Chapter 84
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: A Psycho's Intervention
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“We can let the others go, but Honeybee. We must bring that man to our side.”
A production player beyond all standards, capable of supplying an immense volume of honey products all by himself.
Having tried the honey tea, royal jelly pills, soap, and beeswax candles, he knew.
To survive in this apocalyptic world, they absolutely had to get their hands on Honeybee, who could churn out potions and various buff items as if they were nothing.
That was why, once the war with the Chinese server stabilized and the “Soldier vs. Civilian” quest—a crucial mission for the military—was complete, he planned to use the search battalion to locate him.
Of course, it was questionable whether the Honeybee they found would be cooperative, but Jang Pil-jung didn't care.
“No matter how much he struggles, we’ll just suppress him with firepower and force him to work.”
After all, no matter how skilled he was, in the end, he was just an ‘individual.’
The military, composed of numerous groups, had seen a rise in levels and the unlocking of job specializations and skills. Thanks to this, some soldiers had even succeeded in itemizing various high-powered weapons.
In that case, all they had to do was crush him with force and make him work.
“The war ended without us even lifting a finger?”
But what was this?
The decisive battle against the Chinese server, which he had expected to be a long war.
Ironically, the one who ended it was Honeybee, the very individual he had dismissed.
Honeybee had appeared with countless bees, using biochemical artillery shells that far surpassed the firepower of any weapon the military possessed.
“...That’s not an individual anymore, is it?”
Witnessing it through the video feed, Jang Pil-jung could only stare in shock.
That level of firepower was utterly impossible for equipment like tanks, which had not yet been fully itemized.
Realizing that Honeybee was capable of such a feat, he understood that he could never be underestimated.
“Well, it’s not like there’s no other way.”
Just because hardline tactics like direct confrontation and threats wouldn't work, did they think he would give up?
On the contrary, the fact that he possessed such immense power meant he was even more useful.
In that case, all he had to do was change his approach.
【General Jang Pil-jung: When the time comes, post the articles on the community forum simultaneously as instructed. We have allies in the navy and air force who share our vision, so I trust you will proceed without issue.】
【Lieutenant Colonel Im Jae-woo: Sir! Yes, sir! Leave it to us!】
【Colonel Cha Chi-hyun: Sir! Yes, sir! We will proceed so that there are no regrets!】
The Military Intranet was a job specialization that every officer of Lieutenant Colonel rank or higher possessed.
This ability allowed the soldiers to conspire as a group, and when a group pooled its strength, inciting public opinion was not a difficult task.
“Heheheh, my, my. Is heaven itself on our side?”
On top of that, as luck would have it, the community forum was already ablaze thanks to Honeybee's blacksmith recruitment notice.
With the perfect pretext now available, all that was left was to ride this wave and invoke patriotism.
“Let’s think positively. This is all for the revival of our nation, after all.”
A twisted patriotism for the sake of the country.
But could Jang Pil-jung and the other corrupt higher-ups have ever imagined it?
The karma born from their actions.
That the price to settle that debt would be their very lives.
* * * * *
To be honest, Cha Hye-rin wasn't one to frequent the community forums.
Her days were busy enough with hunting, all to maximize the effects of Life Harvester, one of the job specializations that allowed for infinite stat growth.
But Honeybee.
At the news that Seong-hyeok, one of her only remaining ‘family,’ was posting an article, Cha Hye-rin wanted to offer what little help she could, adding one more view and one more like, praying for her family’s plan to succeed.
And did her prayers get through?
Seong-hyeok’s post, fanned by the shills, took off, its view count soaring.
“I’m glad it’s going well.”
The single ‘1’ she had contributed had become so insignificant that it no longer mattered. Cha Hye-rin was about to lose interest and return to her hunt.
【Korea/Army Chief of Staff Jang Pil-jung: Honeybee. As a proud son of the Republic of Korea, I trust you will join us for the sake of our nation’s patriotism.】
…….
An appeal to patriotism with an all-too-obvious ulterior motive.
Though she was numb to most things, there was one thing.
One thing Cha Hye-rin could not tolerate.
“……”
- *What? Are you angry now? Kya-hat. I’ve never seen this before. This is going to be fun.*
“Shut up.”
- *Alright, alright. I’ll be quiet and watch. Like you said, I’m a voyeur, after all.*
And that was someone messing with her family.
Her resolve not to touch players from the Korean server, a decision made due to the recent war, was, for this one time.
Just for today, to be unleashed.
* * * * *
The promotion proceeded smoothly, step by step.
Just as he was starting to enjoy the steady stream of messages from blacksmiths wanting to join, military-related posts began to pop up, spoiling the mood. Seong-hyeok’s brow furrowed.
“Patriotism alone won’t be enough to rebuild a nation.”
At the end of the day, Seong-hyeok was a man born and raised in Korea; it wasn't that he had no love for his country.
But there was a line between public and private matters.
In a world that had turned into a jungle of survival of the fittest, individualism—looking out for oneself before worrying about patriotism—had to take precedence.
『It’s normal to get trolls like that when a post hits the BEST board, so just ignore them. Our team will handle the noise from the military. Oh, and this part is on the house, so you don’t have to worry about the cost.』
Was it a silver lining?
Jeongrichung and his team of partners, who were nothing short of professionals when it came to manipulating the community forums, at least within the Korean server.
They stepped in, posting a few articles criticizing the soldiers, and the once-boisterous public opinion began to quiet down, if only for a moment.
“Young Master Seong-hyeok. We’ve collected a list of the players who contacted us. But how do you think we should go about bringing them here?”
“Also, some of them have expressed their desire to come but are having trouble leaving because they’re already affiliated with shelters.”
“We’ll have to consider that as well.”
Once the unpleasant trolls were silenced, an important issue remained.
Naturally, the crucial part was how to safely bring the blacksmiths who had applied to the apiary.
Of course, the easiest way would be for them to find their own way to the farm, but blacksmiths were generally production-class jobs.
They would likely encounter monsters along the way, and as Go Dal-su had said, blacksmiths were vital personnel in this world. The shelters wouldn't just stand by and let their talent be poached.
But standing still wouldn't solve anything.
As Seong-hyeok pondered the problem, his eyes fell on Yongbi and Danbi, who were dipping their hands into a pot of honey and licking it off.
“It seems forming an expedition to bring them here would be best.”
“An expedition, you say?”
“Yes. We’ll split into two teams and use Yongbi and Danbi as a means of transport.”
“Hoh...”
Most people on the farm already knew that Yongbi and Danbi were surprisingly fast for their massive size.
Moreover, having gorged themselves on honey, royal jelly products, and wild honey, the field boss monsters had unknowingly maxed out their stats. With them along, even a worst-case scenario involving bloodshed could be handled without a problem.
“And for safety, I’ll assign a small group of scout bees, along with Teunteun-i and Ssing-ssing-i, to the expedition parties.”
“Ho ho, we can certainly count on those fellows. Absolutely.”
On top of that, they would have the support of Teunteun-i and Ssing-ssing-i, the two strongest members of their forces.
With the bees, now clad in splendid armor, an expedition couldn't be safer or faster.
“Hmm. Then we’ll have to select the members who will go on the expedition.”
“I’ll be counting on you. I’m not sure if it will help, but I’ll provide royal jelly pills and propolis cosmetics to those who go.”
“Hahaha. The competition for a spot is going to be fierce. Can I reserve a spot for myself?”
Two items with incredible effects for enhancing vitality and beautifying the skin.
With rewards now on the table as well.
The Yongbi and Danbi taxi service to retrieve the blacksmiths officially began its operations.
* * * * *
The military was structured as a strict hierarchical society.
With the game system's introduction, the military itself had become a special kind of karma, so most lower-ranking soldiers couldn't properly resist or protest, even if they had complaints.
Of course, some soldiers and officers who opposed this class system and the atrocious acts of slaughtering civilians as villains had attempted a coup, but the result of their actions was horrific.
The higher-ups who caused the incident were summarily executed on the spot, and those who sympathized with them were demoted or treated no better than slaves.
They were used as an example to ensure no one would ever think of doing such a thing again.
“Patriotism, my ass. What kind of great nation can be built when they treat us like this?”
“Hey, hey, keep it down. Unless you want to get me dragged down with you, whisper, you bastard.”
“Sorry, sir. It’s just... I was frustrated and had to say something, Corporal Jin-su.”
Their griping about the even more cruel, topsy-turvy military world was brief.
Returning to their barracks after their shift, the two were horrified by the scene before them.
“Wh-what is this...”
Officers lay dead, their heads and bodies neatly severed. Amidst the sea of blood, a few soldiers trembled, their eyes squeezed shut.
The fear of encountering an unbeatable foe was the first thing to surface, but it was fleeting.
The soldier who had just been complaining widened his eyes as he saw the words carved into the dead officers’ bodies.
(Touch Honeybee, and I’ll kill you all. No matter where you hide or who’s protecting you. All of you.)
Words written in blood, starkly visible at what looked like the scene of a crime committed by an unparalleled psychopath.
But the surprising thing was that this incident was not confined to just this one location.
“U-Uwaaaaaah!”
“They’re all dead! The officers who provoked Honeybee are all dead!”
The officers who had demanded patriotism from Honeybee.
It was unknown who was responsible, but their actions unintentionally bore a certain fruit.
[The TOP ranking for the Event Quest, Soldier VS Civilian, has been updated.]
______________________________
[Point Standings]
1st - Major General Kim Gi-chan: 1,532 points
2nd - Colonel Park Ha-rin: 876 points
3rd - Colonel Jang Ji-hyeok: 650 points
…….
______________________________
That fruit was a complete overhaul of the majority of officers who had occupied the top ranks.
Most of those who had coerced Honeybee with patriotism were the same ones who had carried out massacres under the pretext of sacrificing the few for the many. With all of them wiped out, soldiers who should have been languishing at the bottom of the ranks were suddenly catapulted to the top.
“...I don’t know what kind of relationship this person has with Honeybee, but with this, it’s possible.”
Although it wasn’t a coup they had initiated themselves, the important conclusion was that all the rotten branches had been pruned.
Now, to ensure they didn’t become the next ‘rotten branches,’ the course of action for the new number one, Major General Kim Gi-chan, was set.
[Player Jeongrichung has left a message.]
『Honeybee-nim. Did you see the posts? It’s absolute chaos right now!』
【Korea/Major General Kim Gi-chan: I would like to post an apology to Honeybee-nim for the thoughtless terror-posting by our soldiers.】
An official apology for the actions of the corrupt, and in addition.
- *Finally, we would like to thank those who took this action on our behalf. From now on, we will act for the sake of our country and its people.*
An expression of gratitude for the coup that had swept away the corrupt upper echelon of the military.
The sacrifice of the few for the sake of the many.
How ironic that Jang Pil-jung and the other rotten branches, who never thought they would be considered part of the ‘few,’ were all snapped off by a single psychopath.