Chapter 194 – Burning

“Argh! Damn human! Why do I have to scatter things like this?!!!”

Ajax, who had moved to the Green Tower, got annoyed and diligently scattered the kudzu fruits on the 78th floor of the Green Tower. Since it was a contract, he could not help but work hard.

Because of that, his annoyance exploded even more, and matching Ajax’s emotions, his mana also exploded, spreading in all directions.

Thanks to that, the monsters close to Ajax were exposed to his intense mana and fainted. It was as if the bombing dragon Ajax was helping Se-jun with his revenge without even realizing it.

“Damn it! Why do I have to do something like this…”

Having opened the land deeds of the Green Tower and scattered kudzu fruits on the 56th floor of the tower as well, Ajax grumbled to the end as he returned to the White Tower.

After Ajax disappeared,

Wiggle. Wiggle.

The kudzu fruits, which had absorbed the mana emitted by Ajax, took root in the ground and began to grow rapidly.

***

“Flamie, how have you been?”

[Yes! Master!]

Having confirmed that Ajax scattered 100 million kudzu fruits in the Green Tower, Se-jun came down to the cave and visited Flamie. This was to receive the Flame of Affinity buff, one of Flamie’s flame buffs, and burn down the kudzu field on the 85th floor of the tower.

Se-jun was thinking of burning down the kudzu field and practicing slash-and-burn farming by planting kudzu fruits there again. Since the entire 85th floor of the tower was a kudzu field anyway, there was no need to worry about kudzu spreading, and there were many kudzu fruits that could be secured.

Furthermore, given the life force of kudzu, it would grow well even if planted roughly, so it had the optimal conditions for completing the job quest.

[Hehe. Please wait a moment! Hiyah!]

When Flamie, excited by the thought of helping Se-jun, shouted with determination, one of the four leaves that Flamie possessed turned yellow, and a yellow flame seeped into Se-jun’s body. The flame looked somehow stronger than before.

[The Enhanced Flame of Affinity seeps into the body for 3 hours.]

[The Enhanced Flame of Affinity greatly aids the user’s ability to control fire.]

“Huh? Enhanced Flame of Affinity?”

[Hehe. I worked hard for you, Master!]

“Oh! Thank you so much, Flamie.”

Se-jun praised Flamie’s praiseworthiness by vigorously stroking Flamie’s leaves.

[Farmer’s Warm Touch Lv. 4 is activated.]

[While the touch lasts, the growth of the apple tree accelerates slightly.]

At that moment,

Pop!

One more leaf sprouted from Flamie’s branch. It was the fifth leaf.

[Oh! Master, I grew!]

“Oh! Congratulations!”

[Hehe. It is all thanks to you, Master!]

“No… it is nothing… Hehehe. I will stroke you more.”

Embarrassed by Flamie’s praise, Se-jun tried to stroke Flamie’s leaves more.

However,

[No, it is okay. You can stroke me later. The flame buff time is running out. Go quickly.]

Flamie stopped Se-jun.

“Yes. Okay. Then I will come and stroke you next time.”

At Flamie’s consideration, Se-jun quickly stood up. Just as Flamie had said, the time he could use the Enhanced Flame of Affinity was running out.

After Se-jun thus left in a hurry for the 85th floor of the tower to use the Enhanced Flame of Affinity buff,

[Hehe. I was almost caught.]

Flamie began to grow in earnest.

Rumble.

The entire 99th floor of the tower shook, and a tree root appeared in the sky of the 98th floor of the tower.

***

[You have arrived at the 85th floor of the tower.]

Clank.

“Guys, come out.”

Having arrived at the 85th floor of the tower using the waypoint, Se-jun opened the void storage and called Theo and Cuengi.

Pitter-patter.

“Meow!”

Kkueng!

At Se-jun’s call, Theo and Cuengi, who came out from the void storage, threw themselves toward Se-jun’s two knees.

Slap.

Having thus equipped(?) the two on his legs, Se-jun walked toward the farm.

“Se-jun, have you come?!”

As he arrived near the farm, Elka, who caught Se-jun’s scent, rushed over and welcomed Se-jun.

Wag. Wag.

Elka’s tail wagged rapidly left and right, as if he was very glad to see him.

“Yeah. Nothing happened, right?”

Se-jun asked, stroking Elka’s head.

“Yes! Nothing happened.”

Se-jun, who arrived at the farm while talking with Elka like that,

“Guys, we are here!”

Se-jun greeted the hedgehogs and the poison honeybees working hard on the farm on the 85th floor of the tower.

Kkosit! Kkosit!

When Se-jun arrived, Godori showed off the kudzu fruits they had harvested to Se-jun, boasting that they had worked hard! In the place Godori pointed to, approximately 30 million kudzu fruits were piled up.

Buzz! Buzz!

As if the poison honeybee queen could not lose to the hedgehogs, she also showed Se-jun the honey they had harvested. The 10 glass jars Se-jun had left behind were filled with kudzu honey, which was darker than normal honey.

“Good job, guys.”

Kkosit! Kkosit!

Buzz! Buzz!

At Se-jun’s praise, the hedgehogs and the poison honeybees rejoiced and went back to work.

And,

“How does kudzu honey taste?”

When Se-jun lifted the glass jar containing kudzu honey,

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[It is a honey I am seeing for the first time! Cuengi wants to eat it!]

Cuengi got excited looking at the kudzu honey.

‘Is this one not bitter?’

Se-jun first prepared a honey jelly, and

Nom.

He scooped the kudzu honey with a spoon and popped it into Cuengi’s mouth.

Kkueng?!

Cuengi made a strange expression at first, but soon wore a happy face.

“It seems to be okay.”

Seeing Cuengi’s expression, Se-jun put away the honey jelly, dabbed a bit of kudzu honey with his pinky finger, and tasted it.

“Wow!”

As the kudzu honey touched his tongue, a soft sweetness came along with a slight bitterness. And the unique aroma of kudzu filled his mouth heavily from beginning to end, making the overall taste harmonious.

While Se-jun was admiring the kudzu honey,

Lick. Lick.

As if he could not miss a single drop of honey, Cuengi diligently licked the spoon.

At that moment,

Kkueng!

[Dad, it is kudzu honey and garaetteok!]

Cuengi quickly simulated the brilliant idea that flashed in his head and shouted. [This is unconditionally delicious!]

“Garaetteok? That sounds good!”

It seemed the bittersweet taste of the kudzu honey would go well with garaetteok. Se-jun, who was about to quickly pack the kudzu fruits and kudzu honey into his void space and take out the Relic: Rice Dough that Swallows Wealth.

However,

“Ah…”

It occurred to him that he had left the relic at the brewery on the 99th floor of the tower to brew alcohol.

“Come to think of it, now is not the time for this.”

Additionally, Se-jun recalled his original purpose for coming down to the 85th floor of the tower. Even now, the buff time Flamie had given him was decreasing.

“Cuengi, let’s eat garaetteok later.”

Kkueng? Kkueng!

[Why eat it later? Cuengi wants to eat it now!]

Cuengi protested Se-jun’s words. Se-jun step by step explained the reason they could not eat garaetteok right now.

“Cuengi can understand, right?”

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Cuengi understands Dad! Cuengi will help Dad!]

At Se-jun’s explanation, Cuengi nodded his head and answered. ‘Dad needs to quickly complete the quest, obtain a job combat skill, and get stronger!’

“Thank you.”

Stroke. Stroke.

Se-jun stroked Cuengi’s head.

“Chairman Park, I am here too, meow!”

Since Se-jun only stroked Cuengi, Theo pointed at his own head with his front paw in a pitiful voice.

“Right. Thank you too, Vice Chairman Theo.”

“Hmph, meow! That is right, meow! Chairman Park should always be grateful to me, meow!”

As soon as Se-jun stroked him, Theo changed his attitude in an instant and became pompous. He really wanted to…!

After stroking the two of them like that,

“Guys, work behind me.”

For the arson, he moved the hedgehogs and the poison honeybees behind him.

Snap!

Once everyone moved behind him, Se-jun snapped his fingers to create a flame.

Whoosh.

Thanks to the Enhanced Flame of Affinity buff, the flame, which was originally about the size of a 100-won coin, flared up to the size of a palm.

Crackle.

Se-jun set fire to the kudzu root that had been dehydrated when Cuengi squeezed the kudzu juice yesterday.

Blaze.

The fire quickly burned the dry kudzu root and, consuming the surrounding kudzu, rapidly grew in power.

“Ice Cube.”

As the heat of the fire was felt, Se-jun arranged ice blocks to prevent it from spreading behind him.

After some time passed like that, the flames grew massive, burning up all the surrounding kudzu.

“Cuengi, let’s go with Kkuenghu!

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Understood! Going with Kkuenghu!]

At Se-jun’s words, Cuengi took a deep breath, climbed onto the Ice Cube, and

Kkueeeeeng!

Roared loudly toward the fire. It was one of Cuengi’s techniques created after the Kkueng Storm Fist. The fierce wind generated along with Cuengi’s roar pushed the flames, spreading the fire rapidly.

“Cuengi, one more time!”

Kkueeeeeng!

After using Kkuenghu about ten times like that, the flames spread up to 100 km away.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Dad, Cuengi cannot do it anymore! I am hungry!]

He had heard of getting dizzy from blowing too much wind, but it was his first time hearing that it made one hungry. But since it was their Cuengi, it was possible.

“Cuengi, wait a moment. Crop Giantization.”

Se-jun quickly took out a sweet potato and made it giant.

And,

“Vice Chairman Theo, pack the ground a bit.”

Se-jun, who filled Cuengi’s belly, pointed to the ground where the kudzu had completely burned down and threw Theo into the sky.

Whoosh.

“Understood, meow!”

Flash!

Theo easily balanced himself in midair and extended his dragon claws.

“Nya-nya-nyan! Nya-nya-nyan!”

Theo used Meow Meow Storm Fist in midair, slicing through the ground that had only ashes remaining with transparent, sharp mana blades.

Doing this would pack the kudzu roots inside, making it a ground suitable for planting kudzu fruits for a few days. Moreover, if cracks were created in the ground, it provided a path for the heat inside the earth to escape, which had the effect of cooling the ground temperature a bit faster.

But that was for later.

“Pfft!”

Se-jun burst into laughter while looking at Theo. Theo, who was floundering his front paws hard in empty space, was too funny.

Although terrifying mana blades were coming out of Theo’s cute front paws, since they were invisible to Se-jun’s eyes, he could only see Theo floundering.

“Chairman Park! I am falling, meow!”

Theo, who finished his work, called Se-jun. ‘Hurry up and catch me, meow!’

“Okay.”

Lightly.

Se-jun stretched out his two arms, caught Theo safely, and equipped him on his lap again.

At that moment,

Clutch.

“Huh?”

Kkueng!

[Cuengi wants to try it too!]

Cuengi said, grabbing Se-jun’s leg.

“Okay. But Cuengi must not use Kkueng Storm Fist from above. Okay?”

Since the aftermath of the Kkueng Storm Fist was massive, Se-jun warned him as he put his hands under Cuengi’s armpits and hugged him.

And,

Whoosh.

He threw Cuengi high into the sky. Because Cuengi could not balance in empty space like Theo, he began to fall headfirst.

“Oops!”

Se-jun caught Cuengi carefully.

Kkuhehehe. Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Hehehe. It is fun! Cuengi wants to do it one more time!]

Cuengi smiled and took a stance on Se-jun’s arms, asking to be thrown again.

“Then, here goes! Heave-ho!”

Like that, Se-jun played by throwing Cuengi near the flames until the Flame of Affinity buff ended.

And,

[You have planted 89 kudzus.]

[Job experience increases slightly.]

[The proficiency of Mana Sowing Lv. 6 increases slightly.]

[The probability of the kudzu taking root increases due to the effect of Mana Sowing Lv. 6.]

[The kudzu is hearing the farmer’s footsteps, so its growth speed accelerates.]

[6,974,573 times remaining until job quest completion.]

He began to plant kudzu in earnest starting from the ground that had cooled down.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Although the growth rate was slower than usual since he did not infuse mana into the ground, kudzu’s life force was so good that grabbing a handful of kudzu fruits and roughly scattering them on the ground resulted in a message saying half of them were planted. It was truly an amazing life force.

While Se-jun was comfortably planting kudzu and raising the completion rate of the job quest like that,

[You have achieved the accomplishment of burning down 1 million pyeong of land occupied by harmful plants interfering with farming.]

[As a reward for the Great Farmer’s accomplishment, you have learned the job skill: Slash-and-Burn Farming Lv. 1.]

As the fire burned down even the distant kudzu, he obtained a new job skill. It was a kudzu that helped in various ways.

On the 329th day of being stranded, Se-jun obtained his 7th job skill, Slash-and-Burn Farming ().