Chapter 390: Heehee! I need to feed him this too!
Austin, the capital of Texas, USA.
······
Currently, the city center has become an empty city with no people. No, to be precise...
Keeeek!
It has become a city of flesh eaters. Although Paespaes dealt with the flesh eaters, their seeds remained.
Neither Flamie nor Paespaes knew that they needed to remove the seeds as well.
CIA Headquarters Meeting Room.
In the presence of the director and key executives, Robin was reporting the findings of his investigation.
"We analyzed the satellite images taken when the bat shape was etched into the ground in Austin, but we didn't find anything special. However, analyzing the atmospheric images, we determined that a force suddenly acted at a point 100 meters above Austin."
"Were there any witnesses who saw the Golden Bat? At an altitude of 100 meters, there should be witnesses."
The director, who was listening to the report, asked.
"That's... there are no survivors."
"Then who is the most suspicious entity?"
"The most suspicious is the Golden Bat that appeared in Harbin, which China claims as their divine beast. In the last section of the report, the analysis department attached a report stating an 87% similarity between the Golden Bat and the bat shape."
"Haa. So the report suggests that what saved America is China's divine beast?"
The expression on the director's face, speaking with a sigh, was unusual. The same went for the other executives.
"What? No, that's not it..."
The atmosphere grew tense.
At that moment,
"Um..."
Peter, an agent on his third day of work who had followed Robin, quietly raised his hand. Simultaneously, Robin's face crumpled.
Hey, read the room!
He had brought the new recruit to the meeting because there was supposed to be a debrief with the director afterward...
With the atmosphere already tense, the moment the newbie added an irrelevant comment...
The meeting room's atmosphere would freeze over, turning into the Arctic, and he would be dispatched to the Arctic after getting on the director's bad side.
Stay quiet! Can't you see the mood?
Robin shot laser-like signals at Peter with his eyes, but...
Nod.
Peter seemed to take it as encouragement from his mentor, nodding resolutely.
And then,
"Take a look at this."
He confidently showed the director and CIA executives the screen of the laptop he was using.
You... YouTube?! You bastard!!! You were watching YouTube during the meeting?
Robin, who had hoped he had a genius recruit like in the movies, despaired. It was confirmed he was heading to the Arctic.
Should I hand in my resignation?
While Robin was seriously contemplating pulling out his resignation letter from his pocket...
-Currently, it's 5 AM. This is the 110th day of Miracle Morning.
In the meeting room, where everyone was stunned into silence, a video began playing.
About two minutes into the video,
-Guys! Do you see that?! Over there! On the building rooftop! Isn't that the Golden Bat?!
The man in the video exclaimed excitedly, filming a rooftop of a building.
On the rooftop, a single golden bat was perched on the railing, flapping its wings towards the sky.
The video ended with the Golden Bat holding a black bag and disappearing.
"Ahem. What's your name?"
When the video ended, the director asked for Peter's name.
"Peter Lee."
Peter answered energetically to the director's question.
"Okay. Peter, I see the Golden Bat in this video, but why did you show it to us?"
"Because this video is a witness to the Austin incident."
"Witness?"
"Yes. If you watch the video..."
Peter continued explaining while watching the video.
"The Golden Bat appeared at 5:03 AM Seoul time, swung its wings, and at 3:05 PM Texas time, the bat shape marks appeared."
"Wait! Considering the 14-hour time difference between Seoul and Texas, does that mean it crossed 12,000 km in 2 minutes and dealt with the monsters?!"
The deputy director, listening, checked the time difference on his smartphone and asked in a shocked voice.
"Yes. To be exact, it's 1 minute and 53 seconds. I couldn't believe it myself, so I found the GPS coordinates of the building in the video and analyzed the direction in which the Golden Bat swung its wings, and it matches Austin."
"How is that possible...?"
"Where exactly is the location of the building in this video?"
"It's the Hanla Building in Gangnam, and it's owned by Park Sejun."
Peter, who had already investigated, spoke without hesitation.
"What?! Park Sejun?"
Why is that name coming up here?
The CIA executives in the meeting room were all flustered by Peter's report.
Park Sejun.
Currently, he is a hunter who has a significant influence on Earth by selling crop items and is known to be the strongest among the hunters.
However, it is known that he has never left the tower for everyone's safety since entering it.
But now... the Golden Bat, which China claimed to be their divine beast, appeared on the rooftop of Park Sejun's building?
Something is up.
"Robin, immediately head to Korea with Peter! Go and find out the relationship between the Golden Bat and Park Sejun!"
"What? Korea?!"
Robin, who was listening to Peter's explanation in a daze, answered.
"Yes! Hurry!"
"Yes! We'll leave immediately!"
Well done, Peter!
Robin looked at Peter with admiringly, nodding approvingly, and Peter also nodded back to Robin, who believed in him(?).
***
99th floor of the Black Tower.
"Alright. Now it's time to dry. Greenhouse."
[Greenhouse Lv. 4 is activated.]
[A warm greenhouse is created within a radius of 2km.]
[Your proficiency of Greenhouse Lv. 4 increases.]
Sejun used the greenhouse skill to make the Sundried Red Peppers as if they were in a vinyl greenhouse.
Since there were only two days left until the Dragon's meeting, there was no time to air dry the Sundried Red Peppers naturally.
"Cuengi, gently blow some wind inside here."
Kueng!
[Understood!]
Sejun instructed Cuengi to blow wind inside the greenhouse. Wind was necessary for drying.
After a few hours of drying the Sundried Red Peppers,
Crackle.
They were so dry that they crumbled at a slight touch.
"Good. Iona, please grind this."
"Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. Sure! Power of the wind, crush my enemies! Tornado!"
With Iona's magic, the Sundried Red Peppers were finely ground, and the red powder was stored in Sejun's void storage through Iona's magic.
At that moment,
"Kelkelkel. Sejun~nim, I have finished making the Garaetteoks. Do you have any other tasks for me?"
Orik, who had made Garaetteoks with other tower farmers, hurriedly ran over to report, trying to regain the points he lost to Sejun yesterday.
"Good job. Take a break for a while."
"Kelkelkel. Yes!"
When Orik left,
The Porridge was complete.
The Garaetteoks were complete.
The Samyangju was complete.
The grape wine would be opened on the day of the event...
Sejun checked the current situation.
"Now, I just need to cut the fruits for dessert and cook the spicy fish stew, and we're done."
It seemed like everything would be almost finished by tomorrow morning.
At that moment,
Kuehehehe.
Grrr.
Cuengi's stomach made a loud noise as he was proudly looking at the paper with five-star stamps he had received from Sejun. It was lunchtime.
"It's time to eat."
The most convenient thing was the freshly made garaetteoks, so Sejun decided to make soy sauce tteokbokki for the first time in a while.
Using the soy sauce he had brewed himself. Finally, yesterday, the soy sauce and soybean paste were completed. Normally, it would have taken a long time, but it thanks to the fermentation skill it was completed sooner.
"Wow! Hyung~nim, you're making soy sauce tteokbokki? Guys, this is really delicious!"
'You guys haven't tried it, right? I've had it before.'
Ajax, who had already tasted it before, boasted about the taste of soy sauce tteokbokki to the other tower farmers.
While Ajax was chattering away,
"Everyone, let's eat."
Sejun called his companions after making the soy sauce tteokbokki.
And then,
Kuehehehe. Kueng!
[Hehehe. It's delicious!]
"Heheh. As expected of Sejun hyung!"
"As expected, Sejun nim's cooking."
"This is really good! But I still prefer Sejun~nim's steamed potatoes..."
"Kelkelkel. It's truly delicious! In that spirit, next time I'll make rice cakes with goblin vision..."
"No, thanks!"
Everyone started eating the soy sauce tteokbokki, showering Sejun's cooking with praise.
Kking?! Kking!
'Hey! What about my food?! You seem to be neglecting me lately!'
Fenrir, feeling neglected because Sejun had been busy preparing for the Dragon's meeting, complained.
"I know, I know. I have food for you too, Blackie. Here."
Sejun finely chopped the soy sauce tteokbokki to make it easier for Fenrir to eat and put it in his bowl.
Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
Delicious!
Fenrir, who had been whining just a moment ago, quieted down after eating the soy sauce tteokbokki.
The feelings of neglect melted away along with the soy sauce tteokbokki in his mouth.
Having taken care of Fenrir's meal as well,
"Hehe. I'll eat it spicy."
Craving a spicy flavor, Sejun sprinkled the pepper powder made from Sundried Red Peppers on his tteokbokki and ate it.
Then,
[You have consumed Sundried Red Pepper powder.]
[If exposed to light for 1 minute, one of your stats will randomly increase by 0.0002.]
···
..
.
Messages appeared.
After 1 minute,
[You have received enough light. Your Strength stat has increased by 0.0002.]
···
..
.
Sejun's stats began to increase as he sat quietly, absorbing the light.
Although the increase was small, gaining stats while eating delicious food was practically a bonus.
[Your soul is filled with the outpouring of praise.]
[Your mental strength increases by 3.]
His Mental Strength also increased.
"Hehe. Today's lunch was satisfying."
Sejun chuckled happily as he ground coffee beans to make coffee.
Piyo!
[Hello, Sejun-nim!]
"Hello!"
Piyot and Uren appeared.
Piyo!
Theo~nim, a letter!]
Piyot, sitting on Sejun's knee, handed a letter from the Wandering Merchant Association to Theo, who was grooming himself.
"Meow? Who sent this, meow?"
Theo, who had never received a letter before, read the letter with a puzzled look.
And then,
"Puhuhut."
"Puhuhut."
Theo kept laughing as he read the letter.
"Vice Chairman Theo, what's in the letter?"
Sejun, who became curious about the contents of the letter seeing Theo like that, asked.
"Puhuhut. Chairman Park, the Wandering Merchant Association has invited me, Vice Chairman Theo, to take the Legendary Merchant promotion exam, meow!"
"Legendary Merchant?"
"Puhuhut. That's right, meow!"
Theo said in a smug voice.
Starting as a novice wandering merchant, I am finally about to become a legendary merchant, meow! Chairman Park must also be a part of this glorious moment, meow!
Theo, thought about getting the land deed for the 75th floor of the tower, so that he can go to the Wandering Merchant Association headquarters with Sejun.
And he imagined himself becoming a legendary merchant while receiving congratulations from Sejun.
"Puhuhut. Just thinking about it makes me excited, meow!"
"About what?"
"It's something like that, meow! Chairman Park, I'll be back after a quick trip down, meow!"
"Okay, got it. Oh, by the way! If you come across the land deed for the 68th floor of the tower, bring it back too."
Sejun asked Theo since Aileen mentioned sensing the power of destruction on the 68th floor.
"Understood, meow! Piyot, Uren, let's go, meow!"
"Have a safe trip!"
While Sejun was seeing Theo off,
Kkihit. Kking!
'Heehee. I've figured it out!'
Fenrir had a great realization.
Kking! Kking?!
'Since receiving my core, the butler's food has gotten tastier! So if I give more of my core, the food will get even tastier, right?!'
Fenrir was mistaken. Sejun simply made the food he wanted to, and it just happened to suit Fenrir's taste.
However, Fenrir, who considered himself a clever wolf, believed he couldn't be wrong.
And then,
Kkihit! Kking!
'Heehee! I need to feed him this too!'
Holding the 1% core fragment that Sejun had given him to play with as a toy, Fenrir began to look for an opportunity to put the core fragment into Sejun's mouth.
Swallowing a core fragment beyond one's capacity would be incredibly painful.
But,
Kking?!
"Blackie! Why are you trying to put this thing with your saliva on it into my mouth?!"
He failed.