Chapter 197 – Obtaining a Combat Skill

Administrator Area.

“Keuhing. It’s tiring…”

Aileen was exhausted from engraving magic onto Kai-la’s Dragon Heart fragment.

“Munch.”

She hurriedly put the elixir Se-jun gave her, Elixir: Cherry Tomato containing Mighty Mana, into her mouth to recover her mana.

Still, thanks to steadily eating the elixir-grade cherry tomatoes, her mana increased, and the engraving work time, although slightly, was increasing.

At that moment,

[The Tower Farmer Park Se-jun has created the Job: Herb Collector.]

[The status of the Black Tower rises.]

An alarm appeared on the crystal ball.

“Kehehehe. As expected of our Se-jun!”

Aileen did not know what it meant for the status of the Black Tower to rise, but she was simply happy that Se-jun had accomplished something.

“This is no time to be idle! I will work even harder too! Wait for me, Se-jun!”

Aileen burned with determination and began to engrave magic onto the Dragon Heart fragment again.

***

Kkueng!

[Dad, eat this too!]

Cuengi emerged from the ground and handed Se-jun a reddish-glowing kudzu root.

“Right. Thank you.”

Se-jun took the reddish-glowing kudzu root and examined it carefully. Lately, he had been extremely anxious every time Cuengi gave him something.

[Reddish Kudzu Root of Flame]

The kudzu root, which grew by absorbing all the nutrients of other surrounding kudzu due to its obsession with survival, has evolved by one step after absorbing the hot energy of fire.

Upon consumption, all stats increase by 20 or all stats’ potential increases by 10.

Upon consumption, flame attribute talent is strengthened.

It tastes strongly bitter and spicy.

Usage Restriction: Lv. 55 or higher, all stats 100 or higher

Grade: A+

“It’s getting worse and worse.”

He liked the part that the flame attribute was strengthened upon consumption. However, this time, spicy flavor was included instead of sourness.

At that moment,

Growl.

Kkueng!

[Dad, Cuengi is hungry!]

“Hold on.”

For the sake of Cuengi, who had worked hard digging up the herb, Se-jun hurriedly pulled out a box of sweet potatoes from his void storage.

And,

“Crop Giantization. Here, Cuengi, eat.”

He gave the giant sweet potato, whose size was increased using the skill, to Cuengi.

Kkueng!

[Dad, I will eat well!]

Crunch. Crunch.

As Cuengi received the giant sweet potato and ate it diligently,

“Guys, let’s eat lunch!”

Confirming that Cuengi was eating well, Se-jun called the hedgehogs.

Pitter-patter.

At Se-jun’s call, 10,000 hedgehogs came running diligently.

Kkosit! Kkosit!

The hedgehogs stood in a line in an orderly fashion in front of Se-jun.

And,

“Crop Giantization.”

Slice. Slice.

Se-jun sliced the giant sweet potato and handed a piece to each of the hedgehogs.

Kkosit!

Receiving sweet potato pieces the size of their own bodies, the hedgehogs expressed their gratitude to Se-jun, took their places, and began to eat.

Munch. Munch.

Only the sound of eating sweet potatoes could be heard around.

While everyone was having their meal like that,

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Se-jun pounded the reddish kudzu root with the back of the hand axe’s blade to flatten it.

And he put soy sauce, salt, and honey into a bowl and mixed them to make a seasoning sauce to spread on the kudzu root.

Lick.

“Mmh. It’s fine.”

Spread. Spread.

Licking the seasoning sauce from his pinky finger to taste it, Se-jun wore a satisfied expression and spread it over the flattened kudzu root. Se-jun intended to season the Reddish Kudzu Root of Flame like grilled deodeok and roast it.

If possible, he wanted to just preserve it in honey for about three days and eat it as a honey preserve, but the words that it greatly strengthened the flame attribute talent moved Se-jun.

Currently, the kudzu field on the 85th floor of the tower was only half-burned. However, in the span of two days, other lands, including the place where Se-jun had planted kudzu, were being rapidly encroached upon by the kudzu.

This was because the nutrients on the ground had increased due to the fire. Therefore, it was necessary to quickly burn down the remaining kudzu.

However, without Flamie’s flame buff, he could not make a strong fire, so even if he set fire to the kudzu, it would quickly go out. If time passed and the kudzu encroached all the way to the farm, he might lose the tangerine tree he had managed to obtain.

‘That can never happen!’

In Se-jun’s head, there was already a grand dream of eating peeled tangerines inside an igloo made of Ice Cubes, wrapping himself in a blanket, using Theo and Cuengi as heaters.

Since the kudzu root that greatly strengthened the flame attribute talent had appeared before him, he had only one thought: he had to eat it no matter what.

‘I’d rather choose to faint for a day than lose the tangerine tree!’

While Se-jun, with such a solemn mind, was spreading seasoning on the kudzu root to make the taste even slightly better,

Kkueng!

[Dad, Cuengi wants to spread that on my sweet potato too!]

Cuengi held out his sweet potato to Se-jun. Seeing Se-jun spreading the seasoning on the kudzu root, it seemed he wanted to copy him.

“Hold on.”

Since making the seasoning sauce was not that difficult, Se-jun quickly made the seasoning sauce and spread it on the sweet potato.

But,

Munch. Munch.

Kkueng!

[The sweet potato is salty!]

Cuengi quickly lost interest in the taste, which did not go well with the sweet potato, and began to eat raw sweet potato again.

And,

“Done.”

Se-jun sealed the seasoning evenly on the kudzu root, brought dry kudzu vines, set fire to them, and began to grill the seasoned kudzu root.

When the kudzu root was grilled moderately like that,

[You have achieved the achievement of making the Grilled Kudzu Root with Fire-Flavored Seasoning for the first time in the tower.]

[The recipe for Grilled Kudzu Root with Fire-Flavored Seasoning is registered in Cooking Lv. 6.]

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 6 increases greatly.]

Along with the achievement message, the dish was completed.

“Hehehe. Good.”

At the normal title, Se-jun held expectations and checked the dish.

[Grilled Kudzu Root with Fire-Flavored Seasoning]

The Reddish Kudzu Root of Flame has been grilled with the skilled chef’s seasoning sauce properly permeated, improving the taste.

As the kudzu root absorbed heat, both the taste and effect of the kudzu root have been enhanced.

Upon consumption, all stats increase by 22 or all stats’ potential increases by 11.

Upon consumption, flame attribute talent is greatly strengthened.

Chef: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration Date: 140 days

Grade: S-

The dish was extremely successful. The name was normal, the amount of stats rising upon consumption increased, and the description had changed to the flame attribute talent being ‘greatly’ strengthened.

“Good!”

Se-jun hurriedly put the grilled kudzu root in his mouth. Since it had become delicious, Cuengi might snatch and eat it.

Crunch. Crunch.

Like that, Se-jun was eating the grilled kudzu root secretly from Cuengi.

“Keup!”

At first, he did not know as it was mixed with the seasoning taste, but Se-jun’s face began to flush from the bitterness and spiciness rising strongly in his mouth.

‘Is this what it meant by the taste being enhanced?!’

Se-jun had misunderstood that the enhancement of the bitterness and spiciness meant it had become delicious.

Gulp.

As it became more bitter and spicy the more he chewed, Se-jun hurriedly swallowed the kudzu root. Thanks to having flattened the kudzu root in advance, he could swallow it easily.

[You have consumed the Grilled Kudzu Root with Fire-Flavored Seasoning.]

[All stats’ potential increases by 11.]

[Your flame attribute talent is greatly strengthened.]

[Talent: Fire Mastery evolves into Overflowing Fire.]

Still, the hardship was worth it. His flame attribute talent evolved.

“Hehehe.”

Se-jun laughed and checked the evolved talent.

[Talent: Overflowing Fire]

-This is a talent to skillfully use the overflowing fire within the body.

-Allows you to generate a strong flame by snapping your fingers.

Snap.

Fwoosh.

“Oh!”

When Se-jun snapped his fingers after checking the talent, a palm-sized flame was generated. This was about the level when he received Flamie’s Enhanced Flame of Affinity buff.

“Good. Let’s burn it down right aw… Ugh!”

Gurgle.

Just as Se-jun was about to burn the kudzu field using his evolved talent, he suddenly felt a rumble in his stomach. His stomach had gone wild from the strong bitterness and spiciness.

“First, the restroom…”

Se-jun went to the hole that Cuengi had dug deep earlier to dig up the reddish kudzu root, hastily piled up kudzu vines high to cover the surroundings, and took care of his business.

However, the explicit sounds could not be blocked.

Stealthily. Stealthily.

While eating sweet potatoes, Cuengi and the hedgehogs hurriedly moved away from Se-jun.

3 hours later.

“Ugh… my stomach is still uncomfortable.”

Holding his slightly calmed stomach, Se-jun prepared to set fire to the kudzu field. He had hurriedly eaten a Potato of Strength to activate his stomach function, but in the meantime, the kudzu root had apparently descended to his intestines, so there was little effect.

“Guys, bury this.”

Se-jun distributed sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn along with green onion leaves from his void storage to Cuengi and the hedgehogs, letting them bury them under the kudzu field.

If the crops were wrapped in green onion leaves and buried in the ground like this, they would not be burned by direct contact with fire and would be roasted well by indirect heat.

The reason he went through the trouble of roasting the crops this way was that he wanted to make fun memories for Cuengi and the hedgehogs, who would soon go down to the 83rd floor of the tower.

There was absolutely no need to worry that they might not be able to find them later. Because there was Cuengi, who could sniff things out phenomenally.

After burying the crops to be roasted and eaten in the kudzu field like that,

Snap.

Se-jun snapped his fingers to make fire.

“Now, setting the fire!”

As Se-jun set fire to the kudzu field,

Fwoosh.

The flames quickly burned fiercely. Se-jun waited for the flames to grow strong enough not to go out even with Cuengi’s Kkuenghu, and then let Cuengi use Kkuenghu to spread the fire.

Kkueeeeeng!

Once Cuengi used Kkuenghu about ten times, the flames spread in all directions, beginning to burn the kudzu field in earnest.

And,

“Let’s eat!”

Digging up the ground where the flames had passed, Se-jun and the animals searched for their dinner.

Kkueng!

Kkosit!

Cuengi and the hedgehogs scrambled to run toward the buried crops.

“Move Ground!”

Se-jun also used Myler’s Hoe to turn over the ground, looking for the crops in the soil.

After turning over the ground about three times like that,

“Found it!”

Se-jun found a corn buried in the ground.

Pat. Pat.

Just as he brushed off the dirt on the corn and was about to eat it,

Kkosit…

A hedgehog who had not found a single thing to eat yet looked at Se-jun enviously. If you look at me like that, do you think I can eat it?

“Here.”

Se-jun gave the corn he was holding to the hedgehog and

“Move Ground!”

Searched for the crops again. This time it was a potato.

“Looks delicious.”

Just as Se-jun removed the green onion leaves wrapping the potato and was about to eat it,

Kkosit…

Another hedgehog staring at Se-jun while drooling. Why did I suggest doing this…

“Here.”

Se-jun handed the potato to the hedgehog. Since he was the one who had started this, he could not allow any hedgehog to go hungry.

Munch.

Se-jun simply filled his belly with a piece of Aileen’s healthy fist meat and

“Move Ground!”

Found the crops and distributed them to the hedgehogs who had not found anything to eat yet.

Thanks to that, although they could not eat together,

Kkosit!

[Thank you, Se-jun-nim, go!]

Kkosit

[You are amazing, Se-jun-nim, go!]

He received the hedgehogs’ admiration.

And,

Kkueng!

[Dad, Cuengi found an herb!]

“Good job, Cuengi.”

The filial son Cuengi pleased Se-jun by digging up a medicinal kudzu root in the meantime.

After digging up the ground until late and eating dinner like that,

“Let’s sleep now.”

Staring at the kudzu field burning fiercely in the distance, Se-jun and the animals fell asleep.

The next morning.

Kkosit!

[Then we’ll go down, go!]

Led by Godori, the leader of the hedgehogs, the hedgehogs prepared to leave, each carrying a sweet potato on their backs. The sweet potatoes were provided by Se-jun.

Of course, he did not intend to settle the reward for this work with sweet potatoes, and he planned to make a proper reward later.

“Go safely!”

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Thank you for helping Dad! Go safely!]

Following Se-jun, who was seeing the hedgehogs off, Cuengi also waved his front paw to say goodbye to the hedgehogs.

After sending off the hedgehogs like that,

“Let’s work too.”

Kkueng!

[Understood!]

Se-jun started working with Cuengi again. Se-jun started planting kudzu fruits, and Cuengi, who had become a Herb Collector, started searching for herbs.

And,

…

..

.

[You have completed the job quest.]

[As a quest completion reward, Level 61 is unlocked.]

[As a quest completion reward, you have obtained 500,000 Tower Coins.]

[As a quest completion reward, you have obtained Job Combat Skill – You Are a Field! Lv. 1.]

Day 330 of being stranded. Se-jun completed the job quest and obtained a combat skill for the first time in his life.