Chapter 50
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Land of Milk and Honey
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“Su-hee. Did the Goddess of Abundance happen to say anything else about this?”
“No, this is the first I've heard of it, too.”
*Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?*
The Transcendent Beings had witnessed all sorts of things while enjoying their games across countless dimensions.
It stood to reason that they would know a great deal about Hidden Pieces.
Seong-hyeok wanted to ask Su-hee, the only Incarnate on the farm, more questions just in case, but…
[The Transcendent Being, 'Bo, the Inquisitor of Madness,' warns that they can only provide rough hints. Anything beyond that must be realized on your own.]
[The Transcendent Being, 'Macherti, the Great Golden Goblin Lord,' fiddles with his hands, implying that if you want something, you must pay a worthy price.]
*Just as I expected.*
There was no such thing as a free lunch in any world.
Besides, the Transcendent Beings were limited to giving hints based on certain conditions.
They were warning him that any further intervention was impossible.
*Well, that makes sense.*
The influence of the Transcendent Beings seemed to have its limits, not just in sponsoring items but also in sending messages.
If there were no restrictions on them indiscriminately revealing the conditions for acquiring Hidden Pieces, it would undoubtedly lead to major problems.
“Seong-hyeok, my boy. Have you read the effects? This seems incredible.”
“I'll check it right now.”
For now, he pushed aside his worries about the future.
Seong-hyeok examined the effects of the power he could use immediately.
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[Land of Milk and Honey]
* Classification: Special Situation
* Area of Effect: 800m radius centered on a ★★★+ grade cow or bee.
* Effects: Slightly increases the yield of all gathering activities within the area of effect, increases all bees' honey storage by +5, greatly increases the appearance rate of natural vegetation, and grants one special quest per day based on the situation, level, and karma.
* Description: All gathering activities within the Land of Milk and Honey gain a benefit, and the fertile ground greatly increases the appearance rate of natural vegetation. Additionally, you can receive one special quest per day.
※ Warning! Only one special quest can be granted per player.
※ Warning! The effects of the Land of Milk and Honey special situation do not stack.
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At a glance, it was no exaggeration to say the effects of this special situation were perfectly optimized for Seong-hyeok's bee farm, where gathering and beekeeping were the main activities.
Even the seemingly small +5 increase in honey storage was a massive advantage for him.
After all, the number of his bees was now approaching 1.3 million.
A mere 5, when multiplied by 1.3 million, was equivalent to the output of hundreds, or even thousands, of bees.
Furthermore, the standard for the area of effect was a 3-star+ grade cow or bee.
While he only had Preppion's cow, it was a different story for his bees.
*‘So Teunteun-i, Lily, and even Dongchung-i, along with the queen bees, all meet the requirement.’*
*Is this the power of a 5-star unique class, the Honeybee Guardian?*
As a product of his diligent efforts, Seong-hyeok had quite a few 3-star+ grade bees around him.
The queen bees steadily laying eggs in their hives were a given, and…
…there was Teunteun-i, whose numbers had grown to four, and Lily, who now numbered nine.
And then there was the newly added elite bee, Dongchung-i, the Peridot Cordyceps Legion Commander.
Each one of them could serve as a conduit, activating the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’!
[A quest is being selected based on your level, karma, and current situation.]
[You have received the special quest: Create 500 Honey-Related Processed Goods.]
On top of its regional influence, the special situation also had the power to grant quests directly to players.
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[Special Quest: Create 500 Honey-Related Processed Goods]
- Create 500 processed goods related to honey, regardless of type. -
* Time Limit: 12 hours
* Reward: Experience, 5,000 Coins
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Experience and 5,000 coins.
For Seong-hyeok, who had once held a million coins, the reward might seem small, but the true benefit of this quest couldn't be measured that way.
*‘I’m just getting a bonus for doing something I was going to do anyway, right?’*
Turning honey into secondary products using his skills was one of Seong-hyeok's routine tasks.
But now, just by performing that action, he could earn this passive income.
Once a day.
Even if it was only 5,000 coins, if it kept accumulating and the quest difficulty and rewards increased with his level, it would eventually become a mountain from a molehill.
It was by no means an amount to be ignored.
“Haha, well now. I'd better get to logging right away. The quest told me to chop some wood.”
“I need to finish feeding the livestock and then go harvest the crops, too.”
And most importantly, this special situation granted one quest per player, per day.
This meant it wasn't just Seong-hyeok receiving a quest, but also Seok-cheol and Su-hee before him, as well as Cheon-su and Yeon-ah, who were hard at work outside.
“In any case, please pass on my thanks to the Goddess of Abundance.”
“Yes, I will.”
A Hidden Piece with effects far too great to be considered a mere molehill.
Eager to clear the quest immediately, Seong-hyeok attempted to teleport to the Dimensional Tunnel he had installed in his workshop.
* * * * *
As always.
Life on Seong-hyeok's bee farm was a continuous cycle of diligence with each passing day.
Bzzzz— Bzzzzzz—
Wheeeee—
The bees flew tirelessly around the farm, as if sloth and laziness had been completely erased from their minds.
In this chaotic world, their effect was beyond imagination.
“Thanks to you all, I slept so soundly. I feel refreshed. Hohoho.”
“I never knew a life without guard duty could feel this blissful.”
In a dangerous world where monsters could attack at any moment.
Naturally, every shelter required guards and a night watch, but Seong-hyeok's bee farm was the exception.
The bees, active and spread out in all directions.
Each and every one of them perfectly fulfilled the role of a sentinel, leaving no need for worry.
“If even you little guys are working, this old man can't just sit around.”
“Ah, your fluffy butts. It's so therapeutic. This unni will work hard too, everyone!”
On top of that, did the bees' adorable and luscious red and green behinds have the effect of erasing any thoughts of slacking off from those who watched them?
As if not to be outdone by the bees' diligence, Seong-hyeok and the other residents easily completed more than their share of the work.
“Come and get it.”
And after working up a good sweat, a hearty meal would be waiting for them. How could they not be happy!
Patting their full bellies, the residents began to run back to their respective workplaces to make the most of the effects.
Amidst them, Su-hee stopped cleaning up and approached Seong-hyeok.
“Seong-hyeok. Please take this.”
“What is this?”
She handed him an item as if it were nothing.
When Seong-hyeok saw the shimmering white liquid inside, he couldn't help but be shocked.
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[Preppion's First Milk, Filled with Abundance (★★★★-)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, you will acquire the Authority Specialization 'Bountiful Mindset' one time only. Current consumption: 0 / 1
※ Bountiful Mindset (Permanent): The results of all gathering activities increase by 3%.
* Description: The first milk produced by Preppion's cow, a Divine-grade livestock, this ★★★★-grade milk is brimming with abundance. As the very first milk, its power is at its most concentrated, and it is recommended to consume it without any additional processing. Upon consumption, it will awaken a permanent Authority power, limited to one time per player.
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Just reading the description made it clear that its effects were far from ordinary.
Even at 3%, the effect of the granted Authority was not something to be taken lightly.
Seong-hyeok's class was the Honeybee Guardian.
For Seong-hyeok, who gathered honey whether he liked it or not, this effect would be unimaginable, both financially and in terms of the experience gained from honey collection.
[The Transcendent Being, 'Preppion, the Goddess of Abundance,' disapproves of her Incarnate's actions, but gives a short nod, deeming you worthy of acceptance.]
As if to prove it, even Preppion, who always showed her approval with a smile, expressed her reluctance through a message.
“Su-hee. I appreciate the thought, but I can't accept this.”
Humans are selfish creatures.
A part of him wanted to snatch it and down it in one go, but his conscience refused to let him accept it.
To be honest, gathering wasn't an activity exclusive to him.
No, if anything, considering future crops and livestock products…
…it would bring considerable benefits to Yeon Su-hee as well.
But had she anticipated his response?
“I'm sorry, Seong-hyeok. Excuse me for a moment.”
An abrupt apology.
The next move from Su-hee, who had offered him the milk, was something even Seong-hyeok hadn't expected.
The woman, who always wore a gentle smile and seemed far removed from combat.
But he shouldn't forget that she was someone who had accumulated enough 'karma' to obtain the 4-star unique class, Originator of Abundance.
“Wh-what the…”
*Are her stats that high?*
*Or did she use some kind of special power?*
Su-hee charged him, a surprisingly aggressive physical assault for someone her age.
Seong-hyeok could have resisted with his stats, but he couldn't.
Bzzzz— BZZZZZZ—!!
The bees, interpreting Su-hee's actions as an attack on Seong-hyeok, reflexively went on the offensive.
While Seong-hyeok used Bee Link to stop them, Su-hee forced the first milk into his mouth.
“I'm truly sorry, but for the sake of the future, you must drink this, not an old woman like me.”
As if to perfectly demonstrate a contradiction between words and actions, she repeatedly apologized while her actions remained exceedingly aggressive.
She was pressing her body against him, perhaps to prevent him from spitting it out.
To avoid choking on the milk, Seong-hyeok had no choice but to instinctively swallow the mouthful of liquid.
Gulp—
[First time consumption. You have acquired the Authority Specialization, Bountiful Mindset (Permanent). 1 / 1]
In the end, the power of the Authority Specialization was forced upon him.
After calming the angry bees, he looked up to see Su-hee holding out her hand.
“I'm sorry for being so rough. But I felt you wouldn't drink it otherwise, so I had no choice.”
“What were you thinking? If I had been even a moment later, you could have been killed!”
But seeing her, Seong-hyeok suddenly felt a surge of anger.
Because she had given him a precious item?
No.
To be precise, her actions had put her in harm's way; if Seong-hyeok had been just a little slower, Yeon Su-hee could have died from the bees' stings.
But whether she knew this or not, Su-hee wore a benevolent smile befitting her age, as if everything was fine.
“I have my ways of dealing with that. After all, I am the Incarnate of Preppion, the Goddess of Abundance.”
He had known she wasn't simple-minded enough to act so recklessly.
After all, when he first met the residents, Seong-hyeok had instinctively sensed that Yeon Su-hee was the group's true leader.
But still, to think she would do something like this…
But he couldn't stay angry.
The power of the Authority she had given him would, over time, create an enormous gap, snowballing into something massive.
“…”
He didn't know whether to laugh with joy or cry in frustration.
Su-hee's hand gently stroked Seong-hyeok's head.
“Don't overthink it. It's just… I want you, who's like a son to me, to live a long, long life.”
Her hands were quite rough and chapped from farming, despite her being a woman.
Now that he thought about it, it suddenly occurred to him.
Yeon Su-hee and Im Seok-cheol were quite an old couple.
Given how close they were, it was highly likely they had children, unless there was some special reason they didn't.
As someone who had lived as an orphan for a long time, Seong-hyeok couldn't know for sure, but a parent's heart would surely be worried in a situation like this. Yet, the two had never once asked him for help or even mentioned their 'children'.
It was as if they already knew what had become of them and had resigned themselves to it.
“I will use this Authority well. Thank you. And from now on, please speak comfortably with me.”
“…Alright, I will. Seong-hyeok.”
But Seong-hyeok couldn't bring himself to ask about it.
Was it because he knew prying into someone's family matters was rude?
Of course, that was part of it.
But beyond all that, it was Su-hee's eyes as she looked at him.
It was as if she wasn't looking at Seong-hyeok, but at someone else.
Her gaze was just so full of sorrow.