Chapter 23: Honey

Irim devoured all four strips of samgyeopsal in one sitting.

The tastier the samgyeopsal, the more he craved white rice, ssamjang, and garlic.

And if there was doenjang jjigae too, that’d be perfect.

As a dessert, cold naengmyeon paired with the leftover meat would be a treat.

Vowing to one day create a proper samgyeopsal feast, Irim continued grilling the rest of the meat.

Once grilled, he skewered the samgyeopsal on small Horned Chicken horns, like fish cake skewers sold at snack bars, and stored them in his inventory.

I’ll need disposable containers or something to store food in the future.

He was running low on small horns.

When he sold samgyeopsal skewers to players, they didn’t return the horns—they just tossed them aside.

While preparing the skewers, Irim glanced around.

Fortunately, the area had plenty of branches with large leaves.

Once I run out of horns, I’ll wrap food in those for storage.

The list of things he needed to collect was growing.

His inventory now held 40 samgyeopsal skewers.

But he only had 8g of salt left.

Since grilling one skewer used 1g, he could only make eight more.

Then he remembered his active skill, Chef’s Blessing.

He activated it.

[What would you like?]

Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Coarse Red Pepper Powder, Fine Red Pepper Powder, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Syrup, Sesame Oil…

Irim chose two portions of salt, obtaining 40g.

He then grilled another 40 pieces of samgyeopsal.

Now, only 19 pieces remained, which he saved for Rozelan’s quest.

“Time to forage.”

His gaze turned to the field with cucumbers and carrots.

Approaching the field, he picked 30 cucumbers and pulled 30 carrots.

He also gathered about 50 wild chili peppers.

While collecting these ingredients, Irim mentally planned another dish he could make with samgyeopsal.

Done. 

Now for honey and royal jelly.

Honey was something he wanted for himself, while royal jelly was needed for the kitten’s quest.

Bee carcasses weren’t useful for crafting, so he didn’t bother with them.

Weapon in hand, Irim headed into the forest where Killbees swarmed.

Killbees, aggressive monsters, were the size of watermelons.

They looked like oversized bees, so realistic it gave him chills.

To get royal jelly, I’ll need to raid a beehive.

Irim scanned the forest.

No beehives in sight—just buzzing Killbees flying around.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

Their wingbeats were loud and grating.

One Killbee spotted Irim and zoomed toward him, its sharp stinger poised to strike.

Its attack was fierce; getting distracted could mean getting stung.

Many players struggled against Killbees, often getting stung and overwhelmed.

But—

Whoosh.

Irim dodged effortlessly.

His agility stat, built up over time, was higher than most.

The Killbee, missing its target, swiftly turned in midair and charged again.

Irim gripped his Tough Horn, aiming for the Killbee’s weak point.

As it closed in—

Stab!

The sharp horn pierced the weak point.

The buzzing wings stopped, and the Killbee’s limbs went limp.

Its defense wasn’t high; it was just fast, making it hard to hit.

The Killbee’s carcass dropped, and items were added to Irim’s inventory.

He earned 1,000 Won and some honey.

Oh, you can get honey by killing monsters without raiding a hive? But where’s the hive?

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find one.

Killbees kept attacking, only to be stabbed and killed.

He wandered the forest for about 20 minutes.

Still no sign of a beehive.

What if there isn’t one?

He’d already killed over 50 Killbees searching for a hive, and his honey stockpile was growing.

But the crucial royal jelly remained elusive.

“This is exhausting.”

Physically, he was fine, but mentally, he was drained.

He felt like his blood sugar was low.

Irim pulled a jar of honey from his inventory.

The honey from Killbees came in glass jars, each containing 10g.

The clear color suggested it was from acacia or rapeseed flowers.

Honey from mixed wildflowers or chestnuts would be darker.

Irim opened the lid and sniffed.

Sniff, sniff.

“Wow.”

The sweet aroma tickled his nose.

His heart raced.

When was the last time he’d properly tasted honey? He couldn’t recall.

He dipped the tip of his tongue into the honey.

…!

A jolt ran through his tongue.

Unlike the artificial sweetness of sugar or syrup, this natural sweetness sent his senses reeling.

Unable to resist, he poured the entire jar into his mouth.

The rich, floral sweetness enveloped his tongue, electrifyingly thrilling.

Reluctant to swallow, he held it in his mouth before finally letting it slide down his throat.

Gulp!

“Haaa.”

It was an incredible experience.

Irim was reminded how precious it was to taste and smell, filling him with happiness.

After tasting the honey, his mental fatigue seemed to vanish as if his energy had been restored.

He resumed his search for the beehive.

About ten minutes later—

“Argh!”

“Damn it!”

Screams and curses echoed nearby.

Irim ran toward the noise.

There, four trembling players faced a bee three times the size of a Killbee.

Irim checked the monster’s name.

Killbee Queen.

A sub-boss monster.

“Everyone, focus!”

“I’m trying, but its wing buzzing messes with my body!”

“We’re gonna die like this.”

“MachoKing! You said we could take down the Killbee Queen!”

The player called MachoKing looked troubled.

He’d likely rallied the others to come here.

The players were battered, bruised, and bleeding heavily.

Real synchronized up to 30% of in-game pain to reality.

If these players had pain sync enabled, even 30% would be agonizing.

The Killbee Queen, meanwhile, was unscathed.

Rustle, rustle.

It rubbed its wings and slowly approached the four players, not flying but crawling, treating them like prey rather than threats.

The players’ morale was shattered, and their injuries left them unable to fight.

Irim spotted the Killbee Queen’s weak point: its eyes.

Can I take it?

His hesitation ended when he saw the single star next to its name.

It was a 1-star monster, meaning it was weaker than the Claw Lizard Princess.

As a sub-boss, it was the strongest among 1-star monsters, but still manageable.

The fact that it’s marked as 1-star means someone’s already raided it!

The Killbee Queen curled its tail forward, aiming its stinger at MachoKing.

“Aaah!”

MachoKing fell backward, screaming.

Irim stepped in front of him, holding the rectangular iron shield.

Clang!

The stinger hit the shield.

The Killbee Queen retracted its tail and buzzed its wings furiously.

Irim was hit with a status effect.

[You are dazed by the Killbee Queen’s wing buzzing. All stats reduced by 20%.]

So that’s it.

A 20% stat reduction was a serious debuff.

But it didn’t affect Irim much.

He pressed the shield to his shoulder and charged.

Thud!

The shield slammed into the Killbee Queen’s face as it tried to take flight.

Staggering, it aimed its stinger at Irim’s opening.

But Irim dodged and activated his skill.

One-Point Strike!

The words flashed in the air as the Tough Horn pierced the weak point.

Stab!

A single blow.

The Killbee Queen, struck in its weak point, collapsed dead.

Even with a 20% stat reduction, Irim was more than enough for it.

He checked the rewards.

[50,000 Won]

[Killbee Queen’s Wing]

[Royal Jelly 20g]

Yes!

He’d obtained royal jelly.

So it wasn’t about finding a hive—it comes from killing the Killbee Queen.

Saving the players in danger and stumbling upon royal jelly put Irim in a great mood.

Meanwhile, the four players stared at him, wide-eyed.

They’d struggled as a group of four without landing a single hit, yet Irim had taken it down in one strike.

He seemed almost godlike.

“Uh… thank you.”

“Wow, that was insane. How’d you kill it in one hit?”

“We’d have been wiped out without you. We owe you.”

“You’re so cool!”

Each player threw a comment his way, their eyes filled with admiration.

MachoKing’s gaze was the most intense.

True to his nickname, he was a macho guy who idolized stronger men.

“I’m MachoKing. Big Bro!”

“…Huh?”

Irim was flustered by a stranger suddenly calling him “Big Bro.”

MachoKing didn’t care and kept talking.

“If it’s not too much, may I know your esteemed name, Big Bro?”

“Me? I’m Rice.”

“Rice! Such a manly name, Big Bro!”

“Is it?”

“I’m deeply inspired by your prowess. Would you take me as your little brother? I want to follow you and learn!”

Irim scratched his cheek.

“Haha, sorry, I’m a bit busy. Enjoy the game!”

Irim quickly left the scene.

Watching his retreating figure, MachoKing clenched his fist.

“Saving us without asking for anything and leaving like the wind—such coolness. I want to emulate him. Rice, Big Bro, I’ll remember your name and face!”

His embarrassing monologue made the other party members cringe.

If they’d known he was like this, they wouldn’t have partied with him.

One party member, still reeling from the awe, asked MachoKing, “So, what’s your profession?”

They’d assumed his confidence meant he had a combat-focused profession.

Some players hid their professions, so they hadn’t asked, but after facing the Killbee Queen, MachoKing turned out to be the weakest.

MachoKing looked at the questioning player and said, “My profession is Farmer.”

“…Are you kidding?”

“What? Farmer? That’s a thing?”

“How’d you have the guts to suggest fighting the Killbee Queen?”

The three players bombarded him with questions, stunned.

MachoKing answered calmly.

“Farmers work fields and tend crops, but don’t they also keep bees? I thought I could easily take down a queen bee. Haha.”

His overly realistic logic left everyone dumbfounded.

MachoKing.

He was the first player in Real to take up the Farmer profession.