Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: A Sweet Harvest, A Bitter Threat
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The charm of honeybees.
It was something that defied evaluation in a single word.
Especially now, with the application of this topsy-turvy world's game system, each queen bee species could accumulate growth rates and even 'evolve.'
As a result, each type of honeybee wasn't specialized in just one role, whether it be combat or daily life.
Take the very first ones he'd obtained, the Ruby Gems. They were specialized in at least two different kinds of power.
In the beginning, they were merely scouts.
But now, they could handle black magic, and with the addition of Ssing-ssing-i, who wielded his wings like swords in the Eight-Blade Style, their ranks had grown stronger.
And was that all?
There were the Peridots, every last one a damage dealer, and the Imperial Topazes, who focused on production and constructing various buildings.
And finally, the Diamond Geumgangs, who would now specialize in tanking.
With four species of bees, each bringing its own distinct advantages to battle, Seong-hyeok's apiary had become richer than ever.
[The honey status of the Guardian's Extra-Large World Tree Beehive (★★★+) has reached 80.011%.]
[Honey is ready for harvest!]
But no matter what, the most noticeable benefit of adding a new bee species was the honey itself—the true flower of beekeeping.
“Finally, I can get a taste.”
*Gulp.*
Just the thought of it made his mouth water.
Smacking his lips, Seong-hyeok immediately opened the World Tree Beehive, now brimming with the honey of the Diamond Geumgang bees, and collected the shimmering, white-tinged nectar.
[Harvest Great Success!]
[The scent of the World Tree's honey influences the aging process.]
[You have acquired 3 Diamond Geumgang World Tree Honey (★★★).]
[You have acquired 42 Diamond Geumgang Honey (★★+).]
[You have acquired 7 Diamond Geumgang Beeswax (★★+).]
[You have acquired 4 Diamond Geumgang Royal Jelly (★★★-).]
…….
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[Diamond Geumgang World Tree Honey (★★★)] X 3
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption, restores 600 Health and Mana along with providing Satiety. The user will be enveloped in the Aura of the World Tree.
※ Aura of the World Tree: Increases Defense by 3% for 10 minutes. (Max 2 stacks)
* Description: ★★★ Diamond Geumgang World Tree Honey. The nutrients gathered from the World Tree's flowers have naturally dissolved into the honey, resulting in an excellent restorative effect. The unique refreshing quality of the Diamond Geumgang honeybees stimulates the appetite.
[Diamond Geumgang Honey (★★+)] X 42
[Diamond Geumgang Beeswax (★★+)] X 7
…….
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Beekeeping was a daily routine, but the harvest was always rewarding.
Above all, it felt even more valuable because it was gained through symbiosis with nature, not by 'plundering' from others.
“I could get drunk on this honey scent. Goodness.”
If anyone were to ask him the best part of being a beekeeper, Seong-hyeok could answer without hesitation.
It was getting to taste freshly harvested honey right on the spot.
But Seong-hyeok wasn't so ill-mannered; he first asked permission from the owners of the honey.
“It’s okay if I’m the first one to try it, right, guys?”
*Bzzzzzz~*
*Buzzzzz-*
Well, since Seong-hyeok was the bees' master, their consent was a given.
Watching the adorable sight of the bees wiggling their behinds in perfect timing, as if performing in harmony, Seong-hyeok downed a serving of honey.
“Kiya, this is amazing.”
The sweet reward after a hard day's labor—a literal taste of honey.
Tasting the new Diamond Geumgang honey, his palate exploded with a continuous burst of sweetness and refreshment.
If he had to describe the flavor, it was so good it was to die for.
A deep desire to taste the even more delicious-looking World Tree honey version welled up inside him, but Seong-hyeok managed to shake off the temptation.
“Phew. Still, it’s nice that the taste is different every time.”
The flavor of honey changed depending on the source of the nectar the bees collected.
With the game system adding the unique flavors of bee species from other dimensions, the happiness it brought was beyond words.
“You cute little ones. Time to get back to work.”
*Bzzz-*
*Buzz- Buuzz-*
But the joy was short-lived.
Realizing the hive was empty after Seong-hyeok's harvest, the bees set off once again on their journey to collect more honey.
He felt a pang of guilt, but what could he do?
To attract more residents to his farm and build up its infrastructure, Seong-hyeok indispensably needed money.
Therefore, he planned to process the newly acquired honey to increase its value.
“First, I should probably awaken the true potential hidden in this honey, right?”
With a superb ingredient like honey in his hands, his exploratory instincts flared up.
Seong-hyeok let them show, beginning the processing with all his skills and knowledge.
[Honey Tea Crafting Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is imbued into the honey tea.]
[Honey Soap Crafting Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's Blessing is imbued into the honey soap.]
…….
He started with the basics of honey processing: honey tea, soap, and candles.
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[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Honey Tea (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, restores 550 (+60) Health and Mana over 30 seconds along with providing Satiety. For 60 minutes, provides immunity to cold and increases Defense by 10 (+3)%.
* Description: A ★★+ grade Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Honey Tea imbued with the 'Guardian' keyword. It has a refreshing taste and increases defensive capabilities.
[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Honey Soap (★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* When used, applies 'Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Honey Hygiene' to the user, along with a sweet fragrance.
※ Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Honey Hygiene: For 50 minutes, provides immunity to poison effects of ★★+ grade or lower and increases Defense by 4 (+1)%. (Durability -1, Cooldown 60 minutes)
* Durability: 14 (+3) / 14 (+3) - Cannot be repaired.
[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Beeswax Candle (★★★-)]
…….
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Had the power contained within the honey been awakened by the Honeybee Guardian's processing?
Beyond simple health and mana recovery, special effects had been added.
“I had a feeling the processed goods from Diamond Geumgang honey would be like this.”
He wasn't new to crafting in this game-like world; at this point, it was second nature to him.
Just as the processed goods from the aggressive Peridot honeybees increased attack power, the Diamond Geumgang honey products generally enhanced defensive capabilities.
In other words, they were the ultimate doping agents, boosting health, defense, and magic resistance all at once!
“Hunting is about to get a lot safer.”
They say the best defense is a good offense, but since the primary attack pattern for most bees—barring a few special ones—was a body slam, a significant boost in defense was a massive advantage.
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[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Royal Jelly Pill (★★★)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, provides fatigue recovery, stamina enhancement, and skin beautification effects. Also applies 'Sturdy Health of the Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Royal Jelly Pill' to the user. Permanently increases Durability by 2 (one-time effect). Current consumption 0 / 1.
※ Sturdy Health of the Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Royal Jelly Pill: Increases Durability by 55 (+15) for 90 minutes.
[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Propolis Film (★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon consumption, applies 'Natural Antibiotic of the Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Propolis' to the user. Permanently increases Durability by 3 (one-time effect). Current consumption 0 / 1.
[Guardian's Diamond Geumgang Propolis Cosmetics (★★★+)]
…….
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Royal jelly and propolis, the highest-tier byproducts obtainable from bees.
Combining these two processed items with the Honeybee Guardian's class specialization would allow Seong-hyeok to grow stronger at an even faster rate over time.
Anyone else would be utterly astonished at how Seong-hyeok was becoming absurdly strong just through beekeeping, but they had only seen a mere speck of what 'Yu Seong-hyeok' was capable of.
“Well, I’ve got plenty of time. Shall I keep going?”
Hadn't he said it earlier?
Honey tea and soap were merely the 'basics' of processing.
Seong-hyeok still had another method brimming with endless possibilities: mixed honey processing.
“Just because it specializes in defense doesn’t mean it can’t be used for offense.”
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[Diamond Geumgang Giant Stone Bee Venom (★★★-)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon consumption or exposure to a wound, reduces Health by 350 over 5 minutes. Causes severe pain and dizziness for 30 minutes. (Max 2 stacks)
※ Stimulation of Giant Stone Venom: Temporarily increases Durability by 20 for 8 minutes and slightly increases body size.
[Diamond Geumgang Bee Venom (★★+)]
…….
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Bee venom, another byproduct of his bees.
A smile spread across his face at the thought of creating a new, all-natural biochemical weapon.
* * * * *
The North Korean server had been assigned to him.
When Pegle first saw the server, which was relatively small compared to others and even split in two, a simple thought crossed his mind.
- *Those damn bastards. They took all the prime real estate for themselves.*
Resources, population, and more.
The North Korean server seemed to lack anything truly outstanding.
But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.
While examining the classes of the humans on the server under his management, Pegle came across a unique class he had never seen before in his life.
- *No way. A unique class of this kind exists?*
The 5-star unique class, Ruler of the Nucleus.
Its class effect was simply to itemize the weapon known as a 'nuke,' but its destructive power was something that even Pegle, a server administrator, could not take lightly.
- *This… this level of power is comparable to the Plutian Weapons from the Sage Dimension.*
Sage was another dimension Pegle had managed before Earth.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of the being who had survived to the end and reigned as the absolute ruler there.
That individual had upgraded the Plutian Weapons to 5-star+ grade and amassed a large number of them, becoming an object of terror for friend and foe alike.
- *Finally, my chance has come!*
Having indirectly experienced the strengths of a powerful weapon, Pegle was not about to let this opportunity slip by.
He cast aside all his pride as a server administrator and poured his authority into fostering the growth of North Korea's ruler, Kim Jeong-su.
Just like with the Plutian Weapons, there was a severe initial penalty that made it unusable, leaving him with less combat power than an ordinary production class.
And was it a stroke of luck?
Kim Jeong-su, who had ruled as a dictator even in this topsy-turvy world, had managed to survive until now without ever facing a life-threatening situation from monster attacks.
And so, time passed, and Kim Jeong-su finally succeeded in activating a skill based on his class specialization for the first time.
“Kuhuhu. Soon, every nation will be on its knees, begging before me.”
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[Ruler's Nuclear Warhead (★★★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon detonation, deals massive damage to the surrounding area and applies 'Ruler's Nuclear Radiation' to all life forms within a 1,000 KM radius.
※ Ruler's Nuclear Radiation: Lasts for 10 days. Exposure causes extreme pain and reduces Health by 60 (+3) per second. Random mutations may occur depending on the life form. The effect lingers on the body for 30 minutes even after leaving the area.
※ Attack Power: Unidentifiable ~ ■■■ (Destructive power is amplified at closer ranges.)
* Description: A ★★★★★+ grade nuclear warhead itemized by the Ruler's power. It is a catastrophic object, and its destructive power is impossible to gauge.
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It went without saying, but given the weight of the 'Ruler of the Nucleus' karma he had accumulated, the direction he would aim this weapon was painfully obvious.