Chapter 41 – Receiving a Gift

‘Why is a Black Minotaur here?!’

Looking at the two Black Minotaurs coming out behind Theo, Elka, the chief of the Silver Wolf tribe, and the other two silver wolves were flustered.

Black Minotaurs were monsters of the 99th floor, and the gap between them and those who resided on the 85th floor was substantial. It was a highly disadvantageous situation.

However,

“Chief Elka, what do we do?”

“Focus on the request. We must complete the request to receive food from Grid.”

They had a reason why they could not back down. The young wolves of the tribe had been waiting for days only for the food they would bring back.

‘No matter what happens this time, I must get information about the straw hat!’

The silver wolves prepared for battle against the Black Minotaur.

Moo!

Woo Chun-sa protected Theo, and Woo Chun-sam stepped forward.

“Hit them gently-nyan! You must not kill them-nyan!”

Moo!

When Woo Chun-sam was nodding at Theo’s words,

Thud, thud, thud.

The silver wolves rushed quickly toward Woo Chun-sam. A preemptive strike was the only best struggle they could make.

Elka ran straight toward Woo Chun-sam, and the other two wolves moved to both sides, looking for an opening.

Roar!

Elka threw his body, aiming for Woo Chun-sam’s right thigh.

Crunch.

Elka succeeded in his attack all too easily.

Crunch. Crunch.

The other wolves also bit Woo Chun-sam’s left arm and right shoulder.

However,

Moooo!

Woo Chun-sam’s hide was so tough and thick that the wolves’ sharp teeth could not pierce it. Woo Chun-sam casually grabbed the wolves biting his arm and shoulder and slammed them to the ground, and

Thud!

Yip! Yip!

Moooo!

Having knocked the two wolves unconscious, Woo Chun-sam extended his right fist toward Elka.

‘Dangerous!’

Looking at Woo Chun-sam’s attacking fist, Elka hastily dodged backward.

However,

Moooo!

Woo Chun-sam’s next fist was already flying toward Elka. It was a rapid movement, unlike his massive size.

‘I cannot dodge this.’

Watching Woo Chun-sam’s massive fist approaching him, Elka’s life flashed before his eyes.

“Elka, listen carefully. Right now, we are moving according to money as free mercenaries like this, but in the past, our tribe’s ancestors were noble wolves who fought to protect their pride. You must keep this in mind and make sure not to disgrace the honor of our ancestors.”

It was what his grandfather had always said while placing him on his lap when he was a child. Only when he said those words did his grandfather’s life-weary expression come alive, with a smile hovering around his mouth and a light shining in his eyes.

“Yes! Grandfather! I will also become a noble wolf who fights to protect pride later!”

“Right, right.”

Elka remembered his grandfather’s words and wanted to be a wolf who protected pride more than anyone. However, as the food situation rapidly deteriorated due to the great famine that occurred in the tower 100 years ago, Elka lost his dream.

Many adults of the tribe chose to give up their food to save the young wolves and starved to death. Elka’s grandfather and parents also passed away at that time.

Elka realized while experiencing the great famine that pride alone did not produce food, how much of a pipe dream pride was, and that keeping one’s pride was a great luxury.

Therefore, he had lived thinking only of working fiercely as a free mercenary to earn money and feed the wolves of his tribe well.

‘Was I a noble wolf?’

Elka asked himself. The answer came quickly. No. He was a despicable wolf who had discarded his pride. There were no regrets. He only felt regret.

‘If there is a next life, I would like to live as a noble wolf who protects pride.’

Elka closed his eyes, hoping for the next life.

Thud!

Yip!

Struck by Woo Chun-sam’s fist, Elka fainted.

“Is this guy really unconscious-nyan?”

Theo poked Elka’s body with his front paw, checking if he had really fainted.

And

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.

Theo pulled out a sheet of paper and stamped the paw prints of the three unconscious silver wolves one by one.

“The crime of targeting my life is expensive-nyan. I will take revenge with money-nyan. We are taking them-nyan!”

Theo planned to bring the wolves to Se-jun to properly receive the price for targeting his life.

Having Woo Chun-sam and Woo Chun-sa drape the three unconscious wolves over their shoulders,

“Nyan-nyan-nyan!”

Theo went down the tower, humming a song again.

‘Puhuhut. If these guys have no money, they will have to pay with their bodies-nyan!’

If you don’t have money, pay with your body! It was an amazing learning ability, putting to use what he had learned from Se-jun. On top of that, there was even the thoroughness of stamping the contracts in advance.

It was Se-jun’s second generation who resembled Se-jun, Theo Park.

***

Scratch.

Waking up from sleep, Se-jun added a stroke to the cave wall, completing the fourth row.

Se-jun welcomed the morning of his 200th day of being stranded.

“It’s already 200 days…”

It was a day no different from yesterday, but when the number 200 created a ripple in Se-jun’s heart and he was about to fall into depression,

Kkueng!

The baby bear announced that he had arrived. I’m here!

And

Pyang!

Pyap!

Pyat!

Due to the baby rabbits responding, the cave became noisy.

“Today is the 200th day, so I should cheer up with 200 percent energy!”

Thanks to them, Se-jun’s depression flew away in an instant.

Se-jun washed his face and prepared breakfast. The breakfast menu was grilled corn. Yesterday, he ate the dried roasted sweet potato that he used to eat every morning for the last time, finishing the remaining sweet potatoes.

Munch, munch.

When Se-jun was eating the grilled corn,

Pyak.

The black rabbit brought a green onion of detoxification and grilled it on the fire. It seemed he was curious about the taste.

Pyak?

After a moment, the black rabbit, who ate the grilled green onion of detoxification, wore a puzzled expression. What had changed?

“That’s right. There is not much difference from the one we usually eat.”

Se-jun, who had tried it first, confirmed that the black rabbit’s thought was correct.

It was so. There was no great difference in taste between the D-grade green onion of detoxification and the green onion leaves they usually ate. Therefore, he was keeping it in the storage, thinking of having Theo sell it by emphasizing the detoxification effect or the effect of activating liver function.

Of course, he thought the taste of the C+-grade green onion of detoxification would be different, but since it was the only C+-grade, he decided to store it for later for now.

So having eaten breakfast, Se-jun and the rabbits started their morning farming.

Kkueng!

Kkueng welcomed Se-jun warmly as he quickly finished harvesting cherry tomatoes and came up to the surface. Play with me!

However,

“Sorry. I will play with you later.”

Se-jun had a lot of work to do. When he went to the green onion field, the sickle rabbit was hard at work harvesting green onion leaves alone.

Slice. Slice. Slice…

Se-jun also joined and diligently sliced green onion leaves.

How long had they been slicing like that?

“Whew. Did I plant too many?”

Se-jun sighed, looking at the pile of green onion leaves he cut today. The green onion leaves were piled up to a height of about 1 meter.

Although they covered the area with green onion leaves once the shovel rabbit made fields and the watering can rabbits sprinkled water, far more green onion leaves were produced twice a day than the green onion leaves used that way.

It was thanks to the green onion field expanding from 200 pyeong to 400 pyeong in no time, as he did split-planting every time the roots multiplied.

“They really grow fast.”

Se-jun said, seeing that the leaves of the green onions he sliced first had already grown about 10 cm.

It did not matter if he just left the green onion leaves alone, but Se-jun could not bear to watch that.

“Now I can handle ten Black Minotaurs.”

Slice. Slice.

Se-jun started slicing green onion leaves again, saying something that could cause a disaster.

And when he had almost finished slicing the green onion leaves,

Pyak!

The black rabbit came up to the surface and called Se-jun. It was lunchtime.

Lunch menu was grilled fish seasoned with salt. Se-jun and the black rabbit sprinkled a pinch of pepper separately and ate it deliciously.

Munch, munch.

Gulp.

Kkueng!

Kkueng ate happily, repeatedly saying ‘Delicious!’ every time he swallowed a piranha.

After ending the pleasant lunchtime like that,

Pyarorong.

Kkurorong.

When Se-jun was about to fall asleep for a nap along with the black rabbit and Kkueng,

[The tower administrator says she has prepared a gift for you, who has been in the tower for 200 days.]

“A gift?”

To think she would take care of him just because it was the 200th day. Se-jun was slightly touched by Aileen’s words.

[A quest has occurred.]

[Quest: Give 1 Magical Cherry Tomato to Aileen.]

Reward: Secret!

On Refusal: Hmph! You won’t be able to refuse my gift!

The reward was a secret? Was it a surprise?

“Take one cherry tomato.”

Se-jun completed the quest with high expectations.

[The quest has been completed.]

[You have acquired Aileen’s Healthy Soup as a quest completion reward.]

“Healthy soup?”

[The tower administrator tells you to hurry up and check the pot in the cave.]

[The tower administrator says that she is sleepy because she cooked too hard and is going to sleep.]

“Thank you.”

Se-jun expressed his gratitude to Aileen. It was the first time he had received something from Aileen.

[The tower administrator says that since she made it with care, you must eat it all.]

“Sure.”

Se-jun replied and went down to the cave.

And

“This is…”

Inside the pot, a thick green liquid of unknown identity was contained.

“Did she make this for me to eat?”

As Se-jun frowned and looked closely at the liquid, a description appeared.

[Aileen’s Healthy Soup]

The first dish of dragon life made by the Great Black Dragon, Aileen Pritani, by putting in various elixirs.

The taste could not be guaranteed, but the effect was outstanding. If one survived…

Upon consumption, all stats increased by 3.

Upon consumption, one would be poisoned by C-grade paralysis poison.

Upon consumption, one would be poisoned by C-grade acid poison.

Cook: Great Black Dragon, Aileen Pritani

Grade: A-grade

“An item?”

If he drank this and survived, all stats would increase by 3. Fortunately, Se-jun had the C+-grade green onion of detoxification.

‘Let’s drink.’

Since eating it would not kill him, he decided to eat it. The increase of 3 in all stats gave Se-jun the courage to make a bold decision.

Crunch.

Se-jun ate the C+-grade green onion of detoxification.

[You have consumed the green onion of detoxification.]

[Detoxifies poisons of C+-grade or lower for 1 hour.]

“Okay.”

With a solemn face, he stared at the healthy soup in the pot.

“This is not food, but medicine.”

Brainwashing himself, Se-jun blocked his nose, placed the pot to his mouth, and drank Aileen’s Healthy Soup.

Gulp.

[You have consumed Aileen’s Healthy Soup.]

[You are poisoned by C-grade paralysis poison.]

[Detoxified.]

[You are poisoned by C-grade acid poison.]

[Detoxified.]

The crisis caused by the poisons was easily overcome.

However,

Gulp. Gulp. Ugh!

A crisis soon came from the nauseating taste of the green healthy soup. He could not stop here. He could not feel this pain twice!

‘I will finish this in one go!’

Se-jun steeled his mind and continued to drink, pressing down the backflowing liquid.

However,

Gulp. Gulp. Urp!

The crisis came again. As he drank the healthy soup, the fish head at the bottom of the pot gradually began to show. Why did she put the fish head in whole?!

Screaming inwardly, Se-jun squeezed his eyes shut to avoid making eye contact with the fish head and kept swallowing the healthy soup.

And

[You have consumed all of Aileen’s Healthy Soup.]

[All stats increase by 3.]

He finally obtained the fruits of his suffering.

“Ugh.”

Se-jun shuddering at the terrible taste, resolved to unconditionally refuse if Aileen said she would give him a gift next time.

“You guys eat this.”

Splash.

Se-jun threw the fish head from the pot into the pond.

After a moment,

[You have defeated a Piranha.]

[You have acquired 2 experience points.]

[You have defeated a Crayfish.]

[You have acquired 30 experience points.]

…

..

.

[You have defeated a Giant Electric Eel.]

[You have acquired 5000 experience points.]

“A Giant Electric Eel?”

To think such a thing was around the pond; it would have been dangerous if it had discharged electricity.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have acquired 1 bonus stat point.]

The 200th day of being stranded. Eating Aileen’s terrible gift, all stats increased by 3. And using the gift, he defeated the Giant Electric Eel, which could have been a threat to the cave, and his level rose.

Instead, nothing wandered around the pond for a few days, so he could not eat piranhas and crayfish for a while.