Chapter 611: Heh. Are You Scared of Me?

 

Seed Shop Headquarters.

“We’ll now start the draw for Sejun Company’s new employees!” announced Lea.

“Yes!” responded the non-combat gods, looking at the lottery box with determined expressions.

Then,

Shuffle.

Lea reached into the box and pulled out a folded slip of paper, opening it.

“The God of Walnuts, Wal!”

As soon as Lea read the name, excitement erupted.

“Wow! Congrats, Wal! Being a full-time employee of Sejun Company? I’m jealous!”

“Wal, congratulations! So now you’ll get the achievement reward from Mutda-bak?”

The non-combat gods who hadn’t been selected congratulated Wal.

“Everyone, I’m sorry…”

Wal’s eyes filled with tears, feeling guilty for his friends.

“Hey, don’t cry! You’re going in first so you can help us later, right?”

“Yeah! Wal, you’re smart! Go in, learn everything, and then teach us!”

His friends encouraged Wal, helping ease his guilt.

“Yes! I’ll work hard and teach you all!” Wal agreed, his friendship with his friends growing even stronger.

As Wal and his friends bonded,

“The God of Cumulus Clouds, Gumu!”

“The God of Rotting Trees, Sedu!”

“The God of Ditches, Dit!”

…

One by one, names were called, with each non-combat god celebrating the ones who were selected and comforting those who weren’t.

The reason they were drawing lots to join Sejun Company was because of their limited divinity.

Entering Theo’s mental realm required divinity, but they didn’t have enough to send everyone. Though their conditions had improved thanks to Sejun, they were still far behind the combat gods.

I’ll definitely become a full-time employee of Sejun Company!

I’ll earn a lot of divinity with that achievement reward!

The 100 selected non-combat gods set off for Theo’s mental realm with determined hearts.

However,

“Why isn’t anyone coming?”

Combat Shop Headquarters was a stark contrast.

The combat gods showed no interest in joining Sejun Company.

“I’m telling you, if you join as a full-time employee, Chairman Park will personally set up an achievement reward for you,” Beb, now in charge of recruiting combat god employees, tried to persuade Battler, Hunt, Thunder, and other passing combat gods.

“If the chairman sets it up, what difference does it make? And what would we even use that achievement reward for? It’s not like it’s worth much divinity.”

Sejun’s reputation among the combat gods was low, and the achievement reward didn’t seem very appealing.

At this rate, no one’s going to apply.

Beb grew worried. If none of the combat gods joined, it would reflect poorly on him as the recruiter.

“Calling all combat gods who want to face a strong opponent!”

So, he changed his recruiting tactic to suit their nature.

Then,

“We get to face someone strong?”

“Haha. Just go through that door, and you’ll meet the mightiest being.”

“Yes!”

“Lord Battler, I want to fight a strong opponent.”

“Very brave, God of Axes, Buko.”

“Haha. Of course! If you take away my courage, I’m nothing but a corpse!”

“Pass through that door, and you’ll meet them.”

One by one, combat gods began approaching and moving to Theo’s mental realm.

They didn’t care if they ended up forced into joining Sejun Company by challenging Theo and losing. What mattered to them was that the number of full-time combat god employees was growing.

Arriving in Theo’s mental realm, the combat gods spotted a surprising sight.

“What?!”

Non-combat gods were here, too?

They saw the non-combat gods lined up, stamping papers handed out by a massive cat clinging to an enormous figure.

“Ha! Begging, even here?”

The combat gods sneered at the non-combat gods in line.

“Let’s fight!”

They charged at the enormous Chairman Park No. 2.

Boom!

“Puhuhu. Stamp here, nya!”

And thus, they were forcibly recruited into Sejun Company.

Then,

“Puhuhu. Combat gods, from now on, you’ll listen to the non-combat gods, nya!”

“What?! Why do I have to listen to them?!”

“Puhuhu. Because you challenged the great Chairman Park No. 2, nya!”

“So what?!”

The combat gods were now assigned the non-combat gods they had mocked as their superiors.

While Theo busied himself with recruiting full-time employees,

Inside Kamangi’s Mind.

“Everyone, please eat this and forgive Kamangi.”

Sejun handed out roasted sweet potato jerky to the spirits.

“I’m sorry. Please forgive us.”

“Sorry.”

Kamangi’s family followed Sejun, apologizing to the spirits.

It was a bit comical to see the giant Kamangi family trailing behind the small Sejun, but being with Sejun allowed them to offer more sincere apologies, and the spirits felt the Kamangi family’s true remorse.

“We forgive you.”

As a result, the number of spirits willing to forgive Kamangi’s family grew rapidly.

Fwoosh.

Each time, the tainted resentment clinging to the spirits vanished under Sejun’s gaze.

But just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, a problem arose.

Rumble.

From one spirit emerged a thick, ominous aura, far more intense than anything Sejun had seen before.

And then,

–Kekeke. So, you’re the one who has been extinguishing me.

A formless, unsteady-eyed creature of corruption gazed at Sejun with a ghastly grin.

Sizzle.

Although Sejun’s gaze reached it, it only singed slightly, not dispersing the creature.

Facing this concentrated form of corruption, Sejun’s primal power was weak and ineffective.

“Caretaker! Come here!”

“Master Sejun, please come behind us!”

Kamangi and his followers blocked Sejun and the spirits, readying themselves to attack the corruption.

However,

–Kekeke. Apostles of Destruction, have you truly forgotten the pain of betrayal?

–Fenrir, you pitiful wolf, betrayed by a friend who killed your mother.

–Halphas, the undying raven, betrayed and slain by your own brother.

–Jormungandr, the wretched serpent, devoured by the sister who tried to consume you.

“Shut up!”

“No! That’s…”

The corruption’s words shook Kamangi’s family, dredging up painful memories.

The trauma in their hearts was vast, easily triggered by a few words from the corruption.

Then,

–Sejun Park, you…

What is this? This guy?

The corruption tried to tap into Sejun’s trauma but grew confused.

Sejun was timid, insecure, and prone to envy, but strangely, he didn’t seem to have any significant trauma.

Even gods have at least a minor trauma, but this oblivious guy had none?! How was that possible?!

The corruption had encountered a target it couldn’t affect.

“Heh. Are you scared of me?”

Sejun’s attitude, embarrassingly shallow and casual, almost made the corruption’s own allies feel secondhand shame.

At that moment,

[Sejun Company has achieved a divine-level achievement by gathering gods from the three main factions in the divine realm under one organization.]

[All achievement rewards earned by Sejun Company will now be received on behalf of the company by its chairman, Sejun Park, Black Tower Farmer.]

[As a reward for achieving a divine-level accomplishment, Divinity increased by 15.]

[Divine-level achievement reward: Residence cost on Floor 0 of the Black Tower reduced by 0.3%.]

Messages appeared before Sejun.

“Huh?!”

Is this really possible?

Seeing the messages, Sejun was amazed. He’d created Sejun Company for fun, but it had grown to the point where the system recognized it.

Of course, that was only Sejun’s perspective—Sejun Company’s reputation had grown enough to pose a threat to the system itself.

Fwoosh.

Thanks to the increase in his divinity, a small flame appeared on the corruption’s body under Sejun’s gaze.

Sizzle.

Though it quickly extinguished.

Fwoosh.

Sejun glared at the corruption, planning to slowly burn it down.

Then,

“Chairman Park, keep it up, nya!”

[Sejun Company has achieved a divine-level achievement by surpassing 100 full-time divine employees.]

[Divine-level achievement reward: Divinity increased by 10.]

[Divine-level achievement reward: Residence cost on Floor 0 of the Black Tower reduced by 0.1%.]

Outside, Theo was assisting Sejun.

Fwoosh.

The flames growing where Sejun’s gaze landed were now stronger, and this time, they didn’t die out as quickly.

“Vice-Chairman Theo, well done!”

Mutual understanding.

Knowing that this was Theo’s help, Sejun expressed his gratitude, keeping his focus on the corruption.

Fwoosh.

Touched by Sejun’s enhanced divinity, the corruption slowly burned and disintegrated.

“Whew.”

As Sejun sighed in relief after a long, tiring day,

“Caretaker, thank you.”

Kamangi gave him a thorough lick with his giant tongue.

“It’s… all wet…”

Before Sejun could protest, he lost consciousness.

 

The Next Morning.

“Alright! Huh?!”

[Quest has been generated.]

[Quest: Send the immature Creator’s Tears to the Creator’s First Apostle, Emilia Ibenus.]

Reward: 5 drops of the Elixir of Grand Growth per drop of immature Creator’s Tears sent.

Upon waking up and stretching, a quest message appeared before Sejun.

Emilia had timed the quest to appear right when Sejun woke up, as per the Creator God’s instructions.

“Here.”

Sejun sent the 12 drops of immature Creator’s Tears he had.

[Quest completed 12 times.]

[Reward: Acquired 60 drops of the Elixir of Grand Growth.]

A glass bottle filled with a reddish liquid appeared in Sejun’s hand.

Gulp.

Sejun immediately drank about half of the liquid in the bottle.

Then,

[Consumed 35 drops of the Elixir of Grand Growth.]

[Gained 350 million experience points.]

[The lowest stat, Agility, increased by 3,500.]

[Mastery of Farming Tools Lv. 1 proficiency increased.]

[Transplanting Lv. 6 proficiency increased.]

[Bunker Lv. 4 proficiency increased.]

[Bunker Lv. 4 proficiency reached maximum, leveling up.]

…

Messages popped up one after another.

Experience and stats rose immediately, while skill proficiency increased randomly 35 times.

“Huh? I drank 5 extra drops.”

Oh well. There’s still plenty left.

Unbothered by the extra intake, Sejun carefully let a single drop of the Elixir of Grand Growth fall into each of his companions’ mouths.

With plenty of elixir to spare, Sejun became more generous.

Theo, Kuengi, Bat-Bat, and the Kamangi family received a total of 15 drops, yet 10 drops remained in the bottle.

“Hehehe. I’ll save the rest for our little Flame. Flame!”

When Sejun called for Flame,

[Hehe! Master Sejun, you’re awake?!]

Flame, who had been resting on Sejun’s head with his leaves fully spread, responded.

“Yes. Flame, drink this.”

Sejun raised the bottle containing the Elixir of Grand Growth over his head.

[Oops! I made a mistake!]

Feigning clumsiness, Flame spilled the elixir over Sejun’s head.

As Flame was already struggling to maintain balance, drinking the Elixir of Grand Growth was out of the question.

“Huh?!”

Sejun felt the dampness on his head, startled.

At that moment,

[Elixir of Grand Growth absorbed through the scalp.]

[Hair roots strengthened.]

[Unlocked Talent: Strong Hair Roots.]

A message appeared before Sejun.

[Talent: Strong Hair Roots]

Strengthens hair roots, reducing hair loss.

Thanks to this, Sejun would never have to worry about balding.

“Hm. Flame, well done.”

Making sure Flame didn’t feel guilty, Sejun praised him, then ate breakfast.

“Now, let’s go find that monument!”

The underwater exploration began.

 

Temple of the Creator.

“Creator, during the process of turning the immature Creator’s Tears sent by Sejun into the Elixir of Grand Growth, these were formed.”

Emilia handed the Creator tiny, shimmering beads that looked like grains of sand.