Livelihood Dungeon! (English Version)

The following day.

Just as dawn broke, Peter was already full of energy. Starting that day, he had many things to do.

"Richard, I'd like to ask you a favor," Peter said seriously.

"What is it, Peter?" Richard replied.

"Would it be possible for me to buy some crop seeds from you?" Peter asked.

"I thought it was something serious. So that's all, huh? What kinds do you want?" Richard said with a smile.

"Only three kinds, Richard—wheat, oats, and hay," Peter said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"How many bushels?" the farmer asked.

"Bushels?" Richard pointed to a large container, causing Peter's eyes to widen.

"Oh! I think we've misunderstood each other. I don't intend to buy that much—just a few pieces of each," Peter clarified.

The farmer let out a laugh. "Is that so?"

"Well then, how many of each?" he added.

"Just one hundred pieces each, please."

The farmer stepped away for a moment and went to a corner of his house. When he returned, he was carrying a container filled with different kinds of seeds.

"Thank you," Peter said as he handed a silver coin to Richard.

"I'll shamelessly take advantage of your kindness. This is for my extended stay here—at least until I finish my experiments," he explained before leaving, giving the farmer no chance to refuse.

...

"I'd like to have something forged," Peter said as he approached the village's only blacksmith.

"I'm listening," the blacksmith replied while continuing his work.

"I need an enclosed device that can heat plants without fully cooking them. The goal is to warm them, not cook them," Peter explained.

"I can't make something like that. I've never even heard of such a device," the blacksmith said, stopping his work to look at Peter.

"But I think I know where you might find—or have something like that made," he added.

"Where?"

"In towns or cities," the blacksmith began.

"Go on," Peter said.

"I've only seen something like what you're describing a few times. It was when I went to the town of Seaham. That's where I saw devices they call magic tools.

If blacksmiths like me hold a higher status than farmers, then those who make magic tools are even more respected—the magic engineers."

If blacksmiths are respected for their ability to craft weapons and armor, then magic engineers are in high demand among aristocrats and merchants, as they make their clients' lives easier through their creations.

After their brief conversation, Peter left the forge.

...

Peter tilled several portions of land within the Livelihood Dungeon where he planned to plant his crops.

After preparing the soil, he proceeded to plant the three types of seeds he had purchased, following the guidance of the dungeon guide, Peach.

He also used the highest-quality fertilizer, as recommended by Peach. According to the dungeon guide, it would greatly accelerate the growth of the crops, improving both their quality and yield.

More importantly, the fertilizer's true purpose was to strengthen and reinforce the roots of the plants in the soil. Under normal conditions, crops grow quickly and can survive even through winter. With the use of this fertilizer, however, their ability to endure any kind of weather was further enhanced.

The only drawback was its cost—it nearly depleted his saved Livelihood Points.

One hundred Livelihood Points per pack.

Peter used fifteen packs of the fertilizer, bringing the total cost to 1,500 Livelihood Points for the dungeon master.

Afterward, he watered each plant using water from the Magical Fountain of Life.

Unlike before, he didn't tire as quickly after planting a batch of corn seeds. He managed to plant all three types of seeds without taking a break.

The effects of his increased Resilience—now raised by one level—were immediately apparent.

After that, he once again extracted a Regeneration Potion from Iyashi.

He then checked his points after doing so.

...

Dungeon Points: 1,100

Livelihood Points: 270

Master Points: 210

...

"As expected of a legendary potion—100 Livelihood Points per vial," the master of the unique dungeon said, nodding in satisfaction.

...

That afternoon, Peter headed to the village plaza.

There, he approached Thomas to discuss a potential deal.

He described the magic tool he wanted, and Thomas responded positively.

"Why don't you just come with me to Seaham?" the peddler suggested.

"I can't yet. I still have things I need to finish," Peter declined.

"I understand," Thomas replied.

"By the way, I have a product I'd like to offer you," Peter said.

"Oh? What is it?" the peddler asked with interest.

"This," Peter said, presenting it.

"A potion?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. It's a Regeneration Potion. Try it," Peter said confidently.

"May I appraise it?" Thomas asked for permission.

"Of course," Peter replied, slightly surprised that the other man also had an appraisal ability.

"Thank you," Thomas said.

"What?" Thomas suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"Is something wrong?" Peter asked, now suspicious.

"Did you make this?" Thomas asked firmly.

"No," Peter denied.

"Then who is the alchemist who made this?" the peddler pressed.

Peter paused briefly to think. "My subordinate."

"May I meet this exceptionally skilled alchemist of yours?"

"No. He wouldn't agree. He's a bit eccentric and doesn't like interacting with others," Peter explained, making an excuse for Iyashi.

"Would he agree if I visited him instead?" Thomas persisted.

"That's absolutely impossible. He currently resides in the Eternal Forest," Peter replied, conveniently using the most dangerous place in all of Terragon as an excuse.

With that, Thomas had no choice but to stop pressing.

"How many more Regeneration Potions do you have?"

"I have one more with me."

"I'll buy that as well."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. How many potions of the same quality do you have? How many can your alchemist produce in a day?"

"For now, his limit is one Regeneration Potion per day."

"That's far too few," Thomas said, shaking his head.

"Even if the supply is limited, that potion is truly of the highest quality," Peter insisted.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Peter.

Your supply of Regeneration Potions is too small.

I'm certain this will become a problem once I introduce it to buyers.

Even now, I can already see that demand will be extremely high," the peddler said with a sigh.

"But I understand. Potions are difficult to make.

In fact, there aren't even a hundred alchemists in the entire kingdom. Even fewer are truly exceptional—those capable of producing potions that match the quality of what you've shown me. You could count them on one hand.

As a fellow merchant, Peter, I'll be honest. If not for their small numbers, they could easily replace our guild as one of the two most influential guilds in all of Terragon.

By the way, magic engineers hold a status similar to alchemists. They have the ability to defend themselves, yet they choose to work for the greater good. They prioritize the advancement of civilization over personal gain."

Peter couldn't help but be amazed at what Thomas had revealed.

"Sorry," Peter said shyly—though inwardly, he was celebrating.

"So... let's change the topic, my friend. How much do you think you can offer for my Regeneration Potions?" Peter finally asked the question that truly mattered.

"This kind of potion is incredibly valuable. Your Regeneration Potions can be considered top-tier. If not for the shortage of master alchemists, there would likely be more high-level adventurers..."

The peddler paused to think.

There was no exaggeration in what he said.

An adventurer's mortality rate depends on two things:

Personal ability and proper equipment.

The first is self-explanatory.

Being skilled means achieving greater feats. But having proper equipment ensures survival.

So what does it mean to be "overgeared"? It means having the ability to survive even the most dangerous adventures.

That is why the three non-combat professions—blacksmiths, alchemists, and magic engineers—are highly respected by adventurers and merchants alike.

In fact, when a member of any of these professions joins a merchant guild, they immediately receive benefits.

This includes tax-free transactions.

Merchant guilds even go as far as hiring moderately strong adventurers to serve as protection during their missions.

In the past, these three professions attempted to form their own organizations similar to merchant guilds:

Alchemist Guild

Blacksmith Guild

Magic Engineering Guild

But they failed. Their efforts quickly became obsolete when the merchant guilds took action.

The guilds implemented these benefits for them.

There was no need for further persuasion—alchemists, blacksmiths, and magic engineers quickly migrated, as they lacked unity at the time the merchant guilds moved swiftly.

They were outmatched from the very beginning.

Merchants possess a terrifying ability when it comes to dealing with people.

Their entire trade revolves around interaction.

They are eloquent and cunning—like politicians without conscience.

Strong against the weak, and submissive to the strong—that is the nature of merchants.

If they sense weakness or innocence, they will squeeze everything they can out of it.

But when facing power—such as high-ranking nobles—they become meek, lowering themselves just to gain favor. They will do anything, even abandon their pride, to avoid danger and secure profit.

Typical merchants in fantasy stories.

This cannot be said of the three professions.

Alchemists, blacksmiths, and magic engineers dedicate long periods of time to mastering their craft.

They spend their days studying, forging, experimenting, or gathering herbs.

When they have free time, they train apprentices, as there are so few of them.

Because of this, they lack time to socialize.

They are reserved, often keeping to themselves.

Combined with their status, they tend to be stubborn and prideful.

They have immense confidence in their abilities, rarely yielding to others—even to the point that it sometimes hinders them.

The brief history of conflict between them can be seen as a clear case of merchants overpowering them.

"I can offer you one gold coin per bottle of Regeneration Potion—for now.

That price isn't final. We still need to conduct a thorough evaluation of your potion's effects, Peter," Thomas said.

Peter froze, nearly drooling at what he had just heard.

"C–Could you repeat that?" he asked in disbelief.

"One gold per bottle. However, that may change depending on the results of the Merchant Guild's testing and experiments," Thomas explained, clearly amused by Peter's reaction.

"Deal!" Peter answered immediately.

The two burst into laughter at his sudden decision.

...

The following day,

Peter decided to postpone his visit to Alfred and Gwen due to a more important matter he needed to attend to.

Instead, he headed straight to the dungeon to extract another vial of Regeneration Potion from his Regeneration Slime, Iyashi.

Before leaving with Ichiro, the Terrestrial Wolf, he gave him a specific instruction.

"Always protect your younger sibling, Iyashi, okay?" Peter said.

The Terrestrial Wolf nodded in confusion. To him, that was just common sense. As Peter's first companion and the leader of the pack, it was his responsibility to protect the younger and weaker members.

However, Ichiro's instincts felt uneasy.

He narrowed his eyes at his master, momentarily dazzled by the faint golden glow in them.

"Gra?" Ichiro uttered.

"Boss isn't plotting anything shady, right?" was how he interpreted it in his mind.

"You just need to protect him because all of you are important to me.

Not because of the gold he can earn for me."

"No! No!" Peter firmly denied—whether to Ichiro or to himself, even he wasn't sure.

...

"Here's another one, Thomas." Peter handed over the third vial of Regeneration Potion he had extracted.

"And here you go, Peter," the peddler replied, handing him his third gold coin in return.

Peter's eyes sparkled as he eagerly accepted his payment.

He couldn't help but admire Thomas. The man was serious about his work and highly professional.

Yesterday, Peter had already witnessed just how professional Thomas was. When it came time to pay, the peddler even explained that his business funds were separate from his personal money.

"I'm short on business funds to pay you right now. But don't worry—I'll take it from my personal savings for the meantime," the peddler had said as he took out money from his own reserve.

Peter smiled at the memory.

"By the way, I'll need 100 bottles for my potions," he added.

"Do you need anything else, my friend?" Thomas asked after their transaction.

Peter shook his head.

"In that case, our transaction ends here for now, my friend. Until we meet again," Thomas said. He would be returning to his base of operations in Seaham that very day.

"Until next time, my friend," Peter replied.

...

Before long, his medieval rural lifestyle had fallen into an interesting routine.

In the morning, he would visit the siblings Gwen and Alfred to play with them and help with household chores. Occasionally, he would also drop by to see Richmond and the blacksmith.

He often found himself walking hurriedly around the village, because he couldn't tell whether it was just his imagination—but he felt as though he was being watched. It was as if countless eyes were observing his every move, like CCTV cameras scattered all around him.

In the afternoon, he would head to the Livelihood Dungeon to tend to and water his crops.

He also regularly extracted potions from Iyashi, allowing him to maintain a steady supply of Livelihood Points.

He would also feed his pair of Silkies.

Whenever he had free time, he would clean the dungeon's land.

He also began conducting experiments.

He dried ten ears of corn.

After they had fully dried, he split five of them and ground them using a gristmill.

The remaining five were subjected to different experiments.

Some were soaked in water.

Others were dried again.

He obtained 100 Dungeon Points for his first production of cornmeal, and an additional 50 Livelihood Points for processing five ears of corn into cornmeal.

And there was another piece of good news.

A few days after Thomas left the village, a new change occurred in Iyashi.

...

Name: Iyashi

Race: Regeneration Slime

Gender: Genderless

Age: 30 days

Lifespan: 5–50 years

Stats:

Strength: D

Resilience: D

Agility: D

Spirit: D

...

After 30 days, Iyashi finally became an adult. Along with this, all of his stat values reached D grade.

Because of this, Peter also obtained his second distributable stat point, which was the same as before—another D-grade point.

He had originally considered testing the information that suggested a stat could be increased by one tier when both values reached the same grade, but he stopped himself.

Every opportunity to grow stronger was extremely important to him.

He needed to grow without wasting anything, in order to survive in a world full of uncertainty.

He allocated his available D-grade point to Spirit.

Immediately after, he experienced a severe headache as his Spirit was advanced to D grade.

...

Name: Peter Bulalakaw

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 23

Lifespan: (40–90)

Status:

Stats:

Strength: E

Resilience: D

Agility: E

Spirit: D

...

Along with Iyashi's rank advancement, Peter also discovered something.

Within a single day, even with short rest intervals in between, he was now able to extract up to three vials of Regeneration Potion from Iyashi at maximum.

He was filled with joy.

...

Before he knew it, roughly thirty days filled with events had already passed.

He also discovered that he could unlock certain "foreign seeds" in the system—seeds that he had successfully grown within his dungeon.

However, there was still a clear separation between his original crop seeds and the foreign seeds he had cultivated.

There was a gap or division between them in his list.

...

Crops!

Name | Price

Hay | 50 LP

Wheat | 50 LP

Oat | 50 LP

...

Peter was surprised when Thomas arrived in the village again. He hadn't realized that more than a month had already passed since their last meeting.