Ddiririri—Ddiririri—
I woke up to the sound of the alarm. It had been just over five hours of sleep, but after three days, it was incredibly refreshing.
Poooh!
“Oh, have you been working hard?”
I gave a cheerful smile to Poooh, who seemed to be asking why I was working while it was just sleeping.
Then, I suddenly noticed a pile of tomatoes that seemed to have been harvested while I was asleep. They were all well-preserved in slime fluid.
“Oh, how was your first harvest, Poooh?”
Poooh—
Poooh seemed plump and sounded cheerful, possibly from tending to the tomatoes overnight.
Truly a level 10 slime.
Unlike the others, it could make sounds, which was impressive.
“Is it cooldown time now?”
Seeing that the cooldown for my ability was almost up filled me with anticipation.
This was the first time I was going to use my ability since it leveled up, and I was curious if I could use it twice in total.
Pporong!
“Huh? What’s this?”
Rookie, who had been tending the garden, came up to me with something. It turned out to be some seeds.
“Ah! Carrots?”
Gumul!
I had deliberately left one carrot to harvest seeds from. I wasn’t sure if replanting it would work, but slimes were versatile.
“I should plant this down below.”
After checking that I still had about 10 minutes left until my ability could be reused, I climbed down the ladder.
Then, I saw slimes busily working on a vast stretch of land. Perhaps the area was too large? I might need to send Poooh down there.
“Guys, plant this too. There’s a vacant plot over there, right?”
Gulurung!
I went to the vacant plot myself and gave instructions.
Having harvested carrots before made the process smooth.
I had personal expectations for this one.
It wasn’t just ordinary carrot seeds but seeds from carrots imbued with magical power that had grown here—perhaps there would be some changes.
“The tomatoes have already been planted.”
Sprouts were emerging as I woke up. These were sprouts from seeds of magical tomatoes grown here.
But they seemed a bit different?
I moved closer to inspect the tomato sprouts and noticed they were oddly shaped. I wondered if I had planted them in the wrong plot, but it was definitely the right spot.
“Can I get my hopes up?”
I had already grown cherry tomatoes before, so I knew what they should look like. Even without that knowledge, they just looked unusual.
The color of the sprouts was a strange mix of green and purple.
“…They’re not inedible, are they?”
Perhaps they had mutated into something poisonous.
An unnecessary worry, but if that happened, I could just dispose of them and plant anew.
After all, the slimes would do the work.
“It’s time.”
With a hint of anticipation, I checked the status screen.
There, I confirmed that the usage count had indeed reached 2.
“Great!”
I was delighted to confirm that I could use my ability twice a day.
Now, I had more options.
“First, I’ll try synthesizing these guys.”
I already had a level 10 slime, but Poooh was an exception. Being an unidentified creature, I had no idea what abilities it possessed.
“Alright, Poispois. It’s time to merge with Physical resistance.”
I immediately used my ability. Unlike last time, the two slimes merged right away. Clearly, merging slimes of the same level is necessary.
[Slime LV.2 and Slime LV.2 are merging.]
[The merging slimes will share all memories and experiences.]
[Please select a specialized ability.]
Oh, this is a new prompt. There’s a part I can choose.
[Poison]
[Physical Resistance]
Two options appeared.
Maybe I should merge Mark2 as well? That would mean I could choose farming abilities.
“Poison.”
I was more drawn to poison than the passive ability of physical resistance. After all, poison is something I can actively use.
[Slime LV.3 has been completed.]
As soon as I made my choice, the synthesis was complete.
“Wow!”
I noticed that the core had grown a bit larger. And it had changed from green to purple. I’m not sure if reaching level 3 turns them all purple, or if it’s because Poispois has poison attributes.
Well, regardless, it’s still a slime.
[Slime LV.3]
An ordinary? slime.
[Ability: Poison LV.2]
Looking at the status window, I saw that the poison level had simply increased by one.
However, I saw potential here.
‘Ultimately, I can create an infinite number of slimes. Plus, I can increase the abilities of Slime Lord by completing quests. Eventually, I might be able to make two a day.’
An infinitely leveling slime.
It sounds like a dream, but if time permits and I could make a level 999 slime, even as a slime, it would have tremendous impact.
‘No idea how long level 999 might take.’
Math was never my strong suit.
Maybe 100 years? Or more?
Well, level 999 is just an example. Even making level 10 would be quite useful.
[Poison LV.2]
Emits poison to intoxicate opponents.
Intoxicated opponents will experience paralysis after at least 10 minutes.
The description hasn’t changed.
But since it’s level 2 now, something must have changed, right?
The system window as an Awakener always seemed unhelpful. To find out anything, I had to check things out myself.
“I should ask Young-seong to help compare this once.”
Probably the results of the previously sent poison are in, so sending the new level 2 poison for comparison would do.
Gumul-!
Poispois seemed to be looking at its own body, then suddenly started dancing joyfully.
Pporong! Pporong!
“How cute.”
It was already the size that seemed to spill over when held in one hand, but at level 3, it had grown even bigger.
Might need both hands to hold it now?
“Now, the issue is what to use the remaining synthesis on.”
I had one more liquid synthesis left.
The cooldown was already running, so there was no rush, but it was good to plan ahead.
“Should I merge another slime, or should I make a potion?”
Since I had run out of carrots, I couldn’t make the fruit juice. After pondering for a while, I decided to synthesize another slime. I just needed to wait a bit for the cooldown of the Slime Lord’s ability to end, then I could summon another Rookie to merge with the one above to pre-emptively create a Level 2.
“I wonder how much more efficient Farming LV.2 will be?”
It was only a one-level difference, so the change might not be significant. However, these small improvements could accumulate and eventually lead to a noticeable difference at higher levels. Once I had made my decision, the rest followed swiftly.
Using the Slime Lord’s ability, I summoned another slime and immediately created a Level 2 slime.
[Slime LV.2]
[Ability: Running LV.1]
“Wow, that’s a dud.” I hadn’t imagined such an ability would emerge. What’s the use of running for creatures that just crawl around?
“It doesn’t matter, anyway.”
This slime was intended to be merged with Mark2 anyway. This ability would disappear, and only the farming level would increase.
Splat!
While I was contemplating, another slime fell from the ceiling. I offered it a welcoming smile as best as I could.
“Welcome. Farming for the first time?”
* * *
At the upper echelons of the Ara Hongryeon Guild.
The guild executives, who had gathered for a simple meal after a long time, were discussing their concerns.
“Ah, this is a headache,” sighed Jeong So-yeon, the team leader of Team 1 and a representative Awakener. She was slicing a steak made from a Bullet Cow, a delicacy from the dungeons.
“We underestimated it because it was just a Level 4. Don’t take it too hard.”
One of the guild’s elders and the deputy team leader tried to console her, but her complexion didn’t lighten.
“That’s exactly the problem. It’s tarnished the guild’s reputation. It’s become known that we struggled and couldn’t clear just a Level 4 dungeon.”
“No one could have predicted it. We all thought the Level 4 dungeons had been completely conquered. Who could have known a new type of monster would appear?”
Amid their conversation, Han Seok-jun, the guild leader, spoke softly.
“We should consider collaborating with Team 2.”
“Ugh.”
Jeong So-yeon grimaced at Han Seok-jun’s suggestion. Although she wasn’t present at this meeting, she found Kang Hanul, the leader of Team 2, to be burdensome.
Yet, it was hard to go against the orders of Han Seok-jun, who had recognized her talent and scouted her.
“Even if Team 2 joins, isn’t this still going to be difficult? Ultimately, the issue is the newly discovered monster.”
“That’s why it’s even more necessary. We don’t have an Awakener with the Tri-Eye ability, so we need to face it directly and gather data.”
Calmly stated by Han Seok-jun, Jeong So-yeon couldn’t continue to fuss.
While Team 1 alone could eventually gather stable data, it would take time. However, Ara Hongryeon, being called one of South Korea’s top five guilds, couldn’t afford to spend too much time on just a Level 4 dungeon.
As the discussion seemed to be concluding, someone suddenly opened the door and entered.
“Hahaha! I’m a bit late, brother!”
The man who called Han Seok-jun ‘brother’ as he entered. His arrival made Jeong So-yeon’s expression turn awkward.
“Has the leader of Team 2 arrived?”
Han Seok-jun, in his mid-40s, still looked like he was in his twenties, his appearance like a well-maintained celebrity, whereas Kang Hanul, calling him brother, definitely stood out.
“Brother. Are you going to call me that in such a formal setting?”
“Since this is an official occasion, Team Leader.”
With a gentle smile, Han Seok-jun responded, and Kang Hanul grumbled as he took his seat.
“I used to not be like this, but the position has changed me, tsk tsk.”
“Team Leader, have you eaten yet?”
“What’s on the menu today?”
“It’s Bullet Cow steak. It’s one of your favorite dishes.”
“Ooh, nice! I’ll have one too!”
Kang Hanul promptly ordered a steak, then perked up and said,
“Brother, I’ve recently discovered something interesting.”
“Oh, if it has piqued Team Leader’s interest, I’m intrigued. What have you found?”
“I met this younger guy who brought over some magical carrots and cherry tomatoes.”
“Magical what?”
“Carrots and cherry tomatoes.”
Jeong So-yeon, who was listening, tilted her head.
“I’ve never heard of such items. Surely they’re not items?”
“They were items. They had buff effects.”
Hearing this, Guild Leader Han Seok-jun recalled a recent report.
“There was a report from the research team recently about carrots. Could it be the same thing?”
“Oh! Right, brother. I happened to visit the research department and they were analyzing a carrot with a unique appearance. And when I tasted it, it was truly an exceptional delicacy!”
Listening to Kang Hanul, Jeong So-yeon swallowed her saliva. She was a tremendous gourmet and knew of Kang Hanul’s picky taste, so this information was inevitably exciting for her.
“So I dug deeper, and it turns out it came from Choi Young-seong’s shop. Eventually, I went there myself and found out who the owner of the carrot was. Hahaha!”
“Who was it?”
“Hmm? Ah, even if you’re my brother, I can’t just reveal someone’s personal information like that.”
“Hmm. You’ve already given a clue that it’s from Choi Young-seong, the former research director’s shop, haven’t you?”
“That’s because you’re my brother. If you want to meet this young man, you’ll have to make the effort yourself. Hahaha!”
After a moment of contemplation, Han Seok-jun nodded.
“Right now, there are too many pressing matters to visit immediately. Let’s first wrap up the situation in the Yeongdeungpo Level 4 dungeon and then consider a visit.”
“You won’t regret it! I’ve never tasted anything quite like it in my life.”
Listening to their conversation, Jeong So-yeon was already salivating, her imagination running wild without even a description.
“But didn’t you say the carrot’s ability enhances vision? Wouldn’t that be helpful in the dungeon…?”
“The priority for vision enhancement is too low. But I won’t stop you from preparing it on your own.”
“Great! Haha. I don’t know when I’ll meet that young man again!”
Eventually, Jeong So-yeon couldn’t help but chime in.
“Is it difficult to meet this person?”
“Hmm? Well, I’ve tried contacting a few times, but no response. He seems to be living in a dungeon. You know, those Awakeners who rent a place and live in dungeons.”
“Ah…”
Some disenfranchised Awakeners were known to live disconnected from the world in infinite dungeons.
“Could he possibly be farming in the dungeon?”
“Oh? I had that thought too! That young man must be a hidden talent! Hahaha!”
“But hasn’t every attempt to farm in dungeons failed so far?”
“That’s why he’s a hidden talent! He must have accomplished what no one else could!”
“Hmm…”
Kang Hanul’s words left the executives of the Ara Hongryeon Guild lost in thought, especially Jeong So-yeon, whose interest was now piqued more than ever.
Clap!
“Everyone, let’s not forget that the Yeongdeungpo dungeon is our priority. We’ll select personnel and enter in two days. Please don’t forget.”
“Understood, Guild Leader.”
Cliche Novel 