Chapter 179
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: A Sweet Cure
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Seong-hyeok's bee rental business, chosen to control the overflowing bee population at the apiary.
While it also served the dual purpose of contributing to Earth's environmental recovery, the changes it brought were anything but small.
*Bzzzz~*
*Buzzzzzzz~*
Starting from places with somewhat supportive environments like forests, jungles, and grasslands, all the way to the cities.
And further still, the astonishing vitality and determination of the bees, who continued their pollination activities even in the desert and Antarctica.
They simply repeated the act of pollination, carrying pollen and making flowers bloom.
Of course, for ordinary bees, such a feat would be impossible.
Not just the desert with its extreme temperature fluctuations, but even Antarctica, which boasted consistently low temperatures.
An environment where bees, particularly sensitive to temperature like many other creatures, could never survive.
But were these ordinary bees?
They were the familiars of Honeybee, who had become a celebrity not just on Earth but even among the Transcendent Beings.
The benefits stemming from this were numerous.
[The authority of the Honeybee Guardian grows stronger...]
Every time Seong-hyeok's stats increased, the bees enjoyed additional effects like increased attack or defense, or the acquisition of new skills.
And was that all?
[Jer's Flame dispels the cold.]
[The heat of the Dragon Heart makes one forget the heat and cold.]
[Mana Mud...]
The various nourishing foods he had consumed while overcoming countless hardships.
They had affected not only Seong-hyeok, the consumer, but also his bees, and this was the result.
*Buzzzzz~*
*Buzzzzz~*
Slowly but surely.
A vast number of bees simultaneously pollinating, traveling to and from the desert and Antarctica.
The pollen they carried met, formed seeds, settled into the earth, and blossomed into flowers.
It was truly the dawning of an age of bees and flowers.
A bounty in the desert and Antarctica, pioneered by the diligent efforts of the bees.
* * * * *
The abundance of nature, which provided the best conditions for life to thrive, was welcomed by most.
But as they say, it's a wide world, and not everyone thinks alike.
It wasn't just the lack of bloodshed.
There was someone who looked upon the bees' continuous growth with displeasure.
[The Transcendent Being, Vile Gourmet A'al, complains that he wants to stop hearing the damned sound of those wings flapping.]
It was A'al, who felt nauseated by peaceful situations.
A Transcendent Being who once sought to enjoy the amusement of drenching the world in blood using the Chinese Emperor as his incarnation.
But A'al's plans were brutally shattered by Honeybee, and what followed is what we see now.
Instead of proper destruction or war, there was only the peaceful reconstruction of nature.
In a word, it was an amusement with not even a speck of fun.
Well, just as different people pursue different things, it wasn't as if there were no Transcendent Beings who opposed A'al's remarks.
[The Transcendent Being, Insect Queen Nineto, scoffs that he is living up to his vile name.]
[The Transcendent Being, Goddess of Abundance Prepion, warns him not to even think about messing with things, as they are just right.]
[The Transcendent Being, Archangel Seriel, shakes her head at the pathetic display.]
Among the Transcendent Beings, there were those who found their amusement not in bloodshed, but in cultivating nature's bounty and watching the cute bees.
A considerable number opposed him, telling him not to even dream of spouting such nonsense, but sadly, it was a distant hope.
[The Transcendent Being, Demon King Glock, scolds his Pets, saying this isn't the script he wanted.]
[The Transcendent Being, Hand of Exploitation Kirin, glares, saying he wants to feel the pleasure of wringing out both men and women.]
[The Transcendent Being, Origin of Plague Twitch, suggests they play together, saying he has a fun idea.]
The support of the vast majority of Transcendent Beings, who fanatically could not stand boredom.
This wasn't just one or two; when over 90% of all Transcendent Beings raised their hands, the story changed.
- I knew our dear Transcendent Beings liked to play rough!
- I can do well enough on my own, but with the support and power of the Transcendent Beings, I will reward you even more spectacularly!
- You have a desired direction and strategy? I, Prelgle, will lend a hand!
- Don't help those brats; invest in the sure thing, Chireiagle.
For the Pets who ran a kind of channel, the number of Transcendent Beings was power and a shortcut to rapidly raising their status.
90% and 10%.
There was no need to even weigh which of the two factions it would be more profitable to side with.
- Then everyone, please gather your strength for the plan of the Origin of Plague, Twitch-nim!
- Hahaha, the Transcendent Beings' frenzied party is finally about to begin!
- Since it's come to this, I'll have to gather status through video editing.
The harsh reality was that over 99% of the Pets had sided with the majority.
[The Transcendent Being, Vile Gourmet A'al, licks his lips, imagining the scene that will unfold.]
[The Transcendent Being, Archangel Seriel, sighs with a weary expression, as if to say she's done with it all.]
[The Transcendent Being, Insect Queen Nineto, narrows her compound eyes.]
An amusement that had gone on for far too long.
As a result, they could only pray that the bees would fare well in this current reality, where only the sensational held any appeal.
* * * * *
Just as the term "lonely death" exists.
Most people need a certain amount of attention to get by.
People used their spare time after hunts to visit the community forums.
【Korea/Attention Seeker NO.1,002: Another day, another post.】
【Korea/Ledger Master: Today's earnings: 137,420 coins, multiple ★★-grade weapons and miscellaneous items.】
Well, among them were those who posted useless stories or just bragged before disappearing,
【Korea/BadGuy: Yo, the baddest guy of our time checking in.】
【Korea/Queen Boa: Ooh, BadGuy's here? Hey hey.】
and there were plenty who just socialized, but not all the information was useless.
【Korea/Jeongrichung: Hello! I'm back again today! The current total rankings for player levels and coins! Curious where you stand? I, Jeongrichung, will always keep it organized for you!】
【Korea/Monster Encyclopedia: If you have questions about goblins, orcs, or various beast-type monsters, please leave a comment. I will inform you of their weaknesses and points of caution. I don't accept coins. This is an act to contribute, even if just a little, to raising humanity's chances of survival. A small reward will be given to those who provide information.】
【Korea/Villain Tracker: Accepting tips on the locations of villains. I am working to root out all the villains in this world. However, be warned that if you provide a false tip, I will find you by any means necessary and punish you.】
From Jeongrichung, who boasted an unrivaled amount of information exclusively covering Honeybee in Korea, to those who shared useful monster intel or hunted villains who were a disaster for the weak.
The players on the community forums helped in various ways.
For a moment, it seemed like another ordinary day would pass uneventfully.
But just as they say that disaster always strikes when you let your guard down, a sudden calamity swept over Korea and the entire world.
【Korea/SwiftFoot: E-everyone, avoid contact as much as possible! It's a plague!】
【China/Emperor's Cleanup Crew: Don't get bitten. The moment you are, you become a living zombie.】
【USA/Special Correspondent A: Fucking crazy people!】
In a way, the existence of a plague could be trickier than a Disaster-class boss monster.
The appearance of a nuisance that caused extreme aggression upon infection, as if one had contracted rabies.
* * * * *
It appeared so suddenly.
A madness-inducing disease of unknown origin, with no clue as to how it was spreading.
But people's minds all tend to work the same way.
A plague.
Upon hearing news of a virus, people's gazes immediately turned to the top of the World Tree.
No, to be more precise, to the black-winged bats hanging upside down on the tree.
“Jji, jjiruru! Jjirrr!”
As mentioned before, was there a reason bats weren't familiar creatures to people?
The unfortunate creatures were a hotbed for all sorts of viruses.
Perhaps that's why, even without words, their meaning could be read in their eyes and expressions.
Jjiru vehemently shook its head under the piercing glares, as if to say it absolutely wasn't them.
Honestly, if it had been a while ago, Seong-hyeok might have suspected them too.
But now, his image of bats had softened considerably.
*Buzzzzzzz~*
*Jjirrrrrrr~*
The bats flew amicably through the air with the bees, hunting monsters and eating fruit.
If he had never known them, it would be a different story.
But through meeting Jjiru and getting to know the bats, he had come to understand their charm.
'They're not as cute as the bees, but well, they are pretty cute.'
Some species had grotesque faces, and some were the size of a person, but it was only their appearance that was unsettling.
Their behavior itself was that of gentle creatures.
Fruit bats, in particular, were so adorable you could believe they were winged puppies!
Even the female residents, who had been terrified at first, were now starting to realize the bats' charm, following the bees.
But the bats' merits weren't limited to their gentle nature.
*Aaaaaaaah—*
*Jjirrrrrrr—!!!*
The ultrasound that most bats, excluding fruit bats, could commonly use.
Depending on the sound's intensity and frequency, it could be used for various functions.
It could be used for reconnaissance to locate targets, and at times, to temporarily paralyze an opponent's hearing or even inflict damage.
A utility that could be adapted in countless ways depending on the situation.
Especially in the case of the albino fruit bat, was it thanks to evolving from the juice-filled fruits of the World Tree?
It had gained an extraordinary ability, the most effective of which was the power to bestow the World Tree's effects in a 10km radius around itself.
Of course, it didn't stack, unfortunately, making it worthless near the World Tree, but considering it could be applied to distant places, its value skyrocketed uncontrollably.
'This means even the apiary in Africa can enjoy the effects of the World Tree.'
In theory, 100 albino fruit bats evolved through the World Tree could cover the entire area of influence of the third-divinity World Tree!
And was that all?
Bats, like bees, were flying creatures possessing wings, the symbol of freedom.
Depending on their will, not just Africa,
but the Americas or Europe.
The power of the World Tree could be spread to far-off places.
The immense effect of weakening monsters and accelerating the growth of various plants and crops could be shared with the world.
He might be getting ahead of himself with only one bat, but Seong-hyeok believed.
If you were to ask why, the answer was simple.
“Because you've already proven the results.”
*Bzzzz~*
*Buzzzzzzz~*
The bees buzzed happily, rubbing against Seong-hyeok at his call.
They were the living proof of Seong-hyeok's faith.
The starting Ruby Gem Queen Bee, who had shown through action, not just words, the meaning of "though your beginning was small, your latter end will be very great."
As for the albino fruit bat, Jjiru and Yeon Su-hee just needed to work together to steadily increase their numbers.
“So, the remaining problem is the madness disease.”
Now that he had decided on his future plans, all that was left was to solve the problem at hand.
Viruses weren't his specialty, so he didn't know the details, but there was one thing.
Seong-hyeok had noticed one strange thing at the apiary.
“Why hasn't the plague broken out among our residents?”
One might think it was the power of the World Tree, but the Tree of Life's range of influence was a whopping 1,000km.
Yet the plague was spreading even within that range, so the World Tree couldn't be the reason.
An incomprehensible purifying influence.
But Seong-hyeok's deliberation didn't last long.
*Buzzzzzzzzz~*
As if telling Seong-hyeok not to think too hard.
The kindhearted Deundeun-i brought him a cup of honey tea.
“...Good heavens! Could this be it?”
But as they say, the answer is often right under your nose.
The solution was found in Deundeun-i's kindness.
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[Guardian's Ruby Gem Acacia Honey Tea (★★★+)]
※ Scent of Acacia: Grants complete immunity to all types of plagues and increases movement speed by 30%. This effect lingers faintly in the user's wake, sharing its benefits.
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The acacia flowers, blooming beautifully in clusters all over the apiary.
Harmonized with aged honey, it was the trump card for solving this plague.