Player Farming in the Dragon’s Lair - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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119
Woo-jin had prepared a batch of rice for nuruk production during lunch and was now pressing it firmly into a rectangular wooden frame.
He’d laid a thin cloth underneath to keep the wood from touching the rice directly, then placed the entire frame in the sauna within the Dragon Lair.
To cultivate nuruk properly, the rice needed to develop the mold spores essential for fermentation. Whether it would work remained uncertain, but he’d chosen the warm sauna as the ideal environment for the fungus to flourish.
He’d avoided placing it near the fire stones—they would generate too much heat—and instead positioned it as close to the entrance as possible.
And then came the next day.
The morning of his sixtieth day in the Tower.
The moment he opened his eyes, the first thing he checked was—
Whether the rice he’d set in that wooden frame and left to mature in the sauna had properly cultivated the mold spores.
If it gave off an almost imperceptible smell and showed a fine white coating on the surface, the nuruk would have formed successfully. He remembered it felt like that when he’d gone through a makgeolli brewing experience with his father years ago.
He recalled what the staff member conducting the experience had said.
‘If it smells sour or if green mold appears on the surface, then the rice has just spoiled.’
In that case, it would need to be discarded.
But even if it failed, it wouldn’t be a problem. He could always buy nuruk from the outside and make makgeolli that way instead.
The reason he insisted on cultivating nuruk from scratch wasn’t purely for performance—fundamentally, it was simply because ‘it was fun.’
Whoosh.
He pulled the wooden frame containing the rice out of the sauna and carried it outside. Kkamangi approached and sniffed at it curiously.
“Does it smell like anything?”
“There’s a nutty smell to it, meow.”
“Really?”
He folded back the cloth.
Just as Kkamangi had said, the aroma rising from the rice was decidedly nutty rather than sour.
“Yes!”
[Tower Rice Nuruk]
– Grade: B
– Effects
– Upon consumption: All stats +20% for 60 minutes
– Liquor production: Fermentation success rate +25%
– Completed beverage quality grade increased by one tier
– Description: Rice nuruk naturally cultured in the Tower’s purified environment. Contains natural mold enzymes that facilitate alcohol fermentation.
“Heh heh heh. It worked.”
He’d succeeded in cultivating the nuruk—something he’d been uncertain about.
If this were reality instead of the Tower, such a process would have been impossible.
This place was no ordinary environment; it was the Tower itself.
Especially here in the Dragon Lair where the World Tree was growing, he suspected the mold had flourished almost miraculously.
‘Making the makgeolli is simple from here on.’
Just as with the nuruk, he’d cook rice soaked in water.
Then he’d pour the nuruk, water, and rice into glass bottles and seal the openings with cloth. That was all.
“Now I wait for it to mature.”
[Tower Rice Nuruk begins to ferment.]
[Tower Rice Nuruk ferments…….]
And so, one bottle, two bottles, three bottles…….
Large glass vessels accumulated, stacked neatly.
Each held nearly a liter.
[The God of Life gazes down at you with curiosity, asking where you learned to make alcohol.]
“Well, I went through a brewing experience with my father once before. I’m just remembering what I learned then.”
[The God of Life says they’d certainly like to taste it once it’s complete.]
“Of course.”
[The God of Adventure looks at the God of Life with a smirk, remarking that not so long ago they claimed to have no intention of ever drinking alcohol.]
[The God of Life responds in embarrassment that since the Adventurer has gone to such trouble to make it, they simply want to show their appreciation by tasting it.]
.
.
.
[A visitor arrives at the sauna.]
[0.01pt is settled as entrance fee.]
A message appeared before his eyes as he ate dinner.
So this is how it worked.
That meant a guest had just entered the sauna.
Visitors didn’t arrive all at once—after one person came, there was a lull, then the next customer would enter.
[Sikhye has been sold.]
[0.01 points will be settled.]
“Heh heh. Kkamangi, we’ve got a customer.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Two of them came. And the sikhye sold out?”
* * *
The 300th Administrator.
That is, Baal stepped into the Association lobby at an unremarkable hour of evening.
Once a day.
He checked the bulletin board in the Association lobby.
The lobby bulletin board displayed various announcements and such, offering the advantage of quick, easy access to information on the Managers’ activities and other news.
Baal dreamed of the complete resurrection of the Calamities and was periodically checking whether anything that might interfere with the plan had appeared again.
‘There doesn’t seem to be any particular news.’
– Monthly Operations Schedule
– Manager Activity Supplies Purchase Request Deadline Notice
– Normal Difficulty Adventurer Personnel Status Board
– Hard Difficulty Adventurer Personnel Status Board
– Hell Difficulty…….
– Mythological Difficulty…….
The person Baal was keeping watch on these days was undoubtedly Lee Woo-jin. It had been discussed even at the recent Apostle council, but the one causing the greatest disruption to the current Apostles’ plans was Lee Woo-jin.
[Mythological Difficulty Adventurer Personnel Status Board]
– Current Adventurer Count: 1
– Floor 1: 0 people
– Floor 2: 0 people
– …….
– Floor 99: 1 person
Whoosh.
Just as he was thinking there was nothing changed and he should head back to the Calamity Cult now, a few Managers who had just clocked out appeared.
“Oh, 300! You worked hard today too.”
Baal clicked his tongue with a soft tsk, and began his act as the “300th Administrator.”
A hearty man with the imposing height of three meters.
That was exactly who the 300th Administrator was.
“278 and 249! You’re heading out now, it seems?”
“Yeah. Say, you heading out too?”
“Heading out where?”
“Where else? The sauna, of course.”
The 249th Administrator pointed with his finger at a poster on the bulletin board titled “Additional Facility Announcement.” It was written there that a new sauna had opened.
“Hmm, I’m…….”
“I heard it’s located in the Mythological Difficulty tower?”
At those words, Baal’s eyes lit up.
The Mythological Difficulty tower was precisely where Baal was aiming.
But since currently only the Association Chairman and the 350th Administrator could access it, he had given up—and now an opportunity like this presented itself?
Baal grinned.
“Count me in.”
.
.
.
Baal, who had entered the Mythological Difficulty tower with his colleagues, furrowed his brow deeply.
The sauna facility was indeed located in the Manager’s passage of the Mythological Difficulty tower, but whenever he tried to step outside the facility, an invisible barrier blocked his way—something the Association Chairman must have done.
Of course, he could easily tear apart such a barrier with a little force, but the problem was that doing so would make all the “300th Administrator” act he’d been maintaining until now go up in smoke.
‘That cunning old man.’
He didn’t know the Chairman’s true identity, but it seemed he suspected—vaguely perhaps—that there might be a traitor connected to the Calamity Cult within the Association.
With no choice, Baal found himself in a situation where he had to actually, literally, just use the sauna and leave.
Together with the 278th and 249th Administrators who had come with him.
“300! Look here, there’s even special uniforms!”
“Free size, huh. But for 300, I don’t think it’ll fit?”
Baal shook his head.
“Kra-ha-ha! I can adjust my size!”
Shrink.
Baal, reduced to two meters.
The Managers applauded in amazement.
“Quite the impressive parlor trick!”
“Come on, we’ve paid our admission—let’s head inside the sauna.”
“Wait, there’s food here too? They’re selling something called sikhye for 0.01 points a cup.”
The 249th Administrator paid 0.03 points and bought three cups of sikhye, distributing them among the group.
“My treat today,” he said.
“That’s the 249th Administrator for you—generous to the core!”
“Enjoy.”
Baal dressed himself in an earthy-brown cotton shirt and shorts.
The shorts, drawn tight with an elastic waistband, felt wonderfully comfortable.
A logo bearing the name “Sky Hotel” was printed across the fabric.
‘What is this?’
In truth, both the sauna and the sikhye were things Baal had never heard of before.
There had to be some connection to the Association chief. Could it possibly be linked to Lee Woo-jin as well?
The moment they stepped inside the sauna, a wave of intense heat washed over him.
The temperature hovered somewhere between fifty and fifty-five degrees.
Heat of that degree posed no threat to Baal whatsoever, nor did it feel unpleasant in the slightest.
‘They surely don’t intend to harm me with this. Yet there seems to be some effect at work.’
Baal lowered the protective barrier he maintained around himself.
He settled onto a bench alongside his companions.
“So by sitting still like this, the body expels waste matter and fatigue is recovered, they say!”
“Remarkable indeed. The sweat streaming down feels almost like all the unwanted things trapped inside are being purged!”
As his companions chattered away, Baal took a sip of the sikhye. The sweet, cool liquid flowed down his throat and seemed to suffuse his entire body. Soft granules followed along with it in small quantities, and the texture was pleasant.
“This tastes excellent!”
“Does it? Well, if you say so, 300th Administrator, then I’m looking forward to it myself.”
Gulp, gulp.
“Ahhh! What is this—absolutely incredible!”
“I’ve never tasted a beverage this delicious before!”
And so ten minutes passed, then twenty… until roughly thirty minutes had elapsed.
The three of them emerged into the lounge looking thoroughly satisfied.
The sauna’s reputation for excellent fatigue recovery proved entirely justified—his entire constitution seemed to have been restored in an instant.
Baal felt the same.
‘Coming here again next time wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.’
* * *
After finishing his day’s business, Baal returned to the Calamity Cult.
Rabbit, who had been waiting, trotted forward eagerly to greet him.
“Baal, welcome back!”
“Indeed.”
Rabbit tilted his head as he looked at Baal.
Something about Baal’s condition seemed exceptionally, remarkably good.
Especially—
“Baal, your skin appears to have become quite smooth and refreshed!”
“I’ve just come from the sauna.”
With that, Baal strode briskly on his way.
Rabbit blinked.
“… A sauna? What’s that?”
A Player Farming in the Dragon Lair (ongoing series)
Author │ Gaebyeok S
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ Room 401, Ace Techno Tower 8th, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Gaebyeok S 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder. The contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and the author.
Violations may result in civil or criminal legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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