Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Sweet Scent of Trouble
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“To think I’d be able to get wild honey…”
As mentioned before, if regular honey was just your average cup of coffee, then wild honey—like *seokcheong*, *mokcheong*, and *tocheong*—was the top-shelf, premium roast for a reason.
That was because ‘wild honey’ contained components that were simply in a class of their own.
Of course, there were artificially produced versions, but Seong-hyeok knew better.
As if his 24-year-long life dedicated solely to bees hadn’t been for nothing.
He knew that naturally produced wild honey possessed an efficacy incomparable to the ‘fakes,’ and the price difference was immense.
“I never thought I’d be able to fulfill my lifelong wish like this.”
The natural kind.
Among them, *seokcheong*, aged for decades or even centuries and found only on cliffside rocks, was especially prized for its supposed virility benefits, making its price whatever the seller demanded.
The competition was so fierce that magnates from every country would make reservations for it. Even Seong-hyeok had never tasted a natural, centuries-old vintage. The number of times he’d eaten *mokcheong* or *tocheong*, which he’d found while studying bee ecology, could be counted on one hand.
That was why whenever he found some, he always had to savor it sparingly. But things were different now.
Thanks to the convenience of this game-like bizarre world and a special bee unit called Geonchug-i.
The synergy between these two meant he could now supply himself with that very same wild honey.
*Gulp.*
“Ah, my mouth is already watering.”
They say only those who’ve tasted the meat know its true flavor.
Seong-hyeok, remembering the taste of the wild honey he’d had a few times in his life, immediately gave Geonchug-i its orders.
*Bzzzz— Bzzzzzz—!*
The bee circled around Seong-hyeok, as if asking where he wanted it to build.
Perhaps due to the ‘Adapting Wild Beehive’ effect, the type of wild honey he could obtain would change depending on the location, so he had to choose carefully.
“Hmm… still, I suppose the classic, *seokcheong*, is the best.”
While *mokcheong* and *tocheong* were of decent quality, Seong-hyeok couldn’t shake his lingering desire for the natural *seokcheong* he had tasted the least.
“That spot over there looks perfect.”
After using a scout bee to select the most suitable rocky crevice within his territory,
[The Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee (★★★★) uses the skill, Wild Beehive Construction (Lv.1).]
[10,000 Imperial Topaz Worker Bees will join the task.]
[All mana will be consumed.]
[Regional advantages and the Adapting Wild Beehive are applied.]
[Construction of Wild Beehive - Seokcheong (★★★+) has begun. The Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee is issuing commands to the worker bees.]
[Time remaining until completion: 22 hours 32 minutes]
*Buzzzzzzzzz—!!!*
*Bzz-bzz-bzz—!*
As if it had been waiting.
With a rough flutter of its wings, Geonchug-i commanded the nearby worker bees and charged toward the location.
As if showcasing the mysteries of nature, it began to shape a beehive out of thin air, using mana and byproducts from its own body and those of the worker bees under its command. For a moment, Seong-hyeok watched, fascinated.
“You’ll have to work hard for a bit, since I have my own things to do.”
The urge to keep watching the mystical scene was strong, but 22 hours and 32 minutes was nearly a full day.
He couldn’t afford to waste that much time, so Seong-hyeok returned to the bee farm to attend to his own tasks.
* * * * *
Nearly a day.
A long time, yet a short time.
He was engrossed in his work at the bee farm, which had now become a daily routine.
[Wild Beehive - Seokcheong (★★★+) has been completed.]
[The Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee issues commands for the next phase.]
[The bees begin to collect honey in the hive!]
News that the wild beehive was complete.
But was it true that one must go through many trials to obtain something precious?
Simply completing the beehive wasn't enough to get the *seokcheong*.
[An Imperial Topaz Worker Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 0.0001%]
[An Imperial Topaz Worker Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 0.0002%]
[The Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee (★★★★) has collected honey. Current Honey Status: 0.0011%]
…….
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[Wild Beehive - Seokcheong (★★★+)]
※ As this is a one-time special collectible, the Wild Beehive will be destroyed upon collection.
※ Due to its specific purpose, it has extremely weak defensive capabilities and durability.
* Classification: Other
* Current Bees at Work: 10,001 (1 Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee / 10,000 Imperial Topaz Worker Bees)
* Current Honey Status: 0.0023%
* Health: 350
* Defense: 7 Magic Resistance: 2
* Durability: 30 / 30
* Description: A ★★★+ grade Wild Beehive crafted through a special method. When the honey status is completely filled, you can obtain precious, high-grade *seokcheong*. If destroyed, you will acquire low-quality *seokcheong*.
※ Warning! The unique sweet scent of the Wild Beehive stimulates the appetite of nearby monsters. It increases the respawn rate of nearby monsters and attracts them. (This effect grows stronger as the hive fills with honey.)
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Wild honey, after all, is created when honey accumulates in a hive that exists in the wild.
Ultimately, once it was full of honey, it wasn't like a regular beehive where you could just keep harvesting honey as it refilled.
It was a one-time collectible, where you had to tear out the entire hive and consume it as is.
Well, Seong-hyeok had known that from the start, so it didn't bother him. The problem lay elsewhere.
“I guess there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”
This bizarre world.
Did all sorts of monsters also know the taste and special properties of wild honey?
Drawn by their gluttony as if it were a delicacy.
Worse still, the wild beehive's defenses were pitifully low, making protection essential.
“Not that it’s a problem, though.”
It wasn’t like Seong-hyeok was a weak player.
Thanks to his three queens and one princess, the growth rate of Seong-hyeok's bee army was now beyond common sense.
Because of this, a surge in monsters wasn't necessarily a bad thing for him.
“I’ve already gotten used to minimizing the bees’ sacrifices.”
With the increased number of bees, bee venom was collected in no time.
Thanks to that, Seong-hyeok and Cheon-su had succeeded in creating a variety of weapons and traps.
Besides, with Teunteun-i and the undead bees and monsters created by Lily, he no longer avoided battles.
No, in fact, if more monsters appeared, Seong-hyeok would welcome it.
There was loot to be gained from hunting them, and their corpses would be thoroughly recycled as undead.
“Huh?”
But did someone read his mind?
[A Ruby Gem Scout Bee (★★★-) is attempting to scout.]
The scout bee’s alert sounded at a rather opportune moment.
And just as he expected…
[Dungeon, Foothill Orc Hamlet (★★+), has been discovered!]
[Dungeon, Shell-backed Giant Hornet Nest (★★★-), has been discovered!]
[Field Boss Monster, Giant Crescent Bear Lv. 25 (★★★+), has been discovered!]
[Field Boss Monster, Giant Crescent Bear Lv. 24 (★★★+), has been discovered!]
As if on cue, alerts for dungeons and field boss monsters rang out.
And that wasn't all.
[A quest is being selected based on your level, karma, and current situation.]
[You have been given the Special Quest, Stop the Giant Crescent Bear Couple.]
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[Special Quest: Stop the Giant Crescent Bear Couple]
- Stop the field boss monsters, the Giant Crescent Bear couple, that have appeared in your territory. -
* Time Limit: 3 hours
* Reward: Experience, 20,000 Coins, ★★+ Item Draw Ticket
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“Well, well…”
Like a buy-one-get-one-free event, the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ quest-granting ability triggered simultaneously.
He had found it strange that the quest was late today. Had the system been waiting for this?
“Is this place haunted or something?”
Three consecutive elite-class bee births, followed by the appearance of dungeons and field boss monsters.
Whether this horde of monsters would be a stroke of luck or misfortune depended on the performance of Seong-hyeok and his bee army.
* * * * *
A life of 24 years dedicated solely to bees.
It went without saying that Seong-hyeok had encountered various species of bees during that long period, and among the few who got to know him, some would occasionally ask this question.
"Seong-hyeok, what do you think about hornets? They’re Hymenoptera too, right?"
Hornets, belonging to the same order.
Their species were far more numerous than honeybees, and there were some commonalities in their ecological studies, so they should have been quite valuable.
In fact, they were also famous for their altruistic behavior, sacrificing themselves for their colony. At one point, Seong-hyeok had thought positively of them, believing they had some value.
But hornets.
Especially after he witnessed giant hornets attacking honeybees in real-time, he erased such thoughts from his mind completely.
“…How dare they touch my precious bees!”
In truth, the distinction between beneficial and harmful insects varies depending on whether one’s perspective is human or nature-centric.
In some ways, hornets were beneficial; they pollinated flowers and hunted mosquitoes and flies. But alas, they were destined to be pests.
Protein and sugar, the main diet of hornets.
Because honeybees contained both, they were fated to be the primary targets of hornets.
A problem child that could act as a beneficial insect but also slaughtered honeybees, the ultimate beneficial insect, in droves.
This led to the half-joking, half-serious saying that the natural enemy of hornets was man.
Specifically, a pissed-off beekeeper.
So, what would Seong-hyeok, a man obsessed with bees for 24 years, do?
“I’ll burn them all to a crisp.”
Seong-hyeok’s eyes glinted murderously.
The urge to immediately take the newly discovered Shell-backed Giant Hornet Nest dungeon and pickle the whole thing in hornet liquor was overwhelming, but…
[Player Alpha Woman attempts to whisper.]
【Alpha Woman: Seong-hyeok! This quest is to stop the Giant Crescent Bear couple. Isn't this a huge problem? Su-hee said she got the same quest too.】
【Honeybee: I know their location, so tell Seok-cheol right away and wait with Su-hee in the farm’s livestock shed. I have something else for Cheon-su to do, so you don’t need to worry about him.】
【Alpha Woman: Okay! I got it! Be careful, Seong-hyeok!】
There was an order to everything.
Seeing that not only he but also the four residents had received the same quest, Seong-hyeok realized he had to deal with the most pressing matter first.
And for good reason. Thanks to the scout bees continuously monitoring the area, Seong-hyeok understood the gravity of the situation.
“Does the Land of Milk and Honey make its own judgments?”
It was quite strange, in a way.
The foothill orcs and giant hornets were quietly observing the vicinity, perhaps not having discovered the bees yet.
But the bears… was their detection range wider because they were field boss monsters?
As if having caught the scent of honey, the two giant bears were drooling as they charged toward Seong-hyeok's farm, crushing obstacles with their bodies at high speed.
【Honeybee: Cheon-su. I’m going to tell you where to set up traps. Use the most powerful ones I gave you. Okay?】
【Explosion is Art: Hehehe! Just leave it to me, boss!】
Another creature long considered an enemy of beekeepers.
Against the honey-craving bears, Seong-hyeok decided to give them a bitter taste of the newly developed Dark Azure Bee Venom Trap he had created with Cheon-su.