Chapter 53 – Making Mud Bricks

The 67th floor of the tower. All directions were swamplands.

Ribbit. Ribbit.

Thwack.

A Lizardman hunter hit the head of a 1-meter-sized giant frog with an arrow.

Keruk, keruk.

The Lizardman hunter, who succeeded in hunting a large prey after a long time, laughed pleasantly. The 61st to 70th floors of the tower were the home of the Lizardmen, where they lived by catching and eating giant frogs and snakes in the swamp.

At that moment,

Flutter.

A red locust about 20cm in size landed on the corpse of the frog that the Lizardman hunter had hunted.

And,

Munch, munch.

The red locust began to eat, cutting the frog’s skin with its giant mandibles as if cutting it with scissors.

Keruk!

When it touched his prey, the Lizardman hunter ran over and killed the red locust with a dagger.

And,

Crunch, crunch.

he tore off one leg of the red locust and put it in his mouth to taste if it was edible.

Keruk, keruk.

Perhaps because it tasted better than expected, the Lizardman hunter laughed pleasantly.

Meanwhile,

Flutter, flutter.

a few more red locusts flew in and began to eat the giant frog and the corpse of their kin.

Since the red locusts were preoccupied with eating and did not pay attention to the Lizardman hunter, the Lizardman hunter easily hunted the red locusts.

However,

Flutter, flutter.

as more red locusts flew in to eat the frog and the corpse of their kin, the number of red locusts increased to hundreds.

Keruk…

When the Lizardman hunter, who felt fear as the red locusts became too numerous, tried to return home, the sky turned red.

Keruk?

When the Lizardman hunter, sensing something strange, looked at the sky, a swarm of red locusts so massive that the sun could not be seen was flying in the sky.

At that moment,

Flutter, flutter.

About 100,000 red locusts that broke off from the swarm of red locusts headed toward the swampland where the Lizardman hunter was.

And after a while, nothing remained there.

***

The black rabbit packed piranhas and crayfish into the net and sent them up to prepare lunch as usual.

Today, having received a request from Cuengi that he wanted to eat eel until he was full, he moved chunks of eel flesh with the net several times to show his dignity as an older brother.

And when he was going down again along the water current,

Thud.

along with a small vibration, some sound was made.

Pyah?

When the black rabbit looked at the place where the sound came from,

Huh?! What is that?

a green light flowed out from the gap between the giant electric eel and the wall and then disappeared.

The black rabbit, who grew curious, began to cut the eel’s body that blocked the front of the wall where the green light flowed out.

And,

Slice, slice.

as the harpoon cut through the opposite skin of the giant electric eel and made a hole in the eel’s body,

Flash.

green light entered through the hole.

At that moment,

Thud.

Pyah!

along with the vibration, the calm water flow suddenly grew strong, and the black rabbit was sucked beyond the hole made in the eel’s body.

However,

Splash.

the black rabbit’s leg got entangled with the net. It was truly a stroke of luck. If not for the net, the black rabbit would have been swept away by the water current in an instant.

Once the black rabbit confirmed he was safe, he looked closely at the place emitting the green light.

That is?!

At the place that the giant electric eel had been blocking with its body, there was an underwater cave. The green light was flowing from beyond the underwater cave.

After a short while, when the water flow stopped and the green light disappeared, the black rabbit pulled the rope twice.

***

“Black Rabbit!”

Se-jun pulled the rope and scooped up the black rabbit along with the net. He was worried because of the force that had pulled the rope strongly a moment ago.

Se-jun hurriedly untied the black rabbit’s leg bound to the net and carefully placed the black rabbit on his palms.

Pyah…

[There is a cave below that connects to another place…]

The black rabbit, held in Se-jun’s hand, said in an exhausted state.

“A cave?”

Pyah. Pyah.

[Yes. It’s an underwater cave emitting a green light.]

“An underwater cave emitting a green light? Aileen, do you happen to know anything?”

Se-jun asked Aileen, the administrator of the tower.

[The administrator of the tower says that place is a passage connected to the Sea of Dimensions.]

“The Sea of Dimensions?”

[The administrator of the tower says that the towers are connected to each other through the Sea of Dimensions.]

[The administrator of the tower says that very scary underwater monsters live in the Sea of Dimensions.]

[The administrator of the tower says that if the black rabbit had been swept away by the Sea of Dimensions, he would have lost his life.]

“There was such a thing?”

At Aileen’s words, Se-jun thought it was fortunate that the black rabbit had returned safely.

Like that, they ate the seafood that the black rabbit had brought risking his life for lunch.

Kkueng!

Cuengi held a chunk of eel flesh whole and chewed it. Thanks, older brother!

Pyah!

The black rabbit raised his thumb coolly. I told you to just trust me.

Although he had almost died just now, the black rabbit was someone for whom the dignity of being an older brother was more important.

After having lunch, he took a rest with the black rabbit and Cuengi, raising the proficiency of making dark clouds.

And when he came down to harvest the cherry tomatoes in the cave,

“Huh?!”

Splash, splash.

The pond was overflowing with underwater monsters. As the corpse of the giant electric eel that had been blocking the underwater cave disappeared and the water current began to flow properly, they had flowed in through the underwater cave connected to the Sea of Dimensions.

Pyah!

The black rabbit jumped into the pond, excited by the appearance of piranhas that would supply experience points and protein.

And,

“You bastard… nice to meet you!!!”

A new monster had also entered the pond. It was a guy with a pointed end like a rocket, an elongated body about the size of a forearm, and ten legs.

Nice, black rabbit! Se-jun also hurriedly jumped into the pond and caught the new monster.

[You have defeated a squid.]

[You have acquired 3 experience points.]

Today’s lunch is parboiled squid and stir-fried squid!

Se-jun thought that very scary underwater monsters might perhaps mean more delicious food. He grew interested in the place called the Sea of Dimensions. A sea full of all kinds of rare and delicious fish.

However,

“It is difficult right now.”

To go out into the Sea of Dimensions, thorough preparation was needed. Se-jun focused on catching squids, promising himself to do so in the future.

***

[There is a new notification.]

“Kuing?”

Aileen, who had been watching Se-jun in case he said he was going to the Sea of Dimensions, pressed the ominous red notification that appeared on the crystal ball screen.

[5,312,813,712 Red Locusts have invaded the 67th floor of the tower.]

“Red Locusts?!”

Aileen was greatly surprised upon seeing the notification. The last time locusts invaded the tower was almost 100 years ago. And at that time, her grandfather solved it instead of Aileen, who could not leave the tower administrator’s room.

“What should I do?”

With Aileen’s ability, she could not open a passage connected to the outside of the tower.

While Aileen was troubled,

[0.01% of the 67th floor of the tower has been devastated by the Red Locusts.]

…

..

.

[1.2% of the 67th floor of the tower has been devastated by the Red Locusts.]

The notifications appeared rapidly. The Red Locusts that had invaded the 67th floor of the tower were devouring everything alive.

***

The 218th day of being stranded.

“It would be nice if there were red pepper paste or mayonnaise.”

Chew, chew.

Se-jun said in a regretful voice, chewing on grilled semi-dried squid.

Since the underwater cave connected to the Sea of Dimensions was opened, piranhas and squids overflowed in the pond.

And Se-jun threaded the caught squids with green onion leaves to make semi-dried squids. A new snack was created after the roasted sweet potato chewies.

“How is it?”

Se-jun asked, looking at the Architect Rabbit who was examining the soggy mud. Se-jun was currently looking around the Black Minotaur territory together with the black rabbit and the Architect Rabbit.

Squeak!

The Architect Rabbit nodded. This is enough!

The reason Se-jun came all the way to the Black Minotaur territory even while busy with farming work was because of the mud.

When he had dropped by here in the past, Se-jun had been thinking of making mud bricks as he saw the mud, and as the Architect Rabbit joined, he decided to start making mud bricks in earnest.

“Good.”

Se-jun filled the brick mold made by the Wood Craftsman Rabbit with mud. He obtained the wood by asking the mother Crimson Giant Bear.

When he asked the mother Crimson Giant Bear for wood, the next day she brought two trees that were almost as thick as Se-jun’s torso. Although it was strange that the inside of the wood was dark red like blood, the Gray Rabbits said it was good wood.

Scrape

He filled the brick mold and scraped off the overflowing mud with his hand to make it flat.

And when he removed the brick mold,

Slide.

The mud maintained its shape as it was, and a neat, square mud brick was made. Now, he only needed to dry this mud brick until it hardened. The mud brick was made so easily.

“Shall we make about 100,000 bricks for now?”

Se-jun said a number that one would have to work for dozens of days straight to make, as if it were nothing. It was natural. Because he was not the one who would make them.

Since surplus laborers who were clumping mud and putting it in their mouths overflowed nearby, there was no need for him to do it himself.

Se-jun made a new deal to be supplied with mud bricks from the Bull Demon King in exchange for green onion leaves. Since the large brick molds to be used by the Black Minotaurs had been made in advance, he decided to send them with the Black Minotaurs returning after finishing work today.

“What shall I make first?”

Se-jun returned to the cave while pleasantly imagining what he would build with bricks, as if playing Minecraft.

And when he ate grilled fish and stir-fried squid for lunch and was about to start afternoon work,

“Ah!”

Se-jun recalled that he had not planted the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes.

“I should plant them quickly and harvest cherry tomatoes.”

Se-jun went to the storage to pack the harvested Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes.

“Huh?! Where did they all go?”

There was not even a single Solar Honey Sweet Potato stored in the storage.

***

The rooftop of the Korean Awakened Association building built right next to the Black Tower. Two robust men were looking down at the Gangnam city center.

“Phew. The forces that contacted Park Se-jun’s family?”

Han Tae-jun, the president of the association, asked Cha Si-hyeok, his first disciple, while puffing out cigarette smoke.

“A total of 23 countries, including the United States, Japan, and China, are monitoring Park Se-jun’s family. Among them, I have quietly taken care of the people from the three countries that attempted kidnapping.”

“Good job. Is it Dong-sik’s turn to guard now?”

“Yes.”

“Tell Dong-sik to stop by my office when he changes shifts.”

Han Tae-jun intended to send Kim Dong-sik on an errand to get the Magical Cherry Tomatoes.

Eating the Magical Cherry Tomatoes given by Kim Dong-sik increased mana, making it a bit easier to overcome the Curse of Flame, which made external activities much easier.

And, above all, it was delicious.

“Yes.”

When they had been talking for about ten minutes like that,

Sizzle

a burning sound came from Han Tae-jun’s fingers, and blisters formed on his hand, starting to create wounds like burns.

“Ugh! Damn it. This curse…”

“Master, are you alright?!”

“Why make such a fuss over this much? Let’s head inside.”

“Yes.”

Cha Si-hyeok looked at his master Han Tae-jun, who was heading down from the rooftop, with pity. Even though he could formerly active outside for about an hour, now he struggled even with twenty minutes.

“There will surely be a way!”

Cha Si-hyeok resolved that he would definitely find a way to break his master’s curse.

***

“Why is this here, meow?”

Theo, who was checking his bundle while sitting on Elka’s back, wore a troubled expression upon seeing the Solar Honey Sweet Potato glowing inside the bundle. Se-jun had definitely said he would plant the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes.

It seemed that it had been packed together when he mindlessly packed the sweet potatoes into his bundle.

“Representative Theo, is there something wrong?”

“It is nothing, meow! There is no problem, meow!”

At Elka’s question, Theo replied hurriedly.

‘I cannot show a gap to my subordinates, meow! I am the perfect Representative Theo, meow!’

While Theo was thinking about how to handle the Solar Honey Sweet Potato, Elka entered the entrance of the merchant passage leading from the 60th floor to the 50th floor.