Chapter 85 – Completing the Waterway

The next morning.

“Heave-ho!”

When Se-jun got up from his bed,

Plop.

something white fell from Se-jun’s leg.

“Huh?”

Float, float.

A round ball of fur floated in the air instead of falling to the floor.

“Iona?”

It was Iona, sleeping curled up in a ball, who had fallen from Se-jun’s lap.

Rustle.

When Se-jun carefully lifted Iona and placed her on his blanket,

“Kyu—”

Iona curled her body even rounder with irritation.

“Did she not sleep well?”

Seeing that there was a lot of irritation in her voice, it seemed he should let her sleep more.

As Se-jun left Iona and stepped outside,

Squeak!

Pyaa!

Pyupyu!

the rabbits who woke up first welcomed Se-jun.

“Right. Hello.”

Greeting the rabbits, Se-jun washed his face briefly at the tap area and prepared breakfast in the kitchen.

Breakfast was, as usual, the Chef’s Soup that had been boiling for 24 hours. Today, he added roasted sweet potatoes to it.

“Let’s eat breakfast!”

At Se-jun’s call, the rabbits who were warming up in the front yard of the house lined up to receive breakfast and gathered together to eat.

And,

“Flamie, good morning.”

Se-jun went down to the cave carrying breakfast. It was to talk with Flamie.

[Master! Good morning!]

At Se-jun’s greeting, Flamie greeted him energetically, waving its leaves as always.

“There’s nothing uncomfortable in living here, right?”

[Yes! More than that, my leaf recharge is finished! Please show me the corrupted ent’s seed! I will purify it perfectly this time!]

Flamie said to Se-jun, showing its first leaf that had turned green.

“Oh?! The leaf has recovered?”

Se-jun said, looking at Flamie’s leaves. Excluding the second leaf used recently, the first and third leaves had returned to green.

[Yes! Please take out the corrupted ent’s seed!]

“Okay.”

Se-jun took out the corrupted ent’s seed he had put in his pocket.

[Hyaah!]

As Flamie gave a shout,

Whoosh.

the leaf with the power of purification turned white and sent a white flame to the enhanced seed of the corrupted ent.

Gently.

The purifying flame gently permeated the seed, which had changed from blue to sky-blue.

“Flamie, good job.”

Se-jun said, stroking Flamie’s leaf that had turned white after using the purifying flame just now.

[Hehehe! More! More!]

Se-jun stroked Flamie with his left hand while eating breakfast with his right hand, and began the morning farming.

Snip, snip.

While Se-jun was harvesting the cherry tomatoes in the cave like that,

Pyak!

Cueng!

Having eaten breakfast, the black rabbit and Cuengi came down to the cave, shouting fighting.

“Guys, please get crawfish for today’s lunch.”

Pyak!

Cueng!

At Se-jun’s words, the two nodded their heads and entered the pond.

A while later, Se-jun, who finished harvesting the remaining cherry tomatoes, climbed up the ladder to the ground.

At that moment,

“Huh?”

Reaching the top of the ladder, Se-jun felt something strange.

“Why is this like this?”

The ladder installed to travel between the cave and the ground rose above the ground by a span of a hand from its original height. As if the ground had risen.

“Strange. Does the ladder grow?”

Although it was strange, Se-jun ignored it for now since it was not a big deal, climbed up to the ground, and looked around.

The white rabbits were doing morning farming, and the gray rabbits were doing waterway construction with the Black Minotaurs who had reported to work on time.

And,

Pyupyu!

Pyupyu was helping with the waterway construction by using magic to cut wood into sizes the gray rabbits wanted, or bringing items the gray rabbits needed by floating them with levitation magic.

“Her magic skills are good.”

“Kyu-kyu-kyu. Of course! Because she is my disciple!”

Iona, who had woken up before he knew it, said from behind Se-jun in a voice overflowing with pride.

“Well… it’s embarrassing to boast about a disciple who is somewhat decent at magic in front of Se-jun-nim.”

“Huh?”

“I know everything. Se-jun-nim is having playtime, aren’t you? Right now, you are deliberately enjoying the playtime in a weak role, aren’t you?”

To Theo, her smiling while looking this way made it seem like Iona was targeting Se-jun’s lap. In fact, she was smiling looking at Se-jun’s lap and Theo’s tail.

“Huh? Uh… right.”

Se-jun answered yes to Iona’s words for now. Denying it here would be even more embarrassing.

And since the misunderstanding had piled up anyway, he decided to thoroughly exploit it.

“Iona, please help with the waterway construction along with Pyupyu. Since I’m having playtime, I can’t use my strength.”

“Yes! Leave it to me! I will complete it within today!”

Thus, Iona joined the waterway construction. Iona shared a brief conversation about the waterway construction with the gray rabbits and then began using magic immediately.

“Stone Wall!”

Rumble.

Iona’s magic was on a different scale compared to Pyupyu’s. In an instant, dozens of stone pillars rose, and pillars to support the waterway were created. That too, precisely in the thickness and height the gray rabbits requested.

Although one might think destruction and precision were far apart, utilizing Archmagic of Destruction required an extremely precise ability to control magic.

Thanks to that, as it became late afternoon, the one-kilometer-long waterway heading north, out of the waterways heading east, west, south, and north, was completed.

Cueng!

Thud!

Hearing the news that the waterway was completed, Cuengi brought back the sealed SS Cuengi.

The SS Cuengi had changed quite a bit into the shape of a boat as the gray rabbits worked on it.

At the bow, there was also a figurehead carved in Cuengi’s likeness, and the front and back seats were made wide, creating a space where multiple people could ride.

Cueng!

Cuengi boarded the front seat of the SS Cuengi and called Se-jun.

“I got it.”

Se-jun answered and boarded the SS Cuengi. Since the waterway was also completed this time, it seemed it would be fine.

When Se-jun got on the boat,

Pyak!

the black rabbit, who had boarded the back seat beforehand, welcomed Se-jun.

“Oh. It has changed a lot.”

Inside, seats were made of wide wooden planks to sit comfortably, and handles were also attached.

While Se-jun was looking around the SS Cuengi like that,

“We will ride too.”

Pyupyu!

Iona and Pyupyu also boarded the SS Cuengi.

“Then we will go up to the fountain. Float.”

As Iona used float magic,

Thud.

the boat began to float in the air.

At that moment,

“You wicked hamster! How dare you try to kidnap Park Se-jun, meow?!”

Theo, who had climbed onto Se-jun’s lap before anyone knew it, shouted at Iona.

***

“Since I came this quickly, victory is mine, meow!”

Theo, who shortened the arrival time by several hours by urging the wolves and interns, arrived at the 99th floor of the tower, guaranteeing his victory.

“I will go first, so you guys follow slowly, meow!”

“Yes!”

Theo hurried to Se-jun’s farm.

Theo had no idea that Iona had already arrived yesterday using the Light-Speed Merchant Passage. However, his instinct kept sending an error signal, saying there was something wrong with Se-jun’s lap.

‘Park Se-jun’s lap is in danger, meow!’

Leaving his anxiety behind, Theo ran hard, and when he drew close to Se-jun’s farm,

“What is that, meow?!”

he saw from afar that Iona was trying to kidnap Se-jun on a boat.

“As expected, my feeling was right, meow! How dare you steal my lap and run away, meow?!”

Theo dashed at full speed and boarded the boat. Precisely, onto Se-jun’s lap.

And he shouted at the lap thief.

***

“Chairman Park, don’t worry, meow! I will protect Chairman Park, meow!”

Theo covered Se-jun’s lap with his own body, reassuring the kidnapped(?) Se-jun.

“What kidnapping? We are just riding a boat.”

“Meow? What do you mean, meow?”

“We are going to ride the boat down from there.”

Se-jun explained, pointing to the waterway.

“Ah. Is that so, meow?”

“Yes. So apologize to Iona for calling her a wicked hamster earlier.”

“I don’t want to, meow! She didn’t kidnap you, but it’s true that Iona is wicked, meow!”

“Representative Theo, are you not going to listen?”

“Tsk! Understood, meow.”

At Se-jun’s stern voice, Theo had no choice but to answer.

And,

“Iona, I’m sorry for calling you a wicked hamster, meow. I was too excited earlier, meow.”

Theo hesitated and approached Iona to speak.

“It’s okay. Welcome, Representative Theo.”

Iona readily accepted Theo’s apology and even welcomed him warmly. Finally, her sweet sleep puzzle pieces were all matched.

Splash.

Meanwhile, the SS Cuengi arrived at the fountain.

And,

Rattle.

The SS Cuengi hung over the edge of the waterway, and then

Thump.

began to descend along the waterway.

Splaaash.

The SS Cuengi cutting through the water. Since the slope was gentle, the boat flowed smoothly, and Se-jun and the animals enjoyed the scenery of the farm while feeling the pleasant headwind.

“Was it this large?”

Looking down at his farm from above the waterway, Se-jun realized anew just how big his farm was.

While Se-jun was looking down at the farm like that,

‘I won’t let my guard down, meow!’

Theo alone clung to Se-jun’s lap, keeping a watchful eye on his competitor, Iona.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu.”

To Theo, her smiling while looking this way made it seem like Iona was targeting Se-jun’s lap. In fact, she was smiling looking at Se-jun’s lap and Theo’s tail.

While Theo was keeping a watchful eye on Iona,

Splaaash.

The SS Cuengi arrived at the end of the waterway after traveling one kilometer. When returning, Cuengi walked back one kilometer, carrying the SS Cuengi with the party inside.

“Something is lacking.”

Se-jun said, disembarking from the SS Cuengi.

“What do you mean, meow?”

“There’s not enough thrill.”

Since the slope of the waterway was made too gentle, the boat did not gain enough speed to feel thrilled.

“I don’t know what that is, but there’s also something I lack, meow. I need Churu, meow!”

Theo pulled out a Churu from his bundle and jumped onto Se-jun’s lap.

And,

“Tear it open, meow!”

Theo climbed onto Se-jun’s lap and confidently held out the Churu to Se-jun. Because he was Representative Theo!

And he himself had achieved record-breaking results in this auction too. His qualifications to demand Churu were overflowing.

“Alright.”

Se-jun tore open the Churu and brought it to Theo’s mouth.

“Thank you for the treat, meow!”

Lick.

Just as Theo began to lick the Churu happily,

“Se-jun-nim, we have returned.”

An intruder appeared. Elka returned late, bringing the wolves, the interns, and the criminal Scaram.

“Who is that goblin?”

Se-jun asked, looking at Scaram, who was being dragged with cuffed hands.

“It’s Scaram, who scammed me, meow! Punish him, meow!”

Theo said, glaring at Scaram, immediately forgetting the Churu.

“Ah. So he is that Scaram.”

Se-jun smiled, looking at Scaram. He might now find out a way to secure Earth goods.

At that moment,

“You scoundrel! Where do you think you have come!”

Kaiser’s angry voice was heard from the black dragon statue.

And,

“Vanish!”

Kaiser wiped Scaram out in an instant.

Poof.

Precisely, only Scaram’s existence was obliterated, and the clothes that lost their owner fell to the ground.

“Uh?!”

No. Why?!! What about my ramen?!!

When Se-jun looked at Kaiser with eyes demanding an explanation,

“What? Why?”

Flutter, flutter.

Kaiser asked in an even more shameless voice instead and hurried back to the fountain.

“Chairman Park, cheer up, meow. It’s too early to give up, meow!”

Theo comforted Se-jun and began rummaging through the place where Scaram had vanished. Until a moment ago, there was no feeling, but suddenly the pull in his front paw appeared.

And,

“Chairman Park, I found something, meow!”

Theo said, pointing to the item that fell on the ground. A small metal key lay there.

“What is this?”

When Se-jun picked up the key,

[The key to the sub-space prison is bound to Tower Farmer Park Se-jun.]

“A prison?”

Simultaneously, a keyhole appeared in front of Se-jun.

“Do I just insert it here?”

When Se-jun inserted the key into the hole and turned it,

Clack.

the sound of a door opening was heard, and the door to the sub-space prison opened.