Chapter 148
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Auction House Whale
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Chapter 148
#4. Chapter Update.
Compared to the previous updates for Chapters 1 through 3, the only new addition was the expansion of the server from a regional to a global scale. However, what unfolded within it was nothing short of legendary.
The worldwide fame of processed honey products and the adorable charm unique to the honeybees.
And even Honeybee’s frugal spending habits at the first integrated server auction.
But in truth, beyond all of that, the greatest impact came from Honeybee’s sheer power.
The subjugation of the Red Dragon, which had appeared and reduced countless people to ashes, destroying Russia.
Just think about it.
What would have happened if that beast had appeared before the world was integrated?
“We were lucky.”
It was an event that would have undoubtedly annihilated not only Russia but several surrounding European nations as well.
Besides, to be frank, no matter how strong Seong-hyeok had become through the Honey Aficionado title, a one-on-one confrontation with the Red Dragon would have been absolutely impossible.
Though their presence was minuscule compared to his own, the contributions of the rankers from all over the world who had gathered, risking their lives, could not be ignored.
*Bzzzz—*
*Buzzzzzzzzz—!*
“Yes, of course, you guys are the best.”
But if asked whether the rankers were better than the honeybees, the answer would be a resounding no, a hundred, a thousand times over.
The bees possessed an unrivaled power of their own.
From Geonchug-i of the Honey-Mille tribe, who constructed hundreds of wax walls in less than a day, to Ssing-ssing-i and the other scout bees who gave their lives to warn of the threat.
Like the saying goes, good things come in small packages.
In terms of size, they were far smaller than not just a dragon, but even a human.
*Bzz—*
*Buzzz buzzz—*
At Seong-hyeok’s simple words of praise, the honeybees, for some reason, were overjoyed, dancing excitedly and rubbing against him.
Providing the honey necessary for human survival and cultivating nature.
And finally, their killer cuteness.
How could one not love creatures that possessed everything?
“You adorable things.”
Even after being captivated by honeybees for twenty-four years, their abundant charm managed to pull him in all over again.
“…Dad will protect you.”
A swarm of bees where hundreds of thousands were born each day.
Yet, that never diminished the value of any single bee.
As the saying goes, every child is dear to a parent.
Each and every one of them was as precious to Seong-hyeok as his own children.
And so, Seong-hyeok steeled his resolve.
Coins Possessed: 447,100,000
This included the 440 million coins he had earned from the Red Dragon raid, the Disaster-class raid in China, and various quests. Not only that…
[You have listed 'Guardian's Highly Concentrated Eight-Color Chito Bee Venom Honey Tea (★★★★★-)' on the auction house with a starting bid of 500,000 coins.]
[You have listed 'Guardian's Highly Concentrated Lilyzer Bee Venom Strawberry Cosmetic (★★★★★)' on the auction house with a starting bid of 1,000,000 coins.]
[You have listed 'Guardian's Highly Concentrated Lilyzer Bee Venom Strawberry Cosmetic (★★★★★)' on the auction house with a starting bid of 1,000,000 coins.]
[Due to the 'Dignity of a Big Shot' effect, you are exempt from the auction house listing fee.]
…
The honey-strawberries obtained thanks to the Garnet Gem honeybees.
And on top of that, countless processed goods were created by combining the highly concentrated honey from the Honey-Mille tribe’s brilliant Honey Liquid Extractor with Seong-hyeok's Mad Researcher Karma.
“Alright, shall we let it all pour out?”
To earn like a bee and spend like a whale—that was the true path of the Honey-Flexer.
[The 2nd Integrated Server Auction has begun.]
As always.
Seong-hyeok, once again.
Began preparing to build the momentum for the bee farm’s next leap forward.
* * * * *
With the opening of the auction house, one existence became the hot topic.
Needless to say, it was Honeybee.
(Honeybee! I have to see Honeybee’s listings!)
The informant and hype man, Jeongrichung, had already whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
Was it thanks to his efforts?
Upon entering, people from all over the world began flocking to Honeybee’s section, even before checking the items listed by the Transcendent Beings.
【Japan/Ninnin: Wow… Honeybee is the real deal. Look at the items he’s posting and how fast people are gathering.】
【Pakistan/Gwarousa: The public info was true!】
【Germany/Moskito: Damn it. It’s going to be another fierce competition.】
【Korea/AttentionSeeker NO.556: If you want it, you have to fight for it.】
The Golden Pollen Pot, which granted a mere 1% bonus coin acquisition but would yield massive profits in the future, was a given.
His products offered a way to gain permanent stat bonuses outside of leveling up and items, and they came with default options appealing to all, such as boosts to stamina and skin beauty!
And was that all?
The uses were countless.
For some, the processed honey goods were a water of life.
For others, the various bee-made elixirs could be the stepping stone to attempting a raid!
【France/Gentleman's Sword: My funds are limited, but there’s so much I want…】
【USA/Wilson: Seriously, there’s not a single bad item in the lineup.】
【Korea/FastFeet: That’s the charm of Honeybee.】
He desperately wanted to have them all, but as they say, everyone recognizes a good thing when they see it.
Thanks to the gathering of people from all over the world, a bustling crowd of countless competitors had already formed.
Watching the scene with a pleased smile was one individual.
‘Not bad.’
In a private room granted only to Penta-tier VIPs, a single, giant honeybee was observing the situation.
It was none other than Seong-hyeok, the very mastermind who had orchestrated this state of affairs.
‘I’ve thought this before, but I really like this avatar.’
It was as if he had become one with the bee.
The honeybee form was deeply satisfying to Seong-hyeok.
Its size was a bit of a drawback, but perhaps because he was used to the sight of Teunteun-i and Deundeun-i, the two giants of the bee farm, it didn't feel too out of place.
From his perspective, the bee's image felt just about right.
The thought of his bees rubbing against him made him want to rush back to the farm, but Seong-hyeok forced himself to shake his head.
【Korea/Honeybee: Sorry to my bees, but I need to focus for a little while.】
He had been through several auctions before, but this one was exceptionally special for Seong-hyeok.
The very first integrated server auction had been a shot in the dark, with no proper information.
But things were different now.
The United States and the European Union.
The other countries in the Americas.
He had established a degree of camaraderie and cooperation with the rankers from those regions through the dragon raid and the festival.
‘There are no absolute allies, but no enemies either.’
In the first place, Seong-hyeok was perfectly content just taking care of his residents and his bees.
Moreover, thanks to his overwhelming power and having imprinted the necessity of his processed honey goods on everyone, there would hardly be anyone who would dare to openly declare war on him as China had, though they might feel jealous.
If that was the case, then what came next was simple, wasn't it?
‘Shall I stick a straw in and take a sweet sip?’
Unlike the altruistic bees, Seong-hyeok was, undeniably, human.
‘For the bees.’
As an egoist dedicated solely to his bees, Seong-hyeok would not be satisfied with just one or two people; he would stick a straw into the back of everyone he could.
Even if it was hundreds of millions.
No, even if it was every single person on Earth.
* * * * *
[Bidding at the auction house has begun.]
The official start of the auction now felt familiar.
Naturally, the one to kick things off was none other than the entity exuding a sweet aroma.
[Player Korea/Honeybee has won the bid for ‘Enhanced Potion of Luck (★★★★+)’ for 150,000 coins.]
Clad in his plump honeybee avatar, Honeybee spread his wings, declaring that this was his stage.
【Pakistan/CarrotWithHiddenPower: He paid 150,000 for that. What a waste of money.】
【Thailand/Cocoon: It’s not a bad deal if you’re confident you can profit from it. I don’t know his class, but it has to be a production class with crafting, right?】
【USA/MemoryMaster: Whoa. Right. That guy isn't a combat class, he's a production class. I totally forgot about that.】
【USA/LuckyRobert: You should live up to your name. How could you forget that? Well, I guess I can’t blame you.】
The players’ banter kicked off with the first bid.
After all, for the players, the auction house was a time to relax.
Those with enough capital would bid on items they desired, while those without could at least window-shop, looking at the options of unattainable treasures.
There was still plenty of time until the auction ended, and with items listed from all over the world, the supply and stock were sufficient, guaranteeing a certain level of leisure.
But that was underestimating Honeybee.
Seong-hyeok had waited and prepared even more thoroughly than he had for the first integrated server auction.
What followed was, quite literally, the unstoppable rampage of a shopaholic honeybee.
[Player Korea/Honeybee has won the bid for ‘Rakari's Banana Sole (★★★★+)’ for 395,000 coins.]
[Player Korea/Honeybee has won the bid for ‘Miraculous Flower Nutrient (★★★+)’ for 80,000 coins.]
[Player Korea/Honeybee has won the bid for ‘Farming God's Cucumber Pack (★★★★-)’ for 130,000 coins.]
…
(…?)
It was a symphony of notifications that could only be described as the rampage of a whale of a honeybee.
No matter how much other players bid, Honeybee’s financial firepower simply crushed them.
Was this the tyranny of a corporate giant?
Through his Penta-tier VIP privileges, Honeybee could check item information and place bids faster than any other player.
Meanwhile, the players watching this incredible purchasing power and the 'Honeybee' notifications flooding the auction house square couldn't close their gaping mouths.
【USA/Smith: This is ridiculous… This bee gets more insane every time!】
【UK/Eclipse: LOL, this is epic. Where did he get so much money? Was the dragon raid that profitable?】
【Korea/BlazingNoodles: I wonder what his total assets are.】
【Korea/AttentionSeeker NO.1: Jeongrichung-nim, can you even write all this down? Should we Attention Seekers give you a hand?】
【Korea/Jeongrichung: Ha, haha. I appreciate the offer, but I can manage without help. I’ll post the compiled list of Honeybee-nim’s purchases as soon as it’s complete!】
From the Asian server auctions to the integrated server ones.
Everyone knew Honeybee was a renowned whale, but his impulse buys grew more divine with each passing auction.
For a moment, they wondered just how many coins he possessed and how long this bidding storm would last.
It was unfortunate for anyone planning to bid, but the storm was bound to continue for much longer.
Why, you ask?
Wasn't it obvious?
Not only did he start with a comfortable fund of nearly 450 million coins, but…
[Your auction listing 'Guardian's Highly Concentrated Eight-Color Chito Bee Venom Honey Tea (★★★★★-)' has been sold for 1,050,000 coins. -> Winner - Japan/Euri]
[Your auction listing 'Guardian's Highly Concentrated Lilyzer Bee Venom Strawberry Cosmetic (★★★★★)' has been sold for 2,830,000 coins. -> Winner - Korea/PlentyOfFruit]
[After deducting a 10% fee…]
Seong-hyeok's listed items had become the center of attention at the auction.
A symphony of sales perfectly complemented his buying spree.
Seong-hyeok's showtime unfolded in an atmosphere that felt less like an auction and more like a massive bartering exchange.
And this was merely the prelude.