Chapter 137
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Dragon Slayer
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Was it because he’d grown up an orphan?
To survive in a harsh world, Seong-hyeok had always lived by calculating his gains and losses.
He never hesitated to go the extra mile if it meant getting something cheaper, and when it came to interpersonal conflicts, he always moved in the direction that offered the most benefit.
Just look at the European Union players, for instance.
Not long ago, they were at each other’s throats, declaring war and fighting to the death.
But now, enticed by the profits from money and various items, they were risking their lives together in battle.
But even for Seong-hyeok, there was one exception where ‘profit’ didn’t matter.
“You lizard bastard. How dare you lay a hand on my children?”
That exception was his bees, who were like children to him.
For Seong-hyeok, an orphan with no family, they were the family in his heart.
He would never forgive anyone who had killed even a single one of his bees, not even for all the money in the world, and so he acted without hesitation.
Shnk— Shnk-shnk-shnk—!
[Bee Sting Technique Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is temporarily bestowed upon the designated player.]
[The Bee Sting Technique's Rampaging Star Chito-Venom is concentrated on the leg's pressure points.] X 3
[The Bee Sting Technique's Imperial Indigo Venom is concentrated on the shoulder's pressure points.] X 3
…….
On top of the buffs from his concoctions, the Bee Sting Technique kicked in.
To others, the act of madly stabbing himself with a dagger coated in various poisons might have seemed like insane self-harm, but it didn't matter in the slightest.
[The Honeybee Guardian's class specialization, Bee Venom Immunity, is activated.]
[You are 100% immune to the harmful effects of bee venom.]
A 100% nullification of harmful effects thanks to Bee Venom Immunity.
Having cherry-picked only the beneficial effects, Seong-hyeok’s stats skyrocketed several times over.
And with that,
Fwoosh—!
Seong-hyeok stomped his foot, his preparations complete.
“……!”
Even the Red Dragon seemed startled by his incredible speed.
It turned its barrage of attacks toward the approaching Seong-hyeok, but it was a futile struggle.
Boom— Boom— Cra-boom—!
He dodged nimbly with unimaginable agility.
Having closed the distance to the Red Dragon without allowing a single hit, the rest was Seong-hyeok’s time to shine.
Shuuuuunk—!
“Kraaaaaaaah!”
The devastating impact of his powerful sting, backed by overwhelming strength and control.
But Seong-hyeok’s Bee Sting Technique was more than just raw attack power.
Thud—
The potent poison, shining with the Mad Inquirer's Karma.
As the harmful effects of the bee venom, a mixture of various toxins, seeped into the Red Dragon, it couldn't withstand the assault and plummeted to the ground.
To others, it might have been just a single sting, but for Seong-hyeok, it was a powerful blow infused with all his knowledge and the efforts of his bees.
Furthermore, the Red Dragon had fallen to the ground.
It was obvious what would happen to the creature now that its aerial advantage was gone.
Buzzzzzzzzz—!
As if waiting for a signal, millions of bees swarmed in for the kill.
The Red Dragon fought back as if it wouldn't go down without a fight, but its attacks were useless against the bees.
[The effect of Guardian's Resolve is active.]
[You take a portion of the damage received by your bees.]
[Using Origin of Regeneration.]
[Regenerative Shield is now active.]
Guardian's Resolve was a skill Seong-hyeok had acquired upon reaching level 50.
On top of that, he had secured a massive amount of durability by applying various honey-processed products and venom buffs.
And then there were the healing effects and shield formation from the treasure item, 'Origin of Regeneration'.
Thanks to these various boons, Seong-hyeok and his bees had achieved a state of near-invincible tanking, albeit for a fleeting moment.
Of course, this current advantage couldn't last forever.
[The effect of Guardian's Murion's Blue Antler Honey (★★★★★) has worn off.]
[The effect of Guardian's World Tree Samcheong Seven-Colored Honey Wine (★★★★★+) has worn off.]
[The effect of the Bee Sting Technique's Rampaging Star Chito-Venom on the leg's pressure points has worn off.] X 3
…….
The more powerful the effect, the more absurdly short the duration felt.
Ultimately, if the battle dragged on, Seong-hyeok would be at a disadvantage.
But he had already considered this possibility.
“Now!”
“Already here, Seong-hyeok.”
“Understood, my companion!”
“We were waiting for the signal!”
Cha Hye-rin and the Disaster-class monsters, who had arranged a signal before the battle, joined the fray.
And was that all?
“Attack!”
“We’ll help too!”
“This is for Vladimir!”
Seong-hyeok had prepared for this, employing the timeless tactic of ganging up on an enemy.
With the combined strength of the world's most skilled players, the Red Dragon couldn't even get its bearings, busy taking a beating from all sides.
“You, you wretched insects!!!”
“Where do you think you’re going? You’re playing with me.”
Every time the Red Dragon roared in fury and tried to counterattack, its blows were blocked by Seong-hyeok.
Seong-hyeok, the ultimate close-quarters beekeeper turned ultimate meat shield, clung to it relentlessly, refusing to let go.
As its health began to plummet, the Red Dragon’s pupils started to tremble.
“If you let me go now, I will give you the treasure I possess.”
No living creature is without fear of death.
The Red Dragon swallowed its pride and begged for its life, but Seong-hyeok, still clinging to its body, had a simple reply.
“Don’t worry, I was going to take it anyway.”
“Th-then… how about we make a contract, sworn on my Dragon Word. My power will be of great help to you!”
Weren't those things he could get as loot after hunting the beast anyway?
Well, considering the power the Red Dragon had displayed so far, forming an alliance wouldn't have been a bad idea, but unfortunately, it had already crossed the line.
“Shut up and become tonight's dinner.”
Ssing-ssing-i and the scout bees had sacrificed themselves as the vanguard to report the enemy's location and approach.
Killing just one would have made it a sworn enemy, so for Seong-hyeok to forgive the Red Dragon for killing so many of his bees was an impossibility, even if the heavens were to split in two.
Shuuuuunk—!
[You have hunted the Red Dragon Porleireun Level 75 (★★★★★+) - ???.]
…….
In the end, the Red Dragon’s fate was to become a whole-roasted barbecue.
* * * * *
“W-We really hunted a Red Dragon, right?”
“This is… this is insane!”
Upon their successful hunt, a notification popped up before their eyes.
Although Honeybee had the highest contribution and thus claimed most of the loot, the others gathered here had no complaints.
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
…….
The Red Dragon was a formidable monster, a staggering level 76.
Perhaps because they had hunted such a creature?
Despite their low contribution, notifications of leveling up rang out ceaselessly.
Given how progressively harder it became to level up, the significance of this could not be ignored.
It was enough power to propel those who were already strong to even greater heights, and for those who were middling, it was enough to ascend to the ranks of the powerful.
Well, as they say, human greed knows no bounds.
While the massive amount of experience was certainly appealing, this was a Red Dragon.
It was only natural for desires to surge for ancillary byproducts like the dragon’s heart, bones, and blood, not to mention the potential for weapons or treasure items from an out-of-spec monster rated '???'.
But no one gathered here asserted their right to the byproducts.
Why?
The reason was obvious.
“If it weren't for Honeybee in the first place, we would’ve been wiped out.”
“Right, what good would getting greedy do?”
“It’s better to score points with him like this.”
The Red Dragon possessed firepower that couldn't be ignored, causing significant casualties even with the fortress of the Wax Castle.
The one who had made the most distinguished contribution to hunting it was none other than Honeybee.
Besides, it was clear as day that his high contribution would net him far more loot than them.
With the sharp instincts honed by reaching the ranker status on their respective servers, they had calculated that the future benefits of earning points with Honeybee outweighed the immediate gains.
And their choice proved to be absolutely correct.
“I’d like to invite everyone who gathered and fought with us to my farm. We’re planning a festival with dragon barbecue, so I hope as many of you as possible can attend.”
Honeybee.
True to his calculative nature, he knew how to take care of those who could be both allies and loyal customers.
* * * * *
The Red Dragon raid concluded successfully.
After a swift return through the large-scale dimensional tunnel, things became incredibly busy.
【Korea/Jeongrichung: Exclusive footage of the Red Dragon Porleireun raid, a cooperative effort by Honeybee and many others. Releasing it now!】
In Pandemonium, value was determined by supply and demand.
Naturally, the footage of the Red Dragon raid was in high demand, as many were curious to see it. The video Jeongrichung posted shot to the very top of the BEST posts in the blink of an eye.
【USA/Orden: Holy… is that really a human being like me?】
【Pakistan/The Sugar Cube Hiding Its Power: I’m honestly speechless.】
Honeybee’s power had already been astounding when he single-handedly faced the Ancient Troll King.
But his bloody battle with the Red Dragon was on another level of astonishing.
【Korea/Attention Seeker NO.5: Whoa, did he really just turn the tables when things looked hopeless?】
【Switzerland/Bortan: It’s like Honeybee saved everyone from being wiped out.】
The Red Dragon’s initial appearance and its overwhelming firepower had crushed everyone’s morale.
But the sight of Honeybee rising from amidst the onslaught, turning the tide of battle, and finally landing the finishing blow on the Red Dragon delivered a truly exhilarating catharsis!
“Hahaha, this is epic, absolutely epic!”
Jeongrichung couldn't contain his excitement as the views and upvotes skyrocketed.
Just as he had become completely engrossed in his work, relishing the thrill of his posts always hitting the BEST board, the bees were just as busy.
Buzzz~
Buzzzzzzz~
As if to prove they were the epitome of diligence.
The moment the battle ended and they returned, the bees set off on an expedition to find flowers.
The mesmerizing wiggle of their behinds was so captivating you couldn't look away, but Seong-hyeok couldn't focus on it.
There were the precious spoils he’d obtained from defeating the Red Dragon.
Deciding how to use them was a task in itself, but he also couldn't ignore the notifications that had appeared.
[Special Condition, you have met the requirements for 'Slayer of ???'. -> Hunted an entity of a higher class]
[You have met the requirements to acquire a title. -> Hunted a Dragon]
[You have acquired the title, Dragon Slayer.]