Chapter 132
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: The Wonders of the Beekeeping Farm
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“An—an elite monster!”
“Gah! It’s not just elites, a field boss spawned too!”
The World Tree and the treasure item.
And the wild beehives.
This was the situation that arose from attracting a wide variety of monsters.
Even for those who had experienced it once before, it was only natural to be flustered when faced with a spectacle rarely seen in the outside world.
“Kieeeeeeek!”
“Kuaaaaaargh!”
“Smells delicious! I’ll eat you!”
“What are you doing? Hurry and get away!”
“M-My feet won’t move!”
In such a situation, as powerful monsters charged at them, the new residents couldn’t respond properly and just floundered in panic.
At this rate, it looked like they’d enjoy the festival and then meet their maker.
But there was no need to worry.
*Bzzzzzz~*
Even the weakest among them were still official residents of the beekeeping farm.
And the beings that protected the residents—the honeybees—were everywhere on the farm.
*BZZZZZZZZ-!!!*
*Buzzz-!*
It was a fury 180 degrees different from the adorable atmosphere when they were buried in flowers or performing their waggle dances.
If one wasn't enough, then two.
If two weren't enough, then dozens.
The sheer terror of being swarmed by a horde was bad enough, but the bees didn't stop there.
[The aura of the Seven-Color Honey Pollen Cake is applied.]
[Using Guardian's Seven-Colored Beeswax Candle (★★★).]
The buffs from the pollen cakes and beeswax candles that Seong-hyeok had the architect bees build every time the farm's territory expanded.
With the addition of various high-ranking species and legion commanders, the monsters that had been charging in so confidently were hunted down in the blink of an eye.
“I-Is this for real?”
“I knew the bees were strong, but I never imagined they were this strong…”
“I think I’d lose a one-on-one fight with any of them.”
The strength possessed by these tiny bees, most of them less than a centimeter in size.
It wasn't new, but there was an undeniable gap between hearing about it and seeing it with your own eyes.
However, no matter how strong the bees were, the monsters were never to be taken lightly.
[An Imperial Topaz Worker Bee (★★★-) has died.]
“Ah…”
The corpse of a bee, its wings torn by a monster's attack, fell silently to the ground.
As expected of the new recruits hand-picked by the bees themselves, the residents who saw it let out cries of grief, and a few shed tears as if they’d lost a beloved pet.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry, guys.”
“I’ll protect you next time!”
The death of a bee that had willingly thrown its life on the line to protect them.
What filled the hearts of the residents who witnessed it wasn't a desire to freeload in the safety that had been secured, but…
“If the bees are leading the charge like that, there’s no reason I can’t do the same!”
…a surge in morale.
* * * * *
The majority of the beekeeping farm’s members were combat jobs.
But for a shelter to run properly, combat wasn’t everything.
“Hey, you can’t do it like that!”
“I’ll teach you step-by-step, so just follow along properly!”
“Tag the items you’ve gathered and put them in the warehouse!”
Logging, cooking, farming, tending to livestock, and more.
Broadly speaking, these were the production jobs, divided into gathering and crafting.
Unlike the combat jobs who were amazed by the bees’ fighting prowess, the production jobs were slack-jawed for a different reason.
[You have discovered a natural plant, World Tree Red Ginseng (★★★+)!]
[You have discovered a natural plant cluster, Peridot Enoki Mushrooms (★★-)!]
[You have discovered a natural plant cluster, Peridot Amanita Mushrooms (★★★-)!]
…
“What—what is this land? How can there be so much to gather?”
“At this rate, you could just trip and fall onto a mountain of things to gather!”
It was incomparable to the outside.
A feast of gatherable items appearing nonstop.
Moreover, thanks to these high-grade materials, the experience points for gathering-related jobs were shooting up!
This alone was enough to make one gasp, but the charm of the beekeeping farm didn’t end there.
[You have discovered a natural plant, World Tree Wild Ginseng (★★★★+)!]
“Jackpot!”
“N-No way!”
The discovery of a wild ginseng shining with a 4-star+ grade.
And it wasn't just a one-time lucky find.
“I-I found one too!”
“Am I dreaming or is this real?!”
Was it the good fortune of being a new resident?
Cries of “Jackpot!” were echoing all over the place.
Normally, in an outside shelter, obtaining such a high-quality item would result in having to pay a certain commission or suffering losses due to envy and jealousy.
All sorts of things could happen, but on the beekeeping farm, there was none of that.
“Commission? You don’t have to worry about that. Seong-hyeok isn’t the type to pettily skim off the top for things like this.”
Was it true that the position makes the person?
Everyone was engrossed in their work, with not a single person slacking off.
The new residents instantly understood who was responsible for all of this.
“If you have time to worry about that, go dig up one more thing. This place is overflowing with rare natural plants anyway.”
“Look at the owner of this shelter, Seong-hyeok. He doesn't care about things like commissions; he just focuses on what he needs to do.”
“As a fellow production worker, I really respect him.”
It was the perfect environment to grow through pure effort, without any lingering resentment.
*Bzzzzzz~*
Moreover, as they worked, the sight of those captivating bee butts, which appeared as regularly as a daily check-in, revitalized them even when they grew tired from constant gathering.
* * * * *
The World Tree, a colossal tree soaring in the middle of the beekeeping farm.
Standing beside the tree, which exuded a magnificent aura just by looking at it, a woman let out a deep sigh.
“That Seong-hyeok. He’s really something else.”
Yeon Su-hee, one of the first residents and the owner of the World Tree.
She checked the two seeds in her hand, which boasted a beautiful luster.
______________________________
[Celestial Peach Seed of Abundance (★★★★★)] - Treasure
※ This is a bound item and cannot be used by anyone other than its owner.
* Classification: Consumable
* When planted in the ground, it will grow into a Celestial Peach Tree that bears flowers and fruit after a certain period. (The grade of the mature tree is affected by the growth period.)
※ Growth Period: 10 days (Growth period can be accelerated through additional effects.)
※ Flowering Period: 6 days (Growth period and grade can be accelerated through additional effects.)
…
______________________________
Was it because it was a ‘Treasure’ item, rated 5-stars even in its seed form?
The Celestial Peach Seed seemed to hold a radiant light within it.
Yeon Su-hee recalled how she had obtained it and shook her head.
“Once you give him something, it really never ends.”
[The Transcendent Being, Prepion, the Goddess of Abundance, gives you a thumbs-up for your previous choice, remarking that once you give him something, he really knows how to make the most of it.]
The ‘First Milk’ she had obtained from Prepion’s cow in the early days of the farm.
The result of her forcing it on Seong-hyeok, thinking the Authority Specialization attached to it would be a better fit for him and his beekeeping, was enough to surprise even the Transcendent Being she had a contract with.
From experience kits and various expensive processed honey products to, finally, a treasure item whose value was hard to measure with money.
Others would have just thought of sucking up the sweet honey, but who was Yeon Su-hee?
“I can’t be outdone when it comes to generosity.”
It was only right to return a favor several times over.
Having made up her mind, she planted the Celestial Peach Seeds in the most fertile soil, right near the World Tree.
[The soil is rich in nutrients. The growth rate increases due to the fertile land.]
Should she call it the power of the World Tree?
A 5-star grade.
And a treasure item seed at that, yet the time required was significantly shortened.
But she wasn’t one to be satisfied with just that.
[Using Goddess’s Rapid Growth.]
[The effect of Hymn of Abundance is applied.]
As the Originator of Abundance, a 4-star unique job, and the incarnation of Prepion, the Goddess of Abundance, she used a tremendous growth accelerant.
Thanks to its full effect, the seed she had just planted instantly sprouted and grew into a tree.
And was that all?
[Flowers are blooming on the Celestial Peach Tree of Abundance (★★★★★).]
Flower buds bloomed as the sprout grew into a small tree.
Since it was just the beginning, their size was quite small, but the beekeeping farm had creatures who were just as skilled in agriculture as Yeon Su-hee.
*Bzzzz~*
*Bzzzz~*
“Oh my, you cheeky things. You sure are quick on the uptake.”
Flowers and honey.
When those two were involved, the fairies of the forest, the honeybees, never failed to appear.
Just as they would swarm to be the first to taste the nectar of the World Tree’s flowers, the bees flocked and dove headfirst into the small, blooming Celestial Peach blossoms.
[A Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★★-) has come into contact with the natural plant, Celestial Peach Tree of Abundance Flower (★★★★★). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[An Imperial Topaz Silkworm Bee (★★★+) has come into contact with the natural plant, Celestial Peach Tree of Abundance Flower (★★★★★). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[A Garnet Gem Worker Bee (★★★-) has come into contact with the natural plant, Celestial Peach Tree of Abundance Flower (★★★★★). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
…
Natural pollination, achieved through the meeting of bees and crops.
The essence of nature harmonized, accelerating the flowers’ growth.
The farmer gets faster growth and stronger fruit, and the bees get ripened honey.
It was the best possible outcome, mutually beneficial for both sides.
Perhaps because no one was at a disadvantage?
Yeon Su-hee continued to sing the Hymn of Abundance at the sight of the bees trembling as they clung to the flowers as if suffocating in them.
*Bzzzzzzzz~*
And the bees, as always…
…were steeped in the scent of honey.
* * * * *
The job of a beekeeper is to harvest the honey that the bees have gathered and ripened.
In a way, since the bees do most of the work, it might seem easy, but like all farming, beekeeping is by no means a simple task.
“Does my companion never tire?”
Not just the Poison Elves, but even the High Elf Greendale was astounded by Seong-hyeok’s dexterity and immense workload.
“Sorry, but if it’s not important, let’s talk later.”
“…Hmph. F-Fine.”
But regardless of whether others were surprised or not, Seong-hyeok was busy with his own work.
He was truly mad about work.
“Hahaha. You little rascals. You’ve collected a mountain of honey this time, too. Good job. So pretty!”
No, to be precise, he was a man mad about honeybees, Yu Seong-hyeok.
At that sight, Greendale felt a pang of disappointment, as if she had lost to the bees, but soon a smirk played on her lips.
“Well, I suppose that’s what makes him my companion.”
He possessed a suppressive power strong enough to threaten the vassal status of her own Poison Amethyst Bees, and he was a human who had already achieved the title of Forest Druid.
Wasn't that the very person she had chosen as her companion through the Ring of Lust?
“…I won’t lose either.”
The pride of a fellow beekeeper who had taken bees as her vassals was ignited.
And a desire to become a being more suited to her companion, Seong-hyeok.
“Everyone, let’s put more effort into our beekeeping!”
“Yes, Chieftain!”
And so, the work on the beekeeping farm, far from slowing down over time, began to accelerate like a machine with a motor attached.
It sped up like crazy.