Chapter 37: Catching a Thief

TL: Hanguk

Theo and Jeras arrived at the 75th floor, the shopping district of the tower.

Where are you going now, Theo?

First, Ill apply for the promotion to an intermediate wandering merchant, meow.

Youre already becoming an intermediate wandering merchant? Im jealous.

Jeras was surprised inwardly. To become an intermediate wandering merchant, a sales amount of 1000 tower coins was needed. Considering Theos period of activity, it was almost an impossible amount unless there was special support.

Um What do you sell, Theo?

Jeras asked cautiously because some wandering merchants kept their traded items a secret.

I sell cherry tomatoes, meow.

Huh? Cherry tomatoes?

It didnt seem like a lie.

Thats right, meow. Ill show you when I have a chance, meow.

While they were talking, Theo arrived at the branch of the Wandering Merchant Association and requested a promotion to an intermediate wandering merchant.

Mr. Theo, you are now an intermediate wandering merchant.

The promotion to an intermediate wandering merchant was processed right away, as there were no special conditions other than the sales amount.

Here is your intermediate wandering merchant license.

An employee of the wandering merchant association branch gave Theo a rectangular license made of blue metal. Thus, Theo was promoted to an intermediate wandering merchant.

Pufufut. Now I am an intermediate wandering merchant, meow!

With the issue of the cultivator resolved for Sejun, Theos steps became even lighter.

Congratulations, Theo.

Thank you, meow.

Jeras congratulated Theo as he came out of the wandering merchant association branch.

Where is your next destination?

Now I need to go to the general store, meow.

Theo bought two iron pots, a saw, thread, and needles at the general store.

One iron pot is 1 tower coin, a saw is 0.9 tower coins, and thread and needle are 0.5 tower coins, so the total is 2.4 tower coins.

As the owner of the general store called out the price, Jerass eyes sparkled next to him.

I could haggle it down to 2 tower coins.

Jeras was thinking of helping Theo and gaining more trust.

Just then,

Give me a discount, meow!

Theo started to haggle the price.

Hmm Then, Ill give it to you for 2.2 tower coins.

The first haggle made him look like a pushover, but at least he didnt get ripped off, or so Jeras thought.

However,

Give me more discount, meow!

Sir, we also have to make a living. Thats difficult.

When Theo used the second haggle,

Hohoho, just because you bluntly ask for a discount doesnt mean theyll give one

Jeras chuckled and shook his head.

Then,

Okay, meow. Jeras, lets go, meow.

Theo answered and began to turn around and leave.

Ah! Sir, why are you so impatient? I give in. Ill give it to you for 2 tower coins.

?!

Jeras was greatly surprised at the store owners words.

Without the five logical reasons that he found quickly by looking at the products and without any flashy rhetoric, Theo achieved the result he had in mind with just two words.

But that wasnt the end.

1.8 tower coins. Or, Ill just leave.

When Theo smacked down the price with his final, third haggle,

Hes lowering the price even more?!

Jeras was shocked at Theos audacity. Thats impossible!

However,

Sigh. Alright.

As if to mock Jerass thoughts, the deal went through.

How could this

Jeras completely lost his confidence in his haggling skills. He had even received education from a notable family, but the gap he felt when compared to Theo was enormous.

He had simply asked for a discount three times, but Jeras felt awe at Theos haggling skills.

With that level of haggling skills, he mightve made a fortune even without doing anything illegal.

Jeras completely let go of his suspicions about Theo.

Theo, Ill be going now. Be careful, as you may encounter wolves again.

Got it! Take care, meow.

Theo said goodbye to Jeras and went to the blacksmith to get some equipment.

However,

Theres nothing I want today, meow.

There was no equipment that caught Theos eye.

I should just go, meow.

Theo moved to the 99th floor.

After parting with Theo, Jeras returned to the Secret Inspection Bureau.

And he submitted a report to the Bureau Chief.

[The reason for the sudden increase in Theos sales: Theo is a genius at haggling.]

Jeras had completely misunderstood Theo.

***

Sejun saw the plump queen honeybee, which had returned, sucking honey in the pit, and went down to the cave to sleep.

The next morning.

Sejun, who woke up a bit early, went up to the ground to check if the queen poison honeybee was okay, but she was gone again.

Instead, there was a small beehive at the top of the rock where the rope was tied. The queen poison honeybee was finally settling down and preparing to lay eggs.

Just then,

Kuoooong.

Growl!

The mother crimson giant bear and the baby bear came together.

Roll, roll.

The baby bear slid down from the mother crimson giant bears shoulder as if on a slide.

Lick, lick.

The mother crimson giant bear licked the baby bear a few times as if washing it.

Growl, growl!

The baby bear, full of energy, was wobbling here and there on the mother bears tongue touch, creating a fascinating scene.

As Sejun was watching them,

Kreong.

The mother crimson giant bear, who had washed the baby bear, looked at Sejun and said something and then went out for a patrol. Even though there was no translation from Aileen, he seemed to understand what she was saying.

I guess Ill have to catch a lot of crayfish today.

Somehow, it seemed like the mother crimson giant bear would show up again at lunchtime today.

This is where the honey you eat is made. So, you must not eat this.

Sejun warned the baby bear in advance, in case it might touch the beehive of the newly settled queen poison honeybee.

Kkoong! Kkoong!

The baby bear nodded strongly. I understand! I will protect it!

Sejun went down to the cave, had breakfast with the rabbits, and started his daily work.

With his agility increased by one, he was getting used to farming, and the only thing left to harvest after the other crops were cherry tomatoes.

Sejun finished all his work effortlessly in two hours and went to the pond.

Black rabbit, are you ready?

Bam!

Splash.

In response to Sejuns question, the black rabbit dove into the pond and first dealt with the piranhas that blocked the view.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

Every time the black rabbits hammer swung, the piranhas bounced out of the pond.

Sejun quickly skewered the piranhas with a rope, making two bundles of piranhas for the baby bear.

And when the black rabbit came out of the pond, Sejun started hunting crayfish in earnest.

There were about 40 crayfish in the pond. For some reason, once they entered the pond, they didnt attempt to go back out.

Sejun went into the water and caught each crayfish by hand. Yesterday, he had thoughtlessly stabbed them all to death, but if caught like this, he could catch them without attracting other piranhas or crayfish.

I cant leave the pond water contaminated.

Yesterday, due to the crayfishs massacre of the piranhas, the pond water was contaminated, and Sejun could neither drink nor wash until morning. He needed a way to purify the water.

So, Sejun thought of ways to purify the water while picking up crayfish from the pond.

And while Sejun was picking up crayfish like that,

Biang!

The black rabbit slit the belly of a crayfish with Sejuns dagger and drained its blood.

Just then,

Thud.

As soon as he stabbed the crayfishs belly, black light emitted from the body and hammer of the black rabbit. Usually, a bright light would shine when leveling up, but this time it was slightly different.

There was no change in the black rabbits body, but its hammer got a bit larger and the end of the handle turned sharply like an awl.

It seemed different from a regular level up.

Biang!

The black rabbit proudly came into the pond with its hammer.

Why all of a sudden?

Biang!

The black rabbit looked at Sejun and gave a thumbs-up. Ill handle this now!

Plop!

When the black rabbit hit the crayfishs head strongly, its movement stopped. The crayfish was knocked out by the hit from the black rabbits hammering, which had become stronger after leveling up.

Plop! Plop!

The black rabbit dragged the unconscious crayfish out of the pond.

And then,

Thud.

The black rabbit stabbed the crayfishs chest with the pointed end of its hammer handle.

Biang?

The black rabbit arrogantly looked at Sejun after draining the crayfishs blood. See that?

Alright, Ill leave the crayfish to you.

With the black rabbits growth reducing his workload, Sejun focused on grilling the crayfish.

And then,

Roar.

As lunchtime approached, as expected, the mother Crimson Giant Bear returned to Sejuns cave.

Chomp, chomp.

Sure enough, the mother Crimson Giant Bear put 20 grilled crayfish in her mouth at once.

This time, because he had set aside food for her separately, there was no need to go back down to the cave to cook again.

After enjoying a delicious lunch,

Can you ask her to dig some ground for me?

Sejun asked Aileen to translate his request to the mother Crimson Giant Bear.

Having treated her to a delicious lunch, Sejun felt justified in asking a favor, so he didnt hesitate.

Originally, he intended to ask when he served the steamed corn last time, but Aileen was sleeping then.VIssT n0(v)eL/b(i)(n). for the best novel reading experience

[The Towers administrator translates for the Crimson Giant Bear, who is asking where she should dig.]

Good!

Here.

Sejun pointed to the ground about 500 meters away from the cave. He chose a location far away in case the cave might be damaged.

Thud. Thud.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear walked briskly and quickly arrived at the place Sejun pointed.

And then,

Roar! Roar!

With just a few movements of her front paws, the ground flipped over and the black soil underneath surfaced. It was a task that would have taken a few hours with an excavator, but she finished it in one go.

Thanks to the mother Crimson Giant Bear, Sejun was able to overturn about 1,000 square meters of land all at once.

Roar.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear left to patrol again, and Sejun spent the afternoon planting 3,000 corn and 1,000 cherry tomatoes in the 1,000 square meters of land with the rabbits.

And then,

Swoosh.

When the watering rabbits had almost finished watering the planted seeds,

Drip.

The water coming out of the watering can stopped.

Huh? Whats going on? Why isnt the water coming out?

Sejun, who thought that water would come out infinitely from the watering can, asked.

Beep.

The father rabbit shook its head. Weve used up all the water today.

Until now, there had been no need to use all of it, so he hadnt noticed, but the amount of water that could be used per day with the White Rabbits watering can item was limited. He would have to be more careful with the use of water from now on.

Sejun covered the watered field with as much remaining green onion leaves as possible and went to sleep.

However, that night, the thief struck again.

***

Meow, meow, meow.

As Sejuns cave got closer, Theo, feeling good, hummed a tune and walked quickly.

Then,

Chomp, chomp.

He heard the sound of something being chewed.

Whats that, meow?

When he looked at where the sound was coming from, he saw a Minotaur eating grass.

Huh? Isnt that the green onion leaves that Sejun Park grows, meow?

Theo recognized the green onion leaves right away. He knew it well because he had cut it himself.

Where did you get that, meow?

Theo approached the Minotaur and asked.

Huh?

The Minotaur, recognizing the other party as a wandering merchant, responded. I picked it up from the ground.

No way, meow! Those are the green onion leaves that Sejun cherishes, meow! Sejun uses those leaves as a dish, makes ropes with them, and even uses them to wipe his butt, meow! Youve stolen Sejuns green onion leaves, meow!

Theo caught the green onion leaves thief, Woocheon sam.

*****

Chapter end