Chapter 131
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: A Lucrative Apology
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[Player Korea/Honeybee has won the bid for Essence Dagger (★★★★★+) - Treasure for 60,000,000 coins.]
Monsters and players.
And then there were the #Chapters, constantly creating new variables.
In a chaotic world where life could be snuffed out at any moment, equipment worn directly on the body was naturally the most valuable.
Weapons, in particular, held a significant advantage.
'I've been using this for a long time.'
Its effects were a perfect match for my Apipuncture skill, so I'd used it consistently, but it was still just a 3-star+ grade item.
It would be woefully inadequate for a decisive battle against a Disaster-class boss monster.
Besides, the Essence Dagger didn't even require me to switch from a 'stinger' to a 'blade'.
※ Essence of Form: Changes the weapon's shape to a desired form. Attack power may increase or decrease depending on the type. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)
A utility effect befitting a shining 5-star+ Treasure-grade item.
I was itching to try it out right after buying it to see how it felt in my hand, but unfortunately, that was impossible.
[This is a restricted area. All actions except using coins are prohibited.]
A rule of the secret auction house that prevented you from unwrapping your purchase right away.
Their customer service was terrible, but what could I do?
'Can't exactly complain to a god.'
After all, I'd have no trouble using it once I left this place.
From Seong-hyeok's perspective, he was just grateful to whoever had put up the two Treasure items.
'For now, I'll be satisfied with these two.'
I still had 26 million coins left over, but with the second integrated server auction coming up soon, it was important to save money.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok's bee farm had just taken in a large number of residents, so it desperately needed more equipment and materials.
"You don't need to buy anything else?"
"I'm fine. It's not like I'd use anything else anyway."
Cha Hye-rin had also finished her purchases.
Honestly, under normal circumstances, I would have left quickly to save time, but things were a little different now.
[You are in an area affected by the power of ■■■. Time outside does not flow while you are here.]
Time outside had stopped.
What better opportunity could there be to make use of such golden time?
'I'll probably run into these people again next time.'
Besides Seong-hyeok and Cha Hye-rin, there were five others qualified to enter the secret auction house.
Since they weren't weaklings, if all went well, we were bound to cross paths again at the next secret auction.
And Seong-hyeok wasn't the only one thinking this.
"Could we speak for a moment?"
"I really enjoyed your videos, Honeybee."
"Hahaha, I'm no slouch myself, but I guess I can't compare to the bee tycoon."
This secret auction.
And as expected of Honeybee, who had been at the center of every incident, all eyes and questions turned to him.
Seong-hyeok had no problem building connections, as these people could become his main customers now and in the future, but one thing in particular caught his eye.
"Honeybee. I would like to sincerely apologize for the mistakes of our foolish colleagues."
"We are truly sorry!"
The European Union must be a group of rather powerful players.
They had managed to secure two spots in the secret auction house.
Seeing them swallow their pride and apologize made Seong-hyeok think they were quite something.
'Well, prioritizing profit over pride is the smart move.'
No matter how dominant they were in Europe, no one knew how long the chaotic world's #Chapter scenarios would last, and the pressure and losses from being cut off from the honey products they'd once tasted were surely significant.
Just as the saying goes, if you can't be allies, don't be enemies.
From Seong-hyeok's perspective, antagonizing Europe, a rather large territory, would actually result in greater losses for him.
But even so, the European Union was the one in the more desperate position.
He had no intention of letting them off for free.
"Surely you're not planning to end this with just a verbal apology, are you?"
"...O-of course."
[The Transcendent Being, Archangel Seriel, is stunned by your viciousness.]
[The Transcendent Being, Great Golden Goblin Lord Macherty, applauds as he watches you fleece the suckers.]
* * * * *
A material apology from the European Union.
What Seong-hyeok received wasn't much.
[Armor of Rhinor (★★★★★+)]
[Sword of Venor (★★★★★+)]
The two pieces of equipment they had just purchased at the secret auction.
They were essentially handing them over without even getting to wear them, but that was their problem.
They too seemed to know what was more profitable in the long run, as they handed over their items with tears in their eyes.
"I believe this opportunity will allow us to forge a stronger bond with the European Union."
"Ah, yes... r-right."
Their faces were ashen, almost corpselike, as if their insides were churning.
However, Seong-hyeok wasn't entirely without a conscience.
"Since I've received something from you, this is a gift to mark the beginning of a good relationship."
"Th-this is?"
"Deer Antler Honey? I've never seen this on the exchange before."
"Yes. It's a new product I haven't released yet."
The Blue Deer Antler Honey, which hadn't been listed on the exchange yet due to its limited supply.
The direct effects from consuming it were slightly better than or similar to existing honey products, but what truly caught their attention was obvious.
* Effect - Health of the Blue Antler (Passive): Regardless of grade or type, consuming the antlers of the Blue Antler Tribe 3 times grants the Authority Specialization 'Health of the Blue Antler'.
※ Health of the Blue Antler (Permanent): Maximum health permanently increases by 1%.
A separate effect that granted a precious Authority Specialization after just three consumptions.
As powerful players representing the European Union, they surely knew that a 1% increase in health was no trivial matter.
Besides, when you thought about it, this three-consumption requirement was the perfect condition for a merchant.
Naturally, once someone consumed the Deer Antler Honey even once, they would be desperate to get the Authority Specialization and would pay a high price to obtain more.
"If it's possible, could you sell it to our European Union first?"
"We will pay a price that won't disappoint you."
Just as I'd expected.
Their corpselike expressions vanished, replaced by gazes that recognized the value of the Deer Antler Honey and pleaded for more.
Seong-hyeok met their desperate gazes with a smile and a nod.
"Thank you!"
'No, I should be thanking you.'
A plump sucker hooked on the bait of Deer Antler Honey.
A genuine, bright smile spread across Seong-hyeok's lips.
* * * * *
[Your listing 'Guardian's Seven-Colored Honey Tea (★★★)' has been sold.]
[You have acquired 3,500 coins after a 10% fee.]
[Your listing 'Guardian's Garnet Gem Honey Soap (★★★-)' has been sold.]
[You have acquired 4,900 coins after a 10% fee.]
[Your listing 'Guardian's Seven-Colored Beeswax Candle (★★★)' has been sold.]
[You have acquired 9,000 coins after a 10% fee.]
...
Was the aftermath of the sales halt that significant?
Or was it because his customer base had grown, leading to more competition among buyers?
The honey products were selling like crazy.
But in truth, besides those two reasons, the real cause could be found on the European community boards.
(Who knows when he'll halt sales again. Stocking up now is the smart move.)
Having experienced a sales halt once, the Europeans were buying up stock as soon as it was listed.
The prices of the honey products skyrocketed in an instant, leading to widespread complaints, but all Seong-hyeok had to do was sell.
"Thanks to that, I can finally breathe a little."
The profits from the honey products were piling up nicely.
For a moment, he was able to recoup the losses from his impulsive purchase of two Treasure items.
Seong-hyeok took out an item.
[Celestial Peach of Immortality (★★★★★+) - Treasure]
The other Treasure item he had purchased along with the Essence Dagger.
'Treasures' were fundamentally 5-star+ grade, and as highly valuable items, they were most effective when used by the owner. However, the Celestial Peach of Immortality was a different story from the Proliferating Ginseng.
Unlike the ginseng, which generated itself automatically, this was an item whose effects could only be maximized by directly cultivating the seeds, which multiplied by two.
Naturally, as a Treasure related to farming, there was someone who could use it more effectively than Seong-hyeok to maximize its potential.
"...Seong-hyeok, I understand what you're trying to do, but I really can't accept this."
Yeon Su-hee, despite being thoroughly drunk on honey tea, kept shaking her head, refusing the offer.
But as the saying goes, no tree can withstand ten swings of an axe.
Seong-hyeok, who was now responsible for nearly ten thousand people and not just a simple shelter, continued his persuasion.
As if she couldn't refuse him any longer.
Yeon Su-hee, her face flushed red from the alcohol, glared at Seong-hyeok.
"Don't you blame me if I end up creating a peach orchard larger than your bee farm with this."
"That's what I'm hoping for."
Yeon Su-hee was not one to take a gift lightly.
[The Treasure item Celestial Peach of Immortality (★★★★★+) reveals itself. Current Owner: Korea/Mom's Home Cooking]
And so, another Treasure owner was born on the bee farm, joining Seong-hyeok and the elves.
* * * * *
The festival had granted them a sweet day of freedom.
But, as the saying goes, he who does not work, neither shall he eat.
Work started up again, and the bee farm was once more bustling with activity.
"...You want us to do all this in one day?"
"This is going to kill us."
The production team.
The new residents assigned to the blacksmith, rumored to be the toughest job on the bee farm, were horrified.
The hellish difficulty of having to craft a thousand sets of bee armor per person, per day.
Complaints were natural, but they were quickly silenced.
Why, you ask?
Bzzzz—
Bzzzzzz—
The sight of the bees, who were everywhere, working diligently without a single day of rest.
Any creature with emotions would be inspired by their efforts.
Moreover, every single one of the new residents had seen it.
"H-his hands are so fast!"
"A friend who wakes up at the crack of dawn said he's already been working for a long time before he even gets up."
"His workload is unbelievable...."
Seong-hyeok, the owner of the farm, leading by example and working harder than anyone else.
One might think he was just doing his beekeeping duties, but the sight of their leader taking the initiative and handling such a massive amount of work was a powerful catalyst.
"Yeah. It's not like we came here to slack off, right?"
"I'm going to become strong like Honeybee!"
"And if we get royal jelly pills as a bonus for meeting our quota, it's worth a shot!"
They were far weaker than the original residents of the bee farm, so they had to go through fire and water to get stronger quickly.
Besides, wasn't working the most fundamental way to increase one's own value?
Not to mention the bonuses that were good for stamina and skin care, and the always anticipated, never-boring meal times!
A land of labor where, out of nearly ten thousand people, not a single one was idle, all immersed in their work.
That was the bee farm that Seong-hyeok and his bees strived for.