Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The World Tree's Honey
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The World Tree had only undergone its first stage of growth.
In human terms, it was still an infant, but was it trying to live up to its grandiose name, the Tree of the World?
Its size was the largest among all the trees in the vicinity.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but that’s a tree that really awakens a man’s spirit of challenge. If only I could make plywood out of that… Ouch, why’d you hit me!”
“If you know you shouldn’t say it, then don’t. Not unless you want to get hit.”
It was large enough to stir the logging desires of Im Seok-cheol, a man whose job title was Tree Slayer. Need I say more?
Moreover, the World Tree’s stature couldn’t be judged by its size alone.
[The World Tree's Embrace is now in effect.]
[Within the World Tree's domain, the growth rate of all viable natural vegetation and crops increases by 100%, and the appearance rate of rare natural vegetation slightly increases.]
[The World Tree's Intimidation is now in effect.]
[While within the World Tree's domain, enemies will have their attack power and movement speed decreased by 5%.]
This was the intrinsic power of the World Tree itself.
Following the vigorous vitality I had confirmed earlier, there was the Embrace, a buff that boosted the growth of crops and natural vegetation, and Intimidation, an effect that applied a wide-area debuff to all entities deemed hostile within its domain!
Thanks to the presence of the World Tree, which was nothing short of perfect in every aspect, the crops in the greenhouse and the natural vegetation of mushrooms sown by the Spore Mycelium Bees grew rapidly. Furthermore, monsters’ attack power and movement speed were reduced, making combat much easier.
And was that all?
Bzzzz- Bzzzzzz-!
Buzzzzzzz-!!!
As time passed, the World Tree naturally began to blossom with beautiful flowers.
The bees, who lived and died for flowers, were naturally drawn by the scent of nectar and buried their heads in the blossoms.
The collection of nectar followed.
Shiver- Shiver-
The nectar from the World Tree’s flowers must have been exceptionally sweet, as the adorable bees, completely captivated, quivered their wings and legs.
[Ruby Gem Honey Pot Bee (★★★-) has come into contact with the Flower of Prepyon's World Tree (Divine). Growth is promoted, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[Peridot Worker Bee (★★+) has come into contact with the Flower of Prepyon's World Tree (Divine). Growth is promoted, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
[Imperial Topaz Silkworm Bee (★★★-) has come into contact with the Flower of Prepyon's World Tree (Divine). Growth is promoted, and nutrients are slightly increased.]
…….
Perhaps it was because the World Tree, though a tree, produced flowers?
Just as with the previous crops, a synergistic effect with the bees followed!
Thanks to this, the World Tree’s flowers began to bloom more and more beautifully over time.
[Ruby Gem Honey Pot Bee (★★★-) has collected honey. Current honey status: 95.981%]
[Ruby Gem Worker Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current honey status: 96.522%]
[Peridot Worker Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current honey status: 88.132%]
[Peridot Worker Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current honey status: 88.916%]
…….
Furthermore, the nectar contained in the World Tree’s flowers seemed incomparable to that from other crops or flowers.
A considerable amount of honey filled the beehives.
And the honey that filled the hives didn’t just increase the total amount; it also had a special effect.
[Great Success in Gathering!]
[The scent of the World Tree's honey influences the aging process.]
[Obtained 11 Ruby Gem World Tree Honey (★★★-).]
[Obtained 12 Peridot World Tree Honey (★★★).]
[Obtained 9 Imperial Topaz World Tree Honey (★★★).]
…….
Just as Seong-hyeok had anticipated, he had obtained a new type of special honey with the ‘World Tree’ keyword, following the Spore Honey.
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[Ruby Gem World Tree Honey (★★★-)] x11
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, restores 500 health and mana along with satiety, and the vigor of the World Tree will course through you.
※ World Tree’s Vigor: Movement speed increases by 2% for 10 minutes. (Max 2 stacks)
* Description: ★★★- grade Ruby Gem World Tree Honey. The nutrients obtained from the World Tree’s flowers are naturally infused within the honey, boasting excellent restorative effects and allowing a special vigor to permeate the body.
[Peridot World Tree Honey (★★★)] x12
[Imperial Topaz World Tree Honey…]
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The nectar of the World Tree must have been potent indeed, as the honey came with the ‘World Tree’s Vigor’ effect even without any processing.
“What would happen if I processed this?”
It was only natural that Seong-hyeok wouldn't just stand by and watch the appearance of a new product that stimulated his desire to experiment.
The Mad Inquirer was a karmic title that came along with Honeybee Guardian.
As if to fulfill the weight of that karma.
Seong-hyeok was about to start his experiments right away, but…
“Still, gathering comes first. I can’t stand to see the hives overflowing with honey!”
He was the Honeybee Guardian, after all.
For Seong-hyeok, gathering was a higher priority than processing.
[The gaze of the Transcendent Being, Mad Inquirer Bo, is crestfallen.]
[The Transcendent Being, King of Insects Prainkito, nods, saying that proper order is important.]
* * * * *
After finishing the gathering, and even after rejuvenating himself with royal jelly and propolis honey tea.
Seong-hyeok stood in his warehouse, filled with his treasures, a smile gracing his lips.
“The amount of materials I got is small, so mass production is out of the question, but it should be enough to try out different types.”
Since the World Tree was still in its infancy, he had only managed to obtain about thirty units of World Tree Honey.
But even this amount was sufficient for him to learn a lot through processing.
“First, I’ll try mixing.”
The first experiment he attempted was, of course, processing mixed honey.
For an item as scarce as World Tree Honey, one way to increase its quantity would be to mix it with other types of honey.
Seong-hyeok first tried mixing one unit of World Tree Honey with two units of ordinary honey.
[Great Success in Mixed Honey Processing! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the Tricolor World Tree Honey.]
[Guardian's Tricolor World Tree Honey (★★★) has been crafted.]
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[Guardian's Tricolor World Tree Honey (★★★)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, restores 690 (+50) health and mana along with satiety, and the vigor of the World Tree will course through you.
※ World Tree’s Vigor: Movement speed increases by 3% for 12 minutes. (Max 2 stacks)
* Description: A ★★★ grade Tricolor World Tree Honey engraved with the Guardian's keyword. However, because it was mixed with somewhat lower-quality honey during the process, the effect was not significantly amplified.
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The result was the Tricolor World Tree Honey.
But was it because the other two were ordinary?
The increase in effects was not bad by any means, but it wasn't an option that could satisfy Seong-hyeok.
Especially the description that stated the effect’s amplification had failed because it was mixed with ‘lower-quality’ honey.
“In that case, next I’ll try combining one of each type.”
Therefore, Seong-hyeok’s next choice was, naturally, three types of honey.
He mixed three different kinds of World Tree Honey into one.
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[Guardian's Tricolor World Tree Honey (★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, restores 1,200 (+300) health and mana along with satiety, and the vigor of the World Tree will strongly course through you.
※ World Tree’s Vigor: Movement speed increases by 9% (+2) for 20 minutes. (Max 2 stacks)
* Description: A ★★★ grade Tricolor World Tree Honey engraved with the Guardian's keyword. The combination of exceptionally high-quality honeys has greatly increased its effects.
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The result was a 3-star+ grade Tricolor World Tree Honey.
The improvement was so drastic it left him speechless, but there are always pros and cons to everything.
This case had a very serious drawback.
“This method is impossible for the time being. I can’t waste precious World Tree Honey.”
It was a choice between using one or three units of World Tree Honey, a decision that couldn't be taken lightly.
Seong-hyeok’s subsequent actions were nothing out of the ordinary.
He unleashed the experimental desires that had run rampant upon seeing the World Tree Honey and tried various processing methods.
[Great Success in Honey Tea Production! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the honey tea.]
[Great Success in Honey Mead Production! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the mead.]
[Great Success in Honey Soap Production! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the honey soap.]
[Guardian's Tricolor World Tree Honey Tea (★★★) has been crafted.]
…….
The results were more or less what Seong-hyeok had expected.
Each product had effects far superior to those made with ordinary tricolor honey, and they all retained the ‘World Tree’s Vigor’ effect, which increased movement speed, from the honey itself.
Movement speed was bound to be important in both combat and travel.
Especially considering the current state of the bee farm, which now covered a vast area, it was a crucial strategic element.
“Maximizing the effects is good, but it would be better to aim for a direction that allows for more frequent use.”
He was no longer the only one on the farm.
Therefore, Seong-hyeok invested everything into making soap, which could be used multiple times, unlike consumables like honey tea or mead that were gone after one use. He sold the finished products to the combat-oriented residents at a generous price, rather than listing them on the exchange.
“This level of quality and effect for this price…”
“You could charge more for this. Are you sure about this price?”
“I have some to spare for now, so I’ll give it to you at a wholesale price. Just use the movement speed to make sure the bees don’t die.”
“…Thank you. Truly.”
A helping hand offered, but not one to be taken for granted.
Just as there are different ways to receive what is given, people have their own ways of giving back.
Seong-hyeok could easily earn all the coins he needed with his processed honey products, so his judgment was to spend some coins to increase the bees’ survival rate.
Of course, a path far from egoism wasn't guaranteed to be good, but Seong-hyeok had his reasons for this act of goodwill.
In fact, wasn't the masterpiece known as ‘Bee Armor’ a result of him providing minerals and bee cocoons to Kim Cheol-gang and the twin sisters at a low price?
‘The method has been established. Now all that’s left is mass production.’
Breaking through to create the Bee Armor was certainly a joyous occasion.
However, there were currently about 3.6 million bees, with countless more to be born.
One blacksmith was nowhere near enough to produce armor for all of them.
The bottom line was that he needed to gather more residents for the bee farm, and among them, gathering blacksmiths was the most urgent task.
“I’ve expanded the territory this much. I should be getting some bites by now.”
Instead of expanding outward, he had pushed the territory in a straight line.
His scout bees now relentlessly buzzed through a section where collapsed buildings were visible instead of just forest, providing Seong-hyeok with all sorts of information.
And sure enough?
[Player discovered!]
[Player discovered!]
…….
A message announcing the discovery of a massive number of players, incomparable to before.
A smile spread across Seong-hyeok’s face as he checked the information that flew in with the alert.
“Korea is strong, after all.”
Korean players inside a shelter, fighting a desperate battle against a wave of Chinese players.
What was surprising was that in this battle, the Koreans were displaying overwhelming combat superiority and pushing the Chinese back.
But even in a losing situation, did the Chinese have a countermeasure?
As if pulling some trick, a massive blue gate opened in the Chinese camp.
The sight of countless Chinese players pouring out of it made Seong-hyeok’s brow furrow.
“So their one specialty is the human wave tactic, is it…”
As the saying goes, even the strongest can’t win against sheer numbers.
If that many of them swarmed in, the Korean advantage would quickly crumble.
“Does this mean I have to step in after all?”
When it came to human wave tactics, Seong-hyeok, the Honeybee Guardian, was quite confident in his own right. But at the same time, participating in a war would mean great sacrifices for his bees!
However, Seong-hyeok had no need to worry.
“Little queens. Please give the order to gather the scattered turrets.”
Buzzzzzzz-
Bzzzzzzzzzz-!
The golden rule of combat: whoever strikes first wins.
There was a critical blow he could deliver to the nicely gathered Chinese players.
“I should give them a taste of natural, biochemical weapons first.”
His Wax Turrets now numbered twenty-three.
The time had finally come to bestow the lethal sweetness of Propolis Cannonballs, filled to the max with honey fuel, upon the tightly clustered Chinese players.