Chapter 207 – Obtaining a Greatsword

[You have achieved the achievement of making the first spicy and refreshing freshwater shrimp soup in the tower.]

[The recipe for spicy and refreshing freshwater shrimp soup is registered in Cooking Lv. 6.]

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

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 6 is filled, raising its level.]

An achievement message that appeared when the shrimp soup made by adding freshwater shrimp caught by Theo was completed.

“Hehehe. Good.”

Furthermore, Se-jun smiled warmly at the message that his cooking level had risen and took a spoonful of the shrimp soup to taste it.

Slurp.

“Wow. It’s refreshing.”

Se-jun, who tasted the shrimp soup, wore a satisfied expression. The taste of the shrimp soup was spicy and refreshing, and the more he chewed the shrimp, the more a clean taste was brought out. With this, the shrimp catching bait was completed.

“Guys, let’s eat breakfast.”

Se-jun called the animals.

Kkueng?!

[Dad, are we eating this?!]

Cuengi asked, looking at the shrimp inside the shrimp soup Se-jun gave him. Cuengi, who had seen them while picking barnacles, had not thought they could be eaten because they were too small.

“Yes. Try it first.”

Kkueng!

[Understood!]

Trusting Se-jun’s words, Cuengi began to eat the shrimp soup without suspicion, and

Peng!

the penguins, who had already eaten it before, ate the shrimp soup containing freshwater shrimp without hesitation.

“How is it? It’s delicious, right? If you guys catch and bring shrimp, I will make you another delicious dish with freshwater shrimp for lunch.”

This was why Se-jun had diligently made the shrimp soup since morning. Since he couldn’t see the concealed freshwater shrimp, he was having the animals catch the shrimp instead, using the shrimp soup as bait.

Kkueng!

[Understood!]

Peng!

Cuengi and the penguins nodded their heads enthusiastically at Se-jun’s words.

“Now let’s eat too.”

Slurp.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

Crunch.

Se-jun, who had successfully pitched shrimp catching to the animals, ate the shrimp soup while feeding Theo handmade Churu.

While they were eating breakfast like that,

“Huh?!”

the bodies of Kona and the other penguins, who were sitting next to Se-jun and eating the shrimp soup, became transparent one by one and disappeared.

“Chairman Park, why is that, meow?”

When Se-jun was flustered, Theo stopped eating Churu and asked.

“Vice President Theo, suddenly Kona and the penguins disappeared…”

“What are you talking about, meow? Can’t you see Kona who is right here, meow?”

Theo, who looked to the side at Se-jun’s words, spoke as he looked at Kona, who was eating the shrimp soup perfectly fine.

“He is still there?”

When Se-jun cautiously reached his hand toward where Kona had been, something was felt in the empty air.

“Peng? Se-jun-nim, what is the matter?”

Kona, who was burying his face in the shrimp soup and eating diligently, asked Se-jun.

“Is that you, Kona?”

“Yes.”

“Because I suddenly couldn’t see you.”

“You can’t see me?”

“Yeah.”

Kona was puzzled by Se-jun’s words. Because he hadn’t done anything.

“Ah!”

Thinking of something, Se-jun hurriedly checked the options of the dish.

[Spicy and Refreshing Freshwater Shrimp Soup]

[Made by adding Detoxifying Green Onions, Radish of Stamina, and hot peppers to freshwater shrimp, which hide and live only in clean water.]

[Because radish is added, the refreshing taste of the broth has doubled.]

[Upon consumption, Stamina increases by 3 for 10 minutes.]

[Special Effect: Stealth]

[Chef: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun]

[Shelf Life: 30 days]

[Grade: B]

“As expected…”

Just as Se-jun had expected, there was a reason why the penguins were invisible to his eyes in the dish. The characteristics of the freshwater shrimp were granted as a special effect.

“Oh! Then can I use stealth too?”

When Se-jun hurriedly ate the shrimp soup,

[You have consumed Spicy and Refreshing Freshwater Shrimp Soup.]

[Stamina increases by 1.]

[Due to the effect of Special Effect: Stealth, your appearance becomes transparent for 30 minutes.]

Se-jun’s body became transparent.

However,

“Huh?! I can’t even see my own body!”

Se-jun had no ability to detect stealth. It became a strange situation where only he couldn’t see his own body, while the other animals could see it.

“Let’s work hard today to catch a lot of barnacles and shrimp!”

Kkueng!

[Understood!]

Peng!

At Se-jun’s words, the animals, who were invisible due to the stealth effect, answered energetically and entered the lake.

“Aren’t you going?”

As Se-jun asked, looking at Theo who was clinging to his lap,

“I’m tired of picking barnacles now, meow! I will stay with Chairman Park, meow! And Iona also needs to sleep, meow!”

Theo, not wanting to part with Se-jun, sold out Iona who was in his tail.

Although Iona was someone who would sleep comfortably in the water using magic if Theo entered the water,

“Alright.”

Se-jun accepted Theo’s claim. Honestly, working alone was a bit boring.

“Absorb!”

[Talent: Friend of Fire absorbs the faint fire energy.]

Se-jun attached Theo to his knees and began the barnacle removal work.

After a while,

Kkueng!

[Cuengi caught a lot of shrimp!]

Peng!

Cuengi and the penguins, who caught shrimp now and then while picking barnacles, brought the caught freshwater shrimp to Se-jun.

“Put the freshwater shrimp in here.”

Se-jun had them put the shrimp in a large pot filled with water. It was to remove impurities from the shrimp first.

When about 2 hours had passed like that,

“Kyuuuu!”

Iona stretched and woke up.

And,

“I have left the Magic Tower empty for too long, so I must go now. Se-jun-nim, here.”

Swoosh.

Iona handed Se-jun the bronze coins she had obtained by going around the Three-Headed Society hideouts and defeating the Apostles of Destruction.

“Bronze coins? Iona, did you fight the Apostles of Destruction?”

The number of bronze coins was a whopping 35. Se-jun could tell that Iona had fought many Apostles of Destruction.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. Yes. With Aileen-nim…”

Iona briefly talked about smashing the Three-Headed Society hideouts with Aileen.

“I see. Thank you.”

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. No. I was glad to be able to help Se-jun-nim! Well then, I will go now. Vice President Theo, take care.”

“Goodbye, Iona, meow!”

“Goodbye!”

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. Yes!”

Swoosh.

Sent off by Se-jun and Theo, Iona rapidly disappeared with flight magic.

***

Gangnam, South Korea.

“Huh? What is this?”

A hunter, who was about to enter the tower, said, looking at the ground. It was because grass that broke through the asphalt on the ground was visible.

Normally he would have thought it strange, but

“Is it because of the Sturdy Blade Green Onions?”

Looking at the Sturdy Blade Green Onions visible nearby, the grass on the asphalt didn’t seem that strange. He thought it might be because they had removed the asphalt around the tower and planted green onions.

Unlike when the Earth Defense Force initially planted them, the Sturdy Blade Green Onions recently being planted around the towers on Earth were being directly managed and planted by the governments of each nation. This was due to the Brasilia incident.

The governments were greatly shocked by the fact that as the tower in Brasilia disappeared, the hunters who had entered the tower through it could not return to Earth.

Hunters climbing the tower were symbols of national military power. But those hunters couldn’t come out of the tower? That meant a massive loss of national military power.

As a result, each government began to strive not to lose the towers, and thanks to that, the Earth Defense Force’s work was greatly reduced, so they only had to transport the Sturdy Blade Green Onions to the 1st floor and hand them over to each government.

“Jae-min, come quickly!”

“Yeah! I’m coming!”

At the colleague’s call, the hunter who had been looking at the grass on the ground left, and

Creak. Creak.

a sound of something growing came from the ground. It was the root of Flamie, which had been steadily moving ever since she heard the news that they had touched Se-jun’s family.

Flamie’s roots, which had begun to take root in South Korea, moved to find Se-jun’s family. It was to protect Se-jun’s family.

However, the roots that had settled in other countries stretched out for a completely different purpose. It was for revenge.

Flamie’s revenge was slow, but persistent and destructive.

***

Sizzle.

While Se-jun had come up to the land in advance and was making fried freshwater shrimp, a new dish using freshwater shrimp promised to the animals,

Kkueng!

[Dad, Cuengi is hungry!]

Cuengi, who was picking barnacles, came up from the lake.

“Yeah. Just wait a moment.”

Se-jun said, scooping out the freshwater shrimp fried in tuna oil with a strainer. Perhaps because no other crop ingredients were included this time, the cooking achievement did not pop up.

“Well, that’s not important.”

What was important was that he made fried food.

“Guys, let’s eat lunch!”

Se-jun called the animals and filled their bowls with fried freshwater shrimp.

“It’s more delicious if you dip it in this.”

Se-jun said, pulling out all the small packaged soy sauces. If he used them all up like this, he wouldn’t be able to eat soy sauce for a while, but he couldn’t eat the fried food he hadn’t had in a long time half-heartedly.

Crunch.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[It’s delicious! So exciting!]

Cuengi, who grabbed a handful of fried freshwater shrimp with his front paw and put it in his mouth, couldn’t contain his excitement and began to wiggle his butt slightly.

Peng?

Conversely, the penguins, who were eating fried food for the first time in their lives, cautiously put the fried freshwater shrimp into their mouths.

Crunch.

Peng!

The eyes of the penguins who ate the fried food widened. An unfamiliar texture. But it was so good.

Doom-chit, doom-chit.

“Puhut.”

Se-jun burst into laughter seeing Cuengi and the penguins eating the fried freshwater shrimp while wiggling their butts without realizing it.

“Now shall I try it too?”

Se-jun put a fried freshwater shrimp in his mouth.

Crunch.

As soon as he ate it, the batter coated with rice flour and the shrimp shell crunched together and broke cheerfully. Subsequently, the savory taste of fat and the clean flavor of shrimp pleased Se-jun’s mouth.

Crunch.

Crunch.

During lunch, everyone focused on the fried food they were eating to the extent that only the sound of crunching fried food was heard.

After a while,

Kkurorong.

Perorong.

When the animals, who had eaten their fill of lunch, had a nap time,

Pour.

Se-jun began to salt the shrimp, repeating laying freshwater shrimp in a pot and pouring salt. Making salted shrimp.

“Hehehe. By the time this is completed, the cabbages and other vegetables I sowed seeds for will have all grown…”

Se-jun wore a pleased expression at the thought of being able to eat kimchi he made himself.

“Now let’s work again!”

Having finished making the salted shrimp, Se-jun woke up the napping animals and began the barnacle removal work again.

As everyone worked hard like that and it became evening,

[All the barnacles on the lake turtle’s body have been removed.]

[The Middle Administrator quest has been completed.]

[You have acquired 100,000 experience points as a Middle Administrator quest completion reward.]

[You have acquired 10,000 Tower Coins as a Middle Administrator quest completion reward.]

[As a Middle Administrator quest completion reward, the endangered lake turtle will safely spawn and thrive 100 years later.]

The Middle Administrator quest was completed.

Ppuaang… Ppuang…

[Middle Administrator, I am so sleepy… see you when I wake up…]

“Sure. See you when you wake up.”

At the lake turtle’s words, Se-jun said goodbye, saying see you next time. Although he wouldn’t be here when the lake turtle woke up…

Splash.

When the lake turtle disappeared to the bottom of the lake for sleep,

“Let’s rest for today.”

Since Se-jun planned to register the waypoint on the 44th floor of the tower tomorrow and go up to the 99th floor of the tower, he let the animals rest.

The next morning.

“Guys, I’m going now. See you next time.”

When Se-jun said goodbye to the penguins,

“Se-jun-nim, here!”

For the departing Se-jun, the penguins had worked together until dawn to make a giant 2-meter greatsword out of barnacle shells, and about 50 penguins brought it lifted above their heads.

“Huh? A greatsword?”

Se-jun examined the greatsword he received.

[Greatsword of Amplification]

[This is a greatsword made of barnacle shells containing the energy of fire, using ice refining, a unique skill of the Blue-backed Penguin tribe.]

[The energies of ice and fire harmonize, amplifying attack power when using the greatsword.]

[Use Restriction: Lv. 50 or higher, 100 or higher Strength, 100 or higher Magic Power]

[Creator: Blue-backed Penguin Tribe]

[Grade: S+]

A whopping S+ grade!

“Thank you, guys.”

Se-jun was deeply moved looking at the equipment. Finally, he had a decent weapon too.

“You can equip this and carry the greatsword.”

Kona sensibly handed over equipment to store the sword.

“Yeah. Thank you.”

Clack.

Having equipped the gear, Se-jun slung the greatsword over his back in high spirits.

However,

“Huh?!”

When slung over his back, the greatsword sagged downward and dragged. It was only cumbersome and not the cool visual he had imagined.

“······.”

Se-jun had gained one more piece of equipment useful for cutting grass.