Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: A Plea to Join
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Bzzzz- Bzzzzzz-
The legion of bees surrounded them, as if escorting them.
When they first encountered them with the Stinger, they thought they would die on the spot. But now, seeing them with a sense of calm, they looked completely different.
“When I first saw them, they were so terrifying it sent shivers down my spine...”
“But the more I look at them, the cuter they seem.”
The fluffy bees were a harmony of red and green.
Along the way, some of the bees had their heads buried in flowers, collecting nectar. The sight of their wiggling bottoms was enough to bring a fond, motherly smile to one's face.
Even Kang Yeon-ah and Yeon Su-hee, who normally detested bugs, found them acceptable without much resistance!
Besides their cute appearance, the bees' actions were also incredibly endearing...
Buzzz- Buzzzzzz-!
“Thank you, little bee.”
“Thank you, Honeybee.”
Whenever Seok-cheol's life force began to wane from the spore poison, the bees would steadily descend to provide him with honey tea.
Of course, this was all thanks to the influence of 'Honeybee,' the big-name player from the Korean server who controlled the bees.
Naturally, in this chaotic, post-apocalyptic world, there was no such thing as unconditional kindness.
As they followed the bees into Honeybee's territory, they were prepared for what might come.
“...If you save my husband, I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life.”
If it weren't for the bees, they would have been nothing more than a meal for the Stinger anyway.
Having survived by actively fighting monsters in the mountains, the group had a firm set of values.
At the very least, they weren't so senseless as to make demands of their rescuer just because they'd been saved.
But at the same time, the party felt a flicker of ambition.
“I wonder if Honeybee has built a shelter?”
“It would be incredible if we could fight alongside those bees...”
It had been a life-or-death situation, but because of that, the party had seen it all clearly.
The battle between the Stinger and the bee legion.
No, it was closer to a war, a display of the bees' intelligent tactics.
They used various items and even dark magic.
Their combat style, employing all sorts of methods, was so impressive it made you wonder if each bee was a player itself.
This group had always sought growth through active combat rather than playing it safe.
But now, having witnessed Honeybee's methods—which went far beyond their own—a desire to join him surged within them.
“Whoa!”
“Woooow...”
And that feeling intensified when they reached the heart of Seong-hyeok's bee farm.
A dozen or so beehives were placed in a neatly organized area.
From hives of various shapes and peculiar designs to one that emitted a radiant glow.
That alone was a dazzling sight, but the scene of countless bees constantly flying in and out of the hives was truly a spectacle.
But their reverie didn't last long.
“Excuse me. I know you're all amazed, but let's treat the patient first.”
A man in comfortable clothes moved among the swarms of bees.
He had a rather ordinary appearance, but unless you were a fool, you knew exactly who the player here had to be.
“Ah, Honeybee. First, thank you for saving us. But... is it possible to treat him?”
“Honestly, I can't give you a 100% guarantee. Still, isn't it better to at least try than to leave him with no hope? The decision is yours to make.”
“...Please, I'm begging you.”
“Then let's begin immediately.”
A considerable amount of time had already passed since he was poisoned by the Stinger.
Without bothering to move locations, Seong-hyeok proceeded with the treatment right away.
*Shing—*
The Mantium Sword he wore at his waist.
He coated its tip with Peridot Honey Soap and bee venom.
“Wh-what are you doing...?”
He had suddenly drawn a sword, not a medical tool.
One of the party members stepped forward in protest, but it didn't last long.
“Yeon-ah. Please, stay still.”
“Honeybee must have a reason for this. Let's just trust him and wait.”
As they said, if Seong-hyeok had meant them harm, they would have been dead since their encounter with the Stinger and the bees.
They could only watch as he treated the 3-star grade poison spread by the field boss monster,
“*Hoooo...*”
with them watching, Seong-hyeok focused all his senses on the hand holding the sword and on his eyes.
‘This should work.’
The passive effect of Apipuncture made the patient's pressure points clearly visible.
His level was still low, so he couldn't read the entire internal system, but the dotted lines across the body and the areas blackened by the poison provided more than enough information.
*Stab- Stab- Stab-!*
As expected of someone with an Agility stat unbelievable for a life-class profession, Seong-hyeok's hands moved with dazzling speed.
His somewhat lacking Control stat was more than compensated for by the skill that let him see pressure points and his high Mentality stat.
A single wrong move could turn 'treatment' into an 'attack,' requiring extreme concentration that didn't allow him to look away for even a second.
However, with the added support of his massive Durability stat of 173, Seong-hyeok managed to finish the procedure without the slightest falter.
[Apipuncture Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is temporarily bestowed upon the designated player.]
[The ★★★-Grade 'Stinger's Spore Poison' has been completely detoxified.]
[Apipuncture's Vigorous Blood Circulation is applied.]
※ Apipuncture's Vigorous Blood Circulation: For 120 minutes, Life Force recovery speed increases by 500%, and Strength and Durability increase by 20 each.
[Apipuncture's level has increased. Lv.1 -> Lv.2]
A successful result for his first unlicensed apipuncture procedure.
Of course, in this chaotic world where you could be killed by a monster at any moment, worrying about a license was ridiculous. In any case, the outcome was quite good.
‘Did I get a bonus for detoxifying a high-grade poison?’
Was it because he had detoxified a 3-star grade poison and received additional effects in just one attempt?
Perhaps because he'd gained a satisfying amount of skill experience, Apipuncture's level shot up to 2.
Since his bees did most of the fighting, Apipuncture might have seemed useless, but seeing its effects firsthand, that didn't seem to be the case.
‘With additional effects like these, it might be good to use it on myself occasionally.’
Setting aside the Life Force recovery speed, the 20-point increase in Strength and Durability was significant.
And considering that Seong-hyeok had mainly targeted pressure points in the legs and abdomen to treat the patient, it was highly likely that the buff's effects could change depending on the area targeted.
‘Still, I should probably get a bee stinger or a needle before trying apipuncture again, rather than using a sword.’
Even though he controlled the depth as much as possible, the Mantium Sword was an incredibly sharp weapon.
It was one thing to use it in battle against an enemy.
But stabbing the pressure points on his own head or legs with a sword just for a buff was a rather terrifying thought.
He had only been able to try it now because the situation was urgent, and it wasn't his own body.
“The treatment is finished. Please make sure the patient keeps drinking this honey tea until the bleeding stops.”
“Th-thank you so much!”
“Thank you so much for saving Seok-cheol, Honeybee!”
The process was a bit extreme, but as someone once said, all's well that ends well, right?
The patient named Seok-cheol, his face much more relaxed now that the spore poison was neutralized, accepted and drank the honey tea.
Alright, that's enough of the pleasantries.
“It seems you already know I'm Honeybee, so I'll get straight to the point.”
*Bzzzz- Bzzzzzz-*
Along with the intimidating atmosphere, the bees that had felt like an escort just moments ago...
...now turned to face the group with aggressive, harsh buzzing, as if their previous attitude had never existed.
“The treatment fee, the honey tea consumed, and the lives of my bees. In total, you'll need to work on my farm to repay the equivalent of 100,000 coins.”
It was a harsh thing to say, but Seong-hyeok was no philanthropist, nor did he possess any particular love for humanity.
Having given so much, it was only natural that he receive something in return to balance the scales.
Of course, he expected some resistance.
Humans, as a species, were mostly selfish, after all.
But in this world...
...hadn't someone said there are always peculiar exceptions?
“...Um, could we just live here with you forever? You won't regret it. My class is a 4-star unique class, Originator of Abundance, and the man you saved also has a 3-star unique class.”
“I'm Kang Cheon-su, a 3-star Trapper. I was deeply impressed by the bees' battle earlier! Please let us join you!”
“U-um, the bees are so cute... Can I just touch one of their butts?”
“...?”
As if to make Seong-hyeok's proposed 100,000 coin value meaningless.
The group before him was volunteering to become residents of his bee farm.
* * * * *
In truth, it wasn't hard to understand why they wanted to settle down at Seong-hyeok's bee farm for good.
To put it bluntly, who was Honeybee?
He was not only the official big-name player on the Korean server's marketplace but also a hot topic constantly mentioned on the community forums.
Furthermore, this group had witnessed with their own eyes the way Seong-hyeok's bees fought.
They had intelligently neutralized and finished off a field boss monster that most players wouldn't even dare to face.
Was that all?
The Honeybee they met in person had used a sword—a weapon for harming others—to unexpectedly demonstrate a healing ability capable of detoxifying a 3-star grade field boss's poison.
Food and military power through the bees, and finally, even medical capabilities.
Seong-hyeok's bee farm was truly equipped with everything a shelter could possibly need.
It was so well-equipped that it could scoff at even the top-tier shelters that required interviews for entry.
“I understand your intentions. But I'm not sure if you're valuable enough to keep around for a lifetime.”
If it were simply a matter of getting 100,000 coins' worth of labor and then kicking them out, that would be one thing.
But if they were to stay on the farm for life, they needed to possess at least that much value.
This chaotic world operated on the strict principle of survival of the fittest.
Forcing his bees to sacrifice themselves for the survival of these people was something Seong-hyeok would never allow, though the reverse might be acceptable.
“We're confident in our skills. That beehive you made, Honeybee. Didn't you use sturdy Gillight Plywood for it?”
“...How did you know?”
“Haha! Of course I'd know. I'm the one who made all that plywood. I was wondering which big shot bought it all up, but I never imagined it would be you, Honeybee. This must be fate.”
The man, Im Seok-cheol, who had been on death's door from the Stinger's spore poison just a few minutes ago.
[Player Im Seok-cheol (Wood Hunter - Level 15) reveals his Class Specialization.]
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[Class Specialization - Tree Butcher]
* Eye for the Grain: Allows you to see the grain, limited to types of wood.
* Unyielding Stamina: You do not tire easily while logging.
* Unexpected Miracle: When logging, there is a chance to acquire superior-quality lumber.
* Unexpected Luck: When logging, there is a chance to increase the amount gathered.
* ???
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Laughing heartily, he introduced himself as the 3-star unique class 'Tree Butcher,' the very same 'Wood Hunter' who sold plywood on the marketplace, and openly revealed his class specialization.
“It's probably better to show you than to just talk. This is some food I made myself. Would you like to take a look?”
Next, Seok-cheol's wife, Yeon Su-hee, who had introduced herself as the 4-star unique class Originator of Abundance, seemed to believe that seeing is believing.
She took an item that looked like food from a pouch at her waist and handed it to Seong-hyeok.
[You have received an item from Player Yeon Su-hee (Mom's Home Cooking - Level 15).]
[You have acquired Bountiful Steamed Sirbong Potato (★★).]
On the outside, it looked like a perfectly ordinary steamed potato.
But the important part was the seemingly significant keyword 'Bountiful' attached to it.
And just as he expected?
When Seong-hyeok checked the item's effects, he couldn't help but be surprised.