Chapter 18 – Obtaining the Beekeeping Skill

Se-jun made a firm resolution.

“Let’s bury my bones here!”

With that determination, Se-jun grilled the rest of the piranhas to give to Theo.

Crackle. Crackle.

He thought while looking at the blazing fire.

‘What do I need to eat well and live well?’

With the thought that he would leave here someday, he did not think about spending the Tower Coins even when he earned them. He thought the hunters would come to rescue him if he waited a little longer.

Therefore, he did not increase anything except for the crops and his cave family.

However, since he decided to settle down here, he thought he should fix the things that had been inconvenient one by one and also explore around the cave.

“Theo, are there monsters near the cave?”

“There are none nearby, meow!”

As Se-jun’s mood brightened, Theo also answered brightly.

“But there are some a bit further away, meow!”

“What kind of monsters?”

“It’s the Crimson Giant Bear.”

“Crimson Giant Bear?”

For some reason, the red-furred monster that had tried to attack the cave during the 3rd Blue Moon came to mind.

“It’s a very scary fellow, meow. It glares at me every time I pass by, meow.”

Theo said while trembling.

As expected, going out of the cave was still dangerous.

“Still, the situation will be different in about a month.”

As Se-jun looked at the 732 cherry tomato plants that were growing rapidly, his heart swelled.

Soon, thousands of flowers would bloom on the cherry tomato plants. And as the flowers increased, the Queen Poison Honeybee would lay more eggs, and the number of poison honeybees would increase in earnest.

“If only that happens…”

If he had the increased number of poison honeybees patrol around the cave in a month, it seemed he could create a safe zone where monsters could not approach.

“And if I have the poison honeybees lift me using ropes made from green onion leaves…”

Se-jun grabbed his belly while thinking of a way to exit the cave.

Fortunately, thanks to the magical cherry tomatoes breaking down fat, there was no belly fat.

“Theo, then this time…”

Se-jun gave some instructions to Theo, who was leaving for trade again.

“Understood, meow! Just trust me, meow!”

Theo took on the big mission and went down the tower again.

***

153rd day of being stranded, morning came again after Theo left yesterday.

“Yawn.”

Unlike usual, Se-jun woke up from sleep yawning. It was because he could not sleep properly due to his troubled mind.

Pyik!

Pyii!

Pyaak!

Pyak!

The rabbits lined up and came out of the burrow, giving their morning greetings.

“Right. Good morning.”

Buzz, buzz.

The poison honeybees also came out of the hive and started their morning routine. Unlike yesterday, their wing beats sounded full of energy. Their size also did not seem much different from adult poison honeybees now.

“You’ve fully grown.”

They were poison honeybees that truly fit the saying that they grew day by day.

Se-jun ate breakfast with the rabbits and started his daily routine.

Tap. Tap.

While Se-jun was harvesting cherry tomatoes as usual like that,

[You have harvested a ripe magical cherry tomato.]

[Your job experience increases very slightly.]

[The proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 2 increases very slightly.]

[You have obtained 12 experience points.]

“Is this a plus grade too?”

Se-jun examined the cherry tomato that gave different experience. Among the cherry tomatoes harvested today, five plus grade ones had already appeared.

[Magical Cherry Tomato]

A cherry tomato grown inside the tower, which was delicious due to absorbing sufficient nutrients.

Upon consumption, it decomposes 10g of body fat and increases magic power by 0.1 for 10 minutes.

The effects stack up to a maximum of 10 within an hour.

When consumed by a non-awakened person, it decomposes 10g of fat and gives vitality to the body.

Grower: Tower Farmer Se-jun Park

Expiration date: 45 days

Grade: E+

There was nothing that became better just because a + was attached to the grade, except for the expiration date being extended.

But thinking about it differently, the extended expiration date of the crops was a fairly big advantage.

“Because I can store them longer.”

Crunch.

Se-jun put a cherry tomato in his mouth.

Burst.

The sweet and sour juice spread fully in his mouth.

“Mmm. Nice.”

It was not the bland taste he used to eat at the supermarket. It was truly frustrating that he had not known the taste of directly grown and picked cherry tomatoes for 27 years.

Pyak!

As Se-jun was eating something alone, the Black Rabbit ran over hurriedly and pointed at himself with his finger. Me too!

“Here. Let’s take a short break!”

Se-jun placed cherry tomatoes in the Black Rabbit’s arms and had a break time eating cherry tomatoes with the other rabbits as well.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

The rabbits each held a cherry tomato and began to suck on it.

“I want to drink it too…”

Se-jun looked at those rabbits with envy.

“Ah!”

Se-jun stood up at the idea that suddenly flashed in his mind.

Then he brought a tumbler and began to squeeze the cherry tomato juice.

Squeeze! Squeeze!

After squeezing about 50 cherry tomatoes, an amount of about one mouthful came out.

Gulp.

The feeling of fully enjoying only the thick juice of the cherry tomatoes in his entire mouth.

“Keuh!”

Se-jun squeezed about 50 cherry tomatoes into the tumbler once again.

And,

Glug.

This time, he mixed a glug of honey.

Another one-shot.

“Keuh!”

Honey with a heavy body was added to the sweet and sour taste filling his mouth, permeating between the sourness and sweetness and gently wrapping around both flavors.

And it filled the gap between the two flavors, smoothly transitioning the change in taste between the sourness and sweetness.

“It’s delicious.”

At this moment, all worries and anxieties disappeared.

Pyik!

Pyaak!

Pyak!

The rabbits looked at Se-jun’s face and held out their own cherry tomatoes. Drizzle honey on it!

“Alright.”

Se-jun carefully dropped a drop of honey on each cherry tomato so that it would not run.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

The eyes of the rabbits who ate the cherry tomatoes with honey opened wide. They were rabbits that had learned a new flavor combination of honey and cherry tomatoes.

At that time, the tower administrator, who had been watching, sent a message.

[An additional quest occurs.]

[Quest: Serve 1 glass of the magical cherry tomato juice with honey you drank to the tower administrator!]

Reward: 1 job skill

Upon rejection: Very disappointed

“I have to work now, though…”

He was resting for a moment. Now it was time to work again.

“I’ll give it to you later.”

[The tower administrator requests that they want to create a feeling of drinking together.]

[The tower administrator emphasizes that the skill given as a reward for this quest is a good one.]

“Really?”

[The tower administrator boasts to trust them.]

“Alright.”

Though not completely reliable, he decided to trust them.

Se-jun squeezed 100 cherry tomatoes into the tumbler and poured honey on top.

[The tower administrator flutters their wings, saying they are very, very curious about what it tastes like.]

‘Are they that happy?’

So they had wings. Se-jun learned one more piece of information about the tower administrator.

“Here it is.”

When Se-jun sent the cherry tomato juice to the tower administrator, the juice in the tumbler disappeared cleanly.

[The tower administrator praises that the juice is extremely delicious.]

[You have completed the quest.]

[You have obtained Special Job Skill: Beekeeping Lv. 1 as a quest completion reward.]

“Special job skill?”

[Special Job Skill – Beekeeping Lv. 1 registers the poison honeybee hive owned by the skill user to the skill.]

[The number of hives that can be registered in Special Job Skill – Beekeeping Lv. 1 is full.]

The poison honeybee hive in Se-jun’s cave was automatically registered to Se-jun’s Beekeeping skill.

“What is this?”

Se-jun checked the details of the Beekeeping skill.

[Special Job Skill – Beekeeping Lv. 1]

-Beekeeping can be performed when owning a hive.

-The bees of the owned hive do not show hostility to the owner.

-More specific instructions can be given to the bees of the owned hive.

-The activity range of the owned hive’s bees increases slightly.

-The speed at which the queen bee lays eggs increases slightly.

-The honey gathering speed of the bees increases slightly.

-The pollination probability increases slightly.

-Currently owned hive (1/1): Poison Honeybee Hive

“Oh.”

He had worried if the poison honeybees would understand and follow his instructions to patrol outside, but with this skill, it seemed he could worry a little less.

The skill effect was indeed slight. Still, the good thing was that there were many details to which the skill applied.

And though it was slight now, he felt that like a growing seed, it would become a large fruit later.

“Thank you.”

Se-jun said to the tower administrator.

[The tower administrator requests that if you are thankful, make another glass of the magical cherry tomato juice with honey.]

“I have to work now. I’ll give it to you in the evening.”

[The tower administrator says okay and shakes out the remaining juice attached to the cup into their mouth.]

Se-jun started harvesting cherry tomatoes again.

***

[You have obtained 1 mL of honey from the cherry tomato flower.]

[The proficiency of Beekeeping Lv. 1 increases slightly.]

[You have obtained 1 mL of honey from the cherry tomato flower.]

[The proficiency of Beekeeping Lv. 1 increases slightly.]

…

..

.

A message appeared every time the poison honeybees put honey into the plastic water bottle that Se-jun had fixed with soil so that it would not fall.

“They are doing well.”

Se-jun wore a pleased expression while looking at the messages.

At that moment,

Buzz, buzz.

Five new baby poison honeybees appeared from the hive. Perhaps because of the skill effect, the baby poison honeybees did not draw their stingers even though they saw Se-jun for the first time.

And,

Buzz, buzz.

Buzz, buzz.

the baby poison honeybees began to suck nectar following the poison honeybees that had grown almost into adults. Thanks to that, the honey production increased by about 20 mL.

Though very little by little, the situation of the cave was getting better and better.

While Se-jun was looking pleasedly at the baby poison honeybees sucking nectar diligently,

Pyiiik!!

Pyaii!!

Pyak! Pyak!

The excited rabbits gathered in the carrot field and called Se-jun. The reason for the rabbits to be excited in the carrot field was obvious. It was the carrots.

“Are there carrots that have already grown?”

When Se-jun went to the carrot field, a few carrots revealed their orange bodies above the soil as if they were ready to be pulled. Finally, the time to harvest the carrots came.

Pyik!

Pyaak!

Pyak!

The rabbits looked at Se-jun while blowing hot snorts. The rabbits were saying with intense eyes that they were ready, ready to eat!

“Alright.”

Tug.

As Se-jun grabbed the carrot stem and pulled it upward, an orange carrot was pulled out smoothly. This carrot was thinner in thickness than the carrot harvested during the Blue Moon. Still, it was a sufficiently excellent carrot with a thickness of about three fingers.

[You have harvested an Agility Carrot.]

[Your job experience increases slightly.]

[The proficiency of Harvesting Lv. 2 increases very slightly.]

[You have obtained 10 experience points.]

Se-jun checked the carrot’s options.

[Agility Carrot]

A carrot grown inside the tower, which was delicious due to absorbing sufficient nutrients.

Upon consumption, it decomposes 10g of body fat and increases agility by 0.1 for 10 minutes.

The effects stack up to a maximum of 10 within an hour.

When consumed by a non-awakened person, it decomposes 10g of fat and improves eyesight.

Grower: Tower Farmer Se-jun Park

Expiration date: 30 days

Grade: E

“Here.”

Having checked the options, Se-jun handed the carrot to the rabbits.

They shook their heads.

The rabbits shook their heads and urged Se-jun to eat. They had also eaten the carrot containing the energy of the Blue Moon first, so they seemed to feel sorry to eat even this one first.

However,

Drip. Drip. Drip.

if they did that while drooling profusely…

“Eat first. I can eat later.”

When Se-jun urged them again,

Pyik!

Pyaak!

Pyak!

the rabbits bowed in gratitude as a group and received the carrot from Se-jun’s hand.

Was this something to bow for?

Se-jun quickly pulled out carrots and placed them in the rabbits’ arms one by one.

Crunch, crunch.

The rabbits held the carrots in their arms and began to eat diligently. Smiles did not leave the rabbits’ faces, showing how delicious the carrots were.

Se-jun also looked at the happy rabbits, washed a carrot with water to wipe off the dirt, and took a bite.

Crunch.

With a cheerful sound, the unique flavor of the carrot spread in his mouth.

And,

Munch, munch.

sweetness oozed out every time he chewed. It was so delicious.

Pyak?

The Black Rabbit sat down next to Se-jun, pressuring his plump bottom against him while holding his own carrot, and asked. It’s delicious, right?

“Yeah.”

Se-jun replied, raising his thumb.

153rd day of being stranded, he became able to eat carrots every day.