Player Farming in the Dragon’s Lair - Chapter 65

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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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65
If Lee Woo-jin had to name his favorite book among all those he’d read in his lifetime, it would be *You Can Do It! First Steps in Kitchen Gardening*.
Truth was, he wasn’t much of a reader.
The average Korean adult male reads about 2.4 books a year, and Woo-jin barely managed one.
He was, if anything, someone who kept his distance from books.
Yet this farming guide had become essential reading for him.
“Heh. I’d be lost without this.”
Woo-jin was preparing a plot next to the onion field to plant garlic.
After spending about thirty minutes using Soil Leveling with his Darknight Spade to create a ten-pyong field, he began serious preparations for the garlic planting.
【Garlic is typically propagated not from seed, but by separating individual cloves from a bulb. Set aside any cloves that are too small or damaged, and plant only those that are firm and full.】
【Prepare the soil so water drains well, then plant each seed clove with its pointed end facing upward. Rather than burying it deep, it’s better to plant it so only the tip is lightly covered.】
【Space the cloves generously—don’t crowd them. As garlic bulbs expand underground, planting too close together can prevent proper development. After planting, gently press the soil to settle it and water moderately.】
Clear, friendly explanations.
With photographs to illustrate.
He took out the seed garlic he’d bought on his last outing.
He wouldn’t plant it right away—there was something to do first.
“Compost Making! Compost Making!”
[Proficiency in Compost Making Lv. 2 increases.]
[Proficiency in Compost Making Lv. 2 increases ……]
[You have acquired Compost Making Lv. 3.]
[Compost Pile]
– Grade: D
– Effects
– Soil Fertility +20%
– Crop Grade Elevation Probability +20%
– Description: Compost made by mixing vegetable scraps with soil. Spreading it in a field feels like something good is about to happen.
The Compost Pile had risen one grade.
Woo-jin chuckled to himself as he scattered the compost evenly across the prepared garlic field.
[Using Compost Pile, soil fertility increases by 20 percent.]
[Using Compost Pile, crop grade elevation probability increases by 20 percent.]
Whoosh, whoosh!
Doppelgänger worked beside him, diligently spreading its own Compost Piles.
Afterward, having received seed garlic cloves from Woo-jin, Doppelgänger began planting them in the field.
Seed Planting!
[Proficiency in Seed Planting Lv. 6 increases negligibly.]
[You have acquired Seed Planting Lv. 7.]
This was what made Doppelgänger genuinely broken in the best way.
It could use the exact same skills and levels that Woo-jin currently possessed, and when it used them, its own proficiency rose as well.
“Phew. I don’t know what I’d do without this Doppelgänger.”
Bashful silence.
Woo-jin and Doppelgänger planted the seed cloves just as the book had instructed—with the pointed ends facing up and properly spaced intervals.
Then.
“Rainfall!”
Splash.
Water the field, and it was done.
From creating the ten-pyong garlic field to planting to watering, less than an hour had passed.
For two people working without farm machinery, it was impressively fast.
“Heh. Feels good.”
Agreement.
Woo-jin didn’t stop there; he and Doppelgänger also pruned the suckers from the cherry tomato plants and the perilla leaves.
After finishing watering the potato field, sweet potato field, carrot field, lettuce, onions, and Welsh onion patches, Woo-jin lastly checked on where he’d planted the rice.
The rice seedlings in the paddy he’d created near a small lake in the corner had now grown tall and slender.
What caught his eye most was the tops of the stalks.
The heads were beginning to emerge, carefully unfurling.
The grains weren’t fully ripened yet, but inside each panicle, the individual kernels seemed to be settling into place one by one.
The rice stalks stood in neat rows above the shallow water, and young panicles peeked through between the leaves here and there.
‘At this pace, I might be able to harvest tomorrow.’
There’s a saying that rice bows its head as it ripens.
Since the stalks weren’t yet bowing, they hadn’t fully ripened, but at this growth rate, harvest tomorrow seemed entirely plausible.
.
.
.
Tonight I grilled pork belly.
Not that I’d laid out an elaborate spread—just the simple approach: pork belly and aged kimchi grilled together, served with a bowl of steaming white rice.
This combination was uncomplicated, tasted wonderful, and filled the stomach generously.
“Hey, how come you didn’t eat?”
“Wanted to set aside some for Hephaestus and eat together with him.”
Lee Woo-jin picked up a small pot lid.
This size would be just right for two people to share.
He grabbed some freshly cooked rice and aged kimchi as well, then made his way to Floor 60 where Hephaestus was.
He arrived at the entrance of Floor 60 via the Teleportation Ring.
He walked past the open Manager’s door and approached Hephaestus.
He didn’t get too close.
Kept about two meters of distance.
Because.
Clang!
Bang!
Hephaestus was in the middle of work.
Hephaestus already knew Lee Woo-jin had arrived.
“Give me just a moment. I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
“Sure. Take your time.”
With tongs, Hephaestus picked up a glowing red-hot lump of metal and placed it on the anvil. Each time he brought the hammer down, sparks scattered in all directions.
The heavy swing of the hammer made the thick muscles of his forearms writhe with effort.
With each strike, the form of the metal shifted slightly, and the intense heat warmed the entire smithy.
Beside him, the furnace’s flames burned ceaselessly.
Clang!
A moment later, Hephaestus set down the hammer and plunged the half-finished metal lump into cold water.
Hisssss!
Hot steam billowed up all at once, turning the surrounding air white.
Even in that cloud, Hephaestus’s expression remained calm as he lifted the result to inspect its condition.
Hephaestus placed the metal piece back onto the workbench.
“So, what brings you by?”
“Thought we could have dinner together.”
“Ah, ha! Now that you mention it, I haven’t eaten yet.”
“Perfect timing! Just a moment—I’ll get it ready right away.”
Hephaestus’s eyes grew bright with anticipation as he watched Lee Woo-jin pull the pot lid and firewood from his Subspace Backpack.
Whoosh!
He built a makeshift grill and lit the kindling.
Then he turned the pot lid upside down and set it on top.
The lid began to heat up under the flames.
Lee Woo-jin pulled out the pork belly strips one by one and laid three on the lid.
Three thick strips of pork belly would easily serve six people at a proper restaurant.
Sizzzzzzle!
As the pork cooked, a delicious meaty aroma rose up.
Once one side was browned nicely, he flipped it to cook the other side, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Clear pork fat pooled in the shallow center of the overturned lid. Lee Woo-jin placed a large chunk of aged kimchi directly into it.
Sizzzzz!
As the aged kimchi hit the hot pork fat, it made an almost frying sound. The dark red kimchi began to turn a deep crimson.
Gulp.
Hephaestus swallowed hard.
It was quite a violent sight.
It looked like the kimchi he’d eaten with ramen last time, but more aged. Cooked in the pork fat, it released an irresistible aroma that assaulted the senses.
Lee Woo-jin pulled a large rice bowl from his Subspace Backpack.
He scooped steaming white rice into it twice with a wooden rice paddle.
It was equivalent to three of those thousand-won serving bowls you’d get at a typical restaurant.
“Here you go.”
Lee Woo-jin handed over the rice along with wooden chopsticks.
Hephaestus accepted the bowl.
Lee Woo-jin wrapped a large piece of pork belly in aged kimchi and popped it into his mouth.
He hadn’t bothered to add salt or sauce.
The roasted kimchi had its own distinctive salty-sharp flavor, sharp as sodium combusting, that needed no additional seasoning.
He scooped a generous spoonful of rice with wooden chopsticks and brought it to his mouth.
Ah!
The hot white rice’s savory, slightly sweet quality—
—mingled with the salty umami of the kimchi and pork belly, creating a perfect harmony.
“It’s delicious! You should try it too, Hephaestus.”
He nodded.
Hephaestus began to mimic the way Lee Woo-jin ate.
He wrapped a piece of pork belly in kimchi and took a bite.
His eyes flew open.
Wide.
The flavor that erupted on his tongue was far more explosive than that instant noodle dish he’d tried before.
“Wh-what in heaven is th-this!”
“It tastes even better with rice. Heh heh.”
Following Lee Woo-jin’s advice and eating with rice, Hephaestus discovered yet another layer of satisfaction.
“This is insane!”
Crunch, crunch!
Slurp, slurp, slurp!
Hephaestus began eating in earnest now.
He shoveled pork belly and kimchi into his mouth with his chopsticks like a man possessed.
Watching him eat so contentedly, Lee Woo-jin felt his own mood lift in turn, and he wrapped more kimchi around his rice.
.
.
.
“I’m truly grateful. That was a most satisfying meal.”
“I’m the grateful one. It was worth cooking for.”
Lee Woo-jin made quick work of tidying up, then stowed the pot lid and portable brazier back into his Subspace Backpack. He was about to say goodbye and return to Floor 99 when—
“Wait a moment.”
Hephaestus called him back.
“I’ve accepted your hospitality all this while. I can’t simply send you away empty-handed. Though I cannot craft you an SS-Rank weapon, I can make anything else you might need.”
“Really?”
Hephaestus nodded.
He assumed Lee Woo-jin would ask for an S-Rank weapon or armor.
Even that alone would be an extraordinary gain for the boy.
Not everyone could obtain weapons or armor crafted by the one called the King of Smiths.
But what Lee Woo-jin actually requested was entirely unexpected.
“Would you be able to make me dishes, plates, pots, and bowls? I have the materials!”
Hephaestus let out a hearty laugh.
“While you’re at it, wouldn’t you prefer something more practical? A sword, for instance, or plate armor? Those would serve you better for survival.”
“Oh come on! If we’re talking practicality, dishes, plates, and pots are far more practical. I use them every single day when I eat!”
…….
He knew the boy was an unusual Adventurer.
But he never imagined anyone would ask for tableware instead of weapons or armor.
Well, if that’s what he wanted, there was no reason to refuse.
“I see. What materials do you have?”
“One moment.”
Lee Woo-jin rummaged through his Subspace Backpack and pulled something out.
When Hephaestus saw what the material was, he gasped in astonishment, his voice tight with disbelief.
“H-how did you obtain this?”
Black Mithril.
Lee Woo-jin held in his hands an ore called the exclusive domain of the gods.
Player Farming in Dragon Rare (Serialized)
Author | Gaebuk S
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyung
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyuk
Address | 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th)
Email | [email protected]
Website | www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Gaebuk S 2026
※This work is published by J-Novel Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and the content may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and the author.
Violation of this restriction may result in criminal and civil 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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