Chapter 195
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The First Subordinate
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Honestly, while a 'Legendary Treasure' was valuable enough to Seong-hyeok, he had no idea just how efficient it would be.
And it was understandable. The three ???-grade monsters Seong-hyeok had hunted so far had all been dragons.
Naturally, the most valuable loot from them had been the Dragon Hearts, which functioned like cores that supplemented his immense mana.
The effect of the first heart, obtained from subjugating Porleireun, was certainly beyond imagination, but what happened when it was repeated two or three times?
Familiarity bred a sense of normalcy.
But this time, it wasn't a consumable Dragon Heart, but 'equipment'.
Not only were its various stats to his liking, but its built-in functions were also nothing to scoff at.
'The subordinates are one thing, but the Chain of Corruption... it all depends on how I use it.'
When you thought about it, besides being able to control ten reliable minions, it meant gaining a whopping ten new skills.
The changes this would bring were bound to be significant for Seong-hyeok.
Depending on its use, he could acquire the offensive skills he always felt he lacked, as well as skills for gathering and crafting.
As a beekeeper, he could pursue benefits in various directions.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok was solidly backed by a massive amount of stat points.
Having consumed three Dragon Hearts, he was already proficient in handling mana, so learning wide-area magic wouldn't be a bad idea either.
But the most important thing in all of this wasn't the effects, but 'who' he would make his subordinates.
“Ideally, capturing creatures like dragons would be best.”
The more powerful the being, the more outstanding the skills that would naturally come with it.
However, there were downsides to this.
First, if he made a dragon his subordinate without killing it, he'd have to accept not getting a Dragon Heart. Second, who knew when another dragon would even appear?
As for making players his subordinates, from Seong-hyeok's perspective, there was no one talented enough to catch his eye.
Of course, skilled individuals like Yeon Su-hee or Cha Hye-rin at the Bee Farm were exceptions, but turning those he had shared thick and thin with into subordinates was something Seong-hyeok was unwilling to do.
His various worries lasted only a moment.
*Bzzzz~*
*Buzzzzzz~*
Swarms of bees freely roamed the farm.
A typical scene at the Bee Farm.
But as the saying goes, it's darkest under the lamp.
Upon this realization, Seong-hyeok slapped his forehead.
“Right, what's important to me isn't some dragon, is it?”
The Honeybee Guardian, the karma Seong-hyeok had accumulated by living a life dedicated solely to bees.
Considering the authority that granted his affiliated bees job specializations and powers based on their stats, what were dragons in comparison?
Numbers? They had them. Honey? They made it. And finally, a fluffy cuteness on a whole other level than reptiles!
Having confirmed their superiority in every aspect, what was left to do was obvious, wasn't it?
“Let's go welcome the new queens.”
To Central Africa, the second Bee Farm and the land where the Authority of One was unfolding.
He hurried to prepare a grand welcome for the queens there.
* * * * *
Just as countless humans became superhumans through the commercialization process, the flora and fauna of Africa had grown stronger as well.
Thus, while Silvermane Lions, Jewel Elephants, and Giant Hippos would normally have dominated Africa, the atmosphere had now changed.
*Bzzzzzzzz~*
*Buzzzzzzzzz~*
*Bwoooom~*
Not confined to any single place.
The sound of bees' wings echoed from all corners of the region.
* Effect - Karma of the Honeybee Guardian (Passive): Bees will respawn within the territory due to the owner's karma. Unless attacked first, the respawned bees will not attack any target the owner of the authority considers an ally.
This was all a result of that function applying to the Territory of One, but what was more surprising was that the bees weren't all of the same species.
[Poereun Worker Bee Lv. 28 (★★+)]
[Spinel Worker Bee Lv. 27 (★★+)]
[Benecil Worker Bee Lv. 29 (★★+)]
[Benecil Gatherer Bee Lv. 34 (★★★+)]
...
From simple differences in appearance, like body color, to major ones like developed wings, antennae, and pollen baskets.
With their exceptionally developed organs, the bees mercilessly swarmed the nearby blooming flowers.
This situation might have been displeasing to the animals that once dominated Africa, but there was nothing they could do.
[Poereun Chain Legion Commander Bee Lv. 47 (★★★★-)] - Elite Bee
[Tetrok Steel Legion Commander Bee Lv. 47 (★★★★-)] - Elite Bee
Not only was there a legion commander wrapped in eerie chains, but there was another that seemed to be clad in full body armor.
A creature boasting a glistening carapace.
With not one, but multiple elite bees staunchly standing guard and moving as if to protect the worker bees, what animal would dare to attack, not valuing its own life?
The dreadful charm of being swarmed was feared even by the most skilled and agile.
And the current, well-maintained state of the African bees was exceedingly satisfactory to Seong-hyeok.
“If I welcome the queen, these numbers will become my fighting force.”
In a bee's ecosystem, the queen is the legion.
Seong-hyeok would gain a new family, and the queen would grow stronger through the Honeybee Guardian's authority—it was killing two birds with one stone.
Now, for an ordinary player, reaching a queen guarded by a multitude of bees would be no easy feat, but Seong-hyeok was an exception.
[The Honeybee Guardian's job specialization, 'Loved by Bees,' is activated.]
[Poereun Chain Legion Commander Bee Lv. 47 (★★★★-) sends you boundless goodwill.]
[Poereun Worker Bee (★★+) sends you boundless goodwill.]
...
'Loved by Bees,' a skill that made him virtually invincible against bee-type species.
Thanks to it, Seong-hyeok arrived safely at the queen's location without harming any of the bees.
[Poereun Queen Bee Lv. 51 (★★★★+)] - Field Boss Monster
He had only ever confirmed their respawn.
This was the first time he'd seen a queen bee's level and its 'Field Boss Monster' rank.
However, while the queen bee alone was a Field Boss based on her combat power, considering the surrounding worker and elite bees, and the fact that she had birthed them all, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her Disaster-class.
Furthermore, once she became Seong-hyeok's subordinate, she'd even be assigned armor, further multiplying their strength!
*Bzz~ Bzz~*
As if it knew this,
or perhaps just curious about the appearance of Seong-hyeok, who was not one of the bees it had birthed,
the Poereun Queen Bee approached without hesitation, its eyes clear and bright.
For a moment, he stroked its fur—black in color, but possessing the characteristic softness of a bee and a sweet, honeyed scent.
Seong-hyeok looked down at the Mark of Corruption on his finger.
“I'm sorry.”
'Corruption' was a word that seemed far from anything good to begin with.
He felt a pang of guilt using it on the queen bee, but in the end, this would work out well not just for him, but for the queen and her subordinate bees too.
Human and bee.
Though a clear language barrier existed, had it somehow understood Seong-hyeok's heart?
*Bzz-bzz~*
*Buzzzzzz~*
The Poereun Queen Bee pressed in closer to Seong-hyeok.
Its intention was not to attack.
[Poereun Queen Bee Lv. 51 (★★★★+)] - Field Boss Monster has allowed itself to be subdued.]
[Harvest of Corruption is available. Corrupt the target? YES / NO]
The queen entrusted the grand future of the Poereun bees to Seong-hyeok, allowing him an easier start.
Since the admirable creature had gone this far, it was only right to respond in kind.
Seong-hyeok chose YES without hesitation,
[Through the Harvest of Corruption, Poereun Queen Bee (★★★★+) has become player Yu Seong-hyeok's subordinate. Current number of subordinates: 1 / 10]
[The Honeybee Guardian's job specialization, 'Guardian's Aura,' is activated.]
[Poereun Worker Bees (★★+) will not tire easily during work activities.]
[The Honeybee Guardian's job specialization, 'Guardian's Vigor,' is activated.]
[Poereun Queen Bee (★★★★)'s egg-laying speed is doubled.]
[Poereun Chain Legion Commander Bee (★★★★-)'s chain scythe grows larger, and its length increases.]
...
Simultaneously, a barrage of notifications sounded relentlessly.
Having confirmed that the job specializations and authorities were properly applying to the subordinate gained through corruption, just as he'd expected, the next step was a no-brainer.
[You may select and use 1 skill from the corrupted target.]
Following the Harvest of Corruption came the acquisition of a skill through the Chain.
But Seong-hyeok couldn't help but hesitate.
“...Hold on a second.”
The skills he'd witnessed from the countless queen bees he had welcomed so far.
Most of them were optimal skills for the queens, but for a human,
especially a man like Seong-hyeok, they were completely unsuitable, weren't they?
And as if on cue, his ominous premonition hit the mark.
* Available Skills: Egg-Laying (Lv.10), Queen's Pheromone (Lv.7), Poison Sting (Lv.7), Flight (Lv.8), Queen's Pheromone - Vigor (Lv.3)
“...”
Seong-hyeok was rendered speechless by the skill list displayed before him.
* * * * *
He thought it would be impossible for a male to lay eggs, but it wasn't entirely without precedent.
After all, didn't creatures like ribbon eels and clownfish, which change their gender depending on the situation, exist on Earth?
But even with such examples, the most important fact was that Seong-hyeok was a 'human,' not a fish.
“No matter how efficient the Egg-Laying skill might be, this is a bit...”
As much as he loved bees, becoming like a bee was more than sufficiently covered by his auction house avatar.
Of course, skills other than Egg-Laying, like Queen's Pheromone or Flight, weren't bad in terms of effectiveness, but what if choosing Flight or Poison Sting caused a physical transformation?
Beyond efficiency, it gave him an eerie feeling, as if he were abandoning his humanity.
Just as he was about to give up on choosing one of the queen bee's skills after a moment of deliberation,
[You may also select from the skills of targets under the command of Poereun Queen Bee (★★★★+).]
* Available Skill: Chain Scythe (Lv.3)
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[Chain Scythe (Lv.3)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 100
* Effect (Active): Creates a chain scythe. (Cooldown: 1 minute)
* Description: Depending on its use, the chain scythe is useful for pulling in a hit target or rapidly approaching them. As the level increases, more chain scythes can be created, and its performance improves.
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The sharing of the Chain Scythe skill, possessed by the Chain Scythe Legion Commander Bee, an elite bee under the Poereun Queen Bee.
“This'll do just fine!”
A new offensive skill that could be used for both attack and movement depending on the situation.
Well, he'd have to use it to know how effective it was, but right now, as long as it wasn't Egg-Laying, everything was A-okay.