TL: Hanguk

On the first day of eating honey in Seojun’s cave, the poison bee realized that its body had started to change. After that, every time it ate honey, its body emitted a stronger scent and became slightly plumper.

At first, it didn’t know what the change was, but it realized what it was when the queen bee in the hive started to be wary of it a while ago. It had become capable of laying eggs. So, the poison bee decided to become independent.

The place for independence was, of course, Seojun’s cave, which was close to its food source. A huge number of cherry tomato flowers would bloom soon, so it seemed there would be enough food even if the number of family members increased.

Buzz.

To achieve this, it rubbed its body against the cave’s owner every day to show its friendliness and inform him that it was not an enemy, obtaining permission(?) to live in the cave. Of course, Seojun would never know when he actually granted permission.

Rub, rub.

Today, as always, the poison bee began its day by rubbing its body against the cave’s owner.

And then,

“Let’s get to work.”

Squeak!

Beep!

Whoosh!

Bam!

Seojun and the rabbits also began their morning, each doing their own work.

“Hmm… About 70%?”

Seojun looked at the carrot sprouts that had grown up to his ankles and spoke. He didn’t give up and kept watering them, waiting for the sprouts to emerge, but out of the 1000 carrot seeds he had bought and planted from the seed store, only 700 had sprouted.

As for the 1200 cherry tomato seeds he had planted after harvesting them from the magical cherry tomatoes, the germination rate was about 10% lower than that of the carrot seeds. The germination rate was 61%. Out of the 1200 seeds, 732 had sprouted and were growing.

The germination rates of the corn seeds bought from the seed store and the sweet potato shoots he had planted himself were also around 70% and 60%, similar to those of the carrots and cherry tomatoes.

“Hehehe. Thank you for growing so well.”

About 1000 of the planted plants had died, making his efforts seem useless, but when he saw the sprouts that had survived and grown, his complaints disappeared, and a smile formed on his face.

At that moment, a message appeared before Seojun’s eyes.

[A new quest has been generated.]

[Quest: Give 10 magical cherry tomatoes to the Tower’s administrator!]

Reward: None

If refused: Disappointment

The Tower’s administrator didn’t excessively demand anything from Seojun, who had continuously postponed quests and watched Seojun and Theo’s transactions.

And the threats to offer it or die had disappeared as well.

Instead, it showed disappointment like this. It seemed so pitiful and endearing that Seojun couldn’t help but give in again.

“Take it.”

Ten cherry tomatoes disappeared from Seojun’s storage.

[You have completed the quest.]

[The Tower’s administrator is grateful for your kindness.]

Now it even felt gratitude. Seojun felt pleased that the other party was grateful.

“Huh?!”

Seojun, who had been smiling contentedly, quickly erased his smile.

‘I just looked like a pushover.’

I have to be careful. Seojun gathered his thoughts and focused on farming again.

However, looking at the fresh green waves in the field, a contented smile was soon drawn on his face.

Although he didn’t realize it, he wasn’t a pushover but he had a kinder heart.

****

Day 143 of being stranded.

“I’m back, meow!”

Theo announced his return as he jumped down from the hole in the ceiling. His voice was full of energy since he had sold out.

However,

“You?! What’s going on?!”

Sejun’s voice raised in surprise at Theo’s earlier-than-expected return. Sejun meant to scold Theo for coming back without selling everything, but Theo took it differently.

“I’m sorry, meow. Even if I sell out next time, I won’t play on other floors and will come straight back, meow.”

Theo immediately admitted his mistake.

“What?! You went to play? For how many days?”

“I played for four days, meow. I’m sorry, meow…”

As Sejun’s tone softened, Theo, who had been observant, quickly grabbed Sejun’s leg and asked for forgiveness.

But Sejun’s serious expression didn’t ease. He was doing some calculations in his head after hearing Theo’s words.

Theo had said that it would take about 10 days to travel back and forth to the 30th floor, where the hunters were.

‘But he had time to play for four days even after selling out?’

Considering Theo returned 14 days after leaving, it meant that he sold out as soon as he went down.

“Explain it in detail, or else I’ll show you how scary I can be”.

Sejun threatened Theo, who was already trying hard to read Sejun’s mood.

“Alright, meow…”

Theo, who had shrunken, began to explain.

“That’s what happened, meow… The humans just bought everything after a few words, meow.”

Theo still had the presence of mind to leave out the fact that he had tried to stop the purchase.

“Really? Without using your secret technique?”

“That’s right, meow.”

Sejun realized that the response to the cherry tomatoes was hotter than he thought after hearing Theo’s words.

“Here are 50 tower coins, meow.”

“You did well. Theo, the employee. Here’s your incentive.”

Sejun handed Theo 2 tower coins, which was 4% of the sales amount.

“Uh? Aren’t I the representative Theo, meow?”

“You just got demoted. Where is a representative who goes to play for four days? Work hard from now on, and I’ll make you a representative again. And when you become a representative, I’ll raise the incentive to 5%.”

“Understood, meow! I’ll work hard to become the representative, meow!”

Theo responded enthusiastically to Sejun’s words.

“But what’s with your speech?”

“I just decided to live like this, meow.”

Theo had lost his sense of inferiority about his dialect after realizing that it was well-received by humans.

“Hehehe. My name will be known now.”

“What do you mean, meow?”

“The cherry tomatoes have the option to show the grower, right? So people will know that I made those cherry tomatoes.”

“…!”

Theo couldn’t sit still at Sejun’s words.

There are various systems for wandering merchants, and one of them is a feature that forcibly hides the origin of the goods, such as the manufacturer or grower, for inexperienced wandering merchants with low sales.

You can’t even tell them verbally. It gets blocked. The only way to really let them know is to take them to the place.

The policy was to prevent wealthy wandering merchants from stealing the suppliers of novice wandering merchants.

In other words, Sejun’s name as the grower wouldn’t be shown on the cherry tomatoes Theo was selling.

And the only way to lift this restriction is by achieving 1,000 tower coins in sales and becoming a mid-level wandering merchant.

‘This is big trouble, meow.’

Theo thought that if he revealed this fact to Sejun here, he would somehow be demoted another level in the company and his incentive would be reduced to 3%.

But he couldn’t keep it a secret because his conscience wouldn’t let him.

So there was only one solution – to get out of this situation!

“Give me the cherry tomatoes, meow. I’ll leave right away, meow.”

“Already? Rest for a few days. You need to get your weekly pay, too.”

“No, meow! I’ll take it later, meow. I want to make money quickly, meow!”

Theo hurriedly packed the cherry tomatoes into his bag and left.

“The kid’s got money fever.”

Sejun misunderstood Theo’s intentions without knowing his thoughts.

******

As Sejun hoped for his cherry tomatoes to gain popularity, the hunters who purchased the magical cherry tomatoes were beginning to experience their effects.

“Dad! Dad! We have to buy more of these next time. Got it? We must! These are so great!”

Kim Dongsik, the leader of the Phoenix Guild, bought 20 magic cherry tomatoes to satisfy his curiosity and for his daughter, who starved herself daily for her diet. His daughter stopped being grumpy due to dieting after eating the cherry tomatoes, and peace returned to their home. Initially, she ate three a day, but now she only eats one in the morning to save them.

The option of breaking down 10g of fat and giving vitality to the body comes with it. This vitality effect lasts for a long time, and with less food, the body feels energized and not tired, making her move more and consume additional calories, helping her diet.

‘I shouldn’t have held back then.’

He didn’t know she would like it this much. He had given in when other team members wanted to buy some and only bought 20, but seeing his daughter’s reaction, he regretted not buying more.

“I got it. Trust me. I’ll definitely get more for you.”

It had been a long time since his daughter had requested something like this. Kim Dongsik really wanted to get the magical cherry tomatoes for her.

-Entering the tower in 3 days.

Kim Dongsik sent a text message to gather his teammates earlier than planned to enter the tower. He expected his teammates to be discontent, but he planned to wait around the area where they met the wandering merchant on the 38th floor while hunting spider monsters since he didn’t know when the cat wandering merchant would appear again.

‘I should request a fixed deal when I meet the wandering merchant this time.’

Then

Doom. Doom.

His teammates replied.

-Yes.

-Ready.

-Let’s go today! Right now!

Kim Dongsik anticipated grumbles from his teammates, but they seemed to have been waiting and agreed to enter the tower. They even urged him to go faster.

They were in a similar situation to Dongsik.

*****

After finishing her hunt, Jessica immediately handed the magic cherry tomatoes to her younger sister, Anna.

She didn’t have high expectations.

But

“Sis, where did you get these cherry tomatoes?!”

Anna, who had eaten about 20 cherry tomatoes, excitedly pointed at the magic cherry tomatoes and asked Jessica.

“Why? Is there something wrong with them?”

“No. They’re amazing. I’m not depressed anymore. I feel so energized! I just want to move!”

“What?!”

Jessica looked at Anna in disbelief. It used to take hours of nagging and pleading for Anna to move for just 10 minutes. Now, she wanted to move on her own.

“Sis, I want to go for a walk.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

That day, Jessica and Anna walked around the neighborhood for three hours before returning home.

After a few days, Anna’s weight quickly dropped to 80kg.

Now, without being told, Anna ate a diet meal and magical cherry tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and went around the neighborhood three times a day on her own.

At first, she needed to eat 20 cherry tomatoes to feel energized, but as her body got lighter, the number decreased to 13.

In just a month or two, Anna seemed to be able to return to a normal life.

But they were running out of magic cherry tomatoes.

‘I need to go back to the tower and meet the wandering merchant.’

Then

-Entering the tower in 3 days.

She received a text from the leader to enter the tower.

-Let’s go today! Right now!

Jessica hurriedly replied and started preparing her equipment.

*****

“I managed to get out, but what should I do meow?”

Theo, going down the lower floors of the tower, was lost in thought.

“When will I achieve a sales amount of 1,000 tower coins meow?”

This time, he filled his bag with magical cherry tomatoes, carrying 1,500 of them.

However, even if he sold 1,500 at a time, he had to come and go more than ten times.

“I need to make money as quickly as possible meow.”

He needed a way to quickly achieve 1,000 tower coins in sales and become a mid-tier merchant.

He didn’t want to be demoted again if Sejun found out that the grower’s name had been hidden due to his merchant status.

“I want to become a representative quickly meow.”

Having had it once, he wanted it even more after losing it.

So, Theo carried the bag full of magical cherry tomatoes, trudging along to the 38th floor where he had traded with humans a few days ago.

He thought of stopping by the place where he had traded for the first time, and if no one was there, he would go down to the lower floors.

At that moment,

“Hey! The wandering merchant is here!”

“Why are you so late?!”

“We’ve been waiting.”

The humans he had traded with a few days ago came running towards him.

“Human, were you waiting for me meow?”

Theo looked at the humans curiously and asked.

“Yes. We waited for 3 days.”

“Is that so meow?”

Seeing the humans waiting for him, a idea came to his mind.

“Do you have magical cherry tomatoes?”

“Hehe, I do, but the price has gone up meow.”

Theo’s bargaining skills had improved, driven by his desire to regain his representative position.

****

1 more chapter coming up in the next hour.