Chapter 244: Chasing the Culprit

23rd Floor of the Purple Tower

Creak. Creak.

As Flamie’s massive roots moved and spread out in all directions,

Screech!

Venomous spiders, feeling their territory invaded, tried to attack Flamie’s roots.

However,

[Flames, rise and burn.]

Whoosh.

Using magic, Flamie crisply burned the venomous spiders clinging to its roots,

Creak.

and extended its roots again.

As Flamie kept burning the spiders and spreading its roots,

[Oh?! There’s a farm here too?]

Flamie discovered a farm on the 23rd floor of the Purple Tower.

Creak. Creak.

[Hello there, I’m Flamie.]

As Flamie greeted the plants on the farm with its roots,

[It hurts... please... help us...]

The plants, suffering from the venomous air in the surrounding, pleaded for Flamie’s help.

[Okay! I’ll help you!]

Creak.

Flamie wrapped its roots around the farm to block the venom,

[Yap!]

and used the first leaf’s ability, the Flame of Purification, to cleanse the farm’s soil.

[Now... it doesn’t... hurt... anymore... thank you... Flamie... nim...]

The plants expressed their gratitude to Flamie.

[From now on... we will... follow... Flamie... nim...]

The plants of the farm decided to follow Flamie, who had saved them from their pain. Then,

Thunk.

A rolled-up document fell in front of Flamie’s roots. It was the land deed of the 23rd floor of the Purple Tower.

[Thanks, guys. Hehe. I’ll keep it and give it to my master!]

Flamie tucked the land deed of the 23rd floor of the Purple Tower among its roots and continued to extend them.

***

“Ah, I can’t eat anymore.”

Sejun, having eaten 50 plates, held his stomach, struggling when

Ppip!

“The fourth preliminary round has ended! The fifth preliminary round will start soon.”

The announcer’s voice signaled the end of the round.

And,

Krueng? Krueng!

[It’s over already? Cuengi wants to eat more!]

Cuengi, wanting to eat more food, was reluctant to leave his spot, ready to participate in the next fifth preliminary round.

“Cuengi, let’s go get the ticket.”

Krueng...

[Okay...]

Reluctantly.

Reluctant to leave his seat, at Sejun’s call, Cuengi sadly trudged over and clung to Sejun’s leg.

As Sejun and Cuengi went to get their tickets,

“Oh! You’re the one who ate 1200 dishes. Here’s your ticket to the finals.”

Krueng!

[Thank you!]

The operator knelt down and respectfully handed the finals ticket to Cuengi, then moved on to the other participants.

Since the cut-off for advancing to the finals was eating at least 100 plates, Sejun was eliminated. However, since his goal was just to participate in the competition, he was not too disheartened.

“Let’s go.”

Krueng! Krueng!

[Hehehe. Are we going to eat dinner now?]

Thinking Sejun’s invitation to go was for dinner, Cuengi grinned cheerfully.

As Sejun and his group were about to return,

“Chairman Park! Are you okay, meow?! Cheer up, meow! I’ll give you a better gift than the prize, meow!”

Theo ran over to comfort Sejun, who had been eliminated from the preliminary round, just with words.

Rub, rub.

Vigorously rubbing his face against Sejun’s knees, Theo seemed to be fulfilling his own desires rather than just comforting Sejun.

Then,

Krueng! Krueng!

[No! Gift from big brother is not needed!]

Cuengi exclaimed, upset by Theo’s words.

“What are you talking about, meow?!”

Krueng! Krueng!

[Cuengi will win the prize and give it to dad! And Cuengi’s prize is better!]

That was why Cuengi was upset. Cuengi also planned to win the prize and give it to Sejun.

But Cuengi felt hurt when Theo mentioned giving a better gift than the contest prize.

“Puhuhut. Challenging me, Vice Chairman Theo, meow?! No matter how good the prize is, it can’t beat my front paws, meow!”

Theo confidently stretched out his front paws, confident of his victory.

“Enough.”

Sejun quickly intervened to calm them down,

“Who’s fighting?! Huh?! This is a punishment. Booboobut. Booboobut.”

He picked up Theo and Cuengi, giving each a playful belly raspberry.

“Puhuhuhu.”

Kuehehehe.

The atmosphere brightened thanks to Sejun’s intervention.

“Let’s head back quickly. See you later.”

[Yes! Cuengi will follow the bad smell and catch the culprit!]

Sniff, sniff.

Cuengi confidently spoke and started tracking the smell to pursue the culprit. Now, It’s time for the great detective Cunan to shine!

Sniff, sniff.

As Cuengi followed the scent,

“Huh?! Isn’t this the place that sells fried carrots?”

Cuengi led Sejun to a fried carrot store.

Kuehehehe! Krueng...

[Hehehe. Sorry. Cuengi got distracted by the nice smell...]

Cuengi, seemingly embarrassed by his own actions, scratched his head. Lured by the delicious smell, he had instinctively followed it.

“Please give me five bags of those.”

Sejun bought some carrot fries,

“Let’s eat and then move.”

Krueng!

[Great idea!]

Crunch, crunch.

Sejun and Cuengi took a break to eat the fried carrot. It was a flavor and scent that could indeed lure Cuengi.

Then,

Sniff, sniff.

Krueng!

[It’s the bad smell again!]

Cuengi, while eating the carrot fries, picked up the scent of the culprit.

And

Krueng!

[Over there!]

He pointed to a figure with a face hidden under a grey hood.

“Golden Bat, follow from the air!”

(Yes! Leave it to me!)

The Golden Bat, which had been hanging on Sejun’s back, hurriedly flew off.

“Let’s go, too!”

Krueng!

[Just follow me!]

Dadada

Cuengi hurriedly took the lead.

But,

Krueng!

[There are too many smells here!]

Cuengi lost track of the scent. They had arrived at the site of the Food Fighter Selection Contest, where preparations for the finals were underway.

The smells of numerous workers setting up the stage, the scent of food being cooked in outdoor kitchens, and other strong surrounding odors masked the scent of the culprit.

“It’s okay. Golden Bat is tracking... Huh?!”

Sejun, while comforting Cuengi, noticed the Golden Bat returning powerlessly. It seemed the Golden Bat had also lost track of the culprit.

“Puhuhut. It’s time for Detective Sherlock Sejun and Assistant Theoson to step in, meow! Follow me, meow!”

Theo, hanging from Sejun’s leg, confidently raised his front paw, directing Sejun forward, while looking at him. Chairman Park, it’s our time to shine, meow!

“......?”

-Why are you looking at me?

-Clueless Chairman Park! Just go where I tell you, meow!

-Okay

They communicated through their glances.

“Let’s go.”

Sejun moved towards the direction Theo was pointing, along with the animals.

However, Sejun, overly confident in Theo’s lead, overlooked one crucial detail. Theo’s front paws had nothing to do with tracking the culprit.

Theo’s paws were specialized in finding objects beneficial to Sejun.

***

“What’s this?”

Feeling like he was being tracked, Reto quickly removed his hood and headed towards the location of his target.

“This is the last one.”

This target was a big shot, and after collecting the land deed, Reto planned to disappear immediately.

Thus, Reto approached the location where his target was. It was behind the scene where the stage for the Food Fight selection was being built.

“I’ve come to switch shifts.”

Reto spoke to the soldiers guarding a large tent.

“Bazark, what about Luda?”

“Luda? He suddenly said he had a stomachache, so I came to replace him early.”

“Really?! But Luda is Bazark’s weapon... Who are you?!”

“Die!”

Realizing his disguise was blown, Reto immediately threw poison-coated daggers at the soldiers.

Thud, thud.

“Kuh...”

“Gurk...”

The soldiers, stabbed by the dagger, fell down with painful expressions.

And

Step, step.

Reto quietly entered the tent.

Clatter.

“Who... who are you?”

The target, who was snacking, dropped the food in fear and asked with a trembling voice.

Just then,

“Chairman Park, over here... meow?!”

“What?! They seem to be poisoned?!”

The voices of Sejun and Theo were heard outside the tent,

Kuik!!!

Uren, Reto’s target and the legendary merchant, screamed at the top of his lungs, calling for help.

******