Chapter 77 – Returning

“Theo!”

Se-jun instinctively ran forward to protect Theo from the collapsing pile of junk.

However,

“…Meow?!”

“…Huh?!”

Theo’s and Se-jun’s gazes crossed each other.

Passing by the running Se-jun, Theo was quickly escaping the collapsing pile of junk. Come to think of it, Theo’s speed was incredibly fast.

‘Who was worrying about whom!’

The weakest on the 99th floor of the tower, Se-jun. Se-jun smiled sadly as he looked at Theo.

“President Park!!!”

Theo hurriedly stopped and called Se-jun, but

Rumble.

the pile of junk began to cover Se-jun.

At that moment,

“Lord Se-jun!”

“Lord Se-jun!”

Elka and Hegel jumped into the pile of junk and protected Se-jun with their giant bodies.

Thud.

At the same time, a giant gray rock of 3 meters in size, which nobody knew why it was in the pile of junk, hit the wolves’ bodies and fell to the ground. It seemed Cuengi had brought and placed it there.

If it were not for the wolves, Se-jun would have suffered a lot, crushed by the rock.

“Phew. Elka, Hegel, thank you.”

Se-jun expressed his gratitude to the two giant wolves.

“Not at all. It is an honor to protect the Great Black Dragon!”

“Meoo too!”

The wolves wagged their tails and rejoiced at Se-jun’s praise.

“President Park! Were you trying to save me just now, meow?”

Theo, moved by Se-jun trying to save him, ran over and examined Se-jun’s body here and there.

“Are you okay, meow?! Are you hurt anywhere, meow?!”

He checked the knees particularly closely.

“I’m fine. But what were you trying to pull out?”

“It is this, meow!”

Theo shouted, pointing to the giant rock.

“This rock?!”

“That’s right, meow! I felt a massive pull here that I’ve never felt before in my life, meow!!”

“Really?!”

Se-jun, who knew Theo’s golden front paws better than anyone, quickly got up and examined the rock. Outwardly, it was just an ordinary rock. It did not look special at all.

[Fragment of ???]

???

“Oh!”

It was different from the items so far. Even the name was a question mark.

“Iona, please use appraisal magic.”

“Yes.”

“Do it quickly, meow! With this, it is my victory, meow!”

“Kyut-kyut-kyut. You want to beat me with a rock like that?”

Iona sneered at Theo and cast appraisal magic on the rock.

However,

[Fragment of ???]

???

“Huh?!”

Even with Iona’s appraisal magic, no information about the item appeared.

“Kyut-!”

Furious that her magic did not work, Iona angrily pulled out the Staff of Calamity carried on her back.

And

“Eye of Truth!”

She cast the highest-grade magic of the appraisal branch.

Flash.

A bright light emerging from Iona’s staff seeped into the gray rock.

[Fragment of ???]

It is the ninth fragment of ???.

Divine power flows out.

Grade: ???

This time, it was small, but there was a change.

“Lord Se-jun, I am sorry I couldn’t be of much help. This is the limit of my ability.”

Iona said with a crying face.

“It’s fine.”

“Still, since divine power is flowing out, it doesn’t seem to be a cursed item.”

The fact that the appraisal could not be completed even with Iona’s ability meant that the grade of this item was incredibly high. Se-jun decided to be satisfied with confirming that there was no curse for now.

‘I should ask Aileen to appraise it later.’

Se-jun decided to take the rock to the 99th floor of the tower and check it later. Aileen, who lacked magic power, could not view through the crystal ball or send messages to floors other than the 99th floor of the tower.

“Kyut… Representative Theo, I lost.”

Iona looked at Theo and admitted her defeat. The fact that the item’s information did not properly appear even after using the Eye of Truth was proof that this rock was at least a legendary-grade item.

“Puhut. Iona, don’t be too sad, meow! It is only natural that you cannot beat me, meow! Now, stamp your print, meow!”

Theo smirked and naturally pulled out a contract.

“What? A stamp?”

“That’s right, meow! Naturally, the loser must grant the winner’s request, meow!”

‘Theo, nice!’

Se-jun quietly raised his thumb from behind, cheering Theo on.

A moment later,

“President Park, take this contract, meow!”

Theo handed a contract stamped with a cute hamster paw print to Se-jun and proudly climbed onto Se-jun’s lap, lying down to show his belly.

“…What are you doing, meow? Stroke me, meow!”

When Se-jun stayed still, Theo put Se-jun’s hand on his belly and said,

“Sure.”

Since he had merit, he decided to give a reward.

Stroke, stroke.

“Meow, meow, meow. I am happy, meow…”

As Theo was about to fall asleep while being stroked by Se-jun like that,

Pyak!

Kkueng!

the Black Rabbit and Cuengi came up carrying new treasures.

“Theo, is there nothing else pulling you?”

Se-jun asked, secretly anticipating.

“Meow…”

Theo, while lying down and keeping his eyes closed, stretched out his front paw and activated the detector.

However,

“There is nothing pulling, meow. They are all useless things, meow.”

Theo said, waving his front paw.

Clatter.

Pyak…

Kkueng…

Our treasures are useless?! The Black Rabbit and Cuengi were shocked by Theo’s words.

Kkueng!

“Meow?!”

Cuengi grabbed Theo by the collar and took him in front of their treasures.

And

Pyak!

Kkueng!

This is useless? Listen carefully! The Black Rabbit and Cuengi sat Theo down between them and began to explain in detail about their treasures.

***

“Ugh… so hot.”

Se-jun, who had fallen asleep while watching Theo being harassed by the Black Rabbit and Cuengi, had to wake up from his sleep due to the sweltering heat.

Before he knew it, Cuengi had climbed onto Se-jun’s back, and Theo and the Black Rabbit were on his lap, sleeping.

Purr.

Pyarorong.

Kkurorong. Kyurorong.

“Huh?”

At first, he thought he had misheard Cuengi’s snoring.

But

Purr.

Pyarorong.

Kkurorong.

Kyurorong.

There were four snoring sounds. When Se-jun looked at where the sound came from, Iona was sleeping there, covering herself with Theo’s tail like a blanket. Se-jun’s lap had now enchanted even the president of the Mage Association.

As expected, Se-jun’s lap was very popular among animals.

‘Should I sleep again?’

Because it was also awkward to wake the soundly sleeping animals, just as Se-jun closed his eyes and was about to sleep again,

“Excuse me…”

someone called Se-jun.

“Huh? When did you guys come?”

They were the interns who had visited their homes with Theo’s permission.

“There is nothing to do right now, so take some rest.”

“Yes. But there is something we want to tell you…”

Intern Bill spoke with difficulty.

“What is it?”

“Wait a moment. Everyone, come out!”

When Intern Bill shouted,

Patter, patter.

30 cats who had been waiting in the distance ran over.

“Hello! If you just give us grilled fish, we will work hard!”

“Grilled fish?”

The cats of Granier Village, who were suffering from food shortages, followed the interns to find Se-jun in order to earn grilled fish.

At that moment,

[You have found the remaining cause of the extinction of the Blue Carp in Lake Zenka on the 75th floor of the tower.]

[A second Middle Manager Quest has occurred.]

[Second Middle Manager Quest: Prevent the cats of Granier Village from hunting the Blue Carp for one year.]

Reward: 15,000 experience points, 1,500 tower coins

Upon Failure: You cannot return to your original place until you complete the quest.

A new quest appeared.

“Representative Theo, wake up.”

Se-jun woke up the sleeping Theo.

“What is it, meow?”

“Get some stamps on the contract.”

In exchange for giving three grilled fish a day as daily wages, Se-jun hired the cats as guardians to prevent hunting the Blue Carp in Lake Zenka for one year.

And

[You have completed the second Middle Manager Quest.]

[As a reward for completing the second Middle Manager Quest, you have acquired 15,000 experience points.]

[As a reward for completing the second Middle Manager Quest, you have acquired 1,500 tower coins.]

He completed the second quest.

***

Day 249 of being stranded. Three days passed since they started hunting the Frogs.

Frogs 2243/2291

“Where is everyone hiding?”

Se-jun said, checking the number of remaining Frogs.

Only 48 Frogs remained now. But they could not be found, wherever they were hiding. They had launched a massive search yesterday to find the remaining 48 Frogs, but there were no results.

Still, there was another harvest. While searching for treasures, the Black Rabbit and Cuengi had found the sanctuary of the Blue Carp hiding from the Frogs. In the sanctuary, 10 Blue Carp remained.

To prevent the extinction of the Blue Carp for now, Se-jun had the cats hired as guardians take turns guarding the surroundings of the Blue Carp’s sanctuary.

While continuing the search for the Frogs like that, Cuengi picked up a flat rock about 10 meters in size from the bottom of the lake.

Se-jun had already instructed Cuengi to bring up any suspicious rocks if he saw them, thinking there might be other fragments at the bottom of the lake.

Crack.

Like that, when Cuengi lifted the flat rock,

(Kkueng?)

Croak. Croak.

Cuengi’s eyes met with the Frogs crouching under the rock. The Frogs had been hiding under the rock, which was why they couldn’t find them until now.

Boom!

(Kku-e-eng!)

Cuengi set down the rock and called the surrounding wolves.

***

“Line up, meow!”

When it was mealtime, Theo lined up the guardians of Lake Zenka and distributed three grilled fish to each.

Hearing that the food situation in Granier Village was not good, Se-jun decided to increase the daily wage to three times for the time being, giving nine grilled fish a day, considering the cats’ families.

In any case, the pond on the 99th floor of the tower was overflowing with piranhas. Instead, because the grilled fish Theo brought was not enough, the interns went to the 99th floor of the tower with the wolves to get the piranhas.

While Se-jun was sitting on the Fragment of ??? and looking around,

“Found them!”

Splash!

The wolves moved busily and jumped into Lake Zenka.

A moment later,

Splash.

The wolves came out of the lake carrying the Frogs one by one in their mouths and stood before Se-jun.

And

“We found all 48 Frogs.”

Hegel reported to Se-jun on behalf of the wolves.

“Good job. Everyone, gather.”

Se-jun called all the animals.

And once all the animals gathered, Se-jun killed the Frogs.

[You have completed the Middle Manager Quest.]

[As a reward for completing the Middle Manager Quest, you have acquired 15,000 experience points.]

[As a reward for completing the Middle Manager Quest, you have acquired 1,500 tower coins.]

[You have completed your duty as a Middle Manager.]

[Returning to the 99th floor of the tower in 30 seconds.]

“Cuengi, lift the rock.”

Kkueng!

At Se-jun’s instruction, Cuengi lifted the rock item effortlessly.

“Everyone, good job.”

Se-jun, who would return soon, quickly exchanged farewells with the animals.

“Theo, take the interns and go to the 38th floor of the tower safely, and Hegel, come find me on the 99th floor of the tower.”

“I understand, meow! I will finish quickly and go, meow!”

“I will also hurry and follow you!”

“Kyut-kyut-kyut. I will also visit you soon.”

When Iona said, looking at Se-jun’s lap,

“Iona, don’t come, meow!”

Theo shouted, keeping alert of the newly appeared competitor.

“Kyut- I don’t want to! It is up to me!”

Flash.

While the two were fighting, Se-jun, the Black Rabbit, and Cuengi disappeared.

***

The Administrator Area of the tower.

“Kraaa! Three days have passed, so why is the praiseworthy human still not coming back?!”

Aileen, who couldn’t know the situation on the 75th floor of the tower, felt very frustrated at not being able to hear news of Se-jun.

“Hmph. Is he hurt somewhere?”

In particular, she was most worried about whether the weak Se-jun had been hurt somewhere.

While Aileen was worrying about Se-jun like that,

[Middle Manager Tower Farmer Park Se-jun has completed his mission.]

[Returning to the 99th floor of the tower.]

“Hehehe! The praiseworthy human has come!”

Aileen, who could now see Se-jun again, rejoiced at Se-jun’s return and examined the 99th floor of the tower through the crystal ball.

“Huh?! No! Another unappraised item! I told him it’s dangerous! As expected, the praiseworthy human cannot do without me! Hehehe.”

Looking at the giant unappraised rock item Cuengi set down, Aileen smiled brightly. It was the moment for her to shine.

“Hehehe. I must show him the appearance of the Great Black Dragon.”

Just as Aileen, who had seized the opportunity to show a cool appearance, was about to talk to Se-jun, the black dragon statue made the first move before Aileen could.