Post-apocalyptic world with Bees

Chapter 36

“Food galore? Wow, you’ve already harvested almonds and melons? So are the honey apples, they’re so deliciously juicy.”

“Ho-ho-ho. Right? Just wait. I’ll finish them up in a minute.”

“Hehehe! Yes big sis!”

The majority of the cooking equipment were outside, in the stone kitchen building constructed by Seokchul, but there were enough utensils to roast a few almonds.

In addition, the current world of the system is a place where unusual things like skills and items are produced.

Some of the loot obtained from hunting monsters are byproducts of those monsters, but there were also some unusual drops from time to time.

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[Mid-Grade Ignition Stone (★★)]

* Classification: Rechargeable Consumable

* Capacity: 85% (30 charges remaining)

* Ignites a flame after 10 seconds when the ‘use’ word is spoken. Steadily consumes capacity while it is active, and the flame dies down when the ‘end’ keyword is spoken.

※ The flame also deals a small amount of damage.

※ Attack Power 10

* Description: A mid-grade, ★★-rated ignition stone that someone created in a fit of boredom. It can create a flame and will charge to 100% capacity when you attempt to recharge it. However, you must expend 100 Mana to recharge it.

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A new energy system that is starting to appear as an item to match the new world.

It was a simple and efficient source of energy that only required the keywords ‘use’ and ‘end’ to be spoken, and in addition to ignition stones, there were electricity stones that provided electricity, and purification stones that partially purified seawater or polluted water to make it drinkable.

They could be used multiple times and recharged a certain number of times, so they were quite useful items for people living in groups.

*Crackle!* *Crackle!*

*Skrr!* *Skkrr!!*

These other energy-powered items make food preparation a breeze.

Toasting the almonds in a frying pan, Soo-hee prepares the cantaloupe for consumption and holds it out to Yeon-ah with an expression of anticipation.

*Munch!* *Munch!*

*Chomp!* *Chomp!* *Slurp!*

“How does it taste?”

“Mmmm! It’s delicious! The almonds are savory and the melon is sweet with just the right amount of juice. You should try it, too.”

“Okay, then where…….”

Following Yeon-ah’s example, Soo-hee followed suit.

Their faces are filled with happiness as they devour the freshly prepared beryl almonds and sunshine melons, their cheeks bulging out of their mouths like hamsters.

“As expected, my older sister’s farming skills are amazing.”

“Oh ho ho. Well, I guess so, but it’s all thanks to those bees over there.”

“When I first saw them, I was scared because they were so fuzzy, but now that I see them more closely, I like how fluffy they are and how friendly they are because they don’t sting.”

“They’re adorable when they do their business. Anyway, I’m glad to be able to cook a proper meal and produce a decent dessert.”

“Hehe. I’ll look more forward to eating it later.”

“You can count on me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish up the rest of my work.”

“I’ll help you, too, because that’s what I’m here for.”

Finishing up the small talk and resuming the work at hand.

But before they begin.

“Oh! That’s right! Sister Soo-hee!”

Belatedly realizing that there was one more important thing to do besides helping out, Yeon-ah rushes over to Soo-hee.

“Take this. It’s the cosmetics big brother Sung-hyuk gave me for me and big sis to use.”

“Oh, cosmetics? Aww, just use them for yourself. People my age don’t wear cosmetics, so I’ll settle for just soap.”

Soo-hee’s age is about to reach 60.

But at her refusal, Yeon-ah shook her head in disbelief.

“You too, big sis. In this day and age, if you’re 59, you’re in the prime of your life. And best of all, this is a natural cosmetic made from the products of bees. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure Mr. Seokchul would be thrilled to see your skin glowing.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course he would, when you’re still as beautiful and young looking as you are!”

“Oh my, this girl is so…….”

A woman is still a woman no matter how old one gets.

There is no woman in this world who doesn’t like to decorate and become beautiful.

In particular, the cosmetics that Sung-hyuk gave them were natural cosmetics made by bees.

The cosmetics made from Lily’s bee venom hadn’t been neutralized yet, so they couldn’t be used, but until then, they could use the regular Rubigem and Peridot Propolis cosmetics Sung-hyuk gave them.

“Mmm. It feels like I’m applying water, so it’s not bad.”

“Yeah, it’s cool and nice to see it soak into the skin.”

” Oh, your skin has gotten better?”

“I see an improvement too, big sister!”

After applying a generous amount of propolis to their hands and faces, they jumped for joy at the notification that their skin’s beauty has increased, in addition to the temporary stat buff.

“Ohhhhh. Now that we’ve received such a wonderful gift, we really need to repay Mr. Sung-hyuk with delicious food.”

“I’ll do my best to help you, sis!”

“I’ll definitely need some help.”

Sung-hyuk’s gift of cosmetics that can help with skin beauty is very attractive.

In front of the ‘carrot’ that women can never resist, the two of them ran around harder than ever and poured their energy into harvesting the remaining crops.

* * *

Until now, processed products of honey are simply Rubigem and Peridot.

In most cases, only one type of each was used.

This is understandable, because unlike Rubigem, which is produced in large quantities due to the fact that there are more bees involved, Peridot honey is generally produced in smaller quantities.

However, now that he has a bit more of a supply, he’s been able to take a different approach to processing them, and the biggest outcome of that is…

[You have met the requirements for the achievement: -> Level 15, produce a mixture that retains at least 80% of the benefits of two or more honey types]

[You have acquired the skill, Guardian’s Blended Honey Processing].

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[Guardian’s Blended Honey Processing (Lv.1)]

* Classification: Skill

* Mana Consumption: 20

* Required Materials: 2 or more types of honey products, honey processed items.

* Effect (Active): Creates a honey item that maximizes the benefits of 2 or more honey byproducts (no cooldown).

* Description: Uses 2 or more honey byproducts and the user’s mana to craft a beeswax candle. As the level increases, higher tiers of finished products become available.

※ There is a small chance to get a honey blend bearing the keyword ‘Guardian’.

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After several tries, the skill Guardian’s Blended Honey Processing was acquired.

This skill allows him to make beeswax candles, brew honey, and process poison.

Although it didn’t really have a specific framework, its versatility was amazing.

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[Guardian’s Rubidot Honey (★★+)]

* Category: Consumable, Ingredient

* Consumption grants a full feeling of satiety and restores 230 Health and Mana.

* Description: A ★★+-grade Rubidot Honey with the Guardian’s keyword imprinted on it. The sweetness of Rubigem honey and the unique toxicity of Peridot honey are neutralized, resulting in a tangy flavor that gives it an ethereal feel. Consumption fills you with a substantial amount of satiety.

[Guardian’s Rubidot Beeswax (★★+)]

[Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly (★★★-)]

[Guardian’s Rubidot Propolis (★★★)]

[Guardian’s Rubidot Bee Venom (★★)]

…..

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To put it bluntly, Rubigem and Peridot.

In the case of Rubidot, which is a blend of the two honeys, there’s no grade increase, but some of the effects are enhanced.

The other noticeable improvement is that the keyword “Guardian” is now included.

Sung-hyuk already knew about the power of the ‘keyword’ embedded in a crafted item in the world of the system, having crafted a beehive using the ‘Sturdy Gilite Plywood’.

“Br.. Brother. A remarkable item has been created. What do you think?”

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[Sophisticated Rubidot Bee Venom Trap (★★+)]

* Category: Consumable

* When placed on the ground and the keyword ‘use’ is spoken, it will be deployed 10 seconds later. Afterwards, when crushed by a certain amount of weight, it will explode, dealing lethal damage to all objects in a 26(+3)M radius around it and putting them into the ‘Dense Rubidot Poisoning’ state.

※ Attack damage: 440-760 (varies based on proximity distance)

※ Dense Rubidot Poisoning: Poisoned targets have their Health reduced by 30 (+6) per second for 2 minutes (stacks up to 3)

* As a bonus effect of the loss of Guardian’s Keyword, Bee Venom Trap deals additional damage.

….

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A continual process that shifts from person to person.

The system provides a bonus effect as the keyword inscribed disappears, which is exactly what happened with Cheonsu’s bee poison trap, giving it a boost in damage.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Rubigem and Peridot.

An entirely different type from the two, created by mixing them both and creating a Rubidot mixture.

This means that royal jelly pills, propolis films, cosmetics, etc. can be made from it, and the resulting products can be separately categorized.

Furthermore, the keyword “guardian” is attached to the mixture.

What would be the application of that, if it were overlapping?

“It would be an interesting discovery.”

One must not forget that Sung-hyuk has spent his entire life studying the ecology of bees to the point of near obsession.

A man who wanted to explore madness.

As an example of this, in the process of choosing a job class, Sung-hyuk’s life karma was such that there was a “Mad Explorer” in the same five-star class as the Bee Guardian, so he was an outlier and a rare individual.

For such a person, time is gold, and in a situation like this, time to think is a luxury.

Needless to say, Sung-hyuk went through the process of concentrating the Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly and manufacturing it into pills.

And the result is…….

[Royal Jelly Concentration Success! Bee Guardian’s sigil is imprinted on the Royal Jelly Pill].

[Among the ingredients used, there is already an item with the Bee Guardian’s sigil; the keywords are fused to give it an additional bonus effect].

[Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly Pill (★★★+) has been crafted].

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[Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly Pill (★★★+)]

* Category: Consumable

* When ingested, in addition to the effects of restoring fatigue, boosting stamina, and beautifying the skin, this item grants the individual ‘Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly Pill’s Sturdy Health’ and permanently increases Agility by 2 Endurance by 1, for a single dose. Consumption to date: 0 / 1

※ Guardian’s Rubidot Royal Jelly Pill’s Sturdy Health: Increases Agility and Endurance by 32 (+8) for 90 minutes.

* As a bonus effect of the fusion of the Guardian keywords, the effects of the Royal Jelly Pill will further increase.

…..

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It was a major breakthrough!

Following the likes of Rubigem and Peridot Royal Jelly Pills, another additional item with a permanent stat boost has been successfully processed.

Obviously, the success of the royal jelly pills means that other items such as propolis films and cosmetics can also be successfully crafted to provide additional benefits.

And that means that Sung-hyuk’s stats will soon be boosted, and at the same time, he will be able to exert a great influence on the stats of the bees under the power of the Bee Guardian!

“……One last thing. I haven’t even tried the outcome of a very important experiment.”

The good news was enough to make anyone jump for joy, but there was still one other thing for Sung-hyuk.

There was still something very important left to concoct,

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[Peridot Galehound Bee Venom(★★★)]

[Rubigem Dark Releaser Bee Venom(★★★)]

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It is none other than TunTun and Lily, the bees that harbor the most powerful and special bee venom on Sung-hyuk’s farm.

It’s a combination of bee venom from the elite bees.