Chapter 270 – I Only Need This Dish and You

Operations Room, US Navy Command.

“So this is the grapes that hunters brought from the tower?”

Chief of Naval Operations Samuel Harrison said, examining the grapes brought by the operations officer.

“Yes. The exact name is Fragrant Grapes Full of Life.”

“Yes. It smells good as the name suggests. But why did you bring this?”

“Lord Samuel, look here. This is the detailed description of the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life.”

Since ordinary people couldn’t see item descriptions, the detailed description of the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life confirmed by a hunter was displayed on the operations room monitor.

[Fragrant Grapes Full of Life]

…

..

.

Monsters that like the smell of blood may be attracted to the fragrant grape smell.

When made into wine, the scent spreads further.

Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration date: 90 days

Grade: C

Current Market Price: $50,000 to $60,000

Below, the current transaction price of the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life was also written.

The price of the grapes had dropped significantly compared to the beginning as the hunters who worked at the grape farm continued to sell grapes.

“Oh! It can attract monsters that like the smell of blood?!”

Samuel, who checked the detailed description of the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life on the monitor, spoke in a pleased voice.

According to the description, it might be a clue to wipe out the leeches occupying Hawaii.

Currently, the Navy kept pouring a tremendous amount of livestock blood in Hawaii to hold back the giant leeches from heading toward the United States, but the situation was gradually worsening.

Because the number of leeches was multiplying while consuming the blood they poured. Due to that, the amount of blood dropped in Hawaii was also increasing.

Thus, the Navy was desperately looking for a way to reduce the number of giant leeches.

“Chief of Naval Operations, I think it is fully worth trying.”

The operations chief gently proposed to Chief of Naval Operations Samuel to use the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life in the operation.

Se-jun’s other crop, the Sturdy Blade Green Onion, nowhere in the description did it mention that it could defeat locusts.

Yet, currently, the Sturdy Blade Green Onion had become an absolutely indispensable crop that saved Earth from the locusts.

“Good. Then let’s first secure about one ton of Fragrant Grapes Full of Life and do a simple test. Ah! Can we not contact Park Se-jun, who is listed as the cultivator here, and purchase in bulk?”

Since the cost for the operation was not cheap, Samuel wanted to meet Se-jun and negotiate the price.

“Well… that is…”

At Samuel’s words, the operations officer wore a troubled expression. Currently, information about Se-jun was almost nonexistent.

Although Han Tae-jun and Kim Dong-sik, who were trustworthy figures, recently distributed information about Se-jun to each country,

‘Park Se-jun is so strong that one can’t even approach within 5km?’

The content was too absurd to accept as it was.

Before entering special training, Han Tae-jun and Kim Dong-sik informed all countries of Se-jun’s martial force just as it was, to prevent the disaster of Se-jun coming out of the tower.

However, the intelligence departments of each country judged their information to be excessively exaggerated and did not trust the information.

Just like that, Han Tae-jun and Kim Dong-sik’s efforts went in vain, and

“First, secure the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life while finding out where the hunters obtained those grapes. Then something will come up.”

“Yes!”

At Samuel’s instruction, the operations chief proceeded with securing the Fragrant Grapes Full of Life and searching for Se-jun’s whereabouts simultaneously.

***

Lunch without Theo and Kkueng.

Munch, munch.

Se-jun spent a leisurely lunch while eating the Blue Potential Kudzu Roots.

[You have consumed the Blue Potential Kudzu Root.]

[All stat potentials increase by 5.]

…

..

.

After eating all twenty Blue Potential Kudzu Roots like that,

“I’m full. Vitality.”

[You have used Vitality Lv. 4.]

[Rapidly digests the food in the stomach.]

[All stat values increase by 4% for 90 minutes.]

Se-jun digested the food using the Vitality skill. Thanks to using the Vitality skill from time to time, its level rose by two, reaching level 4.

Once his stomach was emptied like that,

“Finally, it’s the last one.”

Yum.

Se-jun put Aileen’s health fist meat in his mouth.

And,

[You have consumed a piece of Aileen’s Health Fist Meat.]

[You have consumed all 100 pieces of Aileen’s Health Fist Meat.]

[All stats increase by 100.]

The message he was waiting for appeared.

“Hehehe. It worked.”

Se-jun rejoiced as strength suddenly overflowed in his body.

At that moment,

[The administrator of the tower rejoices, asking if you have finally finished eating her dish.]

Aileen spoke to him.

“Yeah. I ate all of it. I feel like I’ve gotten stronger thanks to it.”

Se-jun spoke triumphantly at the sense of elevation felt as his strength increased.

But,

[The administrator of the tower says that from what she sees, you still have a long way to go.]

“I know. Still, to say it so openly…”

Se-jun, depressed at Aileen’s hard truth.

[The administrator of the tower says but you don’t need to worry.]

[The administrator of the tower says she has already prepared food to make you strong.]

“Huh?! You made food again? Why… did you trouble yourself?”

Se-jun spoke, pretending not to be flustered as much as possible. I wasn’t worried… I was just planning to live under Theo and Kkueng’s protection…

[The administrator of the tower says she enjoys cooking, so you don’t need to worry that it would be hard for her.]

“Yeah…”

Sorry, Aileen. Actually… it’s because I’m worried about myself who has to eat the food…

While Se-jun trembled in anxiety over what kind of tremendous (?) dish Aileen had made again,

Clatter.

A leather pouch dropped onto Se-jun’s palm.

[The administrator of the tower says she overlooked the fact that you couldn’t eat a lot at once last time, so this time she divided it into 500 pieces so you can eat comfortably.]

“F-Five hundred pieces?!”

I don’t ask for anything else. Just let it be like last time. Se-jun prayed earnestly in his heart and opened the leather pouch.

Clatter.

The leather pouch was filled with black, round meat pieces of uniform size. Good. It’s the same black color as last time.

Se-jun felt relieved at the color and shape, which were no different from last time.

He picked up a piece of meat and examined it.

“Phew.”

Fortunately, there were no dangerous or strange descriptions. As before, eating just one piece made him full, and the effect appeared only after eating all the pieces.

The only difference was that this time, all stats would increase by 300 only after eating all 500 pieces.

“Aileen, thank you!”

Se-jun of a voice touched by the fact that she made normal (?) food for him expressed his gratitude.

[The administrator of the tower says since you are so touched, she feels it was worthwhile to cook.]

[The administrator of the tower says next time, she will make a completely new dish for you.]

“No! I only need this dish and you!”

Although Se-jun desperately emphasized that there was no need for a new dish,

[……]

There was no reply, as if Aileen had already gone to cook.

***

Theo and Ppiyot-i descending the tower.

“Nyanyanyang.”

Chirp. Chirp.

Humming along to Theo’s tune, Ppiyot-i flapped his wings ten times for every step of Theo, matching his wings to Theo’s footsteps as he flew.

Then,

Chirp?

Ppiyot-i, who was passing by the 79th floor of the tower, felt something strange. A feeling that he had forgotten something.

Chirp?

“Ppiyot-i, what’s wrong, meow?”

When Ppiyot-i suddenly stopped singing, Theo asked.

Chirp!

[Ah! Now that I think about it, the 79th floor of the tower is my hometown!]

Ppiyot-i, still forgetting his mission as a messenger bird completely.

“Puhuhut. Was it so, meow? My hometown is Granier Village on the 75th floor of the tower…”

As the talk of hometown came up, Theo began to speak about his hometown and started moving again, and the two just passed by the 79th floor of the tower.

Just like that, when the two arrived at the 75th floor of the tower,

“Ppiyot-i, follow me, meow!”

Chirp!

[Yes!]

Theo took Ppiyot-i to find Taru, who guarded the lost and found warehouse.

“Theo, it’s been a long time.”

“Taru, good to see you, meow!”

“But who is the friend behind you?”

When Taru asked while looking at Ppiyot-i, who was hiding behind Theo and only sticking out his head,

Chirp!

[I am Ppiyot-i of the Long-Tailed Tit tribe, who will become Lord Theo’s right front paw!]

Ppiyot-i answered spiritedly.

“Sure. A friend with good ambition. Theo, you’ve come to do the draw, right?”

“That’s right, meow! Receive 2,000 Tower Coins here, meow!”

Theo handed the draw fee for himself and Ppiyot-i to Taru.

And,

“Then I will wait here. Bring out one each.”

“Got it, meow!”

Theo and Ppiyot-i, who moved to the ghost warehouse along with Taru, went inside.

When Theo entered the ghost warehouse,

-Lord Theo, have you arrived?!

The ghosts of the warehouse welcomed Theo.

-We put the guy you sent to work and cleaned it up perfectly!

The objects that had previously been piled like a mountain on the floor were now neatly organized and stacked orderly in cabinets or on shelves. Thanks to that, Patton was currently taking a vacation and resting.

“Good work, meow! Ppiyot-i, then work, meow!”

Chirp! Chirp?

[Yes! But… what should I do?]

Ppiyot-i, who answered energetically, asked with his head tilted.

“Bring the thing you feel most drawn to here, meow!”

Chirp!

[Yes!]

Flap, flap.

While Ppiyot-i busily flew around the warehouse to find the object he was drawn to at Theo’s instruction,

“Puhuhut. This is what draws me the most, meow!”

Theo picked up a book right in front of him and put it in his bundle.

And,

Go-ro-rong.

He fell asleep briefly while looking at Ppiyot-i, who was choosing an object diligently.

After a while

“Meow?!”

Theo witnessed a giant mountain of trash blocking his eyes.

Then,

Chirp? Chirp!

[Lord Theo, did you wake up? I brought all the things I felt drawn to here!]

Ppiyot-i showing the things he brought to Theo in a proud voice. The giant trash mountain Theo saw was Ppiyot-i’s creation.

Of course, there was not a single decent object among them. Ppiyot-i possessed atrocious luck.

‘Ppiyot-i has no talent for drawing, meow!’

Theo decided not to let Ppiyot-i do the draw in the future.

“Bring that out, meow!”

Theo had no choice but to make Ppiyot-i bring out one of the objects that drew his front paw.

And,

-We need to organize again.

-Let’s call the youngest.

Patton, who was enjoying a honey-like vacation after a long time, was called back by the ghosts and had to organize the warehouse again.

***

“Nyanyanyang.”

Chirp. Chirp.

Theo and Ppiyot-i, who were ascending the tower again while humming pleasantly, unaware that they had taken away Patton’s vacation.

“Puhuhut. Since Ppiyot-i’s house is on the 79th floor of the tower, let’s drop by Ppiyot-i’s house on the way and pack the fried eggs Chairman Park likes, meow!”

Since only objects with weak attraction were left from the draw in the ghost warehouse this time, Theo decided to also pack the Egg Fruits to receive more of Se-jun’s praise.

‘Puhuhut. Chairman Park, look, meow! Me, Vice President Theo, is doing overtime today too, meow!’

Chirp! Chirp!

[Yes! Just trust me!]

Ppiyot-i took the lead and guided Theo to the Cobb Kingdom on the 79th floor of the tower.

Just like that, when the two arrived at Abe, the capital of Cobb, to pack Egg Fruits,

“The messenger bird Pirrrr Yacht has brought the person to heal the Mother Tree!”

The parrot guarding the entrance shouted loudly so that all the birds could hear.

“Meow?! Messenger bird?”

Chirp! Chirp!

[Right! I was a messenger bird!]

Ppiyot-i only then remembered his mission.

“What is a messenger bird, meow?”

Chirp…

[The messenger bird is to heal the Mother Tree…]

While Ppiyot-i was explaining the mission of the messenger bird he had learned,

Ka-rook!

Chirp.

Cuckoo!

Birds flew over one by one and surrounded them.

Then,

Thud.

A giant eagle with a wingspan of about 10 meters descended from the sky. It was Rui, the king of the birds.

“Welcome. Since you must have heard the explanation from the messenger bird Pirrrr Yacht, I will guide you to the Mother Tree.”

“Puhuhut. Let’s go, meow!”

Theo, who grasped the circumstances to some extent after listening to Ppiyot-i’s explanation, quickly hopped onto Rui’s back. Puhuhut. I will heal the Mother Tree with my healing magic, meow!

And the reward for that was…

‘Puhuhut. I feel a strong attraction from there, meow!’

While Theo was smiling looking at the rainbow-colored castle on the peak of the mountain towering in the center of the capital,

Chirp! Chirp!

[I should grow up quickly to carry Lord Theo! I must double my eating in the future!]

Ppiyot-i regretted not being able to carry Theo on his back. Ppiyot-i did not know that he was already fully grown.

“Then we will depart.”

Flutter, flutter.

Rui flew toward the Mother Tree carrying Theo.