Chapter 123
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: A Mutually Beneficial Exchange
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"Huh? What's that? Where'd you get it?"
"The honeybees gave it to me. Look, they're coming to give you one, too."
"...It looks like a pill. Is it safe to just eat it?"
"You think the honeybees would give us poison? Besides, they say it's good for your stamina. If you're not gonna eat it, I will."
"No way! This one's mine! Thanks, little bees. I'll enjoy it."
*Buzzzzz~*
A procession of royal jelly pills was distributed, one for each member of the Blue Antler Tribe.
'If you want something from them, you have to tame them first.'
After all, he couldn't just walk up to the Blue Antler Tribe and demand their antlers.
That's why Seong-hyeok chose a slower, more deliberate approach.
'In the end, I'm not the one who's going to get impatient.'
Through his honeybees, Seong-hyeok gave them one dose a day.
No more, no less—just enough for a taste. But that, too, was temporary.
After three days, Seong-hyeok cut off the supply of royal jelly. What happened next was entirely predictable.
"My friend. Might I have a word with you?"
"Of course."
Murion approached Seong-hyeok, who was tending to his bees as usual.
Was it because he hadn't received any royal jelly pills since the fourth day?
Murion seemed quite anxious.
With an urgent expression, he got straight to the point.
"About those royal jelly pills the honeybees have been bringing us for the past few days. Was it you who sent them?"
"Yes, that was me. I sent them hoping they wouldn't be a burden. Did you find them effective?"
"Oh, I knew it!"
Murion's true feelings were plain to see on his face; he wasn't very good at hiding his inner thoughts.
His broad smile was pleasant to see, but unfortunately, Seong-hyeok's reply was the exact opposite of what Murion had hoped for.
"I'm afraid there's a problem. Royal jelly is a byproduct that can only be obtained in very small quantities, so it will be difficult to provide any more."
"Ah... I-Is that so? I suppose something with such remarkable effects wouldn't be easy to come by. I'm sorry for holding you up when you're busy."
Hearing that it would be difficult to get more royal jelly pills, a crestfallen Murion turned to leave.
But Seong-hyeok wasn't about to let him go just like that.
'Did I cast this bait for nothing?'
The secret of the royal jelly was half-truth, half-lie.
The amount of royal jelly from a single hive was minuscule compared to the honey, but didn't he know?
He now had twelve million honeybees.
Just as the amount of honey gathered from over thirty hives increased, so too did the amount of royal jelly. It was only natural.
"Hmm. Please wait a moment."
And so, all that remained was to gently reel Murion in.
Now that Murion had something he 'desired,' Seong-hyeok became more direct.
"If you really want them... I might be able to arrange an exchange of royal jelly pills for deer antlers. Would that be acceptable?"
"...So, you're proposing a barter? Our antlers for your royal jelly pills?"
"It's just a suggestion. If you're not interested, you're free to decline."
"No, wait. I apologize, but this isn't a decision I can make alone. Could you give me some time to discuss it with my tribe?"
"Take all the time you need."
A barter system works when both parties have something the other desires.
It went without saying, but in this exchange, Seong-hyeok held the clear advantage.
"We've agreed unanimously. If we provide our antlers, you can really continue to supply us with royal jelly?"
"I'd be delighted."
The royal jelly pills were the very reason Murion had sought him out in the first place.
Having given them to the Blue Antler Tribe as a sort of sales pitch, who would refuse?
A verbal agreement was sealed with a handshake.
A classic case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."
One side gets deer antlers, the other gets stamina boosters—a true win-win.
But what was truly frightening was that Seong-hyeok's ambitions didn't just stop at the present.
'Hehehe, with this, the population of the Blue Antler Tribe will grow, too.'
The royal jelly pills boasted exceptional effects on virility.
It was obvious where they would channel the surging energy they felt after consuming them.
'Antlers and children. Grow strong and plentiful.'
Just like the Queen Bees, whose beginnings were humble but whose ends were glorious.
Though there were only twenty-eight of them now, it was only a matter of time before the Blue Antler Tribe's numbers would increase.
* * * * *
The barter with the Blue Antler Tribe.
It took a total of two days for the antlers to grow back sufficiently after being shed.
In the case of Murion's blue antlers, which were the most important, it took ten days.
It was a considerable amount of time, and Seong-hyeok couldn't help but lick his lips in anticipation.
"Well, it'd be greedy to expect a 5-star ingredient every two days."
It was a top-quality ingredient that, when combined with his skills, had the potential to become a 5-star processed item.
The fact that he could only obtain it once every ten days was a bit disappointing, but he didn't get greedy and turned his attention elsewhere.
[Great Success in crafting Deer Antler Honey! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved upon the Deer Antler Honey.]
[Guardian's Seven-Colored Blue Deer Antler Honey (★★★★-) has been crafted.]
[Guardian's Seven-Colored Blue Deer Antler Honey Wine (★★★★-) has been crafted.]
......
These were antlers obtained from the warriors and shamans of the Blue Antler Tribe.
While their medicinal effects were several times weaker than Murion's, Seong-hyeok had another goal in mind.
"Still, with this, I can get a steady supply for now."
* Effect - Health of the Blue Antler (Passive): By consuming the antlers of the Blue Antler Tribe 3 times, regardless of grade or type, you will acquire the Authority Specialization 'Health of the Blue Antler'.
※ Health of the Blue Antler (Permanent): Maximum Health permanently increases by 1%.
The Authority Specialization contained within the blue antlers, which he had sought even at the cost of his precious royal jelly.
By grinding and decocting forty antlers, he had obtained 120 processed items. Now, all that was left was to find people to awaken this Authority in.
"An increase in maximum health... Shouldn't the combat personnel get this first, instead of me?"
"Don't worry about it, just take it. Health is essential for preparing meals, too."
"Hmm... In that case, thank you. I'll take it."
"Thanks to you, preparing meals will be much easier."
The first to be chosen were the six players in charge of meals within the shelter.
They were an elite force in the shelter, responsible for preparing meals for nearly 700 people every day.
Among them were Yeon Su-hee, the master of the World Tree, and Lee Yeon-bun, the matriarch of the renowned gukbap family.
"The next group is already decided."
After awakening the Authority Specialization in them.
Seong-hyeok's next candidates were the blacksmiths.
They were indispensable, minimizing casualties to the absolute limit with the Honeybee Armor.
Of course, with eighty-four of them, not everyone could receive the Authority, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"Hmph, guess I'll have to work harder to meet my quota next time."
"Heh heh. Told you you should've put in more effooort!"
"...Just stop teasing me, will you?"
When people gather, a sense of competition is bound to arise.
And now, with Deer Antler Honey offered as a prize, how could that competitive spirit not intensify?
Needless to say, the blacksmiths who weren't chosen threw themselves into their work with even greater passion, hoping to be candidates next time.
"This wasn't my intention, but it's not a bad outcome."
Whatever the process, a good result is all that matters.
Following the royal jelly and propolis products, he now had another means to tame the residents.
Fostering a healthy sense of competition would undoubtedly lead to more good than harm when it came to growth.
*Buzzz~*
*Buzzzzzzz~*
"You cute little things."
The hives were now filling up twice a day.
It was nothing new, but the diligent work of his honeybees was now beyond commendable—it was adorable!
"Well then, shall I get to my own work?"
Just as a cook cooks and a blacksmith forges weapons.
A beekeeper's standard practice, and happiness, was to harvest honey.
But this crazy world wouldn't let Seong-hyeok simply enjoy his beekeeping.
[Player Jeongrichung is attempting to whisper to you.]
【Jeongrichung: A Disaster-class boss monster has appeared in Korea. The current approximate death toll from the attack is...】
"Tsk. Looks like I'll have to leave the beekeeping to the Poison Elves for a while."
A Disaster-class boss monster.
The appearance of a creature that could cause massive casualties just by being left alone—a literal 'disaster'—prompted Seong-hyeok to prepare to leave.
* * * * *
Disaster-class boss monsters.
The Poison Elves, the other Elves, and the Antler Tribe.
Although living together had led to them being accepted as fellow residents, the power inherent in their bodies was on a completely different level from ordinary players, and their danger was incomparable to that of common monsters.
* Disaster-class monsters and dungeons will appear in specific regions. These predators, designated as Disaster-class, will grow stronger at an unimaginable rate over time. Defeat them quickly. Otherwise, you will face a 'disaster' capable of swallowing an entire server whole.
This was the information about Disaster-class monsters that had been included with the Chapter #3 update.
True to their name, 'predators,' once they began to seriously hunt players...
...that is, humans, the loss of life would be anything but small.
And that prediction was now becoming a reality.
- Urgent news. We have received information that Disaster-class boss monsters, Ancient Trolls, have appeared near Gimpo Airport. This is a public announcement.
The enemies' levels are as follows: the Ancient Troll King is level 50, and his eight minions are level 43.
We strongly advise those below level 20 to stay away. We are currently recruiting players level 30 and above. Everyone, it is time to show the strength of Korea. Do not forget that if we allow this threat to persist, the damage will be catastrophic!
Finally, we are posting the number of casualties identified so far. We implore you to offer your generous support!
Deaths = 2,747 (This information is being updated in real-time and is not confirmed.)
/
【Comments (1,743,643)】
- RedCarpet: Thanks for the info, as always.
- BrainyImpostor: Holy sh*t; I'm from a nearby shelter. I was wondering why some of our people who left recently hadn't come back. Guess they died there.
- AttentionSeekerNO.2: A level 50 monster? That's insane. How are we supposed to beat that?
- HunterJ: Definitely impossible solo. You'd need to gather at least 100 people, minimum.
- Captain Kim Gi-chan: Salute! Thank you for providing this valuable information. I don't know if this will reassure the civilians, but I and the rest of the new unified Korean military have decided to support the subjugation effort. Anyone willing to join us is welcome!
Jeongrichung's post instantly shot to the top of the community board's BEST list.
Its contents starkly illustrated why this crazy world was nothing short of an apocalypse for the weak.
The Ancient Trolls stood at least six meters tall.
The level 50 Ancient Troll King towered over ten meters, an object of sheer terror from a human perspective.
What's more, the sight of them catching fleeing players, tearing them apart alive, or breaking their limbs one by one for sport was the very definition of a 'disaster'.