Chapter 122
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Antler Honey
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Bzzzz~
Buzzzzzz~
Bees, who can miraculously find flowers laden with honey anytime, anywhere.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they're in a symbiotic relationship with nature itself, and their power of harmony isn't just physical.
“There's nothing that doesn't go well with honey.”
Nectar, which becomes thick, sticky honey after aging in the bees' bodies and the hive.
A natural health food, honey infused with propolis and royal jelly embodies the very nature of bees—harmoniously blending with anything it's combined with.
“How much of a boost will it be this time?”
Just as preserving mountain ginseng with honey doubles its effects.
Deer antler, renowned for its health benefits, is also a perfect match with honey!
Literally, health plus health.
The shortcut to creating the ultimate health food is none other than the byproducts of bees.
“The most basic method is to add honey to powdered deer antler.”
It was the same with the ginseng; he had no professional knowledge of deer antler, but perhaps his 24 years dedicated solely to bees hadn't been in vain?
Having delved into the world of bees for so long, he had become infected with their unique power of harmony.
Thanks to that, Seong-hyeok had mastered any knowledge related to bees, and this was the result.
[The Transcendent Being, Bo, the Inquisitor of Madness, gazes upon your inquisitive instincts. Sponsoring 75,000 coins.]
[The Transcendent Being, Archangel Seriel, nods, pleased with the inquirer's attitude. Sponsoring 20,000 coins.]
The karma of a natural-born mad inquirer, along with that of the Honeybee Guardian.
From Seong-hyeok's perspective, he had only dabbled superficially to learn more about bees, but everyone perceives things differently.
The 'World' that measured his karma had judged Seong-hyeok as someone mad for inquiry, and the results were now becoming clear.
Grind— Grind— Grind—
Murion's blue deer antler began to be gradually ground down by Seong-hyeok's hands.
Was it because it was a byproduct obtained from a level 49 Disaster-class boss monster?
So hard that it was not only difficult to process but nearly impossible to even scratch.
But who was Seong-hyeok?
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[Yu Seong-hyeok]
* Level: 50
* Strength: 1,785(+683) Agility: 1,957(+771) Durability: 2,633(+1,276) Control: 1,681(+845) Mentality: 1,540(+765)
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If nothing else, his stats alone proved his body was far from 'ordinary'.
Befitting a beekeeper capable of felling the Chinese Emperor in a single blow, Seong-hyeok's every action was a weapon in itself.
[Murion's Blue Deer Antler (★★★★★-) has been processed.]
[You have acquired Murion's Blue Deer Antler Powder (★★★★★-).]
In the blink of an eye, the massive antler was reduced to powder.
Since it was processed through simple action rather than a skill, the grade didn't change, but that wasn't a problem.
“This should be enough to mix well with the honey.”
The ingredients were ready.
All that remained was to properly portion and process the various ingredients.
Just one thing.
The problem was that this time, he absolutely could not 'fail'.
“It would be a disaster if Murion's antler was wasted.”
Unlike the honey and other plentiful ingredients, he only had one of Murion's antlers.
If he failed, there would be no antler honey or anything else, so Seong-hyeok poured more effort into it than ever before.
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[Guardian's Seven-Colored Royal Jelly (★★★+)]
[Ruby Gem Propolis (★★★-)]
[Peridot World Tree Honey (★★★)]
[Peridot King Spirit Mushroom (★★★)]
······.
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Royal jelly and propolis, considered the finest among the byproducts obtained from bees.
And supporting them were the World Tree honey and the 'King' mushrooms, which Dongchung-i had personally cultivated by spreading mushroom spores.
Having already sorted out what he thought were the right ingredients from the moment he conceived of antler honey, Seong-hyeok began his work.
'The most important thing is the ratio.'
A process that allowed for not a single failure.
Focusing with all his might, Seong-hyeok instinctively began to mix, considering the ratios.
'Any more than this would be too much.'
Mindlessly pouring in large amounts just because an ingredient has a high grade is what amateurs do.
When it comes to mixed processing, the key to obtaining the highest quality product is, first, the ratio, and second, the ratio.
[The Transcendent Being, Bo, the Inquisitor of Madness, watches your research with interest. Sponsoring 100,000 coins.]
Bo's Gaze was usually quiet, but it always grew excited whenever Seong-hyeok processed something new.
As support came in from one of the original trio who first showed interest in Seong-hyeok, a whale with a long history, his concentration sharpened.
Drizzle— Gloop—
Was it the system acknowledging Seong-hyeok's hard work?
Perhaps due to the influence of Murion's blue deer antler powder, a sticky antler honey with a unique bluish hue was born.
Along with a sweet aroma that made one's strength surge, the long-awaited notification greeted Seong-hyeok.
[Antler Honey creation Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Antler Honey.]
[Guardian's Murion's Blue Antler Honey (★★★★★) has been created.]
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[Guardian's Murion's Blue Antler Honey (★★★★★)] x3
※ Remaining aging period: 50 days (Taste and effects will increase dramatically upon completion of aging.)
* Category: Consumable
* Upon consumption, grants a tremendous boost to stamina, vitality recovery, and satiety. Applies 'Murion's Vigor' to the individual, and permanently increases Durability by 30 up to 3 times. Current consumption: 0 / 3
* Effect - Health of the Blue Antler (Passive): After consuming the antler of a Blue Antler tribe member 3 times, regardless of grade or type, you will acquire the Authority Specialization 'Health of the Blue Antler'.
※ Murion's Vigor: For 10 minutes, Durability stat increases by 650% (+150). (Cooldown: 3 hours)
※ Health of the Blue Antler (Permanent): Maximum health permanently increases by 1%.
* Description: A ★★★★★ grade antler honey containing the essence of Murion, the king of the Blue Antlers. The combination of honey, royal jelly, and mushrooms makes it extremely effective for vitality recovery.
※ Warning! Consuming this item before it is fully aged may result in penalties.
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“......This is insane.”
Even for Seong-hyeok, who was used to churning out high-quality products, the effects of the antler honey were jaw-dropping.
The permanent 30-point increase in Durability from a single consumption was impressive enough, but as expected of a 5-star item, what truly caught Seong-hyeok's attention was the effect itself.
“I couldn't sell this even with a premium price tag.”
A short duration of only 10 minutes.
But as mentioned time and again, if a penalty of a shorter duration is applied, the corresponding maximization of the effect is astounding.
An increase in the Durability stat of 650%.
In short, if Seong-hyeok, whose Durability easily surpassed 2,000, consumed this, he would become nearly invincible for its duration.
“Well, it's good to have an ace up my sleeve.”
The European Union, with whom he'd had friction at the auction.
In a situation where a fierce battle could break out depending on how they, now his enemies, would act, obtaining something like this was truly reassuring.
Moreover, the value of the antler honey didn't end there.
“There's an Authority Specialization attached to this too?”
A conditional Authority Specialization that could be obtained by consuming the antler of a Blue Antler tribe member three times.
Well, to be honest, it was a pitifully small effect compared to the Mana Mud Heart, which increased maximum mana by 20%, but the quality of the effect wasn't the important part.
“If I play my cards right, I might be able to apply this to all the residents.”
A minor Authority Specialization that could be gained by consistently consuming the antlers of any Blue Antler tribe member, not necessarily Murion's.
Even if it was just 1% more health, in a reality where the difference between withstanding one more enemy attack and not could mean life or death, its value was not to be taken lightly.
However, there was one problem with this plan.
“The supply of antlers is the issue.”
Namely, the source of the antlers.
In the processing, he had used one of Murion's antlers to obtain a total of three jars of antler honey.
The cost-effectiveness was certainly better than with ordinary ginseng, but what weighed on his mind was how to get more antlers.
This time, Murion had given it as a token of gratitude for becoming a resident of the farm, but obtaining more from now on would depend entirely on his own efforts.
“......I'll have to persuade them somehow.”
The number of Blue Antler tribe members who had joined this time was about 28.
Come what may, changing their minds was the top priority.
Bzzzz~
Buzzzzzzz~
“I'm counting on you, my little ones.”
The bees were always at the heart of any breakthrough.
At Seong-hyeok's ploy, the bees wiggled their bottoms.
\* \* \* \* \*
Just as every person has different thoughts and pursuits based on their race, gender, and values.
The forest races also had their own distinct characteristics.
But despite their many differences, the forest races coexisting on the beekeeping farm shared one common element.
“Sorry for startling you. We'll just collect some honey for a bit.”
“Hahaha! Just trust in my, Leon's, shield and let's charge together!”
“Huhu, you cute little things. Do you like my flowers that much?”
Their goodwill towards bees.
Of course, one might expect such a reaction since the bees were the de facto masters of the beekeeping farm, but the thought rooted deep within the forest races was simple.
(The existence of bees is beneficial to the forest.)
The pollination activities of the bees in the process of gathering honey.
The abundance of nature that arises from the process where flowers provide nectar, and in return, bees carry pollen.
Was it for nothing that the Elves, Blue Antlers, and Digs were nicknamed the 'forest races'?
Just as fish live in the water.
As creatures that lived in harmony with the 'forest' from the very beginning, their top priority was, and always would be, the forest.
Naturally, the bees that cultivated such a forest were an inseparable object of their affection.
Bzzzz~
Buzzzzzzz~
What's more, the sight of the bees wiggling their plump bottoms was so charming that even those who loathed insects couldn't help but look at them lovingly.
“......Then I'm counting on you, guys.”
Buzzzzz~
The bees, workers of the forest, and the forest races.
This connection was more than enough, so Seong-hyeok deliberately sent the bees to where the Blue Antler tribe was active.
“Oh, welcome, friends.”
“You guys are always so cute.”
“We'll be done soon, so just watch.”
Just as he had expected, they greeted the approaching bees warmly.
However, most of the Blue Antler tribe were battle-crazed warriors, far removed from production.
Since joining the beekeeping farm, they had been hunting monsters more aggressively than any other race.
Was it because the nearby monsters had been wiped out?
Thanks to them, the bees began to collect honey from the flowers more safely.
That alone was satisfying enough, but human greed knows no bounds.
'If their production side is weak, I just have to develop it for them.'
Was it because he was a beastman, not an ordinary deer?
Even though only a day had passed since he gave his antler to Seong-hyeok, Murion's horn was already taking shape again.
Moreover, besides Murion, a few other Blue Antler members had also given their antlers, and in their case, more than half had already regenerated in a single day.
The existence of the antler honey.
How could Seong-hyeok possibly give up on something with such overflowing commercial value?
'Regardless of race, increased stamina is something every man dreams of.'
He'd heard from the High Elves that the Blue Antler tribe's desire for stamina was in no way inferior to that of humans.
That's why the method Seong-hyeok had prepared with his bees was none other than the ultimate stamina booster: 'royal jelly'.