Chapter 42
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: A Feast and an Evolution
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The intervention of the Transcendent Beings sent the world spiraling into even greater, more chaotic upheaval.
But while the world spun madly on, Seong-hyeok's bee farm greeted each day with the same unwavering routine.
The bees flitted between flowers, collecting honey while also patrolling the surroundings.
And now, Cheon-su, who had grown familiar with the mountain’s geography, collaborated with the scout bees to not only identify monster respawn areas but also set traps in their predicted paths. This maximized the traps’ effectiveness and minimized bee casualties.
As for Yeon-ah, the elite porter, she assisted the group wherever needed, helping to accelerate their work speed.
And of course, there were Seok-cheol and Su-hee.
Was it true that, like lovebirds, they were starting to resemble each other even in their work?
Befitting their unique classes in production and crafting, Seok-cheol handled logging and construction on the farm, while Su-hee took charge of farming and cooking, delighting the eyes and stomachs of everyone, including Seong-hyeok.
[The Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★) has come into contact with the Flower of the Fertility-Infused Akir Honey Apple Tree (★★+), a natural vegetation. Its growth is promoted, and its nutrients slightly increase.]
[The Ruby Gem Honey Pot Bee (★★+) has come into contact with the Flower of the Fertility-Infused Akir Honey Apple Tree (★★+), a natural vegetation. Its growth is promoted, and its nutrients slightly increase.]
[The Peridot Worker Bee (★★) has come into contact with the Flower of the Fertility-Infused Beryl Almond Tree (★★★-), a natural vegetation. Its growth is promoted, and its nutrients slightly increase.]
...
Furthermore, Su-hee was a player who had become the incarnation of Prepion, the Goddess of Fertility.
Her influence on Seong-hyeok's bee farm naturally made her the number one contributor, above all others.
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[Fertility-Infused Akir Honey Apple (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, satiates hunger and quenches thirst, restoring 250(+30) Health and Mana.
* Description: ...Infused with the energy of fertility, its freshness is preserved for much longer.
※ Upon consumption or use, you will acquire a fully viable Akir Honey Apple Seed (★+) with a 100% chance.
[Fertility-Infused Beryl Almond (★★★-)]
[Fertility-Infused...
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Take Prepion's Seed Pouch, a divine-class item she had obtained from her power as an incarnation.
The crops grown from seeds that had completed their maturation period inside it were of a higher grade than the originals. Naturally, along with the higher grade and enhanced effects, their taste was also exquisite.
On top of that, the bees’ natural pollination, born from their symbiotic relationship, further enhanced the process.
As a result, juice dripped from the fruit with just a single bite, and the almonds gained a richer, more savory flavor and aroma.
It was a clear, visible testament to just how great the benefits of being an “incarnation” were!
‘At this rate, making an incarnation contract might actually be a good idea.’
Looking only at the positives, the difference between a player who became an incarnation and one who didn't could be as vast as that between heaven and earth.
Seong-hyeok was only human, so seeing this firsthand, he couldn't help but feel tempted.
[A Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainkito, holds your potential in high regard. He genuinely wishes to form an incarnation contract with you to enjoy the games to come. If you accept, you will be able to wield a portion of the Insect King Prainkito's power. Do you wish to proceed with the incarnation contract with Insect King Prainkito? YES / NO]
※ Upon forming an incarnation contract, you can minimize the penalties of the #chapter and receive significant aid from the Transcendent Being, such as exclusive items for incarnations and various powers. However, please be cautious, as a player can only form an incarnation contract with a Transcendent Being once.
In fact, a new Transcendent Being had recently appeared and offered Seong-hyeok an incarnation contract.
Perhaps because he was the Honeybee Guardian, this Transcendent Being was also related to insects—the “Insect King.”
However, the contract was never properly established.
Was it because Seong-hyeok chose ‘NO’?
No, surprisingly, it was due to the interference of other Transcendent Beings.
[A Transcendent Being, Insect Queen Nainkito, glares at her husband with her compound eyes, telling him to wait his turn.]
[A Transcendent Being, The Patient One, Sion, remains silent with a smile.]
[A Transcendent Being, the Seeker of Madness, Bo, clicks their tongue, their gaze conveying disapproval of such behavior.]
[A Transcendent Being, the Goddess of Fertility, Prepion, is intrigued.]
The intervention came from the three Transcendent Beings who had been watching him quietly, plus one who already had an incarnation contract.
By the way, did Transcendent Beings have relationships with one another?
[A Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainkito, apologizes to Nainkito, saying he didn't know his wife was here.]
[A Transcendent Being, Insect Queen Nainkito, glares venomously at her husband, telling him to behave now that he knows.]
The Insect King and the Insect Queen.
The two Transcendent Beings seemed to know each other, so the matter was resolved without any major conflict or harm to Seong-hyeok.
Well, to be precise, the number of Transcendent Beings directly observing his farm had increased from four to five, but in any case, having more of these godlike entities around wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
They weren't hostile, at least not for certain, and they were even helpful enough to counter any other Transcendent Beings that might show up.
Besides, couldn't he potentially receive sponsorships for important items like before, through things like the bees' voluptuous behinds or their spectacular swarm dances?
‘Suckers... No, there's no reason to let go of such good shields.’
Just as you'd turn away a troublesome customer, you welcome one you can make use of.
He was in the middle of processing the harvested honey with these pragmatic calculations in mind.
“Dinner's ready! Everyone, come and eat—!!!”
Su-hee's booming voice echoed across the bee farm.
Come to think of it, he was starting to feel hungry, and the duration of his food buffs was about to expire. Seong-hyeok finished up his work and stepped outside.
The scene that greeted him left him speechless.
“...You’re becoming more amazing by the day.”
Her menu expanded with each passing day.
Was this the class of a 4-star unique job holder, the Origin of Fertility?
It had gone beyond a simple feast; if the food had been on a table, the legs would have surely broken under the weight.
“Hohoho. It's all thanks to the increased variety of crop seeds. The ones the bees brought back helped a lot, too.”
Following the honey apples, almonds, and melons she had first cultivated, her collection of seeds from the trading post or discovered by the bees had grown.
As a result, her greenhouse was now growing grains like rice and beans, as well as vegetables like chili peppers, radishes, and cabbage.
Moreover, with the goddess's power of rapid growth, she could instantly mature any crop to 100%, so at least for the amount needed for their own consumption, there was no longer any need to wait for the growing period.
Thanks to that, perhaps?
The table she had prepared was now laid out with a familiar and heartwarming selection of dishes that any Korean would recognize.
“Wow, it's been ages since I've had rice with beans!”
“Meat side dishes, radish soup, vegetables, and even sweet honey... This is a true feast, ma'am!”
“Your cooking was amazing before, but it feels like you're getting even better, unni!”
“It's all thanks to my skills. My cooking level has been shooting up since I've been doing it constantly.”
Her food was now so incredible that she more than lived up to the nickname "mom's home cooking."
While her innate talent was a factor, as she said, the influence of the game's 'skill' system was undeniable.
“Man, if we just had some kimchi, this would be perfect. *Tsk.*”
“You're right. I'm craving some kimchi stew, too.”
Was it the effect of the warm rice and beans?
Like true Koreans, they couldn't help but think of the taste of kimchi.
Seong-hyeok didn't voice his agreement with Seok-cheol and Cheon-su, but he nodded inwardly.
“I figured as much, so I've already prepared the ingredients for making kimchi. It's a shame we don't have any garlic, but I'll try to make it work with red pepper paste, radishes, and honey. Seong-hyeok, it's okay if I use some honey, right?”
“Of course. As long as we get kimchi, feel free to use as much as you need.”
The power of experience.
It just goes to show you can't ignore the wisdom that comes with age.
The veteran’s savvy in finding a solution despite the missing ingredients.
The joy of potentially being able to eat kimchi with rice.
Did that joy somehow get transmitted to the bees through the Bee Link?
Bzz— Bzzzz—
The bees, who had been busy transporting honey, suddenly joined in the excitement, wiggling their behinds and humming with their wings as they performed a dance of joy.
“Getting to see a sight like this while eating... Hehe. I feel like I'm truly one of the chosen.”
“I agree that the bees are cute, but sometimes, you're a little scary.”
“Tsk. Why are you always so mean to me? It's not like their fluffy butts will wear out just from me looking at them! What's the big deal?”
Just as he'd felt when they first met, Yeon-ah had an odd obsession with the bees' behinds.
She could be prickly, like a disobedient little sister from an orphanage, but it was never a problem.
“I was wrong, Seong-hyeok oppa!”
Seong-hyeok's special propolis cosmetics, capable of taming even a raging beast in an instant.
Made from the bees' natural ingredients, its effects were already well-proven. Seong-hyeok presented the cosmetics to Yeon-ah, who instantly transformed into a well-behaved little sister.
The gazes of three others were watching him discreetly.
Seong-hyeok knew exactly what they meant.
“Here are today's portions of royal jelly pills and propolis cosmetics. Please take them and keep up the good work.”
“Thank you, hyungnim!”
“Ahem! Thank you very much, young man.”
“Thank you as always, Seong-hyeok.”
Two types of items with outstanding effects for vitality and skin care.
It's a fact of life: no man dislikes something that's good for his vitality, and no woman dislikes something good for her skin.
Whenever Seong-hyeok handed them out, they would all be delighted and express their sincere gratitude.
“Haha, of course. The work can be tough, so please continue to do your best. In return, I'll make sure to provide you with things like this from time to time.”
“Gahaha! Just leave it to me, young man! I'll show you the power of an old veteran!”
“I can carry anything!”
Royal jelly and propolis were considered rather precious materials in beekeeping.
But that was in the past.
With the number of bees increasing daily, production was constantly on the rise.
On top of that, the collection rate buff from Su-hee's 'Fertility'-keyworded foods meant that royal jelly and propolis were being harvested in much greater abundance than before.
Therefore, an investment of this scale was hardly a significant loss for Seong-hyeok.
‘The stick and the carrot are the basic tools for managing people.’
In fact, being able to handle them more to his liking through this was a sufficient gain in itself.
* * * * *
Time flowed on relentlessly, even in this chaotic world.
Three days after the Chapter #2 update.
On the 37th day in total, a notification sound signaled the arrival of the moment he had been eagerly awaiting.
[You have met the conditions for the evolution of the Peridot Queen Bee (★★★+). -> Growth Rate 100%, 보유한 꿀벌 무리 150,000마리 이상]
[As the master of the Peridot Queen Bee (★★★+), please select an evolution path. Time remaining: 30 minutes]
※ Warning! If an evolution path is not chosen within the remaining time, one will be selected at random.
Perhaps because its egg-laying speed was drastically different from the Ruby Gem's, the swarm size requirement for the Peridot Queen Bee's evolution was significantly higher.
Well, that aside, what was important to Seong-hyeok was something else.
He was already aware that it was possible to add supplementary materials to an evolution.
So, just in case, he was carrying a variety of high-grade items in his inventory.
[You possess special materials required for evolution. Would you like to use these items as supplementary materials for the evolution? YES / NO -> Stinger's Slime Mold Spores (★★★-), Wild Gemstone Honeycomb Fragment (★★★+)]
※ Warning! Choosing to use a material will likely reduce the number of available evolution paths.
※ Only one supplementary material can be added to the evolution.
“...Huh?”
Should he call this good luck? Or bad luck?
Surprisingly, the Wild Gemstone Honeycomb Fragment, which he had already decided on, was selected as an evolution material.
And what's more, the Stinger's Slime Mold Spores, which he wasn't sure would be included, were also listed as a supplementary material for the evolution.