Chapter 68
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The World Tree and the Hymn of Abundance
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“Whoa…”
The World Tree.
The feeling of seeing a tree that should only exist in fantasy was beyond words.
To some, it was just a tree, a mere plant.
But its magnificent presence and the refreshing energy it held seemed to want to apply themselves directly to us.
I could feel a sense of self from it, and in reality, that was the case.
[The World Tree's vigorous vitality is applied.]
[While within the World Tree's domain, Attack Power and Movement Speed increase by 2%.]
A bizarre world where a game's system applied.
A buff that increased accordingly.
The 2% figure might seem small, but as it was a percentage-based bonus, the stronger the recipient, the more amplified the effect became.
“…This is so broken.”
And for Seong-hyeok, who led a honeybee army of three million, it was a perfect match.
Just think about it.
For an ordinary person, the effect would have applied to at most one or two thousand allies.
But in the case of the honeybees, with their small bodies and immense numbers, the effect's efficiency could be maximized to an astonishing degree.
Bzzzz- Bzzzzzz-
Bzzzzzzzz!
As if they knew this, the honeybees took to the sky even though the tree had yet to bloom, celebrating the World Tree's birth with their unique acrobatic flight.
And was that all?
The three queens and two princesses, who would normally have been laying eggs in the hive, also flew up as if to bless the World Tree's birth, releasing their queenly pheromones.
Bzzzz-bzzzzz-!
Bzzzzzzzz-!!!
At the queens' call, the reliable elite honeybees appeared like knights, along with the diligent worker-soldiers who had been collecting nectar.
They gathered together, performing a beautiful dance as if reprising their previous aerial display, scattering red, yellow, and green like powder.
Honeybees, social insects that are both individuals and part of a collective.
Though they seemed to dance haphazardly, the way they adjusted their distance to avoid any collisions even with so many numbers, wiggling their abdomens and singing with the sound of their wings, could be called a work of art without any exaggeration.
[The Transcendent Being, Sion the Patient, gives a standing ovation.]
[The Transcendent Being, Insect King Prainkito, nods, saying, 'So this is why I was captivated.' ...Someone beside him smiles faintly.]
[The Transcendent Being, Prepion, Goddess of Abundance, expresses her joy at the grand welcome.]
[The Transcendent Being, Macherti the Golden Goblin, licks his lips at the commercial value of this art. He wishes to show it to his clients someday and sponsors 10,000 Coins.]
…
The honeybees' aerial dance, performed to celebrate the birth of the World Tree.
It wasn't intentional, but the dance caused the Transcendent Beings to express their joy and shower him with sponsorships.
And among them, there was one thing that pleased him the most.
[The World Tree forms a friendly relationship with the honeybees and blossoms an additional effect accordingly.]
※ This friendly relationship will be maintained semi-permanently unless one side commits a major betrayal.
[While within the World Tree's domain, the honeybees' Honey Storage increases by +1.]
It was as if the World Tree truly had a self; it accepted the honeybees' welcome and blossomed an additional effect suited for them.
Of course, it was only a +1 increase in Honey Storage, but the fact that this effect applied equally to 'all honeybees' was a tremendous advantage.
This might not seem like much, but a fixed increase made a huge difference, as seen with the Honeybee Guardian's authorities, 'Land of Milk and Honey' and 'Stamina'.
The honeybees' Honey Storage, which increased every time the Stamina stat rose.
It varied greatly for elite honeybees or higher-tier honeybees.
The amount of increase was vastly different for worker bees.
While the storage of high-tier honeybees increased by 6-8, the worker bees, which were the most numerous, only saw an increase of about 1. So, a fixed +1 increase was nothing short of a honey revolution for the worker bees.
“Haha, well now…”
To think I'd gain such an effect from a simple aerial dance by the honeybees.
Seong-hyeok couldn't help but wonder if the three queens had known and aimed for this.
Bzzzzzzzz-!
Whether they knew his thoughts or not, the three queens approached, seeking praise for their good work.
Seeing their brilliant red, yellow, and green abdomens wiggling, Seong-hyeok patted their fluffy fur.
“I'll be counting on you from now on. Ah, and I mean all of you, every single one.”
In maintaining a honeybee society, there was not a single honeybee that wasn't precious.
The queens who laid eggs ceaselessly and the worker bees who toiled.
Each and every one of them was like a component forming the collective, and if even one was missing, things wouldn't work. As such, Seong-hyeok loved them all equally.
Bzzzzzz~♩
Bzzzz-♬
As Seong-hyeok's will was transmitted through the 'Bee Link', the honeybees sang with the sound of their wings, as if overcome with joy.
But soon, the honeybees seemed to instinctively realize what would be most helpful to Seong-hyeok.
The queens and princesses headed for the hive, and the worker bees set out on expeditions to find flowers, even if it meant traveling thousands of miles.
“…Really, Seong-hyeok, your love for honeybees is incredible.”
“I can take that as a compliment, right?”
“Of course. And regarding the World Tree's effects, it's probably easier to see for yourself than for me to explain.”
“Is it okay for you to share its effects?”
“I've already received permission.”
Just like the ever-prepared Yeon Su-hee.
As if she had already finished discussing it with Prepion during the honeybees' aerial dance, Su-hee unhesitatingly shared the information about the 'World Tree', which could be considered vital.
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[Prepion's World Tree 1st Stage (Divine)]
※ This item contains a large amount of a Transcendent Being's divine fragments. (It boasts effects far superior to ordinary items.)
※ Will be destroyed if the Incarnation's soul perishes permanently.
* Classification: Phantasmal Tree
* Growth Rate: 0% (100% immune to the effects of the Goddess's Rapid Growth.)
※ Time until the 1st Stage World Tree blossoms: 2 days (Growth period and grade can be accelerated through additional effects.)
* All entities and objects within a 100km radius of the World Tree will be affected by its buffs and debuffs.
※ World Tree's Vigorous Vitality: Increases allies' Attack Power and Movement Speed by 2%. All honeybees' Honey Storage +1.
※ World Tree's Embrace: The growth rate of nearby growable natural vegetation and crops is accelerated by 100%, and the appearance rate of rare natural vegetation increases.
※ World Tree's Dominance: Decreases enemies' Attack Power and Movement Speed by 5%.
* Description: A ?-grade World Tree deeply imbued with the energy of the Transcendent Being, Prepion, Goddess of Abundance. It has achieved its first stage of growth and bestows the vigorous vitality of the tree of life over a wide surrounding area.
※ Caution! The World Tree's unique abundant energy stimulates the instincts and appetites of nearby monsters...
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“This is amazing.”
“Right? I was dying to show you.”
And the power of the World Tree he had just confirmed was truly astonishing.
Even setting aside the 'Vigorous Vitality' he'd already seen, there were also the 'World Tree's Embrace', which greatly affected natural vegetation and crops, and the 'World Tree's Dominance', which penalized enemies.
What was even more surprising was that the World Tree, which possessed these effects, still held the potential for further growth.
* * * * *
The World Tree she obtained as an Incarnation upon reaching level 30 was one thing, but her job as a mere player, 'Progenitor of Abundance', also had something that couldn't be overlooked.
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[Hymn of Abundance (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 1,000
* Mana Upkeep: 100 per minute
* Effect: Sings a song of abundance to increase the stats of nearby allies and accelerate the growth rate of crops and livestock. (No cooldown)
* Description: The effect of the Hymn of Abundance applies to all areas the song reaches and is maintained as long as the song continues. However, movement is impossible while using this skill. As the level increases, the song can reach farther distances, and the effect improves.
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It was the skill she had acquired upon reaching level 30: 'Hymn of Abundance'.
True to its name, 'Hymn', it was a unique skill that maintained its effect by singing and had no cooldown.
But having no cooldown wasn't necessarily a good thing, as Seong-hyeok could see its drawbacks at a glance.
“Isn't the mana consumption on this a bit too high?”
“So it looks that way to you, too.”
The first thing that came to mind was its immense mana consumption.
Just using it consumed 1,000 mana, and maintaining it required 100 per minute.
One might ask if she couldn't just recover mana while singing, but most mana recovery items had to be consumed orally.
In other words, recovering mana while maintaining the skill was difficult, and the inability to move while using it could be a huge penalty depending on the situation.
Then, some might say.
What kind of trash skill is this to get at level 30?
But one shouldn't forget that this was a unique job.
Moreover, it was a skill obtained by the Progenitor of Abundance, a 4-star job, and the more severe the penalty, the greater the advantage.
[The effect of Hymn of Abundance is applied.]
[All stats of allies within the song's reach increase by 5, and Movement Speed increases by 100%.]
[The growth rate of crops and livestock within the song's reach increases by 300%.]
An increase in all stats and movement speed that could be a great help in combat and regrouping.
In particular, the 100% increase in movement speed was revolutionary not just for combat, but also for reducing the time it took for the honeybees to transport the nectar they collected.
And was that all?
A 300% acceleration in the growth rate of crops and livestock.
If this was applied, crops would repeatedly bloom and bear fruit quickly, ensuring a smooth supply of honey through the honeybees' natural pollination. And as the growth rate of livestock, including Lee Yeon-bun's pigs, increased, the amount of byproducts obtained would also rise!
[The Transcendent Being, Blanqui the Dimensional Traveler, applauds the sweet music.]
[The Transcendent Being, Sion the Patient, stretches his stiff body.]
Furthermore, true to its name 'Hymn of Abundance', the lively song was enough to make one feel energized just by listening.
Her singing ability, acknowledged even by the Transcendent Beings, was enough to lift the spirits of anyone who heard it.
“Ahem. This is rather embarrassing. Me, singing at my age.”
Although it was the effect of the skill, she had still sung the words with her own mouth.
Feeling needlessly shy, Yeon Su-hee fanned herself with her hand and headed toward her workplace, the greenhouse, while Seong-hyeok stood blankly, his mouth twitching.
“…I'll make it.”
A small voice, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
But as they say, fellow 'Seekers' are on the same wavelength.
[The Transcendent Being, Bo the Mad Seeker's, eyes gleam wildly.]
Bo's gaze reacted to that small voice.
Following his reaction, Seong-hyeok's twitching lips curved into his characteristic smile.
“A way to recover mana without using my mouth. I will create it, no matter what.”
For the sake of a Hymn of Abundance that could be maintained indefinitely, to the point where she would feel no lack of mana.
Seong-hyeok's instinct for experimentation had been awakened.