Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Buzz Around Honeybee
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Well, that’s not to say they were completely useless.
As long as Tae-soo provided the drugs, they were a kind of ‘slave’ who would gladly risk their lives in battle for him and give their all at night.
“If they're submissive, it makes them easy to exploit, like a farm.”
Even with the world turned upside down, anything related to ‘sex’ was always a viable business for making money, one way or another.
For now, he preferred simply taking what he wanted through force, as it was easier, but Tae-soo's greed took the distant future into account.
“Kekekek. An Auction House at a time like this. Isn't this just setting the stage perfectly for me?”
Of course, if anyone with a lick of common sense saw the warning about the ‘withdrawal symptoms’ of Tae-soo’s drugs, they wouldn’t buy and consume them, no matter how good the effects were.
But alas, the only person who could see the warning was Tae-soo, the item’s creator.
Why, you ask?
[Drug King's Class Specialization, My Own Description, is activated.]
[Drug King's Class Specialization, The Concealer, is activated.]
[A portion of the item's description is modified.]
[A portion of the item's contents is concealed.]
The effects of Tae-soo’s Drug King class specializations: ‘My Own Description’ and ‘The Concealer.’
There were drawbacks—they could only be used on items he personally crafted, and he couldn’t alter the effects themselves—but it didn’t matter.
With these, he could hide various details about the items, flood the Auction House with them, and conceal the warning about withdrawal symptoms. To others, they would just look like ordinary buff items.
[The 'Combat Enhancer (★+)' you listed on the Auction House has been sold.]
[You have acquired 4 Coins after a 20% commission fee.]
At first, he sold them for the modest price of 5 Coins.
But the true terror of the drug was its withdrawal symptoms, which were far more severe than even alcohol addiction.
Following the principle of supply and demand, the more people wanted it, the more the price of Tae-soo’s drug would skyrocket.
“Now, hurry up and take it, and start scraping together coins for me!”
His grand plan as the Drug King.
From the moment he chose this class—using his prized dynamic visual acuity and decisiveness to snatch it from 107 other candidates when the notification first appeared—he had been waiting for this moment.
“In this world, I will become the new ruler!”
An ambition that went beyond ruling a shelter in Incheon to building a kingdom of his own.
[The 'Combat Enhancer (★+)' you listed on the Auction House has been sold.]
[The 'Combat Enhancer (★+)' you listed on the Auction House has been sold.]
[The 'Combat Enhancer (★+)' you listed on the Auction House has been sold.]
······.
As notifications for the Combat Enhancers selling out poured in, a grin stretched across Tae-soo's face, threatening to split it.
“Huh? What’s this?”
But for some reason…
Instead of speeding up, the sales pace was slowing to a crawl.
Something was wrong.
Just as that thought crossed his mind.
“B-Boss! We have a huge problem! Look at this!”
The subordinate who burst through the door shared something with him, and Tae-soo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
【Jeongrichung: A guide to curing withdrawal symptoms from Combat Enhancers and other drugs on the Auction House! P.S. Honeybee】 - Views: 32...
- The cure is simple. Buy the Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Soap, also on the Auction House, and wash yourself with it! It has 8 durability, so you can use it 8 times—a total god-tier item for its cost. You can find it by searching for Honeybee or honey on the Auction House. Oh, and by the way, this shitty game charges you coins just for searching, and the competition is insane, so you'll have to figure that part out yourselves.
【Comments (177)】
- K-OOK: Thank you so much, Jeongrichung T_T. I was going crazy from the withdrawal, but this fixed it. Leaving a thumbs up!
- SupportIsATool: I don't know who you are, but thank you so much for making this honey soap!
- PrinceADC: This stuff smells great, and the effects are amazing!
- FriendshipWhat: The honey tea and honey wine are awesome too. A drink before bed keeps you warm. It's perfect.
- BaldFurry: Milky-white honey beekeeper is the best!
- FinancialTherapy(Physical): Seriously, the way these system bastards nickel-and-dime us for coins is disgusting.
- OctopusWoman: ┕ Re: For real lol. Totally agree.
······.
“Wh-What is this bullshit…?”
He had anticipated that a cure for the drug’s withdrawal symptoms might exist.
But since it was a ★+ grade poison, it should have been difficult to counteract right away.
Weren’t drugs always like that?
The unique nature of drugs, spreading far faster than any cure.
That's why Tae-soo had planned to simply use the coins and power he'd earned to release an even higher-grade drug.
But what was this?
A super cost-effective detox item had appeared, as if scripted.
The grand plan of the Drug King, Kim Tae-soo, was effortlessly foiled by a beekeeper’s sweet-smelling honey soap.
* * * * *
The recent #1 Chapter update.
But the Auction House wasn't the only thing added.
The community message board.
At first glance, it might seem like just a communication channel for surviving players, but the community board carried more weight than a simple open forum.
【Green Bean: We've formed a shelter near the mart at Yeouido Station. We have plenty of food, and many children and elderly. Any players who need help are welcome to come!】
【ScaredOfPeople: Watch out for biker gangs running wild near Incheon. They're crazy bastards who kill people without hesitation!】
【Jeongrichung: Sharing information on field bosses and villains.】
A chaotic world where dangerous monsters ran rampant.
Even fellow humans were a danger.
In a world like this, the power of ‘numbers’ could not be easily ignored.
Just like the saying, ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’
Survivors tried to form groups to stand against monsters and villains.
Besides that, information on field bosses and dungeons could easily become a valuable commodity, depending on one's intentions.
Moreover, beyond all that, the community board was an essential tool that players had to use.
Why, you ask?
[You have reached a specific view count goal. You gain a certain amount of experience.]
[You have reached a specific recommendation goal. You gain a certain amount of experience.]
[You have reached a specific comment count goal. You gain a certain amount of experience.]
Experience that could be gained just by using the message board, without having to hunt monsters.
It was a ridiculously small amount compared to actual hunting, but if you were good at drawing attention, it was a different story.
Of course, with such benefits, using the community board wasn't ‘free’.
[Post a Type 1 size post? YES / NO]
※ A fee of 10 Coins will be consumed for posting.
[Write a comment? YES / NO]
※ A fee of 1 Coin will be consumed for commenting.
A paid system that demanded more coins based on the amount of text, images, videos, and other attachments in a post.
※ Spam prevention! 60 minutes have not passed since your last post. To post again, you must pay 5 Coins (1 stack).
Furthermore, as if to stop those who would try to overwhelm with quantity, there were even thorough measures against spamming.
Naturally, amidst these restrictions, the players' choice for grabbing attention was to jump on the latest trend.
【UnansweredQuestions: The one who saved us from the vicious drug dealer on the Auction House. Honeybee, who could he be?】
【Jeongrichung: I've compiled a list of items sold by Honeybee. Please upvote!】
【WashUp: Oh my, you haven't washed in six days? I highly recommend using the honey soap right now, if only to get rid of that rotten smell!】
【HotSoup: A cup of honey tea or honey wine at night warms you up and makes hunting feel worthwhile.】
【AttentionSeekerNO.23: Mr. Honeybee, if you see this post, please consider lowering your prices a bit. If you agree, please sign with a comment and an upvote!】
The bee products that had recently been dropped on the Korean server's Auction House like a bomb.
Every single item was engraved with the keyword ‘Guardian's’, and the fact that they were all listed by the same person, Honeybee, naturally drew everyone's attention.
A big shot who could single-handedly produce such a massive quantity of goods just six days in.
And while items like the honey tea and honey soap were amazing, what truly caught everyone's eye was, more than anything, the beeswax candle.
An increase in health and defense for 60 minutes.
An effect that was an incredible advantage in the early stages.
“...The 'Guardian's' keyword, and the ability to process this much volume alone... it must be a unique class, like Cheol-su's. For the sake of this country's revival, we must recruit them.”
“Get any information you can on Honeybee. If we can get them on our side, our shelter will become the best.”
“I need to kill that Honeybee bastard right now. That beekeeper has no business ethics. How dare he ruin my drug trade?”
“Lure them in with promises of support!”
In the current situation, all the prominent shelter leaders on the Korean server expressed their interest in Honeybee.
Recruitment and elimination.
Desires mixed with ambitions for their own futures.
[Player Green Bean has left a message.]
『Pardon the intrusion. My name is Green Bean, and I have a history of purchasing your items. I am the leader of a shelter near Yeouido Station, with a total of 47 survivors. Among us are two people with unique classes, including myself. I know this is forward, but I'll get straight to the point. Would you be interested in joining our group? We will guarantee your safety to the best of our ability. I truly hope you will survive this apocalypse with us.』
[Reply to the message? YES / NO]
※ A fee of 1 Coin will be consumed for replying.
[Player ISeeYouFloating has left a message.]
······.
Their ambitions converged and reached Seong-hyeok.
“Damn it. I have beekeeping to do, and this is so damn annoying! If you know it's forward, then don't ask!”
[Block all messages? YES / NO]
※ A fee of 10 Coins will be consumed for blocking.
“...Seriously, you guys are relentless. They even charge coins for this? Fine. YES! Block them!”
[Blocking is complete.]
Seong-hyeok, a man on the single path of beekeeping, simply blocked their ambitions as if they were spam mail.