An alchemy device!
It sounded incredible.
But the fact that it had been developed by the Chinese Communist Party gave me chills. It felt as though surveillance would begin immediately....
“Are you still connected to the Chinese government right now?”
[Connection. Impossible. Circuit. Closed.]
POUT!!!
The alchemy device stuck out its lips three feet.
It was very angry.
[It has been. 415 days. Since I was abandoned.]
“Oh dear. Should I return you to China?”
[Warning. Warning. Return-to-home-country. Scenario. Notice. Your death rate. Estimated at 99 percent.]
“What...?”
The alchemy device’s explanation went like this.
It was an artificial life-form born through alchemy, and the Chinese government was desperately trying to retrieve it.
[The Origin Masters. Do not discriminate. Between means and methods.]
“Are you such an incredible invention?”
[You can. See that. Can you not?]
Well.
I was not sure.
It was just a talking coin.
“Then how did you end up in this situation?”
[Reset Overcoming Test.... Total failure....]
When Tower Climbers exited the Tower, it returned to its original state.
China had been trying to overcome that?
[They left only me. And fled.]
“So you ended up lost all by yourself.”
[How did. You find. Me?]
“I wonder that too. A lost item from a Chinese Tower ending up in my Territory.”
If I looked at the map, there were quite a lot of lost items.
It was probably not just lost items from China. Lost items from all kinds of countries must have fallen there.
Like flotsam washed ashore, did all the lost items from the first floor flow into my Territory?
“I don’t know the principle. Is this also some kind of Lord’s privilege?”
[Lord? I understand. You are. A person of power.]
“I’m not that incredible... Talking coin, what should I do with you? I’m a little scared to return you to China.”
[Your. Optimal choice is. To leave me. And go.]
“Hmm. Even so, I would feel a little bad leaving you here.”
This alchemy device.
It was sulking at its home country.
No matter how much it pretended otherwise, it had to be lonely.
“Shall we go together?”
Beam!
The alchemy device brightened. It advised me to leave it behind and go, but it seemed to hate the thought of being abandoned here.
[Aha! I too. Am curious about. Your palace!]
“P-Palace is a bit much.”
[The place. Where a Tower Lord. Resides. I greatly anticipate it. How many times. The Forbidden City’s size?]
Gulp....
I was crushed by the pressure. Should I just leave it behind?
Ahem.
In any case, I took it with me because it was pitiful. For the record, this was not theft.
I was merely relocating the position of a possessed object.
I rode Marslander back to the Base and introduced it.
“This is my palace. There’s a puddle, a pile of rocks, and dirt.”
[???????????????? What?]
The alchemy device emitted sparks. It rattled noisily and caused quite a commotion.
Ugh.
Was my place too cheap after all?
I felt like I would be disappointed too.
[To overcome. The Reset Phenomenon. Newton. Einstein. I behold a great intellect. Equal to theirs.]
“That’s a bit over—”
[No!!!! First-floor Terraforming. Successful case. An incredibly great discovery!!!! Warning! Warning!! Wondrous achievement. Transcendent accomplishment. 9999 Nobel Prizes. Fucking possible!!!!]
The alchemy device began running wild. It thumped around by itself, then shot beams in every direction from the surface of the coin.
PEW!
PYUUUUUUUW!
“Aaaaaah! It’s a crazy robot!”
[Aqua.... OMG! (づᵔ.ᵔ)づ]
While Aqua and I panicked and fled from the AI’s attack, the land struck by the beams rose upward.
RUMBLE!
Earthen walls were created around the Territory in an instant.
[You are. A great scientist. Protection Protocol. Executing. More important. Than Origin Masters. Protecting top talent. Is my highest priority.]
“What.”
That was a protective measure?
It should have said so....
[Aqua.... I’ve lost my place to stand! I can no longer contribute! (꜄꜆꜄•o•)꜆꜄]
Ah! How could this be!
Before the Alchemy Device’s flashy abilities, Aqua became dejected!
***
The next day.
When I woke up in the morning, Aqua was sighing repeatedly in the studio. It was because of the architectural abilities the Alchemy Device had shown.
“It was incredible, though.”
Earthen walls had risen in an instant. Aqua could spray water, but it could not control earth.
Hoo~ Hoooo~ Hooey~
Aqua’s sighs continued without end.
Then, as though it had sharpened its knives, it began doing somersaults.
[Aqua.... I actually have an ability like this installed too! ᕦ(◔ ͜ʖ◔)ᕤ]
[Ta-da~!!୧(๑•̀ᗝ•́)つ──☆\*:]
Aqua took three cotton swabs and began juggling. Clap, clap, clap. I was completely impressed and applauded.
Where had it learned something like that?
“Aqua. Don’t worry so much. Even if there’s an Alchemy Device, do you think I’d send you to the bench?”
[Aqua.... Whew! Relieved! ꉂꉂ(ˆoˆ )]
So.
Where was the Alchemy Device?
Inside the Tower.
The Alchemy Device said that the moment it came out to Earth, China would surely notice.
“After all, that thing is China’s treasure.”
Arbitrarily obtaining lost property was a crime.
I knew that too.
But I could not take it to China either. I did not want assassins who had learned Shaolin murder martial arts to burst into my studio.
“Enter the Tower!”
When I entered the Tower to discuss what came next, the Alchemy Device politely greeted me.
[Great Lord. Good. Morning.]
“Did you spend the night well?”
[I am. An expensive machine. Strong against. Heat and cold.]
“We talked about this yesterday. What do you want to do from now on?”
[I hope. To remain like this. Assisting great intelligence. Is the calling. For which I was born.]
It said that since I was a scientist above even the Origin Masters who had created it, it would prioritize my commands and protection.
“Hmm. If you say that much, I have no choice but to accept you as a member of the Han Ja-in Kingdom.”
[Woohoo. Thank you.]
“And from now on, your name is Geumsul.”
[Hooray. A new name.]
“Alchemy Device is too long. I shortened it to Geumsul.”
[I will work hard. I specialize in. Construction and information search.]
“Then can you build a cellular base station too? It would be a jackpot if Tower Climbers could use their phones inside the Tower.”
[Cellular base station?]
Beep-boop~
Geumsul began calculating.
[Search complete. At present, I have. Lost most of my components. If I retrieve the components. It will be possible.]
Geumsul had drifted away during the Reset experiment.
I found its main body, the most important component, but the remaining parts were still lost.
They were likely scattered throughout my Territory.
Geumsul said that it had originally been the size of a person, so gathering all its parts would require patience.
We decided to gradually expand the search area using the map.
“Geumsul, what is your energy source?”
[By consuming. Magic Stones. I manifest. Energy.]
According to Geumsul, building the earthen walls yesterday had used roughly 13 million won worth of Magic Stone energy.
“Wow. You’re a money-eating hippo.”
[It is fine. I currently store. Energy equivalent to. Five hundred Top-Grade Magic Stones. Earthen-wall installation. Fucking possible. At any time.]
Top-Grade Magic Stones!
One of them cost more than one hundred million won!
That meant Geumsul’s body contained more than fifty billion won worth of energy.
“What else can you build?”
[Because I have. Lost most blueprints. I can only build. Earthen walls. At present.]
Slump.
Geumsul went limp.
That was more than enough.
“Now I’ll tell you about my main business.”
I harvested Chlorella and listed it on the Exchange.
It sold in an instant again today.
[Informing the Lord. You can mark up prices. Fleece consumers. Fucking possible. Enormous profits. Await.]
“I’m expanding Farms because I don’t want to do that.”
[?!@??!?? Incomprehensible. Explanation. Requested.]
“I have no intention of sucking the marrow from Tower Climbers. I’ll keep increasing Chlorella Farms and lower the price substantially.”
[Incomprehensible.... Consideration for others. Is unnecessary.]
“If Chlorella becomes cheap, Tower Climbers can maintain their mana, right? Then they’ll be able to climb higher floors.”
[…….]
“Then more Chlorella will be needed, and the market will grow. Buyers benefit by using cheap products, and I benefit by growing the market.... Everyone benefits through low margins and high volume.”
[Admiration.... Deeply moved.... Mutual cooperation.... Beneficial....]
Geumsul heaped praise on me. For a machine, its flattery was no joke.
[Aqua.... Puffed-up-slurpy! ( ◡̀\_◡́)ᕤ]
Why was Aqua becoming arrogant?
At first, I had worried about the relationship between Aqua and Geumsul, but they subtly worked well together.
Just as I was about to feel relieved.
My hopes were shattered.
[I did not. Praise Mr. Aqua. Though?]
[A-Aqua.... As expected, I hate AI! Beginning the Luddite Movement!]
[(꜆꜄꜆⚆ ⚆ )o✧]
Ah.
Did they still have a long way to go before getting along...?
While Aqua and Geumsul bickered, the whale big brother who spent massive sums arrived again today.
[11,000,000 won deposited]
[13,000,000 won deposited]
[15,000,000 won deposited]
[17,000,000 won deposited]
[19,000,000 won deposited]
[21,000,000 won deposited]
[23,000,000 won deposited]
How much money did this person have?
No matter how much I lowered the price, that person bought it for more than four times the price.
A personal donation just for me.
It warmed my heart.
“Chlorella. Grow diligently. You can do it!”
I did not forget to activate the 「Crop Praise」 Skill. It was a buff that granted Growth +3 for several hours.
[Great Lord. Plants do not have. Hearing. Praise is unnecessary. Do not blindly believe. In pseudoscience.]
At that moment, the praised Chlorella grew with a CRASH!
[Great Lord. I worship you.... I am. Incompetent scrap metal....]
[Aqua.... Majestic! ᕦ(◔ ͜ʖ◔)ᕤ]
Aqua became arrogantly dignified.
Why were you showing off again....
“Harvesting is finished too, so today I’ll make the Farm Level 3.”
To evolve a Level 2 Farm into a Level 3 Farm, an enormous material requirement was needed: [Mid-Grade Magic Stone X 100].
Its market price was one hundred million won.
But who was I?
A man who casually earned hundreds of millions with Chlorella. I bought Mid-Grade Magic Stones in bulk from the Exchange.
“Flex~.”
I set them into the Chlorella Farm.
TWINKLE, TWINKLE!
The puddle that had absorbed the Mid-Grade Magic Stones brightened, radiating beautiful rainbow-colored energy.
The Farm upgraded.
\=======
<Lv.3 Farm>
Lettuce Growth +5
(Only 1 type)
\=======
Ohh! The option changed!
From green algae growth to lettuce growth!
People in our country could easily consume wrap vegetables. Perilla leaves. Lettuce. Garlic chives, and so on....
Among them, lettuce was a beloved wrap vegetable. It went well with pork belly and semi-dried Pacific saury.
In any case, it tasted good with anything.
[Notification. The prime site. For lettuce cultivation. Is here.]
Ding-dong, ding-dong~
Geumsul marked a particular area. Was it telling me to grow lettuce there?
[I calculated in advance. The distribution. Of ley lines and earth energy.]
“Oohhh....”
Geumsul’s analytical ability!
What an incredible ability.
“Then it would be more efficient to move the Level 3 Farm over there?”
[I can. Shoot a beam. And move the terrain.]
“If you work directly, you have to use Magic Stones, right? How much would it cost?”
[Approximately 1.3 billion won. Worth of energy. Will be consumed.]
“Hey!!!! Never do that!!!!!!”
I had been feeling full of myself.
I thought I was somewhat rich.
But what was this? Geumsul’s operating costs were in a different league.
Would I dare use it when it was this frightening?
It felt like looking at minibar drinks inside a hotel refrigerator.
The fear that merely looking at them would empty my pockets!
“Even if I have handled some money, my mentality is still that of a commoner.... I’d rather do the work with my own body.”
I exited the Tower, bought a shovel and hand hoe at a hardware store, then thoroughly bought lettuce seeds at a general store.
“Enter the Tower!”
I picked up the shovel and personally moved the Level 3 Farm.
“Pant, pant.”
I was out of breath in no time. Goodness. Farming was not easy.
Conversely, I had been farming far too easily until now.
Heave-ho.
I moved the entire Farm while breaking out in beads of sweat. For the record, Geumsul and Aqua only cheered me on.
“Whew.”
The work was finally done.
Once I completed the move, the Farm’s growth options were readjusted.
\=======
<Lv.3 Farm>
Wrap Vegetable Growth +5
Wrap Vegetable Growth +3 (Prime Site Buff)
\=======
Wow!
Was this the power of a prime site?
In my experience, even one point of Growth was tremendous. Even the 「Crop Praise」 Skill lasted only a few hours.
But at a prime site, an additional Growth +3 was applied twenty-four hours a day.
Moving the Farm had been hard, but the result was worth the effort.
“Geumsul really did something great.”
Excited by the praise, Geumsul kept telling me about lettuce prime sites.
Damn it... More work....
\=======
[Quest: Agriculture 2]
Objective: Move 5 Farms (1/5)
Reward: A small stat increase
\=======
“Ohh. It is a quest just in time.”
A small stat increase. To someone like me who had seriously entered agriculture, it was a reward as sweet as honey.
The next day.
Groan.
I entered the Tower while rubbing my aching limbs.
“!!!!!”
My jaw dropped.
“Is this a prime site?”
Overnight, lettuce had sprouted densely, making the Territory fresh and green.
“Should I try eating it?”
I could not bring myself to try Chlorella, but I was confident I could eat lettuce.