Chapter 85
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Reinforcements and Preparations
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The PR campaign, orchestrated behind the scenes, was a result of Jeongrichung's team's efforts.
Of course, Seong-hyeok had no idea why the military, another powerful faction on the Korean server that had been stirring up trouble, had issued an apology to him, but he didn't particularly care.
“There's no need to go out of my way to make more enemies.”
Looking at the current trend, it wasn't just the Asian server; he could end up at odds with various people from Europe, Africa, America, and so on.
If that happened, the soldiers, one of the factions on the Korean server, could become crucial personnel in reducing future honeybee casualties.
Besides, if the soldiers had any common sense, they wouldn't dare launch a reckless attack against Seong-hyeok, the man who had wiped out the Chinese server.
“If they attack, I'll just respond accordingly.”
Well, if they were foolish enough to bare their fangs without even that much thought, he would deal with it when the time came.
Bzzzz-
Buzzzzz-
“Working hard again today, aren't you, little ones.”
The diligent honeybees, peacefully flitting about nature, working busily.
For now, simply spending the day with the honeybees was pure bliss, a healing experience for both body and mind.
Thanks to the addition of the automatic honey extractor hives, he had a bit more free time, but the amount of honey collected by the bees, whose population was now surpassing four million, was truly staggering.
“I have to work as hard as you do to be a proper father, right?”
As the saying goes, you become like what you love.
Seong-hyeok was beginning to resemble the diligent honeybees.
He led by example more than anyone else on the apiary farm, so without him having to say a word, the residents found their own tasks to do.
“My, that young man Seong-hyeok never seems to tire.”
“If I were forty years younger, I would've snatched him up first. Hohoho.”
“Stop with the nonsense and let's get to work!”
“Uncles, let's go work now. I'm so full I feel like my stomach's going to burst, I want to work it off!”
“Gahaha! Alright, you rascals.”
Influenced by Seong-hyeok's example, the farm's residents worked even harder.
Filled with positive energy, everyone began their work with one mind.
Bzzzz-
Bzzz-
“You guys really are the best healers.”
The honeybees, whose very existence could lift one's spirits.
The scent of honey and nature that wafted by with each pass, and their delightfully swaying behinds.
Who could possibly dislike these creatures, covered head to toe in such cuteness?
[Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake (★★★) has been completed.]
And above all, the honeybees were not just cute and diligent healers.
______________________________
[Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake (★★★)]
* Classification: Structure
* Capacity: 100%
* Upon consumption, 'Aura of the Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake' is applied.
※ Aura of the Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake: For 180 minutes, Max HP increases by 500 and Movement Speed by 10%. For honeybees, Max Honey Storage increases by 20 and Movement Speed by an additional 30%. (Capacity consumed, 180-minute cooldown)
※ Capacity Recharge: Capacity is restored over time by supplying honey.
* HP: 10,000
* Defense: 80 Magic Resistance: 10
* Description: A ★★★-grade Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake completed by mixing honey and bee pollen, important nutrients for honeybees.
※ Warning! Buffs from the same series of pollen cakes do not stack.
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As Seong-hyeok's Control stat increased, the elite honeybees naturally acquired additional skills.
Among them, the most notable was the pollen cake created by Geonchug-i, the architect of the honeybee world, who also crafted wild hives and wax turrets.
Moreover, the pollen cake's effects were clearly honeybee-friendly options, visible at a glance!
[Using Capacity Recharge.]
[50 units of honey are required to reach 100% capacity.]
Perhaps because it was a 'structure' created by Geonchug-i's skill?
It even had the advantage of being semi-permanent, as long as it was consistently supplied with honey for maintenance.
“Good job, Geonchug-i.”
Buzzzzzzz~
To others, it might have looked like just one ordinary honeybee, but to Seong-hyeok, it was an elite honeybee whose skills put even Im Seok-cheol to shame.
Furthermore, the pollen cake's efficiency extended to its ingredients.
[300 units of honey are required to construct this pollen cake.]
[Bee pollen attached to the honeybees' bodies is being added to the pollen cake.]
A pollen cake that Seong-hyeok, with his overflowing supply of honey and the pollen stuck to the legs of countless bees, could create with ease.
Whether recharging its capacity or completing its construction, it was an incredibly cost-effective structure compared to the wax turrets.
Since it didn't use precious materials like royal jelly or propolis, Seong-hyeok had no reservations. He had most of the Geonchug-is switch to building pollen cakes and proceeded to install them throughout the honeybees' territory.
[Aura of the Three-Color Honey Pollen Cake is applied.]
[For 180 minutes, Max HP increases by 500 and Movement Speed by 10%.]
[Consumed by a honeybee, increasing Honey Storage and Movement Speed.]
Were the honeybees particularly fond of the newly created pollen cakes?
Before setting out to collect nectar from the flowers,
the honeybees would naturally swarm the pollen cakes to eat.
Like humans having a nutritious snack, the bees, now even faster, headed for the flowers.
Bzzzzzz~~
Vroooom-
“That's right. Everyone, keep up the good work.”
As they say, even the most beautiful sights are best enjoyed on a full stomach.
The sight of the honeybees, now able to enjoy a hearty dessert.
Seong-hyeok watched them, mesmerized by their plump behinds, before briefly turning to his own work.
Was it true that good things naturally come to those who live kindly and diligently?
[Player has been found!]
[Yongbi has been found!]
[Player has been found!]
[Danbi has been found!]
...
The Yongbi and Danbi express, which had gone on an expedition to find blacksmiths.
Just like a married couple, in perfect sync.
Yongbi and Danbi.
News that the two bear taxis had arrived at their destinations simultaneously greeted Seong-hyeok.
* * * * *
True to their name as giant Asiatic black bears, Yongbi and Danbi boasted large bodies.
But were the two still growing?
Or was it because the honey and wild honey Seong-hyeok gave them were like natural supplements?
As time passed, the two bears grew even larger than when he first met them.
Their size was now large enough to carry several people at once if they wished, and thanks to the 'Orhal-brand Steel Saddle' purchased from the auction house, as long as one held on tight, they wouldn't fall off.
They were, in a sense, specialists optimized for bringing back small groups of people.
Therefore, recruiting new residents using Yongbi and Danbi was not only safe but also bound to be successful.
“Ah, hello! I saw you in the videos, but you're even more incredible in person!”
“It's an honor to meet you.”
“Youth truly is a wonderful thing. To think someone so young could build a shelter of this scale...”
“Good heavens. Are those all really honeybees? And... is that a real World Tree?”
The number of blacksmiths increased one by one with each expedition.
Like the other residents, they too were astounded by the immense scale of Seong-hyeok's apiary farm and the honeybees that adorned it.
And they were once again amazed upon seeing Yeon Su-hee's World Tree.
But their astonishment wasn't limited to just the farm.
“A pleasure to meet you, Honeybee. My name is Oh Hae-pal. I use the unique nickname Fergus.”
“The real Fergus?”
“Wow! This is a huge score.”
Whether it was due to rescuing several blacksmiths or not, even a blacksmith renowned for his skills on the Korean server had joined them.
With this, the number of blacksmiths, which had been eight including Kim Cheol-gang, instantly grew with the addition of eighty-four more, an increase of over tenfold.
“Hoho, looks like I'll be building nothing but forges for a while.”
“Please work hard, Mr. Seok-cheol. I'll secretly slip you some royal jelly pills of each type.”
“Ooh! Just leave it to me.”
With the significant number of blacksmiths added, Im Seok-cheol's construction process became even busier.
“Wow, this is seriously delicious!”
“It's on a completely different level from the food I ate outside, both in quality and effect.”
“Coming here was absolutely the best decision!”
“You guys are so cute.”
While the forges were being built, the blacksmiths were captivated by Yeon Su-hee and Lee Yeon-bun's cooking skills, Seong-hyeok's processed honey products, and the cuteness of the friendly honeybees.
But could they ever have imagined?
The forges, completed quickly thanks to skilled craftsmanship, and the insane mining speed of the Golden Goblins.
And finally, the honeybee armor—the primary use for the minerals obtained and the ultimate reason for recruiting the blacksmiths.
“Alright everyone, let's meet today's quota to earn your keep. You all know you can't sleep until it's done, right?”
“...Excuse me?”
“Don't look so dazed, and don't worry. Young Master Seong-hyeok said he'd give you royal jelly pills if you meet the quota.”
“...”
The beginning of labor, solely for the honeybees, and by the honeybees.
The blacksmiths were, quite literally, led by the nose by Seong-hyeok, who dangled stamina enhancers before them.
* * * * *
The influx of a considerable number of blacksmiths led to the production of honeybee armor.
With so many producers, the rate at which honeybee armor was being created now outpaced the number of new honeybees born each day.
As a result, with each passing day, more and more honeybees were being equipped with armor.
Moreover, that wasn't the only change brought about by the new blacksmiths.
______________________________
[Powerful Small Scale Armor Imbued with Fairy's Strength (★★★+)]
* Classification: Armor
* Attack Power +30, Defense, Magic Resistance +25, Movement Speed +15%
* HP +1,500, Agility +12
* Weight has been significantly reduced by the power of fairies.
※ Agility of the Queen Bee Cocoon: Increases the Movement Speed of allied honeybees within a 500m radius by 1%. (Stacks up to 2 times)
* Durability: 170 / 170
...
______________________________
The law of production classes: even with the same materials, the final product changes depending on who wields the hammer.
As if to prove this very point,
Fergus stood out among the many blacksmiths with his distinctive aura.
As an outstanding player born with the karma of a special 'unique class', the armor forged by Fergus's hands possessed a special quality, leaning more towards offense than defense.
“Hoh, to think you could modify it like this. You truly are amazing.”
“I'm learning a lot.”
“Hahaha. You flatter me.”
For those in a production class, simply watching a skilled craftsman at work is the greatest lesson of all.
Inspired by Fergus, they were now pioneering new crafting methods suited to their own styles.
In any case, having a variety of options for the honeybees' armor was a welcome development for Seong-hyeok.
Buzzzz-!
And it went without saying that the owner of this particular honeybee armor would be Ssing-ssing-i, whose aggression was developed in a different way from Teunteun-i's.
Seemingly delighted to have clothes that fit it perfectly, Ssing-ssing-i spread its four pairs of wings, performed an acrobatic flight at high speed, and wiggled its behind.
“This seems like a pretty decent success.”
The honeybees, now even stronger thanks to the new blacksmiths.
What pleased Seong-hyeok the most was that the number of honeybees being killed by monsters had recently decreased significantly.
“At this rate, I don't mind handing out processed goods at all.”
If the honeybee population could be stably maintained, honey and other byproducts would naturally follow.
Seong-hyeok smiled with satisfaction, glad that the day had come for him to take action.
Coins in Possession: 12,760,190
“I wonder what items will be listed this time.”
The dizzying capitalism of coins.
What's the point of selling honey to make money?
You have to spend it wrecking the auction house, of course.