Chapter 6 of 100
Chapter 6: Awakening
8 min read1,934 words
Sejun looked at the newly settled cherry tomatoes with a hint of doubt and checked the other cherry tomato plants.
"Hehehe. There it is."
A total of five fruits had taken root. Thinking about the many more fruits that would soon grow, Sejun felt delighted.
Imagining the cherry tomatoes that would fill the field, he smiled to himself. He was in such a good mood over those tiny things.
As the afternoon approached, the cave became bustling.
Squeak!
Squeak!
The rabbit couple began to block the entrance to their burrow. Watching the rabbits, Sejun realized that the Blue Moon was about to begin.
Sejun hurried to prepare. To guard against the monsters, he extinguished the fire, buried or moved anything that smelled to the corners of the cave, and tried to eliminate the smell as much as possible.
A few hours later, the sunlight turned blue, and Sejun faced his third Blue Moon.
Roar!
Roar!
The roars of the monsters could be heard.
'No matter how many times I hear it, I never get used to it.'
His heart raced with each roar, and goosebumps ran down his body.
He thought this Blue Moon would pass smoothly.
But
Thud. Thud.
A monster began to prowl above the cave where Sejun was hiding.
And
Sniff! Sniff!
A red-furred monster stuck its nose into a hole in the ground and started to sniff around.
'Oh no! Did it notice something?'
Sejun held his breath, hoping the monster would leave.
But
Sniff! Sniff!
The monster continued to sniff. How long did it sniff?
Roar!
Hearing the roar from a distance,
Roar!
Thud! Thud!
The red-furred monster roared and ran towards the source of the sound.
***
Snap! Snap!
Sejun was woken up by the husband rabbit's firm slap.
Squeak!
The husband rabbit looked at Sejun with a worried expression.
"Ugh... When did I fall asleep?"
Did I faint?
He had heard that strong monster roars could cause fainting.
Shiver.
"Ugh... Why am I so cold?"
His body was tense and he had fainted. The temperature at the end of the cave was much lower, so it was no wonder he felt so cold. He seemed to have caught a cold.
Swish.
Sejun struggled to the wall where he recorded the date and drew a line.
And
'I need a fire.'
Shivering, Sejun went to the fire pit. He needed to start the fire again.
Shiver.
With trembling hands, Sejun held a water bottle and shone sunlight on a pile of dry leaves to create a spark.
30 minutes later.
"Pant. Pant."
Whoosh.
Sejun managed to start the fire with the spark and crouched by the fire pit, roasting leeks.
And
Chomp. Chomp.
He ate the roasted leeks enthusiastically.
'The only thing I can do now is eat well.'
After eating the leeks and feeling a bit better, Sejun went to the pond and caught five fish to cook.
While Sejun was fighting off his cold by eating,
Squeak!
The husband rabbit called him.
"Why...?"
Squeak!
The husband rabbit pointed to a spot where the cherry tomatoes, which were smaller than beans yesterday, had grown to the size of golf balls.
"But why are they this color?"
The cherry tomatoes were bluish.
"Are they ripe?"
Although they couldn't have ripened overnight, their size was so large that Sejun touched one to check.
Tap.
"Hey?!"
The cherry tomato fell off easily, indicating it was fully ripe.
"Wow."
As Sejun marveled at the giant blue cherry tomato,
[You have achieved the feat of harvesting a fruit containing the energy of the Blue Moon.]
A transparent blue window appeared before his eyes.
"Huh? What is this?!"
It was a message window.
[The Tower Manager is amazed by your remarkable achievement.]
[The Tower Manager is carefully observing you.]
[The Tower Manager frowns.]
'Why is he frowning all of a sudden?'
[The Tower Manager realizes you are an uninvited guest.]
[The Tower Manager wants to hide his mistake.]
"What?! Mistake?"
A mistake?! You mean my coming here was a mistake?
"Then kick me out!"
[The Tower Manager is considering whether to kill you and destroy the evidence.]
"Hey... I don't want to leave..."
You said I achieved something? Please, let me live.
[The Tower Manager awakens you.]
[You have been awakened.]
"Oh!"
Finally, he was awakened. He decided to forget about the Tower Manager's attempt to kill him. Survival had been his top priority, and the reason Sejun came to the tower was to awaken.
"The 150 million won ticket is solid. Hehehe."
Now, all he had to do was climb the tower...
[The Tower Manager assigns you a job.]
[You have become a Tower Farmer (F).]
"Huh? A farmer?"
[Job trait: You do not suffer from minor illnesses.]
[Job trait: You become closer to nature.]
[Job trait: You can gain experience points by harvesting crops.]
"...Status window."
It can't be. There must be something. Sejun desperately wanted to believe. He called up his status window with a fervent heart.
But
[Park Sejun Lv. 1]
Talent: Average
Stats: Strength (1) Health (1) Agility (1) Magic (1)
Job: Tower Farmer (F)
Skills: None.
"This... is my status window..."
The basic stats and stat increases upon leveling up vary depending on talent. However, Sejun's talent was "average," which meant he was just mediocre.
There was no hope to be found in his status window.
After all, the lottery is better when you don't scratch it. At least then you can daydream...
"Ah... I'm just average... and a farmer..."
What is my job?
A Tower Farmer.
The thought of answering someone about his job made him feel embarrassed.
"Maybe I'll just become a farmer?"
He doubted he could make a lot of money in the tower anyway.
'Goodbye, Sera. Fate doesn't seem to allow us to be more than a star and a fan.'
Sejun, with tears in his eyes, decided to remain a fan of Sera.
He then examined the blue cherry tomato in his hand.
[Blue Moon Energy-Infused Magic Cherry Tomato]
A cherry tomato grown inside the tower, rich in nutrients and delicious.
Infused with the energy of the Blue Moon, it tastes even better.
Consuming it permanently increases your magic by 0.05.
Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
Expiry Date: 30 days
Grade: E
"Huh?!"
It was a weak but stat-boosting item.
'This could be worth some money if I sell it later?'
Just as Sejun was starting to have new hope,
[A quest has appeared.]
"Quest?"
[Quest: Offer the fruit containing the energy of the Blue Moon to the Tower Manager.]
Reward: 1 Job Skill
Refusal: Death
"What...?"
Just give it to me! Don't make it sound like I have a choice!
It was a quest, but it felt more like a threat.
Must! He had to take everything!
His dreams, his cherry tomatoes.
Feeling wronged, Sejun had only one choice.
"Here."
With Sejun's words, the blue cherry tomato in his hand disappeared.
[You have completed the quest.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, you have obtained the Job Skill - Seed Sowing Lv. 1.]
"Are you kidding me!"
Do I really need a skill for sowing seeds?!
Sejun grumbled in anger, but the Tower Manager remained silent afterward.
"Sigh."
Sejun sighed and examined the skill he had received.
[Job Skill - Seed Sowing Lv. 1]
- Slightly increases the probability of seeds germinating when planted.
"......"
At least, thanks to the job trait of not suffering from minor illnesses, his cold was gone.
On the 61st day of his ordeal, he awakened and obtained the job of Tower Farmer.
***
Flash.
Sejun, who had just woken up, immediately approached the cave wall.
Swish.
He completed the 15th 正 on the wall with a fish bone.
It had been 75 days since he entered the cave.
Squish! Squish!
Sejun washed his face in the small pond and regained his composure.
And
Swish! Swish!
Holding a torch in his left hand, he swung it from side to side over the large pond.
Splash!
A fish jumped out, and Sejun, now awakened, could see its name above its head.
[Piranha]
Thud!
He struck the piranha with a club made from several layers of dried leek leaves tied together with a rope.
Thud!
Thud!
The piranhas, hit by the club, flailed on the ground. Sejun caught five piranhas this way. The number of piranhas he needed to catch had increased due to the baby rabbits.
A moment later.
[You have defeated a Piranha.]
[You have gained 2 experience points.]
...
..
.
As the piranhas suffocated and died, Sejun gained experience points. Thanks to his awakening, he could now gain experience points. This allowed him to level up to 2.
However, he didn't hunt piranhas recklessly. Survival was more important than experience points.
If the piranha population were to dwindle, it would be a problem for Sejun and the rabbits. So, he only caught what he needed.
While Sejun was preparing breakfast by catching piranhas, the rabbit couple started their morning farming.
And there was a change.
Squeak!
Squeak!
The baby rabbits began to help their parents with the farming. They were only carrying leek leaves, but they were trying their best to be helpful.
With his awakening, Sejun could also see the rabbits' identities. The names above their heads.
[Farmer White Rabbit]
This was the identity of the rabbits. He didn't know what had happened to them, but it seemed they had lost their farm and wandered until they found the field Sejun had created and settled here.
At that moment, a fragrant smell began to waft through the air.
The piranha dish was ready.
"Let's eat breakfast!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The hungry baby rabbits threw away the leek leaves they were holding and ran over. After a hearty breakfast, the baby rabbits went into their burrows to take a nap. They were still growing, so they slept a lot.
"Great. Shall we harvest now?"
Squeak!
Squeak!
The rabbit couple looked at Sejun with a serious expression. Today was a very important day.
"Let's see."
Sejun went to the cherry tomato field and examined the ripe, red cherry tomatoes.
'Good, they're well-ripened.'
Tap.
Sejun picked a well-ripened cherry tomato.
[You have obtained a well-ripened Magic Cherry Tomato.]
[Your job experience has slightly increased.]
[You have gained 10 experience points.]
"Magic cherry tomato?"
[Magic Cherry Tomato]
A cherry tomato grown inside the tower, rich in nutrients and delicious.
Consuming it decomposes 10g of fat in your body and increases your magic by 0.1 for 10 minutes.
The effect can be stacked up to 10 times within an hour.
For non-awakened individuals, it decomposes 10g of fat and gives a boost of energy.
Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
Expiry Date: 30 days
Grade: E
"Oh!"
It was an item again. Moreover, eating the Magic Cherry Tomato could increase his magic by up to 1.
Tap. Tap.
Sejun started harvesting the cherry tomatoes enthusiastically.
When he accidentally picked an unripe one,
[You have obtained an unripe cherry tomato.]
[Your job experience has not increased.]
[You have gained 7 experience points.]
His experience points decreased, and his job experience did not increase.
Moreover, the cherry tomato became a regular cherry tomato, not an item.
After that, Sejun carefully harvested the cherry tomatoes.
And
[You have obtained a well-ripened Magic Cherry Tomato.]
[Your job experience has slightly increased.]
[You have gained 10 experience points.]
...
..
.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have gained 1 bonus stat point.]
By harvesting 53 well-ripened Magic Cherry Tomatoes, he leveled up twice.
Thanks to this, Sejun reached level 4.