Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Spoils of the Auction
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The number of honey byproducts grew with each passing day.
Thanks to this, the amount of coin I earned was on a steady upward curve, and my spending power was considerable as well.
It was only natural, given the string of impulse buys I’d made, sweeping through the auction house while leaving just enough to maintain the golden mine.
But Seong-hyeok had not a single regret about his spending habits.
“Whatever it is, it’s better than hoarding it until it goes to waste.”
Coins could always be earned again, but the auction house…
Many of the items listed there, especially those from the Transcendent Beings, could only be found in that one place.
Among them were numerous artifacts that could grant wide-area buffs, like the ‘Rally of the Patient,’ which could significantly increase the bees’ survival rate.
In that case, rather than penny-pinching and letting the coins gather dust, wasn't it better to invest heavily, drastically reduce the bees' sacrifices, and accelerate their growth?
[The Transcendent Being, Golden Goblin Lord Macherte, rubs his hands together and laughs, saying that is a very fine point.]
[The Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainkito, concurs.]
[The gaze of the Transcendent Being, Bo, the Inquisitor of Madness, expresses satisfaction with the lucrative business this has turned out to be.]
It was a win-win for both Seong-hyeok and the Transcendent Beings.
The results from the auction house were mutually beneficial.
With a satisfied smile, Seong-hyeok immediately summoned Yongbi and Danbi.
“Grrrrowl?”
*Weren’t you going to give us honey?*
The two bears looked at him with an innocent air, as if asking that very question.
“This time, it’s not for eating. Turn around for a bit.”
When one acquires a mount, one must also acquire the proper equipment.
Seong-hyeok fitted the Orhal-brand steel saddles he had purchased onto the two patiently waiting bears.
“Oh, a perfect fit.”
As if affected by the game system’s convenience, the saddles expanded to match Yongbi and Danbi’s sizes.
“Grrrrowl—!”
“Grr! Grrrrowl!”
Startled at first by the feel and weight of the saddles on their backs, the two scratched at their backs.
But as soon as honey was brought to their mouths, they forgot all about it, becoming completely absorbed in licking up the sweet treat.
“After you finish eating, help me clean up the area a bit more. If you do a good job, I’ll give you a fitting reward.”
“Hmph! Hmph!”
With that, the bestowing of items for his mounts was complete.
Next, Seong-hyeok double-checked the items he would use himself.
[Earrings Imbued with Eldain's Tears (★★★+)]
[Grakkarak's Burning Ring (★★★+)]
[Bo's Elixir Controller (★★★+)]
[Grios's Delicate Spiderweb Gloves (★★★+)]
They were all 3-star+ grade artifacts and consumables.
Befitting their high grade, each item boasted impressive effects. Among them, the ‘Controller,’ part of Bo’s Elixir series, offered a permanent increase of a whopping 7 points to the Control stat upon consumption.
‘I can’t pass up a consumable that permanently raises a stat.’
Even though Seong-hyeok could rapidly increase his stats through his affinity for processed bee products, if there was another way to raise them, he had to invest boldly.
Especially since, through the Honeybee Guardian's authority, hadn't Seong-hyeok realized the immense potential hidden within the ‘Control’ stat?
[The size of the Peridot Cheonlam Poison Legion Commander Honeybee (★★★★) increases, and accordingly, the total amount of bee venom stored in its venom sac increases.]
‘Hmm, I guess a 7-point increase isn't enough to acquire or enhance a skill.’
Was it because he’d gotten a taste of the sheer power of Geonchug-i’s beeswax turrets?
The additional skill he had hoped for didn't materialize; instead, the effect was as minor as Teunteun-i’s body growing a bit larger.
Well, to be honest, that wasn’t a bad thing.
Just as the notification described, the side effects of Teunteun-i’s increased size were quite outstanding.
First, its larger size could provide an advantage in combat. Furthermore, the more Cheonlam bee venom it could collect, the more it could be used as a material for creating high-quality traps and processed goods.
It could be utilized in various ways.
“That takes care of my share. Now, all that's left are these.”
[D-Class Experience Kit (★★★+)]
[Macherte's Golden Goose Egg (★★★+)]
An experience kit that granted a fixed amount of experience upon a single use, and the egg of a golden goose, a domestic animal that seemed far from something Seong-hyeok would use.
The owner of these two items was not Seong-hyeok himself.
※ Bountiful Mindset (Permanent): All gathering actions yield 3% more results.
“I can’t live with a debt.”
It was only human nature to repay a favor, even if one couldn't give back something of equal value.
[The Transcendent Being, Goddess of Abundance Prepion, anticipates her incarnation's reaction to your surprise gift.]
The thought of being able to help Yeon Su-hee, who had invested in him, naturally lifted Seong-hyeok’s spirits.
* * * * *
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[D-Class Experience Kit (★★★+)]
※ This item is infused with a fragment of a Transcendent Being's divinity. (Its effects are far superior to ordinary items.)
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, you will gain the experience contained within the D-Class Experience Kit. This can only be done once. Current consumption 0 / 1
* Description: A ★★★+ grade D-Class Experience Kit created by the Transcendent Being, Golden Goblin Lord Macherte. A minuscule fragment of divinity has imbued it with superior power. A penalty exists where the effect is diminished for very low-level users. (Maximum possible level-ups: 5)
______________________________
The D-Class Experience Kit was the first item that caught Seong-hyeok’s eye when he was browsing as a VVVIP.
‘Level’ could be considered a symbol of power for any player.
Because of its level-boosting effect, Seong-hyeok had invested a hefty sum of 330,000 coins, winning the bid against competitors like the Emperor and other tycoons of the Asia server.
[Do you wish to use the D-Class Experience Kit (★★★+)? YES / NO]
※ Upon use, you will gain 82% of the required experience.
And as if to prove its value, it had the effect of raising Seong-hyeok's experience at level 34 by a staggering 82%—more than half a level.
However, Seong-hyeok didn't use it on himself.
‘At my current pace, I can level up quickly enough.’
The 3-Queen, 2-Princess system, combined with the sturdiness from his Guardian class specialization, accelerated the egg-laying rate.
And was that all?
Even if it was only for an hour a day, Seong-hyeok’s new skill, Resonance with the Queen Bee, boosted the egg-laying speed by a massive five times.
Thanks to this combination, the bee population of Seong-hyeok’s apiary was on the verge of easily surpassing three million.
Naturally, as the numbers grew, so did the production of honey, as well as beeswax for turrets and bee venom for bullets.
Seong-hyeok was monopolizing most of the experience earned from the bees’ hunts.
Because of this, there was no issue with his own leveling speed.
‘For efficiency’s sake, it’s a hundred times better if another resident uses it.’
Of course, 330,000 coins was a considerable sum even for Seong-hyeok, and he wasn't so generous as to give it to just any resident.
As mentioned before, he was simply repaying his debt to Su-hee, who had yielded one of Prepion’s important authorities to him.
‘It’s not just about repaying a debt.’
And most importantly, there was something that should not be forgotten.
Yeon Su-hee, who resided on his farm.
She was no ordinary player, but the incarnation of Prepion, the Goddess of Abundance, one of the Transcendent Beings.
* Prepion’s World Tree Seed (Cannot be unlocked yet due to level limitations) -> Level Insufficient (Required Level: 30)
The World Tree Seed was one of the authorities Yeon Su-hee had revealed to Seong-hyeok.
This alone was more than enough reason to prioritize her rapid leveling.
‘A World Tree. I’ve never seen one, but it must be an incredible plant.’
On the original Earth, such a fantastical tree could only be found in games or novels.
He didn't know if a World Tree blossomed, but if it did produce flower buds and fruit, it could have a significant impact on the bees.
‘Just like with acacia honey, the honey could change depending on the source of the nectar.’
Furthermore, if the nectar could be gathered from something of the World Tree's caliber, the value of the resulting honey might change.
In the natural ecology of bees, the taste and efficacy of their main food source, honey, largely depended on the source of the nectar.
In other words, it was bound to change significantly depending on the type of flower.
But for some reason, the honey collected and aged by the Ruby Gem and Peridot bees all had the exact same effects.
Whether that was due to game mechanics or not, he would find out if he could obtain nectar from a source like the World Tree!
Besides, even if he couldn't get nectar, Seong-hyeok wouldn't mind.
“A good tree is an excellent source for making outstanding Mokcheong.”
The sap of the World Tree and the bees’ propolis.
If these two ingredients created a perfect synergy, obtaining the highest quality Mokcheong was practically a certainty.
Humming happily at the mere thought of it, he walked with a light step toward the greenhouse where Su-hee was.
Bzz— Bzzzzz~♪
As if influenced by Seong-hyeok’s mood, the bees heading out to work seemed to be in high spirits, showing off with a little butt-bounce.
‘Just you wait. Daddy’s going to get you an amazing plot of land!’
With the countless wiggling bees painting the air in red, green, and yellow, Seong-hyeok quickened his pace.
* * * * *
In the greenhouse, she was busy planting seeds and harvesting ripened crops alongside the bees.
Seong-hyeok walked right up and handed Yeon Su-hee the Golden Goose Egg from Macherte.
“Are you really sure, Seong-hyeok? It’s alright to give this to me?”
As expected, Su-hee was hesitant to accept it so easily.
“Of course. Besides, you and Ms. Yeon-bun are the only ones who can properly care for livestock.”
However, given the nature of the Golden Goose Egg, which required raising livestock, persuading her wasn't very difficult.
“Hmm. I understand. Then I’ll accept it gratefully. In return, I’ll make sure to give you a portion of the shares from whatever the goose produces.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
Nodding in understanding, Su-hee accepted the Golden Goose Egg.
Even in that moment, her meticulous effort to ensure he got a share spoke volumes of her altruistic nature.
‘Hoo, she must know, right?’
Yeon Su-hee was also in possession of a not-insignificant amount of coin.
She had participated in this auction as well.
Furthermore, after every auction since the very first one, a Korean server named player called Jeongrichung would organize and post the list of items on the community board.
Among the information he primarily dealt with was not only the items' stats but also, living up to his name, a detailed list of their final sale prices. Thanks to him, it wouldn't be hard to figure out roughly how much the items Seong-hyeok bought had cost.
‘That Jeongrichung fellow. For once, he’s not being helpful…’