TL: Hanguk

Theo, who was hanging on Sejun’s knee, bristled his fur as he saw Iona coming out of the void storage door.

‘Why is Iona coming out from there, meow?!’

Theo, who thought he had left Iona on the 99th floor of the tower.

‘The tower’s system is useless, meow!’

While Theo was furious about the major loophole in the tower’s system,

“It’s great!”

Sejun was pleased to discover the loophole that even if he didn’t designate a subordinate, if they were inside the void storage, they could travel together. Now he had a way to take more subordinates when a green alert appears.

While Sejun was pleased,

Whoosh. Whoosh.

The purple locusts started to fly towards Sejun and the animals. They were there to kill the enemy who appeared in their hatching ground.

However,

“Kyoo-Giga Lightning!”

On their side, they had Iona, the wizard of destruction. The blue lightning that shot out from Iona’s adorable fingers attacked the purple locusts.

Crackle.

The blue lightning spread out in a chain, roasting the surrounding purple locusts until its power was exhausted. In an instant, all the purple locusts visible in front of Sejun had fallen.

[Guard Iona has…]

…

..

.

The message of gaining experience passed by too quickly to read.

However, Sejun couldn’t just rejoice.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have acquired 1 bonus stat.]

[You have reached the maximum daily level-up limit of 10 times.]

[Until a day has passed, you cannot gain any experience other than the experience you acquire directly.]

“What?! Then what about the experience I just gained?”

Sejun was startled looking at the message. The experience that could have allowed him to instantly level him up to level 50 and allow him to do the job quest had been wasted.

“I didn’t know there would be such a limit…”

It’s information most of the Earth’s hunters wouldn’t know. Of course, they didn’t. They never had the opportunity to ride such a premium bus¹.

“There’s no choice. Let’s retreat for now!”

Instead of fighting, Sejun decided to return to the habitat of the jewel frogs. Even if he fought hard here, he wouldn’t gain much experience.

So he just planned to guard this place and wait for the day to pass. By guarding this place, he could prevent the extinction of the jewel frogs, killing two birds with one stone.

“Guys, gather some meat.”

Sejun had the animals that were going inside gather the bodies of the purple locusts. The smell of roasted chicken that was emitted when Iona’s lightning magic fried the locusts earlier stimulated Sejun’s salivary glands and culinary inspiration.

And then,

Clank.

He opened the void storage, took out 20 sturdy blade green onions, and planted them at the entrance so that the purple locusts could not easily enter, and entered the jewel frog’s habitat.

“But where is this?”

Iona, looking around, asked about their location.

“This is the habitat of the jewel frogs on the 67th floor of the tower, meow! We are here to prevent the extinction of the jewel frogs, meow!”

“Jewel frogs?”

“That’s right. meow! Let me introduce you to the jewel frogs, meow!”

Theo, who was wary of Iona but still willing to accommodate her, answered Iona’s question.

Meanwhile, Sejun was trimming the purple locust meat brought in from outside for cooking.

“Let’s see.”

A few that first got hit by Iona’s attack were completely charred and inedible, but the purple locusts that were hit when the lightning energy was low were only slightly burnt on the outside.

Thanks to that, the inside was pre-cooked like a parboil, making it convenient for cooking and quickly edible.

“First, I need to take out the detoxifying green onions.”

Clank.

Sejun opened the void storage and went inside.

“Wow…it’s spacious.”

The void storage that Iona had upgraded was much larger than before, incomparable to its previous size. It was large enough to fit three black minotaurs if they curled up.

“This and…this.”

Sejun came out with the ingredients needed for cooking in the pot.

And then,

Swoosh.

He cut the purple locust meat into decent sizes and slit the meat in the middle to stuff it with detoxifying green onions to neutralize the poison.

After making ten pieces of meat stuffed with green onions,

“Cuengi, make me some thin, long branches.”

Sejun called Cuengi, who was drooling while watching.

kreung!

Thinking that it could eat something delicious, Cuengi was very cooperative. Cuengi inserted its power into the enhanced branch of the corrupted Ent, shaping it into the form that Sejun wanted.

“Good.”

Poke. Poke.

Sejun skewered the pieces of meat onto the branch that Cuengi was holding and placed the branch on a stand made of stacked stones. The branch were hung about 20cm above the flames.

“Now, you just need to turn this once in a while to make sure they cook evenly. Got it?”

Kreung!

Cuengi nodded at Sejun’s words. This time, the cooking was not on direct flame, but indirect heat, in order to achieve a roasted chicken kind of feel.

It could be called Roasted Purple Locust.

Just then,

Gurgle.

His stomach sent a signal asking for food. Thinking back, he didn’t even get to finish his meal on the 99th floor of the tower.

However, since the Roasted Purple Locust is not directly heated, it requires time to cook. He needed another dish to quell his immediate hunger.

“Theo, can you chop this up finely?”

Sejun asked Theo, who was returning, pointing to the purple locust meat and ingredients. Iona was nowhere to be seen.

“Understood, meow! Leave it to me, meow!”

Swish.

Theo took out his claws and finely chopped the meat and ingredients.

“Thanks.”

‘Phew. As expected, President Park needs me, right?, meow’

Theo was hanging onto Sejun’s knee, basking in the pride of Sejun’s “Thank you”.

Plop.

Sejun put the Purple Locust meat, potatoes, and green onions that Theo had chopped into a pot, seasoned them with salt, and began to boil. It was SeP’s soup.

“ChuChu, help me.”

In order to reduce the cooking time, Sejun asked ChuChu to strengthen the fire.

Pi Ppi!

When ChuChu went to the stove and used fire magic,

Fwoosh.

The intensity of the fire increased.

Bloop, bloop.

As it boiled more and more, the color of the soup turned purple.

Then,

[Purple SeP’s Potato Soup is ready.]

[Your proficiency in Cooking Lv. 4 increases significantly.]

Sejun checked the options of the completed dish.

[Purple SeP’s Potato Soup]

→ Thinly sliced Purple Locust meat, Detoxifying Green Onions, and Power Potatoes are simmered together for a long time, harmoniously blending all the ingredients and increasing all their effects.

→ The Detoxifying Green Onion neutralizes the extreme poison in the Purple Locust meat, enhancing the consumption effect and making the meat more tender.

→ Due to the effect of the Detoxifying Green Onions, the dish does not spoil easily.

→ The taste improves slightly.

→ Upon consumption, Strength increases by 10.5 for 30 minutes (due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 4, Strength increases by 0.5).

→ Feel full for 4 hours.

→ Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

→ Expiration date: 30 days

→ Grade: C+

The options for the dish were better than when he used Red Locust meat.

“Guys, let’s eat.”

Sejun called the animals.

However, the expressions of the animals, upon seeing the color of the soup, were not good. It was an expression that said, “Don’t play around with food.”

Of course, Cuengi, who would eat anything, didn’t care.

Krengi!

Cuengi gulped down the soup that Sejun gave in one shot.

Buzz, buzz.

The animals started to discuss how they were going to eat that purple soup.

“I’m not eating it, meow.”

Theo, a fish lover, voiced his opinion not to eat it.

Squeak!

The black rabbit suggested eating with its eyes closed.

“We can use illusion magic.”

Iona suggested fooling their brains with illusion magic.

Pi Ppi!

ChuChu suggested using color changing magic.

Gulp. Kreung!

Meanwhile, Cuengi had one-shot the soup and handed the empty bowl to Sejun, who was eating the soup. It was already his fifth take.

“Make up your minds quickly. If you keep this up, there won’t be any left for you. And it’s much tastier than you think.”

Sejun rushed the animals in discussion and gave Cuengi another bowl.

“Just eat it.”

Thump.

Pi Ppi.

The animals, who failed to narrow down their opinions, each started eating the purple soup in their own way.

And then,

“I want Churu, meow.”

Theo, who wouldn’t eat the soup anyway, climbed onto Sejun’s lap and asked for Churu.

“Alright.”

Rip.

Sejun tore the opening of a Churu packet and handed it to Theo.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

Around the time when the meal was almost over, the smell of roasted chicken permeated the cave. It was because of the Roasted Purple Locust.

“Is it fully cooked?”

As Sejun approached the Roasted Purple Locust,

[You have achieved the achievement of making the Roasted Purple Locust for the first time in the Tower.]

[The recipe for Roasted Purple Locust is registered in Cooking Lv. 4.]

[Your proficiency in Cooking Lv. 4 greatly increases.]

[Special effect: Lesser Poison Resistance is added to Roasted Purple Locust due to the effect of Cooking Lv. 4.]

Just in time, the dish was completed.

“Lesser Poison Resistance?”

Just by hearing the name, he felt like he knew what it was. Sejun checked the completed dish.

[Roasted Purple Locust]

→ The detoxifying green onion is filled inside the Purple Locust meat and grilled for a long time using indirect heat, making it not greasy but savory.

→ Thanks to skilled cooking, the Purple Locust meat and the detoxifying green onion inside are well cooked, making the meat tender and tasty.

→ The detoxifying green onion has detoxified the poison in the Purple Locust meat.

→ Special effect: Lesser Poison Resistance

→ Cook: Tower Farmer Park Sejun

→ Expiration Date: 15 days

→ Grade: C+

“Guys, try this.”

Perhaps because they had already tasted the purple soup, the animals began to eat the Roasted Purple Locust without any hesitation.

As the animals were eating the Roasted Purple Locust, the smell filled the cave and began to spread outside.

And that caused an unintended situation.

The Purple Locusts, who were eating the corpses of their kin near the jewel frog habitat, killed by Iona’s attack, smelled the meat scent spreading out of the cave.

Whirrrrr, Rrrrrr

The Purple Locusts began to flock into the gap in the crevice, which was a jewel frog habitat and had a poorly visible entrance, following the scent.

[Your crops have exterminated pests.]

[You have gained 1 experience point.]

[Your crops have exterminated pests.]

[You have gained 1 experience point.]

…

..

.

[Your sturdy blade green onion withers due to poison.]

“Huh?”

As Sejun was looking for his weapon due to the sudden message,

Whirrrrr, Rrrrrr.

Hundreds of Purple Locusts came into the cave.

“This soon?”

Sejun hurriedly picked up the dagger and hand axe.

Just then,

“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. Sejun, open the void storage and shout ‘Freeze storage’ when the Purple Locusts come in!”

Iona stepped forward and said.

Creak.

At Iona’s words, Sejun opened the void storage towards the Purple Locusts,

Whirrrrr, Rrrrrr.

The Purple Locusts went into the void storage on their own to eat the crops inside.

And then,

“Freeze storage.”

As Sejun said,

Whoosh.

A strong wind was created from the void storage, starting to suck in the Purple Locusts that came in.

[Storing the Purple Locusts in the freezer.]

[Purple Locusts are going into hibernation.]

[If the Purple Locusts are not taken out within 10 hours, they will freeze to death.]

…

..

.

[5% of the space is filled.]

…

..

.

Purple Locusts were frozen in ice cubes and piled up in the corner of the void storage. They weren’t dead, so he could take them out later and gain experience points.

“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. How is it? I had some magic left, so I added a new function!”

Iona proudly said.

“Iona, you’re amazing! Do you want some roasted peanuts?”

“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot! Yes!”

Sejun handed over the roasted peanuts he had roasted on the 99th floor of the Tower to Iona, who had done such a wonderful job.

“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. Thank you!”

Iona, with her excited eyes, held out both hands to receive the roasted peanuts and carefully put them in her spatial pocket. She was too full to eat them right now.

‘It’s dangerous, meow.’

Theo felt a crisis watching Sejun complimenting Iona. His position was in danger.

But,

‘Puhuhut. President Park has no choice but to like me, meow!’

Fortunately, Theo had something to believe in. Theo took out the rainbow-colored gemstone that he had found while wandering around the jewel frog’s habitat from his bag.

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TL Notes:

1) A metaphorical reference to Sejun’s unique leveling method with the assistance of the animals.

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