Chapter 68 of 100
Chapter 68: Enhancing Talent
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Chapter 68: Enhancing Talent
The cats arrived in front of Uma-Oh, who was guarding the waypoints.
"Hello! I am Oren, a wandering merchant, and I have come to sell a precious item to Lord Uma-Oh!"
Tap, tap, tap.
Despite his trembling legs, Oren managed to deliver his message to the end.
Impressive, Lord Oren!
The other cats looked at Oren with admiration and took out the Earth items from their bags, displaying items like a roll cleaner, a tumbler, and facial tissues.
Items that Uma-Oh had no need for. He could have simply chased them away, but because of Sejun's request, Uma-Oh engaged in further conversation.
"What is this?"
"Ah! This is a roll cleaner. It has an adhesive magic spell that can remove dust and fur."
"What is the price?"
"Ah, the price? It's 50 Tap Coins."
Oren asked for almost ten times what he had paid for it.
Uma-Oh asked about a few more items.
"I want to have an expert verify if the items you are selling are truly precious. Uma-Samcheon, take them to the expert!"
Mew!
Following Uma-Oh's instructions, Uma-Samcheon led the cats away.
***
When Sejun returned after setting the western forest on fire,
Buzz, buzz.
A single venomous honeybee landed on Sejun's hand. In its embrace was a transparent, yellowish square jelly, about the size of a caramel candy.
"Is this the honey jelly?"
Buzz, buzz.
[Yes, it's a honey jelly made from cherry tomatoes.]
Thud.
The venomous honeybee answered Sejun's question and placed the honey jelly in his palm.
[You have obtained 1 Venomous Honeybee's Cherry Tomato Honey Jelly.]
[Your Beekeeping skill at Level 4 has slightly improved.]
It felt soft and squishy.
"Should I take a look?"
Sejun examined the honey jelly.
[Venomous Honeybee's Cherry Tomato Honey Jelly]
A delicacy made from the pollen and honey of magic cherry tomatoes, which have absorbed abundant nutrients while growing in the Tower. The honey is concentrated to maximize its sweetness.
Consuming it will slightly enhance magic-related talents.
Cultivator: Tower Farmer Park Sejun
Expiry Date: 1 year
Grade: C
Amazing!
Enhancing talents is already difficult, but strengthening them is a whole different level.
Many hunters strive to enhance their talents because doing so can lead to their talents evolving into higher grades.
However, very few hunters manage to grow their talents because it requires immense effort.
But...
Just eating this can enhance magic-related talents?!
While Sejun was amazed by the honey jelly's properties, there was someone beside him who was even more shocked.
Buzz, buzz!!!
Kweeng was captivated by the sweet scent of the honey jelly, which he had never smelled before, and clung to Sejun. Dad! Give it to me!!!
"Kweeng, sit down!"
Sejun firmly told the excited Kweeng to calm down.
Kweeng.
Kweeng quickly sat in front of Sejun and extended his hands. Please give it to me.
But
Thump!
The black rabbit also wanted to eat the honey jelly and tried to remind Sejun not to forget about him.
'I want to eat it too...'
While Sejun was pondering what to do with the honey jelly,
Buzz, buzz.
Fortunately, dozens of venomous honeybees started flying over, each carrying a honey jelly. The honey jelly in Sejun's palm seemed to be the first one made.
[You have obtained 1 Venomous Honeybee's Cherry Tomato Honey Jelly.]
[Your Beekeeping skill at Level 4 has slightly improved.]
...
..
.
Dozens of honey jellies piled up in Sejun's hand.
Kweeng!
Kweeng asked for the honey jelly again.
"Give one to each of the guys first."
Sejun, holding a handful of honey jellies, distributed them to Theo, the black rabbit, and Kweeng.
But
"I don't eat fish! I won't eat it!"
Theo, a fish lover, refused the honey jelly. As a result, Kweeng got to eat an extra one, and his magic-related talent grew.
Sejun's combat power dropped to one-hundredth of Kweeng's.
"Come on, guys, come and try one."
Sejun called the other rabbits to taste the honey jelly.
"Mmm."
Sejun also put a honey jelly in his mouth and chewed. The texture was definitely that of a jelly.
Munch, munch.
As he chewed, the honey jelly dissolved in his saliva, filling his mouth with the rich, heavy scent and flavor of honey.
"Wow!"
Sejun, who had been savoring the aftertaste of the honey jelly, which had disappeared like cotton candy, let out an exclamation and regained his composure. Since Sejun didn't have any magic-related talents, he didn't experience any talent enhancement.
"Aileen."
Sejun called out to Aileen, looking at the 10 honey jellies left in his hand. Aileen, who liked the magic cherry tomatoes, would probably enjoy these too.
"Aileen?"
But there was no response.
"Is she sleeping?"
Sejun put the remaining honey jellies in Theo's bag and did some work before having lunch.
When he was about to take a break,
[The Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani, is dying due to the Dragon Heart's rampage.]
"What?!"
[A quest from the Black Tower has been triggered.]
[Black Tower Quest: Calm Aileen Pretani's Dragon Heart Rampage.]
Reward: Aileen Pretani regains consciousness.
Failure: Aileen Pretani dies from the Dragon Heart's rampage.
***
"Hehehe. Good human! Burn it all!"
Aileen, as usual, was watching Sejun through a crystal ball. When Sejun, who had gained the ability to control fire using an apple tree, set the western forest on fire and leveled up, Aileen was delighted.
"Hehehe. Good human, get stronger quickly!"
As Aileen cheered for Sejun, she felt thirsty and drank the cherry tomato soup Sejun had given her.
Boom! Bang! Boom! Bang!
Her magic power increased, and her Dragon Heart started beating strongly.
"Hehe. Good."
Aileen was happy as she felt her Dragon Heart beating strongly.
"Ahh!"
Suddenly, Aileen clutched her chest and fell.
Boom!!! Bang!!!
The mana inside her Dragon Heart started surging uncontrollably. It was a mana rampage.
"B... Park Sejun... help..."
Aileen called out to Sejun and lost consciousness.
And then
[The Tower's manager's life is in danger.]
[The Black Tower's emergency system has been activated.]
[The Black Tower's emergency system is analyzing the manager's physical condition.]
[......]
[The Black Tower's emergency system is requesting help from the last entity the manager called.]
***
[Choose an item to help the Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani.]
"But why is Aileen's Dragon Heart rampaging?"
Sejun, not knowing how to help, asked urgently.
[The Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani's Dragon Heart, is rampaging because her talent: Frozen Dragon Heart, cannot handle the absorbed mana.]
Frozen Dragon Heart?
Her talent couldn't handle the absorbed mana?
"Then, enhancing her talent should work, right?"
Fortunately, Sejun had such an item.
[Yes, that's the best method.]
Sejun, who had been planning to give Aileen the honey jelly, was relieved. It was a good thing he had kept it. He was really lucky.
"Theo, get the honey jelly."
"Got it, meow!"
Meanwhile, the venomous honeybees had brought more honey jellies, increasing the total to 12.
"Feed these to Aileen."
[Understood.]
The honey jellies in Sejun's hand disappeared.
[12 Venomous Honeybee's Cherry Tomato Honey Jellies have been supplied to the Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani.]
"Is it working?"
[Please wait a moment. We are waiting for a reaction.]
[......]
[The Venomous Honeybee's Cherry Tomato Honey Jellies are successfully enhancing the Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani's talent: Frozen Dragon Heart.]
[The talent: Frozen Dragon Heart has been slightly enhanced, and the Dragon Heart's rampage has stopped.]
"Is Aileen okay now?"
[Yes, the Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani's Dragon Heart should not rampage for a while.]
"For a while?"
[Yes. Although it is stable now, if the Tower's manager, Aileen Pretani's talent does not grow, there is a risk of another rampage.]
A few seconds later, a message appeared indicating that the quest was completed.
"Phew."
Sejun sighed in relief after reading the message.
***
Rumble.
"Lord Uma-Samcheon, how much longer do we have to go?"
Oren asked Uma-Samcheon, hearing the rumbling from his stomach. They had been walking for hours without eating anything for several days.
However, Uma-Samcheon continued walking without answering. His task was to keep the cats walking until they were exhausted. After about 3 hours, a signal from a colleague came from a distance.
Mew!
"What? We're going to eat?"
"Food?!"
The cats became excited at the mention of food.
But
"Here...?"
Uma-Samcheon led the cats to a muddy field. The cats hesitated, not wanting to get mud on their paws.
Then
Sniff, sniff.
"Can you smell grilled fish?"
"You too?!"
The cats were excited by the smell of grilled fish.
Mew.
Uma-Samcheon pushed the cats towards the muddy field.
"Can we eat at a restaurant?"
Without answering, Uma-Samcheon pointed to a place. On the opposite side of the muddy field, there was a restaurant, and the smell of grilled fish was coming from there.
"Grilled fish!"
The cats rushed to the restaurant. Inside, gray rabbits were grilling fish.
"Five grilled fish, please!"
"I want ten!"
As the cats hurriedly ordered grilled fish,
Beep!
The most muscular gray rabbit extended his front paw.
"What? Prepayment?"
The cats were taken aback by the gray rabbit's words. The price of one grilled fish was 0.05 Tap Coins, but they were penniless beggars.
Then
Snap.
The gray rabbit handed them a contract.
"Ah! We can eat on credit? Thank you!"
The cats signed the contract with their paw prints, agreeing to pay for the grilled fish later.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
The gray rabbits diligently grilled piranhas and served them to the cats.
If they didn't pay the debt within 3 days, they would have to make 1,000 mud bricks for each grilled fish, but they were confident they could pay with the items they had. If not, they could always make 1,000 mud bricks. The size of the mud bricks, based on a Black Minotaur, was a secret.
A short while later,
"Ah, I'm full."
"Full."
The cats, happy after a long-awaited feast, lay down and soon fell asleep.
***
"Why isn't the Tower opening yet?!"
Kaiser Pretani, who wanted to see his beloved granddaughter, glared at the portal in frustration.
"Lord, please calm down. It means Aileen's life is not in immediate danger."
"Hmm. That's true."
Kaiser had set up a system to request help from the last entity Aileen called if her life was in danger.
'And Aileen always called me. Hehehe.'
Aileen always called Kaiser before losing consciousness, and when the portal activated, Kaiser would go first, call other dragons, and treat Aileen before returning.
'Aileen, call your grandpa quickly.'
Kaiser, unaware that Aileen had called Sejun instead, glared at the inactive portal, hoping Aileen would call him.
Then
[Transmitting the activity log of the Black Tower's emergency system.]
"What?!"
The activation of the Black Tower's emergency system meant Aileen had a seizure.
Kaiser quickly checked the activity log of the emergency system.
"Thank goodness."
Although there had been a rampage, Aileen's Dragon Heart was in much better condition than before.
But
"Roar! Who is Park Sejun? Who is he!!!"
Kaiser roared in anger upon learning that Aileen had called someone other than him.
***
"Ugh."
Sejun shivered, suddenly feeling a cold chill.
[Master! Are you cold? Here!]
Flame quickly created a ring of fire around Sejun to warm him up, and the cold chill soon dissipated.