Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Dark Evolution
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Luck.
Everyone experiences it at least once in their life.
Some are born with it, while others win the lottery, pass a civil service exam, or get hired by a major corporation.
Luck is an inseparable part of life.
And Seong-hyeok, who had lost his parents in an accident—so long ago he couldn't even remember their faces—and had grown up in an orphanage, could be described, without exaggeration, as having terribly bad luck.
Perhaps that was why.
It might explain why Seong-hyeok became so obsessed with the bees, who never relied on mere luck or chance, but diligently carried out their duties.
“Ha, haha…”
But now, with the world turned into a chaotic mess and the current situation unfolding, a laugh escaped Seong-hyeok's lips without him realizing it.
In truth, this current situation wasn't a mere coincidence born of a lucky break.
The field boss, Lich Velmorn, had tried to attack Seong-hyeok's bee farm.
If Seong-hyeok hadn't possessed the job specialization 'Beloved of Bees' when dealing with him, he would have met his end right then and there at the hands of the zombified bees.
But he had the Honeybee Guardian job and its specialized abilities, so Seong-hyeok had bet his life on it.
And this was the result.
Velmorn and the massive horde of monsters he led.
Furthermore, by acquiring all the experience points from the bee zombies he had created, Seong-hyeok experienced an explosive level-up, and the Dark Essence obtained from the lich could now be used as a supplementary material for evolution.
However, Seong-hyeok didn't think this was purely the result of good 'luck'.
*Buzzzzz- Buzzzzz-*
“Yes, of course, this is all thanks to you. My queen.”
The Ruby Gem Queen Bee landed on the back of Seong-hyeok's raised hand.
Without the queen who had ushered in the brilliant era of bees on his farm in the first place, he wouldn't have even had the forces to fight Velmorn.
“Shall we get started then, my queen?”
*Buzzzzzzz-!!!*
The conditions were now met for the Ruby Gem Queen Bee to undergo her second evolution.
There was a possibility of a penalty, but it was still a 3-star grade item.
He had plenty of coins, so there was no reason to sell it on the exchange, and the only place he could use it as a crafting material was the beehive.
Unable to give up on what felt like a hidden event born of coincidence, Seong-hyeok chose YES after a moment's hesitation.
[Using Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence (★★★-) as a supplementary material for evolution.]
[The available options will be partially modified.]
With the notification sound, Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence, which Seong-hyeok had been holding, floated up and seeped into the Ruby Gem Queen Bee's body as if a sponge were soaking up water.
At the same time, a partially modified evolution path, just as the notification had stated, appeared before Seong-hyeok's eyes.
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[Notification]
※ The Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★) has met the conditions and a path to evolve into a Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★★) has opened. As the master, please choose a path. Time remaining: 27 minutes, 41 seconds
※ Warning! If an evolution path is not chosen within the remaining time, one will be selected at random.
※ Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence (★★★-) has been used as a supplementary material. -> All stats of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee and her swarm will slightly increase. The Ruby Gem Queen Bee and any elite bees born will be able to use black magic. The grade of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee will be raised by one level (+).
[Evolution List]
* Focused Antennae Evolution: The detection abilities and pheromone functions of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee and her swarm will increase significantly. / At an extremely low probability, an elite Ruby Gem Dark Lilyzer Legion Commander Bee (★★★) will be born.
* Focused Pollen Basket Evolution: The amount of honey collected by the Ruby Gem Queen Bee and her swarm will increase significantly. / At an extremely low probability, an elite Ruby Gem Dark Big Honeypot Legion Commander Bee (★★★) will be born.
* Focused Wing Evolution: The flight capabilities of the Ruby Gem Queen Bee and her swarm will increase significantly. / At an extremely low probability, an elite Ruby Gem Dark Speed Star Legion Commander Bee (★★★) will be born.
※ Please choose the evolution path based on the organ carefully...
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Just as the description had said that the scope of evolution could widen or narrow depending on the first organ chosen, the second evolution had only three options, unlike the four from the first.
“...Haaa.”
But even with one less option, Seong-hyeok felt that making a choice was even more difficult.
From the antennae to the pollen baskets and wings.
All three options were so appealing that, if he could, he would have chosen them all at once.
If the antennae were evolved, they could utilize pheromones—the language of bees—more flexibly. The pollen baskets would yield more honey, and the wings would not only increase speed but also enhance the reconnaissance effect that had already proven so useful.
“Besides, that's not the only important thing.”
Through the Peridot Queen Bee, Seong-hyeok knew all too well, didn't he?
The immense impact that the Teunteun-i, the Peridot Azure Poison Legion Commander Bees, had on the battlefield.
It went without saying that the elite bees chosen based on the focused organ evolution would likely have their own distinct characteristics.
Furthermore, considering they would be individuals capable of wielding black magic due to Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence, their value was bound to be even higher.
“Wow. This is driving me crazy.”
It was utter chaos, like trying to choose between two of your favorite dishes.
Seong-hyeok wasn't usually indecisive, but with his life on the line in this chaotic world, it was only natural that he found it hard to make a rash decision.
However, Seong-hyeok's deliberation didn't last long.
“What do you think, my little queen?”
After all, this wasn't a result he had achieved alone, nor was it a decision he could make unilaterally.
Therefore, Seong-hyeok decided to use his ultimate trump card.
He decided to let the queen choose.
* * * * *
*Buzzz! Buzzzzz-*
As if pleased with the changes from her second evolution.
The Ruby Gem Queen Bee glided around Seong-hyeok, now larger and faster than before.
Seong-hyeok examined the results of the rather satisfactory choice.
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[Ruby Gem Queen Bee (★★★+)]
※ Wing and Pollen Basket evolution has been performed once.
※ Focused Antennae evolution (imbued with Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence) has been performed once.
* Currently possesses a home.
* 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: 0%
* Superior Species Emergence Rate: Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★★+) -> 6.6% (+1.2), Ruby Gem Honeypot Bee (★★+) -> 6.6% (+1.2), Ruby Gem Dark Lilyzer Legion Commander Bee (★★★) - Elite Bee -> 0.082% (+0.022)
* Egg-Laying Speed: 9 per minute
* Hatching Speed: 8 hours
* Emergence Process: 18 hours
* Skills: Egg Laying (Lv.8), Queen's Pheromone (Lv.7), Stinger (Lv.4), Flight (Lv.5), Queen's Pheromone - Enhanced Detection (Lv.1), Queen's Black Magic - Undead (Lv.1)
* Health: 695 (+395) Mana: 560 (+280)
* Attack: 39 (+15) Defense: 31 (+13) Magic Resistance: 22 (+10)
* Description: ......Has awakened the power of black magic due to Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence.
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In the end, the Queen Bee's final choice was the focused evolution of her antennae.
In a way, the antennae are one of the most crucial parts for a bee.
For humans, it would be like a sensory organ that combines the functions of hearing and smell.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok judged the Queen Bee's choice to be quite rational.
Pheromones, also known as the language of bees.
But in this chaotic game-like world, pheromones could be applied in all sorts of peculiar ways.
Wasn't there already 'Queen's Pheromone - Venom Sac Enhancement', which increased the venom capacity of nearby allied bees, as a prime example?
And through this evolution, the Ruby Gem Queen Bee had gained an additional pheromone skill.
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[Queen's Pheromone - Enhanced Detection (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 100
* Effect (Active): For 20 minutes, increases the detection ability of swarm bees within a 1km radius by 20%. (Cooldown: 20 minutes)
* Description: Emits the queen bee's unique pheromone to enhance the detection ability of the swarm. As the level increases, the effect can cover a wider radius, and the detection ability bonus increases.
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Recognizing nearby flowers or monsters.
An enhancement to detection, a necessary element for everything.
While it could be seen as a lesser version of the Scout Bee's 'Reconnaissance' skill, this was not something to be taken lightly.
When that effect was active, it meant that all Ruby Gem bees temporarily became a downgraded version of a 'Scout Bee', and if applied to an actual Scout Bee, its effectiveness would be amplified even further.
“And the biggest thing is probably this.”
Besides, the true highlight of this evolution was something else entirely.
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[Queen's Black Magic - Undead (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 400
* Currently Animateable: Zombies, Skeletons
* Animateable Count: 0 / 1,000
* Effect (Active): Raises corpses within a 500m radius as undead. (Cooldown: 60 minutes)
* Description: Black magic acquired by absorbing the lich's Dark Essence. As a queen who benefited from direct consumption, the effect has been further enhanced. Raises nearby corpses as undead. As the level increases, the effect can cover a wider radius, and more undead, including higher-tier ones, can be raised.
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Lich Velmorn's Dark Essence.
As a result of absorbing it, the Ruby Gem Queen Bee had gained the ability to wield black magic.
Having faced undead before and as someone running a bee farm, the effect was admittedly a bit unsettling, but in terms of cost-effectiveness, it wasn't bad at all.
“...After all, there were plenty of corpses piling up.”
The sad fate of bees was that no matter how high their health, using their stinger meant death.
Because of this, sacrifices were made every time a battle with monsters occurred.
But what if he could recycle these dead bees as undead?
He might not know for sure, but one thing was certain.
The number of bee casualties in the continuous battles against respawning monsters within their territory would decrease dramatically.
“I'll never forget your sacrifices, everyone.”
Honestly, using the corpses of bees that had chosen an altruistic life of sacrificing themselves for the hive wasn't a pleasant thought.
But there was something he shouldn't forget.
Even before this chaotic world, nature had been a continuous cycle of the strong preying on the weak since the birth of the Earth.
It might seem cruel, but if it took using a hundred corpses to save one bee, the bees would willingly do it.
Why?
Because bees have a fundamentally different way of thinking than humans.
They prioritized the benefit of the group over personal feelings, which is how they had survived for so long through the ages.
“From now on, I have to get strong enough that the bees won't have to be sacrificed.”
And into this collective of rational thought that was the bees, came the existence of Seong-hyeok, a human capable of individual thought.
Whether that would be a blessing or a curse was something only time would tell.