Chapter 36
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Fruits of Labor
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They were all peculiar types who had always been active in the mountains, each diligently doing their part.
But no matter how diligent, people were still people.
It was natural to grow weary of repetitive actions, yet the residents of Seong-hyeok’s beekeeping shelter were anything but.
“Kyah! Isn’t this why we work up a good sweat?”
“Gahaha! Of course, of course. They say a meal after a hard day’s work is the best. You know your stuff, Cheon-su, you rascal!”
“Oppa! Mister! Stop spraying spit and eat quietly!”
[The luck of the Bountiful Gradle Peridot Pork and Apple Stir-fry is applied.]
[The luck of the Bountiful Ruby Gem Honey Apple Salad is applied.]
[The luck of the Bountiful Ruby Gem Gradle Jerky is applied.]
…….
Incredible meals awaited them, whether they were returning from work or just waking up to start their day.
Moreover, for them, food was not merely about sating hunger.
“I’m telling you, after eating this stuff, I never get tired while working.”
“It’s all thanks to my wife’s amazing cooking skills. I really hit the jackpot when I married her.”
“I’ll give you that, Mister.”
Thanks to the ‘Bountiful’ keyword, which mostly aided in life activities, their progress—be it chopping wood, constructing new buildings, or setting traps—was astonishingly fast.
And it went without saying that the one benefiting the most from these effects was, without a doubt, Seong-hyeok.
With his already high stats from the Honeybee Product Aficionado title and his high level, Seong-hyeok harvested the honey filling the beehives at a tremendous speed.
“Wow, Seong-hyeok oppa. Is that speed for real? It’s unbelievably, insanely fast.”
While Seong-hyeok harvested, Yeon-ah scurried behind him, diligently loading the honeycombs he placed on the ground into her spirit bag.
Normally, she would have accompanied Seok-cheol like a two-person team when he went logging, but when construction was underway, she would assist Seong-hyeok with his beekeeping.
“Am I really that fast?”
“...Are you kidding me? Su-hee unni’s buffs are one thing, but your work speed is on a whole other level compared to Mister Seok-cheol. I’ve spent a long time in the mountains, and my agility and endurance are nothing to scoff at. But you, oppa, you’re beyond imagination.”
Perhaps it was true that a person’s traits stood out most when compared to others.
Normally, with no one around but the bees, he had never given his speed much thought, always taking it for granted. But seeing Yeon-ah chasing after him, drenched in sweat, made him reconsider.
“Still, we’re only about halfway through the hives, so hang in there a little longer.”
“……”
He felt sorry for the sweat-soaked Yeon-ah, but he had no time to be considerate.
[The honey level of the Guardian’s Extra-Large Gilite Blood Jade Plywood Beehive (★★★-) has reached 97.53%.]
[The honey level of the Guardian’s Extra-Large Gilite Lurium Plywood Beehive (★★★-) has reached 98.66%.]
[The honey level of the Guardian’s Extra-Large Pakiseon Plywood Beehive (★★★) has reached 92.3%.]
…
If he dallied, the precious honey in the hives could exceed 100% and spill onto the ground.
“What can I do? It’s not like I can slow down.”
“Sheesh! You’re something else, really!”
In this kind of extreme work, it was standard practice to match the faster pace, not the slower one.
As always, Seong-hyeok continued his divine beekeeping without mercy, and thanks to him, Yeon-ah was busy pouring sweat like rain as she scrambled to pick up the honey items he dropped.
“This is the last one. Good work.”
“Hah, haaah… I think I’m gonna die…”
And so, the repetitive task came to an end.
As the rewarding first phase of work concluded, the sweetness of the honey on his hands filled Seong-hyeok with satisfaction.
‘This kid is a rare breed for her age, though.’
She had grit. Despite her grumbling, she never once stopped working or slowed her pace.
Most people, when pushed to their limits, would act selfishly to protect themselves, but she had endured to the end, following his pace with pure guts and determination.
For a 19-year-old, she was remarkably mature and admirable.
But that didn’t mean the words ‘take a break’ would come out of Seong-hyeok’s mouth.
“That’s it for the first round of beekeeping. You don’t need to help with the processing, so go help Su-hee with the farming.”
“Sheesh. You’re so heartless…”
“The basic principle of our farm is: he who does not work, shall not eat. And for your information, bees don’t wiggle their butts for people who aren’t diligent.”
“N-No way! That’s my only joy in life!”
She had been writhing on the ground, but at Seong-hyeok’s words, she shot up in alarm.
“Oh, and take this before you go.”
“What’s this?”
“Can’t you tell from the effects? It’s cosmetics. Precious stuff made from Lily’s bee venom. I’ll give one to you and one to Su-hee, so use it from time to time once the toxic effects are fully neutralized. This one is propolis cosmetics without venom, so use this for now.”
“…A-Are you sure it’s okay to give me something this valuable?”
“You don’t want it? Then I’ll just give it to Su-hee and you can give yours back.”
“N-No! I’ll use it gratefully!”
She might be a rare breed, but she was still a girl.
As if to keep the natural honey cosmetics for her skin from being taken away, she moved her hands behind her back faster than anyone.
Just as men of all ages and nationalities were obsessed with virility, it was a biological imperative for women to care about their skin.
And for Seong-hyeok, that was a very powerful carrot.
Why?
“Right. If you keep impressing me, I’ll give you more, so act accordingly. Got it?”
“Of course, oppa! Just call me anytime! I’ll work really, really hard!”
“Good.”
There might be people who have never used natural cosmetics, but there are none who have used them only once.
Especially in this topsy-turvy world where cosmetic companies had all ceased operations, the thirst for such things was bound to be greater.
‘It’s a waste to hoard it. If you’re working on my bee farm, you should at least enjoy the benefits of permanent stat items.’
From an ordinary person’s perspective, Seong-hyeok’s standards for acceptance were incomprehensible.
But by the same token, Seong-hyeok was quite generous to those who managed to pass his criteria, so he didn’t feel it was a waste to provide support with royal jelly pills for vitality or bee venom cosmetics for skin care.
“Well, I have plenty of it, anyway.”
The recent buff effects from Yeon Su-hee’s bountiful foods were a game-changer.
The amount of honey he was getting had increased to a level incomparable to before, but more importantly, the yields of royal jelly and propolis had also grown significantly.
Thanks to this, even after distributing some to the residents, Seong-hyeok’s maximum inventory, far from decreasing, was steadily increasing.
[First consumption experience. Endurance permanently increases by 2. 1 / 1]
[First consumption experience. Strength permanently increases by 1, and Endurance permanently increases by 2. 1 / 1]
[Immunity from Guardian's Peridot Cheonram Bee Venom Honey Tea is applied.]
[Honeybee Guardian’s class specialization, Honeybee Product Aficionado, is activated.]
[The limit on permanent stat increases from Guardian's Peridot Royal Jelly Pill (★★★) is lifted. 0 / 1. Time remaining: 6 hours.]
[Honeybee Guardian’s class specialization, Honeybee Product Aficionado, is activated.]
[The limit on permanent stat increases from Guardian's Peridot Cheonram Bee Venom Honey Tea (★★★+) is lifted. 0 / 1. Time remaining: 6 hours.]
…….
“This is why I do beekeeping.”
The moment the cooldown for Honeybee Product Aficionado was up, he diligently consumed the high-end health foods.
The tangible stat boosts from the game system were satisfying enough, but that wasn’t all Seong-hyeok was getting.
The natural health foods and cosmetics came with their own unique options.
The enhancement to his skin had made Seong-hyeok’s once-plain complexion remarkably radiant.
And above all…
“Improved vitality is great and all, but this is getting more burdensome by the day.”
A potent energy surged from below his waist.
Was it because he had been consistently taking four royal jelly pills a day, two each of Ruby Gem and Peridot?
Befitting his youthful vigor at the age of 24, Seong-hyeok’s prowess was asserting its existence beyond imagination.
* * * * *
Perhaps influenced by the taste of the delicious food from before, Im Seok-cheol, eager to eat more tasty crops, had built an additional greenhouse next to the old one. As a result, Su-hee was leading a very busy life.
“Still, it’s nice to be reminded of my old farming days. It’s not a bad feeling.”
Everyone has different personalities and thoughts, so it’s impossible to make a definitive judgment, but Yeon Su-hee could say one thing for certain about herself in this regard.
She was the type who felt a greater sense of joy and accomplishment when she overcame tasks that others might find tiring and difficult.
“I don’t know about anything else, but it’s really nice that my back has gotten better.”
Moreover, the ailments that had come with age were now almost completely healed in this topsy-turvy world.
Thanks to that, the pain and sweat she felt while working now held a special value.
“Whew. Still, thanks to you all, it’s not too difficult.”
Bzzz— Bzzzzzz~
Bzzzzzzzzzzzz—!!
Furthermore, she wasn't working alone in the greenhouse.
As the crops grew and blossomed, her sturdy supporters dove headfirst into the flowers, one by one, sipping nectar with their proboscises and collecting pollen on the hairs of their bodies and in their pollen baskets.
Tens, hundreds, no, thousands of bees flitted between the flowers, carrying out the work of natural pollination.
“Hohoho, you clever little things.”
Thanks to them, Yeon Su-hee’s workload was significantly reduced, and seeing the cute bees brought a smile to her face, even as she was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
And was that all?
[A Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★) has come into contact with the natural flora, Akir Honey Apple Tree Flower (★★). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[A Peridot Worker Bee (★★) has come into contact with the natural flora, Beryl Almond Tree Flower (★★+). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[A Ruby Gem Honeypot Bee (★★+) has come into contact with the natural flora, Sunlight Melon Flower (★★★-). Growth is accelerated, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
…….
The bees’ work was relentless.
Due to the actions of these endlessly diligent creatures, the crops’ growth was accelerated, and their nutrients continued to rise, little by little.
And the result was,
[The growth of the natural flora, Akir Honey Apple Tree (★★), is complete.]
[The growth of the natural flora, Beryl Almond Tree (★★+), is complete.]
[The growth of the natural flora, Sunlight Melon (★★★-), is complete.]
The crops had finished growing much sooner than they should have.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the growth speed that had been accelerated.
[Farming Great Success!]
[You have obtained 8 Akir Honey Apples (★★).]
[You have obtained 76 Beryl Almonds (★★+).]
[You have obtained 5 Sunlight Melons (★★★-).]
“Wow. Another bountiful harvest.”
A satisfying weight could be felt with each crop she harvested from the trees and fields.
The plump, luscious state of the produce was so perfect that it could be rated as top-grade without hesitation—firm, fresh, and flawless.
“With more types of crops, the variety of dishes I can make will increase too, hohoho.”
It was a universal truth for cooks, regardless of gender or age, that they felt immense satisfaction when those who ate their food said it was delicious.
Just thinking about the praise she would receive for making delicious meals with all these varied crops filled her with a renewed sense of energy.
Just as she was about to begin harvesting the fully grown crops,
“Su-hee unni! I’m here!”
“My, my. You certainly have a knack for showing up when there’s food. Hohoho!”
An energetic voice accompanied the sound of approaching footsteps.
Thinking of showing off the true taste of her harvest to Yeon-ah, whom she thought of as a daughter, Su-hee’s lips curved into a pleasant crescent moon.