Round 21

Prev | TOC | Next

Episode 21

Was it because I was too nervous?

I didn’t sleep at all and was fully focused on farming.

And eventually, the time for the final showdown approached.

“Should I use it now?”

Holding the copier in one hand, I saw Poooh waiting in front of me with a puzzled expression.

Nothing strange should happen to Poooh. It’s just copying, after all.

“Sigh…”

A year’s worth was contained in this single copier.

Of course, if I think about the past three stagnant years, it’s only a third of that time, but the density of time is different now than it was then.

If anything, today might be worth a month, or perhaps even a year, from back then.

Should I put it off one more day?

It wouldn’t really matter if I didn’t use it today.

A tendency to avoid it momentarily appeared, but I collected myself.

Zap!

Poooh?!

“There’s no way I’m waiting another year. I’m using it now.”

There were no other options.

Postponing would only waste precious time.

Waiting for Mark2 to reach level 10?

It would be much more beneficial to level up Poooh to 11 in the meantime and get the ball rolling.

I murmured to myself just as it was time.

“Here we go, Poooh!”

Poooh?

I didn’t hesitate and used the slime copier.

[Using slime copier.]

[Target confirmed]

The copier I was holding melted and squirmed towards Poooh, quickly expanding in volume and enveloping Poooh, then it started to glow.

“I’ve cast the dice.”

I waited slowly with a somewhat hollow feeling.

The light gradually faded. The copier fell off, and a new slime with the same appearance as Poooh emerged.

[?? Slime LV.10]

[An ordinary slime.]

[Sealed state.]

[Liquid synthesis possible.]

[Abilities: ??]

It came out exactly the same.

I didn’t expect even the question marks to be copied.

“Poooh, it’s time to merge.”

Poooh?

Poooh?

Their reactions were identical, making it confusing to differentiate between the real Poooh and the copied one.

Anyway, it’s time for the level 11 slime to launch.

[??Slime LV.10 and ??Slime LV.10 will merge.]

[The merging slimes will share all memories and experiences.]

Something was different this time.

Instead of just merging smoothly and quickly as before, it took a while, quivering as the synthesis was delayed.

“What’s going wrong?”

I watched anxiously for a while.

But there seemed to be no end in sight.

Just in case, I moved closer to check the status window when fortunately it appeared.

[Merging in progress…]

“This is the first time it’s like this.”

It wasn’t necessarily wrong, but seeing this message indicated it wasn’t a normal situation.

Is it because they’re level 10?

Or maybe because Poooh is a unique slime.

The cause was unknown. However, there seemed to be nothing I could do right now.

Squirm?

Just then, Mark2, wearing a straw hat tilted jauntily, came closer and tilted his head curiously at the merging Poooh.

Squirm?

“It’s merging. Better not touch it, just in case.”

Squirm!

He nodded his body and then shook it as if to follow him.

“Is it finally time to harvest?”

I took another look at the merging Poooh. I decided to patiently watch the still blending yellow slime.

“Tell the others not to mess with it either, just in case.”

Squirm!

Careful not to disturb Poooh, I passed by cautiously.

Following Mark2, I arrived where several slimes were gathered, busily engaged in something.

“Embergrill?”

Considering the harvest time for Layla, it had grown incredibly fast.

Not all dungeon crops are the same, but I still had some preconceptions.

“But it really has grown a lot.”

The plant was in the form of a small tree.

However, the shape of its branches was twisted, resembling vines in appearance.

Since I didn’t know how to harvest, I first observed the slimes for a moment as they used each other’s bodies like a ladder to reach the height of the Embergrill.

Growl! Growl!

They were still struggling to reach, so I immediately went over and lifted the top one with my hand.

Squirm!

The slime wriggled as if to say thank you and began to harvest the Embergrill, picking the youngest, tender shoots like plucking tea leaves.

“Wow, I can’t tell the difference.”

To my eyes, all the shoots looked the same, but they harvested some and passed over others. If I had done it, I would have certainly harvested them indiscriminately.

By helping the slimes, I was able to harvest a considerable amount of the Embergrill’s young shoots in the planted area.

Even though they harvested according to their own standards, and not all of it, it was quite a lot.

Gurgle! Gurgle—

“Hmm?”

I intended to store the harvested Embergrill, but suddenly Mark2 reacted violently.

I couldn’t exactly tell what it meant, but I set down the harvested Embergrill and watched what Mark2 was doing.

He grabbed a handful of Embergrill and began to carefully place them one by one on an empty plot near by.

“Ah! Are they trying to dry it?”

It seemed like a drying process was needed, similar to drying tea leaves. But until now, all the Embergrill I had seen and heard about were fresh, undried leaves.

‘Mark2 probably knows better, right?’

I decided to trust Mark2, who has farming skills. I was puzzled since no item marker had appeared on the harvested Embergrill, but maybe this process could turn it into an item.

The slimes all gathered and began laying out the harvested young shoots of Embergrill. However, they didn’t stop there; they each dabbed their fluids onto the laid-out shoots.

“That’s really strange.”

I had already sent their fluid to the lab for analysis, but the results showed nothing particularly unusual.

Yet, watching their actions, there seemed to be something unique about them.

The shining stones installed on the walls shone down light in place of the sun, and I watched the Embergrill dry while I took another look at Poooh, who was still quivering as the synthesis was ongoing.

It seemed a bit brighter than before, maybe?

Gurgle!

“Why again?”

After completing the Embergrill task, Mark2 pulled me again, seemingly indicating that there was more to harvest. The direction he led me suggested it was finally time for the long-awaited carrots.

These were not just ordinary carrots.

They were carrots that had been cultivated using magic-infused seeds.

“But why do they seem smaller?”

The magic-infused carrots I had harvested before were significantly larger than ordinary carrots, but these looked smaller than usual.

“That’s odd.”

Still, as long as they taste good, that’s okay.

Furthermore, the fact that their appearance was different from before already proved they were a new type of carrot, which actually made me more excited.

“Alright, everyone. If you’ve had enough rest, let’s get back to work.”

Gurgle, squirm?

The slimes, who had just finished working on the Embergrill, wriggled as if to say my statement was outrageous.

I easily passed off their gesture and led by example.

“Huh?”

As I gently dusted off the soil and checked the body of the carrot, something was odd. The exposed leafy part was smaller than before, and since it wasn’t protruding from the ground, I thought it was smaller but…

Pop!

“What is this?”

A carrot about the size of a large strawberry popped out.

I was slightly startled by the much smaller size than I had anticipated.

-Ba-bam!

[You have discovered a new crop.]

Please name it.

The same phrase obstructed my view as before.

However, I decided to first check the harvested crop.

[?? LV.1]

[A crop containing magic.]

[Harmless to humans.]

[When consumed, grants ‘Clairvoyance’ for 15 seconds.]

[When consumed, increases a small amount of magic for 3 seconds.]

“Oh?”

The increase in a small amount of magic was similar to that of cherry tomatoes. However, the clairvoyance ability on top was new.

“It feels like the effects related to vision are more enhanced.”

Honestly, I can’t say which is better, but it felt like this was nicer.

If you’re really curious, you could just try eating it yourself.

“I’ll decide the name after I eat it. Bon appétit.”

Receiving stern looks from the slimes that had gathered, I promptly bit into the carrot. It felt like eating a strawberry.

“Um?!”

But the taste was unmistakably that of a carrot.

[You can now use ‘Clairvoyance’.]

Along with the notification that the ability could be used, the concentrated carrot aroma pierced through my nose to my brain, leaving a strong impression.

“Delicious!!”

I had thought it would be tasty, but it was much tastier than expected. This was a flavor that even those who dislike carrots would greedily crave.

But the funny thing was that the taste and aroma of the carrot were distinctly intense.

“The small size is a bit of a shame, isn’t it?!”

While I was savoring the carrot, I was suddenly startled by the actions of the slimes, who were wriggling and doing something.

They dug further into the soil where I had pulled out the carrot and soon began pulling out small carrots one after another. I was at a loss for words seeing these strawberry-sized carrots pouring out like sweet potatoes or potatoes.

“It wasn’t small for no reason. Who would have thought it would change like this.”

Tomatoes just change colors vividly without much difference. Therefore, I thought carrots would only undergo that much change, but I never dreamed they would transform in this way.

“…Let’s call it ‘Magic Mini Carrot’.”

A message appeared asking if I wanted to register it immediately, and the carrot was named Magic Mini Carrot.

Considering the yield, it seemed like it wouldn’t be inferior even compared to the magic-infused carrots.

It was actually much better for eating on the go, like cherry tomatoes.

“This is addictive too.”

While eating my third one, I was personally experiencing the formidable nature of these carrots. Feeling guilty for eating alone, I told the slimes they could eat a little while working, which halved the harvest.

“Still, that’s quite a lot.”

I hadn’t weighed it yet, but it was more than the last time. That was even after setting aside some for planting.

The harvested carrots were promptly moved to the storeroom and sealed with the slime’s fluid. Somehow, the slime’s fluid felt like a cure-all, adding to its mystique as I couldn’t pinpoint why.

Squirm!

Gurgle!

Once the work was completed, it quieted down again.

While there was still no sign of Poooh’s synthesis being completed, the slimes brought me their share of the carrots and squirmed.

“What, you want me to cook again?”

Gurgle!

Squirm- squirm-!

These little guys.

They know it’s delicious.

Honestly, it feels delicious even eaten raw, but I do wonder how much tastier it could become if cooked.

“…Maybe I should call Jae-seong here permanently.”

Since he had quit his job and was waiting, and my crops were here, it seemed not a bad idea to have him live here and practice cooking with my ingredients.

While at it, I could make him a dedicated chef for the slimes, pay him a salary… He’d probably be shocked.

“If that’s the case, I should contact him first. Hold on, don’t eat yet, wait, guys.”

Strike while the iron is hot—I should call him right away.

Prev | TOC | Next