Chapter 378 – Kehehehe. It’s a Success

A vast ranch in Texas, USA.

Neigh.

A horse that was roaming leisurely in a wide plain was grazing on grass.

Having eaten all the grass it was grazing on, the horse searched for other grass and approached to eat a hand-span-sized plant with red fruit.

And when it brought its mouth to the plant,

Keeeek!

the red fruit opened its mouth and attacked.

Neigh!

Startled by the unexpected attack, the horse hurriedly fled, and the Flesh Devourer closed its mouth again and waited for the next prey.

Fortunately, the next prey appeared quickly.

Chirp. Chirp.

A sparrow approached to eat the head of the Flesh Devourer, which looked like a fruit,

Keeeek!

and this time, the Flesh Devourer splendidly snatched the prey and swallowed it whole.

A moment later,

Crack.

the body of the Flesh Devourer grew after devouring the sparrow.

In that manner, in various places throughout Texas, the Flesh Devourers rapidly grew in size by eating bugs, mice, and small birds.

And,

“Kekeke. The effect is good.”

watching Earth being dyed in red energy, Halphas let out a fishy smile.

***

“Theo, did you collect Yuren’s money well?”

Se-jun asked, peeling Theo off his face and wearing him on his lap.

“Puhuhut. That’s right, meow! There is no money in this world that I, Vice President Theo, cannot collect, meow! Look at this, meow!”

As if he had been waiting, Theo, who was revving up to show off at Se-jun’s question, put his front paw into his bundle and pulled out the money.

1.04 trillion Tower Coins.

9.9 billion Tower Coins were gallantly burned to catch Fenrir’s core fragment which was being sucked into the black hole.

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, how is it, meow?”

Theo looked at Se-jun, smiling arrogantly. Puhuhut. Chairman Park, even after this, was he not going to give him the exclusive rights to his lap, meow?

“Alright. Exclusive rights to my lap extended by one month.”

Just as Theo expected, Se-jun gave Theo a one-month pass for exclusive rights to his lap. Puhuhut. Everything was according to his calculations, meow!

“There is still more, meow!”

Theo, who received the one-month exclusive rights to the lap from Se-jun, pulled out a black bead this time.

“It is a 0.001% fragment of Fenrir’s core, meow! Give me two more months for this, meow!”

“Hey. Not with just this…”

Se-jun received the core fragment of Fenrir with an expression that said there was no way.

At that moment,

[You have obtained a fragment of the gate leading to the 10th tower.]

A brown, fist-sized piece of wood was separated from the core fragment, and a message appeared.

“Puhuhut. Puhuhut.”

Theo smirked really obnoxiously, wearing a proud expression that said, ‘Can you still not extend it after this, meow?’ but

“Tch. Fine. Exclusive rights to my lap extended by two more months.”

This was acceptable.

Se-jun had no choice but to do so. Because he had brought back a fragment of the gate leading to the 10th tower, which was extremely hard to find.

“Vice President Theo, did you eat dinner?”

“Puhuhut. I haven’t eaten, meow! But before eating, there is one more thing to pull out, meow!”

Theo shouted grandly, pulling out Rizaen’s 31 gem teeth.

Puhuhut. Chairman Park, it was actually a 3-stage combo, meow! With this momentum, I will extend the exclusive rights to the lap by three more months, meow!

Theo’s grand plan was to obtain a total of six months of exclusive rights to the lap through a 3-stage combo of one month, two months, and three months.

“Huh?! These are Earth Gems?!”

Se-jun was astonished upon recognizing the identity of the gem teeth. How many were there in total?

“Puhuhut.”

At Se-jun’s reaction, the corners of Theo’s mouth kept rising.

It seemed as if everything were going according to Theo’s plan, but

[Damaged Earth Gem]

Contains the soul of an earth-attribute god who was sealed after having their physical body devoured by the 1st Seat of the Apostles of Destruction, the God-Hunting Wolf Fenrir.

The Earth Gem containing the soul has sustained damage, preventing the god’s soul from absorbing the power of the earth.

If placed around a farmer with an earth-attribute talent, the damaged Earth Gem will be restored to its original state. (The higher the level of the earth-attribute talent the farmer possesses, the faster the restoration speed.)

…

..

.

There was a problem with the Earth Gems. Damage had been caused to the gems as Rizaen made them into teeth.

“Uh-uh. That won’t do. The goods have defects. Vice President Theo, where are you trying to pull a fast one between pros?”

Confirming the options, Se-jun spoke in a casual voice. He was excited because he could dampen Theo’s smugness.

Huhut. Vice President Theo, the one who laughed last won. And the one who laughed last was me, Chairman Park.

While Se-jun was rejoicing that he had dampened Theo’s smugness,

“Meow? Vice President Theo does not play pranks on the great Chairman Park, meow!”

Startled by Se-jun’s words, Theo hurriedly checked the options of the gems.

And,

“Meow… Chairman Park, I am sorry, meow…”

With his ears drooping, he apologized to Se-jun in a gloomy voice. My 3-stage combo failed, meow…

“No. It’s not something to be that sorry about. Because I can restore the Earth Gems.”

Se-jun said, bringing Churu to Theo’s mouth to comfort the gloomy Theo.

Se-jun possessed a fairly strong earth-attribute talent.

The talent that blossomed only while wearing the divine artifact, Straw Hat of Patrick, the God of the Earth: Beloved of the Earth.

Although it was a talent that blossomed only when he wore the straw hat, since he kept wearing the hat except when sleeping, it was practically Se-jun’s own talent.

Chwap. Chwap. Chwap.

While Theo was eating Se-jun’s handmade tuna Churu deliciously,

“But will this really be restored just by placing it beside me?”

Uncertain about the explanation, Se-jun checked the Earth Gem.

[Damaged Earth Gem – 0.02% restoring]

The Earth Gems were already undergoing restoration from the moment they came into Se-jun’s hands.

However,

“At this rate, it will take almost a month.”

Because he was restoring 31 Earth Gems simultaneously, the speed was too slow.

So, to increase the speed, he put 30 of them into the subspatial storage and put only one in his pocket.

Huhut. It was the strategy of focusing on just one.

When Se-jun finished organizing the Earth Gems,

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, since everything was resolved well, extend the exclusive rights to the lap by three months, meow!”

All’s well that ends well, meow! Having finished the Churu and feeling good from fullness, Theo shouted with a bright smile.

And,

“Fine. Three months extension.”

Se-jun, who seemed likely to refuse, readily agreed to Theo’s words.

Ahem. It was just giving an extra rice cake to the person one begrudged. It was absolutely not because he was enchanted by Theo’s smile.

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, rub my belly, meow!”

Toward Se-jun, Theo rolled over and stuck out his belly.

Rub. Rub.

“Hehehe.”

I let him off.

“Puhuhut.”

The 3-stage combo was a success, meow!

In that way, it wrapped up happily with Se-jun and Theo laughing together.

A moment later,

“I should bury this in the ground.”

Se-jun buried the 0.001% fragment of Fenrir’s core that Theo had brought in the solar pepper field, in the same manner as before.

“Meow… Chairman Park, let’s go to sleep now, meow… I’m sleepy, meow…”

Theo, who had been waiting for Se-jun to go to sleep, whined in a voice filled with sleepiness.

“Yes. Alright.”

Se-jun headed to the bed, taking Theo along.

And,

Gulp.

he swallowed the medicinal mugwort and fainted.

Zzz.

Gororong.

Kkirorong.

Along with the snoring sounds of Se-jun, Theo, and Fenrir, the night of the 386th day of entering the tower grew deeper.

During the night when everyone had fallen asleep like that,

[Bulssak-i, are you ready?]

[Yes! Flamie-nim, I am ready!]

On the 79th floor of the tower, Bulssak-i was preparing to become the second World Tree of the Black Tower.

[Good! Here I go!]

[Yes!]

Along with Bulssak-i’s response, Flamie’s roots sent a fist-sized golden apple to Bulssak-i.

Then, the golden apple was absorbed, as if seeping into Bulssak-i’s roots.

And,

[Flamie-nim, my body is hot!]

[Bear it for a bit! It’s almost over!]

[Yes!]

It began to be dyed in golden light starting from Bulssak-i’s roots, and when the entire tree turned golden,

Flash!

the golden light exploded, and Bulssak-i grew explosively.

***

The Administrator’s Area of the Black Tower.

Aileen held the crystal ball and searched diligently for the power of destruction.

“Keuhik! Why is it not coming out!”

When the power of destruction was not detected no matter how long she held onto it, Aileen threw the crystal ball in annoyance and frustration.

The crystal ball rolled and stopped as it hit the wall.

At that moment,

Hum.

The crystal ball vibrated.

“Keuhing? Did I find it?”

Aileen checked the crystal ball with anticipation. Maybe the power of destruction had luckily been found.

However,

[You have exceeded one of the growth conditions for the Great Black Tower.]

“Keuing?”

It was a different message.

Exceeded?

As Aileen quickly checked the conditions for the Great Black Tower,

[Great Black Tower Growth Conditions (7/8)]

– Tower Farmer (A): Achieved

– Create 10 or more new varieties: Exceeded (23/10)

– Cultivate 100 million pyeong or more of farmland: Unachieved

– Grow a World Tree: Exceeded (Podori, Bulssak-i, ?)

– Secure 10,000 or more pieces of world energy: Unachieved

– Own 5 or more divine artifacts: Achieved

– Achieve 3 great achievements: Achieved

– Increase the entrance of the Black Tower to 120: Unachieved

“Bulssak-i?”

The number of World Trees had increased by one.

Thanks to that, she only needed to fill one more growth condition for the Great Black Tower, but Aileen could not rejoice.

“Keuhing… Se-jun is doing so well…”

I’m the only one who can’t. Compared to Se-jun’s activity lately, she was not of much help to Se-jun.

“Keuhing…”

Aileen became depressed.

‘Right. Se-jun said to eat sweet things when depressed!’

Soon, remembering Se-jun’s words, she drank the cool and sweet watermelon juice Se-jun had made for her to soothe her burning throat.

***

Thud. Thud.

Caensing a small vibration, Garlic, the great brown dragon, waddled into the administrator’s area of the Black Tower.

“Huh?! Garlic-oppa!”

“Hmph. Aileen, are you still saying that I’m a weak dragon?!”

The 350-year-old Garlic, who had come here after throwing a tantrum at his parents, spoke arrogantly as he looked at Aileen.

At that moment,

Thud. Thud.

another red hatchling entered. It was Perion, the 550-year-old hatchling of the great Red Dragon.

“What is it? Garlic, you’re here already?”

“Perion-hyung, you’re a bit late?”

“Ah. I fell asleep and saw the letter late…”

While the two of them were talking like that,

Thud. Thud.

“Aileen, hello! Oh?! Perion-oppa and Garlic-oppa are here too?”

Sylvia, the 300-year-old hatchling of the great Silver Dragon and the youngest after Aileen, waddled into the administrator’s area of the Black Tower,

“Huh?! Guys, hello.”

“Hello.”

following that, Hakun, the 600-year-old hatchling of the great Blue Dragon, and Pobi, the 400-year-old hatchling of the great Purple Dragon, also arrived.

Aileen’s wide-area provocation letter had taken effect properly.

‘Kehehehe. It’s a success.’

Although Hokus, the hatchling of the great Golden Dragon, had not come, this was successful enough.

While Aileen was rejoicing like that,

“Aileen, you…”

“Even though you’re the youngest…”

“We are weak?!”

having finished greeting each other, the hatchlings decided to punish the insolent youngest who had provoked them by calling them weak.

However,

“Hehehe. Unni, oppas, I’m sorry. I just did it because I missed you guys.

Aileen, who had cast the wide-area provocation, had transformed into a submissive, good youngest child before anyone knew it.

“In return for my apology, I’ll give you this. This is extremely delicious! It even increases magic power.”

Aileen served the Magic Cherry Tomatoes, starting to pitch Se-jun’s crops one by one.

And,

“Oh! It’s really delicious!”

“Wow! Though it’s a little, it really increases magic power!”

“This thing called sweet potato makes you stronger!”

Naturally, Se-jun’s delicious crops were a massive hit among the hatchlings.

While the hatchlings were raving about Se-jun’s crops like that,

‘That Aileen, how dare she call me weak when she’s just the youngest?!’

Thud.

Hokus, the 500-year-old hatchling of the great Golden Dragon, holding his mother’s hand tightly, arrived at the Black Dragon’s domain with a pride-filled expression.

However,

“Huh?!”

As soon as he arrived, Hokus rapidly lost his confidence.

“Waaah!! Give me money to buy sweet potatoes quickly!”

“Buy me peanuts!”

“Corn! Corn!”

“Screeech!”

There, the brave hatchlings were throwing fits at their parents, demanding to buy Se-jun’s crops.