Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: A Symbiotic Relationship
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- Kikikit! What a bountiful harvest! A bountiful harvest!
An overheated smile formed on his lips.
But there was a good reason for Riggle’s elation.
Korean Server - Administrator: Riggle (Current Transcendent Beings visiting: 11 - Insect Queen Nainkito, Shadow Empress Rehurin, Goddess of Abundance Prepion…….)
The clickbait titles he had used.
Better yet, thanks to the beekeeper causing a huge stir at the Asian server’s auction house, several Transcendent Beings had even turned their attention to the Korean server.
The number of Transcendent Beings gathered as a result was a whopping 11!
The Korean server.
When he was first assigned to this tiny, unremarkable place, he had lamented his fate, but Riggle was a completely different being now.
- Oh, please, come right in. Such esteemed guests in my humble abode! I shall prepare private rooms for each of you. Oh my! And a donation, too! Thank you so much!
Did Transcendent Beings earn the title of ‘transcendent’ for no reason?
Each one was a god-like entity capable of encompassing an entire dimension.
Their mere presence on the server not only elevated Riggle's status, but the occasional donations of the Power of ■■■ served as the ultimate catalyst for raising a Pet's rank.
- Kikikik. Using that bug-taming fellow was the best decision I ever made.
Seong-hyeok, the so-called ‘livestock flowing with honey,’ had single-handedly drawn in six Transcendent Beings.
Praising himself for using the man’s actions, Riggle’s face bloomed into a wide grin.
But as they say, every light has its shadow, and every advantage has its disadvantage.
Among Seong-hyeok's excessive actions was provoking the Chinese server, one of the most powerful nations on the 'Earth' server.
And in doing so, he had also managed to grate on the nerves of the most powerful and ill-tempered of all the Pets.
- Hey, Riggle, you son of a bitch with no business ethics. How dare you take my Transcendent Beings? And you dare to get on our Transcendent Being's nerves. I was going to let you off because you're cute, but you better prepare to die.
- N-No, Brother Gupiseugeul. Why are you doing this? You know controlling the livestock is beyond my authority!
- Yeah, no. Just keep your neck clean. I'm going to take all that honey you're sucking up.
Gupiseugeul.
Among the Pets, he was known for his fanatical style, famous for making his livestock fight in the most brutal ways.
True to that style, when he was first choosing a server during Earth's commercialization phase, he had picked China for the simple reason that it had a large 'population'. His declaration of war was just as belligerent.
- Dammit! Just because his rank is a bit higher, he's pulling this crap! That piece of trash!
He had finally managed to attract Transcendent Beings far beyond his station to his server, only to end up on bad terms with a powerful Pet!
To make matters worse, the distance between the Korean and Chinese servers wasn't that great.
Using a Pet's authority to manipulate terrain or host events, it wouldn't be difficult to start a war.
The problem, however, was Korea and China.
The difference between the two servers, in terms of both population and resources, put the Korean side at an overwhelming disadvantage.
- Wh-what do I do? Is there no way?
Curses escaped his lips automatically.
He was just about to see the light, but if the Korean server he managed was devoured by Gupiseugeul, it would be all for nothing.
He could ask the Transcendent Beings watching his server for help, but given their pride, it was highly unlikely they would grant a request from a mere 'Pet'.
After all, the goal of the Transcendent Beings was to relieve their boredom.
Whether the Korean server was managed by Riggle or Gupiseugeul, as long as they had something to watch, everything was fine.
- I'm finished. It's all over!
[The Transcendent Being, Goddess of Abundance Prepion, temporarily grants you the right to use the Power of ■■■.]
[The Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainquito, temporarily grants you the right to use the Power of ■■■.]
[The Transcendent Being, The Patient Sion, temporarily grants you the right to use the Power of ■■■.]
…….
Just as he was lamenting his fate and the unjust prospect of having to quit his management duties.
The sight of the majority of the Transcendent Beings willingly offering him support, granting him the power of ■■■ usable only within the #chapter, left Riggle utterly dumbfounded.
- Huh? A-Are you really sure, esteemed Transcendent Beings?
[The Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainquito, nods his head. However, he commands that it be used to give player Yu Seong-hyeok an advantage.]
[The Transcendent Being, The Patient Sion, advises you not to try anything funny, or there will be nothing left for you.]
[The Gaze of the Inquisitor of Madness, Bo, agrees with the couple's remarks.]
…….
- Th-Thank you! Thank you so much!
The livestock flowing with honey.
Realizing anew the value of Yu Seong-hyeok, Riggle knew instinctively.
This guy was no longer just a well-raised player.
He was an object of affection for the Transcendent Beings, who were enjoying the unfolding of his story as a form of entertainment.
The meaning was clear.
- Kikikik. I'll be in your care, livestock. No, my partner as an administrator!
Yu Seong-hyeok.
The man's death was now the worst-case scenario for him. They had entered a symbiotic relationship, one where he had to pour his authority into him, even to the point of favoritism, so they could grow together.
* * * * *
[Guardian's Extra-Large Gilite Lyrium Plywood Beehive (★★★-)'s honey status has reached 99%.]
[Guardian's Extra-Large Pakison Plywood Beehive (★★★)'s honey status has reached 98.23%.]
[Guardian's Extra-Large Cillian Plywood Beehive (★★★)'s honey status has reached 97.811%.]
……
[Honey is ready for harvest!]
Even during the auction, the bees worked tirelessly without a moment's rest.
Their diligence, wiggling their behinds without pause, was certainly commendable, but their vigorous activity day and night meant the honey levels quickly approached 100%.
Normally, he would have had to perform some divine beekeeping to quickly harvest the honey before the hives overflowed.
However, unlike before, Seong-hyeok was now quite relaxed.
‘Spatial Movement.’
*Shwsh-* *Shwshwsh-*
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[Dimensionalist Blanqui's Spatial Movement Shoes (★★★+)]
※ This item contains a divine fragment of a Transcendent Being. (Exhibits effects superior to ordinary items.)
* Type: Armor
* Defense, Magic Resistance +15, Movement Speed +8%
※ Dimensional Tunnel Creation: Place a dimensional tunnel at a desired location. A maximum of 8 tunnels can be installed. To install more, a previous tunnel must be destroyed. (Mana Cost: 200 / Duration: ∞ / Cooldown: 2 hours)
※ Spatial Movement: Allows spatial movement up to 30M. When moving to a location with a dimensional tunnel, the maximum range increases to 2KM, but a temporary overload is applied as a consequence. (Mana Cost: 50 / Cooldown: 3 minutes)
※ Overload (Penalty): When using Spatial Movement via a dimensional tunnel, the cooldown increases to 20 minutes.
* Durability: 380 / 380
* Description: A pair of ★★★+ grade shoes faintly imbued with the power of the Transcendent Being, Blanqui the Dimensional Traveler. Due to a minuscule divine fragment, it possesses superior power. Facilitates both short-range and long-range movement.
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Blanqui's Spatial Movement Shoes, which he had purchased at the auction.
Thanks to their effect, Seong-hyeok had dramatically shortened his harvesting intervals, enabling much faster collection.
“Gasp, haaah!”
Of course, the one suffering because of it was Yeon-ah, who was picking up the honey Seong-hyeok harvested and left on the ground.
The moment she managed to gather it all into her Soul Bag, another pile of honey would be waiting for her in front of the next beehive.
“Sheesh! Giving a mobility skill to that iron man… Are you serious?!”
As a 3-star elite porter, Yeon-ah had been quite confident in her stamina.
Thanks to class-specific skills like Lightweight and Porter's Tenacity, which drastically reduced stamina drain and the weight of items she carried, she had no problem keeping up with Seok-cheol's logging work.
But what was this?
Honeybee.
The beekeeper named Seong-hyeok not only performed at a level that made Seok-cheol's workload seem trivial.
His ever-increasing speed was as if he had a motor attached.
A normal person would have been daunted and given up.
“Hooo! That's right, I'm Kang Yeon-ah. I won't be defeated by something like this!”
However, Yeon-ah was also an anomaly who couldn't be judged by 'normal' standards.
Having tasted the bitterness of life at a young age with her brother, Cheon-su.
When she hit a limit, rather than collapsing in exhaustion, her fighting spirit would ignite to overcome it.
*Grind—*
“Hah, haah! As if I'd lose!”
Her hands moved without rest, sweat pouring down her body like rain.
Did her sheer will reach the system?
[You have met the conditions for skill acquisition. -> Store 1,000 or more items in the Soul Bag within 3 minutes.]
[You have learned the skill, Elite Porter's Versatile Hands.]
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[Elite Porter's Versatile Hands (Lv.1)]
* Type: Skill
* Mana Cost: 100
* Effect: Creates 2 versatile hands in the air that last for 30 minutes. (Cooldown 30 minutes)
* Description: Creates versatile hands in the air capable of all hand actions, like grasping or throwing items. Leveling up allows the creation of more hands.
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“...Crazy. Aren't the acquisition requirements for this insane?”
She was momentarily stunned by the time-attack condition for acquiring the skill, and even more surprised that she had actually achieved it.
But as a skilled survivor of this topsy-turvy world, Yeon-ah immediately used the skill.
*Poof-!*
Two versatile hands, shaped like cat paws, appeared.
Going from two hands to four felt a bit awkward at first, but she quickly got the hang of it after a few tries.
“The effect is amazing! At this rate, the work will be done in no time!”
More hands meant her item-collecting speed would multiply accordingly.
Wearing a confident smile, Yeon-ah began rapidly gathering the items from the ground with her versatile hands.
As she cleared the areas in front of the beehives one by one, she successfully closed the distance between her and Seong-hyeok in a flash.
“Oh, not bad. I didn't think you'd be able to keep up with this pace.”
“Hehehe! This is the power of an elite porter. The power of the tough girl, Kang Yeon-ah!”
Yeon-ah puffed out her chest, proud of her own accomplishment.
But could she ever have imagined?
“Perfect timing. There was something I wanted to test during our downtime. Come here. I'll soothe those joints for you.”
“Huh? T-Test? What are you going to… W-Wait a minute, Oppa. What's with that needle? S-Stop it!”
“Don't worry, I'll make it painless.”
“P-Please. Kyaaaaaaah!”
[Bee Sting Therapy successful! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is temporarily bestowed upon the designated player.]
[Bee Sting Therapy's Joint Pain Relief is applied.]
[Bee Sting Therapy's Chronic Fatigue Recovery is applied.]
※ Bee Sting Therapy's Joint Pain Relief: For 150 minutes, joint pain is relieved, and Agility and Control increase by 25 each.
※ Bee Sting Therapy's Chronic Fatigue Recovery: For 180 minutes, accumulated fatigue is recovered, and Mentality increases by 40.
Being too good at your job can be a problem.
With the time they'd freed up due to her excellent performance, Seong-hyeok made fruitful use of it by experimenting with Insect King Prainquito's Bee Sting Therapy.