Chapter 57: Catching Pests
TL: Hanguk
[Sturdy Blade Onion]
→ A mutated onion that has metalized its leaves to protect them from being cut off.
→ Grown inside the tower, it uses all nutrients to make the onion leaves sharp and hard, resulting in lower taste and nutrition.
→ There are no effects when consumed.
→ Grower: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun
→ Shelf life: 90 days
→ Grade: C
No effect when consumed? And no taste or nutrition, either?
'Will the locust swarm try to eat this?'
Sejun's thoughts immediately connected to the Red Locust after checking the options of the Sturdy Blade Green Onion.
Then
Tap. Tap.
"President Park, I'm here, meow! Why don't you greet me, meow? Look! I'm also wearing a straw hat just like you, meow!"
Theo, feeling hurt that Sejun was not paying attention to him, tapped Sejun's leg again to announce his arrival.
"Oh. Theo, you're here? The straw hat suits you well."
Sejun, snapping back to reality after Theo's words, complimented Theo's straw hat.
"Of course, meow! There is nothing in this world that doesn't suit me, meow!"
Theo, flattered by Sejun's compliment, shrugged his shoulders proudly.
"President Park, sit down here, meow! I sold out this time too and made a lot of money, meow!"
Theo invited Sejun to sit down, aiming to sit on Sejun's lap.
However,
"Greetings to the great Black Dragon. Iona, the head of the Wizard's Association, presents my respect."
Iona said, bending one knee. Thanks to this, Theo's strategy to sit on Sejun's lap failed.
"The head of the Wizard's Association? But why are you here?"
"I told her I'm the servant of the great Black Dragon, but she didn't believe me, so I brought her here, meow!"
"I'm sorry. I believe you now."
Iona apologized to Theo by bowing her head.
And then,
"Um... I have something to say to the great Black Dragon."
Iona cautiously said to Sejun.
"Yeah. What is it?"
"The reason I came here is actually to request the great Black Dragon to exterminate the Red Locusts on the 67th floor of the tower."
"I know."
He had just heard it from Aileen, but he spoke as if he had known it from the beginning.
"I see you already knew."
At first, Iona wasn't sure if Sejun really was the great Black Dragon. His appearance resembled a human who came from outside the tower, and he did not seem to have strong power.
'Is he really the great Black Dragon?'
Iona had doubts. Besides his black hair, there was nothing that seemed to be related to the Black Dragon.
Although she could surely know whether the opponent is the great Black Dragon or not by performing a magic scan, it was a great rudeness to do so without the other's permission.
And if the opponent really is the great Black Dragon, then not only herself but also the entire Wizard's Association might disappear due to her rudeness.
Just as Iona was wondering whether Sejun was the great Black Dragon,
Kyu?
In Iona's view, Sejun was holding a blade of grass. It was definitely grass, but the leaves were sharp like a blade. And then, Iona was certain.
'Great Black Dragon did not intervene immediately due to the tight schedule of developing a new weapon alone.'
That's the scenario Iona had written for herself.
"Great Black Dragon, I will capture the Red Locusts on the 67th floor of the tower and assist in the testing of your new weapon!"
"New weapon? Alright. I would appreciate that."
Sejun, who had wanted to know if the sturdy blade onion leaves would be effective against Red Locusts, readily agreed to Iona's words.
"I'm honored to be able to help with the testing of Great Black Dragon's new weapon! Then I'll be back soon!"
Iona hurriedly descended the tower.
And then,
"President Park, sit down quickly and receive my report, meow."
Theo, who was keen to sit on Sejun's lap, tapped the floor and again urged Sejun to sit. Theo was persistent about Sejun's lap.
"Alright. Go ahead."
As soon as Sejun sat down on the floor, Theo climbed onto his lap and began his report on the latest trade.
"I've sold out again, meow. And the total sales amount reached 10,575 tower coins, meow! Also..."
Hudududuk.
Theo turned over his bag, pouring out treats, Sejun's seasonings and coffee, and things he bought from the store area.
"Theo, good job."
Sejun recognized Theo's 50 hours of work and rewarded him with 575 tower coins, excluding the 10,000 tower coin incentive.
"Thank you, meow!"
"But, Theo, don't you have something to tell me?"
"...meow?"
As Sejun stared at Theo, Theo stealthily looked elsewhere, avoiding eye contact with Sejun. The behavior of someone who clearly had something to hide.
"Theo, are you really not going to say it?"
"It was a mistake, meow. But how did you know, meow?"
Theo could not understand how he was caught when he had surely dealt with the Golden Sweet Potatoes, committing the perfect crime. Theo never thought that the only being capable of causing such a mishap in this cave was himself.
"I have my ways of knowing."
'Indeed, Park Sejun is amazing, meow.'
Theo was once again amazed at Sejun's greatness.
"Fine. Since you confessed, I'll let this one go. But as a punishment, I'll confiscate your treats for the day and demote you from representative to intern. Also, I'll reduce your punishment time based on your behavior."
"I understand, meow..."
Theo obediently descended from Sejun's lap.
And then,
Flap. Flap.
He started to fan with the cut onion leaves he found nearby, which were of an appropriate size.
'Theo, you little...'
Sejun was moved by Theo's growth - he would have been heartbroken and stuck in a corner of the cave in the past...but now, he was trying to do something...
However,
"How about it, meow? It's cool, right, meow? Can I be Representative Theo again now, meow?"
After fanning the onion leaves 10 times, Theo asked. He still hadn't developed patience.
"I'll consider it after you fan 500 times."
"That's too much, right, meow? Understood, meow!"
"Gale."
Flap. Flap. Flap.
"Gentle breeze."
Flap. Flap.
So Theo, following Sejun's words, diligently fanned the leaves 500 times at different speeds.
"Am I now Representative Theo, meow?"
"Ugh! My waist..."
Groan. Groan.
"Am I now Representative Theo, meow?"
"This time it's my shoulder..."
Groan. Groan.
"Why does President Park have so many aches, meow?!"
Theo said in a disappointed voice, putting strength into his front paw. Sejun's heart softened at Theo's worried voice.
"Okay. You're Representative Theo again."
Jump.
"President Park! Give me a Churu!"
At Sejun's words, Theo jumped onto Sejun's lap at the speed of light and confidently asked for Churu.
"Alright."
When Sejun tore up Churu and brought it to Theo's mouth
Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
Theo was lost in a trance of Churu.
Just as Sejun was feeding Theo Churu
"Oh, Great Black Dragon! I've caught Red Locust!"
Iona magically subdued and brought five Red Locusts that were several times larger than her own body.
"So quickly?"
Considering the time it takes for Theo to go back and forth from the tower, it would have been time to not even reach the 67th floor of the tower yet.
"There are general, express, super express, and light speed routes in the merchant route. It seems like Iona used the light speed merchant route, meow."
Theo solved Sejun's curiosity.
"Iona, good job."
"Thank you."
Floating.
Sejun examined the Red Locust, which was suppressed and floating in the air.
"It's really big."
At first, he felt repulsive at its gigantic appearance, but as he continued to look at it, he became familiar as if he were looking at a normal locust.
"Cuengi!"
Koong!
At Sejun's call, Cuengi, who was in the cave, came up to the ground.
"Cuengi, can you cut this for me?"
Sejun offered a sturdy blade onion. Cuengi's skin was tough and thick, so there was no worry about getting hurt.
Koong!
Cuengi grabbed the leaf of the sturdy blade onion with both hands and handed it to Sejun.
"Thanks."
Sejun carefully held the sturdy blade onion leaf that Cuengi had broken and moved to a place where nothing was around.
Then, he dug the ground and anchored the leaf into the soil.
"Iona, can you keep these guys from escaping?"
"Yes. Don't worry, O Great Black Dragon."
"Then let one go for now."
"Yes."
When Iona released her magic,
Flap. Flap.
One of the Red Locusts started to fly, flapping its wings. Iona, who was casting separate spells on each Red Locust, would have been an astonishing sight to other hunters.
It meant that Iona was doing penta-casting, casting five spells simultaneously. And she was also having a conversation with someone else...
No matter how identical the magic was, using five at the same time was nearly impossible, a feat of considerable difficulty. For reference, the hunter with the best magic skills on Earth had a limit of double casting the same magic.
Whoosh.
The freed Red Locust glanced around and charged towards the sturdy blade green onion leaf stuck in the ground.
And then,
Chew.
Crunch. Crunch.
The Red Locust tried desperately to devour the sturdy green onion leaf till its last breath and then died. Its appetite was terrifying.
At that moment,
[Achievement unlocked: "Great Farmer's Achievement of Pest Control with Crops.]
[As a reward for the Great Farmer's Achievement, one additional job attribute is granted.]
[With the job attribute, you can gain experience when crops catch pests.]
"Huh?"
Do crops catching pests also give experience? As Sejun was reading the message,
"Congratulations! O Great Black Dragon!"
Iona confirmed the effects of the sturdy blade onion and spoke with emotion. Given enough time, it seemed like they could deal with tens of thousands of Red Locusts with just this leaf.
At that moment,
Chew. Chew.
A chewing sound was heard.
"Huh?"
When Sejun looked at the source of the sound, Cuengi had put both the sturdy blade onion leaf and the Red Locust in its mouth and was chewing.
"Hey! You'll get hurt if you eat that!"
Sejun quickly opened Cuengi's mouth but,
Gulp.
It had already swallowed. Luckily, there were no small wounds inside its mouth. Cuengi really didn't have anything it couldn't eat.
"Iona, take these leaves to the 67th floor of the tower and plant them like this for now. Cuengi, please cut the remaining leaves."
Kuung!
In response to Sejun's words, Cuengi broke off all the sturdy blade onion leaves and handed them to Iona.
"Then I'll be going!"
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"Well...leave the remaining Red Locusts behind."
Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
Cuengi, having already tasted the Red Locusts, and the wolves, smelling the blood, were licking their lips as they looked at the Red Locusts.
When Iona handed the remaining four Red Locusts to Cuengi and the wolves,
Chew. Chew.
Cuengi and the wolves began to eat the Red Locusts without hesitation.
"Then I will go down."
"Okay. The leaves will grow back by tomorrow morning, so come back to get them then."
"Yes."
Iona went down to the 67th floor of the tower with nine sturdy blade onion leaves.
And a few hours later,
[Your crops have exterminated pests.]
[You have gained 1 experience.]
[Your crops have exterminated pests.]
[You have gained 1 experience.]
...
..
.
Messages began to appear one after another.
Days passed like this, and as they planted more split sturdy blade onion roots and cut more sturdy blade onion leaves, they sent more to the 67th floor of the tower.
And Iona built a minimum line of defense around the waypoint of the 67th floor with the sturdy blade onion leaves, preventing the Red Locusts from climbing to the 68th floor.
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