Chapter 309 – Enhancing the Black Bean

“Ajax, good job. Go inside and get some rest.”

“Yeah!”

At Se-jun’s words, Ajax went back to sleep.

Se-jun, left alone like that.

Clank.

Se-jun opened the subdimensional warehouse, went inside,

Click.

Opened the Golden Box of Abundance, and took out all the black beans without leaving a single one.

And,

“It will go well, right?”

Se-jun held the Elixir of Enhancement in his hand with a tense expression.

Se-jun planned to enhance the black bean with the Elixir of Enhancement.

Step.

Se-jun placed the black bean on the floor,

Pop.

Opened the cap of the glass bottle containing the Elixir of Enhancement,

Drip.

And carefully dropped one drop.

Slide.

The black bean absorbed the Elixir of Enhancement in an instant.

“Did it work?”

Step.

Se-jun lifted the black bean with a tense expression and examined it.

“Huh?! It’s ruined…”

Se-jun’s face stiffened after checking the black bean.

Of all things, the expiration date was enhanced. It increased from 150 days to 200 days.

“Chairman Park, your face looks rotten, meow!”

Press. Press.

Theo, who had been watching Se-jun, massaged Se-jun’s face.

Thanks to that, Se-jun felt a bit better.

“Okay! One more time!”

“Puhuhut. Sounds good, meow!”

Drip.

Se-jun, receiving Theo’s support, dropped the Elixir of Enhancement onto the black bean and checked it again.

[Black Bean of Transcendence (+2)]

…

..

.

Upon consuming the Black Bean of Transcendence, the effects of the Strength-Boosting Yellow Bean, Stamina-Strengthening Red Bean, Agility-Racing Green Bean, and Mana-Overflowing Blue Bean are exerted transcending all classes, and the effects are activated by 400%.

It is a bean that will not root even if planted.

It has been enhanced twice with the Elixir of Enhancement.

Grower: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration Date: 200 days

Grade: A

“Oh! It worked!”

Fortunately, perhaps thanks to Theo’s support and massage, what he wanted was enhanced this time.

It had changed from 300% activation to 400% activation.

“Good.”

Step.

Se-jun put the enhanced +2 black bean into the Golden Box of Abundance and came outside.

A moment later,

“Here. Take this.”

Se-jun handed a leather pouch to the departing Black Rabbit.

Ppyak?

[Uncle, what is this?]

Rattle. Rattle.

The Black Rabbit asked, shaking the leather pouch.

“It’s a Walnut of Training.”

Ppyak?! Ppyak!

[Really?! Thank you!]

The Black Rabbit was moved by Se-jun’s unexpected gift.

The Walnut of Training was absolutely necessary to grow the national power of the Red Ribbon Kingdom.

“Then, go safely. I’ll send more next time I harvest.”

Ppyak! Ppyak!

[Yes! Thank you!]

Ppiik!

[Then we will go!]

Ppii!

[Goodbye!]

“I will see you off. Toryong-i!”

As Se-jun called Toryong-i,

Slide.

“Chairman Park, I will stay here, meow! I have a matter to resolve, meow!”

Theo dropped from Se-jun’s lap.

“Is that so? Got it.”

Se-jun alone placed the rabbits on Toryong-i’s head and saw them off to the entrance of the 99th floor of the tower.

As Se-jun left,

Glare.

Theo and Ajax glared at each other.

“I am Chairman Park’s right hand, meow! I am higher, meow!”

“No! I am Se-jun hyung’s younger brother, so I am higher!”

Theo and Ajax were having a ranking fight.

At that moment,

Kkueng?

[Where did Dad go?]

Cuengi, who had slept in after playing with Se-jun until late yesterday, approached lazily looking for Se-jun.

And,

“Cuengi, good timing, meow! Who among us is directly under Chairman Park, meow?!”

“Yeah! Cuengi, tell us! Who among us two is the second-in-command?!”

The two asked Cuengi who the second-in-command of this farm was.

However, there was something the two were mistaken about.

Kkuhehehe. Kkueng! Kkueng!

[Hehehe. You two don’t have to fight! Because Cuengi is next after Dad!]

Cuengi was also thinking of himself as the second-in-command.

Thanks to that, the ranking fight, which was a two-way battle, spread into a three-way battle as Cuengi also participated,

“No, meow! I, Vice President Theo, am next in rank after Chairman Park, meow!”

“No! I, Se-jun hyung’s younger brother, am the second-in-command!!”

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[No! Next after Dad is Cuengi!]

In that way, the argument among the three continued until Se-jun returned.

***

On the way back to the farm after seeing the rabbits off.

Rumble.

Se-jun sat blankly on top of Toryong-i’s head.

At that moment,

“Aileen, by the way, is darkness the attribute ruled by the Black Dragons?”

Se-jun, having become curious, asked Aileen.

Harvesting the Light-Watcher seeds this time, Se-jun learned that the nine dragon clans each ruled one attribute.

The opposite of light was darkness.

Se-jun thought that if the White Dragons were the power of light, the Black Dragons were the power of darkness.

[The tower administrator says that is correct.]

“Ah. I see. But what kind of power is darkness?”

Se-jun asked because he couldn’t easily imagine the power of darkness.

But,

[The tower administrator says that by the time she was born, the power of darkness had already disappeared, so she doesn’t know well either.]

[The tower administrator says she is sorry for not being able to answer.]

Aileen had never experienced the power of darkness.

“Ah… no! I’m sorry.”

Se-jun hurriedly apologized.

And,

……

The atmosphere became awkward.

‘I shouldn’t have asked…’

Se-jun blamed himself for his rashness.

“But isn’t there a way to restore the power of darkness to Aileen?”

The power of light had been restored to the White Dragons with the Light-Watcher.

Then, if they could find a crop with the power of darkness…

“They would be able to restore the power of darkness to Aileen, right? Ah!”

Just then, a memory flashed through Se-jun’s mind. ‘Could it be that…?’

Clank.

Se-jun hurriedly took out a book from his subdimensional warehouse. It was the Experienced Farmer’s Plant Encyclopedia.

And,

Rustle.

He opened the book and found the page he wanted.

[Pumpkin Sweet Potato of Strength – 99th floor of the tower, 55th floor of the tower]

[Solar Honey Sweet Potato – 99th floor of the tower, 55th floor of the tower]

[Chestnut Sweet Potato – 70th floor of the tower]

It was the page he had used to test the encyclopedia.

“Chestnut Sweet Potato.”

He had a hunch that it might somehow be related to the power of darkness.

“Okay. I must first obtain the land deed for the 70th floor of the tower.”

Se-jun decided to go to the 70th floor of the tower for now.

And,

Scribble. Scribble. Scribble.

He wrote the names of the crops he wanted in the encyclopedia.

None in the Black Tower.

None in the Black Tower.

None in the Black Tower.

…

..

.

[Lemon of Magic Power – 72nd floor of the tower]

[Pear of Strength and Stamina – 81st floor of the tower]

Fortunately, there were two.

By the time Se-jun used 50 pages of the plant encyclopedia with crops he wanted to eat or could think of,

-Master, we have arrived.

Toryong-i, who arrived at the farm, called Se-jun.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Swoosh.

Step.

After Se-jun slid down from Toryong-i’s head and landed on the ground,

“I’m hungry. I must eat breakfast quickly.”

He hurriedly headed to the kitchen area.

And,

“Huh? Guys, what are you doing?”

Se-jun discovered Theo, Cuengi, and Ajax confronting each other in front of the kitchen area.

“Chairman Park, good timing, meow! Who among us is the second-in-command, meow?! Puhuhut. Needless to say, it would be me, Vice President Theo, though, meow!”

“No! Se-jun hyung, it’s me, right?!”

Kkueng! Kkueng!

[No! It’s Cuengi!]

The three, who discovered Se-jun, clung to Se-jun’s leg and whined, claiming they were the second-in-command.

“Calm down. Let’s eat first.”

Tuck.

Se-jun said, lifting Theo and placing him on his lap,

“Puhuhut. Give me Churu, meow!”

“Shall we do that?”

Kkueng!

[Sounds good!]

The three became quiet in an instant.

“Wait quietly while I cook.”

“Got it, meow!”

“Yeah! Hyung!”

Kkueng!

[Cuengi will sit quietly!]

At Se-jun’s words, the three went into standby mode, waiting only for Se-jun’s cooking to finish.

In the meantime,

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Se-jun quickly cracked 100 egg fruits into a bowl,

Dadadada.

And stirred quickly to remove the viscosity of the eggs.

Sizzle.

Poured the stirred egg mixture into the black pot preheated over low heat,

Stir. Stir.

And stirred to make scrambled eggs.

“It’s all done.”

Pour.

Se-jun poured the completed scrambled eggs onto a plate.

Because the quantity was large, the scrambled eggs were piled high on the plate.

Drizzle.

Se-jun poured the remaining tomato paste from making pizza over it.

The dish completed like that.

“Hehehe. Volcano Scrambled Eggs complete.”

Se-jun said with a laugh.

“Guys, try it!”

Thud.

Se-jun confidently placed the plate on the table.

And,

“As expected of Hyung-nim Se-jun! I will continue to serve you as Hyung-nim!”

Kkueng!

[As expected, Dad is a cooking genius!]

Ajax and Cuengi ate diligently, marveling at the taste of the Volcano Scrambled Eggs.

“Here. Vice President Theo, eat too.”

“Puhuhut. I will eat well, meow!”

Lick. Lick. Lick.

Se-jun, verifying that the two were eating deliciously, gave Theo a Churu,

Munch.

And tasted his dish. The taste of eating eggs and ketchup together. There was no way it wouldn’t be delicious.

“Hehehe. It’s delicious. Shall we eat french fries for lunch?”

Recalling ketchup naturally brought french fries to mind.

“Then, I need cooking oil…”

Se-jun, who was thinking of a way to make cooking oil like that.

“But I feel like I forgot something?”

As Se-jun was trying to recall what he forgot,

Kking! Kking?!

‘Hey! Are you guys the only ones eating?!’

Fenrir, whom Se-jun had forgotten, appeared.

He woke up, and finding himself left all alone in the bed, he came looking for Se-jun.

Heave-ho. Heave-ho.

Fenrir barely crossed the threshold of the kitchen area, struggling and dragging his body.

Waddle. Waddle.

Step.

He sat down in front of Se-jun and stared intently at the food Se-jun was eating. ‘That looks delicious! Give me some too!’

Drip. Drip.

While drooling.

“Blackie, do you want to eat this? Here.”

When Se-jun handed a piece of scrambled eggs that wasn’t smeared with tomato paste by hand,

Munch. Munch. Munch.

Fenrir ate it diligently. ‘Khehehe. Delicious!’

When he finished eating everything in Se-jun’s hand,

Kking! Kking!

‘Give me more! There is a lot over there!’

Fenrir barked, looking alternately at Se-jun and the plate piled high with scrambled eggs on the dining table, and then jumped toward the plate, as if planning to solve it himself.

A tiny hop.

Fenrir’s hind legs rose about 2 cm from the ground and fell. His jumping ability was severely lacking.

But,

Kking!

‘I’m going to eat!’

Hop. Hop.

Fenrir, a wolf who knew no surrender, continued to jump, aiming for the food,

“Pfft. Blackie, let’s eat this.”

Se-jun, who had laughed enough watching Fenrir, put scrambled eggs into a bowl and gave it to Fenrir.

Munch. Munch. Munch.

Kking! Kking!

‘This is really soft! Delicious!’

It was the third food Fenrir had eaten since entering the Black Tower, following the dried roasted sweet potatoes and the black royal jelly.

Blackie fell deeply in love with the taste of eggs.

Burp!

After eating his fill like that,

Drowse. Drowse.

Fenrir dozed off, leaning his body against Se-jun’s feet.

Step.

Se-jun lifted Fenrir and put him in his pocket.

And,

“I should use this as Blackie’s food bowl from now on.”

He engraved the name ‘Blackie’ on the bowl Fenrir used.

In that way, it was Fenrir’s first time having his own item in the Black Tower.

When the meal was finished,

“Vice President Theo, go down below for a moment.”

“Meow?! Can’t I not go, meow?!”

“No. I need the land deed for the 70th floor of the tower.”

Se-jun explained that it was needed to find the power of darkness for Aileen.

He added that if he saw them, to also obtain the land deeds for the 72nd and 81st floors of the tower.

“Puhuhut. Is that so, meow?! Just trust me, meow! Ppiyot, let’s go, meow!”

Ppiyot!

[Yes!]

At Se-jun’s request, Theo set out with Ppiyot.

“Cuengi, you are going to look for herbs, right?”

Kkueng!

[That’s right!]

“Here is your lunch box.”

Se-jun packed the leftover food that Theo had bought from the restaurant as Cuengi’s lunch box.

Kkueng!

[Dad, I will be back!]

As Cuengi also left for the western forest like that,

“Phew. I separated them all.”

Se-jun, who had separated the three, let out a sigh of relief.

“Ajax, help me harvest green onions.”

“Yeah! Se-jun hyung!”

Se-jun took Ajax to the green onion field. It was to harvest the S-grade Detoxifying Green Onions.

“Here. You just have to pull it out like this.”

Pluck.

As Se-jun demonstrated,

“Yeah!”

Pluck.

Ajax also harvested the green onions just as Se-jun taught him.

An hour later.

“Ajax, drink this.”

Se-jun handed Ajax honey water with floating ice.

“Hyung-nim, thank you!”

As soon as Ajax received the honey water Se-jun handed,

Gulp. Gulp.

He drank it quickly,

“Wow! It’s delicious!”

And looked at Se-jun proudly. ‘Indeed, he is worthy of being served as my hyung!’

“Now, let’s go harvest cherry tomatoes.”

“Yeah! Hyung-nim!”

Ajax’s respect for Se-jun increased by 5 due to the honey water.