Chapter 34
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: A Growing Farm
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The refreshing taste of the 2-star Akir Honey Apple that Yeon Su-hee handed him.
Just as she had said and the item description promised, it was so full of juice that it dripped down his hand.
“This is amazing.”
“Isn't it?”
They say food tastes best after a hard day's work.
The sweet, tangy aroma of the juice and the blissful relief it brought to his parched throat were simply indescribable.
Having devoured one Akir Honey Apple in the blink of an eye, Seong-hyeok reached for another one—a slightly mushy but still identical 'Akir Honey Apple'.
“Ah, I wouldn't recommend eating that one…”
“I want to compare them.”
He'd bought it for the sake of comparison, after all.
Rather than just judging by appearance and effects, tasting it himself was surely the best method, wasn't it?
*Crunch—*
The same crisp bite.
The juice and aroma that followed certainly carried the pleasant sweetness of a honey apple.
But perhaps it was because he had eaten something so delicious just moments before?
Seong-hyeok thought he could understand why Yeon Su-hee had tried to stop him.
“Ahem. I think I'm going to be spoiled. I won't be able to eat any honey apples unless they're yours, Su-hee.”
“Hohoho. Don't you worry, I can get you some anytime. But in return, you have to keep sending your cute little honeybees to help, okay?”
“They'll go on their own, even if I don't send them.”
The incredible miracle of honeybees, finding their way to any place where honey could be found.
As long as that held true, they would instinctively find their way there, even without Seong-hyeok's direct command.
“Well, I'm going to finish up the rest of my work. The honey and vinegar, along with some meats for cooking that I bought from the exchange, are ready in the warehouse. Feel free to take as much as you need.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Seong-hyeok.”
Now that he had someone who could genuinely cook, it would be foolish not to make use of her talent.
Seong-hyeok had his own honey and vinegar from harvesting and processing, but with his vast supply of coins, he didn't hesitate to buy various meats from the exchange, which were usually quite expensive.
This change was possible thanks to Seok-cheol, who, while farming the honey apples, had also built a 'warehouse' after the greenhouse, providing freshness preservation, space efficiency, and security.
[Player Yeon Su-hee (Mom's Home Cooking) - Level 17 has stored 'Akir Honey Apple (★★) x64' in the Sturdy Parkinson Plywood Beeswax Warehouse (★★+).]
[Player Yeon Su-hee (Mom's Home Cooking) - Level 17 has withdrawn 'Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Vinegar (★+) x20' from the Sturdy Parkinson Plywood Beeswax Warehouse (★★+).]
[Player Yeon Su-hee (Mom's Home Cooking) - Level 17 has withdrawn 'Gradle Pork (★★-) x3' from the Sturdy Parkinson Plywood Beeswax Warehouse (★★+).]
[Player Yeon Su-hee (Mom's Home Cooking) - Level 17 has withdrawn 'Ruby Gem Honey (★) x34' from the Sturdy Parkinson Plywood Beeswax Warehouse (★★+).]
…
To be honest, no matter how friendly he had become with them, Seong-hyeok was not naturally inclined to trust people easily.
That was why he had only given the bee venom to Kang Cheon-su when he had a good reason, and he kept all other items strictly under his own control.
However, with the new warehouse and its 'security' feature that sent notifications for every transaction, Seong-hyeok could finally ease his worries.
At least, it would be difficult for anyone to touch the items in the warehouse without his permission.
‘Besides, if they value their lives, they won't make any rash decisions.'
The swarm of over a million honeybees surrounding them.
Right now, the bees were acting as their escorts, but if they got greedy, the bees could turn into enemies in an instant.
Having witnessed the battle against the Stinger firsthand, it was highly unlikely they would be reckless enough to underestimate the bees' strength.
‘Well, anyway, it's quite amazing. To think that just four people could bring about such a big change.'
Trusting people too much is a problem, but so is being overly suspicious.
Seong-hyeok was more than satisfied with the changes their arrival had brought to the farm.
Of course, even if Seok-cheol and Su-hee hadn't come to live here, Seong-hyeok would have continued to manage his bee farm just fine, as always.
But even so, building a greenhouse and a warehouse, farming and cooking, or setting traps to improve security would have been impossible for him alone.
‘Looking at all this, I guess people really can't live on their own.'
The game-like system of this bizarre world had changed things, but that was just how the world worked in general.
No one is perfect at everything.
Just as some people are good at one thing and lacking in another.
They could step in and fill the gaps where Seong-hyeok fell short, just as others make up for one's own deficiencies.
For a moment, he felt reaffirmed that his decision to rescue the group from the Stinger had been the right one.
*Bzz— Bzzzz—*
As if sensing Seong-hyeok's thoughts through the Bee Link, the Ruby Gem Scout Bees swarmed toward him, wiggling their behinds as if begging for praise.
“You're right. When you get down to it, it's all thanks to you.”
If the scout bees hadn't found them in the first place, Seok-cheol and the others would never have made it here. They would have become fertilizer for the Stinger, another set of bones added to its collection.
Thinking about it that way, the Ruby Gem Queen's foresight was almost chilling.
If Seong-hyeok hadn't chosen the 'Wing and Pollen Basket Organ Evolution' for the first evolution, which created the superior scout bees, he would never have found them at all.
“Whoa. I really have to respect the Queen.”
How many steps ahead was she seeing?
Befitting the queen of a massive swarm, her innate instincts were truly formidable.
“Alright, alright, Daddy has to get back to work now, so you all should get to work too.”
But patting the behinds of the scout bees who were seeking praise and marveling at the Queen was only a brief respite.
Though he had finished harvesting honey from all eleven of his hives, Seong-hyeok still had the second step left: processing it with his skills.
*Bzzzzzz~*
As if understanding Seong-hyeok's intentions, the bees flew off with disappointed, bee-pout expressions, performing an acrobatic dance before embarking on their long journey to gather more honey and scout the area.
[Honey Tea production is a great success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved upon the Honey Tea.]
[Honey Soap production is a great success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved upon the Honey Soap.]
[Honey Brewing is a great success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved upon the Mead.]
[Royal Jelly Concentration is a great success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is engraved upon the Royal Jelly Pills.]
[Guardian's Peridot Honey Tea (★★+) has been crafted.]
…
While the bees went off to work, Seong-hyeok didn't rest either.
With more hives to harvest from, the amount of honey he collected each time grew.
On top of that, thanks to the 'Increased Harvest Count' effect from the food made by Su-hee, the Progenitor of Plenty, his honey stores were now overflowing!
Because of this, Seong-hyeok's skill-based processing never stopped.
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
Seong-hyeok's level-up was the result of this synergistic effect.
Since he was repeatedly harvesting and processing massive amounts of bee products, reaching level 27 wasn't too difficult, even at the high level of 26.
Furthermore, for Seong-hyeok, this level-up…
…reaching level 27 was significant for more than just gaining a level; it opened up a very encouraging possibility.
[You have met a specific awakening condition. -> Base Agility of 100 or more (excluding item effects).]
His base Agility stat, excluding item effects, had been 96.
After investing all 5 of the newly acquired stat points into it, a hidden authority of the Honeybee Guardian manifested, just as it had for his Stamina and Mentality.
[The Honeybee Guardian's authority grows stronger. The movement and detection abilities of all honeybees in the swarm are enhanced.]
[The effectiveness of this authority increases with your Agility stat, granting faster movement and sharper detection.]
*Bzz— Bzzzz—*
*BZZZZZZ—!*
Along with the notification, the surrounding honeybees began to move faster.
“Not bad.”
Aside from the scout bees and elite bees like Teunteun-i and Lily, which were already fast, the change wasn't spectacularly dramatic, but Seong-hyeok was still satisfied.
He could just keep raising his Agility stat over time, anyway.
And more importantly, the Honeybee Guardian…
…that is to say, the strength of the bees, his foundation, did not come from any single 'individual,' as he had realized time and again.
From the queen to the worker bees, and even to Seong-hyeok himself, who cared for them and could provide processed goods to aid the legion.
Reaching over a million in number,
if this authority were applied to the entire massive swarm—a force that could truly be called a legion—its power would be immeasurable.
“I suppose this means we've grown another step stronger.”
Following Stamina and Mentality, he had now unlocked the hidden piece authority for his Agility stat.
His excitement and joy over what effects the remaining Strength and Control stats might bring was short-lived.
“Now, shall I finish the rest?”
Just like the saying that you become like what you love.
A life dedicated solely to bees.
Like someone who had devoted himself to studying the ecology of honeybees, the very epitome of diligence, Seong-hyeok continued his processing without a hint of fatigue.
* * * * *
Working hard without rest.
From one perspective, it could be an exhausting and frustrating task.
No matter how much superhuman strength one gained, being human meant that the repetition of daily life would eventually lead to exhaustion.
But even in such trying circumstances, there was one thing that could turn one's mood around 180 degrees: a reward.
In a word, food.
“You've all worked so hard. Dinner is ready, so come and eat.”
Yeon Su-hee said with a confident, matronly laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
And she had every right to be proud; the quality of the feast she had prepared was so far beyond the previous steamed Sireubong potatoes that it was an insult to even compare them.
Thanks to Seong-hyeok's generous investment of coins and Yeon Su-hee's own farming in the greenhouse, the cooking ingredients had become plentiful.
The resulting menu was nothing short of incredible.
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[Bountiful Gradle Peridot Pork and Apple Stir-fry (★★★-)]
* Type: Consumable
* Upon consumption, provides a satisfying feeling of fullness and applies the 'Luck of the Bountiful Gradle Peridot Pork and Apple Stir-fry' to the individual.
※ Luck of the Bountiful Gradle Peridot Pork and Apple Stir-fry: For 120 minutes, Strength and Stamina increase by 10(+3), and all harvesting activity speed increases by 45(+10)%. Additionally, the Luck of Plenty causes a significant increase in Life Skill experience gain and the number of harvested items. (Cooldown: 120 minutes)
…
[Bountiful Ruby Gem Honey Apple Juice (★★)]
[Bountiful Ruby Gem Honey Apple Salad (★★+)]
…
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The first thing that caught the eye was the Gradle pork, cooked to perfection and topped with a garnish meant to enhance its flavor. In reality, however, the garnish was a main dish in its own right.
And for good reason. This wasn't just some simple sugar glaze; it was an apple compote made from Akir Honey Apples preserved in Ruby Gem and Peridot Honey, all stir-fried together with the pork.
Following that were various other dishes, such as honey apple juice and salad, both mixed with honey.
The residents, just back from work, stared wide-eyed not only at the incredible effects but also at the mouth-watering appearance of the food.