Chapter 97
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Fruits of Collaboration
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Greendale had asked Seong-hyeok for a favor: to find her other elven sisters.
“Alright. Let’s do that. I’ll do everything I can to help find them.”
“…You agree without a moment’s hesitation?”
When Seong-hyeok first heard the request, he had answered immediately, without any deliberation.
And why wouldn't he? Though only seven in number, their impact on the farm was beyond imagination.
Perhaps due to the perfect synergy of their Disaster-class status and high levels, their combat prowess was comparable to Go Dal-su and Park Jong-su, who were already making a name for themselves as skilled fighters on the farm.
And was that all?
Thanks to their unique elven ability to commune with nature, their crop-tending skills were on par with Yeon Su-hee's, and as masters of the Amethyst Bees, they were also talented beekeepers.
Perhaps for that reason, even the bees, who were typically fussy with anyone but Seong-hyeok, would yield to the elves once he gave his approval.
This meant the elves could also harvest honey from the hives, which would be a great help to Seong-hyeok in managing the ever-increasing honey supply.
‘Now I can finally leave the farm with some peace of mind.’
To be honest, this request from Greendale was something Seong-hyeok would have wanted to ask for himself.
But Greendale was taken aback by Seong-hyeok's immediate reply, as if she'd been burned.
“I-I am glad there is a human like you.”
A change in her prejudice, which had always painted humans as enemies.
When she realized they were bound as companions by the Ring of Lust, her confusion only grew.
‘Why am I like this?’
It was she, and no one else, who had initiated the bond with the Ring of Lust.
At the time, she had only been thinking of her people's survival, but now, the thought made her cheeks flush for no reason.
It was the first time she, the ever-arrogant High Elf, had felt such an emotion, and she briefly covered her reddened cheeks.
Seong-hyeok, completely oblivious to the situation, acted as if nothing was amiss.
He fanned the flames of Greendale's burgeoning emotions.
“Ah, and thanks to you, I got some new venom, so this is a token of my gratitude.”
“Th-thank you.”
The royal jelly and propolis cosmetics felt like a gift from a lover.
It wasn't Seong-hyeok's intention, but products made from the bees' natural ingredients were practically a perfect match for the elves' tastes.
Just one more step, and their relationship could have become more than just an alliance, but...
“Where are you going?”
“The hives are full of honey. You should get back to your duties, too. What's wrong? Is there a problem?”
“…It is nothing.”
He lives for bees, dies for bees, and is crazy about bees.
Yu Seong-hyeok, who had walked the path of the beekeeper for twenty-four years.
True to his destiny as the Honeybee Guardian, he changed course, his steps leading him in only one direction: the beehives.
To the sweet honey, brimming with nectar.
* * * * *
“Having more time is definitely a good thing.”
Thanks to the Poison Elves' help, beekeeping had become much more manageable.
Seong-hyeok was not one to waste his newfound spare time idly when he could be growing stronger.
Honey tea, beeswax candles, venom bombs, and more.
Like his diligent bees, he put the time to good, productive use in processing.
He finished distributing the completed items to the warehouse and the exchange, but his work was not yet done.
“I've been dying to get to this.”
A smile, brimming with his characteristic zeal for discovery, played on his lips.
His gaze fell upon the brand-new venoms he had recently acquired.
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[Poison Amethyst Bee Jarret Venom (★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon ingestion or exposure to a wound, drains 450 Health over 1 minute and causes temporary loss of consciousness.
※ Jarret Venom Shock: Induces a stunned state for 10 seconds.
[Poison Amethyst Bee Kiiros Venom (★★★+)]
* Classification: Consumable, Material
* Upon ingestion or exposure to a wound, drains 650 Health over 3 minutes and slows movement for a long duration.
※ Kiiros Venom Stickiness: Decreases Movement Speed by 5% for 1 hour.
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These were the venoms collected from Jarret and Kiiros, the elite bees of the Poison Amethyst hive, which he had obtained through his various exchanges with Greendale.
As with all poisons, mixing bee venoms could paradoxically weaken their toxic components or, in the worst-case scenario, result in a completely useless failure.
It was the kind of work that required a tremendous number of experiments and could be quite stressful, but that wasn't the case for Seong-hyeok.
“This is going to be fun.”
[The Transcendent Being, Zion the Patient, clutches their forehead, muttering that you're at it again.]
[The Transcendent Being, Bo the Mad Inquirer, urges you to get on with it.]
The Mad Inquirer, another of his 5-star unique destinies.
True to someone obsessed with inquiry, a challenging spirit was second nature to Seong-hyeok.
Moreover, thanks to the sheer number of bees and their diligent work, he had a virtually limitless supply of materials to use.
“And now that I've learned a new crafting method, I should put it to use, right?”
And as they say, isn't it always helpful to meet and build bonds with specialists in their fields?
The Poison Elves and the North Korean dictator. Greendale was one thing, but there was also the radiation he'd unexpectedly encountered during the purification process in Japan.
Through this exchange of diverse information, Seong-hyeok's skills had unknowingly continued to evolve.
[You have met the conditions for Skill Awakening. -> Encounter 4-Star grade or higher poison 2 or more times.]
[The skill, Guardian's Venom Processing, has manifested additional abilities.]
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[Guardian's Venom Processing (Lv.19)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 50
* Effect - Ruler's Radiation (Passive): Increases the damage of processed items.
* Effect - Poison Elf's Improved Recipe (Passive): You have mastered the unique improvement methods of the Poison Elves, accumulated over long ages.
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The awakening of a skill he already possessed.
As a result, the variety of items Seong-hyeok could create became even more diverse.
The dictator's nuclear radiation, once a tool of pure destruction, was now infused into a natural biochemical weapon, further enhancing the poison's damage.
“And with this, it's complete!”
[Venom Processing Great Success! The Honeybee Guardian's blessing is engraved upon the venom.]
[Guardian's Condensed Kiiros Stone Venom Gas Bomb (★★★★) has been crafted.]
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[Guardian's Condensed Kiiros Stone Venom Gas Bomb (★★★★)]
* Classification: Consumable
* Upon use or impact, explodes and disperses 'Kiiros Stone Venom Gas' in the surrounding area.
※ Kiiros Stone Venom Gas: Inflicts 160 (+50) damage per minute and decreases Movement Speed by 8 (+3)% to targets exposed to the gas for 10 hours. However, for bees, Defense and Movement Speed increase by 6 (+2)%. (Max 2 stacks)
* Description: A ★★★★-grade Condensed Kiiros Stone Venom Gas Bomb engraved with the Guardian's keyword. Upon use or impact, it scatters a glowing purple gas over a nearby area for a long duration. Due to the Honeybee Guardian's blessing, it does not harm the natural environment.
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Thus, with the help of various pieces of information and skills, the condensed venom gas bomb was born.
Though its 4-star grade was high, its damage was negligible compared to the previous Dark Cheonramcho Venom Bomb. But the gas bomb's appeal wasn't its damage.
“A 10-hour duration is more than enough to get my money's worth.”
Most venom bombs only lasted for about ten minutes at best.
Therefore, they were usually used for dealing burst damage, and the buffs applied to the bees were only temporary.
But this venom gas had a substantial duration of a whopping ten hours.
Furthermore, the buffs applied only to bee-type creatures were fully maintained, making it a cost-effective tool for continuous use.
And thanks to the imbued power of Kiiros venom that slowed enemies, foes would be subjected to a movement speed debuff for a full ten hours.
“The materials I wasted to get to this point were a shame, but for this result, it's a decent success.”
Crafting always involves a challenge.
The failures and wasted materials before completion were quite regrettable, but as they say, failure is the mother of success.
Seong-hyeok consoled himself with the thought of the bees that would grow stronger and survive thanks to this creation.
[The Transcendent Being, Bo the Mad Inquirer, sends a look as if asking if you're really satisfied with just this, and sponsors you with 100,000 Coins and Bo's Elixir, Sol-Infused Fatigue Recovery Potion (★★+).]
And amidst it all, the other inquiry fanatic, Bo, made a generous contribution.
Seong-hyeok downed the refreshing fatigue recovery potion that cleared his head and restored his energy, a smile gracing his lips.
“Of course not.”
He had abundant materials and a vigorous thirst for inquiry, all needed to create a masterpiece.
One gas bomb was nowhere near enough to use it all up.
* * * * *
Just as Seong-hyeok was beginning to resemble his diligently working bees...
...so too, it was said, do bees come to resemble their master.
Bzz— Bzzzz—
Bzzzzzz~
Just like Seong-hyeok, who was lost in his investigative instincts, the Imperial Topaz Architect Legion Commander Bee was wholly focused on construction, constantly fitting beeswax pieces together with the worker bees.
Geonchug-i, as it was called, fitted the last remaining part into place.
Putting the finishing touches on their respective structures, they completed the construction.
[Five-Colored Beeswax Totem (★★★+) has been completed.]
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[Five-Colored Beeswax Totem (★★★+)]
* Classification: Structure
* Bees that remain within a 5km radius for 1 minute receive the 'Blessing of the Five-Colored Totem'.
※ Blessing of the Five-Colored Totem: Increases max Honey Storage by 50 and boosts bee egg-laying, hatching, and emergence speed by 10%. This effect lingers for 10 minutes even after leaving the area of effect.
* Health: 1,000
* Defense: 30 Magic Resistance: 10
* Description: A ★★★+-grade beeswax totem completed using five-colored beeswax. Its durability is quite low.
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It was a beeswax totem, a new structure created using the five-colored beeswax obtained from five different types of bees.
Like the pollen cakes, it was a structure that provided various benefits within the area.
However, while the pollen cakes were consumable, the beeswax totem was permanent, lasting indefinitely as long as it was protected.
Of course, the trade-off was its extremely low durability, but this weakness could be sufficiently covered by an additional skill.
[Five-Colored Beeswax Wall (★★+) has been completed.]
[Five-Colored Beeswax Wall (★★+) has been completed.]
[Five-Colored Beeswax Wall (★★+) has been completed.]
…….
Beeswax walls, constructed to protect the totem.
With these sturdy walls—the same kind that guarded the large-scale dimensional tunnel exits in Japan and North Korea—surrounding the totem, the chances of it being destroyed were now virtually nonexistent.
Bzz— Bzzzzzz!
Geonchug-i wiggled its abdomen and performed an aerial acrobat, seemingly delighted that its creation was complete.
Since the totem was placed near Seong-hyeok due to its many beneficial effects for the queen and princess bees, the little architect bee flew over and rubbed against him like a puppy craving praise.