Chapter 113
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Guardian's Resolve
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A gate that endlessly spawned monsters.
As if it instinctively knew that with the passage of time, the situation was turning against it?
*Churn~ Churn~!*
With a surge of energy unlike anything before, something tore through the unstable monster gate. A giant emerged, bringing with it a putrid stench.
“Kuaaaaaah-!!!”
“W-What is that?”
“Gasp! The-The wall is breaking!”
It was a colossal size, easily 50 meters tall.
It towered over the beeswax walls.
The appearance of the largest enemy they had ever faced.
*CRASH! CRASH!*
[Mud Giant Salamet Lv. 52 (★★★★★+)] - Disaster-class Boss Monster
The residents wavered at the sight of the level 52 Disaster-class boss monster crushing the beeswax walls with its massive body, but their panic was fleeting.
“Everyone, don’t panic! Form a line! There’s only one of them! We just need to chip away at its health!”
Before the battle, they had used the special skill, the Dance of the Bees.
With the immense stats gained from it, there was no way the bolstered residents would back down.
Moreover, that wasn't all.
*Bzzz~*
*Bzzzz~*
*BZZZZZZZZZZ!!!*
A grand army of ten million bees soared into the air like heroes appearing to face the giant.
Their form, united as one without colliding thanks to their hive mind, was enough to resemble a single massive organism!
“We have the bees with us!”
“If the bees are up there in front, there’s no reason we can’t do it too!”
“Charge-!!!”
With the bees, a 50-meter giant was nothing more than an after-dinner snack.
From Seong-hyeok's perspective, the sight of the bees and residents preparing to fight, unafraid of death, was simply something to be grateful for.
But that didn't mean he could let the farm's workers die.
*Fwoosh-!*
A master earns respect by leading from the front, just as workers do by fulfilling their duties.
Seong-hyeok wasn't the type to talk, but to act, and so he approached the Mud Giant faster than anyone else.
Wasn't he afraid for his life?
Of course, as a living being, death was frightening.
If he died, he'd never be able to learn more about the bees, nor would he see their adorable little butts again.
But for that very reason, feelings of anger surged higher than fear.
“How dare you break the wall my bees made?”
And for good reason; those beeswax walls had been completed with great care over the course of nearly a day.
Knowing better than anyone the effort Geonchug-i, the Imperial Topaz worker bees, and the other bees had put into making the wax, his anger was all the greater.
*Stab- Stab-!*
[Apipuncture Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is temporarily bestowed upon the designated player.]
[The Rampaging Kitoret Bee Venom of Apipuncture is concentrated on the leg's pressure points.] x 3
※ Rampaging Kitoret Bee Venom Pressure Point of Apipuncture: Agility increases by 10% for 5 minutes. However, you will be stunned for 30 seconds after the duration ends.
※ Warning! The injection of potent bee venom will be accompanied by extreme pain!
[Honeybee Guardian's class specialization, Bee Venom Immunity, is activated.]
[You are 100% immune to the harmful effects of bee venom.]
Before clashing with the beast.
He quickly used Apipuncture on himself.
A collaboration of bee venom and Apipuncture, developed through countless trials and errors, which maximized its powerful effects in exchange for a shorter duration.
With various processed bee products stacked on top of this, Seong-hyeok's stats were now incomparable to others of the same level!
“Don't think you'll die a peaceful death!”
It was only right to make use of his overflowing stats.
Now, not just strength, but also agility and control.
Based on these various stats, Seong-hyeok kicked off the ground with speed.
*Whoosh-!*
“Kuaaaaargh!”
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
The Mud Giant began to be pushed back by the dazzling Apipuncture attacks of Seong-hyeok, who had literally become a bee.
Still, it was a Disaster-class boss monster, after all.
The beast stubbornly endured Seong-hyeok's attacks, but the terror of Apipuncture didn't end with mere buffs.
*Stab- Stabstabstabstab!*
[The Kiiros Mucus Bee Venom of Apipuncture is concentrated on the leg's pressure points.] x 3
※ Kiiros Mucus Bee Venom Pressure Point of Apipuncture: Movement speed is reduced by 90% for 10 minutes.
※ Warning! The injection of potent bee venom will be accompanied by extreme pain!
The additional effect of the bee venom, which could be considered the secondary damage of Apipuncture.
“Bees are omnipotent!”
He'd wondered if it would work properly on Salamet, which was made of mud and had no pressure points, but perhaps this was the synergy between the bees' venom and the Karma of a Mad Researcher?
The beast slowed down considerably due to its instantly plummeted movement speed.
Of course, as expected of a 5-star+ Disaster-class boss monster, it was impossible to finish it within the 5-minute duration of the Kitoret Bee Venom, but Seong-hyeok wasn't worried.
“Companion. May I help?”
“Then I'll gratefully accept.”
The true terror of bees came not from an individual, but from a collective.
The three high elves had quickly arrived, even on a path where they could lose their lives.
With their reliable offensive against the Disaster-class boss monster joining the fray, the battle quickly regained its stability.
“Get behind me!”
“Filthy thing. Do not step on the flowers!”
With Leon drawing the Mud Giant's aggro, and Greendale and Rayleese handling both damage and support.
Thanks to its massive size, it boasted high vitality, so it took some time to bring it down, but in the end, was time on Seong-hyeok's side?
In the end, the giant enemy couldn't withstand the continuous attacks and collapsed.
Along with it, the high elves, drenched in sweat and panting for breath, wore smiles.
“Companion. You were right.”
“From now on, I will trust my friend's words even more.”
“......Not bad, human.”
The high elves had initially advised against using the monster gate for leveling up.
But Seong-hyeok's drive and conviction to achieve whatever he set his mind to…
The results he showed them were more than enough to capture the elves' hearts.
[The Monster Gate (★★★★★) is being extinguished.]
Not just empty words, but a tangible result: the destruction of a 5-star monster gate.
The conclusion, successfully reached without a single sacrifice, was incredibly sweet.
“Hahaha! This is some serious power-leveling!”
“I told you, didn't I? Seong-hyeok-hyungnim isn't a man of just words.”
“If you have time to chat, start gathering the loot! Everything except what you killed personally will be distributed collectively, and Seong-hyeok-oppa's bees are watching, so don't even dream of swiping anything!”
Levels and items.
In this chaotic world governed by a game system, they were indispensable elements.
But as they say, wasn't one big prize better than all the rest combined?
[You have hunted the Mud Giant Salamet Lv. 52 (★★★★★+) - Disaster-class Boss Monster. You have acquired EXP, 5,300,000 Coins, a ★★★★★+ Royal Gacha Ticket, Salamet's Mud Essence (★★★★★+), and the Mud Giant's Treasure Fragment (★★★★★+).]
“This is pretty sweet.”
The Mud Giant Salamet, the boss of the monster gate.
Thanks to the high elves yielding the loot, citing Seong-hyeok's greater contribution, he got to keep everything, and a smile never left his face.
* * * * *
The hunting ground with its beeswax walls, completed after investing a full day.
Was it that the more thorough the preparation, the more valuable the reward of success?
*Bzzz~ Bzzzzzz~*
The bees, working together, carried items tucked into their legs.
One would think they'd be tired from the endless procession, but as if that wasn't enough, the bees returned to the farm with their mouths and bodies covered in honey and pollen.
“......Cute little things.”
“Whew, thank you, guys.”
“Hm? You're here to help?”
The admirable nature of the bees, doing their own work while also helping with other tasks.
Seeing them behave so diligently, the bees' image at the apiary farm was practically that of little angels.
“Warehouse 7 is full! Take the rest of the loot to the next one!”
“There's no end in sight.”
“Still, it feels rewarding to work like this!”
But even with the help of so many bees, the volume of loot was endless.
Looking at the overflowing warehouses, it was hard to even grasp just how many monsters they had dealt with during the one-hour monster gate.
Thanks to this, those with construction-related classes, including Im Seok-cheol, became unintentionally busy.
“Hahaha! At this rate, our main job is going to be construction, not logging.”
“Still, the thrill of erecting buildings that others will use is indescribable.”
“Of course, of course. I was just saying it because I enjoy it!”
At this rate, all the warehouses would burst.
They had plenty of land and materials anyway, thanks to the bees expanding their territory.
The architects conferred with each other, smiling happily at the thought of building functional structures.
Was it because they had worked and fought alongside the bees?
The residents no longer disliked working; in fact, they now seemed to enjoy it.
“Diligence really is the best.”
Considering the hunt at the monster gate…
As the owner of the apiary farm and the head of the shelter, Seong-hyeok couldn't just stand by while his employees worked so hard, could he?
“Everyone, just a little more effort! Once this is all finished, I'll supply you with whatever you want, whether it's honey ice cream or mead, and I'll also distribute royal jelly and propolis products as a special bonus!”
A special bonus was always a sweet treat for any worker.
Especially when that bonus involved things like 'virility' and 'skin.'
If it was good for their health, there was even less reason to refuse.
“Wow. Our boss is the best!”
“Gahaha! That young man Seong-hyeok is really generous.”
“Waaaaaah!”
Thanks to that, the residents, who were already working with a sense of reward, became even more energetic.
For Seong-hyeok, it wasn't a bad deal at all to be able to significantly boost the residents' morale with processed goods he could secure in abundance.
After making that promise to the residents.
Seong-hyeok brought up his status with a smile on his face.
[You have met a specific awakening condition. -> Level 50]
[The Honeybee Guardian's authority over his subjects grows stronger. The number of queen bees you can possess increases by 1.]
[You have met the conditions for skill acquisition. -> Level 50]
[You have learned the skill, Guardian's Resolve.]
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[Guardian's Resolve (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 1,500
* Effect (Active): For 10 minutes, you take a portion of the damage received by nearby bees. (Cooldown: 1 hour)
* Effect - Bee's Resolve: You take 10 ~ 50% of the damage received by all bees within a 50km radius. However, if the damage taken exceeds your remaining health, the skill will be automatically deactivated.
* Description: The resolve of a guardian fated to protect bees.
※ Warning! If forcibly deactivated, your remaining health will be 5%.
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Seong-hyeok had also experienced explosive leveling through this monster gate.
And the skill he acquired upon reaching level 50, 'Guardian's Resolve,' was exactly to his liking.
“With this, the bees' sacrifices will be greatly reduced.”
Of course, he knew it would be painful, as it was an effect that chipped away at his own flesh, but he didn't mind much.
And for good reason. His current durability was over 2,000, and thanks to his high-grade equipment, his defensive capabilities were correspondingly high.
Most attacks would barely scratch him, and even if they hurt, Seong-hyeok could willingly endure it.
......*Bzzz.*
*Bzzzz.*
As if his thoughts had been conveyed to them, some bees landed on his clothes with drooping wings, sending him worried gazes.
But Seong-hyeok reached out and patted the bees' dejected little butts.