Chapter 153
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Golden Pollen
-----------------------------------------------------------------
They say time flies when you’re having fun, don’t they?
Day turned to night, and the cycle of day and night repeated once more.
In the world before, no matter how much you loved what you were doing, you would have eventually collapsed from physical exhaustion. But things were different now.
It was an environment where anyone, regardless of age or gender, could become a superhuman simply by raising their stats.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok had long since become a top-tier superhuman among them.
Endurance: 4,370 (+1,898)
A high level was a given.
Then there was the rich synergy from countless types of elixirs he could produce himself and his job specialization, Honeybee Product Aficionado.
Among them, royal jelly, which was particularly effective for ‘Endurance,’ was the main ingredient, so he had reached a point where he could go a whole week without sleep and still feel perfectly fine.
Bzzzz~
Buzzzzzz~
On top of that, his healing-maker honeybees would dance before his eyes or rub against his body whenever they had a spare moment.
How could he possibly get tired when they were constantly boosting his spirits?
“If this isn't heaven, where is?”
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
He had even reached level 62 while steadily gaining experience.
Just as herbivores eat grass and carnivores eat meat, it was the natural order of things for a beekeeper to grow by eating honey.
Caught in this happy cycle, Seong-hyeok wished he could just be a beekeeper forever, but as they say, every beginning has an end.
High stats and skill levels.
And an overflowing concentration from doing something he enjoyed.
The honey production of his bees, now numbering well over twenty million thanks to the system established by eight queens and three princesses, was immense, but Seong-hyeok’s honey holism had surpassed even that.
“*Slurp*. Well, I won’t have to worry about the Exchange or the Auction House for a while.”
He had even managed to clear out all the honey that had been piling up in the warehouse due to his frequent outings.
Was it inevitable to feel a sense of longing even after having done more than enough?
The end of a task he wanted to do more of.
But that didn't mean Seong-hyeok had run out of things to do.
“Now that the beekeeping work is done, I need to get on with leveling up.”
While protecting the honeybees was his greatest purpose, Seong-hyeok was also the master of the beekeeping farm.
He was now in a position where he bore the lives of nearly 10,000 residents on his shoulders.
It went without saying that if the residents became stronger, the survival rate of the honeybees would also increase, so it was by no means a bad thing.
Although Seong-hyeok currently possessed more than enough power, he never allowed himself to become complacent.
‘The moment you stagnate is the most dangerous.’
Even if he achieved steep growth with each passing day, that was only based on the standards of the ‘present.’
If possible, Seong-hyeok was eager to accelerate his pace even further.
After all, hadn't that been the case with the Red Dragon he had barely managed to subjugate?
Thinking back now, it was an achievement made possible by the wax walls and the sacrifice of a considerable number of honeybees and rankers from all over the world.
However, he must not forget that the dragon that appeared back then was in a decidedly ‘weakened’ state.
What if an individual capable of using 100% of its full power were to appear?
And what if it wasn't just one, but two?
What if they appeared in even greater numbers?
‘Just thinking about it is horrifying.’
In truth, cooperation wasn't exclusive to humans and honeybees.
Depending on their intentions, those with aligned interests could very well form groups and appear together.
One might think it was paranoia, but unfortunately for Seong-hyeok, such an event was highly likely to occur.
* Effect - ???'s Recognition (Passive): You are recognized by beings of ???-grade.
* Effect - Dragon Slayer (Passive): You become hostile to dragons.
The two hidden pieces, ???'s Killer and Dragon Slayer, were obtained upon successfully hunting the Red Dragon Porleirn.
If these two effects created a proper synergy, it wouldn't be a problem for hostile dragons to find Seong-hyeok.
“I can’t rule it out.”
No, speaking as someone who had experienced this crazy world so far, this problem had a high probability of happening.
To be honest, it was quite unfair from Seong-hyeok’s perspective.
All he wanted was to live a long and happy life with his beloved honeybees and his beekeeping.
Wasn't it the dragon who threw the first punch?
“The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off.”
In the first place, it was the dragons who tried to annihilate all of humanity just because a hatchling died.
Naturally, Seong-hyeok was included in that ‘humanity.’
He had simply chosen the path of a slayer in a situation where if he killed the dragon, he’d become their target, and if he didn't, he’d die a dog's death.
And now he was a marked man?
Well, perhaps it was for the best.
Seong-hyeok personally didn't have a very good impression of the Red Dragon that had killed a fair number of his honeybees.
For that reason alone, rapid growth was necessary.
Fortunately for Seong-hyeok in this situation, there were quite a few paths to power-leveling.
“...So you’re thinking of summoning it again this time?”
“Yeah. That’s the plan.”
“If it is something you are doing, you must have your reasons.”
“The path our friend takes is also for the sake of the Holy Elves, so we shall follow.”
The cooldown that returned with the passage of time.
Among them, what Seong-hyeok intended to try was none other than the Monster Gate.
The creation of a power-leveling hunting ground, which he had previously conquered by forming a labyrinth with wax walls.
Since he already had a record of clearing it once without any sacrifices, there was no reason to hesitate in summoning it.
However, he couldn't do it the same way as before.
* Effect - Gate Reinforcement (Passive): The level and respawn rate of monsters that appear are enhanced according to the power and number of Disaster-class boss monsters existing near the summoned Monster Gate.
Unlike the first time, not only the three types of elves but also the Blue Antler Tribe and the Venus Flytraps had been added.
Moreover, through various raids and the expedition to China, as well as various elixirs and high-quality meals, they had all grown considerably alongside Seong-hyeok.
It was only natural that the enemies emerging from the Monster Gate would be incomparable to the Mud Giants from before.
“Don’t get complacent just because there were no sacrifices last time. This time, something stronger than us could pop out.”
“Don’t worry, I’m well aware of that part.”
But perhaps because of that?
Seong-hyeok was actually quite satisfied.
‘Better lumps of experience will come out.’
High risk, high return.
Strong monsters would become Santa Clauses, dropping high-quality experience and loot.
Besides, just as the Monster Gate had grown stronger, Seong-hyeok hadn't been idle either.
The increased number of residents and their considerable growth, just like the honeybees, meant that the difficulty of overcoming the Monster Gate had effectively decreased.
“Alright then, I’m counting on you guys again.”
Buzzzzz!
Bzzzz~
All that was left now was for our honey-making crew, the Geonchug-i, to get to work on the additional construction of new wax walls.
* * * * *
The wax castle, originally built for the first Monster Gate hunting ground.
One might think that investing wax and propolis into layered wax walls for a one-time hunting ground was a waste, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
“Whatever it is, safety comes first.”
The number of honeybees was naturally increasing.
As long as he had the bees that could produce wax themselves, there was no reason to feel heartbroken over the current consumption.
Given enough time, he would get back as much as he used.
No, he would get back more than double.
Besides, just because the wax castle's purpose was a hunting ground didn't mean it would be used as such until the end.
“The more castles there are, the easier it will be to accept residents.”
Starting with five people, then 600, and now boasting a population of 10,000, the beekeeping farm had grown significantly.
Although it had become a space shared by a great many, Seong-hyeok didn't think this was the end.
The farm's territory was still continuously expanding.
In a way, it was a matter of course.
An increase in the number of honeybees meant a greater need for flowers.
It was only logical that more land was needed to find those flowers.
That meant he would need to accept more residents in the future, and that's when the wax castles would come in handy.
“There’s no better living space than this.”
If he was going to build it anyway, he might as well maximize its efficiency, right?
Use it for the Monster Gate, and then repurpose it as a living space.
Of course, the Imperial Topaz honeybees, specialized in construction, would have to work quite hard in the process, but there was no way Seong-hyeok wouldn't know that.
“Shall I show off my skills a bit?”
It bears repeating, but Seong-hyeok wasn't that heartless of a person.
Especially when it came to his ever-diligent honeybees, he wouldn't hesitate to invest a fortune.
That's why he often made nutritional supplements for the bees whenever he had time, but even among supplements, there were different grades.
Just as his honey-making crew was striving for the beekeeping farm, Seong-hyeok had prepared a reward of his own.
[Great Success in crafting Honeybee Nutritional Supplement! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved on the supplement.]
[Great Success in crafting Honeybee Nutritional Supplement! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved on the supplement.]
[Great Success in crafting Honeybee Nutritional Supplement! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved on the supplement.]
…….
______________________________
[Guardian's Special Golden Pollen Nutritional Meal (★★★★)]
* Classification: Consumable, Ingredient
* Upon consumption, all stats increase by 10 and movement speed increases by 100% for 30 minutes. (30-minute cooldown).
* Effect - Wealth of the Golden Pollen (Passive): Upon consuming Golden Pollen 10 times, regardless of grade or type, you acquire the Authority Specialization 'Wealth of the Golden Pollen.'
※ Aura of Golden Pollen: The amount of coins acquired increases by an additional 1%.
※ A Nutritional Meal for Honeybees Only: If the consumer is a honeybee, the applied effects are doubled.
* Description: A ★★★★-grade nutritional meal filled with the creator's affection. It is packed with honey and royal jelly, and the addition of Golden Pollen gives it a special aura of wealth.
______________________________
It was a nutritional meal created by adding one of the newly obtained byproducts, Golden Pollen.
Until now, he had only used honey and royal jelly due to the small supply of Golden Pollen, but things were different now.
Thanks to the hard work of the Golden Rock Queen Bee, hundreds of thousands of Golden Rock honeybees had been born, leading to a supply situation that was far more plentiful than the demand.
The nutritional meal, made with this extra boost, mercilessly stimulated the sense of smell of the nearby honeybees.
Bzzzz~
Buzzz-buzzz-buzzz-!!!
The Ruby Gem, Peridot, and other honeybees rushed over frantically, thinking it was for them.
“Hey! No, this is for Geonchug-i and the Imperial Topaz honeybees. I’ll make yours in a little bit.”
But alas, this nutritional meal already had an owner.
Buzzzzzzz…….
Whether it was because they were disappointed by Seong-hyeok's words, they drooped their rears and flew away listlessly, a pitiful sight to behold, but it couldn't be helped.
There was an order to eating, too.
All the honeybees were working, but the difficulty of endlessly constructing the walls was much higher.
“Alright, kids. Time to eat.”
Bzz!
Buzzzzzzz-!!!
But does hard work whet the appetite even more?
The moment they finished their work, the Imperial Topaz honeybees charged towards the nutritional supplement with a combative glint in their eyes.
Among them, Geonchug-i, who used both its head and its body, had an appetite that was now no less than Deundeun-i's.
“You eat so heartily.”
It was a sight that could make one feel full just by watching.
But it wasn't just a visual satisfaction.
[Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Honeybee (★★★★+) - Elite Honeybee has consumed Golden Pollen 1 time.]
[Imperial Topaz Silkworm Honeybee (★★★★-) has consumed Golden Pollen 1 time.]
[Imperial Topaz Worker Bee (★★★-) has consumed Golden Pollen 1 time.]
…….
“What's this? It applies to each bee individually?”
He had wondered, even as he added the Golden Pollen, if they could acquire the Authority Specialization.
Now that he knew it was possible for every single honeybee to acquire it, it was plain as day what Seong-hyeok would do next.
“Looks like I’ll be able to keep my promise about the supplements very soon.”
It was a sign of the nutritional meals that would be given out much more frequently in the future.
Bzzzz~
Buzzzzzz~
Whether they knew it or not, the honeybees simply buried their heads in the nutritional meal, their butts wiggling and shaking with delight.