Chapter 121: Orchard.
Chapter 121: Orchard.
If I isolate with the [Barrier☆] skill and burn it away with [Purification+], wouldn’t any curse be completely incinerated and disappear?
With that hope in mind, I tried to use the [Barrier☆] skill on the Curse of Arrogance.
“Is this how I’m supposed to use it?”
Should I say it feels strangely off, like swinging and missing?
The effect of the skill is already being applied to the target.
It’s like this sort of message pops up.
[Barrier☆] seems busy enough, like it’s telling me not to bother it.
[The level of the Barrier☆ skill has increased to 2.]
Judging by how its level rises on its own just like the [Purification+] skill, it seems to be working properly.
Maybe the skill’s effect is already at its maximum, so it’s not working as noticeably.
There aren’t any major changes right now, but I bet fighting curses will get a lot easier from here on out.
From now on, the [Barrier☆] skill will even get a boost from the status window.
Even up to now, I’ve been benefiting from the [Barrier☆] skill’s effects without realizing it.
The curse never left my body, and the <Curse Fragment> I coughed up didn’t scatter the curse.
The [Barrier☆] skill has been working hard behind the scenes all along.
From now on, it’ll put on an even flashier performance on center stage.
Just as [Healing☆] did, the [Barrier☆] skill’s effects will become even more apparent as its level rises.
Is this the end of it?
Other than isolating, confining, and sealing curses, does the [Barrier☆] skill have any other effects?
“Huh?”
If I combine this with the [Store+] skill, I might be able to use the space expansion function even more powerfully.
The [Store+] skill compresses volume and mass. When the target is a <Slime>, the compression rate is highest, but the more complex the item, the lower the compression rate.
As the [Store] skill grew into [Store+], its effect became stronger, and after interacting with Ash, I picked up a lot of know-how about space. Still, there were limits.
“As expected.”
If I isolate a specific area with the [Barrier☆] skill and then use the [Store+] skill, the compression rate shoots up.
There’s never been a shortage of space inside Slime Land.
Even now, Mother is digging deeper underground and expanding her body, so there won’t be a shortage in the future either.
But with this skill, I feel like there’ll never be a lack of space again.
If the skill level rises even more, I earn a few more stars, and Mother digs even deeper underground-
I could practically build an entire world inside Mother.
Instead of just putting in one pair of each animal, maybe I could house most of the animals in the world inside Mother.
Well, maybe that’s a bit too far-fetched.
If it’s just humans, it might not even take that long.
The [Barrier☆] skill isn’t just useful for Mother, but also for the other kids.
Gongdori and Gongsooni can use space more efficiently and increase production.
It’s helpful for Root, who’s expanding her territory in the underground of Korea.
If you can compress those moving inside a <Tunnel Slime> even smaller, you can transport more people at once.
I should pass this on to another hardworking kid, too.
I think this skill would be really helpful for what that kid is doing.
***
The gray schnauzer Cheoli grabbed his leash in his mouth and pestered his owner to hurry up.
“Alright, alright.”
Cheoli’s owner put a harness on him and attached the leash.
After doing a quick patrol around the house, Cheoli headed to the place where the <Tunnel Slime> was.
Ever since Cheoli’s runaway incident, his owner had become interested in Slime Land.
The fact that countless dogs and cats lived inside Slime Land was fascinating.
So after doing some research, they discovered that Slime Land had a dog park.
For Cheoli’s owner, the dog park was extremely appealing.
Schnauzers are a breed with lots of curiosity and energy. If you don’t let them run around enough, they’ll turn your house into a mess.
Still, it was exhausting to keep up with that endless energy all the time.
It’d be great if there was a place where he could run to his heart’s content alone, but there are so few places where you can let your dog off-leash outdoors.
If you limit it to places within daily range and that don’t put a big strain on your bank account, it’s basically impossible to find any options.
So a cheap, accessible dog park was a godsend.
Cheoli’s owner traveled to Slime Land via the <Tunnel Slime>.
After putting on a <Bracelet Slime>, they selected the [Family Course]. Once they arrived, they used the bracelet to head to the area with the dog park with Cheoli.
There were already lots of dogs running around there.
Some were out with their owners, and some lived inside Slime Land.
Cheoli’s owner unclipped his leash.
Cheoli ran off excitedly, greeting friends he’d become familiar with.
At first, his owner worried about what would happen if the dogs fought, but that worry soon disappeared.
This area was a small-dog-only zone, so there were no big dogs.
The risk of a dangerous accident was low.
Plus, if a fight seemed about to break out, the native dogs would step in.
When those dogs with a different kind of presence approached, even the grumpiest house dog would immediately tuck its tail.
Honestly, Cheoli’s owner felt a bit betrayed seeing Cheoli instantly tuck his tail.
If they skipped a single walk, he’d forget all hierarchy and turn the house upside down.
And yet, he’d get so scared when dogs not much bigger than him came over.
It was kind of ridiculous, and made his owner feel a little hurt.
But after seeing the native Slime Land dogs, it made sense why Cheoli acted that way.
Even as small dogs, they gave off the vibe of well-trained soldiers.
When someone worked up the courage to pet their heads, it felt less like they enjoyed it and more like they were granting permission to be touched.
There was a certain presence about them.
While Cheoli played with the other dogs, his owner chatted with other dog owners he recognized.
Naturally, with all the dog lovers gathered, the topic was their dogs.
“Haven’t your dogs changed a lot since you started coming here?”
“Oh, yes! Our Coco stopped chewing on everything.”
“And our Bori stopped whining for treats after doing a trick.”
“As for Cheoli… how should I put it… He’s become more mature?”
“Yes, yes! That’s exactly it. My kid was just like that after starting elementary school.”
Maybe it’s because they’re playing with well-trained dogs.
The wild ones learned manners.
Not just manners-they’d even come home having learned simple tricks.
In other words, just bringing them here was training.
Humans need to be educated when they’re young, so what about dogs?
Of course, training and education are necessary.
But it’s not easy.
It’s hard enough teaching a child who can talk, so of course it’s even harder to train a puppy who can’t.
The dog park is considered a regular facility, so there’s no usage fee at all.
And yet, even training that’s tough for ordinary people is accomplished here.
When new dog owners heard about this, they flocked to Slime Land.
The number of visitors increased daily, but the parks never felt too crowded.
No one could even guess how much space was being operated as dog parks.
‘I should buy something to show my appreciation. But is buying something really the right way to thank them?’
Even if you buy something out of gratitude, you’re still getting good products at low prices.
It doesn’t really feel like you’re giving back.
‘Aren’t they being way too generous?’
It was unlikely, but it was starting to feel like they might go out of business at this rate.
‘Even for an S-rank Alchemist, is this really okay?’
While Cheoli’s owner was worrying about Alchemy Slime, Cheoli whined and tugged at his owner’s pant leg.
“What’s wrong?”
Woof!
Cheoli barked once and took the lead as if asking to follow.
It wasn’t just Cheoli. Other dogs also called their owners and led them somewhere.
“Where are they going?”
“Who knows.”
As they followed the dogs, a sweet smell started wafting from somewhere.
That smell reminded them of the event that had ended a few days ago.
‘That cake was delicious.’
Saliva naturally gathered in Cheoli’s owner’s mouth.
Other dog owners seemed to feel the same, as they started talking about the event.
“The cake was delicious, right?”
“Personally, I thought the rainbow cake was really tasty. Other rainbow cakes just have coloring added, but Slime Land’s rainbow cake had a different flavor for each layer. Plus, they put so much thought into the flavor combinations that depending on which colors you ate together, you’d get a completely different taste!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I really want to eat it again, but I can’t, so it’s such a shame.”
“I wish they’d hold the event again. Or at least sell what they gave out back then….”
A hole similar to the one they saw when entering the cake zone appeared before them.
Everyone swallowed in anticipation.
Woof!
The dogs circled in place and barked as if urging them to hurry.
The children passed through first, and the adults followed behind.
“Excuse us….”
The place they arrived at was clearly different from the cake zone.
Various plants wrapped in Slime welcomed them.
The trees bore fruit abundantly, as if they had mistaken the season.
“These look like real trees, don’t they?”
They weren’t trees made of Slime, but real trees covered in Slime.
“Is this a mango?”
“This one’s a tangerine.”
Cheoli’s owner looked at an apple right in front of him.
An apple boasting a vivid color, without a single blemish from insects.
Cheoli’s owner absentmindedly swallowed, imagining the cool and sweet taste lingering in his mouth.
Did the tree hear that sound?
An apple wrapped in Slime fell with a thud.
Reflexively catching it, the Slime naturally flowed off, leaving only a shiny, sparkling apple.
Cheoli’s owner immediately brought the apple to his mouth.
Normally, he would have washed an apple thoroughly due to worries about pesticides, but now there was no such hesitation.
After all, these days, fruits are wiped with Towel Slime instead of water.
There was no way harmful residue would remain on a fruit that had been wrapped in Slime.
Crunch.
With a crisp sound, sweetness filled his mouth, and the apple fragrance spread through his nose.
It was so delicious that he couldn’t even let out a gasp of admiration.
It wasn’t overly sweet like sugar water.
The fragrance wasn’t so strong that it felt unripe.
It had just the right amount of sweetness and aroma.
It was the most delicious apple he had ever eaten.
Cheoli’s owner eagerly crunched away at it.
As he reached near the seeds, surprisingly, there was no sour or bitter taste.
Even the seeds were soft to chew, allowing him to eat it all cleanly without leaving anything behind.
Letting out a long breath of satisfaction, he felt something climb onto his foot.
Looking down, he saw Cheoli staring up at him with eyes full of betrayal.
“Sorry!”
Similar apple-crunching sounds could be heard nearby.
Cheoli’s owner desperately looked up at the apple tree, but the fruit tree coldly ignored him.
It was the same under other fruit trees.
The trees wrapped in Slime only tempted him with the fragrance of their luscious fruits.
They didn’t give up any more fruit.
Cheoli’s owner even tried climbing the trees, but the Slime was too slippery to ascend.
“Do we have to buy them with money?”
At someone’s words, Cheoli’s owner checked his bracelet.
But no payment window appeared.
“If they were for sale, wouldn’t a Guide Slime have come by now?”
The existence of the Dedicated Guide Slime for the Shopping Course was already well-known.
The fact that such a Slime didn’t appear likely meant that the fruits here weren’t for sale.
“Do we have to solve some kind of problem?”
They looked around diligently, but there was nothing noteworthy.
“Could it be… one fruit per day?”
Someone voiced a speculation they didn’t want to believe.
And that turned out to be the correct answer.
The next day, Cheoli’s owner visited this orchard again.
This time, he got a pear.
He almost ate it all but barely held himself together and shared it with Cheoli.
Word spread about this orchard, where you could taste every fruit in the world, but only one fruit per day was given.
Many people visited the orchard.
The fruit trees gifted them each one fruit.
Those who tasted the fruit naturally returned after a day had passed.
Some reportedly tried to pick a bunch of fruits at once.
But such people were said to never be able to enter the orchard again.
***
Sharing delicious food is a very effective way to attract people.
Even if it’s food you normally wouldn’t care about, if it’s given out as a sample, it piques curiosity.
What if you give out food that’s famous for being delicious?
The event of handing out cakes had ended.
It wasn’t possible to hold a similar event right away again.
So, they introduced different food.
Using Slime, they cultivated various plants and tricked them into becoming trees that bore fruit all year round.
Some even said it must be due to selective breeding, but the taste changed so much just by using Slime appropriately.
It’s common for the taste of fruit to change depending on the water or nutritional supplements used when growing plants.
It’s not so rare for the properties of fruit to change when given Slime.
The fruit given is one per day.
The taste is guaranteed, but the size of the fruit is small.
They could make them grow larger, but they deliberately kept them small.
The fruits given out are real fruits, not Slime. Eating too many isn’t good for health.
Also, releasing too many would deal a big blow to fruit shop sales.
Well, if they go bankrupt, they can just work at Slime Land.
Starting to sell fruits inside Slime Land doesn’t seem like a bad idea either.
Would that make things hard for farmers?
They’d be compared to the fruits I give out.
‘Let’s lure those people to Slime Land too.’
Ah, right. I can just have them farm at Slime Land.
Moved underground.
“Pretty cool.”
Before me lies a field dyed in golden hues.
Currently, only the orchard is famous, but fruits aren’t the only things grown inside Slime Land.
There are rice paddies and fields too.
Right now, Mother and the Slimes are tending to them, but there’s no big problem if people do it instead.
Efficiency might drop a bit, but that’s the same for other tasks too.
The purpose of Slime Land is to make people happy, not to earn money.
There’s no plan to release the grains and vegetables grown by Mother and the Slimes into the market.
It’s for reserve.
For times when ships can’t arrive on time due to something like a typhoon.
Or when heavy rain makes it hard to get certain vegetables.
Or if there’s a large-scale strike at farms.
There are times when food doesn’t arrive on schedule for various reasons.
To prepare for such times, various foods are stored inside Slime Land.
Originally, wrapping things with Slimes would kill all the surface bacteria, and with Convert+, Absorb+, and Evangelize+ skills, heat could be instantly removed for rapid freezing.
That alone could maintain the quality of food for a very long time.
But with the addition of the Barrier☆ skill, even larger quantities can be preserved intact for even longer periods.
Even if there’s no immediate need, stockpiling food like this.
And continuing to produce more.
‘Yeah. Make Slime Land a place where eternal dreams can be dreamed.’
No matter what happens outside, the inside of Slime Land will remain peaceful.
It will be a place where one can stay forever without worrying about the outside world.
Why go to the trouble of preparing such a place?
Well, there’s no harm in being prepared, right?
You never know what might happen in the world.
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hmmm, now that i think about it. the best energy source would be ring of fire, it has alot of volcanoes, common earthquake, consistent heat from sun