Chapter 140
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: The Golden Goblin Merchant
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[Due to a power discrepancy, some abilities will be downgraded. -> Level will decrease. Penalties will be applied to the use of specific skills and authorities.]
[Giant Crescent Moon Golden Carriage Level 73 (★★★★★+) & Golden Goblin Lord Chesseur Level 74 (★★★★★+) - ???]
A massive golden carriage that appeared after a gate suddenly opened in the sky.
But unlike the notification that appeared for Seong-hyeok, perhaps the others didn't see the word "friendly"?
“W-what is this?”
“Why now of all times!”
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
Despite being in the middle of a festival, they each grabbed their weapons.
Like the seasoned veterans of Pandemonium they were, they quickly shook off their drunken stupor, but no fights broke out among them.
Wiiing!
Wiiiiiiing~
“Huh? The b-bees?”
“What’s going on? It’s clearly a ‘???’ grade monster?”
“They’re not attacking?”
Despite the appearance of a ‘???’ grade monster, the bees were wiggling their butts even more enthusiastically.
As if to say it wasn't an enemy.
Seeing them approach the giant golden carriage, the players put away the weapons they had been gripping tightly.
“I’ll take it from here. Please tell everyone to continue enjoying the festival.”
Seong-hyeok’s words fell in the somewhat calmed atmosphere.
Those who heard him up close nodded awkwardly, while those farther away heard the news passed down the line.
“Seeing the golden carriage and the golden goblins running it, they must be some kind of monster merchants, right?”
“Damn. Another monopoly after the Red Dragon…”
Envy and jealousy, natural human emotions, began to surface.
But those feelings didn't last long.
“Forget it. If I tried, it would only cause trouble.”
“It’s only possible because it’s Honeybee.”
“So jealous.”
A sparrow trying to follow a stork is bound to tear its legs apart.
Hadn't they already grasped Honeybee's strength through the dragon raid and the bee farm?
“Let’s just enjoy the rest of the festival.”
“Hahaha, I can’t give up on the honey wine.”
In a world of survival of the fittest, acknowledging one's own level is essential.
As the players, having cleared their minds, returned to the festival one by one.
Seong-hyeok leaped lightly into the air, approaching the golden carriage floating above.
“Kikikik! Welcome. A wealthy customer is always welcome!”
“The Lord is waiting. Come inside! Kkik!”
As Seong-hyeok approached, the door opened, and a dozen golden goblins poured out.
But the power they possessed was incomparable to the golden goblins working at the bee farm.
[Golden Goblin Level 62 (★★★★★) - ???]
[Golden Goblin Level 62 (★★★★★) - ???]
[Golden Goblin Level 63 (★★★★★) - ???]
…….
Each one was level 61 or higher, boasting a level greater than Seong-hyeok's.
Furthermore, their armament, uncharacteristic for goblins, could not be ignored.
‘Still, it’s not like I can’t win.’
Seong-hyeok had already slain a dragon, a monster of the ‘???’ grade, in a previous battle.
Even if things went south, he didn't think he would lose to the golden goblins.
However, Seong-hyeok didn't intend to fight.
There was no reason to battle those who seemed friendly, and it was best to avoid a situation that would result in a significant sacrifice of his bees.
[The Transcendent Being, the Great Golden Goblin Lord Machelti, says he has passed on the message and nudges your back, telling you to enjoy your shopping.]
Besides, there was no need to antagonize the Transcendent Being who had been following him until now.
And was Seong-hyeok's line of thinking correct?
“…”
As the door of the golden carriage opened and he stepped inside, Seong-hyeok couldn't hide his astonishment.
[Elado's Helm (★★★★★+)]
[Fragment of the Great Stone's Core (★★★★★+)]
[Tear of a High-Grade Wind Spirit (★★★★★+)]
…….
5-star+ grade equipment decorated the interior.
On top of that, as if by some magic, the inside of the golden carriage was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside.
Moreover, that vast space was filled to the brim with priceless items.
‘So this is why they say Golden Goblins are the best?’
Friendly relations or not, his mouth began to water.
And that feeling was bound to explode the moment he saw a certain creature.
[Golden Rock Queen Bee (★★★★★+)]
A single queen bee was elegantly consuming honey in a garden where various flowers bloomed.
At the sight of the 5-star+ grade queen, Seong-hyeok forgot the existence of all the other equipment around him and stared only at her.
* * * * *
Wiiiing~
A golden-colored medicinal herb bloomed on the queen bee's carapace, perhaps a special power awakened through evolution.
Waving the grass, which had a different feel from Dongchung-i's cordyceps, the golden queen buried her head in a flower.
Brrrrr---
The queen bee sucked nectar frantically, almost as if she were being devoured by the flower.
Perhaps she sensed Seong-hyeok's gaze as well?
With a curious expression, the queen pulled her head from the flower and turned to face Seong-hyeok.
[The Honeybee Guardian's class specialization, Beloved by Bees, is activated.]
[The Golden Rock Queen Bee (★★★★★+) shows you boundless favor.]
With that, the Honeybee Guardian's class specialization activated.
Due to the effect that raised affinity with bees to 100%, the queen bee, despite not being one of Seong-hyeok's subordinates, approached and rubbed her golden abdomen against him.
Through the natural contact, the options of the Golden Rock Queen Bee that appeared were truly astonishing.
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[Golden Rock Queen Bee (★★★★★+)]
※ Wings and Pollen Basket Organs have undergone one evolution.
※ Pollen Basket Organ Focused Evolution (Evolution Material - Golden Rock Pollen (★★★★-)) has been completed as a supplementary material.
※ Pheromone Enhancement Evolution (Evolution Material - Philosopher's Stone Powder (★★★★★)) has been completed as a supplementary material.
※ External Pheromone Evolution (Evolution Material - Philosopher's Stone (★★★★★+)) has been completed as a supplementary material.
* Has not yet found a home.
* Subordinates: 0
* Growth Rate: 0%
* Available Higher Species Eclosion Paths: Golden Rock Scented Poison Bee (★★★★-) -> 5.1%, Golden Rock Medicinal Herb Bee (★★★★-) -> 4%, Golden Rock Sage's Scented Herb Legion Commander Bee (★★★★) - Elite Bee -> 0.210%
* Egg-laying Speed: 2 per minute
* Hatching Speed: 14 hours
* Eclosion Process: 29 hours 15 minutes
* Skills: Egg Laying (Lv.8), Queen's Pheromone (Lv.15), Poison Sting (Lv.11), Flight (Lv.9), Queen's Pheromone - Golden Honey (Lv.8), Queen's Golden Pollen (Lv.7), Queen's Sage's Scented Herb Carapace (Lv.6)
…….
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The Golden Goblin's carriage was clearly quite wealthy just by looking at it.
Was it because of the abundance of various evolution materials?
The queen had completed not just one or two, but four stages of evolution.
Moreover, since the evolution materials invested were of considerable value, she had long since become a top-tier 5-star+ queen.
Naturally, the skills she possessed were not to be trifled with.
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[Queen's Pheromone - Golden Honey (Lv.8)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 800
* Effect (Active): For 80 minutes, adds a golden honey fragrance to the nectar and honey held by bees within a 50km radius. As the level increases, the fragrance becomes stronger.
[Queen's Golden Pollen (Lv.7)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 0
* Effect (Passive): Expels 8-16 Queen's Golden Pollen every hour.
* Description: An ability acquired by absorbing Golden Rock Pollen. As a queen who directly benefited from its consumption, the effect is further enhanced. She expels higher quality Golden Pollen. As the level increases, she can expel a larger amount, and the probability of a higher grade increases.
[Queen's Sage's Scented Herb Carapace (Lv.6)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 0
* Effect (Passive): Defense is greatly increased, and a Sage's Scented Herb grows every 7 days.
* Effect - Sage's Herb (Passive): When the Sage's Scented Herb has fully grown, all stats increase by 50%. This effect does not apply while the herb is growing.
* Description: By absorbing a Philosopher's Stone...
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Enhancing the performance of honey or obtaining special byproducts.
All three skills boasted effects that were like jewels to Seong-hyeok.
Well, since they were specialized in production, aside from the Sage's Scented Herb Carapace, they were far from combat-oriented, but that didn't matter much.
‘I have plenty of bees specialized for combat.’
There were already seven types of bees on Seong-hyeok's farm.
Their positions were already set according to their specialized abilities, such as reconnaissance, construction, and combat.
Besides, didn't Seong-hyeok have the Mad Researcher's Karma alongside his Honeybee Guardian class?
Whether it was Golden Pollen or Sage's Scented Herb, in Seong-hyeok's hands, they would be reborn as processed goods with outstanding efficacy.
In the end, it meant they would indirectly affect combat.
*Gulp.*
Seong-hyeok wasn't usually one to be overly greedy, but it was a different story when it came to bees.
A desire to purchase her, even if it cost a fortune.
Was it in response to Seong-hyeok's big-spender energy?
“Has that caught your eye, customer?”
A golden goblin appeared behind Seong-hyeok without a sound.
Unlike other goblins, he was dressed in a neat suit and didn't utter sounds like "kkik."
[Golden Goblin Lord Chesseur Level 74 (★★★★★+) - ???]
The master of the Giant Crescent Moon Golden Carriage and the current owner of the Golden Rock Queen Bee, the Golden Goblin Lord Chesseur.
The appearance of a goblin just one level lower than the Red Dragon.
* * * * *
In the world of survival of the fittest, level is both power and wisdom.
Moreover, since the goblin’s carriage was adorned with items more valuable than those in a secret auction house, there was no way lowballing him would work.
And above all, wasn't the product in question a 'queen bee'?
“I’ll pay 200 million coins.”
“…”
That's why he boldly offered 200 million coins.
The auction was coming up soon, but Seong-hyeok didn't care much.
Not only had he earned a considerable amount of coins from the dragon raid, but Seong-hyeok was confident.
The value of the Golden Rock Queen Bee.
With that combined with his skills, he was confident he could recover 200 million coins in no time.
Was it because Seong-hyeok's thoughts were conveyed to him?
Chesseur looked surprised.
With a goblin's characteristic mischievous expression, he opened his mouth.
“The humans I've met until now usually start with a low price and haggle their way up. As expected of the sucker… I mean, customer, acknowledged by Lord Machelti?”
The creature let out a laugh along with his deliberate slip of the tongue.
But Seong-hyeok had no intention of playing along with his games.
“Anyway, is the amount sufficient?”
The heart of a Honeybee Guardian, wanting to welcome the Golden Rock Queen Bee as soon as possible.
But the answer that came back was something even Seong-hyeok hadn't expected.
“No, in fact, it's far too much. Therefore, I will not accept any coins.”
“…What?”
“I'm saying I'll give her to you for free.”
It was a free queen.