Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Reliable Customers
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The boundless potential held within honey.
Seong-hyeok knew this better than anyone, thanks to the byproducts of the Ruby Gem Bees.
From honey that could easily substitute for health food or in-game potions, to candles, cosmetics, tea, and liquor.
And that wasn't all.
Now, he even had a way to harvest bee venom and use it as a food or medicinal ingredient.
Truly, the value of honeybees was almost too great to count on ten fingers.
“Not to mention their insane cuteness and diligence.”
When it came to diligence, honeybees were renowned for it, second only to ants.
Besides, one look at their fluffy, plump little bottoms was enough to charm even the most die-hard insect hater.
“Hmm, I might as well give it a shot. No point in hoarding it until it goes to waste.”
As time passed, the Peridot Queen Bee’s Spawning Level increased, and so did the number of Peridot Bees.
Eventually, just like with the Ruby Gem Bees, he would be able to harvest Peridot honey nonstop.
Besides, don't they say failure is the mother of success?
All things considered, it was best to just give it a shot, come what may.
[Great Success in crafting Honey Tea! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Honey Tea.]
[Great Success in crafting Honey Soap! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Honey Soap.]
[Great Success in crafting Honey Mead! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Honey Mead.]
[Great Success in crafting Honey Mead! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Honey Vinegar.]
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Tea (★★+) has been crafted.]
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Soap...]
Still, the standard procedure was to start with the ingredients he had in abundance.
Seong-hyeok began by using the skills that required honey—the one ingredient he had plenty of—to craft items.
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[Guardian's Peridot Honey Tea (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, restores Satiety, and recovers 470(+50) Health and Mana over 30 seconds. Also grants immunity to cold for 60 minutes and increases Attack Power by 7(+2)%.
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Soap (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Applies 'Guardian's Peridot Honey Hygiene' to the user, along with a sweet fragrance.
※ Guardian's Peridot Honey Hygiene: Grants immunity to poison effects of ★★+ rank or lower for 40 minutes and increases Attack Power by 2%. (Durability -1, Cooldown 60 minutes)
* Durability: 12 / 12(+2) - Cannot be repaired.
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Mead (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
※ Remaining fermentation period: 6 days (Effects will be enhanced upon completion of fermentation.)
* Upon consumption, recovers 550(+70) Health and Mana over 10 seconds. Grants immunity to cold for 60 minutes and increases Attack Power by 8(+2)%.
※ Warning! Overconsumption may cause intoxication.
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Vinegar (★★)]
* Classification: Consumable, Ingredient
* Upon consumption, restores Satiety.
※ When used in cooking or on a finished dish, special effects may be granted depending on the situation. (Durability -1, No cooldown)
* Durability: 16 / 16(+3) - Cannot be repaired.
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“Haha. I guess it was greedy of me to hope for a permanent stat boost from these.”
When you thought about it, skills like Guardian's Honey Tea, Honey Brewing, and Honey Soap Crafting were like basic, early-game abilities.
The Venom Honey Tea made with Sky-Blue Bee Venom was an exception that did grant a permanent stat boost, but that was only because the ingredient itself—Teunteun-i’s Sky-Blue Bee Venom—had outstanding potential.
“Still, they’re not bad.”
The results of processing Peridot honey.
Unlike the Ruby Gem Bees, they had evolved venom glands from birth, and their aggressive nature seemed to have carried over into their honey.
Every one of the Peridot processed goods came with an Attack Power boost, which meant he could probably sell them for a much higher price than the Ruby Gem products.
After all, when it came to hunting monsters, higher Attack Power was always a good thing.
Never a bad thing.
“...At this rate, I bet the beeswax candle will be similar.”
[Great Success in crafting Beeswax Candle! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Beeswax Candle.]
[Guardian's Peridot Beeswax Candle (★★+) has been crafted.]
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[Guardian's Peridot Beeswax Candle (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* When held and the 'Use' keyword is spoken, applies 'Guardian's Peridot Beeswax Candle's Blessing' to all recognized allies within an 11m(+2) radius.
※ Guardian's Peridot Beeswax Candle: For 80 minutes, provides warmth and increases Max Health by 600(+100) and Attack Power by 29(+7)%. (Durability -1, No cooldown)
* Durability: 3 / 3(+1) - Cannot be repaired.
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“Whew~”
Just as he expected.
Seong-hyeok had lived his life as a man of nature, dedicated solely to beekeeping and knowing little about games.
But now, after processing items several times, he felt like he was gradually getting used to this bizarre world.
* * * * *
Daemyeong Middle School, located in Gangnam.
This place, which should have been bustling with students, had become a dungeon with the arrival of the bizarre world and the #1 Chapter update.
[Dungeon, Hobgoblin Encampment (★★+)]
An encampment had formed, like some primitive territory, where hobgoblins cackled as they enjoyed their meal.
Needless to say, what they were tearing apart and eating was no ordinary animal meat.
A face smeared with tears, a body with its entrails spilling out.
They were feasting on a person who had been alive just moments ago, and in a corner, they toyed with captured human women, keeping them alive as playthings.
The eyes of the people had lost their focus, as if all hope was gone.
This was one of the tragic yet common fates for players defeated by monsters in this apocalypse.
But the existence of dungeons didn't mean there was no hope left in this bizarre world.
“...These are some disgusting bastards.”
“Nunim. No need to go easy on them, right?”
“Fuck, you even have to ask? If you’ve got a mouth to run, use it to scarf this down and then wipe them all out.”
“Heh. That’s what I was waiting to hear.”
“Our Nunim. She might talk tough, but she always makes sure we're well-fed with the best stuff.”
“Cut the crap.”
A party of seven stepped into the dungeon.
Perhaps they had worked in fitness-related fields before this bizarre world came to be, because the physique of each and every one of them seemed far from ‘ordinary.’
And as if to prove it,
the burly-looking men each wielded clubs, axes, cleavers, hammers, and the like.
*Crack! Smash!*
*CRASH—!!!*
Raising their menacing weapons, they entered the dungeon and began to literally butcher the hobgoblins.
No matter how many hobgoblins swarmed them, they handled them with ease, even having the leeway to knock them aside.
While their individual classes and physiques couldn't be ignored, the true secret to their rampage lay elsewhere.
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[Grandma's Hearty Pork Head Gukbap (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, provides ample Satiety and applies 'Grandma's Hearty Pork Head Gukbap Blessing' to the user.
※ Grandma's Hearty Pork Head Gukbap Blessing: For 90 minutes, increases Strength, Agility, and Stamina by 4(+1), and boosts Attack Power and Defense by 12(+2)%. (Cooldown 90 minutes)
* Description: A ★★+ rank Grandma's Hearty Pork Head Gukbap engraved with the keyword 'Heartiness.' Simply consuming it provides immense Satiety and an uncontrollable surge of power. However, to receive the effect, the entire bowl of gukbap must be consumed.
※ Warning! Buffs from the same series of Pork Head Gukbap do not stack.
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A bowl of hot gukbap, eaten before entering this dungeon.
This was all the work of the player the men called ‘Nunim’.
It was the result of a dish crafted by Grandma Lee Yeon-bun, who had run a gukbap restaurant with a 50-year tradition and, through the karma she had accumulated, changed her class to the 3-star unique class, Master of Pork Head Gukbap.
“With a hear-ty bowl of gukbap, there’s nothing to fear!”
“We, her regulars of 30 years, guarantee Nunim's cooking skills!”
Moreover, the players receiving the dish's effects were a butcher, a fitness trainer, a bodyguard agency employee, and so on.
They all had their differences, but with the arrival of the bizarre world, they had come together.
What should one call it? A coincidence?
The Transcendent Being's system overhaul and the sudden monster attack had occurred while they were all eating together at the restaurant.
As they fought back together, a sense of solidarity formed around their common bond as regulars of the gukbap restaurant. And so, under ‘Nunim’s’ leadership, they established a gukbap restaurant shelter in a corner of Gangnam.
[You have hunted the dungeon boss monster, Hobgoblin Shaman Tunga Lv. 13 (★★). You have acquired Experience, 8,650 Coins, a ★★ Item Draw Ticket, and Hobgoblin Shaman Tunga's Spellbook (★★).]
[You have successfully conquered the Dungeon, Hobgoblin Encampment (★★).]
[As a reward for conquering the dungeon, Experience and Coins will be distributed according to each party member's contribution.]
[Dungeon Conquest MVP Player - 3Dae500 (Lv. 13)]
And so, with overwhelming heartiness, the players slaughtered the hobgoblins who had been killing and toying with people.
“...Vicious bastards to the very end.”
“May you find happiness in the next world.”
But unfortunately, they hadn't been able to save the lives of the female players who were being tormented.
The moment the men began their assault, the hobgoblins had unhesitatingly slit the throats of the women they were toying with, ending their lives.
“Alright, everyone, let’s gather the spoils.”
“Yeah. Dungeons and field bosses sure bring in some sweet loot.”
“I got the MVP this time, so you all better step it up.”
But the moment of silence for the dead did not last long.
In this apocalyptic world, death had become an all-too-common sight.
Thus, their attention turned to the spoils they had secured from the hunt, including the coins.
“Huh? Nu-Nunim. Honeybee. This guy. He’s put up a new product.”
“What! More Royal Jelly? If it boosts stamina, it’s our duty to buy it!”
“You idiots! You’re old enough to know better, what’s with this obsession with stamina! You’ve all had one already, so you won't even get the permanent stat boost anymore, right?”
“...But Nunim. We’re still unmarried bachelors!”
And the escape they chose was shopping on the Exchange.
Specifically, they were hardcore fans of Honeybee’s Royal Jelly, which could be called a special virility potion.
“You damn crazy fools!”
“Hey, Nunim, you’re one to talk, drinking all that Honey Tea and Honey Mead.”
“Tsk. Oh, and Nunim. Peridot? There’s a new Honey Tea out.”
“Huh? Really? I’ve gotta buy this right now!”
In other words, they were his wallets.
That is, from Seong-hyeok's perspective, they were his reliable, hearty cash cows.