Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: War for the Forest
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#1 Numerous field bosses appeared with the Chapter 1 update.
Naturally, just as players varied in strength based on their individual traits and karma, so too did the field bosses.
And among them, Lich Belmorne, a necromancer capable of not just monster regeneration but direct monster ‘production,’ was one of the most formidable.
Moreover, beyond just being powerful, Belmorne was exceptionally lucky among the field bosses.
For one, being an undead composed of only bones, he had no need to satisfy hunger. Also, the area where he regenerated—a graveyard—was an ideal starting point.
For a necromancer like him, it was a place brimming with optimal materials.
Thanks to this, Belmorne used his power to raise the corpses buried in the cemetery.
"There don't seem to be many useful corpses."
But perhaps because many of the bodies had been interred long ago, the levels and quality of the risen skeletons and zombies fell far short of Belmorne's expectations.
However, Belmorne did not regret his actions.
"Fresh flesh. I can smell it outside."
If materials were lacking, he just had to procure more.
As soon as he was released after ten days, Belmorne first used his forces to sweep the nearby monsters.
This was not only for gaining experience but also because beast-type monsters like the Two-Headed Hounds could be reanimated as useful undead minions for abducting people.
After acquiring undead monsters, Belmorne's actions grew bolder.
Shelters, reeking with the scent of the living.
He raided places where groups had gathered, obtaining test subjects and immersing himself in the joy of studying their flesh and the flesh of monsters.
"Ooh! My beautiful masterpiece, arise!"
[You have met the conditions for skill acquisition. -> Deep Research of Corpses, Corpse Assembly Experience]
[You have learned the skill, Flash Golem.]
[Familiar, Flash Golem, responds to the call of the dead.]
[Flash Golem Lv. 13 (★★-)] - Elite Monster
Thus, an elite monster was born as a result of his research.
"I wish to obtain more, and even greater, masterpieces."
Belmorne, born here as a field boss.
As a lich, his ultimate desire was singular.
To create more powerful undead to protect himself.
Of course, the process would require a considerable amount of materials, but fortunately, this place was overflowing with fresh ingredients.
"If I can just get a few more Flash Golems, it'll be a piece of cake."
His thirst for research boiled over, uncontrollable.
But even Belmorne could not refuse a certain 'exceptional influence'.
-Hey, Lich Belmorne. I need to make a few adjustments.
It was a command from the pet that managed the ‘System’ which had brought Belmorne himself into existence.
The moment he accepted it, Belmorne's piercing red pupils became vacant.
"...Forest, player, must be annihilated."
A series of commands were injected into him, as if he were a marionette being controlled by someone else.
Once it was over, Belmorne's pupils regained their light.
"Eliminate, must annihilate."
He seemed to have completely forgotten his original primary objective of 'research'.
The top priority now assigned to Belmorne was the annihilation of the forest.
And that meant Honeybee.
His mission was to attack the forest where Seong-hyeok was beekeeping.
* * * * *
There isn't a single player who doesn't know that threats always lurk in this chaotic world.
The same was true for Seong-hyeok, who had never encountered a monster before.
He knew he would have to experience combat eventually.
Seong-hyeok had always thought he was prepared for that moment.
[Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★+) is attempting to scout.]
[Monster detected!]
[Monster detected!]
[Monster detected!]
….
So, when the scout bee sent a notification that it had detected monsters, Seong-hyeok wasn't particularly surprised.
"…Still, isn't this a bit much?"
That is, until he checked the information on the monsters the scout bee had found.
[Lich Belmorne Lv. 19 (★★★-)] - Field Boss Monster
[Flash Golem Lv. 13 (★★-)] - Elite Monster
[Ghoul Lv. 8 (★+)]
[Zombie Lv. 5 (★)]
[Skeleton Lv. 3 (★)]
….
His first-ever combat encounter was not with some ordinary creature, but a field boss monster?
And it wasn't just a single entity.
A lich.
A troublesome being, often appearing in games as a necromancer who commands corpses as his limbs.
Indeed, the real-time intel from the scout bees confirmed a horrifying number of skeletons and zombies, easily a thousand of each, plus dozens of ghouls.
On top of that, there were two elite monsters, the Flash Golems.
"Can I really win against them?"
Honestly, his heart screamed at him to pack up his things and beehives and run away immediately.
Seong-hyeok was, after all, a living being.
He valued his life and feared death, no matter how dedicated he was to his bees.
"...But if I run now, what happens next?"
Yet, he instinctively knew that running would solve nothing.
Even Seong-hyeok, who rarely played games, understood.
This chaotic world was just at the beginning of Chapter 1.
If he chose to flee now?
Sure, he might save his life for the moment.
But how would he survive the chapters to come?
There was a limit to how long he could keep running, and if he abandoned all the beehives at his apiary, his future would become even more bleak.
*Crunch- Crunch- Crunch-*
Furthermore, the images sent back by the scout bees' skills were devastating.
They showed the lich and his undead army marching forward, trampling the flowerbeds his bees had so carefully cultivated.
*Crrrack!*
"That… that bastard! How dare he trample on the diligence of my children!"
This was a sanctuary of nature, born from the tireless pollination efforts of his bees.
Having lived 24 years dedicated solely to bees, Seong-hyeok valued diligence and effort more than anyone.
And to see that destroyed?
He could tolerate insults directed at himself.
As an orphan who only ever cared about bees, being looked down upon was a constant in Seong-hyeok's life.
But watching the sanctuary, which was like a home to his children, being trampled, made his stomach churn and sent a surge of rage to the top of his head.
*Bzzzzzzzz-!!!*
*Bwoooooom!*
And the bees felt the same.
Though they were tiny creatures, no bigger than a knuckle, with fragile lives, the fury of over 200,000 bees was not to be taken lightly.
"Alright, everyone. Let's take care of this ourselves so the queens don't have to worry."
*Bzzzzzzzz-!!!*
*Bzzzzz- Bwoooooooom-!*
His fear vanished as if washed away.
Grabbing various processed goods and beeswax candles, Seong-hyeok and his bees prepared for a life-or-death war.
* * * * *
"...What a truly disgusting land."
The undead are a race born not of life, but of death.
Naturally, Belmorne couldn't stand the sight of vibrant nature or living things.
"Trample it all. My minions!"
"Grwooooar!"
"Krrrl! Kraaaah-!"
At Belmorne's command, the undead eagerly began smashing trees and crushing flowers blooming in the wild.
Some of them were buds yet to fully blossom, but the undead, for reasons only they knew, reveled in the very act of destroying life with their rotting limbs.
But their rampage did not last long.
*Bzzzzzzz-! Bzzzzzzz-!*
*Bwoooooom-!!!*
The sharp sound of wings echoed from somewhere.
With it, a swarm of bees filled the sky, moving in perfect unison as they charged fiercely toward the undead.
"Insignificant insects! Swat them all away!"
Belmorne's order was followed by an all-out assault from the undead.
Certainly, even a clumsy swing from them would be enough to kill the worker bees, whose vitality was less than 30.
But Seong-hyeok hadn't come to this battle empty-handed.
Before engaging in combat here, Seong-hyeok had gathered the bees around him and used an item.
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[Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle (★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* When held and the 'Use' keyword is spoken, the 'Blessing of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle' is applied to all recognized allies within a 6m(+1) radius.
※ Blessing of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle: For 60 minutes, provides warmth and increases max vitality by 360(+60) and defense by 8(+2). (Durability -1, No Cooldown)
* Durability: 2 / 2(+1) - Cannot be repaired.
….
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The Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle.
An item with a ridiculously overpowered effect, boosting max vitality and defense by an incredible amount for 60 minutes.
Moreover, its effect was even more potent for the tiny bees.
Why?
[The 'Blessing of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle' is applied to 1,634 allied entities within a 6m radius.]
[The 'Blessing of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle' is applied to 1,688 allied entities within a 6m radius.]
[The 'Blessing of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Beeswax Candle' is applied to 1,653 allied entities within a 6m radius.]
….
A 6-meter radius, which could barely fit ten humans if they squeezed together.
But for the small bees, that same area could easily accommodate them by the thousand.
Thus, Seong-hyeok bestowed the blessing of the candle upon all the bees deployed in battle, and the result was self-evident.
"Wh-what are these insects!"
Even when struck by the undead's attacks, the bees were merely knocked back, not killed. They endured as if it were nothing.
Then, the bees presented their fuzzy behinds and unleashed their attacks on the undead.
*Pabababak-!*
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of stingers embedded themselves in the enemy.
Not just one or two, but a continuous barrage of venomous stings. Even the undead couldn't withstand such an onslaught.
[You have hunted Zombie Lv. 6 (★). You have acquired EXP, 8 Coins, and a Corpse Fragment (★).]
[You have hunted Skeleton Lv. 4 (★). You have acquired EXP, 5 Coins, and a Rusted Bone Fragment (★).]
[You have hunted Ghoul Lv. 8 (★+). You have acquired EXP, 12 Coins, and a Mutant Corpse Fragment (★+).]
[You have hunted the Elite Monster, Flash Golem Lv. 13 (★★-). You have acquired EXP, 950 Coins, a ★★- Item Draw Ticket, and a Lump of Corpse (★★-).]
[You have hunted the Elite Monster, Flash Golem Lv. 13 (★★-). You have acquired EXP, 950 Coins, and 2 Lumps of Corpse (★★-).]
[You have leveled up. You have acquired 5 stat points.]
….
A cascade of joyful notifications announced his first hunt.
Faced with the overwhelming power of the swarm, the undead, regardless of their grade, collapsed. Even the elite Flash Golems couldn't endure the countless overlapping bee stings.
However, it wasn't all good news.
[Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★) has died.]
[Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★) has died.]
[Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★+) has died.]
[Ruby Gem Honey Pot Bee (★+) has died.]
….
A bee using its stinger—its only means of attack.
Seong-hyeok knew full well what that meant.
"Your sacrifice… Dad will not forget it."
Unlike wasps, a honeybee's stinger is barbed like a hook and connected to its internal organs.
Because of this, every bee that attacked the undead died as its stinger and entrails were torn from its body.
Even with their vitality boosted by the blessing of the candle, just as a human cannot live without a heart, the bees could not survive the shock of losing their internal organs.
The only exceptions were the bees that had stung the skeletons, which were just bones.
But regardless, countless bees had perished.
Yet, while Seong-hyeok mourned their deaths, he did not let himself drown in sorrow.
This was the way of social insects like bees.
A self-sacrificing spirit, willing to perish alongside the enemy, readily offering their lives to protect their home and their queen.
Wasn't this the very way of life for bees, and the biggest reason why Seong-hyeok had become so deeply fascinated with them in the first place?