Chapter 41 of 100
Chapter 41. Receiving a Gift.
8 min read2,016 words
Chapter 41. Receiving a Gift.
‘Why is there a Black Minotaur here?!”
Seeing the two Black Minotaurs that Theo brought out, Elka, the chief of the Silver Wolf tribe, and the other two silver wolves were taken aback.
The Black Minotaur was a monster from the 99th floor, and the gap between it and the Silver Wolves, who resided on the 85th floor, was significant. The situation was extremely unfavorable.
However,
"Chief Elka, what should we do?"
"Focus on the mission. We need to complete it to receive food from Grid."
They had a reason they couldn't back down. The young wolves of the tribe had been waiting for days for the food they would bring.
'This time, no matter what happens, I have to get the information about the Straw Hat!'
The silver wolves prepared for battle against the Black Minotaurs.
Moo!
Ucheonsam stepped forward to protect Theo.
"Hit them lightly! Don't kill them!"
Moo!
While Ucheonsam nodded at Theo's words,
Thud.
The silver wolves quickly charged at Ucheonsam. Striking first was their only hope in this desperate situation.
Elka ran straight at Ucheonsam, and the other two wolves moved to flank him, looking for an opening.
Roar!
Elka leaped at Ucheonsam's right thigh.
Crunch.
Elka's attack was surprisingly successful.
Crunch. Crunch.
The other wolves bit into Ucheonsam's left arm and right shoulder.
However,
Moo!
Ucheonsam's skin was so tough and thick that the wolves' sharp teeth couldn't penetrate it. He casually grabbed the wolves that had bitten his arm and shoulder and threw them to the ground.
Bang!
Yelp! Yelp!
Moo!
Ucheonsam, having knocked out the two wolves, extended his right fist toward Elka.
'Danger!'
Seeing Ucheonsam's fist coming at her, Elka quickly dodged backward.
However,
Moo!
Ucheonsam's next punch was already flying toward Elka. Despite his large size, his movements were surprisingly fast.
'I can't dodge this.'
As Elka watched Ucheonsam's massive fist approaching, her life flashed before her eyes.
"Elka, listen carefully. Now, we may be free mercenaries who move for money, but in the past, our ancestors were proud wolves who fought to protect their dignity. You must always remember this and never dishonor our ancestors' legacy."
These were the words her grandfather used to say when he would sit her on his lap as a child. When he said these words, the tired look on his face would disappear, a smile would appear at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes would light up.
"Yes, Grandfather! I will become a proud wolf who fights to protect my dignity!"
"That's right. That's right."
Elka remembered her grandfather's words and wanted to be a wolf who protected her dignity more than anyone else. However, the great famine that struck the tower a hundred years ago drastically worsened the food situation, and Elka lost her dream.
Many of the tribe's elders chose to starve to death to save the young wolves. Elka's grandfather and parents also passed away during that time.
Through the great famine, Elka realized that dignity alone couldn't provide food, that talking about dignity was like chasing after a mirage, and that protecting one's dignity was a luxury.
So, she worked as a free mercenary, earning money to feed the tribe's wolves, and lived with that as her only goal.
'Was I a proud wolf?'
Elka asked herself. The answer came quickly. No. She was a despicable wolf who had abandoned her dignity. She had no regrets, only a sense of loss.
'If I have another life, I want to live as a proud wolf who protects her dignity.'
Elka closed her eyes, hoping for another life.
Punch!
Yelp!
Elka fainted after being hit by Ucheonsam's fist.
"Is he really out cold?"
Theo poked Elka's body with his paw to confirm if she was really unconscious.
Then,
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Theo took out a piece of paper and stamped the feet of the three unconscious silver wolves.
"The crime of trying to take my life is expensive. I will seek revenge with money. I'm taking them with me!"
Theo planned to take the wolves to Sejun and get proper compensation for the attempt on his life.
He slung the three unconscious wolves over the shoulders of Ucheonsam and Ucheonsa,
"Meow meow meow!"
and hummed a tune as he walked down the tower.
'Hehe. If they don't have money, they'll have to pay with their bodies!'
Pay with your body if you don't have money! Theo's remarkable learning ability, having learned from Sejun, and his thoroughness in getting the stamps on the contract beforehand.
Sejun 2.0, Theo Park, was becoming more and more like Sejun.
***
Swish.
Sejun, who had woken up, added another mark to the cave wall, completing the fourth line.
正正正正正 正正正正正
Sejun greeted the 200th day of his ordeal.
"Already 200 days..."
Although the day was no different from yesterday, the number 200 created ripples in Sejun's heart, making him feel depressed.
Honk!
The baby bear announced its arrival. I'm here!
Then,
Squeak!
Squeak!
Squeak!
The baby rabbits responded, making the cave noisy.
"Since it's the 200th day, I have to give 200% effort today!"
Thanks to the baby animals, Sejun's depression quickly disappeared.
Sejun washed his face and prepared breakfast. The menu was grilled corn. He had finished the last of the dried sweet potatoes he had been eating for breakfast every day and had eaten all the remaining sweet potatoes.
Munch. Munch.
While Sejun was eating the grilled corn,
Sizzle.
The black rabbit brought a detoxifying leek and grilled it over the fire, apparently curious about its taste.
Sizzle?
A moment later, the black rabbit, after eating the grilled detoxifying leek, had a puzzled look on its face. What's different?
"You're right. It's not much different from what we usually eat."
Sejun, who had tried it first, confirmed the black rabbit's thoughts.
Indeed, there wasn't much difference in taste between the D-grade detoxifying leek and the leek leaves they usually ate. So, he planned to sell them to Theo, emphasizing their detoxifying and liver-boosting effects, and stored them in the storage room.
Of course, the taste of the C+ grade detoxifying leek would likely be different, but since he only had one, he decided to save it for later.
After breakfast, Sejun and the rabbits started their morning farming.
Honk!
After quickly finishing the watermelon harvest and climbing to the surface, Honk greeted Sejun happily. Play with me!
However,
"Sorry, later."
Sejun had a lot to do. When he reached the leek field, the sickle rabbit was already cutting leek leaves enthusiastically.
Snip. Snip. Snip...
Sejun joined in and cut the leek leaves diligently.
How much did they cut?
"Phew. Did I plant too many?"
Sejun sighed, looking at the pile of leek leaves he had cut today. The pile was about a meter high.
The shovel rabbit was making the field, and the watering can rabbits were watering it, but they were using far fewer leek leaves than the two batches produced daily.
Every time the roots grew, he divided and replanted them, and the leek field had quickly expanded from 200 pyeong to 400 pyeong.
"They really grow fast."
Sejun said, noticing that the leaves of the leeks he had first cut had already grown to about 10 cm.
He could have left the leek leaves alone, but that wasn't Sejun's style.
"Now I can handle 10 Black Minotaurs."
Snip. Snip.
Sejun made a big statement and started cutting the leek leaves again.
When he had almost finished cutting the leek leaves,
Sizzle!
The black rabbit climbed to the surface and called Sejun. It was lunchtime.
The lunch menu was grilled fish seasoned with salt. Sejun and the black rabbit sprinkled a pinch of pepper each and enjoyed their meal.
Munch. Munch.
Swallow.
Honk!
Honk happily ate, exclaiming "Delicious!" every time he swallowed a piranha.
After the enjoyable lunch,
Snore.
Snore.
Just as Sejun was about to take a nap with the black rabbit and Honk,
[The tower manager has prepared a gift for you to celebrate your 200th day in the tower.]
"Gift?"
Despite the 200 days, the fact that someone was thinking of him touched Sejun.
[A quest has been triggered.]
[Quest: Give Eileen one magic watermelon tomato.]
Reward: Secret!
Refusal: Hmph! You can't refuse my gift!
A secret reward? A surprise?
"Take one watermelon tomato."
Sejun completed the quest with high expectations.
[Quest completed.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, you have received Eileen's Health Soup.]
"Health Soup?"
[The tower manager asks you to check the pot in the cave.]
[The tower manager says she worked so hard on the cooking that she's sleepy and will go to bed.]
"Thank you."
Sejun thanked Eileen. It was the first time he had received something from her.
[The tower manager says she put a lot of effort into it, so you should eat it all.]
"Okay."
Sejun answered and went down to the cave.
Then,
"What is this..."
The pot contained a thick green liquid of unknown origin.
"Did she make this for me to eat?"
Sejun frowned and examined the liquid closely, and an explanation appeared.
[Eileen's Health Soup]
A first-time dish made by the great black dragon, Eileen Fritannia, using various medicinal herbs.
The taste is not guaranteed, but the effects are excellent. If you survive...
Consuming it will increase all stats by 3.
Consuming it will cause C-grade paralysis poison.
Consuming it will cause C-grade acid poison.
Cook: The great black dragon, Eileen Fritannia
Grade: A
"An item?"
If he survived drinking this, all his stats would increase by 3. Fortunately, Sejun had a C+ grade detoxifying leek.
'I'll drink it.'
Since it wouldn't kill him, he decided to drink it. The +3 to all stats gave him the courage to make this bold decision.
Munch.
Sejun ate the C+ grade detoxifying leek.
[You have consumed a detoxifying leek.]
[Detoxifies C+ grade and lower poisons for 1 hour.]
"Good."
With a serious face, he looked at the health soup in the pot.
"This isn't food; it's medicine."
Sejun brainwashed himself, pinched his nose, and drank Eileen's Health Soup.
Swallow.
[You have consumed Eileen's Health Soup.]
[You are affected by C-grade paralysis poison.]
[Detoxified.]
[You are affected by C-grade acid poison.]
[Detoxified.]
He easily overcame the critical moments caused by the poisons.
However,
Swallow. Swallow. Gag!
The revolting taste of the green health soup quickly brought another critical moment. He couldn't stop now. He couldn't experience this pain twice!
'I'll finish it in one go!'
Sejun steeled himself and continued drinking, suppressing the liquid that was trying to come back up.
But,
Swallow. Swallow. Gag!
Another critical moment came. As he drank the health soup, the fish head at the bottom of the pot slowly became visible. Why did she put the fish head in whole?!
Sejun screamed inwardly, closed his eyes to avoid looking at the fish head's eyes, and continued drinking the health soup.
Then,
[You have consumed all of Eileen's Health Soup.]
[All stats increase by 3.]
Finally, he reaped the fruits of his labor.
"Ugh."
Sejun shuddered at the terrible taste and resolved to refuse any future gifts from Eileen.
"Here, you eat this."
Plop.
Sejun threw the fish head from the pot into the pond.
A moment later,
[You have defeated a piranha.]
[You have gained 2 experience points.]
[You have defeated a crayfish.]
[You have gained 30 experience points.]
...
..
.
[You have defeated a giant electric eel.]
[You have gained 5000 experience points.]
"Giant electric eel?"
There was one of those around the pond. If it had released electricity, it would have been dangerous.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have gained 1 bonus stat point.]
On the 200th day of his ordeal, Sejun drank Eileen's terrible gift and increased all his stats by 3. Using the gift, he eliminated the giant electric eel, which could have been a threat to the cave, and leveled up.
However, for a few days, nothing moved in the pond, and he couldn't eat piranhas or crayfish for a while.