Post-apocalyptic world with Bees

Chapter 41

The world is in a state of upheaval, and the arrival of transcendent beings is about to cause even more chaos.

But while the world is in turmoil, Sung-hyuk’s beekeeping farm goes about its daily activities as usual.

The bees go from flower to flower, collecting nectar and protecting their territory.

And now that he’s familiar with the geography of the mountains, Cheonsu knows not only where the monsters are residing, but also where the monsters will be coming from, working with a team of scout bees to set traps to maximize the potency of the traps and minimize the casualties to the bees,

As an elite porter, Yeon-ah helped speed up the group’s work as needed.

And that’s not to mention Seokchul and Soo-hee.

Did someone once said that working together as a couple makes you feel better about life?

Seokchul is in charge of the construction part of the farm along with logging, and Soo-hee is in charge of farming and cooking, keeping everyone’s stomachs and hearts content, including Sung-hyuk.

[Rubigem Worker Bees (★★) have come into contact with natural vegetation, Akir Honey Apple Tree Flower of Abundance (★★+). Growth is boosted, and nutrients are slightly increased].

[Rubigem Honeycomb Bee (★★+) has been in contact with a natural vegetation, Akir Honey Apple Tree Flower of Abundance (★★+). Growth is boosted, and nutrients are slightly increased].

[Peridot Worker Bee (★★) has been in contact with natural vegetation, Beryl Almond Tree Flower of Abundance (★★★-). Growth will be stimulated, nutrients will be slightly elevated].

…….

Or, in the case of Soo-hee, the player who became an Incarnation of Prefion, the Goddess of Abundance.

As a result, her influence on Sung-hyuk’s beekeeping farm is naturally higher than anyone else’s, making her the first ranked contributor.

______________________________

[Akir Honey Apple of Abundance(★★+)]

* Category: Consumables, Ingredients

* When consumed, restores 250 (+30) Health and Mana, along with a feeling of satiety and quenching one’s thirst.

* Description: ……Immersed with the energy of abundance, it retains its freshness for a longer period of time.

※ Grants an Akir Honey Apple Seed (★+) with a 100% chance of being fully usable when consumed and used.

[Beryl Almond of Abundance (★★★-)]

[Sunshine…….

______________________________

The Prefion’s Seed Pouch was a divine item that was one of the powers of her current incarnation.

The crops that grew from the seeds that completed their maturation period within it were of a higher quality than before, and naturally, the flavor was as exquisite as their improved quality and efficiency.

In addition, bees naturally fertilize each plant due to their symbiotic relationship with one another.

The resulting fruit drips with juice when you bite into it, and the almonds release an aromatic and savory flavor.

He can really see the benefits of being an incarnation!

‘Surely this makes an incarnation contract look good?’

If he only looked at the positives, the difference between a player who became an incarnation and one who wasn’t could be as wide as the gap between heaven and earth.

Of course, Sung-hyuk is a human, so he’s drawn to check this out.

[The Transcendent Being, King of Bugs, Frainkito, thinks highly of your potential. He truly desires an incarnation pact with you for the enjoyment of the coming days. If you accept, you will be able to wield some of the power that the King of Bugs, Frainkito possesses. Do you wish to proceed with the Incarnation Contract with King Frainkito? YES / NO]

※ An Incarnation Pact allows you to receive many benefits from the Transcendent, such as incarnation-specific items and powers with minimal penalty on your Chapter #. However, you can only make an Incarnation Contract with a Transcendent once as a player, so please be careful.

In addition, a new transcendent had actually applied for an incarnation contract with Sung-hyuk.

A transcendent named “King of Bugs” who is also related to insects, perhaps due to the impact of being the Bee Guardian.

However, this incarnation contract did not work out.

Was it because Sung-hyuk chose ‘NO’?

Not at all, but rather due to the interference of another Transcendent.

[The Transcendent Being, Queen Ninekito, bats her eyes at her husband to respect her authority].

[Transcendent Being, Zion the Forbearer falls into a fit of laughter].

[Transcendent Being, Seeker of Madness Bo clicks his tongue at the lack of respect].

[Transcendent Being, Goddess of Abundance Prefion gets interested].

Three transcendent beings, who have been watching Sung-hyuk’s development rather quietly, and one, who has already signed an incarnation contract, have stepped into the picture.

He wondered if there was some kind of relationship between the Transcendent Beings?

[The Transcendent Being, King of Bugs, soothes Ninekito, saying he didn’t know his wife would be here].

[The Transcendent Being, Queen Ninekito, looks at her husband fiercely, saying that if he knows now, he better behave].

King of Bugs and Queen of Bugs

Whether the two transcendents originally knew each other or not, it ends well without any major conflict or harm to Sung-hyuk.

Although the number of transcendents spying on Sung-hyuk’s farm has increased from four to five, having more of them with divine powers is not a bad thing.

At the very least, they’re not hostile, even if not definite, and useful for countering other transcendents in case they come.

Most importantly, if done right, they might even be able to generously donate some of their formerly precious items to him, either through the loving assistance of the bees or through a showy performance?

‘Cash Cows… No, I can’t pass up a quality line of shields.’

If Transcendents are fraudsters, they’re unwelcome, but if they can be exploited, they are welcome.

While processing the harvested honey, he was making his own calculations.

“The food is ready, everyone, let’s eat!!!”

Soo-hee’s resounding voice echoed through the entire farm.

Sung-hyuk was beginning to feel hungry, and the duration of the buff from the food was coming to an end, so he wrapped up his work and started to walk back to the farm.

And Sung-hyuk was rendered completely speechless by what he saw.

“……You’re constantly getting better and better.”

With each passing day, her food menu slowly expands.

This is what one would expect from a four-star unique class, the Abundance Producer.

Now, beyond a lavish meal, if there was a feast, it would be abundant to the point where the legs of the table might break.

“Hohoho. It’s all thanks to the increased variety of crop seeds and what the bees have been bringing back.”

Following the honey apples, almonds, and melons that she first started growing, seeds from natural vegetation were added to the exchange or brought in by the bees.

As a result, the greenhouse is now home to grains such as rice and other legumes, as well as vegetables such as peppers, radishes, and cabbages.

And with the goddess’s rapid-growth ability, she could increase the growth of any crop she wanted to 100% at a whim, eliminating the need to wait for a longer time, at least if it was for their own consumption rather than for sale.

Thanks to the ability to do that.

The menu she now has on the table includes some very familiar and comforting Korean favorites.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever had soybean rice!”

“Meat side dishes, radish soup, and even sweet honey with vegetables… There’s a whole bunch of them…… It’s a real treat, thanks to my older sister!”

“It was amazing before, but somehow it seems like your cooking skills are getting better!”

“It’s all because of my skills. I’ve been cooking consistently, so my level has been steadily increasing.”

The food now tastes so good that it’s worthy of the moniker “‘Mom’s Homemade Cooking’.

And although she may have a natural knack for it, the influence of the system’s “skills” can’t be dismissed.

“Kya, if only there was kimchi here, it would be perfect.”

“You’re right. I’m also craving kimchi stew.”

Could this be the effect of eating hot soybean rice?

Everyone is reminded of the taste of kimchi.

Though he didn’t concur with Seokchul and Cheonsu, Sunghyuk nodded in his thoughts.

“I knew it, so I prepared all the ingredients for kimchi. It’s a shame we don’t have garlic, but we have red pepper paste and radish. And I’ll try to make up for it with honey, Sung-hyuk. Do you mind if I use some honey?”

“Sure. As long as you can manage to obtain kimchi, you are welcome to use as much as you want.”

As expected, she’s got a lot of experience.

Years of experience is a force to be reckoned with.

The wisdom of an old master who can find a way to make do with scarce ingredients.

The joy that comes from the possibility of eating kimchi with real rice.

He wondered if it was transmitted to the bees through the bee link.

*Weing~* *BuZzZz!*

The bees, who were in the middle of transporting honey, abruptly twitched their bodies and flapped their wings in a dance of joy.

“To see something like that while eating a meal…… Heehee. I feel so special, like I’m chosen.”

“While I agree that bees are cute, sometimes I find them a little scary.”

“Hmph. Why are you picking on them so much? There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fluffiness, what’s the problem?”

Sung-hyuk noticed this since the first time they met, but Yeon-ah’s behavior was strangely obsessive about the bee’s bottom.

She seems to have a bit of a tic, like an unruly little sister from the orphanage, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

“I guess I was wrong, Big Brother Sung-hyuk!”

Sung-hyuk’s special propolis cosmetics can calm even the most unruly child.

Sung-hyuk gives it to Yeon-ah, who has already seen the benefits of its natural ingredients from bees and has quickly become a good little sister.

Three people stare at it in disbelief.

Sung-hyuk knows what that signifies.

“Here are the royal jelly pills and propolis cosmetics I’ve prepared for today. Please eat them and cheer up.”

“Thanks big brother!”

“Humph! Thank you so much, Sung-hyuk.”

“I appreciate it, thanks, Sung-hyuk.”

These two products have exceptional effects on virility and skin beauty.

In the history of the world, there is no one who doesn’t like something that is good for virility for men, and no one who doesn’t like something that is good for skin beauty for women.

When Sung-hyuk gives it to them once in a while, everyone likes it and expresses their sincere gratitude to him.

“Haha, no problem. I know it can be difficult, so thank you for your hard work. In return, I’ll take care of these things for you in between.”

“Just leave it to me, Sung-hyuk, I’ll show you the power of an elder!”

“I can carry a bunch of stuff!”

Royal jelly and propolis used to be precious ingredients in beekeeping.

But they are now a thing of the past.

With the number of bees increasing with each passing day, the current output is constantly increasing.

In addition, thanks to the buffs that increase the yield of items with the keyword “abundance,” royal jelly and propolis are much more widely available than before.

So this amount of investment isn’t too much of a loss for Sung-hyuk.

‘The stick and the carrot are the basic elements of managing people.’

In fact, it was enough to get them to conform a little more to his liking.

* * *

The days go by quickly, even when the world is out of control.

Three days after the update of Chapter #2.

On the 37th day, Sung-hyuk received a notification informing him that the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

[Fulfilled the conditions for evolving the Peridot Queen Bee (★★★+) -> 100% growth rate, 150,000+ bees in the colony]

[As the owner of the Peridot Queen Bee (★★★+), please choose the evolutionary path for her. You have 30 minutes left]

※ Note: If you do not choose an evolutionary path within the time limit, it will be randomly selected.

The evolutionary condition for the Peridot Queen Bee, whose egg-laying speed is significantly lower than that of the Rubigem, and the number of bees she holds is significantly different.

Regardless, it’s the other part that’s important to Sung-hyuk.

He discovered that it was possible to add additional ingredients to the evolutionary process.

That’s why Sung-hyuk had a bunch of high-grade items in his possession, ready just in case,

[You have a special ingredient necessary for evolution. Do you wish to use these items as additional materials for evolution? YES / NO -> Stinger’s Mycorrhizal Spores(★★★-), Wild Gem Honeycomb Fragment(★★★+)]

※ Caution: When you select to use these items, there is a high probability that the evolutionary options will be reduced.

※ You can only include one evolutionary add-on material.

“…Huh?”

Should it be called lucky?

Or perhaps not so lucky?

Surprisingly, the Wild Gem Honeycomb Fragment was selected as an evolutionary ingredient.

In addition, the Stinger’s Mycorrhizal Spore, which he wasn’t sure if it should be part of the ingredients or not, was also included and labeled as an additional ingredient for evolution.