Chapter 41: Receiving a gift

TL: Hanguk

“Why are the Black Minotaurs here?!”

Elka, the Silver Wolf tribe’s chief, and two other silver wolves were taken aback by the sight of two Black Minotaurs following Theo.

Black Minotaurs were monsters from the 99th floor, and the gap between them and the Silver Wolf tribe that resided on the 85th floor was significant. It was a very unfavorable situation.

However,

“Chief Elka, what should we do?”

“Focus on the request. We have to complete the request to get food from Grid.”

They had a reason they couldn’t back down. The young wolves of the tribe had been waiting for days just for the food they would bring.

‘We must get information about Straw Hat this time, no matter what happens!’

The silver wolves prepared for battle against the Black Minotaurs.

Eummeo!

Woo Cheon-Sa protected Theo while Woo Cheon-Sam stepped forward.

“Go easy on them, meow! You mustn’t kill them, meow!”

Eummeo!

As Woo Cheon-Sam was nodding in response to Theo’s words,

Thump, thump, thump.

The silver wolves rushed quickly towards Woo Cheon-Sam. The only thing they could do in this situation was to make the first move.

Elka rushed straight at Woo Cheon-Sam while the other two wolves moved to the sides, looking for an opening.

Roar!

Elka launched his body at Woo Cheon-Sam’s right thigh.

Kwadeuk.

Elka managed to strike too easily.

Thump. Thump.

The other wolves bit Woo Cheon-Sam’s left arm and right shoulder.

However,

Eummeo!

Woo Cheon-Sam’s skin was tough and thick enough to resist the wolves’ sharp teeth. Woo Cheon-Sam, unbothered, grabbed the wolves biting his arm and shoulder and slammed them to the ground.

Bang!

Crack! Crack!

Eummeo!

Having knocked out two wolves, Woo Cheon-Sam threw a punch at Elka.

‘It’s dangerous!’

Elka quickly dodged back, seeing Woo Cheon-Sam’s attacking fist.

But,

Eummeo!

Woo Cheon-Sam’s next punch was already flying towards Elka. Despite his size, he moved quickly.

‘I can’t dodge this.’

Elka saw Woo Cheon-Sam’s huge fist approaching him and his life flashed before his eyes.

“Elka, listen carefully. Although we are currently free mercenaries, moving for money, our ancestors were noble wolves who fought to uphold their pride in the past. You must always remember this and never bring disgrace to the honor of our ancestors.”

These were words his grandfather always said to him as a child. His grandfather’s expression would come alive whenever he said those words, with a smile at the corner of his mouth and brightness in his eyes.

“Yes, Grandpa! When I grow up, I will also become a noble wolf, fighting to uphold our pride!”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

Elka wanted to become a wolf that protected pride more than anyone else, remembering his grandfather’s words. However, his dream was shattered when a severe famine struck the tower a hundred years ago, drastically worsening the food situation.

Many adults of the tribe chose to starve to death by giving up their food to save the young wolves. Elka’s grandfather and parents also passed away during that time.

Through experiencing the famine, Elka realized that pride alone does not provide food, that talking about pride is like chasing after clouds, and that maintaining pride is a tremendous luxury.

So, he had been determinedly working as a freelance mercenary, earning money to fill the stomachs of the wolves in the tribe.

‘Was I a noble wolf?’

Elka asked himself. The answer came quickly. No. He was a despicable wolf who had thrown away his pride. He had no regrets, just a sense of disappointment.

‘If there is a next life, I want to live once as a noble wolf who upholds pride.’

Elka closed his eyes with the hope of a next life.

Thud!

Crack!

Elka, who was hit by the fist of Woo Cheon-Sam, passed out.

“Did he really faint, meow?”

Theo poked Elka’s body with his front paw to confirm if he had truly fainted.

And then,

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.

Theo took out a piece of paper and stamped the paw prints of the three fainted silver wolves one by one.

“The crime of aiming for my life is expensive, meow. I will take revenge with money, meow. Take them, meow!”

Theo planned to take the wolves to Sejun and properly collect the price for their attempts on his life.

Having Woo Cheon-Sam and Woo Cheon-Sa carry the three fainted wolves on their shoulders,

“Meow meow meow!”

Theo hummed a little tune as he descended the tower.

‘Puhahaha. If these guys have no money, they will have to pay with their bodies, meow!’

If they have no money, they should pay with their bodies! An astonishing learning ability to apply what he learned from Sejun. Even the thoroughness of pre-stamping the contracts.

Park Theo, the second generation Sejun who was becoming more and more like Sejun.

***

Swoosh.

Sejun, who had woken up from his sleep, added a new line on the cave wall, completing the fourth line.

正正正正正 正正正正正Explore new novels on novelbin(.)com

[The tower’s administrator says to eat it all since they put a lot effort into making it.]

“Alright.”

Sejun responded and went down to the cave.

And then,

“What is this...”

Inside the pot was a sticky green liquid of unknown substance.

“Did you make this for me to eat?”

Sejun frowned as he took a closer look at the liquid, a description appeared.

[Aileen’s Health Soup]

→ The first dish created by the Great Black Dragon, Aileen Pritani, using various secret elixirs.

→ The taste cannot be guaranteed, but the effect is excellent. If you survive...

→ Upon consumption, all stats increase by 3.

→ Upon consumption, becomes poisoned by C-grade Paralysis poison.

→ Upon consumption, becomes poisoned by C-grade Acid poison.

→ Chef: The great black dragon, Aileen Pritani

→ Grade: A

“An item?”

If he drinks this and survives, all his stats will increase by 3. Fortunately, Sejun had a C+ grade detoxifying green onion.

‘Let’s drink it.’

He decided to drink it since he wouldn’t die from it. The increase of all stats by 3 gave Sejun the courage to make a bold decision.

Gulp.

Sejun ate the C+ grade detoxifying green onion.

[You have consumed the detoxifying green onion.]

[For the next hour, you will be able to detoxify any poison of C+ grade or below.]

“Good.”

He looked at the health soup in the pot with a serious face.

“This is not food, it’s medicine.”

Brainwashing himself, Sejun blocked his nose, put the pot to his mouth, and drank Aileen’s health soup.

Gulp.

[You have consumed Aileen’s Health Soup.]

[You are poisoned by C-rank paralysis poison.]

[You have detoxified it.]

[You are poisoned by C-grade acid poison.]

[You have detoxified it.]

He easily overcame the crisis caused by the poison.

However,

Gulp. Gulp. Ugh!

The bitter taste of the green health soup quickly brought forth another crisis. He couldn’t afford to stop here. He couldn’t endure this pain twice!

‘Let’s finish it at once!’

Sejun steeled himself and kept drinking, suppressing the urge to vomit.

But,

Gulp. Gulp. Ugh!

Another crisis hit. As he drank the health soup, the fish head at the bottom of the pot started to slowly appear. Why did they put the whole fish head in there?!

Screaming inwardly, Sejun tightly closed his eyes to avoid meeting the gaze of the fish head, and continued to swallow the health soup.

And then,

[You have consumed all of Aileen’s Health Soup.]

[All stats increase by 3.]

Finally, he reaped the fruit of his hard work.

“Ugh.”

Shivering from the terrible taste, Sejun resolved to outright refuse if Aileen ever offered a gift again.

“You guys eat this.”

Plop.

Sejun threw the fish head that was in the pot into the pond.

A moment later,

[You have killed a Piranha.]

[You have gained 2 experience points.]

[You have killed a Crayfish.]

[You have gained 30 experience points.]

...

..

.

[You have killed a Giant Electric Eel.]

[You have gained 5000 experience points.]

“A Giant Electric Eel?”

He didn’t know that such a creature was around the pond. It would have been dangerous if it had spewed electricity.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have gained 1 bonus stat.]

On the 200th day of being stranded, after eating Aileen’s terrible gift, all of his stats increased by 3. And by using the gift, he was able to kill a Giant Electric Eel, a potential threat in the cave, and his level increased.

On the other hand, nothing was swimming around in the pond for a few days, so he couldn’t eat Piranha or Crayfish for a while.

*****