Chapter 25: Seed Potatoes, Ready (1)
“Tibong!”
“…Haa.”
“Tibobong!”
“…Haaaa.”
Crash!
A crisp shattering sound reminded him, once again, that life was a hardcore cesspool.
Another piece of pottery had just been smashed to bits.
He’d heard that one was something the former Demon Lord had looted ages ago. Oh well, nothing to be done about it. Yeah. Nothing at all. This was all…
‘My karma. My damn karma.’
Kim Jangcheol let out a long, weary sigh.
Then he looked at the scene of the incident—if one could call it that—where the pottery had broken.
And there, puffing up its cheeks and glaring back at him in a full pout, was a snow-white baby dragon.
“Tibong!”
“…”
Yeah. That thing.
That baby dragon—no, dragon whelp—found frozen inside the Heart of Frost. A child—or rather, a dragon brat—that refused to listen to a single word.
Its name was…
“Tyrannus?”
“Tibong?”
“There’s really nothing here you can eat. Can’t you just calm down a bit?”
“Tibobong!”
Tyrannus shook its head hard.
The message was clear: not a chance.
The little thing even started patting its round belly with its soft, squishy front paw pads like jelly.
“Tibong! Tibobong! Bong!”
“…Yeah, I get it. You’re hungry. I also get that you want to find food yourself, if you have to.”
“Tibobong! Bpong!”
“I gave you something to eat, didn’t I?”
It was true.
He swore it on his life.
It must have been last night.
After the First Star Lord had perished and the rest of the First Star Corps had ascended too—though they didn’t go quietly. There had been a lot of potatoes left. Thanks to that, he’d managed to harvest thousands of sprouted potatoes.
And after that?
He’d left a few soldiers to guard the cliff temporarily and returned to the Demon Lord’s Castle. Of course, bringing that baby dragon—Tibong, or rather, Tyrannus—along with him.
That’s when the trouble had started.
‘Why… Just why… Why won’t you eat the gold coins I gave you…’
Kim Jangcheol looked down at the handful of gold coins still clutched in his hand. He had tried to feed them to Tyrannus earlier based on Zephyros’ advice.
“…”
Zephyros had definitely said it.
That baby dragons didn’t eat regular food. They consumed gold and treasure instead. That was how they filled their bellies and grew. And this one, Tyrannus, seemed extremely starved. If they didn’t feed it treasure soon, it might get aggressive.
After hearing that advice, he had turned the old plunder storage—what remained of the previous Demon Lord’s spoils—inside out. In the end, all he could scrape together were a few measly coins.
He’d come back, clutching them like they were holy relics, and tried to feed the dragon.
Crunch, munch…
“…Ptoo!”
That had been the reaction.
The dragon had bitten just a single corner of the coin, chewed it a few times with a face full of disgust, and then promptly spit it out.
And it hadn’t stopped sulking since.
“Tibobong! Tibong!”
With its plump tail whipping up and down, Tyrannus thudded it against the floor. Its expression was full of displeasure—an obvious demand for something tastier.
“…”
Suddenly, a memory struck him. A trauma, really.
Right. Back in grad school. The professor’s kid was just like that. Every time they met, it was “Big bro, do this,” and “Big bro, do that,” treating him like some family servant. It was pure chaos.
Kim Jangcheol let out a sigh steeped in bitter nostalgia and said,
“…Hey.”
“Tibong?”
“Can’t you just eat the gold coins, nice and quietly?”
“Tibong!”
“They don’t suit your taste?”
“Ti!”
“You almost threw up?”
“Bong!”
“But what if you just forced yourself to eat them?”
“Cibong!”
“…”
What the hell was that?
It sounded like something he really shouldn’t have heard with his eardrums.
‘Tsk. Is this guy some kind of ultra-refined gourmet? Are regular gold coins not enough? Do they have to be 24-karat?’
He was in a bind.
Truthfully, the Demon Lord’s Castle didn’t have much in the way of treasure. Not even close to 24k. Just scraps and leftovers looted by the previous Demon Lord during his raids on the human realm.
But the baby dragon clearly looked like it was starving.
And that made sense.
It had been frozen inside the Heart of Frost. Who could even guess how many years it had been trapped like that?
‘How old is this guy, really?’
Crash! Crack!
Again, Tyrannus—no, Tibong—was leaping around in search of food, turning tables into launch pads and smashing them to bits. Watching the destruction, Kim Jangcheol sank into thought.
Tibong looked like it wasn’t even a year old.
Maybe six months, at best?
No, more like five?
But its actual age was probably way older.
‘If it starved for decades, maybe even centuries, it’s no wonder it’s this ravenous.’
That would explain its frantic rampage.
Crunch!
“…”
This wouldn’t do.
If he left it like this, the Demon Lord’s throne room would soon look like an apartment complex’s trash sorting site on garbage day.
“Tibong? Wanna go somewhere with more food?”
“…Tibong?”
“Yeah. This way. Wanna follow me?”
“Tibong!”
Its eyes sparkled as it trotted after him. It looked exactly like a fluffy white puppy.
Suppressing the urge to chuckle, he led it through the hallway, up the stairs, around a corner, across the backyard swamp, and into the darkness of the cave until finally… he opened the door to the plunder storage.
Screeeech…
“Here we are. This is where the most expensive stuff from the Abandoned Land is kept.”
“Tibong?”
“Wanna take a look?”
“Tibong!”
No other choice.
If it was a matter of taste, then it was best to let the one eating pick the menu. With that thought, he let Tibong into the plunder storage.
Though he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
‘There really isn’t much in here…’
Please let something be to your liking.
Please find something edible.
Watching Tibong’s small, fluffy back wander inside, Kim Jangcheol felt like he was submitting paperwork to his boss for approval—or maybe waiting for test results.
And silently, he hoped.
But then…
“Tibong?”
“…”
“Tibobong? Tibong? Bong?”
Tibong looked back with a bewildered and speechless expression. As if to ask, “Is this seriously the best you’ve got?”
“…Yeah, that really is the best I’ve got.”
“Tibooong…”
“Nothing suits your taste?”
“Tibong…”
“Still, wouldn’t you feel better if you just ate something, anything?”
“Tibobong…”
Tibong slumped to the ground with a heavy plop.
After all the fuss earlier, maybe it had finally run out of energy. The little thing trudged back with small steps, then collapsed at his feet, resting its chin on his instep.
“Tiboong… Tibobong…”
“What, you think you’re gonna starve to death?”
“Tibong…”
“Come on, just close your eyes and force yourself to eat the gold coins, yeah?”
“Tiboong…”
“You’re saying you’d puke?”
“Tibong…”
“…”
This was driving him nuts.
How was he supposed to cater to this creature’s picky palate?
Kim Jangcheol was at the end of his rope with the baby dragon that had suddenly been thrust into his care. A dark thought even crossed his mind—maybe he should just stuff it back into the Heart of Frost and freeze it again.
But that wasn’t an option anymore.
Why?
Because after it spat the little guy out, the Heart of Frost had crumbled away into icy dust and vanished.
“Haa… I’m losing it.”
Not like he could throw it away, either. It was still a dragon. If raised properly, it could become an incredible asset.
‘Man, when I first found it, I felt like I’d won the lottery…’
Who would’ve thought it’d turn into such a headache?
No, more importantly—
‘What if this thing actually starves to death?’
This could get dangerous.
Kim Jangcheol scratched the back of his head like mad.
He was worried, but he couldn’t think of a good solution.
‘…Guess I’ll get some fresh air.’
He scooped up the limp Tibong in his arms and stepped outside the Demon Lord’s Castle.
Out in the wide front yard of the wasteland, members of the Agricultural Corps were working up a sweat. They were in the middle of shaping the final ridges in the freshly plowed potato fields.
“Do not forget the important instructions once laid down by our Demon Lord! Our Agricultural Corps Commander! Our Youth Association Leader, Credos! For planting potatoes, make the ridges thick! Width: three handspans! Height: one!”
“Width: three! Height: one!”
The Agricultural Corps repeated the chant on their own.
But unlike their synchronized chanting, the pace of work wasn’t very fast. Complaints and grumbling could be heard here and there.
“Man… why are there so many rocks?!”
“Rocks here, rocks there…”
“Feels like the whole day’s gonna be spent just picking out rocks, sir!”
“Same thing yesterday too, ughhhh!”
“This is infuriating!”
Moaning voices of frustration echoed throughout the field.
And honestly, they had every right to be frustrated.
This land had never been used for farming before. It was raw, untouched wasteland that had never seen a single crop in all of history. They’d just thrown compost on it and were trying to make it into farmland for the first time ever.
So naturally, it was riddled with pebbles and stones.
And naturally, they had to be cleared out one by one.
It was grueling work, but an unavoidable process.
‘Hang in there, guys.’
They were all doing this to survive.
If everyone just endured a little longer, things would improve.
With quiet support in his heart, Kim Jangcheol watched the Agricultural Corps sweat and toil.
And then—
“…Tibong?”
The limp Tibong in his arms twitched, then lifted its small, round head. Maybe it had been woken by all the yelling. It turned to stare at the Agricultural Corps with a curious gaze.
“Tiboong…?”
Was it interested?
In no time, it was watching them, wide-eyed and breathless. Its gaze locked onto the farmers and the potato fields, glimmering with intensity.
“What are you staring at so hard?”
He was a little puzzled.
It made him chuckle.
“Not like there’s anything for you to—”
Fwoosh!
“Ugh?”
Before he could even finish his sentence, Tibong leapt out of his arms!
Where to?
The potato field!
“Huh? Hey! Hey, wait!”
He scrambled after it in a panic.
But there was no catching it.
Too… fast!
“Stop! Stop right there!”
Tibong’s small frame darted toward the potato field. He couldn’t close the distance. Just how fast was it? He couldn’t catch up. In seconds, it had reached the field.
‘Crap!’
A dreadful thought hit him like lightning.
Was the little brat about to tear up the field again looking for food?
…Just as he thought that—
“Tibong!”
Tibong flung its body toward a nearby Agricultural Corps member. The sudden ambush made the man’s eyes go wide.
“…Huh?”
Fwish!
Tibong zipped past the farmer. At the same time, it snatched a stone he had just picked up from the dirt and was holding in his hand.
Then came a screeching halt—
K-k-krsssh!
“Tibobong! Bong!”
Having secured its stone, Tibong performed a cute little drift and came to a stop. It stared down at the rock it had stolen from the farmer.
Its eyes were sparkling.
It looked just like a kid seeing pork cutlet for the first time.
Crunch!
Before he could stop it, the little guy bit into the rock. Chewed it. Crunch, crunch, cr-runch, crunch.
“Tibobong! Tibong!”
“…”
It wasn’t just one bite.
Two, three… until the last crumb.
Gulp. Tibong!
At last, having devoured the entire rock, Tibong grinned with a look of pure bliss. Then it began sniffing around energetically with its tiny nostrils.
“Tibong? Tibobong! Bong!”
Pop!
It pulled another rock from the field.
And started eating again.
“Bbobongbong! Tibong!”
Crunch, cr-runch!
“…”
Only then did Kim Jangcheol come to a realization.
‘This guy… isn’t some gold-digging, 24k gourmet…’
He was a dirt spoon.
No—a stone spoon.
He was speechless.
And just then—
“Tiboong?”
Tibong, having finished his second stone, looked up at him with big, gleaming eyes.
And asked,
“Tibong? Tibobong?”
“…Huh? You’re asking if you can eat all the rocks in the field?”
“Tibobong! Tibong?”
“O-of course you can!”
“Tibong!”
A wide smile bloomed across its tiny face.
Tibong.
Full name: Tyrannus.
Biological age: three months. Male dragon.
He was officially employed as a high-performance stone sorter and mascot of the Agricultural Corps.
Thanks to him, Kim Jangcheol was finally able to move on to the next step in potato farming.
‘Alright. Now that the rock-clearing problem’s solved, it’s time for the next phase…’
…You’re up, Sirgi.
His gaze turned sharp, now locked onto the Cold Monarch, one of the Four Great Demon Generals.