Chapter 39
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Tutorial Ends
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Chapter 39
As mentioned before, this chapter marked the end of the tutorial, and its impact on the players was far from simple.
[The Transcendent Being, Archangel Seriel, is pleased with your good deeds. Seriel sponsors you with 5,000 Coins.]
[The Transcendent Being, Demon King Derosh, laughs mischievously at your relentless slaughter. Derosh sponsors you with a ★★+ Item Draw Ticket.]
[The Transcendent Being, Ukachakorki of the Nine Heads, shakes its heads at your actions. Ukachakorki grants you the Trial Quest: Kill Your Companion.]
…….
Among these changes, the most significant was the one mentioned earlier: the intervention of Transcendent Beings was now possible.
Just as people possess diverse personalities and values, so too did the Transcendent Beings.
Some enjoyed watching a player's righteous side, while others reveled in a player's descent into corruption.
In the process, Transcendent Beings could sponsor players with Coins, items, or quests, but they could also impose penalties.
However, as the commercialization had only progressed to #2, there were certain limits on sponsorships and penalties. Still, the difference between receiving them and not was like night and day.
“Whoever you are, thank you for looking upon my actions with favor.”
“Kyahahaha! Thank you for changing the world like this! Thanks to you, every day is a blast! I'll keep up the good work, murdering and raping to my heart's content! Kilkilkil!”
“What? You want to make me your Incarnation? I'd be honored! O Transcendent One! Just give me the word.”
Immense rewards and the benefits of becoming an Incarnation could be obtained with just a few words of flattery, without the need to defeat difficult field boss monsters or clear dungeons.
Naturally, some players didn't hesitate to cater to the whims of the Transcendent Beings.
Why refuse a shortcut that allowed them to advance faster than others?
But the world is full of people with many different values.
Not all players welcomed the approach of the Transcendent Beings.
“Who the hell are you? Get lost! You think I'd suck up to the likes of you who created this fucked-up world?”
“You crazy bastards. You turned the world into this mess, took so many lives, and now you want an Incarnation? Why not just say you want a toy to play with, you sons of bitches. Eat this. I'm confident I can grow strong enough without any help from scum like you!”
“I appreciate the sponsorship, but I'm afraid I must decline the contract to become an Incarnation. I'd like to wait and see for now.”
The advent of a chaotic world.
It had given birth to numerous superhumans, but at the same time, many lives were snuffed out like flies.
Among the players were those who had lost precious family or lovers, and others who simply disliked the casual disregard for human life.
For them, the advances of the Transcendent Beings, who could be the very architects of this situation, were anything but welcome.
Of course, the Transcendent Beings who had taken an interest in these players were not about to let such reactions slide.
[The Transcendent Being, Demon King Belzerut, is enraged by the words of a lowly creature. The Curse of Weakness (5 hours) is cast upon you. A random stat will be decreased during this time.]
[The Transcendent Being, Rao the Reveler, bursts into laughter at your statement. You are marked with a Bounty Mark (3 days). Villains in the vicinity will begin to hunt you.]
[The Transcendent Being, Lilith, the Ruler of Lust, is aroused by your profanity. A Succubus's Kiss Mark (Remaining uses - 4) is engraved upon you. Every night you fall asleep, a clone of Lilith will greet you in your dreams. Sponsoring you with Lilith's Special Spirit Beast: Hundred-Year-Old Homework Eel (★★★).]
…….
From debuffs that temporarily lowered a player's stats to marks that made them targets for others, or even incomprehensible kiss marks.
The reactions of the Transcendent Beings were varied, ranging from anger and laughter to what seemed like peculiar inclinations.
Whether their interest would be a boon or a bane to the people of Earth was something only time would tell.
* * * * *
[You have met the conditions to proceed with the Chapter #2 Update. -> 34 days have passed]
The notification appeared after he had finished creating a processed product from the 4-Star grade Rubydot Dark Indigo Bee Venom.
Seong-hyeok narrowed his eyes and took a breath.
“I knew this would happen eventually.”
He had an inkling from the moment Chapter #1 began.
The moment he saw the number ‘1’.
That the trials of this chaotic world were not over yet.
But he wasn't particularly worried.
*Bzzzz— Bzzzzzz—*
“That’s right, my honeybees. With you here, what do I have to worry about?”
Even if a great challenge were to arise, all he had to do was lay the foundation to overcome it.
Seong-hyeok had his honeybees, who were like loyal bodyguards, always working diligently around him, wiggling their behinds, and protecting him.
[First consumption experience. Control and Mentality permanently increase by 3. 1 / 1]
[First use experience. All stats permanently increase by 1. 1 / 1]
[Immunity to the Guardian's Rubydot Dark Indigo Bee Venom Honey Tea is applied.]
[One-time use of the skill 'Black Magic - Undead' is granted.]
…….
“*Burp*— Ahh, that sweet and tangy flavor is superb.”
And didn't he have the processed goods created by mixing the venom diligently extracted by Teunteun-i and Lily?
[The Honeybee Guardian's class specialization, Honeybee Product Aficionado, is activated.]
[You are freed from the limit on permanent stat increases from the Guardian's Rubydot Dark Indigo Bee Venom Honey Tea (★★★★-). 0 / 1 Time remaining: 6 hours]
[You are freed from the limit on permanent stat increases from the Guardian's Rubydot Dark Indigo Bee Venom Propolis Cosmetic (★★★★-). 0 / 1 Time remaining: 6 hours]
And then there was the effect of the Honeybee Guardian's class specialization, 'Honeybee Product Aficionado,' which was the finishing touch.
The power gained from the steady increase in stats every six hours didn't just strengthen Seong-hyeok's own physical body.
As befitting a 5-Star unique class, the authority of the Honeybee Guardian extended the bonus stats to the well-over-a-million honeybees scattered throughout the apiary.
[……100%, Chapter #2 Update complete. Check the added system details through the notification now!]
“Alright, let's see what's been added.”
The dignity of the rank 1 player, an icon of diligence and sincerity.
His confidence soaring, Seong-hyeok checked the details of the Chapter #2 Update without a worry.
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[Notification]
※ The Chapter #2 Update is complete. Hello, everyone! I'm Riggle, your admin for the Korean server! To cut to the chase, the tutorial period is now over, and we've been able to synchronize Earth's timeline on a global scale! Now then, the Transcendent Beings will begin their visits, so mind your manners. I'll now inform you of the changes from this update.
[Update Details]
* The Transcendent Beings, who create dimensions, will be visiting the server's channels. Here's a tip: flatter them according to their personalities or act within your station! If you're lucky, you might receive sponsorships like Coins or items and even quests. You could even form a contract as an Incarnation and act as a proxy for a great being, which might just let you survive until you're old and senile!
* We've aligned the world's timeline and days of the week to suit both Earth and our own tastes! You can check the proper time and date via your status window!
* A variety of excellent items will be listed for auction in the Exchange. The auction house will open every Sunday at 6 PM and run until it concludes. Anyone can list items for sale. This includes players, monsters, and even the great Transcendent Beings! However, you must register items worthy of their value. The auction house takes a commission fee just for listing, whether the item sells or not!
* The Exchange, community boards, and travel to adjacent servers will now be possible. (Asia server) Meet more races and players! We hope you'll blossom wonderful conversations with them! Ah, but of course, whether that becomes a pleasant chat or a blood-soaked plunder will depend on the disposition of the players in the neighboring country's server!
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“……Hah?”
The update details were completely unexpected.
So all this time, it was just the ‘tutorial’?
In gaming terms, this meant the real game was only just beginning.
To be honest, for Seong-hyeok, who had been reaping the sweet rewards with his honeybees in the mountains, it wasn't a change he would feel drastically, but it was still rather absurd.
However, the Chapter #2 update wasn't entirely bad news for him.
“Still, listing items in the Exchange. This could be quite useful.”
After all, Seong-hyeok had just perfected a high-grade processed product from the Dark Indigo Bee Venom.
He had already gotten a good taste of their premium value through the sales of the permanent stat-boosting products from the Ruby Gem and Peridot bees.
In particular, if he listed the 4-Star grade processed product from the Dark Indigo Bee Venom in the auction house, he had a high chance of earning a substantial amount of Coins.
And that wasn't all.
“……Transcendent Beings. The things they sell are likely to be far from ordinary.”
Players weren't the only ones who could list items in the auction house.
From the monsters designated as enemies of players to the Transcendent Beings who might be the root cause of this chaotic world.
The items listed by such beings would naturally have extraordinary options and would by no means be cheap.
But when it came to finances, Seong-hyeok had nothing to worry about.
Coins Owned: 615,920
Honeybee, the honeybee personified on the Korean server.
As an individual Coin holder, Seong-hyeok, the honey-spoon, was in the top 0.000……1%.
Even now, his Coin balance continued to grow from the steady sales of his honeybee products.
“Well, it was worth it to keep selling honeybee products and saving up Coins.”
For Seong-hyeok, it was a welcome development to be able to spend this massive amount of Coins on proper items rather than letting them rot in his status window.
The Mantium Sword and Eldin's Spring Water Earring he currently wore.
If he could acquire more equipment like this, he would see a significant effect when the Honeybee Guardian's authority was activated.
Furthermore, he couldn't rule out the possibility of obtaining special items that grant additional effects during a Queen Bee's evolution, like Lich Velmorne's Dark Essence.
“I’ve prepared one as insurance, but it's always good to be ready for the unexpected.”
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[Stinger's Slime Mold Spore (★★★-)]
* Category: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption: ???
* Description: A ★★★- grade slime mold spore left behind by the spreading slime mold mushroom, Stinger, upon its death. It contains a toxin that continues to multiply and spread once infected until cured. No one knows what will happen upon consumption. A user with a proficient crafting skill might be able to use it as a material for weapons, armor, or elixirs.
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Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, but this was the item he obtained from the field boss monster Stinger, which he had hunted after Lich Velmorne.
There was no guarantee that this would be used as a supplementary material for evolution.
The Dark Essence had been a serendipitous addition during the Ruby Gem Queen Bee's second evolution.
But as if sensing Seong-hyeok's thoughts…
Or perhaps it naturally knew that Seong-hyeok was rank 1 on the Korean server?
[The Transcendent Being, Sion the Patient One, takes an interest in your unique, patient approach.]
[The Transcendent Being, Nineto the Insect Queen, has become mesmerized by the fluffy, luscious behinds of your minions. She brandishes a useful evolution material, a Wild Gem Honeycomb Fragment (★★★+). It seems she might gladly give it to you if you show her a group display of your minions' charms.]
[The Transcendent Being, Bo the Mad Inquirer, has taken an interest in your astounding progress.]
“Wh-what is this?”
The biggest change of the Chapter #2 update.
The full-scale intervention of the Transcendent Beings had now begun for Seong-hyeok as well.
And not just one, which most people struggled to even encounter, but three of them at once.