Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: A New Path for the Queen
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As mentioned before, the expansion of the bees' territory as their swarm grew was bound to lead to conflict.
[Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★+) is attempting to scout.]
[A monster has been discovered!]
[A monster has been discovered!]
[A monster has been discovered!]
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Even now, they were gradually dipping their toes into areas where monsters respawned.
Seong-hyeok, who had been terrified during the encounter with Lich Belmoren, had grown with the passage of time.
Now, he focused solely on his beekeeping as if it were nothing.
Why, you ask?
[You have hunted a Spotted Mushroom Water Deer Lv. 14 (★★). You have acquired experience, 45 coins, and a Spotted Mushroom (★★).]
[You have hunted a Foothill Orc Warrior Lv. 12 (★★). You have acquired experience, 31 coins, and a Foothill Orc's Hide (★★).]
[You have hunted a Foothill Orc Archer Lv. 12 (★★). You have acquired experience, 31 coins, and a Foothill Orc's Hide (★★).]
[You have hunted a Hog Wolf Lv. 10 (★★-). You have acquired experience, 23 coins, and a Hog Wolf's Fang (★★-).]
······.
Because it wasn't long before a flood of notifications announced the bees' successful monster hunts.
Of course, the bees suffered some casualties, but compared to before, it was a mere drop in the bucket.
“Thanks to my Teunteun-is, this dad feels completely secure.”
As the number of bees increased and time went on, Seong-hyeok had gained another elite bee: the Peridot Cheonlamdok Legion Commander Bee.
With this second one, also named Teunteun-i, he was able to secure both efficiency and safety in his hunts.
Two birds, one stone.
Furthermore, the addition of an elite bee wasn't just advantageous for hunting.
Its honey storage capacity was incomparably higher than that of other bees.
And was that all?
Beyond those factors, the Cheonlamdok Legion Commander Bees were capable of producing ‘Cheonlam Bee Venom,’ the main ingredient for Cheonlam Bee Venom Honey Tea, which contributed significantly to permanent stat increases. This was arguably their most important feature.
With two of them, the production doubled. For four straight days, Seong-hyeok had diligently consumed the permanent stat-boosting concoctions, never missing a single six-hour cooldown.
Setting aside the effects of skin rejuvenation and virility enhancement, the results were truly astonishing.
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[Yu Seong-hyeok]
* Level: 23
* Health: 1,830 Mana: 830 (+300)
* Attack Power: 126 (+55) Defense: 159 (+5) Magic Resistance: 113 (+15)
* Strength: 33 Agility: 96 (+25) Endurance: 143 Control: 32 (+10) Mentality: 83
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His stat points were unbelievably high for someone at level 23.
Of course, one could argue that high stats were useless for a beekeeper, a life-skill profession.
But there was something that shouldn't be forgotten.
Seong-hyeok was no ordinary beekeeper.
Honeybee Guardian (★★★★★) - Unique
The Honeybee Guardian, a unique job of an incredible 5-star rating.
And true to its name, Seong-hyeok's stats directly affected his bees.
※ Stats will be partially enhanced according to the master's level.
This additional note was attached to every bee, from the queen to the workers, superior species, and elites.
According to the description, only Seong-hyeok's 'level' should have had an effect.
However, he learned that wasn't the case when his Endurance stat surpassed 100.
[A specific awakening condition has been met. -> Pure Endurance stat of 100 or higher, excluding item effects.]
[The authority of the Honeybee Guardian grows stronger. The defense and honey storage of all bees in the swarm will receive an additional increase, and they will have a certain chance to survive death after using their stingers.]
[The effects of this authority will increase as the Endurance stat rises, further boosting defense, honey storage, and the probability of surviving death.]
A hidden element of the game.
Just as skills were created or the maximum number of queen bees he could possess increased when Seong-hyeok met certain conditions, his stats had now become a crucial factor for his bees.
“The increase in health and defense is great, but the extra honey storage and the chance to survive death are incredible.”
Seong-hyeok had always felt sorry for his bees, who died after using their stingers, their only means of attack. This effect was as sweet as honey.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok didn't believe such an awakening condition existed only for ‘Endurance.’
“My top priority is to get the other stats past 100.”
Besides Endurance, there were four other stats: Strength, Agility, Control, and Mentality.
Since they were all 'stats' just the same, it was highly likely that some hidden piece would be unveiled when they, too, surpassed 100.
“It feels like I've truly proven my worth as a Honeybee Guardian. I'm so happy.”
In any case, it meant that even if Seong-hyeok just stayed on his farm and tended to his bees, simply raising his stats would allow him to exert an influence over them that was incomparable to before.
“Every crisis is an opportunity. In a way, I should be thankful to Belmoren, shouldn't I?”
Lich Belmoren, Seong-hyeok's first enemy and a field boss, had inflicted heavy losses on his bees.
Of course, he held no fond feelings for the creature that had caused a massacre of his cute bees, both then and now, but by monopolizing its experience, he had quickly reached level 20.
And in the process, he acquired the Propolis and Venom Processing skills.
Thanks to them, wasn't he able to craft and consume valuable items that granted permanent stat boosts, like Propolis Film and Bee Venom Honey Tea, in addition to Royal Jelly Pills, much faster?
“I'm quite fond of these items, too.”
Furthermore, what he had gained from Lich Belmoren wasn't just experience.
The earring Seong-hyeok was wearing and the scabbard hanging from his right hip.
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[Sword of Mantium (★★★-)]
* Type: Weapon
* Attack Power: 55
* Penetration: 100%
* Agility +25, Control +10
* Durability: 350 / 350
* Description: A ★★★- grade sword obtained by a dimension-traveling merchant somewhere. Imbued with the blessing of the ferocious beast Mantium, it enhances the user's speed and control, and possesses overwhelming penetration power.
[Eldin's Springwater Earring (★★-)]
* Type: Accessory
* Defense +5, Magic Resistance +15
* Mana +300
* Durability: 80 / 80
* Description: A ★★- grade earring obtained by a dimension-traveling merchant somewhere. This earring holds the pure, vibrant water of Eldin's Spring, greatly increasing the user's mana pool.
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He had obtained these items by using the item draw tickets he received from hunting Lich Belmoren and the Flash Golem.
At the time, he had been so preoccupied with rebuilding his bee farm and restoring nature after the massive loss of his bees that he had forgotten to use them for a while.
But it was better late than never, and the items were quite decent.
A larger mana pool meant fewer hindrances when crafting items, and the sword, aside from its attack power, boosted his Agility and Control stats, which provided a small but welcome aid to his beekeeping.
And most importantly, there was one more element crucial to Seong-hyeok's bee farm, more important than any of the things mentioned before.
*Bzzzzzz— Bzzzzzzzzz—*
It was a single bee, flying toward him as if its time had come.
This individual, boasting a tantalizingly luxurious, vibrant red abdomen, was no ‘ordinary’ Ruby Gem bee.
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[Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★)]
※ Wings and pollen baskets have undergone the first stage of evolution.
* Currently has a nest.
* Swarm Size: 530,278 (Eggs 12,320 / Larvae 4,278 / Pupae 6,320 / Worker Bees 453,931 / Scout Bees 25,775 / Honeypot Bees 27,654)
* Growth Rate: 99.99%
* Superior Species Emergence Progress: Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★+) -> 4.3% (+0.8), Ruby Gem Honeypot Bee (★+) -> 4.3% (+0.8)
* Egg-Laying Speed: 8 per minute
* Hatching Speed: 8 hours
* Emergence Process: 18 hours
* Skills: Egg Laying (Lv.7), Queen's Pheromone (Lv.5), Venomous Stinger (Lv.3), Flight (Lv.4)
* Health: 580 (+380) Mana: 260 (+120)
* Attack Power: 29 (+12) Defense: 21 (+10) Magic Resistance: 16 (+8)
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Seong-hyeok's bee farm.
The great being who had given birth to a staggering 530,000 bees, the Ruby Gem Queen Bee.
Her stats, now with much higher defensive capabilities thanks to Seong-hyeok's 143 Endurance, were noticeable, but his eyes were drawn to something else first.
* Growth Rate: 99.99%
27 days had passed since this strange new world began.
A period of time that could be considered long or short.
Over that time, the Ruby Gem Queen Bee had steadily increased her growth rate.
“Alright, my Queen. You're telling me you're finally ready?”
*Bzzz— Bzzzzzz—!*
The Queen performed a joyful dance, shaking her fluffy abdomen as if to say yes.
At the same time, a notification sound chimed in Seong-hyeok's ear.
[You have met the conditions for the evolution of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★). -> Growth Rate 100%, Swarm Size 500,000 or more.]
[As the master of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★), please select an evolutionary path. Time remaining: 30 minutes.]
※ Warning! If an evolutionary path is not chosen within the time limit, one will be selected at random.
The message was largely the same as the first time.
Seong-hyeok was about to check the notification's contents.
But before the evolution choices appeared, another notification caught his ear.
[You possess a special material required for evolution. Would you like to use this item as a supplementary material for the evolution? YES / NO -> Lich Belmoren's Dark Essence (★★★-)]
“...What?”
It was a hidden piece, a completely unexpected hidden element of this game.
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[Lich Belmoren's Dark Essence (★★★-)]
* Type: Consumable, Material
* Upon Consumption: ???
* Description: A ★★★- grade dark essence left behind after the death of Lich Belmoren. It contains a potent dark magic force. No one knows what will happen upon consumption. A skilled craftsman might be able to use it as a material for weapons and armor.
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Apparently, evolution had its hidden aspects as well.