Chapter 649. Wasn’t I Doing Well?

[You have arrived at the 99th floor of the Black Tower.]

...

..

.

After returning home from the first floor of the Blue Tower, Sejun’s stomach growled loudly.

Grrrr.

His stomach was furiously demanding something to digest.

No wonder—he hadn’t eaten lunch while hauling treasure earlier. Though the sight of treasure had momentarily sated his hunger, Sejun wasn’t the kind of being that could convert treasure into energy. Now, the delayed hunger was hitting him hard.

The kids must be starving, too.

Rushing to the kitchen to prepare a meal, Sejun ran at full speed.

Clank.

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, I missed you, nya! Hurry up and make me grilled fish, nya!”

“Kyuu—I’m hungry!”

Queng!

Keeng!

The dimensional storage opened, and the crew clung to Sejun as he ran toward the kitchen.

Arriving at the kitchen with his group in tow, Sejun began issuing orders.

“Sejun No. 12! Make soy sauce butter rice with eggs!”

He quickly started grilling fish over direct heat while also roasting peanuts in a frying pan.

Quuhehehe.

Meanwhile, Queng set the table, preparing utensils and plates for everyone.

Kihiihit.

Kamangi dragged its food bowl to the floor, sitting in front of it, eagerly waiting for Sejun to bring roasted sweet potato slices.

Soon after...

“You must be starving. Let’s eat quickly.”

With Sejun’s words, the group eagerly began their meal.

Everyone ate ravenously, too hungry to pace themselves.

Kihiihit.

Kamangi also devoured its food with great enthusiasm.

Something’s not right...

Sejun tilted his head as he watched Kamangi eat.

Lately, Kamangi had been exercising, but its belly only seemed to grow larger.

At that moment, Sejun noticed several gazes directed at him, full of meaning.

“I have something to say.”

Of course, the stares came from Kabbi, Karuru, Shari, and Mubalchili—Kamangi’s subordinates.

“Ah.”

Seeing how thin the four had become compared to the plump Kamangi, Sejun quickly pieced together what was happening.

So it’s been cheating?!

As Sejun realized Kamangi’s trickery, anger rose within him.

Kihiihit. Keeng!

[Hihi! Caretaker!]

Completely oblivious to the tension, Kamangi happily approached Sejun, carrying its bowl.

Keeng! Keeng?!

[Give me more roasted sweet potato slices! Should I run 10 laps again?]

Offering to run more laps in exchange for snacks, Kamangi was utterly shameless—knowing full well it wouldn’t actually be running.

Heheh. Fine. If you run 10 laps, I’ll give you some.

Kihiihit. Keeng! Keeng!

[Hihi! Got it! Caretaker, wait just a bit!]

Kamangi dashed off—or pretended to—ready to "complete" its laps as quickly as possible.

But...

“Kabbi, Karuru, Shari, Mubalchili, come here for a second.”

Sejun called over Kamangi’s subordinates.

Keeng?!

[Why?]

“Kamangi, go run.”

Keeng.

[Uh... Okay.]

Something wasn’t right. Suspicion crept into Kamangi’s mind as it ran very, very slowly—waiting for its subordinates to come to its rescue.

However, Sejun had no intention of letting the four return to Kamangi.

“Kabbi, check on the brewing room and monitor the alcohol.”

With a sly wink, Sejun sent Kabbi away.

“Karuru, Shari, Mubalchili, how’s the progress on unsealing the jewels I gave you? Fire, water, wind—are you making good headway?”

He began a casual conversation with the remaining three, deliberately delaying them.

Ten minutes passed.

Pant. Pant.

Kamangi, drenched in sweat, began wheezing. With its bloated belly, running had quickly become an ordeal.

“Kamangi, why’s your pace suddenly so slow? Something’s fishy about this.”

I can’t let them find out!

Kamangi pushed itself harder, knowing full well that if its tricks were exposed, Sejun would enforce a diet plan—and that meant fewer sweet potato slices.

No! My sweet potato slices!

Desperation lit a fire under Kamangi, forcing it into a proper workout for the first time.

Pant. Pant. Keeng...

[Huff. Huff. Finished 10 laps...]

Kamangi finally staggered back, dripping with sweat.

“Look at you, all sweaty. You need a bath. Well done.”

Sejun praised Kamangi, using a skill to clean it off.

Kiroong.

After being patted on the head by Sejun, Kamangi fell asleep instantly, too exhausted to even eat its long-coveted roasted sweet potato slices.

Heheh. That’s what you get for trying to cheat.

Sejun carried the sleeping Kamangi to its bed before heading outside.

“Puhuhut.”
“Quuhehehe.”

As Sejun, Theo, and Queng spent the evening playing, night fell, darkening the sky completely.

“It’s time to sleep.”

After escorting Queng to the pink furball’s care, Sejun turned to Theo.

“Goodnight, Vice President Theo.”

“Puhuhut. Goodnight, Chairman Park!”

“Yeah.”

Snore.

Sejun settled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

 

Huh?

[System 371] had begun to realize something was very wrong.

Despite its subservience to Sejun—lying flat and humbly submitting—[System SJC] only grew stronger while its own power continued to diminish.

What went wrong?

Confusion spread through [System 371].

I don’t understand!

Caught in a state of panic, it scrambled for a solution.

I need to do more! If this keeps up, I’m doomed!

Fear gnawed at it as it began formulating a plan.

Wait—why didn’t I think of this before?!

Finally, a solution dawned upon [System 371].

I can’t wait any longer! I’ll offer it myself!

It resolved to directly present Sejun with the System Connector.

Move! Hurry!

Under its command, the System Connector began slowly heading toward the direction of Jormungandr’s stomach.

Rumble.

The System Connector’s journey inevitably caused the gigantic Tear of Calamity it resided within to move as well. Along the way, it absorbed other Tears of Calamity, growing larger and larger.

This should work, right? Surely Sejun will appreciate this…

[System 371] sighed in relief, believing its plan would finally earn Sejun’s approval.

Yet deep down, it couldn’t shake the feeling that it would only end up angering him further.

Late Night.

The quiet darkness of the Black Tower was broken only by the faint movements of the massive Tear of Calamity as it continued growing, consuming its kind.

The Next Morning.

“Ugh, up we go.”

Sejun got out of bed.

“Nya...”

“Keeng…”

Theo and the Kamangi family trailed behind him as he headed to the kitchen. Inside, Sejun No. 12 was roasting sweet potatoes over the fire.

Beside the stove, a large pot of seaweed soup simmered, and the dining table was stacked high with choco pies.

Behind the table, the ingredients for both the seaweed soup and choco pies had been neatly organized.

Looks like my Baeppae worked hard.

Sejun noticed multiple chocolate pawprints scattered around the area, evidence of Baeppae stepping on them while working.

Swipe.

Sejun reached for his left shoulder, Baeppae’s favorite perch.

Pat, pat.

He found Baeppae, gave its head a gentle pat, and heard its quiet laughter.

(Behihi...)

Smiling, Sejun continued petting Baeppae’s head for a while.

“Time to cook.”

Using his Master Cooking Skill, Sejun replicated the seaweed soup and choco pies from the ingredients Baeppae had prepared.

Shortly after...

Thud. Thud.

Roarrr.

[Good morning, Sejun-nim.]

The pink furball arrived, carrying Queng in its mouth.

“Morning. Here, take this and eat.”

Sejun handed Queng to the pink furball while filling its snack pouch with choco pies.

After breakfast, the day began like any other. Sejun continued his tasks, waiting for the dragons to deliver the land documents from the first floor of the Tower.

“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, I’ll make lots of money today, nya!”

Queng!

[I’ll collect lots of herbs, nya!]

Sejun sent Theo and Queng off to work before calling to Kamangi.

“Kamangi, let’s go.”

Kihiihit. Keeng!

[Hihi! Let’s hurry!]

Together, they headed to the Tenth Tower.

Clank.

Sejun opened his Dimensional Storage, allowing the Stone of Creation to absorb creation energy. It had currently absorbed about 1,000 trillion liters, reaching 10% of its capacity.

He hadn’t yet allowed the gemstones "acquired" from the Kherma Empire to be absorbed.

Maybe I should visit home...

The thought struck Sejun suddenly. It had been over six months since his last visit to Earth, and he was beginning to feel homesick.

While lost in thought, Sejun left the storage open.

Kihiihit. Keeng!

[Hihi! Everyone, the great Kamangi has returned!]

Kamangi, upon arrival, gathered the Pioneers of Calamity and Eaters of Calamity around.

Kihiihit. Keeng...

[Hihi. The great Kamangi tricked the caretaker and ate sweet potato slices!]

It proudly shared the story of deceiving Sejun to get its treat.

Ki-ki…
Kya-kya...

Hearing this, its subordinates expressed clear disappointment.

But when Kamangi recounted how it had run ten laps on its own yesterday...

Their disappointment turned to admiration. Kamangi had finally proven its resolve, even if it had been coerced by Sejun.

"Kiki!"

"Kyah kyah!"

“As expected of the boss!”

Kamangi’s subordinates erupted into cheers once again.

“Hihi, they like it when I actually run? Then I guess I’ll just have to keep running on my own from now on!”

Kamangi beamed with a wide grin, motivated by its subordinates’ reactions.

Behind Kamangi, Sejun gave a thumbs-up to the Pioneers and Eaters of Calamity, acknowledging their support.

After boosting Kamangi’s morale, Sejun got back to work.

[Your field is calling (Master)]
[You have planted a Pioneer of Calamity seed within the body of the Apostle of Calamity, Sixth Seat, the Kraken that Devours the Seas.]

...

Sejun, after planting his stockpile of Pioneer and Eater of Calamity seeds, turned to Kamangi.

“Kamangi, let’s go home.”

Returning to the Black Tower, Sejun was immediately greeted by Queng, who had come home early.

Queng!

Queng had rushed back to meet Sejun and prepare for their operation inside Jormungandr’s stomach.

In Queng’s absence, the Queng Herb Group had been diligently managing the herb field. Even Dragon Dung, who had been sulking due to Kamangi’s antics, had joined the herb group after recovering its broken spirit.

To prevent overheating, Queng or the pink furball would occasionally lower the temperature, making it a bit less fiery for Dragon Dung.

“Let’s eat.”

Queng!
Keeng!

Sejun enjoyed a simple lunch with Queng and Kamangi before using a dimensional portal to travel to Jormungandr’s stomach.

White Tower, 53rd Floor.

In the city ruled by the nine-tailed fox Iril, known as Nine Tower, her central square was bustling. The city was built around nine towers symbolizing Iril’s tails.

“Puhuhut. Let the auction begin, nya!”

Standing on the central stage, Theo announced the start of the auction.

“Wow~!”

Merchants who had been eagerly awaiting the auction cheered from below.

“Fufuhut.”

What a capable individual—he’d be a perfect match for me.

From the tallest tower, Iril looked down at Theo with a sly smile.

A figure so powerful that even the great White Dragon listened to him—this granted Theo untouchable authority within the White Tower.

“After the auction, I’ll invite him for a drink and make my move.”

Iril plotted how to charm Theo, her tails swishing with anticipation.

Luckily, Iona wasn’t present.

If Iona had discovered Iril’s intentions, both Iril and Nine Tower might have been obliterated in an instant.

As the auction proceeded, Theo suddenly froze.

“Nyan?!”

Shiver.

A sharp sensation coursed through Theo’s body, and his whiskers trembled violently.

“Something’s wrong, nya!”

Chairman Park is in danger, nya!

Theo’s Sejun Danger Detector had activated, signaling great peril for Sejun.

“That’s all for today, nya!”

Theo abruptly ended the auction and rushed off to find Sejun.

Meanwhile...

Stepping through the dimensional portal, Sejun carefully surveyed his surroundings.

Nothing here…

To his disappointment, there were no Tears of Calamity nearby.

Queng!
Keeng!

Queng and Kamangi’s family followed him into the area shortly after.

“Alright, Gas Blaster, let’s move!”

-Yes! Full speed ahead!

"Poooooo!"

With a loud toot, Gas Blaster Kabulto began propelling Jormungandr’s massive body forward.

Ah, refreshing.

Kabulto no longer seemed embarrassed by its “unique” propulsion method.

“Queng, let’s go outside.”

Queng!

Sejun exited Jormungandr’s body with Queng, preparing to handle the Tears of Calamity.

“Queng, over there.”

Queng!

With a wriggle of effort, Queng readied to assist in capturing and using the Tears of Calamity when...

-Sejun-nim! Something’s wrong! The Tear of Calamity is too big!

Kabulto’s urgent voice rang out, startling Sejun.

“What?!”

Why is it so close already?!

Sejun realized the massive Tear of Calamity was far closer than he had anticipated—and it had grown significantly larger.

This feels bad.

Though Sejun had long awaited an encounter with the massive Tear of Calamity, this situation gave him a sense of unease.

“Reverse! Retreat!”

Deciding it was best to escape, Sejun ordered a hasty retreat.

Sejun-nim spotted! Accelerate the System Connector delivery!

In a bid to present Sejun with the System Connector, [System 371] increased its speed, pushing the Tear of Calamity closer.

Sejun suddenly found himself within the replication range of the massive Tear of Calamity.

Gurgle. Gurgle.

The enormous Tear of Calamity began shifting, slowly transforming to mimic Sejun’s appearance.