I successfully cultivated Black Beard Algae.
The secret to success?
If I simply formed a puddle, the Black Beard Algae grew vigorously.
‘This is seriously scary. When did it establish itself? What is its growth energy source?’
Black Beard Algae did not ask or question trivial things. It was a truly macho plant.
「Is it damp there? Then I’ll grow on my own.」
What a plant overflowing with testosterone.
Thanks to that, the numbers in my bank account were rapidly increasing too.
[500,000 won deposited]
[500,000 won deposited]
[500,000 won deposited]
[500,000 won deposited]
“Have they all lost their minds?”
This was selling?
I had decided to farm on the first floor, but all that grew was moss.
Honestly, it hurt my heart.
But then....
“Why is business doing so well?”
The story was this.
To me, Black Beard Algae was the preliminary stage for making the wasteland fertile.
It was merely the first step toward creating greenery.
But what was this? The Black Beard Algae multiplied too much.
Then there was more Black Beard Algae than I could handle, so I tried listing it on the Exchange.
[Item: Tower-grown Black Beard Algae]
[Description: Fresh~ Squawk, squawk~]
[Weight: 100g]
[Price: 10,000 won]
I had listed it out of genuine curiosity.
The price was 10,000 won.
I was testing the market to see how far the price would <fall>.
It would be a jackpot even if it sold for only 5,000 won.
But then.
Black Beard Algae was a black semiconductor.
Black Beard Algae, which had begun at 10,000 won, surpassed 100,000 won in a single day. It had risen tenfold.
I was gradually getting dizzy.
The rise of Black Beard Algae began then. The next day, it went up to 300,000 won per 100 grams.
And it kept rising until it was now trading at a whopping 500,000 won per 100 grams.
“I’m not the crazy one. The world must be crazy, right?”
The reason the price fluctuated like this was because Exchange prices were fundamentally based on bids.
Did you want to buy a rare product? Tower Climbers would place higher and higher premiums to purchase it.
Then the person who had placed the highest price was more likely to receive the item.
“It’s not a one-hundred-percent guaranteed purchase, but the probability becomes meaningfully higher.”
In a way, it was similar to stocks or auctions.
[Current Market Price: 500,000 won]
In other words, Tower Climbers had competed in a money-flinging contest and formed this absurd price range.
“...It really is insane.”
Five hundred thousand won for 100 grams.
That was the same price as caviar served at five-star hotels.
The only difference was that theirs was sturgeon roe, while mine was algae grown in a puddle?
“Haah. I don’t know anymore....”
I put on yellow rubber gloves and yellow boots, entered the puddle, and scooped out Black Beard Algae.
One hundred grams secured.
The way to sell it was simple.
“Sell!”
The moment I shouted, the Black Beard Algae was transmitted somewhere into a pocket dimension.
Then, before even ten seconds had passed.
[500,000 won deposited]
Wow. It sold again.
Seeing it sell this well, it must indeed stop Mana Dissipation.
“Whew. Aqua, you worked hard over the past few days.”
I had ended up touching money by accident, but that was because Aqua had diligently sprayed water over the past few days.
Whenever it used up all its water, it went back and forth to my studio to refill with Arisu.
We had 9,999 entries a day, after all.
[Aqua.... Puffed-up-proud! ᕦ(◔ ͜ʖ◔)ᕤ]
“Ha-ha. Yeah. You did well.”
At present, we had made about 356 square feet of land damp.
This Black Beard Algae farm looked peaceful on the surface, but the reality was quite different.
The Black Beard Algae competed infinitely. They multiplied while bubbling at one another, and those that could not receive sunlight starved to death.
The more Black Beard Algae corpses piled up, the more the wasteland’s constitution improved.
“Ah. I feel fulfilled. Should I make a post?”
I took a picture and posted it on Plant Gallery. You people who mocked me for being on Mars.
I would show you the completely changed me.
\=======
[Title: Lol, changed my front yard’s interior decor.]
(Photo)
I’m here.
Someone recommended Black Beard Algae lol.
I tried planting it, so rate it.
\=======
There seemed to be quite a few people permanently residing in Plant Gallery, because countless comments appeared again.
↳ Is this for real????
↳ What bastard actually grows Black Beard Algae just because someone told him to@#%#
↳ Aquarium Gallery dislikes this post.
↳ Why did you spread Zerg creep across your front yard?
↳ So by “front yard,” you meant a Zerg expansion, huh.
Ha. Plant Gallery showed a reaction that was warm beyond hot once again today.
Still, how impertinent.
I had expected them to be happier than this....
[Author: Lol, it’s cute if you keep looking at it.
You guys should grow it too. The price is rising lol.]
↳ Sigh....
↳ You grow it.
↳ What’s with the Black Beard Mom?
↳ I reported you to Aquarium Gallery, loser.
Despite my defense, people from Aquarium Gallery swarmed in and began foaming at the mouth as a group.
↳ What kind of cra@#$% bast@#rd grows Black Beard Algae in front of their house
↳ Isn’t this a crime? Call the police.
↳ I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender.
↳ It’s your business if you grow it, but how did you grow it this fast?????
↳ Seriously, the speed is impossible to understand.
The people from Aquarium Gallery were amazed that the Black Beard Algae grew too quickly.
They knew Black Beard Algae inside and out. If they said it was fast, it had to be truly fast.
“So this isn’t its normal growth speed?”
That made sense.
If it normally grew at this speed, Earth would have been ruled by Black Beard Algae long ago.
I would figure out the cause gradually.
“Anyway. I’ll stop selling Black Beard Algae soon.”
[Aqua.... Curious why! ꉂꉂ (ˆoˆ )]
“I’ll use Black Beard Algae as a sacrifice to raise the agriculture tech tree!”
The farm was rich in organic matter because Black Beard Algae corpses had accumulated.
The soil had been prepared.
I had a crop planned in advance, and I even planted a sign.
[Chlorella Farm]
Goodbye now, tasteless and nutritionally empty Black Beard Algae. From now on, it was the era of Chlorella.
“When was it? A few years ago... There was a time when Chlorella foods became popular nationwide.”
Pizza dough came out green, ramen came out green, rice came out green, and so on....
It was an age when healthy Chlorella was added to everything imaginable.
The so-called Age of Chlorella Madness.
Fortunately, the trend had flashed by and disappeared, but Chlorella’s benefits discovered through it were incredible.
Vitamins, protein.
Slowed aging.
Judging from its nutritional content, it might as well have been eternal snow ginseng. So what exactly was Chlorella?
Chlorella was a microorganism.
It was a close relative of the cyanobacteria that floated on water and caused green algae blooms.
“Great! Then shall we go get Chlorella?”
[Aqua.... Chlorella, just you wait! I’m gathering every last bit! Q–(ᵔ.ᵔ Q )]
We set off.
Where to?
The neighborhood supermarket.
Amazingly, Chlorella ramen was still distributed domestically, and Chlorella resided in its green noodles.
***
Cheongyeol headquarters.
A person third in the family’s line of succession.
Cheon Ryu-jin stood in his lavish office, looking out the window.
His face was filled with worry.
“Director. I procured it with great difficulty.”
Secretary Lee handed him something black and limp. Cheon Ryu-jin’s head throbbed.
Just looking at the wobbly lump made his stomach churn.
“Did you inspect the sample?”
“Yes. The research lab confirmed that it is definitely Black Beard Algae. You know that slippery black floating stuff in places like valleys? That is Black Beard Algae, and even crucian carp will not eat it....”
“Please shut up... It’s better not to know.”
With deep furrows between his brows, Cheon Ryu-jin looked at the product. A black lump he had bought for 500,000 won.
Cheon Ryu-jin had never saved money in his life, but suddenly he began to regret spending it.
“I paid this much money for this.”
He poured himself a generous glass of premium liquor and sprinkled in the Black Beard Algae.
The visual was quite....
Squeeze.
He shut his eyes tight and immediately downed the glass.
The refined malt aroma at least erased the nauseating sensation.
“Hmph.”
The potent liquor, more than forty percent alcohol, passed through his esophagus, and Cheon Ryu-jin calmly examined his inner self.
He had just spent 500,000 won.
On ravine garbage that even crucian carp supposedly would not eat because it smelled fishy.
‘What kind of bastard is the seller?’
After one thought and another....
FLASH!
His mana, which had been dissipating every moment, hardened into a solid mass and refused to be discharged.
“...!”
It worked!
Thoughts like how disgusting it was and how it made him want to vomit. Such modern ways of thinking evaporated.
His mind cleared in an instant.
This mystical feeling of mana not leaking away!
Mana Dissipation had rules. The greater the amount of mana stored inside the body, the more mana dissipated.
It was simple arithmetic, as well as the principle of osmotic pressure.
“Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha!”
And Cheon Ryu-jin’s total mana was overwhelming compared to opponents of his level, so the amount of mana that dispersed was enormous as well.
His enemy was not monsters. The passage of time was his enemy.
Mana Dissipation occurred every moment.
And today, his enemy had been defeated!
“Stupid Earth bastard. Something like Black Beard Algae blocks you.”
“It appears to be effective. Congratulations.”
“It feels as though my Realm has risen... Huh?”
“What is it?”
The mana that had been firmly hardened was gradually loosening.
Then Earth began stealing his mana once more.
Mana scattered across the whole world.
Damn it!
“The effect is incredible, but the duration is too short?”
His good mood was cut short. Having it given and then taken away made him feel even worse.
Cheon Ryu-jin had to operate his mana and struggle to make it condense again.
This was pissing him off for no reason.
“Did you really buy the right product?”
“It is authentic.”
“We have money. We should have obtained a higher-grade product than other Tower Climbers.”
“The seller only sells this one product.”
“Fucking....”
What did the seller do? Of all the plants in the world, why sell moss of all things?
His attention focused on the seller, but he soon shook his head. What did it matter who the person was?
“Buy more.”
If it helped, he could even drink lye.
Cheon Ryu-jin had nowhere to retreat to.
Inside the Group, there were conflicts among blood relatives. Inside the Tower, there were conflicts with other races.
The life of a Tower Climber was an unbroken chain of overcoming one’s limits.
After he barely raised his Realm, this goddamned Earth disturbed it.
Somehow!
If only he could preserve his Realm!
He had to eat it right away!
“Ah. Director. I’m sorry. It has just sold out.”
“AAAAARGH!!!! FUUUUUCK!!!!”
Cheon Ryu-jin suddenly screamed. Until just moments ago, he had not even wanted to look at it, but now he could not get it because there was none left....
To make matters worse, Secretary Lee began bringing up ominous news.
“Director... As a side note, I think it will be difficult to obtain Black Beard Algae from now on.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The seller just posted a notice. They are stopping Black Beard Algae sales from now on....”
Squeeze.
Cheon Ryu-jin shut his eyes tight.
“This seller... What kind of bastard is he?”
Cheon Ryu-jin was a delinquent accustomed to being cursed at, but the seller’s outrageous misconduct was truly remarkable.