Chapter 82
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Blacksmiths Wanted
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Chapter 82
After the war with the Chinese server concluded, Seong-hyeok shifted his focus from a single-direction advance back to omnidirectional expansion.
Consequently, encounters with monsters and dungeons became more frequent, but they posed no significant threat to the bee farm.
Buzzzzzz—
Bzzzz—!
And for good reason. The bees were continuously evolving, their special powers beginning to blossom.
The Queen and the Princesses were also diligently laying eggs to build their legions, and the number of bee casualties had now noticeably decreased.
BOOM— KABOOM—!
Reconnaissance bees would detect monsters in advance, and a barrage from the wax turrets would rain down upon their location.
Even if any monsters survived the initial bombardment and charged forward, they were greeted by a second wave of traps infused with bee venom, laid out by Cheon-su all over the area.
Bzzzz— Bzzzzzz—!!!
Buzzzzzzz—!!!
Simultaneously, as if on cue, the bee legions swarmed from all directions toward the spreading venomous fog.
Leading the charge was Ssing-ssing-i, the new combat commander, clad in gleaming armor, his wings and body spinning like a top as he dove into the fray.
SHRRRRRED—!!!
“Whoa!”
“That’s insane!”
It was like watching a blender at work.
The awe-inspiring sight of Ssing-ssing-i’s Eight-Blade Wing Style shredding monsters was more than enough to send the morale of the onlookers soaring.
“Cleanup crew, move out!”
“We can’t be outdone!”
“Let’s goooo!”
The members of the combat team charged forward, roaring, even before the venomous fog had cleared.
It might have looked like a suicide mission, but they had their own countermeasures.
Each member of the combat team held a small, yellow pellet in their mouth.
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[Guardian's Tricolor Honey Bee Venom Candy (★★★-)]
* Category: Consumable
* While held in the mouth, ‘Bee Venom Honey Candy’s Immunity’ is applied.
※ Bee Venom Honey Candy’s Immunity: While the candy is in your mouth, immunity to bee venom effects increases by 97(+10)%. However, the stronger the venom, the faster the candy dissolves. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)
※ Caution! To fully benefit from this effect, one must have undergone at least 10 acupuncture treatments with venom-coated needles. Consuming it without meeting this condition may be fatal.
* Description: A ★★★- grade Bee Venom Honey Candy engraved with the Guardian's keyword. It is a solidified candy made by mixing honey and bee venom. However, as the venom’s toxicity remains, a certain level of immunity is required.
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Its identity was none other than the Bee Venom Honey Candy, a product of Seong-hyeok's knowledge and skills.
To be honest, the venomous fog created by the venom shells was powerful.
But it came with an unavoidable drawback.
The complete immunity to its effects applied only to the ‘bees’.
In other words, if used carelessly, the human combat team could be left twiddling their thumbs on the sidelines!
To avoid such a situation, Seong-hyeok had crafted this new creation: the Bee Venom Honey Candy, made from a mixture of honey and bee venom.
“This feels like picking up money just lying on the ground.”
“This is too sweet!”
Monsters, weakened by the venomous fog, versus the combat team, completely immune and in peak condition.
It was plain to see how this fight would end.
It was essentially a one-sided slaughter, like people in gas masks mowing down those with no protection whatsoever.
Of course, creating an item with such a high level of venom immunity could potentially be used against Seong-hyeok later on, but he had built in his own safeguards.
‘Without having undergone the venom-coated acupuncture treatments, it’s completely useless to them.’
And not just any acupuncture, but a specific treatment using venom-coated needles.
This restriction on the item made it so that no one would dare use it unless they were a specialized (and perhaps unlicensed?) acupuncturist like Seong-hyeok.
‘And even if they could use it, I’d just have to create a stronger venom.’
Even if, by some stroke of luck, someone managed to bypass this restriction, it wouldn't matter. It’s not like Seong-hyeok would be sitting idly by until then.
Not only did Seong-hyeok possess an insatiable thirst for research, but hadn't he already acquired new types of bee venom that could make the current one even stronger?
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[Ruby Gem Bee’s Chito-Venom (★★★-)]
* Category: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption or exposure to a wound, HP decreases by 120 over 5 minutes, accompanied by extreme pain and dizziness for 30 minutes. (Stacks up to 2 times)
※ Chito-Venom's Stimulation: Agility temporarily increases by 30 for 5 minutes.
…….
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The Chito-Venom, obtainable from the newly added elite bee, Ssing-ssing-i.
Compared to the venoms of the Peridot elite bees, which had undergone multiple evolutions related to poison, its damage was quite meager. However, like the Dark Lilyzer Bee Venom that created undead, it had the unique effect of temporarily providing a massive boost to agility.
As the saying goes, poison can be a cure or a curse depending on how it’s used.
With this new venom in hand—one that could be used as a top-tier buff if utilized correctly—it was obvious what Seong-hyeok would do next.
[Using skill, Guardian's Mixed Honey Processing (Lv.11).]
[Using skill, Guardian's Venom Processing (Lv.12).]
…….
It was the same as always.
He would indulge his instinct for inquiry, transforming one new item into tens, even hundreds, of different products through mixed processing.
* * * * *
At Seong-hyeok’s bee farm, no one was slacking off or being lazy.
The main reason for this was, in fact, the bees working diligently all around them.
Every living creature possesses a conscience.
The bees ceaselessly flew to and from the hive, collecting honey, scouting the surroundings, and engaging in battle.
How could anyone even think of slacking off in front of the bees, who, in a way, were also functioning as their supervisors?
The combat team acted like a combat team.
The gathering team, now equipped with Blanqui's Interdimensional Bags from Kang Yeon-ah, was collecting items more efficiently than ever.
But no matter how hard they worked, there was one place where the desired results seemed impossibly out of reach.
“Hah, haah… I’m going to die before I finish this.”
“I feel like I’m doing a lifetime’s worth of hammering right here.”
“I never imagined having too many materials would be its own kind of hell!”
It was the smithy, a place even the bees famously avoided at the farm.
The building and its furnace had been expanded to accommodate the new blacksmiths who joined after Kim Cheol-gang.
Yet, despite constantly swinging their hammers and churning out bee armor, the blacksmiths were overwhelmed by the endless workload.
“Cheol-gang, brother. Can’t we get more people? Why does the quota keep increasing every day!”
“I swear, this isn’t an excuse to slack off. Just think about it. Think about the number of bees increasing with each passing day!”
“Hmm, you have a point.”
Thanks to their accumulated know-how, they could produce a staggering 10,000 to 20,000 sets of bee armor a day using pre-made molds, as long as it wasn't for the elite bees.
But what was the use?
No matter how many they made, the bee population was growing at an uncountable rate—whether it was due to Seong-hyeok or the bees themselves was anyone’s guess.
If this continued, the day when all bees were equipped with armor might never come, not even if the blacksmiths spent the rest of their lives making it.
“Alright. Your words have merit. I’ll talk to young Seong-hyeok about it during mealtime.”
“Please, put in a good word for us, my friend.”
“You can do it, Cheol-gang!”
Something had to be done to get this situation under control.
Steeling his resolve, Kim Cheol-gang naturally approached Seong-hyeok during the meal.
“Is something the matter?”
“…Ahem. Well, Seong-hyeok. If it’s not too much trouble, could you listen to a request from me… no, from all the blacksmiths?”
“Please, speak freely.”
Cheol-gang then poured out his and the other blacksmiths' worries.
They had more than enough materials for production, but processing it all was impossible, even with all their tricks and techniques.
“I understand.”
To be honest, Seong-hyeok had been pondering this issue himself.
With every level-up of the Lay Eggs skill, the number of eggs laid increased.
Moreover, hadn't the Imperial Topaz Bees gained another Princess Bee through their recent evolution?
Thanks to that, the farm’s population was now growing by about 170,000 bees per day.
It was clear that unless something was done about the blacksmith shortage, and considering the future queen bees he might acquire, the day all his bees wore armor might never arrive.
For Seong-hyeok, who prioritized the survival of his bees above all else, this was an unacceptable outcome.
But just as he was mulling over a solution…
“Um, excuse me, Honeybee. I think I might be able to help with that.”
The message terrorist.
No, the official No. 1 ranker of the Korean server.
Green Bean, Go Dal-su, unexpectedly offered a solution.
* * * * *
The solution to the blacksmith labor shortage was, in retrospect, quite simple: accept blacksmiths scattered throughout the shelters as residents.
The only problem was how to gather them.
But even though the world had changed, people were still people, and some things remained constant.
“It’s possible, as long as that Jeongrichung fellow hypes it up properly.”
That constant was personal connections.
As the official No. 1 ranker, it was only natural that Green Bean had some connection with Jeongrichung.
“It would certainly be easier to get a post noticed if a pro from the community forums helps out.”
“Of course.”
Even Seong-hyeok knew of Jeongrichung, a big name on the community forums.
If the guy who had generated countless ‘BEST’ posts on the Korean server was the one fanning the flames, making Seong-hyeok’s post go viral would be a piece of cake.
“More importantly, if we showcase your formidable power and wealth, Honeybee, the blacksmiths will probably come flocking with all their belongings.”
Furthermore, there was the undeniable power of Seong-hyeok and his bee legions, who had crushed the Chinese server through various means.
In this chaotic world threatened by monsters and players from all sides, could there be a more attractive place than this?
“That guy, Jeongrichung, has been dying to talk to you anyway. If we play our cards right, we might even get a favor out of him for this.”
“…Haha. Well then, I’ll leave it in your hands.”
The synergy of connections between a message terrorist and a forum celebrity.
It felt like something exhausting was on the horizon, but what could he do?
Bzz— Bzzzzzz—
Buzzzz~♪
Even during his meal, the fluffy bees came over to nuzzle against him.
To increase the survival rate of these adorable creatures, he had to establish the necessary infrastructure of bee armor and people, whether he liked it or not.