Chapter 65 – Reconciling

The 55th floor of the tower.

Where the royal palace of Red Ribbon, the former kingdom of rabbits, used to be, a giant mansion was built instead of the royal palace.

And inside the room where the owner of the mansion stayed.

A giant wild boar sat in a room decorated with all kinds of expensive items.

“Have you still not found my straw hat?”

“Yes. I am sorry. There is still no word from the Silver Wolf tribe to whom we entrusted the request.”

At the words of Large Landlord Grid, the wild boar subordinate replied.

“Forget it. You can find that slowly.”

Since a strong sealing magic was cast on Earth Saint Patrick’s straw hat, standard appraisal magic would not be able to identify the true nature of the straw hat.

“There is something more important than that right now. You are hoarding food well, right?”

“Yes. After receiving Lord Grid’s instruction, not a single piece of food has gone out.”

“Khehehe. Finally, the opportunity has come again after 100 years.”

The Red Locusts appeared in the tower again after 100 years. Grid thought this event was an opportunity to leap forward once again, just like he had obtained the 55th floor of the tower 100 years ago.

Therefore, he was intentionally blocking the supply of food to raise food prices, waiting for chaos to break out in the tower.

***

The apple seed extended its roots deeper and deeper to survive the hot heat. This was because it felt a cold energy below. Like that, following the cold energy, it extended its roots to the floor of the 99th floor of the tower where groundwater flowed.

The apple tree, which became able to withstand the heat by sucking up sufficient water, only waited for the day it would receive sunlight and sprout.

Then one day.

[…?!]

Consciousness arose in the apple tree, which began to absorb the heat.

And,

[Master! Flamie is here!]

Flamie, the apple tree of flame who absorbed fire and awakened the flame attribute, called Se-jun diligently who had planted it. However, Se-jun could not hear Flamie’s shouts.

[Flamie does not give up!!!]

Thinking of the day it would see the light, Flamie continued to grow its roots without giving up, and before long, the roots of the apple tree grew so huge that the Corrupted Ents would covet them.

Currently, the flame apple tree’s roots were refraining from growing to avoid causing damage to Se-jun’s crops. The sprout Se-jun saw was only an extremely tiny tip of the iceberg of the flame apple tree.

***

The seed of the Andong washed apple that Se-jun received from a company colleague and ate on the second day of being stranded. Since planting the apple seed in the ground, he had completely forgotten about it due to the green onion leaves and other crops growing hugely.

[Wow! It’s light!]

Seeing the apple tree sprout moved by seeing the light, Se-jun felt extremely sorry. On top of that, he had even committed the atrocity of lighting a fire on top of the seed.

‘What in the world did I do to this cute sprout?’

“Is there anything you need?”

Wanting to do anything for it, Se-jun asked the sprout.

[Nothing! What Flamie needed the most was Master and light, but now I have all of them!]

“Aww. You…”

The sprout even spoke beautifully, moving Se-jun.

“By the way, is your name Flamie?”

[Yes! My name is Fla!mie! I am so happy that Master called my name!!!]

“Flamie?”

It was a name that did not match an apple tree at all.

At that moment,

Whoosh.

A flame the size of a pea arose in the split part of Flamie’s sprout, whose mood became good.

“Oh?! Flamie, can you handle fire too?”

[Of course! Since I am the apple tree of flame!]

As Flamie spoke proudly, it created several more flames and moved them as if playing with them.

“Amazing.”

[Hehe. If there is anything you want me to do, please tell me!]

Whoosh.

Excited by Se-jun’s praise, Flamie’s flame grew to the size of a fist for a short moment, then shrank.

“Then light a fire here.”

Se-jun gathered green onion leaves and tree branches for his rabbit wife and said to Flamie.

[Yes! Yah!]

Along with Flamie’s lively battle cry, a pea-sized flame fell onto the firewood.

Whoosh.

The small flame quickly burned the tree branches and green onion leaves, creating a large fire.

“Well done.”

[Hehe.]

Se-jun spent time asking Flamie various questions and praising Flamie.

When about an hour had passed like that,

Crack.

Flamie grew by about 5cm.

[Master! I grew!]

Upon starting to receive sunlight, Flamie finally began to grow upward.

“Yes. Our Flamie is admirable.”

[Hehe. Thank you! Flamie will grow quickly and help Master!]

“Right.”

Although he didn’t know what it meant by helping, he didn’t want to throw cold water on Flamie’s lively voice for no reason.

Se-jun stayed by the side of the apple tree sprout and conversed with it until eating lunch.

And,

“A new friend has been created on our farm. The name is Flamie.”

While eating lunch, he introduced the apple tree sprout to the animals. Particularly, he warned Cuengi never to eat it.

The 238th day of being stranded. An apple tree was added to Se-jun’s farm. Rather, it was discovered.

Dawn of the next day.

Crunch. Crunch.

Once again, Branch Scouts invaded Se-jun’s farm.

“How dare you aim for our Flamie!”

Se-jun was furious upon learning why the Corrupted Ent attacked this place. What were they trying to do to this tiny(?) kid?!

“Guys, drink!”

At Se-jun’s shout, the Crimson Giant Bear mother and son and the black rabbit quickly drank Seph’s Soup.

Gulp. Gulp.

Se-jun also finished Seph’s Soup contained in his bowl in one shot. Since he had poured it in advance and cooled it down, it was not hot.

[You have consumed a full serving of Combat Rations – Seph’s Soup.]

Strength increases by 7.1 for 30 minutes.]

[Satiety was maintained for 3 hours.]

Se-jun and the animals whose combat power rose after drinking Seph’s Soup like that.

“Attack!”

Kuwerng!

Kkueeng!

Ppyak!

The animals ran out and crushed the Branch Scouts, and Se-jun also attacked the Branch Scouts with torches and his dagger.

With his strength increased by 7.1 through Seph’s Soup, Se-jun’s attack power was now sufficient to deal damage to the large Branch Scouts with limbs.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

Of course, because the weapon’s length was short and the damage was low, he had to attack multiple times…

After defeating the Branch Scouts like that, Se-jun went back to sleep.

At that moment,

Thump!

Something climbed on top of Se-jun’s belly.

“What is it?”

“I have returned, meow!”

Theo answered proudly.

“Did you just arrive?”

“Yes, meow! I earned a lot of money this time too, meow!”

“Okay. Let’s talk tomorrow morning first.”

“Understood, meow!”

When Se-jun closed his eyes, Theo checked if Se-jun’s knees were fine, then climbed on top of Se-jun’s belly and closed his eyes.

Zzzzz.

Purrrr.

Feeling a sense of stability on Se-jun’s belly, which moved up and down every time he breathed, Theo slept peacefully.

***

“Upsy-daisy.”

Se-jun woke up around midway between morning and lunch.

“Huh?! Where did he go?”

Theo was not in the bedroom, as if he had already woken up.

“Let’s wash first.”

When Se-jun went down to the cave,

“Flamie, if you need anything in the future, tell me, meow. Representative Theo will solve it, meow.”

Theo was talking to the newly arrived newcomer, Flamie.

However,

“Meow! I hate fire, meow! Don’t come close, meow! Anyway, serve me well, meow!”

As if the conversation did not go well, Theo shouted while running out of the cave to escape Flamie’s flame.

“Hahaha.”

Thanks to Theo who gave a big laugh from the morning, Se-jun laughed loudly.

And after doing his morning routine of marking the date and washing his face, he approached Flamie and greeted it. Before he knew it, Flamie had grown up to Se-jun’s knees.

“Good morning.”

[Good morning to you too, Master!]

Flamie answered in a lively voice.

“But why did you fight with Theo?”

[Master… I’m sorry. But Theo keeps trying to give me grilled fish, which I can’t even eat…]

At Se-jun’s question, Flamie answered cautiously, thinking it was being scolded.

“…I am sorry.”

To think he has followed Se-jun for so long, yet he offered grilled fish to a tree…

Se-jun went up to the surface while pondering what to do with this cat who was ignorant of farming.

At that moment,

“Chairman Park!”

Theo, who was waiting for Se-jun to come up, called Se-jun and ran.

And,

Splat.

Clinging to Se-jun’s knees, he began to blabber about his sorrow.

“Scold Flamie harshly, meow! It bullied me, meow!”

Grab.

Se-jun picked up Theo, who was clinging to his knees, by the scruff of his neck and made eye contact.

“Why are you doing that, meow?”

“I heard you gave grilled fish to Flamie?”

“Yes, meow. To get along with Flamie, I gave it my favorite grilled fish, meow!”

Theo, who tried to do well in his own way, answered with a face saying ‘I don’t know anything.’

“How can a tree eat grilled fish?”

“Oh?! Is that so, meow?! Chairman Park knows even such things and is amazing, meow!”

At Se-jun’s words, Theo, who learned another thing, wagged his tail and looked at Se-jun with respectful eyes.

“Sigh. Let’s go and apologize.”

Se-jun, whose heart softened at Theo’s gaze, stopped the nagging he was about to do and went down to the cave to reconcile Flamie and Theo.

“I am sorry, meow. I won’t give you grilled fish in the future, meow.”

After reconciling the two like that, Se-jun was reported the results of this trade by Theo.

“Puhahat. Don’t be surprised, meow. I earned a huge amount of money from this trade, meow!”

Theo wore a proud expression as he began to take out the money inside his bundle on top of Se-jun’s lap.

Clink.

Clink.

Because there was too much money, he had to take it out of the bundle multiple times.

“It was a total of 224,600 Tower Coins, meow!”

“220,000?!”

Se-jun was surprised. he knew that the Detoxifying Green Onion sold expensively, but this was a truly massive amount of money. Surely there was another effect that he didn’t know about.

“Representative Theo, good job. Here is your incentive. Don’t spend it recklessly and save it well.”

Se-jun handed Theo 20,000 Tower Coins, which was close to 10%.

“Understood, meow! And here are the things I bought on errands, coffee, and seasonings, meow.”

Theo poured out items from his bundle.

At that moment,

“Huh? What are these contracts?”

Se-jun asked, looking at the two contracts that came out of the bundle.

“Ah! That is…”

Theo spoke about the contract he made with Han Tae-jun and the five hunters who paid back 10,000 Tower Coins for their life value as a price for attacking him.

“Han Tae-jun?!”

Se-jun was surprised to hear Han Tae-jun’s name. Korea’s strongest hunter. He was someone whose name could not be unknown to anyone in Korea who had an interest in Awakened.

“Representative Theo! You are amazing! To think you obtained a contract that allows you to make five requests to hunter Han Tae-jun! Good! I’m in a good mood! From now on, President Theo for a month!”

“Puhahat. Really, meow?! Chairman Park, I want to eat Churu, meow!”

At Se-jun’s praise, Theo, whose confidence overflowed, spoke confidently.

“Sure. If our President Theo wants to eat Churu, I must give it.”

Se-jun tore open a Churu and held it out to Theo.

Chomp chomp chomp.

Theo began to talk while diligently licking the Churu.

“And there are guys who need to be punished, meow!”

Theo explained about the Oren gang he met in the shop area.

“What?! They dared to torment our President Theo?!”

“Yes, meow!!! Chairman Park, step forward and show those guys hell, meow!”

In Theo’s mind, there was no wicked entity around that could avenge him better than Se-jun.

“Alright! You said those guys were looking for the Bull Demon King on the 99th floor of the tower? Leave it to me.”

At Theo’s words, a good idea occurred to Se-jun.

‘You’re saying nine shuttles carrying bundles are coming up, right?’

Oren and his gang ended up becoming the targets of the wicked entity.

***

Somewhere along the merchant passage leading from the 90th floor of the tower to the 99th floor.

“Why is it suddenly so cold?”

“Isn’t it because we are hungry?”

Aiming for a fortune and climbing toward the 99th floor of the tower, Oren and the cats shivered at the sudden chilliness they felt.