Chapter 48
TL: Hanguk
[Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun]
When Theo became intermediate wandering merchant and the information of the cultivator appeared on the D-grade Magical Cherry Tomato,
“Who is Tower Farmer Park Sejun?”
“He seems to be Korean by his name?”
“But was there a job called a tower farmer?”
People sent by hunters and the wealthy from various countries around the world started heading to Korea to gather information about Sejun.
Korean Awakened Association’s president’s office. Inside the president’s office, there was nothing but a desk and a table. And it was cold as a freezer.
A muscular old man in his 60s with white hair sitting at the head of the table was taking off his top and sitting with his bare feet on a 1-meter thick ice slab, glaring at a man.
Chiiik.
His foot was so hot that the ice was melting even in this cold place.
“Dongsik, I won’t beat around the bush. Spill everything you know.”
Association President Han Tae-jun spoke to his youngest disciple, Phoenix Guild’s 5th Team Leader Kim Dongsik.
“Master, what are you talking about?”
Kim Dongsik, wearing a thick padding jacket, blew out white breath and asked.
“I heard you visited Park Sejun’s house twice.”
“Ah. That…”
“Have you ever met Park Sejun?”
Han Tae-jun asked with a serious expression.
“No. I just met through a cat wandering merchant called Theo…”
Kim Dongsik explained in detail what he knew to Han Tae-jun. He didn’t pretend to hide anything.
If he got caught doing that, he’d be beaten to death by Han Tae-jun. He couldn’t afford to be beaten like that after turning 40.
His master, Han Tae-jun, although currently retired due to the curse of flames and having to cool his body like that, was a tremendous monster who unofficially climbed up to the 52nd floor of the tower.
The reason Kim Dongsik believed Theo’s words easily when Sejun said he had climbed up to the 40th floor was because he had already seen his master, the unparalleled genius, Han Tae-jun.
“So that’s what happened. Well done. Dongsik, you will protect Park Sejun’s family.”
Association President Han Tae-jun wanted to prevent the possibility of the producer of the Magical Cherry Tomato, who was receiving global attention, leaving the country due to his family’s problems.
“Excuse me?”
“Why? What? Since you’re already familiar with them, it’s best if you do it. Any objections?”
“Ah… No.”
Although there were objections, he couldn’t voice them.
“Don’t worry. I will arrange for your senior brothers to alternate with you.”
And so, unilaterally, Han Tae-jun arranged for Kim Dongsik to be assigned as the protection for Sejun’s family.
***
Roar-!
Fortunately, as soon as the blue moon rose, Aileen intervened as promised, so the ground farm was safe.
“That’s a relief.”
Watching Aileen fly around in the sky where the blue moon was, Sejun looked at the crops with relief.
And after a while,
Sssss.
Blue energy began to condense in the tomato field, potato field, and sweet potato field.
“Oh?!”
He had forgotten. It was time to harvest the sweet potatoes.
“My goodness! I forgot about the sweet potatoes!”
Sejun blamed his foolishness and checked the crops where the energy of the blue moon had condensed.
The Blue Moon’s energy was imbued in 13 crops in the tomato field, 3 in the potato field, and 7 in the sweet potato field.
Sejun hurriedly remembered the locations of the crops before the Blue Moon’s energy completely permeated them.
And as the blue energy completely permeated the crops, he harvested the potatoes and sweet potatoes, whose colors were hidden under the soil, first.
“Was it here?”
Sejun went to the location he remembered and pulled the potato stems.
Thud thud thud.
One blue potato was visible among the potatoes that were strung along the stem.
In this way, Sejun, who obtained a total of three power potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy, quickly moved to the sweet potato field.
And then,
Thunk.
He dug up 7 power sweet potatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.
Lastly, while harvesting the magical cherry tomatoes imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy,
[The Tower Administrator is boasting about their contributions.]
“Of course I saw. Now quickly create a quest and take these.”
Sejun proactively offered 5 blue tomatoes, 1 potato, and 1 sweet potato. He offered the crops first even though Aileen did not ask for them. He hoped that Aileen would actively block the Blue Moon in the future.
And then,
[The Tower Administrator thanks you.]
[The Tower Administrator shouts out loud to leave the Blue Moon to them in the future.]
Aileen did not betray Sejun’s expectations.
[The Tower Administrator hesitantly asks if you can cook the potatoes and sweet potatoes.]
Aileen asked cautiously, as if she was sorry for asking for more while being the recipient.
“I’ll do it.”
Sejun, having experienced Aileen’s disaster-grade cooking skills, readily agreed. Although he wondered if this was also considered cooking, he thought he wouldn’t feel good if Aileen messed up roasting the potatoes and sweet potatoes.
He couldn’t stand not being able to eat the crops. And he didn’t want to see Aileen’s message of crying over messing up the cooking.
He planned to make steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes anyway, so it was not a big hassle.
In the meantime, as the harvested potatoes and sweet potatoes were turned into steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes, Sejun took a look at the options of a magical cherry tomato imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.
[Magical Cherry Tomato imbued with Blue Moon’s energy]
→ A tomato grown in the Tower with sufficient nutrients that tastes good.
→ The taste has further improved with the energy of the Blue Moon.
→ A farmer familiar with farming grew it, so the taste and efficiency are good.
→ Upon consumption, your magic permanently increases by 0.3.
→ Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
→ Expiration date: 120 days
→ Grade: C
“My magic increases by 0.3.”
Up until now, the stat increase between crops imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy and regular crops has been consistent at twice the amount, but starting from grade C, the efficiency of crops imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy was better, making the difference less than twice.
“I’ll just eat four for now.”
Although he would not eat the Eel’s Core right away as he needed it to use as a source of light when securing food outside the pond, Sejun prepared to raise his magic level to more than 10 so that he could eat the giant electric eel’s core whenever necessary.
When Sejun put the cherry tomato he was holding into his mouth and chewed,
Crunch.
Splash!
The plump skin broke, releasing the sweet and sour juice inside. The juice of the cherry tomato, which was of C grade and contained the energy of the blue moon, tasted even richer.
“Wow… it’s delicious.”
[You have consumed a magical cherry tomato imbued with the energy of the blue moon.]
[Your magic permanently increases by 0.3.]
Before the aftertaste of the flavor disappeared, Sejun put another blue cherry tomato into his mouth.
Crunch.
[You have consumed a magical cherry tomato imbued with the energy of the blue moon.]
[Your magic permanently increases by 0.3.]
In this way, Sejun, who ate four blue cherry tomatoes, finally increased his magic to over 10. Specifically, it was 10.25.
Shortly after the steamed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes were done, Sejun sent five cherry tomatoes, one steamed potato, and one roasted sweet potato to Aileen, thus completing the quest.
And then, Sejun peeled the blue skin off the steamed potato.
“Hoo…hoo.”
Sejun blew on the potato to cool it down quickly. In a moment when no one was looking, he planned to eat the potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon and get rid of the evidence.
“It’s a shame there’s no sugar.”
It certainly tasted fine with salt, but for some reason, he thought about sugar because he couldn’t have it.
Just then,
“Ah!”
Upon thinking, he didn’t have sugar, but he had something better than sugar. It was organic honey harvested by honeybees from the cherry tomato flowers he had grown himself.
Sejun hurriedly brought the glass jar filled with honey, opened the lid, and poured honey into a bowl.
Glug…glug…
Unlike when he gave honey to Cuengi (Baby Bear), the angle of the glass bottle went down without hesitation.
And then,
Dip.
Sejun dipped the steamed potato deeply into the bowl of honey and put it in his mouth. The potato coated in honey entered Sejun’s mouth.
“Hua…haa…”
As he cooled the hot potato with his breath, he chewed the potato. As he chewed the potato, the honey, which had turned to liquid due to the heat, seeped into the fluffy potato, creating a harmonious taste.
Gulp.
“……”
No other words were needed. It was the perfect combination.
[You have consumed a Power Potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon.]
[Your strength permanently increases by 0.3.]
When he finished eating one steamed potato,
[You have achieved the feat of recreating the forgotten dish of Honey Potato.]
“This is a forgotten dish?”
Just because he dipped a steamed potato in honey?
***
Aileen ate the five cherry tomatoes imbued with the energy of the blue moon that she received from Sejun all at once,
Thump…thud…thump…thud…
She focused on her dragon heart, which was beating slowly but steadily. Whether her body had adapted this time, she didn’t faint.
“Creak. Creak.”
Feeling the throbbing of her dragon heart, Aileen swallowed the steamed potato and roasted sweet potato in order.
“It’s a pity.”
The potatoes and sweet potatoes disappeared as if they melted in an instant. When Aileen was feeling the lingering taste and regretting it,
“Huh?”
She saw the human dipping a steamed potato in something beyond the crystal ball.
And then,
[Achievement: Recreation of the forgotten dish, Honey Potato, has been achieved in the tower.]
Aileen nodded at the human. Reproducing delicious food… he truly was an extraordinary human.
“He’s done something remarkable, so he deserves a reward.”
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Aileen’s heartbeat grew stronger. This time, it wasn’t her dragon heart but another heartbeat.
“Extraordinary human, accept this quest!”
Blinded by the honey potatoes, Aileen didn’t notice.
***
[The Tower Administrator nods at your excellent achievement.]
[A quest has been generated.]
[Quest: Serve honey potatoes to the Tower’s Administrator.]
Reward: 1 Job Skill
Refusal: Well, I’d be hurt, but I won’t show it!
“What?”
I’d be hurt but won’t show it? Then don’t put it in the quest…
“Can I just make it with regular potatoes?”
There was no reason to refuse when she was offering a skill after so long. And it wasn’t hard to do either.
[The Tower’s Administrator nods vigorously, indicating her understanding.]
Sejun peeled the skins off the steamed potatoes he had in the pot and put five of them into a bowl filled with honey.
“Here.”
The bowl in Sejun’s hand disappeared entirely.
And then,
[You have completed the quest.]
[You have obtained a special job skill – Cooking Lv. 1 as a quest completion reward.]
He obtained a new skill.
“Cooking?”
[Honey Potato recipe has been registered in Special Job Skill – Cooking Lv. 1.]
“Recipe?”
Sejun checked the cooking skill.
[Special Job Skill – Cooking Lv. 1]NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
-The taste and effect of food made using ingredients from the tower will slightly improve.
-Registered recipes: 1
“The effects increase slightly?”
As Sejun peeled the blue skin off another steamed potato and dipped it into honey,
[You have created a Power Honey Potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon.]
[Your proficiency with Cooking Lv. 1 has increased slightly.]
[The taste and effect of the Power Honey Potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon have increased slightly due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 1.]
[Power Honey Potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon]
– You steamed a power potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon, peeled off the skin, and seasoned it with honey.
– The combination of steamed potato and honey made the taste sweet and soft.
– The taste slightly improves.
– Upon consumption, your strength permanently increases by 0.3 (The increase in strength due to Cooking Lv. 1 is too small to be displayed.)
– Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
– Expiration date: 1 day
– Grade: C
“I can’t make it in advance and eat it.”
The expiration date was one day, and the increase in strength was barely different. Sejun decided to be satisfied with the improved taste.
“Shall I try it?”
Sejun put the finished honey potato in his mouth.
And then,
Gulp.
Swish.
He buried the blue potato skin in the cherry tomato field, completely erasing any trace of him eating the Power Potato imbued with the energy of the blue moon.
On 212th day of being stranded, Sejun’s eighth blue moon passed very peacefully.
***
***