Chapter 152
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Synergy of the Farm
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The addition of numerous Predatory Venus Flytraps, which began to take root and grow throughout the farm.
Wasn't it said that the addition of a single species brings more than just one benefit?
Those who awakened new abilities due to their addition were neither the Disaster-class monster Elves nor the Blue Antler Tribe.
“See? It's always better to have a lot of species.”
The Digs, who were considered successful field boss monsters out in the world, were ranked among the lowest of the forest species.
Of course, even so, they helped discover natural subterranean vegetation and assisted with farming.
They had a significant impact on the Giant Worms and the bee farm, but now their influence has expanded even further.
“Jjiiik—!!!”
A roar from Dig King Mole, unbelievable for his small frame.
What followed was an earthquake.
No, to be precise, it was thousands of Digs.
“Jjik! Jjijijik!”
“Jjik! Jjijijik!”
“Jjiiik!”
A result achieved by living and thriving in the bountiful bee farm.
The Dig tribe had succeeded in breeding in large numbers.
As mentioned before, they...
...got along splendidly with the Venus flytraps.
How was that possible?
The answer is simple.
“Jjiiik!!!”
At Mole's command, the swarm of Digs began to move, digging into the ground one by one.
The soil, softened by their front paws, provided significant advantages not only for crops but also for the sprouting of Venus flytrap seeds.
Was that all?
Perhaps due to their Disaster-class monster status, the Venus flytraps, like Kajax, could lift their roots and move on the surface.
However, their speed was quite slow compared to Kajax, and it was the Digs who solved this problem.
*Papat-*
*Papatpat-!*
The Digs that went ahead leveled the ground,
“Kyaaak! Kyaak!”
“Kirik! Kiriririk!”
followed by the Predatory Venus Flytraps moving at high speed with the Digs trailing behind them.
Just think about it.
What would happen if motor-like speed were added to the Venus flytraps, which boasted vicious, serrated teeth?
*Chomp! Chooomp!*
The Venus flytraps opened their maws wide at any monster they passed, literally enjoying a feast.
After they had enjoyed their grand banquet, it was the turn of the bees, the heart of the bee farm.
*Wiggle-*
*Slither-!*
Based on the nutrients they consumed and the energy of the World Tree, the Venus flytraps began to extend their flower stalks and bloom.
Even if they enjoyed eating meat, a plant was still a plant.
Unlike their vicious leaves, simple flowers bloomed, and the bees, their eyes gleaming, rushed toward the new source of food.
*Bzzzz~*
*Bzzzzzzzz~*
[Peridot Azure Poison Legion Commander Bee (★★★★+) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 63.236%]
[Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★★-) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 73.245%]
[Imperial Topaz Worker Bee (★★★-) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 59.4%]
…….
Amidst the all-out assault from the bees, whose gluttony was second to none, the honey status of the hives filled up rapidly.
The unique honey from the newly added Venus flytraps would be born as eight different types of special honey within the numerous hives.
“This is very satisfying.”
Dealing with monsters and providing honey.
Furthermore, in a situation where even the withered leaves of the Venus flytraps had potential for crafting,
“It's a complete pass.”
And so, the newly joined Venus flytraps were awarded Seong-hyeok's seal of approval.
* * * * *
The World Tree and the Wild Beehive.
______________________________
[Treasure Hunter]
* Classification: Special Situation
* Scope: Possessor of a Treasure
* Effect: You become a target for all players and monsters seeking the Treasure.
* Effect - Treasure Guardian (Passive): All stats +10% per Treasure owned.
______________________________
And then there were the effects of Treasure Hunter, one of the Hidden Pieces Seong-hyeok had acquired.
It caused powerful monsters to appear nearby and designated him as a target.
Because of this, the bee farm had to engage in battles on a completely different level than the outside world, but as always...
...hadn't they said that one eventually adapts to a repeated routine?
“Kieeeek!”
“Gguwoook!”
The valuable equipment and the elixirs of honey provided at every meal were bound to be the driving force that strengthened the players, even in this harsh environment.
“Another full house of elite monsters today.”
“Time to sweetly suck up some experience points.”
At first, they were objects of fear, but now they were nothing more than bundles of loot that offered even more experience points.
For the residents who grew stronger by the day, the appearance of monsters was actually a welcome sight.
Moreover, the strength of the bee farm wasn't limited to just its residents.
*Bzzzz~*
*Bzzzzzzzz~*
The support of the bees, the farm's mascots.
The physical assault of the bees, clad in full armor and flying like bullets, was truly astonishing!
Well, that's not to say the monsters just foolishly took the hits.
*Wriggle- Wriggle-!*
[Field Boss Monster 'Ultimate Slime Willing Lv. 46 (★★★★★+)' and its clones appear.]
[Decomposition Slime Lv. 38 (★★★★★)] - Elite Monster
[Ironclad Slime Lv. 37 (★★★★★)] - Elite Monster
…….
Field boss-level monsters now appeared two or three times a day as a matter of course.
It swelled its body, intending to swallow the bees and residents, but hadn't I said it before?
That they appear 'two or three times a day.'
*Bzzzzzz---!!!*
*Buzzzzz!*
A rough harmony created by the beating of the bees' wings.
At that signal, the residents moved in perfect unison, while the newly spawned slime knew nothing.
However, it wasn't long before Willing and the other slimes realized what that 'signal' meant.
*Shwooooo---*
*Kwaaaaang-!!!*
An interception by the all-natural biochemical weapons from the wax turrets, which tore through the air at high speed.
Most of the elite monsters died without even a chance to resist, but perhaps because it was a field boss monster after all?
*Creep, creep!*
The creature tried to reassemble its shattered body and counterattack.
But alas, the wax turrets were not the only thing the bee farm had prepared.
*Rumble—*
After the aerial bombardment came a fissure in the ground.
Within the fissure, which opened like the maw of hell, well over several hundred Digs were hard at work, tearing up the earth,
“Kyaaaaaak!”
And below them, the Predatory Venus Flytrap Kajax and numerous other Venus flytraps, which could truly be described as 'maws', were menacingly snapping their serrated teeth.
Willing struggled to keep from falling, but the bees and residents were not about to wait patiently.
“All-out attack!”
“Push them without overdoing it! Just make them fall!”
“Let's go!”
Underground and on the surface.
And even in the air.
From the monster's perspective, it was a truly infuriating ganging-up strategy.
The moment it plummeted underground amidst the relentless assault was practically the end.
*Chomp! Chomp!*
“Guuurg-!”
Such was the fate of a field boss monster, reduced to an ordinary meal.
* * * * *
While the combat-oriented residents and the bees were busy fighting.
The course of action for Seong-hyeok, the owner of the bee farm, was all but set in stone.
[Gathering Great Success!]
[The Authority of a Bountiful Mind is activated.]
[The Sap of the World Tree influences the aging process.]
[The Soil of the World Tree influences the aging process.]
[The Honey Scent of the Predatory Venus Flytrap Kajax influences the aging process.]
[You have obtained 25 Ruby Gem Predatory Venus Flytrap Honey (★★★).]
[You have obtained 33 Imperial Topaz World Tree Honey (★★★).]
…….
What else is there for a beekeeper to do but beekeeping?
The honey situation now boasted a faster turnover rate, proportional to the increased number of bees.
“...Sigh, Seong-hyeok is really something else. Don't you think, Greendale?”
“That is why he is my companion.”
It was a given for ordinary people.
Even Kang Yeon-ah, the durable elite porter, and Greendale, the Poison High Elf, acknowledged his monstrous stamina.
However, once Seong-hyeok got into his work mode, stopping him was nearly impossible.
[Gathering Great Success!]
[Gathering Great Success!]
[Gathering Great Success!]
…….
Seong-hyeok's work pace, pulling long hours without a moment's rest.
Normally, by this point, anyone following Seong-hyeok would be exhausted, but hadn't they said that one grows with time?
“I won't lose! I'm an energizer now too!”
As one of the original members, Kang Yeon-ah was among the residents who had benefited most from the elixirs.
As her level rose, she acquired various weight-related and other skills, and now, able to control up to ten versatile hands, her work speed was unmatched on the farm by anyone except Seong-hyeok and Yeon Su-hee.
And when it came to work, Greendale couldn't be left out either.
[Gathering Great Success!]
While she couldn't harvest the contents of the hives as quickly as Seong-hyeok, she was the only other one skilled enough to achieve a 'Great Success' in hive gathering.
In any case, was it because these people stuck close to him and worked?
As expected of such skilled individuals, the work proceeded smoothly.
As a result, after finishing the harvest from all the hives on the farm, Seong-hyeok immediately began crafting.
“The fruits were specialized for defense. The honey was for offense.”
Just as one would make honey-preserved ginseng with ginseng, or honeyed deer antlers with deer antlers.
There was no reason to leave the single and mixed ingredients obtainable from Kajax and the Predatory Venus Flytraps untouched.
Of course, just because his expectations were high didn't mean the results immediately welcomed him.
[Crafting Great Failure! The combination is unsuitable. Materials will be destroyed.]
[Crafting Great Failure! The ratio is incorrect. Materials will be destroyed.]
[Crafting Great Failure! The method is wrong. Materials will be...]
Notifications of great failure popped up for all sorts of reasons.
No matter how much he had, wasting the precious honey the bees had gathered was not a pleasant experience, even for Seong-hyeok.
But perhaps that was why?
“I'll make it work, no matter what.”
He had already experienced numerous failures in his crafting endeavors so far.
To make up for the futility of the materials lost so far, finding the perfect combination and ratio...
...and discovering the method, was the true virtue of a mad researcher. No, a guardian who cherishes his bees.
Was it that Seong-hyeok's effort and tenacity were finally paying off?
[Honey Tea Crafting Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved on the Honey Tea.]
[Honey Soap Crafting Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved on the Honey Soap.]
[Honey Mead Crafting Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved on the Honey Mead.]
…….
Once one success popped up, news of great successes for his crafted items came one after another.
Just as the World Tree Honey had played a major role, the processed goods from the Venus flytrap honey would also exert a huge influence, not only on the bee farm but also in the exchange and auction house, stamped with a premium.
*Bzzzzing~*
*Bzzzz-*
Just like the saying that joy shared is joy doubled.
The tiny bees celebrated Seong-hyeok's crafting success with him, wiggling their devilishly charming butts.
Moreover, the bees didn't just bring joy with their fancy words and actions.
[The honey status of the Guardian's Extra-Large Dragonian World Tree Auto-Extractor Hive (★★★★★-) has reached 81.2%.]
[Honey is ready for harvest!]
As if determined not to lose to Seong-hyeok's work speed.
The adorable bees had refilled the honey so soon after it was harvested.
With the new honey supply from the Venus flytrap flowers,
this was the result of filling the hives with abundant honey from them and the World Tree.
“This is a complete Möbius strip, isn't it?”
As the flowers became more diverse and numerous, it was now literally an endlessly repeating cycle.
A mountain of work might tire out even a workaholic, but who was Seong-hyeok?
“Haha. You cute little things. To think you'd prepare such a gift for your daddy. I'm touched.”
He lived and died for his bees.
A being who walked the single path of the honeybee.
Is it any wonder they say, 'like master, like bee'?
“This is paradise. Yep.”
“...You're truly amazing. Really.”
“I find the sight of my companion always working with such sincerity to be admirable.”
“...”
*Bzzzz~*
*Bzz-bzz-bzz~*
The beekeeper and his bees, faithfully carrying out their given tasks, regardless of what anyone else said.
And Greendale, who was thoroughly blinded by love.