Chapter 30. A Year of Abundance

Chapter 30. A Year of Abundance

"Cluck, cluck, cluck."

Eileen hummed a tune as she popped ten magic cherry tomatoes into her mouth and chewed them.

Crunch.

Squish.

In the past, she had to eat dozens at once to fully savor the taste, but now that the cherry tomatoes had upgraded to D-grade, their flavor had intensified, and just ten were enough to satisfy her.

As Eileen savored the taste of the cherry tomatoes, enjoying them,

Thump.

"Huh?!"

Eileen was startled by the vibration she felt in her chest.

"My dragon heart..."

It was a very weak and brief pulse, lasting less than a second. But it was a pulse she had never felt in her 200 years of life, and Eileen immediately recognized it.

Her dragon heart, which had never beaten in 200 years, had briefly moved on its own, absorbing mana.

Like a drop of water falling on a cracked, dry earth, the mana was absorbed by the dragon heart and quickly dispersed, leaving no trace.

But Eileen could feel it clearly. Her dragon heart had changed. And the reason for this change was...

This time, Eileen put twenty D-grade magic cherry tomatoes in her mouth to get a clearer sense.

And

Crunch

Squish.

Swallow.

She chewed and swallowed the cherry tomatoes deliciously, then focused on her dragon heart.

A moment later,

Thump.

Sure enough, her dragon heart moved again, briefly absorbing mana.

The human crop she was eating. She had only known it was delicious, but it seemed to have the ability to heal her dragon heart.

"Huh? Now that I think about it, my seizure time has already passed?"

The mana concentration in the manager's area of the Black Tower was much higher than elsewhere, so even without her dragon heart beating, Eileen's breathing alone supplied mana to her body.

However, there was a limit to this, and every ten years, Eileen would have a seizure due to mana deficiency.

Each time a seizure occurred, the interval between seizures shortened by a few days.

But it had been over ten years since her last seizure, and it still hadn't happened.

"I will protect humans from now on!"

She had always cherished humans for giving her delicious things, but now that they could make her dragon heart beat, they were even more precious.

Eileen Fritannia, the great black dragon, 200 years old.

Finally, there was someone she wanted to protect.

Eileen hurriedly looked into the crystal ball to see what the human was doing.

And

"What! Another unappraised item while I was away! It's dangerous! Humans really can't do without me."

Eileen quickly woke up Sejun, who was taking a nap.

***

[The tower manager...straw...appraisal...speaks.]

"Ugh..."

Sejun woke up because of the tower manager's message.

[The tower manager is angry that you are wearing another unappraised item.]

[The tower manager says you told her that using unappraised items could cause big problems.]

"Huh? This is an item?"

Due to the tower manager's words, Sejun put Theo down and hurriedly took off the straw hat to examine it. He had thought it was just a common straw hat because it looked so ordinary.

[Farmer's Straw Hat]

???

Usage Restriction: Level 20, Strength 20 or more, Vitality 20 or more

Creator: Unknown

Grade: D

Skill: [Blessing of the Earth Lv. 1]

[Blessing of the Earth Lv. 1]

Casts a weak blessing of the earth over all owned farmland.

Slightly increases the rate of mental stamina recovery.

"Wow."

Although the increase in mental stamina was minor, there was no limit to the size of the farmland.

"If only there were no usage restrictions, this would be a great item..."

Level 20 with Strength and Vitality of 20 or more was essentially a restriction not to wear it until level 20.

Sejun, who had been worrying about the barren land, was very disappointed that he couldn't use the straw hat's skill, Blessing of the Earth, due to the usage restrictions.

[The tower manager suggests appraising the straw hat first.]

"Alright. Give me a quest."

Still, it could be used as a sunshade, so Sejun decided to have it appraised.

[A quest has been issued.]

[Quest: Send the unappraised straw hat to the tower manager.]

Reward: None.

If refused: Cannot be appraised.

[An additional quest has been issued.]

[Quest: Promise the tower manager to give her crops infused with the energy of the next Blue Moon.]

Reward: Appraised straw hat

If refused: Cannot receive the straw hat.

"Crops infused with the energy of the Blue Moon?"

[The tower manager says this is absolutely necessary.]

"Alright."

Sejun readily accepted. He would be able to harvest more and better crops in the future, so there was no need to be stingy.

"Appraise it now."

The straw hat disappeared from Sejun's hand.

[Quest completed.]

[The tower manager uses the appraisal skill on the Farmer's Straw Hat.]

[The tower manager is pleased with the appraised item.]

That was strange. Why was the tower manager happy?

[The tower manager congratulates you on obtaining an incredible item.]

[The tower manager tells you to promise to give Eileen Fritannia crops infused with the energy of the next Blue Moon.]

"Eileen Fritannia?"

[The tower manager says it is an honor to know her name and speaks arrogantly.]

"What's so special about a name..."

Sejun said indifferently.

[The tower manager is excited, stomping her feet and says this is a great honor.]

"Yes, it's an honor to know your name, Eileen Fritannia."

Sejun flattered Eileen to get the straw hat quickly.

[The tower manager is satisfied.]

[The tower manager tells you to make the promise quickly.]

"I, Park Sejun, promise to give Eileen Fritannia crops infused with the energy of the next Blue Moon when I harvest them."

[The tower manager says this is the first promise between you and her.]

'First promise?'

The tower manager spoke meaningfully.

Sejun felt something was off but soon focused on the straw hat that appeared before him.

Snap.

Sejun quickly caught the straw hat that was about to fall.

[Quest completed.]

[As a reward for completing the quest, you have obtained the appraised straw hat - Relic: Saint Patrick's Straw Hat.]

"Relic?"

A named item with the relic designation. Sejun had never heard of such a thing before.

Sejun checked the straw hat's options.

[Relic: Saint Patrick's Straw Hat]

This is the straw hat that Saint Patrick, a farmer who saved many from hunger and was known as the Saint of the Earth, always wore.

One of only ten relics in the Black Tower.

Relics have restrictions based on the wearer's profession level.

Usage Restriction: Those with farming-related professions

Creator: Patrick

Grade: Unset

Skill: [Blessing of the Earth Lv. 1]

"Only ten in the tower?!"

Sejun was amazed by the incredible rarity and checked the straw hat's options.

The original level and stat restrictions were removed, replaced with a restriction for those with farming-related professions.

As a top farmer, this was a welcome change for Sejun.

Strangely, the grade was unset. Considering the content that the item's abilities grow with the wearer's profession level, it seemed the grade would be determined upon wearing.

The skill remained unchanged, but new skills might appear once the item's grade was set.

Sejun put on the straw hat with excitement.

[Relic: Saint Patrick's Straw Hat is checking the wearer's profession and level.]

[Top Farmer (D) confirmed.]

[Relic: Saint Patrick's Straw Hat's grade increases to D.]

As Sejun had expected, the item's grade followed the wearer's profession level.

[E-grade restrictions lifted.]

[Skill - Blessing of the Earth Lv. 2 restrictions lifted.]

[Skill - Farmer's Body Lv. 1 unlocked.]

[D-grade restrictions lifted.]

[Skill - Blessing of the Earth Lv. 3 restrictions lifted.]

[Skill - Farmer's Body Lv. 2 restrictions lifted.]

[Skill - Year of Abundance Lv. 1 unlocked.]

"Wow!"

As expected, the item options for one of only ten relics in the tower were incredible.

Sejun checked the Blessing of the Earth and the newly unlocked skills.

[Blessing of the Earth Lv. 3]

Casts a slightly stronger blessing of the earth over all owned farmland.

Slightly increases the rate of mental stamina recovery.

[Farmer's Body Lv. 2]

A farmer's body must always be strong.

All stats increase by 3.

[Year of Abundance Lv. 1]

With a very low probability, a year of abundance occurs in part of the owned farmland for one week (maximum 100 square meters).

During a year of abundance, the harvest increases by 50%.

Indeed, Theo's hand was golden. This draw was a huge success!

"Good job! Theo."

Sejun, excited, touched Theo's front paw.

Then,

"Meow... Park Sejun, give me churu... meow..."

Theo mumbled in his sleep.

"Sure. I'll give you as much as you want."

Feeling good, Sejun tore open a churu and placed it in Theo's mouth.

Squish, squish, squish.

"Delicious... meow..."

Theo licked the churu enthusiastically even in his sleep.

When Theo finished the churu, Sejun got up.

"I want to sleep more... meow..."

Squish, squish, squish.

The others complained about getting up.

"Come on, get up quickly!"

Due to the nap, work had piled up. Sejun quickly woke up Theo, the black rabbit, and the baby bear.

Then,

"Give me churu... meow! I didn't eat enough earlier... meow!"

Theo, now fully awake, demanded churu from Sejun.

"Theo, you just ate churu?"

"What are you talking about... meow? Are you teasing me... meow?!"

Theo said indignantly in response to Sejun's answer.

"I definitely ate it in my dream... meow!"

Theo was indignant. He was sure he had eaten it in his dream, but Park Sejun insisted he had eaten it in reality.

"Alright. Here."

Sejun gave Theo a new churu and went down to the cave to farm.

Theo followed Sejun down to the cave and took his designated seat. If he stayed above ground, the baby bear might steal his precious churu.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Theo started eating the churu enthusiastically. It wasn't as good as eating it on Park Sejun's lap, but churu was still delicious.

While Theo was enjoying his churu in peace,

"Phew. Done."

Thanks to the Farmer's Body skill, all of Sejun's stats increased by 3, allowing him to cut all the leaves without getting tired and at a fast pace.

Then, he went to the cherry tomato field and

Snip.

Cut the cherry tomato branches, harvesting with enthusiasm.

[Harvested 4 fully ripe magic cherry tomatoes at once.]

[Job experience increased slightly.]

[Harvesting Lv. 4 proficiency increased slightly.]

[Proficiency increase Lv. 1 effect: Harvesting Lv. 4 proficiency increased by 5%.]

[80 experience points gained.]

Then,

"Huh?!"

A golden aura settled on the surrounding ground.

And,

[Year of Abundance Lv. 1 activated.]

[30 square meters of the magic cherry tomato field is experiencing a year of abundance.]

[For the next week, the harvest will increase by 50%.]

A year of abundance had come to Sejun's cherry tomato field.