TL: Hanguk
PR: MiniPixelZ
Black Tower, 50th Floor.
Kkyaong!
[We’re finally here!]
Now all my misfortune will come to an end!
Baektang cheered loudly upon reaching the 50th floor of the Tower.
Baektang firmly believed that once he reached the 50th floor, all of his misfortune would disappear.
However,
Bird droppings fell on Baektang’s head.
Splash.
…?!
Kkyaong! Kkyaong?! Kkyaong!
[Ack! Poop! Can’t you see there’s a leopard here?! Watch where you poop!]
Baektang shouted toward the sky, but the bird that had pooped had already flown far away.
Kkyaong.
[I thought my luck would improve once I reached the 50th floor of the tower…]
Baektang had a sullen expression.
“Uhehe. Baektang, I’ll wipe it for you.”
Uren wiped the bird droppings from Baektang’s head.
Kkyaong.
[Thank you, Uren-nim.]
Baektang expressed thanks to Uren.
“Uhehehe. I should be the one thanking you.”
Kkyaong?
He still didn’t know where his misfortune was coming from.
***
<Grondra>
“Now let’s finish stamping the remaining pirates and go home.”
As Sejun exited the main branch of the Pirate Bank, ready to finish the remaining tasks and return home,
“Puhuhut. Chairman Park, I’m sleepy, meow! Let’s sleep before going back, meow!”
Theo whined, saying he was sleepy.
“Are you really tired?”
Normally, Theo would just sleep on Sejun’s lap, so Sejun asked in a concerned voice.
“That’s right, meow! I’m very sleepy, meow! I must sleep immediately, meow! Let’s sleep over there, meow!”
Theo whined and led Sejun to a quiet clearing where sunlight streamed down.
“Alright. Let’s rest our eyes a bit.”
So Sejun sat down in the plaza and placed Theo on his lap,
Keurrr.
And immediately fell asleep. Just Sejun alone.
“Puhuhut. Iona, thank you, meow!”
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot. It’s Theo-nim’s request after all.”
It was Iona who had put Sejun to sleep using a sleep spell at Theo’s request.
“Puhuhut. Now it’s time to fix Chairman Park’s rotten face, meow!”
Theo carefully laid Sejun down and smiled brightly. All of this was part of Theo’s grand plan to massage Sejun’s face.
“Cuengi and Blackie, go play somewhere else for now, meow!”
Kueng!
Kking!
Knowing what Theo was about to do, Cuengi and Blackie quietly left so as not to interfere.
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot. Power of magic…”
Iona deployed protective and silence magic around the area, guarding the space so that no one could disturb Theo.
Fwoosh!
Theo’s front paw began to shine brightly.
Press.Press.Press.
Theo began massaging Sejun’s face with great care and concentration.
Theo instinctively felt it, Sejun was in danger if things continued like this.
Sejun, a person from a level-1 world, had managed to survive until now.
He had barely held on thanks to the help of his companions, maintaining a delicate balance that was always on the verge of collapse.
But now, he was continuously pushing beyond his limits, and his insides were completely rotting from overexertion.
To make matters worse, Earth had recently become a level-2 world, and Sejun’s condition had further deteriorated.
One might ask what the problem is since Earth’s level growth increased potential, but Sejun’s body was already in a state of extreme overexertion.
It was like a rubber band stretched to its limit, just before breaking.
Even though the rubber band had thickened with added strength, it didn’t help much because of the many tears already present.
In fact, the rapid increase in stats only intensified the pulling force, worsening his body’s condition even faster.
Theo described Sejun’s condition as his face rotting, and had been treating him based on that.
Of course, there was also the added benefit of making Sejun more handsome.
After all, Theo had originally used healing magic because Sejun was too ugly.
Anyway, Sejun was now more rotten than ever before.
Why Theo only notices the rot when Sejun is being smug, or why he treats Sejun’s face even when other parts are injured, remains a mystery.
But what was clear is that Theo was treating Sejun.
Press.Press.Press.
Each time Theo’s front paw pressed Sejun’s face, the broken, stretched, and overworked parts of his body began to heal little by little.
“Puhuhut. Money! Burn brightly for our great hybrid Chairman Park, meow!”
It cost a lot of money, though.
While Theo was treating Sejun, Cuengi and Blackie were exploring the shopping district.
At that moment,
Kihihit. Kking!
[Hehe. Cuengi hyung, Great Blackie wants to eat that!]
Blackie caught a whiff of sweet potato bread from a bakery and begged Cuengi.
Kueng!
[Wait just a moment, I’ll check!]
Cuengi stared intensely at the bread.
Can I eat it?
Can I eat it?
Can I eat it?
After contemplating three times
Kuehehehe. Kueng! Kueng!
[Hehehe. Now it’s okay! Let’s buy it and eat it!]
Kihihit. Kking!
[Hehe. Cuengi hyung, let’s buy 10!]
Kueng! Kueng!
[No! We’re going to buy 100 pieces of bread!]
They went all out using the black card Sejun had given them.
“That will be 10 Tower Coins.”
Though the amount wasn’t much in the end.
As the two were happily going around the market street buying and eating food,
“A dangerous dinner show hosted by the pirate’s top chef and food killer Pugaro will begin shortly. Entry fee is only 1 million Tower Coins!”
“Each time you survive eating Pugaro the food killer’s dishes, the prize money doubles! And there are 10 dishes to eat! Time is running out! Those who haven’t signed up yet, hurry and register!”
The announcement echoed around them.
Kueng?!
[They’re giving food AND money too?!]
Kihihit. Kking!
[Hehe. Cuengi hyung! Let’s join too!]
It was more than enough to lure in Cuengi and Blackie.
With a name like ‘Dangerous Dinner Show’
It seemed like some ominous foods would be served, but
Kueng! Kueng!
[Alright! We’re joining too!]
Kking!
[Great Blackie is going to win this!]
They had already made up their minds.
Kueng!
[Two participants here!]
Cuengi paid the entry fee for both of them using the card and entered the building where the dinner show was being held.
Inside, around 10,000 participants were seated in front of individual dining tables.
“This way, please.”
Cuengi and Blackie were also guided to their designated table and sat side by side.
A short while later,
“Now, let’s begin the dinner show! Pugaro’s first dish is five giant crab meat burgers! If you finish them all, you may challenge the next dish! By the way, since this is a pirate city, you can do whatever you want as long as you don’t get caught! Not that we plan on monitoring you much. Hahaha!”
As the host spoke, staff placed five thick hamburgers, almost the size of soccer balls, on each participant’s table.
“Kuhuhuh! You eat mine too!”
“Huh?! Why did I suddenly get ten?! Was it you?!”
Participants were forcing or tricking others into taking more crab burgers.
And then,
Kueng?!
[Don’t tell me… this is it?!]
Cuengi was deeply disappointed by the five crab burgers, thinking it didn’t live up to the title “food killer.”
104.28.193.250
Kking!
[Cuengi hyung, eat mine too!]
As expected, my butler’s roasted and dried sweet potato is the best!
Blackie took one bite of the crab burger and lost interest, asking Cuengi to eat the rest.
Kueng!
Cuengi devoured all ten crab burgers in no time.
Though the taste was far inferior to Sejun’s cooking, Cuengi was satisfied to fill his belly a bit and watched the other pirates’ battles with Blackie.
Kueng!
[That looks like something Dad could learn?!]
Kihihit. Kking?! Kking!
[Hehe. The butler?! No way!]
They were observing to see if there was a skill Sejun could learn.
30 minutes later,
“Looks like everyone who could eat has finished. Eliminated participants who couldn’t finish their food, please leave.”
Following the host’s instruction, the eliminated contestants left. Most had to be carried out or helped due to serious injuries.
Once the eliminated participants were gone, only about 3,000 remained. Around 70% had been eliminated with the first dish.
“Huh?! Those two are still here?!”
“What the…?!”
The remaining participants finally noticed Cuengi and Blackie and looked surprised.
They had assumed the two would be eliminated and didn’t bother messing with them.
Looks like we’ll have to get rid of those guys first.
As a few participants gave Cuengi and Blackie sly smiles,
“Before we serve the next dish, we’ll give you a choice. Those who passed the first round can now receive double the entry fee, 2 million Tower Coins, as prize money. If you want to forfeit the next round and take the reward, please raise your hand now! For your information, if you eat the next dish, the prize money becomes 6 million Tower Coins.”
The host offered the participants a choice.
To quit and take the reward, or continue the challenge.
……
Since everyone had entered hoping to cash in, no one raised their hand.
“Very good! You’re all very brave. Then we’ll move on to the next dish. Pugaro’s second dish is calamansi juice to soothe your greasy stomachs from the crab meat burgers earlier!”
As the host introduced the second dish, staff brought out calamansi juice in ordinary-looking glasses and placed them before the participants.
This time, the quantity wasn’t large.
“What’s this? Nothing special.”
A few participants, unaware, took the shot,
“Krrk!”
“Ugh!”
They grimaced and twisted their bodies at the piercing sourness.
“Puh!”
Trickle.
Some couldn’t withstand the sourness and spat or sprayed out the juice,
“Spitting out the food means disqualification!”
They were immediately disqualified.
Gulp.
Of course, it was an easy task for Cuengi.
Kking! Kking!
[Cuengi hyung, I don’t like this! Great Blackie doesn’t want it either!]
Kueng!
Cuengi drank Blackie’s share too.
Just then,
“Hehehe. You drank that so well? Then you should drink mine too.”
Drip drip drip.
A pirate named Lumio poured his own juice into Cuengi’s empty glass.
But,
Trickle Trickle Trickle.
The juice didn’t go into the cup and spilled out instead.
Dad told me not to drink after someone else!
Cuengi had blocked the cup’s mouth using telekinesis.
“Disqualified!”
Thus, Lumio, who wasted his juice, was eliminated.
How did he do that?
Should I feed him directly?
Just force it down?
Seeing this, the other participants approached Cuengi with different tactics,
Kuueeeeng!
[If you come at me, you’ll be sorryyy!]
Cuengi’s ferocious Kueng-fooo made the approaching pirates back off instantly.
Grrr. Kking!
[Grrr. Come closer and great Blackie will punish you!]
Blackie also growled from the side, but it didn’t seem to deter the pirates much.
Once all the calamansi juice had been consumed, the remaining participants numbered 2,700. This round was easier, so there weren’t many disqualifications.
Then,
“Now, it’s time to choose again…”
Once more, the host asked if participants would forfeit and take 6 million Tower Coins or continue the challenge and aim for four times that, 24 million Tower Coins.
Naturally, no one forfeited, and Pugaro’s third dish was brought out.
“Pugaro’s third dish is a super-sized chestnut bun!”
As the host introduced the dish, staff brought in massive buns on trays.
Buns nearly the size of compact cars.
Crunch. Crunch.
Cuengi leisurely finished even Blackie’s bun and waited for the next dish. Honestly, he wasn’t even 10% full yet.
After finishing the third dish, 2,000 participants remained.
“The next dish is bitter melon salad!”
Soon the fourth dish was presented.
The prize now jumped to 5 times, 120 million Tower Coins.
Kueng!
[It’s too bitter!]
For Cuengi, who absolutely hated bitterness, this was the first real danger.
Should I give up?
As Cuengi stared at the bitter melon salad, wondering whether to continue,
“Meow?! Why is it so rotten, meow?!”
Theo was startled, realizing Sejun’s face was more rotten than he had expected. Sejun’s condition was so bad, it couldn’t be resolved with the money they had.
He couldn’t stop the healing midway since he had already opened the wound. That would be more dangerous for Sejun.
I need more money, meow!
Theo needed to come up with an additional 1,000 trillion Tower Coins within the hour.
A crisis for the Sejun family.
At that moment,
Crunch. Crunch.
If I eat all ten, Cuengi can make lots of money! Cuengi will earn lots of money and help pay for Dad’s treatment!
Cuengi began pushing through the bitterness of the bitter melon salad, enduring for Sejun’s sake.
*****
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