Chapter 22
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Sweet Monopoly
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As time passed in this bizarre new world, people gradually formed groups, claimed defensible locations, and established shelters.
The value of a shelter wasn't limited to providing protection from monsters and villains; some also served other functions depending on their specific characteristics.
“Could you please share your class and level in numerical order?”
“One-star Thief, level 6. I know my level is low right now, but if you’ll have me, I’ll do my absolute best…”
“Rejected. Do you have no shame? Not worth hearing any more. How dare a mere thief like you apply here?”
“Two-star Priest. My level is only 4 because it’s hard to hunt. Is that okay?”
“Of course! You’re more than welcome. We can help you with your leveling by hunting together here at our shelter.”
It was like interviewing for a position at a major corporation.
Players desperately vied for a spot in a good shelter.
One might wonder how such a system could exist in a post-apocalyptic world, but it was precisely because it was the ‘apocalypse’ that replenishing their numbers was a necessity for any shelter, whether they liked it or not.
With monsters constantly respawning, the existing members of a shelter were inevitably lost to attrition.
It was a world of survival of the fittest, where strength dictated everything.
However, since the players who formed the foundation of this world were, at their core, people who had lived in the society before the change, a certain social flavor was bound to linger.
“How were the results today?”
“So-so. No unique classes. Mostly one or two-star combat and life classes, same as always.”
“Well, unique class holders are rare. Please take care of assigning the new members to their teams.”
“Leave it to me.”
In a typical game, there are successful survivors and those who aren't.
There were countless criteria for distinguishing the strong from the weak among the players.
From class and level, which could be instantly verified, to the status of their equipped items.
However, on the Korean server, there was another factor included in this assessment.
“Oh, and don’t forget to keep buying whatever Honeybee puts up for sale, as long as we have the coins. Even if we don’t use it right away, it’s best to secure as many of those supplies as we can.”
“Of course.”
It was the number of items they possessed from Honeybee, who was rapidly becoming the most prominent name on the Korean server’s marketplace.
Potions, various buffs, and more.
His goods were filled with nothing but gems for the players.
Frankly, whether a player had Honeybee’s items or not created a noticeable difference in their leveling speed.
The ability to aggressively hunt monsters with superior stats and a stock of potions was a tremendous advantage.
【Heaven for the Weak, Hell for the Strong: Hey, Honeybee. We’re grateful you’re making and selling processed goods. But have some decency and think about us, too. Why do you keep sneakily raising the prices? How are we supposed to survive?】
【Cheonrisu: Huh? You don’t know what inflation is? As time goes on, the amount of coins we can earn increases, so it’s natural for prices to go up. Besides, why should Honeybee care about your situation? lol. What a legend. You have coins to whine on the forums, but not enough for honey tea?】
【15gg: Honestly, it sucks, but I get it. It’s a monopoly, and everything he lists sells out instantly. Let’s be real, if I were Honeybee, I’d raise the prices too.】
【Blue is the Jungler’s: They say if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. It was true all along, lmao.】
【A Dog That Barks at Idiots: Woof! Woof woof woof!】
A price of 6 coins.
To be fair, the initial price of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea wasn't exactly cheap, to begin with.
Considering the loot from hunting a goblin and selling its spoils, you’d have to kill two or three of them just to afford a single jar.
But as time went on, the price of the Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea had ballooned to a staggering 20 coins, more than three times the original cost.
Of course, the inflation caused by players earning coins more easily as they grew stronger was a factor, but a bigger reason was the monopoly and the overheating competition among players.
Having already tasted its sweetness and experienced its effects, large shelters and powerful players alike scrambled to buy it as soon as it was listed.
【Fast Feet: Urgent news, everyone! The marketplace’s honey-man, Honeybee, has stocked a new product!】
【Jeongrichung: This time it’s not Ruby Gem but Peridot honey, but don’t be shocked, everyone! I-It’s bonus effect is… an attack power increase!】
【Attention Seeker No. 1: Whoa, that’s Honeybee’s class for you. Things are about to get wild.】
…And now.
With the Peridot honey products that Honeybee had newly listed, a sweet, honey-scented storm was about to sweep through the marketplace.
* * * * *
“Seriously, do these people just stare at the screen all day? How do they find out and spread the word the second I list something?”
Seong-hyeok, who had gone to check the community forum’s reaction after listing his items, clicked his tongue at the sight of players announcing his new product.
He didn't know who Fast Feet or Jeongrichung were in reality, but he recognized their unique nicknames.
“Well, I’m grateful anyway.”
After all, they had been a subtle source of marketing every time Seong-hyeok sold his goods.
Sure, their goal was to gain benefits from the community forum, but that’s how the world worked.
A win-win situation where both parties benefited.
They gained experience by becoming named users on the forum through views, recommendations, and comments, while Seong-hyeok earned coins from their advertising.
And just as a word without wings can travel a thousand miles, the information spread by the forum’s named users instantly reached every corner of the Korean server.
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Tea (★★+)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 80 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Tea (★★+)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 96 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Tea (★★+)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 112 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
…….
One by one, Seong-hyeok’s new products, the processed Peridot honey items, began to sell.
“What would be a reasonable upper limit?”
Unlike the Ruby Gem honey he’d been selling, this was his first time selling Peridot, so Seong-hyeok had listed ten items at staggered prices to gauge the market, starting from 100 coins and increasing by 20 coins up to 300.
Honestly, he hadn't expected them all to sell.
He figured 100 coins was a plausible price, but even he thought 300 coins was quite expensive.
That was why he’d tried to gauge how high the price could go before sales slowed down…
[All ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Tea (★★+)’ listed on the marketplace have been sold.]
“What… what is this? For real?”
But what was this?
It was as if a supermarket had suddenly announced an 80% flash sale.
The Peridot Honey Tea sold out in the blink of an eye, gone in less than a minute.
Of course, the advertising from the community’s named users had played a huge part, but still, while 100 coins was one thing…
Even Seong-hyeok hadn't imagined that the one listed for 300 coins would sell out instantly.
After all, that was 15 times the cost of the 20-coin Ruby Gem Honey Tea, yet someone had bought it without a second thought.
“The attack power increase effect must be really good.”
Excluding the restoration of health and mana, there was only one difference between the Ruby Gem and Peridot honey teas.
The increase in attack power.
7%.
Frankly, for a consumable buff, that was by no means a low number. An increase in attack power would naturally lead to faster hunting speeds. For a high-level player, it would be entirely possible to get their money’s worth within the duration.
“With this kind of reaction, I think I can raise the price for the next batch of Peridot Honey Tea.”
Some might call him selfish, thinking only of himself, but a monopoly market was always at the seller’s discretion.
*Buzzzzz— Buzzzzzz—*
And Seong-hyeok's honey products were all the fruits of his diligent bees' labor.
To build the perfect dream house for his growing bee family and to enhance their safety, Seong-hyeok had no choice but to be even greedier for money.
“I’ll sell the honey wine after it’s fully aged, and maybe I’ll raise the price again on the items that can be used multiple times.”
The explosive reaction brought on by the attack power increase.
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Vinegar (★★)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 240 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Honey Soap (★★+)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 800 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
[The ‘Guardian’s Peridot Beeswax Candle (★★★-)’ you listed on the marketplace has been sold.]
[You have acquired 2,400 coins after a 20% commission fee.]
…….
Seong-hyeok rode the wave perfectly.
Following the honey tea, the three items that could be used multiple times also sold.
Especially the honey soap with its ample durability and the beeswax candle that could affect multiple people with a single use—they sold out at a demonic pace despite their considerable price tags.
But could they even begin to imagine?
“...Then how much am I supposed to sell these for?”
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[Guardian’s Peridot Royal Jelly Pills (★★★)] x 2
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, recovers fatigue, enhances vitality, and improves skin. The individual gains the ‘Robust Health of the Guardian’s Peridot Royal Jelly Pill’ effect, and their Endurance permanently increases by 2. This effect is limited to once per individual. Current consumption 0 / 1
※ Robust Health of the Guardian’s Peridot Royal Jelly Pill: For 90 minutes, Strength and Endurance increase by 28(+7).
…….
[Guardian’s Peridot Propolis Film (★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, the individual gains the ‘Natural Antibiotic of the Guardian’s Peridot Propolis’ effect, and their Spirit permanently increases by 3. This effect is limited to once per individual. Current consumption 0 / 1
※ Natural Antibiotic of the Guardian’s Peridot Propolis: For 90 minutes, immunity to all types of penalty effects increases by 82(+18)%, and Spirit increases by 35(+6).
* Description: A ★★★+ grade Peridot Propolis Film inscribed with the Guardian’s keyword. The Peridot propolis has been processed into a film for easy consumption, providing high immunity and clearing the mind. It also permanently increases a player's stats once.
※ Caution! Buffs from the same propolis series do not stack.
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As they say, there are levels to this.
Among the byproducts harvested from the bees, Royal Jelly and Propolis were the rarest and highest grade.
The value of the items crafted from these two was so immense that it was difficult to even assign a price.