Chapter 190
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: The Bees' New World
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The single monster that destroyed Russia.
But the ???-grade Red Dragon Porleirn possessed power greater than all the monsters on earth combined.
The colossal creature’s breath scorched the lands of Russia, instantly turning every person and monster in its path to ash.
Aside from the monsters that occasionally respawned, players and nature alike…
…most life had perished from the land.
But now, it was being restored at an unbelievable speed.
No, to be more precise, it was being purified.
Bzzzzzz~
Whiiirrrr~
A swarm of honeybees, so vast it filled the sky.
In their grasp were seeds to restore nature, which the bees carefully planted in the ground.
They also plunged their heads directly into the plants that had tenaciously clung to life in the ravaged land.
Bzz~ Bzzzzzz~
B-b-b-b-buzz—
A meeting with the pollen they had gathered on their bodies through natural pollination before arriving in Russia.
The reproduction of trees and flowers through insect pollination, bringing pistil and stamen together.
These acts would become the genesis of a nature that would one day make Russia bountiful!
And above all, the honeybees were not the only living creatures to have arrived in Russia.
Chiiirrrrp~
White creatures moved leisurely among the swarms of honeybees.
The albino fruit bats, imbued with the power of the World Tree, emanated its energy without issue under the bees' thorough protection.
Thus, the landscape of nature accelerated its recovery, thanks to the honeybees and the albino fruit bats.
A bountiful land naturally attracted monsters, which in turn affected the players who hunted them.
“Everyone, stick to the plan!”
“Got it! Just hold your ground!”
Boom! Craaash!
Whoosh-!
Asia and Europe.
It was a rather strange party scene, as if people from all over the world had gathered.
But such a sight had become commonplace in Russia.
※ 2 : When members of an alliance form a party, they receive an experience bonus.
Honeybee, possessor of the 1st Authority, and the Pure White Will, possessor of the 9th Authority.
The alliance between the two territories allowed players to enjoy a significant experience bonus, and this effect was maximized when parties were formed globally, mixing members from different regions rather than just one.
【Korea/Jeongrichung: How to maximize the alliance effect! Upvotes are appreciated!】
【France/Holy War of Information: We have outlined the proven effects of the alliance through various cases.】
The information teams from various countries dominated the community boards.
For classes where post views and upvotes directly translated into experience points…
…they produced various results through numerous trials and errors, and players formed their parties based on that information.
It was a natural outcome in a world where level directly translated to power.
Of course, at first, friction arose from vastly different cultures and lifestyles, sometimes leading to dangerous situations in battle. But this didn't last long.
Bzzzzz!
Bzz-bzz-bzz!!!
When players were in danger from monsters, the Honeybee Rescue Squad would appear from anywhere, at any time.
By now, the honeybees had established themselves as both a specialty and a mascot of the ruined Russia.
Their collective intelligence allowed for brilliant problem-solving, significantly reducing casualties without kill-stealing monsters. But that wasn't the only outcome brought about by the bees.
“Beautiful…”
“Damn it. Who was the idiot who said bugs are gross? Th-that… is just too cute.”
“Just looking at it makes you feel magnificent.”
It was true in the morning.
But at night, the swarm of honey-stars spread across the night sky showed its true value.
It wasn't a single color.
The sight of nine different colors, each flaunting its own brilliant light, taught them more than just beauty.
“Wait a minute. The bees all look different, don't they?”
“It's amazing you only just noticed.”
“I thought they just had different body sizes since they were flying so far away!”
The bees, despite their different appearances and lights, came together as one without conflict, bringing overwhelming military strength and natural abundance.
The same could be said for humans.
East and West.
Even if divided by skin color, the fundamental framework was the same: 'human'.
“If even the bees can get along like that… there's no reason we can't, right?”
“I'm truly sorry for what I did earlier. I won't discriminate again.”
“I owe the bees my life twice over. I'll repay them tenfold, somehow.”
Does the saying 'strength in numbers' exist for no reason?
Joining forces makes you stronger.
It was basic knowledge that respecting and accepting each other's cultures would form an even greater power.
Conflicts among the many peoples of the world would lessen, and it would lead to possibilities of becoming good trading partners, comrades, or even lovers.
Bzz~
Whiiirrrr~
A grand unification of the world that would make humanity stronger and increase its chances of survival.
It was unknown whether this was their intention, but the bees' collective intelligence always acted altruistically in ways that benefited their own group.
* * * * *
“Yes, this is what I wanted.”
Not only from the long-established bee farm in Korea, but also from the bee farms and rental businesses in North Korea, Central Africa, and Russia, the number of honeybees spreading across the world was immense.
The bees weren't invincible, and as time passed, there were occasional deaths in battle against monsters. But in the end, what mattered most was their sheer numbers.
Even excluding powerful enemies like dragons, there had been days in the past when, without him even realizing, dozens, sometimes hundreds, and even over a thousand bees would die each day.
Well, honestly, with countless bees being born every day, it was a number that probably didn't even amount to 0.000…1% of the total population. But who was Seong-hyeok?
He was the oddball of oddballs who had walked the single path of the beekeeper for what felt like 25 years now.
And above all, Seong-hyeok was the Honeybee Guardian.
Befitting the title of 'Guardian', the death of a single honeybee was more painful to him than a dagger to the heart.
Was that why?
[A Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★★+) has died.]
[A Rose Quartz Worker Bee (★★★+) has died.]
[A Peridot Worker Bee (★★★+) has died.]
[A Star Sapphire Worker Bee (★★★+) has died.]
….
Now, the bees' survival rate was so astounding that fewer than 10 died a day.
Moreover, it had been a long time since any elite honeybees had died at all.
All of this was partly due to the authority of the Honeybee Guardian, enhanced by Seong-hyeok's high stats, but that wasn't the only reason.
The capitalist society that held sway then and now.
The amount of coin Seong-hyeok earned daily from beekeeping reached the billions, and with this overwhelming financial power, he invested generously in his bees. This was the result.
Honeybee armor, produced in such quantities using numerous molds that it now outpaced the birth rate of the bees themselves, and the masterpieces of the Mad Inquirer for the legion commanders.
And was that all?
[Nine-Colored Honey Strawberry Pollen Cake (★★★★)]
[Guardian's Special Golden Pollen Nutrient Meal (★★★★)]
[Guardian's Nine-Colored Beeswax Candle (★★★)]
….
The honeybee byproducts produced in the greatest quantities at the bee farm.
A place where bees literally farmed, just as the name implied.
Passing through the hands of Seong-hyeok, who possessed immense knowledge about bees, they were transformed into top-tier nutritional supplements and consumables, greatly influencing the bees' survival rate.
Bzzzzzz~
Thanks to this, Lily's 'Black Magic - Undead' was rarely used anymore, which was a bit of a shame, but it wasn't a major issue.
______________________________
[Lilyzer Pheromone - Gathering & Defense & Offense (Lv.10)]
* Effect - Gathering (Active): Once activated, persists indefinitely. Increases the honey-gathering speed of all allied honeybees within a 10km radius by 100%. (Cooldown: 120 minutes)
* Effect - Defense (Active): Once activated, persists indefinitely. Increases the defensive abilities (Health, Defense, Magic Resistance) of all allied honeybees within a 10km radius by 10%. (Cooldown: 120 minutes)
* Effect - Offense (Active): Once activated, persists indefinitely. Increases the Attack Power of all allied honeybees within a 10km radius by 10. (Cooldown: 120 minutes)
※ The effects of Lilyzer Pheromone can be stacked. (Max 10 stacks)
______________________________
Lily's greatest strength was her ability to apply selective, area-of-effect buffs through her pheromones, which remained active permanently just by her presence.
Naturally, this effect was maximized the more honeybees there were.
Moreover, this kind of power was not limited to Lily.
There was Deundeun-i, who stood at the vanguard, enduring enemy attacks better than anyone, and Ssing-ssing-i, who scouted ahead to identify threats in advance.
And beyond them, there were others who provided various forms of assistance, like Geonchug-i and Teunteun-i.
The diverse legion commanders and their subordinate high-ranking species and worker bees always put Seong-hyeok's mind at ease.
And finally, the mother of all these brilliant beings, the Queen Bee.
“I'm counting on you again today, everyone.”
Bzzzzzz~
Whiiirrr~
Bzz-bzz-bzz!
With a renewed pledge to survive until they lived out their natural lifespans.
Just like always.
Seong-hyeok and his honeybees welcomed another safe day of beekeeping.
* * * * *
The Bee Farm.
While a great number of honeybees resided here, there were just as many residents living alongside them.
Each had their own roles in combat and production.
From 1-star to 5-star.
And even unique classes.
The residents were distributed across various occupations.
Thanks to the infrastructure built with the farm's capital, they were equipped with extraordinary gear, but the real showstopper was the residents' levels.
If the average level of those outside was around the 30s, the average on the bee farm was a staggering level 50.
Despite the ridiculous difference, there was a natural reason for it.
Whiiirrrr~
Whiirr~
“A large number of elite monsters appeared to the east? Okay, lead the way.”
“They say a field boss monster spawned in the south. Let's get a move on!”
“A foe of the same caliber as me? Hahaha! It's been a while since I had a proper warm-up!”
Bzz-bzz-bzz-!
Was it because they had lived and worked closely together for quite some time?
Now, they understood with just a glance.
Some residents had even learned to interpret the bees' dances.
Upon arriving at their destinations, they faced not only elite and field boss-grade monsters, which were rare sights outside, but also beings that were, as their name suggested, true disasters.
The World Tree and the Wild Beehive.
Treasure items, and so on.
Due to the influence of various items that caused powerful monsters to respawn, they could hunt strong monsters.
With this, how could there not be such a difference?
Furthermore, this difference wasn't limited to combat.
[Propagating Ginseng has taken root in the area.]
[Ginseng propagation has begun. Random ginseng will be produced in the vicinity at regular intervals.]
[A Solar Flower has taken root in the area.]
[The power of the sun begins to permeate the soil. Sun crops imbued with special power will be generated at regular intervals.]
Two types of treasure items that, while attracting monsters, also gave birth to rare natural vegetation.
With the added effects of the World Tree and the bees' natural pollination, the quality of the vegetation produced was bound to rise significantly.
“Grandma, Grandma! Look at this!”
“Oh my, our Sua's really hit the jackpot!”
“Haha! Congratulations, child.”
Rare natural plants grew all over the farm.
Simply harvesting them was a great fortune for those who made a living by gathering.
Not to mention the immense experience gained.
And right there were Seong-hyeok and Yeon Su-hee, ready to buy them at the highest prices.
Since they bought them on the spot, there were no transaction fees from the marketplace.
Whiiirrrrrr~~~
Bzzzzz~
With the best bodyguards one could ask for, the honeybees, present everywhere, what better environment could there be?
Moreover, the benefits of the bee farm's environment weren't just limited to levels and money.
‘Hehe. How long has it been since I found ginseng?’
Among the many gatherers of the bee farm was a 19-year-old girl with the 3-star unique class, Cunning Ginseng Digger.
Han Sua already had a plan for the money she earned.
‘I should use this to ask Seong-hyeok-oppa to trade for some cosmetics!’
Men and women, young and old.
For ladies in particular, skincare was, regardless of age, the absolute top priority.
In this topsy-turvy world, the best place for natural skincare, which ran neck and neck with the stamina-boosting royal jelly, was the bee farm.