Solo Farming In The Tower

[The first and final contest of the Festival of Abundant Harvest will begin shortly: The Corn Harvest-and-Eat Competition.]

[All participants, please gather in front of the Ripe Corn Altar.]

The Ripe Corn Altar had lost most of its kernels and couldn’t maintain the festival much longer. So the organizers had decided to combine the harvesting and eating events into one.

Participants had to harvest corn and place it into a pot at the altar. The corn would then immediately be steamed, and they had to eat it for it to count as one point.

What a shame.

If the festival lasted longer, I’d have brought Aileen later…

Sejun was a little disappointed—he’d hoped to use the prolonged peace buff of the harvest festival to get in some intimate time with Aileen, since attacks and damage would be severely reduced during that window.

Meanwhile, crowds were gathering for the event.

Queng!

[Dad! Queng’s joining the contest too da-yo!]

“Heheh. Taecho wants to go too!”

With sparkling eyes, Queng and Taecho looked up at Sejun.

“Go on, have fun. Daddy’s going to rest.”

Sejun claimed he had other things to do and let them go without him.

Queng! Queng!

[Got it da-yo! Queng will come back in 1st place da-yo!]

“Sure. You’re the big brother, so take good care of Taecho.”

Kuhehehe. Queng! Queng! Queng!

[Hehe~ Got it! Queng will take care of Taecho da-yo! Let’s go, Taecho!]

“Okay! Heheh. Daddy, I’m off!”

Holding hands, Queng led Taecho toward the altar. Theo, Iona, and Kkamang weren’t interested in corn, so they didn’t follow.

Then—

“All Winged Monkeys step aside to the right!”

“Puhuhut. Step aside nya!”

Kihihit. Kking?! Kking!

[Heheh. Butler said move! Go step aside!]

Sejun shouted at the Winged Monkeys who’d gathered near the altar.

If you commit crimes, you face consequences.

“Starting now, the Winged Monkeys will cultivate the cornfields!”

“Puhuhut. Time to work nya!”

Kihihit. Kking!

[Heheh. Butler! Let’s make them plant sweet potatoes too!]

Thus began Sejun’s forced labor campaign against the Winged Monkeys.

However—

Stumble. Stumble.

The Winged Monkeys had trouble moving properly due to their wings. As they struggled through the tightly packed cornfields, their wings kept snagging and snapping the stalks.

The more they worked, the worse the fields looked.

Ah… so that’s why they needed slaves.

Turns out, the Winged Monkeys had some justification for using slaves. Not that it made it right.

If corn was so hard for them, they should’ve planted something else. Why stick with corn?

Time to give them something more manageable.

“Alright, guys, let’s show them how it’s done.”

Sejun rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

“Puhuhut. Got it nya!”

“Kkyut-kkyut-kkyut. Yes!”

Kihihit. Kking!

[Heheh! Butler! Trust the Great Kkamang!]

Excited, the others joined in.

A short while later, Sejun and his group had cleared the entire field—harvesting the corn and even pulling up the roots. The land was now ready for new crops.

“Here, plant these.”

Sejun handed the Winged Monkeys seeds for a different crop.

[Great Persimmon of Accuracy]

They should be able to grow persimmons without too much trouble.

While the monkeys got to work planting—

Queng!

[Dad! Queng got 1st place da-yo!]

Queng returned with proud, lumbering steps.

Float. Float.

Taecho was floating behind him with telekinesis.

“Daddy… Taecho’s so full…”

She had eaten so much she couldn’t walk.

[Here you go, Dad!]

Queng handed Sejun the 1st place prize:

[10 Drops of Ripe Corn Oil Elixir]

A single drop on any crop would instantly ripen its fruit.

Ah, kind of like the Harvest Elixir.

“Wow, this is great! Nice job, Queng!”

It wasn’t a particularly rare item—

—but when it came from his Queng, it felt special.

Sejun praised him with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Taecho, you did great too!”

“Heheh! Taecho ate ten corns!”

Proudly sticking out her bulging belly, Taecho basked in the praise.

Just then—

Whirrr…

The Ripe Corn Altar began glowing and disappeared.

[You have successfully held the Festival of Abundant Harvest and fulfilled the Ripe Corn Altar’s final wish.]

[Quest Complete.]

[As a quest reward, the Ripe Corn Altar happily dissipates.]

[You have received: New Variety – Singing Corn Seed.]

A quest complete message appeared.

“Singing Corn?”

As Sejun leaned forward to inspect it—

[The Festival of Abundant Harvest has ended. You will now return to your original location.]

Everyone who had been summoned to the festival—including Sejun—was returned to their previous places.

“Nya?! Chairman Park disappeared again nya!”

“Kkyut-kkyut-kkyut. He must’ve gone back to Earth. Let’s hurry!”

“Got it nya! Chairman Park, wait for us nya!”

Queng!

Kking!

“Daddy!”

The others quickly returned to Earth.

On the way back from the dentist to the Kindergarten of Destruction.

It had been quite the detour—but thanks to it, thousands of slaves were able to return home to their waiting families and friends.

“Vice Chairman Te, we did something good today, right?”

“Puhuhut. Of course nya! Everything Chairman Park does is good nya!”

“Hehehe. I’ll take that.”

In the end, the Sejun Family had another fulfilling day.

***

Black Tower, 1st Floor.

It was Saturday—three days since the dentist trip. And it was also the day the Children of Creation returned to the kindergarten.

So Sejun and his group left early to greet them.

“”Teacher!””

Seven kids ran up to Sejun.

“Did you have a good week?”

He hugged each child warmly.

“Yes! I studied history with Hokus!”

“I learned about causality from Grandma Brachio!”

The children chattered away about their studies.

…Huh? What are they talking about?

Sejun didn’t understand a word of their high-level knowledge.

“I see. Our Dongdong-i worked hard.”

“Wow, Rangrangi learned something really tough.”

He just nodded and praised them as they made their way back to the kindergarten.

When they arrived—

“Dongdong oppa~!”

“Shongshongi oppa, I missed you!”

“Bongbongi hyung! Why are you so late?! Didn’t you miss Tongtong?!”

The Children of Destruction and the Children of Creation enjoyed a cheerful reunion.

“Hmhmhm.”

While the kids reunited, Sejun headed straight to the kitchen to cook.

“Jjongjjongi hyung! We’re going to grow Pumpkin Masks!”

“Pumpkin Masks?”

“Yeah! I planted them over there with Ddan-ddan-nim!”

Huljjuk-i proudly pointed toward the gate to the 10th Tower.

“Gomgomi planted one too!”

“Mulmuli too!”

Other kids, proud and smug, chimed in—implying, “Hyungs don’t have one yet, huh?”

Then—

“Teacher! We want Pumpkin Masks too!”

“Yeah! We want them!”

Even the mature-seeming Children of Creation whined. They were still kids, after all.

“Alright. Let’s eat breakfast first, then we’ll go plant some. Go call everyone.”

“”Okay!””

After breakfast—

“Here. Just plant this in the soil.”

At the 4th floor farm of the 10th Tower, Sejun gave them detoxifying pumpkin seeds to plant.

A moment later—

Rumble.

The ground shook as a massive pumpkin began to grow from the spot Bongbongi had planted.

A dimensional tree?

Apparently, the Children of Creation had grown enough to raise dimensional trees instead of regular world trees.

Might have to start a weekend farm project…

Sejun thought it might be time to involve the Creation kids in farming.

“Bongbongi, let’s try planting again.”

“Yes.”

He gave Bongbongi another seed, then returned to the kindergarten.

“Alright. Let’s go on that picnic.”

“”Yes!!””

As promised, Sejun took the kids on a field trip—to the broadcasting station.

He had grown close with Kim Do-jin, Moonlight Fairy’s manager, while working on their album. When Do-jin introduced him to someone at the broadcasting station who offered a tour—

This’ll be a great experience for the kids.

Sejun scheduled the weekend visit.

Unfortunately, Aileen and Flamy couldn’t come.

The station was too crowded, and bumping into Aileen could cause a disaster. As for Flamy, well… she was a little too fragile(?). Dangerous in her own way.

They promised to go out together another time.

The kids were walking bombs too—but at least Sejun had learned to read their detonation triggers.

When was that?

When the food sucks, they’re hungry, sleepy, lost, cranky, or just feel like crying.

Hehe. But I’ve got it all covered.

As Sejun grinned confidently—

Queng!

[We’ve arrived da-yo!]

Queng used telekinesis to land himself and the group on the station’s rooftop.

“Good job, Queng.”

Pat pat.

Sejun gave Queng’s butt a couple of encouraging taps.

Then—

“Puhuhut.”

Kihihit.

“Heheh.”

“Hehe.”

One by one, the kids (and adults) subtly turned their butts toward him.

Pat pat.

Pat pat.

After giving each of them exactly five butt-pats—starting with Theo and ending with Aeung—Sejun was finally able to enter the station.

“Let’s go.”

“”Yes!””

They went down to the lobby via the emergency stairs. With 28 kids total, elevators were way too cramped.

When they got to the lobby—

“We’re way too early.”

“Puhuhut. We’re thirty minutes early nya!”

They waited for the person who would give them the station tour.

“Everyone, hold hands with the person next to you.”

“”Okay!””

Sejun had the kids form a human chain so they wouldn’t scatter.

Heheh. Maybe a celebrity will walk by?

He looked around, hoping to spot someone famous. No luck. Well—someone did pass by, but Sejun didn’t recognize them.

He’d been stuck in the Tower for over a year, so he didn’t know any of the current celebs.

As Sejun gawked like a bumpkin—

“Excuse me!”

A woman in her late twenties ran toward him with the face of someone who just found salvation.

Heh. This must be that irresistible charm of mine.

Sejun prepared to politely decline—

“Sorry, but I’m ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) already engaged—”

He spoke firmly, to avoid giving her any false hope.

“Please lend me the kids!”

She cut him off.

“…What?!”

“Oh—sorry! That came out weird.”

She hastily handed him a business card.

“I’m not weird! I’m Kim Hye-na, a producer for the drama ‘How to Make a Miracle on Christmas’. The kids we originally cast all got food poisoning. Would your kids be able to appear on set?”

She explained why she needed them.

Sounds fun…

Sejun was tempted.

But—

“Sorry, we’re scheduled for a station tour soon.”

He politely declined.

Then—

“I’ll take you on the tour personally after we shoot! It won’t take long—just under an hour! And we’ll pay them!”

Kim Hye-na offered everything she could. She was desperate.

If this shoot fell through, who knew when she’d get another chance to direct?

This project was only given to her because her seniors rejected the script.

“Alright. I’ll help you out.”

Sejun agreed. Helping someone in need—and giving the kids a new experience—sounded worthwhile.

Heheh. I’ll be on TV, huh?

Hope I don’t get too famous…

Then—

“So, what role am I playing?”

He eagerly asked Kim Hye-na.

“Oh? This drama is… all kids. There are no adult roles.”

“…Ah.”

And just like that, Sejun’s dream of appearing on television was crushed.

Honestly, a good thing—he was spared the chance to create a public disaster.