NoveLight ™
Chapter 644: Sejun Was in the Wrong
Herr’s Pawnshop
A quest reward that includes a divine rank advancement?
“Ehehehe.”
Herr reviewed the quest details again, grinning broadly.
Rising in divine rank meant gaining prestige as a god—and with that came more power.
Just wait, Park Theo. How dare you try to impeach me?
Herr saw this as a golden opportunity to settle the score.
And a 5% share in the seed delivery network?
This was a guaranteed win. No, a 10,000% guaranteed win.
Why? Because the seed delivery network, run by the persistent "Mutt-the-Puck," was bound to see heavy use by non-combat gods.
If everything activated as Herr envisioned, he would earn a steady 5% cut every time another god used the seed delivery network without lifting a finger.
Of course, this was merely Herr’s optimistic interpretation. In reality, the SJC System, which operated to benefit Sejun and Theo, would never allow anything that could harm them.
In fact, Herr’s rise to "God of Targets" was intended to strengthen Theo’s impeachment rights by enabling Herr to create more targets under Theo’s command.
Moreover, the 5% usage fee for the delivery network wouldn’t be granted to Herr without Sejun’s approval, who held a 95% stake.
In other words, while there were no downsides for Herr, the rewards were overwhelmingly in favor of Sejun and Theo.
As a result, Herr was being worked hard by the SJC System, even if he didn’t realize it.
“Ehehehe. Once I’m the God of Targets, Park Theo, you’re first on my impeachment list.”
Herr, brimming with hope, remained blissfully unaware of the bigger picture.
“Here’s the Dragon Fruit… nya.”
Herr hesitated briefly before sending the seed to Theo, even though he spoke as if he was doing so nonchalantly.
[20 Sejun Company welfare points have been used for seed delivery through the seed delivery network.]
[A transcendent-grade Dragon Fruit seed has been sent to Vice President Park Theo of Sejun Company.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, Herr, God of Merchants, has received 5 welfare points.]
After sending the Dragon Fruit seed to Theo, Herr puffed out his chest and mumbled, “I’ll start using informal speech once I’m the God of Targets. Hehe.”
Black Tower, 99th Floor
“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, here it is, nya!”
Theo pulled the Dragon Fruit out of his pack and handed it to Sejun, who had just finished bathing the group, with himself being the last.
“Oh, you actually got a Dragon Fruit? Vice President Theo, you’re amazing!”
“Puhuhut. That’s right, nya! Vice President Theo is amazing, nya!”
Theo swelled with pride at Sejun’s praise.
Hehe. Vice President Theo, let’s see how you like this.
“Oh my, our Vice President’s face looks rotten!”
Squish. Squish.
Sejun pressed his foot onto Theo’s face, exacting his revenge for all the times Theo had claimed his own face looked rotten and squished it with his paws.
“Nya?! What are you doing, nya?!”
Theo recoiled in horror, fleeing from Sejun’s foot to his lap.
“Why not? You always say my face looks rotten and squish it with your paw.”
“That’s completely different, nya! My front paws are meticulously cleaned with my tongue! Can you say the same for your foot, nya?!”
“…”
Sejun had no rebuttal as Theo licked his own paw to emphasize its cleanliness.
Yeah, I was in the wrong.
“Alright, my bad.”
Acknowledging his mistake, Sejun apologized without protest.
A little later…
“Rise, Sejun No. 2!”
Sejun planted the Dragon Fruit seed and successfully sprouted it.
“Oh?!”
This time, the new Sejun clone inherited skills related to cooking and fermentation.
“Welcome, Sejun No. 12.”
Hehe. I’m going to be free for a whole month.
Sejun hugged Sejun No. 12 in a warm welcome.
The clone was dubbed “Sejun No. 12” because it combined the traits of Sejun No. 1 (cooking) and Sejun No. 2 (brewing), making it the ultimate kitchen assistant.
“Sejun No. 12, go make dinner. Today’s menu… Queng, what do you feel like eating?”
Queng!
[Queng wants banana milk and pizza after taking a bath!]
Of course, Queng had great taste.
“You heard that? Banana milk and pizza, please.”
Sejun No. 12 nodded and headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal.
With nothing left to do, Sejun passed the time by harvesting peanuts from the field outside his house.
Crunch. Crunch.
[You have harvested 30 pods of Magical Peanuts.]
…
…
…
[You have harvested 37 pods of Magical Peanuts.]
[You have harvested 1 pod of Frozen Peanuts.]
“Huh?”
Frozen Peanuts?
Sejun noticed the unfamiliar name among the harvest.
And then…
[Achievement Unlocked: Creation of a New Variety in the Tower.]
[You have earned exclusive cultivation rights to the Frozen Peanut.]
[No one else can cultivate Frozen Peanuts without your permission.]
[Job experience increased significantly.]
[All stats increased by 20 due to your job trait.]
This marked Sejun’s 29th new crop variety.
“Hehe. What a stroke of luck.”
Grinning with satisfaction, Sejun examined the details of his latest creation.
[Frozen Peanut]
A peanut grown in the Black Tower with the power of intense cold. Very chilly to the touch. Consuming it increases magic by 10 and has a high chance of unlocking the talent: Cold Resistance.
(If you already possess Cold Resistance or a related talent, it will be enhanced.)
Cultivator: Black Tower Farmer Park Sejun
Shelf Life: 180 days
Grade: S
“Oh.”
Eating it could unlock Cold Resistance?
Although tempted to eat it immediately, Sejun decided to store it in the Bag of Abundance to multiply its quantity first.
Just then…
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound of a frying pan being struck signaled that dinner was ready.
“Alright, everyone, let’s go.”
Sejun and his companions hurried to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, outside…
A tiny sprout shyly emerged from the ground, but no one noticed.
Well, almost no one.
“You’re doing great, my precious!”
Leah, the Goddess of Abundance, who had been eagerly awaiting the germination of the Seed of Abundance, cheered enthusiastically for the little sprout.
Empowered by Leah’s encouragement, the Seed of Abundance grew with a determined “Let’s do this!”
…though its progress was still minimal.
“Hehe. This is delicious.”
“Puhuhut, Chairman Park’s treats are delicious, nya!”
Quuhehe. Queng!
[Hehe. Banana milk and pizza are so good, nya!]
Neigh-neigh! Whee!
[Hehe. Roasted sweet potato strips are still the best!]
The kitchen was filled with laughter and chatter as everyone enjoyed a delightful dinner.
As they ate…
Flap. Flap.
A brown dragon statue, controlled by Grave Renma, the leader of the Great Brown Dragons, flew into the kitchen.
And then…
“Sejun, I brought it, but you need to leave immediately.”
Grave handed Sejun the land deed for the first floor of the Brown Tower, urging him to hurry.
“Is it that serious?”
“Only 10 towers are left. For reference, this world was connected just a week ago.”
In just a week, 90 towers had disappeared. The world was on the brink of collapse.
“Got it. Everyone, get ready. We’re leaving now.”
Sejun prepared to depart, and Theo dashed to fetch Iona from Sejun’s bed.
A little later…
[You have arrived at the first floor of the Brown Tower.]
…
…
…
Upon arrival…
[You have been recognized as the rightful owner of the first-floor shop in the Brown Tower.]
“Oh, nothing happened this time?”
Sejun was surprised; such uneventful arrivals were rare.
At that moment…
“Kehehehe. I took care of everything in advance for you, Sejun-nim.”
Orrick, who had cleared out the troublemakers in the shop beforehand, greeted Sejun with a sly grin.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Kehehehe. Grave-nim ordered me to ensure your convenience. Let’s go.”
Orrick took the lead.
However…
This is already inconvenient…
Sejun was uncomfortable from the start, mostly because of Orrick’s incessant laughter.
Eventually, they reached the private passageway.
“Kehehehe. Sejun-nim, shall I…”
“No, it’s fine. Totally fine.”
Sejun dismissed Orrick and placed his hand on the brown portal.
[You can travel to two locations. Please select your destination.]
“Sec.”
As soon as Sejun made his selection, the travel cost was calculated, and he and his companions vanished.
[You have arrived at Sec.]
BOOM!
The moment they arrived, a deafening roar filled the air.
Queng!
[Dad, cover your ears!]
Queng folded his ears and clung to Sejun’s back, using his front legs to block Sejun’s ears.
The rest of the group also blocked their ears, creating a peaceful, noise-canceled bubble for Sejun as he observed the chaotic battlefield around them.
Ogres were clashing with the rock-armored inhabitants of Sec.
Occasional debris and shockwaves flew toward them, but…
“Nya!”
“Kyu-kyu-kyu.”
Queng!
Theo, Iona, and Queng skillfully shielded Sejun and Kamangi’s family, ensuring their safety.
The battle was evenly matched.
That is, until…
Whirrrrr.
The Planet-Breaking Turtles appeared.
Queng!
[Aunt Iona, please protect Dad!]
The moment they appeared, Queng called out to Iona and launched himself toward the turtles.
“Kyu-kyu-kyu. Got it, young master Queng!”
Overjoyed to be called “Aunt,” Iona grinned ear to ear as she cast a protective spell over Sejun.
“Great gravitational forces, bring the drifting rocks of the cosmos crashing down upon my foes! Meteor Shower!”
Because the best defense is a good offense.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hundreds of meteors rained down upon the ogres.
“That… that’s?!”
“It’s the legendary rock magic, Meteor Bombardment!”
The rock-dwelling residents of Sec, born with an innate ability to manipulate stone, marveled at Iona’s display of magic.
Soon after…
Queng!
[Queng brought the turtles back!]
Queng returned, having subdued five Planet-Breaking Turtles, now shrunken in size.
Flip. Flip.
[We swear our loyalty!]
[We’ll never misbehave again!]
The turtles flipped onto their backs, exposing their bellies—a gesture of absolute submission, as turtles cannot flip themselves back over.
Queng had warned them to behave and make a good impression on Sejun.
“Puhuhut.”
Stamp. Stamp.
Theo stamped the turtles’ bellies to officially mark them as Sejun Company members.
Once the situation calmed down…
“Everyone, I’ll help. Let’s go.”
Sejun gathered the energy from the ogres’ bodies.
“Nya!”
Queng!
Theo and Queng handled the cleanup.
And then…
[Once again, Chairman Park Theo of Black Tower Luck Co. and Master Herb Collector Park Queng have effortlessly received half the experience points from 100 defeated ogres without lifting a finger. Truly amazing.]
[Total experience gained: 2.5 trillion.]
A message appeared.
“I did lift a finger this time!”
Sejun shouted indignantly, more annoyed by the system’s snark than the distribution of experience.
At that moment…
“Thank you for saving us!”
Dolius, the king of Sec, cautiously approached Sejun and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Although Sejun was the weakest among his party, Dolius correctly deduced that he was their leader based on the group’s dynamic.
Sejun, feeling a bit better, responded coolly.
“It’s nothing. Just helping out.”
Feigning nonchalance, he accepted the king’s thanks, while subtly shaking his leg to signal Theo, who clung to his knee.
“Puhuhut. If you’re grateful, show some sincerity, nya!”
Theo, ever reliable, voiced the thought Sejun couldn’t say aloud.
“Of course! Please wait while we prepare a proper gift!”
Dolius hurried back to the castle with his entourage.
Chairman Park, did I do well, nya?
Theo looked at Sejun with eager eyes.
Nod.
As expected of my right-hand cat.
Sejun nodded in approval, stroking Theo’s head.
“Puhuhut.”
Theo purred contentedly, basking in Sejun’s praise.