Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I successfully cultivated brush algae.

The secret to my success?

Just create a puddle, and the brush algae shoots right up.

‘Seriously terrifying. When did it even attach itself? What does it use as an energy source for growth?’

Brush algae didn’t bother with petty questions like that. It was a true manly plant.

「Is it wet there? Then I’ll grow on my own.」

What an utterly testosterone-filled plant.

And because of it, the numbers in my bank account were multiplying like crazy too.

[500,000 won deposited]

[500,000 won deposited]

[500,000 won deposited]

[500,000 won deposited]

“Has everyone lost their minds?”

This actually sells?

I had decided to farm on the first floor, but the only thing growing was algae.

Honestly, it hurt.

And yet...

“Why is business booming?”

Here’s what happened.

To me, brush algae were merely the preliminary stage for making the wasteland fertile.

Just the first step toward creating greenery.

But what do you know? The brush algae multiplied way too much.

Soon there was so much of it that I couldn’t handle it all, so I listed some on the marketplace.

[Product: Brush Algae Grown in the Tower]

[Description: Fresh∼ Squawk squawk∼]

[Weight: 100 g]

[Price: 10,000 won]

I had really only listed it out of curiosity.

The price was 10,000 won.

I wanted to test how far the market price would <​fall>.

Because even if it sold for only 5,000 won, that would still be incredible.

But then.

Brush algae became the black semiconductor.

The brush algae that started at 10,000 won broke 100,000 won in a single day. A tenfold increase.

I started getting dizzy.

And that was only the beginning. The next day it climbed to 300,000 won per 100 grams.

Then it just kept rising, until now it was trading at a staggering 500,000 won per 100 grams.

“I’m not the crazy one. So the world must be crazy, right?”

The reason the price fluctuates like this is because marketplace pricing is fundamentally based on bids.

Want to buy some rare product? Climbers outbid one another by offering extra money.

Then the person who posted the highest bid has a greater chance of receiving the item.

“It’s not a one-hundred-percent guarantee, but it raises the odds significantly.”

In a way, it’s similar to stocks or auctions.

[Current Market Price: 500,000 won]

In other words, Climbers had entered a contest of who could throw around more money until this absurd price range emerged.

“...This really is insane.”

Five hundred thousand won for 100 grams.

That’s the same price as caviar served at a five-star hotel.

The only difference is that one comes from sturgeon eggs and mine is algae grown in a puddle?

“Haah. I don’t even know anymore...”

I pulled on yellow rubber gloves and yellow boots, stepped into the puddle, and scooped out some brush algae.

One hundred grams secured.

Selling it is simple.

“Sell!”

The moment I shouted, the brush algae was transported somewhere into subspace.

And in less than ten seconds.

[500,000 won deposited]

Wow. Sold again.

Considering how well it sells, it really must prevent mana decomposition.

“Whew. Aqua, you’ve worked hard these past few days.”

I had stumbled into making money, but it was all thanks to Aqua tirelessly spraying water over the last few days.

Whenever Aqua ran out of water, we went back and forth to my studio to refill with Arisu.

We can enter 9,999 times per day, after all.

[Aqua... Puffing up proudly!

ᕦ(◔ ͜ʖ◔)ᕤ

]

“Haha. Yeah. Good job.”

We had currently managed to soak about thirty-three square meters of land.

This brush algae farm looks peaceful from the outside, but reality is quite different.

The brush algae engage in endless competition. They bubble and multiply against one another, while those deprived of sunlight starve to death.

The more dead brush algae accumulated, the more the wasteland’s condition improved.

“Ah. This is satisfying. Should I make a post?”

I took a photo and uploaded it to the Plant Gallery. All of you who laughed about Mars and whatever else.

I’ll show you how completely I’ve changed.

=======

[Title: lol changed up my front yard landscaping]

(Photo)

I’m back

Someone recommended brush algae lol

So I grew some, rate it

=======

Apparently quite a few people practically lived in the Plant Gallery, because once again, comments poured in.

↳ Is this actually real????

↳ Who the hell actually grows brush algae just because someone told them to@#$%#$

↳ The Aquarium Gallery dislikes this post

↳ Why did you spread Zerg creep across your front yard?

↳ So by front yard you meant the Zerg natural expansion, huh

Ha. The Plant Gallery was once again showing a reaction beyond warm—bordering on scorching.

Still, how rude.

I thought they’d be happier than this...

[OP: lol it gets cute if you stare at it long enough.

And you guys should grow it too, makes money lol]

↳ Ha...

↳ You grow it

↳ What are you, Brush Mom?

↳ Reported you to the Aquarium Gallery, peace

Despite my defense, people from the Aquarium Gallery soon swarmed in as well and collectively started foaming at the mouth.

↳ What kind of insaen dumb@#$ put brush algaae in front of their houes

↳ Isn’t this a crime? Call the police

↳ IconvertIconvertIconvertIconvertIconvert.

↳ Growing it is your business, but how the hell did you grow this much so fast?????

↳ Seriously, that growth speed makes no sense

The Aquarium Gallery people were shocked, saying, ‘The brush algae are growing way too fast.’

Those guys know brush algae inside and out. If they said it was fast, then it really was fast.

“So this isn’t their normal growth rate?”

Figures.

If this were normal, Earth would’ve been conquered by brush algae a long time ago.

I could figure out the cause later.

“Anyway. I’m going to stop selling brush algae soon.”

[Aqua... Curious about the reason!

ꉂꉂ (ˆoˆ )

]

“I’m going to sacrifice the brush algae and advance my agriculture tech tree!”

The farm had become rich in organic matter from all the accumulated brush algae corpses.

The soil was ready.

I already had a crop in mind, and I even planted a sign.

[Chlorella Farm]

Goodbye to flavorless, nutritionless brush algae. From now on, it’s the age of chlorella.

“How many years ago was it... There was a nationwide craze for chlorella foods once.”

Green pizza dough, green ramen, green rice, and so on...

There was a time when people shoved chlorella, supposedly good for your health, into absolutely everything.

The so-called Age of Chlorella Madness.

Thankfully, the craze flared up briefly before disappearing, but the benefits of chlorella revealed during that period were incredible.

Vitamins, protein.

Anti-aging.

Judging by its nutritional profile alone, it was practically a legendary snow ginseng. So what exactly is chlorella?

Chlorella is a microorganism.

In other words, it’s a close relative of those cyanobacteria that float around in water and cause algae blooms.

“Good! Then let’s go get some chlorella!”

[Aqua... Chlorella, bring it on! Going to collect it all!

Q–(ᵔ.ᵔ Q )

]

We set off.

Where to?

The neighborhood supermarket.

Amazingly, chlorella ramen is still distributed domestically, and chlorella is infused into the green noodles.

* * *

Cheongyeol headquarters.

A man ranked third in the family’s line of succession.

Cheon Ryujin stood in a magnificent office, gazing out the window.

His face was filled with worry.

“Director. I barely managed to secure some.”

Secretary Lee handed him something black and limp. Cheon Ryujin’s head began to throb.

Just looking at the soggy mass was already making him nauseous.

“Did you test the sample?”

“Yes. The lab confirmed that it is definitely brush algae. You know, that slippery black floating stuff you see in streams and valleys. That’s brush algae. They say even crucian carp won’t eat it—”

“Please shut up... I’d rather not know.”

With a deep furrow between his brows, Cheon Ryujin stared at the product. A black lump he had paid 500,000 won for.

Cheon Ryujin had never once worried about saving money in his life, yet suddenly the expense felt painful.

“I paid that much for this.”

He poured himself a glass of expensive liquor, then sprinkled the brush algae into it.

The visual was...

Clench.

He squeezed his eyes shut and downed the glass in one go.

The refined malt aroma at least helped erase some of the revulsion.

“Hah.”

The liquor, over forty percent alcohol, burned down his throat, and Cheon Ryujin calmly examined what was happening inside himself.

He had just spent 500,000 won.

On garbage from a stream that supposedly smelled so foul even crucian carp wouldn’t eat it.

‘What kind of bastard is the seller?’

After several thoughts crossed his mind...

Flash!

The mana that had been constantly decomposing suddenly clumped firmly together and refused to leave his body.

“...!”

It works!

Disgusting? Makes him want to vomit? Such modern sensibilities vanished instantly.

His mind cleared at once.

This miraculous feeling of mana no longer leaking out!

Mana decomposition follows a rule. The greater the amount of mana accumulated inside the body, the greater the amount that decomposes.

Simple arithmetic, like the principle of osmosis.

“Haha, hahahah!”

And because Cheon Ryujin’s total mana reserves were overwhelmingly greater than those of others at his level, the amount he lost was correspondingly enormous.

His enemy was not monsters.

Time itself was his enemy.

Because his mana decomposed with every passing moment.

And today, the enemy had lost!

“You stupid Earth bastard. To think something as pathetic as brush algae would stop you.”

“So it works. Congratulations.”

“It feels like I’ve advanced a realm... Huh?”

“What is it?”

The mana that had solidified so firmly was slowly loosening again. And as it did, Earth began stealing his mana once more.

Mana scattered into the world around him.

Damn it!

“The effect is incredible, but it doesn’t last nearly long enough?”

His good mood vanished instantly. Having something given to him only to have it taken away felt even worse.

Cheon Ryujin had to circulate his mana again, forcing it to condense once more.

Now I’m pissed.

“You bought the right stuff, didn’t you?”

“It’s authentic.”

“We have plenty of money. You should’ve bought higher-grade goods than the other Climbers.”

“The seller only sells this one product.”

“Fucking hell...”

What kind of person is this seller? Out of all the countless plants in existence, why sell algae?

His attention turned toward the seller for a moment, but then he shook his head. What did it matter who they were?

“Buy more.”

If it helped, he’d drink lye.

Cheon Ryujin had nowhere left to retreat.

Within the group, blood relatives fought one another. Inside the Tower, he fought other races.

The life of a Climber was a constant struggle against oneself.

After painstakingly raising his realm, this goddamn Earth kept dragging it back down.

If there were any way!

Any way at all to preserve his realm!

Then of course he’d eat it immediately!

“Ah. Director. Sorry. It just sold out.”

“AAAAAAAGH!!!! FUUUUUCK!!!!”

Cheon Ryujin screamed outright. Moments ago, he hadn’t even wanted to look at the stuff. Now he couldn’t eat it even if he wanted to...

As if that weren’t bad enough, Secretary Lee began delivering even more ominous news.

“Director... Just so you know, I think it’ll be difficult to get more brush algae in the future.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The seller just posted an announcement. They’re discontinuing brush algae sales from now on...”

Clench.

Cheon Ryujin squeezed his eyes shut.

“This seller... what the hell kind of bastard is he?”

Cheon Ryujin was a notorious wild dog who was plenty accustomed to being cursed at, but even he had to admit this seller’s behavior was outrageous.

I Set Up House in the Tower, and Making Money Became Too Easy