Chapter 285 – Vice President Theo’s Legs Are Million-Dollar Front Paws!

“Hey! Why are you surrendering?!”

At the surrender of the Sewer Mercenary Group, Venus, the priestess of the tree, shouted in fluster.

Then,

Squeak!

[You didn’t say that the Golden Cat Theo Park was here!]

Instead, Django, the leader of the Sewer Mercenary Group, argued angrily toward Venus.

“What?! Golden Cat?! Where is he golden?! Were you guys so incompetent that you couldn’t even handle a single silly-looking cat?!”

Theo, who was about to unsheathe his dragon claws and swing them,

‘Meow! This is as terrible as President Park’s poop smell, meow!’

Venus spoke in an excited voice while looking at Theo, who was frowning deeply and rummaging through his bundle because of the foul-smelling mice.

Venus had no interest in external news as she was only waiting for the Mother Tree to die.

Thus, she had never heard the rumors about the Golden Cat Theo, the hot rising star of the Black Tower.

Squeak?! Squeak! Squeak!

[Silly?! Watch your words! That great person is Lord Golden Cat Theo Park, the subordinate of the Great Black Dragon, the Fatal Dragon’s Claw!]

Django quickly explained about Theo, who was plugging his nose with nose plugs, to Venus.

From Django’s perspective, they and Venus were on the same side. With a single word from Venus, everyone here could be wiped out.

Squeak!

[Anyway, we’re backing out of this!]

“What?! Wait…”

With that, Django quickly cut ties with Venus,

Squeak… Squeak?

[Excuse me… Great Lord Golden Cat Theo Park, may we leave now?]

He asked while bowing to Theo, but

“Puhuhut. Of course not, meow!”

Theo flatly refused Django’s request. He was planning to tell them to refill the treasure warehouse before leaving.

However,

Squeak! Squeak!

[Understood! Then please eat only me!]

Django, who misunderstood Theo’s words, walked forward, lay down in front of Theo, and spoke.

‘This is the fate of a leader. Guys, thank you for everything. If only I can save the other mice with my life…’

Like that, Django closed his eyes and prepared to be eaten by Theo.

However,

“Why are you lying down there, meow? Follow me quickly, meow!”

Theo passed by Django and headed toward the treasure warehouse.

Squeak! Squeak!

[Yes! Understood!]

At Theo’s call, Django, who was lying down, hurriedly ran and stood next to Theo. Lord Theo had spared them! Lord Theo was generous!

Just as Django was praising Theo like that,

“What?! The treasure here is mine…”

Venus spoke to block Theo’s path, but

“Move, meow!”

Puck.

She was struck on the back of her head by Theo’s front paw and fainted.

After a while.

“Ugh! What is this smell?!”

Se-jun, who followed Theo belatedly, covered his nose at the terrible stench.

Kkueng!

[Dad, I think she pooped, kkueng!]

Cuengi, hanging onto Se-jun’s leg, spoke while looking at the unconscious Venus. Since she had been with the Sewer Mercenary Group for a long time, the smell was heavily infused.

At that moment,

Bbok! Bbok!

[Master, block your nose with this for now. Cuengi, take this too.]

Flamie plucked her own leaves and handed them to the two.

“Flamie, are you okay?”

When Se-jun did not readily take them and asked Flamie in a worried voice,

[Yes! I’m fine! Because I… iyap! Ta-da! My leaves grow back!]

Flamie relieved Se-jun by growing her leaves back.

Grow, grow.

Thanks to that, Se-jun felt relieved and rolled Flamie’s leaves into his nose and Cuengi’s nose.

Kkueng!

[Flamie sister’s leaves smell really good, kkueng!]

“Indeed.”

Thanks to the fresh scent coming from Flamie’s leaves, the poop smell was no longer detected,

“Let’s find Theo first.”

Kkueng!

[Got it!]

Se-jun, along with Cuengi and Flamie, moved toward the place where Theo’s energy was felt.

As Se-jun passed by like that,

Wharrrr.

the unconscious Venus’s wings caught fire and were completely burned.

‘If one does bad deeds, one must be punished.’

Flamie, who had heard of what Venus had done to the Mother Tree through the Bird-bearing Tree.

Flamie meted out punishment to Venus on behalf of the Mother Tree.

***

Gangnam, Seoul.

“Master, I will bring the car.”

While Kim Dong-sik went to get the car as soon as they came out of the tower,

“Master?!”

“Yes. It’s me.”

Han Tae-jun called his first disciple, Cha Si-hyeok, who was handling the work of the Awakened Association in his stead.

And,

“What?! Safe Zone? What is that?”

Cha Si-hyeok reported to Han Tae-jun that three additional Black Towers had appeared in Korea.

And the situation where the entire world was requesting talks with Korea due to the new phenomena resulting from it.

“I have a more urgent matter than that, so you handle it, Si-hyeok.”

“What?! Something more urgent than this right now…”

“I’m hanging up.”

Han Tae-jun hung up the phone, rejecting Cha Si-hyeok’s request for a quick return.

In just a little while, it would be the day marking one year since Se-jun had been unable to go home.

‘Naturally, on days like that, one wants to go home even more.’

Therefore, the most important thing right now was to ensure that Se-jun would not contract homesickness and somehow leave the tower.

At that moment,

Vroom.

Kim Dong-sik arrived with the parked car.

“Let’s set off.”

“Yes!”

Han Tae-jun and Kim Dong-sik headed to Hannam-dong to deliver Kim Mi-ran’s homemade taste to Se-jun.

***

“Puhuhut. This is what I was looking for, meow!”

Theo wore a bright smile after finding the desired item in the treasure warehouse,

Squeak!

[Congratulations, Lord Theo!]

Clap, clap, clap.

Beside him, the Sewer Mercenary Group congratulated Theo.

“Puhuhut. Thank you, meow! No! I’m not thankful, meow!”

Since the mice had been trying to steal his treasure until a moment ago, Theo quickly retracted his thanks.

And,

“Puhuhut. You guys may leave now, meow!”

Squeak!

[Thank you!]

Of course, he didn’t mean they could just leave.

“Stamp your front paws here one by one before you go, meow!”

Theo pulled out a stack of contracts. “You guys are my subordinates now, meow!” It was Vice President Theo working hard today as well.

Just as Theo took out the contracts and was getting the stamps from the mice like that,

“Vice Presi… what is all this?!”

Arriving at the treasure warehouse, Se-jun was horrified to see the swarming giant mice. Goosebumps rose all over his body without him realizing it.

“Puhuhut. President Park, are you here, meow? Guys, this is President Park, meow!”

Theo welcomed Se-jun and introduced him to the mice.

Squeak! Squeak!

[Hello! It is an honor to meet you!]

“Uh? Uh…”

Se-jun exchanged greetings with over 1,000 mice in his confusion.

Looking closely, they did have some cute points. ‘They would probably be cuter if they just washed…’

Kkueng!

[I am Dad’s son, Cuengi!]

In response to the mice’s greetings, Cuengi also proudly pointed at Se-jun and introduced himself. “Cuengi’s dad is the best!”

While they exchanged greetings like that, the inside of the Rainbow Castle became busy.

“Hurry up and find Venus!”

The royal guard, who had finished the funeral and discovered Venus’s secret passage, entered the Rainbow Castle and began searching for Venus.

And,

“It’s the treasure warehouse! There are intruders here!”

The royal guard spotted Se-jun’s party and the Sewer Mercenary Group inside the treasure warehouse and requested reinforcements.

“Who are you to be in the treasure warehouse of our Cobb Kingdom?!”

When the soldiers who requested reinforcements pointed their weapons at them,

Squeak!

[Lord Theo, we will clear the way!]

Django blocked the royal guard,

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[If we fight, Dad is in danger! Lower your weapons!]

Cuengi also tried to step forward, but

“Cuengi, let’s eat honey.”

Kkuhehehe. Kkueng!

[Hehehe. I like it!]

Se-jun diverted Cuengi’s attention to honey so that the damage wouldn’t grow.

At that moment,

“Those people are distinguished guests of the kingdom. Step back.”

Ppiyot! Ppiyot!

[That’s right! Don’t attack them!]

Chirp!

[Hello, Master of the Mother Tree!]

Kkyao!

[Hello!]

Rui, the King of Cobb, appeared with Ppiyot and 100 baby birds.

A moment ago.

While returning to the castle, Prana and Rui discovered a group of baby birds wandering around the capital.

“Rui, look at those newly born children!”

“Oh! It really is!”

With that, Prana and Rui flew toward the birds,

Ppiyot! Ppiyot!

[This is a school! The food is so-so, but the sausages sold at the snack bar are delicious!]

Ppiyot was seen diligently sharing all the knowledge he knew with the baby birds.

However,

Ppiyot!

[Now, the tour of the capital is over! Let’s go to the royal castle!]

Ppiyot was less than two months old. He didn’t have much knowledge to tell the baby birds.

Just as Ppiyot was about to take the birds to the Rainbow Castle,

“Ppiyot, where did these baby birds come from?”

Ppiyot! Ppiyot!

At Prana’s question as she approached quickly, Ppiyot answered that Se-jun and they worked hard so that the new Mother Tree gave birth to the birds.

“Really? I must see for myself!”

With that, Prana went to check the new Mother Tree,

“It’s our turn to tour the royal castle now, may we go?”

“Sure. Follow me. I will guide you.”

Thus, Ppiyot was touring the royal castle with the baby birds following Rui when they found Se-jun.

Thanks to this, Theo left the treasure warehouse with the desired item without any major conflict.

“Rui, stamp it, meow!”

Theo handed the contract to Rui. The contract stated that the treasure warehouse would be given to Theo.

Rui had definitely promised to give what he wanted. Theo wanted all the treasures inside the treasure warehouse.

Although it was ultimately an intention to take everything,

Press.

Rui readily stamped his seal on the contract.

Since the country would have fallen if not for Theo, giving him a single treasure warehouse was well within reason.

Furthermore, though Theo was unaware, there were several more such treasure warehouses inside the Rainbow Castle.

“Puhuhut. Now this is all mine, meow!”

Unaware of that, while Theo was smiling brightly,

“Your Majesty. We have found Venus.”

A soldier ran over and informed Rui that they had found the unconscious Venus.

“Then, I have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave. Master Se-jun, Lord Theo, thank you for growing the Mother Tree.”

Rui bowed his head to Se-jun and Theo to express his gratitude and hurriedly went to where Venus was.

And,

“We will take our leave as well!”

Udadada.

The Sewer Mercenary Group also departed.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

Se-jun moved to a place where the stench did not reach and headed toward the waypoint to return to the 99th floor of the tower.

Having arrived at the waypoint like that,

“Vice President Theo, so did you find the item you wanted?”

Se-jun asked Theo.

“Puhuhut. Yes, meow! President Park, take this, meow!”

Theo took out a glass bottle filled with a turquoise liquid from his bundle and handed it to Se-jun.

“What is this?”

Se-jun asked, moving the glass bottle and looking at the liquid inside that occasionally emitted a soft metallic luster.

“Puhuhut. It’s something good, meow!”

Theo, hanging onto Se-jun’s leg, answered confidently with sparkling eyes. Praise me, meow! Stroke me, meow!

“Really?”

Se-jun carefully examined the glass bottle while stroking Theo’s head with one hand.

[Giant’s Blood]

???

“Giant’s Blood?”

Se-jun had received training that was close to brainwashing about how unappraised items were dangerous.

“Aileen, please appraise this.”

Se-jun quickly entrusted the appraisal to Aileen.

After a moment,

[The tower administrator rejoices, saying Theo brought a wonderful item.]

Along with Aileen’s words, the appraised glass bottle came up onto Se-jun’s palm.

And,

“As expected of our Vice President Theo! Vice President Theo’s legs are million-dollar front paws!”

Checking the item, Se-jun held Theo’s front paw and shouted in excitement.

“Puhuhut. That’s right, meow! My front paws are very expensive, meow!”

Theo smirked and quietly guided Se-jun’s hand to his belly.

***

Outskirts of Destruction.

“It’s finally recovered, it seems.”

Fenrir spoke as he watched the red mists condense firmly to take shape.

And,

Kkaaaak!

Just as Fenrir thought, Halphas finished recovering and revealed himself.

“What is it?”

Halphas asked, seeing that the 12 Apostles of Destruction, including himself, had gathered in one place.

“Halphas, you take command while I am gone.”

“What?”

“Hear the details from Jormungand! You guys, depart!”

“Yes!”

At Fenrir’s command, the nine Apostles of Destruction, from the 4th Seat to the 12th Seat, moved toward the nine towers guarded by the dragons,

“We shall go as well.”

“Understood.”

Fenrir rode Jormungand’s fragment and covertly approached the Black Tower.

After a short while,

Kwaang!

the battle began, starting with the 5th Seat of the Apostles of Destruction, Sasha the Queen of Screams and Ice, launching an attack that froze the entire Red Tower.