Chapter 267: So, It's Time to Clock Out, Meow!

Tower Floor 79.

The kingdom of the birds, Kov, flourished for hundreds of years, creating a brilliant civilization.

However, a problem arose in the kingdom several decades ago when all the lakes within its territory dried up.

The cause was an inexplicable drought. All the lands of the Kov Kingdom were severely cracked due to a lack of water.

Queen Prana of the Kov Kingdom managed to somewhat solve the problem by urgently bringing water from other floors, but there was one issue that couldn't be resolved.

That was the drying Mother Tree. Despite many birds continuously pouring water, the condition of the Mother Tree only worsened.

To the birds of the Kov Kingdom, the Mother Tree held significant meaning. All the birds of the Kov Kingdom were born from the flowers of the Mother Tree.

To them, the Mother Tree was literally their mother.

With the Mother Tree drying up, the birds' worries were far from minor.

The biggest problem was that as the Mother Tree dried, the number of birds being born was gradually decreasing.

Since last year, the chirping of baby birds had almost disappeared in the Kov Kingdom.

As a result, the once lively capital of the kingdom now lay in a deep state of despair.

In the center of such a capital stood a lone mountain.

Atop the mountain was a beautiful rainbow-colored castle, the Rainbow Castle of Kov that had stood its ground for hundreds of years.

"Prana, will the messenger birds find someone to save the Mother Tree this time?"

"Loui, we must believe. They are the children chosen by the Priestess of the Tree. They will surely find someone to save the Mother Tree."

Queen Prana of the Kov Kingdom answered with a voice full of unwavering conviction, addressing her husband's concerns.

The Priestess of the Tree who could hear the Mother Tree's voice.

Every year, the Priestess of the Tree appointed birds chosen by the Mother Tree as messengers to go outside the kingdom and find a hero who could cure the Mother Tree.

For 10 years, they sent messenger birds out and brought many people, but no one could even figure out why the Mother Tree was drying.

"Prana, then I'll go get water again."

"Yes, please do."

As her husband Loui prepared to leave for another floor, leaping from the castle's terrace to fly in the sky,

"Sigh."

Prana let out a deep sigh she had been holding back.

In truth, she too was anxious. She just didn't show it, fearing that the kingdom would waver if she, too, appeared shaken.

"I hope this year, someone will surely..."

Prana gazed at the distant Mother Tree, fervently praying that one of the messenger birds would bring someone who could save it.

***

"Puhuhut. Getting a subordinate is also work, so I am diligently working, meow! It seems today's work is done, meow!"

As Theo proudly looked at his subordinate, Piyot,

Piyo! Piyo?

[Chief! But what should I call you?]

Piyot, who had decided to become Theo's subordinate, though the contract did not bear his name, and had just been rescued by Theo, asked while looking at him.

"Puhuhut. Now that you mention it, I haven't introduced myself, meow! I am Theo Park, the Deadly Dragon Claw Golden Cat, subordinate of the Great Black Dragon, meow! By the way, I am also the right-hand man of Chairman Park, meow!"

Piyot, who had just been born and didn't know what a Black Dragon was.

Piyo!

[It's an honor to be Theo-nim's subordinate!]

Piyot was simply overjoyed to become Theo's subordinate. Another naive one had appeared in this world.

"Puhuhut. That's right, meow! Becoming the subordinate of Vice Chairman Theo is a tremendous honor, meow!"

Theo said, feeling smug as Piyot looked at him with admiring eyes.

Just then,

Gurgle.

A sound came from Piyot's stomach. He had not eaten anything for several days while fighting the white snakes in this area.

"Puhuhut. Just wait a moment, meow!"

Thinking he could show off to his subordinate, Theo opened his bundle.

However,

Rustle. Rustle.

Even when he put his paw into the bundle, nothing was caught.

"There's nothing, meow!"

Theo realized then that the bundle was empty.

"Piyot, eat this instead, meow!"

Theo took out some peanuts from his pocket, which he had set aside for Iona.

"Thank you!"

Peck. Peck. Peck.

Piyot began to energetically crack open the peanuts.

And then,

Piyo!

[Delicious!]

Crunch.

After tasting the peanuts, Piyot started to earnestly eat the crushed peanuts.

"Puhuhut. Eat a lot, meow!"

Theo said, crushing the peanuts into powder to make it easier for Piyot to eat.

Piyo!

[Thank you, Theo-nim!]

"Puhuhut. No need to thank me, meow!"

Theo grinned mischievously as he watched Piyot eating the peanuts.

'Fifty Tower Coins per peanut, and since I, myself, crushed the peanuts, that's a service fee of 100 Tower Coins, totaling 750 Tower Coins for five peanuts, meow!'

True to his role as Sejun's money-conscious right-hand, Theo never gave anything away for free.

Piyo!

[I'm full now!]

Piyot held his stomach after eating five peanuts.

"Puhuhut. Piyot, now that you're done eating, let's settle the bill, meow!"

Theo stretched out his paw and said.

Piyo?

[Bill?]

"That's right, meow! You have to pay after eating, meow!"

Piyo... Piyo...

[I don't have any money... Maybe this will do...]

Piyot took out an egg as big as his body from the small bag he was carrying.

Aside from giving birth to birds, the Mother Tree also bore eggs as fruits, and birds like Piyot sometimes brought these along as a packed lunch for long journeys.

"Meow?! What's that?!"

Theo was surprised to see the egg Piyot took out. It's a fried egg, Chairman Park's favorite, meow!

Fried egg is a dish made from eggs, but Theo's mind had been imprinted with its name after seeing Sejun excitedly eating fried eggs.

Piyo! Piyo!

[Hehe. I have a lot of these! I'll give them all to you! In exchange for peanuts!]

Seeing Theo's happy reaction, Piyot hurriedly shouted. Piyot was thrilled at the thought of trading his not-so-tasty eggs for peanuts.

"Good, meow! Let's get out of here first, meow! Piyot, stick close behind me, meow!"

Piyo!

[Yes!]

As Piyot moved behind Theo,

Swish!

"Meow!"

Theo pulled out his dragon claws and swung his paw from top to bottom. It was Theo's second technique, One-Meow Slash.

Slash.

Five lines appeared on the body of the Jǫrmungandr's fragment, dividing it into six parts,

Ssssss.

The dead fragment of Jǫrmungandr turned to dust and disappeared and,

Clink.

White coins began falling to the ground.

Piyo!!! Piyo!!!

[Theo-nim!!! You're amazing!!!]

Piyot was astonished at the sight he was seeing for the first time.

"Piyot, bring me the coins, meow!"

Theo instructed Piyot to collect the coins.

Piyo!

[Yes!]

Piyot, now even more admiring of Theo, quickly flew and brought the coins to Theo.

After collecting all the coins,

'Puhuhut. I even got fried eggs, Chairman Park's favorite, so I, Vice Chairman Theo, have worked overtime today, meow! So, it's time to clock out, meow!'

"Piyot, follow me, meow!"

A confident Theo turned towards the direction leading up the tower and spoke to Piyot with a commanding voice.

Piyo! Piyo!

[Yes! I want to eat peanuts quickly!]

Piyot, blinded by the desire for peanuts. Forgetting his duty as a messenger bird sent to save the Mother Tree, he eagerly followed Theo.

***

Slurp.

"Kuh. Coffee really is about the hand that makes it."

After lunch, Sejun grimaced as he drank coffee he brewed himself using beans and a dripper provided by the Black Rabbit.

"It's not good..."

It didn't taste like the coffee he had in the castle. It was just bitter with an unpleasant sourness that made his face scrunch up.

Slurp.

Still, needing his caffeine fix, Sejun drank the coffee while enduring the bitterness.

After finishing the bitter coffee,

[You have consumed a bitter medicine.]

[Talent: A Medicine That's Bitter is Good for Stamina is activated.]

[Stamina increases by 3.]

Treating the coffee as medicine, his stamina increased by 3.

"Stamina increased by 3?"

Thanks to this, Sejun realized just how bitter the coffee he made was.

"Now, I should go make rice noodle dough."

Sejun went to the kitchen to make rice noodle dough with the relic: Rice Dough that Swallows Wealth, inserting money into it to create the dough.

Thump. Thump.

As he was busy kneading the dough,

Krueng!

[Dad, Cuengi is here!]

Cuengi, who had been gathering herbs in the western forest, returned.

"Cuengi, did you gather a lot of herbs?"

Krueng! Krueng!

[Yes! Cuengi brought lots of herbs!]

Ta-da!

In response to Sejun's question, Cuengi showed his snack pouch.

Inside the snack pouch were 20 sweet blue kudzu roots and 3 extremely bitter white kudzu roots.

And then,

"Huh?"

There was one green kudzu root that Sejun hadn't seen before.

Krueng! Krueng!

[This one smells really sour! But smelling it makes my mouth water!]

Cuengi said, looking at the green kudzu root.

"Really?"

Hearing Cuengi's words, Sejun sniffed the green kudzu root.

"Oh! it does smell like lime here? Hmm."

He naturally salivated at the fresh scent.

"Thankfully, it's not bitter."

Sejun examined the green kudzu root more closely, feeling relieved.

[Overabundant Magic Power Kudzu Root]

→ Unlike other kudzu roots that absorb vitality from living hosts, this kudzu root absorbs magic power from surrounding kudzu.

→ Absorbing the magic power of dozens of kudzu roots with strong vitality, its medicinal properties are enhanced.

→ When consumed, it either increases magic power by 50 or potential magic power by 25.

→ Low chance of awakening a talent related to absorption upon consumption.

→ Has a strong sour taste.

→ Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

→ Shelf Life: 210 days

→ Grade: A+

"Tonight's dinner will be grilled fish."

Smelling the lime scent, Sejun wanted to sprinkle the juice of the Overabundant Magic Power Kudzu Root, which has a lime scent, on grilled fish.

Krueng!

[That sounds great!]

Cuengi cheered at Sejun's words. Daddy's cooking is always good!

"Then, Daddy will make grilled fish, and Cuengi, eat this and help with the rice noodles."

Sejun said, giving Cuengi five honey jellies to eat.

Kuehehehe. Krueng!

[Hehehe. Okay!]

Cuengi put the honey jellies in his mouth, took down the black noodle maker hanging on the kitchen wall, and put Sejun's rice noodle dough into it,

Cuengi!

and began pressing the dough to make noodles.

Meanwhile,

Clank.

Sejun took fish out of the void storage, skewered them, and started grilling.

As Sejun had grilled about 300 pieces of fish,

[You have completed Grilled Piranhas.]

[Your proficiency in Cooking Lv. 7 slightly increases.]

[Your proficiency of Cooking Lv. 7 has filled, and the level increases.]

Messages appeared announcing the increase in cooking level, and Sejun's cooking skill level rose to 8.

Just then,

"Chairman Park, I'm back, meow!"

Theo flew towards Sejun, shouting.

Swoosh.

As usual, avoiding Sejun's hand,

Wham.

Theo hugged Sejun's face with his body.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! You're back?"

Thanks to that, Sejun had to spit out Theo's fur again. Looks like he'll have to make another Theo ball.

"Puhuhut. That's right, meow!"

"You look too happy for someone who went out with nothing in his bundle. Did you work hard?"

"Puhuhut. Of course, meow! I, Vice Chairman Theo, worked incredibly hard and even brought back a subordinate, meow!"

Theo proudly spoke and turned to introduce Piyot,

Krueng?

[Who's that?]

Piyo. Piyo.

[Hello, Great Black Dragon Chairman Park. I am Piyot, Theo-nim's subordinate.]

Piyot, who was politely greeting Cuengi while making rice noodles, had mistaken the strongest Cuengi for Theo's boss.

Krueng!

[Cuengi is not Chairman Park. Daddy is Chairman Park!]

Piyo?!

[What?!]

Following Cuengi's front paw, Piyot turned his gaze to Sejun and their eyes met.

'I'm doomed...'

Piyot felt dejected, having botched his first encounter with Sejun.

*****