TL: Hanguk

[Magical Cherry Tomato]

“Is this the newly released D-grade Magical Cherry Tomato? It’s really amazing that just eating this can break down 20g of fat.”

Michael McLaren, the Vice Chairman of Gagel, a huge food corporation that controls 39% of the world food market, said while looking at the red cherry tomato. Being an Awakened, he could see the options of the Magical Cherry Tomato.

“What was the result of planting the E-grade Magical Cherry Tomato on Earth?”

Michael had been researching the Magical Cherry Tomato for several months now and had recently had the first harvest.

“We planted it in the best conditions for cherry tomatoes to grow, but perhaps because the environment is different from the tower, it grew into a normal cherry tomato that we know, not an item.”

“Hmm…”

Michael McLaren fell into thought.

Ten years ago, the tower appeared while Michael was learning about company work under his father.

And a few months after the tower appeared, Michael was lucky enough to get into the tower through Vanishing.

The tower was much larger than it looked from the outside. Even by securing a place on just one floor, you could grow and harvest enough crops to cover 5% of the crops currently produced by Gagel.

Plus, with the sun shining 24 hours inside the tower, the harvest cycle was short. If they could grow crops in the tower, it wouldn’t be a dream to control the entire global food market.

Michael convinced his father, the Chairman of Gagel, as soon as he came out of the tower. He then led the Tower Farm Project, which involved setting up a large-scale farm inside the tower.

Everything was going smoothly. But a problem arose unexpectedly. The seeds that the Tower Farm Project team took into the tower didn’t sprout for some reason.

They tried various methods such as changing the germination conditions and environment, and bringing seedlings, but all failed.

And they found out the cause of their failure through a research report from another research team.

→Research on the reason why Awakened become infertile

The content of the research report was shocking. Awakened lose their reproductive ability as soon as they enter the tower.

Now it is known that this is a temporary side effect due to magic adaptation, and most of the reproductive ability is restored when the Awakened level exceeds 10, but in the early days when the tower appeared, it gave a huge shock to society.

The loss of fertility applied equally to plants, and Michael, who had no way to raise the level of the seeds, gave up on the method of bringing seeds from outside.

Instead, he chose a method to get the seeds directly. The tower was selling food made from various crops. So when he tried to buy seeds from the merchants in the tower,

“Seeds? A greedy guy named Grid on the 55th floor has monopolized them, so they can’t be sold.”

So Michael’s Tower Farm Project was discarded after hearing that it was an ahead-of-its-time project that could only be started if they reached the 55th floor.

However, with the emergence of the Magical Cherry Tomato in the world, Michael’s ambition for the Tower Farm Project reignited.

“What was the result of planting the Magical Cherry Tomato in the tower?”

“We sowed 100 E-grade Magical Cherry Tomatoes on the 1st floor of the tower as a trial, and 10 of them successfully sprouted and are about to be harvested soon.”

“Really?!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Although the current sprouting rate is 10%, Michael thought that using the know-how of Gagel, it was not a big deal to increase the sprouting rate.

“Get the budget for the Tower Farm Project approved immediately. Employ awakeners to clear out the monsters around the area where we’ll build the farm.”

Like that, the once halted Tower Farm project of the huge food corporation Gagel, thanks to Sejun’s cherry tomatoes, restarted.

***

Huh?!!!

Woo Cheon-sam was enraged by Theo’s words, “You’re accusing a warrior like me of thievery?!!!”

“Th…that’s right, meow. If not, let’s go ask Park Sejun, meow!”

Theo was taken aback by Woo Cheon-sam’s anger, but he quickly regained his confidence. He had Park Sejun on his side. Park Sejun would solve everything, meow.

Huh!

Woo Cheon-sam stood up, blowing out hot breath through his nose. Lead the way!

“Follow me, meow!”

Theo led Woo Cheon-sam to the cave.

***

In the cave where everyone was asleep.

Thunk. Thunk.

“Uhm… Theo?”

Sejun woke up due to Theo pressing on his cheek with his paw.

“President, I’m back, meow!”

“You’ve worked hard. Let’s sleep now.”

Sejun reached out to hold Theo and sleep, but

Swoosh.

Theo blocked Sejun’s hand with his paw.

“No, meow! You have to come out with me right now, meow!”

“Outside?”

“That’s right, meow! I’ve caught a thief, meow! Recognize it as an honor, meow! Cats that catch thieves this well aren’t common, meow!”

Theo spoke with pride.

‘Did he catch a rat?’

Sejun didn’t take Theo’s words seriously.

“Can’t I check it out in the morning?”

“No, meow! The thief might run away, meow! Let’s go outside quickly, meow!”

“Okay.”

Sejun, urged by Theo, got up from his seat and went up to the ground.

Huff. Huff.

There, Sejun, who had come up to the surface, locked eyes with a black monster with horns, 12m in size, breathing heavily.

[Black Minotaur]

It was okay because he had gotten used to the gigantic size of the mother Crimson Giant Bear. If not, he might have fallen down from the pressure coming from the enormous size of the Black Minotaur.

“Theo, is this gentleman the thief you caught?”

“That’s right, meow! He’s the thief, meow! Woo Cheon-sam stole your grass, meow!”

Theo protested to Sejun, whining as he did so.

Huh! Huh!

At Theo’s words, Woo Cheon-sam protested strongly, feeling wronged. It’s not true! I found it!

“No, meow! Woo Cheon-sam is a thief, meow!”

The two started arguing back and forth over whether Woocheon-sam was a thief. No matter how much Woo Cheon-sam huffed and puffed, Theo was not afraid. Theo, who was with Sejun, was full of confidence.

What’s this? While watching the two, Sejun quickly grasped the situation.

Considering the horn on his head, he was the one who messed up his field during the Blue Moon. However, listening to Theo’s words, it seemed like the one who stole the green onion leaves and corn stalks that covered his field last time was also this guy.

And today, he was caught by Theo while trying to steal green onion leaves again. Black Minotaur, Woo Cheon-sam, was claiming his innocence under Theo’s interrogation, insisting he had just picked up what was dropped on the ground.

“Catching a thief when you’re not even a dog.”

There had never been a cat like this, let alone a dog. Moreover, the thief he caught was not just any thief, but a thief who had good strength and could be useful for farming. Sejun looked at Theo with admiration.

“President, your expression is strange right now, meow!”

“Huh?!”

“Before that, quickly tell me whether you threw away the grass or not, meow.”

“Of course, I didn’t throw it away.”

Sejun firmly shook his head. Even if he had, he wouldn’t admit it.

“Tell Woo Cheon-sam that I’m demanding 100 Tower coins as compensation for wrecking my field and stealing the grass I had carefully laid down.”

Sejun called an enormous amount. It was too much for wrecking the field and stealing grass.

“Got it, meow!”

Huh…

When Theo delivered Sejun’s words, Woo Cheon-sam showed a look of despair. I don’t have money…

“President, Woo Cheon-sam says he doesn’t have any money, what should we do, meow?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? If he doesn’t have money, he should pay with his labor. I’ll give him 1 Tower coin a day for working here.”

Sejun proposed a job to Woo Cheon-sam. The reason he asked for such an excessive price was to lay the groundwork for this. Of course, there was some resentment for ruining his field and causing him to work multiple times.

“Ah! That’s possible, meow?!”

Theo admired Sejun’s words.

‘So, if there’s no money, you can repay with labor, meow.’

Theo realized a new means of transaction.

Huh!

Woo Cheon-sam nodded in agreement with Sejun’s proposal. As a Black Minotaur warrior, he couldn’t resort to stealing others’ things.

“Tell him to rest and come to work in the morning.”

“Got it, meow.”

It didn’t seem like Woo Cheon-sam would run away. After all, he was a monster who would return for the green onion leaves anyway. Thus, providing him with green onion leaves as wages while making him work could create a win-win situation for both.

Of course, it would be more beneficial for Sejun…

Theo conveyed Sejun’s words to Woo Cheon-sam, and

Huh.

Woo Cheon-sam went back with a gloomy face. Thus, Sejun employed a powerful black ox… no, a Black Minotaur, to plow his field.

“Theo, well done.”

“Did I do well, meow?”

Theo looked at Sejun as he spoke. His expression was saying, ‘Don’t you know you should give me something if I did well?’

“Your representative time has been extended by one month.”

“Give me more, meow!”

Theo tried to negotiate with Sejun.

However,

With a rustle.

When Sejun tore open a bag of Churu and placed it in front of Theo,

With a gulp.

All thoughts of negotiation quickly flew out of the window.

With a plop.

Sejun, carrying Theo indulging in the Churu in one arm, went down to the cave and fell asleep again.

On the 192nd day of being stranded, Sejun had a good night’s sleep, holding Theo.

***

Kuoooong?! (Why are you here?!)

Eummeoooh!! (I came to pay back my debt!!)

Kwoong!! (Brothers, I’m here!)

With the arrival of the morning, chaos ensued on the surface due to the mother Crimson Giant Bear and Black Minotaur Woo Cheon-sam.

“I forgot.”

“What, meow?!”

Sejun quickly tied the sleeping Theo translator to his back and went up to the surface. It would be a big problem if either of them got hurt.

As he surfaced, the mother Crimson Giant Bear and Woo Cheon-sam were growling at each other, circling around the cave.

A tense situation.

“Wait!”

Sejun first yelled to stop them both.

Kuoooong!

“She says to go inside because it’s dangerous, meow.”

Eummeoooh!

“He says he came to repay his debt, meow.”

Kwoong!

“President, that one is asking for Churu again, meow! Hurry up and scold him, meow!”

While translating, Theo pointed at the baby bear and became enraged.

“Calm down everyone. And…”

Sejun brought out the magic words to solve the chaos at once.

“Let’s eat first and then talk.”

Kwoong!

At Sejun’s words, baby bear hurriedly sat down in his place and

Kuoooong…

Eummeoooh…

The mother Crimson Giant Bear and Woo Cheon-sam also awkwardly sat down in their places.

***

Kuoooong.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear, who had eaten piranha and crayfish, got up to patrol. After hearing the full story from Se-jun, she relaxed her guard against Woocheon Sam.

Munch, Munch.

Eummeoh?

While chewing on green onion leaves and cherry tomato branches, Woo Cheon-sam approached Theo and asked. What should I do?

“Woo Cheon-sam is asking what he should do, meow!”

“He have to turn over the soil.”

Sejun took Woo Cheon-sam to the pit Woo Cheon-sam had made during the Blue Moon.

“Make a pit like this.”

Eummeoh!

At Sejun’s words, Woo Cheon-sam plunged his 1-meter-long horn into the ground and elongated them.

The horn pierced the ground and grew up to 7m long.

And then.

Eummeoooh!

Koogoong.

When Woo Cheon-sam lifted his head with a shout, the ground rose with it.

“Good. You just need to do this until lunch.”

Eummeoh?!

Woo Cheon-sam looked moved. You’re giving me lunch too?!

“Of course. I’m not a blackhearted employer.”

Although the working conditions were poor enough to be immediately reported to the labor department if they were outside, if he provided meals while making them work in the tower, he is a wonderful employer.

In this way, Sejun put Woo Cheon-sam to work and came down to the cave with Theo.

Then

Pyaang!

Pyaap!

Pyaat!

The baby rabbits ran towards Theo.

“My little nephews, your cool uncle is here, meow!”

Theo, welcoming the baby rabbits with open arms. But the baby rabbits ran past Theo to Sejun. In their short lives, Theo was already a stranger.

“How can you change so easily, meow!”

Theo cried out in desperation towards the fickle baby rabbits, but they didn’t even pretend to listen.

Sejun played a bit with the baby rabbits and sent them to the rabbit couple. He had to settle the account with Theo for this trade.

“We sold out again this time and earned 612 tower coins, meow.”

And then

Thump, thump.

Theo grabbed the bag and shook it upside down, causing the Churu, coffee, and the goods obtained from the general store and by taking pictures to spill out.

“There weren’t many hunters waiting for me this time… I could only take pictures with two people, meow.”

Theo’s ears drooped.

“That’s okay. What about the lottery?”

“I didn’t see anything I wanted this time, so I just came back, meow.”

“You’ve worked hard. Here’s your incentive.”

Sejun handed over 35 tower coins as an incentive to Theo.

“Thank you, meow!”

“And this is the incentive for catching the thief.”

Since he was able to make Woo Cheon-sam work for 100 tower coins thanks to Theo, he paid an additional 20 tower coins, 20% of 100 tower coins.

“Then… then that’s a total of 55 Tower coins, meow!!!”

Theo looked at the money piled on his paws with a touched expression. He had made more money in one go than the 50 tower coins he had brought when he left his hometown.

‘With Park Sejun, I’m bound to succeed, meow! Park Sejun’s lap must be mine, meow!’

Theo lay sprawled, determined to take over Sejun’s lap.

“Hey, move over now. I need to work.”

“I don’t want to, meow!”

On the 193rd day of being stranded, Sejun had a hard time getting Theo, who was clinging to his lap whenever he got the chance, off him.

*****