Chapter 8 – It Was a Good Match

Rustle.

The energy of the Blue Moon formed on the sweet potato vine went down along the stem into the ground.

‘There was a sweet potato over there?!’

The sweet potatoes planted this time were all for seedlings. Once the sweet potato shoots grew to a certain extent, he planned to cut and transplant them.

That way, he could multiply the sweet potatoes infinitely. Although it was farming learned from the internet, there had been no failures of his own so far.

‘So I wasn’t even expecting sweet potatoes…’

“Slurp…”

Se-jun drooled without realizing it at the thought of being able to eat sweet potatoes.

“Should I eat it raw? Should I roast it? Is steaming not possible?”

Thinking about how to eat the sweet potato, Se-jun greeted the dawn of his 92nd day of distress with wide-open eyes.

Rustle.

According to his daily routine, he first drew a line on the wall and moved to the sweet potato field.

And,

Scratch, scratch.

Se-jun carefully began to dig around the ground where the energy of the Blue Moon had flowed in.

“Oh-!”

Although he had barely dug up the soil with his hands, the head of a blue sweet potato was already visible.

Rustle, rustle.

Se-jun, calming his accelerating hands, carefully brushed away the soil around the sweet potato as if exploring an archaeological relic with even greater caution.

After a moment, Se-jun carefully lifted the blue sweet potato, about the size of a fist, from the ground.

[You have harvested a Honey Sweet Potato of Strength imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon.]

[Your job experience increases significantly.]

[Your proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 1 increases significantly.]

[The proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 1 was filled, and its level increased.]

[You have obtained 50 experience points.]

The job experience and skill proficiency, which had only risen minutely, went up significantly. In addition, the skill even leveled up.

But to Se-jun right now, such things were not important at all.

Se-jun stared at the sweet potato held in his hand.

[Honey Sweet Potato of Strength Imbued with the Energy of the Blue Moon]

A sweet potato grown inside the tower, which tasted delicious as it had absorbed sufficient nutrients.

With the energy of the Blue Moon added, the taste became even better.

Upon consumption, strength permanently increased by 0.05.

Grower: Tower Farmer Se-jun Park

Expiration date: 30 days

Grade: E

It was a description saying that it was originally delicious but had become even more delicious.

Se-jun went to the cherry tomato field and also harvested a blue cherry tomato imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon.

[You have harvested a Magical Cherry Tomato imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon.]

[Your job experience increases significantly.]

[Your proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 2 increases quite a bit.]

[You have obtained 50 experience points.]

Perhaps because the Harvesting skill had just leveled up, the increase in skill proficiency this time was smaller than before.

“Hehehe.”

Holding the blue sweet potato in his right hand and the blue cherry tomato in his left hand, he felt as if he owned the whole world.

At that moment,

[An additional quest has occurred.]

A message that ruined Se-jun’s mood appeared.

‘I knew it would be like this.’

The threat of a plunderer disguised as a quest, always greedily eyeing Se-jun’s crops, began.

[Quest: Offer the Honey Sweet Potato of Strength imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon to the tower administrator.]

Reward: None

Upon refusal: Death!!!!!

[Quest: Offer the Magical Cherry Tomato imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon to the tower administrator.]

Reward: None

Upon refusal: Death!!!!!

Two quests appeared at the same time.

‘This time it’s a bit strong.’

Seeing the exclamation marks, he could tell how anxious the tower administrator was.

‘What should I do?’

If he refused and the tower administrator’s mood got too ruined, it would be trouble. Then he would really die.

But this time, he did not want to yield. So, he decided to first complete the uncompleted quest to soothe the tower administrator’s mood.

“I offer the remaining magical cherry tomatoes.”

[You have completed the quest.]

Se-jun’s quest to offer 500 magical cherry tomatoes was completed.

[The tower administrator rejoices at the magical cherry tomatoes filling the basket.]

[The tower administrator hastily grumbles, asking what on earth you are doing.]

Though trying to force it to hide its joy, it was completely obvious through the messages. The tower administrator’s personality was simpler than he had thought.

Moreover, the administrator was not in a bad mood right now. Therefore, he decided not to yield today.

“I will give you this next time.”

Se-jun accepted both quests and put them on hold. Last time he was robbed without knowing anything, but he could not let this delicious thing be taken away.

‘Let me eat it too!’

[The tower administrator issues a warning that you must give it next time.]

Se-jun felt angry at the tower administrator’s attitude of demanding it as if collecting a debt, but he decided to bear with it today.

He did not want his joy to be interrupted by such things.

“But what should I do with this?”

The sweet potato was big enough to share and eat with the rabbits, but the cherry tomato was too small.

“Then there is only one way.”

Eating it quickly and destroying the evidence!

He decided to give a lot of magical cherry tomatoes to the rabbits.

Se-jun put the blue cherry tomato into his mouth.

Crunch.

The skin of the cherry tomato, imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon, was chewed plumply like jelly.

And then,

Squirt!

The cherry tomato juice doused Se-jun’s mouth, with the sweet and sour taste bouncing around.

If the magical cherry tomato was a modest local festival, the magical cherry tomato imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon was a glamorous city festival.

Gulp.

[You have consumed a Magical Cherry Tomato imbued with the energy of the Blue Moon.]

[Your magic power permanently increases by 0.05.]

“Mmm…”

Even after swallowing, the lingering sweet and sour taste filling his mouth made him not even notice the message.

Having eaten the blue cherry tomato, Se-jun walked over to the fire.

“It’s a pity there is no aluminum foil, but…”

Se-jun had the all-purpose green onion leaves.

Snap.

Wrapping the sweet potato with green onion leaves, he rolled it.

And then he waited.

“Hum, hum, hum.”

A hum came out naturally in anticipation of eating the roasted sweet potato. Although he could have caught piranhas or harvested cherry tomatoes during the remaining time in between, he did not do so today.

It was the day he welcomed the roasted sweet potato for the first time here. He reverently guarded the campfire to prevent the mishap of the sweet potato burning.

‘As expected, waiting for delicious food is the happiest thing.’

How much time had passed?

Crackle, crackle.

As he was pleasantly listening to the crackling sound of the leaf firewood popping,

Squeak!

Squeee.

Peep!

Pyah!

The rabbit family rushed out of the cave.

Sniff, sniff.

Sniff, sniff.

Coming out of the cave, the rabbits closed their eyes and naturally approached the campfire, drawn by the sweet aroma emitted as the sweet potato roasted.

“Just wait a little bit, and I will let you eat something delicious.”

Pyah!

The baby rabbits cheered at Se-jun’s words. The rabbit couple also crossed their arms behind them and waited happily.

After waiting a little, the burnt smell of the roasted sweet potato began to drift.

Peep!

Pyah!

The baby rabbits began to feel anxious that the sweet potato might be burning.

But Se-jun did not get impatient. From here on, timing was important. If he took it out too hastily, only the outside would be cooked, and if he took it out too late, the outside would be completely burnt.

Se-jun watched carefully and waited for the scent to ripen.

And,

‘Now is the time!’

Se-jun quickly took the green onion leaves wrapping the sweet potato out of the fire.

Slide, slide.

He peeled off the blackened green onion leaves.

Then, the sweet potato with its bottom skin slightly scorched was revealed.

Gulp.

Se-jun carefully poked the sweet potato with a fish bone.

Poke.

Slide.

The fish bone smoothly entered the center of the sweet potato.

‘It’s done! Perfect!’

Se-jun, wearing a broad smile, lifted the roasted sweet potato like chopsticks using the fish bone and moved it onto clean green onion leaves.

Then, he cut the green onion leaves into small pieces, held the end of the roasted sweet potato, and began to peel the skin.

“Ah, hot!”

The roasted sweet potato was so hot that it almost burned his hands as he peeled the skin, but he endured it thinking about the sweet potato he would soon eat.

Peel.

Every time he peeled the skin, precious sweet potato fell away attached to the peel.

‘I should eat this alone later.’

Se-jun gathered the sweet potato skins in one place so that no one would notice.

However,

Peep!

Pyang!

The baby rabbits had already caught the scent, grabbed the sweet potato peels one by one, and were busily licking the sweet potato stuck to the skins.

‘Smart fellows.’

The behavior of the rabbits, who figured it out on their own without being taught, was commendable. As it turned out, they were gifted rabbits who learned ten things when taught just one.

Losing the skins to the baby rabbits in that manner, Se-jun peeled all of the sweet potato’s skin except for the very end.

Steaming.

“Hehehe.”

Looking at the hot steam rising from the roasted sweet potato that revealed its yellow flesh, a smile naturally formed on his face.

Peep!

Pyap!

The baby rabbits, who had eaten until the skins were clean, were clamoring for the sweet potato.

“Alright.”

Se-jun cut and gave a little roasted sweet potato onto each of their leaf plates. Since they shared the sweet potato, there would be no effect of increasing strength.

But,

I don’t care.

Since it was the first crop he harvested, he wanted to eat eat together with his family. As the family was large and the sweet potato was shared, the amount each received was not much.

At that moment,

“No!”

Pyah?

When Se-jun stopped the baby rabbits from trying to eat the roasted sweet potato placed in front of them, the young ones became flustered.

“We should eat together. Bring your parents over.”

Pyah!

At Se-jun’s words, the baby rabbits dashed off and brought the rabbit couple back as if carrying them.

And finally, everyone sat in front of their own leaf plates.

“Now, let’s eat!”

Squeak! Spit!

Squeee! Spit!

Pyap! Spit!

The rabbits put the roasted sweet potato into their mouths and then hastily spat it out. They seemed to think it had cooled down completely since no smoke was coming out.

“Kekeke. You have to blow on it to cool it down. Hooo, hooo.”

Se-jun demonstrated blowing enough wind toward the roasted sweet potato to cool it.

Hoooo.

Hoooo.

Poooo.

The rabbits also followed Se-jun, blowing air to cool the sweet potato.

“Shall we eat now?”

Chomp.

As Se-jun took a large bite of the roasted sweet potato, hot steam carrying the sweet fragrance spread inside his mouth. Sure enough, the inside of the sweet potato was still hot.

But Se-jun possessed a high-level skill.

“Hup, hup.”

Se-jun rolled the sweet potato in his mouth and cooled it with the air inside. Of course, the disadvantage was that he looked a bit cheap doing it.

Giving up on his appearance, Se-jun carefully chewed the cooled sweet potato.

Squish.

The honey sweet potato mashed softly. It felt as if it was already splitting and paving the way before Se-jun’s teeth even touched it. And finally, the long-awaited sweetness exploded. It felt as though the entire world turned yellow.

‘It was delicious.’

Of course, it would have been nice if there had been a collaboration with milk and kimchi, but it was not lacking because of that.

The deceased CEO of the Apple Phone also said.

“Simple is best.”

Rather, because there were no other side elements, he could focus on the pure sweetness of the honey sweet potato. The honey sweet potato competed fairly with sweetness alone, but it did not feel boring or tiring at all.

“It was a good fight.”

Before he knew it, Se-jun had eaten it clean, down to the peel.

‘If anyone looks down on sweet potatoes as a relief crop in the future, I should tell them one thing. That the sweet potato is a good competitor.’

Se-jun stood up from his seat while having idle thoughts.

At that moment,

Rumble.

A sound came from his stomach.

“Why?”

He felt like he had eaten a great deal, but his stomach was clamoring that it was empty.

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, all he had eaten for breakfast was a single cherry tomato and a little bit of roasted sweet potato.

It was only natural that he was hungry.

Peep!

Pyah!

The baby rabbits began to whine from hunger.

Snap, snap.

The rabbit couple quickly broke the green onions and roasted them over the fire, preparing breakfast.

And,

“Just wait a little bit.”

Se-jun also brought cherry tomatoes from the storage, handed them to the babies one by one, and ran to the pond to catch piranhas.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

Thanks to the cherry tomatoes, the baby rabbits quieted down.

Like that, the fourth Blue Moon also passed without any major accidents.