Chapter 213 – At This Rate, Am I Not the Stamina King

“Urchi, what is over there, meow?!”

Having arrived at the Black Orcs’ camp, Theo pointed at a tent and asked. It was because his front paw was drawn toward the tent.

“Do you mean over there? There is a rock we found a few days ago while planting.”

“You mean a rock, meow?”

“Yes. Since the shape of the rock was angular, we thought it would be good to use for the Black Orcs’ training, so we were keeping it in the tent. Would you like to see it?”

“I want to see it, meow!”

“Understood.”

Urchi guided Theo to the tent where the rock was.

“This is it.”

Urchi said, pointing to a 3-meter-sized gray rock inside the tent.

Tap.

“Puhuhut. This is it, meow!”

Theo, placing his front paw on the rock, felt certain. “This is an item Chairman Park will be pleased with, meow!”

“Urchi, give this to me, meow!”

“Yes? Yes! Please take it.”

Urchi answered, slightly taken aback by Theo’s request to take the rock, which was merely heavy.

“Puhuhut. Thank you, meow!”

Having packed the rock into his bundle, Theo slept stretched out in Urchi’s tent while waiting for the hunters who had sold the crops to arrive.

***

Kkueng!

[You have to eat it raw-da-yo!]

As if he had seen through Se-jun’s talent, Cuengi offered the kudzu root, forcing him to eat it bitterly. Se-jun wondered where Cuengi had gone, and it seemed he had dug up the kudzu roots planted on the corpses of the Corrupted Ents and Tritans in the west forest.

Se-jun originally intended to burn the enemies’ corpses along with the kudzu to prevent the kudzu from spreading, but Cuengi had stopped Se-jun, saying he wanted to grow medicinal herbs. Thanks to that, they were now able to eat the highly medicinal kudzu roots selected by Cuengi even on the 99th floor of the tower.

If even the seeds spread, the kudzu could quickly spread to the west forest, but Se-jun had something else in mind for that, so there was no need to worry.

“Alright.”

Unlike usual, Se-jun obediently followed Cuengi’s words today. It was because Se-jun also wanted to test the effect of “Good Medicine for Stamina is Bitter.”

Crunch.

“Keuh.”

Gulp.

Suppressing the bitter taste, Se-jun swallowed the kudzu root. It was still a tolerable bitterness.

And,

[You have consumed a Tough Kudzu Root of Life.]

[Your Stamina increases by 20.]

[You have consumed a bitter-tasting medicine.]

[Talent: Good Medicine for Stamina is Bitter is activated.]

[Your Stamina increases by 2.]

A message indicating an additional increase of 2 Stamina appeared.

“This level of bitterness only gives 2?”

He felt like it should be at least 5. Se-jun was taken aback by the message indicating the degree of bitterness he had consumed.

If this was 2, what would 10 be? Se-jun hoped that he would never have to eat something bitter and have his Stamina increase by 10 for the rest of his life.

At that moment,

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Here is one more-da-yo!]

Cuengi pulled out another kudzu root from his snack pouch, launching a time-lag attack.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Eat it raw this time too-da-yo! Eating it raw just now had an effect-da-yo!]

Cuengi, who had caught Se-jun’s Stamina increasing by 2 like a ghost, spoke. ‘Cuengi is keeping track of all of Dad’s health-da-yo!’

“Uhhh…”

Se-jun, whose additional Stamina increase had been found out, answered weakly.

‘I should have said no back then!’

Se-jun regretted that he should have burned the kudzu, but it was already too late.

“Keeuh.”

Grimacing, Se-jun chewed and ate another kudzu root.

[Talent: Good Medicine for Stamina is Bitter is activated.]

[Your Stamina increases by 1.]

Although his Stamina increased by 20 in the same way this time, the bitterness was slightly less. No, it was not that the bitterness was less, but that Se-jun’s mouth had adapted to the bitter taste.

Having eaten two such bitter kudzu roots, Se-jun took out honey jelly to rinse his mouth and shared it with Cuengi.

“Here. One bottle of honey jelly for Cuengi, and one honey jelly for Dad.”

Although both were 1, the units were different. Se-jun gave Cuengi one glass bottle full of honey jelly, while he himself ate a single honey jelly.

Kkuhehehe. Kkueng!

[Hehehe. It is delicious-da-yo!]

Having received the glass bottle of honey jelly, Cuengi sat down outside the cornfield so as not to interfere with Se-jun’s work, hugging the glass bottle in his arms and starting to eat the honey jellies one by one.

And,

“I should work again.”

Se-jun started harvesting corn again.

Slash. Slash.

Like that, Se-jun harvested corn without straightening his back even once until lunchtime.

“Come to think of it, I don’t get tired easily lately.”

Se-jun marveled at himself, who, despite working for several hours, was sweating but did not feel exhausted.

However, that was only natural. Se-jun’s Stamina was 244. It was thanks to Cuengi diligently feeding Se-jun the kudzu roots and raising Se-jun’s Stamina.

“Hehehe. At this rate, am I not the Stamina King?”

Se-jun said, feeling proud. Of course, it was by human standards.

It was a statement that would make Cuengi sigh if he heard it. By Cuengi’s standards, Se-jun’s Stamina was still just right for dropping dead suddenly somewhere.

***

“How are the other dragons?”

Sip.

Kaiser asked while sipping the soju Se-jun had given him. Once the abnormality of the Red Dragons was confirmed, Kaiser had Anton visit the Blue and Brown Dragons, who made the Essence of Ice and Essence of Earth, to check on their condition.

Sip.

“The other dragons were making their essences normally.”

Anton replied, drinking the soju filled in his cup.

“That is a relief. Any other abnormalities?”

“There were none. They were moving the towers properly and supporting the beings of those worlds to fight against destruction.”

“Hmm. Then, do they have no abnormalities?”

Kaiser fell into thought. It would be fortunate if so, but that possibility was low.

Kaiser was thinking that, due to some force, all dragon clans were currently being blocked from unconsciously thinking of one specific thing.

That force was so strong that it had even erased the words Kaiser had deliberately engraved using magic: ‘We must fight destruction and protect the world.’

Some force was acting even in reality, preventing the Black Dragons from thinking: ‘We must fight destruction and protect the world.’

From what Kaiser had confirmed, the Black Dragons were blocked from thinking they should fight destruction and protect the world; the White Dragons from thinking they should move the towers; and the Red Dragons from thinking they should make the Essence of Fire.

“If each dragon clan is blocked from a different thought, it will be hard to find.”

Kaiser fell into deep worry. He had to know what thought was being excluded to let the other dragons know, but there was no way to find out.

***

Purr.

Theo, who was sleeping soundly in Urchi’s tent.

At that moment,

“Vice Chairman Theo.”

Jeff woke Theo up.

“Meow… What is it, meow?”

“Vice Chairman Theo, the hunters have arrived.”

“Understood, meow!”

At Jeff’s words, Theo got up and moved to the camp where the hunters were waiting.

“Vice Chairman Theo is coming!”

As Theo approached the camp, the cat interns announced Theo’s appearance,

“I will start the auction, meow!”

And thanks to that, they were able to start the auction right away.

At that moment,

“Vice Chairman Theo! I want to buy peanuts!”

“Yes! The Peanuts of Magic! I absolutely need them!”

“That’s right! I was told not to even come home without them!”

The Korean hunters demanded that Theo sell the Peanuts of Magic. It was because of the Peanuts of Magic that Theo had given to Eom Jung-sik when he came down last time.

Eom Jung-sik had given the Mana Peanuts to his daughter, Eom Hyo-jung, to eat while studying the day before the mock exam, and after eating the peanuts and studying, Eom Hyo-jung’s mock exam ranking rose tremendously.

Eom Hyo-jung, who originally ranked around 30th in the entire school, ranked 1st in the school. Because of that, the mothers of the high-ranking students approached Eom Jung-sik’s wife to find out the secret.

And,

“This time, my child’s father brought peanuts from the tower, and the effect is amazing. Hohoho.”

As Eom Jung-sik’s wife talked about the Mana Peanuts, the rumor began to spread quickly through mom cafes and academy areas, and the wives of hunters with children taking exams who heard about it pushed their husbands.

That was why the hunters here were desperately shouting for the Mana Peanuts.

“Mana Peanuts?”

“What is that?”

While the hunters who had not yet obtained information about the Mana Peanuts were puzzled,

“Puhuhut. Even if you did not ask, I brought the Mana Peanuts, meow!”

Theo smiled and pulled out the Mana Peanuts from his bundle. Giving them to Eom Jung-sik last time was all for today. Although he had not expected them to be this enthusiastic.

“Other humans, look too, meow!”

To draw even more interest to the Mana Peanuts, Theo showed the Mana Peanuts to the other hunters as well.

“Sold out, meow!”

Thanks to that, today’s auction was also highly successful.

“In the future, the Potatoes of Strength will be sold by Bill, and the Carrots of Agility will be sold by Jeff through auction, meow!”

Theo introduced Bill and Jeff to the hunters and headed back up toward the 99th floor of the tower.

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, wait for me, meow!”

The returning Theo’s paws were light as feathers.

***

“Now, shall I work again?!”

Having eaten lunch and taken a short nap with Cuengi, Se-jun headed to the green onion field. Today, he intended to cut the leaves of the Sturdy Blade Green Onions, not the regular green onions.

He wanted to know if the blade leaves cut with the Sickle of Freshness would also keep longer.

“Huhut. Now I can cut them too!”

Having arrived at the Sturdy Blade Green Onion field, Se-jun swung the sickle confidently.

Slash.

The Sturdy Blade Green Onion was easily cut in a single stroke. In the past, Cuengi or Theo had to cut it for him, but he was no longer the weak Se-jun of the past.

Now, Se-jun, whose Strength exceeded 100, could also cut the Sturdy Blade Green Onions easily.

In addition, as his Stamina increased, the damage he could ignore with his Talent: Sturdiness also rose, so he did not get hurt even when holding the Sturdy Blade Green Onions with his bare hands.

While Se-jun was diligently cutting the leaves of the Sturdy Blade Green Onions like that,

“Chairman Park! I have returned, meow!”

Theo, who had returned after finishing the auction, threw his body toward Se-jun’s face.

Plop.

“Vice Chairman Theo, you are back? Pui. But could you move aside a bit?”

Se-jun said, spitting out the fur as Theo’s fur had gotten into his mouth.

“Puhuhut. Understood, meow!”

At Se-jun’s words, Theo climbed down from Se-jun’s face, hugged Se-jun’s knee tightly, and rubbed his face against it. ‘I missed you, meow!’

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, I have a present, meow!”

“A present?”

“Yes, meow!”

Thud!

Having greeted the knee sufficiently, Theo pulled out a giant rock from his bundle.

“What is this?”

Just as Se-jun was about to examine the rock,

Flash.

The rock floated up by itself and flew away toward another direction.

“Huh?!”

“Meow?! Catch it, meow!”

As his present ran away, Theo hurriedly chased after the rock.

“Stop right there, meow!”

While Theo was chasing the rock,

Thump!

The rock fell down. It was on top of the fragment of the Sacred Tombstone in front of Se-jun’s house.

“Puhuhut. Caught you, meow! You cannot run away now, meow!”

Theo stood on top of the rock, putting strength into his four paws.

At that moment,

Flash.

A powerful light exploded from the rock, and Theo was sent flying back.

“Theo!”

Se-jun, who was chasing from behind, threw himself and caught Theo’s body.

Slide.

Although his body slid on the ground, he did not get hurt due to the effect of Sturdiness.

“Vice Chairman Theo, are you okay?!”

Se-jun stood up quickly and asked as he examined Theo.

“Meow… I am fine, meow! More importantly, what happened to my present, meow?”

Fortunately, Theo was perfectly fine. Having snapped out of it, Theo quickly looked for the rock.

And,

“Meow? Did they merge, meow?”

“Huh?! You are right.”

Se-jun and Theo discovered that the fragment of the Sacred Tombstone and the rock Theo had brought had merged. It did not even show a seam, as if the two had originally been one.

“What on earth is this for them to merge?”

Just as Se-jun was about to place his hand on the tombstone,

Flash!

The tombstone flashed once again. This time, it was not the entire tombstone that shone, but only the front face.

And,

[First Commandment – Only a Tower Farmer can prevent destruction.]

As the light disappeared, writing was engraved on the front of the tombstone.