Chapter 61 – It Tastes Like Chicken

“…Did… did you come, meow?”

“Theo! Did you perhaps forget about us…?”

“N-no, meow! I… I was testing to see if you would find me on purpose, meow!”

Theo had completely forgotten about the hunters, but

‘Puhahat. Not a single trace of panic showed, meow!’

He thought he had hidden it perfectly with his acting skills.

However,

‘He forgot about us.’

‘I told you we should have just hidden where we couldn\’t be seen.’

‘I should have just stayed still.’

The hunters, who had come because they were afraid of the aftermath, were regretting it as they watched Theo\’s poor, pathetic acting.

“So, did you earn the money, meow? Hand it over, meow!”

Having a guilty conscience, Theo hurriedly changed the subject.

“Yes. Here is 715 Tower Coins.”

The hunters wore proud expressions as they handed over all the money they had worked hard to earn to Theo. It had been a really long time since they had hunted so diligently.

However, it was too much of a pittance to satisfy Theo, who had just made a huge amount of sales.

“What, meow? 715 Tower Coins? Did you just play around without working, meow?!”

“What?! What do you mean?! We really hunted hard!”

“That’s right! We really worked hard!”

Grrr.

As the wronged hunters raised their voices at Theo, the wolves bared their teeth and growled.

“Ugh!”

The hunters shut their mouths at the wolves’ bloodlust.

“Are you incompetent then, meow? You are incompetent humans worse than even Cuengi, meow!”

Theo scolded the hunters.

‘Who is Cuengi?’

Cuengi scored a mysterious victory against the hunters.

“It won’t be fun if it’s like this next time, meow!”

As Theo put on his scariest expression and gave a signal to the wolves with his front paws clasped behind his back,

Grrr.

The wolves released their bloodlust strongly once again.

“Hieek! Understood! We will earn more!!”

After grilling the hunters like that, Theo set off again toward the 99th floor of the tower.

***

Moo!

As the attack of the Branch Scouts was almost cleared up, the Bull Demon King hurriedly returned to the waypoint.

About two hours after the Bull Demon King left, they were able to completely eliminate the Branch Scouts.

“But why did they come here?”

Although he wondered about the sudden attack of the Ents, nobody knew the answer to this.

[The Tower Administrator says that Corrupted Ents want to corrupt any uncorrupted trees if there are any nearby.]

He could only guess based on the knowledge Aileen possessed about Corrupted Ents.

“Trees?”

The only trees around were cherry tomato plants or corn plants.

However, the Branch Scouts had absolutely no interest in that direction. They only focused on the cave.

“What is it?”

While Se-jun was thinking about the reason why the Corrupted Ent attacked this place,

Grumble.

His body, which had used up excessive energy during the dawn, requested a fuel refill.

“Guys, let’s eat!”

Se-jun treated the Mother Crimson Giant Bear and the Minotaurs, who had helped him, to food as a token of gratitude.

First, he gave finely chopped carrots to the wife rabbit, who had gone through a hard time giving birth, and to the Mother Crimson Giant Bear, he gave 200 squids and a sack made of green onion leaves filled with sweet potatoes.

And he allowed the Black Minotaurs to eat green onion leaves to their hearts’ content. In addition, he cut the stems of harvested carrots and gave them together. To the Bull Demon King, who had returned to the waypoint first due to the time limit, he also sent three piles of green onion leaves and a sack of cherry tomato branches.

Having prepared their meals like that, Se-jun and the rabbits prepared what they would eat.

However,

“I’m too tired. Shall we just eat something simple?”

Ppyah!

Ppyak!

The rabbits strongly agreed with Se-jun’s words. They were too exhausted after preparing everyone else’s food.

Crunch.

The rabbits took carrots out of the storage, held them in their arms one by one, and ate them,

Chew chew.

While Se-jun ate dried roasted sweet potato strips.

While they were eating like that,

Chomp chomp.

One bite of 200 squids, one bite of the sweet potato sack. The Mother Crimson Giant Bear, who had finished that huge amount in just two bites, began to eat the bodies of the dead Branch Scouts, as if her stomach was not full.

“Cuengi, does your mom normally eat wood like that?”

Se-jun, who saw the Mother Crimson Giant Bear eating wood for the first time, asked as he stroked the head of Cuengi, who was diligently licking honey.

Cueng! Cueng!

[Mom is always hungry! That’s why she eats trees while patrolling!]

Se-jun had thought that the Mother Crimson Giant Bear was eating monster meat while patrolling. He had not thought she was eating tree monsters.

At that moment,

“Master Se-jun, we have returned!”

Six wolves arrived, dragging three carts loaded with Red Locust carcasses.

“Leave one cart over there, and two in front of the brick house.”

“Yes!”

Receiving Se-jun’s instruction, the wolves left one in front of the Mother Crimson Giant Bear and the other two in front of the brick house.

“Eat this.”

Se-jun said, pointing at the Red Locusts for the Mother Crimson Giant Bear.

Kkueong!

At Se-jun’s words, the Mother Crimson Giant Bear joyfully began to eat the Red Locusts. For carnivorous monsters like wolves and Cuengi, Red Locust meat was very popular.

Se-jun and the rabbits had also tasted it out of curiosity before, but it was too tough for them. It felt like their teeth would break first.

[You have consumed Red Locust meat.]

[A trace of poison remains in the Red Locust meat.]

[You are poisoned by E-grade neurotoxin.]

[You have detoxified it.]

Furthermore, there was poison. If they had just eaten it without eating the Detoxifying Green Onion like the other animals who ate it and were fine, they might have died.

So Se-jun was developing a Red Locust dish that he could eat as well. In addition, he also had the intention of achieving an accomplishment to raise the level of his cooking skill.

The dish he had made a few days ago like that was Red Locust Baeksuk. Add water and Red Locust meat to a large pot, season with salt and pepper, and cover it with the lid.

Although it was a very simple dish that was finished by placing bricks on the lid and boiling it under high pressure for several hours, he achieved the accomplishment of being the first to create a Red Locust Baeksuk dish in the tower, and his cooking skill rose to level 3.

And the result of the cooking was a half success.

Ppyak!

[The texture is soft!]

The Red Locust meat became tender, allowing the rabbits to eat it. However, the meat of the Red Locust Baeksuk was still so tough that Se-jun’s teeth could not even dent it.

“Guys, first, cut the Red Locusts very thinly.”

When Se-jun asked the wolves to slice the Red Locusts thinly,

Swoosh. Swoosh.

The wolves began to slice the Red Locusts at 1mm intervals, creating wind blades with their sharp claws. Since Se-jun had given them the failed dishes, the wolves actively helped.

Because the Red Locust meat was too tough, Se-jun planned to chop the Red Locust meat finely to make soup. This time, he also chopped and added the Detoxifying Green Onion and Potatoes of Strength.

Like that, he filled three large pots with ingredients and covered the lids. Then, he placed several bricks on them so that the lids wouldn’t move, and began to boil.

“Now, let’s work!”

Since he intended to boil the Red Locust meat thoroughly for several hours, Se-jun took the rabbits and wolves and began farming.

He had the Black Minotaurs pile the wooden bodies of the dead Branch Scouts on the west side. This was to use them as materials to create a fire wall in case the Corrupted Ent’s Branch Scouts invaded again in the future.

While everyone was doing their own work like that, the Red Locust meat was thoroughly boiled.

***

The 52nd floor of the tower.

“Muhaha. Die, pig!”

Han Tae-jun, who possessed robust muscles, was fighting a revenge match with the boss of the tower’s 52nd floor, the Burning Wild Boar, while wearing only pants.

Kqueeek!

Thud!

Whoosh.

As the Burning Wild Boar stomped its front hooves, red flames spread around.

“No chance!”

In the past, he had been hit by those flames and suffered the flame curse, but now, his flame resistance had risen after eating the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes.

“Here I go!”

Han Tae-jun ran directly toward the flames. Then, flexing the muscles of his entire body, he prepared to attack.

And,

“Magic Missile!”

Along with Han Tae-jun’s shout, 100 Magic Missiles flew toward the Burning Wild Boar. His profession was a wizard.

Thud thud thud thud!

Kqueeeeeek!

The squealing sound of the Burning Wild Boar, which had been hit by 100 Magic Missiles, was heard.

“One more time! Magic Missile!”

Although it was unknown why he wiggled his muscles while using magic, Han Tae-jun fired Magic Missiles at the Burning Wild Boar once again.

[You have defeated the boss of the 52nd floor of the tower, the Burning Wild Boar.]

[The Burning Wild Boar’s flame curse is lifted.]

…

..

.

After defeating the boss of the tower’s 52nd floor with Magic Missiles and lifting the flame curse like that, Han Tae-jun went down to the 50th floor. It was to hand over the remaining Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes to his first disciple, Cha Si-hyeok, who was struggling on the 50th floor because of flame monsters.

When he arrived at the 50th floor of the tower like that,

“Meow?!”

Theo, who had just arrived at the 50th floor through the merchant passage, discovered Han Tae-jun. To be precise, he spotted the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes in Han Tae-jun’s hands.

“Old human! Where did you get the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes, meow? Did you perhaps kill Dong-sik and take them, meow?!”

Theo approached Han Tae-jun and asked. If that was the case, he intended to avenge Kim Dong-sik.

“No.”

“Then where did you get them, meow?!”

“I received them from Dong-sik. By the way, thanks to you selling me the Solar Honey Sweet Potatoes, I escaped from the flame curse. I owe you one. Thank you.”

“Then pay back the favor, meow.”

“Sure, how?”

“First, stamp your print, meow.”

Theo held out a blank contract.

However,

“That won’t do.”

The opponent was the president of the Korean Awakened Association. He was not an easy opponent.

***

As lunchtime approached,

Sniff sniff.

The rabbits caught a delicious scent and took their spots near Se-jun’s brick house.

Wag wag.

The wolves also waited in front of Se-jun’s brick house, wagging their tails.

Smack smack.

The Mother Crimson Giant Bear, who had returned early from her patrol, also smelled the delicious scent and smacked her lips.

“Let’s see if it’s well-cooked.”

When Se-jun removed the bricks and opened the pot lid,

[You have achieved the accomplishment of being the first in the tower to make Combat Rations – Red Locust Soup.]

[The recipe for Combat Rations – Red Locust Soup is registered to Cooking Lv. 3.]

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 3 increases significantly.]

Perhaps because no entity had ever cooked with Red Locusts before, it was a first this time as well.

“Combat Rations?”

Just as Se-jun was about to examine the dish,

Kuwong!

Grrr!

Kkueeeng!

Ppyak!

The animals, excited by the delicious smell, were drooling and looking at Se-jun with passionate eyes. It seemed he had to calm the excited animals down first.

“Guys, I’ll give it to you, so calm down.”

Se-jun decided to check the dish later and distributed the Red Locust Soup to the animals first. He gave a whole large pot to the Mother Crimson Giant Bear.

While the animals were focusing on eating the food like that, Se-jun looked at the dish in the remaining large pot.

[Combat Rations – Red Locust Soup]

By adding thinly sliced Red Locust meat, Detoxifying Green Onion, and Potatoes of Strength and boiling them together for a long time, all the ingredients were harmoniously blended, increasing all effects.

The Detoxifying Green Onion detoxified the poison in the Red Locust meat, making the Red Locust meat tenderer.

Due to the effect of the Detoxifying Green Onion, the dish does not spoil easily.

The taste slightly improves.

Upon consumption, strength increases by 5.1 for 30 minutes. (Due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 2, strength increases by 0.1)

Due to the combat ration effect, satiety was maintained for 3 hours.

Chef: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun

Expiration Date: 30 days

Grade: C+

“It became tenderer?”

Se-jun scooped a spoonful of Red Locust Soup and put it in his mouth.

Chew chew.

The finely chopped meat was chewed softly even by Se-jun’s teeth.

At that moment,

‘This is?!’

Se-jun was moved by the familiar taste and texture he felt from the Red Locust meat.

‘It’s chicken!’

Slurp.

Se-jun finished a bowl of Red Locust Soup in a frenzy.

[You have consumed a full serving of Combat Rations – Red Locust Soup.]

Strength increases by 5.1 for 30 minutes.]

[Satiety is maintained for 3 hours.]

Depending on the consuming entity, there was a specific amount that triggered the options of the Red Locust Soup.

However,

Slurp.

As if he had no interest in such things, Se-jun filled his bowl with Red Locust Soup again and began to eat. It was chicken he was tasting for the first time in almost eight months since being stranded.

The 235th day of being stranded. Se-jun found meat that tasted like chicken.