste was produced.

Usage Restriction: Magic Power 200 or higher

Rating: A+

‘It has a strong fishy taste?’ This was definitely meant for Theo to eat. Moreover, he thought that if Theo obtained the water attribute as a talent, it would be convenient to bathe him later. He would have his own water-attribute cat.

“Vice Chairman Theo, let’s eat something delicious.”

Se-jun carefully pried Theo’s mouth open and put in the fishy Giant Tuna of the Deep Sea Core.

“Nyaang… meow~”

At first, Theo expressed annoyance when his mouth was pried open by force. However, once the strongly fishy core entered his mouth, he made a pleasant sound. The core quickly melted in Theo’s mouth and was absorbed into his body.

*Flash.*

For a brief moment, Theo’s body glowed faintly with a blue light and then faded.

And,

*Slice.*

Se-jun butchered the tuna with a dagger again, put the tuna into a pot, and began to boil it. He planned to make tuna fish porridge.

*Bubble, bubble.*

While boiling the tuna, Se-jun continued to make the rice cakes he was making earlier.

And when he finished making the rice cakes,

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. You haven’t slept yet?”

Iona, who had completed the magic for the fireworks with the magicians in the Magic Tower, returned.

“Yes. Since some work remained. Iona, dye the cake black first.”

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. Yes.”

“And on this rice cake…”

Se-jun asked Iona for a separate magic spell on the rice cakes he had just completed.

“Kyu. Got it.”

Once all the work was finished like that,

“Let’s sleep now.”

“Kyu-kyu-kyu! Yes!”

Iona quickly wrapped herself with Theo’s tail and naturally moved to Se-jun’s bedroom.

And,

*Snoooore.*

*Purr.*

*Kyu-rorong.*

The dawn passed, and the morning began to break. Finally, the day of the birthday party that everyone had been looking forward to arrived.