NOVEL NEXT Ch 24
Chapter 24
*Weing~~*
*Buzz!* *BuzZzZz!*
Sung-hyuk’s apiary is filled with bees flying dutifully around in a steady, serene flow.
As he collects honey and bee venom from the growing number of hives and glass plates, Sung-hyuk’s eyes are curved like a crescent moon.
“Hey, my little ones. I feel so happy because of you all.”
The little bees are all chubby and adorable.
But these cute little guys aren’t just charming to look at, because of the constant notification chimes that ping in Sung-hyuk’s mind.
[Rubigem Worker Bee (★★) has collected honey. Current honey status 30.678%]
[Rubigem Worker Bee (★★) has collected honey. Current honey status 30.700%]
[Rubigem Honeycomb Bee (★★+) has collected honey. Current honey status 30.854%]
[Peridot Ramdoc Acidic Liquid Bee(★★+) has collected honey. Current honey level 16.643%]
[Peridot Galehound Corps Commander Bee(★★★)] has collected honey. Current honey level 17.886%]
….
Worker bees and elite bees alike have been diligently collecting the nectar from the flowers into the hive without discrimination,
[Rubigem Bee Pupae¹ (★★-) has completed the allegorical process].
[A Rubigem Worker Bee (★★) is added to the brood of a Rubigem Queen Bee (★★★+)].
[Rubigem Bee Pupae (★★-) has completed the allegorical process].
[Rubigem Honeycomb Bee (★★+) is added to the brood of Rubigem Queen Bee (★★★+)].
[The Peridot Bee Pupae (★★-) has completed the Allegory process].
[Peridot Ramdoc Suicide Bee (★★+) is added to the brood of Peridot Queen Bee (★★★+)].
….
The queen bees are constantly consuming royal jelly inside the hive to maintain their egg-laying.
These hives were carefully crafted by Sung-hyuk using the ‘Guardian’s Hive Crafting’ skill.
In the densely packed hollows, the eggs and larvae that the queen has laboriously laid squirm, become pupae and are reborn as hardworking bees through the process of metamorphosis.
*Weing~~* *Weing~~* *Weing~~*
*BuzZzzZzzzZzz!!*
“How can anyone not love these guys?”
Maybe it’s because of his specialty, “Beloved of the Bees,” but the bees are especially fond of Sung-hyuk.
However, being the dutiful and collective nature that they are, they only hover around Sung-hyuk for a short while.
Soon after, flaunting their breathtaking features, they set off on a long journey to harvest the flower’s nectar.
“If heaven exists, it must be here.”
If nothing else, Sung-hyuk is someone who has dedicated his life to bees for 24 years.
For him, living among the bees would be the true paradise, the equivalent of heaven.
In addition, this adorable queen bee has given him one more important treasure.
[Rubigem Bee Pupae (★★-) has completed the allegorical process].
[A Rubigem Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee (★★★), an elite bee, is added to the brood of Rubigem Queen Bee (★★★+)].
A unique notification chime that stands out from the rest.
From the previous two preceding examples, Sung-hyuk already knows what it means.
This is because that loud chime signaled the birth of an elite bee, not just any bee, but one that belonged to the “Elite”.
“…. WHA? Is this real?”
Despite seeing it with his own eyes, Sung-hyuk can’t believe it.
Of course, it took a whopping three days for TunTun to be born, but who knew that the Releaser Corps Commander Bee would be born in less than a day?
“Wow, that is some amazing spawning speed.”
Compared to the Peridot Species, the Rubigem bees’ biggest advantage over the Peridot variety is that instead of being born with all of its stat values.
It’s the massive speed of spawning and the extreme shortness of the hatching and allegory process.
That’s why the chances of an elite bee being born are as low as 0.082%.
“This is not the time for this.”
Aside from its own exclusive skills and bee venom, the birth of the new elite bee is bound to have a huge impact on Sung-hyuk’s apiary farm in the future.
This caused Sung-hyuk to stop what he was doing and run over to check on the colony.
*Weing~~* *Buzz!!*
Was it due to the bee link that naturally triggered when they were in close proximity?
While running, Sung-hyuk encountered a large reddish-colored bee about 2 centimeters long.
At first glance, it was similar to the size of a honeybee, but there was a clear difference: it was on the slender side instead of the chubby side, and it was not only cute but also very elegant.
Most distinctive of all, however, was the intensive evolution of its antennal organs, which, unlike those of other elite bees, were unusually long and twisted to resemble springs.
“You must be the Rubigem Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee.”
He says feigning ignorance.
Sung-hyuk reached out his hand and asked,
*Buzz!!* *Weing~~~*
Whether it was because it recognized itself, or because it saw its owner, Sung-hyuk, is unclear.
The Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee danced around, performing aerobatics as if delighted.
He perches on the back of Sung-hyuk’s outstretched hand and nuzzles his fluffy head, acting as if he’s equipped with affection as a default passive, just like any other bee.
But Sung-hyuk knows.
（The Rubigem Queen Bee and the future elite bees will be able to handle black magic.)
Lich Belmorn’s Dark Essence was utilized as an additional ingredient in the evolution of the Rubigem Queen Bee.
This means that not only the Queen Bee but also the elite bees that are born from it will be able to harness ‘black magic’.
“Then where——.”
The specialization in using black magic and the qualities of being an elite bee.
Sung-hyuk immediately checked it out.
________________________________
[Rubigem Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee (★★★)] – Elite Bee
* Skills : Foraging(Lv.6), Stinger(Lv.7), Flight(Lv.9), Scouting(Lv.5), Abundant Pollen Container(Lv.5), Releaser Pheromone – Foraging & Defense(Lv.3), Command of Corps(Lv.1), Black Magic – Undead(Lv.1)
* Honey Storage: 0 / 446(+146)
* Health : 750(+380) Mana : 1,030(+260)
* Attack Power : 41(+6) Defense : 28(+6) Resistance : 35(+7)
* Description: A ★★★-ranked Rubigem Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee that lives in the dimension Deltarian. Their antennae are highly developed compared to other bees, giving them exceptional sensory abilities and enhanced pheromone potency, and they tend to be highly intelligent. They can command a swarm of bees if given the authority to do so, and they emit a releaser pheromone that they can sustain at all times. However, they can only maintain one type of Releaser Pheromone for each individual. Due to Lich Belmorn’s dark essence, it has awakened the ability to use black magic.
※ A bee brood that belongs to a queen bee with an owner. Their stats are partially adjusted according to their master’s level.
[Releaser Pheromone – Foraging & Defense(Lv.3)]
* Category: Skill
* Mana Cost: 350
* Effect – Foraging (Active): Once used, it lasts indefinitely and increases the nectar-gathering speed of allied bees in a 3 Km radius by 15%. (Cooldown 120 minutes)
* Effect – Defense (Active): Once used, increases the defensive abilities (Health, Defense, and Resistance) of all allied bees in a 3KM radius by 3%, indefinitely. (Cooldown 120 minutes)
* Description: Disperses pheromones through the developed antennae, applying beneficial effects to nearby bees. As its level increases, it becomes possible to influence a wider radius, and it increases in power.
※ The effects of the Releaser Pheromone are stackable (up to 10 stacks).
[Black Magic – Undead (Lv.1)]
* Classification: Skill
* Mana Cost: 200
* Currently available minions: Zombies, Skeletons
* Number of units that can be controlled: 50
* Effect (Active): Raises corpses within a 100-meter radius as undead (cooldown 60 minutes).
* Description: A black magic acquired by absorbing the Dark Essence of a Lich. Raises corpses in the vicinity as undead. As the level increases, the effect radius becomes larger, and the individual is able to raise a larger number of undead and higher-ranked undead.
________________________________
“….. Heh, not so bad, huh?”
The Galehound Corps Commander Bee is a ranged attacking bee capable of firing a barrage of Galehound venom.
Unlike the more aggressive and destructive elite type of bee, the Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bee is more of a buffer in the sense of a class concept in games.
Through its pheromones, it can choose to enhance the foraging or defensive abilities of nearby bees.
Of course, the queen bee can also utilize pheromones in its own way, but it is quite difficult to utilize them properly due to the characteristics of the queen that needs to lay eggs and must be located in the safest place, but it is a different story if it is an elite bee.
“Moreover, this can be maintained indefinitely and stacked, right?”
The actual beauty of the Releaser Pheromone isn’t just that it can influence a large number of nearby bees just by being around them.
Once used, it can last indefinitely without consuming mana until it needs to be replaced, and it can be stacked up to 10 times.
To do so, the number of Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bees must be increased, and considering the unique nature of the Rubigem’s laying capacity and its rapid process of development and incubation, it should be able to assemble at a faster rate than the Galehound Corps Commander Bees.
“And the black magic is pretty damn good.”
Compared to the queen’s black magic, it had a smaller area of application and a ridiculously small number of minions, but the difference between whether it could be used or not was certainly noteworthy.
Especially considering that, given the aforementioned fact that the Queen Bee cannot venture out into the danger zone so easily and that the number of Dark Releaser Corps Commander Bees would only increase over time, it was more than enough to be considered good enough.
“I’ll make sure to take care of you in the coming days. Lily.”
*Buzz!!!* *Weing~~~* *Buzz!!!*
As a buffer and a Necromancer, Lily is the new leader of the Dark Releaser Corps and the new commander of the Bee Battleforce.
With the addition of this elegant and elite bee, Sung-hyuk’s apiary farm will now be safer and more vibrant.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. “Pupae” is the plural form of the word, referring to multiple stages of development in insects.