Chapter 181
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: The Honey Vaccine
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High skill levels, stats that let him work 24 hours a day without tiring, and more.
Based on all this, Seong-hyeok had supplied goods to countless people worldwide, but there was a limit to what he could process alone.
The raw materials piled up in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to that, Seong-hyeok had managed by supplying ingredients to Yeon Su-hee or Lee Yeon-bun for cooking, or by listing a limited number of processed goods on the exchange. But this time, it was different.
Even now, countless human lives were being lost to the plague.
To Seong-hyeok, who cherished every single one of those lives, he needed to supply a far greater quantity than ever before.
However, Seong-hyeok wasn't the only special existence on the bee farm.
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[The Madman's Dragonian World Tree Honey Processor (★★★★★+)]
* Classification: Special Object
* Processing Rate: 0%
※ Mass Production: When the processing rate reaches 100%, it uses stored materials to create up to 100 identical processed goods. However, if the finished product's value is high, its grade may be lowered. (No cooldown)
※ Material Storage: Can store up to 1,000 slots of items. However, living creatures cannot be stored.
※ Grace of the Dragon Tongue: When used, prevents grade reduction from Mass Production once. (3-hour cooldown)
* Durability: 500,000 (+100,000)
* Defense: 1,000 (+300) Magic Resistance: 1,000 (+300)
* Description: A ★★★★★+ grade honey processor engraved with the 'Madman' keyword. It is the culmination of incredible technology, completed through an exceptional artisan and excellent materials, and it elevates the speed of processing to its absolute limit.
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Karma and Class.
This was the work of Thomas, who had chosen the Mad Inquirer for both.
As expected of a capable player, he truly delivered value.
To others, it might look like a gaudy piece of scrap metal, strangely rated at 5-Star+, but for beekeepers like Seong-hyeok, there was nothing better.
“No need for thanks. I may have built it, but if you hadn't provided the dragon parts in the first place, even I couldn't have made something like this. I benefited handsomely, so I should be thanking you.”
“Then I’ll put it to good use without hesitation.”
By now, they had been on good terms for a long time, thanks to their shared karma.
No grand gestures were needed, so Seong-hyeok immediately got to work.
*Voom— Vooooom—*
[Crafting Guardian's Standard-Issue Honey Soap (★★+). Processing rate is increasing. Current Processing Rate - 0.2%]
[Crafting Guardian's Standard-Issue Honey Tea (★★+). Processing rate is increasing. Current Processing Rate - 0.5%]
[Crafting Guardian's Standard-Issue Honey Soap (★★+). Processing rate is increasing. Current Processing Rate - 1%]
[……Current Processing Rate - 99.8%]
The processing rate shot up with each craft.
The moment it hit 100%, the machine vibrated with a unique mechanical hum.
[Mass Production is being activated.]
[Due to the low value of the finished product, no grade reduction will occur.]
[100x Guardian's Standard-Issue Honey Tea (★★+) has been crafted.]
With that, it performed the incredible miracle of producing 100 identical honey products.
The finished goods were immediately distributed to the exchange, bringing in a rapid flow of money.
And contributing to saving a significant number of human lives.
The resulting change was obvious.
【Jeongrichung: M-Mr. Honeybee. This is huge! Public opinion has completely flipped!】
Did they say public opinion was as fickle as a reed in the wind?
Seong-hyeok had become the target of countless people's fury due to the post he made on the community board.
But crisis is another word for opportunity.
His actions spoke louder than words.
Thanks to him, a great many people were freed from the suddenly emerged plague.
【USA/Crazy Rate: Damn. Is this for real? I got bit by a madman, but I’m not infected?】
【Japan/Bottaeuri: That’s Honeybee for you. I believed in you all along!】
【Korea/Mother’s Grace: My parents were infected, but thanks to this, they survived. Honeybee, you are my parents’ savior!】
【China/Emperor: Many of our people survived because of you. I express my sincere gratitude.】
The guaranteed infection from a bite, something even the strongest players had worried about.
But now, there was no need to worry.
The astonishing efficacy of the so-called honey vaccine.
It was amazing enough that he had created a cure in less than a day, but the price was even more surprising.
“You can use it 10 times, and it really costs this little?”
“This is only possible because it’s Honeybee. Anyone else would’ve been incredibly greedy.”
“I always thought he was just some lucky bastard who was doing well, but to think he was such a good person…”
The price of the sundry honey soap was a mere 700 coins.
For a vaccine against a plague that held the world's life and death in its grip, of all things, the price was absurdly low!
Of course, even this price would be a significant blow to the weak, but it wasn't without a solution.
“Anyone who hasn’t gotten the immunity effect yet! I’ll help you out, no coins needed!”
“Times are tough for everyone, let’s help each other out.”
“Hyowon’s mom, let’s all chip in 70 coins each and buy one to share.”
In the case of the sundry honey soap, using it repeatedly only served to make one's body smell nicer.
Since it wasn't an essential item, many shared it freely. Others formed groups of ten, each contributing 70 coins to buy one.
People were getting vaccinated in the most cost-effective ways possible.
For the players who had secured their sweet honey-based immunity, their next move was as good as decided.
“Combat teams, get ready!”
“We don’t have to worry about getting bitten anymore! We’ve got the vaccine, so charge!”
“Uwoooooh!!!”
Whether they were combat or production classes, many had been cooped up in their shelters because of the plague.
But now that the fear of being bitten was gone, players found a new lease on life and began venturing out of their shelters one by one to deal with the troublesome monsters and madmen.
“Tsk. I guess the vaccine doesn't work if they're that far gone.”
Some, out of a sliver of hope, had captured a madman and forced them to use the soap, but the result was failure.
No matter how outstanding the honey vaccine’s effect, once the brain was destroyed by the madness disease, there was no saving them.
“Kuaaaaaaaargh—!!!”
And for the horrific hybrids reminiscent of undead or chimeras, there was even less hope.
“They’re not human anymore.”
“Finish it!”
A plague spread through some nefarious scheme.
It had inflicted great damage on humanity, but like the ground hardening after the rain, the adaptive human race grew even stronger.
“I don’t know who you were, but may you rest in peace.”
“You bastards who made us witness such a filthy sight. You won't die a peaceful death.”
And so, the players continued to grow at a rapid pace.
* * * * *
A continuous cycle of mass production with the honey processor.
This was for none other than everyone in the world.
A honey vaccine intended to inoculate all of humanity.
Perhaps because he knew that a moment's rest would cost dozens, even hundreds of lives?
An infinite production run, without a single break.
Even for Seong-hyeok, with his top-tier endurance stats, it was bound to push him to his limits.
“Hah, I’m dead.”
It was the first time in a long while that he’d felt his physical limits.
Seong-hyeok, who had pushed his body to its breaking point living for his bees even before this crazy world began, collapsed onto the floor.
It was the first time they had seen Seong-hyeok so exhausted.
“Wow. So you do get tired sometimes, oppa?”
“He has every right to be tired after running himself ragged like that.”
“A normal person probably would have died a hundred times over.”
“...Hoo. If you’re just going to stand there chattering, go help out over there.”
“I am working, you know!”
The residents fussed over him, as if the sight was something new and fascinating.
But they had no intention of teasing him.
“Ahem! Anyway, stop trying to carry everything on your own shoulders and share the work, oppa. It’s good to be diligent, but try to trust us sometimes, too.”
“That’s right, hyung-nim. We might not be able to do high-level work like making honey products, but we’re confident with odd jobs.”
Quite the opposite, in fact.
They were grateful for the incredibly hard-working Seong-hyeok.
And at the same time, they felt sorry for not being able to share that burden with him.
A variety of emotions came to mind, but the one most expressed by the residents was respect.
“Mr. Honeybee saved humanity!”
“You’ve worked so hard!”
“Seong-hyeok-nim is truly the savior of mankind.”
“Long live the bees!”
This plague was one thing, but the residents…
And the people of the world knew it instinctively, without it needing to be said.
The dragon that had displayed enough destructive power to annihilate Russia single-handedly.
If Seong-hyeok hadn't gathered people and taken the lead back then, would subjugating the dragon have even been possible?
Seong-hyeok's incredible achievements, no matter how many times one recalled them, did not end there.
*Bzzzz~*
*Buzzzzz~*
Even now, the bees were spreading their fame not only across the bee farm…
But also to their second bee farm multi in Africa and through numerous rental businesses all over the world.
The bees, who had revived forests and nature and played a crucial role in creating the vaccine for this plague, were the very foundation of Seong-hyeok’s existence.
Furthermore, these little ones were creating an environment suitable for humanity's survival.
Perhaps thanks to the intelligence born from their collective consciousness, their perceptiveness was beyond imagination.
*Buzzzzz~*
As if telling the exhausted and collapsed Seong-hyeok to drink.
The clever creatures offered him wild honey, freshly harvested from a wild hive.
There was no reason to refuse such a thoughtful gesture, so Seong-hyeok smiled and gulped it down.
“Thanks. You guys are the reason I love life.”
*Bzzz~*
So bold when offering it, yet now they shyly flew off on their journey back to the flowers.
The next to arrive was Yeon Su-hee, carrying a bundle of food.
“Oh my, was I a step too late?”
“Not at all. If you prepared it, Su-hee-ssi, I have to have it.”
“Thanks for saying so. I sliced some melon for you to rehydrate, so have some.”
“Okay.”
There was nothing better than a fruit full of juice to recover a tired body.
“Kuh! This is the stuff.”
A sweetness so intense he couldn't tell if it was a melon or a cold lump of honey in the shape of a melon.
The bees' natural pollination played a part, but since it was personally grown by Yeon Su-hee, the incarnation of Frepion, its taste was beyond imagination.
*Screeeech~*
Did one even need to explain, seeing the bats drooling as they watched?
A taste to die for.
After practically inhaling the honey melon that melted in his mouth, the revitalized Seong-hyeok stretched his back and checked his coin balance.
Coins Held: 22,260,052,100
‘This is why I do business.’
The smile never left his face as he looked at the 22.2 billion coins, as if under a spell.
As they say, the reward is proportional to the effort.
Now that mass production was possible with the honey processor…
The business of raking in money through high-volume, low-margin sales had officially begun.