Chapter 16 of 100
Chapter 16. Digging Carrots
8 min read2,055 words
Chapter 16. Digging Carrots
"Did the price go up?"
"Yep, meow!"
"How much?"
"0.07... Topcoins, meow!"
Taeo cautiously spoke, glancing at the humans. His timid nature was inevitable.
The sight of Taeo being cautious made the hunters view him through a cat filter, feeling sympathy, and they easily accepted the increase in the price of the magic cherry tomatoes.
'It’s reasonable to raise the price.'
'Last time, he sold them cheaply, so his expression wasn’t good.'
'Look at that blank face. He must be taking a loss.'
'At this price, it’s reasonable.'
Taeo’s innocent appearance and racial characteristics actually gave the hunters a good impression and trust.
"Alright. I’ll buy 200."
Kim Dong-sik handed over 14 Topcoins. Originally, he only planned to buy 100, but when he entered the tower, his wife quietly asked him to buy some for her as well.
'Honey, daughter, trust me!'
Kim Dong-sik currently had 200 Topcoins, enough to buy 1,000 magic cherry tomatoes.
Since the magic cherry tomatoes had a 30-day shelf life, if they had no expiration date, he would have bought them all for his wife and daughter. Of course, the other hunters felt the same way.
"Whoa! I’ll take 500."
"I’ll take 200!"
"I’ll take 400!"
After Kim Dong-sik made his move, Jessica and the other hunters quickly took out their money and started stating the quantities they wanted to buy.
And then,
"It’s a sellout, meow. All 1,500 magic cherry tomatoes I brought today are sold out, meow!"
The hunter who called out for the last 400 could only buy 250.
"When will you come next?"
At Kim Dong-sik’s question, the hunters’ attention turned to Taeo. They wanted to do business with him again.
Especially those who couldn’t make a purchase this time were even more focused. Since they didn’t buy this time, they had to buy next time.
"Will you wait here next time, meow?"
"Sure."
"Then it will be about 10 days from now, meow."
Before being discovered by Se-jun, Taeo had no time to rest to become a mid-level wandering merchant.
"Got it. See you in 10 days."
After Leader Kim Dong-sik finished speaking, a few female hunters approached.
"Kitty, can we take a picture with you?"
"My name isn’t Kitty, it’s Taeo, meow."
"Oh. Your name is Taeo. Taeo, can we take a picture with you? If you do, I’ll give you this."
The female hunters handed over a soft bag.
"What’s this, meow?"
"It’s called Churu. You peel it and lick it."
"Is that so, meow? It smells good, meow."
Thus, Taeo took pictures with the female hunters and received Churu.
***
Day 149 of the Stranding.
"Hum hum hum."
Today, Se-jun was harvesting cherry tomatoes while humming a tune after breakfast.
[You have harvested a well-ripened magic cherry tomato.]
[Your job experience has increased slightly.]
[Your Harvesting Level 2 proficiency has increased slightly.]
[You have gained 10 experience points.]
...
..
.
Swish.
The sound of the white rabbits watering the crops and
Thud!
The sound of the black rabbit hitting the wall accompanied Se-jun’s humming, breaking the cave’s tranquility.
Then,
Buzz buzz.
An unfamiliar sound began.
"Huh?"
Squeak?
"Whoosh"
Thud?
Not only Se-jun, but the other rabbits also looked puzzled at the unfamiliar sound, staring at its source.
The beehive of the honeybees, which had been sealed for a few days, was the source. Ten bees, each the size of a thumb, were flying around the beehive.
[Young Honeybees]
"They were raising young."
Se-jun finally understood why the honeybees hadn’t left their home.
A moment later,
Buzz buzz.
The honeybee also came out of the beehive. It was not much larger than before, but its body was more colorful and its belly was fatter.
And then,
[Queen Honeybee]
Its name had changed.
Buzz buzz.
Buzz buzz.
The queen honeybee flew to Se-jun, and the young honeybees followed to guard her.
However, the young honeybees’ purpose was to protect their queen.
Snap!
The young honeybees drew their stingers when they saw Se-jun.
"Whoa?!"
Squeak?!
Thud?!
When the young honeybees’ actions confused Se-jun and the rabbits,
Buzz! Buzz!
The queen honeybee stopped and flapped her wings strongly, scolding the young honeybees.
Fortunately, the young honeybees understood that Se-jun was not an enemy and retracted their stingers.
And then,
Rub rub.
The queen honeybee rubbed her body against Se-jun, showing affection, and started to suck nectar.
Buzz buzz.
Rub rub rub.
The young honeybees followed the queen, rubbing their bodies against Se-jun and showing affection, then followed her to suck nectar from the cherry tomato flowers.
Thus, Se-jun’s cave family grew.
***
The next morning.
"Ah!"
Se-jun got up energetically and walked to the cave wall where he recorded the days.
And then,
Swish.
He added another line, completing the third row.
正正正正正 正正正正正
正正正正正 正正正正正
正正正正正 正正正正正
"It’s already been 150 days."
Se-jun looked at the time marked on the wall with renewed interest. Although only one more line had been added compared to yesterday, it felt different.
While he used to feel lost with each new line, now he felt proud of surviving each day here.
Thanks to the growing crops and the rabbits and bees that kept him company, and a little help from the tower’s manager.
"Park Se-jun, you’re doing well."
Se-jun said to himself, not just for self-comfort. He was truly doing well. The 48 Topcoins in his hand proved it.
He had earned money in the harsh conditions of being trapped in the cave. Outside, it would be equivalent to 48 million won, more than he earned in a year working at his company.
He had earned this much in just a few days and would accumulate another 48 Topcoins in a few more days. Things were getting better day by day since he came here.
'If you keep living, a breakthrough will come.'
As Se-jun was reaffirming his resolve,
Buzz buzz.
The diligent young honeybees woke up and approached Se-jun.
"Did you sleep well?"
Rub rub.
The young honeybees answered by rubbing their plump bodies against him. Those who couldn’t reach his face rubbed their bodies against his hand.
"Cute things."
The young honeybees had grown to the thickness of three fingers in just one day. It was a mystery how they could grow so much just by eating nectar.
Buzz buzz.
The young honeybees checked in with Se-jun and went to suck nectar. The queen honeybee, after confirming that the young ones were sucking nectar well yesterday, went back into the beehive and didn’t come out.
She seemed to be laying eggs again.
A moment later,
Squeak!
Whoosh!
Thud!
The rabbits came out of the cave and greeted Se-jun energetically.
"Right. Good morning!"
Another lively day began.
Today, in addition to harvesting cherry tomatoes in the afternoon, Se-jun had another task.
Teaching the black rabbit how to swim.
The black rabbit, who had been able to hunt piranhas alone for a few days, became overconfident after leveling up again and walked into the pond, almost drowning.
The black rabbit didn’t realize it was a beer bottle.
Se-jun found it strange that it was too quiet and almost arrived too late to save the black rabbit from being eaten by piranhas.
So, Se-jun decided to teach the black rabbit how to swim.
After lunch, the black rabbit put on the leaf earplugs Se-jun made to prepare for the Blue Moon and stood in front of a small pond.
"Are you ready?"
Thud!
The black rabbit answered energetically.
"Alright, let’s start with kicking."
Se-jun gently held the black rabbit and submerged it halfway in the water.
"Alright, straighten your body and kick."
Thud!
Splash splash.
Following Se-jun’s instructions, the black rabbit kicked the water with its legs.
"Hey! You’re splashing. Kick in the water."
Thud!
The black rabbit immediately corrected its kicking.
And when Se-jun let go,
Splash.
The black rabbit moved quickly, reaching the end of the small pond in no time.
"Good job. Now, let’s try breathing."
A moment later,
Breathe breathe.
The black rabbit mastered Se-jun’s swimming class and swam around the small pond gracefully.
The black rabbit, having mastered swimming in just one day, started hunting piranhas while swimming the next day.
And the sixth Blue Moon approached.
The rabbits had already entered the cave and closed the entrance, and the honeybees had entered the beehive and blocked the entrance.
It seemed that small monsters avoided the Blue Moon this way.
[The tower’s manager asks for one of the crops infused with the Blue Moon’s energy this time.]
"Got it."
Since there was no coercion and the tone was no longer rude, Se-jun readily agreed.
As the date changed to Day 152 of the stranding, the Blue Moon began, and blue light descended through the hole in the cave ceiling.
Se-jun, prepared with earplugs and cherry tomatoes, watched the crops for any changes from a corner of the cave, bracing for the monsters’ roars.
How much time had passed?
Sssss.
Five cherry tomato plants began to glow blue. Five magic cherry tomatoes infused with the Blue Moon’s energy were forming.
"Wow."
Se-jun was captivated by the mysterious and beautiful scene. And when the Blue Moon’s energy started to infuse the cherry tomatoes,
Sssss.
A blue glow appeared on one carrot stem.
"Huh? It’s still too early to harvest the carrots."
A few days ago, when he tried to harvest a carrot, it was only the size of a finger.
"I’ll check it later."
Se-jun waited for the Blue Moon to end and then fell into a deep sleep.
***
Slap! Slap!
Se-jun was awakened by the husband rabbit’s solid kick after a long time.
"Ugh."
When Se-jun opened his eyes,
Squeak!
Whoosh!
Thud!
The rabbits were in a frenzy.
"What’s going on?"
The black rabbit urged Se-jun, who was rubbing his eyes.
"Just a moment, let me mark the date."
Se-jun drew a line with a piranha spine on the cave wall, starting the morning of Day 152 of the stranding.
Then he went where the rabbits led him.
"Ah!"
There, a carrot with a shy blue top was poking out of the soil.
Squeak!
Whoosh!
Thud!
The rabbits drooled and urged him to harvest the carrot, eager to taste it.
"Alright."
Se-jun grabbed the carrot stem and pulled it up easily. The blue carrot was about the thickness of a tumbler.
Squeak!
Whoosh!
Thud!
The rabbits were excited by the giant carrot size.
[You have harvested a Carrot of Agility infused with the Blue Moon’s energy.]
[Your job experience has increased significantly.]
[Your Harvesting Level 2 proficiency has increased significantly.]
[You have gained 70 experience points.]
"Carrot of Agility?"
Se-jun checked the carrot in his hand.
[Carrot of Agility infused with the Blue Moon’s energy]
A carrot grown inside the tower, rich in nutrients and delicious.
Infused with the Blue Moon’s energy, it tastes even better.
Consuming it permanently increases Agility by 0.05.
Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Se-jun
Shelf Life: 45 days
Grade: E+
The grade was E+. It seemed that harvesting a high-grade crop earned him 70 experience points instead of 50.
"Here, enjoy it."
Se-jun gave the carrot to the rabbits.
He was curious about the taste but decided to wait. The rabbits that helped with farming deserved it.
Nom.
Squeak!!!
Whoosh!!!
Thud!!!
The rabbits, after tasting the carrot, let out happy screams.
Tap. Tap.
Meanwhile, Se-jun harvested the magic cherry tomatoes infused with the Blue Moon’s energy.
Five blue cherry tomatoes.
"Here, take it."
Se-jun handed one blue cherry tomato to the tower’s manager.
[Quest completed.]
It seemed the previous quest was completed.
[The tower’s manager is grateful.]
"If you’re grateful, give me a skill later."
[The tower’s manager says he can give you one soon.]
"What can you give me soon?"
Se-jun, puzzled, bit into one of the harvested blue cherry tomatoes.
Crunch.
"Ugh."
It burst. Burst! The sweet and sour taste exploded in Se-jun’s mouth.
[You have consumed a magic cherry tomato infused with the Blue Moon’s energy.]
[Your Magic permanently increases by 0.05.]
Se-jun ignored the message and focused on the taste.
Crunch.
He put the remaining blue cherry tomatoes in his mouth one by one. The cherry tomatoes disappeared in an instant.
In the afternoon,
"I’m back, meow!"
Taeo, who had successfully sold out for the second time, returned.