Chapter 334 – Extract a Lot of Compensation

“All of you! Kneel!”

Boom.

At Ajax’s mana-infused shout, the Caiman Kingdom soldiers kneeled without even realizing it.

And,

“We… we greet the great white dragon!”

When a frightened soldier fell flat on his face and bowed to Ajax,

“We greet the great white dragon!”

the other soldiers also quickly began to bow. It was like falling dominoes.

When the 300,000-strong Caiman Kingdom army was subdued,

“Hehehe. Brother Se-jun, did you see my skills?”

Ajax looked at Se-jun with pride.

“Yes. I saw them well. Seal.”

Se-jun nodded and sealed Ajax. ‘Jax, your brother is tired.’

With all stats reaching 1,000, Se-jun’s resistance to other energies had increased by 10%.

Thanks to this, it was less exhausting than before, but it was still exhausting.

“Hehehe. I’m the second-in-command now, right?”

Ajax, who had become small again, looked proudly at Theo and Cuengi.

But,

“Puhuhut. That’s not possible, nyang! If I had used the hidden secret of me, Vice President Theo, it would have been my victory, nyang!”

Cuengi!

[That’s right! Cuengi also did not use his hidden secret, the Kkueng Destruction Fist!]

Because they had not used their full strength, the two did not acknowledge Ajax.

“Urgh! I’m the second-in-command!”

“No, nyang! I, Vice President Theo, am the second-in-command, nyang!”

Cuengi!

[Cuengi is the second-in-command!]

Just as the three were about to have a war of nerves over who was the second-in-command,

“Guys, please treat the hedgehogs.”

Se-jun had them treat the hedgehogs.

Then,

“Puhuhut. I understand, nyang! The hedgehogs should come to me, Vice President Theo, who has the best healing touch, nyang!”

Theo called the hedgehogs that could move to Se-jun’s lap and treated them with healing arts.

Cuengi! Cuengi! Cuengi!

[No! The best healing touch belongs to Cuengi! Cuengi massages well!]

Cuengi walked around among the hedgehogs and treated those who had difficulty moving with physical mana massage.

And,

Kosit…

“Know that it is an honor to be healed by me. Recovery!”

The mortally wounded hedgehogs were treated by Ajax.

The three of them treated the hedgehogs according to their condition. They had been growling at each other just a moment ago, but now they were working together perfectly.

After a while,

Gororong.

Gororong.

The sound of the hedgehogs snoring in unison filled the chestnut farm.

As soon as the pain disappeared after receiving treatment, the accumulated fatigue hit them all at once and they fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Theo, holding a contract with Cuengi,

“Puhuhut. We have acquired many slaves, nyang!”

Cuengi!

[Stamping!]

began to collect the stamps of the Caiman Kingdom soldiers, who had been bowing down until then.

At that time,

“Nyang?”

Step.

Theo silently extended his front paw to one of the soldiers.

“Yes?! Why…”

The soldier was flustered.

“Puhuhut. I, Vice President Theo, know that you have something, nyang! Give it to me quickly, nyang!”

Theo smiled sinisterly while looking at the soldier.

Then,

“Sigh…”

Sip.

The soldier took out a black bead from his pocket with a resigned expression.

Step.

Theo snatched the bead from the soldier’s hand and ran excitedly to Se-jun. President Park, I’m coming, nyang!

And,

Step.

“Puhuhut. President Park, I found something good, nyang!”

He handed the black bead to Se-jun.

[Inner Core of the Caiman King]

“Huh? This?”

It was the inner core that fell when Croco died. The soldier had secretly pocketed it when it flew toward him.

Meanwhile,

Flop.

Now pat my belly, nyang! Theo lay down on Se-jun’s lap.

Stroke, stroke.

Se-jun silently stroked Theo’s belly while examining the inner core.

[Inner Core of the Caiman King]

The inner core that the Caiman kings have held for generations.

The mana of previous kings has accumulated continuously, containing the mana cultivated for approximately 2,500 years.

Upon consumption, a total of 1,000 bonus stats are acquired. (If consumed by a being with mana lower than 2,500, the inner core will instead absorb all of the user’s stats.)

Upon consumption, the level increases by 5.

Usage Restrictions: Lv. 100 or higher, all stats 2,500 or higher

Rating: ★★★

“Wow… there is indeed a level beyond 100…”

Se-jun realized that there was a level beyond 100 when he saw the words “Lv. 100 or higher” in the usage restrictions.

“But this is indeed amazing.”

Se-jun said while fiddling with the inner core.

Although the usage restrictions were extremely high, the bonus stats +1,000 and level +5 effects upon consumption made it completely understandable.

In addition, there were three stars, which were known to be stronger than SSS-grade. It meant it was an incredible item.

“Vice President Theo, good job.”

Stroke, stroke.

Se-jun patted Theo’s belly diligently and praised him.

“Puhuhut. That’s it, nyang! Work harder, nyang!”

Theo enjoyed Se-jun’s touch like that.

“That’s right, nyang! I picked this up earlier too, nyang!”

Theo took out Fenrir’s core fragment that he had put in his bundle earlier.

[Unidentified Core Piece]

“Is this an unappraised item?”

Step.

Se-jun grabbed the thumbnail-sized core piece to send it to Aileen.

Then,

[You have acquired a Fragment of the Door to the 10th Tower.]

With a message appearing in front of Se-jun,

Swoosh.

a brown, fist-sized piece of wood separated from the core piece.

Fenrir had ripped off and eaten the door leading to the 10th Tower in the past.

“Huh?!”

What? The door to the 10th Tower was missing?! Se-jun looked at the brown fragment in bewilderment.

[Fragment of the Door to the 10th Tower]

One of the fragments of the door leading to the 10th Tower.

The door is currently broken into 5 pieces, making it impossible to create a path leading to the 10th Tower.

Usage Restrictions: Those who possess the key to the 10th Tower

Rating: Unmeasurable

The door broke into five pieces?

“So you’re saying we need to find four more?”

Thanks to this, it became quite a hassle for Se-jun to go to the 10th Tower.

Then,

Kking!

‘My core! Hey! That’s mine!’

Fenrir, the culprit who had caused this hassle for Se-jun, woke up from his faint and claimed ownership of the core,

Chomp.

biting the core in Se-jun’s hand.

But,

“Kkamang-i, no, nyang!”

Gack!

Theo struck Fenrir on the back of his neck, making him spit out the core.

Step.

“Good job.”

Se-jun received the core Fenrir spit out.

And,

“Kkamang-i, you wanted to eat this? Okay.”

Pop.

Se-jun put a black substance in Fenrir’s mouth—royal jelly, whose bitter taste had been upgraded along with its effectiveness by the Poison Honeybee Queen.

Kking…

‘This isn’t my core…’

Fenrir fainted from the overwhelming bitterness of the black royal jelly. Perhaps it was poetic justice.

Step.

“Kkamang-i, sleep well.”

Se-jun put the fainted Fenrir in his pocket and,

“Aileen, please appraise this.”

asked Aileen for an appraisal.

[The Tower Administrator tells you to leave it to her.]

With that, Fenrir’s core fragment fell into Aileen’s hands.

***

The home of the white dragons.

Thud.

A huge green dragon landed. It was Brachio. She had come to visit Kellion, her closest friend among the four dragons.

“Brachio, what brings you here?”

Kellion asked as he looked at Brachio.

“Kellion, I came because I have something to ask you.”

“Something to ask? To me?”

“Yes. The white dragons, black dragons, red dragons, and purple dragons have been very active lately. What is the reason?”

“Huh?! What reason? We are just trying to reduce the power of destruction even by a little.”

Kellion answered while avoiding Brachio’s persistent gaze.

“Is that true?”

Brachio asked once more.

“…Yes.”

Kellion answered as casually as possible, but the lie was too obvious.

“Then can you swear on your name?”

“No. A name is not something to be risked at any time.”

“Then, in exchange for your oath, I will do two favors for you.”

“…I refuse.”

“As expected… you are hiding something.”

“I told you I’m not! Hmph. I should go to sleep now.”

A clear gesture of dismissal.

“There is definitely something…”

Brachio looked suspiciously at Kellion’s disappearing back and then went to visit her next closest friend, Ramter.

***

“Puhuhut. President Park, I got all the stamps, nyang!”

Cuengi!

[Daddy, I’m done!]

Theo, who had been playing alone on Se-jun’s lap but was caught by Cuengi and sent back to collect stamps, returned with Cuengi after stamping all the remaining ones.

Thanks to the help of the hedgehogs who woke up in the middle, it did not take long.

For reference, Ajax was harvesting chestnuts under Se-jun’s instructions.

“Good job. Godori, you guys put them to work.”

Se-jun entrusted the 300,000-strong Caiman Kingdom army to Godori.

Kosit!

[Thank you!]

Kkosit! Kkosit!

Godori and the hedgehogs were deeply moved by Se-jun’s words.

“But what should we do about the Caiman Kingdom?”

While Se-jun was pondering how to deal with the Caiman Kingdom on the 84th floor of the tower,

“Kkyuooo! Huh?! Where is this?”

Iona, who had fallen into a deep sleep on Theo’s tail, woke up, stretched lazily, and asked.

She had only slept for a short while, but the surroundings had completely changed.

“Puhuhut. Iona, did you sleep well, nyang? This is the 83rd floor of the tower…”

When Theo explained to Iona how they had ended up here,

“Kkyu-kyu-kyu. What bad guys! If I hadn’t been sleeping, I would have dropped meteorites on them. But since the enemy has already surrendered…”

Iona said in a regretful voice after hearing the story.

“Puhuhut. Iona, don’t be disappointed, nyang! More bad guys will appear, nyang!”

“Kkyu-kyu-kyu. Yes!”

While the two were talking,

“Guys, let’s go back.”

Se-jun prepared to return.

The damage to the 83rd floor of the tower was severe, but with 300,000 strong slaves, recovery would be quick.

In addition, since he was going to send Theo to the 84th floor of the tower to extract war compensation from the Caiman Kingdom, they would have sufficient funds.

Thus, without even knowing it, Theo’s trip to the Caiman Kingdom on the 84th floor was confirmed.

“Vice President Theo, have a safe trip.”

“Nyang?! Where am I going, nyang?”

“Yeah. Go to the 84th floor of the tower and extract a lot of compensation.”

“Nyang! I understand, nyang! Leave it to me, nyang!”

At first, he made a disapproving face, but then Theo answered confidently. Puhuhut. This is my specialty, nyang!

“President Park, then I’ll be off, nyang!”

“Kkyu-kyu-kyu! I will go with you!”

“Yeah. Have a safe trip!”

With Se-jun seeing them off, Theo, with Iona attached to his tail, climbed toward the 84th floor of the tower with light steps.

And,

“Toryong-i!”

Se-jun also called Toryong-i and headed toward the waypoint.

A moment later,

[Moving to the 99th floor of the Black Tower.]

Se-jun returned to the 99th floor of the tower.

***

The Black Tower Administrator Area.

[Core Piece of Fenrir, the 1st Seat of the Apostles of Destruction]

A core piece of Fenrir, the 1st Seat of the Apostles of Destruction.

It contains 0.01% of his total power.

If the power of destruction within is not removed, the user will be consumed by it.

“Why is Fenrir’s core here?”

Aileen said as she looked at the core that had finished being appraised.

But her concern was short-lived.

“But in this state, our Se-jun won’t be able to use it, right?”

She began to ponder if there was a way for Se-jun to use this core.

And,

“Okay! First, let’s try removing the power of destruction inside!”

She began to remove the power of destruction by infusing her mana into the core fragment.

As she removed a portion of the power of destruction within the core,

Chrrr.

Before they knew it, Tower Coins were piled high around the core. It was the same principle as destroying the red mist.

“Huh?! These are Tower Coins?! Hehehe. Se-jun, just wait a bit! I’ll bring you lots of money!”

Wuuu.

Aileen began to use her mana in earnest to obliterate the destruction in Fenrir’s core fragment, and

Chrrrr.

Tower Coins piled up in the Black Tower Administrator Area.