Chapter 8: High-Pitched Laughter

“Oh no, are you okay? Did you get burned?”

Sang-woong quickly closed the pot lid and looked at Aria with concerned eyes.

“I’m fine, hehe!”

Aria replied with a grin.

“I’m pretty tough, you know!”

She struck a playful pose, lifting one arm to flex her “muscles.”

Her arm showed no muscle, not even a tiny bulge.

Her cute antics brought a warm smile to Sang-woong’s face.

“It’s hot, so stay there and be careful.”

He carefully reopened the pot lid and took out the large sweet potato.

Peeling back the slightly charred skin revealed the warm, yellow flesh.

“Wow! It’s pretty.”

Aria’s eyes sparkled as if she had discovered a gem hidden in the earth.

“It’ll taste amazing too. Here.”

Sang-woong cut the sweet potato into manageable pieces for Aria.

“It’s still hot, so be careful.”

“Yes, Master.”

Unable to wait, Aria bit into a piece as soon as she received it.

The hot steam and sweet flavor spread through her mouth.

“Wow, it’s sweet! Master, this is a different kind of sweetness from candy!”

Aria exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration.

“Delicious, right? Let me try too.”

Sang-woong’s eyes widened just as much after one bite.

While low-grade crops were very tasty, mid-grade ones were truly astonishing.

It was hard to imagine a sweeter potato existing.

“If mid-grade tastes this good, how amazing would superior, top-grade, or ultimate be?”

Sang-woong resolved to one day grow ultimate-grade crops.

The two devoured the large sweet potato in no time.

“Aria, was it good?”

“Yes, it was delicious!”

“Next time, I’ll roast some. Baked sweet potatoes are on another level.”

“Wow!”

Even with her belly bulging from eating so much, Aria’s eyes sparkled with anticipation for the baked sweet potatoes.

“Alright, time for today’s final task.”

The most important job remained.

Expanding the land.

What Sang-woong needed most now was to boost the land’s energy further and have more space to plant crops.

Though the recent farming had been successful, yielding higher-grade crops and more points, there was no guarantee of future success.

Farming outcomes were unpredictable, an unknown realm no one could forecast accurately.

The safest way to earn points was to harvest and sell as many crops as possible.

However, expanding the land required a significant number of points, a practical hurdle holding him back.

Two prerequisites were needed to expand the land.

First, plant 100 Purificans Flower seeds.

Purificans Flower seeds were only 30 points each, so Sang-woong had planted them steadily.

Unlike other plants, the Purificans seeds sprouted at an astonishing rate.

They grew rapidly day by day, blooming into vibrant, colorful petals by the third day.

“Ah, so that’s it. There was a reason the crop grades improved.”

The Purificans Flowers had exceptional air-purifying abilities.

Sang-woong deduced that the clearer air had helped the crops grow healthier.

In fact, he himself had noticed a marked improvement in his physical condition lately.

The second requirement was the Land Elixir.

The Land Elixir was a mystical potion that restored the land’s energy.

A few days ago, Sang-woong had invested 1,000 points to purchase one.

Using it turned half of the transparent land core a pale blue.

Thus, he learned that one more Land Elixir would provide enough energy to expand the land.

He bought another from the shop window and used it immediately.

The pale blue filled the entire core.

“All preparations are complete.”

As soon as Sang-woong spoke, a message appeared.

• Conditions for land expansion are met. Would you like to expand the land? Expansion requires 5,000 points. –

“Points just keep pouring in endlessly.”

Though he had anticipated needing many points to expand, he hadn’t expected more after meeting all conditions.

“With 1,500 points on hand, I need another 3,500.”

To gather the shortfall, he headed to the field where he had separately planted the land’s effective plants.

The land’s plants boasted remarkable vitality, growing vigorously.

The seeded ones had already sprouted, and the divided ones had firmly taken root.

“It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”

With the resolve of breaking open a piggy bank, Sang-woong harvested and sold the well-grown land plants.

The field looked barren, tugging at his heart, but it allowed him to secure all the points needed for expansion.

• Would you like to use 5,000 points to expand the land? –

“Yes, expand it.”

The hard-earned 5,000 points vanished, but nothing changed.

The scenery remained the same.

Yet Sang-woong felt the land had grown.

“About doubled in size?”

The 200-pyeong land had expanded to 400 pyeong.

Farming work had doubled, but with reclamation needed, it felt like triple the effort.

Still, the larger land lifted his spirits.

Koreans have always had a special love for real estate, after all.

What excited him most was wondering what new effective land plants might appear.

There might be none, but he had a strong hunch there would be.

“Wow, the land grew!”

Aria, sensing the expansion, jumped joyfully.

But her bright smile soon faded into shadow.

“Goblins are invading.”

As the land’s energy recovered, those seeking to destroy it reacted first.

“They never give me a moment to enjoy.”

Sang-woong drew his sword from the inventory and charged forward with fierce momentum.

Clang! Slash! Clink! Stab!

“GRAAAH!”

“KEEEK!”

The Wood Golems were already clashing intensely with the horde of menacing goblins.

“A pretty big group this time?”

At a glance, over 150 goblins had attacked.

Their sharp teeth and claws gleamed with murderous intent.

Sang-woong charged into the fray without hesitation.

Whoosh! Slash! Swoosh!

His flashing sword cut down goblin necks with every strike.

No matter how many, goblins were helpless against a seasoned Rank 8 Hunter’s swordsmanship.

Amid the battle with the Wood Golems, a piercing shriek echoed through the chaos.

“That sound…”

Sang-woong furrowed his brow at the familiar, chilling cry.

No mistake.

It was a Goblin Shaman commanding the goblins.

Beyond a mere monster, it was a commander perfectly controlling the horde.

The wild goblins, once charging recklessly, began moving with organized precision, transforming into a unified army.

The goblins fighting upfront retreated at the shaman’s command, and dozens of stones came flying in.

The goblins in the rear had picked up rocks and thrown them.

“Damn it!”

For the first time, Sang-woong panicked.

Dodging the stones was trivial for him, but the issue was the Wood Golems.

The golems had great power and endurance but lacked the agility to evade stones.

He wouldn’t lose the fight, but losing all the Wood Golems would be tantamount to total defeat.

Especially since without them, Sang-woong would be tied to the land, complicating his life on Earth.

Thwack! Thwack! Thud!

The stones struck the Wood Golems’ bodies and fell to the ground.

The impacts were significant, leaving large dents, but fortunately, not enough to fell the golems.

“Phew! Thank goodness.”

Sang-woong stroked his chest in relief and charged forward again.

If they kept getting pelted, the Wood Golems would eventually fall.

“Wood Golems, return to the land!”

He commanded the golems following him.

At his order, the Wood Golems stopped running and returned to the land.

Fighting with them would make victory easier, but they’d inevitably get damaged.

That would only increase repair costs.

A bit more effort could save points, so no need to involve the Wood Golems.

As Sang-woong charged at terrifying speed, the Goblin Shaman shrieked, issuing commands to the goblins.

At that, every goblin hurled stones with all their might.

With the target reduced to one, the stones’ barrage gained even more power.

Like pouring rain—no, a fiercer hailstorm—dozens of rocks flew toward Sang-woong, forming a relentless assault.

Even the strongest couldn’t dodge such a seamless, impenetrable barrage.

As expected, Sang-woong was hit without evading.

The Goblin Shaman rejoiced at the successful attack, pounding its staff—taller than itself—on the ground and cackling.

It was the grotesque laugh of one certain of victory.

Though a formidable foe, the enemy was critically foolish.

The Goblin Shaman, visibly flustered that the Wood Golems hadn’t fallen to the stones, panicked.

Continuing the fight like this, victory was uncertain—an instinct that gripped the shaman.

But then, an unbelievable sight unfolded.

Incredibly, the land’s master not only retreated the Wood Golems but charged alone—what folly!

The Goblin Shaman, as if waiting for this, gestured and bellowed an excited command to the goblins.

“KEKE! KEAAAH!”

As the order fell, the swarming goblins hurled stones at Sang-woong with full force.

With the target singular, the stones’ power intensified.

Toward Sang-woong, like torrential rain—no, fiercer—dozens of rocks flew, building a ferocious barrage.

Each time a stone struck Sang-woong, the Goblin Shaman’s high-pitched laughter grew louder.