Chapter 30
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: New Residents
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[Bountiful Sirvong Steamed Potato (★★)]
* Category: Consumable, Ingredient
* Upon consumption, grants a satisfying feeling of fullness and applies the 'Blessing of the Bountiful Sirvong Steamed Potato' to the individual.
※ Blessing of the Bountiful Sirvong Steamed Potato: For 60 minutes, Strength and Endurance increase by 3(+1), and all gathering activity speed increases by 18(+3)%. Additionally, the Blessing of Bounty slightly increases the quantity of gathered items. (Cooldown: 60 minutes)
* Description: A ★★-grade Sirvong Steamed Potato engraved with the keyword 'Bountiful'. Simply eating it provides an immense feeling of fullness and an energy that makes you feel like you can get through the day. It also brings luck to all gathering activities and their yields. However, the entire steamed potato must be consumed for the effect to apply.
※ Caution! Buffs from the same series of Sirvong Steamed Potatoes do not stack.
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'This is...'
Just a simple stat-boosting buff.
Seong-hyeok was now so accustomed to various honey products that this barely registered.
However, one option immediately caught his eye.
The bonus to gathering speed and the luck it granted to the yield.
For Seong-hyeok, who was running a bee farm, this was more valuable than most items.
'Incredible.'
To put it bluntly, what if this effect allowed him to gain even one extra unit of honey or beeswax during his harvests?
Or better yet, royal jelly, propolis, or even bee venom?
Even if the increase was described as 'slight,' with ten beehives and the bee venom collection, Seong-hyeok had a total of eleven gathering points.
In other words, thanks to the sheer volume, 'slight' was anything but insignificant to him.
"I used to have much better ones. It's a shame this is all that's left, but I had to use them to survive while being chased by that Stinger."
"I see."
Yeon Su-hee's meticulousness was on full display, expressing her regret while subtly hinting that she still had more to offer.
Seong-hyeok instantly realized that she, not Im Seok-cheol who had readily revealed his job specialization, was the true leader of this group.
After all, she was the one with the highest star rating—a 4-star unique job she had earned through her life's karma.
She might look like an ordinary wife, but in this bizarre world, one should never judge by appearances alone.
"Did you like my item? This shelter has so many cute honeybees, so if you'd like, I can provide you with even higher quality dishes. If you'll just accept us, I'm prepared to show you everything, starting with my job specialization."
She was essentially saying that if he recognized her value and let them into his bee farm—the honeybees' shelter—she would lay all her cards on the table.
With the ever-increasing number of beehives, it was becoming difficult for Seong-hyeok to manage the farm alone. From his perspective, it wasn't a bad offer.
But accepting it rashly could lead to headaches down the road.
'Just because she shows me her job specialization doesn't mean we can run this shelter as equals.'
Seong-hyeok's Bee Farm.
This shelter was a fortress built by Seong-hyeok and his honeybees since the dawn of this bizarre world.
Seong-hyeok had created the place, his bees handled security, and he was the one supplying the honey, their primary food source.
It went without saying, but establishing a clear hierarchy—a pecking order of sorts—from the very beginning was better for the future.
"If you can consistently supply food with effects like this, your value certainly isn't low."
"In that case..."
"However, there's one thing you need to understand. The honeybees created this natural environment, and they are the ones who protect it. I hope you don't forget that. As you saw in the battle, the bees risk their lives to defend this place."
For the first time since meeting them, Seong-hyeok spoke informally.
Perhaps because of it, the atmosphere around him grew so heavy it was hard to believe he was the same person from moments ago.
"So, if you want to join my shelter, you must always be grateful to the honeybees. And I expect you to act in a way that minimizes their sacrifices as much as possible."
Twenty-four years of a life dedicated solely to bees.
He might be lenient about other things, but when it came to his bees, he was strictly business.
It might seem a bit arrogant, but establishing this now would make managing them later much easier.
"...I understand the point you're making."
"We are truly sorry for the bees' sacrifice. And thank you for saving us, esteemed honeybees."
"We won't forget this kindness, thank you, bees."
Did Seong-hyeok's words get through?
The group began to genuinely thank the bees buzzing around them.
Bzzzz— Bzzzzzzz—
As if to show their actions weren't false.
A few bees stopped their work and responded by wiggling their abdomens in a dance, accepting their gratitude.
He had firmly established the importance of the honeybees, the true masters of his farm.
Now it was time to lighten the tense mood.
"Ahem. In any case, if you perform beyond my expectations, I will reward you accordingly. As you know, I have a considerable amount of various honey products, including health foods effective for skin care and virility."
"Oh my, thank you, Honeybee."
"Is that really true? I've only ever drooled while looking at them on the Exchange..."
"Haha! Good for virility, you say? How embarrassing."
After all, even in a hierarchy, the stick must be followed by a carrot.
"Now then, please continue with the introductions, and share your job specializations and levels."
The heavy atmosphere lifted, and Seong-hyeok's Bee Farm gained four new residents.
* * * * *
Seong-hyeok's Bee Farm had fallen into a monotonous daily routine.
But the new residents brought a significantly positive change for Seong-hyeok. The most noticeable influence came from the one with the highest star rating: Yeon Su-hee, a 4-star unique job holder at level 15.
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[Job Specialization - Originator of Bounty]
* Bountiful Luck: When completing a dish, there is a high chance it will be imbued with the Blessing of Bounty.
* Masterpiece Bounty: Increases the amount of experience gained from a 'Great Success' in cooking.
* Origin of Bounty: Increases the rate of 'Great Success' when harvesting crops.
* Fertile Land: Increases the fertility of land within a 5km radius, boosting crop growth speed.
* ???
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He hadn't been sure what the job title 'Originator of Bounty' meant, but seeing her specializations made it clear.
It was a job that felt like a hybrid of a chef and a farmer.
Furthermore, not only were the dishes she made—like the Bountiful Sirvong Steamed Potato she first offered—a great help in gathering,
*Stab-!* *Nom, nom, nom-*
"Phew, this is really good."
but they also provided something substantial to chew on for Seong-hyeok, who had been subsisting on honey.
For now, it was only potatoes, so steaming them was the best they could do. But dipping them in freshly harvested honey created a taste that melted on the tongue. It was no exaggeration to say it enriched Seong-hyeok's life.
"Young man Seong-hyeok! With the bees' help, I'll bring back plenty of good wood. Oh, and if there's anything you want built later, just say the word. I'll build whatever I can!"
Moreover, the contributions of Su-hee's husband, Seok-cheol—a 3-star unique job holder, the Tree Slaughterer—were not to be underestimated.
Among the many natural plants his scout bees had discovered, there were trees he'd been unable to bring back due to circumstances.
But with Seok-cheol, who could fell trees, joining them, they could now gather all the useful plants he had only been able to scout.
And one mustn't forget that the Tree Slaughterer was a skilled lumberjack, capable of crafting the Gillight Plywood that had been so beneficial to Seong-hyeok.
He had been worried about how they would transport such a massive amount of lumber, even after it was cut and processed into plywood, but that turned out to be a needless concern.
"Yeon-ah. Unload everything here."
"Okay, Mr. Seok-cheol."
Kang Yeon-ah, who had been working in a two-person team with Seok-cheol, escorted by the bees and unimpeded by monsters.
Her job, surprisingly, was a Porter.
Of course, just as jobs had star ratings, she was no ordinary porter.
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[Job Specialization - Elite Porter]
* Elite Soul Bag: Can store items in 3,660 slots. The number of slots an item occupies varies depending on its type. (Number of slots increases with level)
* Lighten: The weight of held items is significantly reduced.
* Elite Porter's Stamina: Satiety and health decrease at a very slow rate.
* ???
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Despite her somewhat frail appearance, Kang Yeon-ah had chosen the job of Elite Porter, making him wonder just what kind of life she had lived.
It was another reminder of how foolish it was to judge someone by their appearance.
"You've all worked hard. Please, eat first."
"Wow, thank you, Seong-hyeok!"
"Haha! They say food tastes like honey after a hard day's work, but I never thought I'd literally be dipping steamed potatoes in honey!"
"I just hope the honey whets your appetite. Oh, and would it be alright if I sorted through the finished plywood and took a few pieces?"
"Of course! Take as many as you need!"
If you work, you need a fitting reward to stay motivated.
While seeing to their meal, Seong-hyeok sorted through the plywood Seok-cheol had brought, picked out pieces suitable for a beehive, and immediately crafted his eleventh one.
[Beehive construction Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the beehive.]
[An item used as a material contained a keyword. The keyword will disappear, and an additional effect will be granted to the item.]
[Guardian's Extra-Large Parkison Plywood Beehive (★★★) has been crafted.]
The handy bonus effect from the plywood with the 'Sturdy' keyword was as good as expected.
As he focused on crafting the beehive, he noticed that Seok-cheol and Yeon-ah, having finished their meal, were watching him intently.
"...What is it?"
"I-I was just watching!"
"Ahem! No, it's just that seeing you so absorbed in your work is my kind of thing, so I couldn't help but watch. Young man Seong-hyeok. You seem to be cut from the same cloth as me, eh?"
"Is that so?"
It made sense. Seok-cheol was also a player with a 3-star unique job, the Tree Slaughterer.
While there was a difference in their ratings, and he wasn't on the level of a 5-star Honeybee Guardian, it was no exaggeration to say that he was just as much of an oddball as Seong-hyeok.
"Well, anyway, watching you work gets my own hands itching. Like I said before, just give me the word. I have my skills and can build you some pretty useful structures."
"Hmm. In that case, would it be possible to build a warehouse to store the honey and a structure that could function as a greenhouse? I think it'd be good for Su-hee to not only cook but also cultivate various crops."
"Khahaha! To think you'd consider my wife! I really appreciate that. I'll do my best!"
As for seeds from wild plants, the scout bees were discovering them all the time, and if need be, he could just buy them from the Exchange.
And above all, while dipping steamed potatoes in honey was delicious, human desire knew no bounds.
Eating only potatoes was bound to get old.