Surviving in the 121st Century - Episode 4
Bright lights illuminated the vast underground space, shining down on the hydroponic cultivation systems below. The rice beds were stacked in multiple layers, and a few Kampoeni moved about between them. The vibrant green rice stalks swayed under their tiny hands.
"This vibe shift is so huge, I don't even know how to react..."
As Jin-cheol stared blankly at the Kampoeni plant factory, Tobi tugged at the hem of his pants.
"Jin-cheol! Fruit, uh, you know, bananas—they're grown on the second floor."
"...Yeah. Let's check it out."
Jin-cheol nodded, and Tobi bounded ahead with an excited bounce. Jin-cheol followed at a leisurely pace, taking in the plant factory.
"Those are definitely electric lights... but where's the power coming from? No power plant, not even a fuel-run generator in sight."
The air was different too. More humid and warmer than above ground. They must control the temperature and humidity here as well.
Jin-cheol gave a slight bow to an elderly Kampoeni who waved from his work, pondering as he returned the greeting. Calling this a smart farm or something...
Exchanging greetings with the Kampoeni he passed, he soon came upon a staircase leading downward. Tobi fiddled with something, and the door blocking the stairs swung open. Below was another plant factory like the first floor.
It differed from the rice factory above. Perhaps due to the tree's size, the plants weren't stacked in layers here. Unlike the hydroponics on the first floor, the trees were rooted in mounds of soil. And when Jin-cheol spotted the fruits hanging from those trees, his head spun a little.
They were clearly banana trees, but the fruits weren't just bananas—apples and grapes grew alongside them. The bizarre, mixed-up trees looked utterly alien to him.
"The species... aren't they a bit off? Apple trees are trees, but bananas and grapes..."
They couldn't be grafted like that. Bananas on the thick trunk, grapes dangling from drooping branches, apples on the highest limbs. Trees bearing three kinds of fruit stretched out before him—something he'd never seen.
Bright lights shone down from above just like on the upper floor, and rubber hoses supplied nutrients to each tree. Jin-cheol stared blankly at unripe greenish banana bunches, ripe red apples, and plump grapes before snapping out of it.
"Tobi."
"Yeah?"
Tobi, hands on his hips, gazed proudly at the hybrid farm. He turned at Jin-cheol's call.
Jin-cheol looked at him seriously and asked, "How many floors in the farm?"
"How many? Oh, up to five. Each grows different stuff."
"Then how does this work?"
"How? What?"
Jin-cheol's finger pointed at the lamp illuminating a hybrid tree. Tobi followed his gesture, blinking at the light, then grinned as realization dawned.
"The Mother Tree lights it up."
"...The Mother Tree?"
"Yeah. The big tree up above."
"That's the Mother Tree? The massive one that supports all the bamboo houses?"
When Jin-cheol spoke in his native tongue, Tobi tilted his head. But he soon caught on and nodded.
"Even if it rains too much, or the ground cracks from the heat, or the river floods—we don't care. No need to venture deep into the dangerous forest full of beasts. Fruit farm, I mean, the Mother Tree and our farm make it possible. Home sweet home."
Tobi spread his arms wide, beaming with pride, as if nothing more was needed.
Jin-cheol stared blankly at his face before muttering shortly, "...You go to the river a lot to catch fish, though."
Tobi grinned sheepishly at the jab, opting for playfulness instead of bragging about saving Jin-cheol's life.
"Can't live on rice alone."
Jin-cheol gave a wry smile and turned back to the farm. His question had been about the lights' power source. But Tobi said it was thanks to the Mother Tree above.
Jin-cheol couldn't tell if that meant the Mother Tree had some magical power to light the lamps, or if the tree itself generated power for all five underground floors with some astonishing secret.
Or are those the same thing?
True, the tree's size was extraordinary. Advanced science and magic are indistinguishable, or so they say. But since waking up in this bizarre place, the Kampoeni he'd seen were simple, kind fluffballs—not aliens wielding incomprehensible magic with genius intellect.
Lost in thought, Jin-cheol let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
"Fuck if I know. Whatever, who gives a shit."
Who cares? Whether the Kampoeni had a massive underground genetic engineering plant, or their tree was some mystical power plant, or they were secretly hyper-intelligent fluffballs.
To him, this life was a bonus. Killing that mad scientist and getting buried under the collapsing lab felt like just days ago. He woke up here out of nowhere, so he still couldn't decide if this was heaven, hell, or a true otherworld.
So whether the fluffballs used magic or tech beyond his understanding—it didn't matter. That was Jin-cheol's mindset.
"...Jin-cheol? You mad?"
"Huh?"
A flicker of anxiety crossed Tobi's upturned face. Jin-cheol guessed it was from his muttering.
"Nah, not mad."
"But you said 'fuck'?"
"Told you, it's not a bad word."
"You say it all the time."
"...Pointless. My sins run deep."
At the judgment bar of the afterlife, there'd surely be an item: 'Taught innocents to swear.'
Jin-cheol turned to the hybrid trees with a detached expression.
"Your farm's pretty amazing, huh."
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind Jin-cheol and Tobi. Turning, he saw its owner—village elder Atukai—smiling faintly.
Jin-cheol bowed lightly in greeting. It was a bit casual for the village's biggest elder, but Atukai didn't mind, chuckling heartily.
"The scenery down here is so different from up top—really fascinating."
"Oh? Already speaking our language so fluently? You're a sharp one."
"No, not that good..."
Jin-cheol smiled awkwardly at the praise. It was something that puzzled him too. He'd never been called smart in school, especially not with languages. He was the type who barely got one right for every ten taught.
Yet since waking here, over the past few days, his mind felt clearer, memory sharper. He could remember words from Tobi and other Kampoeni easily, enough for decent communication in just days.
Of course, Tobi sticking by his side helped most. No amount of better memory would reach this level without constant conversation.
Jin-cheol voiced the thought.
"Thanks to Tobi. He's a great teacher."
"Is that so? Humble too. I see why the villagers like you."
Not meaning to be humble, Jin-cheol smiled awkwardly again. Atukai, still eyeing him oddly, stroked his chin beard and spoke.
"Well then, shall we take a look at the Mother Tree?"
"Pardon? A tour?"
Jin-cheol blinked in confusion, and Atukai nodded slowly.
"You're curious about the farm's power source, right? How the Mother Tree lights things up and runs the place. Isn't that it?"
He caught some unfamiliar words, but Jin-cheol got the gist. Atukai was offering to reveal the farm's secrets.
"...You sure it's okay to tell an outsider like me?"
"No issue. Other races couldn't use it even if they knew."
Definitely some Kampoeni-only magic... Jin-cheol nodded, thinking that. A simple power facility should be usable by any intelligent being, regardless of race. If only Kampoeni could, it had to be magic.
"Follow me."
Atukai turned and led the way. Jin-cheol and Tobi exchanged glances, then followed.
The scenery reversed: first-floor farm, door at the tree base, stairs up toward the bamboo houses. Circling the massive tree upward, Atukai soon stopped.
"This is my place."
An ordinary bamboo house, but apparently his residence. Atukai opened the door and entered. Jin-cheol started to follow but paused—Tobi had stepped back.
"Why?"
"...Can't just barge into the elder's room."
"He told us to come in."
"Just you, Jin-cheol. I'll wait here."
His tail drooped limply. Jin-cheol nodded at the fidgeting boy.
"Go to your room. Be back soon."
"Okay?"
His tense face brightened. Jin-cheol ruffled his fur and stepped into Atukai's room.
Tobi watched Jin-cheol enter, then yelped as the door slammed shut on its own, tumbling backward before scampering up the stairs on all fours.
"...Kid's such a scaredy-cat."
Inside, Jin-cheol muttered at the sound from beyond the door.
"That's how we are. Reason's obvious, right? We're not nimble like Esai or strong like Olrog."
"...Wasn't trying to diss you."
Atukai replied to his soliloquy, leaving Jin-cheol sheepish as he bowed awkwardly. But Atukai laughed it off.
"No worries. Facts are facts. We're still better off, though. Some Kampoeni lose their Mother Tree and farms, forced to farm on the surface or seek city jobs—getting pushed around by other races in the process."
"City? There's a city?"
Atukai nodded.
"Yep. Went once before becoming elder. A noisy hub of every race imaginable."
Jin-cheol's eyes lit up. A city. Bustling with crowds and noise—but also information. Maybe learn more about this world. Even a way back to his own.
"...I can guess what you're thinking from your eyes. Looking for your kin?"
Atukai smiled faintly. Jin-cheol nodded.
"Yeah... Can't impose forever."
"We don't mind. If it weighs on you, help with the farm."
Jin-cheol chuckled softly.
"Of course I'll help. Just give me any task before I go."
"Hahaha! Need help from someone your size? We already have idle days aplenty. Without merchant caravans to sell to, the underground farms would rest half the year."
"Merchants come?"
"Sure. Baika traders down the river. Thanks to them, we get daily necessities."
Maybe hitch a ride with them to the city, Jin-cheol thought. Atukai just watched silently.
Then Jin-cheol noticed something odd. He wasn't speaking Kampoeni. Looking at Atukai, the elder turned his nape, revealing a familiar nausea patch—no, artifact.
Etemen's Voice, or whatever it was called.
"But nothing here..."
"We're near the Mother Tree's altar now. 'Etemen's Voice' connects to it. The Mother Tree hears and translates your words."
"Mother Tree's altar?"
"Isn't that why you're here? Come see."
Atukai turned and walked deeper. The interior was dimmer than other bamboo houses, leading to a room where the pillar tree's surface was exposed. There stood the Mother Tree's altar.
A wooden altar with tiled triangular roof and pillars, a bit taller than Jin-cheol—quite large for Kampoeni. Feathers, incense, dyed wooden ornaments adorned it. Surprisingly, a large gold-like bowl with intricate patterns hinted at gold's value here.
But what stunned Jin-cheol most, leaving him dumbfounded, was the glowing screen—glass panel—in the altar's center. No other word fit.
Stem-like tendrils hung between the glass and wood, like root-wires linking the Mother Tree to the panel. Faint lights flickered along them, adding to the mystery.
Atukai placed a hand on the altar. The glass flashed, turned translucent, and text and charts appeared.
"This is the Mother Tree's altar. It controls the underground farm's temperature, humidity, and cultivation environment. And..."
"Like this, you can hear the Mother Tree's voice too."
Atukai looked smug, reminiscent of Tobi earlier. Jin-cheol, done overthinking, scratched his head.
"At least it's not medieval fantasy... Some kind of computer?"
Jin-cheol muttered, scratching his head. Atukai, excited, tapped the translucent glass, demonstrating controls.
"This shows crop yields. This predicts output for different crops. The Mother Tree is wise—simple data lets her forecast the future."
Graphs, numbers, charts glowed on the translucent screen.
"Arabic numerals too..."
"Curious why I said it's fine for you to know? Come touch the altar."
"Uh, sure..."
Absently listening, Jin-cheol placed his hand on the translucent screen. It glowed reddish, and the Mother Tree's voice spoke.
"Huh? What?"
"...What?"
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