《Marigold - A LitRPG》 Chapter 1: I died?! Death and life My name is Hana, a humble librarian who lived until the age of 33 without family, friends or anyone to miss me. I was working just like I had done all my life and then... A huge earthquake hit my city, buildings fell, the ground opened up and... Fire, so much fire, it spread burning like dried straw, I couldn''t run, everything was blocked, I couldn''t scream, my lungs were burning with ashes and embers. No matter how hard I tried, my flesh and will, everything soon as eaten by the fire. The next thing I remember is being here, floating in a vast space of pure black, I couldn''t move, I couldn''t see, feel or speak. I didn''t know how much time had passed by, any time seemed like an eternity. Had I survived? I was completely debilitated, forever trapped in a broken body locked on a bed, without family, friends or anyone to even cry for me? I rambled on, thinking about my apparently miserable situation, and eventually I realized that my body felt heavy... As if a huge pressure was being put on me, like being tied down by tight ropes, I tried to move and I could feel it... feel that I moved! After so much time, a feeling was nothing more than comforting! I kept moving, but it was more like struggling, I couldn''t feel the needles or the soft bed I was supposed to be on? What kind of situation is this? I kept shaking from a side to another, and soon I could feel a crack, clearly a crack! Something had broken! Soon my whole body began to itch, as if to tell me to continue what I''d been doing until now, it felt like an "instinct? I couldn''t stand the tingling sensation in my body, it was too much, I had to make it stop, I kept swinging, faster and harder! CRACK, CRACK--- C- I''m out! I can breathe and move again! but something''s wrong... My arms, since when do I have 4 of them?!? my vision, it''s strange, I can see more than before, but differently, it''s confusing as hell!!! I feel weak, all that work to get out of that darkness... From that egg?? And now this?!?! It can only be some kind of dream or nightmare. I waited for a while, what seems like a long time, and soon I feel hungry... This can''t be a dream, I''m too conscious to be one, could this be the famous Isekai that wveryone dream about so much? All right, I think I can handle it... Maybe? If I remember these stories correctly, the reincarnated protagonist should be very powerful or at least have a stolen ability. How do I find out if a have those powers? I need to speak Status? "Status?" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Queen Mana: N/D
Life: 3 Str: 0.2 Def: 0.1
sp: 1.3 Int: 15 Wis: 5
[Skills]
{Wax making} lv 1 Use plant material to create wax that can be used for various purposes.
{Create Honey} lv 1 Create honey from flower nectar.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You can command and impose your own will on your offspring
{Egg laying} Lv 1 Make your offspring with our body nutrients. [Laying options] - Work bee Lv1 - Soldier Bee lv1
{Memorial Memory} Lv1 You can create mental references to accurately remember events, information and places..
[Traces]
{Wise} You have accumulated a lot of knowledge throughout your life
Intelligence +20% Wisdom+30%
{Fear of burning} You have suffered a great trauma related to fire, so much so that it has engraved itself on your soul, and has become something you cannot tolerate
Life -25% Fire Defense -85%
{Conserned player} You think too much, and you always think the worst, even the wise become useless in the face of indecision.
Wisdom -75% Speed -50%
Weeeell... that''s something to start with, I guess? Chapter 2: that’s me?
Alright.. WHAT THE HELL ELSE IS THAT? it''s obviously a status tab, and it feels like I''m really in an isekai, bu what''s with those stats??!! where is the stolen ability that the stories promised me?!?! First of all, it looks like I''m a bee... and it looks like I''m pretty weak too... and these status, I''m a [Solitary honeybee] and yet I have the ability to create a colony, does that make sense? Pausing to analyze the situation, I was born from a cocoon well hidden and tangled with dry leaves and clay, which sayss that, or I was brought here by something that aren''t bees, or the bee how layed me? Are bees tath left their kids on they own. Regardless of the options, something was certain. I was alone. I am a human reincarnated in a bee, dropped alone into nothingness with a status screen to guide me and nothing more. What do I do? if I killed myself Would I go back to my previous body?... Did I still have a body to go back to? as far as I know he must be burned and burried in a pile of garbage and reduced to nothing. Stopping to think... what do I look like? I imagined a fluffy bee like those in my world, more when I inspect my body... 6 Limbs 4 serve as arms and 2 as legs, I have a typical bee ass with a very small sting, I feel a fluff or a mane? that wraps around my neck, a yellow and black body with shades of gray, one thing was certain: this is clearly not my world, my world doens''t have systems and bees like that! I look around for something I can see myself in, a pond a puddle or a shiny piece of metal, anything fine! And, bingo a lake right next to where I was born, Well, I think it''s a lake, as everything seems to be giant from my point of view it may even be a puddle. And now, how do I get there? it has a conciderable fall to the ground and I don''t feel like I can slide up there, and if I fall and break all my bee limbs, I will become an incapacitated Bee and stay agonizing on the ground for who knows how long... Wait, I have wings! I just need to know how to use them now... .... .. . In theory it''s very simple: flap your wings and fly!, but it''s more like one of those cases where it''s easier said than done, my wings feel weird it''s not something I''m used to, I have these bee instincts that tell me it''s as easy a task as breathing, and yet I can''t keep doing anything more than vibrating my wings without leaving the floor like an idiot! So that how be?!? The human girl who reincarnated as a dumb Bee that couldn''t even fly?! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. .... ... .. . Okay?!? It''s not going anywhere I tried to flap my wings fast as I could and I almost did something with it, I lifted myself up a little in the air, until I started to give up, I was so afraid of falling and getting hurt all over that I ended up giving up halfway through again and again! ....I know, it''s no use standing here, but also theres no use in falling and getting all hurted on the floor!... ugh! Is been some time since this, I know ok, this already dark forest was getting even darker, but more important finally, finally! I made it I''m flying, well, it doesn''t seem perfect and I feel like a human who has never flied, gliding in the air, my wings move with my will and seem to work very well now, it even seems that after so long repeating this hellish flight, I feel like i know how to fly better, even with my fear of falling hows didn''t disappear even a little.
[Warning]
[Skill]: Basic flight has been learned and can now be leveled up to level 10
OH??! so that''s it, [skills] can give you the ability to do a task or action even if you don''t have any practice with it? More important, and the other way around? Could I do other things like singing, or climbing without a skill for it? Or are the [skills] the results of a repetitive effort, because well, I tried to fly for a long time, before gaining that skill, if i stop to think... if all bees are born with the knowledge to fly then does that mean we don''t need the [skill] to fly? on the other hand it may also be that as soon as a bee launches flight it gains this ability. That seems important.. But not now at least. I fly above the leaf where I am now and slowly fly to the ground, Ufff -- success, without any scratches or broken limbs. as I walk towards the puddle of water I end up being distracted for a second seeing the world around me, clearly it is not the Earth, Plants of strange colors, emitting witchy glows, strange shaped mushrooms are over the ground and tree trunks, there is a grayish moss that covers all of the ground and I even see fruits that I hade never seen before on a tree. Arriving in the puddle I could see, even through the slightly dirty water, an insect face, mandibles onmy face, two antennae bending out of my skull and huge black eyes. I stood for a while looking at what looked like a monster, that''s me, I was that monster. And now, what the hell should I do? Until recently I was Hana, the human and now I am this, this thing, a bee in a fantasy world, what should I do, how should I react? I should scream, cry, accept this bee / Monster Life. Everything felt wrong, and I felt like a was frozen, staring at that reflection. Chapter 3: Analyzing the situation I feel miserable, I feel unjustified and I feel... complicated. It may be other people''s desire to reincarnate in a fantasy world, but this clearly wasn''t mine, I remember when I died, the fire burning my skin, the Ashes burning my lungs and the smoke blinded me, my whole body agonized when I moved, or breathed, I felt fear, I felt desperate is a way I had never felt before. I admit, I wans''t a nice person, I didn''t like other people, I didn''t like to talk to them or interact, but I needed to, I may have been an insensitive person and unaware of the feelings of the people around me, I may even be judged and blamed for feeling superior to others, but I know that I didn''t deserve such a slow and painful death, being consumed by fire, without being able to run away or scream, I wished, I prayed that someone would come and take me out of that hell... But help never came. When I died I was at peace for a moment, when I was floating in that black sky without purpose I felt a little peace, but now... I''m a fucking bug, that''s some kind of God joke or whatever?!. Whatever it is, it''s not funny, I wish it had all ended in that fire. Standing, staring into my reflection, in conflict with myself and some kind of higher entity. But the question was: Should I end it all? if I threw myself in that lake would it solve my problems? No... Death by drowning must be desperate as burning to death, so what should I do?? what?!?! What is the problem with the system?! A Bee, and you want me to create a bee colony, because I can barely see many other options with this status and Skills. Now that I''ve touched on it, what is the problem with these skills???!!! and these [Traits] are ridiculous!!!
[Traces]
{Fear of burning} You have suffered a great trauma related to fire, so much so that it has engraved itself on your soul and has become something that you cannot ignore
Health -25% Fire Defense -85%
Seriously??! anyone who was burned alive like a witch on a stick would be afraid of fire, that''s unfair!!!
[Traces]
{Conserned player} You think too much, and always think the worst, even the wise become useless in the face of indecision.
Wisdom -75% Speed -25%
Are you going to tell me this isn''t ridiculous??!?!? Now being a pessimistic person is a crime! And look at those debuffs! -75% isn''t that too much?!
[Skills]
{Wax making} lv 1 Use plant material to create wax that can be used for various purposes.
Okay, that''s what you''d expect from a bee I guess? This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
[Skills]
{Egg laying} Lv 1 Make your offspring with our body from nutrients. [Layout options] works Bee - Lv1 Soldier Bee - lv1
That''s what you expect from a queen bee. And this damn system wants me to just deal with it?!?!? should I only lay eggs non-stop??! I have options of course, but i''m weak as hell because you know, 1 point of strength?!!
[Skills]
{Create Honey} Lv1 Create honey from the nectar of flowers
Typical of bees, what else are they known for?
[Skills]
{Memorial Memory} Lv1 You can create mental references to accurately remember events, information, and places.
This seems to be useful, it''s like having a mental agenda I guess? Being able to store important information, The only problem is that I have no idea how to use this shit!
[Skills]
{Maternal connection} Lv1 Can command and impose your own will on his descendants
This is another [skill] that tries to force me to create a hive!
[Skills]
{Basic flight} Lv1 You have learned the art of flight, and now you have an easier time flying and stabilizing yourself
Speed: +2
Oh, it''s nice to know that [Skills] give skill points, it''s not just the [Traits] that can interfere with that. This is conflicting, on one hand I have no idea if my stats are weak as hell, or if I''m even strong? Who knows, right?! Wut I wouldn''t bet that a newly born queen would be good at anything other than creating a new colony... As I debated with myself about what the hell I should do, a rustle in the leaves behind me suddenly came. When I turned around, all I saw was a big blur, I ended up losing my balance and falling to the ground, when I got up angry to see the image of the mysterious figure I was surprised to see, a big rabbit! He looked like an elephant next to a human, for sure I was Small!, He didn''t seem to notice me or care about me, he was so big and cute! He had white fur with purple spots all over his body! But his eyes... they were like goat eyes and looked strange on a fluffy rabbit. Thinking about it, could I analyze this little guy? it would be a good way to know the difference between us. Thinking about analyzing the rabbit works? Or do I need a [Skill] to analyze it? Anyway I looked at the big Cutie and screamed in my mind! "Analyze-"
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Lunar Rabbit
Level: ---- Class: ----- Mana: N/D
Life: 143/150 Str: ---- Int: ----
sp: ---- Def: ---- Wis: ----
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT RABBIT? Chapter 4: Being a Bee? Damn it! that rabbit has about 30x more life points than me! And these blank parts... Is it because I can''t see at my current level? Or was it because I didn''t have an analyze skill? Is there a skill to analyze? I still can see the status of this rabbit even without having the skill to do so... As i dig myself into my thoughts about how this shitty system can work, the water-drinking rabbit quietly silenced himself, soon lifted its ears and stood stiffly in place, I already knew what that meant. We had company. Before I could even process what was happening, a figure larger than the rabbit, faster, and much scarier, ran from the bushes directly into the neck of the poor fluffy Moon Rabbit, when I finally had a chance to understand what had happened, I would rather not have seen or understood. The poor rabbit, with no chance of escaping between the tusks of what appeared to be a wolf with threadbare brown hair, blood-red eyes, and long white teeth, the rabbit soon uttered a faint, muffled cry of protest, the Wolf did nothing but strain the grip he put between his theeth, and soon the sound of bones breaking, and the pale red blood of the poor rabbit''s now was bathing the Earth, The Wolf, didn''t look at me, as if he couldn''t see me. Or as if he didn''t care for me. All I could do was stand still, motionless and frozen in fear in place, while the wolf creature tore the rabbit that I once believed to be powerful, and reduced it to pieces of meat from which it feasted, I was simply shocked as I couldn''t even realize how close he was came, and that even the one hour "powerful" rabbit could do nothing more than turning into a dinner. The Wolf who was now licking his paws after a meal, stopped abruptly and looked at me, he looked directly at me! And I couldn''t help but feel afraid, instinctively my wings began to beat, and when I realized I was flying towards the deepest part of the forest, I looked behind thinking that the wolf might have come after me, but he didn''t, he stood still, just looking at me, as if to say that I''m not worth the effort... My heart, or whatever was inside of me, was beating so fast causing me to fly faster out of that place, I was curious, I couldn''t avoid , something so powerful, what was it? "Analyze"
[Status]
[Locked}
Damn it! Why can''t I get any information about his status?! Is some kind of difference of levels or some skill?! I have no idea! And the system doesn''t explain anything to me! At least I could see some information about the rabbit, I knew his full status was there, I just couldn''t see it clearly! I finish leaving this place as fast as I can in the opposite direction from the Wolf, I flew without stopping for a long time! Really long time! I flew until I was exhausted, I flew so much that I gained a level of [skill]!
[warning]
The skill [basic flight] has reached Lv 2!
Well! it doesn''t sound like much... but still something to be proud of, I guess? When I stoped flying, I feel exhausted, I land on the roots of a tree and the physical exaustion hits me like a brick, it is not the kind of exhaustion that you feel when you had made a lot of physical effort, Is the kind that seems that at any moment I could faint, this was very weird, flying for so long would tire anyone, but I never had hear about bees that "flew until they died". I toke a quick look at my own status and soon discover the reason for this horrible exhaustion.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Queen Mana:N/A
+ Information
[Skills] - 5
[Traits] - 3
[Effects]
Exhaustion - 05:37 Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. You pushed your body too hard and now it''s exhausted
That it?!? I can suffer with effects too! And not wanting to be a ignorant, but what kind of description is that! It is obvious that the [Effect] of exhaustion leaves you exhausted! Can''t you be more specific on why I feel like a steamroller has rolled over me?!? ... This is useless this system doesn''t have a secretary like those manga stories I read before I died, Man how I wanted one of those now! or at least a [Tutorial for Beginners] anything would be welcome here! I feel weak, like my body is emptying, and soon I find out why, now I''m hungry too! I guess that''s right, considering I haven''t eaten anything since I was "born". I look around, finally paying attention to the environment around me, since I came here, and I see some small flowers that grew between the roots and Moss, small deep purple flowers with yellow interiors, must be my Bee instincts, it can only be these bee instincts, because when I look at this interesting flower that I had never seen before, the only thing I can feel is hunger! I end up walking to the group of small flowers and soon I discovered something interesting about me!, which is something common for insects, but more cool for humans, I can attach myself to the surface of the tree and walk in angles that don''t seem possible! Being able to walk through walls and even upside down! It''s not perfect, I feel gravity pulling me, trying to make me fall with everything on the floor, the more inclined I get, but it''s still cool! maybe with a [Skill] I can walk around the surfaces without worrying about falling, but how do I get specific skills? I know that when I won [Basic flight] I tried really hard so many times to fly, to gain this skill. While rambling once again about these abilities and how they work, I was soon here, face to face with the Little Flower, it smelled sweet and instantly made my stomach rumble, I didn''t know exactly how to eat nectar like a bee, but in theory I have a tongue that specializes in collecting nectar. I catch myself looking intently at the Little Flower and try to stretch out my tongue, and soon, from between my insect Jaws, a thin black stem, like the mouth of a butterfly emerges, I struggle for a moment but as soon as my tongue comes into contact with the nectar... God! WHAT A DELICIOUS THING! I don''t know if it''s my bee body, or if nectar really tastes that good, but this is delicious! It is sweet and not cloying, with a slight fruity taste and a light texture! When I realize, I already had drunk the nectar of several flowers, so many of them, so much nectar that my chest is full now! After such a delicious meal, I could only crawl up to a small shadow of leaves to try and take a nap, when I reached what appeared to be a hole in the roots of the tree, I decided it would be good enough for my well-deserved rest! As I nestled among small leaves that I collected to make a small makeshift bed, a thought came to me me, Am I''am wasting my time? I should create a hive already! "What-!?" I should''t be think about building a hive, I had no intentions on creating a hive, but so now that I stop to analyze my thoughts... I can only think of the pros of having a hive full of workers! As food, shelter, defenders, and a safety for me and the little ones! But that wasn''t right! I''m a human! I shouldn''t be excited about giving birth to a bunch of bugs! The only reason I could think of for me to be having those "bees" thoughts are just one... "CAN THIS DAMN BEE BODY INFLUENCE MY MIND?!?" Now that I think about it, I think I was too fine with it all, since I was born as a bee I mean.. I was angry at first, yes! but I ended accepting that to fast, too fast, this weird Bee body was turning my human mind into a perfect queen or what?!? And what should I do about it now that I''m aware there''s something wrong? If I end up giving in to every bee instinct... will I soon lose my humanity? my conscience? Other thing, could I fight those instincts? They are here, now I can feel them, like when someone adimite that has problems and can feel them, but i don''t feel anything wrong coming from these instincts, I feel like it''s just a bunch of ideas that try to keep me alive, but they realy just that? Or something else that is slowly trying to corrupt me?! .... .... I just thought a lot about it, my humanity, personality and consciousness, were they still intact? Since I made the passage into this strange world, am I the same person as before? Or just a bee that mysteriously had found the memories of some alien human?... I have no idea... This thought that I might just be the shadow of my old self, a version of me who got lost among the stars and ended up in the body of an otherworldly Bee scares me, I stand there, staring out of the little hole in the root of the tree where I am, and think... Should I just accept this new reality with open arms? I had no friends, or family, nothing to go back to or cry about, nothing but myself, now should I really stop resenting so much some mysterious entity or power that brought me here, and try to make the most out of this new life? It''s not like I''m already singing victory, but most of the time in a isekai''s fantasie the reincarnated character always ends up getting powerful, this could very well happen to me right? But I am a bee... and a queen above all! my skills go around the purpose of creating a hive! Should I just create a fucking Hive at once and that''s it? I would have the security of a home at least... But if I created these drones... They would be my children right? All coming from me, would I be able to face them head on? if they were conscious as I am, what would that mean? What if they ended up not even being sentient? just gears in the machine, would that be wrong? "What the fuck am I supposed to do?..." Chapter 5: Use of skills When I woke up the next morning I had a goal set! Use my skills! I decided that no matter how much I complain, or who I complain to, this is my reality now, and I couldn''t change that, not without dying, and I''m not going to give myself away on a platter! I decided that I would make the best of this situation, I needed to test all of these skills and determine how useful they were to me! And to begin with my plan, I looked at the Great Tree, where I had found a hole between the roots and made a shelter, i had decided to go after a base of operations to test all my skills! Not that the small hole was bad, but it was very unprotected, and dirty, I would prefer something like a very small hole between rocks, or a tree, that would be much safer in my opinion, so while I climbed the large tree, looking for an ideal place, I found a large hole, which was not suitable for me, but it would be very good for a couple of birds or squirrels, climbing a little more and turning around in the trunk i end up finding a crack just large enough for me to squeeze past, and small enough for me to have to squeeze me to pass! the space inside is not large, and it doens''t seems ideal to make a nest... I don''t need a nest! Damn Bee instincts, trying to influence me, this little hole will serve my purpose very well for now, after the rummage through the hole and being satisfied with it, I leave to move on to the next step of my plan! Eat lots of nectar from delicious flowers!~~ And it wasn''t just because I was getting hungry, it was also essential to the success of my plans. When I left the small hole in the tree, I went out towards a group of flowers near the large tree, big plants that looked like sunflowers only much larger and with petals that looked like pink leaves, the part that contained the pollen and nectar was huge! it occupied more than half of the Flower, about 80% of it, and it tasted delicious, with a slight orange flavor and lavender aroma, an interesting combination! After drinking nectar until my chest was completely full, I lazily fly back to my small "Base of operations", when I get there I start my plan to use the skill, starting with [Wax making], I focus on the skill waiting for it to do its job and.... Nothing. Nothing happened when I focused on the skill, and I didn''t know why, maybe I shouldn''t focus on the skill itself, but on what it allows me to do, I start thinking about the wax, malleable, resistant, yellow, and that could become very good scented candles. To my surprise, when I focused on the wax itself, instead of the ability to create the wax, I felt a tightness in my chest, as if something was being compressed, soon I felt heavier, and as if I had mud stuck to my throat. I coughed for a while, bothered by the very strange sensation that was in my chest, it was bothering me so much that I tried to spit, and from there a ball of wax, yellow and malleable, looking like a ball of mud that hit the ground with everything, I stared at the small exibition of my habilities and wondered again if this was some kind of divine punishment... Leaving aside the thoughts about an entity that hates me, I take the small ball of wax, and I see that it has a texture similar to Clay, very malleable and easy to work, I am not an artist and much less talented in clay work, I am not confident in creating something of quality. But my main goal was achieved: Use skills! Now I need to figure out how to use my other skills, and I believe the best option now that I have wax, would be [Create Honey]. With the small ball of wax that I had on the floor and with what I still had in my chest I start trying to create a "jar" stuck to the floor, after a lot of effort trying to do something respectable, I slowly move away from my little creation and... that looks very poorly made and disproportionate... But it will serve the purpose it was created for! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After going out again to get more nectar, I kneel before the small basin that barely reached my knees and think about the honey... the sweet and golden honey, delicious and nutritious... And instantly I feel the worst nausea of my life. Did something go wrong while I was trying to use the [Create Honey] skill?!?! It was like I was inside an old washing machine, rattling non-stop, it was nauseating in the extreme! I put my arms on the floor and leaned my head on the small jar of wax, and soon a sense of urgency came over me, and I began to vomit. God, looked like vomit, the feeling was the same! More when I open my eyes to see the mess I''ve created, BAAM! in front of me is a jar filled almost to the brim with golden and delicious-looking honey. And it was nothing more than bee vomit... I always liked honey, it was sweet and natual, a delight of Mother Nature! But after witnessing it, the resemblance it had to a drunk human vomiting in the toilet... I couldn''t look at the little honey pot in the same way as before. After leaving my "base of operations" I fly in a daze to a nearby lake to drink some water and get that stomach churning feeling out... Would I have to make honey to survive? couldn''t I just feed on nectar like I''ve done so far? Although in winter they should not have flowers to eat... Is there winter here? or is it an evergreen forest? Maybe I don''t need honey, because the process of creating it is exasperating, physically and mentally, but if I can create honey it must have an ultility to it, or it is a food that can be easily stocked, or something more nutritious than Pure nectar. Arriving at the small lake, I observe it for a while and judge that it looks good for consumption, after drinking for a while I resolve to refresh myself a little, and while I bathed in the small body of water. A shiver ran down my spine. Looking in the direction of the sensation I just had I saw, a small gecko when we made eye contact, soon he cringed and changed color! it blended into the environment around him very convincingly, and he seemed to think I hadn''t noticed it! it was a small gecko, but it seemed the size of a horse to me, but taking into account how small I am he is not that big too, and more important i understood his intentions immediately! He wanted a snack! And no matter how stupid he must think I am, for to not be able to see through such a poorly made disguise, he can go dreaming if he thinks I''m going to become a gecko snack! Flaping my wings in preparation for taking a flight, the little shit realized my intentions, giving up his "master disguise" he runs towards me with his mouth open at a speed that is surprising to me! I can barely get off the ground when the shameless little gecko gets to where I was previously, he looks up in frustration and tries to catch me with his mouth while doing small jumps, but all i need is fly higher and leave the gecko who thought he was incredible behind, and I try to use my other ability [Memorial Memory] to create a mental reminder about these guys, I focus on trying to remember that near the lake had some shameless geckos, but nothing happens... I don''t know if it worked or if it didn''t, I still have gecko''s very fresh memory so I don''t know if it''s because I chose to remember or if it''s just a very rescent memory, I think I would have to wait a while to know if the mental reminder I had created worked or not, because the damn system wouldn''t let me know if I was using the skills successfully or not! When I went back to the hole with the little jar of honey inside, I thought of the only skills I haven''t used so far [Egg laying] and [Maternal connection] two skills I needed to create a drone to know of its utilities, I was very reluctant to use [Egg laying] but after seeing Mr Rabbit, The Wolf and the shameless gecko, I realized, I''m weak as hell... I need help, and this shitty system clearly isn''t going to give me that help, I didn''t nescessarily need an entire hive, but creating 1 or 2 soldiers who could protect me would be very helpful. I hesitated, for quite a while, whether or not to create these soldiers, but in the end my judgment that I was weak as hell and that I urgently needed help won, I thought about raising an egg, a soldier''s egg, I focused on the idea of a strong and powerful soldier who would protect me, and then it came,a pressure that scratched my bee bottom, it was not painful or uncomfortable, but I was very estressed by the idea of what was to come. I, a human who lived to the 33, who never had children and little sexual experience, was now spawning a bee egg! Soon a sense of urgency in my bee part gave me the signal that it was ready, and I relieved the pressure I was putting on the area and from there a small pure white egg slid quietly to the ground. when it hit the ground, all the previous sensations disappeared as if they had never existed, and in place a small bee egg of harmless appearance was in place, when I looked at the small egg, I felt a great feeling of attachment, I could not explain why, it should be the Bee instincts, but I felt deep in my being that I should protect that small egg. Moving slowly towards the little one I take him in my arms and gently place him in a corner of the hole, I think I should make a small jar for him too, since it was the habit of bees, if I''m not mistaken they grow in "apartments". "Then... Now I''m a mother? That was easier than I thought..." Chapter 6: Analyze After creating a small egg container, I was curious to know how long this egg would take to hatch, maybe I could analyze it? "Analyze"
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
+ Information
[Effects]
Incubating - 5 days This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
OH? I can really see his status, and nothing has been hidden, is it because I am the progenitor?, or because he is of a lower level than me?, or the result of [maternal bonding] ability? I needed to figure out a way to gain an ability to analyze... if there are one at all, all this lack of information are eating away my insides, and more importantly 5 days? what should I do during this time? Honey was out of the question, I didn''t have the strength to go through all that work and process just to get some bee vomit. I think I should try to level up my skills to the maximum, from my experiences with [basic flight] I could evolve a skill by doing an activity related to it for a long time, but it would be good to gain some skills... preferably offensive skills to compensate for all ultilitary skills, now that I think about it, there are offensive skills or all skills just aid in crafting activities?.. I think it''s unlikely that there aren''t skills that are used for fights, as simple as they are like an ability to cut hard things, or powerful poisons skills, they fall under both ultility and offensive, So the question was if it would be possible to learn a skill like [Laser beam] that was purely offensive, and if there is a way, how the hell do I learn these types of skills? I already know that practicing gives you skills. But no one can just keep a ugly glare at someone until they release laser Beans through their eyes to gain the ability of [Laser beam]. Could it have something to do with mana status? I don''t own any at the moment, and I have no idea how to unlock it either, but it would make sense if we have offensive spells instead of offensive skills, I could learn offensive spells, since Magic should be more malleable than those skills, but what if they aren''t? what if the magic of this world is not as malleable and useful as described in anime and manga, what if it is just a useless status that does nothing, and what if I had a limited number of skill slots? while I''m here trying to figure out ways to gain new skills I have no idea if there is a limit, what if there really as a limit, and I''m accidentally crippling myself by learning useless skills that can be easily imitated with practice? .... .... I started to wonder so much about the skills that when I realize it''s getting dark, man that must be the effect of the [worried player] trait? I always wondered why i always contradicting myself about the pros and cons of anyting, and I don''t remember rambling and wondering so much about things i''am not suposted to know about!, I would always rather try to learn about what I don''t know than stay in the "What if" but since I got here, I keep trapping myself in my own mind and rambling about questions I don''t have how to know! And that trait [Conserned player] seemed to be the culprit!
[Concerned player]
You think too much, and always think the worst, even the wise become useless in the face of indecision. Wisdom -75% Speed -5
Precisely! it''s that thing that makes me question every step I take, Ugh.. I Must have some way to get rid of [Traces]? because if I keep rambling on about every question that boggles my mind I''ll never move from this place! but what if they cannot be eliminated, and if those [Traces] are pieces that form the whole person and are eternally bound- AHHHHHH What a useless fucking trace! It only serves to annoy me! But it seems that I can be aware of when i''m too rambling, like a person with ADHD who can notice that they have forgotten something, I can notice when I am rambling too much, so the most important thing must be to keep the mind focused on a goal. And the goal now is: Level Up or gain a new skill First, I would like to try to gain a skill related to analyze, this one seems to be useful, but it may also be that there is not even the ability to analyze, and it is something that all creatures can do, but there is the barrier of level differences... And here I am rambling again! I''m going to analyze several things for 1 whole day and see if I win something with it, if I don''t win that''s it! End of the mystery of the ability to [Analyze]. I angrily leave my little hole and fly to the small field with flowers that look like sunflowers to analyze the things around me and see what I gain from it. When I landed on the large, strange-looking flower that gave me delicious snacks, the first thing I did was try to analyze it.
[Description]
A Grand Boungain flower.
The description didn''t seem to give me any useful information other than saying the name of the flower.
[Description]
A Fairy Moss
I continue my crazy frenzy of analyzing and i ended up discovering several species that I had never seen before
[Description]
A Lilly Flux flower
[Description]
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. {Blocked}
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Big woodlouse of the deep
Level: 2 Class: ----- Mana: ------
+ Information
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Farmer Worm
Level: 5 Class: ------ Mana: ------
+ Information
[Description]
A Older Acer of Mithril
[Description]
{Blocked}
[Description]
A Fairy Lily poppy
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Dark Rat
Level: 4 Class: ----- Mana: -----
+ Information
Soon I make several interesting discoveries, the tree in which I am currently is a [Older Acer of Mithril]l! Meanwhile, when i try to analyze some big animals i am always blocked, and I cannot see more than the levels of small creaturestheir, species name and life points, and by the way how can a [Farmer Worm] have more Hp? Than [Dark Rat]?! some kind of System play, or did that worm bet everything he had on life points? And speaking of those points, how did I earn them? it depended on my species and as I evolved they were distributed automatically, or did I need to choose where to use them? And what about with these names as [Big woodlouse of the deep]? the only thing I can think of are the famous evolutions! like pokemons, after reaching a certain level these creatures must evolve into higher life forms, and that is why a [Farmer Worm] appears to be stronger than a [Dark Rat], so would this also happen to me? if I reache a limit level would I need to evolve? As I process all the information I have accumulated from this analysis I realize the most important point, I did not get that ability to analyze! I looked at all kinds of things that were in front of me, so much things! Even stone and they give things like that.
[Description]
A rock
Which made me realize that I could analyze basically anything, and I would receive a description about it, but when I analyzed animals I did not receive descriptions of them! all I received was they [Status], if I could analyze they descriptions like I do with this stone, I could know more about they weaknesses and strengths, but I get nothing more than the basic [status] screen! which brings me back to the ability to analyze, I refuse to believe that such a useful and promising skill does not exist! Since much more complex skills like [Memorial Memory] are at stake! I keep analyzing everything around me, everything! from stones and sticks on the ground to anything that moves in my field of vision, I analyze so much that I soon get a headache with so much information, The Sun that when I arrived was shining in the sky, now was going away, I didn''t move from the place, occasionally drinking the nectar of the [Grand Boungain] to satisfy my hunger, when the last sunlight was going away, my dream became more and more impossible and distant, I felt that it was time to give up, and then... It happened!
[Warning]
[Skil]: {Analyze} has been learned and can now be leveled up to level 10
OH MY HOLY LORD OF BREAD!! It exists! it really exists! and she''s finally mine!!
{Analyze} Lv 1
Can analyze objects
Serious system!? After everything I''ve been through, that''s the description you give me for something I had so many expectations for!?! The most important thing is its ultility, and how I can use it, [analyze] please don''t disappoint me, I have so many expectations for you! I look at the Little purple flowers that grow on the moss, the [Fairy lily] and try to see if something new appears to me!
[Description]
A Fairy Lily poppy, have a delicious nectar.
ARE YOU KIDDING WITH MY FACE??!? I believed so much in this ability [Analyze] and that''s all it gives to me!??! Information I already knew! .... Alright... To be fair it''s only Lv1... it may be more useful in the future... yeah that''s it, for sure I didn''t waste my day on something useless. When I return disappointed to my little hole, I see the small pot of bee vomit, and the small pot that served as a nursery for the little soldier egg, I tried to analyze the honey and see if there was anything special on it.
[Description]
[Boungain Honey] Created by a low-level honey bee, it has high nutritional value, but is not very tasty
Quality: low
Hey! Now you will also judge my work!? just for you to know, i make it from the guts to the heart to create this low quality honey! And you tell me it''s worthless honey!? At least it confirmed my theory that honey is more nutritious than Pure nectar, if I needed to start making honey to feed the soldiers I''d be so fucked up! Since it''s already night and I don''t have much more i can do, I used what''s left of nectar on my chest to create some wax and put it between the small cracks that it has inside the hole to create a "safe room", I was also thinking of creating a door to the small crack, I could use some leaves to create a curtain and wax to keep everything together, if I pass the wax on the leaves they should become waterproof right? The wax is waterproof! so if rain I would have some protection, and speaking of shelter enhancements, a fire would be very welcome! this hole is cool serious! But it''s pitch black when the sun goes down, and I don''t feel comfortable with the idea of "waking up with the sun and sleeping with the Sun", I need to find solutions to my housing problems! and I''m going to take advantage of the fact that I have about 4 days left before this soldier is born, so I can prepare myself physically and emotionally for the arrival of my son? Servant? Creature? As strange it was to call the Little Egg a son, I couldn''t help but feel the connection between us, maybe effect of the [Maternal bond] but for sure that was there! After thinking about my plans for tomorrow I curl up in a bunch of leafes that I call a bed and try to sleep, having to deal with the failure that was the skill [analyze] was. Chapter 7: Search for Light When I wake up in the morning, i decided that today will be the day of reforms, I will make this hole become much more habitable! And to begin with I''m going after the delicious nectar to create more wax for my little hole, but when i was on the way to the [Grand Boungain] I thought of one thing... Did I really need nectar to make wax? The skill [making wax] has never limited me to using only nectar to make wax... But for me It has always been so natural to make wax with nectar, it may be the instincts of a bees trying to convince me that this was the best option, but I won''t know for sure until I try! When I arrive at the [Grand Boungain] instead of taking the sweet nectar I start to swallow the flower''s pollen, it has a strange taste and texture of sand, very uncomfortable to swallow, so much that after adding just a little to my chest i stopped, what seemed to be enough material, I thinked again of the wax, in the intention of making it, and again the pressure on my chest, but this time it was heavier than before, and instead of mud stuck to my throat it seemed that I had a stone stuck in my throat, I try to spit out this weird piece of wax, and what comes out of it was a little ball of wax, that when falling to the ground remained firm and consistent, unlike the wax ball that falls like a mud ball, when I take the small wax ball in my arms, I soon realize that despite the color similar to ordinary wax, this one is much harder! It is still malleable, rather more difficult to work with, and although it is hard it is not brittle, I can think of many ultities for this, just like ordinary wax, it hardens even more after it dries, I could essentially create wax bricks with it! I could build a wax house using hard wax as bricks and ordinary wax as glue! Now that I notice the differences in wax depending on the material used, I realize that I haven''t analyzed the wax until now!
[Description]
[Hard Bee Wax] This bee wax is more concentrated than ordinary wax and is therefore much harder.
Quality: Low
This discovery of wax left me very intrigued, if I used other materials they would have other properties! if I used those shiny leaves I could create shiny wax!? it would certainly be very useful. Excited by the idea and the potential of [Wax making] I fly to the moss that grows everywhere, the [Fairy Moss]! I was wondering if using a material that has mana would generate a wax with magical properties! when I get on the big carpet of Moss I start eating it, and it''s hard and not easy to chew, and tastes bitter, but the anticipation for the results make me ignore the bad taste. When I eat a great amount of the Moss, I focus again on creating wax, and again the feeling of pressure in my chest hits me this time the feeling in my throat was itchy, even more so with the feeling that I had a stone in my throat, it was a mixture! it felt like I had a ball of sand in my throat then I remembered that I had not emptied the hard wax that I still had in my chest before! When I tryed to spit out the wax ball, what comes out of it is a hard ball of wax, with a yellow wax coloration, but it has deep green coloration marks all over the small wax ball! Without wasting time I try to analyze it!
[Description]
[Strong Bee Wax] This bee wax is harder and rougher than ordinary wax.
Quality: Low
OH! so I can mix materials to create waxes with unique abilities, well I feel sad that even using moss I didn''t get a wax with magical abilities, but that''s still something. Now for the next level! wax made with the shiny plants, and made with flower petals. can I also try using the tree bark to see what happens? if wax made with pollen already gives me a harder wax, what would happen to wax made from tree bark? I fly up to a small flower that looks like a daisy, only its petals glowing like neon posters! shining with a pale blue and it was very beautiful! after guzzling what was left of wax on my chest I start eating the petals of this bright flower and realize how horrible it tastes! Seriously this sucks! it must be some kind of defense system for no one wanting to eats them, but sorry Mrs. flower, I have a goals and your horrible taste can''t stop me! After eating a little more than 2 petals, I could not put anything more inside my chest, I rest on top of the leaves of the bright flower, and again I try to create wax, I have many expectations for this wax! if it''s a glowing wax I can have a bright House! While the already familiar pressure tightened my chest, soon a different feeling from the previous ones came to my throat, this time it felt like I had swallowed a paper ball! it scraped in my throat and made me very uncomfortable, quickly spitting the small mysterious wax ball, I discover that its special feature was that unlike the typical yellow wax balls, this one is pale blue like the petals of the flower I ate! and she glows! But compared to the neon glow of the blue flower, this wax looked more like an half-dead led light... Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
[Description]
[Colored Wax] This beeswax has the same colors as the materia used to make it
Quality: Low
Well, at least it glows? but it won''t serve to illuminate my little hole, it would serve only to create emergency exit signals! and maybe to create colored candles... That''s it! candles!, I''m a bee that can create wax, I don''t exactly need a campfire, I could just create a bunch of candles to light my hole, plus what would I use as the candle rope? and where would i find fire!? Returning to my hole I leave what was left of colored wax on my chest in a ball hidden in the corner, I go to the Little Egg and analyze it.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
+ Information
[Effects]
Incubating - 3 days and 13 hours This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
I still have a long time until this little guy is born, and when he is born, will he be a larvae or a soldier? the egg has not yet given a sign of growth, it just got a little grayer, so either it would go through an explosive growth in these 3 days, or I would have to take care of a larva! Bothered by the idea I get out of my small hole and go after finding a light source for my base, I thought of using the petals of the bright flower itself, picking pieces and sticking to the ceiling with wax, I soon discovered that once disconnected from the flower, the petals soon lost their shine and wither, i keep moving near my base, trying to find something that would serve as a lamp, but only found leaves and bright plants, which became useless once plucked, I believe that moving the whole flower could keep her glowing, but was an impossible task for me now, as I wandered through the forest I soon smelled something delicious! the kind of thing that i had never smelled before, going in the direction of the smell, I find what seems to be an orchid, had the shape of a cauldron with a tube just above where the delicious smell came from... And it looked like an extremely high-quality type of nectar! I even drooled at the thought of eating just a little! that orchid had a suspicious look, and the cauldron that was suspended on her seemed to be filled with some kind of liquid, but I didn''t care much... Wait a minute! Delicious smell, suspicious plant, and with a bag full of liguid? That was a fucking carnivorous plant! and to think I was almost charmed by the smell of nectar! if I drank some of it, I''d probably pass out or something like that, and fall into her purse! Getting closer and trying as much as possible to ignore the smell that tempted me, I try to see what is inside the cauldron and soon my suspicions were realized! Bodies of insects of strange shapes, dozens of them! Some already half-digested and others that seemed fresh, and I could had ended up in the middle of them if I had simply succumbed to the desire to drink this nectar... But I''m not a dumb insect, if I eat without leaning on the cauldron can I have a taste of this delicious-looking nectar?... No! I have no idea what kind of effect this nectar can give me, but for one thing i know for sure! These insects didn''t throw themselves inside the carnivorous flower after a good meal. Leaving it quickly so i won''t be any longer tempted by the smell of the nectar, I return to my goal of finding a lamp. In my journey in search of light I didn''t find anything that I could use, I could try to create fire, but when I thought about it... I felt afraid, very afraid, and it didn''t seem to be rational, fire could be essential to me, and even though I had burned to death I could still understand the importance of fire, but I still felt afraid of ideia of burning in fire... and the obvious culprit was the [Trait], [Fear of burning]
{Fear of burning}
You have suffered a great trauma related to fire, so much so that it has engraved itself on your soul, and has become something you cannot tolerate Life -25% Defense -85% [against fire]
Before I thought that the traits would only interfere with my [Status], but after I realized what was happening with [Conserned player] I discovered that they are affecting not only my [Status], they affected my very own way of thinking and acting, they had more power over me than I thought they had... With the idea of fire out of the game, I kept looking for something that glowed and that I could take to the base, when the sun was already almost going away and was about to give up, I spotted from afar, a large bush, and in that Bush had what looked like nuts, but they had a strange shape, like a cat toy that had a small ball inside and a carcass with holes, getting close I saw that inside the nut there was a small golden ball that seemed to be made of metal, it did not shine and nothing, but it was interesting, I fly down to the ground to try to catch one of these nuts that have already fallen to the ground, and there I find many of these fallen nuts, and to my surprise... Some of them glowed!, a golden and beautiful glow like a small ball of light, some shyne brighter than the others and i didn''t know why. Picking up the little odd-looking nut I feel like it was heavy, but light enough for me to lift relatively easily, the nut I picked up isn''t glowing like the others, and I don''t understand why, I try to rattle the ball to get some reaction and, Bingo! The little nut starts to shiny brighter, to the point of making my eyes hurt, and finally after my long search I found it! a lamp for my little hole in the wall. Chapter 8: A new addiction? Sometimes I feel that life likes to play with my misery, because seriously, it is not possible!, after bringing the little walnut that shines home I end up running into a big problem, this won''t go through the crack! It is simply too big, I would need to break the shell and take the part that is really important, the Golden nut of metallic appearance, the nut was what emitted the shine light, if I could take it out of this hard shell I would get my long desired lamp! Determined not to lose to a nut, I fly up to a big rock and start bringing the nut high as I can, to release it and try to win the prize! After what seemed like a long climb, I was getting tired of carrying the pea, so I dropped it at once, letting it fall among the rocks and hoping that at least something would work out for me. When I fly down towards where the nut fell, I see that its bumpy Shell has been completely softened and was broken! Turning the shell so that the broken part was put on my vision, I see, inside the shell, the small nut that looked like a Pearl Shining, strong as a lamp! And finally I had some success! i bring the little nut out of the Shell and realize how much lighter and easier it is to carry, and most importantly, it is the size of my head! then it will definitely go through the small crack! Flying excited to my small base of operations I am happy to enter without problems with my little shiny nut to the arms, I place it gently in the middle of the room and see for the first time the inside of the small hole clearly, it was very coarse, and had many holes, but finally I had my little light source! I was so focused on getting a lamp that didn''t even remembered to analyze this strange nut!
[Description]
[Lumusberry] A berry that have light affinity
Quality: low
Uh? Can things have affinities? I had never seen nothing with an affinity before! how do you gain an affinity?! and how important are they? Well I think it''s more one important information that I have no idea for what is used, only plants have affinities? or all living things? or all things? this was literally the first time I''ve seen anything with affinity so it must be at least a rare trait.... I give up the idea of continuing to think about something I don''t know, I''m not going to succumb to the [worried player], and I decide that I''m going to use what''s left of sunlight to enhance my shelter by making wax! After flying out of my hiding place, and getting a large amount of nectar, I go back to my base and start creating common wax, I opted for common wax because it is easier to work, I just wanted to plug the holes that had in my "house" so the common hax would already do the job, and well, let''s face it, drinking a sweet nectar to make wax is much better than eating pollen, or bitter leaves. After doing the same process of going out in search of nectar, going back to make wax and plugging the holes for a few times, suddenly while I plugged one of the last holes of my base I received a notification
[warning]
The [Wax making] skill has reached Lv2
Oh!!! what good news! I come out of the hole excited in search of a little more nectar to test what would be the difference between lv1 and lv2, even though the sunlight has already gone, the forest still shines at night and it is easy to find a bright flower at night, when I return to my base, I try again to create wax to find out what the difference is, and soon I discover that the feeling of creating wax did not bother me much as before, it was just a little less, but it still felt more natural, after spitting the small ball of wax, it looked slightly larger, I don''t really know, it might just be the mandela Effect, it just seemed bigger to me! It was not exactly the improvement of the century but I think I created too many expectations for an Lv2 skill So it would mean that as I level up, it would become easier to create wax, and its quantity would be greater, even if I used the same amount of raw materials, doesn''t that mean that the same goes with honey? if I kept making a lot of honey soon I wouldn''t feel so bad creating it. I think this is a problem for the future me, and it has nothing to do with the present me, so it has no problem leaving it for later. I go back to my little bed of improvised sheets and try to sleep, my goals today have been conquered, and tomorrow I will try to improve my little house even more! maybe create a bed with hard wax and a mattress with torn sheets. When I wake up in the morning a question get stuck in my mind, could I use honey to create wax? technically it''s a plant-based product, so this fit on the skill requirement, and because it''s kind of a "super concentrated nectar" could it give me a better quality wax, or a larger amount of common wax? I stare at the little jar of honey, or bee vomit if you prefer, thinking about the wax question. Clearly there is nothing wrong with that, the description tells me this. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[Description]
[Boungain Honey] Created by a low-level honey bee, it has high nutritional value, but is not very tasty
Quality: low
But just to remember how it was done, this will have to enter again through the same hole that he left! When I was a human I ate honey and had full knowledge of how it was made, but now that I''m a bee, the idea of eating my own vomit is still hard to swallow... I just decided that I have to at least try my creation! it can''t be that bad, I just need to stop having prejudices pre-conceived by me, if not, soon this honey can spoil! and by the way it''s nice to add to the to-do list a lid for the honey pot. I kneel before the small pot and honey and take some with my hand, when I look at it a small drop of honey perfectly formed and held in the palm of my hand, looking very inviting, I close my eyes and just swallow it at once! .... .... .... OK now I have a very serious problem to solve.... HONEY IS SIMPLY DELICIOUS!! It does not even compare to Pure nectar, the taste is much more concentrated and thats not cloying, it has a much sharper aroma and a much more inviting texture! I end up continuing to eat the honey while thinking in my mind about how delicious it is, I eat so much that when I realized the small pot was empty and my hands and face were sticky with honey... And it looks like I just became the honey-crazy bitch... As I fly towards the lake to clean myself up, stunned by what I just did, I think that mustn''t be entirely my fault right? you know, there''s all the Bee instincts in account, and the fact that I still didn''t have any food that morning, and that must have been why I went so crazy when I ate the honey, If I remember correctly the description of the Honey said that it was not very tasty, which seems like a total lie to me, but if thats true then I could create a super delicious honey!?!? All this stuff with the super delicious honey made me forget that it was nothing more than bee vomit, I ended up accepting the fact that if something is so delicious the manufacturing process should not be taken in concideration! Arriving at the small lake I wash myself of the big mess I made in me, and take another look at myself, I could say that for sure, I was very strange for a bee. Even having all characteristics of a bee, bee ass, sting, wings, many arms, insect eyes, and insect mandibles, I still don''t look anything like an ordinary Bee, I walk with 2 legs like humans and I have a posture similar to them too, my face for sure is an insect, but my eyes are in the same places as humans, as well as my jaws, and I even have what seems to be a nose, and you call that a bee? In my world I could even be called a species "fairy", because seriously I looked like a mix of human and Bee, I didn''t know if this is a characteristic of my species, or the fact that I was a human in the past life, maybe this little detail had altered my body, but I have no way to really know until I see other bees. While I was cleaning myself and thinking about my origins, a small noise came from the tall grass next to me, and at the same instant something shot up in my mind. Shameless gecko! But what comes out of there is a small louse of harmless appearance, this mental trigger served as a warning long before I even saw what it was, it is probably the effect of the skill [Memorial Memory] coming into action, it doens''t seem to be really very useful now that I have witnessed it firsthand... But that must have their uses for later! and by the way, how do I level this kind of skill? creating several mental points? or triggering a lot of mental points? I have no idea, this kind of skill was too abstract to be sure how to proceed. Flying back to my house I looked at the little ones [Fairy lily] who had delicious nectar and wondered what kind of delicious honey could be made from it, thinking of the delicious honey I judged that going through a moment of discomfort was nothing if I could feast on the honey. And also, my goal was to see if I could use honey to create wax, but I ended up emptying my stock and couldn''t test this theory, so I think it was time for a re-stock. After filling my chest with lily''s nectar, I quietly go back to my little house, and position myself again on my knees in front of the now empty little jar of honey, I try again to use the process to create honey thinking that now that I am prepared for what is to come it would not be so bad, I was wrong, very wrong, it hit me like a brick like last time, and the next moment I was vomiting the golden and delicious liguid... After recovering for a moment I look at the jar full of honey with complicated feelings about it, on one hand it''s the most delicious thing I''ve ever eaten, on the other, it''s vomit, my own vomit! I think I''d better stop thinking about what the honey pot in front of me actually is, and focus my attention on its description.
[Description]
[Fairy Lily''s Honey] Created by a low-level honey bee, it is very tasty!
Quality: low
Well delicious you say?? Well I''m so tired of all this work of creating Honey, I think experimenting a little wouldn''t do me any harm... After tasting some of this [Fairy lily''s Honey] I found that the honey from before really wasn''t tasty as this! this honey had a well-incorporated fruit taste and a taste that cam make you remember him. With a lot of willpower I stop eating coming almost halfway through the pot, so i turn and try to create some wax to test my theories about honey being a viable raw material, and to my surprise it really works! I feel the same weight that I feel when creating ordinary wax, and soon I let out a small ball of ordinary wax, the difference is that I felt that I still had a considerable amount of wax inside my chest! Normally I could only create 3-4 wax balls like this if I used nectar directly, but when honey is used i felt that even using a small amount of honey I could still create 6-7 more wax balls like this! I try to analyze this little ball of wax to see if there is anything special about it and to my surprise there is!
[Description]
[Bee wax] Common bee wax, made with quality material Quality: Fine
The quality is superior! does having higher quality wax have any substantial advantages or is it just something they put in the description? It may be that because it is of [Quality: Fine] quality it lasts longer or is more resistant, but I don''t have exactly how to prove it, inspecting the small ball of wax I realize that it also has a similar smell to [Fairy lily''s], I think that if this wild bee life doesn''t work out I could become the owner of a candles shop. There were still about 2 days left for the egg hatch and so my plans now are: create more honey pots!, Create a door, create a bed, and line the entire floor with wax! Determined to make my little shelter into a comfortable home I go outside in search of more materials for my little personal project. "It''s time to work...." Chapter 9: A new knowledge, a new life As I occasionally ate a large amount of [Grand Boungain] pollen, with the intention of creating large amounts of hard wax, I wondered if I wouldn''t have an easier way to do all this work... it''s not exactly complicated, but it''s very repetitive, I think to facilitate all this work I would need to create a brood of [Workers], and I wasn''t exactly willing to give myself the idea of a hive yet... Returning home I start to spit out small balls of hard wax and gather them in a heap in the corner, I wonder if there would be easier ways to create the wax variations like [Hard Wax], [Rough wax] and [Colored wax] if I used honey in its manufacture, I already knew that I could mix ingredients to create combined types of wax, now if I added honey to the mixture I would create a mixture of common wax with hard wax, or would I create a better version of [Hard Wax]? I believe that thinking about the possibilities is useless so I decide put this theory in practice, I go towards the small jar of honey and drink what was left inside it, satisfied with the meal I go out in search for some pollen to test my theory, as soon I arrive at the strange sunflowers and fill the space that was left in my chest with its pollen, I focus on creating wax and I try to imagine it hard and resistant hoping that the thought can influence the final product, and to my surprise what comes out of my jaws is really [hard wax]! and it still has some interesting capabilities!
[Description]
[Common Hard Wax] This bee wax is easily malleable and becomes hard when it dries.
Quality: low
Damn it! that''s very good! this wax keeps the good parts of both elements that make it up and loses its negative parts. The disvantage of ordinary wax is that was very fragile, exactly what someone would expect of wax, but was easy to work with, and quick drying up, while Hard Wax was very difficult to model, but became hard as stone when it dried, and yet took a long time to dry, now this [Common Hard Wax] can be easily modeled like [Commom wax] and this was resistant as [Hard Wax]! I also couldn''t help but notice how the quality remains low, even though I used the same honey that I used to create the higher quality wax, it seems that the very act of creating the mix decreases the quality of the final product, or it may be that the pollen I used was not really very good. I think the only problem is that to create this [Common Hard Wax] I needed honey, which was a resource... Complicated to make, and I also realized that after creating a single sphere of this new wax, I could create just 2 more equal spheres with the material I have in my chest, so despite its high ultility it has a high production cost, essentially I just discovered the equivalent of concrete for bees! I leave my little balls of special wax behind and went out to create more honey to create more of this miracle wax! .... I may have overdone it a bit in my creation process, and ended up creating a lot of special wax balls, now I had a lot of them and needed to find an ultility! At least after so much work, making honey, collecting pollen, and making wax I ended up gaining 2 skill levels!
[Warning]
The skill [Create Honey] has reached Lv 2!
[Warning]
The skill [Wax making] has reached Lv 3!
At less these levels makes the work of making honey a little less horrible, and the wax was a little easier too, but nothing substantial or worth measuring. Well, now in front of me I had several balls of special wax, and now I was thinking about how I could use them efficiently, these small balls of irregular shapes had already hardened and could now be used as bricks, I could then create more [common Hard Wax] to use as glue to join everything together. My main idea is to create a new honey tank! I seriously needed a larger stock of honey, having to keep going back and forth between tasks is very exhausting. I end up deciding that I''m going to use half of this whole hole to store honey, if I were to wax the walls and then use these blocks to create a dike, I could gain a large stock of honey, and I would only need to leave a small opening big enough for me so i can get in and out. With an elaborate plan to create my large honey tank, I go out again in search for some matter to create a little bit more of wax, this time only ordinary wax would do, after a little hard work I manage to cover the entire area designated to make a tank and start stacking my small wax stones, and sticking them with ordinary wax, after what seemed to be a long time I had finally finished my little personal project!
[Warning]
You earned the trait [Hard worker]
Hmm? can I win [Traits] like that out of nowhere? I really wasn''t even trying? well, I guess you shouldn''t be looking bad for what is earned for free.
[Traits]
{Hard worker} You take your job very seriously, and you manage to do it perfectly! +3 speed
Oh, my god! finally a good [Trait]! I mean one that seems to be useful, I already had the [Trait], {wise} wasn''t Bad, but didn''t seem to do any good either, it just said how I accumulated knowledge in life, but this new trait of hard worker, seemed to give me a great vantage in the manufacture of items, which would be very good! I was already so tired from today''s work that I couldn''t force myself to fill this tank with honey, I went down to take a quick look at my soldier and go to sleep
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
+ Information
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
[Effects]
Incubating - 9 hours This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
Damn it! time flies! Tomorrow he will be born!, and I believe it will be a larva like ordinary bees, because when I look at the small egg its no longer has the pure white appearance, now it was a deep gray color, and the size had not increased at all. When I go to sleep anxious about what awaits me when I wake up, I get anxious thinking about how I should react to a tiny bee larva that might call me mama... .... When I woke up in the morning the first thing I did was run to the small wax jar containing the soldier''s egg to find out what had happened to it, and when I look into it... A little larva! white and with yellow details, I didn''t know how to react to it, but when I looked at it moving occasionally inside the jar, like a little lazy kitten, I couldn''t help but think how much this little larva was the most adorable thing I had ever seen!! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ME?!? It was a larva! a goddamn maggot, just like any other you can think of! and when I look at her I can only think of how adorable she was. This was supposed to be the work of the Bee instincts, or the [Maternal connection] skill, maybe a combination of both, but no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that this fat larva was horrifying, my mind could only think of how adorable she was! I stood there staring at the little larva with a conflicted heart, I felt like a first-time mother who had just been hit by the truck of maternal duty. I looked at this little guy and tried to see his [Status]
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
Life: 2 Str: 0.3 Def: 1
Sp: 0.1 Int: 0.2 Wis: 0.1
[Description]
a small [Solitary honeybee] larva.
[Effects]
Dying of Hunger - 1 day This individual is starving, and at the end of the timer he will die.
Maturing - 2 days This individual is maturing, at the end of the timer will emerge as a adult [Solitary honeybee]
Damn this little guy doesn''t even have 1 full day lived and he already has more [Attack] points tham me! And this effect, starving??!? The soldier I had invested so much time in was now starving to death!? What does this larva eat?! honey? Nectar? leaves? I have no idea! I think honey should be the best option, especially [Grand Boungain] the description mentioned that it was very nutritious! After rushing out like a first-time mother trying to react quickly to a hungry baby, I quickly return to the small hole with a chest full of [Grand Boungain] nectar and create honey that I pour into the small jar containing the tiny larva. I don''t know if I should give the honey in a mouth-to-mouth feed, but at that time i let my bee instincts take the job and they are very welcome to help, and they told me that this way of feeding was the best. The little larva, now almost all emerged in [Boungain Honey] that was previously very quiet, began to move frantically, for a moment I thought it might be drowning in honey, but soon it began to devour the honey at a really impressive speed! I kept pouring the contents of my chest into the little jarr, and soon all the Honey I had was gone and the little larva was still showing signs of hunger, and the [starving] effect was still active. THIS LARVA EATS A LOT!! The amount of honey I had in my chest was not small, and yet the larva devoured it all in an instant! After repeating the same process of getting nectar, turning it into honey and pouring it all into the jar containing the larva, for about 6 times the little larva finally seemed to be satiated! And I just wanted to know where the hell that absurd amount of honey went! this little larva clearly didn''t have room for all this! After a quick check on their status, I was happy to see that finally the [starving] effect was gone, and at the same time very surprised to see a new effect that had appeared!
[Effects]
[Well nourished] - 4 hours This individual was very well fed with a nutritious meal!
It''s so nice when the system itself recognizes all my hard work! This effect of [Well nourished] seems to be very good! but didn''t seem to have any effect... or i just can''t see the effect it has? I know things can have affinities, but I never saw that tab in [status] and I still remember how I felt when I was [exhausted] and the description of the effect was shown, but not what the effect itself did. After making sure my soldier was well fed, I set off again in search of my next goal, filling my new honey tank! And when I was at it I also wanted to find out what would happen if I consumed 2 or more different types of nectar and create honey, would it be a ''generic'' honey or would it become a honey that carried all the advantages of the nectars they were made of? After a race to get various types of nectar and going back to my small house to transform the mixture of several different plants into honey, and pour it into the small jar of improvised honey that I still kept inside my house, and after analyzing it i discover that I didn''t seem to have the capacity to create a type of miracle honey...
[Description]
[Common honey] A common honey made from flower nectar.
Quality: low
A great deception! I believed that I could create a honey with several different effects, but it turned out that it became a generic mixture, could I create a honey with several different effects if I leveled [Create honey]? Or maybe if I created each honey separately with a specific effect and mixed them all together in a single container it would become a honey with several effects? it may be that I can create something like a kind of miracle honey with this, or simply the same generic honey, after all, if you took several blocks of wax with different colors and melted them all in a bowl, it would still have the same effect as melting each one separately and them mixing them in the end. After my great disappointment with the creation of the miracle Honey, I go to the other jar to take a look at my soldier, but I end up being amazed to see a large larva, almost reaching the edge of the jar, instead of the other time small larva that barely occupied the bottom of the jar. BUT HOW??! After an analysis of his [status] I think I have a slight idea of what may have happened to him...
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
+ Information
[Effects]
[Well nourished] - 01:37 hours This individual was very well fed with a nutritious meal!
Maturing - 18 hours This individual is maturing, at the end of the timer will emerge as a adult [Solitary honeybee]
Chapter 10: A cold child Well I guess unless the system timer broke, the [Well nourished] effect has something to do with the fact that the 2 day time became 18 hours in just a little bit more than 2 hours! that''s what? 2x faster? At least that served to confirm my theory that [Effects] really are more than just pretty words on a screen! these are literally buffs and debuffs, I can''t see their detailed description to know their exact effects, and I don''t know of a way to get that information! Maybe increasing the level of [Analyzing] it was not a certain, it might be necessary for me to increase my own level! Something I didn''t get until today! After so much work and creations I din''t seem to have earned the famous XP, and I din''t even have an XP bar, I may well be earningXp level and have no idea! I would bet more on the fact that to level up I needed to essentially kill other creatures, because as far as I discovered craft jobs didn''t give XP! Leaving my anger with the system aside, I returned to the task of Tidying Up My Little House, the nut that lit everything still occupied the center of the burrow, and after seeing some pieces of [Common Hard Wax] on the side that had been left over from my previous construction, I decided that I would attach the small lamp to the ceiling! Using generic honey (useless in my opinion), to create a little bit of [Common wax] i use it to wrap half of the walnut with wax and leave the other half free to shine, with a single piece of special wax I put it on top of the Walnut, where it contained wax, reinforcing everything with a little more wax, and then I use what was left of common wax on my chest to stick the improvised chandelier on the ceiling, and, I must say that it was very good! Now the whole place was illuminated by the bright Walnut lamp and the considerable size ball no longer got in my way, and when it dies off I just had to stretch my arms and give the lamp a light slap to light it up again, I also opted for this model because if the Walnut stops shining at some point, I could simply tear off the old one with ease and replace it with a new and bright one! Satisfied with my work with the chandelier, i soon left my house with the aim of filling the large dam with honey! since with my experience with the little soldier larva, I knew that is needed a lot of honey to satisfy his hunger.
After a long day of work, and a lot of willpower, because seriously, the whole process of making honey is extremely exhausting physically and mentally! The big reward was 2 levels in [Create Honey]
[Warning]
The skill [Create Honey] has reached Lv 3!
[Warning]
The skill [Create Honey] has reached Lv 4!
I had finally filled about 3/4 of my entire tank with honey from [Grand Boungain], sometimes i had to feed soldier again, and again he ate large amounts of honey! And about 1 hour ago this little guy started creating silk! it started with a few threads, and soon he was fully wrapped in a cocoon, and this could only mean one thing, that I would finally get my long-awaited soldier! Now should be the final moments before he emerges, I was very nervous! Would he be conscious? sentient? or none of the 2? just a drone with no will of its own? I had no idea. I tried to analyze his [status] and ll I could do was analyze the cocoon where he was.
[Description]
[Bee cocoon] Created from Bee silk, this cocoon is used as a refuge for large bees.
Quality: Great
I was nervous, I felt like a father in the emergency room waiting for the news of the birth of his son, not knowing at what moment it would happen. I stood there looking at the cocoon, walking and drinking the precious honey that I had made with so much hard work as if it were water because of how nervous i was. Soon a movement came from the cocoon, as if something was tearing it from the inside, I got up at the same time, and after a few moments of struggle, from inside the big cocoon, a bee, different from me, but still similar emerged. It was a bee larger than me, and seemed much stronger than me, he had the same body composition as me, 4 arms, 2 legs, 2 Eyes, 2 Wings and fangs, but the similarities ended there, his arms were much more robust than mine, and had what seemed to be an exoskeleton of metallic appearance, with yellow and black colors typical of bees, his shoulders were wide and had more natural armor, his head was smaller than mine, his eyes were larger, and his fangs occupied the most of his face, and they were really scary, clearly they were pretty powerful, it had 2 antennae just like me, but they were longer and hung forward, his bee butt was smaller and his sting was larger than mine, his 2 legs were large and robust, and it had a armor, the wings were huge! so much so that he razed them on the ground, very different from me, my wings were small but very powerful. As I looked at him, the image of a military soldier with all the protective equipment on came to mind. As I look nervously at him not knowing what to do or speak I am suddenly startled, with a deep, masculine voice coming straight from his jaws. "Mom... What''s my purpose?" .... .... I DON''T EVEN KNOW MY OWN PURPOSE, AND NOW YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU A PURPOSE?!!!??! "Hmm... Then..... so... You know right?..... Protect me from the dangers of the world and things like that?......." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. This Brat has just been born and already brings me trouble! He stands there looking at me like I know what to do! Just for you know, I am more lost than you! And he really called me Mom!? Now what should I do, correct it? leave it like that? Technically I''m his mother, but I wasn''t prepared for a sentient being coming out of that egg! The great bee soldier, stands looking at me, analyzing the environment around him, as if he were lost, or maybe it was just a child''s curiosity? After all, even though he is a super muscular giant in my conception, in reality he is a boy with less than 5 minutes of live... I take advantage of the awkward silence, and the fact that he seems to be distracted and try to analyze this guy to see what''s good about him....
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
Life: 10 Str: 4.1 Def: 3
Sp: 3.5 Int: 5 Wis: 7
+ Information
[Skills]
{Powerfull Jaws} lv 1 Yours jaws are extremely hard, and they grip is much more powerful.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Royal Duty} Lv1 You can sense whenever your queen is in danger, if you fighting in her presence you gain 3x bonus in all stats. Get the (Disabled) effect after the end of a fight using the Royal duty.
{Strong limbs} - Lv 1 All yours limbs are very strong and can carry 2x your own weight.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
[Traces]
[Super developed] You grew up very well in your youth! And now you can feel the results! The [Speed], [life] and [strength] are multplied by 2
[Perfect soldier] You were created to be the perfect soldier, and now you are. +10% Strength +10% Speed +10% life
What the fuck is that? Is he a monster? or am I pathetic? or both? When I was born I didn''t have that much power! This is a result of the fact that he is a [soldier] and I am a [Queen] or are these status the result of the mysterious effect of the [well nourished]? as a bonus in statistics? And these [Skills]? I think it at least confirms the idea that there really are offensive-type [Skills]! And this [Trace] that he have.... How did he get [Super developed]?!? Was that because I fed him [Boungain Honey]? Or an aftereffect of [well nourished]? I don''t know! and now he is super developed! I would say that at least this trait is very good, because seriously? x2 in strength, life, and speed stats? That''s clearly a Super soldier, should put Steve Rogers name on him to give some luck? "hmm... are you hungry? or do you need something? "Yes mother, I am very hungry. I don''t need anything more than food and your orders mom!" What a complicated boy. "Well.... I''ve been stockpiling honey inside that Dike, feel free to eat as you desire, and about your task... could you try to target the Lv2? if you could do it, that would be very useful for me, and... Would you like a name? calling you, ''you'' or soldier doesn''t feel right... and could you try not to call me Mom? it''s a little uncomfortable for me..." "Of course mom!.. I''m sorry Mom, I can''t help but call you mom... it simply seems to me the only correct way to address you, and regarding the task of achieving Lv 2 I can accomplish it without problems! And please fell free to call me whatever you want!" "Ok... I guess that Mother Thing can be left for later then... but I still have a question. How can you talk so well? you were just born and you don''t seem to have any problem having a dialogue with me." "Well mom... I don''t know how to tell you for sure, but I can access a link in my mind that allows me to have knowledge of everything you know, I use this form of communication because it is the one that seemed preferable to you..." "How come you have access to everything I know?! Try to explain better!" "Yes, I would not say that I know every piece of information that you are aware, but I can see the bigger picture and have access to general information than you have, and I can also make use of anything that you think is necessary for me to know." "Ok, that must be one of the effects of [maternal connection] along with [Memorial memory] from me? Can you tell me how I feel about you now?" "Yes, I can say that you are very proud of me, and also that you are afraid of me, not the kind of fear you that you might think i would hurt you, more afraid of how you should act and react to my presence, I feel that you are trying to suppress any feelings you may have toward me, such as attachment or even responsibility, and I can tell that you feel that my creation may have been a mistake." Damn it! He aware of the feelings i had towards him all this time and didn''t react to it?! Now I feel bad for him, yes I''m a little conflicted about the idea of accepting him as my son, plus I had no idea he was aware of it! No matter how much I think it must be horrible to know that your father/mother doesn''t love you and think your own very existence is a mistake! Yes I feel very proud that such an aberration of nature is the fruit of my hard work, but I also feel like a real piece of garbage for making him think I hate him! "I''M SORRY! Thats not your fault that I am feeling like this, and you are nothing but a ray of hope in my messy life, I am sorry if I have made you feel bad about your very existence, but this is only because I am in conflict with the idea of being a mother to any other living being, and not because I am mocking your existence!" "...Thank you mom, it is comforting to know that I am not a burden for you, but I have no problem with the way you think of me, my purpose is to protect you, and how I feel doen''t matter for that purpose!" "Of course it matters, you little shit! You think I''ll be able to sleep at night knowing that my own son thinks I hate him! Thaths not how I work here!" "...I understand. So i don''t have any complaints Mom, I will feed myself and I will fulfill the task given to me quickly." I stare at him as he makes his way to the honey tank and then starts drinking the honey down the hole with a tongue even longer than mine, while I stand there still burning with emotion for a insensible and cold kid... Chapter 11: Conflicting thoughts After eating for quite a while, the big soldier soon turned to me bowed in gratitude and quickly walked out through the crack with some difficulty, while I stood back not knowing how to feel about this cold-blooded soldier... I was his mother that''s undeniable, but the very idea of being the mother of an insect was disturbing, but he didn''t act like an insect, he only had the appearance of one, if we were in my world and I saw him walking around like a human I would think it was just a cosplayer, because well, he was very formal for an insect! He spoke clearly and objectively and always very respectably, he looked more like a human than insect. Maybe it''s because of my influence, maybe if I was just an ordinary insect he would be an ordinary insect too, but because I''m conscious and wise and he''s an extension of myself he has absorbed a lot of what I am, and so what should I do with it? The idea of rejecting there was a link between us was already impossible in my opinion, it would not be right for me to treat a conscious being unfairly just because I don''t feel ready for this. I needed to determine how I would treat him, as a friend, an ally or a son, and if I ended up creating more drones would everyone be like this? Before I thought if this soldier was just a drone without Will, a gear in the machine, it would be easier to simply create many of them to help me, but now knowing that these drones are individuals, beings, sentient and Sapient with emotions and feelings just like me, would be difficult to start creating a lot of them for small purposes. About my soldier, I should at least give him a name, when he told me what he thought of me, I could tell clearly from the link we had that he was sad, disappointed in himself for thinking he was a burden to me, and I couldn''t let him keep thinking like that! After so many conflicts about this new child that I ended up bringing into the world I go and check the tank of mine to know how much had been consumed, and to my great amazement, the tank, which I spent 1 full day filling, more than 30 trips collecting nectar and pouring honey into the tank, was now almost empty! It was all gone, the soldier had consumed it all! And where the hell did he put all this honey?! He was big for sure, but there was a lot of honey there to fit everything inside him! That should be the price for being so strong, or simply the result of the class [soldier] had a high maintenance cost to maintain destructive power, and I could see that in his [Skills] there is nothing related to creation or sustenance, so he seems to be very dependent on me to keep him well fed, of course he could live by eating nectar from flowers, but I felt that he would need absurd amounts to maintain himself, and if he did not have someone to provide his fuel, he would need to focus all his energy on eating all day to keep himself healthy maintain. After getting slightly mad at this kid for simply ending my hard work, I''m soon surprised with a warning.
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Water flea], you gained 1 Xp
Oh God! We really have Xp here, I didn''t see any Xp bar in my status, is it some kind of privileged information? and seriously? only 1 Xp! Of course I wasn''t doing anything, just sitting around waiting when my soldier did all the hard work, but it still felt like very little Xp. I think this must be where the bees get their power from, a Queen produces so many soldiers that provide her Xp, then produces many workers to take care of the soldiers needs, and then as she levels up she produces more soldiers and more workers. Wouldn''t that mean bees are very dangerous? if small, fragile bees could continue to grow wildly and become ever larger and more powerful swarms, wouldn''t that mean bees would be scary enemies? After all, if you didn''t kill the Queen, The Swarm would keep coming back later.... But I really don''t believe that bees are so dangerous, I''ve seen ants that in theory should be as dangerous as bees, for the same reasons mentioned before, but ants could be described as ordinary, maybe there is some kind of level ceiling, or breeding limit for bees and ants, or something totally different that has nothing to do with it. Coming out of my little hiding place and heading towards the flowers for another round of honey breeding, I end up thinking of the scene of my big soldier squeezing himself hard out of the crack, should I move? after all, the shelter was only temporary... And he would be of no use if my soldier could not defend him perfectly. I realized that I would first need my soldier''s opinion before making any decisions, and that he needed a name.
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Earth Beetle], you gained 2 Xp
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Midnight cricket], you gained 1 Xp
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Rotten meat fly], you gained 4 Xp
My soldier was doing a good job! he seemed to know very well what he was doing, I did not know where he was, but with our link I could tell a general direction and distance, he was close, always around the tree without distancing himself too much, he should want to be able to react quickly if i needed help. And if I must say something about this guy, is that he sure is efficient! Now my honey tank was full, I had gained another level in [Create honey] and together I got a special surprise!
[Warning]
The [Create Honey] skill has reached Lv5! You have unlocked the sub-skill: [Flake creation]
[Sub Skill]
[Flake creation] You can use pure honey to create super concentrated honey flakes.
This is something new! and what would be the use of these honey flakes? Is this a way to save space? To test my new skill I filled my chest with some honey from my tank and tried to use the skill [Creating flakes] but nothing happened, I needed to focus on the action of creating flakes itself instead of the ability to create flakes, but it was difficult for me to imagine the flakes, since I had no idea of the process to create these flakes, if I''m not mistaken the bees of my world did not create this, I tried to imagine the act of honey becoming solid, or of a drop of honey being compressed, I don''t know what was, but after a few tries I felt the honey inside my chest compress slowly, similar to the [Create wax] but still different, I didn''t feel any discomfort or nausea different from when I used [Create honey], soon I opened my mouth and from there a yellowish paste came out, it was very consistent and with a strong smell of sugar, soon after coming into contact with the air the strange mass solidified quickly, with all the Honey I had in my chest I just managed to create a small drop that wasn''t the size of my hand, disappointed with the result I try to analyse it to see if there is anything special. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
[Description]
[Crystallized Boungain Honey] A super nutritious food created with honey, capable of sustaining a bee for days.
Quality: Good
Damn it! That marble was some kind of super food! I think the bad part of that this thing should be chewed before swallowed, which would end up spending more time than just drinking honey directly and coming out right after, one thing I noticed about this skill is that it doesn''t seem to have levels, maybe due to the fact that it is a sub-skill it evolves along with the main skill, or maybe it doesn''t evolve after all. After seeing my soldier''s abilities I realized how abstract these abilities can be like the [Royal Duty] ability, that''s was an ability that really reminded me of video game abilities, and had strange limitations, like the fact that it grants the (incapacitated) effect after the fight is over, but how does the ability determine that a fight is over? when one side dies? or when will they stop fighting? if it was the last option what prevented someone from starting a fight against my soldier to activate the effect of [Royal Duty] and then immediately giving up the fight? Would that activate the effect (incapacitated)? If so that would be very unfair! there is no honor in a fight for survival, if this dishonest method worked nothing would stop the attacker from simply killing me after activating the effect of [Royal Duty] and retreating to leave my soldier unable to help me! Maybe the skill had a minimum activation time? Once activated it would have a minimum time to deal as much damage as possible before a retreat would be considered as the end of the fight... And about his abilities like [Unwavering will] obviously there were manufacturing, fighting, and defense abilities, and this one fits into the latter category, this ability seemed to be a form of prevention against mental attacks, which means that there were forms of mental attacks in this world! And most importantly, my soldier seemed immune to these attacks, but I was not! And by the ability of [Maternal connection] it seemed that if my mind was controlled by a power higher than mine all those connected to me would be controlled together! The idea that if I ended up creating a large hive with tens or hundreds of powerful members, it could easily be destroyed if some kind of upper force controlled me and used my connection with my decendents to order them to kill themselves, left me with a chill down my spine, now I understood why I was so weak, and why this soldier was so strong compared to me, it was because I was his weak point, a big weak point, if I had a big swarm of bees and I was killed, soon the whole swarm would fall to the ground, without my mental connection keeping everyone together the bees might start to separate and fight with each other, soon several soldiers would end up dying in fights naturally like bees, and without a queen to raise new soldiers the workers would be unprotected and die to predators, and if the workers died there would be no one to produce food for the remaining soldiers! I think that must be why bees, ants, or any colony of insects that have Queens, despite an unlimited potential end up falling into oblivion, you didn''t need to kill thousands of insects to bring down the nest, you just needed to kill the queen that the castle would fall quickly! Was I overthinking again? Another prank from [Concerned player]? I have no way of knowing if bees are as easy to kill as I think, or if they really have as much potential as I think... While i was eating away myself from the inside with the tricks of [Concerned player], I received a mental notification of the results of my soldiers hard work.
[Warning]
The {Solitary honeybee - soldier} evolved into the Lv2
What an efficient child! I was here a little over a week and still hadn''t achieved any level meanwhile this child who had been born this morning had already reached Level 2 in just over 8 hours! After a few moments the big intimidating looking soldier appeared squeezing himself with difficulty through the small crack, he looks at me for a moment and then kneels down. "Mom I finished the the task was given, please give me another task to fulfill!" "All right, calm down, big guy... First of all I want to analyze your status, and ask you some questions..."
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 2 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
Life: 10 Str: 4.2 Def: 3
sp: 3.6 Int: 5.2 Wis: 7
+ Information
[Skills] - 5
[Traits] - 2
Well, still a little monster, but it has almost no difference between the Lv1 and Lv2 "I wonder if when you leveled up you chose to increase the speed and attack status? Or was something that increased automatically?" The big guy looks at me with a confused expression, as if he didn''t understand, then lowers his head as he seems to search for an answer, I can feel a slight click on our link, as if he is trying to find the right words with our link. "My status increased automatically mom! I have no control over how they are distributed, and I don''t know if I can influence them!" "Okay, that''s enough for now, so now I need your help in other matters, first of all, tell me, how long do you think you could go without eating after having this?" I offer him the small [Crystallized Boungain Honey] in the hope that he can sustain it for several days as the description told me. "Hmm, I''m not sure just looking at it, I''d need to eat to say for sure how much energy it can offer..." "Go ahead." After taking the small crystal from my hand he puts it in his mouth and then begins to chew, in a few seconds with a lot of noise from something being chewed he finishes the small orb and then closes his eyes, as if thinking about how long he could go without eating after that. Was that some kind of bee instict? being able to know how long you can keep up with a food does not seem like something anyone can do, no one looks at an Apple and knows exactly the next moment that you will feel hungry again if you eat it. "Mom, I would say that I can meet all my daily needs without problems with 2 of these rations." 2 in a day?! This kid really eats a lot! the description said it could sustain an ordinary Bee for several days, and this kid needs 2 of those for a single day! "All right, could you tell me how you know exactly how long these rations can last you?" "I don''t know? I don''t have a specific reason to know how long they last, I just feel that my estimate is correct..." "Okay, so it could be the Bee instincts at work, now tell me, do you think we should go after a new house? I can see how difficult it is for you to get in here, and I must add that I have to go further and further to get nectar from the flowers, since the nearest ones are already empty, and this hole seems very small to you..." "I understand. I must admit that I am uncomfortable here, any place you choose will be of great pleasure to me, we could always build a wax nest out of the hole if necessary. But I have a question that has been bothering me, and I would appreciate very much if you could end my doubts mom..." "Of course, ask whatever you want" "...Where are the others? My brothers? It shouldn''t just be me here... I feel that this is wrong, very wrong, I cannot fulfill my purpose if I have no other brothers to ensure your safety in my place, and I have not seen a worker since my birth... They should be essential to the safety of our home. Without them we have no one to build great fortifications or feed the young...." Damn, now I''ll have to explain to a normal Bee, that I''m not a normal Bee! Chapter 12: Accepting reality "Well, about that... i didn''t think I''d need more than a hand or 2 you know?" Or in the case of bees 4 hands or 6... He looks at me with a confused look, as if I just said something stupid. "Mom! I cannot guarantee your safety and the safety of the nest alone, and I cannot continue hunting to level up if you are not protected!" "Of course you can! You don''t have to live attached to me! Just do the same thing you did today! I was alone here the whole time and had no problems at all!" "Wait... Mom, am I the first drone to be born?" "Yes! First and hopefully the only one!" "That... It''s wrong... I should not be born until there is a pre established nest..." "What do you mean by "I should not be born", you are already born! And what does it matter if I have a nest or not? And more! how would you know "the right way to make a hive"?!" "I... I just know Mom. And I can feel that you also know that this is not the right way for us to do this." This little shit, he is using all the information and knowledge I had about bees to guide himself, and now he had discovered that all the knowledge he relied on was not being used by me... "I know you think I''m powerful... But i''m not mother!, I need all the help and companionship I can have to protect you and our home! There are many dangers around our house that I cannot fight alone!" The great soldier lowered his head suddenly as if he was looking for something in his memory, I didn''t understand what he wanted to do at first, but soon my mind was flooded with images of various strange creatures, lizards, large beetles, larvae of strange shapes, what seemed to be butterflies, birds and something that looked like us, but it was much larger and frightening, I believe it was a wasp. It was clear to me that he was using the [Maternal connection] to send his memories directly to me, these creatures that I just saw were circling the region... I was just lucky that I never came into conflict with any of them. "But if you manage to level to a high level these creatures wouldn''t be a threat!" "Mom... We are bees... Our strength is not in individual members, we are stronger as groups! I beg you please seriously Concidere the idea of starting the creation of the colony!" Had I been ignorant? Was it a lack of hardships or simply the result of my denial of the idea of creating a hive? When I think about it, I really didn''t do anything during that whole time... I continued Level 1 for more than a week, while this child was already Level 2 on his first day of life, that was because I refused to serve my purpose? The first drone I create is a [soldier] when I should have opted for [workers], I ended up having to work a lot just to be able to feed this soldier, if I had chosen to create the workers would it have been easier to feed them? Even now this single soldier consumed absurd amounts of resources, my saving grace was the [Creation of flakes] that allows me to create super rations, but if I didn''t have this ability I would need to work hard every day to feed this soldier, and with the flowers running out of nectar in this region I would need to go further and further to get what I needed. What if I had raised 2 soldiers as I initially planned? If I had 2 mouths to feed that need such absurd amounts of resource, I would have no choice but to work until I die, or let one of them starve... Even if I managed to level [Create honey] to higher levels, I found that the efficiency between levels didn''t increase much... The biggest example is that nowadays with [Create honey] L v5, creating honey is much easier than with [Create honey] Lv1, but there was no big difference in the amount produced between the 2, I would say that after so much honey created the amount produced by the skill lv 5 increased by about 20% hight that the Lv1, this would not be enough to feed 2 hungry soldiers! The statistics were piling up against me. Looks like i had been very optimistic about my situation, I was fine for now, I had gained several [Skill] levels but I couldn''t level up myself! essentially I was easy prey for anyone who wanted to eat me, I was just very lucky not to find anything more dangerous than those shameless geckos. I was trying to live as a human, but being a bee. "I understand your point of view... I just can''t accept this idea of creating a colony..." "Is it on because of your human memories mother ?" Did he know?!?!?! "As I analyzed the memories I had available to familiarize myself with the situation and align myself with your goals i had seen several fragments of a strange being, who I know was a human, and I assumed that you had absorbed the knowledge of some human and were using it as your guide." So he doesn''t know, he thinks I absorbed this knowledge from a human being, he doesn''t think I''m a human being in a Bee body. Does this mean that bees have the ability to absorb memories? or is it simply the interpretation he had while analyzing all the information? "...Yes, these memories are important to me, and I''m trying my best to hold on to them and not get lost." "But what does this have to do with the construction of the colony! Raising a family will not distance you from your memories." "It''s complicated.... It''s not my memories that stop me to create one... colony is more related to my moral concepts..." "So it''s because you''re repulsed by the idea of being my mother? and do not want to become the mother of an entire colony?" I URGENTLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HIDE MY FEELINGS FROM THIS GUY! "I''m not disgusted with the fact that I''m your mother! I just don''t feel safe with the idea of being the mother of so many intelligent beings." "But what would be the problem with that? Our family would be bigger and we could help each other in difficult times!" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. This guy is definitely insistent! Should I just create some members for the hive? I don''t exactly have to start creating dozens of eggs like this guy seems to want, but I could accept a small group of soldiers and workers to help me with the tasks, not a whole swarm! "All right! How about we do it like this? Will we leave tomorrow to find a new place to live, and then I create 2 workes to help me?" "2 workers won''t be enough mom! We would need at least 10 to begin the creation of a colony and a soldiers group for the colony!" This guy! I try to lend a hand and he wants the whole arm! "Let''s start with 2! You got it! and after seeing they capabilities we will see what we can do!" "...Yes, mom." "Now, I need a name for you, I can''t keep calling you "it" or "you" and "soldier."" "I have no problem with being called that way mom!" "But I have problems with this!" "If it''s your wish I have no problem with whatever name you choose for me!" All right! Now, what should I call a super muscular soldier Bee? I think I should use something similar to my name in my past life, I don''t know, a way to honor my human self. Hanna, Henry, Hen, Hinno? Hans, Hans! Hans seemed like a good name for me! "What do you think of Hans?" "For me it''s fine as long as you''re happy." What a great opnion... I would have liked if he had that same spirit when he went to defend the idea of creating a hive... "All right! Now Your Name will be Hans!"
[Warning]
You named the [Solitary honeybee - soldier] as [Hans].
"Now Hans, let''s go to sleep, tomorrow we will go after a new place, would you have any preference for a place? "I believe that any place that has large quantities of flowers would be good" Of course, what a great help Hans! "All right, sleep and get plenty of rest, Good Night Hans." "Good Night Mother" When I go towards my small bed, Hans the Big Bee turns around and immediately comes out of the small hole, I was confused where he could be going, there was not much space here, but it was still enough for him to sleep. "Hans wait!" Before it comes out completely through the crack Hans half-turns and stares at me "Yes mother?" "Where are you going?" "I will sleep at the entrance to make sure nothing happens to you." "You don''t have to do that! Sleep here, it''s too dangerous to stay out at night!" "But..." "No but! If you want you can sleep near the entrance, but Inside, No arguments!" "Yes mother..." As I watch the big guy nestle near the entrance, I am pleased with the fact that at least I always have the last word, it seems that my drones would not refute my ideas or decisions unless they were dangerous. ------------------------------------------------------ At dawn I have a question to answer... my honey tank was still almost full, and it would be a waste to leave it all behind! "What do you think Hans?" "We could turn everything into [Crystallized Boungain Honey] and take it with us was provisional rations" "Yes this is possible, but I can''t transform all this amount of honey at once, I would need to do it little by little and we would end up with several small balls flakes that are difficult to move" "Then... Could we leave it behind?" "I''m not going to waste all this! Don''t worry I had an idea how we can move everything, first we will do what you said, turning everything into [Crystallized Boungain Honey], then I just need to use a little more honey to put all the crystals inside common wax, then you can carry them to a new place." "Ingenious mother!" "Hmm? It''s not a big deal, it''s just a matter of finding a specific use for [skils]." "I would never think of such a method mom! I believed that wax could only be used to build, I never imagined that we could use it to transport food!" Was that really impressive? Would it have something to do with the status of [intelligence] and [wisdom]? or simply my human memories? After all, it didn''t seem special to think of solutions with the resources I have available, but Hans only thought of a single possibility that would end up taking a lot of efort, would this lack of creativity of Hans be the result of a lack of [intelligence] and [wisdom], or one of the characteristics of the [soldier] class? "All right Hans, I''ll start processing all that honey, in the meantime go out and try to level as much as you can." "Are you sure? I could stay and protect you..." "Protect me from what? choking with honey? Leave it and go at once, when everything is ready I will give a touch on our link" "...Alright." After Hans left I took a small breath and looked at the honey tank, it had about more than half, which would make about 16 small flakes balls of honey, I would create 12 of these and the rest I would use to create the wax block. .... After 1 or 2 hours, in front of me had a small ball of wax with tiny honey flakes encrusted inside, I tried to analyze it to know if it had anything special besides the strange appearance.
[Description]
[Food wax block] A wax block that contains special rations, the food inside the block rots 50x slower
Quality: Great
That''s incredible! it''s the first quality [Great] thing I''ve ever created! Is this the combination because the honey crystals I used are of [good] quality and the wax also has [good] quality? And this description says that while inside the wax block the flakes rot much more slowly, bur those flakes already rotted very slowly, with the addition of the wax block this basically became atronaut''s food! Now that everything was finished, I gave a litle touch in the link a had with Hans and waited for him to come back, and speaking of him, in the meantime he managed to kill something called [Highland silkworm]
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Highland silkworm], you gained 2 Xp
After a few moments I began to hear Hans buzz, and soon The Little Giant came through the crack and soon knelt in front of me. "Is everything ready to go mom?" I look at the little hole I''ve called home for the past few days and feel a bit of sadness, even though it wasn''t that grat it was still my home, the place I worked tirelessly to make what it is today, but now I had made the decision to leave, I knew this moment would come, since I started tidying up this place I already knew it was only temporary, but I couldn''t help but feel sad for the change. "Yes, Hans, everything is ready, take the wax block and let''s go." After getting out of the small hole, followed by Hans who had a little trouble getting the wax block out of the crack, I looked at the sun above and the environment around me, this place was my refuge and I would like to leave my mark before leaving. "One moment please Hans" I fly at some small flowers that grew close to the roots of [Older Acer of Mithril] and I take some pollen to create a little [Common Hard Wax] with the rest of honey that I had in my chest, after gathering a small amount I climb to a protected part of the large tree and use what remains of honey in my chest to create a little bit of special wax to write a message on the tree. Thank you for everything. "Come on Hans, we need to find the best place possible!" "Yes mother!" Hans flies quickly in front of me carrying the big wax block, as I flew towards the north, I don''t know why I chose the north, maybe it was the sight of a grove in the middle of this sea of forests, bu I had the feeling that it would be a very promising place. Chapter 13: Now im in trouble As we fly in search of a new place to live, I started thinking about the [Food wax block] and suddenly had an epiphany about my food issues. All this time, I had consumed [Boungain Honey], which was described as honey that is very nutritious. I didn''t think much about it last time, but now it seemed to make sense... Hans must have gotten the effect (Well fed) by being fed with this super nutritious honey and managed to keep his food needs "low" because the honey he ate was very nutritious for the body. Now that we won''t have more [Boungain Honey], the amount of food Hans would need to sustain himself could increase by an astronomical amount! I had no idea if this nutritive honey was only slightly better than ordinary honey or 3 or even 5x better! If I needed such an absurd amount to keep Hans, I would have no choice but to make honey day and night. This made me very worried. We still had the [Food wax block] full of honey flakes from [Boungain Honey], but it wouldn''t last forever. I needed to find a new source as nutritious as my previous source, or I would need dozens of [workers] to help me in the production of a larger volume of food. I also thought about the idea of going back to the last place. After all, with the [Grand Boungain] around, it seemed like a good place. But I thought it would be naive to count on it. The amount of [Grand Boungain] they had around was few, and they were almost all exhausted. The region also had no other viable food sources, only scattered flowers and in small groups. I had days when I needed to go deep into the forest to get nectar of fruiting and exotic flowers. My idea of the ideal base would be a place protected from the weather, with lots of shade and protection from the wind, with many flowers and no predators in sight. I know this is wanting too much, but I think a bee can dream of a promised land. While I was distracted by my own thoughts, I was startled by the scream of Hans flying in front of me. "MOM, HIDE IMMEDIATELY!" ?!??!? "But what-" Before I could react, Hans dropped the wax block and flew quickly like lightning to my right. I couldn''t see anything but a blur going through my vision until I focused on the region where Hans had flown quickly, and there I could see a strange creature resembling a termite from my world, but it had more eyes and a wooden appearance.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Wood termite
Level: 7 Class: ----- Mana: N/D
+information
[Description]
A termite capable of living inside living trees
What the hell?! This guy was 5 levels above Hans, and it seemed to be after trouble! But why??!!? Were we near his nest? Did he see us as food? Or he just didn''t like us? But I think the answer was obvious at that point... Just as I had sent Hans to raise his level and received notifications of his kills, this termite seemed to be doing the same thing. He was just a soldier trying to raise his level and saw us as easy prey. While the realization of what was happening hit me, I was afraid. Until that moment, I hadn''t been the hunted prey. I was just the leader who gave the slaughter orders. Now, being the person who was on the other side of the story, I felt frozen. I could see Hans flying quickly towards the enemy, and then the strange-looking termite fly towards Hans too with even more speed. In an instant, the two bumped and exchanged slices and bites. I could see Hans grabbing one of the termite''s limbs with his fangs and then squeezing with all his strength. It wasn''t enough to scratch the termite''s limb, but it managed to get a small cry of pain from the termite. In counterattack, the termite punched Hans and then tried to grab Hans''s head with his own jaws. But Hans soon detached himself from his enemy and pushed him away. I could see that Hans was hurt from the few blows of the termite, while the attacker himself was barely hurt from Hans''s attack. "PLEASE ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY!" What the hell was this guy talking about? Run away? Should I just abandon him to die after accepting responsibility for him? Would that be right? I could always have more soldiers, but I am unique... No! Damn Bee instincts! The same instincts that once made me protect the little larva that once was Hans were now trying to convince me to abandon him and run away. "HANS, I''M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Hans didn''t seem to have heard. Now he was in intense combat with the termite. The two had clung to each other with firmness and were fighting a war of attrition from which Hans was very clearly losing. Hans took a look in my direction, and when he saw me standing like a stone suspended in the air, his eyes regaled in surprise. He turned his attention to the termite, and in a mysterious way, began to win the friction fight that he was losing before. With no apparent reason, he had gained a new mysterious force. Was this the mysterious ability of Hans [Royal Duty]? Wouldn''t that mean he would end up (incapacitated) even if he won the fight?! If this happened, he couldn''t escape if a group of termites came after his companion. "HANS!" The soldier Bee didn''t seem to be listening to me. After turning the game against the termite, he started grabbing his limbs and stinging him nonstop like a wasp. In protest, the termite couldn''t do anything but make a squealing sound. Soon, Hans, who is already visibly tired, used his two free arms to grab the termite''s head and started twisting it backward in an attempt to break his neck or rip his head off. The termite showed resistance but couldn''t get rid of Hans'' grip. In an instant, the insect''s head was twisted in an impossible direction, and then it stopped moving. Hans released its body and dropped it into the forest below us.
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Wood Termite], you gained 9 Xp
Before I could even be relieved by Hans'' success, I saw him slowly stop moving and soon fall in the same way as the dead termite. "HANS, NO!" I tried to fly quickly towards him, but he just fell faster than the speed I could fly. ''MY PRECIOUS BABY!'' When I got to the ground, I couldn''t find Hans anywhere, no matter how hard I looked. I ended up getting desperate in the search for Hans. I needed to find him; he is alone, injured, and with the effect (incapacitated). He needed to be protected, or he would be an easy target! "HANS, WHERE ARE YOU?!?! CAN YOU HEAR ME? PLEASE, HANS, WHERE ARE YOU?!" I wanted to cry, but I couldn''t. If I stopped to grieve, I couldn''t look for Hans. I never thought I would feel this way for another living being, as if my chest would explode with worry, and my head crack with anger for the termite that had done this to Hans. But here I was, a bee desperately flying through the bushes in search of a creature that until yesterday, I couldn''t force myself to feel any responsibility with. After a few moments of searching without success, I was already beginning to feel truly desperate. It was no longer the Bee instincts that were boiling in me; it was my own human feelings. I had accepted that Hans was my creation; I was responsible for him. His success was my success; his problems were my problems, and his prosperity was my prosperity. But now I didn''t know where he was. I didn''t even know if he had died with the fall. All I wanted in that moment was to find him! When I stopped for a moment, I tried to think of a solution to find Hans. After thinking for a while, I remembered [Maternal Connection]. I could use it to know an approximate location of Hans, so now I could use it as a radar to find him. When I focused on our bond, I could feel his presence. It was weakened and half numb at the moment, but it was still there! He was alive! When I flew in the direction that [Maternal connection] dictated, I ended up finding Hans in the middle of a lot of dirt and leaves. He looked very bad, really bad. The soldier who once seemed unstoppable and extremely powerful had been reduced to this after a fight against a small insect. This made me remember Hans'' words, "I know you think I''m powerful... But I''m not a mother!" and now I understood. That''s true. Just because Hans was a monster compared to me doesn''t mean that he was a monster to everyone. To the rest of the world, Hans was nothing but a big insect. "Hans, are you all right? Can you hear me? Give me a sign, please!" Nothing. Hans was still motionless on the ground. Through our bond, I could feel that his presence was getting weaker and weaker, like a once bright flame that was now extinguished. I refused to accept that Hans was just a dispensable soldier. Hans was my creation! My adorable little hungry larva! When I finally managed to drag him into a covered hole, I tried to see his status to find out what his problem was.
[Status]
Name: Hans Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 2 Class: Soldier Mana: N/D
Life: 2.3/10 Str: 4.2 Def: 3
sp: 3.6 Int: 5.2 Wis: 7
+ Information Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
[Efects]
[incapacitated] - 23:25 Hours You have passed all the limits of your body, and now it will have consequences.
[Skills] - 6
[Traits] - 2
What the hell! That termite took more than half of Hans'' life away, and that (incapacitated) effect is ridiculous! Hans was basically in a coma until tomorrow. If the skill [Royal duty] was something every soldier had, then now I could understand its incredible bonus and ridiculous limitations! The X3 bonus on all status was simply stolen, but the limitations... First, I needed to be present in the battle; this was one of the first limiters, and the (incapacitated) effect that came with using the ability was very dangerous! If there was no one to retrieve the fallen soldiers, their fate would simply be to die during the coma. Now we were at our worst. The emergency rations had long been lost somewhere in the forest when Hans had to drop them to protect me quickly. Now I was with a wounded soldier, without food and in an unknown place, and probably in the territory of the termites. If I went out now to start producing food to feed Hans, he would be alone and unprotected. It was very possible that when I returned, I would not find anything, or worse, I would find a creature eating Hans that decided to eat me! What should I do?!?! If I left Hans behind, he would die, either by starvation or by the hands of another creature. But if I stayed, I could die with him. While if I left without Hans, I could survive and raise a new soldier later... SHUT UP! I won''t abandon Hans! These hypocritical Bee instincts... They don''t know what it''s like to be alone in the world, hurt and desperate with no one to help you in your darkest moments. They don''t know what it feels like to be abandoned by your species, left to die alone. "I promise Hans, either we will come out of this situation as winners, or we will die miserably." The giant bee didn''t react to my words, and I didn''t feel anything through the link, which showed me that the effect (incapacitated) went far beyond paralyzing his body. It suspended all his actions, except the most basic ones that kept him alive like breathing and the beating of the heart. It could suspend even the mental link we had. He couldn''t eliminate it; it only weakened to such an extent that I could barely feel his presence in my mind. After I covered the entrance of the small hole with some leaves and some mud from the ground and covered Hans with leaves until he was well packed, I nestled in a corner and tried to sleep a little. I needed to go get food at dawn; my precious reserves were already running out, and Hans hadn''t eaten anything since we left our old house. I couldn''t help but blame myself for this situation. Life so far had been relatively easy for me. Work, eat, sleep, and repeat. This had been my routine until now, and when I decided to leave our old house, I never thought that we could be attacked halfway, especially by a termite! If I had created a colony as my instincts told me from the beginning, I would have many soldiers and workers now, and flooding a small termite with numbers would be as easy as breathing. But here I was now, without shelter and without food, and this time I was not alone. There was Hans, who could end up dying through my fault and naivety.
After a long time trying to sleep, I finally succeeded. When I woke up, the first thing I did was to see if Hans had improved.
[Status]
Name: Hans Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 2 Class: Soldier Mana: N/D
Life: 2/10 Str: 4.2 Def: 3
sp: 3.6 Int: 5.2 Wis: 7
+Infomation
[Efects]
[incapacitated] - 16:47 Hours You have passed all the limits of your body, and now it will have consequences. [Dying of Hunger] - 23:46 Hours This individual is starving, and at the end of the timer he will die.
Damn it! The effect of (Dying of Hunger) was activated, but Hans would lose the effect of (incapacitated) before he starved. I would need a lot of food to feed a starving Hans. I couldn''t store honey in that hole, so I would need to turn all the nectar I could get directly into honey flakes. And I don''t know how this shit system works, but I think the fact that Hans'' HP points weren''t regenerating wasn''t good news. Would I need a healing potion? Or was it one of the characteristics of the (incapacitated) effect? Or did insects just not heal? After all, soldiers and workers are meant to be dispensable units. You don''t have to spend precious resources on wounded drones when you can use the same resources to create a new drone... SHUT UP FOR ONCE! I needed to find a solution, and I think I know what I could do. There must be plants with healing abilities in this forest somewhere. I couldn''t identify them just by looking or analysing, but I could discern their capabilities through [Creating Honey]. I can use the nectar of their flowers to achieve different types of honey with varying effects. Until now, I have never found a plant with healing effects, but for sure, there was a plant that had flowers with healing powers. There had to be! "I''ll be back soon, Hans. Please be well..." Upon exiting the small hole, I covered the entrance with leaves and more mud, and then turned to the unfamiliar forest, focused on finding a flower that could help Hans regain HP, and nectar enough to create rations for Hans. Flying through the region, I found trees and plants that I had never seen before, but I didn''t care about them. The only thing that interested me were the new flowers with mysterious effects. This could go very wrong. If these flowers were poisonous, I would eventually die. But I needed to find a way to feed and heal Hans. I couldn''t leave him to die. In the way, I found some red flowers that had a smell of pepper. They didn''t seem attractive, but I think I am not in a situation where I can judge a book by its cover. When I drank the nectar of the strange flower, I thought my mouth would burn like when eating pepper, but this didn''t happen. In fact, the nectar had a strong taste similar to cinnamon and left a warming feeling in the body, as when drinking an alcoholic drink.
[Description]
[Endo Flame''s honey] Made by a low-level bee, this honey concedes the (Heated) effect when consumed
Quality: Good
Warmed up? Are you kidding me?! I guess that''s what you''d expect from a flower with fire in it. At least I should be grateful it didn''t burn my tongue. Leaving my first disappointment behind, I flew after new possibilities.
[Description]
[Kocelda honey] Made by a low-level bee, this honey can cause numbness in those who eat it
Quality: Bad
[Description]
[Angel of the North honey] Made by a low-level bee, it can cause hallucinations to those who consume it
Quality: Good
[Description]
[Monac honey] Made by a low-level bee, this honey can cause diarrhea if consumed
Quality: Good
[Description]
[Scarlet Brassite honey] Made by a low-level bee, this honey can cause internal bleeding if consumed.
Quality: Bad
[Description]
[Honey of a saint''s tears] Made by a low-level bee, it can cause the effect (recovery) if consumed.
Quality: Good
I FOUND IT!! After so long, hours had already passed. I had even gained 1 more level in [Create Honey] and had gone through flowers with very strange effects, but I finally found it! Let it serve as a reminder to myself; in this world, it is correct to judge a book by its cover. The flowers of strange or suspicious appearance really had strange and suspicious effects, while this flower of angelic appearance, which looked like a white lily with golden details, really had angelic effects! In this world, the container adapted to the content, so things that seemed suspicious were really suspicious! While I called myself dumb in my head for simply not having gone in search of an inviting-looking flower since the beginning, I started gathering as much nectar from [Tears of a Saint] as I could, which, in reality, was very little. The plant from which it grew looked like a small stand of roses with thorns that ended in white lilies, but in total, there were only 5 lilies in the whole region around, and I could only get nectar enough to fill about 3/5 of my chest. After gathering everything I could, I went back to the small hole while using [Maternal Connection] as a compass. I expected to find Hans awake when I arrived since, to me, it seemed that at any moment, the 24 hours would end. I felt completely worn out; I had not been able to gather rations for Hans because I spent all my time going after a flower with regenerative capabilities. If Hans was already awake, I would need to go back and gather more rations so that he would not succumb to (Starving). When I entered the place, all I found was Hans still passed out and a timer that still needed time to run out.
[Efects]
[incapacitated] - 9:21 Hours You have passed all the limits of your body, and now it will have consequences. [Dying of Hunger] - 16:25 Hours This individual is starving, and at the end of the timer he will die.
"I''m sorry, Hans. I don''t know what I''m doing, and I dragged you along with me into this mess..." Chapter 14: Is all my fault When I found that I still had about 9 hours until the end of (incapacitated) I decided that I should go out again and start making as many rations with [Flakes Creation] as I could, the flowers of this region seemed to contain bad and strange effects, but I thought that if maybe I mixed all the nectar possible I could create a generic honey. I needed to get out, I owed it to Hans, if I hadn''t stood there like an idiot watching the two of them fight and run away like Hans asked me to, I could have hidden and Hans could have tried to run away from the termite, so neither of us wouldn''t have been in that situation. It''s all my fault, I''m an idiot, a complete stupid and ridiculous failure. I refused from the moment I opened my eyes to accept this new life, I grabed to my old self and simply denied what was happening around me, I ended up thinking of this world as i were a VR game, where my actions didn''t matter, I thought I was a "protagonist" of this world, that the world around me would smile at me as in the stories I read, but that didn''t happen, since this life began all I did was wander, I kept thinking that I could act as I wanted, that wouldn''t be consequences for not following my Bee instincts, I thought that as long I level up I could detach myself from this fate of an insect. And yet, here I am I''ve been here for several days and I couldn''t get a level, Hans my only creation had to suffer alone all the difficulties that appeared because I refused to create more drones to help him, Hans was nothing but a loyal companion and friend, supporting me and thinking of my good, and yet I continued to treat him as an outsider, as if his opinion and desires didn''t matter as long as my needs were being met, I refused to create helpers before we left the safety of our old home, I refused Hans idea of creating a hive so we would be safe, I refused to provide the help Hans needed when he begged saying he couldn''t guarantee my safety on his own and all Hans ever did was just bow his head and willingly accept, while I sent him to his death. I couldn''t force myself to look at Hans, I was ashamed, so ashamed now, he always just wanted my prosperity and all I did was refuse his ideas because of my selfishness and fear of creating a colony, and it wasn''t me who paid the price for my stupidity, it was the poor Hans. "Forgive me, please forgive me..." As I prepared to leave the small shelter, I used all the [Honey of a saint''s tears] to create a small orb of crystallized honey Flake and wrapped it in a small corner, this small orb was the only thing I could provide to Hans, for his injurys to heal the wounds I caused him. After packing up everything I left the shelter to go get rations for Hans, I first tried my plan to use the nectar of the strange plants that had around me to create a generic honey, but to my great disappointment I ended up creating something new.
[Description]
[Common Poison Honey] A common honey created from several poisonous flowers, when consuming it gain the effect (poisoned)
Quality: Bad
No! WHAT THE FUCK! Each flower around me was not exactly great poisons, they had strange effects like causing belly pain, convulsions, sleep, bleeding, paralysis and etc, but it seems that by putting all the nectars together instead of losing the effects that each nectar carried, the [Create honey] mixed them all together and created a real lethal poison! "No! There are not enough common flowers in this region to create a significant amount of food!" Maybe if I used part of this strange flowers and another part of common flowers I would get the common honey that I wanted so much, for a while I tried to join and combine mixtures in different quantities but the result always ended in a similar way
[Description]
[Toxic Honey] Made by a low-level bee, this honey is made with poisonous flowers, when consuming it gain the effect (Bleeding)
Quality: Bad
There was something wrong with those flowers! Didn''t matter the amount that I use if only a little nectar of suspicious Flowers was added to the mixture the honey would become poisonous and useless for consumption "WHAT WRONG ABOUT THIS DAMN FOREST?!?!?" Was it some kind of cursed land? I could find common plants that produced only common honey, but their quantity was much lower than the poisonous flowers, and they would not be enough to feed Hans, everything seemed to be poisonous, the only reason I was not poisoned by the nectars of the flowers was that when swallowing this nectar it didn''t exactly go to my stomach, it went to a kind of bag in my chest that could serve as temporary storage, and if i really swallow something I couldn''t spit it back easily has the things I have inside this special bag. "DAMN IT! I NEED TO FIND A CLEAN SOURCE!" I started flying in search of a nectar source that wasn''t polluted by whatever is in that damn forest, but it proved to be difficult mission, now that I stopped to analyze, it seemed that everything in this forest grew with poisonous properties, the few things that were not really poisonous contained strange effects, such as sleep, fatigue, heat, itching and things like that, I could try to create a honey with flowers that contained effects such as (sleep) or (fatigue) that would not cause any harm to Hans, but I wanted to get out as quickly as I could from this forest, the termites should still be around, I was just lucky not finding any yet, I remember in their description its said that they lived in live trees so I couldn''t really look at a tree and know if it would start gushing termites in my direction. "Please! God, Buddha, Midori! Anyone who can listen, help me! You mysterious force that threw me here! You owe me!" I kept flying, looking for more than just one or two solitary flowers that i could work with, but nothing, I found nothing. "No..." I was losing hope, my strength was already running out, and I found nothing, Hans would wake up and all I could do as look at him as he wither to death. "Please... I beg you... Help me." I felt like My Will was going to break, I haven''t found nothing but poisonous plants and small clumps of common plants, I didn''t find any [Saint''s tears flower] and this seemed like a dead end, Hans would die and it would all be my fault, the cute little larva that was born just over 2 days, that didn''t even have the opportunity to live properly would die miserably for my mistakes. While I was thinking about leaving and going back to face Hans death, I smelled a putrid smell, smelled like death and rot, as if trying to drive anyone away, but I could feel, in the middle of the carrion and the horrible stench a sweet and soft smell of nectar! I ran in the direction of the rotten smell, it served very well as a beacon, the closer I got the more i feel the unbearable stench, but I was sure! I had smelled sweet nectar mixed in the rot! It could be my mind playing tricks on me, trying to ridicule me by giving me false hope but it was all I had at that moment, when I got to the source of the horrible stench, what I found was simply... Monstrous, a plant with the texture of meat, circled by corpses of mutilated and rotten animals, there was no sound other than the buzz of my wings, dry and rotten blood stained the ground and leaves of the mysterious plant, I tried to analyze it and was surprised what I saw.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Corpse-eating flower of Venus
Level: 89 Class: -------- Mana: --------
+Infomation
[Description]
A Man eating flower You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!? Apparently in this world plants could also grow and become horrible monsters, this plant had grown and was now the Hunter instead of the prey, it didn''t seems to have eyes, or anything like that, but when I got close I could clearly smell the sweet nectar that I had felt before, this man-eating plant, which had a pollen with the smell of rotten meat, was also responsible for producing a sweet and soft smelling nectar! Was it a trap? Like the orchid that emitted an irresistible-smelling nectar to try to lure me into a death trap? I didn''t think that would be it... Orchidia hunted insects to survive, it was their main food source, this monster flower seemed to feed on... things bigger than me, much bigger. And the orchid emitted a smell that tried to seduce its prey at all costs, while this monster flower seemed to emit the smell only to atract pollinators, and I was a polonizer! I slowly approached the giant flower, while aiming at the small tubes full of nectar that grew all over the stem of the mysterious plant, to get the access to the tubes full of sweet nectar I would need to crawl myself in the horrible smelling polen, but I guess getting stinky was nothing compared to poor Hans who was almost dead. Suddenly halfway through, the large man-eating plant abruptly turned towards me and opened its leaves revealing frighteningly human eyes, it looked at me directly, as if was calculating if I was a threat. That''s it, killed by a man-eating plant... But to my surprise when the strange plant spotted me it emitted a rustle of leaves as if it were happy, and then gathered itself up again and began emitting an even greater putrid stench as it shook its stem containing the precious nectar tubes. Of course, now that you''re moving it seems a lot less suspicious. I decided to believe my instincts, which I almost never did, and continued until I landed on the stinking polem of the strange flower, i was still alive, this is a start I guess? As I made my way up the nectar tubes, I could swear I almost threw up at the stinking pollen, it was just horrendous! but when I arrived in the precious tubes what I had there was not the nectar I was used to.... So far the nectar from the flowers I ate looked like ordinary nectar, a transparent and sweet liquid, some had slight strange colorations but these were the most different nectar had found. But now in front of me, there was a tube with a deep pink color, so pink that I couldn''t see through, emitting a slight pink vapor but it wasn''t hot, this nectar looked like juice and it sure wasn''t the ordinary nectar I was used to! "I think a man-eating plant is anything but common..." I decided that I had already gone too far to return now, already inside the man-eating plant, covered with stinking pollen and with a purpose to fulfill, if this plant wanted to kill me it wouldn''t let me get that far. Or just I was simply so pathetic that she didn''t even bother to consider me a threat... When I drank the "nectar" of the monster plant, I couldn''t describe the taste anything else but as delicious! It tasted like strawberry milk with banana, and it gave a slight sensation of numbness in the mouth, after filling my chest with nectar I tried to create some honey with this nectar to discover its properties
[Description]
[Corpse-eating Venus honey] Created by a low-level bee, it has a very high nutritional value and is capable of causing the effect (Fast growth), consuming large amounts of this honey can cause the effect (Addicted)
Quality: Great
What?!? So, I must admit, this honey is amazing! In addition to its different coloration, which is a transparent pink, it seems to nourish even more than [Boungain Honey] and still causes this effect of (Fastgrowth), what would this effect do? Would they be an xp bonus when killing enemies? But what the hell do you mean by (Addicted)??!?! OH of course!, a monstrous plant wouldn''t give such a thing for free! It seems to offer many benefits, to try to get your victims (Addicted) as fast as possible! What is her purpose?!? So what? I have no idea! Perhaps it is just to ensure that there will always be loyal pollinators, but it can also be a strategy to attract a larger number of prey, instead of feeding on a single solitary and worthless Bee it enchants her with a tasty and highly precious nectar, so later the Bee naively bring all his brothers to serve as food for the monster flower! But i didn''t care! If that monster flower decided not to eat me because her thought I could bring an all-you-can-eat buff later, she will end up sitting and waiting! Now it''s official, there really is something very wrong with this forest! Everything that grows here has some relation to poisons, even this monster flower that seemed to be my salvation could still corrupt its prey, which was a kind of long-term poison, could this be the matter of {Affinities}? I knew they existed, but I couldn''t see them clearly except if there is something in the description about the affinity, if this affinity theory is correct then does it mean that this whole forest has an affinity with {poison}? And if so how does it happen? How does an entire forest acquire Affinity? Did the plants become poisonous because of the affinity of the forest, or did the large concentration of poisonous plants in that area create an environment with the {poison} affinity? I don''t care one bit! This wans''t important right now, the important thing was to feed Hans, the description said that it would cause the (addicted) effect only if it is consumed in large quantities, so I think I can feed Hans without problems with this strange nectar until we get out of this damn forest! I start creating several crystals of honey flakes with this strange nectar, and try to see its description
[Description]
[Corpse-eating Venus crystalized honey] A diet focused on nourishing the body made with honey, is able to meet the needs of a bee for days, if consumed causes the effect (Fast growth), if consumed in large quantities causes the effect (Addicted).
Quality: Great
Okay, nothing strange here... And what would you achieve by using that nectar to create wax?
[Description]
[Sticky Wax] This bee wax is extremely sticky, and has an extremely slow drying speed
Quality: Great
Damn it! This has a lot of potential! could I create a trap with this? If I soaked a wall with this wax and poured some honey into a nearby hole, I could theoretically create insect traps! it would be a safe way for Hans to gain experience! What would i get from the pollen of that plant? Damn, now I''m curious, the nectar of this flower didn''t give me ordinary honey, nor ordinary wax, so it means that it was not a rule written in stone that honey would create normal wax, pollen hard wax, leaves rough wax, and petals colored wax, high-level plants could create totally unique things! So what would come out of this stinking pollen?? The thought of eating that shit made me sick, but the addition of the sticky wax was a hint that there might be something very special behind that stench. I decided to hold my breath, close my eyes and swallow without chewing, the potential ultility of this wax made the stench a stupid complaint, and when I saw what came out of my mouth I couldn''t help but shudder in disappointment,
[Description]
[Hard wax] This beeswax has a natural stench, when it dries it becomes highly resistant
Quality: Great
I don''t know if I feel relieved, or disappointed, on one hand it doesn''t have many ultities besides scaring away those who don''t like stink, and attract butchers, but it also seems to be harder than ordinary hard wax, I think I''ll just stay with the Pink nectar, just the idea of having to live in a place that has this smell makes me nauseous. I ended up staying inside the monster flower for quite a while, triying to get used to the stench, in the meantime I created dozens of flakes of this strange honey and sticky all of together with the sticky wax, the wax was so sticky that putting everything together was very easy, and soon I had a ball the size of my abdomen made entirely of super nutritious food, I didn''t know how much Hans would need, so I decided to take as much as I could and after feeding Hans I would throw everything else away, when I thought about going out, I had the idea of covering the ball with sticky wax and smelly pollen, it would be a good way to divert attention and maybe the plant would be happy to see me coming out with a big ball from her polem. I leave with some difficulty from inside the man-eating plant, accompanied by a large ball of disguised food, after placing the large ball on my back I started to leave as quickly as I could towards Hans, I had gone too far, and now ishould have only a few hours until he wakes up, when I leave the area of the large monster plant I could see out of the corner of my eye thar she rustle in approval with my departure, maybe she was happy for the sight of the "polem ball" or just anxious with the idea of me returning with hundreds of snacks, but so what? unlucky for her, I would never come back here, not even with the full potential of sticky wax. "Hans wait for me!" Chapter 15: Travel I had flown all the way back and was near the little hideout I had carried this ball of smelly food all the way back, and now I was so tired that i could pass out, my whole body ached and I felt totally drained of strength, so much that I even checked to see if I had anything in my stats.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Queen Mana: N/D
Life: 3 Str: 0.2 Def: 0.1
sp: 1.3 Int: 15 Wis: 5
+Information
[Efects]
Exhausted - 09:32 Hours you pushed your body too hard and now it''s exhausted
""Shit... I wore myself out a lot, now even if I managed to feed Hans I wouldn''t be able to get out of this damned forest." When I got to my hiding place I had a lot of work until I could get in with my tangle of food as company, when I finally got into the hiding place I felt my legs give up, and my mind get clouded, I had never tried so hard for so long to get so few resources, but now I needed to believe that this [Corpse-eating Venus honey], could neutralize the effect of [Dying of Hunger] if didn''t, or ended up leaving Hans with the effect [Addicted] I wouldn''t know what to do, my only option would be to feed Hans with honey with non-lethal effects, like sleep, paralysis, itching and stuff like that. When I took a look at My Little Giant I found that soon he would lose the effect of (Incapacitated)
[Efects]
[incapacitated] - 13:23 Minutes You have passed all the limits of your body, and now it will have consequences.
I didn''t have the strength to do anything else, nor to clean myself from this horrible smell, all I could do was settle in a corner and look directly at Hans while waiting for the effect to end at once. ------- --------- "Oof-- Ouch my head..." "HANS!" "Mother?... You fine? Where the enemy?" While Hans spoke in a broken and raspy manner he tried to get up with difficulty as if he were very weak at the moment. "Hans he is already dead! Don''t try to move now you are very hurt!" Hans suddenly stopped and returned to the previous position, he was breathing heavily and looked in pain. "Why didn''t you run away... I bought time just for you.. you run away but you didn''t move..." "Forgive me Hans! I''m an idiot I should have done what you told me! If i had hidden when you asked you could have run away too..." "Ru-Run Away? I wouldn''t run away Mom... Soldiers fight to the death..." What? Hans had never planned for me to hide so he could hide too, he asked me to hide and run away while he would fight to the death against the termite... "No!" "Hans your life is very important to me, you are not a disposable member of this group, you are my adorable little hungry larva, you got it! Don''t think that I will accept in open arms your suicidal attitude!" "I-I''m sorry Mom, I just wanted to fulfill my pur-purpose..." Purpose? That stupid thing I gave him when he was born? I haven''t even thought a lot about that! And yet it seems that Hans took it very seriously, as if it were his only goal in life." "Hans, your purpose is always to be with me by my side understood! No matter the situation or reason, you are not allowed to die just because you think you need to die for me! You should care about your own life before anything!" "B-but me..." "Nothing more! You are very important to me Hans understood? I''m sorry it took me so long to figure it out." "I understand... I really appreciate it mom, but I think I''ll end up dying anyway..." "Who do you think I am?! Someone who speaks some nice words to a man with his foot in the grave! Not really! I won''t let you die so easily!" After yelling at Hans a bit I draged the Food ball and [Honey of a saint''s tears] little orb and put them in front of Hans with a little difficulty. "Hans eat it, this will make you better to leave this place, try not to eat too much [Corpse-eating Venus crystalized honey] it can be very dangerous if consumed in large quantities." "I... Thank you mom.. I really appreciate it" I just watched as my soldier got up with some difficulty and sat down in front of the small pile of food in front of him, first he inspected it for a few seconds before starting to chew pieces of the ball of honey flakes and sticky wax and then shalow them with ease, he repeated the process for about 8 times and i was already getting afraid that the effect of (Addicted) would activate, or maybe it had already activated?! Maybe that''s why Hans was eating so much!
[Efects]
Exhausted - 05:52 Hours you pushed your body too hard and now it''s exhausted Fast growth - 24:43 Minutes Parts of your body that can grow naturally grow faster
Phew, nothing interesting here, and it seems that the reason Hans is moving so awkwardly is because of the effect of (Exhaustion) just like me, should this be a secondary effect of (Incapacitated)? As if the incapacitated effect itself wasn''t already shit, he still has more consequences after leaving! I think the fact that it''s only for 6 hours is a good thing at least. I watched as Hans stopped at about half of the small crystal ball and then swallowed the small orb of [Honey of a saint''s tears] without hesitation and then i looked at the (Recovery) efect.
[Efects]
Exhausted - 05:47 Hours you pushed your body too hard and now it''s exhausted Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Fast growth - 24:38 Minutes Parts of your body that can grow naturally grow faster Recovery - 00:59 Minutes Regenerates 1 of [Life] per minute
"And now mom, what should I do?" "Rest Hans, we Two must rest a little and then get out of this place as soon as possible, the whole forest is compromised, we cannot stay here." After answering Hans I went to nestle in a corner so that I could get some sleep, I was so tired that the smell already seemed unimportant. As Hans imitated me and nestled in the other corner of the little hole he began to ask me some questions. "Compromised? What do you mean, mom?" UGh. This should be how parents tired from a long day at work feel as all they want is a little rest but still need to care for their children. "The whole forest is contaminated with something that makes all the plants poisonous." "This is strange, we didn''t fly so far from our old house, but back there we haven''t found poisonous plants everywhere..." "It is... it seems to be something unique to this region, so why not try to get some sleep?" "If this forest is really as dangerous as it looks, shouldn''t we leave immediately? After all, there must be more creatures like the one that attacked me, and others even more dangerous!" "Hans... I''m exhausted, and so are you, if we left now we wouldn''t be able to keep up, and if another creature appeared in our path we wouldn''t be able to do anything but stare while we were killed." Well I couldn''t do anything but stare while we were being killed in any situation, but Hans couldn''t do much in that state either. "I understand mom, I''m sorry for this stupid idea, I wasn''t thinking about our current state clearly..." "Hans, never apologize again for giving ideals understood! Your opinion is worth much as mine here! Even more since you are the one who keeps us alive, you mustn''t give up to me every time, keep your place! This plan now was a bad idea, but I think that''s was the first really bad idea I''ve ever seen you having in your life! "...I.. I understand mom, I will try harder to meet your expectations" This kid doesn''t seem to had understand anything i just said. "Now rest Hans, and don''t eat any more of these pink crystals! They may be delicious and nutritious but they are just a beautiful cake full of worms!" "All right"
When we woke up in the morning I still had a few hours with the effect (Exhausted) but Hans had already recovered, and he had regained all his life! The effect of (Recovery) was simply too powerful! Or most likely was that Hans had very little life, to the point that the effect of (Recovery) was a miraculous effect. "Do you want me to carry you, mother? That would save us a lot of travel time." "I don''t know Hans, I don''t feel comfortable being carried by you, and the effect will wear off soon, when he finishes I will be able to accompany you at the same rate." "Mom, to be honest I always slow down to keep up with you because I felt like you didn''t want to be carried, I would feel so much better if you let me carry you in my arms, you''re not heavy enough to burden me and this way I could just focus on flying fast!" "That''s is... Really? You just didn''t even mention the idea because you thought I was going to turn it down?" "I didn''t think Mother, I was sure you would deny this idea by our mental link, but since you tell me to speak my suggestions even if they seemed wrong, i though i needed to tell you now" This guy, it seems that even though carrying me was a very good idea for him, when he thought about telling me and them felt that i would hate it, he immediately classified it as "Not worth saying", how many more of these ingenious ideas had Hans kept hidden just not wanting to annoy me? "... All right, Hans, you can carry me... Let''s continue towards the clearing to the North, and remember to stop if you spot a large group of flowers that look edible." "Yes mother! Thanks for listening to me!" After we left our makeshift hideout I thought of the image of being carried by an insect like a sack of potatoes and felt a little frustrated, I sure would have refused the idea if it had been a few days ago, but now Hans had a lot of credits in the bank and i couldn''t refuse his requests without good reasons. As I mentally prepared for what was to come Hans suddenly grabbed me gently and placed me in his arms, holding me tightly with his four limbs, when I stopped to analyze the situation it wasn''t the image of an insect carrying a bag of potatoes, it was more like a knight in armor carrying a hopeless Princess... "Hans..." "Please don''t move Mom! I''ll Fly Now." Before I could fully process the situation, Hans launched himself fast into the air, and soon we were flying at an incredible speed towards the north, to me it was so fast that it seemed that when i fly i just drag myself through the air. "HANS, AREN''T WE GOING TOO FAST?" But the giant kept flying while just looking intently ahead, he clearly wasn''t listening to me, or maybe he pretended not to hear... Gee! I didn''t know Hans could fly so fast, it seems like I''ve really just been slowing him down all this time... The world below us moved slowly as we passed through it, and when I finally had a closer look from above I could see that the whole forest had a palette of dark colors, with colorations that didn''t seem to be common for an ordinary forest, while on the horizon there were forests of normal colorations, and much further ahead was the clearing, thatwas our ultimate goal. After a while I got used to Hans speed and finally began to enjoy the view, I had begun to finally accept that this life wasn''t t easy, and that if I made mistakes there would be consequences, I needed to create a colony as quickly as possible, I didn''t think I could simply give birth to hundreds or thousands of members yet, but I had already decided that I would create at least 6 more soldiers to help Hans, and create a proportional number of workers to help me keep them.
"Mom... Wake up... mom?" "Hmm.. umm? What''s the matter?" "We are getting close to the clearing I spotted a field with hundreds of flowers and since you had asked to report in case I spotted a large group of flowers I decided to wake you up..." "Wha-Where?!?" I ignored the fact that I had fallen asleep indefinitely in Hans''s arms and began to scour the region, the first thing I saw was that the once super distant clearing was now very close, and below us there was a large field with what looked like hundreds or even thousands of cyan blue flowers. "How Long Have I been asleep Hans?" "I can''t tell you exactly mom... Would you say for 4 hours? But there may have been more, my sense of time is not exactly the best..." 4 hours?! Could Hans cover that huge distance while carrying me in just 4 hours?!? "That-that''s amazing Hans, I didn''t know you were that fast..." "I wouldn''t say I''m very fast, but I kept the flight at a constant speed without stop all the way here." "You are amazing Hans! Let me down, let''s take a look at those flowers, and eat something, you must be hungry after so much effort!" "Yes mother... I really feel hungry, a meal would be appreciated." When Hans let go of me I soon started flying towards the pretty blue flowers but I smelled an unpleasant smell halfway through and noticed that it was still covered with the pollen of the man-eating flower... "Hmm.. Hans... don''t you find my smell unpleasant? You had to carry me here, it must have been uncomfortable to smell that unpleasant odor..." "Yes mother, the smell you emit is very unpleasant, but it is a minor and meaningless trivial matter." He just said "You stink" right in my face, without even shaking his face, Hans has always been very direct but being hit by him sure hurts. "I understand Hans, I''m sorry about that, I was so tired yesterday that I didn''t even remember to take a shower when we woke up, did you happen to see any water sources on the way?" "Yes mother, I saw lakes and rivers along the way, but I didn''t see any visible water sources that are close to here." Me and my luck, I wasn''t going to go back in Hans arms to the nearest lake, I had to find something around here, I shoud find something without problems near, there were a lot of flowers around here, trees and bushes there should be a source of water nearby somewhere. "Hans help me find a source of water, it doesn''t matter the size as long as it''s clean." "All right!" Hans came out slowly as I looked around the area, he never left my field of vision and I think would be hard to get more than that from Hans, he was very overprotective and never got too far away. When looking for a source of water I soon arrived at the blue flowers and was genuinely surprised by what it had on its roots, it was water! pure and crystalline water accumulated in small puddles all over the region where the flowers grew, I was genuinely grateful and cleaned myself in the small puddle of water, and when I finally felt clean I analyzed these blue flowers, to have so much water here they seemed to have properties to store water in the soil or something like that.
[Description]
A Tears from heaven Flower is capable of miraculously converting its magical energy into pure water.
That''s incredible! These flowers weren''t storing water, they were producing water! When I inspect the flowers more closely, I see that they have the appearance of an upturned blue orchid, and inside each of these flowers there are small amounts of water! It seemed that they produced water inside these small containers and after they were full they fell with the weight of water spilling all the contents on the ground, them the flower returned to its original position and the cycle is repeated. Wasn''t that super broken? These flowers could basically grow in any region without water, since they could produce their own water! These plants could basically dominate regions with little competitiveness and turn deserts into forests! It didn''t seem like they produced much water, but surely having the ability to produce such an essential resource as water was very valuable, or maybe it wasn''t at all? If it was a world like anime, there could be people with the ability to produce water too! After all if a random flower in the forest could have that kind of power then anyone should get it over time, or maybe not? These flowers may have gone through hell to achieve this ability, if the creatures acquire abilities through difficulties and repetitive tasks, does that mean that these flowers may have gone through so much thirst in their lives that they began to create their own water, and the fact that the description says "miraculously convert energy into pure water" means that magic could not be easily converted into other things? Or was it simply difficult to convert magic into "pure water", could that be right? Even if people in this world could actually create water with magic, it doesn''t mean that this water is proper for consumption, like sea water perhaps, the ability to create water should not be a big deal, but the ability to create pure water is something very amazing since that eliminates any impurities that magic mixes in the water... This time I think I went too far... the [Concerned player] always makes me think of all the possibilities, but in the end I only end up with more questions than answers, I have no way to confirm the theories I think, and I have no way to be sure if any point of my theory is simply invalid... or even idiot! "Mom, I''m hungry..." "Hans?!? Since when have you been there?" "For some time now mother, you have been standing with a strange look on your face and I thought it best not to disturb you." Damn, I never realized it because I was always alone, but it seems that when I''m thinking about my crazy theories I end up spending a lot of time and losing track of the environment around me. "All right Hans, sorry about that, I''ll get you some food right away!" with Hans looking I started to gather what I could of the nectar of these magical flowers and I was disappointed with the taste of his nectar, it looked like sparkling water that had lost all its gas with a slight sweet taste, it wasn''t bad, but still disappointing compared to the nectar of the man-eating flower... No! That for sure is dangerous, I didn''t even have the effect (Addicted) and still missed the sweet nectar of the monster plant! Don''t think of the delicious nectar of that strange flower, if you stop to think, that flower eats corpses, the nectar you ate was made of rotten and disgusting corpses. Chapter 16: A New land
[Description]
[Crystals of Tears from heaven] Created by a low-level bee, this ration doen''t have much nutritional value, but has great chances of (Purify) a random poison for those who consume it Quality: Good
[Description]
[Honey of Tears from heaven] Created by a low-level bee, this honey is has a chance to (Purify) a random poison for those who consume it Quality: Good
Even though I have a lot of these flowers, it seems that I would need to empty each one of them to be able to get Hans full. I think it is to be expected; after all, water is not known to be nutritious. But this effect of (Purify) is something that is really worth just being remembered! After being disappointed by the fact that the large field of flowers in front of me couldn''t be a long-term source of food, I tried to use my ability of [Memorial memory] to create a mental note about the utility of these flowers. Again, I didn''t know if it worked, but I guess only time would tell. One of the things these beautiful flowers made me think about was magic. If even flowers could use magic to ensure their survival, then why hadn''t I seen a greater number of creatures with magic? Magic. What was it? Of course, if you asked me, I would say it is an energy capable of doing anything. Why? Because it can! How did I know? I have no idea! My world never had real magic, but now I was in a world full of this mysterious force that I didn''t know what it was for. Looking in front of me, there was a [Tears from Heaven] that had magic and could use it to create water. So that was magic? Sure, a flower that creates water out of nothing is pretty magical, for sure, but it was nothing compared to what I expected from magic. Until today, I haven''t seen any living creature that could use spells in a "traditional way''''. When I looked at these flowers, it looked like they were using their MP to feed a [Skill] that should be able to create water. So, in essence, Magic was nothing but a source of energy to feed powerful [Skills]? If someone had a [Skill] that allowed them to cast fireballs as long as they paid an MP amount, would that be a spell or just the use of the [Skill]? When I think of spells, I think of magic circles or incantations capable of creating a magical phenomenon. And yet, looking at these flowers, it seemed that everything was very limited by the [Skills]. It seemed that even if someone had tons of MP to burn, it wouldn''t be of any use without a [Skill] that can burn this MP. But there was also the possibility that there really was a spell, and that, in fact, this flower in front of me was using a spell to create water and not a [Skill]. If I only had access to its entire status table, I could confine my questions, and... "Mom... I''m hungry...." "Hans! Oops, sorry, I got distracted again, didn''t I? I''m sorry to disappoint you, but it seems that these flowers cannot create a source of food nutritious enough to satisfy you..." "And what should I do now, mother? I have not seen any other group of flowers as large as this one..." The giant Hans seemed to think he was going to be out of food and could sense from our link that Hans was actually getting very hungry. "Don''t worry, Hans; there are not only these flowers around. We can find something for you soon." After cheering up Hans a little, I flew to a large tree that had large flowers of pure white color. Its flowers emitted a slight smell that reminded me of pineapple, and its pollen had a strange reddish color. Its nectar had a slight taste of lemon, and each flower had only a minimal amount, but there were so many flowers that soon I already had a chest full of this nectar.
[Description]
[Wiplire honey] Created by a low-level bee, this honey can grant the efect (Immunity boost) to those who consume it Quality: Good
[Description]
[Wiplire crystals] Created by a low-level bee, this feed has high nutritional value, can grant the effect (Immunity boost) to those who consume it Quality: Good
This Wiplire will do the job. It can''t "sustain a bee for days," but it is still more nutritious than the other flowers. "Here''s Hans; eat as much as you can. I''ll keep making more of these honey flakes until you feel satisfied to continue our journey." "Thank you very much, mom!" For a while, I just gathered all the nectar from [Wiplire Flower] and turned it into crystals for Hans. Soon he had eaten 2, then 3, 4, 5, and 6. "Are you still hungry, Hans?!?!" I had created so much honey that I had even gained another level in creating honey!
[warning]
The [Honey making] skill has reached Lv7
"Well... Yeah, Mom, I''m not hungry, but I''m not satisfied either." I urgently need those workers. Hans was simply a furnace that burned food. I think I know now because I don''t see bees everywhere. Although there seems to be no limit to how many members a colony could have, there was a natural limit that was food. It doesn''t matter if a hive had thousands of members; if that Colony couldn''t create enough quantities of food to support each of its members, it would end up starving quickly. "All right, Hans; I''ll keep creating a few more ration orbs, but only a few more! After that, we will continue our way to the clearing." "...Alright." When we reached the impressive number of 11 honey crystals for Hans, he finally said that he was satisfied and that we could continue our journey. While Hans put me in his arms again to launch himself into the air, I tried to mark this entire region as a "medication zone" with my ability to memorize again without any notification or sign that it had worked. When I opened my eyes again, we were already full steam ahead towards the Promised Land.
The first thing I saw when we reached the clearing was a creature that looked like a moose from my world, but it had much larger, drooping ears and horns with flowers and moss! Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Forest moose
Level: 42 Class: -------- Mana: --------
+Infomation
[Description]
A moose that live in the forest
At least it didn''t seem aggressive, so much that we managed to pass easily by its presence, and soon we spotted a large open field with thousands of plants that had flowers of different colors and sizes. All the plants were occasionally being eaten by a very cute creature that looked like a sheep the size of a cow.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Big Orme
Level: 21 Class: -------- Mana: --------
+Infomation
[Description]
The Orme''s that lives in large groups
These Orme''s had a body completely covered by dark hair and had horns that projected from their heads. They were all very fat and seemed to be very peaceful. The scene of Orme''s quietly eating the vegetation while their young drank milk from their mother''s boobs was strangely peaceful. Much better than living near giant wolves that devoured innocent rabbits. These hairy cows seemed to be either very lucky to have no predators in the area or some reason why no one would try to eat them. "What do you think of this place, Hans?" "It looks very peaceful, Mom. I feel very comfortable in this open environment, much better than the enclosed forest we lived before!" "I also agree; only these Orme''s bother me. But the whole region seems simply ideal for us! There are many varieties and quantities of flowers all over the place, and there doesn''t seem to be another insect nest nearby." "I don''t know why the cows bother you so much, Mom. I didn''t feel any danger from them, but I also think this is the best place we could find. Now all we would need to do is find a good place to nest." "Yes... The nest... I don''t think I have anywhere to run now. Could we use a tree? or a stone maybe? I would like to find somewhere away from these cows, even if they are really peaceful. I think it is not a good idea to disturb such a large creature..." "How about that cliff over there?" I looked in the direction Hans was pointing, and there really was a cliff! A large round hole in the ground that was well disguised by a lot of tall vegetation and trees. The hole simply lay right there in the middle of an open field with no mountains nearby and was so deep that I couldn''t even see its bottom... "No! Excuse me; this looks like a burrow of a monstrously giant creature!" "Huh? Why do you say that, Mom? It''s just a hole..." "There just no way to justify a perfectly round hole that digs straight down is a natural event, Hans! Something dug that hole, and even if it looks abandoned, I''m not going to run the risk of unleashing an ancient creature that might be sleeping in there! Let''s go after something else!" "All right, Mom... What do you think of that tree over there?" Following Hans'' hand, I saw a large tree that easily stood out from all the rest. It was clearly very old, but it also looked very reliable.
[Description]
A Ancestral begonia tree, Known for their resistance and longevity
"This... It can work; we just need to find a hole or something where we can spend the night." The sun was already setting, and soon we would need to find shelter. If not, we would need to bury ourselves again in an uncomfortable hole. "Of course, Mom! I''ll look for something decent right away!" Before I had a chance to say anything else, Hans had already taken off with all his strength as he carried me to search the large tree. When we got close to the trunk, we couldn''t find any cracks or holes. I wasn''t very surprised, but Hans seemed to be very nervous. I think he was very excited by the fact that he had agreed to raise some brothers for him, and now he was very apprehensive for us to build a hive. When we reached the top of the big tree, I could see a hole in the trunk of the tree. The hole was big enough for Hans to get in easily, and inside it was a lot of room. This place made my old house look like a cubicle; it was very dirty with dry leaves, brushwood, and feathers of some mysterious bird, but the hole was empty and didn''t seem to have any residents at the moment, which made Hans very happy. "This place looks perfect! What do you think, Mom!?" I had never seen Hans so excited in my entire life. I was worried about the entrance being too big, and the fact that this place looked like it had been a nest for birds before. But after seeing Hans'' cheerful and hopeful face, I just ended up settling for him. He still had too many spots on the bank to use, and he didn''t make it easy that he just wanted the best for me... "It''s really perfect, Hans... It''s an amazing place with a wonderful view. Good job finding this place!" "Thank you, Mom!" "Now get me down on the ground; let''s take advantage of what''s left of sunlight to create a narrower exit to this hole. I don''t feel very comfortable with the idea of turning midnight snack for some owl monster..." "Okay, what should I do in the meantime?" "Well... Try to map the surroundings? It would be nice to know what we have around here. And remember, if you find anything dangerous in the area, come back immediately!" "You can count on me! I will not disappoint you!" "But of course, you won''t, Hans..." Without even listening to my words, Hans soon came out of the hole and turned his attention to the surroundings of the large tree. After giving a sigh of disapproval, I also went out towards the flowers that grew close to the roots of the tree. I decided that I would create a mixture of generic honey to create a reasonable amount of [Common Hard Wax]. I could have found some flower that would generate better wax, but I decided that using a generic mixture was faster and more reliable in this situation. Tomorrow I could try to create better versions of wax, but now I just needed a large amount in a short time.
That is... Mediocre, in the best of words. The entrance to the great hole was now almost all coarsely closed with hard wax, and only one entrance large enough for Hans to get in was left. My plans were to create a straight and elegant wall, but wax was a difficult material to work with, and I ended up with an irregularly shaped wall with a poorly made entrance. The day was already coming to an end, so even if I managed to pull out all this wax how had already hardened, I would need to do everything again. Since there was no more time, my only option was to accept that this was the best I could do. "Looks good to me, Mom!" Hans, who was right above me monitoring me, tried to console me when he could feel my displeasure with my poorly done work. I was never a perfectionist, but these poorly made walls were really making me angry! Very likely a [Hard worker] effect; it seemed like the trait didn''t make all my creations perfect. It made me repeat the creation process until it was perfect! This trait was basically a less direct way of calling someone an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist! "It''s not good! But it''ll have to do the job for now. I don''t have time to redo it now. What about your mission, Hans? What did you find out?" "Well... Nothing really significant, Mother. There are many flowers and fruits throughout the Valley, and I saw many different creatures. But none tried to attack me. I also found a small vein of water that descends towards the sunset, and that''s it." "Okay, we can work with that... Tomorrow I will raise the first workers to help me with food production. In the meantime, I want you to try to level up as much as possible. Avoid moving too far from the main tree and be careful with the creatures you encounter. If you are not sure you can beat them, escape immediately." "All right, I will follow your will, Mother!" "Great, now how about we inaugurate our new house and get some sleep? We will need a lot of energy for tomorrow." "Yes, Mother! I am very glad that you decided to create workers; they could help you much more than me!" "That''s not true, Hans; you have always been a great help to me. Without you, I probably would have already been eaten by something." "I can only fight, Mother. I can''t help you with food or buildings. But I also can''t fight properly alone; I need more brother soldiers to be able to show my true value!" Oh? I think that''s why Hans was so excited; he wanted me to create more soldiers so he could show all the capabilities of a bee soldier. "All right, Hans; it may even take a while, but soon I will create other soldiers to help you in your tasks. Until then, I apologize for overloading you with the job to protect our entire home alone..." "It will be an honor to protect you and the young ones with all my body and soul, Mother!" Hans always looked like a knight, but the scene of him in a straight posture while speaking such serious words with his hands behind his back and a stoic expression made Hans look like the definition of a knight in armor. If all soldiers were like Hans, I would end up with an order of knights fighting for the Hive Queen. The Knights of the Honeycomb. "Puff... Thank you, Hans; it is always good to know that I can trust you. Now rest; tomorrow will be a long day." Chapter 17: A luck kid "Is that enough Hans?" "Yes mother, I am already satisfied" "Great! I will tidy up our house and lay some workers. In the meantime try to level up as much you can!" When we woke up that morning Hans was already hungry again, I needed to create about 30 crystals with random flowers to be able to satiate Hans. And now that Hans was completely satiated I could start the arduous task of creating some workers... "Of course mom! I''ll go right away!" As Hans left for his noble mission I began to gather as much nectar as I could and then returned to my strange looking home, upon inspecting my wax creation all I could see were its design and architectural flaw. The wax bent in unexpected ways as it dried, so the whole structure was very irregular and poorly made. The entrance to the large hole was barely big enough for Hans and the hole was facing up so if it rained my house would end up flooded, so I decided that the whole job was very poorly done and urgently needed to be redone to perfection. But it turns out that I ran into a big problem when I tried to destroy all of this mess. The Hard Wax was really very hard! It looked nothing like ordinary beeswax from my world. This hard wax seemed to have stiffened like concrete and when I tried to break it all I could do was look like an idiot trying to push through a wall! "Oh come on, Really?!?" After a while I realized that this thing was not going anywhere. Despite being ugly and irregular the whole structure had already stiffened completely. Defeated by a wall I decided that I should go in and start cleaning the entire interior to create my works.
After cleaning a corner of my new house, I started creating small basins fixed to the floor, this time different from the irregular and poorly made basins I created before I managed to create a small basin that reached up to my waist, it was made with ordinary wax they where sturdy but could still be easily removed different from things created with hard wax, after redoing the process of going out and collecting nectar, going back and creating wax, building a basin and going out for about 5 times, I finally endend having 6 small jars stuck to each other how had a decent appearance! After looking at the jars I knew that now was the time when I should raise my workers, I was still very nervous at the idea of being a mother of so many sentient beings but me and Hans really needed help, and I couldn''t keep burdening the poor Hans, and to be honest if these workers could feed Hans alone every day this would already be a spectacular help! While focusing on the idea of creating a worker egg I was soon struck by the familiar feeling of creating an egg, but different from when I created Hans egg this feeling was much lighter and less uncomfortable, so much that after a few seconds a small Pure White Bee egg apears on the ground, by the way creating worker eggs is much faster than creating a soldier, I don''t know how this whole issue of eggs worked but after creating a worker egg I created 5 more, after gathering the 6 small eggs and distributing them through the jars I tried to analyze a single egg to know how long it would take to hatch.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Worker Mana: N/D
+Information
[Efects]
Incubating - 2 days This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
"Uhm?? Only 2 day? Hans took 5 days to be born!" It seems that the workers needed a less time to mature, looks like I really should have started raising the workers first, they needed much less time to hatch and probably need much less time to mature. "All right, while you babies are getting ready to be born, I''m going to clean up this messy house..." After leaving the small eggs aside I started to clean the leaves and dry grass that was all over the place, I thought about covering the entire interior of this place with common wax to get a thermal insulation, last night this place got really cold and would be nice to have a little comfort in my own house, I also thought about the problem that affected me the most, the light, in the morning the sun came through the door and could light up the whole place, but when got dark my house got darker and darker until it was plunged into darkness, I should have brought one of those shiny nuts, but I hadn''t even remembered them until now! If I don''t find a bush how have these nuts or a substitute for them I would end up in the dark or sending Hans all the way back to get some of those nuts, which was very dangerous, since Hans might never come back and I would end up with a guilty conscience and with the mission of protecting 6 workers.
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Dirth worm], you gained 1 Xp
[Warning]
You are now at Level 2!
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Berry larva], you gained 3 Xp
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Earth mantis], you gained 6 Xp
[Warning]
Hans had evolved into the Lv3 This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Damn it! I was just finishing removing most of the dirt when I was bombarded by a lot of information, and i finally reached Level 2 and Hans had reached Level 3! I didn''t even do anything, absolutely nothing and I still managed to level up! I hadn''t fought any creatures until today but I was able to collect what seemed to be a "tax" from Hans slaughters, it seemed kind of unfair that while Hans was fighting and risking his life for these levels I was just at home doing some housework, but I don''t think I was really designed for conflict like Hans, my specialties were in... the breeding area. I tried to analyze my statuses to see if there was any difference but I think I ended up getting too excited for only 1 Lvl
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 2 Class: Queen Mana: N/D
Life: 3.1 Str: 0.2 Def: 3
sp: 1.4 Int: 15 Wis: 5
+Information
"But what a disappointment, I think this is what should be expected from just a 1lv, but I will gain a new ability as I level up? Or will the levels just increase my status points until I can evolve? When can I evolve? Level 10? 20? 30? That system doesn''t tell me anything! It can take months to get that many levels! Unless you create dozens of soldiers... "Ah shut up at once Bee instinct! My life is already too complicated without you trying to influence me!" I would create more soldiers, I had already decided, but first I needed to know what the capabilities of the workers were, if only one can handle the mission of feeding Hans, then I could create 5 more soldiers, 1 for each worker, but if only one worker bee is not enough to feed Hans I would need to focus on trying to increase the number of workers before creating more soldiers, if the 6 workers I was creating couldn''t produce enough food for Hans, yes I would be lost! I alone can feed Hans with a bit of trouble of course, but I could still produce enough food for him, and as [Create honey] went up in Level I needed less and less nectar to feed Hans, but the question was whether the workers would have a capacity to produce food inferior, or superior to my own capacities, in theory the workers should be the real experts in producing food, while I should be an expert in laying eggs... And now that I think of the workers I have a serious doubt about them, how the hell would they level up?! Would I need to share the low Xp Hans gives me with them? Or did the workers have to fight for this Xp? I honestly don''t know which option is worse! If I needed to share all of Hans low XP it would end up taking years to reach a maximum level before evolution, but if the workers had to fight with their frail little bodies to get that Xp they would end up becoming food quickly! Even Hans who was a killing machine couldn''t get these levels easily, imagine a small worker that creates food what she gona do to kill someone?,just what?! They going to offer some poisoned honey to they enemy and hope it works out? When I finished rambling about the power of the workers, I realized that the house was clean, it seems that I had worked on autopilot and cleaned all this while thinking, but on the floor there were still several dirt chips that bothered me seriously, after leaving and returning with a decent amount of honey on my chest I started creating small balls of ordinary wax and scrubbing them on the floor, using the wax to gather the dirt into a wax ball that I could then just throw away, when I finished everything the place was so clean that we could eat on the floor and only then I was satisfied, while gathering the balls of dirt and wax I tried to analyze one of them to see if there was something special in this ball of dirt
[Description]
[Trash ball] A small ball of dirt mixed with wax Quality: Poor
Yeah, really is what looks like, I thought maybe there could be some ultility to it, but it really should be just garbage. After gathering all the balls and "gently" throwing them away through the door I could see that the sun was already setting, I received no further notification of Hans kills, and I began to get worried, accessing our mental link I was relieved to see that the link was still there intact, which meant that Hans was alive and well, after being relieved for a moment I decided to give a little pull on our link, and after a while waiting I see Hans appearing in front of me. "Mom! Something happened!?" "Uhm.. No Hans, nothing happened, I just called you back, the daylight was already running out and I thought that hold be better to come back." "Ah.. Okay Mom, I thought something had happened because I just felt a sudden pull on our link" "And how else should I have called you then?" "The link of course, but sending a complete request by the link would be much more reassuring for me..." Full order? I knew that Hans could share feelings, memories and even sensations through our link but I didn''t really know how the hell he did it, our link was like a rope that connected us 2 but only that, a rope, I could pull it or swing it to get Hans attention, but I don''t know how the hell Hans send words and memories through that link. "Hans I... I don''t know how to do that... I can''t use our link as well as you can, to me it just seems like a string that connects us, I don''t know how you manage to use it so masterfully..." "Huh?? How you cannot use the link?" "I just don''t know Hans!" "Sorry mom.. It''s just that, all the knowledge I have on how to use our link came from you... so I don''t understand why you can''t use it better than me..." What?!?! Wasn''t Hans born with the knowledge to use this link? He learn while analyzing my memories?! So where the hell did he get that from?! Because I don''t have idea how to use this! That''s so unfair! Hans was able to use that link with an impressive mastery after just flipping through my memoirs, but I couldn''t do anything but a few cheap tricks! I''ve never had any links like this in my past life, so where did Hans get this knowledge? Maybe.... He didn''t exactly figure out how to use the link with my memories, but rather the concept to use the link, I had cell phones and computers in my old life that could connect with infinite other machines of the same type, and send complex and fast messages through an invisible connection. That must be it! Hans must have interpreted all my knowledge about "information technology" as "knowledge to use the link", but how exactly did he manage to do this? The similarity between the 2 types of distance communication was evident, but fundamentally too different for Hans to simply apply the knowledge of one on the other and simply work! "Hans, how exactly do you use our link? Explain in detail please" "Um... Well, I just send stuff through?..." It''s like asking a person how to use the internet when they have no idea how the internet works. "But how do you send stuff through our link? How Hans?! You just think and things happen, do you need to do something specific? What is it?" "I... Uhm... I just think about what I want to send to you and then it happens..." That doesn''t help me at all Hans. I even tried to do what Hans said, but sending complete subjects through our link seems to be not as simple as it seems and this Hans talk of "just go with the flow" doesn''t help me. "Can you feel anything from your link Hans? I tried to send you a message..." "No, I couldn''t feel anything Mom... I''m sorry" "Okay Hans, it''s not your fault, I just need to figure out a way to use this link with the same mastery as you, but until i make it, only one pull means that I want to talk to you, while 2 pulls means that I really need to talk to you, and 3 pulls is that I need help" "All right, Mom, this can help me a lot to know the urgency of the situation." "Now Hans, why don''t you come in and take a look at the new drone eggs I created!" "OH! Of course mom! I would be very happy!" When I finished speaking, Hans quickly entered our new house, first he analyzed the environment and seemed happy with the sudden disappearance of the dirt that was everywhere, perhaps because of my influence Hans liked cleaning as much as I did, and after shaking his head in approval of my excellent cleaning work he ran to the small jars that contained 6 eggs of workers. "Yes! Grow fast little ones!, our mother needs your help." "Don''t get too excited, they still have some time and I need to gather as much food as I can in the meantime, I don''t think they should eat as much as you but it''s always good to be prepared." "Yes ma''am! I will dedicate myself even more on leveling up to ensure the safety of these little ones when they hatch!" "Of course Hans, you will definitely be a super protective big brother" Hans so excited about these eggs that it seems that it was he who laid them... interlude: Temple of Dawn – Prophecy Through the corridors of the Sun Goddess Shrine, several Templars ran quickly as they tried to stop an ornate Knight with large golden armor. The Knight, possessing advanced age and a tired face, moved swiftly and vigorously. He quickly reached his destinationa large door made of pure white stone adorned with precious stones and gold-plated details. The door was guarded by two heavily armed guards who immediately froze at the sight of the great knight. "Sir Albert! Please, immediately state the reason for this unauthorized visit to the High Priest!" The guards were visibly nervous at Albert''s sudden appearance but maintained their composure, demanding a satisfactory answer. "Fools! I come at the request of your Holiness, the Saint of the Dawn, to share a matter of utmost importance with the High Priest and the interests of the goddess!" "We can''t let you pass without the approval of the-" Before the guard could finish speaking, a small golden projectile passed by the side of his head and hit the doors on his back. The projectile was so fast that it couldn''t be seen, and all the guard could do was feel a sudden rush of air. Despite the great speed, the door showed no scratches or visible damage. "How dare you try to block my way! The Saint has already sent her orders; now get out before I throw you into the dungeon!" While the great knight visibly lost his temper, the large golden doors immediately began to open. In an instant, all the people present knelt on the ground, praying. The only exception was Albert, who looked coldly at the person coming out from behind the doors. "Albert... Why would the goddess, in her infinite wisdom, give us such a hard-headed Paladin as you? Don''t you know these kids were just doing what they were told? Why do you need to intimidate them in such a way, you old scowl..." From the great door, a small lady, so old that her age was indiscernible, came out while bantering with the giant Paladin who was easily twice her height. "High Priest, The Saint asks for an audience with all the bishops immediately!" "Hmm... That girl, always causing a stir for whatever reason. What is it this time?" "That... It''s not something that can be said so lightly!" "Ah... It better not be something as dumb as last time, Albert. Come in." The little high priest returned to her room, accompanied by Albert. When the doors closed, all the people present felt they could finally breathe. Within the large gilded doors was a grand room decorated lavishly, now filled with books piled on its expensive furniture. Books ranged from old and stuffy to more current ones with fine cuts. Looking up, one could see a large glass ceiling bathing the entire room in copious sunlight. "Now, Albert, tell me at once what is happening. It is better this is not like the time when the Saint dreamed that she was trapped inside a mirror, and you began to break all the mirrors in the temple." "...No, High Priest. This time, the reason for my visit is very real and truly important. The Saint received a prophecy from the Sun Goddess!" "What? Repeat that?!" "The Saint received a prophecy directly from the Sun Goddess!" "Albert, it''s good that you''re not kidding me. Are you absolutely sure that she received a prophecy? Prophecies are very important, and the last prophecy we received was about the birth of the Demon Lord about 200 years ago!" "Yes, High Priest! I am absolutely sure of my words. That''s why the Saint asks for an audience with you and all the bishops immediately!" "First of all, bring her here. I need to know the content of the prophecy before we spread it throughout the church." "But High Priest, would it not be easier just-" "Stop being a hard head, Albert! You are already old and still as stubborn as a nail in the foot! Bring Saint here immediately, Albert! This is an order coming directly from me, the High Priest!" "...Yes, Your Holiness, I will bring her immediately." After a few minutes, the door opened again, and this time Albert was accompanied by a girl with clothes covering her from neck to feet. The Saint wore robes of pure white, her hands covered by soft gloves, her face obscured by a white veil with gold details falling to her neck. Despite all her features being covered, everyone could still see her beautiful long golden hair cascading down her back and a thin, well-built figure that couldn''t be overshadowed by the chaste robes. "Your Holiness, Albert told me that you have requested my immediate presence, and here I am as requested." "Daisy! Come here quickly! I heard from Albert the news that you received a prophecy directly from the goddess! It''s good to be serious! If not, I swear by tomorrow you won''t get away easily this time!" "High Priest, I know my previous actions may have been very childish or unruly, but I swear by my holy soul that I would never lie about a matter directly related to the Great Goddess. Please don''t take my words so lightly!" "Ah, look at you, Daisy. Now, we''re talking for real! Come here and tell me about how you conceived this prophecy. I swear by my holy soul that I will believe in your words since you are talking about it so seriously." "Yes, High Priest, this morning I was doing my daily prayers when I felt that my ability [Daughter of Divine Light] began to connect with something. The moment I opened my eyes, I was in a landscape made of pure light, and in front of me was the goddess herself, who began to speak in a strange language. Still, I could understand its meaning naturally. The next thing I remember is Albert taking me off the ground while the words of the goddess were engraved in my mind." "That... This is something new. None of the last Saints ever got a direct connection with the goddess. The last one who achieved such a feat was Rose, who prophesied the birth of the Demon Lord about 200 years ago. So, tell me, child, what is the prophecy that the goddess showed you?" "The prophecy is..." In the night stars, a stellar nomad, born from the echoes of ill fate, traverses with wounds unhealed. The gilded woods shall ascend, a creature birthing both vitality and demise. Within the maw of chaos, it morphs into the world''s bane, a font of mystic energies and boundless fortune. A Friend or foe? "Is that the prophecy? It looks so... Vague." "Yes, High Priest, this is the prophecy. It is exactly the same as I received from the goddess. I also didn''t understand its exact meaning. Most likely, my inability interfered with receiving the prophecy. But even if the prophecy is very vague, it is clear! There are some creature from the stars that have invaded our world! And if this threat is not handled correctly, it can result in the end of the world!" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "I understand now why you were so agitated to get an audience with me and the bishops. Surely, this prophecy is too vague. It is not like the ancient prophecy that clearly said about the birth of the Demon Lord. This prophecy only tells us that there is something that shouldn''t be here and that this can bring great benefits to anyone who manages to control it. But what does it mean if it is consumed by chaos?" "I think it must be related to the Demon Lord. For centuries, we have been waging an unsuccessful war with him. But I think the prophecy means that if the Demon Lord manages to control this invader and adds him to his ranks, the world would be destroyed. While if we could find this invader and ally ourselves with him, we could achieve great fortunes and infinite prosperity." "I see. Do you know what this invader from the stars looks like? Where is he? What are his intentions?" "... No, I have no idea. I just know what the Goddess told me. All I know is that this invader is in our world right now, but it could be anywhere..." "Oh great! We have an invader who has come from who knows where, who can cause the destruction of the world, and we have no idea where he might be?! And if this thing is in the lands of Froills or worse? Right at the gates of the Demon Lord! Daisy! I need more than that. You can''t come here and throw me a bomb like that and then say ''now deal with it.'' We need to find a solution to this! If not, the bishops would just eat us alive, and... Oh, Goddess above! The Pope! Now we need to inform the pope himself! You have no idea what will happen when he finds out about this prophecy! It will cause complete chaos for the entire reign of Solaria! He will end up locking you in an empty room until you get a full version of this prophecy or until you give a full description of the invader!" "Lock me in a room? But why would he do that, High Priest?! I just reported what the goddess herself told me. Locking myself in a room won''t make me hear the goddess''s voice more often..." "Do you really think he cares?! People always want to find someone to blame, Daisy! If the prophecy is as dangerous as it seems, the pope will do everything in his power to get a full version out of you!" "And - And what are you going to do, High Priest? You... You don''t want to talk about the prophecy? This would be a sin against the goddess herself! Disobeying the direct words of the goddess is the same as denying the existence of her Holiness!" "Dumb girl, when you live as long as I have lived, you simply know that the truth cannot be buried, only postponed. I will convey this matter directly to the pope, even if it causes me suffering. After all, this is my duty as high priest." "Then... what should I do now, High Priest? It''s the first time I''ve received a prophecy. I don''t know what I should do now..." "And you think I know, girl? When the last prophecy came out, I was not even born yet. But if you want my opinion as a High Priest, pray, pray until your hands bleed. The prophecy you gave me is clearly fragmented. This happened because your connection with the goddess was not strong enough. The pope won''t let this go unpunished. As a saint, you are the only one who has abilities that can connect you directly with the goddess, and that''s why you were guided from an early age to strengthen your bond with the divine. So, in times of need, you could hear the voice of the goddess. But now, the goddess spoke, and you didn''t understand her correctly, and this will have serious consequences for you, child. The bishops can use this event to challenge your faith and convince the pope that you are not worthy to be in the Temple of the Sun and that you should be sent for re-education." "This... this is absurd, High Priest! I''ve lived my whole life dedicated to the goddess of the dawn, and those old goats think they can contest my faith just because I wasn''t prepared for something I wasn''t taught to do!" "Ah, child, so young, so naive. Do you really think those old goats will care if you live a life dedicated to the Goddess? They will argue that your failure was due to a lack of faith in the goddess, not because they didn''t prepare you to receive a prophecy." "High Priest, what must I do?... I-I swear I never doubted the Great Goddess. I shouldn''t be punished for not knowing what to do..." "Didn''t I tell you Daisy already? Pray, pray hard until you get a complete view of the prophecy. Only then will you be able to avoid the wrath of the pope. But now, get out! Go back to your temple and try your best, child. I will contact the pope immediately, and you are not allowed to be present!" "...Yes, High Priest. I thank you for your warnings. I will return immediately to the Temple of Light." When the Saint left, accompanied by the Paladin who was visibly worried about the whole situation, the High Priest quickly ran up to a pillar in the center of the room. After infusing the pillar with some of her divine energy, a large blue orb emerged from inside the pillar and began to vibrate uncontrollably. "May the goddess protect me from the fury of this man... how someone like him became pope of a goddess known for justice and kindness..." When the orb finally stopped vibrating, it emitted a hoarse and deep voice throughout the process, pulsing with the man''s voice. "High Priest of the Solaria Temple, I must imagine that this is a matter of great importance for you, of all people, to be using the direct channel to speak to me." "Yes, sir, this is Mery Golford, High Priest of the Temple of Solaria, getting in touch. Cloodny, I will be short and direct: the Saint has received a prophecy." "What!? Mery Golford, you happen to be-" "It is not a joke, and I have already confirmed the matter with the saint herself. The prophecy is real." "I understand, but why did you decide to communicate this directly to me? Don''t tell me that... is another prophecy on the same level as the demon lord''s birth?!" "Yes and no. It''s a prophecy that brings big trouble, but it isn''t as bad as the prophecy of the demon lord''s." "Stop the mystery for once! What is the content of the prophecy!?" "That is... Complicated... The prophecy is not complete. It came very fragmented and open to interpretation. We have no way of knowing its exact meaning." "What?!? Fragmented!? The Saint is so inadequate that she can''t hear the goddess''s words clearly!?!? Tell me right away, what are these big problems that prophecy brings?!" "Well, don''t despair, okay? It''s about the end of the world, and-" "End of the world?!? And you want me not to despair?!? Does the prophecy say about the birth of the Word disaster or what?!?" "If only you let me talk, you piece of shit..." "The prophecy says about a invader from the stars who is in our world. The Saint said that she is absolutely sure that the invader is already in our world, but she cannot say where or what it looks like..." "A Star invader?! This is very dangerous Mery! The demon lord is an evil that consumes the world and tries to corrupt it, and you know why? Because he is an invader from the stars! He is not a natural being, and his mere existence stains all living things! And now you tell me there''s another one like that?!" "Yes and no, sir. The prophecy makes it clear that the invader is not necessarily an enemy. The prophecy says that if we can bring this traveler to our side, we will be rewarded with knowledge and infinite wealth. But the same prophecy says that ''if consumed by chaos will bring chaos.'' Then I think it means that if the Demon Lord finds this invader first, this will become our doom!" "That! Mery, I will send the Paladins in my possession accompanied by the Holy Inquisitor to Solaria immediately. This question cannot be taken lightly, and the Saint Nee- No, she owes us! a clearer prophecy. I want you to send me the prophecy that you have now so I can analyze what we have for now. But I must remember that the Holy Inquisitor has full authority to act as he needs to, so he can get as much information as we can!" The Holy Inquisitor, would be easier if he called him the divine torturer; he will wrest the truth from anyone, no matter who they are. "I understand, sir. I only ask you to have mercy on that child. She was never guided on how to receive divine revelations, and this was the cause of her inability to fulfill the task..." "Mery... As the High Priest of the Temple of Solaria, the education of the saint has been granted to you. If the saint cannot exercise her activities correctly for a lack of proper teachings, does this mean that you have failed to teach her correctly?" And there we go, my responsibility is my ass. Those shameless bishops are the ones who should take care of everything, but they sure would throw me to the wolves when their heads are on the line. "Yes, Pope... I failed with the saint and with the church. There is no forgiveness for this." "Mery!! UGH!! I can''t solve this right now! But know that I won''t forget about this! The Paladins will arrive at Solaria in the morning. Be prepared to receive them and make sure the Saint doesn''t try anything funny!" "I understand, sir. I will do my duty as the High Priest." "So that''s it. Send me the prophecy, and keep on exercising your functions. If this prophecy is as bad as it seems, we will need to dedicate a considerable force to the mission of finding the Traveler." "Yes, sir." After the ball suddenly stopped spinning, it began to slowly return to the pillar it had come from. But now, its color was a complete black, different from the vibrant blue from before. "Ah, Daisy, the silly girl who lived holding on to my robe. Sorry, girl, this is all I can do for you. I sincerely hope the Goddess grants you a second chance to hear her words." Chapter 18: A great discovery On other day Hans had already left to try to level up and I stayed behind in our house with the Little Bee eggs, this looked a lot like a family from the 80s, where a man left the house while the woman stayed behind to take care of everything, I felt a little bothered by the similarity between the situations but I really had no way to deny the similarities. After Hans left I started creating honey with different flowers in the region, I tried to find some that had the trace of super nutritious like the [Boungain Honey] but I didn''t really find anything interesting in the valley, there have flowers with honey that had unique tastes but none that had an effect that was worth my atention, there was a wide variety of flowers all over the place but none of them is really special at all, but I could do use them as a generic honey and in large quantities. While I was thinking about the exhausting work it would be to create a new honey tank entirely from scratch I started thinking about the [Ball of dirt], the ball of dirt was exactly what it claimed to be, a ball of wax with dirt, but the system didn''t say it was "a ball of wax with dirt", it classified it as something new, as if it were a mixture of the 2 items into something new, so if I mixed other things into a single mixture would I get something new? If I were to use things like honey, water, nectar, pollen, leaves, petals, sap, roots, and anything else within my reach, could I essentially create unique blends? Maybe even potions?! But I think to create potions I need a cauldron and fire... "But it''s worth to try!" Since I had this crazy idea I believed that I seriously needed to at least test all the possibilities, after all i hade a lot of time! When the workers broke out I would have nothing to do but give orders, of course counting on the fact that the workers can handle all the work.
[Warning]
Your soldier killed a [Berry larva], you gained 4 Xp
After gathering the maximum of nectar and a little of pollen inside my chest I hurriedly returned home and started creating a small basin with hard wax, different from the jugs of the workers this basin wans''t stuck to the floor and could be easily moved, after a little craft work I got something satisfactory, then I used what was left of wax in my chest to create small balls that I kneaded to create a small bowl that I could use as a container for my mixtures, at the end of everything I finally left excited in search of some ingredients to test my ideas while letting the everything dry up. After a few trips back and forth i had get some pollen of various flowers, generic honey, nectar of various flowers, some pieces of petals and leaves, a few drops of stiff sap that were in the bark of the trees, and my chest that was full of water from the river and a small branch for me to use as a spoon. For my first attempt I started by pouring some river water into the basin and mixing it with a little bit of everything, I crushed the leaves and petals and broke the stiffened sap with a small stone, then I threw everything into the basin along with everything else and in the end I had a basin full of random things that seemed unused, I tried to mix all together with the branch but it didn''t seem to improve the situation and in the end I ended up with something useless.
[Description]
[mix] Various ingredients mixed randomly
That clearly went wrong, it doesn''t even have a [Quality] tab so it''s not even a real item it''s just a bunch of useless stuff. After throwing this shit out the door and washing the basin with a little of water I went back for my next attempt, this time I tried grinding the rose petals with a stone and one of the wax bowls and then threw all on the basin with some honey and pollen from various flowers, this time I wanted to try to create a homogeneous blend to ensure my chances of creating something, and I really did create something!
[Description]
[Flower jelly] A jelly created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley [Quality: Bad]
I created a strange jelly! I doens''t seem to have any ultility, perhaps because I used the pollen and petals of several flowers? Maybe if I just used a flower with a specific effect I would get a jelly with a specific effect, but what was that Jelly for? Loking at it i was sure that she would rot very quickly, so without special effects it wouldn''t be worth just bothering me to create it, maybe it was a form of medicine? If that were the case, what would be the advantage of creating a jelly with a healing flower, rather than simply consuming the flower? Was the effect amplified? or maybe this jelly is an ingredient to create something else? I decided that I would mark this on my list of future experiments, now I needed to try to create other things with the ingredients I had, I added the small amount of flower jelly in another wax bowl and tried to create another blend, now with water, crushed leaves and nectar, I tried to use leaves of only a single flower that had a mint smell, this time I wanted to try to create some drink that was recognized by the system.
[Description]
[Drink of flowers] A drink made by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley [Quality: Bad]
Actually really managed to create a drink, but despite using specific ingredients to try to achieve a special effect I ended up with a drink with no efects. I wanted to drink this mysterious liquid and see if at least is delicious, but my chest was still full of water and I couldn''t afford to waste ingredients, so I put some of the liquid in another wax bowl and threw the rest away, for my next attempt I wanted to try using only things like crushed and crushed leaves, petals and sap to create a unique paste and see its usefulness.
[Description]
[Green paste] A paste created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley [Quality: Bad] Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
This paste seemed to be a processed ingredient, so I could use it to create other things?, but what? What could I do with a green paste?! And another thing that is annoying me is this description, why this always need to make it clear that "it was created by a low-level bee"! No one needs to know who created the ingredient! Unless it was a very important factor? Maybe ingredients created by specific beings have specific effects, or maybe the fact that I create things of poor quality is because I am a low-level bee? If I evolved to higher levels would the quality go up? But that doesn''t make sense! The levels shouldn''t influence the mastery which the items were created, it should be a matter of skills! A level 1000 human shouldn''t be able to create honey with the same mastery as a Level 1 BEE, just as someone of a high level shouldn''t be able to create items of superior quality against lower level masters who have years of experience. But maybe it wasn''t a question of levels on the person, but a question of [Skills] levels? In the old days the Honey I created was only of [Bad] quality no matter how hard I tried, but nowadays with the skill of creating honey at Level 7, honey always comes out with the minimum quality of [Good], so there must be a unique [Skill] to create these special blends with hight quality? Deciding to continue with my research I remove much as i can of the paste with another plate of wax and leave some in the bottom, this time I would be mixing honey, the paste and crumpled petals into one thing to try and create something new.
[Description]
[Flower cream] A cream of flowers created by a low-level bee, if consumed can cause [Belly pain] [Quality: Bad]
OH! This is incredible, I used items without specific effects to create an item with an specific effect, of course, the effect wasn''t good, but that was a good thing! This meant that the ingredients reacted with each other and created unique effects, I didn''t need to find something with a specific effect, I could create mixtures with specific ingredients and get the effect I wanted. Doesn''t that mean there really are potions in this world?!? The iconic well know potion with miraculous and unique effects, but how did I create them? did I need a specific [Skill] for this, or just throw a bunch of stuff in a cauldron? And the mixtures that I created were just things that could be created anywhere by anyone? If i really was going to try to create potions i basically going to need a full kitchen, with fire, many dishes and various tools to help me, but where would I find fire? where would I get a cauldron that didn''t burn up in flames? I was really excited about the idea of becoming a kind of witch Bee, I had crafting skills that would help me create unique ingredients, and by doing that I could even create potions and items for Hans and the others, that would really help them so I wouldn''t have to get stuck into the routine of an ordinary Bee''s work, I just needed to find a way to arrange the basic utensils and a way to make a fire, so i can start boiling all these mixtures, melt wax and even get other unique ingredients! While I was excited I was suddenly inundated by notifications of Hans''s slaughter, this time the report came in compressed form, perhaps because I was not paying attention before, the system gathered all the data in a single notification.
[Warning]
You earned 13 Xp from your''s soldiers
After a look outside I could see the sun high in the sky which indicated a time around 12pm or 13pm, I still wanted to continue the mision for my new dream an hope, but the workers were going to hatch early tomorrow, I needed to at least gather a significant amount of honey until tomorrow to be able to feed the hungry larvae.
The day was ending now, the sunlight was already going away, and the bright plants began to demonstrate their true nature, in the meantime I had created a honey tank with ordinary wax that was stuck to the ground and sealed with wax, this tank wasn''t permanent like the old Honey tank I had created in my old house, but I thought it would be the best option, since I could easily remove it later, I already had filled the tank of reasonable proportions with large amounts of ordinary honey, and created a small pile with about 30 honey crystals for Hans and placed next to the tank, Hans hadn''t returned yet, but after a brief analysis in our link I could feel that he was fine and would soon return, after all this work with honey, I managed to reach Level 9 in creating honey, and I realized that using [Flake creation] helped me level up in [Create Honey], even though they were 2 different skills, most likely because [Flake creation] wans''t a unique skill, but a sub-product of another skill. The expectation of what is going happen when I reached Level 10 of honey creation made me a little nervous, the skill seemed to have a level limit of 10 like all my skills, but I didn''t know what is going to happen once I reached the maximum level of this skill, maybe I gain an evolution in the skill [Honey making], or just another sub-skill? Maybe i even not going to get anything more than a production bonus like the previous levels... Curiosity was eating away my mind so much that I wanted to fly out and start making honey until I got to level 10 in the skill, but it was getting too dark and it would be dangerous being there, since Hans hadn''t come back yet I gave a tug in or link to say that is already time to come back, and I could feel Hans''s response in approval, really annoys me how how Hans is able to use this link so much better than me, but I couldn''t do anything about it for now. After about 20 minutes Hans finaly had came home, he looked fine as always and right when he came in, he looked at me and started swearing the same words as always. "Mom, I''m hungry again..." Baby I''m back! Where''s dinner? "Hmmm, I made some honey Crystals for You Hans, they are right there near the honey tank, eat as you wish." "Thank you mom!" When Hans got to the pile of honey crystals he just started eating them one after the other like popcorn, even though those crystals were so hard they could blind someone if thrown on their head. "Hans... I wanted to ask if you found fire while you were away, I was doing some experiments and now i want to create some blends and mixes with the things I have around here, but for that im going to need a cauldron that is immune to fire, and fire itself..." Hans who was eating quietly until now stopped eating when I mentioned the fire and turned visibly perturbed to me. "Fire?!" "Y-yes Hans, what''s the matter with fire?" "Fire is very dangerous mom! We can''t get near that! He''s gonna kill us!!" "T-that''s not true Hans, fire is a very useful tool if used with care..." "But Mom, I saw from our link how dangerous fire is! How this consumes and destroys everything it touches! We can''t get close to something so dangerous!" Hans, the giant in armor was afraid of fire? Thats because of me? Did my death in a fire cause Hans to instinctively fear fire? Or was it a mixture of your bee instincts and my bad memories about the fire? Or will it be some effect of the trait [Fear of burning]? This trait affected my resistance against fire, but never really made me feel afraid of fire, I could still think clearly about its uses, but maybe our link was transmitting characteristics of my [Traits]?.. Probaly not, the link should only be able to transfer memories and things like that, he shouldn''t work for transmiting [Skills] and [Traits], if not Hans could very well use my skills and I use his, which is not really realistic, the [Traits] and [Skills] seem to be unique for each individual and cannot be shared, or maybe they could? If there was a skill that only works in a group, wouldn''t that be a way to share a skill? And what about a skill that copies or steals other skills? And what if there was a [Trait] that could do similar things? and if- "Mother!" "Hans!? I-I get distracted again..." "Mom please don''t mess with fire, it''s just too dangerous for us to take the risk!" "Hans the fire has many uses, and I don''t want to be stuck in this place without being able to do anything all day, I would really like to be able to do these experiments with the mixtures." "But... How about using flowers instead of fire?! I saw a flower to the South that glowed like fire and was hot when I approached, you could use it to create these "potions"." "OH! Is there such a flower? Do you think it''s hot enough to boil water?" "I - I don''t know Mom, they were hot when I got close, but I didn''t get that close, they grew inside a strange cave among with several red crystals so I didn''t go too deep into the place because it looked suspicious..." "Maybe this can work Hans! If the flowers are the right shape I can even use them as cauldrons for the potions, how far south are they?" "About 10 minutes of flight mother, near the mountains." Mountains? The mountains I had seen were very far from here, several kilometers at least! Hans could get there quickly, but I would need probably a full day to get there! "That''s too far for me Hans... And we can''t afford to go there and leave the workers alone here, do you think we could move to there? How is the region there?" "Mom... The mountains are cold and full of rocks, there are no abundant amounts of food or resources like here... I don''t advise leaving this place to live in the mountains!" It would be selfishness That''s what he meant, if we left this promising place just to satisfy my desire for the fire flowers that maybe couldn''t even be able to use as I wanted, it would be selfishness, Hans and the workers would surely follow me, but they would be the ones who would suffer the most from my bad choices. "I Understand Hans... There''s nothing to do, I''ll try to create a little fire tomorrow and find a cauldron I can use." "This is very dangerous!" "I''m not going to give up just because of that Hans, my other option would be to move near the flowers, or bring a living flower here!" "...I understand mom." "Don''t worry Hans, I promise I will take all the care in the world, now try to rest as much as you can, tomorrow the workers will hatch and we will need to feed them." Chapter 19: Potion The small bee eggs had hatched, and inside had small larvae that looked exactly like Hans when he was a larva, even their status were similar
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Worker Mana: N/D
+Information
[Efects]
Maturing - 23 hours This individual is maturing, at the end of the timer will emerge as a adult [Solitary honeybee]
I was happy with the birth of the workers, they didn''t eat much as Hans when he was a larva and only needed a small amount of food, and they would also grow up and emerge as an adult bee tomorrow, taking much less time than Hans, and speaking of him... "Mother Look! This one looked at me!" "I don''t know Hans, I don''t think it was intentional..." Since the larvae eggs hatched Hans was inspecting them like an owl, of course the larvae were cute, probably due to the influence of bee instincts, but they also didn''t need so much attention, or maybe Hans''s reaction is normal, and I''m the one who is acting cold and distant towards the babies. I felt a bit bad that I didn''t care much as Hans did for these larvaes, I cared about their weath and if they well fed and alive, but I think there''s a very big difference between keeping something alive and caring for something. "Hans, you don''t have to stay here until they become adult bees, I can take care of everything here, you can go out and try to level up as much possible so when they emerge you can protect them with all your strength." "All right Mom!" "I will try to make a fire and get a cauldron, so I can continue my experiments, try to not go too far today." "Mom..! Are you really going to insist on fire?" "Yes Hans, I can achieve many things if this works out, I can discover something totally new!" "What if you just get hurt and don''t discover anything useful?" "But what pessimism is that Hans? Have a little faith on me!" "...I understand, I''ll try not to worry about you so much" Hans seemed very upset, I could even sense from our link that he really felt this wasn''t a good idea, but I didn''t really see so much danger in fire, yes I am a insect that live in a tree in a house made of wax, but I didn''t intend to mess with fire here, I could even create a small experimentation room separate from the main house made of mud and non-flammable things. When Hans left I left right behind and went in search of some branches and dry grass, after finding some things I put it all together in a small hole and started rubbing one branch into the other, after what seemed like forever I got 2 sticks and a heavy breathing. Why it was so hard!? In theory it was very easy, (wood + friction = fire), but no matter how much I rubbed a branch on the other there wans''t the slightest sign of fire, now I regret being a bratty and not accepting to go to summer camp when I was in primary, if I had gone I would have real experiences in how to create fire, but now all I have is theory without any practice. I tried to rub one twig on the other in the form of a drill but I couldn''t even get an ember! And i even began to doubt if I would need a [Skill] to be able to create fire! I couldn''t possibly need a skill for things like that right?!? Iam just bad as hell at it. After what seemed like an hour i had 2 branches with no embers and an ego that was hurt. Maybe Hans can do it? Hans has physical abilities far superior to me, maybe rubbing 2 branches on each other until they catch fire would be realy easier for him, but would it be correct to ask Hans? He clearly didn''t like and didn''t support the idea of creating fire, and then I appear in front of him and ask him to help me make fire? I decided to put that fire aside for now and go in search of a cauldron, something that doesn''t burn easily and can be easily cleaned. I could ask Hans to help me with the fire later, I just needed to gather all the materials and utensils so it would be more difficult for Hans to refuse to help me, I could just throw a "I already have everything I need Hans! I just need your help with the fire and nothing else!" After a walk through the woods I found some nuts that could serve as a cauldron, but I thought they were too thin and would burn easily in the fire, walking more I found roots and things that could be potential ingredients and I tried to mark them with [Memorial Memoryl] and as always I cannot say if it worked, continuing my search I managed to find a mushroom of delicate appearance and that had interesting effects.
[Description]
[Jon''s Cap] a mushroom capable of causing the effect [Asphyxiation] in those who consume it Quality: Good
When I came to a bush with several small fruits I thought they looked good enough to become a cauldron, his shell is hard as a stone and its interior soft as jelly, they had an egg shape and an intense brown color, there were several fruits broken on the ground and it would be easy to find one that was broken only in half and that didn''t have cracks, after carrying my new Cauldron home I went out again to find other utensils, I could use the nuts from before as bottles and with some ordinary hard wax I could seal them and mold them so that they would stand stably, then I would only need to find a few more branches to use as spoons and I would be ready to start my experiments! If only I could get fire! When I returned home carrying the last pile of walnut shells that I would use as plates and jars I was surprised by Hans who was carrying a flower much larger than himself, the flower in question was glowing like a flame and was still rooted in a bright red crystal, and even from afar I could feel a slight warmth coming from the flower. "HANS! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?" "Mom... I.. I brought the flower I mentioned before! N-Now you don''t have to mess with fire!" Hans looked very unwell, he was panting and looked exhausted, travelling from the mountains to the South while carrying something that was at least 3x his size must be extremely exhausting. "Hans why you did it! You didn''t need to do something like that, put it on the floor now!" "You said you wanted the fire, or the living flower, I brought the living flower so you don''t have to mess with the fire anymore!" This guy is crazy!? I had much easier solutions and he still preferred to risk his life to bring a flower all the way so I wouldn''t mess with real fire?! This flower that imitated fire had no problem, but real fire was forbidden?! "Hans why did you do that?! It would be much easier just to make a little fire!" "It would.. very dangerous.. please, mom.. accept it!" "All right Hans! All right, leave it on the floor and get some rest!" When I accept Hans "gift" he finally seems to calm down and begins to slowly fly up to one of the branches of the tree, then he throws the flower on one of the large branches and flies heavily into the House. "What the hell... Did this boy go crazy?!"
I had created some more honey crystals for Hans as he fell to the floor from exhaustion, he seemed to have fainted so I dragged him to a corner and put a considerable amount of food near him, I needed to create beds or something like that, because leaving Hans lying on the floor like a drunk in the alley was very disturbing, I tried to analyze Hans status and he really was exhausted. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 3 Class: Soldier Mana: N/D
+ Information
[Efects]
Exhausted - 08:52 Hours you pushed your body too hard and now it''s exhausted
Huh? what''s that?
[Skills]
{Basic flight} lv 4 You have learned the art of flight, and now you have an easier time flying and stabilizing yourself Speed: +5
{Strong limbs} - Lv 2 All yours limbs are very strong and can carry 2x your own weight.
"Hans also gained the ability [Basic flight]! So it really wasn''t something you get on the first flight, it was something that came with time and training, and he got a level in [Strong limbs], probably by almost killing himself to bring that fire flower." And speaking of the fire flower I decided to inspect it too, now that Hans had gone to all the trouble of bringing it here I couldn''t let it go unused
[Description]
A Burning bloom, rare flowers with [Fire] Affinity
It is a flower of high level! It looks like a rose with red leaves with a core that emits intense heat, observing it in detail its roots grew intensely around the bright red crystal, the Crystal didn''t emit any heat but its interior shine so intensely that it made the fire Rose look like a candle in front of a bonfire.
[Description]
[Mana crystal] A mana crystal with [Fire] affinity Quality: Excellent
Wow that Crystal looks really important! And it is the first thing that is naturally generated that has the [Excellent] quality, in fact it is the first thing with [Excellent] quality that I have ever seen! Hans said that these flowers grew in a strange-looking cave, was it a mine of these mana stones? or a factory? Could these crystals be manufactured items and the cave Hans found be an abandoned factory, or could things with affinity only be naturally generated? But if these crystals were naturally generated why did they acquire the affinity of fire? Was there something in those mountains or was it because of those flowers? The flowers grow into mana crystals without a proper affinity and then turn them into crystals with the same affinity as them, or did the flowers acquired the fire affinity after absorbing the crystals energy? It''s an old story of what came first, the chicken or the egg. Getting closer to the fire Rose I started to feel heat as I got closer to its core, and getting closer to the core I could feel as if I had put my hand in a stream of super hot air, it would definitely suit my plans, if I built a structure around the Rose and used it as a stove I would be able to do my experiments in the safety of my home, but first I would need to yell at Hans for having such a stupid idea like that.
"What in the world were you thinking Hans!? Going up to the mountains and to bring a rose?!? What would you do if you couldn''t carry it all the way back?! What would you have done if you had been attacked on the way back!? I always thought you were the most responsible and well aware of the 2 of us and then you do such a thing!? How can I trust you won''t do another stupid thing when you walk out that door!?" "I... I''m sorry Mom, I have no excuses for my actions, I just really didn''t want you messing with fire, it was too dangerous..." "So you leave here and fly away to get a magic rose without any help and without even telling me where you went?!" "I''m sorry..." DAMN IT HANS! It''s hard to get angry at someone who does things for your sake and only knows how to apologize, if only Hans would fight me back it would be much easier to burst out with him and tell him to go fuck himself for being so dumb! "Stay there! And not leave! Rest as much as you can and eat enough, if you can feed the workers from time to time is more tham enought and not to leave!" "But!" "BUT WHAT HANS?! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO ARGUE WITH ME NOW?!" "...No, mom, I''ll do what you told me." What a henpecked! I wish Hans had a little more attitude, but it seems to be difficult for him, the only really autonomous thing he has done so far has been to get this flower without telling me, I was a little proud of the fact that Hans managed to do it of course! But I won''t say that for him after almost killing himself! When I got back to the fire Rose, I tried to move it to a better position, but the rose just wouldn''t budge, I don''t know if I''m proud or worried about the idea of Hans carrying it all this way, I went back to get my utensils and brought my makeshift cauldron out, after putting everything near the "stove" I went in search of some ingredients to try make something. .... Now that I had gathered several nuts full of things like honey, nectar and water, I started to use a small plate made of walnut shell to turn the petals of roses and leaves into a paste with the help of a stone, and then put it inside one of the wax plates, after everything was ready i put the improvised Cauldron on top of the Rose and waited a few moments until I started to hear some crackles and smoke coming from the shell, when this happened I threw some water inside the Shell and soon it began to boil slowly, I added some of the petal paste and honey and began to stir vigorously with a twig until it thickened, when the liguid began to change color and thicken I took the cauldron of from the top of the flower and poured its contents into one of the "jars" of nuts.
[Description]
[Rose syrup] A syrup created by a low-level bee, if consumed can cause [Headaches] Quality: Bad
It really worked! Now that I could cook the ingredients I could figure out the uses of each plant in the region and then create potions or foods with special effects, if I could figure out a way to create a more nutritious food than honey flakes, feeding Hans would finally stop being a problem! And if he could create unique effects that could increase Hans power, he could fight much easier! I decide to discard the contents of the cauldron and try something else, this time using a lot of water and unique ingredients that I had, such as crushed roots, flower pollen, nectar, tree sap and the [Green paste] that I had created before, I threw everything into the cauldron and put it back on top of the fire rose while stirring all the contents, I was very excited about the possibilities of what I could create using this "stove", I could create mixtures and totally new things, and I could even recycle the pieces of dry wax left over from my creations! After stirring for a long time I could see the liguid starting to boil and turning into one thing, the previously hardened sap began to melt and the herbs and roots partially dissolved in the liguid of green color, after a while the whole liguid began to lighten going from an opaque moss green to a pleasant lemon green, and I could see bubbles forming on the surface like bubbles in a sauce pan, I thought it was finally ready and quickly took off the top of the Rose and tried to analyze its contents.
[Description]
[Green potion] A potion created by a low-level bee can accelerate the growth of [Flowers] by 3% Quality: Bad
It''s a success! I really created a potion! It''s okay that it''s a useless potion, how could 3% speed boost makes any difference to anyone! But the important thing is not the effect of the potion, but the fact that I actually managed to create a potion! If I could create these potions just from a bunch of junk I find in the woods then does that mean [Potions] was something anyone could do? Like a grandma''s homemade medicine that really works? And if i, who was a complete idiot in the potions business, could create a potion that makes plants grow, then what could someone who specializes in creating porions could do?! I was so excited by the endless possibilities it brought me that I emptied the growth potion into a nut and tried to create something else. This time I wanted to try to create a glue or something like that, like the man-eating plant wax, because that way I could create insect traps and increase my XP flow, and even if insects weren''t so dumb as i think to fall into this kind of trap I could still find several uses for a glue! I decided to use all the Honey I had at my disposal to try to create this glue, and I also mixed all the flower pollen I had in stock, if I used these 2 ingredients and the skill [Wax Making] I would get a hard wax, so I thought that by mixing the 2 I would create a sticky bond that wouldn''t dry quickly like wax. After mixing the 2 ingredients while stirring the contents of the cauldron, I could clearly feel the contents getting harder and harder to stir as i boiled, it soon came to a point that the previously transparent golden honey turned opaque yellow, and taking the honey off the heat I was slightly disappointed with the result
[Description]
[Bee candy] Made by a low-level bee, this candy has the aroma of roses Quality: Good
It wasn''t what I wanted, but I think I asked too much, the candy I created didn''t seem to have any food bonus or the ability to cause an [Effect], but unlike anything I''ve created so far its quality was [Good], maybe because if it was just honey boiled until stiff, it wasn''t exactly a mixture or potion like the other things and so it was more within my field of expertise. So how do I create better quality potions? Do I need better ingredients or a [Skill]? And how do I know if an ingredient is good or bad?! everything looks just like grass when I look at them! "I need to do more testing, and I need more ingredients, and I need a better kitchen, and I need better utensils and... AH!! I need everything! The workers will emerge tomorrow, maybe they can help me with all this..." Chapter 20: New recruits The workers would emerge at any moment now, they had eaten almost all of my honey Reserve and now they had turned white cocoons in the same way as Hans when he was becoming an adult bee, after analyzing these cocoons i could see that they were of a lower quality than Hans cocoon, perhaps because they were workers, or because they were not on the effect of (Well nourished).
[Description]
Bee cocoon Created from Bee silk, this cocoon is used as a refuge for large bees. Quality: Good
"Mom, isn''t it taking too long? Did something go wrong?" "No Hans, that''s normal any time they will em-" Before I could finish speaking, the cocoons began to break and bees smaller than me came out, but those bees had a bigger bust and slightly different wings. After some effort the bee that had first come out of their white prison, began to help the ones that hadn''t emerge yet come out, then some of them began to clean themselves before finally turning to me and starting to talk. "Mom! How we can help!?" For a moment I was surprised by the mood of the newborns, and soon I could identify a "leader" in the group of workers, the oldest who had been the first to be born was the only one who had spoken while the others looked around with a palpable curiosity, they were all identical to each other, but I could still clearly separate them through our link, other thing I could realize is that all 6 workers were males, I was the only female in the whole hive, and I didn''t know exactly why. "Well, little ones I need help with several things and I hope you can help me, but first of all you must be hungry, there is some honey and some honey crystals right there on the tank, feel free to eat as much as you want..." "Food! Yeah, I was starving!" "That''s it!" "Im Hungry too..." "Thank you mom!" Before even finishing all my presentation the little ones started running like a group of hungry children towards a candy and ate everything they could, unlike Hans who could eat the crystals as if they were popcorn the workers needed to put a lot of effort and time into it, but they seemed very happy with the taste of the crystals, I tried to take the time and analyze their status.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Worker Mana: N/D
Life: 3 Str: 0.2 Def: 0.4
sp: 2.2 Int: 7.4 Wis: 9
+Information
[Skills]
{Wax making} lv 1 Use plant material to create wax that can be used for various purposes.
{Create Honey} lv 1 Create honey from flower nectar.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Precise cutting} When you eat material of the type [wax]. You can re-use all the Wax consumed with a loss of 15%
{Nursering} Lv1 When you take care of other members of your own species, you grant them a bonus in recovery and feed.
{Picky Eater} Lv1 By eating high quality food you get a feeding bonus, get a debuff if you eat a food with poor quality
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
[Traces]
{Pollinator} You are essential to the flowers around you, so while pollinating flowers with sucess you can earn XP Get Xp by Polonizing flowers
[Craftsman] You have natural talents to know the correct way to use your building materials. +5 wisdom
They were all the same! If someone didn''t have a link to tell who''s who, it would be impossible to discern from each other just by status, but I must say that these [skills] really have great potential, these guys seem to be the true master craftsmen of the hive. "Mom, aren''t the new workers adorable!? Look at they vibrant color and healthy appearance! They were very well cared when they were little!"'' I can''t tell if a bee is healthy just by looking at its colors. "They look, health I guess? And they have some skills that seem really useful." "I told you that they could help you more than me Mom!" "Yes, but they really are very weak and wouldn''t be able to do anything in a fight." "That''s why I''m here! I am the muscles!" "Thank you Hans, I will try to wait until they finish eating and then go out to test their skills, in the meantime keep leveling up please." "Of Course Mom! I just need a moment..." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. While the workers ate happily and occasionally quarreled among themselves over what was left of honey, Hans began to approach and soon all the attention of the workers was on him. "Hans! whats up?" "Hi..." "Brother, are you hungry?" "This food is ours!" Hans looked really happy as he watched the workers who had different reactions to his presence and after a light laugh he spoke to everyone. "Listen, you must be finding strange that we have just a few members, but don''t worry, this is no mistake or the result of a tragedy, it is just our mother''s wish, until today there were only 2 of us in this hive and now we have you guys too, mother will need a lot of help, help that I cannot provide, so I ask you guys to do your best when you go out to do your job." "You can count on me!" "I''ll try.." "You didn''t even have to talk!" "Mama seems to be strange..." "Shut up!" "I only spoke the truth!" "If you''re going to talk shit, you better shut up, head of wind!" After saying What he wanted Hans just turned around and left, while he seemed happy to start an argument among the workers, after Hans finally left I was left behind with a group of workers who were now fighting among themselves, it wans''t a real fight, it even reminded me a lot how I fought with my friends in high school. "All right guys! Attention on me!" Soon everyone stopped fighting and started staring at me, even though their appearances were the same I could tell that each one had a unique personality, I thought it would be better to give names to everyone before starting to test their skills. "All right, line up, I''ll name each one of you!" "Whoa!" "R-Really?" "I was wondering if we were going to have names like Big Brother." "Stop talking and get in line!" With some difficulty the Bees managed to make a queue, and soon they were eagerly waiting for the names that I would give them. Then what? Is any name okay? Or should I find matching names? I guess I''ll just try to come up with a name that matches everyone''s personality. "Well... you''ll be Steve, you''ll be Carl, Ken, levi, matt and miles." Following these orders was the leader Bee, Steve. The distracted Carl, the foul-mouthed Ken, the delicate Levi, and the trouble maker duo matt and miles. "Thank You Mom! We really like the names!" "Y-Yes Mom... Thank you" "Incredible indeed!" "All right guys, now that you''re all nominated I want to test your skills and know what your strengths are, Do you have anything that you prefer to do or that you enjoy?" "I like to eat!" "Stupid, mother is not talking about this! She''s talking about work! Like make food or build!" "I-I don''t know what I like, Mom..." "Not me either! I was just born and everything seems to be just work for me!" "Well... How about we do a little bit of everything and then you decide what you like? I need you to help me with food production, but during free time you can do whatever you want." After a quick conversation with the boys I flew off towards the flowers that grow near the roots of the tree we live and let the children discover themselves a little, unlike Hans who has always been serious since his birth these workers reminded me of children of 14-16 years old, very childish and curious about the world around them, for a while everyone was just drinking a little nectar, until Steve began to rub his arms in the pollen of a flower and then quietly fly to another similar flower and rubbed his arms in her pollen too, for me it seemed strange since I had never done it but Steve did it as if it were natural and after repeating the process about 3 times I got a warning.
[Warning]
Your worker polonized a flower, you gained 0,1 xp
This must be the [Pollinator] trait going into action, honestly it seemed to be a big broken trait, but Steve had to do the process several times before I only received 0,1 xp, so it shouldn''t be soo broken, I think this is the way the system allows workers to level up, since if they need to fight like Hans they would end up turning in food. After a while leaving each one to do what they wanted I flew by each one to inspect what they were doing, Steve continued his pollination work, seeming to take the duty of a bee very seriously, Carl was chewing a honey crystal that he should have brought with him, Ken was playing with [Create Honey] making small bubbles of honey and throwing them around, little Levi looked promising, since he was exploring his skills with [Wax Making], He created small wax bubbles with honey and then molded them into delicate shapes, his work were much better than all i did so far, while matt and miles were fighting over a flower that had a sweet nectar even if having several similar flowers around them. "All right, now that you''ve had some fun I want you to help me fill the honey tank we have at home, I want to know how fast we can fill it and what the quality of the honey will be, after that I want you all to help me insulate the whole house with wax, remember that you can start doing whatever you want after we are done with all the work, of course as long as it''s something productive." "All right!" "Y-Yes" "I will produce more honey than all of them mother!" "Oh, shut up, you only know how to fight with miles!" "No fights! And go to work boys! we don''t have all day!"
I think it''s been about 2 hours? And in the meantime the tank was full to the brim! When it was just me, it took a full day of work to do this, but now it was so fast that I still had a full day to do whatever I wanted, but well, I think all this speed has its consequences.
[Description]
[Common Honey] Common honey created by bees Quality: Fine
The quality of the Honey dropped, before it was always [Good] or [Great], but now it has dropped to [Fine] I didn''t know that mixing my superior quality honey with the low quality honey of the workers would end up decreasing its quality, but well, I think it was kind of obvious that this would happen, it''s not exactly a problem for me, but the workers with the [Picky Eater] skill would get a debuff for eating a [Fine] quality honey? "Well... What do you think guys? Is that honey good for all of us to eat?" "That honey tastes like shit!" "It doesn''t taste like shit! It''s just not tasty as your honey mom!" "i-it''s not tasty as mama honey..." "I didn''t like it either!" Me and my luck, now I need to feed 7 mouths on my own instead of 1?! Would I need to do this until they managed to level up in [Create honey] and start creating a higher quality honey?! Well it''s not like they can''t eat this honey, they just don''t want to, but when hunger strikes they will definitely find this honey a delight. "We still have all day! How about we use that honey to make wax and then create another one to eat? We need a lot of stuff made of wax, so we can level up your ability to [Create honey] a lot." "All right!" "You''re in charge." "I-I like wax!" ''Alright guys, let''s do it like this, take much honey as you can and then use it to create common wax and pass it on the floor and walls, so we will create a well isolated place and protected from the cold, after we finish I want you to try to destroy the entrance to make a new and more pleasant one." "No problem!" As everyone ran excitedly to the honey Jug I could see something I hadn''t seen before, which was the fact that their chests swelled much more than mine when they drank honey, they seemed to be able to store about twice as many resources as I could within their bodies, and it didn''t seem like a matter of [Skills] but rather a matter of restrictions and physical advantages of each class, just like Hans could only fight, these workers could only work, and I should only be able to lay eggs and increase our numbers, the fact that I had skills like [Create honey] and [Wax creating] should only serve to feed the first workers that were born, I didn''t have skills like [Precise cutting] and the trait [Pollinator] of the workers that seemed to be super useful, each class had its own way of gaining experience, Hans managed through the fights, the workers polonized the plants and I earned an xp tax from each of my descendants. "Mom matt and miles are doing everything wrong! They are disrupting everyone!" "Lies! it''s Miles who''s getting in my way!" "You''re the one who annoys me!" In the short period of time I was distracted, the duo matt and miles started fighting again, and were throwing wax balls at each other, the problem was that the wax soon hit the floor or walls and dried, leaving a totally non-uniform surface. "Matt and Miles! The 2 of you go outside and start breaking the entrance! If you start fighting again, I''ll make you clean up this mess all by yourself!" "...Yes, mom." "Sorry mom." As the 2 left with their heads down I could see Ken laughing at them and Steve shaking his head in approval at my response, while little Levi continued the wax work, Levi far was the most skilled with wax, since unlike his brothers who took a long time to cover a small piece of the floor or walls with wax, Levi could do the same work as if it were the simplest thing in the world, and soon more than half of the work had already been done by levi alone. "Levi, what a spectacular job! You can work with Wax very well! It seems to be your natural talent!" "T-Thank you mom.. I really like to work with wax, I can shape everything I imagine with it.." "Butt kisser...." "Ken stop being jealous, you all have your specialties." "Sorry.." "Now boys, let''s finish this up soon and go see miles and matt''s work." With a little hard work soon the whole inside of the tree was completely covered with wax, after we finished this work we flew together to the entrance and saw matt and miles who seemed to be eating the walls, they would bite off whole pieces of the hard wax and after they gathered a considerable amount they would spit out small balls of hard wax which they then gathered into a small mound near the door. "Good job guys, when you''re not fighting you can be very productive!" "It''s a competition mom! To see who can destroy the wall faster!" "YEs! and I''m winning!" "I''m winning hollowhead!" These guys, they looked like twins who hated each other but couldn''t live without each other. "All right guys, help the boys finish the job and then let''s try to build something better, and please as you guys break the wall try to turn the wax into rectangular blocks for us to use later" "All right! This will be over soon!" "O-of course mom!" "I''m already getting hungry" The duo of matt and miles had managed to break about 30% of the wall by themselves, but with the help of the brothers soon the whole wall came down and the entrance was wide open again, and this time as I had a lot of help and i could do something really good, we had just a few wax bricks now, but with a little work the boys would get a satisfactory amount for my great purpose. "All right folks, now what we''re going to do is make enough honey to make several of these hard wax bricks, after that we''re going to use these bricks and more hard wax to put it all together into one very firm structure." Most seemed to not quite understand the concept of building a brick wall, but Levi the little engineer was visibly very excited about the idea, I couldn''t tell if he knew what a brick wall was, but it seems that the fact that I wanted to create something that he didn''t know what is, are what got him all excited, I have to admit, the boy inherited my curiosity! Chapter 21: New Creations The workers now are making the wax bricks, and I must admit, they look professional! Steve, Ken and Carl went out to bring materials like honey and pollen to make the hard wax, then Levi, matt and miles ate whatever their brothers brought and started spitting out balls of hard wax that they soon shaped into the desired shape that they put aside to use later, after about an hour we already had so many wax bricks that it looked like we could even pave the floor of our house! "All right boys! This amount of bricks is already good, now observe what I want you all to do." After getting everyone''s attention I picked some wax blocks and filled my chest with honey and pollen to create some hard wax, then I flew to the entrance accompanied by all the workers who were looking closely and started to put some hard wax on the bricks and then attached them to the wall, I did this with about five bricks until I had a small piece of very stable wall. "That''s what I want you to do, raise a wall with these bricks leaving an entrance that will serve as a door, and then create a small platform in front of the door to help with the landing, you don''t need to cover the entire wall with wax, just sticking a brick on the other will be enough for now." "All right Mom!" "T-That''s amazing mom!" "I don''t understand it yet..." The boys had their differences and fought with each other sometimes, but when it came to work everyone worked as a team, Steve led everyone and divided the functions according to the strengths of each one, he left with ken and Carl, because he knew that even though Ken liked to play a lot he would take the work very seriously, and Carl even being very... "unmotivated", he would work with agility while being watched by Ken, while Steve himself was hardworking and very serious, looking like a secretary, and about Levi and the trouble make duo, Levi took all the work with wax very seriously, but was very shy and easily intimidated, so that''s why he was left behind along with Matt and Miles, the two would be too busy competing with each other to pick a fight with Levi. The guys were efficient, I had to admit, so much so that in just a few hours the work with the entrance was over, and honestly? These guys make me look like an idiot when it comes to molding wax, all the bricks are aligned and firmly fixed, the whole structure looks very much like the entrance of a brick house that is fixed in a tree, with all this work the group responsible for making honey and bringing the raw materials for wax reached Level 4 of [Create Honey], while the group responsible for making the wax arrived at Level 3 of [Wax making] after so much wax with the honorable mansion for Levi who got Level 4. "Good job all of you! The entry is much better than the previous one!" "For sure!" "I liked it too..." "He did a lot of work!" These boys seemed to be leveling up their skills like a lightning, is still their first day of life but everyone already had at least 1 skill at Level 3, while it took me days to achieve the same feat, but maybe it''s the same story as how Hans leveled up on the first day of life, these guys worked like crazy to achieve these levels, while I only did some things here and there when it was absolutely necessary. "Now, let''s make one last lot of honey and rest, I still need to make some honey crystals for Hans, but after that you can rest well!" "No problem mom!" "I-I don''t really like the feeling of making honey, but if we need it''s alright.." "Stop complaining it''s not even that bad!" "It''s about time to stop and eat." "Come on boys, it won''t take anything, and Hans will soon be back, he will need a lot of food to satisfy his needs." In a short time we were able to fill the honey tank again, this time it had a higher quality than before, and I think it would be a good idea to start creating honey tanks in larger quantities, so we wouldn''t need to make honey every day and we would have a reservoir for rainy days or when it is too hot to work.
[Warning]
You earned 24 Xp from your''s soldier''s
[Warning]
You are now at Level 3!
[Warning]
Hans had evolved into the Lv 4
Levels, levels and levels, I still can''t say that I feel any different as I level up, but when I get to the max level I may get something out of it. After helping the boys fill the honey tank I started creating honey crystals and asked the boys to keep filling the tank until we had a satisfactory number of honey crystals, after about 2 hours filling the tank and another 1 hour just creating the crystals, now the day was coming to an end and I had a full tank of honey and about 80 honey crystals for everyone to eat, and at the end of the day all the workers were with [Create honey] at least at Level 2 When all the workers were eating happily and talking to each other i suddenly hear the buzz of Hans wings and soon he enters through the new entrance and heads straight for the food after a quick greeting made to me. "Hey Hans! Look at all that food! We did it! it isn''t tasty as the honey that Mom Makes, but it still pays off!" "Brother, Are you hurt?.." "He''s right, look at his arm!" "That was nothing, it''s just a superficial cut because I didn''t take my opponent seriously, no need to worry." "Not worrying is my butt! The slightest scratch can turn in your doom if not handled properly! Let me take care of it!" I hadn''t noticed Hans injuries but the workers managed to notice them so quickly that they gave Hans no opportunity to argue with them, soon everyone was surrounding Hans while Ken started his... "Treatment" which was very strange by the way, first he licked all the dirt that was on the wound and then swallowed some honey and started chewing, after a while he spat out a yellowish wax-like substance, but the amount was too small for the amount of honey he had consumed, and began to wrap Hans arm with the mysterious substance, soon as the liquid came into contact with Hans chitin armor it began to harden and soon Hans looked good as new. "Ready! Now make sure you don''t get hurt." "Ohh, it turned out really good Ken, I don''t think I can create such a good bandage..." "Hump! It wasn''t even a big deal! You guys are just incompetent!" "It''s very good Ken, thank you very much, I will try my best not to hurt myself again." "Stop it, it was nothing! I just did my job, but if you want to reward me, why don''t you tell us who is to fight other creatures!" "I also wanted to know, it seems so dangerous, and you do it every day like it''s nothing..." "It''s because Hans is super strong!" As the workes and Hans acted as what Ken had just done was the simplest thing in the world I was genuinely impressed! Could he make this "ointment" because of the skill [Nursering]? Bees have this kind of treatament?! I don''t remember reading nothing about bee taking care of they injuried ones. The skill''s description never mentioned that he could create a substrate dedicated to medicinal purposes, and I was sure after looking at it, that this wasn''t simply [Wax making], it was a totally different substance that seemed to have a high cost but high benefits, what Ken said about small scratches turning into large injuries was true, so I was glad Ken prioritized the treatment, but I was also dumbfounded at how easily Ken handled the situation. And all this bond that the workers had with Hans... I felt isolated, Hans was socializing with the workers while I stood quietly in a corner quietly eating some honey, it felt a lot like my old life, like when people talked to each other and shared their stories and I was ignored and left out, but when I stop to think about it... Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Was it my choice? I could just get into the conversation with the workers and Hans, just as I could have tried to talk to people in my previous life instead of waiting for them to talk to me, but i just stood there and watched Hans and the boys bond while I was left out. "Well, it''s not like I fight with everything that moves, first I analize if the creature I''m going to fight looks weaker than me, then I see if it''s alone or not, and I only attack if I''m absolutely sure of my victory, and I retreat whenever something unexpected occurs." "Wow, it seems very complicated, isn''t it a lot of work just for you?" "Well, it''s laborious, but until we have more soldiers I need to fight safely and conservatively..." "Hey Mom! When are you going to make more soldiers? Hans seems to be very overloaded..." "Me? Is that.. You know.. I think soon?" "Hans already consumes a lot of resources on his own, so before making more soldiers I wanted to know how much food you guys could produce on your own, but I think taking into account the fact that you can fill an average tank in just a few hours, we can afford 2 or 3 more soldiers to help Hans..." "Really?!" "Y-Yes Hans, it would only need to create new jars for the eggs and create a larger tank of food to satisfy the hungry larvae." "We can do all this tomorrow!, right? In a day''s work, no, less than that! In a morning I think we could do everything you need mom!" Me and my mouth, now I remember why I didn''t get into conversations with other people, I always ended up promising to do something I didn''t want to do.
The other day I wanted to go back to my experiments with the fire Rose, but I still needed to find more tools, vases and ingredients, I would also like to build a structure around the Rose but the fact that all my building materials melted in the fire didn''t help, I could try to cover the whole rose with mud to make a stove, but I think burying the whole rose in the ground would end up killing the flower, so when Hans went out again for another day of leveling up, the workers started to create a bigger tank and new jars for the larvae, I tried to argue that the jugs I created weren''t that bad but Ken who seemed to be the care expert steadfastly refused to create the jugs in same way I always hade made. "Breeding units can''t be made in any way mom! The larvae units need to be firm and reusable to maximize efficiency! With no offense, but these jars you created can break very easily, which is very dangerous for the defenseless larvae, and even worse for when they are metamorphosing!" What does he mean by "not wanting to offend"? Of course it offended me! He just said that my job sucks, and that he can do better! But I think he''s right, sometimes the best option is to swallow your pride and let the experts work. "All right Ken, if you''re confident you can create these "Breeding units" go ahead, I''m not a professional on the subject but I think you can achieve something better." "Thank you mom! I will not disappoint!" I was wondering how Ken was so sure what was the best way to create these bee apartments, I didn''t know anything about it, but I''m also sure I''ve read about bees all the time I worked in the library, it seems that just like Hans, Ken and the others were using knowledge that I didn''t even have memories of, if I were to try to explain it would be something like me having a whole library of books in my head, I didn''t know exactly every knowledge that was in that library but they were all there, and when my bees hatched they would briefly go through this library and take all the knowledge they could, some would take more than others and take things I didn''t even know I had, but everything these guys knew came from me. While the boys were working on their projects I thought I''d go out and get more ingredients for my experiments, now that I had the workers I could even create a place dedicated to stocking all my crazy ingredients. "Mom Where Are you going?" "Oh, I''ll go after some ingredients to do my experiments later." "That looks cool! Can I come along?" "This is not fair if Matt will go, i also want to go!" "You just want to get away from work!" "And what are you doing then?!" "Boys! Stop fighting, you can come with me, but no fighting!" "Ok!" After leaving and leting the rest of the staff to finish the work, we flew to a part of the valley full of trees , roots and fungi to start my harvest, I had brought a hollow nut that I would use as a backpack to carry more resources and soon I started filling it with Moss, dried sap and pieces of mushrooms from the Valley. "Mom, what should we do?" "Oh, well just try to take ingredients that seem rare or unique, then just take them home and try to put as much together as you can." "Oh, so anything goes? Like Earth or branches?" "No.. dirt might do, but I don''t have much use for branches, so try to find things like leaves, plants and bits of roots." "it doesn''t seem so fun right now... Is it just garbage collection or what?" "How about this, whoever can find the rarest and most unique ingredient wins one... one.. Super large honey crystal made with the best honey I can make?" "That sounds fun!" "But how are you going to know who found the best ingredient?" "I can just analyze and see which one is the rarest" "So that''s it! What do you think |Miles!? Are you ready to lose?!" "Go dreaming that I''m going to lose to someone as dumb as you Matt!" "Boys don''t go far! The forest is dangerous even for Hans, so be careful!" "All right!~" When the boys left motivated in search of the ingredients I started to gather everything I could of new ingredients, and when my "Bag" get full I would come home and throw everything in a corner and come back in search of more unique materials, during my laps I could see the Twins bringing different things like balls of colored earth, strange nuts, colored seeds and even things that seemed to be small pieces of bones or teeth! When the boys finished work on the new honey tank and the nurseries, I decided it was time to stop and pulled up the link I had with matt and miles, after a while they came back each carrying a different thing, Miles was carrying what appeared to be a small fruit of metalic appearance, and Matt was carrying what appeared to be a black stone. "Mom! I won!?" "Stop being an idiot! I''m the one who won, it''s not true mom!?" "Wait! Let me at least evaluate the results!"
[Description]
[Ruby cherry] A cherry capable of restoring 1 mana if consumed Quality: Great
[Description]
[Charcoal] A coal stone resulting from the burning of wood. Quality: Good
Well, I think Ruby Cherry wins from a lump of coal... Wait... Coal? How do you have charcoal here? Someone burned? Or was it the result of an forest fire? "Matt, Where Did you find this coal?!" "That Stone? I found it in a circle of stones and ashes!" Shit! A bonfire? Or something else? There people around? What did that mean to me? Maybe they don''t even care about me, but maybe they try to kill me! But maybe they are not even around anymore, maybe this bonfire is just an abandoned camp of some scouts or survivalists? I don''t think I have much to do but wait and see if this place is a common traffic route, or a place where only crazy people pass by, i need to forbid everyone to come near this extinguished bonfire, otherwi- "Mom! Who won?!" "It''s-it''s hard to say... How about a draw?" "No!" "No!" These boys don''t give me a peace of mind, on one hand the cherry that Miles brought is much more special than coal, but Matt made a very important discovery, but the competition was to find the best ingredient, so Miles? While Matt''s charcoal may be a much more versatile and useful ingredient than that cherry, so who won?! "Miles... You won, Matt''s charcoal can be very useful, but since the competition was for the "Rarest" ingredient you won." "That''s it! Take that Matt!" "AH! Oh, Shut up! You just got lucky!" After leaving the boys fighting, I turned to analyze the work with the honey tank and the nurseries. The tank from before had been removed and in his place now have about 9 traditional honeycombs, these were the nurseries that Ken had created, and they looked like the ordinary work of a bee, each unit being a hexagon stuck to the other, and right behind the maternity there was a large honey tank that went from one wall to the other. "The work was incredible guys! But why did you guys make so many wax Combs?" "Well, I thought it would be nice to make some extra ones if we needed them and I also wanted to use them to store honey, but then Carl said it was much easier to just make a biger tank to store all the honey instead of creating several small units." "All right.. We can work with this, I will create 3.. 4 soldier eggs, and then if we need more help later, we can create more of them." "All right then!" With the approval of the workers I began to focus on the ability to create eggs to create more soldiers, and after imagining some strong and large soldiers i felt the familiar pressure in my abdomen and soon four white eggs came out and fell to the ground.
[Warning]
The [Egg laying] skill has reached Lv2! You have unlocked the new laying option to choose.
{Laying options}
[Collector bee] collector bees can carry much larger amounts of resourses in their abdomens, but are much slowers.
[Scout bee] Scout bees are able to explore the world and share all their discoveries through the [Link].
[Poisonus bee] Poisonous bees are much smaller and weaker than [Soldiers], but their venom can be lethal to other creatures.
[Gardener bee] Gardener bees can accelerate growth and increase the amount of food from [Flowers]
[Pastry Bee] Pastry bee are able to create super nutritious sweets with honey, they also capable of puting various [Effects] in a same candy.
[Warning]
You can choose 2 new laying options
The ability to [Egg laying] evolved! Now I have new laying options, but gosh, that''s a lot of a things! How do I decide which is better!? Chapter 22: Playing with ideas All right, stopping to analyze, all the options seem to be very good, bees [Collector] could take over the exhaustive work of collecting resources and let the workers focus totally on something else, [Scouts] seem to be the perfect mappers, if we know the whole region around us we could know about all the dangers of each region and the utilities, these [Poisonous] seem not to be the best fighters, but they would be able to finish fights quickly only with their poison, like professional killers! Now this [Gardener], there really some reaon for me to want it? Of course making the plants grow and produce more food seems incredible, but I don''t know if the bonus that these gardener bees Grant is really good, it could be something around a 200% bonus or something like 5%, and I think it''s better not to risk it, now these [Pastry], this seem promising! They could take over the work of feeding the colony and let the workers only focus on the task of making honey and building, and there is also the fact that these bees can put various effects on food, in this way she could create a super food capable of not only nourishing but also of putting effects that complement each other! So the best option would be [Collector] and [Pastry]? So I all food problems would basically disappear! Of course I would need to raise a few more bees for this, but I think giving birth to a few more bees is nothing if I can guarantee our food supply. But if I chose these 2 would I miss the [Scouts]? Or would they appear again later? I can''t take that risk! These scout bees have a huge potential to let them pass! So [Pastry] and [Scouts] ? The workers would still need to do a little more work, but nothing impossible for them. But what if the [Pastry] need absurd amounts of honey to be able to produce these super sweets?! These candies they produce seem too good to be so easy to make, what if I chose the [Gardener] ones? Of course in the short term they don''t look like much, but in enought time I could get a whole field full of flowers of the highest quality... No, this is not realistic, a gardener alone wouldn''t probably be able to create a field of high quality flowers alone so I would end up needing to create several of them, maybe even dozens of them to achieve this goal, and there''s no guarantee that they will succeed in this mision, a very heavy rain, or a period of dry season could end all their work. What about the [Poisonous] ones? They don''t seem to be as strong as Hans, but they could still serve as guards for the hive, protecting the workers and me when Hans is away even if them are physically weak. But I don''t think a single venomous Bee would do much either, I''d need a swarm of them to put fear in anyone trying to get close. So the choices are between the [Collector] , [Pastry] and [Scouts], what should I choose?! All the three seem extremely useful in my situation! "Mom! Is something wrong? You''ve been staring at the wall for a while..." "Ken! I''m sorry, I got a level in [Egg laying] and now I''m having some doubts about what I should choose." In the meantime I was thinking Ken had already collected the eggs and placed each one in a nursery unit, the other boys were busy putting some finishing touches on the honey tank and getting it ready to fill. "How cool mom! Why don''t you tell us what the options are? So we can help!" "Well... I think you have a the right to tell your opinion, depending on the choice your life can get easier or harder..." "Hey idiots! Come here! Mommy needs help!" Soon everyone was around me and waiting for my words, after some time explaining the options I could see that Steve was the only one who really seemed to be worried as me, the boy must be paranoid as me. "Well, I think [Scouts] and [Collector] are the best options mom!" "But I would lose the [Pastry] and I don''t know if I can have the chance to find that option again in the future..." "It''s not like we need a dedicated Bee to produce food, is it? The crystals you produce are already delicious and manage to feed us with ease." "I like the idea that if we kept the [Pastry] we could eat even more delicious food!" "Shut up! You only think about eating, this is a serious business!" Steve was right about that, the [Pastry] they looked amazing, but did I really need them? Other bees like The [Scouts] and [Collector] would make the workers lives easier, while the [Pastry] would probably make their lives more difficult, if I chose the collectors and the Scouts the workers could full dedicate themselves to other tasks, but what tasks? The house is already almost complete, and the honey tank was already being filled, when they finished this task the only tasks they would have to do may be to build an experiment room and keep the honey tank full. But if I chose to facilitate the work of the workers they could dedicate themselves solely to the task of pollination! This would make them a viable source of Xp. What to do? The [Pastry] seemed to have great potential and uses, but in my experience units useful as [Soldiers] had great maintenance costs, so this pastry chef must consume an absurd amount of food to maintain himself and mustn''t be able to fight if needed, what would happen if one day started snowing and all honey production be shut down? Soon the [Pastry] would run out of raw material to produce more food and become just a big mouth to feed in a time of need. "..All right Boys, I''ll pick [Scout] and [Collector], and produce some, I think 1 Scout and 2 collectors should do for now..." "I-isn''t that a very low number mom?" "Shhhh! Hans already told us that mom makes unconventional choices!" I''m still here you know right? After deciding and making my choice I see the [Collector] and [Scout] units appearing on my list of possible eggs.
Skill
{Egg laying} Lv 1 Make your offspring with our body nutrients.
[Laying options]
  • Work bee0 - Lv1
  • Soldier Bee - lv1
  • Collector bee - Lv1
  • Scout bee - Lv 1
With the new options I focus on the idea of creating 2 Collector eggs and soon I feel a greater pressure like when I had Hans, and after a little effort two white eggs much larger than traditional eggs appeared. "Wow, looks like these guys are going to Be Giants! Maybe even bigger than Hans! Do you think we should build bigger nurseries for them mom?" "Well.. I really have no idea! Maybe it''s just the eggs, but just in case create bigger jugs for them." After Ken gently took the eggs and placed them inside the breeding Combs temporarily while he made new larger Combs, I started to create a single scout egg, this time I tried to focus on the idea of a girl, because I didn''t know if the fact that all the operators were boys had something to do with my mental projection or some game of the system, but I think this explorer will answer my questions, I just hope I don''t end up creating a bee with gender crisis. The pressure that the Scout egg gave me was so insignificant that it didn''t even feel like I was spawning an egg, and soon a small white egg had been formed, unlike the other eggs this one had a rice grain shape, very different from the round eggs I had until now. Again after the egg hit the ground Ken quickly picked it up and carefully placed it in the combs, I could see that Ken seemed to care about these eggs and with the general health of everyone on a level that no one else cared about, Hans loved the eggs, I could feel for our link as he was watching the operators eggs before they hatched, but it was like a sense of pride and accomplishment, like when someone gets something they really wanted and treats that thing very carefully, while Ken seemed to feel a kind of responsibility for everyone''s health, Ken seemed to have absorbed much of my knowledge about "care", he had a sharp tongue and live fighting with everyone but deep inside him he cared about the well-being of everyone, honestly Ken looked like my mother, she lived yelling and kicking me, but in the worst moments of my life I could firmly count on her support. Well, until the day she died Each of the workers had a talent, Steve is a born leader, like a super competent director, Ken is the... Nurse? Levi was a kind of engineer in training, and Carl.... I don''t know what Carl is good at? Just like I don''t know Matt and Miles talent, the Twins don''t seem to have a specific thing they''re good at, just like Carl, but they all worked hard and were healthy, I guess this is all that matters right? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I think I''m looking too much like a mother who tries to make excuses for her child who has no goals in life... ''The boys are still discovering their talents, they just need time, they only have 2 days of life, there are human beings who need more than 20 years to be able to find out what they are good at! I''m still in a good situation here!'' "All right boys, now that we''re done here, I''m going back to my experiments, Matt, Miles, could you do me a favor and get some water from the river? Just enough to stuff some nuts so I can do my experiments." "All right!" "No problem!"
While the twins were going in search of some water I started kneading and grinding some of the ingredients that the boys found, there was a lot of it and I just kneaded it with my little grinding kit, after I finished the work I analyzed the contents and put it inside one of the wax bowls.
[Description]
[Red paste] A paste created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley. Quality: Bad
[Description]
[Powder of Stamint] a powder created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley. Quality: bad
[Description]
[Bone powder] A powder made from ancient bones of a mysterious creature. Quality: horrible
[Description]
[Purple paste] A paste created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley. Quality: Bad
[warning]
The skill [Analyze] has reached Lv 2!
Wow, I had even forgotten about [Analyze], it didn''t seem very useful to me but I think that as the level goes up I can achieve better things. Now that I had leveled up on parsing, I tried parsing the same purple folder again to see if there was any difference.
[Description]
[Purple paste] A paste created by a low-level bee with ingredients from the Valley. Can be used as an ingredient Quality: Bad
Ah! Thank you very much skill [Analyze]! It changed my life! This didn''t release anything useful, just more stuff I already knew, but I think it still had some use in knowing if something was a viable ingredient or just junk. .... After some time analyzing, preparing and separating the ingredients, I came to the conclusion that analyzing Level 2 was totally useless for this, all the things I had could be used as ingredients, and I didn''t even need a skill to know that! Maybe [Analyze] is useful to guide someone without any knowledge, but since I had a notion about what could be used and what not, I didn''t need to analyze for that, but I must admit that [Analyze] can be very useful in other matters, without analyzing I wouldn''t know that there are affinities, and I couldn''t even see the quality of an item, so even if it''s not a powerful skill, it still stands out in ultility. "Mom! We brought your water!" "Boys! Why did it take so long!? I have finished processing all the materials!" "Miles was disturbing me! That''s why we took so long!" "What a lie! It was Matt who kept talking a lot of nonsense to make me angry!" "All right! No fight! Leave the water in the containers and go help Ken and the others do their job!" "Ok..." As soon as I separated the twins fight and got my water, I started my crazy plans and put my "cauldron" on top of the fire flower that was still alive like aways, then I threw water, petal paste, some bone powder, purple paste, and nectar from a single flower that grew in the valley, I wanted to start my experiments with rare and unique ingredients, without using things like generic honey, nectar from various flowers and mixed leaves, this time I was using each ingredient separately and trying to figure out their uses. When the liquid started turning a dark magenta colour I tried to analyse it to find out what I had created.
[Description]
[Poison potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee this potion is capable of causing 1 damage every minute, for 2 minutes in those who consume it Quality: Bad
This is new, I didn''t have this information about [Minor] before, what does it mean? That''s mean the potion is small, or that the effect is low? Perhaps it is the effect, since 1 Damage per minute for 2 minutes cannot even be called a real poison. But why did it become a poison potion? I used a nectar from an ordinary flower that has no poison and the paste of purple petals from the same flower, maybe the bone powder that did it? But why? How? Now for the next part of my experiment I kept stirring the magenta colored potion, and added a piece of hard sap from the tree we lived in, waited until it melted and mixed with the liquid before analyzing it again
[Description]
[Poison potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee this potion is capable of causing 1.2 damage every minute, for 2 minutes in those who consume it Quality: Bad
The poison effect has become more potent now, but why? The sap wasn''t poisonous, so is some kindle of catalyst that was making the potion poisonous? Most likely was the bone powder, but shouldn''t adding new ingredients into a potion change the nature of the potion? So why adding new ingredients only increasing their effects? This time I take a small piece of Red Earth and knead it in between my hands before throwing it in the potion, then mixed some more before seeing the result.
[Description]
[Poison potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee this potion is capable of causing 0.2 damage every minute, for 5 minutes in those who consume it Quality: Bad
The potion has changed again! Now the time has increased, but the effect has been greatly weakened, why does this happen? Is it necessary to find some kind of harmony between the ingredients? Or does the fact that it''s a poison potion mean it''s a potion how gone wrong? After all, until now everything I managed to create had negative effects, and this doens''t necessarily mean that I succeeded in creating an item with a bad effect, it could only mean that I failed and ended up with an item with a negative effect instead of a positive one. But if poisons were potions that went wrong, then how do you create a poison for specific use? A normal person could take various products and create a poisonous solution with ease, but couldn''t create a poison specifically to kill insects with the same ease. Putting my thoughts aside I start to see that the potion looks like it is burning, as if it has passed the point, I distract myself again, but I could still learn from it and I tried to analyze this liquid that was thickening.
[Description]
[Poison potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee this potion is capable of causing 0.01 damage every minute, for 15 seconds in those who consume it Quality: Horrible
If it became something useless, it could no longer be a real poison, only if it were to kill bacteria, if the poison spoils, shouldn''t it get stronger? After all, spoiled things are toxic... I try to add a little more water and mix the liquid again until it is in the same consistency as before to see if I can save potions that have passed the point.
[Description]
[Poison potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee this potion is capable of causing 0.1 damage every minute, for 1.5 minutes in those who consume it Quality: Horrible
This work in a way? I''ve recovered some of the potion but it''s still much worse than before. This time I have added more nectar, charcoal powder and a yellow paste made from the leaves of a strange plant, and crushed pieces of a root, then I stirred everything for a while until it started to get a deep brown color.
[Description]
[Sleep Potion] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is capable of causing the effect [Sleep] for 30 seconds in those who consume it Quality: Bad
Thats! I created something that is not a poison! It''s still not a positive effect, and it''s not even very good, but I think I''m on the right track. Chapter 23: Secrets of the profession Looks like a potion is not immutable, I can turn a potion with an effect like [Poison] in a potion with the efect of [Sleep], so it means I could keep adding ingredients until I get new things, but maybe the fact that the potion has changed is because the effect of [Sleep] is a kind of poison, I think is not possible to turn a fire potion into a ice potion, or maybe it is? But should it be anti-economic? Thinking of the endless possibilities, I start throwing more stuff into the cauldron, crushed leaves, honey, honey crystals, and chopped mushrooms to try to figure out what I can create.
[Description]
[Bad potion] A potion that went wrong, can give the effect [Headache], [Motion sickness], [Tummy ache], and [Mana depletion]. Quality: Horrible
Alright, I guess there is a limit to how far my madness can go, just throwing a bunch of stuff in the cauldron and waiting for the best is not a good choice. After throwing the failure away, I start making a new mixture, this time I want to try to find out if there is any use for wax besides being a building material, I know that in my old world there were ointments, medicines, moisturizer and even soaps that used wax, I don''t think any of this has use here, but who knows? I might as well use a shampoo to wash my mane. With a new plan in mind I throw whole pieces of ordinary wax into the cauldron and wait until it melts, then throw in some honey and flower nectar, after mixing everything I see that it doesn''t look right, the wax didn''t mix with the honey and nectar, just like oil doesn''t mix with water, and everything was just floating in a bubble of mess.
[Description]
[Liquid] A strange liquid
Big ideas, big failures, I think I need a special substance to put the 2 together, like an emulsifier, but where would I find that? Would an egg do? But I think trying to steal an egg from a bird being a bee isn''t exactly a genius idea... So how could I create an emulsifier? There were industrial versions, but I never cared how it was made. What if I use clay? The clay was also emulsifying, it''s just not edible, but you could still use it to bind oil and water in these liquids. With this new idea I took some of the clay stones I had at my disposal and broke it between my hands before throwing everything into the cauldron, after a while stirring and adding a little more Earth the liquid began to finally become homogeneous, and soon it turned red like clay, the liquid looked like mud and I don''t think it''s a potion.
[Description]
[Bee mud] Created by a low-level bee, this mud has a pleasant smell and becomes highly resistant after drying. Quality: Good
This is something interesting! Could I use this as a building material? But wouldn''t it be much easier to just use clay? Even more so because there is wax in the middle of this mud, probably the entire structure made with this material would be unstable in hot places, so I think it is not worth all this work just to get a slightly more resistant mud. But it still helped me realize how I could use clay and things like flour, eggs, milk and things like that as emulsifiers. Would I be able to use other special ingredients then? Like fungus of cheeses and iorgutes, and the bacteria of wine? If I could create these unique compounds I would get incredible ingredients! But I think I''m putting the cart in front of the oxen... I haven''t even been able to create a potion that is really useful with the ingredients I already have! Now focused with the desire to create something that is really useful I throw all the crap that was inside the cauldron and try to create something else, this time I use water and stamint powder with a yellow paste and drops of sap, and nectar. I wanted to try to create a light potion! These ingredients were made with plants that glowed at night, if I could get a glowing potion I could finally get my new bulbs! That way we can all stay awake longer without having to stay in total darkness at night! As I mixed the potion I could see the liquid turning a dull yellow color, and then it started to glow for a while, when I finally thought I had a hit, the potion started to stop glowing and in place of the dull yellow was a vibrant yellow potion.
[Description]
[Blindness potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion can grant the [Blind] effect for 3 seconds to those who consume it. Quality: Bad
What the hell! I wanted a potion that made me see in the dark, and I ended up with one that makes me see everything dark! What went wrong? The potion glowed for a moment before it was like this, does that mean it was a failure? Throwing everything away again, I went back to the firts step and tried to create something new, this time I was going to leave the potions aside and try to create new ingredients. After kneading a small nut that grows on a Bush with bright leaves I threw all the nut "paste" into the cauldron and waited until it began to heat up, soon I could see that from the nut paste a small amount of oil was being formed, and after stirring everything for a while I poured all the contents into a nut shell and tried to analyze only the part of the oil.
[Description]
[Odrin Chestnut oil] An oil made from processed odrin chestnuts. It can be used in several ways Quality: Good
At least I got a hit! Oil was a very important ingredient! I may need an emulsifier to mix it with water, but I could try using the clay again in smaller amounts. After getting the oil, I chop some pieces of mushrooms and throw them into the cauldron already clean, and start kneading them until it turns into a paste and then I leave them drying on the fire until they are brittle, after that I use another empty shell and some stones to transform the stiffened paste into a dark powder.
[Description]
[Boggles cap powder] Boggles cap powder, a lethal poison capable of causing liver failure if ingested for too long Quality: Good
WOW! That shit is dangerous! The mushroom I used was black with gray details, but when I analyzed it I never said it could be so dangerous! And that description... There are poisons that can actually attack specific parts of the body, but could I use this poisonous powder as an ingredient? After all, every poison can be a medicine, just as every medicine can become a poison. I decide to put the poisonous powder in a walnut shell and cover it with one of the wax bowls, after finishing the work I used a little water to wash my hands to make sure I wouldn''t rub this shit in my eyes or mix it in the food. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. But this mushroom showed me that by processing unique ingredients I could get new, even rarer and more unique ingredients. This time I wanted to try to create a kind of essence or leaf tea, that way I could create blended liquids that could serve as unique essences. After a well washing in the cauldron i start throwing a large amount of water and the mint-smelling leaves with small white flowers that grew on the grass, I let the water boil until it began to get a slight greenish color
[Description]
[Merlin leaf tea] Made by a low-level bee, this tea is made with herbs from the forest. Quality: Good
It''s just a tea, no special effects, I think it should only serve as something you would offer to a guest. Not satisfied with the tea I add all the herbs and flowers of the same kind that had in the tea and let it brew for a long time until the liquid began to turn from a light shade of green to a dark green while the leaves and flowers were opaque and lifeless.
[Description]
[Herbal essence] Created by a low-level bee, this herbal essence is able to cause the effect [Belly ache] if consumed. Quality: Bad
Is it a success I think? It''s not exactly useful right now, but it can be used as an ingredient for other potions. After using a small walnut shell to carefully remove the boiling water and pour into another larger shell I throw in the cooked leaves and move on to my next plan, create a potion with unique ingredients! after throwing a lot of water, bone powder, Chestnut oil, boggles powder, some herbal essence, yellow paste, tree sap, some clay and root paste, into the cauldron and start mixing everything like a crazy witch soon the liguid started emitting a vibrant orange witchy glow, and a horrible smelling vapor started rising before the whole potion started bubbling rapidly and then suddenly changed from dull orange to an olive color with a extrme dull color
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 10% for 5 minutes. Quality: Bad
Success! The first success I have achieved in a long time! This can be really useful! Hans can use this to get an advantage against his enemies! Maybe I can enhance its effects with other ingredients?! Before ruining all the potion I pour all the contents inside one of the nuts that was previously filled with water and take small quantities of the potion to do my experiments. In the first try i mix a little nectar from a common flower of the region and try to see the results
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 9% for 4 minutes. Quality: Bad
Okay, so nectar is out of the question. After throwing the contents away I take some more of the potion to do another experiment, and this time I mix it with some charcoal powder.
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 14% for 4 minutes. Quality: Bad
Okay, so charcoal is good for this kind of potion, but the time decreases, if I use more sap would I be able to increase the effect time?
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 12% for 7 minutes. Quality: Bad
So there really is some kind of balance here, can just keep throwing a lot of charcoal powder and sap until I get a potion with a powerful effect? No... I would end up with another [Bad potion], so I needed better and more powerful ingredients to achieve better effects? And how can I tell what use the ingredient has? Do I need to test each one of them? The sap seems to always increase the time and decrease the effect, but did the sap always do this in all potions or was it only in some cases? In the poison potion the sap increased the effect but did nothing with the time, so this mean each ingredient acted differently in a potion. Taking advantage of the success I add or little more boggles powder and try to see the result.
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 21% for 1 minutes. Quality: Bad
This is promising! 1 minute is very little, but a 21% bonus can make all the difference in a life or death situation. I try to add a little more of the black powder to see if I can get a more "explosive" effect and when I see the result I realize how dangerous it is the art of making potions.
[Description]
[Boggles cap Venom] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this poison is capable of causing the malfunction of vital organs such as the heart, stomach and kidneys if ingested for a long time Quality: Good
Boggles poison was very useful, but very dangerous, if not used carefully it could cause irreparable damage to the body, but this shows me that even dangerous poisons if used in small quantities can become very useful potions. After throwing the liquid away and washing the cauldron I took some more of the potion and tried to mix it with some more herbal essence.
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 7% for 13 minutes. Quality: Bad
It seems that the herbal essence can increase the time by sacrificing the bonus granted by the potion, so this shows me that there must be a correct balance between the ingredients to achieve maximum bonus and effect time. After mixing a little green essence into the potion I try to put just a pinch of boggles powder to try to find a balance between the time and the bonus granted.
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 18% for 4 minutes. Quality: Bad
I try to add a little more of each ingredient until I find a better balance but soon I discovered what happens when you try too much
[Description]
[Bad potion] A potion that went wrong, can give the effect [Headache], [Motion sickness], [Tummy ache], and [Mana depletion]. Quality: Horrible
So it seems that creating potions is not just throwing a lot of things into a cauldron and hoping for the best, to be able to find a perfect balance between the ingredients is necessary to spend a lot of materials and time, my ingredients were abundant and easy to find, but if I found super rare ingredients it would be very difficult to create a potion with a hight balance between cost and benefit. After throwing the failing potion away I try again to find a balance with other samples of potion until I get to one that seems satisfactory.
[Description]
[Potion of Vigor] - minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion is able to increase [Defense] and [Speed] by 15% for 8 minutes. Quality: Fine
I had to expend a lot of ingredients and use almost half of the original vigor potion to achieve this single dose, but after much experimentation I achieved a satisfactory effect. I wanted to turn all the potion that was left into this new version, but when I thought about doing this I ran into a big problem. What would be the conversion rate? The amount of original vigor potion was much larger than this small dose I prepared, so the amount of ingredients would also increase, but I didn''t know the exact amount, I didn''t remember to score while experimenting, now I would need to kick everything again until I could figure out the exact amount! "OH! More than great!" Me and my luck, I got so focused on creating a single dose that I didn''t remember that i would need to know the exact amount of each ingredient i used to get the perfect dose. Now my ingredients were running out and I couldn''t afford to try everything again. "I should have tried to mark it with [Memorial Memory]! So I would know if the skill really works and wouldn''t have forgotten the measurements!" Now I understood why it was so easy to create potions, there was a clear difference between making potions, and making potions, any amateur could throw a lot of things in a cauldron and achieve something, but only professionals would be able to use each ingredient to the maximum and with the best efficiency at cost benefit. And unfortunately I was a 5th category amateur. "I think I''ll at least save this dose for Hans, and let the worker use the original potion as an "energetic."... Chapter 24: The duty
[Warning]
You earned 9 Xp from your''s soldiers
When I went back into the nest, the workers had already finished filling the tanks and now where building something outside the nest. "What are you guys doing?" "Oh! Mom! Since we finished the task of filling the honey tanks, we thought that is time to expand the nest, and since we can''t cut the inside of the tree, we started building on the outside!" The entrance that before was just a wax wall with a small platform for landing, now had a large area made entirely of wax bricks firmly stuck together with wax, and to support everything the boys had atached the large platform to the tree branches using wax, the entire wax floor seemed to have been made by professionals since it was totally smooth and with no flawless. "D-Did we really need to increase the nest? We still had plenty of room inside the tree for one or two more honey tanks..." "W-Well the whole nest would be very tight when the new drones are born, and we also need to maximize our food supply, and we also need to create a decent nursery and the special room that you wanted..." "Nursery?! What''s wrong with the nursery we already have?!" "Nothing! It''s just really small and unprotected! What we want to do is build new rooms and leave the deepest and most protected part of the nest as the nursery!" "Guys, I don''t think i''m prepared to create a lot of other drones for the colony..." "We understand that mom! But it is better to be prepared tham suffering in the future! Even if the nursery becomes unusable for now it will be ready and with the maximum capacity to work when you ready!" Seriously ken?! How is this not forcing!? This is shameless psychological pressure! "...All right, you guys can keep doing your good job, but first! Can you all come with me? I managed to create a potion and I wanted you all to test the result." "No problem!" "All right" As the boys left the materials behind I could see that they looked tired, perhaps overworked, but still everyone worked quickly and without complaint, as if this were some kind of dictatorship. Arriving in front of the nut that contained the original vigor potion I take a small plate of wax and give it to each one of the boys, and after they drink the potion the boys make a face that clearly tell me "what the fuck is that?" "This tastes horrible! Blergh!" "It''s-it''s really h-horrible...S-Sorry mom" "Is this some kind of punishment for us starting to build without your approval?!" "N-No! Boys, I would never do that, is it really that horrible?" "It''s definitely the worst thing I''ve ever eaten in my life!" You''ve only been alive for 3 days and in the meantime you''ve only eated honey what do you known?! I didn''t know the taste of the potion, well I didn''t even try it, but this can''t be so horrible like the boys say, right? When I tast some of the potion to find out if it was really horrible or was just the exaggeration of the boys, I found out that horrible doesn''t even come close. The potion has a taste of a mixture of spoiled milk and diesel oil, the texture is like muddy water and has pieces of something bitter. This thing just sucks! Just a complete shit! "Blergh! How could you guys swallow that!? This thing can''t be edible! You''re gonna have a belly ache!" "I didn''t say!? It''s Horrible! You can''t drink that!" The effect was real, I could see it in the status of the boys, but the potion was simply inedible, was that due to the very nature of potions? Or the result of low-level ingredients? I think it was to be expected, of course I wouldn''t create the perfect potion on my first try, but at least the effects of it were quite real!
[Efects]
[Potion of Vigor] - 04:43 Minutes Increase your [Defense] and [Speed] by 10%
"All right boys, the potion is really.... hard to swallow, but try working now and see if you can feel the effects of it." "All right, wait a minute! We need to drink this every day?!" "No, relax, even if I had the ingredients I wouldn''t force you guys to drink it." When the boys left I gave 2 pulls on the mental link I had with Hans and waited for him to come back, I don''t know if the vigor potion can help the workers, but im sure that could help Hans, if I could get better potions and with more incredible effects I could basically turn Hans into a killing machine, imagine a Hans with effects like [Vigor], [strength], [invisibility], [speed], [regeneration] and other types of buffs, Hans could theoretically fight enemies much above his own level with ease! Now the question would be whether the potions cancel each other, like poisons or medicine, if Hans took one potion of [strength] and then a potion of [invisibility] would the effects simply stack up, or could the potions react with each other inside Hans body and create a new effect? If this were true, is it possible to have several effects at once? I think is possible since the [Bad potion] had a long list of effects so it might be possible to have a lot of effects achieved with potions, but these effects need to come from a single potion, or could they be accumulated by several potions? As I entertain myself with [Concerned player], Hans quickly appeared in the horrizon and came directly to me. "Mom! I''m here! What''s the emergency?" "Hello Hans, it''s not exactly an emergency, but I managed to create a potion with a positive effect and I wanted you to test it!" While talking to Hans i pick up a small wax dish that contained a dose of the original vigor potion and offered it to him, I would leave the "perfect Dose" for a moment of emergency. "The taste may be bad, but I can guarante that the results are satisfactory!" "Hmm." Hans without any delay took the small bowl and swallowed all the liquid at once, I was waiting for his reaction but Hans remained calm and unresponsive. "Didn''t you find the taste bad?!" "It''s horrible, but tolerable, I can drink it without any problem." Damn, Hans is like one of those classmates who can eat sour food without even shaking his face, you don''t know if you get impressed by the skill, or if you punch him in the face with all your power. "...Im glad you don''t have any problem with the potion Hans, now how do you feel?" "Well, I feel lighter, and more tense, and I feel that my senses are sharper, this potion looks really incredible mother, forgive me for doubting your ideas." "All right Hans! I know how overprotective you are, it must have been hard for you to just swallow all my craziness and selfishness." "That''s not true mom! I completely respect and support all your decisions!" "It may even be true Hans, but can you look me in the eyes and honestly say that this is not because of [Maternal connection]?" "I-I...!" "It''s okay Hans, I know you only want my good and the colony prosperity, and speaking of the colony, today after you left I produced 4 soldiers to help you, and after that I got a level in [Laying eggs] and created 2 collectors and 1 Scout." "This is incredible mom! They will be of great help!" "Really? The workers think I''m weird for producing them in such a small number..." "T-The workers are just young and naive mother! I will personally talk to them so this kind of thing doens''t happen ag-" "No need Hans, they are right anyway... I am really a weird Queen, while they are focused on expanding the nest and our food reserves I was worried about creating a potion that may not even be useful at all, sometimes I wonder if one day the whole colony will suffer because of me, like when you got hurt, if at that time I had already created some workers and at least 1 or 2 more soldiers to help you, that insect wouldn''t be a threat, maybe he wound''t even dare to come close, but because I always deny my... Queen''s "responsibilities" you or the workers are the ones who are paying the price." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Don''t blame yourself for this mom! None of us would ever blame you for any of this!" "And that''s what annoys me the most... this [Maternal connection] makes you all submit to me, to follow my will blindly, even if i am going directly to death." "We don''t have nothing to worry about! The region is safe and there doesn''t seem to be any enemies around!" "Sure, but for how long? We are bees... what would we do if a hungry bird appears? Or if a nest of rival insects want to fight for the territory? Life is pretty quiet right now, but only now, and guess what? Matt found what appeared to be the remains of a campfire not far from here... There might be humans or something like that living around these lands, what are we going to do if they decide they want a little bit of sweet honey?" "I..." "Oh, I''m sorry Hans, I think I threw everything at you, didn''t I? Ken is with the project of building a nursery in the deepest part of the nest, and I am seriously thinking about the idea of creating a legion of soldiers and workers, I don''t think i can forgive myself if the boys die during work to a hungry animal just because I refused to give birth to more units." "But! Are you okay with that, mom?! Before you told me that you didn''t want too many members! And I could feel your discomfort by the link!" "Hans, there is a lot of difference between what we want and what we need, I decided to create you because at that time I thought you would be a drone with no will or conscience, but when you came out of that cocoon talking and walking, I realized that this was far from true, you are my creation, my responsibility, your duty may be to protect me, but my duty is to ekeep you alive and heath, when I created the workers I had a small hope that maybe at least if they weren''t concients like you, if they were only common insects it would be much easier to just raise a bunch of them, but they aren''t, they unique and conscious like you, and now I''m not only responsible for my life, now my actions reflect on your life and the lives of the workers, you can''t defend all of us, 5 soldiers can''t defend all of us..." "...I don''t know how to feel Mom, if you accepted the idea of creating a big hive it would bring me great joy, but if creating a big Hive makes you sad then a big hive will also makes me sad, so please! Don''t do anything because you feel obligated to do it! Do what you think is right!" Hans is a golden boy for sure, I hit the nail on the head when I made him. "Hans, you are so cute, even with that armor and big body you are still soft as jelly inside! hahaha" "T-Thank you mom?" Hans is right? All this guilt I''m feeling is because of the Bee insticts that are taking deep roots more and more on me? Or is it simply true guilt? On the one hand is undeniable that I am responsible for all of them, their well being and health, and if the only way to ensure that they all are safe is to create a real hive then so ley it be, I have gone too far in this Bee story anyway, I won''t wait until Hans or someone dies to decide that "now is the time" to act, but on the other hand, the Bee instincts are with absolute certainty taking root in me, how do I know? Simple, the first time I saw Hans I just saw a big muscular insect, now I looked at him and I could see how beautiful he was as a bee, I could tell what he is feeling just by looking at his expression, and I could even see how the workers were cute and healthy, just like a human being can look at another human being and say various things about his appearance. Before was me and a bee monster in a single body and single mind, I was in charge and the Bee monster could only give me ideas and guidance, but now I can no longer separate myself into human and Bee, the 2 have mixed a lot already, and I can no longer say who is in control of the situation. "No need to worry Hans, if I choose to produce a legion of soldiers it''s because I decided it was the right choice, and even if I create many other members I won''t give up in my potions, quite the contrary! With a lot of people around I would dedicate 100% of my time to the development of new potions and Itens!" "If you say that you don''t have a problem then I believe you mom..." "Be careful out there Hans, I know you think you''re dispensable, but you''re not! Stay close to home, in a few days new soldiers will be born and then you will get more help." "But what about my task of levelling up?!" "This isn''t urgent Hans, I only told you to do that because I didn''t have much more for you to do, but for now you can stay close, i don''t feel comfortable with the workers walking around totally unprotected, it would be comforting to me having you around to protect them" "I understand, if this is your order then I will fulfill it perfectly!" "You are too serious Hans, just relax and watch the workers, consider it a day off! You are tense from the moment you were born!" "It''s just my nature mother! I can''t relax in your presence! If I relax for even a second something might happen to you!" "All right, all right, do your best and if you''re hungry there''s plenty of honey in home, we''re out of honey crystals for now, but if you want some just wait a bit, I''ll pack all the things up around here and in a little while I''ll convert all that honey into rations." "Then I will go on a tour in the region while I wait for the rations!" As soon as we finished talking, Hans flew over to talk to the workers and chatted with them a bit, it was just a quick chat to check on they well-being, and then went on his way to do a patrol. Now that Hans had left I started to pack everything up, put the potion in large walnut shells and then covered everything with some leaves and stones to hold on to. As I flew into the nest to start the long work of creating feeds with [Flake creation] I was wondering if the idea of increasing our numbers was really mine or my Bee part , the 2 parts had already mixed a lot, like 2 liquids of different colors that mixed slowly over time, I didn''t know if my ideas were really mine and I think the bee inside me felt the same way.
[warning]
The [Create Honey] skill has reached Lv10
[warning]
The sub-skill [Flake creation] and the skill [Create Honey] had merged and became the unique skill [Food Creation]
[warning]
You have gained the skill [Food Creation] the skill will now be able to rise up to level 10.
[Skill]
{Food Creation} Lv 1 You can create various types of food depending on the resource used. The [Food creation] skill is limited by the user''s [Species].
''W-What? Did I get the maximum level of [Create Honey]?! The Skill has really evolved! Actualy it merged with a sub-Skill and created something new! [Food Creation] looks no different than [Create Honey], and the skill says I''m limited by my race, so what can I create besides honey?! Does this skill really do anything new? Or is it just a way to increase efficiency? I decided to use some honey to try to do something, after eating some honey I try to focus on the skill [Food Creation] but after a moment with nothing happening I remembered that you need to focus on the uses of the skill and not the skill itself. But what happens when I don''t know the uses of the skill?! [Creating honey] and [Flake creation] are quite self explanatory, but this [Food Creation] is too abstract for me to have a clear picture. Failing at the work of creating something new, I try to create the familiar honey crystal, and after a moment of relief, I see that I can still create them with ease, which meant that the skill was working, but I needed a clear mental picture of what i want to create if i want to achieve something. Leaving the honey Crystal aside I focus on the image of the [Bee Candy], technically is food but is it really possible to create the candy without boiling the honey? When I thought of the idea of creating the [Bee Candy] the honey inside my chest soon began to stir quickly and soon I spat out a familiar yellow paste that soon hardened and became something like The Bee candy.
[Description]
[Bee candy] A candy created by a low-level bee Quality: Greate
It''s different from the Bee candy I created in the cauldron, but it''s still a bee candy, so what else can I create with this skill? Could it be anything as long as it was edible? After all the skill said I could create food, that was the only restriction, so I can create like an edible super glue? Or a super hard rock like a jawbreaker candy? After getting some more honey, and a walnut shell to use as a container, I tried to focus on the idea of a super sticky "syrup", like maple syrup. And soon I felt a sensation similar to the first time I created wax, spitting out all the material inside the nutshell, it looked exactly as it had entered, I think honey and syrup have a very similar consistency to change anything.
[Description]
[Concentrated honey] A concentrated honey created by a low-level bee. Quality: Good
It''s honey, just a more compacted version of it, I think I could use that to save space, but I think I''d end up having to spend all my time if I wanted to convert every drop of honey that the workers produce. What else can bees do? Bees of my world only created honey, wax, propolis, Ro - Royal jelly?! Royal jelly was something unique to bees wasn''t it? What could I do with this jam? Create new queens? If I could do that I could even pass on the mission of increasing our numbers to her! After running and grabbing a few more jars and eating more honey I try to focus my imagination on royal jelly, a super important food and with incredible capabilities, after a moment I feel the pressure and think it can be a success, but when i spit out the result I see that I may have rushed a little bit.
[Description]
[Bee jelly] A super nutritious food created by a low-level bee. Quality: Good
No! That''s not it! It''s not just any jelly! It''s royal jelly! Leaving aside the ordinary jam I take another pot try again. ''I need to focus, the end result depends on my conception, jelly, jelly! Not a useless jelly! The best Jelly that have in the world! How is able to nurture my children and create powerful castes! Not just any jelly, it''s royal jelly! Something that just us! The bees! Can make with all the love and care!'' This time the feeling is different, but still similar to jelly, I feel like my chest has become a washing machine, and all the contents are rattling quickly, until I spit out a very clear yellow substance.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created with all the love of a queen bee, this super nutritious jelly can accelerate the growth of [Larvae] of [Bee] type monsters in 100%. The Royal jelly has a 15% chance of causing the [Recovery] effect if eated by a [Bee] type monster. Quality: Excellent
A hit? But what do you mean with "all the love"?! Chapter 25: Changes If before I thought that the Bee instincts were mixing too much in me, now I''m sure, I needed a lot of "Bee" thoughts to make this jam, but still workes somehow? But the amount of royal jelly is just ridiculous, I spent all the honey I had on my chest and got only a small yellow drop, but these effects really seem to pay their price. I thought royal jelly would be able to "Change" normal castes into unique drones, like turning an operator into a queen, but since the description doesn''t say anything about it, it looks like this jelly is a super baby food. Looks like i had set too much expectations for this jelly, and even if this managed to turn an worker into a queen, I think first I would still need a female worker. The feeling of creating this royal jelly doesn''t pay off, I felt like a washing machine that has a lot of dirty laundry beating inside. And the conversion rate from honey to Royal Jelly seemed like 10 to 1, of course the effects were really too good to ignore but I don''t think I have the physical and mental strength to produce that for every larva that''s born. "Mom, is there something wrong with you? I feel a uncomfortable jolt in the link..." "Yeah, we feel like you''re were nauseous!" Huh? Did I send something through the link? How i did that?! I kind of just "pushed all the buttons " while I was creating jam and something ended up working? "I... I gained a new ability to create food, and I ended up creating royal jelly." "Royal jelly? What''s that?" "Royal Jelly?! This is super important!" "How can this be important Carl ? It''s just jelly, isn''t it?" "Of course not, I''m sure we should feed the babies exclusively with royal jelly!" "The babies? What the fuck are you talking about airhead? Why should we feed the Cubs that?" "I just know okay!? And I''m sure about it!" "Mom What do you think?" "Well... Carl may be right, jelly seems to be a super nutritious food that workers only on larvae, but this can also be a kind of "medicine" for normal bees." "What?! Carl really know what he is talking about?!" "I didn''t tell you!?" "This jelly that I created seems to be able to cut the growth time of the larvae in half, which seems useful, but I don''t know its nutritional value, and how much of this jelly each larva would need to satisfy itself." "But what is the difference between feeding a larva with ordinary honey and Royal Jelly? Is it just a matter of speeding up the process or this make something else?" Ken seemed to take any maggot-related matter very seriously, and he really wanted to know if this royal jelly was the best food for the little ones. "So cutting the time in half is already a big bonus, but I also think it''s possible to achieve the (well nourished) effect much more easily if we use royal jelly instead of honey." "That would be incredible! So we could increase the overall quality of the hive! Do you think you can produce a decent amount of this royal jelly until the eggs hatch? " What? Produce more of that shit? "I really don''t know if I can Ken... The cost of production is very high, besides the fact that the production process itself is very difficult, and also even this small drop demanded a lot from me physically and mentally." "B-but... couldn''t you produce just a little? Even if it''s just a little bit? Enough for just one dose for each drone?" "Maybe, but don''t you think is better for us to try to focus on a single drone and see if we can get a unique effect out of it?" "I don''t know mom, isn''t feeding a single drone all the royal jelly just favouritism?" "No! It''s just an experiment, so we could say what''s the difference between a drone powered exclusively with honey, and one powered exclusively with royal jelly!" "If you say Mom, but then which of the drones we shoud feed with the royal jelly? A soldier? Or one of the collectors? So we could directly compare the difference between their peers." "I would like to use try to feed the scout, He seems to be very useful, and if we can increase his quality, then why not?" "B-But then we wouldn''t have other drones of the same type to compare it to..." "It wouldn''t be a problem, we could just compare the overall quality." "...All right, should we create a special Tank Just for this jam?" "It would be nice, it doesn''t have to be big, but it would be nice if it was much more protected and resistant than normal tanks, and can you tell me how long until the new drones Hatch?" "Good.. 5 days for the soldiers, 7 days for the collectors, and 2 days for the Scout." "7 days for collectors? Why do they take so long?" "I have no idea!" "Okay, in the meantime I will try to create more royal jelly, in the meantime you can continue the construction" "All right!" "Come on guys, I want the walls to be up by the end of the day." "W-we don''t need to r-rush, the work needs to be done with quality, not agility!" "We can do both!" After the boys left, I stared at the small drop of jelly, the effect I got was due to my desires at the time of making it? Or was it just common jelly effects? The description says it was made with "Love", Love isn''t a real ingredient right?! If feelings could interfere with the end result of a product then would artisans need to be at both physical and mental peak to produce powerful items? Producing jam was horrible, but it wasn''t painful, and with my experience with creating Honey I knew that as I created more and more of this jam soon the feeling of discomfort would disappear, but still I would need astronomical amounts of honey to get a significant amount of jam. I needed to test if Royal Jelly could really be influenced by my intentions, when I first tried to create jelly I wanted something "unique for bees, able to nourish and care" and I got what I wanted, so if I really focused on creating jellies with different effects would I just get it? Now with my chest full of honey again and with a goal in mind, I try to focus on a jelly capable of empowering those who eat it, not just bees but anything that eats it, after a while focusing on the jelly, I could feel the trampling coming. And soon I had spit out another minuscule bubble of royal jelly, but the effect wasn''t quite what I wanted
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this super nutritious jelly can accelerate the growth of [Larvae] of [Bee] type monsters in 63%. and grant a 5% boost to the larvae''s base [Strength] status. Quality: Good
I really created something that could strengthen someone, but 5% is very little, and it remains exclusive to bees, and the quality and bonus have dropped, but those 5% bonus are cumulative or permanent bonus? If I kept feeding the larvae large amounts of this "strong" jelly would I be able to grant a 10, 20, 30 or even 50% bonus if i keep feeding a lavae or is just the 5% bonus permanently after the first dose? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. This royal jelly seems very mysterious, when I created honey, no matter what intention or purpose I put into its production the end result wouldn''t change, but this royal jelly seems to be directly influenced for what purpose it was created. Could I create a jelly capable of transforming bees then? If I set the right intention, and provided a clear purpose, would the jelly be able to do what I want? Deciding to try I take more honey and try again, with these new possibilities I decided that the discomfort to create jelly was nothing compared to its uses. When creating this new batch of jelly I focused on the very concept of metamorphosis, like butterflys and caterpillars, how a creature could break them selfs apart and remake into new things, and in the end I felt the worst headache of my life, followed by the worst nausea I could imagine. "W-WhA-tT''s g-GOiNg o-On!?!?!" I had never felt pain when i was creating resources before, but this time I felt pain, real pain, as if my skull was going to crack and my chest burst, I felt like I was dying and I couldn''t breathe. In the midst of despair and pain i felt like I was shifting into something or breaking in peaces, I could hear screams and noises and soon everything began to go dark, and in a few moments I completely lost consciousness.
"Mom! Mom! Wake up! Mom?!" "Hu-Hum my head... Hans? What happened?..." "I-I don''t know, I wanted to ask you what happened, one moment everything was fine and the next I felt a great pain coming through the link, I needed a lot of effort not to faint and I ran back home, when I arrived at the entrance, the workers were all passed out and you too... All I could do was bring everyone inside..." "What?! h-how did this happened... I was making jam and then-" Jelly That''s it, I must have overloaded the jelly? But how do you overload a jam?! Was that excruciating headache because I tried to create something that doesn''t exist? That was very dangerous! In addition to the jelly causing me a lot of pain, this pain was still transmitted to everyone, this time I was lucky that everyone was in the safety of our home, but what if Hans was in the middle of a fight? Or the boys flying across the field? They would probably end up dead! "H-HAns forgive me! Please forgive me! I-I fucked everything up again! I almost killed everyone..." "What-what happened, mom? Wasn''t it an enemy attack? How is this your fault?" "I-I was trying to create something new and it seems like something went very wrong..." "But how did you get hurt?!" "I-I don''t know? I''m not physically hurt, but my head still hurts as fuck.."
[Efects]
[Mental exhaustion] - 18:43 Hours Your mind has been totally overloaded, the damage is real.
What effect is this? Mental exhaustion? When did I use the power of the mind? Do I have mind power? So the effects of the jelly didn''t come from my cravings, but from spending mental power?! But how would I know that! I don''t have any mental power bars! And I can''t even tell you what that is?!? "Mom! What happened?!" "I-It looks like I had caused a mental breakdown? Or something like that..." "How did you do it?!?!" "I was trying to create a super special jelly...." "Jelly?" "Yes, I discovered that I can create jelly with my new skill, and the effects of the jelly seem to follow my desires, so I tried to create something super awesome... But I didn''t know there was a limit..." "Mom! Don''t try dangerous things like that again please!" "I-I''m sorry Hans, I''m a failure as Queen... I only live by putting you in danger.. I''m sorry." "STOP APOLOGIZING!" "Hans?!" "I will always follow your orders mom! I will support you in your choices! But I can''t take it anymore to hear you apologizing and lamenting for things that have already happened! I don''t need your excuses, but if you want to redeem yourself so badly, stop whining and react! Instead of feeling useless and guilt-ridden, focus on something productive! Be it your strange potions or the development of the hive, but stop looking at the past and feeling sorry for yourself!" "I-I''m sorry-" "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" Hans had never spoken to me like that! He always seemed like a gentle and noble Knight, but now he was reminding me of myself when I was human. Hans is right.. I just keep feeling sorry for myself, and thinking about the "What if I had" I''ve always been pessimistic, but now that I''m a bee I seem to be... depressive, was that because of [Concerned player]? Or was it just me burying myself? Was I really was so anoying that even Hans was already sick of me? I think I felt sorry for myself. Not in a good way on top of that, I was lamenting the past, crying in the present, and fearing of the future, my human self would be ashamed of what I had become.... When I was human I was completely self-sufficient, I could take very good care of myself, I could always do it without difficulties, but now I was just a shadow of what I once was, just a pathetic woman who can only cry. When I became a bee I didn''t know what to do, or how to react, I could no longer be self sufficient as I was as a human, and as time went on, i made more and more mistakes instead of learning from them as I always did, I kept making more and more dumb mistakes. The 1st mistake? It was believing that I could survive only with the help of Hans, at that time I thought Hans was extremely powerful, so I could live quietly with his protection, and then Hans ended up almost dying because of me, then when we got a good place to live I insisted on the mistake that I could live with low numbers, I sent Hans to dangerous adventures unaccompanied and I was completely exposed and alone, then I failed to enter into a tactical understanding with the workers and Hans, and again I delayed all of us, and now I had conducted a crazy experiment that could have just killed everyone, and all I can do is apologize. "I-I''m very stupid, aren''t I Hans?" "No mom! You were just unlucky and didn''t handle the situation well!" "Ha ha, "unlucky" I was unlucky? The only difficulty I ever had was when you got hurt, everything else was always calm and prosperous, and I still didn''t make any progress!" "M-Mom I''m sorry if I hurt your fellings, I don''t know why I said that-" "You just told The Truth Hans, some people need a slap in the face to wake up, and looks like i needed more than just a slap!" Getting up with difficulty and a big pain in the head I walk up to the boys and see them passed out with expressions of pain on their faces, the day seemed to be coming to an end, so I must have stayed for 6-7 hours passed out. "What are you going to do?" "React! I won''t stand here waiting for my salvation fall from heaven! Help me move the boys to a corner, I will close the entrance so nothing can get inside, then tomorrow we will begin a intensive reinforcement in the House." "But the workers are already working at maximum capacity!" "Then i will produce more of them! I can''t let us get sovunerable like that!" "But!-" "Be quiet! Were is the hard shell Hans from before?! Now I''m not into the "everything will be fine" talk, I need a "let''s all die because you''re an idiot!". "..." While I was going to get some honey to seal the entrance until dawn, I could feel that there was already something in my chest, and it wasn''t honey, it was the jelly from before! ''Wasn''t it a failure?!'' Running up to some shells and spitting out the contents I could see that even though I almost killed everyone I still get something from this whole situation.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this royal jelly has a 75% chance of causing a randon mutation in a [Larva] of monsters of the type, [Bee]. Quality: Fine
It''s a success! I really did it! Of course a jelly that can cause mutations is useful! Well, if they are good mutations of course, I hope tha feeding a larva with this don''t end up creating a bee with cancer or tumors, if that happened I wouldn''t have the guts to face the others. Leaving the drop of jelly aside, and filling my chest with honey, I run to the entrance and use only ordinary wax to close the hole, until now I had kept everything open and didn''t seem to have problems, after all the bees lived with the open doors, but the difference is that ordinary bees had thousands of members, and no predator was crazy enough to enter through the front door and think that he would come out unharmed. When I finished closing everything, the place became much darker, I could still see a little because of the light that still entered through the semi-transparent wax, but soon the day would be over. "Hans help me put the boys in the corner." "Yes mother!" "Hans, i... Thank you, I really needed a little reality shock to wake up, I was very naive until today, but I promise that from now on I will think about the colony as a whole before making any decisions." "I... Thank you mom, and I ask again for forgiveness for having burst out with you, I just felt a lot of anger at the time and ended up saying horrible things to you..." "Look at you, when I think you''re creating a little bit of attitude you come and apologize to me? Stop it! I''m not going to grieve anymore, and you don''t ask for more forgiveness for things like that." "...All right!" "Thats it Hans! Tomorrow I will try to create more workers and make more royal jelly, this time I will try to make one that is focused only on accelerating the growth of the units." "Isn''t creating this jelly dangerous? It''s because of her that we''re in this situation..." "Of course it is, but not if I use it carefully, I can say that the reason I caused this widespread mental breakdown, was because I burned too much of this "Mental Energy" at once, if I use it in small amounts and in a moderate way, I will definitely know the correct time to stop." "And your potions mother ? Aren''t you going to continue with them?" "No! Not for now, if I already had a colony established I could be totally focused on them, but now the colony needs my full attention, I mean, she needed it before, but now I''m going to give her the attention she needs, hells if I already had the hive established I could have them do the most amazing, well-prepared Lab with all things a bee can do! I could get an endless stream of resources, and even some assistants to help me, I could even send them bring several other [Burning bloons] to use as extra ovens!" "A-aren''t you very excited about the idea mom? You never liked the idea of a colony..." "Yeah, because I was looking at it with the wrong eyes, I was so worried about losing my old self with all this that I didn''t even stop to think that I might end up kiling myself with all this stubbornness!" "Are you really okay mom? You look... different" "I am, it''s not like raising eggs is really difficult, and that way we can ensure our safety." I felt good, as if my mind is working better now, before I always had a little voice that contradicted all i do, honestly I can''t say if that little voice was my human self, or my bee self, but after this mental breakdown, the 2 of us had mixed even more, it can no longer be undone and there is no more "Hana the human" and "The Bee", the mental breakdown threw the 2 of us in a blender and pressed the turbo button. Now there is only "Hana the monster bee", My thoughts are much clearer and more objective, and I think they are in balance, not totally crazy like a bee, and they not negative as those of a human in my situation. I have already become something new, something different from what I was before, of course, it was only mentally, but it was still totally new. Chapter 26: Mutation? When the day began the works finally started to wake up, everyone looked very confused, but totaly unhurt. "M-Mom? What happened? We were working and then- I don''t know..." "I-I heara a big noise and then everything went dark" "Boys! Are you all okay? I had a mental breakdown that eventually spread to all of you..." "We''re fine, I''m just feeling tired..." "Why is it so dark here?" "I closed the entrance, I was afraid that we would be attacked." "Did something happen to Hans?!" "No, but we were all weakened and much more vulnerable than usual." Everyone seemed to have immunity against mental attacks because of {Unshakeble Will} but this immunity seemed to be only against external attacks, is useless when the attack comes straight from me. "Boys, eat something, Hans please open the entrance for all of us." "Of course mom" While the workers were walking in confusion to the honey tank, Hans reached the small wax wall that I had made, and tore it all up as if it were paper, the wax was just ordinary wax so Hans opened the "Protection" very easily. "I still don''t quite understand what happened..." "Just shut up and eat." "It''s Okay guys, it''s okay now." Getting close to the boys I could hear their arguments and I was worried about them, they were scared and not knowing the right way to react, but they didn''t seem to be hurt and had no negative effect. The only one that had a negative effect was me, the effect of [Mental exhaustion] it didn''t seem to do anything, just left me with a horrendous head ache. "Boys, I know you all must be very confused, but I really need your help right now." "What do you need mom? We are completely fine physically, we can help you with whatever you need!" Steve spoke for all the group, I could see that some of the boys seemed unhappy with steve''s "animation", but everyone also seemed to share his feeling of wanting to help. "I need all of you to help me raise more workers, I need more nurseries and want you guys to increase our food supply." "More workers?!" Everyone shouted in union, looking very excited and happy, very different from Hans who seemed worried about the idea. "Mom! Have you decided to spread our numbers?! That''s incredible! How many do you need to get started!? 20? 40? 80?!?" "Well Ken, I''m not going to start increasing our numbers like crazy yet, but I want each of you to tell me how many workers you need!" The workers seemed genuinely confused by the question, as if I had asked something stupid or senseless. "What do you mean? Just make a bunch of them!" "What I''m trying to say is that I want to divide each of you into teams, each one responsible for an essential aspect that only operators can do, with Ken responsible for maternity, Levi for construction, Carl for food production, and Matt and Milles serving as the collection and distribution team." "B-But what about me Mom?" "Steve, I want you to supervise all your brothers and ensure that the work is being done correctly, you are by far the most competent in management." "I-I still don''t understand what you want to do mom." "I will place each of you to serve as the leader of a group of workers to do specific tasks" "That way you won''t have to do a little bit of everything, and you can focus only on what you are good at, Steve, Ken and Levi, I recognized your talent in these roles since I saw you working, Carl, Matt and Miles, I''m not sure what your strengths are, but I''m sure you guys will work very well in the tasks I gave you." "I-I A-As a L-Leader?! M-Mom i n-I don''t think im good for that!" "Of course you are Levi, you are very hardworking and talented, now you just need a little attitude." "Now I understand.. If so I want 2 worers to help me! The work in the nurseries is not exactly difficult, just repetitive, I don''t need much help." "Hmm, mom, as a food production manager, I need to collect nectar? Or is that Matt''s job?" "It will be Matt''s job, your job just gonna be to make sure our reserves are always full." "So I guess I just need 2 or 3, just enough to keep a consistent production I guess..." "If I''m from the collection team then I need the largest number of collectors to help me!" "And I need a large number of workers, and some collectors, so I could distribute the materials quickly among everyone." The boys seemed certain of what they needed, only Levi was frozen by the idea of having to lead an entire group alone. "Levi? What about you?" "I-I think... That it depends on your plans with the expansion of the nest..." "Oh! I want big as possible, and fast as possible, and safe as possible." After hearing this Levi tried to make some mental calculations and it looked like he was going to cry, being from the construction group that currently had the highest priority, Levi was worried that he would end up having to manage the largest group of all. "No need to be afraid Levi, just give me an estimate, remember that you don''t have to do everything yourself, you will still have everyone to help you, and Steve will definitely make sure that you can do everything easily." "W-Well, then I would say that about 40-50 bees would be ideal... That way we could build the nest quickly..." "Ken, do we have room for all this in here?" "50 no.. we would need to build a second floor of nurseries, but this place is not high enough for this, but it is possible to build about 20-30 units in the space we have." "So what do you think of 20 workers and 10 collectors? Together with the ones we already have growing, we would have 20 workes and 12 collectors. So we could distribute them between Ken, Carl, and Miles, and leave most of them with Levi, and leave about 8 collections for Matt, and 4 for Miles." "Sounds like a good number! We can start producing the nurseries now!" "So please do it boys!" Soon as we finished discussing the distribution arrangement, the boys left excited to complete the job, Levi the only one nervous, but still seemed happy to receive more workers. "Mom, What do you need me to do?" "Hans, protect the boys, soon this place will get cramped, but until we have more soldiers the safety of everyone will be in your hands." "I won''t let any harm happen to any member of our family while I am alive mom!" Hans, noble as ever, but that promise is just a nice way of saying, "Just over my dead body."
While the boys were working in the new nurseries I took the opportunity to take a look at the eggs, specifically a gray egg shaped like a grain of rice.
[Efects]
Incubating - 17:34 Hours This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
I still had the drop of royal jelly capable of causing mutations, and I wanted to use it on this little guy soon as he hatched, I don''t know if Royal Jelly rots very quickly over time, but I''m sure it wouldn''t last forever, and I don''t want to risk another mental breakdown trying to manufacture another drop of it. The effect of [Mental exhaustion] had already passed, and now I could try all the jelly work again, producing jelly could be dangerous, but extremely rewarding. I still wasn''t going to give up jelly production, the jelly seemed to be able to mold itself according to my desires and manage to create a unique effect, of course it had a cost that I was now aware of, and it also seemed to be very limited, the more abstract or "wild" the desire was the greater as the price to pay, but if I played in the right lines I could get a valuable item to help the colony. Arriving near the honey tank while is as carring a pile of wax dishes I begin to fill my chest and try to create a special jelly, capable of solely nourishing the body of larvae.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this super nutritious jelly can accelerate the growth of [larvae] of [Bee] type monsters by 160%. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Quality: Good
I managed to create the jelly without any problems, but the effect isn''t impressive. The first time I created Jelly the effect was incredible and the quality was excellent, but all the other jellies I created so far did''t even reach her feet. Was that because of my feelings? Or desire? The first Jelly had been "made with love" but I didn''t feel love when I was making the jelly... Just a burning desire to create Royal Jelly. So that would be it? The desire? Was my intention when creating this jelly not strong enough to generate a significant effect? Or was it the question of "mental power"? Did I need to pour more of it into the jelly to create a powerful effect? But how do you do that? If that were the case I would need to do it unintentionally like I did the first time... Leaving for my next attempt, I try to pour out the desire to create a jelly capable of causing a powerful effect, specifically (recovery) and try to focus solely on this desire and ignore everything else, I throw intentions like "Heal" and "protect" to try the maximum to achieve the desired effect, and when I finally spit out the little ball of royal jelly I feel dizzy and my headache has returned.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this super nutritious jelly has a 100% chance of causing the [Recovery], [Deep sleep], and [Exhaustion] effect on [Bee] type monsters. The [Recovery] effect caused by royal jelly can regenerate 5 of [Life] per hour for 24 hours. Quality: Excellent
Success! So it really is a matter of intention and intensity, I got tired as hell just creating this, but the effect is incredible, well at least the [Recovery] part, the [Deep Sleep] part and [Exhaustion] worry me, is possible to create a jelly without these debuffs? But I think these negative effects must be the price to pay for a powerful positive effect, perhaps a way for the system to ensure that there was some balance. "Mom! We finished the nurseries!" While I was distracted making jam the boys were making more production units, and in the meantime they had already finished everything. "Well, I''m going to lay the eggs, and I wanted to ask you to separate the Scout egg from the others, I want to try to feed it with the special jelly I created yesterday." "Hmm? All right!"
After laying the 30 eggs very easily I just watched as Ken carried them one by one very carefully into the brood Combs and then gently placed them inside each unit, now there is no turning back, I have raised several eggs, and I know I would raise more if needed, laying these eggs is so easy that it doesn''t even feel like I''m giving birth, I just feel a slight pressure and then Ken handles everything himself. One of the things I had never realized about [Laying eggs] was that using the skill made me very hungry! I had never felt this before because I had never created a significant number of drones, but now that I created several I was hungry. "Ken, I''ll eat something, and then make some rations, can you tell me what the others are doing now?" "Hmm. I think Levi, Carl and Steve are trying to finish the first part of the nest expansion, and Miles and Matt are looking for nectar." "All right then, I''m going to eat something and then I''m going to create a significant number of rations for us." "All right!" Leaving Ken alone tending the eggs I headed to the tank and soon drank a large amount of honey, when I felt satisfied I sat down and started creating some honey crystals, until I thought. Can I do better than these honey crystals? The crystals were good for sure, but it was Results of a skill I gained from [Creat honey] lv 5, so it shouldn''t be the "perfect food" it was super nutritious and easy to store, but the workers needed so much time to eat this, tha it was even sad having to see them trying to break the piece of super hard sugar. So what would it be? Regular jam looks good, but it would be hard to store, the [Bee candies] look easier to eat and easier to store, but they''re not nutritious, so what could I do? It had to be something easy to eat, highly nutritious and easy to store like a cereal bar. Cereal bar? Could I try imitating a cereal bar with just honey? I try to focus on the idea of a hard bar made of honey, and soon I can feel the honey getting thicker inside my chest, and when I spit it out I see that it wasn''t exactly what I wanted, but still close.
[Description]
[Piece of honey] A semi-hardened piece of super nutritious honey, created by a low-level bee. Quality: Good
It''s practically a success! This piece of honey looks like a piece of moldable clay, only harder, I can still mold it but with some difficulty, just like [Hard Wax] made solely with pollen. ''This is very useful! I can attach it to the walls or to a larger block and then the workers will just need to tear off some pieces to eat!'' "Mom you need help?" "Oh, Matt and Milles, just in time! Yes, i need some help , I will create some rations, and I want you guys to fill the honey tank for me in the meantime." "No problem!" "You can count on me! Because this idiot here is useless!" "What'' did you say?!" "No fighting boys!" "Humph!" After an exchange of ugly looks the boys empty the honey they had brought and soon left to quickly get some more, or maybe they left quickly so they wouldn''t fight in my presence, who knows?
"What is this new ration?" "Looks good!" "I-isn''t it very sticky?" "At least it''s easier to chew than those crystals!" "Mom what is it?" "Well, they are pieces of hardened honey, but they are still malleable enough so we can gather the pieces into a single ball, and tear off pieces to eat!" "It''s very tasty!" "What do you think Hans?" "I don''t care about taste... But it''s actually a lot easier to swallow." "Ah! And you had problems eating the honey cristals? You eat those crystals like popcorn!" "W-Well, yes but they still tired my jaws because they so hard.." "Ha ha, the important thing is that now we have a better feed, I don''t know if this is the best version of food I can do with [Create food], but it''s still much better than honey crystals." The day was already over, the first part of the expansion of the nest had been partially finished, the room was already ready and was well reinforced, but it was totally empty, I couldn''t help but notice how the room was a perfect cube made of wax bricks, and certainly drew a lot of attention even from afar, but the workers said they were very satisfied with the result, since even with the strange appearance the wax brick house had become super firm and resistant, it would be very difficult to break the walls. Well that''s if you didn''t have fire, a sledgehammer, or be super strong. "What should we do tomorrow, mother?" "Well, I think the ideal would be to continue with the expansion, and increase the number of honey tanks, how many tanks do you think can fit in the new room?" "Hmm, I think we could build 2 large tanks on the walls and leave a clear path in the middle to pass, so we would make the most of the space." "Then we will do it!"
When dawn broke in, the boys returned to the building while Hans patrolled the area like a hawk, and Ken tended the eggs. And today I had a great plan, and my little scout larva was going to help me
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Scout Mana: N/D
Life: 0.3 Str: 0 Def: 0.7
sp: 0.1 Int: 0.1 Wis: 0.2
+Information
[Efects]
Maturing - 23 hours This individual is maturing, at the end of the timer will emerge as a adult [Solitary honeybee]
I decided to feed the little larva with the royal jelly capable of causing mutations because I want to know what these "mutations" are, Would a mutation be giving a random [Skill]? Or are they physical modifications? Maybe it''s even a [Trait]? After throwing the small drop of jelly into the brood comb the little larva began to eat everything as if it were starving, and when it finished eating it stood still as before, as if nothing had happened. After analyzing it I could see that really nothing had happened. ''Is that it? Do I need to wait until it emerges as an adult bee to know the mutation?'' Before I could finish my thoughts, the little larva began to struggle rapidly drawing Ken''s attention. "Mom! What did you do with him?!" "I-I don''t know?!" Upon our frightened glances the innocent-looking larva began to change color and went from a pale white to a light brown and almost doubled in size in front of our eyes! I tried to analyze to see what was wrong with this guy and soon I found out what had happened.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: Tracker Mana: N/D
Life: 0.4 Str: 0.1 Def: 2.1
sp: 0.3 Int: 0.2 Wis: 0.3
+Information
[Efects]
Maturing - 3 Days This individual is maturing, at the end of the timer will emerge as a adult [Solitary honeybee]
''A [Tracker]?! What the hell does this class do?! Can jelly change the [Classes]?! But what about my lovely boy scout? I''ll have to create others now! And what is this tracker for? Is it a better version of [Scout] or an entirely different class?'' "Mom! what the hell happened to him?!!?" "Ah! Ken! He mutated and his [Class] changed from scout to tracker!" "Because of the jelly?!" "Yes! The jelly I gave him was capable of causing a mutation, I just didn''t know what kind of mutation..." "Wasn''t that dangerous as hell?! You could have killed him!" "Of course not! Well mean maybe? No! He would be fine regardless of the outcome!" "I know... Then what? What a [Tracker] can do?" "And you think I know?" "Then why did you do that?!!" And I an Ken stood there staring at each other''s faces I didn''t know what to say and Ken visibly upset that I had "experimented" on the larva, until the tracker larva started squirming in a sign of hunger. "Oh! I''ll get you some food baby! Mom! Please don''t keep throwing random things at the larvae!" "Okay, sorry about that.." When Ken came out it was just me and the hungry [Tracker] that would emerge at the same time as the [Soldiers] hatched, he had a different color and an odd shaped head but still cute for a larva... Interlude: The concerns of a leader In a small camp made of tents of old cloth and leather, a large man with the appearance of a dog argued with other beings of similar appearance, while everyone looked at a torn and dirty map. "My Lord! These lands are too dangerous! It is not wise to risk the lives of our people here!" "I agree with Chanz, entering the forest is a idiotic act, the forest is dominated by monsters of all kinds, not to mention the forest itself isn''t all friendly!" All the canines creatures agreed that entering the forest was stupid, but there was one, the apparent leader, who had a wolf-like head and fur as black as night, who was determined not to give in. "So What?! If isn''t the falling forest, where else do you hope to find refuge?! Our lands have been dominated by black corruption, every good territory already has an owner, and we can''t fight after what happened in Fringer. If we don''t find a land soon to call our own, our people will only succumb one by one! Food is already scarce, weapons are worn out and old, the younger and the older cannot continue this kinde of life." When his words fell everyone in the room had dark expressions, the black corruption, a strange and mysterious force that spread through the Earth, killing everything that was natural and corrupting the monsters that touched it, the only known way to end corruption was by pouring high amounts of divine power from the divine in the Earth, but the churches would never waste their resources in a land far from their domains. "M-MY LORD, Even if it is true we can still find other solutions! The Scouts we sent to the forest reported that they found traces of unknown creatures, and the other day we lost one of our men after he ate a forest fruit! From the animals to the plants that surround us everything in this place seems to want to kill us!" "That''s because we are right in the middle of a poisonous forest! If we can get to the clearing at the bottom of the forest we could have a new beginning, and then we would be protected from invaders by the forest itself!" "But at what Price My Lord!? We have already lost many in the conflict with that corrupted creature, and now every day someone dies of hunger, or food poisoning! And even if we manage to reach the clearing, it wouldn''t mean that we are safe! Only that we''re stuck here!" "Cobby! We''ve already gone too far! We can''t go back now! The Clearing is a quiet place in the middle of this hell, and if we managed to re-build our village on these lands we could even become the most powerful village in the region!" Everyone seemed divided, on the one hand going back now was futile, but on the other hand continuing could be just suicide. There was nothing for them coming back, they could just keep wandering aimless until they died, or give themselves up to another village as slaves. "Let''s have a vote, those who wish to return raise their hands!" After a brief moment of silence only 2 hands had been raised. "Now whoever wants to continue to the clearing raise your hands!" Stolen story; please report. This time more than 7 hands had been raised, and with that they goal was sealed.
Life is cruel, I realized it from an early age, since I was a little cub I had to bring my own food, I had to work and hunt even if it was alone and unprepared i had several brothers and sisters, and I had to bury all of them, the difficulties made me what I am today, but if I could, I would prefer a place where the little cubs could live quietly and without hunger. As I grew up in our small village, surrounded by constant death and misery i became an experienced hunter, and soon I was appointed by the old village leader to become the new leader. I never wanted to be a leader, but I thought if I was the leader I could bring more prosperity, I could end hunger and bring happiness to my people. So after several defeats against the old leader, I finally managed to defeat him in the rite of passage, and everyone accepted me as their leader, throughout my work I always tried to ensure that no one went hungry like I did when I was little, and that no one needed to be alone. But life is very cruel. Food was scarce, even before corruption came, and us the kobolds that were supost to be a united group, now were fighting among ourselves for a little of food, the younger ones were dying, the older ones too, and all that was left were the hungry, guilt-ridden people. And then when everything seemed that couldn''t get worse, Black corruption began to plague our lands, at first it was imperceptible, small black dots that appeared on the Earth and plants dying without explanation, but soon the corruption spread, the small black dots became black spots with a toxic slime, which poisoned everything it touched, the animals, plants and people, and then it come to a point where the corrupted monsters, animals that didn''t succumb to the black slime how became hideous creatures of black color and rotten appearance, attacked everyone without caring about death and soon all we could do was run to save ourselves. We walked for days, weeks without stopping in search of a land to call our own, but all the nearby regions were already dominated, and no one wanted to give a piece of land to us. Our only choice was to enter the fallen Forest and hope to find a place to call home. We knew from an old map that there was a clearing deep in the forest, but we never expected the whole place to be so deadly. At first it was just a normal forest, with nothing to worry about, there were a few small and dangerous monsters that could be easily blown away. The problem came to about 2 days ago, when we entered the deepest part of the forest, the whole place began to change, the plants had a strange appearance, the land was dry and sandy, and the monsters- They were monstrous. Creatures of incredible size and power, who didn''t have a shred of fear of facing us head on, there were insects that would crawl through your clothes to give you a deadly sting, plants that tried to trick you with a delicious meal, monsters that mixed themselves in the forest and many creatures made just to kill. When we entered the forest our numbers reached in about 200, but now there is only a small group with just over 50, many are injured and hungry, if we can''t get to the clearing soon this forest will eat us. I was now going up to the largest group of people to announce our plans, we were going to continue, the clearing was close, just could be ,it shouldn''t take so long to get through this damn forest. "My leader! What did you and the Warriors decide? Will we continue with this torment?" "My people! I know I failed as your leader, I as your leader should protect you and guide you to prosperity, but I couldn''t prevent famine and war, now all I can do and watch as our numbers fall more and more, but I promise with my life at stake! That if we can get to the bottom of this forest, we can get back on our feet and never go hungry again!" Everyone seemed saddened by the news that we would continue, but it was possible to see a ray of hope shining in their eyes, if their leader''s words were true salvation was a few days away. ''The clearing has to be our salvation, really need! I can''t let everyone die on my command! I cannot die as the mediocre leader who couldn''t do nothing for his own people!'' Chapter 27: Growing family It had already been 2 days since the transformation of the Scout into a Tracker, and in these last days, I dedicated myself solely to the creation of a royal jelly capable of accelerating the growth of the larvae of workers, and in the creation of a large cluster of [Pieces of honey] to feed the soldiers and workers who would be born. In the meantime, I got 1 level in [Create food] that really scared me because it seems that I would need to create absurd amounts of food to evolve this skill any further. The boys had built the tanks in the new room and had already filled it, and now they were working on a giant apartment! At least 20X the size of the first room they had made. The new building contained wax pillars and small individual rooms, but what was most striking was its size and shape. The old room was a perfect cube made of wax, but if you weren''t looking at the right place, you wouldn''t be able to notice it. This new room was rectangular like a building and could literally be seen from very far away, and it wasn''t even 20% ready yet! The boys only managed to make the main plans and raise a few pillars. The eggs had hatched that morning, and all the worker larvae were fed only the special royal jelly. This drastically reduced the maturation time of the workers, and soon, they had all hatched after only a few hours. Now I had a large group of 20 young bees waiting for my words. All of these bees had unique personalities and seemed as curious as the boys when they hatched. I thought of giving each one a name, but I don''t think I''ll remember each one, and I don''t even know if I have the creativity for it. So, I decided to let the boys choose what to call them. "All right, everyone! Attention on me!" Quickly, all the bees that were scattered and inattentive looked at me and waited for my words. "W-Well, first hello and welcome to the world! I''m your... Mom, and I need you all to help me with the chores. I need most of you to help with the construction, 2 of you to help Ken take care of the infirmary, 2 of you to help Carl with food production, 4 of you to help Matt collect nectar, and 2 of you to help Miles distribute resources around the base!" "Of course, Mom!" "Is that it?" "Can we choose what to do?" "I''m hungry!" Everyone had some different opinions, but as always, everyone was more than willing to work and help. "First, you can choose what you want to do, as long as the numbers I talked about are being met. Second, there''s plenty of food right there! You may eat all you want before you begin the work, and lastly, if you don''t like the work you are doing, you can exchange with each other to see if you like it, if you have mutual consent." "Okay!"
After talking to everyone, I went to the soldiers'' eggs. They would hatch in a few hours, and I would feed them the growth jelly. Now that the workers'' breeding combs had been vacated, I could raise more soldiers and some scouts, well, that is when Ken finished the "clean up." In the old days, I used to create the "jars" to create new bees. When the larvae did the metamorphosis, they just created a lid made of silk and then tore the whole jar when they hatched. So, I just needed to take this torn jar and throw it away. But these brood combs were made of [Hard Wax] and couldn''t be easily torn. So, when the bees did their metamorphosis, they just tore the lids made of silk and left a dirty brood comb behind. To reuse the combs, we need to completely remove all the silk. So, Ken would tear off every piece of silk stuck to the combs and then repair them with wax if necessary. The process was easy but extremely time-consuming. It needed about 10 minutes to fully clean each comb, so I would need to wait a while until I could create another drone load. After the new recruits had finished their meal, they ran outside and huddled around Steve, who was asking each of them what they wanted to do and then directing them in one direction. Soon, all the workers were at work, with most going to help Levi, some going back inside to help Ken, Carl, and Miles, and the rest heading towards some flowers where Matt was. "How are the new workers, Steve?" "Mom! Well, they''re a little naive, but they''re all healthy and enthusiastic!" "Naive? Why do you say that?" "I don''t know... it just seemed that way to me, but not the kind of naivety of a dumb person, it''s more like the kind of childish naivety." "Hmm, I didn''t notice anything wrong with them, but I also only exchanged a few words... I also felt a little bad for not naming them like I did with you guys..." "We don''t need names, Mom! Don''t mind that! For me, names are just a pretty little thing. I can always just differentiate them with the link anyway." "Hmmm... okay, then..." Steve was right on that point... Even without names, I would never confuse one with the other. Even though they were all physically identical, they were totally different when viewed through the link. Each had a "string" that connected me to them, and the strings had different shapes, colors, textures, smells, and even unique "sounds," as if each link was a unique "code," which cannot be copied. If the workers wanted to tell me that someone inside the hive was doing something wrong, they didn''t have to speak verbally and point to someone. They could just "copy" that individual''s specific "code" and send me a message that said " individual #34 is acting weird!" and I would know exactly who Individual #34 is and who had sent me the warning! All this link was impressive. The only problem was that I didn''t know how to use it competently. While all the drones I owned could use it with a certain degree of mastery, Hans by far was the best in the matter. I didn''t know if it is because when he was born, I had no awareness of this link, so Hans took advantage and created a solid "chain," or if it was just because he was talented. The reality was that everyone born after Hans could only use the link in a reduced version, much worse than Hans, but infinitely better than me. While Hans could send memories, sensations, and even smells through the link, the workers could only send a few simple sensations such as "danger" or "help" and broken pieces of messages like " red flowers. Trees. Danger. Do not eat," which couldn''t really be used masterfully. Once Matt sent me a message that said "Black Stones. Ball. Metal. Danger?". I didn''t understand what he meant and sent some tugs to tell him to come back, and when I asked he said: "AH. I wanted to say that I found another circle with those black stones, and this one had a big strange metal ball with a hole, much like that thing you use to make your potions, so I wanted to know if it was dangerous..." Probably Matt found a pot? Which was very worrying. Did that mean there was some group of humans around? Unless this pot was left there on purpose by a passing group. "Thanks for the help, Steve. Keep up the good work!" "Of course, Mom!" I wanted to go back to making my potions until the new soldiers were born or until Ken and the others had finished cleaning the breeding combs. But when I got to my "lab," which was nothing more than a fire flower and some ingredients on top of a large branch, I could see the new group of bees removing everything and taking it somewhere else. "Hello! What are you doing?" "Mom! Levi asked us to move all these things to one of the bedrooms, so that area would be free for construction!" "I understand..." "Mom! One question! Should we move this smelly, jelly thing too?" "What stinky, slimy thing?" "That!" Arriving at the place, I saw the jar where I kept my vigor potion and the dishes that had ingredients such as flower pastes and herbal essence. But in place of the vibrant ingredients of before, there was a potion that looked like Black syrup and black and stinky pastes.
[Description]
[Potion] A potion that has rotted, tastes horrible, and can cause the effect [Sickness] if consumed Quality: Rotten
[Description]
[Paste] A paste that has rotted Quality: Rotten
[Description]
[Liquid] A rotten liquid Quality: Rotten
What the hell! All my hard work went down the drain! Everything rotted! The only thing still good is the oil and a small amount of boggles powder. So, would I need a refrigerator to store these ingredients? How does a bee make a refrigerator?! Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Mom?..." "Oh, sorry... You can throw that away. Just keep the things that aren''t rotten... Can you move that flower?" "I don''t think so... We would need everybody, or Hans'' help, or maybe more soldiers!" "I understand.. then leave her there! When the new building is done, I''m going to ask Levi to build a clay lab." "All right!" After everyone left, I started calling myself dumb. It was obvious that these things would rot an hour, so I needed a refrigerator? Or at least a better bottle? After all, they were not sealed. They had only been covered by leaves and stones. But if I had glass jars, could I increase their durability? Now how does a bee make glass?! These Fire Flowers didn''t heat up enough to melt sand, and I don''t think glassblowing is something I can do. Maybe Levi could do something, but with the unconscious fear of fire that I planted in everyone, I doubt they would agree to create a glass furnace. So what do I do? Is there a replacement for the glass? If I create clay pots? No... I would need a furnace to turn them into ceramics. What if I made [Hard wax] bottles? I am not talented in this art of wax molding, but Levi could create something very good! Then I only need to create some corks made of wood and some "labels" to know what is in each jar. Thinking about my future plans, I go back inside the nest and go to the nursery, where Ken was yelling at a worker. "You''re an idiot!? I said do it carefully! Now look what you did! You broke another whole unit just because you thought you could get away with ripping it all off at once! "I-I''m sorry... I thought I could do better..." "What''s going on, Ken?" "This idiot has already broken 3 whole units because he can''t follow simple orders! I have already taught him how to remove the cocoon stuck to the combs correctly, but he insists on trying to speed everything up and ends up breaking everything!" "I!..." "Shut up, Psymus!" Psymus? What kind of name is that? Ken took that from Mumpsimus? Where did Ken get that name?! "K-Ken.. No need to fight him so much, Psi- ...Simus, he''s just too young, give another chance for him..." "Another chance?! I already gave 3, and he kept insisting on doing shit!" "All right, let''s do this, Simus, you can continue with your "experiments" but if you break a comb, you have to repair it yourself, and if Ken doesn''t like the result, you have to undo and redo from scratch. How about it? After all, you never know, right? Simus may end up discovering a new and faster method!" "Is fine for me! I will do it all over again and again if I have to!" "Humpf... All right! But only because Mom said so! And don''t think that I will accept any comb! If you don''t make them perfectly, you will spend your whole life making them again and again!" "Sure! Thank you very much, Ken. Thank You Very Much, Mom!" The other worker who came along with Simus did everything very carefully and had an aura similar to Ken, only quieter and more conservative, while Simus himself looked more like a nursing student who thinks he will change the world. Ken seemed to be just waiting for him to fail to step on his will. I didn''t know if it was just Ken''s cruelty or a way to "teach" him a little thing. "Ken, when were the new soldiers going to be born?" "Soon, Mother! Are you going to feed them the jelly that makes them grow really fast?" "Yes! We still have plenty of it, and if we feed them well, they might even get the effect of -" Damn... [Well nourished]! Hans was powerful for sure, but was that on account of [Well nourished]? If these new soldiers didn''t get the effect, would they still get the traits like [Super developed] and [Perfect soldier]? If they didn''t gain these traits, they would end up being much weaker than Hans! Would they have what? 1/3 of his strength?! I focused so much on creating jelly that could accelerate their growth that I didn''t even think about creating a jelly capable of increasing their overall quality! "Mom?" "Ken! Excuse me, I need to do something immediately! Keep up the good work and be nice with the newbies!" "But-" Leaving everyone behind, I went to the honey tank and tried to create a little jelly to "strengthen" and "nourish." In these last days churning jelly without stopping, I get very good at doing it, and now I have a general idea of how much jelly I can create with my "mental power." In addition to being easier to imbue the effects I want, I even discovered several facts about the jelly. Such as the fact that the simpler the desired effect, the easier it will be to produce the jelly. While unique and "abstract" effects were very dangerous and varied greatly in their creation. I once tried to create a jelly that could "change the color "of anyone who ate it, just to test, and ended up spending all my reserves of "mental power " to create a jelly that could leave the color of my tongue with an aleatory coloring for a few hours. So from this, I learned, the jam has to be clear and objective, no "cracks," and no room for "however''s." Just a path that is not open for interpretations of the system. ''Leave them strong, big, and resilient, no matter how long it takes. The important thing is that they are strong and well-nourished...'' When creating this new jelly, I felt like I was almost going to faint, and I soon realized that I couldn''t create more than a single drop for today.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this royal jelly is capable of super nourishing any [Larva] of [Bee] type monsters with [Battle] classes and increase a random [Stat] by 5 points. Quality: Excellent
''Wow! Jelly can also be limited by [Classes]! And these effects are incredible! It seems that the more specific the use of the Jelly, the greater its bonus becomes. So if I were to create a unique jelly for workers, what would the bonus be?'' ''The most important thing now... this drop will not feed 4 soldiers! I would need 3 more! I could produce other drops like that, but I don''t know if the [Well nourished] effect needs a while to work right... what to do... what to do...'' Looking at the jar full of royal jelly capable of accelerating growth, I thought of mixing the 2 drops. I haven''t done it before for fear of creating a useless "amalgam," but if I fed only a soldier, the others would be born weak and small. I wanted to invest in general quality, not in individual quality. So I think I can take that risk. If I ended up disabling this jelly, I would try to create a worse version tomorrow and feed the soldiers with it. After some thought, I put a good amount of growth jelly, and strengthening jelly, and mixed it all in another pot with a ratio of 3 to 1.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this royal jelly is able to nourish any [Larva] of [Bee] type monsters, and accelerate their growth by 50%, limiting to [Battle] classes. Quality: Good
''Well... it''s something, I think... I lost the incredible bonus of 5 extra points, and it is no longer a "super nutritious" food, but it still has a significant bonus. And I can serve some of that to each soldier and then try flooding them with honey or growth jelly, to complete the effect of [Well nourished].'' Wait... I still have the first jelly I created and other smaller versions. I didn''t use any of them until now, so I could try to use them now. After all, if I don''t use them, they will rot anyway.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a queen bee, this royal jelly is able to super nourish any [Larva] of [Bee] type monsters, and accelerate their growth by 70%, granting 1% increase in a random [Statistic], being limited to [Battle] classes . Quality: Good
I created a crazy jelly... She can super Nourish, which is nice, but 1% bonus?! That''s just for stuffing sausage! And quality dropped to hell! I think that''s what happens when you mix jam. Leaving everything aside, I return to the nursery carrying the jar of special jam. "Ken! I brought the soldier''s jelly!" "Oh! all right, is that why you just left?" "Yes! I forgot to make this jam.. I''m not exactly satisfied with the result, but it will have to do for now!" "All right! Come here the new soldiers will already Hatch and we are all waiting for it!" "OH! all right!" When I went to the combs that contained the eggs of soldiers, all the workers stopped what they were doing and came to witness the birth of the soldiers. And soon when the timer reached 0, the eggs began to break and from inside small larvae that ate the Shell and then began to swing in a sign of hunger emerged. "Quick Ken! Food for them!" Ken and the other "nurses" soon drank small amounts of the special jelly and then spat into the breeding Combs. And soon, all the soldiers began to eat furiously as if there was no tomorrow. And when the jar of jelly was emptied, the soldier larvae were visibly not satisfied. "He he, the relentless hunger of a soldier... reminds me of Hans... at least they''re not on the effect of [Dying of hunger]. I think it''s because they''ve just been born." "What should we give them, mother? The jam in the other jar?" "Yes, you can use it. If it''s not enough, you can use honey. I was wanting to do another wave of soldiers and scouts. Do you think we can start?" "Yes! We only have 15 breeding combs available because someone broke some of them, but we can use the ones that are already clean!" "All right, so 10 soldiers and 5 Scouts? Or 5 soldiers and 10 scouts? What do you think?" "I think it''s going to be very difficult to feed 10 hungry soldiers..." "It is.. you''re right then 10 scouts and 5 soldiers, and speaking of scouts, how''s the tracker?" "Soon he will emerge mother! He has already begun to weave his cocoon! I think by the end of the day, he had hatched!" "Great!" Moving away a little, I go to a clean area and start creating the eggs of the new drones. I''m already getting used to the feeling. It''s very light, and it didn''t even feel like a real birth. I think if it were as painful as those of humans, I wouldn''t have created any of these eggs. After laying the last Scout egg, I''m bombarded again by the system that gives me another problem to solve.
[Warning]
The [Egg laying] skill has reached Lv3! You have unlocked the new laying option to choose.
{Laying options}
[Bee Silk Larva] A bee larva, which spends all his life in larval form, only producing silk of the highest quality
[Nurse Bee] Nurse bees can grant breeding, feeding, and care bonus to other members of the colony.
[Beacon bee] Beacon bees can serve as transmitters and receivers of the [Link] and serve as the last barrier against mental attacks.
[Royal Cooks bee] Royal cooks are the only workers capable of producing [Royal jelly] other than the queen bee.
[Saw bee] Saw bees, are able to cut through hard and resistant materials, as well serve as effective defenders.
[Warning]
You can choose 2 new posture potions
Damn it!, these options look amazing how come I can choose only 2?! Chapter 28: Experience Alright... More one difficult choice, and the fact that I''m not seeing the classes like [Poison bee], [Farmer Bee] or [Pastry Bee] means that once I lose a class one time there''s no turning back? I can''t choose them again later? This is bad, really bad, is it like one of those strategy games where your choices mold the shape of your base? Looks like theres always options between production, defense and attack. But thats very unfair! All options have unique uses, and after looking at this list it''s obvious what stands out, [Royal cooks] and [Beacons], but if the other options are useless, then why bother to make me choose!? [Silk Bee], what the hell is they uses? To make clothes? Fabric? Or is it to make webs like spiders? Or is just a weird feature that I can use later? [Saw Bee] doesn''t sound like such a big deal, but a versatile bee that can do both work and fight is really tempting, maybe this saw bee can even dig holes in trees? We could even make a better base with them! But what if the saw bees dig soo deep in the trunk and end up killing the tree? [Nurse bee] seem able to do the same job Ken is doing right now, only infinitely better, so they are worth it? I would be investing in the future quality of the hive. But on the other hand, Ken already does his job very well... And I don''t need a bee that heals the wounded, I already have a royal jelly capable of doing that. Now speaking of royal jelly, [Royal cooks] sounds promising! Last time I didn''t get the [Pastry chefs], so now would be very nice to get someone who can help me in the production of food, the description says that those cooks are the only workers capable of producing royal jelly, but it doesn''t mean that they only produce royal jelly, so by choosing these cooks I would be able to delegate all the work to them! And the lastly [Beacon] this is something I really want! They seem to be the real experts in using [Link] and I could even learn from them! In addition to seeming like they serve as some kind of ''power line'', so if I end up causing another blackout these guys will be the only ones harmed and ''burned'' instead of the entire colony, it''s sad for them, but it''s still better than taking down every member of thee colony with me. But what would be the function of "Transmit and emit"? they serve as email assistants? Filtering what is useful or not? Or could they serve as a ''bridge'' for the colony in my place? Because when the workers talk via [Link] everything need to pass through me before, it''s a little annoying sometimes, but nothing that really takes my attention, just makes me aware of their messages. For me it''s decided, [Beacon] have to come into the account! Now the question is the other choice... "Ken! Get Steve here! I need people who can think straight!" "What happened?" "I''ve gained another level in [Laying eggs] and now I''m conflicted about the choices!" "All right! Psymus! Did you hear?! Go get Steve!" "O-Okay..." When Simus left the Nest I just stared at Ken who simply delegated the task I had given for him, those boys really look like me, they are even shameless as me... "Mom! You called me?" "Steve! Come here I have a complicated situation!" After Steve arrived I started talking to him and Ken, so i asked for their opinions. "I''m not going to share my job with a damn [Nurse]! Who does he think he is! Just because he was born to take care of the others, he think that he can do a better work than me?!" "W-Well, you would need to take care of him first... and you would have to teach him the way, so you can always say "I''am the only one who taught him everything he knows..." "To the hell with that! Fucking bullshit!!" "All right... but what about the [Royal cooks]? I really wanted them...." "I also agree! Much better tham the nurses, the Jelly seems really important, and if the options that were lost can''t be recovered, then it''s really essential to get a feeding unit now!" "But if we think about it, the [Saw Bee] and [Silk Bee] can help a lot in the construction! a Bee larvae can create an entirely new material for contruction, and saw bees can get us things like wood and even cut stones!" "Steve! I called you to help me! Not to leave me in doubt anymore!" "Well that''s just my opinion, but given that these [Royal cooks] and [Beacon] are pretty rare, then it''s really best not leting them pass!" "All right! So that''s it [Royal cooks] and [Beacon]! I won''t think more about it, or i cound''t end up regretting my choices!!" After making the choice the new drones were added to the list, I realized they were all still "Nv 1" so how did I get a raising in their levels at birth? Do I need to be at the highest level first? After all, a Level 4 Bee shouldn''t be able to lay a level 50 bee.... "Ken! When will we have new Combs available?" "Well... only when the renovation is completed and we can remove the tank to make more Combs, or when the larvae emerge! So I would say we need 2 days for the new soldiers, and I can''t say how long the [collectors] will take..." "I understand... so that will have to wait."
During the next 2 days the boys continued the construction of the new wax" building " and now they were in the final stages, creating the rooms and raising internal walls, and the workers also began to create a system of pipes and passages made of wax that connected all the buildings, the whole place was very well built, and when the workers finished building the new rooms we would have a super spacious place to build new things. Once the project of the main building is completed and we get a comfortable shelter for everyone, the workers will start building my laboratory, I asked them to use mud and clay, and that it be done in a branch a little further away, Ken already had some ideas for the place, but it was still a "plan on paper". As the new soldiers were arriving I spent the last 2 days increasing the conglomerate of honey rations, and processing some potion ingredients, such as powder pastes and special essences. And now I was in front of a cocoon quite different from the "Commons" that possessed a slightly yellowish coloration and was about 2x the size of an work cocoon. That was the cocoon of the mysteries [Tracker]. At any moment it will hatch, and the same goes for the soldiers who had begun to make their cocoons, by the end of that day I would have new soldiers and a unit that I do not know what it is for. While I was thinking about how I could use a [Tracker], The Cocoon of the crawler began to break, and without delay a large bee came out of it, much taller than me, so much so that it was even taller than Hans came out. The bee could be tall, but it was not ''robust and strong'' as Hans, he looked more like a tall and thin man, his colors were also strange, having a much duller yellow coloration than me, on his back he carried 6 pairs of wings, 2 more than me, and had large antennae that fall forward. "Mom... What''s my purpose?" I deserve, the same story again... "Hello! I''m your mother! Welcome to the world! And well... about its purpose... I have no idea? I don''t know what you''re good at, so I have no idea what you can do... Do you think you could tell me what you can do? So I could think of something for you..." "Hmmm" While he was thinking I took the opportunity to take a peek at his skills and it seems that these trackers are well advanced classes!
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Tracker Mana:N/A
Life: 2.3 Str: 0.4 Def: 0.6
Sp: 17.3 Int: 12 Wis: 7
+ Information
[Skills]
{Mad Chaser} lv 1 The Mad Chaser skill turns the Tracker bee into an unstoppable force when pursuing targets. Fueled by an intense determination, the bee exhibits enhanced speed and relentless pursuit, making it an ideal hunter. When activated, the bee enters a focused state, narrowing its attention solely to the chosen target and increasing its ability to cover ground swiftly. Effects:
  • +40% Movement Speed during pursuit. More energy while chasing.
  • Heightened focus on the tracked target. Limit to marked targets: 1
{Perfect disguise} Lv 1 When standing still without moving your presence mixes with the surrounding environment, making you extremely difficult to find.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Last Chance} Lv1 The Last Chance skill is an instinctive response to imminent danger, providing a brief surge in the bee''s defenses and agility. Activating automatically in critical situations, it grants a temporary boost in resistance to damage, increased evasion, and heightened decision-making abilities. This skill allows the bee to endure and navigate through life-threatening scenarios. Effects:
  • +25% Defense for 1 minute. This skills active it self in life-threatening situations.
  • +30% Evasion for 1 minute. Make decisions more fast in critical moments.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
[Traces]
Accelerated Reflexes The bee''s reflexes are naturally faster, allowing it to react swiftly to sudden movements or changes in the environment. This trait is particularly beneficial for effective tracking and pursuit. Effects:
  • Quicker response times to environmental stimulations
  • Improved ability to navigate trought obstacles during pursuits.
Mad Chaser Instincts Bees with the Mad Chaser Instinct possess an innate drive for chasing. They exhibit a heightened state of alertness and enthusiasm when engaging in tracking and pursuit activities. Effects:
  • Intensified motivation and enthusiasm during chasing, enhancing overall performance.
  • Reduced fatigue and increased stamina for prolonged pursuits.
What the fuck are those statistics?!?! 17.3 speed at Level 1?! How fast is that? And these skills... [Mad Hunter], it seems to have everything to do with your [class], but what would that be for? To make sure someone didn''t escape? And this [Perfect disguise], it looks like a spy thing! But I think that him having to stand still without moving all the time is a very big limitation... This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. And finally, what the hell is this [last chance]?!?! It feels a bit like [Royal Duty] but more focused on saving yourself rather than saving someone. But it seems that he is not good at anything other than finding someone, running and hiding, of course it is quite useful, but not in my situation... "Mom, I believe my job is to find things you want!" "Huh? "Things" not just people?" "Yes! Anything!" He doesn''t have the skills to find "anything", but I think with that speed he would be able to find what he wants over time... "You could find... Super nutritious flowers? A large group of them?" "I can try!" I don''t have many expectations here, it seems to be very useful, but not for me, I can put it to do some exploration tasks, but it doesn''t seem to be able to map the area accurately. Speaking of which,"he"? I tried to play the intention of a girl when I raised her egg, but he''s clearly a male, so why doesn''t it work that way? Don''t just want a female bee, need something extra? Or is it because of royal jelly? I have no way of knowing... "I want to ask you something, and it may seem a little strange, but please answer me sincerely... Do you identify as a male? Or a female?...." "Huh?!" "Please just answer!" "B-Well, I''m male, and I don''t feel like a female..." So it''s a total failure, I didn''t get a female bee. "This will do, please eat something and then... try to do what you think is best. Try to stay close, and watch out for -" Wait a minute... This guy seems to be a "detective" or hunter, so could I send him to find out the origins of the fires? If he could tell me for sure if the fires he has in the region are just abandoned camps or if they are something else, then I could determine the danger of that region, if there really are sapient beings that are in the area I can use this guy to find out where they live, the areas where they walk, and even their level of danger! If he found humans or something like them, I could simply forbid anyone to come near them, and if he found nothing I would leave the area free for exploration. "Listen, some time ago some workers found what looked like traces of human beings in the area, do you think you could try to find them? To date we have not found anything, but as you are an expert in finding things maybe you will be more successful?" "Hmmm, maybe, to find and mark a target, I need to have seen it personally first, but I can also try to find this group based on the terrain and abundance of food, but i can''t guarantee I''ll be able to find anything..." "Don''t worry about it! Just do the best you can! But first of all!" "Would you like a name? I know you guys don''t care much about names, but you''re the only [Tracker] I have... I think it would be nice if you had a name..." "I don''t really care about a name, but if it is the desire of the great mother to name me, I will gladly accept it!" Then what? Tracker? Prosecutor... Travel, Drave? No... Travel, Travis? Trevy?'' ""What do you think of Trevy? Sounds cool?" "Yes." What a thrill... "Oh, Trevy! You can eat as much as you want and then go on your mission, if you need anything you can ask Steve or Ken, they are the most responsible here, also if you think you need help to carry out your mission, soon they can go with you to help!" "It would be much appreciated mother, but as I only intend to carry out a reconnaissance mission I will avoid any conflict and escape if necessary. Then I don''t need the soldiers help." This guy seems to have no qualms about running away, Hans is like "I''ll fight to the death!"while this guy is "I''ll run away at the first opportunity.".. I think you either die a hero, or you live to tell the story. "Very well then! Feel free, Trevy." Leaving the crawler super loud behind, I go to the eggs of [Collectors] and I see that there is still about 1 day left to hatch, I also now have 10 Scout larvae, which are being very well cared for by Ken and his helpers, it seems that cleanliness is something very important here, since Ken and the boys always make sure that no one who is ''dirty'' enters inside the tree, they all need to clean themselves and win Ken''s approval, another thing that made me a little uncomfortable about how bees work was how they delivery the resources..... Miles group, which mainly helped with the transport of resources to ensure everyone worked as efficiently as possible, had a ''special'' way of delivering the honey to other bees. They would first fill themselves with as much honey as they could, until their breasts were visibly swollen, and then distribute the Honey among other workers via a "kiss", first they would bring their faces closer together and then the "deliver" would cough up a small ball of honey, which then the "receiving" bee would begin to drink, the deliverer would continue pumping honey to the recipient until he was satisfied and then the deliverer would go after another bee that needs honey. For me it was very strange, and I can''t imagine "kissing" any of them to give food, or much less being kissed to get food, but it was certainly effective, the bees saved time and space doing it, since instead of a delivery man having to pour honey into a tank and the construction workers having to go to the tank and drink this honey, the delivery men went straight to the point. I was not going to discuss how they do things, they certainly do better than me, because seriously, if I alone had to build that building that they did, I would have ended up taking years and doing something horrible, while a group of about only 16 Bees managed to do it in 3 days, of course it was not yet complete, and needed to be furnished, but the whole structure, the resistance, the details, I would never have the talent to do it! While I was thinking about how everyone seemed to be a professional at what they do, the cocoons started to have small spasms, this meant that the bee will soon emerge, and I started to get nervous, they were not my first bees, but they were the first group of soldiers, and I did a lot of shit with the royal jelly I gave them, I''m a little worried about what might happen to them. After giving Hans a few mental tugs and waiting for him to arrive I saw him coming quickly, soon he ran up to me and inspected me for a moment. "Mom! What happened! Why did you give me so many tugs?" "I''m sorry for that I got nervous! It''s just that the soldiers have already emerged and wanted you here to witness the birth of your squad!" "OH! I understand!" Hans and I stood there, just waiting for the new group to be born, from time to time we could see an occasional movement, but nothing definitive, Hans had so many expectations in these soldiers that he looked like a little girl who had just won the dream pony. Bright eyes and agitated movements, he waited a long time for this. ''Mom! Aren''t they taking too long?!? We''ve been waiting so long!" "Hans, how long have we been here? 10 minutes? Wait a while, when they are ready, they will come out." "Okay...." Without having to wait long, the cocoons began to shake, and from inside soldiers who looked like Hans came out, well, they didn''t exactly look like Hans, they were smaller and thinner, but they still had an intimidating appearance and seemed to be more... "Sharp" than Hans.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Soldier Mana:N/A
Life: 3 Str: 5.1 Def: 0.5
Sp: 2.4 Int: 1.2 Wis: 2.1
+ Information
[Skills]
{Powerfull Jaws} lv 1 Yours jaws are extremely hard, and they grip is much more powerful.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Enraged} Lv1 Gain the [Rage] effect, increasing all stats by 15% for 30 minutes, at the end of [Rage] gain the [Confused] effect.
{Strong limbs} - Lv 1 All yours limbs are very strong and can carry 2x your own weight.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Charge} Lv 1 Executes a powerful charge, stunning enemies and breaking through defenses.
[Traces]
[Super developed] You grew up very well in your youth! And now you can fell the results! The [Speed], [life] and [strength] are multplied by 2
[Hot head] You get angry easily and very quickly, your fury can be your salvation or condemnation
  • The [strength] are multplied by 2 and the [Intelligence] and [Wisdom] divided by 2
Damn it! Aren''t these guys bad? They don''t have the [Trait] of [Perfect Soldier] but they got something else instead, i don''t know if [Hot head] is a good trait, but the bonus are good! These guys are Level 1 and already have more attack than Hans! They''re basically the heavy weapons, and this [skill] from [Enraged] even looks a bit like Hans [Royal duty], only with a minor bonus, and with minor consequences. "Boys! Hello welcome to the world! I''m your mother, and this is Hans! He''s your big brother, and he is in charge!" "Hey, what''s up?" "Wow, look at the size of this guy!!" "It''s not "that guy" you idiot! Didn''t you hear Mom?! It''s Hans!" "Shut up, Don''t bother me!" "if not what huh? Huh!? You are wanting to die before even sees the light of day you idiot?!" "I want to see you try!! Come in! You idiot!" "The 2 suckers, shut the fuck up we are still in the presence of mother!" "I dont care! If I smash this guy I will show Moma who is the strongest here!" I think I talked i little to soon... [Hot head] it''s certainly not a good trait to have... They look like testosterone-filled teenagers with 3 neurons and looking for something to bang... "Hans stop them please?" "Immediately!" Hans slowly walked up to the newborn boys who were fighting each other, and simply grabbed the head of the 2 most troublesome one and hit their heads on the ground. "Hans!??!" "YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT! THE GREAT MOTHER IS IN YOUR PRESENCE AND ALL YOU CAN THINK OF IS FIGHTING?! NOW BEG FOR PARDON NOW OR I''LL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOU DON''T GET OUT OF THIS INFIRMARY TOO SOON!!" The new soldiers looked annoyed for a moment, but after a bit of hesitation, they tidied up and apologized. "Forgive me mother, I shouldn''t have acted like this in your presence..." "I''m sorry, I let my anger blind me..." "All right boys, no problem at all, but please try to direct this anger at our enemies and not at each other..." "Of course mom! Hans certainly looks like a great leader, and we will learn quickly from him!" Great leader? He just almost crushed you in the ground... Is this some kind of "love" between the soldiers? A way for Hans to show that he cares about them? Because the only time I saw Hans scream was when he was mad with me, but he shouted at these soldiers like a general, it didn''t seem like he was angry with them, he just wanted to teach them... "Boys, you must be hungry! There is plenty of food in the reservoir, and after eating I want 3 of you to go with Hans to try to climb a little levels, and 1 to stay and watch the workers." "I''m going with Hans!" "Me too!" "I for last!" "Damn it! It wasn''t fair! I was thinking about the food!" "Bad luck to you! You were drooling and missed the chance! Damn, these guys are pretty teen assholes. "All right everyone! No fighting! I want everyone to get to at least Level 2 by the end of the day, levels are not very important now, but it is still important for you to "learn" how to be soldiers!" "Leave it!" "I was born ready!" "Easy easy.." Soon everyone had left accompanied by Hans, and Ken ran to start cleaning the breeding combs, these new soldiers seemed very "immature" but I don''t think they will do anything stupid when they are in a life or death fight... The boys had gone out with Hans and now I was just relaxing quietly while watching everyone else work, the new workers worked fast and now the building was at about 80% in 1 or 2 days everything would be ready and they could focus on my lab, now all I need is to wait for the [Collectors] and [Scouts] then create some [Cooks] and [Beacons].
''Ahhh.. what a good thing, to be able to relax a little without worrying about problems, I have 5 soldiers now, 5 more on the way, and soon I will do more to get a strong protection, so the boys could expand the entire nest around the crown of the tree, and they can create a laboratory that would make anyone jealous.'' For the first time I came here, I was able to relax, really just relax and-
[Warning]
You earned 14 Xp from your''s soldier''s
[Warning]
Hans had evolved into the Lv 5
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" now can evolve.
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" gave you control over his evolution choisces and now you can choose one of the options below
{Evolution options}
[Bee Knight] The bee knigh is a dedicated unit to protect the Queen, gaining a lot of bonus when fighting in her presence, and several debuffs when fighting away from the Queen
[Warrior Bee] Warrior bees have a high damage, resistance and life, but low agility and Sapience.
[Shield bee] Shield bees have incredible resistance and the ability to draw the enemy''s attention to themselves, but they have low speed and damage
[Sword Bee] Sword bees are able to use their own hands as swords and have high agility and damage, but low stamina and health.
[Lancer Bee] Lancer bees possess a highly resistant and sharp stinger, and possess the special ability to break their stingers to use as weapons. They can also regenerate the stinger over time.
What the fuck is that?!! Is Hans evolving?! And am I the one to choose?!?! Chapter 29: Preparations So there really is some kind of evolution! I just didn''t expect it to be at Level 5, so am I one level away from evolving?! Leaving that aside I give several pulls on the link with Hans to signal that "I really really need to talk to you now!", and after a few minutes Hans returned accompanied by the soldiers. "Hans! you can evolve! And you gave me the right to make the choice?! Why did you do that?" "Mom, I just thought you could choose the option that suits your taste better." "All right, wait, we have to think a little..." Is this evolution only in class? It doesn''t seem to be able to change the [Species] but then how do you change the species? Do we need to raise more levels? Or find some kind of ancestral treasure capable of changing my lineage?! Now about Hans, [Knight] seems like a class made for him, his personality is of a knight, and with that class he would turn in a knight, both in body and mind. But by choosing [Knight] I would be turning Hans into a stationary troop, who can''t get away from me. Not a problem for me, I already need a defender for the nest anyway, so a knight in a shining armor would definitely be welcome! [Warrior] is off the list for me, that might suit the new soldiers personality, but it doesn''t suit Hans at all. [Shielder] is another tempting option, Hans has always been the "protector" and with that class he can literally becomes the tank of the group, with Hans experience and his calm attitude he could serve as a very good tank while commanding the soldiers and letting them do all the damage. [Sworder] seems... Weird? A bee with a sword? And in the place of the hands? Would that mean that one of the pairs of hands would become swords? Like a Beedrill? It doesn''t seem very easy to live with it, so I discart it. And the [Lancer] class looks like another very promising one, the ability to break the Stinger and use it as a spear looks incredible! There is no limitation that says he can only break the Stinger in battles, so he could make several of these spear stingers and everyone would have a sturdy and sharp weapon. But to produce these spears must be necessary a large amount of nutrients... or maybe not? After all, these lancer should be able to make new Spears during a battle if they end up losing or breaking their current spear, so the disadvantage shouldn''t be the nutritional value to create new spears, but rather a big cooldown before being able to create another... or maybe the other way around? The interval for creating such Spears is short, but does it spend a lot of energy?. "Hans, don''t you have any preferences? I like [Knight], but I need your opinion, after all it is you who are evolving..." "Hmm, I also like how a Knight sounds, and I could stay at home and protect the workers, but the new soldiers need me... I can''t leave them without guidance and help, so I''d like something like [Shield] or [Lancer]!" Yeah, Hans never needed a [Class] to be a knight he was already one, and I think he really wants to help the new soldiers, Hans seems cold and distant, but that''s only when I''m talking to him, when he''s with the workers or other soldiers he''s very sociable, a little stiff, but sociable. ''So what? [Lancer] or [Shield]? I think I''ll stick with Lancer... I don''t like the idea of leaving the task of doing damage with the new soldiers, they are reliable of course, but because they are [hot heads] they may end up doing some idiocy and leaving Hans in hand, at least as [Lancer] Hans can defend himself." "All right! I choose [Lancer]!" When I made the choice out loud nothing happened for some time, I even thought I needed to wait a really long time, but then Hans suddenly started to get dizzy. "Hans?! What is it? How are you feeling?" "I-I feel... T-tired and heavy... I..." Before Hans could finish speaking he fainted, but the soldiers near him reacted quickly and caught him before he fell out of the air. "What do we do now, mother?" "Take him inside! He needs to rest, I think?" "All right!" Soon the soldiers took Hans away and I was a little nervous, of course evolution wouldn''t be just picking an option and magically turning you into what you chose, it seems Hans needs to go through a changes before that, I don''t know how to feel, on one hand I knew this was coming, but on the other hand I expected Hans to start shining and then a happy little song would start playing when evolution ended. ''Does it hurt? I''m at Level 4, so will I evolve soon? If evolution changes the [Class] then what the hell am I going to turn into?! An empress Bee? Or an egg factory?!'' There wasn''t much I could do now, but I was still worried about Hans. I asked the workers to prepare more food just in case, after all, if I remember correctly, all this history of evolution always makes you very hungry. ''It would be very nice if these [Collector] bees had already hatched, it''s very difficult to maintain a constant production with only workers, of course it''s not problematic for me, I do almost nothing, they are the ones who do the heavy work, but I still feel bad for-'' "Mom..." WHAT THE FUCK?!?! "AHHHH! Oh my heart! It''s just you Trevy... You really needed to scary the shit out of me like that?!" "I-I''m sorry... it wans''t my intention, I just wanted to say that I managed to find a large group of flowers that seem to be very nutritious, and some signs of a passing group..." The Great tracker had come from behind me and stood still just waiting for me to notice it, more when I noticed it my heart almost came out of my mouth! Seriously! Who wouldn''t be startled by someone almost twice your height mysteriously appearing on your back! "What do you mean, a passing group?! Have you seen them?" "I found no humans, only remains of a camp that was recently used... I would say about 3 days ago, and then they headed north into the plains." "Do you know their goal? Why are they here?" "I.. I have no idea mom... I''m sorry if it''s not what you expected, but I''m a [tracker] not a spy... My skills focus on finding things and preventing a given target from escaping, I am not skilled with investigations and gathering information..." If you think it''s bad, do it better Basically that''s what he told me, he just embellished the words so as not to be offensive, well he thinks that''s what wins when I ask too much, the [Class] seem to limit people a lot, a human being could be good at many things, but the [Class] made you very good only at what you do, or maybe it''s just Trevis '' lack of experience, after all the boy has 1 day of life, there is no way you ask someone so young to know what to do, and at that point the [Class] are very good, I don''t need to raise a small larva for a long time until it develops a talent, I can already make them born with this talent, but are humans like that too? Are they limited by [Class] or is it something just from the monsters? "Okay, this already helps a lot, if you can find this group of mysterious beings and tell me where they are it would already be very important, but now you can rest, Hans is going through an evolution and I think everyone better be around..." "I understand, if this is your request I will rest a little" "One more thing!" "Yes?" "Why didn''t you send me a report via [Link]? Wouldn''t it be a lot quicker than coming back just to talk to me in person?" "I... I don''t know how to use the link... h-he''s very confusing and I can''t do anything about it, I just know it''s there, but I can''t interact with him..." Finally someone in this colony who is worse than me in the use of the link! But that''s not a good thing... The most helpful guy, and able to gather crucial information can''t send me a direct message? Is this because of your class or because of natural talent? If the [trackers] are an evolution of the [Scouts] shouldn''t they be good with using the link? "All right, no problem at all, when I can, I''ll create some [beacons] and hopefully they can do that kind of work for us" "Yes mother!" After leaving Trevy I go to the tree where the soldiers left Hans and when I get to the place all the soldiers and nurses are around what seems to be a butterfly chrysalis, only with shades of yellow and brown. And on the ground was a very familiar exoskeleton that clearly was Hans, but in his back was a big torn place, and all his body was just a hollow shell. "That''s Hans!? What happened in those 5 minutes I was gone?!" "Mom! A few minutes ago Hans started having some spasms, and then this happened!" "He''s just going through an evolution! It''s no big deal, help me put him aside." "Ken, do you know about evolution? What do you know about it?" "Huh? I don''t think a really know anything useful, except that it''s very dangerous to leave Hans exposed in this transitional stage." "Mother, what should we do with Hans body?.." "I already told you bunch of imbeciles! Just throw that shit away! It''s just a shell, it''s not Hans body! His body is right here!" "You''re really going to tell me that this is not his body!? There''s his face, there''s his hands, and you tell me it''s not him!" "I already said! That''s just a empty shell! What''s really matters is right here!" Can bees do that? He basically left the body and left behind a body identical to him but with a hollow interior, was that something common? Or just when we are evolving? Could we leave a shell behind and walk away with a soft body like Dr. Zoidberg from futurama? "Boys! Put the husk aside, Ken, Are you sure we can throw that away? What if Hans needs to go back to the shell later?!" "Mom! This is biodegradable! This old thing is already started rotting when Hans came out, this thing is just a pile of garbage! Hans will emerge with a new, and better shell!" "All right... Boys, throw it away! Near the roots of the tree please." "Are you sure?" "Have holy patience! I''ve said it a million times you bunch of idiots with 1 day of life! Throw that shit away!" "Y-Yes boys, I''m sure... you can do what Ken said." The soldiers carried the shell with some reluctance, But Ken seemed to be right, if what Hans was doing now was a metamorphosis, then the "Shell" was just garbage now. It''s not like a shell of a mollusk, it''s more like the shell of a crab, once it comes out it''s just a piece of garbage, or a easy meal for someone. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I tried to analyze that... "thing" that was Hans and I realized it had nothing to do with Hans.
[Status]
Name: Hans Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 0 Class: ---- Mana:N/A
Life: 2 Str: 0.1 Def: 1.6
Spr: 0.1 Int: 0.1 Wis: 0.2
+ Information
[Efects]
Morphing -- 1 day This creature is evolving, at the end of the timer will emerge
1 day? it''s a lot faster than I thought... he will emerge some time after the Scouts, Ken seems to be right, he is very weak in this state! "Take care of him Ken, if possible create a separate space, and leave plenty of food prepared for Hans!" "Of course, no problems!" "When will the new scouts be born? Do you think I can raise a few more eggs? I wanted to do some [Beacons] and [Royal cooks], even if it''s in a low number.." "We have 10 units available mom! We cleaned the ones that were used and made some more in the space we had, but if we want to expand our production more we will need a bigger nursery!" "Do you think one of the rooms in the new building the workers are doing would work out?" "Honestly? No, I would rather have a big building, that served only as a nursery, not just a big room" "B-but wouldn''t a room help for now?" "Not really much, as far I could see the largest room in the building could serve as a nursery for 50 new production units, but an entire building like that could yield more than 300 production units!" "50 + 30 that we have here is already a good number no?" "Yes, but it would be a big hassle to walk from one nursery to the next, so I would prefer the nursery to be located in a single location, then this place could serve as your throne room or whatever, it could even become your crazy laboratory..." Ken was right, running back and forth to take care of 2 small nurseries would be very taxing for the body, and I could really use this place as a laboratory... The whole space is large and well ventilated, it''s right in the "heart " of the hive so it would be protected at any time while I make my potions, and if I could remove the honey tank and the breeding units that occupied 80% of the room I could turn this here into a pretty cool thing! ''If I could drill a few holes in the wall I could use it as shelves and I could create little "windows" to slow the flow of air, windows too small for someone to get in, but big enough to let the air flow, I could also bring the fire flowers in here and even try to grow them in the walls by making some bigger holes.'' But I had no way to pierce the wood. ''Damn it! Now those [saws] bees look very useful Forget it, i already lost them!'' "Let''s see what we do Ken, it is very likely that when the construction of the building is finished we will move the nursery to the largest room there, then it is only a matter of time until you get a bigger place!" "All right then, what else could I do, right? Complaining didn''t solve it at all..." You ungrateful little shit... "I will be laying 2 eggs from [Beacons] and 2 from [Royal cooks], please keep up the good work, and let me know when the [Scouts] have been emerging" "Sure!" After laying the eggs, I was surprised to see that the [royal cooks] only needed 3 days to hatch, and even more surprised to see that the [Beacon] needed 15 days just to hatch! I don''t know what the math is, but it seems that the higher the use of the units, the longer the production time, but the bees [royal Cooks] looked super useful and hatched quickly, so was the math wrong? Or did he have another motive? Maybe these Cook bees are useless weaklings? The kind that can''t do anything but cook, so why are they fast? But [gatherers] also seemed not to be stronger or have a ''essential'' use, and they were still slow to hatch, so is it some kind of balance between (ultility) and (power)? As soon as I finished laying the eggs Ken and the other nurses took the eggs and put them in the rearing Combs, after it was all over I went outside to talk to My Little Engineer Levi! "Levi~~" "M-Mom? How can I help you?" "I wanted to know how the situation is around here. When do you think you''re going to finish it all?" "W-Well, by tomorrow everything should be complete... I''ve already put in a few workers to create honey tanks, and most are finishing the larger rooms and the floor!" "That''s great why don''t you show me?" "Sure!" I had never entered the building, it seems a great negligence, but I kind of only arrived when everything was ready, since my presence hindered more than it helped, when I was around the workers tried themselves... "show" and did the job elegantly, rather than quickly and accurately. As soon as I entered the new building the first thing I noticed was its color... A brownish yellow that covered all the walls and floor, the whole place was made with hard wax bricks, and then the surface was allfixed with common wax, the building was not divided like a common house, which had doors and corridors, the building had only a large corridor in a straight line that divided the building in 2, so from the floor to the top there were several rooms made on each side of the walls, and the largest room was right in the middle of the building. The shape was strange when you look with human eyes, the rooms had no doors, only entrances and exits that connected all together, and to leave a room an worker only had to leave the room and fly to another room or to the exit. I think it was very efficient for bee, we does not need stairs since we can only fly to where we need, and it was very easy to move around here, the place also only had 2 exits, one at each end of the "corridor", so it would not be easy to invade the place, since even if an enemy entered he would only end up running into a lot of bees. "That place is amazing Levi, congratulations!" "T-Thank you, but it was all thanks to the help and collaboration of all workers!" "Didn''t I say you''d be a good leader? You just need to talk to them!" "I-I don''t talk to them..." "What do you mean?" "I-I send all orders through the link... it''s easier to talk like that... when I talk through the link I don''t get nervous." Levi is like one of those bosses who are ruthless by message but turn yellow when talking face to face? "All right levi... If this way is working for you then feel free to use, I wanted to ask you what would be the next step after finishing this building?" "W-Well, we would start creating new smaller rooms like bedrooms and hallways, but if you need our services we can postpone them..." "Hallways? Why hallways?" "T-to confuse invaders... Creating corridors that lead nowhere, or that are long could buy time during an invasion, we can also use empty rooms as traps or create escape routes..." This does not look like a bee hive... It looks like an anthill... But taking into account that the boys use my knowledge they must think that creating these things can be effective. "Can''t we focus on resistance instead? Create stronger exterior walls and only 1 exit and entrance? I don''t like the idea of getting lost in my own house..." "O-of course we can mom! If you want a system of big rooms like what we have done so far, we can only prioritize the growth of the number of rooms, while reinforcing the external side!" "I prefer that, I wouldn''t want to need the help of a guide every time I want to get into the House..." "S-so it''s decided, do you need anything more mom?" "Yes! Do you think you can focus on my lab when you''re done with all this? I wanted them to move the nursery to a big room in this new building and clean up everything inside the tree to serve as the new lab." "I-it''s possible... but we''re not good at woodwork, so we could only build things in the space we already have, and we couldn''t expand until we got someone who could break Wood easily." "I understand, if you could just create several pots and jars for me, and build a stove with the fire flower it would already be of great help!" "T-that''s pretty easy!" Levi was certainly a good engineer, he knew what he could do with the resources and spaces he has, and can change plans quickly according to my will, it is a pity that they can not pierce the tree to increase the space inside, I mean, it is not that they cannot, just that it would take a very long time, after all anyone can tear off a very small piece of a tree, but without a saw it would take a lifetime to cut it
I''m nervous, the scouts will soon emerge, and soon after they saw the first larvae of [collectors] and then Hans, I had a lot scheduled for today, I need to go back to jelly production, as well as produce more food for the hive, and I also need these guys to finish emerging so that the workers can start moving the nursery, the workers suggested plucking the combs from the ground with the cocoons, the larvae and eggs, but Ken almost dig a hole in the workers heads with his cold gaze. "What do you think Trevis? They''re kind of an early-evolution version of you, do you have any idea of their uses?" "No, I think they are just ordinary Scouts..." Scouts hmm? I can use this to map every corner of this forest, unlike Trevis these guys seem to be able to use the link with a good mastery. While I was thinking, the first Scouts began to emerge, and I can only say that they are very cute! They''re like even smaller versions of the workers, and they''re slim''s even for a Bee. Taking advantage of the fact that they were still emerging I analyzed one of them to try to discover their abilities.
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Scout Mana: N/D
Life: 3 Str: 0.1 Def: 1.2
Spr: 7.1 Def: 1.2 Wis: 24
+Information
[Skills]
{Memorial Memory} Lv1 You can create mental references to accurately remember events, information and places.
{Swift Wings} lv 1 Increased flight speed, allowing you to traverse distances quickly and quietly.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Disguise} Lv 1 Your presence drops significantly when standing still making it harder to find you
{Communication} lv 1 The skill to convey vital information efficiently to hive members.
{Scouting Eyes} lv 1 Enhanced vision for spotting distant threats and points of interest.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
[Traces]
{Scout''s Precision} You possesses exceptional precision in movement and decision-making.
{Scout''s Instinct} You have a natural knack for tracking and sensing changes in the environment.
{Pollinator} You are essential to the flowers around you, and you are going to be rewarded for your work. Get Xp by Polonizing flowers
That''s it.... Interesting? Chapter 30: Naivety and ignorance These scouts does not look like a big deal; they had no powerful status and no ''special'' abilities, just some utility skills. "Hello! Welcome to the world! I am your mom~ everyone''s mission is to explore and map the region around our House, report anything strange or that seems useful, always be very careful, and you can eat as you wish before you leave!" "Thank you very much, mom!" When I finished speaking, all the Scouts started going out wanting to get a bite of food to eat while I stayed behind with Trevis. "Is that it? You won''t even ask about their abilities?" "Huh? I already know what they''re good at, and now I just need them to do the work." "I understand..." "Now you can go back to your mission, try to find out the location of the human camp, if you are want, pick up some scouts to follow you and help." "They would just slow me down..." "But they could help you get in touch with us easily! But I won''t force you to anything; if you want you can take some of them to help you, but it''s your choice." "Okay, I''ll go without them; I prefer to work alone." "No problem~" As soon as we finished talking, Trevis left for his Special Mission, while Ken and the nurses began the process of cleaning the breeding Combs. I went to the combs that contained the [collectors] and stood there waiting for them to hatch; there was only a little time left, and I was very curious to know their maturation time. After a few minutes of waiting, large white larvae with small yellow dots emerged from the egg and began to eat the shell. Soon, the larvae began to vibrate and sway, signaling to the ''nurses'' that they were hungry. Soon, one of the bees helping Ken came close to one of the combs and began to spit out large amounts of the special royal jelly that I had created in my spare time. As soon as the larva finished eating the jelly, I tried to analyze it to find out how long it would take for it to emerge as a [collector], and soon found out that it would only take 2 days, thanks to the fast-growing royal jelly. ''All Right, 2 days... Once the cooks hatch, these guys will emerge; soon a new nursery will be built, and we can move all the other drones in there.'' Now I need to wait for Hans, it was still a few hours until he emerged, and while waiting, I would produce more royal jelly.
[warning]
The [Create food] skill has reached Lv3
Damn it! I finally got 1 level in [Create food]! I had to produce an absurd amount of food just to gain this level. How much food will I need to make to get Level 10? And what will I gain at Level 10? If I get to Level 5, do I get another sub-skill? While I was thinking about the skills, a worker came and told me that Hans was about to emerge from his chrysalide, and so I put everything aside and ran to Hans Chrysalis. Arriving at the place, the soldiers who were only serving as patrollers while Hans was going through the evolution were all around Hans waiting for him. "How will he look?" "Strong as fuck for sure!" "Really badass!" "Boys make room for Hans!" "Ohh, okay, mom!" As we stood there just waiting for Hans, soon Hans Chrysalis began to crack, and in a few moments, a black and strong arm came out from inside the chrysalis, followed by 3 other arms that soon broke the entire cocoon revealing a bee very different from the old Hans. The Bee was taller and thinner than the old Hans, he had a chitin armor that was easily harder than that of an ordinary soldier, with a wider and more muscular limbs, and his bee back was much smaller than one of a soldier. But he had a Metallic-looking iron stinger that looked like a harpoon, but even so, it was still too small to be caled a ''spear'', the harpoon-shaped Stinger was only slightly larger than the Stinger of an ordinary soldier, and I don''t know how that could be used as a harpoon. "Hans?..." "Yes, mother!" Hans voice was the same as always, only higher and sharper, and Hans had a big "presence" that easily distanced himself from the others.
[Status]
Name: Hans Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Lancer Mana:N/A
Life: 15.2 Str: 8.1 Def: 2.3
Spr: 12.5 Int: 14.5 Wis: 16.5
+ Information
[Skills]
{Impale} lv1 Pierces through enemy defenses, causing bleeding and additional damage over time.
{Royal Duty} Lv 2 You can sense whenever your queen is in danger, if you fighting in her presence you gain 3x bonus in all stats. Get the (Disabled) effect after the end of a fight using the Royal duty.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Strong limbs} - Lv 3 All yours limbs are very strong and can carry 3x your own weight.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Basic flight} Lv6 You have learned the art of flight, and now you have an easier time flying and stabilizing yourself
SPEED: +8
{Stinger Growth} Lv 1 Makes your stinger grow quickly until it reaches a limit size, if your Stinger is broken it regenerates over time
{Combat posture} Lv 1 Concentrate yourself to enter the [Combat posture], once you are in the [Combat posture] you gain 15% more [Strength] and [Agility], if you fail to enter the [Combat posture], you gain the effect [Paralysis] for 5 seconds.
{Taunt} Lv 1 In a group battle, enemies have a higher chance of preferring to attack only you. Takes 15% less damage from enemies and deals 10% less damage in a group Fight.
{Swift Charge} lv1 Executes a lightning-fast charge, closing the gap between enemies rapidly.
[Traces]
[Super developed] You grew up very well in your youth! And now you can fell the results! The [Speed], [life] and [strength] are multplied by 2
[Perfect soldier] You were created to be the perfect soldier, and now you are. +10% Strength +10% Speed +10% life
{Super protective} You care so much about those you love, so much that you are willing to get hurt for them Gain the ability:Taunt
{Focused Assault} Maintains focus during battles, minimizing the impact of distractions and status effects.
What the fuck?! The already scary Hans just got scarier as hell! ''No, no, make no mistakes... That rabbit I saw a long time ago had 150 health and was just a potato chip for that wolf, so Hans is not really ''powerful'', but if Hans met that termite that attacked him in the past, he would wipe the floor with him, easily.'' "Hans! How do you feel? All right? Hungry? Tired? Uncomfortable?" "I''m fine... I feel... Powerful, much more powerful than before, and I feel ... A giant famine!" "There''s plenty of food in the new warehouse the worker''s are creating. Feel free to- " Before i even finished speaking, Hans in the form of a blur passed me and ran to the warehouse; neither I nor the young soldiers could react, and all we could do was try to run after him. When we got to the depot where we were keeping a giant conglomerate of [pieces of honey], all I could see was Hans ripping large chunks out of the conglomerate and eating as if it was his last day on Earth. "Hans!? How much food can you eat?!" Soon the big conglomerate that could feed the colony for days had arrived halfway, and Hans showed no signs of stopping, and again I was faced with the mystery of "where the hell is all this going," because the Food ball was easily 3x the size of Hans, and he had already eaten about 3/5 of the whole conglomerate! "Gee! Look at him, mom! Hans will finish all the food soon!" "Wow, where does all this go?" ALL MY HARD WORK, NO!! I spent hours that were equivalent to whole days of work to get all this food together, and Hans simply devoured it all in 3 minutes!?! "Ahhhh, now I''m satisfied; thank you for the food!" "Thanks for the food? Thanks for the food?!! You ran out of stock that I thought would last a whole week!! Do you have any idea how much effort I put into this?! Today everyone will have to eat pure honey because we have no more rations!" "I-I''m sorry; I didn''t know I would be so hungry..." "ARGH! I can''t even be mad at you! I saw it coming! I just didn''t expect you to run out of stock! You better be Really badass Hans!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Yes, mother! Now that the number of my brother soldiers is increasing, and I have managed to evolve, I will surely be able to do much more for the hive, I will personally guide all the soldiers so that they can evolve quickly and protect the hive and everyone!" "Awnnn, I hope this works out Hans, but please try not to raise the levels so fast... If I need to feed an entire group of drones like you, I''ll end up dying of exhaustion!" "I understand, so until our food conditions improve, I will ensure the safety of the workers and the colony!" "That would be very good Hans, soon as the collectors are born and the laboratory is ready, I will start sending all the workers to work with pollination, so they can level up and get some evolutions for themselves." "As soon the Cook bees Hatch I will start an "extreme" food production and then you can level up as fast as possible!"
Today, the first two [Collectors] bees are about to hatch. In the meantime, Hans had gone out with the boys and managed to evolve them all to level 3. Therefore, he decided to stop hunting and assigned all the soldiers to protect the colony. During these two days, the workers completed the entire moving of nursery and had started the project to transform the inside of the tree into my personal laboratory. However, since only a small group was necessary for that task, the majority went out to work as pollinators and honey collectors. Trevis still hadn''t found anything concrete, but he assured me that were people somewhere there. They must have fled to the plains to the north near the lake, where the dangers are lowers, and life easier. This was really concerning for me, a group of mysterious beings appearing in an empty land. They could be colonizers, beggars, or there might be a city or village somewhere in those plains.
The worker bees were happy to work as pollinators; according to them, it was very relaxing. And with that and the work of the soldiers, I gained a bit of XP.
[Warning]
You earned 12.4 Xp from your''s workers.
It was very little, for sure, especially considering that I had dozens of bees working on it. But I think it''s because I only receive a small portion; as far I know, I should get something like 1/4 of all the XP they earn. So even though it''s not very good for me, but it''s still something. Even with this small amount of Xp, I seemed to be the person who was evolving the most in this hive, looks like receiving a small xp tax from several members is much better than earning a large amount of Xp at once from a battle, my growth was slow for sure, but it was constant. And more importantly, I had never fought anyone, and yet I was already almost at Level 6, the workers barely had Level 2, while the soldiers had to risk their lives for the high Xp they earned. Another thing I noticed was that the soldiers were... Cruel. Really cruel. There''s some creatures like aphids and small larvae trying to feed on the flowers like us. They were too small and weak to even be a threat for the workers, of course, if many attacked, it would be deadly, but a single lonely aphid wouldn''t bother a worker bee. And yet, the soldiers massacred any creature that wasn''t a bee. It seemed quite cruel to me. Sure, there''s the aspect of competing for food and territory, but killing even the offspring of these insects seemed really cruel. And when I asked about it, their responses were: "Huh? Mom! They''re enemies! Whether they''re weak or strong doesn''t matter! They''re all enemies!" Hans supported the soldiers viewer point, and the workers too. It seemed like everyone was very kind to each other, but that was only if you were one of my children; anything else was a deadly treath and dangerous enemy. "Mom! Look, the collectors are hatching!" "Oops, got distracted again, thanks Ken." From the large silk cocoons emerged two large bees that simply looked like chubby bees, but wider and shorter, and they seemed to be sleepy for some reason. "Hmmmm, hungry...." "Hello! Welcome to the world! I am your mother!" "Mom.... Hungry...." What''s wrong with these guys? They sound like lazy talkers.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Collector Mana:N/A
Life: 5 Str: 0.1 Def: 1.2
Spr: 0.3 Int: 2.2 Wis: 6.6
+ Information
[Skills]
{Storage Mastery} Lv 1 You can store nectar and pollen efficiently, increasing the overall capacity of our natural storage pouches.
{Precise Collection} Lv 1 Collect nectar and pollen with exceptional precision, minimizing waste and maximizing the amount gathered in a single trip..
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Sticky Sap Retrieval} Lv 1 You can extract sticky substances like sap or resin from plants, which can be useful for various colony activities.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Cautious Flight} Lv 1 Our flying speed is intentionally kept low to avoid spills and damage to collected resources, making it more cautious in its movements.
{Low Profile} Lv 1 Keep a low profile, making it less noticeable to potential threats in its surroundings.
{Delicate Handling} Lv 1 Grants the ability to handle delicate flowers and plants without causing damage during the collection process.
{Energy Conservation} Lv 1 Conserve energy during flight, allowing it to cover longer distances with minimal fatigue.
[Traces]
{Slow-paced Foraging} Unlike Your industrious counterparts, You take our time when collecting resources, meandering lazily from one flower to another without haste.
{Dreamy Daze} In moments of extreme exhaustion, You may drift yourself into really vivid dreams in the mid-flight, your wings fluttering softly as they navigate the border between wakefulness and slumber. Effects:
  • You''re always sleepy, but never need to sleep.
  • You can get confused with what is real and what is not
Wow, these guys seem to be good for nothing other than collecting materials and sleeping. They can''t do literally anything else! They have low energy and always would be tired. But that [Dreamy Daze] trait, what the hell is that shit?!! What now?! Schizophrenic bees?! They do not need to sleep is very ''stolen'' they can function 24 hours a day, but hallucinate during work... What the fuck! "Hello~~ How are you guys?" "Hungry.... Ugh..." "Ken, bring them some food, please?" "What?! Can''t they walk on their own? Why do I have to go get food for these lazy ones!?" "T-They''re not lazy... They just seem not to be good at anything else other than their main job. They''re not like you, who are good at a little bit of everything." "UGH! Fine! Hey, you two! Go get food for the collectors! Now!" Shameless boy... He complained and then just sent other people in his place... After a while, the other two nurses brought food, and the collectors started eating happily. I have to admit, the collectors are far the cutest of my childrens. They don''t have muscles or chitin armor like the soldiers, they''re not slender like the workers, not small like the scouts, and not intimidating like Hans. They look like a bee plushie C round and soft, with nothing that says "I''m threatening, get away bitch." They''re more like, "Do you want a hug?" "Delicious... Mmmmm" "Mom... What do we need to do...?" "OH, hehe, eat a little more, cuties~~ You can work later." "What the hell, what a shameless favoritism at daylight is this?!" "What?! It''s not favoritism; I''m just letting them prepare themselves!" "Prepare my ass! You sent all the scouts away as soon as they hatched, but now you''re drooling over these lazy ones!" "Ugh..." "Alright, boys, I want you to help Matt collect nectar to make honey. Can you both do that?" "Ohh... Sure, Mom! No problem..." "Talk to Steve; he''ll tell you where to go. Steve is at the main entrance, guiding the workers. Feel free to eat whenever you''re hungry and ask anything!" "Yes... let''s go, brother..." "Hmmm" The two little plushie collectors ''left'' the room, moving at such a slow speed that they seemed to be just floating through the air. The collectors were adorable, for sure, but the scouts seemed to be more useful. In the last two days, they bombarded me with information . like where are the best flowers, special resources, dangerous zones, and strange creatures. With that, I figured out how [Memorial Memory] works. The scouts could mark information they found important, and then it became information that went into a ''folder'' in my mind. And i could access the folder at any time and know all the essential information. But there was still a big problem with that. The more information the scouts sent me, the harder it became to remember all information. Like a folder full of files, you''re absolutely sure that the information is somewhere there in the middle, but there''s are so many files that you can''t find a specific one easily. Unless you remember exactly the date or the ''name'' of the file. But storing this information was also problematic for me; it was like creating a folder with all the important files and then creating a sub-folder with the ''really important files.'' The problem is that the more information enters, the harder it becomes to say what is important and what is not, and soon you end up with ''important files, very important files, super important files, mega important files, super mega important files.'' It was just too much information! I seriously need a ''mental secretary'' bee. I can''t keep all this information at once. Possessing all the knowledge in the world is useless when you can''t process it in uselful information. The cooking bees had hatched and would soon emerge with the help of the fast-growth royal jelly, and now I just had to wait for the [Beacons] and the new collectors. That''s left me with about 40 creation combs ready to be used and three ansious nurse bees. "Mom! Produce more Soldier! We need to ensure the safety of our home!! And the colony always needs more members!" "I know, I wanted to wait for the royal cooks to be born to see their utility and if it would be necessary to create more of them before using the avaliable space." "Create more at once! Stop being so picky with it! Or create more workers! We always need more workers!" "W-Well, I wanted to wait until I unlocked a bee option specialized in construction, but I guess you''re right. I won''t unlock more options without laying eggs." "That''s it! Hurry up!" "What enthusiasm is this, guys? You look like a bunch of withdrawal addicts..." "''W-we Sorry Mom.. We''re just worried about the hive. We need to increase our numbers urgently. I know you think we''re okay... But.. We''re not doing so well." "What the hell? Why didn''t you say it before?! What the hell is happening, Ken?!" "Mom... We are insects... We are in the middle of a verdant and resourceful Plain, do you really think we are the only ones who want this place? I heard from Hans, that every day it gets more and more difficult to protect all of us, the insects that exist around our house are beginning to lose their ''fear of the unknown'' and seeing that we are not a threat to them... Now that Hans has evolved, I think we may have bought ourselves some time, but without more soldiers it''s just a matter of time until a creature much stronger than all of us put together comes to us... The scouts saw many animals and powerful creatures that roam around, and as insects we are easy prey for them... We need to win in numbers!" ''Ken''s right... Just because it looks like we''re okay doesn''t mean we''re actually really okay. A hive of bees with less than 50 members was not really a ''colony'', I didn''t need to focus exactly on the numbers of members, I could focus on the quality of each member. To raise a bunche of ''elite'' bees, but for that I would need a lot, a lot of food, the more powerful a [class] is, the greater its nutrient consumption. So focusing on quality now was the same as asking to starve, I needed troops capable of producing food to do that, I don''t know if the [royal cooks] can handle the job, but probably not, these royal cooks should be focused on ''quality'' and not ''quantity''.'' But as we level up in classes, wouldn''t we get more and more ''self sustainable'', after all I am a [Queen], and I didn''t need to eat more than a simple worker, my only weakness was my uselessness in a fight, or low constructions capacities, but my maintenance cost was very ''cheap'', the only time I needed to eat a lot of food was when I''am laying eggs. By gaining [Mana], can we survive eating less? After all, mana was a kind of energy, it could serve to ''energize'' and sustain someone''s body without food or water... Theoretically.
"Alright, let''s see. Soldiers are out of the question. Our food production is too low for that. So, workers? I could increase the XP flow through pollination... But the collectors seem very useful too. Still, they take a long time, and I don''t know all their capabilities... Oh, screw it! I''ll make as many workers as I can!" "Thank you!" After laying about 16 eggs, I started to feel hungry. I told Ken about it, and soon one of the nurses ran to the storage and brought several pieces of honey accompanied by some workers. I have to admit, sitting comfortably, laying eggs while eating is quite relaxing. I just needed a soft sofa and some workers fanning me with palm leaves to be a real queen now. After laying about 60 eggs, the nurses collected them one by one and placed them in the breeding units. They seemed extremely happy to have someone to take care of, and I was happy to help them. ''Mom... Important.... Workers.... Request.'' ''Hmm? Steve? What''s going on?'' Wen I was preparing myself for leaving the nursery, Steve sent me a mental notification. It seemed like it wasn''t a serious problem, but some kind of request from the workers? "Steve! What happened?" Steve was at the main entrance, surrounded by some workers and Matt and Miles. "Mom! It''s nothing serious, but the workers have a request, and I believe you''re the only one who can decide whether we can grant it or not..." "Hmm.. What''s the request?" "They" "We want a party hall! A really big one with seats for everyone!" "Party hall??! The hell?! Do you think what!? That we''re in the 90s?!" "What? What we want is a room for everyone to relax, talk, and eat while socializing, not a dance floor! But I think one wouldn''t hurt!" "Is this serious?!" Matt and Miles seemed serious about the matter, but their reasons seemed... strange. "M-Mom.. If you allow me! It''s more than just having fun... It''s just very uncomfortable to eat in the warehouse itself, and sometimes it gets too cramped... So we all wanted a dining room, where we could eat comfortably and use it as a gathering area when we''re not working, and also a dormitory area... It''s very uncomfortable to have to cling to the walls to sleep..." One of the workers had explained the situation, and now that I stop to think about it, I was a mean person. I put everyone to work like dogs and didn''t even care about basic things like bedrooms, dining areas, and socialization. Bees are very sociable, especially when they can talk and form full sentences, so this whole environment was making everyone sad. I didn''t care about they Living conditions until now; I only thought about the new building and my new laboratory. And for these guys to come here and talk to Steve personally, how bad must the situation be? I never had dormitory problems; my bed was inside the tree, well-guarded and comfortable, while the workers and soldiers had to cram wherever they could to sleep and eat... "Forgive me boys! I should have thought about this before! Of course, you can make your ''Party Hall,'' feel free to call all available workers, and do it the way you think is best! Tell everyone that this is the new priority, okay?" "Re-Really?! That easy?! I thought we were at least going to get scolded first for asking !" UGH, what do those guuys think about me?! "Since you seem to be in a good mood! We also wanted to build a main warehouse that is separate from the building, a main nursery, a cube-shaped wall around the entire colony, a fortified entrance, a super tank with concentrated honey that you can create! Hans wants a training room, the scouts would like their own large warehouse to store ''cool stuff,'' and Trevis wanted a special room just for him!" DAMN, HOW MANY THINGS DID THESE GUYS NOT TELL ME?! Chapter 31: The royalty Now, I was looking at a large group of bees, composed of all my children, ranging from the oldest workers to the youngest collectors. I needed to clear the air with all of them and figure out a better way to act. I seemed to have a very bad reputation in the Hive, and I had no idea why! All my descendants were loyal and seemed always to be happy. But it seemed that all this ''joy'' was not because they were really happy with the situation; it was because something, possibly [Maternal connection], forced them to be happy if I was happy. They needed a lot of effort and time just to have the courage to report this kind of serious problem to Steve. No. Maybe Steve knew this a long time ago. It''s impossible for Steve not to know. So what must had happen now is that the problem must have gotten so big that even Steve couldn''t sit still anymore. "All right, everybody attention on me!" Soon, all the bees that were whispering or paying attention to something else looked at me and silently waited for my words. ''This shit looks a lot like the reunion of a fanatical religious cult. These guys would kill themselves for me and wouldn''t hesitate if I tell them work themselves to death.'' "Listen! I had heard about your requests and opinions and gathered everyone here to say that all your ideas will always be very welcome! Never feel ashamed to say something or ask for something. I want to personally apologize to everyone for acting selfishly with you guys. I did not think at any time about the well-being of all of you and only cared about my wishes. But now, I declare that community projects will be of higher priority! Being the project of the bedroom, dining room, and ballroom the highest priority projects at the moment!" "Really?!" "I always thought mom was more... undecided? Steve and Carl always said she wasn''t ''conventional.''" "Of course, mom is unconventional! She''s extraordinary!" "One bedroom! Finally!" Everyone seemed very happy with the pronouncement. Everyone wanted comfortable rooms and a proper place to eat, but I don''t think I ever thought about their well-being. For me, if I was well-fed and sleeping comfortably, then everything was fine. This was clearly a mistake, like a spoiled girl who lived in a Golden Cradle. "Boys! Look out! Now priority number 1 is the dormitory! The dorm should be comfortable, easy to expand and secure. The dorm will have access to a ''party room'' where everyone can socialize and eat as they wish. All projects should be done near the main building and stay in the crown of the tree! "Yes!" "Finally! I was so tired of having to sleep on the floor!" "It will be nice to be able to eat without having to look for somewhere to sit!" "Hmm, to make such a project, we can build a rectangular room! So the dormitory could be on top, and the party room on the ground. We could then easily expand to the sides or up later!" "But where would the doors be? Would we have to go out and in from a room to other room? This is inefficient..." "We don''t have to! We can make a large vertical corridor right in the center of the building! So we could access the upper floors by flying and easily get out from above or below!" "This can work! We could also try using dry fiber and a thin layer of wax to create mattresses and pillows. The fact that we don''t have lights bothers me, so we can''t use the ballroom at night, only at lunchtime." "Yeah, that''s sad!" "Mom will do something about it! Hans has spoken about it! Now we have to think about the salon! Are we going to put a single giant table? Or several small tables for groups?" "I like the idea of creating small and medium tables made of hard wax and twigs! So we could easily move the tables and use the space to do other things!" "Like what?" "Sing! Dance! Play, even do minor jobs! And speaking of games, couldn''t we make some? Zund made some board games while working on the main building! We could create a few more, and we could all play!" "YEAH!" Wow, these guys are excited. They are already drawing up plans and deciding what to do with the space. They must have been wanting this for a long time, but I''m glad they have their own desires and diversions. But seriously? Sing? Dance?! Do bees do that?! I''ve never seen a bee killing it on the dance floors. I know bees could ''dance'' to signal directions or things, but it was a kind of language, like a sign language using the whole body. The members of my colony were talking about dancing for fun! Not for comunication. "Now! The priority from the most urgent to the least urgent projects is as follows: bedrooms; dining room; nursery; stock; Independent honey tank; walls; reinforced entrance and for last personal requests like that of Hans, Trevis, and the Scouts!" "Yes! Thank you!" "I love you, mom!" "Thank you!" "You guys are too much!" After letting everyone go to their work, I headed to the honey tank we had now and started creating more pieces of honey. It was very sad that I was the only one in this colony capable of producing ''super rations.'' But soon the Cook bees would be born, and I could dedicate myself to other things while occasionally laying some eggs. As I stood there alone creating all the food for the colony, I kept thinking to myself.. What the hell am I for them? I acted like a "Karen" to everyone, I let everyone stay in precarious situations and I didn''t even care because I was fine. ''At least I didn''t yell at them and talk a lot of nonsense.. But I still feel so bad. I am their mother, even if it doesn''t look like it, I am still their mother, they are more mature than me, more responsible and more self-sufficient, but I am the mother, I should be the responsible one around here, I should be protecting them, not them protecting me... Maybe it''s because bees don''t have a special a relationship as humans... Hans, Ken, Steve, Levi.. All each of the members of the hive care about me, I can feel for our link, they... Love me.. They really do. So why can''t I feel the same way about them?''
Finally! Finally! Go! Emerge my precious ones! Come on! "Mom! Stop looking at them like that! You''ll end up putting an evil eye on them before they''re even born!" "I''m sorry Ken, I''ve waited too long for these cooks. I love making food for you guys, but honestly, this job is so boring for me. I urgently need someone to take on this job. 70% of my day is creating food to feed everyone." Ken seemed a little bothered by me staring at the cooks lightly browned cocoons, but he was a little happy to see how much I cared about them. "Humf, of course if you say, leave them alone, when they are ready, they are born!" "Sure." I kept looking at the cocoons, and Ken decided to just ignore it. The workers were trying to build a 2nd floor to increase the production, but for that, they needed to create pillars, and for that, it was necessary to sacrifice some production units. But as all the reproduction units were full, Ken firmly refused to let the workers to move the old combs. They had to make separate combs, put the eggs inside the new comb, and only then they could start making the pillars. After a while, waiting for the cooks to be born, the slightly brown cocoons began to break, and soon, from them, 2 bees that were similar to me emerged. The difference was that these bees were much taller and slimmer, had a ''weak'' appearance, and busts that made me look small in comparison. Even with the clearly female appearance, I could feel through the link that the 2 were males, which was very strange. I don''t know why all my children are men. Any limitation of the system? Or some problem with me? Because even bees with female appearance are men! "Hello Ma''am, how can we help you today?" "Yes, please give us a task that can help your day!" ''What polite guys! They look like waiters from a 5-star restaurant.''
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Royal cook Mana: 1.25
Life: 3.1 Str: 0.2 Def: 0.7
Spr: 1.5 Int: 15 Wis: 10
+ Information
[Skills]
{Royal Jelly Mastery} Lv 1 This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. You expertly manages the composition of royal jelly, ensuring it becomes a superfood for the colony. This high-quality royal jelly serves as a primary food source, promoting optimal growth and health among all bee castes.
{Flavor Fusion} Lv 1 By introducing various floral drops and unique ingredits to the royal jelly, you can enhances the eating experience for the entire colony. Bees find the royal jelly created by you more palatable, leading to increased morale and improved foraging efforts.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Efficient Gland Harvesting} Lv 1 You have the power to delicately extract secretions from yours glands without causing undue stress. Minimizing stress on the brain ensures a more sustainable production process and higher yields of valuable secretions.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Seasonal Sensibility} Lv 1 Adapting royal jelly to the changing seasons ensures that the colony receives the necessary nutrients year-round. you continually adjusts the royal jelly formula, addressing the specific needs of the colony during different environmental conditions.
{Discerning Palate} Lv 1 You have a exceptionally discerning palate, allowing you to identify the subtlest differences in nectar and pollen. This skill is crucial for creating unique blends of royal jelly.
{Magical Jellycraft} Lv 1 You have a mystical connection to the process of Jellycraft beyond conventional cooking. You can infuses a touch of magic into the royal jelly, enhancing its properties and granting unique benefits. Ussing this magical resonance makes its royal jelly truly extraordinary.
{Sticky Situation Mastery} Lv 1 You can excels at handling the stickiness inherent in working with honey. Whether it''s avoiding accidental spills or efficiently maneuvering through a kitchen covered in sweetness, this skill ensures a clean and organized cooking space.
[Traces]
{Meticulous Artisan} You have an unparalleled attention to detail in its culinary endeavors. Every step of the cooking process is executed with precision and care, reflecting a commitment to perfection.
{Nurturing Provider} You have a nurturing and caring personality. It takes pride in providing the hive with the essential sustenance of royal jelly, embodying a sense of responsibility for the well-being of yours fellow bees.
Shit! These guys have [MP]!? Why?! Is it because of the Skill? Or do they have this Skill because they have mana!? Now that I look right at them, their eyes have a little golden glow, and the most obvious, and yet the thing I didn''t see, was that these guys have no wings! They are like yellow ants that walk on 2 legs! "Boys? Can you tell me why you have [MP]? And what use would you have for that?" "Huh? Oh well.. We can use mana to create food or royal jelly without the need for natural resources. But its conversion rate is a lot... inefficient." "That''s right! But! We can also use [MP] to make the effects of royal jelly more powerful or unique, according to the necessity of the colony!" "We can also increase production efficiency by using mana! Increasing the yield of royal jelly production!" ''Wow, these guys are really professionals. They seem to know exactly what to do with mana. So is mana really an ''energy'' that fuels powerful [Skills]? Or is it just because the [royal cooks] are not combat troops?'' "Can you tell me why you don''t have wings? Or how you guys know how to use mana?" "What? Fine... I don''t know why we don''t have wings, but the [skills] come with a kind of ''manual'' and we know we can use mana to use skills such as [Magical Jellyycraft] and [Efficient Gland Harvesting]." "That skill [Efficient Gland Harvesting]? What''s that for?" "Well.. We have a special gland in our head that is responsible for creating a special substance, which is the main ingredient of [royal jelly]. But if we use this gland too much, we can end up hurting ourselves. This skill allows us to extract the substance from this gland with greater efficiency and care, making the job of producing royal jelly easier!" ''Gland? What gland? Is from that gland in my head that comes my ''mental power'' and is just to make the royal jelly? So aren''t those mind powers the same as the X-Man''s Jean Grey powers?! Is it just some weird thing that i have on in my head?! I figured if I had developed this well enough, I could even levitate things!'' "A-a gland? Are you sure? Do I have the same gland?" "Yes mother! It is this gland that allows us to create the jelly; without it, we could not do anything!" ''Noooo my X-Man dream!!'' "Ugh, all right, can you show me what you can do? Let''s go to the honey tanks, So you guys can make me some royal jelly!" "Sure!" After the great disappointment of knowing that I didn''t possess mental powers, I flew to the honey tanks. But halfway there, the cooks shouted at me. "M-Mom! We can''t follow you like this!" "Oops, I''m sorry, I forgot that detail." ''They don''t have wings, now what? Are we going to have to make ladders for the cooks? But for now, I think we can use a little help.'' After sending a mental signal to the soldiers standing nearby, soon the group of teenage soldiers arrived through the main entrance. "Where is the danger!?!" "Whos gonna die today?!" "What idiot had the courage to come in here!?" Always brave as always, at least they take their work seriously. "Boys! Here!" "Mom!? Where''s the problem?!" "Nothing~ ~ I just want you to help me. Would you please carry the new cooks to the honey tanks?" "Is that it?!" "Yes~" I''m sorry dude; I should have said the rules about the amount of pulls on the link. "...Humf all right." After the soldiers loaded the cooks into the tanks, they quickly left, and just only 1 stayed behind to help in case the cooks needed it. Soon, the cooks went to the honey tank and began to drink absurd amounts from the tank. Soon, about 1/4 of the entire tank that was giant had been completely consumed by the bee. Soon after the Cook Bee drank all this honey, he closed his eyes and became immobile. Soon, his chest, which had a slight golden hue because of the Honey, began to turn light yellow and much smaller. Soon, the Cook went to a small empty tank and ''poured'' all the contents into the vessel. "Ready, mom! This version of royal jelly without mana, and without any specialization! Just ordinary royal jelly!" "Okay, let me evaluate it..."
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a royal cooker, this super nutritious jelly grants a 120% feed bonus if used on [Bee] - type monsters Quality: Excellent
''And he has the Dick face to tell me that this shit is ''ordinary''?! I''ve been trying to make a royal jelly capable of feeding adult bees for days, and these guys do it on the first try and still say it was easy!'' "W-What an incredible job boys... Can you show me a jelly with a specialization?" "Sure! You can choose between nourish, accelerate growth, strengthen, immunize, or change!" "What would this ''change'' be?" "It''s a special jelly to cause changes in status or skills!" "And what about a jelly how can change the class?" "This is beyond our capabilities! It would be a very high expensive, and we could even kill ourselves in the creation process. Only you could create such a jelly, since you have a royal gland larger than ours. But it is still very dangerous, and it can be fatal!" ''Oh Fuck, that''s what i got for trying things I don''t know what they''re for.'' "O-okay! Thanks for the tip! Can you guys try to create one to accelerate growth? Fast as you can?" "All right!" This time it was the other cook''s turn. He went to the tank, drank a lot of honey, and then did the same process again. Soon, he spit out a substance that was slightly brownish. It didn''t look like ordinary jelly to me, but when I went to analyze it, I saw that for sure they knew what they were doing.
[Description]
[Royal jelly] Created by a Royal cooker, this jelly can Accelerate the gowth of [Bee] Type [Larvae] in 150% Quality: Excellent
"Gee! That''s very good; how much of this royal jelly did you manage to produce?" "Well... It depends a lot on the quality of the honey and its properties. Of course, our levels are also influenced, but as we are now, we could fill an average tank if we used all the honey we have in stock... I think." "Yes, that''s true, the honey we have now is... Mediocre, not fit for Royal foods, so I would say a little less... Maybe 60 ~ 70% of a medium tank..." "That''s a fucking huge amount of jelly! The boys manage to re-fill all these honey tanks in one day! So you guys may can keep with a good production line. Now show me a jelly created using your MP please!" "Of course mom!" Soon, one of the Cooks ran to one of the tanks and drank another large amount of honey. This time, when he went to create the royal jelly, his chest began to emit small points of light. It was barely noticeable, but it was still there. Soon, the Cook spat into a small jar a drop of jam like the ones I made. The Cook clearly got tired with the work and began to stagger. "What happened?! Are you okay, kid?" "Y-Yes Mom... I only used a lot of MP at one time; I''ll be fine after resting for a while." "Why did you use MP a lot?! You could have used just a little for demonstration!" "I wanted you to be proud of us..." Whoa! "You don''t have to put yourselves in danger for me to be proud of you! You are the first guys in this hive to have MP; I''m already proud of you guys!" "T-Thank you, but please mother, judge our work!" "Okay..."
[Description]
[Workers royal jelly] This jelly can stimulate [Workers] [Bees] resulting in increased efficiency in tasks such as honey production, hive maintenance, and nursing larvae. The stimulation ensures that worker bees carry out their responsibilities with heightened diligence, optimizing the overall productivity of the hive. Quality: Excellent
''These guys just created a bee energy drink!?!'' Chapter 32: Responsibility
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Royal cook Mana: 0.05/1.25
+ Information
''Damn, to create just this drop he used all the mana he has, it seems to be a type of food made especially for the workers, but a single Cooker would not be able to maintain constant production for the needs of the colony..'' "This jelly looks very good! It''s a shame you guys can''t keep up a constant production..." "Sorry Mom, we can increase our production as we level up, but until then we can only produce hight amounts of ordinary royal jelly" "Oh, I wasn''t mad at you guys, you can rest assured, I know that asking you guys to create large quantities of special jelly would be asking too much of drones that have just been born." "..Thanks." "One question. Do you think you could speed up production a little bit if you had some way to restore your MP?" "Yes? Maybe? When we produce this special jelly we use the liquid produced by our glands and a lot of MP in the mix, I would say that 50% of resources, 15% of the gland and 35% of MP, so if we had more Mp we could produce a larger amount per day!" "That''s good! Some time ago the boys found a fruit capable of restoring MP, do you think you could use it to recover your MP?" "Hmm, a fruit would be difficult... Our bodies weren''t made to consume things other than honey and sweets, but we could use the juice of the fruit to try to create a kinde of ''honey''!" "Yes! The ideal wasy of making this would be to produce honey directly with the nectar of the flowers of this fruit, but if the effect is only on the fruit or if there are no flowers we can use this method!" "Wow, I didn''t know we could do that, doesn''t that mean it''s really hard for us to run out of food?" "I wouldn''t say that... Nectar is much easier to work with, we can make a conversion from 2 to 1, while fruit juice or other sweet liquids would be something around 7 to 1 or even more, depending on the resourse.." "Hmm, I understand I will ask the scouts to try to find more of these fruits, preferably branches full of flowers." "Thank you mom! Now what would be our task?" "Wait a minute!" Leaving the cookers behind I fly to the depot and grab a piece of honey, quickly returning to the ''kitchen'' and handing the piece to them. "Do you think you guys can produce something similar?" The cooks analyzed the piece of honey for a few intants, smelled and ''tasted'' as if they were thinking about the best way to produce this honey. "Yes mother! I don''t think we can achieve something exactly the same, but we can create a ''gelatin'' with even better nutritional values and that has a high longevity!" "Yes! Yeah! We only will not be able to reperoduce the ''hard'' texture of this food, ours version would still be a liquid, just a little more consistent and gelatinous, but other than that we can improve all the other qualities of this ration!" ''Hmm, so they can''t produce the pieces of honey directly, but they still quickly found a worthy ''substitute'', I think it doesn''t matter if it''s a liquid, if the nutritional value is even higher than these pieces of honey then it''s already worth it'' "Very well then! Boys I want you to produce the maximun of food you can, rest a little before you start, but soon as you guys start the job I give you full command over the ''kitchen'', you can ask the workers to change it according to your needs and you can ask the workers or soldiers to help you guys to move around" "Thank you mom!" "We will not disappoint you!" "And finally, since you are my first cooks, I will give you guys a name." ''And now, what do I do? The 2 look exactly the same, the one on the right is more ''conservative'' and the one on the left is more ''innovative''. So what? Matching names? Opposite names?'' "...Jay and Ray, those will be yours names, the royal cooks, whenever you have any problems talk to me or Steve, we will try his best to help you" "Thank you mom!" "Me too! We will work hard to make sure no one goes hungry!" "Hum" Leaving the cooks aside I went to Steve and warned him about the new cooks, making it very clear that if they asked for changes in the ''kitchen'' this should be a higher priority, since from now on I would stop devoting myself to create only food and leave most of this job to the cooks.
The time to lay more eggs had come , the new workers had already hatched, and went out to do their job, the new soldiers too, they were just like the ''wild'' soldiers but they still took the job seriously, now I was just waiting for the [beacons] and the [Colectors] who hadn''t even hatched yet, and now I had about 50 + breeding units that I could use, something I realized about breeding was that the story of ''the more useful, the more time it takes'' was false, the cooks is the greatest example for sure, they were extremely helpful and even l had MP, and yet they had a creation time similar to that of an ordinary worker, so what interfered with the creation time? Were cooks born quickly just because they were weak as hell? Or does it have something to do with them not having wings? How?.... What is the reason?... "Mom we were talking and we thought that producing a lot of collectors and cooks would be ideal! The cooks were able to maximize our food and the colectors can help with the job of keeping the tanks full!" "Really? I thought of some more soldiers now.." "Yes! But without food it is useless! So producing a big wave of units tha can produce food is the ideal for now! So the next batches can be only of soldiers!" "Hmm... I think it works, soon we will need a separate kitchen too, and exclusive super honey tanks for honey, and tanks exclusively for royal jelly." "AHHH, the closer I think I am to doing my dream lab, the more things appear to be done!" "The workers couldn''t finish your lab?" "No... I gave the order to focus on the dorm, and the place as lef only 40~% complete... I think after this have I''ll create a few more workers just to focus on my lab." "You''re the boss!" After we made the plans I started laying eggs again, about 30 collectors and 20 cooks, so we could feed the colony easily and without my help. And in for the free space that have left in the nursery, i layed a bunch of workers how later would do the job of being my ''assistants''. When I finished work I was hit with an overwhelming hunger and a familiar message.
[Warning]
The [Egg laying] skill has reached Lv4! You have unlocked the new laying option to choose.
{Laying options}
[Hive Bard Bee] Masters of bee communication, Hive Bards use rhythmic buzzing and harmonic vibrations to create auras that inspire and uplift their hive. Their melodies can enhance productivity, boost morale, and even provide a calming influence during stressful times.
[Propolis shaper Bee] Propolis shaper Bee specialize in collecting and using propolis to fortify and seal the hive. They play a crucial role in hive defense and maintenance. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
[Silk Weaver Bee] Silk Weavers produce fine silk threads from various materials, contributing to hive construction and crafting.
[Crystalizer Bee] Crystalizer Bees have the unique ability to crystallize nectar, forming valuable crystals with diverse applications.
[Lancer Bee] Lancer bees possess a highly resistant and sharp stinger, and possess the special ability to break their stingers to use as weapons. They can also regenerate the stinger over time.
[Warning]
You can choose 2 new posture potions
''Wow, these options are... unique? There is nothing how looks usefull as the [Beacons] or [real cooks], but there are still intriguing options, like [Bard], [Weaver] and [Crystalizer]. It''s nice to know that to get the Class of [Lancer] I don''t need to wait for a soldier bee to evolve, I can choose to lay them directly as [Lancer] since birth, so for sure [lancer] is out of choice here, I don''t know if all Lancers would be strong as Hans, but I believe not, Hans get several skills as [Soldier] and get a great improvement when he had evolved, these [Lancer] since birth should not be so powerful like a bee that evolveld to be a [Lancer].'' So what can a [Bard] do? Is just some kind of class to ''cheer up'' others bees or does it have buff and debuffs functions? Like the ''battle'' bards in the RPG re Games? They could go to fights and increase the damage of allies and weaken the damage of attackers? ''No... The description of these bards says that they are kind of "cheerleaders" for the hive, they are not supposed to be fighters... But nothing prevents them from evolving into a combat Bard class later.'' Even if they is not a combatant unit, having a troop capable of boosting morale is still good, but I don''t really need morale, the bees are already blindly loyal to me, I have no reason to ''make them more loyal'', but I think they would be very happy to have someone to cheer them up, they could even make an audience to listen to some ''music'' from the bards. ''These [Propolis] seem to grant me a new kind of building material, the propolis could be used to seal the walls and ''sterilise'' areas like the nursery and kitchen, I could even use this propolis as a new potion ingredient.." ''Are these [Weavers] some kind of evolutions of the [Silk larvae]? Because it seems to be too coincidental for them to appear like this, but honestly, bees that produce silk? We are one step away from becoming spiders! But for sure it could be very useful, if I didn''t have other options like the cooks and the beacons in the last choice I would have chosen the Silk larvae, because after all, having a way to produce ropes and fabric is very useful in one way or another, I can create cloth filters, ropes to tie pots, Sail Pavilion, and the workers could use a totally new material for the construction.'' ''These [crystalizer] are the mysterious ones... Are the crystals they can produce like honey flakes? Because if it is, it''s useless to me, but if it''s something totally new? If it is some super important building material? What if they manage to crystallize royal jelly?!'' I ended up going to Steve again to ask him, when it came to planning up for the future Steve knew what to do he could always say what would be best for the hive. "Steve!" "Hello Mom, what do you need?" "I got another level in laying eggs! Let me show you.." After explaining the options to Steve he also began to think seriously about the options, as if evaluating the use of each one. "I.. I seriously think you should choose [Bards] and [silk], they can be very useful for the whole colony!" "I also thought the [Silk] would be very helpful, but how could a [Bard] help?" "They can strengthen the entire hive Mother, I think they could grant bonus effects to everyone in the colony, it would be very usefull, and from time to time the bards could cheer up the workers!" "I understand, so I will choose the Bards and the silk producers, soon as the new cooks emerge I will create some of them." "Thank you mom!" "I thank you for your help Steve, How is the construction of the new dormitory?" "Excellent mother! The new workers have been a great help, and we anticipate that by tomorrow all of the dormitories, and the lunchroom will be 60% at leastcomplete!" "What about the cooks? Did they ask for anything?" "Yes! They ordered the construction of a fully dedicated kitchen for them selfs! With an access to the honey tanks and large barrels to store royal jelly!" "I see, so what have you done about it?" "We asked them to wait until the dormitories were finished, and we gave them Carl''s group and more 5 workers to help modify the current room they have, and as well help them with food production." "This will do! Thanks so much for the hard work Steve!" "This is nothing mom!"
[Warning]
You had evolved into the Lv 5
What? Where is it?! Where is my evolution?! What do this mean?! That i don''t evolve?! Wasn''t it Level 5?! One day had already passed, the workers were working like crazy to build the new dormitory, and Matt''s group was overwhelmed with the work of collecting nectar. 6 workers bees and 2 collectors were not even close to enough to keep up with the demand of 2 cooks, so much that I had to send 20 bees of Levi''s group to Matt, leaving the construction group with less manpower, Levi said that there were no problems, since the construction of the dorm was close to finishing, and assured me that by the end of the day the workers would have comfortable places to sleep. During this time the soldiers attacked and killed everything that came close and was weaker than them. We had the visit of some larger and more dangerous insects, but when these insects saw several angry bees running up to them, they ended up fleeing without a trace. With this I got some Xp from the soldiers and the workers who polonized when colecting nectar, and finally I got Level 5, but to my surprise, I didn''t evolve. ''Can''t I evolve? Will it be that by being a queen I am already in the ''final form''? But this is nonsense! I have seen several insects that did not have powerful [Classes] but had very strange [species] names! So there must be a way to evolve my species, maybe not with levels? But if not with levels then how do I evolve my species? Maybe eating something strange and powerful? Or do I need an ''evolution stone''? Like those pokemons that don''t evolve by levels?!'' ''No, I''m getting too desperate, damn [Concerned player], maybe because I''m a queen I need more levels to climb up? And if I evolve my [species] what happens to the whole colony? Do they change species with me? Or do I need to create new troops to have bees of the same species as me?'' "Damn it! Why doesn''t this fucking system tell me anything?!! Some information would be welcome!" "If I meet the inventor of this shitty system I swear by the hair on my mane that I will punch him or her in the-" ''Mom... Trevis... Danger... Humans...'' "What!?!" Steve sent me a mental message, since Trevis couldn''t do that, and from the looks of it Trevis found the humans I asked him to find. After running up to Steve I see him from the side of the tall Trevis, the 2 are just waiting for me and don''t look as nervous as I do. "Steve, Trevis! What happened?! Where are the humans?!" "M-Mom, I found the ''humans'' you asked for, far in the north, behind the mountains, 2 hour or 3 afar from here, they seem to be settling down near the river, they were making some tents and... Bonfires." "So these humans are making a home here? How dangerous are they?" "Very dangerous, they carry torches and set fire to some trees, they are very dangerous and we must keep our distance!" ''There we go again, they''ve seen the fire and they''re already scared to death.'' "Can you describe them? And can you tell me their number?" "Well.. They are around 30, they are very thin and appeared dejected, most of them seemed injured, those ''humans'' walk on 2 legs, have 2 arms and are very huge, I would say that the average height is 2 meters, their body are covered by hair of varied colors and they have features like wolves or canines!" ''Human/Wolves? So they''re not humans they''re werewolves, or Beastmen, I don''t know maybe they have other names." I knew that there could be creatures other than humans in this world, but it is still a surprise to find other intelligent beings besides humans, does this mean that this world is colonized by werewolves? Or are there other intelligent creatures out there? "Werewolves? I understand, so I''ll call them that! Do you think we should worry about them?" "No! They''re too far away to be a problem, and I don''t think they''re going to survive anyway." "W-What do you mean, they won''t survive?" "Many of them are injured, and the whole group is very weak, I managed to find them after tracking a trail of the smell of Blood, other monsters will soon come out of the forest to eat them! We don''t have to care about them!" Trevis said such scary things without even shaking, and Steve didn''t seem bothered either, these wolves were living beings, they were probably running away from something to end up here in such a miserable state, but my children only saw them as a nuisance. "T-this is cruel... We know they are there, and that they are in great danger, but we won''t do anything about it?" "Huh? They are not our brothers, we don''t owe them nothing, and we should not get involved with creatures that can late harm us!" ''Are they right? I shouldn''t give my hand to a wolf that can bite me later, but letting them die also seems very wrong, of course I''m a little bee, what could I do to help a whole group of people? Even if I found a way to make a royal jelly with healing effects that are not limited by [specie] how would I create enough jelly for each of them? Trevis said that most were injured, I would need whole days to produce enough jam for only 2-3 of them, and if I used my resources with them my colony would starve, I owe nothing to these strangers. And yet I feel so bad knowing that they could die at any time.'' ''Damn it! I should have kept quiet and made Trevis go after something else, so I''d never know about these guys, and by the time I found out they would already be dead a long time ago, time enough for me don''t feel bad about them!'' "...Trevis! I have an ultra important and dangerous mission for you!" "H-Huh? W-Whatever mother wishes!.." "I want you to fly to the poison forest in the south, and find [Tears of the saint] a white flower like a bell and golden details, with emerald green leaves that grow in that forest!" "I will gladly go if that is your request, But if you allow my ignorance, May I know why mother desire this flower?" "I.. I think we can help these beast men up north! Even if it we had nothing to do with them, I can''t just accept letting them die like this!" "...I understand... If this is your wish what should I do after finding the flowers?" "I want that.. what.. You bring them here! Take Scouts, soldiers, workers if you have to, tear it off the ground and bring the flower alive! As many of these flowers as you can find!" "I understand, I will go immediately!" Trevis soon left like a bolt of lightning towards the south, maybe he didn''t agree with me, but he accepted my choices because I was the Queen, but I can''t help but want to help these people, maybe it''s just me trying to hold on to the humanity I have left, but not doing anything when you know the risk, and the same as pushing them towards death. "What do you think, Steve? Am I stupid for worrying about people who aren''t even my own kids?" "Maybe.. But I think it makes you a good mother, the ability to care about someone doesn''t seem to be for just anyone... So don''t feel bad that you think your choices were harmful to the hive, I''d be the first to speak up if you put our lives at risk!" "Ha, ha, thanks Steve, I hope it''s true, even if this idea doesn''t work out I still feel much better, if those poor people starve to death or succumb to their wounds at least I would know that I tried to help them." Chapter 33: The right choice? In the last 4 days many things happened, the dorm was finished, and now the oficial kitchen and the new super honey tanks were in construction, the new collectors had emerged and were helping Matt and Miles at full steam, the new cooks also hatched, soon as the cooks were born and Ken finished cleaning the nursery i made a another big wave of workers and they had already hatched for now, now we had a great team of builders, transporters, pollinators, gatherers and cooks. Everything was going very fast and well, and now I was just waiting for the new have of soldiers that i had layed to be born and I had created a small number of [Bards] and [Weavers] as well, to test their skills, and in the rest of the production combs I created more soldiers, it was somewhere between 10 bards, 10 Weavers, and 40 soldiers. The dormitories that the worker made was very nice, it was connected to a large hall that the boys could use to socialize, and the large hall was connected to the communal refectory. The new kitchen was being made near the lunchroom, and the workers were connecting everything with large corridors, unlike the narrow corridors that Levi initially planned, these corridors were large and easy to walk, capable of withstanding a large flow of bees. Another thing the workers were doing was to put wax between the spans of the branches of the tree, they closed all the holes and then asphalted everything with wax bricks to create a smooth surface, even if they didn''t need to do it since the only ones who needed to walk were the cooks, but when I asked why they did it, they told me that it was not just a matter of aesthetics, leaving these holes all over the base was dangerous, since enemies could attack from below. In the meantime I also got a lot of Xp, and several worker reached Lv 3. Some others like Levi, Carl, Ken, Miles, and Steve were upset that they couldn''t level up because they were doing jobs that didn''t grant Xp. While Matt had already reached Level 4, and was super excited about the possibility of evolving. Some workers were assigned just for me, to build my laboratory, it was a small group, around 5, but still managed to carry out all my demands. They made wax pots, dishes and grinded ingredients that the scouts founded. Trevis succeeded in his journey, and the soldiers managed to pluck a whole flower with roots and everything, and brought it to me a few days ago. The poison forest was dangerous, but Trevis hiding abilities were good, and because he was so ''weak'' the creatures that could find him didn''t wasted they time eating him. The flower was planted on the roots of the tree by the workers, and soon I asked the cooks to try to create a royal jelly capable of curing anyone who ate it.
[Description]
[Bee''s Royal jelly] A royal jelly created by cooking bees, this jelly can cause the [Regeneration] effect for 15 minutes if eaten.
  • [Regeneration] - heals 1 [health] point per minute
Quality: Excellent
The effect of the jelly was not very good, perhaps because it took away the limitation of [species], so bees were very good at making medicines for other bees, but they could not do much for other species. I tried asking them to use MP to create a powerful effect and I finally got something that could be useful for the Beastmen
[Description]
[Jelly of Vital Renewal] This jelly can accelerates the natural healing processes, mending wounds and revitalizing the essence. The jelly has an immediate and potent impact, restoring 30% of the drinker''s maximum health over a short duration.
  • Gain the effect [Disabled] after consuming the jelly.
  • Greatly increases the natural regeneration of the body for several days.
  • Earn a permanent small immunity bonus.
Quality: Excellent
''That''s fucking Jelly is strong as hell! That could help the Beastmen!'' "Boys how much of this you-" When I looked up to the Cook who had made this single drop, he was passed out on the floor, and the other cooks were trying to carry him to a safe place. "What had happened with him?!?" "Mom! It''s just Mental exhaustion.. He pushed himself too hard to create what you wanted and it ended up that way... After a rest he can return to work." "What do you mean?! I-I didn''t know it was going to happen, if he knew it was going to happen, why did he let him have a mental breakdown??!" "He just wanted to fulfill your mother''s request..." ''Fanatical mentality fuckers! These guys are willing to die while working for me!''
[Efects]
[Mental exhaustion] - 24:58 Hours This individual mind has been totally overloaded, the damage is real.
"..Ask the soldiers to take him to the dormitory! Give him a full weak off!" "There is no nescessity mother! When he wakes up he can-" "Give him the recess! Nobody here is going to work till they drop dead!" "A-all right..." ''This is bad, I can''t ask the cooks to faint to create this jam, I only have one drop, I would need a much larger amount if I wanted to help the werewolves, and even if the cooks volunteer themselves for the work, we don''t have [Tears of the saint] enough to produce the nessecary amount of nectar! ''Damn it! If I had chosen the [Farmers] back them they could have helped me out really good now!'' "Boys, I''m sorry to ask, but how much more of this jam do you think you can produce?" "Huh? Well, now that we know that we shouldn''t overdo it, we can create a smaller amount without fainting, but with the lack of raw material, the most we could create is a small wax jar filled with this jam every day, If we focus only in that!" ''That''s very little, a small jug is the size of a golf ball, there''s no way that can heal a group of 30 people...'' "Now all of you guys help me think! We have a group of 30 people, most of them injured, they are at least 20x bigger than us, and all we have to help them is this small dose of jelly! How can we help even more?!" Everyone in the room seemed to be looking at me with a face like, ''you''re asking too much of me, aren''t you?'' but Ray and Jay still seemed to be thinking about an solution "Well... We can try to create jelly with minor healing effects!" "Y-Yes! And then we could put it all together and create a medium-quality jelly, which isn''t going to heal all of their injuries,but is going to help a lot already." "Yeah, and we could just make each of them drink only a minimal dose! Leaving the most injured with the priority and those who can recover, without jelly." ''These guys were able to think of these solutions like if were the most natural thing in the world...'' "All right! You can move forward with this plan! Try to create at least one medium tank!" "A-a medium tank? That would be a lot of jam... It would take us days to fill it" "It doesn''t matter!! It can take a while, just try not to take too long!" "Understood!" Soon as I left the temporary kitchen I thought about trying to create a healing potion, a potion could help more those people than that little amount of honey, but to create a potion it is not enough to have good intentions, creating a potion requires many ingredients and knowledge, things that I don''t have right now. Trevis kept searching for new healing flowers, we knew there were more of these flowers somewhere on the poison forest, they were just very rare and hard to find, but with enough time we could monopolize all the healing flowers in the region. One thing about the flowers was that the [Tears of the saint] seemed to grow very well on the roots of this tree, the only flower we found until now, had take roots very quickly and started producing more flowers bulbs and leaves. For now we couldn''t use anything, but in some time we would have a [Tears of the Saint] full of flowers and healing nectar! Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Another thing about roses and flowers, was that the [Burning Blooms] now were... ''Dying''. The fire Rose seemed to survive by absorbing some kind of energy that came from the crystal, but in these last few days the glowing rock began to lose its luster and became darker and darker, and the Rose that once emitted a red glow and heat from its core was now dull and the heat was so weak that we could touch the core without hurting ourselves. One of the things is that this Rose seemed to be prepared for this situation, a few days it began to lose all the petals and the nucle that was previously the source of heat began to turn into a kind of ''fruit'', it looked a lot like what fruit flowers did in my word, but it was a rose, so it was very strange, currently the ''fruit'' was still growing and the Crystal seemed to be about to runs off. "Now I need to send soldiers after another of these burning roses." After giving Hans a mental tug and waiting for his arrival, a large bee of dangerous appearance, who carried a metal harpoon much larger tham himself in 2 of his hands appeared to greet me. "Mom! How can I help you?" "Hello Hans, I need you and some soldiers to go to that cave you had found some time ago and bring more one of these fire roses." "Sure. Immediately?" "Oh, no, you can wait until I give the orders~" "All right! While I''m here, I''d like to make a request!" "Of course! What is it Hans?" "I would like you to give the permision for us the soldiers to start training again! So we can level up and evolve!" "Hmm, can''t you guys wait just a few more days? The cooks are very busy for now, and overloading them with a high food demand is not a wise idea." Hans seemed surprised by my statement, the oficial kitchen was almost complet and the new stocks soon would be made, there''s no reason to stop the growth of the soldiers. At least that''s what Hans thought. "Why are the cooks overwhelmed? What happened?" "Haven''t you heard from Steve? I plan to help the werewolves in the north." "Them? Steve told me... But why do you care so much about them? They not even members of our family, they are only potential enemies, very dangerous enemies, if we leave them as they are now, soon all of them would probaly die and we will no longer have to worry about the threat they pose." ''That''s... Hans always been this cold? He always cared so much about the good of everyone and was always kind anf soft to everyone except the soldiers, but I didn''t think Hans could just ignore someone dying like it was the most normal thing in the world.'' "Th.. .That''s cruel Hans... Would we let a group of workers die if they were too far away or if it was too expensive to save them?" "Yes, of course, sacrificing a small piece is a small price to pay for the good of the whole colony." "H-Hans?!" "It''s just what I think Mom.. Of course i would feel bad for letting my brothers die, but I would feel even worse if an even greater number of my brother died because of my bad choices." "Hans... Ah.. The story of cutting off an arm to save the body..." "Yes, but that''s not the point here, the point is that we shouldn''t mix with these ''Beastmen'', they aren''t our brothers or our responsibility, if they survive by themselves that''s fine, but I am against offering a helping hand, we must first take care of ourselves, in fact, we must only take care of ourselves!" ''Is Hans right? I''m so worried about feeling bad for letting them die, that I''m forcing cooks into an abusive work routine, if I were powerful or rich it would be easy to help some misereable people, but I''m not powerful or rich, I''m a bee.'' ''I can''t offer them what they need, with a lot of effort I can get them some jelly that helped them take care of their injuries, but that''s it, I can''t do anything more for them... We are responsible for those we care. ''If I can''t take responsibility for taking care of these guys, then it would just be cruelty trying to take care of them, I couldn''t do anything but extend their suffering...'' "No! It''s not right Hans! Yes, we should think more about ourselves than we think about others, but if we don''t open up a little space to think about the others, then when are we going to think about them!??" "Mom.. Helping them is a mistake, if we offer a jelly capable of healing the wounded, do you think they would thank us and leave us alone? They probably gona come after us! They would try to extract more ''medicine'' from us no matter the methods!" "We are far away! We can deliver the jelly through Trevis, he''d have the skills to come back untraced!" "That''s counting with luck! The power of those creatures is unknown! Trevis could easily be tracked down by one of their high-level members!" "How can they be high-level?! You didn''t hear Trevis report, they were all bruised and denitrified, if in the 2 of us who are only insects managed to get through the poisonous forest without majory problems, then think about the power of these guys who arrived here all tattered!" "This is naivety mom! Exactly, we are insects, we are not a worthy meal for powerful creatures, and we can fly! That group had to walk all the way here, and they are big enough to attract the appetites of many monsters, and guess what?! They passed through the forest! Despite all the dangers of the place they still pass through there! Do you really think we could fight them if they were in their best state?! Do you think we can fight them in the current state?!" "I... Ugh.. I can''t just let them die Hans. I-I can''t leave someone abandoned to die... let them suffer and hope for help, let them hope that someone will help them only to die alone..." Like when I died begging for help, and no one ever came. "Mom!... We need help too. Us! Your children! Not a bunch of strangers! I.. I don''t know how much longer I can guarantee everyone''s safety, the enemies will increase in numbers every day, and we continue the same way, even with the large number of soldiers on the way, if we can''t guarantee sovereignty over this region, then we can only fight to the death against our competitors!" "H-Hans... I didn''t know this place was so dangerous... We''ve never had any ''accidents''..." "And what do you think the reason is, mother? We soldiers protect everyone 24 hours a day, every day! We need to keep the colony always protected, and that''s why we can hardly sleep due to our low numbers to maintain rotation. And when we don''t sleep, we can''t perform our duty with mastery! The only exception is me! I can stay awake longer because I''m from a superior class! But if we can''t increase our numbers quickly, and individual strength, the creatures living in the valley will come after us, trying to get an easy meal!" "That... But with the new 40 soldiers that will be born in a few days, can''t we guarantee our safety?" "Honestly? No! Just as we soldiers are not intimidated by numerous low-level enemies, a powerful being will not care about several low-level soldiers." What should I do? The weremen might end up dying, but if I dedicate all our resources to helping them, we will be the ones to sufer. Hans is right, I shouldn''t care about someone who has nothing to do with me... I could help them, but before helping others, I need to help myself. My children are at risk here, until now, no one had died, but that was only due to a combination of a hard work done by the soldiers and incredible luck. The scouts were at the greatest risk going so far from home, and the soldiers had so few members that they couldn''t maintain the security of more than the 100 bees we have. We have so many workers now and several other troops that it would give about 8 bees for each soldier to protect; it''s simply ridiculous. With the new 40 soldiers on the way, everyone''s job would be easier, but if I didn''t allow them to level up, then it would turn into a numbers game against a powerful enemy, and probably a large part of my children would die in a fight to defend the nest, all because I didn''t allow them to develop and gain combat experience. "...I understand Hans... The weremen will have to... Help themselves. I allow you and the soldiers to level up much as you guys can. So please continue with the good work, and I''m sorry for not thinking of us as a whole before making an important decision..." "Thank you very much mother! I understand it might be difficult for you to give up helping the beasts, but how about this? If we level up higher, we can send some soldiers to try to protect them!" "That would take forever... Until one of you evolves enough to be able to help the beasts..." "Then we''ll just have to wait until we''re stable enough to help others! I won''t give in, mother! I won''t help anyone other than my own brothers!" Selfish boy, maybe I''m the problem, as the mother of this colony, I should only think of what''s best for them, but I still bother to think about helping unknown and potentially dangerous people. There''s no problem in helping them if I could ensure that I would really help them and that they wouldn''t be a threat for us in the future, but helping them now is simply unattainable. "Awnn I understand, Hans, you certainly are a knight with an iron fist, it''s not a bad thing, and I understand your point of view, please take good care of the soldiers." "I will, mother! I''ll make you proud of all of us!" I am already, you idiot. After Hans left, I was alone, thinking about my choices. As the mother and queen, I made the right decision not to help unknown people, but as a ''human being'', I failed to help someone in a time of need. Maybe this karma will come back to me someday, there''s not much to do with this for now. I can forgive myself someday for letting a bunch of strangers die, but I don''t think I would ever forgive myself if my family died because of my mistakes in priority choices.
"And now I declare the kitchen officially open!" "YES!" "Finally! Now we can focus on the super silos!" The workers were doing an ''inauguration'' of the new kitchen, they were even drinking small bubbles of honey as if it were ''champagne'', to celebrate the event, the soldiers had gone to get the cookers and the whole kitchen was super well equipped, had stairs made of wax, ramps, benches and tables, everything adapted for those who didn''t have wings, the cooks could move everywhere without problems, and the ceiling of the kitchen was very high, enough for workers to fly between the place without disturbing the cooks, the whole room was connected by a large entrance to another room still under construction, which had a bunch of large honey tanks. The workers began to ''innovate'' in the creation of Tanks, formerly they used only bricks and made a kind type of pool for the honey and resourses, but now they created real silos of Hard Wax, some workers inherited knowledge of silos, engineering, and architecture, and different from a workplace where the boss''s words were law, the bees argued freely about the best design and shape to maximize their efficiency. This new tank had the cylindrical shape of a silo, with funnel-shaped parts on top and bottom, the whole silo was made of a thick layer of hard wax, and coated with ordinary wax, the funnel shape allowed the workers to place a ''tap'' on the bottom, which allowed a fast emptying, the tap was unconventional, it was a system with a hollow wax tuple, and a wax cylinder that the bees used as a ''stopper'', the whole tap ended in a kind of bowl, since bees didn''t need to fill buckets to carry honey, just fill their breasts, and the top of the cilum had a large sliding wax lid. It would be hard for Cooks to get up there, considering each silo was about 4x the size of a cooker. But the job of the Cooks was to make food, the one who transported it to the silos were the bees of Miles''s group. Carl still continued with his work, as incredible it may sounds, cooks cannot make honey, only jam, they can turn nectar directly into jam, but they cannot turn nectar into honey, so this work continued with Carl. And speaking of him, Carl was at Level 8 of [Create honey] and I asked him if he had gained a sub-skill at Level 5, and he actually really did! But it wasn''t the sub-skill [Flakes creation], but a skill called [Condensing honey], which allowed him to create the [Concentrated honey], he said he didn''t use the skill because he would have to mix the honey with regular honey and was afraid of ''compromising'' the food reserves, and Carl didn''t want to have to empty all the honey he made into a separate tank, so he chose to use just the main skill. This showed me that the sub-skills weren''t fixes, they depended on who gained them. After this event I called all the workers who work with Carl, and are at least Level 5 of creat honey for an ''interview''. "Ok guys, please each one of you tell me what sub-skill of [Create honey] you have, and give me a brief description of what it can do!" "I have [Honey infusion], I can infuse the taste of nectar into the Honey I create more easily! "I-I have [Honey Presenvation], the honey I create takes longer to rot... "Yes! I have [Create candy]! I can make small candies using honey!" "I.. I have [Senses for honey], when I look at honey, I can tell its quality, how long it takes until rots, and its nutritional value." "My sub-skill is [Right measure], I can make more honey with less nectar! "I-i h-have [Syrup Production ,I-I can turn honey into a super sweet and nutritious syrup, but the a-amount is quite small. "Humm, I understand, thank you very much for the personal information! They helped a lot, you all can continue your work!" "Okay~! "Goodbye" "T-thank you" The boys helped me see that certain [skills] granted sub-skills, it wasn''t all the skills that gave these sub-skills, it seemed that it was something unique to the [production] area, is it a way of the system to create professionals in a varied areas? I haven''t found any bees with [Create flakes] or repeated sub-skills, but that doesn''t mean they are unique skills, it may just be that there are a large number of sub-skills to gain. So when the boys got level 10 in [Create honey] would the skill still become [Create food] or something else? Because even though they are all different sub-skills they all have the commom fact of food production. Chapter 34: I Have big plans The next day, my laboratory was ''Completed.'' And I could go back to conducting my experiments. I had ordered the cooks to abandon the plan of creating a jelly capable of helping the weremen and asked them to focus solely on rations for the colony. I requested them to create rations specifically tailored for the [Soldier] class, and to no one''s surprise, creating a large quantity of this jelly was very difficult since the cooks were stuck at level 1, something that seriously concerned me. If some classes that were not combat-oriented didn''t have the [Pollinator] trait, then how on earth could they level up?! I was very worried about the idea of needing to send the cooks to the battlefield, but for now, the food production problem was being solved with a greater number of cooks and a significant reduction in the quality of the jelly created for the soldiers.
[Description]
[Vim and Vigor jelly] Created by a cooker bee, this jelly Infuses soldier bees with a potent energy surge, revitalizing their bodies and minds, restoring stamina, and allowing them to fight tirelessly without succumbing to exhaustion. Quality: Good
The soldiers were being fed a mixture of [Vim and vigor jelly] and [Nutritive paste]. The special jelly was given to the workers before they started their work, and only one dose per day was given to each soldier. Meanwhile, the nutritive paste was a food that could be consumed at any time by anyone. The [Nutritive paste] was something the cooks created through joint effort. They produced large quantities of nutritious jelly made from various random flowers and then dumped everything into large "pots" made of hard wax. Afterward, they began to spit small drops of a white liquid that I think came from the glands of the cooks and stirred everything with pollen and nutritious flower paste. The end result was a paste of varied colors that was extremely nutritious. It wasn''t as tasty as pure honey or special jelly, but according to the cooks, it was only a matter of time until they developed a version that pleased everyone.
[Description]
[Nutritive paste] Made by several cooks bees. This remarkable nutritive paste is a combination of their capabilities and mastery of cooking and their dedication to sustaining the colony .This paste can supply all the nutritional values of a bee for several days in addition to granting a small bonus in the hive immunity. Quality: Great
One thing about the cooks was that they didn''t see my "hobby" of creating potions as useless or unnecessary. They thought I was amazing and that I was working hard to create new ingredients for them to make food with. Of course, I didn''t have that intention at first, but if it could help the cooks, then what harm was there in it? Once the cooks discovered my processed ingredients, they began to "evaluate" each one and consider their uses. After a while, the cooks concluded that things like walnut oil, green pastes, flower and leaf essences, and pieces of fruit, mushrooms, or leaves could be used in the kitchen. They used everything in small amounts, creating strange mixtures and crazy foods. Some foods simply weren''t suitable for a bee''s body, but others were quite interesting, and before moving to the new kitchen, the cooks had already figured out how to create the [Nutritive paste]. These guys were so good at processing ingredients that they made me look like an inexperienced novice, even though I was the one who taught them in the first place! They had hard bristle pestles and stones that they used to quickly create unique ingredients, and recently, they had been pestering the workers to create a new room with a giant mill. They were basing it on Japanese manual stone mills, but the workers said it was very difficult to find a stone in the right shape, so the cooks didn''t have their ''toy'' yet. Another thing about the cooks was that they seemed to have no fear of fire like everyone else, but they still were very afraid of it. When I suggested giving them a stove so they could conduct their own experiments, they said it was okay as long as it absolutely didn''t involve fire. Currently, this stove was being built by the workers in an extension of the kitchen. The workers had set up a new room that was only 1/3 the size of the original kitchen, and now they were lining everything with mud to "ensure" safety. Now I was heading to my laboratory; I would return with my crazy experiments to make something useful out of it. With any luck, I could create something useful for all of us. In the past, I didn''t have many resources or even qualified equipment, but now with the scouts, I had tons of unique ingredients, the workers had created various incredible equipment, and I had dozens of jars, dishes, spoons, pots, corks, and vials for my crazy potions. And with my assistants now, I would be able to work more efficiently. I had gotten some new ingredients, well, a lot of new ingredients, in the search for [Ruby Cherries] to help the cooks refil they MP, the scouts found a lot of unique ingredients, they even found a bush of Ruby Cherries, but it was too far away, and a Bush was too hard to plow off the ground when you''re a bee. Among the new ingredients were resins, sap, nuts, flowers, nectar, bones, leaves, roots, pollen and even things like blood! The bees found bloodstains, probably from creatures that had hurt themselves, and some of them brought small amounts to me! Now I had my ''stove'' which was a big structure made of mud around a fire Rose, the whole rose had been sealed and the only way out fot the heat was a small circle that was near the core. All over the room I had large jars of wax, the jars contained powders of different ingredients, essences, resin, dried pieces, honey and even royal jelly! In the biggest pot in the whole room there was a lot of water, and if I needed to empty it all out I could just throw it out the door and it would fall out of the tree down a small drain made of wax. The big difference this time was that I had 2 workers who served as my ''lab assistants''. I resolve to call them Albert, and Isaac, I didn''t mean to make any jokes with that, but I think having these 2 guys as my lab assistants is pretty cool! They helped in the tansk of processing ingredients, move large pots, or simply organize everything. ''Hmm, alright, my attempts to create potions weren''t exactly ''successful'', I think I''d better try creating other substances before trying to create new potions..'' For my first attempt I tried throwing ''oily'' substances into the pot, such as flower resin, common wax and Chestnut oil. After letting everything heat up for a while in my makeshift'' cauldron'', I began to stir until everything turned into a single strange connection.
[Description]
[Beeswax Lubricant] A natural lubricant derived from beeswax, this substance provides excellent lubrication for machinery while also offering protection against corrosion. Quality: Good
Did I create an oil machine for bees? What could I do with it? Prevent a door from making noise? "Isaac, Albert, please put half the contents of the cauldron in a jar, and leave the rest so I can use it again!" "Yes mother!" ''Or can i make real machines? In theory there''s nothing to stop me from creating machines and gears and things like that, and the creation of this oil shows me that it is really possible to create materials for machinery.'' ''If I could create gears, I could make water pumps, treadmills, or even a mechanical grinder!'' ''But it''s not that simple... I could try to make some gears with hard wax, but even Hard Wax would not withstand hight pressures, or the heat generated by stress, of course I could dip the parts in oil to keep friction at a minimum, but that is not definitive, I would need a tougher alloy Than Hard Wax'' Wood is not ideal either, we could make some wooden gears, but it would be very difficult to maintain these gears, it would rot over time and could swell if dipped in oil, Stone is very difficult to cut, and Hard Wax is very soft. Leaving the thought aside I start to throw a small amount of pollen from various flowers into the mix, and soon as I see that nothing has changed I start to throw more pollen until the liquid began to peel off from the ''cauldron''. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
[Description]
[Hot Beeswax Reinforced Resin] A natural resin derived from beeswax, this material harden up when dry, and can be used as insulation material when are dried. Quality: Good
''This is incredible! I just created some kind of rubber! A variation for the bees, but it is still like rubber, it seems to be less resistant than ordinary rubber, but if I can melt used pieces and re-use those pieces, then it would already a very good material!'' Enthusiastic about this rubber, I ask for the workers to sprink the ground with pollen to serve as an ant-adherent and then threw all the thick liquid on the ground, as the liquid hardened I sintered some branches and rolled small rubber balls on branches to try to make small rubber balls later. In the end I had a big rubber plate, and 3 sticks with rubber balls on the point, after waiting the plate to dry and making some tests I realized that this ''rubber'' plate was very difficult to cut, but very sturdy to any kind of impact damage
[Description]
[Beeswax Reinforced Resin] A natural resin derived from beeswax, this is a highly resistant material to any kind of blunt atack and capable of isolating surfaces which it is in contact. Quality: Good
As a test I tried to throw the rubber sticks back into the cauldron, and I was relieved to see that the rubber was again a liquid, leaving behind only the wooden sticks. ''This is very good! This rubber can be used for several things! I can create rubber stoppers, seals and even things like belts! This could change everyone''s life! We could make an automatic hive! Or become steam-punk bees, I just need to find a good enough material to make gears, and think of a power source!'' Leaving everything aside I tried mixing things like wax, bone powder, clay, ash, Earth and SAP to create a tough material, but I ended up with something bad. "Boys! Think about a material how is resistent, easy to mold, and cheap for us!" "Hard wax?" "No! More resistent!" "How about we use clay? It''s easy to find and shape, and it''s tough when it dries!" "No.. Even if we created ceramics with it, it would not be very resistant." ''How about we try to make an ''alloy'', we can use things like wax, sap, pollen and stuff like that to try and create something sturdy!'' "This could work, but we would need to find a perfect materia..." "Well, it''s not like we have an appointment, is it?" After listening to the opinion of my assistants, I started to make a great mixture with various liquids and solids with the intuition of creating a solid alloy, I used things like deretinated hard wax, clay, pollen, dry grass and bone powder.
[Description]
[Wax Alloy] An alloy made of wax and other Materials, when it dries it becomes a highly brittle material Quality: Good
That''s not what I wanted! This turned into something like crayons, I can''t use this shit to build, and not even like regular crayons!. Throwing everything away we continued my Experiments until it started to get dark, i tried so many combinations and materials, and failed in each of them, the process was slow and challenging, creating a new material is not simple as it seems and most of the time you end up with useless substances. After a long time, and spending much of my materials, I managed to create an alloy from tree resin, wax, Ash, Clay and ''rubber'' that could actually be used for my purposes.
[Description]
[Hot Beeswax Hard Alloy] When cooled, this alloy expands for a moment before contracting again, leaving behind a material that is highly resistant to impacts and high temperatures. Quality: Good
''Yes! that''s perfect! If I can make gear molds I could put us in an industrial age!'' "Boys! bring a very large plate for me to use as a mold!" "Yes mother!" After my helpers brought the plate, I poured all the material inside and waited until it dried, I honestly was very excited about all this, if I could create useful materials, and industrialize all our production, then we could focus solely on leveling up, while only a small number of workers would need to operate the machines! If only I could find a way to produce energy for all those machinery''s. ''I need an engine! Something that makes everything move, how do I create electricity?! I should have focused more on that, and read less Shoujo and Shounen ai novels when I was a human!'' ''All right, Remember, remember, how an engine works... a flammable gas is placed inside a piston, which then compresses the gas, then a small flame ''explodes'' everything making the piston move, the new gas produced by the reaction is expelled, and the process repeats.'' BUT HOW THE HELL DO I MAKE A PISTON?! ''Damn it! Do any of the workers have that knowledge?! I''m sure I must have seen this at some point in my life, I just have to find this knowledge'' "do you guys by any chance know how to create an engine?" "An engine?" "HMm.. I think not? What else is this engine for?" "An engine makes things spin using some kind of fuel." "Then... Can''t we just make something like a windmill? He could stir the gears and make everything move..." This can work!! I don''t need electricity, this is a very difficult thing for a simple bee to create, but kinetic energy is another story! I could do a lot of things with it! Of course it''s not useful as electric power, but I could still create a great grinder, a treadmill, blenders, mixers and anything that can be stirred solely with Gears! "Good Job Isaac! That''s a great idea!" "Thank you mom! Always good to help!" "Ugh.." It seemed that Isaac and Albert had a kind of'' friendly competition for my approval, it was not like the relationship of Matt and Milles, who Lived fighting, but they looked a lot like 2 students competing for the attention of the teacher and some extra credits. After a while waiting the wax alloy that we had put on the plate finally dried and after analyzing it I could say that it would definitely be useful for my plans!
[Description]
[Hot Beeswax Hard Alloy] An alloy made of wax and other materials, this alloy is highly resistant and biodegradable, it becomes soft when exposed for a long time to humid environments Quality: Good
''That shit is really hard.. If I were an ordinary Bee this would be useless to me, but with my knowledge, this material will be the beginning of my empire!'' "KU Ku ku ku... Ha hahahaha! HAHAHAH!!" "Mom why are you laughing like that?" "She must not even be listening to you, she must have gone crazy for good..." "Have more respect for our own mother!"
The next day, I had requested my assistants to make various molds of gears, rods, and plates. I sent the scouts after more materials to create the wax alloy. Now I was talking to Levi, the shy head of the construction team, and found out that building a windmill wouldn''t be as easy as I thought. "W-Well, mother... To start with, we don''t have fabric or anything to use for the blades. We could try making them with a thin layer of hard wax, but it might end up being too heavy to turn. We could attempt to make a water wheel, but we also don''t have materials other than hard wax, which is not ideal. The only truly functional option I see is... Creating a steam generator... But it would be very dangerous!" Levi was right about that. Besides not having materials, we also weren''t in a suitable place for it. The treetop had a lot of wind; we were protected by the leaves and branches, but if we put a windmill on top of the tree, we could generate good kinetic energy. The main problem with this idea was that the windmill would be too far from our house. We would have to send the workers and some soldiers whenever the place needed maintenance. For me, it didn''t seem like a problem; windmills are usually really far from homes, and we would also end up reaching the top of the tree anyway sooner or later, as there''s always something more to build. The water wheel was discarded for this reason, it would be too far away to justify the sacrifice. Other options Levi suggested were a "wheel" where the workers would run to generate kinetic energy, which was basically a hamster wheel. Another option was a stone wheel with a vertical shaft that the workers would turn to generate energy, something I also dismissed. Doing that with a donkey was one thing, but putting my children to turn that wheel? We might as well make a drum and give them rags to wear. And then we came to the final option. A steam generator. This had real potential, it would be very laborious to create one, but it would be very useful! We could create a simple steam generator, where we fill a closed container with water, boil it until it turns to steam, and then put a ''chimney'' where the steam would push a blade. But by making a generator in this style, we would be losing a lot of "energy," and we would have to refill it with water all the time. The best way would be to try to create a closed system, but when your main building material is wax, you must know that working with high temperatures is not really viable. Which brought me back to windmills since I wouldn''t be enslaving my children to turn a wheel for me. "Do you think the [Weavers] bees can help you with this? We could make fabrics and ropes, and you could use the hard wax to make the entire casing of the windmill, and you could use the alloy I created for important parts, using some branches as beams or whatever you need." "Hmm... Th-That might work! I''ll discuss this with the other workers to see if they have better ideas, but overall, I don''t see how to improve this strange project you have without new resources." "Thank you, Levi~" After each went their own way, I headed to the kitchen to check on how the cooks were doing, but halfway there, I received a notification.
[Warning]
You earned 12 Xp from your''s soldier''s
[Warning]
You have evolved into the Lv 6
[Warning]
your soldier had evolved into the Lv 5
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Striker].
''Hells?! He didn''t even let me see the options?!'' Chapter 35: Merit and honor I was eagerly awaiting Hans''s return, and soon on the horizon, I could see him flying while carrying a large chrysalis in his feet, accompanied by several soldiers who were clearly on high alert. "Mother! We''re back, one of my men has evolved. Forgive him for not allowing you to choose his [Class], he''s well-known for his lack of patience, but I assure you that this mistake won''t happen again in the future!" Hans exclaimed. "No need for that, Hans~ I was a little sad not to see the options, but that''s all. If you guys wish to choose yours own [Classes] by yourselves, I approve of your choice." "See, I told you, Hans? Mother doesn''t have a problem with it! We didn''t need to come back at all!" One of the soldiers in Hans group said. "We still needed to clarify things, and it was time for the shift change anyway." Replied Hans. "By the way, did something happen for only the new soldiers to gain levels, Hans? I''ve received many notifications of soldiers leveling up, but it''s been a long time since I received one from you." "Yes! Now, I''m focusing on getting all the soldiers to evolve at least once. Since I''ve already evolved once, I can weaken the enemy and let the soldiers deliver the fatal blow!" Hans said proudly So that''s how it works? The person who lands the final blow gets all the XP? Isn''t that a bit unfair? You could end up putting a lot og effort to kill a super-powerful ancient dragon, only for someone who did nothing in the fight pop up to land the final blow and take all the XP? "How does that work, Hans? Don''t you get any XP for assisting? Or does it all go to whoever delivers the final blow?" "It depends! If I inflict significant physical damage on the enemy and then someone else kills it, I get about 90% of the XP. But if I only immobilize it and let the soldiers kill it, then I only get about 20% of the XP!" Explained Hans It''s still kind of unfair, but not so unfair. Killing an immobilized target doesn''t seem like a greater merit than immobilizing the same target, but this it''s the system way of sharing Xp, it must know what his doing. "Alright, leave him in the nursery, the new soldiers hatched this morning, and in 2 or 3 days, you''ll have 40 new soldiers to assist you." "Thank you very much! But while we''re here, I''d like to make another request, Mother!" Hans said. Hans''s requests... Why do I feel afraid of this? They''re always noble requests, which seem like selfish, petty requests. "Of course, feel free to ask, Hans!" "I''d like a general''s quarters for us soldiers! And a real infirmary!" Hans replied "What do you mean?" "A place for us to train, sleep, plan, and receive treatment for our wounds!" Hans said. "Don''t we already have the dormitories, a cafeteria, and a nursery?" "The dormitory isn''t ideal for us! It''s common for us soldiers to have to leave quickly when we detect danger, but the current dormitories don''t allow us to come and go without disturbing the other workers. We can''t continue sharing the cafeteria with the workers because the soldiers... Intimidate the workers with their ''violent'' way of eating. Soldiers often fight over food or argue loudly, which scares or bothers the workers. And as for the nursery, the name itself says it all; it''s a nursery, not a place to treat the wounded. It wouldn''t be convenient to fill the entire nursery with chrysalises or with wounded soldiers!" Hans replied to me And here comes the new bom, I think my windmill project is going into the drawer much sooner than expected. All of Hans''s reasons are too valid to refuse. I don''t like having a separation between the soldiers and the workers, but I think it''s only natural. It''s like making a separation between elementary and high school students, everyone is still in the same ''school'' but they don''t mix with each other. "Of course, Hans... I''ll talk to Levi and ask him to do that, but until then, keep up the good work." "Thank you, Mother!" Hans replied happily. After we went our separate ways, I went to Levi and delivered the news. Levi quickly understood the situation and began making plans immediately. Nowadays, Levi could speak openly with a small group of workers who were part of his "inner circle"; he passed all the ideas to these bees, and then they passed the ideas to other bees. After talking to Levi, I went to the nursery to speak with Ken and give him the news that he would have to work in a nursery and an infirmary. "Hello, Ken!" "Mother, how can I assist you?" Said Ken giving me only a part of his attention. Ken was feeding soldier larvae, while the others occasionally cleaned the bards cocoons. The [Bards] had 3 days of incubation and an impressive 10 days of maturation, we managed to reduce the time with royal jelly, so they would hatch soon. As for the [Weavers], they had an impressive 7 days of incubation, so they hadn''t hatched yet, but nothing compared to the [Beacons], who had 15 days of incubation. The 2 beacons tha i had laid days ago still needed a bunch of days just to hatch. "Ken, I came to talk to you to tell you that I approved the construction of an infirmary for the soldiers, so I think it would be a good idea for you to start accepting more ''nurses'' here to prepare them for the future." "Really?! I told Hans that we didn''t need an infirmary! We could take care of everything from here, but what a pain. But alright, if you can send me a few more workers, I''ll train them to perfection!" Ken said a little irritated. "N-No need for that much..." "Perfection or nothing! I''m not going to let a bunch of idiots go around taking care of the soldiers while claiming that I had trained them!" Ken replied with a serious face This boy seemed to have a kind of "pride", i can''t blame him at all, he has a good reputation within the hive. I think he just wants to maintain that. After leaving and telling Steve to send some workers to Ken, I went to my laboratory to continue my experiments. There wasn''t much else to do now besides waiting for the new troops to hatch and the workers to finish the job, so doing some experiments wouldn''t hurt.
[Description]
[Growth Potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion can accelerate the growth of [Plants] by 15%. Quality: Good
[Description]
[Decay Potion] - Minor Created by a low-level bee, this potion can speed up the natural decomposition process by 50%. Quality: Bad
[Description]
[Flowers perfufe] Created by a low-level bee, this perfume has the pleasant smell of several Valley flowers Quality: Fine
[Description]
[Bee''s Resin] Created by a low-level bee, this resin can be used as a great sealer after driying up. Quality: Greate
I was doing my experiments, I created some potions that didn''t help me much and a perfume in the meantime, and after a while with no goal in mind I thought about creating propolis, but when I tried to mix various ingredients wax, resin, oil, pollen and earth I ended up creating this strange resin that was clearly not propolis. ''Maybe it has something to do with the substance produced by my gland?'' I had this mysterious substance that was produced by some gland in my head, but I didn''t know how to use it voluntarily, the Cooks gave me some guidelines but it was easier said than done. ''Calm down, following the guidelines I should think of a drop of... spit? No.. "secret ingredient", and then she would just appear as magic, but that''s not what''s happening here...'' I kept trying to imagine this secret ingredient drop, but nothing ever showed up, the cooks kind of had a [Skill] for it, while I was completely alone and on my own. After a long time without any success, I started to get annoyed and started thinking of new ways to create the secret ingredient, after another great time failing tirelessly, I finally managed to create a small drop of pure white color of a substance that should be the secret ingredient
[Description]
[Substance of royalty] A substance excreted by the glands of bee Royals, this substance is the main ingredient for creating essential items in a hive. Quality: Greate
Was this tiny white droplet the secret to such powerful items with the royal jelly? It doesn''t seem like a big deal, but it sure has a lot of uses! After analyzing the drop of secret ingredient I throw it into the cauldron, I ask the boys to put it back on the" stove " and then I start stirring like crazy, until the liquid began to darken and get a thicker consistency. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
[Description]
[Bee''s Propolis] Created by a low-level bee, this material can be used for several vital functions in a hive. Quality: Greate
So that''s it? Did I waste my day creating this thing that didn''t seem to serve any purpose? I think Ken could use this as some kind of non-hazardous bleach for the breeding Combs, but I''m not going to breed gallons of this shit to sustain Ken''s cleaning addiction. Leaving the propolis aside along with my great disappointment, I ask my helpers to empty the cauldron and put the propolis inside some jars, after everything was finished I started to create some items that could be really useful, as ingredients for the cooks. The first thing I tried was something very simple and obvious to do, I put a lot of honey with pollen in the cauldron and then let it" dry " until the honey turned into a super thick syrup. Then I threw all the contents into large jars made with walnut shells, waited until the honey hardened, and then asked the boys to grind small pieces of the honey stone to create a kind of sugar.
[Description]
[Bee''s Sugar] Created by a low-level bee, this bee sugar is super sweet and nutritious. Quality: Greate
Sugar was a super useful ingredient, I don''t know how Cooks could use this stuff, but the important thing was that I had created sugar. After a few experiments I managed to create things like Rose Powder, seed oil, sugar cubes, honey tonics, sweet syrup and for me the crown jewel, Golden millet flour! It was made with some grains that would seem to be quinoa, which I first cooked in boiling water, then kneaded with some stones and finally dried on the fire before grinding everything with a mortar, in the end I got a rustic flour of yellow color.
[Description]
[Golden Millet-grass Flour] Created by a low-level bee, this bee sugar is super sweet and nutritious. Quality: Greate
This flour made me hopeful because first it was a completely consumable emulsifier, and second that I could use it to create various other things! Like cakes, sweets, breads and stuff like that! Now I just needed eggs, milk and yeast. In addition to a body that could digest this type of food. Speaking of digesting certain types of food, all the bees that consumed [Nutrient paste] started doing it... Poop, before this had never bothered me, we ate and everything went somewhere mysterious and there was no residue, but because this nutritious paste was more than just honey and Royal Jelly, the bees that ate it ended up having to expel the waste later, it wasn''t disgusting at all like real poop, it was just a strange yellowish brown liquid, and each bee made sure to move away from our house before dumping everything in mid-air, but it was still a little disgusting to me. Maybe it''s just me being complacent, after all if you have a asshole then you would need to tke a dump at some time, but simply starting to need a toilet after so long without a toilet was still uncomfortable. Leaving the shit behind, I go back to thinking about the flour, specifically the yeast that I could create with it, in my school days I remember creating a pot of natural yeast for the primary science show, so theoretically I could create a natural yeast only with flour, pure water and a sealed pot. I could get the pure water with the [Tears of heaven], and I already had the rest. Now whether this flour could turn into yeast or not was an entirely different matter. Speaking of exotic flowers, Trevis was very successful in his mission, and now we had about 10 Flowers [Tears of the saint] that grew solely on the roots of our house, Trevis was currently serving as a "teacher" for the scouts, he taught them to find tracks and to ''hunt'' they preys, and harlet them whenever there was a substancial danger nearby. But for sure my [tracker] wasn''t being used in the best way, and o didn''t have many utilities for him now. Unless I send him after the Beastmen again, but I''m too afraid of what he might find to send him there, I would feel even worse if Trevis went there and found out that the Beastmen are still alive, and find out that them where struggling to survive until now. Maybe they were dead by now, but I wouldn''t confirm it until I could guarantee my family''s safety.
Today in the morning the new soldiers emerged, they all joined Hans group, and then went out for a training, now I was waiting for the new soldier who had evolved to emerge, he was an [Striker] and I didn''t know exactly what this class did, but taking into account the... aggressive" nature " of soldiers I think a class like a stricer shouldn''t be ''elegant'' as a [Lancer], but if an attacker can deal large amounts of damage in a short time then i''am fine with it, but I would still prefer the cool headed soldiers like Hans, who were so few that I could count on one hand.. We were all waiting for the new soldier to emerge, and soon the chrysalis that was identical to Hans when it evolved began to tremble and vibrate, soon the chrysalis broke in half and inside a bee that was much more robust than an ordinary soldier, with thick arms and strong appearance emerged, the main difference in this bee besides its obvious size, was the lack of a chitin armor that all normal bees had, it had a comically small head compared to the large body and darker colors. "Hey Mom! What''s going on?" "What''s up? You idiot! Hans warned to let mommy choose ours evolutions! Lucky for you that mom didn''t mind it! If not Hans would burst you on the floor!" "Shut the fuck up! I''m sure mom would choose this class! The others were too weak or boring!" "It''s not up to you to decide that!" "Why don''t you go get lost, and go find a place to fuck yourself!?" ''Hmmm, it looks like he still has a mentality of a brawling teenager, but let''s see what really matters.."
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Striker Mana: N/D
Life: 5.1 Str: 10.2 Def: 0.5
Sp: 12.5 Int: 4.4 Wis: 7.6
+ Information
[Skills]
{Sharp Jaws} lv 3 Yours jaws are extremely hard and sharper, the grip and damage is much more powerful
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Enraged} Lv 7 Gain the [Rage] effect, increasing all stats by 15% for 30 minutes, at the end of [Rage] gain the [Confused] effect.
{Strong muscles} - Lv 1 All your muscles are super strong and resilient, increasing your damage and natural endurance.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Heavy attack} Lv 1 Concentrate for a few moments to deal a single powerful attack capable of causing 3x the base damage of a normal attack, if you miss the blow you gain the effect [fatigue] for 1 hour
[Traces]
[Super developed] You grew up very well in your youth! And now you can fell the results! The [Speed], [life] and [strength] are multplied by 2
[Hot head] You get angry easily and very quickly, your fury can be your salvation or condemnation
  • The [strength] are multplied by 2 and the [Intelligence] and [Wisdom] divided by 2
[Persistent Brawler] You like to fight, your love for fights is so great that it borders a addiction. You can get angry if you don''t fight for a long period of time, but you are always happy when you fighting.
''W-Wow.. This guy is really badass! He doesn''t have much speed or defense, but this guy''s damage is incredible!! He seems to be a hand-to-hand combatant, I feel sorry for anyone who has to face him in a close combat fight.'' He has some interesting [Skills], [Sharp Jaws] and [Strong Muscles] seem to be evolutions of a skill, while [Heavy Attack] seems to be a really dangerous skill! It can deal 3x damage in a single attack, it looks very powerful! Does it have any limitations? Like being able to do this only one time per battle, or some kinde of timer before using again? Or could he continue throwing several consecutive blows as long he doesn''t miss any of them? Just like Derieri from Nanatsu no Taizai? Of course her skill was even better tham that, but nothing prevented this soldier from one day having a similar skill, after all this [Heavy Attack] had its similarities with [Combo Star]. "Hello~ Please boys, don''t fight, I''m not mad at him for evolving, I think he made a good choice, you are all free to choose the path you want to follow in your life, if he likesa class that can cause a lot of damage In a short time, i don''t have any kind of problem with that." "See?! Even mom gave me her blessing! So shut the fuck up!" "UGH.." "I''m going to ask you.. .you... Do you have a name?" "Um? Not an official name! The soldiers call me Trouble, but it''s not an official name!" ''Trouble? What kind of name is that, is it like an ''affectionate'' nickname among soldiers? And what do you mean by the official name? Ken had given names to his helpers, but I never looked at them to see if the name had appeared in the [Name] tab, do I need to name them to become an official name? Is there any reason I need to nominate them to be an official? It shouldn''t be so important that you need confirmation, it''s a name, you can change it later if you want... Right?'' "Alright... Trouble. I would like to congratulate you on your progress, and ask you to help Hans take care of the new soldiers, I know you can be a bit... impulsive, but please remember that with great power comes great responsibilities, as one of the only drones to have evolved, you are now the elite of our hive, and we all count on with your protection, failing in this task could be fatal for your brothers or for you, I understand that this may be a lot to ask, but please, try to be responsible and trustworthy, I can feel from the atmosphere between you and the soldiers, that you must tend to be unreliable, or easily influenced probably because of [Hot Head], and now with [Persistent Brawler] you can become even angrier, I won''t ask you to suppress your nature, but please save that fury and anger for our enemies." "I understand mother! I will ask my brothers for forgiveness for all the trouble i caused for them, but I am also sure that my methods are effective! Hans prefers safe fights that he have sure we can win! But I prefer to fight with anyone who challenge me! If I can kill him then, great, if I can''t I''ll run away! But I''m not going to think too much about whether an enemy is worth my time or not! I prefer to test it first hand and go all out, to win a high XP instead of probing an enemy that will give me a little bit o XP!" ''Damn, this guy is a real fighter, he''s not cautious, he gambles with his own life, I can''t say that his methods didn''t work, but if he didn''t have several brothers to help him in a fight or simply had bad luck he would already be dead." You need luck every day to survive, but death only needs a single day of luck to kill you. "...I understand, I cannot question your methods, the results are impressive for sure, but remember, your life is precious, if you wish to continue on this path I will not stop you, but do not drag anyone who does not want to be on the same path with you." "Understood mother! I would never force my brothers to follow my path! But I have some who identify with my ideals! Now that I am powerful enough to be a group leader, I will personally train those who wish to follow the same path as me! And I promise whith my life on the line that I will never let any of them die because of my actions!" "Thanks.... Trouble." Chapter 36: The beauty of life The next day the soldiers had gone out to level up, I had gained a lot of XP from that, so much so that I reached level 7, another thing was that the place got very busy with the arrival of the 40 soldiers, there were always groups of soldiers flying around everywhere without stopping and making sure there were no problems, yesterday we had a problem with a big flying beetle that seemed to want a free sweet meal, and I can say that he just... ended up paying the price, soon as he started flying towards kitchen the soldiers ran up to him and stung him mercilessly, the big beetle proved to be very resistant and powerful, and almost killed some soldiers, but soon Trouble arrived and gave him a single punch that broke all his armor and made him faint, the soldiers showed no mercy and followed him to the ground to kill him, which earned me a good 20 XP points. Because of Trouble''s show of force event, several other soldiers who were very young were impressed by him and entered the "fight club", to me it now seemed obvious that with the evolution of Trouble, the soldiers began to separate into groups, like the "knights" who adhered to Hans''s safe and conserving methods, and the "fighters" who were savage and blood-hungry like Trouble, if we weren''t bees who worked together blindly I would be seriously worried about a conflict between the groups , but everyone seemed to respect each other and work together, the ''knights'' were more ethical, while the "fighters" were more radical, but they were all still brothers who fought for the same cause. Another thing that happened was that Matt was very close to evolving, how do I know? He told me, apparently we can feel when the time is coming, like a tingling in the body. Matt had gained all his XP by polonizing flowers, so if the actions you take to gain XP influence his evolution list, it is very likely that Matt will gain Collection / Production classes. This world seemed to influence individuals to fight, of course there were [Traits], maybe even [Skills] to gain Xp without fighting, but these methods of gaining Xp were infinitely inferior to killing enemies, Trouble was much younger than Matt and yet he could evolve first, just because he''s a soldier. And there''s still the problem with the other workers, like Steve, Ken and Levi. They did "management" work and the System didn''t grant Xp for that, so if they wanted to evolve they would have to go fight or dedicate themselves to polonization? This was very unfair! Ken for example is clearly a doctor/nurse, now if he started dedicating all his time to polonization to gain Xp, would he end up gaining Collection/Production options to evolve instead of a support class? There''s a way of sharing XP without needing to join fights, I was sure of that, I was a living proof for that, I didn''t do anything and still got the XP, but it seems to be a one-way street, I can get the XP from them, but I can''t send the XP to them. Now I was waiting for the new [Bards] to born, I was seriously curious about their uses, and how they could help a hive, what would they do? Are they just the "celebrities" of the colony, or can they really help? While I waited for some time I looked around, we still didn''t have a building dedicated solely to the nursery, but this one was already very good, it had about 3 floors, and all the walls had breeding units, some time ago the Workers came up with the "horizontal brood comb" design, which Ken initially refused, but nowadays he really liked them, the famous hypocrisy, these horizontal brood combs were built pined to the walls, so when the food was poured into the pot it accumulated at the bottom, the larvae then ate it all calmly, and then simply wove a cocoon when they was ready. The disadvantage of these rearing units was that it could be a little difficult to pour food into them, but the ''nurses'' simply flew in front of the units, put their heads inside the pot and spit out the larvae''s food. After waiting for a while, the 10 bard cocoons began to open, and from inside bees that looked a lot like ordinary workers came out, these bees looked like the workers when you looked at them for the firts glance, but if you paid more attention on them you would see that they are totally different. These guys had bigger antennae, shinier and longer wings, a hairier and chubbier body, with 4 arms, 2 of which were bow-shaped, like the arms of a praying mantis, and they all had little golden dots on them, and big white manes. "Hello? How are you all? Welcome to the world boys! I''m your mommy!" "Hello Mom! It''s an honor to meet you in person!" Said one of the bards "I''m enchanted by your stunning beauty!" Said the oldest bard "How can we help you, dear mother?" Spoke a bard who gently cleaned himself ''Bunch of ass kissers, they are definitely soft spoken, they seem like scammers or simply toy boys.''
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Bard Mana: 1.8
Life: 1 Str: 0.1 Def: 0.2
Sp: 0.2 Int: 20.4 Wis: 15.2
+ Information
[Skills]
{Harmonious Hymn} Lv 1 Sings a soothing hymn that fills your allies with a sense of tranquility and inner peace. This skill grants temporary buffs to allies mental stat, providing them tranquility, reinvigoration and happiness
{Hive Gift} Lv 1 Choose a single target to grant them a bonus in health, energy and mana for a short period of time.
{Maternal Connection} - locked You have a deep mental connection with your mother that cannot be broken.
{Musicalization} Lv 1 You can create melodies that provide specific bonus for each [Class], the bonuses are stackable.
{Unshakeble Will} Your own self is part of something bigger, and your mind and will cannot be affected by external factors. +5 Wisdom
{Accurate ears} Lv 1 You can hear any kind of sound much more clearer.
{Royal Manners} Lv 1 You can remain calm and peaceful even in difficult situations, keeping your always perfect image.
{The Concert} Create a musical rhythm that can influence the minds of all your allies, you can influence everyone''s mental state with a single song at time. Songs available
  • The fury of many - Makes everyone who listens to your music furious, giving huge bonuses to attack and damage for a limited time, at the end of the song everyone is [Incapacitated]
  • The tragedy - Leaves everyone who listens toyour song sad, granting large bonuses in speed and defense, at the end of the song everyone is [Sleepy]
  • Last melody - Makes everyone who listens to your song Happy, Granting huge bonuses in life regeneration, at the end of the song you die, and everyone who heard the song is [Exausted].
[Traces]
[Eloquent Communicator] You a articulate and expressive communicator, able to convey complex emotions and ideas through their music and storytelling. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
[Creative Imagination] You have a boundless imagination and creative spirit, constantly exploring new ideas and crafting original compositions that reflect the beauty and wonder of the world around them.
''What the hell?! These guys are weak as hell, but the skills, what the fuck is [The Concert]? I''ve never seen a skill like this, and apparently even music has powers in this strange world, I can accept the small bonuses they can grant with [Harmonious Hymn] and [Hive Gift], but this [The Concert] is revolting!'' The music produced by this skill could cause a lot of crazy effects, I can see the uses for those musics and effects, like {The fury of many} which should be something to use as a last resort if we were being attacked, this way we could fortify all troops much as possible regardless of the [Classes] so they could fight in a desesperate situation, but causing the [Incapacitated] effect in the end, is really bad, if everyone fainted after the music who would take care of those who fell?! The song {The Tragedy} is another mysterious one, it seems to be a song to "escape" quickly, this could really be useful, a group of bees could use it to escape to our house. Another absurd thing about this skill was its description, "Everyone who listens to your music", does this mean that if someone didn''t want this effect, but still ended up listening to the music, this would mean that they would still be doomed to suffer from the effect?! This is so broken! And lastly what the fuck is {Last melody}, it seems like a good thing to be able to heal your allies and leave them just with the exhausted effect, but sacrificing yourself in the process is a big shoot in the foot! Can a single bard bee influence a large group of bees? Or does it take a large group of bees [Bard] to influence a large group of bees? "Boys... Please explain your skills to me, I can''t understand them..." "Of course, dear mother!" Spoke pompously a bard "We can use skills like [Harmonious Hymn] to grant passive bonuses to the entire colony, increasing the overall quality of life for everyone!" "We can also "bless" a drone with [Hive Gift], each of us can grant a small bonus that is stackable! So I would say all 10 of us could bless a single bee and grant it a large bonus!" Completed another bard "Yes! But the bonus only works for a few hours, and we can only bless one unit at a time." Confirmed a bard while clapping his hands "That''s right! There''s also the fact that even though [Hive Gift]''s effects are stackable, it has a limit! If there were 100 bards, we couldn''t all bless a single unit!" "Um hum, another thing is that with the [Musicalization] skill we can create songs that grant bonuses for a specific class, each of us can generate a small bonus, but when we combine our songs we can generate big bonuses!" "That''s right! And the skill [The concert] must be used in a group! Just one of us is not enough to apply the effect to the entire colony, and another thing is that we can only influence those who are at an equal or lower level to ours!" Said the oldest bard "True! Another thing is that if the music is interrupted before the effect is applied, we would take the Debuff, but we would not get the bonus!" "Yes! That''s true!" "This skill is dangerous, we shoudn''t use it carelessly!" ''Fuck? I didn''t think these guys could really give me such a detailed explanation, the cooks said that their skills come with a "manual" but that seemed like something exclusive to my children, I never got any manual for my skills, I had to look at my self to learn how to use my skills. But about these Bards... What a broken class... Are they weak piss? For sure! But these Skills made them worth it, they are very effective supports, they have several limitations apparently, like needing high numbers to be able to influence the entire colony, but we are bees, I can always create dozens of them. So that''s not a problem for me. Do humans also have classes like bards? What does being a human bard mean? Are human bards stronger? Because they must be able to influence groups alone with their skills, unlike these guys who needed to walk in groups. "Boys, thank you very much for the explanation, if you are hungry there is plenty of food in the cafeteria, but first I would like to bother you and ask you to play me some music!" "It won''t be of any bother mother!" "Only the best for someone so divine!" The bards soon arranged themselves in a group in front of the nursery and began to talk, then they positioned themselves and began to play a small melody. The bards vibrated their bee-like backs to produce a soft, gentle rattle, vibrated their wings for clear, beautiful sounds, and used their oddly shaped arms as instruments, they could reproduce sounds similar to a cricket, only infinitely softer and softer. melodious, and a sound that clearly resembled a violin. Soon everyone around stopped for a moment to enjoy the music and I could feel as if all my worries were disappearing, I no longer felt anxious or sad, I just felt... Happy, happy and grateful. Happy to have a comfortable home, happy to have children who love me, happy for how hardworking each of my children was. Grateful to be alive, Grateful to be loved, truly loved, and grateful to be able to hear this beautiful melody.
[Effect]
[Appreciated] - 1 Minute You heard the music of a group of bards, all your worries and fears are temporarily eliminated.
When the bards finished they all clapped before returning to work, the bards thanked the audience before turning to me and awaiting my orders. "T-That was beautiful boys, I never thought I would hear a song like that..." "Thank you so much mom! We put a lot of effort into this, we''re so glad you liked it!" "Yes! We focused on relieving your stress, because we know you''re a worrier! We''re glad we could help!" "Thank you very much boys, you can go do your work, but please... Never use [the orchestra], only use it as a last resort." "Of course mom! No problem" "I should give you all a name, but I can''t think of so many names..." "We don''t care about that mom!" "No! I insist!" 10 musical bees... 10 cute bee boys who are a kind of boy band.... can I call them collectively? Like a band, like BTS? I think I''ll just call them 1010 (Ten Ten), I remember playing a game that had a band with that name, so I think it will work out... "What do you think of 10 10? It''s not an individual name for each of you... But it''s a name for the entire group." "It''s Perfect Mom!" "It''s Maginific like you!" Soon as we finished everything, the boys went out to have a snack and I stayed behind in the nursery with dozens of bees waiting for me to fill each breeding unit that was here. With the renovations that were carried out, the nursery now had around 100 new empty units, of which around 90 were available, it was a lot of eggs, but I had already gotten used to the task, now the question was what to produce. "Produce more soldiers, military power is the key!" "No! We need more workers! Levi said the construction crew is very stretched right now! He needs manpower." "Are you stupid or simply ignorant? Of course cooks are the correct answer! Without cooks we would all starve!" "You''re stupid! What''s the point of a bunch of cooks without collectors to get raw materials?!" "I-I''d like some more bards, they look so cool..." "We''re talking about utility here Khey! Not entertainment!" "S-Sorry..." "Can''t we just produce a little bit of everything guys? We don''t need to fight about it, especially in front of mom." Ken is infecting the nurses, they are becoming as sour and mean as him, some would say they have "attitude", but they just seem mean to me, if Ken was a human in my world he would definitely be a Miranda Bayle in real life. "Calm down boys, let''s produce workers ok? Levi really needs a lot of help, and we''re fine on the food front for now." "Hmmm.." "Yeah!" "If you say so mom!" Soon as I decided what I was going to produce, I was guided to a part of the nursery that was simply... Incredible. The workers had made a super comfortable divan with leaf pillows and soft wax bedding, the whole place had several plates full of food specifically made for me, and jars of the most delicious honey from the hive, I could just relax while eating some sweets and drinking honey through a straw, the nurses gave me a massage and fed me in my mouth, which made me feel like a real empress. After a while on that couch, I had already laid around 30 eggs and continued to produce them without stopping, the nurses lined up, tooked an egg in each arm and then went to a breeding unit to put the eggs into a single unit, and after that, they went back to the end of the line to repeat the process. ''Ahh... What a good life, I think Cleopath must have lived like that, well, she shouldn''t have to lay eggs for sure, but other than that we are very similar.'' At the end of the process I was relaxed and when I laid the last egg I received another level notification
[Warning]
The [Egg laying] skill has reached Lv5! You have unlocked the new laying option to choose.
{Laying options}
[Wax Artisan bee] Wax Artisans specialize in the creation of high-quality wax for construction and crafting. They are skilled in manipulating beeswax to serve various purposes.
[Nectar Fermenter bee] Nectar Fermenters focus on fermenting nectar into mead and other alcoholic beverages. They contribute to the hive''s social life and provide a valuable energy source.
[Royal Advisor bee] Known for their strategic minds, Royal Advisors assess hive needs and provide strategic advice. They can inspire bees to work more efficiently, allocate resources wisely, and even foresee potential threats, ensuring the hive''s prosperity
[Carpenters Bee] Skilled in crafting and shaping materials like wood and wax, they build essential infrastructure such as frames, supports, and intricate decorations.
[Hive Farmer bee] Designs and maintains gardens and landscapes around the hive, incorporating a diverse array of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees making a ideal environment for pollinators and providing forage resources.
[Warning]
You can choose 2 new posture potions
''Oh shit, these options are problematic.'' [author] Hello everyone, I had a few days off, and now I''m speeding up some chapters, I admit that the development is much slower than I initially expected, but I prefer to leave things well explained and ''constructed'' before starting to give big time skips. So bear with me, I can tell you guys that until around chapter 40-44 we won''t have any major time skips.[/author] Chapter 37: Good vibes ''On one hand I would like to have all the options, but since I can only choose 2, I have to be smart... [Wax Craftsman], it seems like something Levi would get when he evolved, so it doesn''t really souds appeal to me, the same thing goes for [Royal Divider], Steve was already that, he just needed to have a class to confirm that position.'' ''Now, [Honey Fermenter] is the elephant in the room. What can this guy do? Get my bees drunk? Who would want that?! But on the other hand, if they can produce alcohol, then that means they can produce yeast, which would be an incredible ingredient for potions, and between us, who doesn''t like having a drink in their free time, they seem to fall into the same area as [Royal Cooks] and the [Bards], they are among the support and production troops'' ''Now, [Carpenters]? I don''t think I need to say anything, I want this shit! One of the biggest problems I''m facing is my big problem with the lack of resistant materials, if I had these carpenters we could start building with wood!'' ''And lastly, these [Farmers] seem like an evolution of the [Gardeners] that I refused a long time ago, at that time I didn''t want to risk getting a troop that could be useless if used alone, since I didn''t want to produce a large number of troops, but nowadays I don''t care about that, if I could increase the quality of all the plants around our house that would be amazing! We could start growing our food in the comfort of our home, instead of sending drones after flowers that are far away. The soldiers could relax since they would have to protect a fixed perimeter, and the collectors would be more comfortable.'' ''I don''t even need Steve for that, I already know what to choose.'' After choosing [Farmers] and [Carpenters] I gave the warning to Ken and then left the nursery, when I left the large building I was suddenly hit by a super calming melody like the sound of a violin that permeated the air. As I looked around I could see that the bards were spread out in various positions and were playing a super calming melody in an orderly manner, the workers seemed super happy with the music and everyone worked with smiles on their faces. The workers had already finished renovating the kitchen and completed construction of the honey and royal jelly silos, and were now focused on building Hans'' headquarters and an infirmary. The general headquarters was a large perfect cube with several entrances and exits, with a large corridor that connected to the other corridors, near the general headquarters an immense room was being built that would serve as the soldiers'' dormitory, in addition to a large room that would serve as a refectory. The soldiers patrolled the place and were always very calm, unlike the tension they had about a week ago, since now that we had a large number of soldiers, no invader was too bold to come in very closely. The soldiers continued to level up like crazy, and I continued to gain XP for that, no progress had been made yet, but it would happen soon. Another thing that was happening was that the cooks were as creative as me, with the ''stove'' that they now had, they started to produce various unique foods, such as walnuts gratin in honey, preserved fruits, nut bars, fruit jelly, pies and even bread! All using the ingredients that I discovered in my experiments, and ingredients that they made themselves. The bread they created was just a little ball of flour and boiled water, but it was still very bread-like. All of these things became highly sought after delicacies among the workers, each of them liked to eat different things, especially the scouts, who made a point of bringing more fruits and special ingredients for the cooks. And speaking of the Boy Scouts I did something I should have done a long time ago, I asked them to find a ''light bulb'' for our house, they haven''t been successful yet, but if something bright came along they would bring it home immediately. I also thought about sending Trevis to my first house to get some lamps, but it seemed cruel to send him alone on this trip, but after talking to him, Trevis agreed to go to the place if he was accompanied by some scouts and soldiers, which I accepted. . He had left yesterday, and hadn''t returned yet, but I knew from our [Link] that they were okay. Another thing that happened was in relation to the collectors, I was afraid that they might be... Schizophrenic. But this turned out to be nonsense, as long they were well fed and ''rested'' their hallucinations were mild, like seeing things in different colors and shapes, or losing the sense of space and direction. But if they were not well taken care of, the hallucinations would get much worse, for example, if they were exhausted or stressed, the hallucinations could start to affect senses other than sight, they could start to feel, smell and hear things that weren''t real, and at this point, is all just downhill. But if they were well cared for and protected they would be normal, like an autistic child I think, they are a little strange but they are completely functional, they just need a safe and calm environment to do their work with an impressive mastery that would make anyone jealous. When I got to the kitchen I could see the cooks mixing the big boiler with [Nutritional Pastes] which was still the main source of food, and some other cooks making some unique treats, the whole place was super busy, with cooks walking around and here, workers flying above, and some collectors who came occasionally to collect all the nutritional paste to place in large barrels. Jay and Ray were certainly the leaders of the place, like the "master chefs", all the cooks asked them for their opinions, and all quality control was done by them. And when I talk about quality control it''s something serious, if the cooks didn''t approve of a food it was sent to special tanks that would later be used to create wax. And if one of the delicacies was not approved, the cooks would eat it together, anything that they did not consider worthy would not leave that kitchen. The silo room was just incredible, with big giant yellow silos, if I were to say a height I would say each silo is 5 meters, but that''s not realistic now that I''m a bee much smaller than a human. All silos were "labeled." The silos had colored rims made of colored wax, which workers used to determine the functionality of a tank, the yellow rice tanks were filled with common royal jelly, the green ones with honey, and the gray ones were with "poor quality jelly" that was supposed to be used to create wax later. The silos also had a priority system, the more rings a silo had, the more important its contents were. For example, a silo with 1 ring was just regular feed jelly, and a silo with 2 yellow rings contained jelly to feed the larvae. The whole place was busy, with collectors turning on the taps to fill their chests with jelly, and then leaving to take the jelly somewhere else. And there were some workers who monitored everything and ensured that the honey in the silos was always of excellent quality. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The kitchen had an entrance that led directly to the outside, to enter the stores you had to enter through the corridor connected to the kitchen or one of the doors, a ''door'' was in the ceiling, and was an easy access entrance for the bees and the another door gave access to another corridor that went straight to the workers'' dormitory. The bedroom was above the cafeteria/party room. When you arrived in this large room you could see dozens of tables scattered around the place, filled with chairs made solely of hard wax with large holes in the back, and tables that were large bars of hard wax supported by wooden rods wrapped in hard wax. On one of the walls there was a large bowl of honey right in the middle of the cafeteria wall, one part was next to the cafeteria, while the other part could be accessed easily from the corridor. To the left of this honey bowl, there was what looked like a buff table, like the tables in a school cafeteria. The entire worker system was designed to be highly efficient, collectors could quickly access silo storage across the hall, fill their chests with food such as nutritional paste and then simply empty it into this basin, then workers could bring the cooks treats. and put them in the buffet for anyone who wants to pick them up. At the end of it all, there was never any food left over, as both the workers made a point of not leaving any leftovers, and the cooks knew how much they had to produce so there would be no leftovers. Access to the bedroom was right in the center of the room, being a large vertical corridor that went only upwards. When you went up to the place you could see that there was no separation by rooms or anything like that, every floor was just a soft floor made of normal wax with several pillows made of plant fibers for the workers to sleep on, they didn''t seem to have this issue of ''privacy'', everyone slept together and together, using their manes as warm blankets. At the top of the dormitory there was an exit/entrance exactly like the one in the warehouse, so workers could come and go easily at any time. We were all very humble, well it''s not like we had a choice, but we were still humble. We didn''t have things like lights or follow toilets, but still everyone seemed super happy. And once the [seamstresses] were born we could make things like blankets, curtains, pillows, table cloths, and even clothes for whoever wanted to.
[Warning]
You earned 34 Xp from your bee
[Warning]
Your soldier has leveled up to Lv 5
[Warning]
Your soldier has leveled up to Lv 5
[Warning]
2 of your soldier''s now can evolve.
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Warrior].
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Sworder].
A few hours had passed, and I was doing some experiments in my lab when I got the news that but 2 of my soldiers evolved, they chose unique classes, but nothing I haven''t already seen, so I was good with it. Now I was creating some gears with the wax alloy that I created, my helpers Albert and Isaac had made clay molds that I was using for the task, I had managed to create 4 rustic gears with an irregular shape and strange appearance. The gears had varied shapes and sizes and I had created them with that goal in mind, I also used the Bee ''rubber'' to create a belt with a clay mold and had made a wax alloy plate with some holes. On this board I placed all the gears and then secured them in place with hard wax astes. I placed a very large toothed gear at one point and a small gear at the other end of the wax alloy plate, then connected the 2 gears using the other parts I had and ran it rubber. At the end I put a hand crank connected to the large gear on the steering tip and sprinkled everything with plenty of bee "oil". Then I started turning the crank to see the results and I was happy to see that all the parts moved easily and without making any noise, as I turned the crank the larger gear rotated, making the smaller gear connected to it rotate even faster, then this gear made the belt move and the belt made another gear rotate, and in the end I had a small gear that rotated quickly as I turned the crank. "Perfect!" "What is this thing for Mother?" "I''ll give it to Levi, so he can build on those mechanical principles to build my windmill later!" My assistants seemed impressed and clapped their hands at my little creation, it was nothing fancy and you could do better with Lego bricks, but if you take into account that I created this prototype of the absolute 0, being a bee! That makes me a very badass Bee. After completing my prototype I put it on a shelf that was nothing more than hard wax boards stuck to the wall and supported with sticks and decided to go out for a snack, I asked my assistants to clean up all the mess and then go rest. When I left my lab I was greeted with the sight of the sunset and the beautiful melody of the bards, all the bees were flying quietly through the area while doing their jobs and I could see a group of soldiers bringing the chrysalidades of the soldiers who have evolved recently. Arriving in the kitchen I took a small jar that contained a food made specifically for me by the cooks, it was a royal jelly that had exotic and different flavors every day, the cooks knew that I did not like to poop, so my menu only contained things like honey, jelly and nectar.
[Warning]
The individual "Matt" has leveled up to lvl 5
[Warning]
The individual "Matt" now can evolve.
[Warning]
The individual "Matt" had evolved into a [Sentinel]
''Gee! Matt evolved! He was working at this hour!? He should be wanting this evolution very much.'' Interlude: Thoughts of a soldier Since the day I was born, my only purpose was to protect my mother, I still remember clearly of the day I was born. I was inside a small hole, there was no one there except for my mother, and when I opened my eyes the first thing I could see was my mother''s scared expression. After that I only remember being bombarded with confusing and broken information, I don''t remember everything, but all that knowledge helped me understand my purpose. From the moment I was born I knew that I would fight alone, it was just me and my mother, and I had to protect her no matter how, I was made to be her savior and her most loyal son. But I was scared, so scared. I was alone. Without anyone to teach me how to fight, no one to guide me or to tell me what i need to do and how to act, all I received were orders to kill and a bunch of broken information. So that''s what I did, from the day I was born I killed everything I could find, for what reason? That was my mother''s wish, and her wishes must be fulfilled. With many difficulties I managed to kill a small creature that walked on the earth, and I could feel that after killing it I had became stronger, so after that I continued killing everything that seemed weak, I continued and continued until I completed my mother''s first order. I continued with all this senseless killing day after day, everything to satisfy my mother''s desires, I kept hoping that one day I would have other brothers, others who would help me, brothers that I could guide through the confusion that was this world, I wanted to have a family. I wanted to be loved. But my mother refused, and I could see why, she looked at me with disgust, as if I were a monster, looked at me as if I were a stranger or an intruder in her life, she did not love me, even though I loved her with all my body and soul. I could feel for our link, the heartbreak, the disappointment, the anger and sadness she felt, and it all seemed to be my fault, but I couldn''t understand what I had done wrong, since I was born I had only done my mother''s orders, and yet it never seemed to be good enough. I wasn''t good enough. I knew that our house was not safe, I wanted us to move, I wanted to get out of that closed and dangerous place, but my mother did not listen. I had to show her how dangerous our house was. I asked her to make more brothers to help me, I pleaded, but all my requests were refused. When she agreed to move to a new place, I was happy, I thought that if only we could find a safe place then I could protect my mother, but halfway through we had been attacked. I always knew my purpose, it was to protect my mother, my own will didn''t matter at all, my desires didn''t matter. My life didn''t matter. Her wishes were the only thing that mattered. I didn''t wanted to sacrifice myself for my mother, but if she could survive then it don''t matter if I died in the process. The colony can survive as long she is alive. As I struggled with that insect I only thought about buying time for my mother to run away, I didn''t need to win, I just needed to buy enough time for her to run far away, so I could die in peace. But when I went to check if she had already fled, she was still there, completely standing in the same place, as if to say that I was useless for not being able to defeat a single enemy. I couldn''t let her die, it couldn''t happen, no matter what. Mommy need to survive no matter what. So I activated my skill [royal duty] since that way I could show my mother all my glow, I could show her that I was a powerful warrior, show her that I was not a weak and useless peace of nothing. Even if I die in the process I would die fulfilling my purpose, and that''s all that matters. When I activated the [royal duty] I could feel a great force getting over my body, as if every limb was subtly strengthened, and my whole body became lighter, my mind became clearer and my senses sharper, it was easy to grab that creature''s neck and break it. For the first time in my life I had felt pleasure in killing, real preasure, i felt proud of my actions, felt that I had proved to my mother my ultility, but then... Everything began to get cloudy and cold, and soon I fainted. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hole, my whole body ached, my once powerful and light joints were now heavy and weak, my sharp senses were sluggish and confused, and again I felt... Useless. I felt like all that pain was some kind of punishment for being so useless. But then my mother appeared, she was crying and sobbing, apologizing for something that didn''t matter at all. She apologized for being useless, but I was the useless one, she apologized for being weak, but I was the weak one, and she apologized for being dumb, but I was evem more dumb. ''Did my mother make a mistake? How is that even possible? She should be perfect. She''s perfect.'' I couldn''t understand why she was apologizing? Why did she come back for me? Why didn''t she leave me behind? I was a wounded soldier, taking care of me was an idiotic act. But she still did her best, she brought food and medicine, she seemed to be exhausted and finished, and that was so.... Unexpected. My mother was always perfect, always neat and clean, had delicate features and was simply the most beautiful creature in the universe. But at that moment she was not clean and tidy, she was crying, she was dirty, she was stinking and messy. ''Isn''t she perfect?'' I couldn''t understand, how could a being like her be wrong, how could my mother of all creatures in the world be wrong? How imperfect is she? The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Was she imperfect like me? I could not believe, that my mother could be an imperfect being, she should be the embodiment of perfection, and yet she demonstrated mistakes and failures. So if even my mother, the most perfect being that exists can make mistakes... What can I, a mere useless creature, do to avoid making mistakes? It was wrong, I know it was wrong, but I felt so happy to know that she could make mistakes, I felt so relieved to know that I wasn''t the only one scared, I was so happy to know that I was.... Beloved. When the day dawned that day, I began to talk more with my mother, I began to expose my ideas, after all mom said that she needed me, that she wanted my help, that I was needed! I was so happy when she accepted my ideas, I was so happy and I ended up flying the fastest I''ve ever flown in my life. After a long journey I could see my mother sleeping in my arms, and it was just incredible! She trusted me enough to entrust her safety to me while she slept, and after a long journey we found our new home. I was so excited about the new home, I was euphoric when mum said she would raise a bunch of workers. I protected our new home with tooths and nails against anything that had came near, I hurted myself from time to time, but the pain was rewarding, I could feel it, with each fight with each slaughter, I got stronger, I needed to keep killing, I needed to become strong enough so that Mama would feel even more proud of me. When the workers were born, I was so excited that I almost cried, they were so adorable and small, so cute and full of life, I swore to myself that day that I would protect them, that they would not be lost like me when I was born and that they would never get hurt as long I was alive. I did something for them, something I wish someone had done for me, which was to explain what was going on, it''s pretty scary being born in an empty room, so I tried to reassure them all. I kept sending information through our link, and I kept calming them down, and it seemed to work somehow. I felt so special at that moment, being the Big Brother was something so incredible, it made me grateful that mom had raised me first. Then for a long time things stayed the same, the workers worked mom worked and I fought, I was still upset about being the only soldier, but soon mom raised 5 more soldiers, they were my long awaited hope, they were what I''ve been waiting for all this time, it was my chance to be the light in the middle of the darkness. I waited patiently for the soldiers to arrive, I was happy to be able to monitor the workers and make sure they were okay, but suddenly one day, our heads began to hurt, a clear attack that came directly through the link, like a merciless and devastating thunder, it was a hallucinate pain, and I felt as if my whole brain trembled, I saw my brothers falling to the ground one by one with expressions of pain and terror. And I was again a useless being who could not fulfill his purpose. A stupid failure who couldn''t keep his promise. After that I fainted and woke up a while later, my head was hurting and my thoughts were confused and tangled, I was angry, very angry. ''What had happened? Who did this, Who hurt us? Who hurt my brothers? Who hurt mom!?!'' I ran inside the nest, and I saw mommy passed out, so i moved her to a corner and tried to wake her up for a long time until she finally opened her eyes. I was so relieved when she woke up, I tried to figure out what had happened. If the link had been attacked, then mom was the main target. But as she spoke I realised, it wasn''t an attack, it was her. Did mom hurt us? Why would she do that, why would she try to kill us? But she didn''t explain anything, she just kept giving me a bunch of damn excuses for her stupid mistakes. Why did I feel so angry at her? I got so mad, she hated us so much that she wanted to kill herself and all of us, jjust to not stay with us?? Did she want us to drop dead just because we weren''t to her liking? She didn''t even wanted to give us a chance to be useful, she just stood there crying like she was the victim. And it annoyed me. We were the victims here, we who sacrificed your''s lifes for her, we fought for her, we would died for her! And she couldn''t even tolerat the ideal of being with us!?! I was so hurt, so angry, my precious brothers could have died because of her mistake, I could have died and most importantly, she could have died. And she was just apologizing? I don''t remember what I said, I just remember screaming, saying things I don''t think I should have sayed, criticizing her and blaming her for everything, I had been ungrateful, I had spit on the plate I ate and soon I felt the regret wave coming. But to my surprise my mother was not angry with me, she just was... Happy? Determined? Understanding? I don''t know, but she changed in that moment, she became more focused, more understanding, more joyful, and more... Focused.
After that things started to improve. The soldiers were born, the colony grew, I evolved and now I had a big happy family, as I always dreamed. And all because I yelled at my mother! "Hans! What do you think of that enemy right there? I think we can beat him easily." "Huh? Forgive me I was thinking of another matter." Now I was helping the soldiers level up, I had already evolved and now I wanted this for all my brothers, the creature Herald pointed out was a black caterpillar, a very common creature around here, I had already killed hundreds of them and would be an easy target. "This one will do, stay away" When they heard my command all the soldiers flew away a little, so I went into the [combat posture] and gave a quick charge until I reached very close to my enemy and stucked my harpoon in the creature. The larva tried to struggle for a while, creating several black spines on his back and curling itself into a ball, but it was useless against me. I just forced my harpoon and the shell of the creature crushed by my strength, soon as the harpoon penetrated the flesh of the larva, a reddish liquid began to flow, and the larva let out a squeal of pain, the larva realized that its defense was useless and tried to attack me, but it only took a few quick movements to dodge its erratic blows and grab its neck. The larva struggled and whimpered, as if it was asking for mercy, but I did not care for his suffering, I continued to squeeze his throat until the larva began to curl up on itself and soon fainted. All the junior soldiers looked at me with admiration and clapped their hands, they respected me, they admired me and they counted on me. I always wanted this, being necessary for my beloved ones. "Kill him now." As soon my words fell a group of soldiers quickly flew up to the larva and began to stab it, tear it and hit it as if it were some kind of unimportant punching bag, the soldiers showed no respect or mercy to the larva that until a few moments was just living quietly without worries, and soon the creature died.
[Warning]
You earned 12 Xp from killing a [Spike caterpillar]
"How much Xp did you guys had earned?" "9!" "I got 4!" "10 for me!" "Hummm.. That''s too little, we''re going after bigger creatures..." "Yes brother!" All the soldiers responded in unisom, and followed Hans, leaving behind the body of the lifeless larva, as if the creature that was once a living being was nothing more than a mere useless piece of garbage now. "For the colony and for our brothers, we will grow stronger and more powerful, we will grow unstoppably until no creature in this clearing can challenge us, we will grow until our mother is satisfied and proud of our achievements!" "For our mother! For our brothers! And for our home!" "For our mother! For our brothers! And for our home!" Chapter 38: Accident Now I was looking at 2 children who had evolved, They had managed to evolve a day ago and now I was evaluating. Matt would emerge at the end of the day, but now it was these guys turn. The first to emerge were the soldiers, one was [Warrior] and one was [Swordsman]. The swordsman had long blades in place of 2 of his hands, he had a slimmer body than an ordinary soldier, but was entirely covered by chitin plates that served as an ''armor'', the arms that contained the ''swords'' seemed to be highly resistant compared to his ordinary arms that were much less developed, the Blades of the ''sword'' was just a sharp bar of chitin, as if it were a super sharp nail or something, but for sure this guy was threatening.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Sworder Mana:N/A
Life: 3.2 Str: 7.5 Def: 1.1
Spr: 12.5 Int: 12 Wis: 8.2
+ Information
[Skills]
{Precision Strike} LV 1 You can accurately target vital points on our enemies, increasing the chance of inflicting critical damage.
{Dual Wielding} Lv 1 You have a proficiency in wielding two swords simultaneously, enabling you to deal rapid consecutive strikes in a short period of time.
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Strong limbs} - Lv 3 All yours limbs are very strong and can carry 3x your own weight.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Basic flight} Lv 7
{Honorable Duel} Force an enemy more weaker tham you to enter a 1 x 1 battle, if any of the 2 duelist flees or receives outside help during [Honorable Duel] gains the effect [Weakness], [Confusion], [Tiredness]
{Combat posture} Lv 1 Concentrate yourself to enter the [Combat posture], once you are in the [Combat posture] you gain 15% more [Strength] and [Agility], if you fail to enter the [Combat posture], you gain the effect [Paralysis] for 5 seconds.
{Eyes in death} Lv 1 You can feel whether a blow will be lethal for you or not, before it even hits you, giving you the chance to dodge.
{Swift Charge} lv1 Executes a lightning-fast charge, closing the gap between enemies rapidly.
[Traces]
[Super developed]
[Cold head] You are always calm and stable, your concentration cannot be easily shaken, making you a calculating creature.
{Resilient} Maintains focus during battles, minimizing the impact of distractions and status effects. You''ve felt a lot of pain in your life, and you''ve learned to live with it.
  • Increased pain resistance
It was pretty impressive to tell the truth, he could do more damage than Hans,and move even faster, but had less life than Hans, and his skills were not as "impressive". Sure, [Eye in death] and [Battle of Honor] look amazing, but they''re still not as imprecating as Hans [Stinger growth], or Trouble''s [heavy attack]. But the class of [Swordsman] seemed to have an obivious advantage into self defence. With their high agility, hight sense and decent stamina, these guys became the masters of hit-and-run combat. If I recall the description said they have low stamina so they couldn''t stay in this back and forth for to long but they would get the upper hand in a short term fight. At least that''s what it seems to me, they could kill an enemy one by one, and flee before a real threat appeared, the famous "vultures", but if this method works for him who cares if he is ''dishonest''. There is no honor to be preserved if you are dead. On the other hand the [Warrior] seemed to align more with Trouble, only he had a lot of life, could he be kind of a meat shield? So did he... Dumber than usual?
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Warrior Mana:N/A
Life: 8.2 Str: 14.6 Def: 1.4
Spr: 6.3 Int: 0.7 Wis: 0.9
+ Information
[Skills]
{Brutal Charge} LV 1 It advances ferociously towards your enemy, causing damage on impact, when you hit your enemy you have a 40% chance of geting the efect [Confused]
{Intimidating Presence} Lv 1 makes all those below your level afraid of you
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Strong muscles} - Lv 1 All your muscles are super strong and resilient, increasing your damage and natural endurance.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Basic flight} Lv 5
{Berserker Rage} Gain the [Enraged] effect, multiply your damage and defense by 3x. loses 5 [Life] points per minute while on [Enraged].
{Provocation} Lv 1 Makes an enemy angry at you, focusing you on battle. You deal 15% more damage to the provoked enemy, and take 10% less damage.
{The Last Stand} When you are on the verge of death, you receive immunity against physical blows for a limited time, at the end of the immunity you receive the effect [Incapacitated] This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Traces]
[Super developed]
[Hot head]
I don''t think I need to talk too much about this guy. He is simply stunning! Boy, in addition to super high damage, health, and stamina, he also has scary skills like [beserker''s Fury] and [last one standing]. It seems to be a unit that is able to sacrifice [health] points to do a lot of damage, it''s cool for sure, but it''s still disturbing. [Berserker fury] seems to be an ordinary RPG berserker mode, but the fact that it loses [health] points is scary, at least 3x in statuses is a good payoff for this power. Now [the last one standing] is a joke! That shit makes you immune to physical blows! He could fight until the last moment, and in the end fight some more! ''This looks broken.. He could use this temporary immunity to simply run away without worrying about taking damage, or he could keep fighting.'' But how did a skill determine what "physical harm" was? If he got punched he wouldn''t get hurt, but what if he got burned? After all, being burned is a kind of physical damage, just not a blunt damage. The same goes for drowning, strangulation, suffocation, freezing, electrocution and other forms of dying, or will you tell me that he also becomes immune to having his legs or neck broken? "I wanted to ask you something child. Would you be able to tell me what your skill [the last one standing] consider physical damage?" "Huh? I have no idea! I just know I''m awesome!" ''Damn, I think having a low [intelligence] and [wisdom] is not really a good thing, he must know how the skill works, if the testimony of those who have come before is right you get a "manual" for this type of skill, but this guy seems to have thrown the manual away." "What a pity... I don''t think I have anything to do about it then. Boys, I am proud of your work, you are the first of your kind, and now you are part of the elite of our house." "Thank you mom!" "Hehe, I''m really strong!" "I thought about allowing them to create their own groups, but... I think it will be better if you join the groups we already have, you join Hans '' group, and you join Trouble''s group!" "No problem!" "Humf, if I can''t form my own group, then I just need to detonate Trouble and become the new leader!" I ended up sending the swordsman to Hans and the warrior to Trouble, I was a little skeptical in letting them create their own groups, even more in letting this warrior be a group leader, if before he was an idiot teenager now he is a boring child, I did not know that status could influence our minds so much, to the point that we regress. But I think that served as a warning, if one day I evolve, I should avoid classes with low intelligence, if not soon we will be hitting women on the head and pulling them by the hair. Soon as I sorted things out with the boys, I headed off to my laboratory, I was keen to do some more experiments, and now I didn''t have much to do. Trevis had already returned, and to my disappointment I received the sad news that the shiny nuts had... Finished. They lost their luster over time, and when Trevis found a bush all the fruit no longer gave off any luster, and the Bush was no longer producing new fruit, all Trevis could do was gather as many nuts as possible from the soldiers and scouts to bring home, at least that way he wouldn''t miss the trip. That left me with a totally unique new ingredient, and one that had the affinity with [light]. Something that was very mysterious, I don''t know how affinities work, but these nuts that Trevis brought no longer glowed, some had a slight glow that was dying, but nothing close to the blinding glow that was in a young Walnut. Another thing was that the" fruit "of the Fire Flower had already ripened, and it was a very strange fruit, it looked like a pumpkin only much smaller, it had a deep red color and yellowish" scars". When you touched the furta you could feel a slight heat but it was nothing that could hurt. The crystal that the flower had grown into had turned dull gray, but it continued as a crystal with the affinity of [fire], so it seems that you cannot lose an affinity so easily, or it may be that you still have some remnant of energy in that Crystal. Whatever it is gave me new ingredients. I opened the light nuts, crushed everything and turned it into paste and powder, I opened the fire fruit that looked like a papaya inside, and put all the hoopoe in a jar, crushed the peel and made a paste. I used 2 stones on the crystal to chip small pieces and then used the pestle to turn it into powder. And now I had many unique and mysterious ingredients.
[Description]
[Lumus Berry paste] A paste of a lumo''s nut, can be used in the confection of [Light] afinity itens. Quality: Greate
[Description]
[Burning Fruit Pulp] The pulp of a burning fruit, can be used in the confection of [Fire] afinity itens. Quality: Greate
[Description]
[Burning Fruit powder] Burning bloom powder is a wight inflamable item Quality: Fine
[Description]
[Mana crystal powder] A highly dangerous and unstable substance, it can cause permanent damage to the body if inhaled. Quality: Good
''Fuck? That fucking powdered mana crystal is dangerous as fuck!'' After analyzing the powder that looked like super fine glitter, I carefully covered it with a jar, and put it inside another jar, so that it was tightly sealed and no one came close. ''Messing with potions is dangerous... I don''t know if I inhaled that shit, but hopefully not, one more dangerous thing I''ve come up with to put on the list, and it sure as hell won''t be the last. I hope this shit is useful.'' I decided to leave this powder aside, because I didn''t want to risk messing with this thing, in a few days the tailors were born and maybe they could make me some masks, so me and my assistants would be safer. As I decided to leave the powdered mana crystals very quiet in their place, I went to the next most interesting thing here, which was the paste with [light] affinity, maybe I can create something with it, if I could get something that glowed it was just worth it, I was tired of living in the dark, I felt like an Amish, sleeping with the sun and waking up with it, I wanted to be able to work at night, I wanted to be able to walk through the corridors of my own house without being afraid of bumping into something! For my first attempt I tried to throw things like ordinary wax, lumus paste, some oils and plant resins to create something but in the end I got paint... Paint that glows from the dark looks incredible, but was the glow permanent, or temporary like that of the lumus berris themselves? Maybe it''s luminescent? Does paint absorb light when there is light to absorb and does it emit light when there is light? I decide to leave this to my attendants, so I poured the entire contents of the cauldron into a walnut shell and asked them to do some testing. In that period of time I would try again to create a potion of light, or something like that. Then I again threw various things into the cauldron such as water, lumos paste, sap, resins, bright flower pollen, some fire dust. And the rarest thing I have, Mana crystal powder. The result was a tin liquid that didn''t emit any kind of smell, the strange thing was that it had a very deep opaque gray color and a texture resembling paint. What am I doing wrong? I''m just trying to create a potion that glows, not a potion of immortality, it shouldn''t be that hard. So why did it always go wrong? ''My ingredients are not good? Are the proportions bad? What is it? Do I need any new reagents?'' Reagent? I have the white liquid that I can produce with my gland, I knew that the liquid was a kind of" super ingredient", so I could use it here? I decided it would be worth a try, so I focused on creating a drop of'' secret ingredient and let it drip into the opaque gray liquid. After a while without reaction, I got frustrated and started mixing the liquid, and after a short time the whole mixture began to bubble frantically, the liquid began to glow in shades of gold and bright red ''Yes! It worked! I knew I could create a potion of light! Eat this universe! Who do you think you are to stop me?!'' As I stood there amazed and excited by the beauty of my creation, suddenly I could hear a hiss sound coming from the bubbling liquid itself, the liquid began to bubble even faster and glow even brighter. I could feel that something was wrong and I started to move away from the cauldron, soon the liquid started to give off small sparks and that was the signal for me to start running. Soon the entire laboratory was taken over by a huge explosion, which destroyed everything and set the tree on fire. I managed to escape in time to avoid being caught by the explosion, but I was still hit by some shrapnel and the force of the explosion. Soon everyone started running towards me to find out what had happened, and when they arrived, all they could see was me injured on the ground, watching as all my creation and experiments burned. "Mom! What happened!" One of my soldiers was checking me out and began to interrogate me with worried eyes. "T-The cauldron... It... It just exploded... "Are you hurt? Does it hurt somewhere?!" "I''m fine... My lab..." Before I could speak the soldier signaled to another group of soldiers and soon I was being carried towards the nursery where Ken was. All I could see from my lab were workers who were scared to death of the fire as they ran back and forth in panic, and several other workers who were running towards the lake to get water. When we arrived at the nursery Ken threw himself towards me and began to analyze me meticulously, but I couldn''t concentrate on his words, all I could think about was my laboratory, I had dedicated so much time and resources to that place and now everything was burning. Everything burned again. "Mother!" "What-" "Are you listening to me?" "Y-Yeah, I was just... distracted, that''s all." "You weren''t hurt thank heavens, but why the hell are you playing with fire!?!" "I wasn''t playing with fire, the fire started out of nowhere! And my lab? How''s my lab?" I asked this to a soldier, who was nearby and had just entered. "The workers are trying their best to extinguish the fire, but they are too scared to get close and prefer to focus on not letting the fire spread, one day it will stop burning." "No! All my work! It will turn to ashes!" "And who cares about that! You''re alive, what are some stupid pots and stupid materials, you can always create more, but you only have one life!" ''Damn, Ken is right, I''m so worried about my things that I didn''t think about the crucial and the whole plan again, if this fire isn''t stopped we could lose our house.'' "Tell the workers and soldiers to throw green leaves into the hole, several of them until they cover the entrance, so we can smother the fire and prevent it from growing any further!" "Yes mom!" "Send a group to get dirt and sand, it could all help us stop the fire from spreading!" "Immediately!" Everyone started to move, and I went after everyone, I didn''t have time to mourn like a little girl who lost her favorite toy now, I had to make sure that this fire didn''t compromise the integrity of the tree, or that it spread. When I arrived at the place the fire was still weak, but it was clearly increasing, all the members of the colony were running here and there in disarray, as if they were a real swarm of bees, it seemed that their rationality and intelligence had been extracted from them and they could not think and act coherently to solve this problem. "Everyone pay attention to me!" Suddenly the whole swarm of angry bees started to slowly stop and everyone looked at me, they were still scared and seemed confused about what to do and how to act, but with my order they all started moving again. "Everyone, get water, green leaves, earth and sand, even clay, and throw them into the hole, we can''t let the fire spread!" "But! The fire is dangerous, we can''t get close!" One of the workers had spoken up, and some started to panic again, I had to do something to make them obey, I don''t like forcing my will on them, but there is a moment when I need to. "I said! Everyone. Go!" This time everyone stopped for a moment, as if fighting their fear and my orders, but it became clear when everyone started moving orderly again that my orders were more important than their fears, and soon everyone started working again. Quickly a group brought leaves, earth and mud and began to throw everything into the hole, the fire broke out with the material and it didn''t seem to care what was thrown into it, but soon several other workers and soldiers began to arrive with other materials and began to flood the hole with earth, mud, green leaves, sand and stones. Soon the fire started to get weaker, as the hole was getting full, but in the meantime it had managed to melt the entire wax floor and started to soften nearby structures. Everyone continued throwing things into the hole until the fire began to die down and some collectors and workers arrived with water, then everyone began to pour small amounts of water on the pile of "garbage" to moisten everything and soon the fire turned into just smoke. . With a little more work and water, the hole stopped burning, and now there was only a little smoke coming out of the cracks, everyone started to celebrate as if they had won a war, and I was happy that we managed to stop the advance Of fire. After a while, Hans and Trouble''s group of soldiers arrived hurriedly, but it was too late, as the incident had already passed. "What happened here?" Hans asked me soon as he got close. "I ended up blowing up my laboratory... I''m fine, but it started a fire, and we had to run to stop the fire from spreading." "Mother! Didn''t I say not to mess with fire!? This is very dangerous! We could have died, or worse, you could have died!" "Hans, it was an unfortunate accident, I don''t intend to make that kind of mistake again, but now everything is fine, the boys helped me a lot, they fought against their fear of fire and managed to put out the fire quickly." Even though I gave them a little ''push'' "...I understand, it''s a shame that you lost your lab, but this could be a sign to stop this dangerous activity." "Accidents happen Hans, I won''t stop there." Hans seemed saddened by my statement, but he seemed relieved that we were all okay and uninjured. We had lost my lab, ingredients and items, some wax structures had melted and others had softened, but nothing that wasn''t salvageable. Chapter 39: A Easy life, at least for me The next day I was now inside my laboratory again, i had to sleep in the divan on the nursery since my bad and everything had been burned on the fire, now the workers had cleaned the place and saved what could be saved, which wasn''t much, the whole place was covered in black puddles of burning materials, the pots had all been burned, and the place smelled of burning and grass, my little miniature gear had completely melted, and the only thing that seemed intact was the fire flower. The whole place had burned to charcoal, but the fire flower was stils strong and vigorous as ever, it looked even better in fact now that it had been removed from the earthen stove. Everyone told me that this fire was a ''signal'' from the universe for me to stop my experiments, but that was just the universe laughing in my face and calling me a fool. I wouldn''t give him that taste, if the universe thinks he can stop my progress, he was very mistaken. I called some workers to the site together with Levi, I was going to remake this laboratory, bigger, better and safer. "Mom, how can we help?" Levi said promptly "Levi, I want this place to be restored, is it possible?" "W-Well.... It would be difficult, we would need someone to remove all the burnt parts, and it would still be a dangerous place to work..." "What if you put clay all over the entire place? Create a separate room for me to use as a storage room, and create a fire-fighting system?" The workers looked at each other, as if assessing whether my request was stupid or serious. "T-To do that we would need a lot of time, and I don''t know how to create an anti-fire system." "We could leave large water tanks with buckets nearby, or create a cauldron with a super resistant lid, or we could also line the entire floor with sand to make it difficult for a fire to spread." "W-We can do this, but we have other active projects, should we focus on this laboratory?" Failing to build a general headquarters and an infirmary to create a laboratory, I don''t think so, I can''t sacrifice the well-being of the colony for my personal gains. "...No, this is a low priority side project, focus on essential constructions first." "Clear!" After we finished talking I got a little upset, what was the point of having a giant colony if I couldn''t have what I want when I want it, at one point that''s a selfish thought for sure, but I should be able to dedicate some of our resources to doing things for me. Yes everything was "for me" growth and development was focused solely on making my life safer and more comfortable, but I still wish I could dedicate some of my resources to doing things I really want, one of those things was my laboratory, and the production of a windmill, if I could create these apparently ''useless'' things with the workers I could skyrocket everyone''s quality of life. After all, it was only thanks to the laboratory that the cooks were able to develop the [Nutritional Paste], without it the workers and soldiers would still consume astronomical amounts of food every day, but with the pastes they could meet their needs with just a little per day. Soldiers needed around 3 meals of nutritional paste a day to maintain their routine, and workers were able to maintain themselves with just a single reinforced meal a day. Some thought that my experiments and strange ideas were a strange "hobby" of mine, while only a few, like the more "creative" cooks and workers, could understand my purposes. Most didn''t understand what I wanted to do, but they accepted, after all it didn''t matter if what I did was ''useless'' I was the queen and the mother, I could do whatever I wanted, as long it didn''t hurt the colony. Now I was heading to the dorms, my personal house/laboratory had been burned, so I had another official place to sleep and all I wanted to do now is get some sleep. "Hello mom! What do you need?" One of the workers asked me soon as I arrived at the dorm. "Hello boys, I''m just going to get some sleep, I''m just tired..." "What here?! No! This place is not worthy of you!" "But I don''t have anywhere else to sleep right now... And I''m sure this must be comfortable as anywhere else." "Levi and the workers are building your new apartment, mother! It should be ready by the end of the afternoon! "Oh, I didn''t know that, so I guess I''ll... I don''t really have anything to do..." "Really? Then why don''t you play with us? Let''s play some games." "Umm, what do you guys got there?" "Uno, a deck of cards, game of life, monopoly, Chess, checkers, D & D, minesweeper, Ludo, and monsters card!" What the fuck? These guys are no joke when it comes to development, they have already re-created several types of popular games. When I went to see what they had I could see that it wasn''t even remotely perfect, the cards were thin wax plates, which had words written on them with twigs and things like that, the cards had different colors, probably using colored wax, and there were several spelling errors, but it was still impressive for bees. The uno was the most "faithful", the cards had different colors on, and in the back a fixed color of black, they had a number that indicated their value, and joker cards were well done. Things like monopoly, game of life and D&D were far below "perfection", the workers had created inferior and simpler versions, but they still managed to have fun with it. The most impressive thing for me was the deck, they created a faithful version, with cards that ranged from 2 to 10, with 4 different formats in various cards and special cards, a rough drawing of a bee with a crown was the version of the card of ace, which I presume to be me, other cards such as J, K and Q were respectively, a bee with strong musculus, probably Trouble, a bee with a spear, probably Hans, and a bee holding a Cross, which seemed to represent Ken. But all of that hadn''t prepared me for the ''monster cards'', which were... ridiculous. They were simply very ugly, no one seemed to have drawing skills, so everything was very crude, the little card monsters had strange shapes, and 5 numbers at the bottom, one in each corner and a large one in the middle, which should represent the [Status] of the creature. I don''t think the workers know the creatures real status, but they seemed to have made it up, I was sure of this when I came across the same crude drawing of a bee with a crown with absurd point values. ''At least it''s cute'' "Alright guys, let''s play a game of chess, how about that?" "Yes!" The chess was faithful, at least that, they had good wax sculptors, and they could create faithful pieces, the only difference for these pieces was that I was the queen''s piece and Hans the king''s piece, I don''t know what they were thinking when created it that way, but anyone who saw this could have the wrong idea.
At the end of the day I was finished, just collapsed. My children proved to be fierce players, and didn''t take it easy on me, I played against several workers and lost against around 80% of them, my only luck was that everyone thought I was "taking it easy" on everyone and that''s why I always lost. . Thank heavens they didn''t realize I''m horrible at this. ''I should have suggested playing checkers, it would be much easier, I wouldn''t have to think so much... I''m glad it''s over, I couldn''t keep losing like that, next time we''ll play uno, at least it''s a game that counts more on the luck.'' In the meantime my newest pastor, Matt had arrived, and I was finally able to get a better insight into his capabilities. "Matt? Hello dear, I did not have the opportunity to be there when you emerged on account of mine... Accident, good to see you are well and happy with your new class." "It''s incredible!! I can see everything from very far away, I can tell if there is any threat nearby and I can move as fast as the wind!"
[Status]
Name: Matt Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Sentinel Mana: 1
Life: 1.2 Str: 0.1 Def: 0.4
Sp: 19.3 Int: 13 Wis: 6.6
+ Information
[Skills]
{Irritating sting} lv 1 Your sting doesn''t cause any damage, but it can cause extreme skin irritation, as well have a minimal chance of causing [Confusion] and [Anger] effect.
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Pastoring} Lv 1 You can mark a group of allies, and always know with absolute certainty if anyone is missing from the group
{Super vision} - Lv 1 You can see everything much more clearly and from a much greater distance
{Unshakeble Will}
{Enhanced senses} Lv 1 Your basic senses are improved, allowing better use of them in adverse situations
[Traces]
[Energetic] You are always willing and very excited, your energy is high and your disposition is contagious. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[Professional herding] You watch everyone very well, and you are very experienced in this field, which allows you to sense when something bad is about to happen.
''This boy is really good, there is no one faster than him in this colony now, well, I don''t think there is anyone weaker than him in this colony either, but he seems to be very good at his job, being able to tell if there is an imminent danger about to happen is an incredible power to have.'' But something I couldn''t help but notice is that Matt lost the [Polonizer], [trait], so the traits aren''t permanet, they can change throughout our lives, but I think losing a trait that gave him Xp isn''t something to celebrate. "I''m glad you''re happy Matt, I hope you do a good job as a vigilante, but what happened to make you lose the [Polonizer] trait?" "About that! I have no idea... Maybe it''s because my class changed, but I''m not sure, I just know it sucks! I can''t get XP anymore." "Well, don''t worry about it, I''m sure we''ll sort it out eventually, now I''ll go back to my new room, and you can go back to get our rest, keep doing your best darling." "Of course, mom! You should have seen Miles face when I evolved! He must be biting his own claws from so much hate! He he " Do these guys ever stop fighting? I think at least it''s a friendly competition, it''s not like they hate each other, they just like to compete. When I went towards where Levi''s group was I could see a building that wasn''t there this morning, the building was inside the building shared with the nursery, with the recent expansion this place started to become empty, so much so that the new plan was to transform it into the new permanent nursery. But now about 30% of this place had become the "royal quarters", and I must say it was quite spacious. The place was still full of bees working on the finishing touches, and there was a big bed right in the middle of the room, the bed was made up with regular wax and comfortable sheets, the whole place had several jars full of honey, and some games and a pile of of letters left by workers. The whole place was very well done, and was being guarded by soldiers outside, with honorable mention from the only swordsman stationed at the entrance. "Boys, what''s all this, you didn''t need to do so much..." "Of course we needed it mom! Your quarters were always a big concern, but you insisted on sleeping in that weird smelling place, now that we have the chance we can create a place that is adequately protected, and comfortable." "Is this really necessary?... I don''t like the idea of soldiers stationed at my door...." "Of course yes, how else other than putting soldiers to protect you 24 hours a day can we guarantee your safety?" "Yes, if you had soldiers accompanying you on the day of the explosion you would have left without a single scratch!" But the soldiers would have been hurt... "Okay, since they insist so much, but outside, okay? Without anyone watching me while I sleep, this won''t happen!" "It''s not ideal... But we can work with it." Said my swordsman. After a while all the work was finished, the workers said goodbye and the soldiers left the room to stay outside, I could still see them through the "door", but they respected my request, and didn''t look at me. my direction, I must admit, that sleeping surrounded by soldiers calmed something inside me, maybe it was my instincts, which I used to ignore a lot, saying that I did something right.
When the day dawned I went straight to the nursery, my new workers had hatched, and now we had hundreds of them, the beacons would soon emerge and now I had several empty brood units, and 10 pearly white cocoons, from which in a few moments my new [Weavers] would emerge. After waiting for a few moments while discussing with the nurses what the next batch would be, the white cocoons began to break and small bees the size of a common worker began to emerge from inside. These bees had a much larger and silkier mane, they had small pompoms of hair on their arms and legs and small, fragile-looking wings, the most eye-catching thing about them was their bee-like backs, which were the same size as mine, even though they were smaller than me. They all had a very "feminine" vibe, but I could still tell from the link that they were men, and that started to irritate me, why were all my descendants men? Is there something wrong with me, or something else? Can only queens be female in this world? After all, I never needed a male to create eggs, just the skill, so it seemed like the system had no reason to create a female bee if it wasn''t to lay eggs. But even so, I would still like to see a female in this place besides me, it''s not like it''s an impossible or ridiculous request. While I was thinking about this, all the tailors came out of their cocoons and delicately cleaned themselves, they had red eyes, and a dull yellow body, which gave them an air of elegance or old age, I can''t say which of the two, but they still looked very sophisticated and serious.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Weaver Mana: 1.6
Life: 0.5 Str: 0.2 Def: 1.6
Sp: 0.1 Int: 14.5 Wis: 18.1
+ Information
[Skills]
{Spinning Techniques} lv 1 Utilizing efficient spinning techniques, you can produce high-quality silk threads in large quantities, minimizing the waste.
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Sewing ethics} Lv 1 You are able to create complex items using thread and related materials
{Silk creation} - Lv 1 Use different materials to create different types of silk
{Unshakeble Will}
{Razor fangs} Lv 1 Your fangs are super sharp and are capable of easily cutting through various types of materials.
[Traces]
[Gentle Touch] You have a soft touch, minimizing much as possible any damage you could cause to any thing your''s hands touch
[Sensible] you are super vulnerable to any kind of emotional damage
"Hello everyone, welcome to the world, I''m your mommy!" "Hello mother!" "Can you please explain your abilities to me?" "Of course! We are able to create silk and work with it, creating things like ropes or fabrics." "We can also modify the texture, strength, quality and color of the silk produced based on the resources used, and the purpose of use." It doesn''t seem like a big deal when they say it like that, but no one really gives the value that basic items like cloth deserve. Without fabric or ropes we wouldn''t have things like clothes, filters, insulation, toys or even some food. ''The silk produced by these tailors could revolutionize life in this colony, we could enter a whole new era, we could create the mill''s propellers, create filters for the cooks, ropes for the workers and create decorations and utilities for the entire colony, no. We need clothes, but we could use some towels, rugs and table cloths.'' "This is incredible guys! Please do a good job, I''ll ask the boys to build you a room, but until then you can stay in the old honey warehouse, we have 2 big honey tanks there, and a decent amount of space." "Thanks!" "I also wanted to give each one a name... But if I start naming everyone I''ll never remember everything, so how about I call them all "The Sewing Club", and give the club oldest member a name? That way he can give each one names over time, if you guys want, of course." "We don''t care about names, mom! But if you want us to give you a name, we''d be grateful!" ''Now, what should I call a seamstress bee?.... They are very elegant, and seem to be ''fashionable'', so what?'' ''Ragy Kiryin? No... That name brings bad luck... Satsuki Kiryin? No... it''s too long... Sat? Suki? Zuk? Zuki?'' "I''ll call you Zuki! The oldest of the weavers!" "Thank you mom!~" When we finished, the tailors left and I was left alone with the nurses to lay another large batch of eggs, this time I wanted to create 50 farmers, and 50 carpenters, I already knew they would be useful, so there was no reason to create a small number to see its uses. Without much delay I laid all the eggs and then I went back to my private room. Now that the workers had finished all the finishing touches on the room they had returned to the project with the infirmary, with the recent increase in the number of workers it was easy to build an infirmary, dormitory and mess hall for the soldiers. "hmm? Oh! I remember now." "What happened mom? What do you want?" asked one of the soldiers at the door. "I need you to let Levi know that the seamstresses need a room of their own, make them prioritize that please Simus, I would really like a soft blanket and comfy pillows." "Immediately mother!" Things were happening around here, everything was becoming more and more developed day by day, this place that not so long ago was just the top of a tree was now looking like a factory entirely made of wax, it had roads and large structures, corridors that connected everything togheter and a large number of "armed" soldiers patrolling the place. Our enemies, (who to this day I have never seen in person) seemed to be intimidated by our growing numbers, we were the rulers of this region according to Hans, Apparently we gained a very bad reputation around here. Any living creature that was weaker than the soldiers was simply obliterated. And According to Trouble he''s starting to move on to... Bigger targets. Finding enemies had become a real challenge, everything that the soldiers could easily kill had already been killed, and all that was left were large and very dangerous animals. But Trouble didn''t seem to be afraid of them, of course he wasn''t going after a moose, but he was starting to fight off creatures like young squirrels and small birds, I don''t think he''s managed to kill anything until this day but at least he''s trying.
[Warning]
You earned 52 Xp from your soldier
[Warning]
You have have leveled up to lvl 7
[Warning]
your soldier have leveled up to Lv 5
[Warning]
your soldier have leveled up to Lv 5
[Warning]
your soldier have leveled up to Lv 5
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Striker].
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Warrior].
[Warning]
Your soldier has evolved into a [Slaughter].
I was in my room, being served a delicious honey drink, by the arms of one of my soldiers while the tailors measured and made plans across all the room. My privacy had been slowly and strategically invaded, under the pretense of helping, I now had a small entourage, which was made up of common soldiers, a swordsman, and a small group of workers. These guys followed me everywhere, and whenever I tried to disperse them they didn''t really go away, they always stayed around, bringing me sweets, giving me massages or talking to me and keeping me company. ''If you can''t fight them, join them.'' There were so many advances to stay close to me, 24 a day that I ended up giving in, it wasn''t like they were doing anything uncomfortable, they were just keeping me company and taking care of me, but I had still lost a little of my privacy. And while I was just relaxing, drinking some nectar from a pitcher given by a soldier, and getting massages from some workers, I received notification of the slaughters, most likely coming from Trouble''s group. ''Wow, the boys seem to have gotten quite a kill, 3 soldiers managed to evolve, but what the hell is this Slaughterer class?'' Chapter 40: Us About 2 days had passed, in the meantime the new headquarters and infirmary had been built, all the work was going super fast with the recent increase in skilled labor, my farmers would take another 5 days to hatch, and my carpenters plus 4, and at that moment I was waiting for something I have been waiting for a long time. My beacons. They would finally emerge, two days ago they started to weave their cocoon, and only today did it look like they would emerge. Its cocoons were a bit gray in color and it was very soft, unlike the tough cocoons of the other drones. After waiting excitedly for a few moments, 2 small bees, much smaller than a worker, came out of the large cocoons, which was already a break from expectations. These bees were also extremely unusual; they had black and gray colors, defying the colony''s standard yellow, enormous antennae compared to their small bodies, a stingless bee abdomen, and small eyes and they didn''t have wings.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Beacon Mana: 2,4
Life: 0.5 Str: 0.1 Def: 0.2
Sp: 0.1 Int: 24.2 Wis: 23.5
+ Information
[Skills]
{Link Break} lv 1 Breaks the mental link with an active member of the link permanently or for a limited time, when breaking the link the target loses connection with all members of the hive
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Telepathic Network} Lv 1 you are capable of establishing a telepathic network with your''s hive mates, allowing for instantaneous communication and information sharing.
{Memory Sharing} - Lv 1 You have the ability to share memories and experiences with your''s fellow hive mates, allowing for the collective accumulation of knowledge and wisdom within the hive.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Universal signal} Lv 1 Your mental presence serves as a beacon for all members of the colony, allowing them to guide themselves to your position no matter the distance.
[Traces]
[Collective feelings] You are able to feel everything that the members of your colony feel, experiencing their pain and joy firsthand.
''Damn? These guys are weak as a sheet of paper...'' ''-We forgive for being so weak.'' ''No! That''s not what I meant... You have your advantages! It''s just.... Wait a minute?! Are you talking inside my head!? Ugh, I''m not going to be able to have a any kind of privacy anymore, not even with my thoughts?!'' ''-We can''t help but hear your thoughts, but we can ignore them if you wish.'' ''-Yes, but we wanted to be able to help you if possible, doing something that can be useful for you.'' The whole room was silent, everyone was confused with the reason why I was just looking at the beacons and they were looking at me, but we were having a conversation away from each other''s ears. ''What can you guys do with yours Skills?'' ''-We can avoid mental attacks, or extend the links range.'' ''-For example, if an enemy trie to use a worker as a ''bridge'' to attack us, or you, we could break the link with that member and prevent a direct attack on you, or we could "numb" the link for a limited time to prevent him from be used.'' ''-We can also ''connect'' several members in our ''channel'' allowing them to communicate more easily, regardless of class, or natural link control abilities.'' ''That sounds incredible, could you try to make that connection?'' ''-Yeah! Just a minute...'' Soon as we finished talking mentally, the beacons lowered their heads and their antennas began to emit a golden glow, I could feel some kind of ''wave'' passing through us, but I couldn''t see nothing, after a few moments my link with everyone lit up. Before it seemed like I had dozens of strings that went towards a dark infinity space, those strings connected me to my children, but I couldn''t see them or establish a stabel contact directly with them, but when the beacons made that connection, it seemed like the whole dark room of my mind had been lit up, I could see the strings connecting to little colored clouds, each of these ''clouds'' was one of my children and soon I could feel as if our bond was becoming ''stable''. But before I could do anything, the link was broken, the room returned to a dark numble place, and I could no longer see the clouds. "What happened?! I felt like my link had been yanked!" One of the nurses sayed "Me too! But it went by so quickly..." Other one sayed too The workers began to discuss what had just happened, but I wasn''t thinking about that now, I wanted to know what went wrong. ''What happened? Why did the link go down?'' ''-W-We''re sorry, the two of us aren''t enough to maintain contact with the entire colony, we had to break contact soon as it was established, otherwise we would have collapsed...'' Shit! When I find a solution to the link problem, I end up discovering that I don''t have enough manpower to keep it up! ''Could you two keep in touch with a smaller group?'' ''-Yes! It''s possible, maybe 10-15 for each of us.'' ''Then connect with my delegation, the older workers, and the Hans and Trouble groups, and Trevis.'' ''-There would still be too many members...'' ''So just Hans and Trouble, you can leave the group members out.'' ''-We will try!'' This time the ''room'' was not fully illuminated, but small points received illumination, as if they were on spotlights, and I could clearly tell who these members that I was connected were. ''Hello? Can you hear me?'' ''-Mother! Did you learn how to use the link?!'' - Hans ''No... That''s one of the skills of the new [Beacons]'' ''-Wow, this is still amazing! It will be very useful to be able to speak to you directly!'' - Matt ''-We can also speak more clearly among ourselves!'' - Steve The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''-So this is what it''s like to use the link... interesting.'' - Trevis ''-That''s so cool! It would be very useful if we could connect with my men, so we could coordinate better during a fight.'' - Trouble ''-Our power is limited, this is the maximum we can do in our current state, no more members.'' - Beacon #1 ''-That''s enough, I''ll be able to monitor our mother more easily, which is more than enough for me.'' - Hans ''Oh fuck! My head turned into discord chat?! There''s no way to turn this shit off?!'' ''Oh shit?! Did everyone hear that?!'' ''-You know Hans, I was thinking about-.......'' - Trouble ''-No mom. We can disconnect anyone from the link whenever we want.'' - Beacon #2 ''I thought they heard what I said...'' ''-No. Everything they or you say goes through us first, if you want, we can turn your thoughts into just your thoughts.'' Beacon #1 ''But you guys still hearing everything!'' ''-We are a part of you, an ''extension'', we don''t care about your thoughts, they are just information to be processed, just like everyone''s thoughts.'' ''So they''re like mental secretaries? I don''t know if I''ll get used to it...'' ''-Yes, we can act as your ''mental secretaries'', but if you wish we can remain silent at all times and not intervene in your thoughts.'' ''Can you just help me once in a while please? I don''t feel comfortable knowing that you are here all the time...'' ''-Of course mom, let''s minimize our presence much as possible.'' "Okay! Everyone, these guys are the beacons, you already understand their function, call some soldiers to help them move." "Immediately!" After a while we all left the room, the beacons were carried by 2 soldiers and taken to the soldiers headquarters, and i was escorted back to my personal room. When I got back to my room I decided to read the pile of letters sent by the colony members, they all wrote things that were a little silly, but they were still cute. They were like children''s cards, they had cute drawings, some told nonsense stories, others talked about their days, some sent drawings about me or telling a story, they sent questions and said generic love letter things, like "you''re incredible" or ''I love you''. ''Hehe, what a horrible thing, but whoever did this must have put a lot of love into it... Suddenly this thing about being a mother hit me really hard now...'' Now i was looking at a rough drawing of what looked like me with some hearts and happy faces. The work wasn''t even remotely pretty, but it carried a lot of meaning, and it made me feel special. I don''t know how to describe it, it was like looking at a poorly done doodle and feeling happy, it was strange, but it still softened your heart. I ended up getting other notes, some had motivating phrases, and cute drawings, some said how much they loved me and how important I was to them and others simply talked about themselves, until I came to one that made me freeze. Mommy, we lov you veryy much! I hop you ar hapy with ourr hard wurk I know sometims we can be a nuicnce for you I apologiz if we arent what you wantd We realy wat to impruv and trn into somthing that you can lov, until then Plese dont give up on us. This letter contained a cute and sincere message, but its weight was astronomical, my conceptions and criticisms were rooted in the heads of each of my children, to the point that they thought I hated them or felt some kind of repulse on them. I didn''t hate them, I may have been repulsed by all this colony idea at first, but it was a long time ago, I didn''t know how much my actions, words and thoughts could impact in my children''s psychology. They apologized to me, they apologized beacause they think that all of them are insufficient to me. They are apologizing for thinking that they are a bunch of... mistakes. What kind of monster am I?
[Warning]
You earned 18 Xp from your soldier
[Warning]
You have leveled up to lvl 10
A few days had passed, since my accident, many soldiers had leved up, all had different classes, and some classes were unique. We had many other spearmen like Hans and strickers like Trouble, the soldiers were easily influenced, so most prefer to follow the same path as their older brothers. Plus we had some that became swordsmen, warriors, reapers, some tanks and 3 poisonous bees. By the way, the soldier who evolved into a [Slaughter] and who joined Trouble''s group was a specialized killer, he couldn''t cause much damage or even had much health or resistance, but the cuts he caused took longer to heal, in addition to having a greater chance of becoming infected. Honestly, I expected more from a class named [Slaughter], but he could be useful in his own way. If we were unable to kill a dangerous enemy we would still cause wounds that could kill him later, and even if the wounds didn''t kill him he would think twice before returning. This also caused me a big doubt, if we killed someone by slow poisoning, would we gain XP? If someone succumbed to wounds caused by us, days or months after a fight, would we still earn XP? How does the system classify these things? The tanks were... Tanks, they had a lot of life and a lot of defense, they could go into a fight head-on and draw attention to themselves, but they were very slow, heavy and almost cannot cause any damage. The most unusual were the venomous, which had low health, defense, and raw damage, but focused everything on agility and poisoning. They could apply stings with potent and deadly poisons, it was easy to kill a poisonous bee with their low stats, but for that you had to catch them first, and that was really difficult. During all this I gained a lot of Xp, and I got Level 10, but to my sadness I didn''t gain an evolution. In the meantime my first [Farmers] had begun to weave their cocoons, and the time for them to emerge was coming. The workers began to build a super studio for the weavers, and in the middle of the process they came up with a project for a theater. My kids really enjoyed all kinds of entertainment, the bards were living proof of that, they would often tease them to give little shows to everybody, they would present things like classical plays or something more modern, anything they could get out of my mind with [maternal connection] was used, they would sing songs, do theater, or just do some silly dances and Jokes, there was stuff from shakespeare and beethoven, Mozart to Ariana Grande. They would simply use anything they have, and if they find any gaps in the stories or music they would just invent, the bards little shows became so popular among the members of the colony that a request to build a theater soon came to me. I was still feeling bad for how the boys thinked I thought of them, so I allowed them to do whatever they wanted, even though I found it embarrassing to see bees singing songs from my high school days. Trevis and the Scouts had... "retired" from their work for now, since there wasn''t much else to discover without going too far from home, they now just hung around the region, collecting resources for the cooks to use in the kitchen. The scouts had gained their "storehouse" which was not 100% theirs in fact, it was more just an extension in the kitchen for storage food resourse next to the cooks, a sort of stock of food. The boys had started this theater project while working in the studio, and parallel to that they started putting up a big wall made of bricks around the whole base, but I had to ask them to stop it, we had no lights, and if this wax "dome" was made we would be in the dark, the boys accepted and focused solely on the theater, the studio and they normal functions. Tailors became so popular that I had to limit their working hours to 8 hours a day, everyone wanted their services, whether to create cloth, ropes or comfortable mattresses. And by the way, I got a great bedding set from the tailors, the set was simple and looked like it was made by amateurs, but it was still infinitely better than sleeping on piles of wax and leaves. The tailors had cranes that could use needles and create simple seams, they could also create fabrics in a very different way. They would get together in groups of 3 or 4, then begin to produce spools of silk thread, then they would tie everything together in the arms of a single tailor and begin to braid the threads until they became fabric. The fabric wasn''t really high quality, and if it was held up to the sun you could see hundreds of little holes resulting from the poor quality manufacturing, but it was still fabric! Fabric made by bees. Ropes were easier, they just braided the strands until they were thick and strong, then tied the ends and rolled the ropes. To create my bedding set they dedicated themselves, first creating large pieces of fabric and then sewing it all together to create blankets for pillows and mattresses, they didn''t have a "worthy" filler, so we used grass fibers, flower petals and other materials soft, the result was incredible, much better than the wax bed. And with that they condemned themselves. Everyone wanted a comfortable bed, pillows and rope for work, putting a heavy burden on the poor weavers. Hans stayed in the front line, his methods were slow but safe, and with that he created a squad of "elites" who were very good at recognizing a danger, and finding ways to beat the enemy the quickest. While Trouble ended up creating a squad of bloodthirsty warriors, their strategy for victory was "if it''s still moving, just keep hitting", they were strong for sure, but they were a little.... Dumb. They could not think of strategies or follow complex orders, they could only do basic things like, hit, Stop, retreat and flee. My beacons had proven very useful, they were basically a cell phone that you have in your head, they can remind you of things, connect you with someone, or send messages. They did not have a restriction that required them to permanently connect with only one target at time, for example, they could connect with Hans, pick up the message he wants to send, disconnect from him, and connect to another member to pass the message across the hive. They were like those 90s phone calls ladys, they had a limited number of possible calls, but they could keep connecting you with whoever you wanted to talk to. They were also very good at analyzing the information I had in my mind, I had a lot of knowledge that was inside my head, but it was like a "corrupted file", it still had salvation, but it is very difficult to make it into something useful. But these beacons could do it! They could take small fragments of knowledge, and "uncorrupt" it, then they wrote everything on wax plates and stored it on shelves, these guys were the burucratics of the hive. Because they were not strong they could not fight, and because of their Skills they should focus solely on making this link work better, but for them it was very annoying, they literally had to stand all day looking at a wall and inspecting the link. So I gave them this job that I thought was very boring, and they just loved it. They did it very delicately and did their best to extract useful things. So far they''ve only gotten things like the password to my first cell phone, and my mother''s maiden name, but they kept digging. I didn''t know what they thought of these human memories, but I ended up discovering that they didn''t care, for them whether I was a human, a bird or a fish at some point in my life it was irrelevant, now I was their mother, and the Queen of the hive. Yet they didn''t tell anyone about this "theory" that I was once human, and not only possess memories of a human, but I don''t think anyone would care, just as the beacons didn''t. I had made it my "biggest secret" and they just shat at me, I didn''t know if I felt like a clown or angry at being so belittled. My laboratory had been closed, and entry became prohibited, I still didn''t know if any of the things I worked with became poisonous when burned, so I turned the area close to the laboratory into a "forbidden zone", and no one went there. And after all that, I was here, in my comfortable bed, playing one with a group of soldiers who had serious looks on their faces. "I''m not going to lose this, I''d better give up now." said a soldier with a determined look "Go dreaming, I''ll make you buy a whole deck right away" said another soldier "Hummm" "Boys without quarreling, remember sportsmanship and camaraderie." "All right..." said my personal swoder "You better remember, because I won." Soon as I say this I play my +4 card and leave everyone surprised, it was reasonably easy to win from the soldiers, they did not know how to bluff, so I could manipulate the game to my ideal conditions, such as playing a color card and choosing red, while in fact I had yellow, the boys assumed that I had a red card, and that I needed that color to win, they ended up changing the color, and with this and a little luck I got a hand of only wild cards. "Damn it! You won again!" "Why not take it easy with us!" "He he he he, suckers! I won, you lost~ if I took it easy, you wouldn''t get a real win, just a pity win!" "Ugh.." While I stood there making fun of the losers, I ended up receiving a mental notification that alerted me to the birth of the gardeners, I wanted to be there, so I left everyone behind and went to the nursery. Chapter 41: Arrogance As I looked at the slightly grayish cocoons, soon a group of bees began to break the cocoons, and soon as they came out the first thing they did was start cleaning themselves before looking at me. These bees were large, but they still did not have the common chitin armor of soldiers, they had a medium-sized bee abdomen full of hair, small antennae and very large wings. They all had 4 arms, 2 of which were "normal" bee hands, and 2 that looked like sickle blades. "Hello Mom! Good Morning, what can we do for you?" "Hello Boys, before anything, welcome to the world, I''m your mommy, I love you all of you guys very much." I had started saying "I love you guys" to everyone, at first everyone was very happy and euphoric, but soon they got a grip, and nowadays they just kept trying to compete for my attention. "We love you too Mom!" "You are incredible!" "The best mother in the world!" While I let everyone be happy, I took the opportunity to take a look at the status of these guys, I wanted to know what Yard bees could do to help a plantation.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Farmers Mana: 1.5
Life: 1 Str: 0.2 Def: 1.5
Sp: 1.5 Int: 17.4 Wis: 13.6
+ Information
[Skills]
{Storage Mastery} Lv 1
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Delicate Handling} Lv 1 Grants the ability to handle delicate flowers and plants without causing damage during the collection process.
{Green thumb} - Lv 1 While taking care of plants you can accelerate their growth and ensure a better development.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Soil Enrichment} Lv 1 Contribute to soil health by aerating the earth with your digging and burrowing activities, as well by depositing nutrient-rich secretions from yout glans that enhance fertility and promote plant growth.
[Traces]
[Effective pollinator] You have great pollination techniques, ensuring that pollen is distributed evenly and effectively among flowers to facilitate successful fertilization and fruit production. Gain XP when pollinating
[Patience and Perseverance] You know that good things take time to happen, you are very patient and diligent, you do everything calmly and precisely to maximize your results, even if it takes longer
''Humm, they don''t seem to be a big deal... But I think they are a long-term investment, we can create a whole garden with high-quality flowers with enough time.'' "Thank you guys, I was hoping you could create a high quality garden around our house, do you guys think is possible?" The gardeners looked at each other and began to whisper, it seemed that they were making some plans and programs to answer my question. "Maybe... We would need to increase our numbers even more, and analyze the terrain around us, we also need some additional information, such as season of the year, weather, water availability, the extent of the flower field and what flowers will be planted." "Well... You can ask the cooks what season we are in, they seem to be able to feel it, the weather is sunny and pleasant for the almost every day, we have a lot of water in a nearby stream, the field should circulate throughout our house, I would say that within a radius of 20 meters would be enough, and I have no preference for flowers to be planted, but again, you can ask the cooks, they would know how to deal with it." The gardeners went back to discussing and making plans with the information I provided them, they seemed quite competent and wanted to make a solid plan. "Well, we can start by preparing the land, we would have to clear a large area, taking out any dirt or vegetation that was growing in that area, then we could start plowing the land and fertilizing it, this process would take some time, but it is essential for the future of crops!" "That''s fine by me, I''ll send some workers to help you and ask Levi to build a barn for you guys, in the meantime do you think you guys could take care of some plants for me?" "Sure! What do you need?" "We have a group of [Tears of the saint], which we brought from the poisonous forest, they are growing well, but I would like you guys to help them to grow even more." "No problem!" When we had finished talking everything over, the gardeners flew into the kitchen to interview the cooks, while I and my entourage started back to my room. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ''Can you ask Levi to send some workers to the gardeners? And ask him to build a room for them?'' ''- We have already done this mother, Levi has already sent a group of 20 to them, and began to discuss with the other workers the construction of a room for the gardeners, Levi is only waiting for the gardeners, to interview them and know their needs'' ''Thank you'' ''-I''s nothing''
When the nurses finished arranging all the breeding combs, I created a new batch of around 20 cooks and 40 collectors, now that we were growing in numbers the need for new collectors and cooks increased. Food production was still enough to feed the entire colony, but the cooks were starting to get very tired, and the gatherers simply didn''t have the capacity to maintain a constant resupply. The food situation began to get so serious again that new honey and jam silos were being built. The warehouse had a lot of space, and only about 30% of it was occupied by silos, which left a lot of room to increase our inventory. The boys had finished the studio, and now they were faced with another problem. Dirty laundry. The cloths created by the tailors were widely used in the dormitories and for cleaning and maintaining the base, which generated a lot of dirty laundry. The solution found for this was to throw everything away, or clean the dirty clothes and since throwing away fabrics was out of the question, the workers came up with the project of a laundry room. The place would be built with a silo filled with water that would serve as a water tank, and would have several wax basins and cleaning pits. The plan also said that the place would serve as the community closet, where the workers would store the cloths and anything else made of silk when not in use. The plan to clean all the clothes was to fill the water tank, use it to fill the basins with water and then scrub the fabrics as if it were 1800, the place would also have a drain with a stopper, which would empty all the dirty water. outside the room, and some tools such as grass brushes and stones for beating clothes. The initial plan was to simply go to a lake with all the dirty clothes and wash them right there, but the soldiers didn''t approve of this idea. According to them, it would be very dangerous for workers to spend a lot of time outside and stay in such an exposed place, this could overload the soldiers'' work and was not productive. Even more so when we take into account the frequency with which we would need to wash this dirty laundry. Every day there were things to clean, be it dirty spoons or honey, or dust accumulated in the tanks, the workers dealt with all this dirt simply by licking everything and then spitting small balls of dirt outside the house. My children had some kind of obsession with cleanliness, I didn''t know if it was because they were bees, or something they got from me, I was never a person who couldn''t live in an environment that wasn''t "sterilized", so I don''t know exactly why. where did that come from. Maybe it''s an instinct they have to reduce the chance of contamination or illness, or it could just be a prank from the link, but I don''t think that''s a bad thing, it''s actually very satisfying to go everywhere and everything is impeccably clean. And that''s why the cloths were so loved here. The arrival of cloths gave my children the chance to clean everything, without coming into direct contact with dirt, and they loved it. Being able to clean the walls, floor and maintain the base without having to lick everything was a great relief for them. And now they wanted to build the laundry room to maintain this little "luxury", and I approved, after all there is no harm in allowing them to develop. And come to think of it, this actually is a little scary. We are bees, but we have a "sivilized" society here, the whole place looks like a small developing village, we are more advanced every day, and we were at the point of creating theaters! I don''t know much about city development, but I think that when a small society takes the time to invest in entertainment that means we are developing. We had a nursery, kitchen, infirmary, bedrooms, cafeteria, a lounge, a general headquarters and now we were creating a laundry room and even a theater! This place was growing like weeds.
Hans view My team and I were circling a large lizard, we had spent hours planning this attack, and now it was time to hunt our prey. I was irritated that Trouble took so many risks, even when our mother had asked us to be careful, I was jealous of how a younger soldier with different thoughts and actions than mine was succeeding, and I felt ashamed that I was jealous of my own brother. We were all from the same family, fighting for the same goal and purpose, Trouble never did it to challenge my authority as the strongest, he just wanted to grow and become stronger, something we all wanted. Still I couldn''t let go of this bitter feeling, this feeling that I should be the best, the strongest and the most reliable, I couldn''t let Trouble and his group become better than me and my own group. I couldn''t. That''s why I started taking more risks, I gave up on the small prey that barely gave a drop of XP, and moved on to bigger things. Lizards, small rats and large insects, these guys were my new targets. Something that was very clear to all of us was that those creatures were stupid, they couldn''t think much or create strategies, they could only make a ferociously attack and hope for a good result. And we took advantage of that. At first it was difficult, since we only had a spearman and several soldiers, the only swordsman was serving as the queen''s royal guard, and couldn''t help at all. So we started small, with creatures like big beetles, strange butterflies, and scary baby mantis. Over time we got enough Xp for some of the soldiers to evolve, and as we followed this path we got more classes like poisoners, tanks, swordsmen and more spearmen. We attracted the antention and fury of large prey using poisonous troops, they could sting them with poisons capable of causing extreme pain or discomfort. So when these creatures started to run after the poisoners the tanks tooked the lead, they made the creatures attack them and protected everyone. Using this method, with coordinated attacks and some attack waves, we could accumulate great damage on these creatures and then eventualy kill them. The swordsmen can cut their ankles, so they couldn''t get away, the spearmen impaled them and right after the struck they ran, creating open wounds that would kept bleeding, the poisoners applied stings with stunning effects, and the tanks kept them immobile or distracted. With this strategy, we managed to kill a creature that resembled a frog, a very small mouse with rabbit legs, and a large spider that looked like an unarmored crab. And now we would use the same strategy on this lizard. This guy was dangerous, we had studied him for a long time, he was really dangerous. He had a tongue that could stretch like a frog''s and grab things from afar, in addition to being able to camouflage himself almost perfectly in the environment around him. He was also very fast and had a little of common sense, he would run away when he detected danger, but we wouldn''t give him that chance. "Begin." "Yes!" At my command a group of soldiers started heading towards him, they were accompanied by a tank and were going to fight with the lizard, at least that''s what we wanted him to think. The lizard looked with large yellow eyes at the approaching bees and seemed to have become interested in the apparent "free meal", and tried to catch one of the soldiers with its tongue. But halfway through, the tank entered the middle of the way and received the tongue blow. And soon he was hooked back by the lizard who tried to eat him but realized that it was very difficult to swallow, or even chew a tank. While the creature was distracted trying to eat the tank, a group of 3 poisoners sneaked up behind the lizard and without hesitation stung it. In response, the lizard let out a small scream, which the tank took advantage of to get out of the creature''s mouth and grab its face, then all the poisoners ran away without leaving a trace and the rest of the tanks flew to help their brother to immobilize the creature. The creature realized that the situation had reversed very quickly and tried to escape, even with its face covered in bees and being poisoned, but before it could do anything it was suddenly impaled by several spearmen, who focused on more sensitive and vital points such as the neck and legs. The lizard realized that him had been hit and tried to turn himself invisible so we would lose his track, but the bloodstains and bees floating in nothing gave away his location very easily. Soon the swordsmen came and began to make large cuts on the lizard''s legs and body, to ensure that it could not escape. The creature began to despair upon realizing the extent of the damage it had received, and tried to struggle furiously to get the bees away from its body, In the middle of all this, his invisibility had already disappeared, and now he was just trying to create an opening to escape, something that clearly wasn''t going to happen, since the tanks didn''t even budge, and the poison had already started to set in and take effect. The lizard started to move less and less and soon stopped moving, but it was still alive, so everyone let go of the lizard and moved away, letting a group of young soldiers get close and deliver the final blows. The group of junior soldiers began to tear, cut, chop and sting the fainted lizard without any hesitation, they attacked the eyes and neck and after a pause everyone started to clap. Which meant the lizard died. I didn''t participate in all the battles, I was already at level 4 and the priority was the junior soldiers who hadn''t yet achieved an evolution. "Big brother! We did it! He''s dead!" "Good job all of you, now be quick and harvest the meat, we can use it as bait to attract a significant number of carrion insects." "Got it!" Soon everyone began to dismantle the lizard, tearing off large pieces of meat and scattering them around the region, placing them in holes, difficult places to access and branches. This meat would serve to attract small scavengers, such as meat beetles, flies and ants, they gave little Xp of course, but they always came in large quantities, so we could earn a lot killing them. "Brother, 3 soldiers have achieved enough levels to evolve, don''t you think it''s better if we go back for today?" "Hmmm, No, send the soldiers who can evolve home accompanied by the most tired members, and let''s take advantage of this creature''s carcass." "Understood!" Those days our group had become very powerful, we were not deadly individually as the members of Trouble group, but together we could cause great damage. ''I''m the best, I have to be, forgive me little brother, but I''m not going to let you pass me, I''m going to show mom who between the two of us is the most powerful'' Chapter 42: Growth Today the new carpenters would emerge, and I was excited about that, the birth of these guys meant the beginning of a new era, with them we could cut wood and create wooden furniture. We could also repair my laboratory and even expand it, which would allow me to get back to my crazy experiments. When the first carpenters started to hatch I was super excited, and soon I was able to see them in all their glory. They were the size of a common soldier, they had no chitin armor, and they had a mane much smaller than that of a common soldier, they had 4 arms, and 2 of them was shaped like a saw. Their wings were large and powerful like Trevis''s and they all had large eyes and the common color of a bee.
[Status]
Name: N/D Species: Solitary honeybee
Level: 1 Class: Carpenter Mana: N/D
Life: 2.2 Str: 1.5 Def: 0.1
Sp: 1.3 Int: 13.1 Wis: 6.4
+ Information
[Skills]
{Precise cut} lv 1 You can cut solid materials with much greater ease and precision
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Glue creation} Lv 1 Use natural resources to create glue with different consistency for different uses
{Strong muscles} - Lv 1
{Unshakeble Will}
{Enhanced senses} Lv 1
{Material Reuse} Lv 1 When consuming materials such as [Wax] and [Wood] you can reuse them with a loss of 10%.
[Traces]
[Patience and Perseverance]
[Craftsman''s Eye] You have an innate ability to see the potential in a piece of material. Visualize a final product and understand how to bring out the beauty and functionality of that material.
These guys didn''t look like much when you first looked at them, but their status said it all, they were the artisans of the hive, and they could still fight! Of course, any member could fight, but at least the carpenters have some chance of coming out of a fight alive. They could also create something I''ve always wanted, glue! With this we could create insect traps! But I think it''s too late for that, any insect that gets too close ends up turning into XP for the soldiers, but they could still use this to create custom furniture! There were furniture using only wood, no metal nails, just wood fittings, wooden nails and glue. If we used these methods we could create a mill, a loom for the weavers and even wooden tables for the cafeteria. We could create wooden gears, and even small machines with wood, like a mixer, a water wheel, and large barrels made of wood. ''I think I''m thinking too much about this, I might end up disappointed, I don''t think newborn bees can do precision work, just like tailors can''t create high quality materials yet, these carpenters shouldn''t be able to create masterpieces. " When they emerged everyone started helping the younger ones out of their cocoons, and soon I had a large group of 50 carpenters waiting for my orders. "Hello everybody, and welcome to the world! I''m your mommy!" "Hello mother!" The carpenters responded. "Boys, I need you to explain your abilities to me, and what you can do." "We can use [Glue Creation] using things like honey and resins, with this we can create objects or make small repairs." "We can also cut wood and wax with ease, and create composite materials with wax and wood scraps!" This seems useful, the workers had [Precise Cut], which allowed them to ''recycle'' wax, but it seemed like a stupid skill when you stopped to think about it. Why go to the trouble of consuming the wax, to spit out balls with 15% loss, when you can simply break the wax wall and reuse the wax without any loss? My initial theory was that this recycled wax might be better, but it was the same old shit. So I asked the workers, and apparently there were specific situations for using this skill. They could consume pieces of wax full of dirt and things that shouldn''t be there, and recycle just the wax. Basically they could filter wax, separating the dirt from the wax, but with a loss of 15% of the wax. But these carpenters couldn''t just do the same thing, they could even do the opposite, they could take 2 different substances and combine them into a single material. I don''t know how useful wax and wood together would be, but it seems stronger than regular wax. "Boys, can you show me what you can do with this? I want you to create a mixture of wax and wood to see what it can create." "Immediately!" Said the oldest of the carpenters. Soon a small group of carpenters quickly left the nursery, and after a few moments returned again while chewing something. After continuing to chew for a few moments, everyone spat out small strange wax balls that had pieces of wood infused with them and a dark color like wood.
[Description]
[Begonia wax] Created with sawdust from a begonia tree and high-quality wax, this powerful wax is super resistant and difficult to break with physical impacts. Quality: Good
''This is really cool, it''s a totally new construction material, we could build much more stable and resistant constructions and buildings with it, it would still be useless against fires, but we could resist impacts and invasions very well.'' "That''s incredible boys, now another thing, do you think you can make fine cuts in wood? Make them into custom furniture and things like that?" All the carpenters started to argue, and then they turned to me and said that they couldn''t do precision work, they could cut wood, and cut holes in a tree, but they wouldn''t be able to do the same work like a machine. They cannot create custom-made pieces, or several identical pieces, they can only cut wood and make these new construction materials. It wasn''t bad, these guys signaled the beginning of bigger and more stable constructions, they signaled our expansion and said that we had officially entered the "wooden era".
[Warning]
You earned 22 Xp from your soldier
[Warning]
You have leveled up to Lv 15
[Warning]
Now you can evolve by choosing one of the options below
{Evolution options}
[Radiant Sunbee] Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. These bees are known to sustain their bodies with the magical energy of the world, in addition to having a deep connection with the world.
[Pollen pixie] Pollenpixie are small creatures born from flowers, have the appearance of a small insect with butterfly wings, and can use a limited version of nature magic focused on plant growth and fertilization.
[Beetle wisp] Beetle Wisp are small beetle-like fairies that can use a limited version of earth magic, being able to dig small tunnels and holes.
[Fluttermite] Fluttermites are small creatures from the pixie family, their appearance can vary depending on their [Affinity], large groups of Fluttermites can cause great benefits to the natural environment around them.
[Wisper Bee] Wisper bees are known for their control over the air, proving to be excellent flyers and highly silent creatures.
Five more days had passed, during which nothing really interesting had happened, except that the new cooks had been born the colectors are making they cocoons, and i had layed another great wave of soldier. Also the laundry had been finally done, and in the meantime, all the old soldiers had already achieved their first evolution, and were now on their way to their second evolution, but that afternoon I was surprised by an evolution notification that I didn''t expect to arrive so soon. ''I finally did it! I will evolve! So I don''t really evolve my class, but rather my species, but what''s wrong with these crazy options?'' When I received the notification, I was happy with the evolution, but confused by the options, I was evolving. But I could stop being a bee and become other things, which was strange. I never thought I could grow up and stop being a bee, I thought that if I evolved I would gain a more powerful [Class], or evolve into a kind of "super bee", but now I had the option of becoming another completely different creature. Isn''t this wrong? Didn''t that mean that an ant could grow up to one day become a dragon? Or do these evolutions limit me to [Insect]-type beings? After all, all the options looked like some kind of insect. Minus [Pollen pixie] and [Fluttermite], these seemed to be some kind of fairy. And these Fluttermite have affinities! I don''t think I have any affinity, but maybe if I evolve into this species I will gain an affinity. Or I might end up as a rare Fluttermite with no affinities. But if I evolved my [species] then what would happen to the boys? Would they evolve with me, or would they never evolve? Perhaps the queen bees only stay in the hive until they evolve, and then continue their life as another creature after evolving. But that was stupid, if I chose a Fluttermite or Pollen pixie, would I lose my skills like [Lay Eggs] and [Maternal Connection]?! So I would have to choose to evolve into a bee, which would leave me with [Wisper Bee] and [Radiant Sunbee]. I think that like bees that control the wind we could go all out with this windmill idea, after all we could produce our own energy. But these [Radiant Sunbee] seem more self sustainable and powerful. Even if we weren''t able to absorb 100% of our nutrients from the earth, it would still be a significant reduction in food consumption. And possessing a conection with the world sounds incredible! ''Call an emergency meeting with all my older children'' ''-Immediately.'' Said the beacon After waiting for a while everyone started to arrive one by one. First it was Ken, followed by Matt, Milles, Carl, Steve, Levi, Trevis, Hans and Trouble. That was kind of my inner circle and the people I would lean on to make important decisions. As everyone arrived and settled in, I began to explain the situation, the pros and cons of each evolution and asked for everyone''s opinion. "I think [Fluttermite] is a good option. We could not only gain an affinity for free, but also improve the quality of the environment around us without doing anything." Ken said after thinking for a while. "That''s optimistic, we don''t have any information on whether [Fluttermite] gain an affinity at birth, or if they need to gain one, all we know is that their appearance changes depending on their [Affinity]. And these benefits to the environment around them are very abstract. Earthworms are beneficial to the environment around them, they eat rotten things and defecate fertilizer. Fly larvae are beneficial to the environment around them, they eat rotten bodies, helping with natural decomposition and serving as the base of the food chain." replied Hans. "B-But what about the [Beetle wisp] brothes? No one talks about them, but their earth magic can be extremely useful, we could build incredible fortifications with it..." Spoke the shy Levi. "That could happen, but what if these [Beetle wisp] were creatures that lived on land? Would we lose our wings and need live on the ground?" Trouble asked. "We don''t even know if we will all evolve together with mom, but the most likely thing is that she will evolve alone." Ken said. "This is something that worries me a lot, if is only me that''s gointo to evolve, what happens to you guys? And i can lose my abilities to produce new drones?" "Hmm? Probably not, I think in the worst case we would continue as [Solitary honey bees] until we die, and then our new brothers who have a similar species to yours would take our places." Ken said it like it wasn''t a big deal. "Isn''t that bad?!" "No? It''s just the natural cycle, the old die and the new take on the work, we wouldn''t stay alive forever even if we changed species along with you. Everything that is alive must one day die." Said Steve as if it were natural logic for anyone. Everyone agreed with Steve''s words, but it hit me like lightning, the bees in my world lived for about 1 month, something that had already passed, but everyone was still alive and well. But until when? I still had the mentality of a human, and I faced the passage of time like a human, a month didn''t seem like a long time to live, but that could be an entire cycle for the workers. My luck was that it seems that bees in this other world live longer than common bees. But until when? As a queen, i should live longer, but how long would the workers live? 3 months? 4? Is that why they are trying so desperately to work hard and have much fun as they can? Because they know their lives are short? "B-Boys, how long can an ordinary worker live?..." "Um.... I have no idea, I''ve never seen anyone die of old age to know, but I''m one of the oldest and I''m still full of energy!" Ken said. ''Damn, I messed up again, I never think about every detail. I should have thought about my children''s lifespan.'' "So I think we agree that [Radiant Sunbee] is the best option? It doesn''t seem risky, and it could provide significant bonuses." Steve asked, resuming the conversation. "I think we could make more use of bees [Wisper Bee], we would have much more faster workers, soldiers and any other unit." Trevis argued. "I like that idea too!~" Matt encouraged. "I don''t think you''re thinking about the uses of a [Pollen pixie], we could increase the quality of our home, and produce a lot more food, increasing our numbers explosively." Told Carl who was eating a candy "But don''t we already have farmers to fulfill this task? Wouldn''t it be counterproductive to turn our entire species into fertilizers when we already have a class capable of achieving the same effect?" replied Hans. "Alright boys, let''s vote. Those in favor of [Radiant Sunbee] raise a single hand." With that 5 hands were raised, only Carl, Trouble, Matt and Miles didn''t agree with the idea, which left me in the tiebreaker, if I voted against we would have to discuss it even more, if I voted in favor it was official. "....I vote in favor of [Radiant Sunbee], I believe they are the safest option." "That''s right!" Some were upset with the result, but we had already decided everything as the "inner circle" of the nest, now all that was left for me was to evolve. With that I moved a little away from the boys and left instructions to take me to the infirmary as soon as I passed out, and I made my mental choice. After making the mental choice of [Radiant Sunbee], I nervously waited for some kickback or something, but after a few moments nothing happened. I just stared dumbly at everyone, until I was hit by what felt like a rock directly to my head, everything started spinning and getting confused, and all I remember is Hans and the boys running towards me.
When I woke up I was back in that dark room from the past, completely immobile and unable to move, I tried to move and soon I could hear some muffled voices, I kept rocking to break this prison where I was. This time I had experience, I knew I was in a chrysalis and I had already seen what needed to be done. After a lot of effort I finally managed to break my prison and what I saw as soon as I came out was everyone''s surprised faces, they for some reason seemed much smaller than before, I was laying on the floor but I was able to look directly into Hans eyes, and the whole place felt very cramped for me. ''What the hell is happening? Have I grown in size? The description never said these bees were big. Or is it a result of my class?'' Looking around me I could see a golden chrysalis with other shades of bright colors like blue and purple. The chrysalis was huge and was scattered all over the floor, some workers were picking up the pieces and moving them out. ''My status!''
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 32.4 Def: 0.7
Level: 1 Class: Queen Vit: 9.3 Int: 21.5
Sex: Female Stamina: 70/70 Dex: 1 Wis: 8.2
Mana: 1.5 Affinity: Life Spr: 15.3 Str: 0.3
[Skills]
{Life Echo} lv 1 use MP to create a bubble capable of damaging enemies and healing allies, the bubble lasts until destroyed or naturally dispersed
{Food creation} lv 4
{Maternal Connection} Lv 2
{Egg laying} Lv 5
{Analyze} Lv 5
{Memorial Memory} Lv1
{Healing Radiance} Lv1 Emit a soft glow that can heal all your allies quickly, uses 0.01 mana per second healing 0.1 health per second
{Radiant Renewal} Lv1 Choose a single target to heal 10 of health at the cost of 1 mana.
{Queen''s blessing} Lv 1 Choose a target to grant them a 15% boost to all statuses, consumes 0.01 mana per second while active.
{Radiant wings} Lv1 Your wings are made with living mana, once they are broken or damaged they regenerate themselfs quickly at the cost of MP.
{Resilient Vitality} Lv1 When you get sick or poisoned your [Vitality] is multiplied by 2.
{Life exchange} Sacrifice your life points and Xp to create [Life Drops].
[Traces] - 4
''What the hell is that?! My status has changed, and what skills are these? Now do I have mana? What affinity is this? Why I have attributes that I didn''t have before?!'' Chapter 43: Big Changes "Mom! What happened, are you okay?!'' Asked Ken "Wait! Be quiet!" Before doing anything I started to feel a monstrously hungry, as if there was a hole in my stomach, and I started walking to the storeroom. Halfway there I could see that everything had gotten smaller, or in reality, I had gotten bigger, the workers seemed to be 1/5 the size of me. And the soldiers were only 2/5 my size, I had become gigantic, and my bee abdomen had become even bigger. My bee abdomen was previously only 1/3 the size of my body, but now it was even larger than my entire body alone, and there were many small colored lights shining inside it. I knew that moving to the warehouse was a tedious task, and extremely uncomfortable, but I was so hungry that when I finally arrived I started emptying the bins like a crazy bitch. When I finally finished I could finally start thinking about my situation. ''What is all this? Why has my status changed so much?! Why did my body change so much?!! I''ve only had access to a limited version of the system so far?! So the version I have now is the full version or just an enhancement? These skills are so strange, and the culprit of all this seems to be my new [Affinity]. Who the fuck has an affinity with [Life]?! Isn''t that too abstract? I thought I would gain some affinity with fire, light, plants or something else, but life? Why the hell life?! What does someone do with a life affinity?! Apparently you become a support, because I don''t see any other answer with these skills {Healing Radiance}, {Radiant Renewal}, {Queen''s blessing} all were support/healing skills. My only way of dealing damage was {Life Echo} which didn''t really seem to do so much, why would someone summon a bubble to deal damage, really? Don''t you just neet to blow this thing up and it''s over for me?! And without mentioning {Resilient Vitality}, It seems to be one of those skills that makes you poison yourself on purpose to get a bonus, but I don''t even know what vitality does! Could it be the "strength" of my body, or something like that? {Radiant wings} it''s not a big deal either, being able to regenerate my wings, couldn''t I achieve this with a potion? Unless potions can''t regenerate lost limbs, then I can see the value of this skill. But why did this thing have to be limited to the wings? Why not the whole body?! And what the hell were these [Life Drops] that i can create with {Life exchange} what''s the use of this thing?! This skill seems dangerous, being able to exchange my life and Xp points for these mysterious drops. "Mom! Are you okay?" Ken asked again. "Y-Yes, I was just a little shocked with my evolution..." "How do you feel? What did you gain?" Hans said. "I feel... Good? My body feels lighter, it''s easier to breathe, and I feel stronger. I gained several strange skills related to my... affinity." "Ohh!!! That''s incredible, what''s your affinity mom!?" Miles asked. "....Life." "What a incredible thing, mom! It looks great!" Trouble exclaimed. "Do any of you even know if this affinity is good or not?" "I have no idea, but I think an affinity specific as [Life] can''t be bad, you literally have an affinity with all living things! Doesn''t that kind of make you a super mage who can control life?" Matt said. "Not exactly.... I''m a support apparently.... I can heal you guys and grant temporary bonuses, but that''s it." "But have you forgotten that you are a queen? Your powers with [Life] affinity may not have appeared very clearly now, but they may appear when you create new drones!" Steve said happily. ''That''s true, I''ve always been a unit focused on producing other units, but now that I have this strange affinity can I pass it on to my descendants? Would that make them strong? I just hope I don''t end up creating a legion of bees that can only heal their enemies...'' "Ken, how many creation units do we have available, I want to try creating new units." "We have all the units cleaned and ready mom!" Ken said excitedly. "Um? What happened to the soldiers I created?" "T-They''ve already emerged mom! You were gone for 7 days!" Ken replied nervously. 7 days!??! Why my evolution took so long?! Everyone only took 1 day, and it took me a week?! Was this because of my class, or the new species? Or a mix of both?! "...Alright, nothing happened in the meantime right?" "No! The new soldiers are being trained, and our house is being expanded, the theater has been finished, and they probably going to put on a show today in your honor." Ken said disinterestedly. "Ughh.. I don''t even want to think about it, let''s try to produce some common workers." "Clear!" Ken replied After leaving everyone behind I went to the nursery with Ken, my movements were slow, and I felt very heavy, but not uncomfortable at all. Everyone around us looked at me with a mix of admiration and adoration, and I felt a little uncomfortable about it, but at the same time happy to be appreciated, the bards were playing a light melody in the background and soon we arrived at the nursery. When we arrived at the nursery I had a big problem to deal with, I couldn''t fit there anymore. I simply just can''t fit into the nursery anymore. "What are we going to do now?" "W-We''ll looks like we will have to expand the nursery, and all the buildings to accommodate you, but for now why don''t you raise some eggs and let us move them to the nursery?" Ken said nervously. "Alright, let''s try." I focused on the idea of creating some worker eggs, and to my surprise nothing happened, at least it didn''t seem to have happened, because when I went to look down to warn Ken about this matter I could only see the little Ken collecting small light yellow''s eggs directly from my bee abdomen. ''This easily? Did I really become an egg factory after all?!''
[Status]
Name:N/A Species: Radiant Sunbee
Level: 0 Class: Worker Mana: N/D
+ Information
[Effects]
Incubating - 3 hours This individual is still in incubation, at the end of the timer will emerge.
The small eggs were all the same, but they were shaped differently from the traditional worker eggs from before. These eggs had a texture reminiscent of rubber and small marks all over the body, in addition to emitting a slight natural shine. And most importantly, they only took 3 hours to hatch. ''So this is what the affinity of [Life] does?! Does it accelerate the development of life? With this we could grow like weeds after rain.'' Another thing that was very glaring to me was that the [Status] of this egg was limited like it was before, I didn''t have access to a ''full'' status like mine, and I tried analyzing one of the workers just to find out that I actually really can see a this new version of the complex status. I couldn''t see this status on the eggs, but I could see it on the other drones, I don''t know exactly why, maybe the eggs are not developed enough to have a complex status, or maybe I need something more to see the status of eggs. "I will create some gatherers, farmers, bards, cooks and beacons for us to test. The rest of the honeycombs will be filled with soldiers." "Sure, no problem!" Ken exclaimed happily. After a long time I managed to produce around 150 new drones, and I didn''t feel tired at all, it seemed that the affinity for [Life] helped me in any action related to create life. These eggs that I created had various shades of yellow, and shapes that changed according to the [Class], all of them had their creation time extremely reduced, collectors that previously took 5 days now only needed 7 and a half hours, the time-consuming beacons took just 22 hours, that was a reduction of over 90% of the entire time. Soon all the eggs were taken into the nursery, and the whole place lit up with the glow of the eggs. The whole scene was extremely beautiful and I was excited about what I would get with these new puppies. ''Call a group of soldiers to my position please boys. Preferably some how are injured.'' ''-Got it!'' One of the beacons responded. Soon a small group made up of soldiers and workers arrived and they greeted me. "Hello Mom! How can we be of help?" Said a soldier ahead "Hello dears, I just want to test some skills, and I ask you to please help me." "Clear!" Everyone responded. I focused on my {Healing Radiance} skill but nothing happened, as always I needed to focus on the action of the skill itself, not the skill, but I didn''t know how to use it. It took a while, but after imagining a saint from a generic RPG healing a group of people I finally felt a tug, as if something was being taken away from me, and I could see a faint golden light emanating from me. Light came from my limbs, mane, head and abdomen, from everywhere, the light came from small bright spots and had a comforting warmth, like being by a campfire on a super cold day. Soon I could see from they status that the Hp was healing realy fast. After a while most of the group had been healed and I tried another skill {Radiant Renewal} on the still injured members, this time I tried to imagine giving something to the soldier, and somehow worked. Since I felt a huge tug on my mana. "Wow! I feel powerful! This is incredible mom!" Shouted the little soldier who had a golden aura surrounding himself. ''Wrong skill, apparently i ended up using [Queen''s blessing], but it''s still worth the intention.'' Turning off the skill quickly I focused on the idea of quickly healing a soldier''s health, I had to think a lot until the idea of filling a leaky bucket seemed to work. I felt a big punch on my body, and I soon became weak, but the soldier had regenerated very well, something I noticed was that he still had some scars. When I healed the boys with {Healing Radiance} all the marks on their bodies disappeared along with the light, but this guy still had some scratches, the skill seemed to be able to save someone between life and death quickly, but it was not able to heal 100% someone. The skill always left a part without being healed. "Mom are you okay?!" asked a worried soldier. "Yes... It seems like I just used too much mana, it''s a little uncomfortable, but it''s not painful." "Let''s take her to the infirmary!" said the soldiers. "No need boys, I''ll just go back to my room, thanks for your help." "...If you say so, no mother! We are the ones who thank you for the cure! It is much appreciated!" Said the apparent leader of this group. When I arrived at the door of my room I had the same problem as before, I was too big. I was tired, sleepy, and I really wanted to throw myself in my bed, but I just discovered that I''m too big for my own house. ''Oh! Come on!?''
Half a day later, my new drones had hatched, and started created their cocoons. The [Radiant Sunbee] larvae were not that different from an ordinary larva, they were white with small golden dots, and slightly larger. The larvae also had a lot of life and vitality, I didn''t know the real use of [Vitality], because it was a stat I didn''t even know I had, but all bees had a great vitality stats, and I don''t know exactly why. We also had the new [Dexterity] stat, something I didn''t know exactly what it was, but it seemed to be a stat that helped us think faster. But now, on the bee cocoons, that had changed from the comom cocoons. The once ordinary white cocoons had become cocoons of slightly yellow and shiny silk. The entire cocoon seemed to be covered in glitter and had much better resistance than the previous cocoons. My room had been modified, and was currently the only place capable of "containing" me. I had become gigantic and I was very curious to know what I looked like. Something my [Beacons] helped me with. They could share memories, which was basically a way to send videos and images via the link, but it was dangerous, unlike videos and images that cannot be easily edited or lose their "coherence". Memories could vary and diverge. One soldier might remember seeing a blue flower, but another soldier might remember seeing the same flower and swear it was purple. But this was still a great help to use some kind of "Mirror", I just needed a drone looking directly at me and then connect with it through the beacons to receive its memories of me. With this method I was able to "See" myself clearly for the first time. I was huge, very big indeed, at least from the point of view of an ordinary worker, my body was all yellow and without any chitin armor, I had a large mane of white hair with golden stripes. Big, black eyes with 2 small antennas on the head, 4 pairs of giant wings that gave off a slight glow, 4 long slender arms, and a large bee-like abdomen that was easily much larger than my own body. My entire abdomen was very large and heavy, this "member" looked a lot like the abdomen of a queen termite, but it was much more beautiful, the entire inside was a mixture of golden colors, red, white, and blue sparkles that were in constant movement. . Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. My arms, legs and forearms had hair that matched my mane and I had 2 large legs that looked very strong. I wasn''t ugly, or disgusting. But my body felt like it had become an egg factory. I didn''t need many nutrients to create new drones, and I needed little time to create them, I don''t know if this is because of my affinity with life, or my queen class. But it seemed to be a balance between the two. I couldn''t fight enemies, and now I was too slow to run. Even though my speed was great, I was still very slow. Which showed that there is a balance between size and speed, being too big makes you slower, and being small makes you faster. And most importantly, I couldn''t walk all over my own house anymore! All the rooms were too small, I bumped into everything wherever I went and just got in the way of everyone''s work. So much that I had to confine myself to my newly expanded room, and limit myself to sharing memory and vision with the [Beacons], I couldn''t receive the information I wanted quickly as being there in person, perhaps because it was only possible to send memories through the link. So I had a "delay", the workers had to see something, store it in memory, the beacons picked up this information, and only then did it reach me. The delay was 5 seconds at maximum, but it still seemed very annoying. Now ''I'' was keeping an eye on the cocoons of the first workers that would emerge, while seeing everything through a worker. These new workers would show me the advantages that other classes of bees could get from [Life] affinity and what the hell this new species can do. Soon the first workers began to emerge, bringing with them the beginning of a new cycle of life. These guys resembled common factory workers, they had pure white manes, big black eyes, and 6 limbs. But the similarities ended there, these new units had small antennae that glowed at the tip, golden colors instead of the dull yellow, and bright markings all over the body, in addition to being smaller than a common worker, and having 6 pairs of slightly shiny wings. . As I couldn''t analyze them through the link, I had to ask them to come to my room and there I could finally analyze these new drones.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 12.2 Def: 0.2
Level: 1 Class: Worker Vit: 7.3 Int: 9.3
Sex: Male Stamina: 35/35 Dex: 1 Wis: 10.2
Mana: 1 Affinity: ------ Spr: 9.5 Str: 0.3
[Skills]
{Wax making} lv 1
{Create Honey} lv 1
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Perfect wax re-use} When you eat material of the type [wax]. You can re-use all the Wax consumed with no loss.
{Emergency care} Lv1 Take care of your allies with incredible mastery, speeding up their natural recovery and granting them temporary health bonuses.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Quick Recovery} Lv1 Your natural regeneration is multiplied in 5x
{Quick flight} Lv1 Fly much more quickly and much more skillfully than others
{Glow} Lv1 Consumes 0.1 Mp per minute to make your abdomen glow brightly
[Traces]
[Craftsman]
{Affectionate} You are not afraid to express your love and affection for those you care about, allowing you to create stronger, lasting bonds.
{Pollinator}
''They don''t have affinity?! Why? Can''t affinities be inherited? But their appearance suggests that they have an affinity for light or something like this. What happened to them to don''t have an affinity?'' ''-I think we have an idea." The beacons said. ''Serious? What could it be?'' ''-We believe that [Affinities] can only be achieved through evolution, another theory is that [Life] affinity is very complex, and cannot be inherited.'' One of the beacons responded. ''Theories? I guess it''s still better than nothing... But couldn''t they at least have gained a smaller version of my affinity? I don''t know, something like dirth, or water. Things that represent life.'' ''-We believe that they did benefit from your affinity mom, but not so much to the point of gaining an individual affinity.'' Said another Beacon. ''How?'' ''-They still have skills like {Quick Recovery}, {Emergency care}, as well high vitality and life, which seems to be due to your influence.'' Said the beacon. ''Hmm That''s true, even if they don''t have their own affinities, my affinity influences them, perhaps through birth, or through the [Maternal Connection] link. Whatever it is seems to help a lot.'' After that I sent the new drones to work and waited for the new cooks to hatch, I really wanted to know what they could earn. In the meantime, I could only remain still and motionless in my room while I "saw" the world outside through my children, it wasn''t bad to tell the truth, it was like watching several live screens. There was a small delay, I could send comments, and even chat with these "steamers".
Now in front of me there was a group of new cook bees, these bees were even taller than the average cook, they had wings! And they gained a strangely shaped head. They all looked really good, all of them had just a little of hair, and none of them had a stinger, their arms seemed stronger than those of a normal cook, and they had small "saws" on their forearms, which I don''t know what they could use them for.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 15.2 Def: 1.2
Level: 1 Class: Royal Cooks Vit: 8.3 Int: 21.3
Sex: Male Stamina: 6/6 Dex: 1 Wis: 15.2
Mana: 1.8 Affinity: ------ Spr: 1.5 Str: 0.3
[Skills]
{Royal Jelly Mastery} Lv 2
{Flavor Fusion} Lv 3
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Efficient Gland Harvesting} Lv 1
{Weather call} Lv 1 You always know what the ambient temperature, climate and season you are in. Ensuring perfect production of food no matter the situation.
{Confectioner} Lv1 You can create sweets with unique effects depending on the material used.
{Unshakeble Will}
{Flawless palate} Lv 1 You can tell exactly every ingredient in the food you are consuming.
{Advanced jelly creation} Lv 1 You can create large quantities of jelly with small amounts of resources, always maintaining the high quality of the final product.
{Food Creation} Lv 1 You can create various types of food depending on the resource used. The [Food creation] skill is limited by the user''s [Species].
{Sticky Situation Mastery} Lv 1
[Traces]
{Nurturing Provider}
{Meticulous Artisan} You have an unparalleled attention to detail in its culinary endeavors. Every step of the cooking process is executed with precision and care, reflecting a commitment to perfection.
{Demanding chef} You want perfection in your kitchen, and you won''t accept anything less than that.
''These guys are very good, they seem like professionals in the art of creating food, none of them have any affinity, but they all seem much more ''capable'' than the average cook.'' These new units seem to be very useful, and if I could continue creating more of them without limits, I would be able to expand our domain even further. We didn''t have natural enemies around us, from time to time the soldiers encountered creatures that tried to eat them, but because they always walked in groups they could help each other and run when necessary. But if we could make even the big creatures stay away, we could develop without worry. We could start expanding this little wax ''village'' and create a real city crowded with all my children, we could create all the comforts of a developed society and live in peace, just growing plants and keeping enemies away. I ended up sending them all to the kitchen, and fter that I just stayed in my room watching everything through my personal steaming service while watching everyone work hard and watching the soldiers fight. When I stopped to see what the soldiers were doing, I realized how cruel and merciless they can be. I was now seeing the memories of one of the members of Hans group, they were hiding in some leaves watching a hole in a large tree. Until a big bird that looked like a guinea fowl, but had vibrant colors of orange and blue, flew out of the hole, then another guinea fowl came out of the hole and just looked at everything from the hole, different from the other colorful hen, This one had dull brown feathers and a larger, more muscular body. It was clearly a nest, I didn''t know who was the male or the female. After all, in some species of birds the male and female take turns to incubate the eggs, but it could be that the colorful hen that flew away was a father looking for food for his muscular wife. The soldiers remained hidden for a long time, until the muscular chicken also flew away, leaving the nest unprotected. After a few moments of waiting, the soldiers quickly ran into the nest and there I could see 4 small bald creatures, all hugging each other and 2 eggs that were on their sides, the chicks slept peacefully and couldn''t even open their eyes yet. But the soldiers didn''t hesitate, the moment they entered they attacked the puppies without a hint of pity, they stung, cut and beat the little babies. The cubs could do nothing but struggle and start screaming, but the soldiers grabbed their beaks to silence them and continued to attack. They continued to beat the cubs until everyone was dead, not even the eggs were spared, leaving behind a pile of dead bodies and vices, of what were once small baby birds. The XP I gained from this was pretty good, but I felt like throwing up at the scene, and just thinking about what the poor mother bird would think when she came back from a long hunt to feed her precious babies and ended up finding a bunch of meat and viceras. The soldiers were cruel, very cruel, and showed no remorse. I thought about stopping them, about forbidding them from hunting, at least hunting defenseless cubs, but the beacons stopped me. Their argument was "What if it were us?", the same thing that happened to the baby birds could happen to us, if the nest was left unprotected for even a single moment we could receive an attack. And if we were too weak we wouldn''t be able to stop an attack, even if we were prepared. All this XP was bathed in blood and death. But we still had to swallow it, without it we would never become powerful.
About 2 days passed, many new drones had hatched, the collectors had improved collection skills, as well great vitality and health, but they were slower than common collectors. The new bards had the ability to strengthen their allies with just their voice, they could kind of do that before, but now they didn''t need to sing, or create music for it. They could just do an "enchantment" and apply temporary effects to allies without any negative effects at the cost of MP. And now I was having to deal with a new, big problem. Apparently the new members were in a... Conflict. With the older ones, the new cooks wanted supremacy over the kitchen. The new workers wanted to take over the work in the nursery, since they could do more than the other workers, the new collectors wanted to become the new leaders of the collectors group, and the bards wanted to become the "conductors", they wanted control over the other bards and to be able to choose the music in addition to the performances. This generated a lot of conflict, no one wanted to give up their positions to beginners, and the beginners didn''t want to leave the work in "unqualified" hands, they justified that they were "newer and better" and could do the work with greater perfection. It may be true, but older workers have something that these soft-shelled babies don''t have: Experience and knowledge. The cooks knew exactly the preferences of each member of the colony, they created eating routines that strengthened collective immunity and nourished everyone, in addition to working with agility and impressive coordination. The collectors knew exactly which regions were exhausted and which flowers were worth collecting and which were not worth the effort, Matt was also one of the only members of the colony who had experience as a shepherd, when he said it was time to leave, it meant that it was time to leave. He didn''t want to have to re-educate a young group of stubborn collectors. The bards knew the colony''s preferences, in addition to being able to coordinate with each other to create complex music and even more powerful effects. They could put on a little show for a large group of bees and make them more energetic, excited or happy. And Ken, I don''t think I need to say it. He almost attacked the new workers himself when they said, "I think we can do a better job than your mediocre job." Ken simply refused to accept these new workers into his work zone. According to him they were "Presumptuous, Disrespectful and arrogant". I never had to deal with a conflict between my children, they all resolved themselves very well, but it seemed that the new workers simply thought everyone else was "inferior". I think this is because of the difference in [Species]. The {Radiant Sunbee} thought they were superior to the {Solitary honeybee}, and wanted me to "put them in their place." ''What the hell is this? What are they thinking?'' ''-We believe it is a natural development... The young want to replace the "outdated" species in the colony. We never had this problem before because younger bees didn''t think they were better than the olders, and everyone believed that only the best should take leadership. But these new drones have a superior [Species], so they believe it''s only natural to let them take on the most important jobs.'' Said a beacon ''...Call everyone back here.'' ''-Immediately.'' Another beacon responded Soon my room was filled again with the news bees and all of them where looking at me with adoration. I think they thought I was on their side in the story, but they were very mistaken. The {Solitary honeybee} came before them, and are the foundation that built this society, I will not allow these children to disrespect them like this. "I will only say it once, once and I hope it never happens again." "OBEY. YOUR. OLDER. BROTHERS!" Some were surprised by my statement but when they tried to say something, they realized they couldn''t speak, move or even blink. "YOU. WILL BE RESPECTFUL. IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER." I had never used [Maternal Connection] masterfully. But this topic made me so angry with these boys that I just snapped at them. And the effects of the connection were frightening. Everyone was crying as if they were in front of a monster that was going to kill them, they were shaking and couldn''t utter a single word. The workers lost their shine, the strong spirit of the cooks was extinguished, the collectors no longer seemed so tough, and the bards spirits plummeted. They were all scared of me, scared of having provoked my wrath, and none of them seemed to understand what they had done wrong. For them it was only natural that the new and better drones should take the lead, they would gladly hand over their duties to young {Radiant Sunbee} if needed. But I doubt they would be happy to be disrespected and replaced by a "superior" species that has just arrived. Chapter 44: Living essence 2 Week Later. In these last few days we have expanded tremendously, our numbers have increased dramatically, reaching several hundreds and bordering on thousands. Our ''village'' had grown a lot, being expanded up, down and to the sides, with the great increase in our numbers the bedrooms, canteen and kitchen had to be tremendously expanded, when we no longer had the means to expand them we built more facilities in different places. If I had to describe it, we were kind of creating a tower, looking like a yellow tree that grew next to the big begonia Now we had 3 small kitchens and a main kitchen, 6 huge bedrooms, 2 gigantic dining rooms with several floors, dozens of warehouses full of honey silos. A gigantic general quateu, with proportional accommodation for the large number of soldiers, a large sewing room that had dozens of weavers, a laundry that was always in operation. In addition to entire sheds where the scouts stored their items on shelves and boxes, barns built on tree roots for farmers and a gigantic theater that served as a house for the bards/performance hall. The whole place became so busy that it seemed like a city. Another thing was that we finally got lights! The workers had a skill that allowed them to literally be living lamps, so they were all over the nest, they were on the streets, in the corridors, in the rooms and even in my room, all serving as living lamps. It seemed to be evil, but they were very happy to be so useful, it seemed that being a live lamp was a very prestigious job in the hive, everyone wanted to work with it. Maybe because I always wanted lamps, and when I saw them shining for the first time I was so happy that I almost jumped with joy. This left a mark on my children, and everyone who worked as lamp are happy, the smile on their faces says "I''m more useful than you" to the other workers. And talking about markings on the drones, my beacons stored that... "conversation" that I had with the newcomers, and used it as a "warning" for all new drones, so no one got out of line or was disrespectful, and to talk The truth was actually quite scary when seen from others'' point of view. For me it was just a peaceful "warning", but from the workers'' point of view it was something like "Do what I say when I say otherwise...". And the whole thing about memories being able to diverge didn''t help me much either, the beacons took the worst parts of each version of the drones'' memories and put it all together as if it were the "real event", painting me as a scary shrew. According to them, it wasn''t bad, it was good, without fear there is no respect, without respect there is no coexistence, and without coexistence there is no society. I had to be painted as a "brave" and "loud" person to create an "appropriate" image for the colony, and the fact that only the elite could enter my quarters generated even more doubts. Most of the new drones have never seen me in person, only the 1st generation, and they didn''t have a friendly impression of me. They weren''t afraid that I would hurt or kill them, they were afraid that I would declare them as "useless or flawed", they don''t mind being criticized or getting into conflicts with their brothers, but it is absolutely unimaginable to be "discarded " for me. These lights allowed us to become a civilization that worked 24 hours a day, everyone just changing shifts and keeping the base always working. In the meantime I gained a lot of XP from the soldiers, but I didn''t gain a single level, the new soldiers created also had more life and resistance, but were slower and "Passive". They didn''t like starting fights, and would only attack if something got too close, but they preferred to avoid fights at all costs, unlike the first soldiers who are hungry for fights. The old soldiers still haven''t evolved again, but they were still the main source of Xp for me, if it depended on the new soldiers or gaining Xp through pollination I would die of old age. In the last few days my room had been seriously redesigned and redone, and it was now the only room in the hive that I could stay and walk around in comfortably, the place contained a huge bed in the middle of the room, which was entirely made of soft and smooth silk, with lots of pillows and flower embroidery. The place was heavily guarded by Hans best men and I just stayed in bed all day in a "buddha" position, when I laid eggs a large group of workers came and picked everything up to bring to the nursery, and most of the time I just stayed in the my room being served by my private entourage and observing life through the eyes of my boys. It didn''t seem healthy, of course, like a person who lives in a room just watching lives. But neither my instincts nor my children saw any problem with that, so I continued. This continued for several days, until our house was huge and busy as hell, soldiers were flying everywhere, workers were lighting the streets made of wax, and a huge wax dome produced by the carpenters was being erected around our house. This ''dome'' just surrounded the entire tree, and was being built from the ground to the top of the tree, leaving nothing exposed. I thought this might kill the tree, but the gardeners said the tree would probably survive on the light from the workers and the nutrients they could provide. The nursery had been expanded greatly to meet our demands and new members were sent to the infirmary as Ken refused to accept them into the nursery. Everyone was working at full steam. And a few days ago the boys put on a great show at the theater to celebrate our prosperity. I also ended up using my [Life Exchange] skill and with a lot of difficulty I managed to create a [Life Drop] and I finally found out what this thing is. When I tried to create this thing I asked for a few pots of wax, and some healing jelly, after all you never know. But I needed to know what this [Life Drop] was, if it was some kind of super healing potion, liquid XP, or some other shit. I auso tried using the [Life eco] skill, just to find out what it did, and I discovered after a long time of trying, that this skill made me spit out a small and strange bubble, that looked like a colorful soap bubble, and depending on how much mana I used, the bubble would get bigger or smaller. This bubble could touch beings that I considered "allies", and soon as they touched the ally, they would burst and provide a small cure. Now if they touched things that were "enemies", they did a strange kind of damage. I tested this by throwing the bubble at a flower that I wanted to die, and when the bubble touched the flower it gained several rotten spots very quickly, but it didn''t die. It was only minor damage and the plant wouldn''t die from it. The bubble seemed pretty useless to be honest. Okay, it was a skill that could cause damage and heal at the same time, but it was so weak and expensive, that it was better to just use my mana to heal and buff the soldiers, rather than trying to kill someone with those bubbles. And now here we were, I had managed to use the skill after several failed attempts and when the skill activated I felt myself getting weaker and a sudden pain as if I had been stabbed. And soon I spat a shiny golden liquid into the pot, it was just a small amount, little more than a drop, but for that I seemed to have lost a lot of XP and life.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 24.1/32.4 Def: 0.7
Level: 1 Class: Queen Vit: 9.3 Int: 21.5
Sex: Female Stamina: 70/70 Dex: 1 Wis: 8.2
Mana: 1.5 Affinity: {Life} Spr: 15.3 Str: 0.3
''I don''t seem to have lost Xp... But I don''t have an Xp bar to know how much I lost, but I still needed 8 life points for that little drop of nothing? What the fuck is this thing?''
[Description]
[Life Drop] Concentrated essence of life, when consumed it can cure dieases, wounds or illnesses, in addition to granting XP and permanently strengthening the body. Quality: Bad
''What the hell!? This shit is too broken, can I share XP using this? And can I strengthen the colony as a whole?'' ''Call Ken here!'' ''-Understood'' Said one of the beacons. Soon Ken walked through the door and walked up to me with a face that clearly said "What do you want, huh?" "Ken! Look at this! I created a substance capable of healing and granting XP!" "Really?! Let me see!" Ken said excitedly. After giving the small jug to Ken, he looks at the liquid in wonder for a few moments before pouring the entire contents of the jug into his mouth, as if it were a large mug of beer. "KEN!" After a few moments Ken simply finished drinking everything and left the jug on the floor, the soldiers were looking at him dirty, as if he had just done something very wrong. He really did, I didn''t want him to drink, just to see and give me some ideas. But it''s not like I can''t create more of that. "Hmm... It tastes pretty bad, and it leaves your mouth bitter, but I actually gained Xp! And I feel much more refreshed than before!" Ken said. "You weren''t supposed to turn everything over like a beer can!" "But we had to test it, didn''t we? And I give it my seal of approval! I''ll even volunteer to be the first member to have access to all this essence." Ken replied. "Why do you want this so much Ken?" "Honestly? I''m tired of being at level 1, I want to evolve! But I don''t want to do the same job that Matt did, I don''t like pollonizing flowers." Ken replied angrily. "I know, this was something that was high on my list of problems, I was seriously in need of a way to get Xp for all of you." "Some of us like Steve, Carl and several workers who sometimes go out to do a little polishing and earn some Xp, but there are several of us who don''t like this work, like Levi, myself and several other members." Ken said. "Do you think if we mixed this into food, we could grant everyone some Xp, slowly increasing everyone''s levels?" "I guess so? But why don''t you start creating a large quantity of this stuff and make it available to those who haven''t leveled up for a long time, hmm?" Ken said with a small smile. "...I think it could work, I would need ways to recover my own HP, as well more XP from the soldiers, but I would still be able to create good amounts of it. Not to mention that I''m still at level 1 skill, so as i gain more levels it will be easier to produce more of this thing." "That sounds like a good plan!" Ken replied. "Hmm, Hmm. I think I''ll dedicate myself to creating more of this, it seems very useful after all, I just miss my-" My laboratory! I was so distracted by my progress and the treats from my entourage that I completely forgot about my laboratory. When I look up, everyone in the room seems to have gotten super nervous out of nowhere, like I''ve just remembered something they want me to forget, and Ken tries to look away. "You bunch of brats! You deliberately kept quiet about the subject of my lab, and expect me to just forget about it!?" "...Well.... The place isn''t safe, especially now that you''re even bigger and slower, if the same thing happened again you wouldn''t be able to run, and the explosion would probably be bigger..." He said Ken trying to close the matter. "I told you how important that lab was to me! And you just erased it?!" "Of course not, mom! We know how important the place is to you, so we completely renovated it and left Isaac and Albert in charge of the area." said a worker. "What??" "The two of them are conducting their crazy experiments, they stay there all day mixing random things in a cauldron and marking everything on wax tablets, unlike you they don''t go around messing with dangerous things." Ken said. "Really? They followed my... Legacy?" "Yes Mom! They are responsible for creating soap for the laundry, yeast for the cooks and paint for the workers! They work all day every day to keep your desire alive!" Said another worker. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Now I feel bad for yelling at them, no one said anything to me because they were afraid I would put myself in danger again, but my assistants had continued my research. They even succeeded and created materials that were being used by the colony "Boys, I''m sorry for yelling at you, I''m really proud of you all, if it weren''t for everyone''s help I would still be living in a dark hole." "Don''t worry about it mom! We''re all very happy to be able to help you!" One of the soldiers said while everyone agreed with him." "What about my potions? Is anyone trying to create new potions too?" "That... No. Your ''potions'' are very dangerous, sometimes our researchers create things similar to potions, but we don''t have anyone who has really been interested in them. Some cooks liked the idea, but that was it. Nobody went ahead with this project because it seemed, according to popular opinions, to be a "waste of resources, since we can create similar bonuses with bards." "I understand..." I felt a little bad about the situation. This whole place was developing more and more, and yet my collaboration was minimal, I mean, I created each member of this society, it is also because of me that they have so much knowledge, in addition to having created the first experiments that gave rise to [Nutrient paste] and various other substances. But I still didn''t like the idea of sitting around all day just laying eggs without doing anything else, I want to discover more things. If I could develop more as a support, I could become this hive''s trump card, even if an enemy hurts the soldiers, I could heal them. Just because I''m a support class doesn''t mean I can''t fight, I just have to find the right way to be useful in a fight. Which brought me back to my [Life] affinity. Can I create real life without using skills? In theory it would be possible, unless my affinity can only be used with skills, but why couldn''t I just bring inanimate things to life with life affinity? I ended up thinking for a few hours, trying to bring my pillows to life, or something, but nothing helped, so I had an idea. What if I used [Drop of Life] on other things that aren''t alive? I ended up creating more of this essence of life, and ate some healing jelly at the end, now I had the bottom of a small jar full of [Drop of Life] and a curiosity to be satisfied. I had my children bring me 3 things, a small rock, a twig, and a small piece of moss from the tree. One thing was inanimate, another was once alive, and another was alive. I wanted to test to find out the uses of this glowing liquid, whether I could just increase the drones levels with it, or whether it was used to bring things to life. When I dropped a small drop on the stone, nothing happened, it was like pouring water on a stone, it got wet, but nothing happened, I tried to analyze the stone, but it was still a stone. ''So it can''t bring inanimate things to life, what a shame, it would be pretty cool to be able to create a house where all things are alive, Well, until those things start to get annoying at least, if I had to deal with a riot of spoons, I don''t even know what I would do.'' After moving to the branch I poured a single drop on it and nothing happened again, it seemed like none of this would work, but I still left the rock and the branch separate, I was going to wait and see if something would happen over time. And then I went to the moss. The moss still had earth in it and was green and healthy, it was clearly alive and healthy, and so I decided to use everything that was left of [Drop of life] in this moss. I poured all the liquid into a wax dish, and then placed the moss gently over the puddle. The moss quickly ''drank'' all the liquid and small golden flowers began to sprout from its leaves, the moss began to spread and grow slowly, but still visible to the eye. And after a few minutes it stopped growing, but it had fused intensely to the wax dish and even created roots that were unusual for a moss. It had small pink flowers and other golden flowers, its leaves turned bluish and vibrant tones and small roots that seemed to belong to a tree sprouted from it and surrounded the plate. The moss seemed to have changed, or simply "matured", I can''t say exactly, but it looked much healthier and stronger than before.
[Description]
[Wisp lily Moss] A moss that grew absorbing the essence of life, has great healing properties, in addition to its incredible vitality.
"Wow, this thing changed [species] simply by drinking a little essence?! These plants have a very easy life, don''t they?!'' But that''s still a good thing, I can create new plants with regenerative abilities! Maybe even other effects, and most importantly, I could increase your vitality, with this we could create gardens of super powerful flowers! But now my HP was finished... ''I think my crazy plans will wait for another day...''
About 2 days passed, and in these 2 days many things happened, the first thing was that I discovered something incredible. Some scouts reached level 5, and evolved, becoming [Stormcaller], [Trackers] and [Trailblazer]. These classes were, respectively, a bee capable of knowing the weather, saying when it will rain or if we will go through a drought. They could also literally do a "Rain Dance", which used Mp to increase the chance of raining. The trackers were the same old trackers, but these new trackers could sense living things around them, as well being more resistant and faster. The Trailblazer were bees that could simply run around aimlessly and then find their way back, I don''t know why anyone would want this class, but they had skills to move super fast and could suppress their presence while they moved. And what was special about these guys? It was that they were all [Solitary Honey Bees] that when they evolved into [Radiant Sunbee]. This was a relief for me, knowing that my older children could become [Radiant Sunbee] if they evolved. Now I wouldn''t have to see them dying like ordinary bees and being replaced by other bees, I could lengthen their lives. I don''t know if I''m actually lengthening your lives, but if the [Life] affinity doesn''t give you more lifespan, then whoever created this shit might get fired. If I could continue to evolve, and make my children evolve with me, I could ensure that we were always together, and no one would die of old age anytime soon around here. Another thing that happened was that I started the project ''''Like weeds", which consisted of creating many drones for us to expand quickly. I had completely lost my fear of laying eggs, and now I had a body that was an expert at doing so. It was so easy that I didn''t even feel the eggs coming out anymore, I just got hungry and tired over time. This led to the ultimate nursery expansion project, the idea was to create dozens of new drones that would serve as nurses, and increase the nursery''s capacity to the maximum. We have no predators, no ratels, bears or prawns. All we had were the oxen that were eating peacefully and some insects and animals in the region, no one came looking for problems with us. We went after the problems. It may sound silly, but as we grew up I became more and more frightened by the idea of being attacked out of nowhere one day, by an alien bear or creature that likes honey. That''s why I now wanted a house armed to the teeth. I wanted soldiers everywhere, workers working, cooks cooking, and everyone happy and safe. And this dream was possible, because we had no predators, we could expand peacefully, and without fear of being attacked. Farmers tended the land around us, preparing it for planting large quantities of flowers. Carpenters worked like the elite of workers, manufacturing super resistant materials or cutting branches that hindered construction. The expansion was so great that one day I created so many eggs that I gained the next level in [Lay eggs]
[Warning]
The [Egg laying] skill has reached Lv6! You have unlocked the new laying option to choose.
{Laying options}
[Spellcaster bee] Spellcasters can use MP to create a magical phenomenum, they have fragile and weak bodies, but high magical aptitude
[Healer bee] Healer bees can use their MP to heal the injured, as well being able to heal faster and grant group healing bonuses.
[Toxic bee] Toxic bees have lethal venoms, capable of causing various effects, their venom can be caught through stings or simple touch, but they have low health and speed.
[Shieldbearer Bee] Shieldbearer Bees have limbs specialized in serving as shields, in addition to having high resistance, life and vitality. However, low strength and agility.
[Dard bee] Dart bees can shoot poisonous spines from their abdomens, these spines spend a small amount of SP
[Warning]
You can choose 2 new posture options
At first I was very excited about the options, even more so with [Spellcaster] and [Healer]. But the other options also seemed incredible, so I did the same as always, picked the classes that soldiers or workers would have difficulty evolving into. Someday my boys might evolve into [Darts] [Toxics] or [Shieldbearer], but I think [Spellcaster] and [Healer] are much more unique or much rarer classes. After that i went to analyze the materials that I had soaked with [Drop of life] and I saw that this thing is more powerful than it seems. The stone had created a very thin layer of moss, the branch gained some small roots and green shoots coming out of its ends, while the moss had grown even more, so much that it was transferred to a jar. ''So this thing can accelerate life hum? The stone didn''t gain anything, but it seems that there were spores from some plant in this stone, and these spores benefited from the stone''s bath of life. The branch basically became a seedling, this could help us bring plants like [Ruby berry] to this region, we could just take a branch and plants here. Now, this moss is scaring me, won''t this thing stop growing? The moss had grown even larger, so muchthat we had to put it in a jar. It had lost all of its pink flowers, and now there were only small golden flowers that grew on top of it, it had leaves colored in various shades of green and blue, and "branches" that grew in the shape of ferns. I let the cooks take some of the moss to try to use it in food, so far I haven''t had any results, but I refuse to accept that this moss is useless. It seems to have weaker healing properties than [A Saint''s Tears], but it could still speed up healing. The liquid of life seemed very useful, but I couldn''t create it in large quantities, and I still needed to sacrifice Hp and Xp for it, I can regenerate my Hp, but I''ll soon i will run out of Xp. So since I didn''t have the ''funds'' to continue this project, I started doing something I had wanted for a long time. A windmill. Now that we had a lot of members we could afford to create new things, I sent the project to Levi a few days ago and now the project was almost finished. The carpenters created wooden frames that were covered with the weavers cloth, these would be the mill propellers. And the workers built a large structure to serve as a mill. The helix was connected to a wooden beam that ran from the helix to a toothed gear made of wood. The gear at the end of this beam was connected to another gear connected to another vertical beam. This way we got an axle that could rotate with the force of the wind. When the boys completed the work and unlocked the propeller, it began to move super slowly with the force of the wind, like a weather vane, only much slower. It was to be expected to tell the truth, the workers needed to learn as they did things, so asking them to get it right on the first try was asking a lot, the mill seemed to be too heavy, or had simply been poorly made, because it moved too much. slower than a common mill. But it still worked. And the first thing this mill did was move a ''mortar'', the boys had done some experiments with the gears and created this simple mortar. As the shaft moved it turned a gear connected to another gear. This gear then moved 2 large toothed wooden rollers, which sat above a pot. Workers could throw things on top of these rollers, and slowly the noise would be crushed and thrown into the container below. With this we were able to break small stones, nut shells, seeds and bones. It wasn''t perfect, and we couldn''t create flour out of it, just grind things into smaller pieces. But it was still the big start for us. This got the workers so excited, that soon a group that loved this type of construction appeared, they were thinking about several different machines, and trying to plan and test new ideas. They used wax alloy gears, wood and belts to create unique designs and tried all the time to create new things, now they wanted to create a machine to create pastes, something that could help cooks tremendously. It was a kind of pestle, bigger and stronger, but it was still a pestle, and it could help cooks process hard ingredients.
[Warning]
You earned 24 Xp from your soldier.
[Warning]
Hans has leveled up to lvl 10
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" now can evolve.
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" gave you control over his evolution choices and now you can choose one of the options below
{Evolution options}
[Errant Knight Bee] Errant Knight is a knight who can exercise his powers even away from the queen, being focused on long-term combat and capable of strengthening nearby allies.
[Champion Bee] Champions are excellent hand-to-hand combat units, being able to inspire allies and intimidate enemies, in addition to having a great battle spirit and hunger for success.
[Gladiator Bee] Gladiators are troops capable of inspiring their allies and causing massive damage to their enemies, possessing great dexterity and mastery in combat.
[Guardian Bee] Guardians are rare troops capable of absorbing all the damage caused to their allies, in addition to having very high resistance and group fortification abilities.
[Duelist Bee] Duelists are masters in one-on-one combat, gaining extreme agility and the ability to dodge and counter attack all enemy attacks much more easily.
I was relaxing peacefully in my quarters when I received the news from Hans, be very happy for him for a moment but when I took a look at his memory I could see that he had fought alone against a creature that looked like a praying mantis, the fight was fierce, and it seemed that the praying mantis was the one who would win, but in the end Hans managed to distract the praying mantis and take away your head. But Hans did not go unpunished, he lost an arm, and had several wounds all over his body, and was now being quickly carried back home by the other soldiers. ''Damn Hans! Why didn''t you fight safely like I told you?! You almost died and I only found out now!?!'' Chapter 45: Let’s ranch After waiting a few moments Hans appeared in front of me, he was missing one of his arms and was visibly very injured, several other soldiers who had minor injuries were helping him move and had an expression of pride on their faces. "What the hell happened to you Hans?!" Before hecould even speak I activated my healing aura and quickly healed Hans, his wounds healed quickly and his eyes regained their shine. "...Thank you very much mom, I managed to evolve!" Said Hans as if his wounds meant nothing. "You''re all hurt! And you lost an arm! How did that happen?!" "It was a hard fight against a big monster, mother ! Hans attacked that thing ferociously and completely alone, and killed it epically after a long fight!" Pronounced an excited soldier. "It wasn''t quite like that... I fought alone against a creature similar to a praying mantis, he was very fast and had bladed arms, but I managed to wear him down in ranged combat, in addition to attacking whenever he was distracted by the soldiers." Hans explained. "That''s right! Hans wanted a one-on-one fight to gain all the XP! So we just stood around preventing the monster from escaping and threatening him from time to time to distract him!" Said another soldier. "But what about your arm?!" "I can recover it with evolution!" Hans said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How are you so sure, you idiot?! What if you end up with one less arm for the rest of your life!?" "I just know... We always recover our wounds when we evolve, I could see that in the soldiers." Hans said. "Ugh.. Do you even have any evolution preferences? I don''t think there is much difference between these options." "Yes! I want to be a champion please!" Hans said confidently. "Oh? So now you want to become a champion, it seems like a really cool class, and it suits you." "Yes! I like how champion sounds, I thought about [Guardian] but I prefer a class that can do a lot of damage! I don''t like the idea of not being able to fight for my brothers!" Hans said. "Of course it''s ok darling, if it''s what you want I don''t have a problem with it." After choosing [Champion], Hans simply fell to the ground like a brick, it was very fast and I could see his body starting to vibrate violently before it tore apart and from inside his body a small chrysalis of gold and white colors came out. . The chrysalis struggled fiercely to free itself from the old body''s grip and then stopped calmly on the ground. "Did that happen too quickly?!" ''-Yes... Maybe it''s because of Mother''s affinity, this must be influencing Hans'' accelerated evolution." Said a beacon. "Boys, take Hans to the infirmary, and take care of your wounds!" "Of course mom!" The soldiers said.
Even though Hans''s transformation into a chrysalism was quick, it doesn''t mean that his evolution was rapid, 3 days had passed and we still had no news from Hans, and in the meantime the workers began to build new machines with the mill, in addition to creating new mills and improving the machine efficiency. Now we had a primitive version of a grinding stone, a rolling pin, and a "piston" that kept hitting a pot to knead its contents. Some young soldiers had evolved, but no class worth mentioning, in addition to several other scouts who also evolved, Trevis was their leader and they were all professionals at walking these plains. The cooks became a "powerful" group within this hive, everyone respected them and all their requests took priority. The kitchens expanded further and more cooks were created. I had also created a large group of [Healers] and [Spell Casters], but to my surprise the healers needed 1 month to hatch, even with my affinity, and the [Spell Casters] needed 3 weeks. It seems like I made the right choice in choosing these classes, from my experience classes that take that long either have incredible physical abilities, or are extremely useful. At that moment I was in my room, which became a "royal" room, the whole place was surrounded with elite soldiers with the best and bravest wariors, the ceiling and walls were filled with immoveable bees that worked proudly like lamps, and I had dozens of "prestigious" workers who took care of me, whether bringing food or fulfilling my orders. Things got so serious that the nursery no longer bothered to send dozens of employees to get the eggs. They had asked the workers to build a "shelf" for the eggs. This shelf was more like a palanquin, it had several floors and small spaces to lay eggs, there were 5 of these palanquins, and when I laid eggs a small group of nurses came and organized them in the palanquin, and then the soldiers carried it to the nursery to be emptied. I became some kind of Buddha statue in a temple or something, I was completely closed, inside the hive, without needing to do anything, since I could see everything that happened through the [Beacons]. And speaking of them, I created a new group of beacons a few days ago and they had hatched by this point, and they had very useful abilities, like being able to sense whenever a member of the hive is injured, or being able to suppress negative feelings, like fear, anger or sadness in a specific target. This new group joined the first beacons, and now we had a "server" that could house about 40% of the hive, we still needed many more beacons, but these new guys already helped a lot to the rotten 2 beacons who had to do everything themselves , they were weak as hell, so much so that they lived isolated and protected like me, but they seemed to have a "neet" personality, and they liked that seclusion. The laundry room proved to be the biggest success so far, all my children loved cleaning, and we had groups working in the place 24 hours a day, every day, whether it was washing clothes, putting them out to dry or folding them and putting them away. Weavers were also gaining work experience, and began to create thicker, stronger and softer cloth, which made its popularity explode even further. And lastly, the theater, which was the bees favorite place to go at night, they went there to see improv shows created by the bards, music and talent shows, they did theater and games and everyone loved the place, they even managed to create some self-made instruments, those were very "poorly made" and was still a project on paper, but soon we could get really good instruments. And now we were here, in front of Hans, and waiting for him to emerge. We didn''t have to wait long, because soon the cocoon, which was quite large by the way, simply opened in two, and from inside a large, heavily equipped bee emerged. The bee that was now in front of me was almost half my size, it was tall and robust, with toned muscles and a light armor that covered its entire body, it had small antennae and a small, common bee abdomen, its arms were thick and powerful and had the same hair as my arms, his cub was a crystalline white that resembled snow, but was combed in a way that made you think he was wearing a scarf, his legs were toned and muscular and had large pairs of wings that spread across the ground like a cape. His face was very handsome for a bee and he had large sharp black eyes that intimidated with just one look. "Hello mom, Hans reporting for duty!"
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Hans Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 31.3 Def: 2.7
Level: 1 Class: Champion Vit: 18.3 Int: 19.5
Sex: Male Stamina: 230/230 Dex: 5.2 Wis: 13.2
Mana: 1.3 Affinity: ----- Spr: 25.1 Str: 18.3
[Skills]
{Impale} lv5
{Royal Duty} Lv 6.
{Maternal Connection} - locked
{Strong Muscles} - Lv 7
{Unshakeble Will}
{fast flight} Lv 2
{Blade growth} Lv 1 Make blades grow quickly in your hands at a cost of MP to use them as a weapon, breaking these blades or losing them will not cause you any damage.
{Field of perception} Lv 1 Create a field of perception around you, at a cost of 0.01 Mp per second, your senses are enhanced 5x within this field, being able to perceive movements, sounds and smells very easily.
{Provocation} Lv 1 Causes an enemy that is at maximum 5 levels above you to become enraged, and focus solely on you.
{Swift Charge} lv1
{Hard wings} lv1 Harden your wings, making them tough as your skin, while active spends 1 Sp per second
{Thirst for victory} You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Gain a 1% bonus to all stats up to a maximum of 25% for every minute you spend in a fight.
{Encouragement} Lv 1 Grant a target a 5% bonus XP gain and 10% increased damage and resistance in exchange for 1 MP
{Blow of honor} Lv 1 Completely ignore 1 single blow if it deals more damage than your total HP.
[Traces] - 4
''Wow, Hans must be the most "balanced" member of this hive, most have one or two very powerful stats, and the rest are very weak, but Hans is well balanced in everything and has very good skills. Mainly {Thirst for victory} {Encouragement}, with this he becomes a great fighter and defender, a true defender of the people.'' ''And this [Blow of Honor] is also very good! Being able to negate an attack that would have rit killed him is really good! But the skill says if you lose all your HP. So if he was ''put to sleep'' the skill wouldn''t save him? And what can he do with it? I doubt Hans will be able to escape an enemy capable of one-hit killing him...'' "Hans! Are you amazing, how you feel?" "Great! Besides getting my arm back, I no longer feel any pain in my body! And I feel so light and powerful!" Hans said happily. "You must be hungry, you can go eat Hans, I''m proud of you dear!" "Thank you mom! I''ll go right away!" After that Hans simply disappeared from the room running and flying quickly, and I was "alone" again. With that I signaled the workers to bring the large jar that contained [Drops of Life] and for another group to bring me some flowers and plants. The [Drops of Life] proved to be very useful, hive members could simply drink it and heal wounds, as well gain Xp. I gave some to the cooks, and they mixed it all into the nutrient paste, and from this we discovered that we could slowly but surely increase the colony''s level through food. Another thing was that even though I had created a lot of this essence of life, I still hadn''t gained even one skill level, and I spent so much XP that I hadn''t even reached level 2 yet. But it was worth it, there was no point in me being high level, since my troops were low level, I needed all the soldiers to get their 2nd evolution like Hans to start chasing my 2nd evolution. And with that I became a old lady who takes care of plants. For the past few days I have been creating [Drops of Life] and giving some to Ken, and the other part went to my flower experiments. I didn''t distribute this essence to everyone because I was afraid that this "dishonest" method of evolving could cause problems with the evolution options, so Ken was a perfect volunteer, I could know if all the evolutions would be "supports" because of the method of evolution, or if he would gain production classes because he is a [Worker]. Ken barely reached level 2 yet, this method was simply too slow, but the plants achieved a lot with it. I discovered that if I used the essence on seeds, I would only accelerate their growth, if used on adult plants I had a chance of causing a mutation, or simply explosive growth. The smaller the plants, or rather, the greater the amount of essence for the plant in question. There would be a greater chance of causing a mutation, and these mutations did not turn all plants into healing plants, some gained abilities such as improved resistance, monstrous vitality, some became poisonous, changing colors, developing fruits and some simply died. I didn''t understand why some plants died, but it seemed that trying to flood a plant with the essence wasn''t a good idea, it was like overdosing the plant. If I used the essence in small quantities I could cause mutations, and if I used too much I could kill the plant. And speaking of mutations, my cooks started creating jelly that could cause mutations in the larvae, it was a product that needed a lot of Mp and resources, but it still had its uses. The jelly that the cooks created could grant new skills, or change an existing skill. Testing showed that it wasn''t a big deal, things like [Glow] turned into [Bright Glow], and things like [Precise Cut] turned into [Deep Cut]. And it wasn''t always that it worked, some mutations were bad, like a small worker who lost the [Glow] skill and gained the [light up] skill, the skill allowed him to create a small glow in any part of his body, but it was very dim and couldn''t light up as much as regular workers, it wasn''t a big deal, but that was the final straw for Ken, who demanded that we cancel this project before "defective" bees started to hatch. I ended up approving this, since I wouldn''t have the courage to look into the eyes of one of my children and say that he is defective because of my crazy experiments carried out on him since birth.
6 weeks later I don''t know how to say this... We have neighbors now, I think? About 2 weeks ago a small group of mushrooms arrived at us, and when I say arrived, it''s because they came walking! These mushrooms were very cute looking, they had no arms or legs, nothing but 2 small black eyes on their ''bodies'' and dozens of little feet that sat at their base. They were not at all threatening, and looked extremely friendly. They arrived here in a small group of around 10 members, all of them were different sizes, and walked closely together. And they didn''t seem to have any objective in mind, they were just passing through the region. But unfortunately for them, when they entered the soldiers field of vision they were attacked, the soldiers tried to tear them apart and kill them, but they had no blood or sight, they were just walking mushrooms. And when the message of "invaders" reached me I saw the memories of the soldiers and saw that these "invaders" were not threatening at all, they were so peaceful that they didn''t even defend themselves from the soldiers, they just ran around in circles stupidly like chickens without head. I ended up ordering them to stop the attack, and bring the mushrooms home, they were about 2x the size of a regular soldier, but they were soft and weak. In addition to being quite sweet when they weren''t being attacked. At first, the members of the colony didn''t agree to let these creatures get closer, but I was determined, and soon as they arrived in the roots of the tree they began to dig in and form "nests". They seemed to absorb nutrients from the earth to survive, and never caused us any problems. So much that I personally went up to one of them, who was happily burying himself in the ground while licking another smaller mushroom, and i analyzed them.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Wappo Fungling Life: 2/5.2 Def: 0.1
Level: 2 Class: ------ Str: 0.1 Int: 0.2
+ Information
I couldn''t see their full stats, but I could still see that they were weak as hell, and they certainly didn''t have evil plans with 0.2 Int. When I healed them all with [Radiant Aura] they looked at me with puppy dog eyes and swayed happily, I decided to leave them here in the care of the farmers, because even though they are creatures that walk, they are practically still plants. And now 4 weeks later, we had a Wappo Fungling "farm", these guys were spreading all over the place, they grew in the roots, in the trunk and spread all over the place. It seems that with us ensuring their protection, they didn''t need to worry about predators, and their group of 10 easily became a group of 100 in no time. But the farmers weren''t angry about it, quite the opposite. Apparently these little guys were very beneficial to the plants around them, they could fertilize the earth and make it super soft, plus they were doing an excellent job with the shells left by the soldiers. These barks were thrown away, or buried, since when thrown close to the trees where we lived, this stuff not only started to stink and made the environment smell bad, but also attracted other insects. But these beautiful little mushrooms could break these shells into small pieces in a few days, and eat everything, without leaving an unpleasant odor or anything like that. They became popular as the hive''s "trash bin", we could throw anything bio-degradable at them, and they would happily eat it. But this made their numbers explode and now we had to deal with these guys who could be potentially dangerous. "I suggest we kill them all, it''s just not worth keeping other potentially dangerous beings so close to us." Spoke Hans dryly. "That''s too hasty, they''re not strong, threatening, or even intelligent to pose a danger to us!" Ken said. "But until when? We don''t know their game, they could be gaining Xp by eating our trash, and just waiting to become powerful enough to eat us all..." Trevis said darkly. "Oh, stop being dramatic, not everything out there is going to kill us! I''m in favor of keeping them, we can have accommodation and be well developed, but we only will become a real society when we start to explore the resources of others species! We can''t achieve everything with bees, these guys are proof of that." Ken said. "Hmm... How about if we kill just some of them? We don''t need to kill them all, but just reduce their number! This way we would ensure that they don''t grow too much, and we can gain some Xp with that!" Trouble said. We all looked at him like he just had a genius idea, it was amazing for Trouble to have ideas like that, I thought he would be in the same camp as Hans about killing everyone. "T-That could work... We could raise them like cattle, using their abilities to benefit us, and harvesting them to use as food and a source of XP..." Levi said. "Can we eat these things?" Matt asked. "I think so! They are mushrooms that walk, when they die they should become just mushrooms, so the cooks could use their bodies for the hive''s cooking, but the number of them is so large that I don''t know how we could use them all" Said Carl. "We could use them to create ingredients, we don''t just need to use them as they are, we could grind them, knead them and dry them to use in various ways, or also use them as bait or fertilizer." I said through a representative. "Hmm.. That might work, we could use their bodies to attract some creatures to kill, and they would be good training for the young soldiers." Hans said. "Then it''s decided! We will keep them like cattle! And use them for various purposes!" Said Steve, who was second in command after me. It seemed cruel to use these creatures like that, but I was never the "save the animals from getting into a frying pan" type, I liked meat, wearing fur clothes, and eating cheese and yogurt, I didn''t like how animals were treated , being confined in small environments to quickly fatten, but I wouldn''t stop eating a hamburger because the food production system was cruel. If I can make my hive''s life easier by "domesticating" these creatures for harvesting later, then what''s the harm in that? I''m not going to lock them in tiny cages and force them to reproduce. I''m just going to let them reproduce naturally and reduce their numbers when they exceed the limit. With this we entered the era of farmers and ranchers. The young soldiers were taken to the mushrooms and quickly killed them, cutting their bodies or crushing them. They barely gave Xp, about 0.4 for a large mushroom, but their numbers were high, and they could be a safe source for soldiers and workers. Ken was the first in line, and killed so many mushrooms that he reached level 3. The cooks then chopped them, dried them or turned them into pastes, which they mixed into food, these guys were not poisonous but could cause a slight numbness in the tongue, which made them very popular in the kitchen, they had a tasty taste and if well processed they could be used in various dishes. We didn''t have stomachs to process complex food, so everything needed to be turned into jelly, honey, candy or paste. But the mushrooms became pastes, powder or small pieces that were mixed into food to give it an "Up". In the meantime of 5 weeks we also started creating a new windmill project, and my [Spell Casters] were born! They were weak as hell, but they had a skill called [Enchantment] and a trace called [Magic talent]. And they were!.... Cool. Spellcasters weren''t as amazing as I thought. They are able to use spells! Which defeats my theory that all spells were just [Skills] powered by Mp. But these spell casters are only able to cast a spell called [mana ball] the spell created a small bluish orb the size of a pinhead and launched it ''quickly'' forward, and that was it. No explosions, no major impacts, and no lacerations. We did a test with a wax target, and the ball barely damaged the wax, and worst of all, these "sorcerers" could only use this one magic! Apparently they have a limit on how many spells they can learn, they told me that their current limit is 1 spell, and that they can try and create new spells by observing the world. But they would lose the previous spell. It looked like shit to be honest. But these guys were good at one thing at least. They were very curious. They were interested in absolutely everything, how the rain happened, why the sun was yellow, why the wind flowed, why the plants grew, why magic exists? They asked themselves questions all day long, did research and took notes on their ideas, and tried to discover how the world worked. So I created the "magic club", they would work together with the research and development club, to create new items, the spell casters were not useful in a fight at that time, but they could still do something with magic that I never could. They could manipulate it! Literally pulling ''Mana'' out of they bodies and producing a small blue light between they hands, to me that was a spell, but they told me it was just the result of releasing mana at a single point, like "burning" something. I wanted to learn how to do this, so I named the oldest one Willow, and asked him to teach me this "trick". "What the hell am I doing wrong? I can''t pull anything out!" "You''re doing well mom! You just have little mana to ''pull'' out. Try visualizing a small star in your hand, and think about feeding it with your energy!" Willow said. ''Show off, just because he has more mana than me because of [Magic talent], he thinks he can belittle me! I won''t rest until I can use magic! I will learn to use this mysterious force of this strange world!'' The magic was unique, something that many people in my old world dreamed of even touching, and now I had this magic, but I couldn''t use it, couldn''t I let the opportunity to become a magical girl slip through my grasp? So easily! Focusing on my desire to use magic I begin to imagine a small spark, like that of a birthday candle, a beautiful, magical glow that can warm the heart and bring joy, I try to remember the feeling of having mana drawn from the body. my body and then I feel a tug. Something that flowed from inside me, passed through my arms and ended up in the palm of my hand, and soon I could see the air above my palm trembling as if something was going to happen, followed by a small glow that shone in rows of colors. different and beautiful, the shine was tiny and insignificant, but it fulfilled its purpose. That brought me a lot of joy. Chapter 46: Divergences 1 Month Later This last month was very busy, expansion was happening unrestrainedly, and our numbers increased so much that we looked like a metropolis, the ''walls'' around the tree were built, and now we are expanding even more. The entire interior of the house was filled with buildings, things like bedrooms, kitchens, dormitories, cafeterias, squares, stores or training rooms. The whole place was busy to the neck. We kept our distance from the tree, and even started to remove the buildings made in the top of the tree to move them to another place. Why? Respect. This tree was the beginning of our society, it was a symbol for many of us and we respected it for providing a firm and reliable shelter in times of strong winds and rain. We planned to open the top of the building to bring natural light into the tree, but this would only be done when the "2nd ring" was built. Our society was growing so much that we started to divide things into rings, the first ring was the tree, the center of civilization, where I was and for now everyone else too. But the project was to expand the rings, creating zones for soles and workers. Regions for the "nobility" if you prefer. The second ring that is being made would be the sole home for the soldiers, they would serve as the defenses, but in the future we would have rings for the cooks, tailors and spell casters. And rings for workers and other classes. The division of the rings was more or less like this: 1st Ring (Nobility) - Transition zone (Where we planted and raised animals) followed by the 2nd ring (Where the soldiers would live) I didn''t really like this division by hierarchy, but all the members of the hive agreed that it wasn''t a question of "nobility is more in the center", but rather a thing of "The most important are in the center", since I was the queen i was in the center of everything, in the deepest and safest part of the hive, and the other classes such as beacons, spell casters and cooks were nearby me, as they were not combatants and were important to the colony. And it wasn''t exactly a division, everyone would still move around the rings, we would still have soldiers and workers everywhere, but the other classes would only stay in the inner, and safer parts. The mushrooms didn''t mind the walls, nor did they mind becoming cattle, they seemed happy to have a safe and food-filled place to live. My [Healer] had finally been born, and I had been impressed with their skills, they could heal (obviously) much better than me, but they couldn''t apply bonuses to other members of the hive. They had a very weak and glaring point, which was the need to touch the target to heal them, they could not emanate a healing light like me, or heal with just a look. They had to go to the target and touch it to grant it healing. Their healing was more potent than mine, but they could only heal 1 or 2 members of the hive completely before running out of mana. Another scary thing about them was a skill called [Sacrifice]. They could sacrifice their HP points to heal their allies, it was a skill that reminded me of Kosame Amagai, but they didn''t need to use it unless it was their only option. I sent some of them to Hans group and some to Trouble, while the majority were keeped in the care of my new [Nurse] Ken! Some time ago Ken managed to evolve, and without thinking twice he chosed a nurse, he said he had other options such as [Apothecary] and [Builder] but he wanted to be a nurse. Now that he was officially a nurse he achieved the admiration and respect of all the other "nurses" in addition to some really cool skills, now he had a skill to create bandages with Sp, in addition to being able to provide minor healing and having mastery in care, Ken could also create an "aura" of tranquility that would calm his allies. Which I thought was absurd, because how could someone short-tempered as Ken emanate an aura that says "trust me, I just want to resolve this in peace." Trouble also evolved, and to my surprise he became a [Gladiator] Hans also had that choice back them, but Trouble''s version seemed more bloodthirsty. This showed me that 2 members with the same [Class] were not necessarily the same. If Hans had evolved into a [Gladiator] he would be like a professional MMA fighter, but Trouble was like an ilegal MMA fighter. His skills were focused on dealing a lot of melee damage, while resisting the damage dealt to him. Trouble was by far the deadliest of the hive, but he was so hot-headed that he simply couldn''t think much before acting. Hans can fight against creatures much larger than him, because he fights in groups and with strategies. While Trouble can take down creatures larger than him alone, but in the end he always gets hurt. Some other soldiers had evolved and my gardeners started planting various flowers outside the dome, The flowers chosen were some that were very popular among the hive, some flowers that had "caffeine", others that were very sweet, or that could stimulate the body and some other plants to complete the biodiversity. Our [Tears of a Saint] grew vigorously and now surrounded the entire tree, growing around the mushrooms and moss. I had reached level 2 [life exchange] and created several unique species of flowers with the [life drops], my favorite was the moss, which I continued to feed with life essence, and now are growing all over my room, serving as a super comforting rug for everyone, some flowers decorated the walls and other small flowers were spread throughout the hive for decoration. I had sent Trevis to find out the whereabouts of the werewolves, now I was prepared, if they were dead I would at least bury them and put a grave for them, but if they were alive I would help them, now I can do that. Another thing was that Matt and Miles started fighting again, but the fights became more... Intense. They used to fight over petty things, like twin brothers would do, but now Matt and Miles fought because they seemed to hate each other. Matt had evolved into a shepherd, while Miles was still a worker but a reliable leader of the transport group. The 2 looked like 2 brothers who were very close at young age, but took different paths in life in the adulthood, Miles became more responsible and wise, becoming very close to Steve and Levi, as he was the leader of the transport group, Miles was always busy, telling everyone where to go, what to do and when to do it, but Matt spent the whole day outside the hive just taking care of the collectors. One left home to do his duties, and he liked that. He couldn''t bear living trapped inside the house, and worked with something that brought him peace of mind, it wasn''t an essential job, or something with hight demand, but it brought him happiness, and he liked it. The other preferred to focus on the work given to him, and took it very seriously. Becoming a sensible and reliable leader, with many young people who admired him for his wisdom. He liked the work, at first it was difficult, but nowadays he did everything calmly with the help of his assistants. The two started to grow apart because of this, they didn''t hate each other, but they were hurt by each other, Miles wanted Matt to accept a job inside the colony, to spend more time with them, away from the dangers of the world. And Matt wanted Miles to quit his stupid manager job and leave it to someone else, so he could explore the world and see the beauty in the life outside the hive. I would support whatever the two of them chose, we would always have someone to do the task, the workers were also evolving and gaining new classes, it just wasn''t fast as the soldiers. But they were both hard-headed, neither of them wanted to give up their work, and Matt ended up stepping on the ball and saying that Miles would never be powerful as him if he didn''t stop being a coward. This made Miles furious, and started another fight, now the two were fighting and didn''t want to talk to each other.
"What do you think of Hexagon Hive?" Ken said. "I think you don''t have a talent for names, Simus is a living proof of that." Said Carl, eating a plate of sugar flakes. "Fuck you then, think of something on your own." Ken said. Now we were at headquarters, in a meeting room that was made up of the "inner circle" of the hive. We met here when we wanted to discuss something, could we do this via link? Sure, but the presidents of a company could also make all their decisions over the phone, and still go trough the problem to meet each other. With our recent expansion, we started thinking about a name for our society, and with that came this conference, now we were discussing boring names for a bee colony. "Apis Alliance? Seems appropriate." Miles said. "Oh, of course it is! We''re bees right? Why not come up with a stupid name that has a joke on bees, right?" Matt said exnobly. "Fuck you Ma-" "We are still in the presence of our mother, show some respect brats." Hans said. I wasn''t exactly here, just my representative who I decided to call Yan, my body was very big, and moving around was problematic for me. "Alright, how about Melliferous Alliance? That would be pretty cool!" Carl said. "Why an alliance? We are not allied with anyone, we are independent." Hans said. "I don''t know? It just seemed cool." Carl said. "W-What if we used A-Aurum? It''s a name that would represent mom''s species and could be the name of a city or capital..." Levi said. "Oh!! I liked that." I said through my representative. "Um.. Aurum. Sounds acceptable." Hans said. "Yes, it''s not as stupid as Apis Alliance!" Matt said. "Oh shut up, and grow up baby." Miles said. "You-" "This is my last warning, be quiet you two." Hans said. "Ugh.." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "So everyone agrees? Aurum will be the name of our society?" Steve asked. After a while and a vote via link, everyone said "Yes" in unison. With that we now had a city of bees called Aurum.
Aurum - Year 1 - 1 Week later ''Good morning, esteemed citizens of Aurum! This is Radyo, your beacon of information, bringing you the indispensable daily updates from our bustling community!'' ''Brace yourselves for a day bathed in radiant sunshine and sweltering heat. Exercise caution and refrain from prolonged exposure to the elements. Remember to stay hydrated and seek refuge from the scorching rays to ensure your well-being.'' ''Culinary connoisseurs, rejoice! Today''s culinary highlight at our cafeteria is none other than Wappo porridge, adorned with a sprinkle of delightful sugar flakes. Allow the tantalizing flavors to elevate your morning palate to new heights of culinary delight.'' ''A word of caution to our intrepid scouts, explorers, and collectors: Beware of region G, where a swarm of scavenging beetles has been sighted. Access beyond zones B and C is restricted solely to members of the Exploration and Collecting Club for safety reasons.'' ''Need a touch of comfort? Place your official orders for pillows or bedding directly to Zuki. Act swiftly, as the order limit is set at 500. Seize this opportunity to enhance your comfort with utmost efficiency.'' '' Attention, social butterflies! The Communication Club announces temporary restrictions on non-essential functions due to increased member activity. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period of adjustment.'' ''In a groundbreaking initiative, our esteemed farmers prioritize the expansion of crop fields, seeking the unwavering support of the Construction Club. As recruitment reopens, aspiring members are invited to undergo training under the guidance of Club Leader Levi and Second-in-Command Mevi.'' ''Entertainment aficionados, don''t miss out on the captivating musical play "La Seine and I" today, featuring the talented instrumentalists 1010, alongside the stellar performances of Kavy and Bity. Secure your seats by contacting Lofy promptly to avoid disappointment.'' ''The Development and Research Club beckons explorers and collectors to aid in the search for mana-infused items, rare materials, and unique ingredients. Let us unite in our pursuit of knowledge and innovation, in alignment with the vision set forth by our revered mother.'' ''Speaking of whom, our beloved Queen Mother remains in robust health, as confirmed by the esteemed Medical Club Master, Ken. Her strength and vitality serve as an inspiration to us all. Long live the Queen, long live the hive!'' ''With that, Radyo concludes the morning''s broadcast. Until we meet again at sunset, stay informed, stay connected, and continue to thrive. Farewell for now, and may your day be filled with prosperity and joy my dear brothers.'' In the last month many things happened, the first was that I had increased the number of [Beacons] and expanded the reach of the link, I had created another 100 members for the "communication club", and I let them do what they thought best. What they did was create a "radio", the oldest of the beacons that I decided to call Radyo, started to create an informative radio, he didn''t like talking to anyone in person, but he was extremely extroverted when he spoke through the link. The second oldest beacon was the opposite, and didn''t like to talk to anyone unless necessary, but that didn''t stop him from enjoying the "radio" like Radyo, the second beacon (Pyper) was responsible for the technical part, finding topics of the day, and gathering information that Radyo then transmitted to everyone in their heads. With the increase in the number of beacons, they were able to create stable mental "servers" and even create specific "rooms" within that server, allowing large groups to communicate both with members who did the same work as them, and with members of another "club ". We also created clubs in the last month. It was an easy and childish way to divide everyone. We had the club for collecting, exploration, communication, construction, production, cooking, crafts, repairs, transportation, fighting, strategy, care, weaving, planting, magic, research and healing. Everyone was separate from each other, but they still lived "exchanging knowledge" with each other, and working together on unique projects, for example the healing and care club. The healing club contained the new [Healers] who were bees capable of healing wounds using mana, but who could not buff or fight. The healing club collaborated directly with the care club, and the fight club. They sent both healers to care for injured soldiers and healers to fight alongside soldiers, offering emergency care in combat. Another thing was that we started domesticating more than just wappos, we started taking care of aphids, more specifically their predator, a black larva called [Spiny Larva]. The aphids reproduced like crazy by absorbing nutrients from plants, and these black larvae ate the aphids, and we killed the larvae. Why breed laravas just to kill them? XP! The Wappos were interesting, but they gave very little Xp, but these larvae were able to give 3x more Xp than a single Wappo. They took longer to grow, and needed to be herded all the time, in addition to having to take care of their eggs and "domesticate them" so that they remained sweet. We also started raising snails! These creatures began to sprout from everywhere, and tried to eat the Wappos. They were a good source of XP for soldiers, but they were dangerous. At first it was just a few snails of varying shapes, colors and sizes that appeared, but now we were dealing with an infestation. And we had a group of snails that caused us more problems. These creatures were called [Crimson Snail], they had brown, spiral cone-shaped shells, and slimy, squishy bodies. The same thing you would expect from a normal snail, but they had mucus that was capable of causing hallucinations. We discovered this when a soldier attacked one of these snails and shortly afterwards had to be restrained because he was trying to hurt other soldiers. The effect that these creatures could cause was frightening, the hallucinations could numb the link and cause a member of the colony to revolt against us, we decided to kill everyone who came close. But we still let other snails get close. The snails we chose for our farm were called [Sylvan snail]. These little creatures were huge, they looked like a cow compared to an ordinary soldier. These snails had a pale beige body, and shells that looked like mossy stones. These creatures were not poisonous and much less caused problems. They spent their days eating some unlucky Wappos and healthy flowers, when they felt threatened they quickly retreated into their shell and camouflaged themselves as a simple stone. Each of these adult snails could grant an average of 50 XP to a soldier. But they were very difficult to raise, we needed to feed them daily, clean them, make sure they didn''t get sick, domesticate them, and herd them so they didn''t attract the attention of larger creatures. These creatures also took weeks, even months. To grow and become "fit" to become Xp. They could lay hundreds of eggs, but they were not easy creatures to care for. But then a craftsman had an idea. Which was to put them on a hamster wheel to use them as a driving force for some machines. With this we were able to create a large grinding mill. This mill was built near the snail stables, and when it was necessary to use it, we took several snails to the axis, and tied them with silk ropes, then forced them to walk in circles to pull the mill and make it turn. It was a little cruel, I must admit, especially when farmers started using whips to "cheer up" the snails. But I didn''t care much about that, they were eating and living under our protection for free, so they had to pull their weight and we helped. And when the snails died, soldiers could use their bodies as bait, attracting scavengers. Or small animals that were interested in a free meal. With this method we were able to increase the level of the colony in general, the workers could kill Wappos, larvae and snails on the ranch easily, since the entire place was heavily protected by soldiers. The first to evolve was Ken, who became a [Nurse], an incredible class, even more so being a [Radiant Bee], Ken''s healing abilities were weaker than a [Healer] but he could take care of several members without getting tired, while healers would run out of Mp after 1 or 2 rounds of healing. Another one that evolved was Steve, he became a [Royal advisor] a class that suited him, with this class he could "Force" the members to follow his commands, it was like a much weaker version of [Maternal Connection] but it was still useful , Steve could also grant agility, production and reasoning bonuses to other members, in addition to being able to communicate with several members at once without the help of beacons. The next one was Levi, who became a [Builder], a common class to tell the truth, some workers who focused on gaining XP with pollination already had this class, the class allowed the user to handle various materials with mastery, in addition to creating new materials. mixing primary substances, and gave them a lot of physical strength and stamina. The strangest one to evolve was Carl, who became a [Taster], a class that seemed very useless to me. The class allowed Carl to convert around 10% of what he ate into mana, in addition to giving him great resistance to poisons, and a very large stomach. Carl could also use Mp to add a random good effect to a food depending on the amount of Mp used, but nothing more. And lastly came Miles, becoming a [Carrier], a class that allowed Miles to pack large amounts of resources inside his body and transport this material around. This was another class I had seen before, but it was still pretty cool. Trevis hadn''t evolved yet, he didn''t care much about that and was more focused on being a tutor and "master" for the scouts, he gave me the vibe of a sensei or ninja master teaching secret techniques from the Leaf Village or whatever. But Trevis'' teachings were focused on young scouts, teaching them about poisonous plants, how to hide and cover their tracks, how to identify the properties of a plant, etc. My soldier are in stagned too. The creatures around us were gone, at least the low level creatures that could be easily found. All that was left were creatures that were too dangerous for us to risk, and creatures that knew better (bees = trouble) and ran away quickly. This put us in an era of XP shortages. Our biggest source of Xp has always come from soldiers, but lately the flux of Xp dropped so much that the ranch was almost at par with the soldir, in terms of xp gain. Hans and Trouble''s solution was to go after bigger, and more challenging creatures. But I was wary of allowing them to fight truly dangerous creatures. Another thing was about werewolves. We found them, they were alive! Their group had grown even smaller since we last saw them, but now they had small buildings of wood and clay, and were a little fatter. They didn''t look very well to be honest, their camp had a trench and a fence made of wooden stakes, which suggests that they are having problems, there are many wolves that have dirty rags tied to various parts of their bodies, and they always come out. in camp groups. "What do you think is happening to them?" Yan asked. "Hmff, I don''t care. They must be being attacked by creatures from deep in the forest, if we leave them alone they are likely to die in the next few months." Hans said without any sympathy. "Hmm.... I think they might be in some conflict over territory? Some animals can be very territorial, which ended up generating this conflict." Trouble guessed "I think it''s unlikely, it''s probably that they''re fighting for food. If the werewolves are still alive, and on top of that getting along well. It''s because these creatures that should be attacking them aren''t much of a big deal, but they still take the trouble to keep attacking to get food." Steve suggested. "But why didn''t these mysterious creatures go after other, easier prey then?" Yan asked. "Greed perhaps? It''s not so easy to find a group of easy prey, and they shouldn''t want to miss this chance to get a lot of food." Carl said. "Huff... I think it''s more likely that they are creatures in migration, or that they were expelled from their territory. I''ve seen large groups of insects or animals that walked in groups when going in search of a new home, it''s probably that they are fighting with the werewolves for "sovereignty" over the place." Hans said after a while. "But why not go somewhere else? They''re clearly not getting the upper hand in this conflict." Miles asked. "I think of 2 options, either their number is so large that losing some members doesn''t matter, just like us. Or they are not willing to give up that territory for some reason." Hans said. "What do we do then? Let them sort themselves out?" Ken asked. ''No. I''m not going to leave them to die, I know it might be a mistake, but I have more manpower and resources than I used to, I can only provide basic help to them, just enough to calm my conscience and see them through. thrive.'' "Mom wants to help them, so that''s what we''ll do! We''ll ask Radyo to send an announcement to all the cooks, we can create a large amount of healing jelly, and give it to them as a medicine, we''ll also offer some fruits from the forest, Wappos, snail meat and clean fabrics. Yan declared. "Isn''t that a little to much!? They''re not our problem! If we help them that much, they''ll come after us one day!" Hans said after knocking on the table. ''...Just once, just this one help will be done, we''ll take everything we can, and we''ll never bring it up again.'' "Yes. We will help them Hans. Mom declared that it will only be this time, so it is decided, no dissenting opinions will be accepted, and this meeting is closed." Yan declared with a palpable air of superiority and arrogance. Yan was kind of my "personal secretary", he served me like a pearl of SU, and emanated highness, his words were my words, and that placed him just below me, even more "important" than Steve, Since Yan was my eyes, ears and mouth. "...Alright. If it''s mom''s order, I''ll accept it." Hans said after a pause. "Perfect! It''s good that we resolved this without conflict, Steve, please inform Radyo about the matter, and have him send the order." Yan said pompously "Immediately!" Said Steve, who then lowered his head to speak to someone. "Now, this meeting is concluded. Your contributions are noted. And opinions have been heard. Mom''s guidance remains paramount, always acknowledge her leadership and remember that no form of rebellion will be tolerated." Yan said with a smile as he looked around everyone gathered here, stopping momentarily at Hans. "Dismissed." Yan said as he waited for everyone to leave the meeting room calmly. Yan was a bit... Complicated. He had a sense of superiority, and a loyalty that already led to fanaticism, my orders were like "divine orders" to him, and any opinion that differed from mine was considered "Rebellion" in his eyes. This made him treat Hans, the oldest member of the hive. With suspicion, he thought that Hans way of thinking was wrong, and that these divergent ''opinions'' were the beginning of a rebellion. Yan is a good boy, very responsible, and not corrupt at all. He''s just a fanatic with a signed card. He didn''t know that the way Hans thought and acted was the result of months of asking him to talk to me more openly. Interlude: The way? Onix Grayon Point of view The last few months have been difficult for all of us, many died to get us to where we are today, very few survived, and we can barely be called a village, all we have is a poorly built houses and a poorly protected camp. And it''s all those Orme''s fault! About 2 months ago, while searching for food, we came across a flock of wild Orme''s. Orme''s are known for their tasty and succulent meat, so we thought about hunting them and later raising them as livestock. But for our despair, these orme''s were not friendly at all. The moment we got close, they started to quickly advance towards us, their head was flat and had a super hard surface, so being headbutted by them was like asking to be hit by a battering ram. The creatures had thick, long fur that was hard as leather, trying to tear this thing apart was futile. Even so, when we attacked in a group, we managed to kill an orm and take it home. That night we feasted, and we thought it was a divine sign, it must be our got itself looking at us, and guaranteeing us a better future. But the next day the village was surrounded by large orme''s, they seemed to be the alphas or leaders of the group, since they were bigger and more robust tham a normal orme. So these creatures began to advance on us, they destroyed our houses, broke weapons and ran over people. With a little work we managed to expel them and even kill some orme''s, but that only made them more angry, and return the next day. ''Stupid creatures, I''m going to eat each one of you and spit at your dead bodies for what you''re doing to my people.'' Now I was sharpening my spear, it was the only really good weapon we had, and it could be described as the "treasure" of this village.
[Description]
Rarity: Uncommon Durability: 254/500 Quality: Fine
{Mithril Spear} Crafted by a seasoned blacksmith, this spear crafted from Mithril boasts exceptional durability without the weightiness of traditional materials.
[Attributes] +
''Gee.... Even our most valuable treasure isn''t that great, and without a blacksmith, I''ll have to discard this weapon soon. Damn... How can I promise a better future for my people, when I can''t even guarantee that we will have a future.'' "status".
[Status]
[Information] [Attributes] [Assessments]
Name: Onix Grayon Race: Kobold Life: 124.5 Def: 4.7 Skills: 10 Titles: 1
Level: 16 Health: 311/313 Vit: 32.3 Int: 21.3 Traits: 3 Effects: 0
Sex: Male Stamina: 1023/1023 Dex: 3.2 Wis: 32.1 [Resistances]
Mana: 2.6 Affinity: Dark Spr: 184.3 Str: 142.3 Physical Resistance: 16.5
Profession: Harpoonist Talent: Shadows Mag: 1 Luck: 2.3 Magical Resistance: 4.5
Information +
''At least all this killing is helping me level up, hopefully I can get to level 50 before I die.'' "Leader! W-We have a problem!" while I was distracted by my thoughts one of the warriors came running to me, he was visibly upset and out of breath. "What''s going on?! Another attack from the Orme''s?!" "N-No my lord! T-They''re bees!" "Bees? What bees? Did someone anger a hive?" "N-No! We were sharpening our weapons when we suddenly saw a large yellow cloud approaching, when we realized what it was we came after you immediately!" "What?! Are you sure it''s not just a migrating group?" "No! They''re coming towards us! Slowly but surely in this direction!" ''Damn it! Now bees? Why?! Monsters don''t just attack out of nowhere, or they''re running away from a stronger creature, or they''ve been provoked. Both situations are not good!'' "Show me the way!" "Yes!" Arriving at the southern part of the camp, I could see all the members of the village gathered together, those who could fight were preparing for the encounter, and the women were running after the cubs to hide. "What happened Cobby?!" "My lord! Take a look! It''s a big swarm of bees! I''ve never seen one this big, these bees also have a strange appearance, and they seem to be getting ready for something!" Looking in the direction Cobby indicated, I could see a large yellow cloud, but this cloud was anything but natural. It pulsed in waves as the members that made it up moved and were moving towards us. Using my enhanced vision, I could see that the bees had a humanoid appearance, like fairies or nymphs. In addition to having a golden color and coordinated movements. Before I could do anything, the cloud stopped abruptly about 50 meters away from the camp, and a smaller group of bees began flying towards us, these bees were larger and had a more intimidating appearance. And they carried a large roll of pearly white fabric. "What the hell is this!?" The small group of bees came close to us, and stopped about 5 meters from me, looked at us as if they were evaluating us, and made a bizarre squeak. "H???? ???????,! ?Uצ?͡ͅ`ر''@ ???? @, ? `ر?? Y? ?? ?_?@ ??צر? ?? ͅ_?_??, ?ر?@ر ? ? ??? ?رر? ? `ر_?ر?ˣ@, _͹ I `??ر ?`_? ?`ر@ر ????@ ?رצ??߅_?ر ?֨ ?????! "What!?" Shouted one of my men ''What the hell is this?! These bees spoke!? Are they someone''s hired beasts? No. There''s no way someone can have so many contracted beasts, so they''re high level monsters?!'' ''Analyze!''
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: ---- Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 31.3 Def: 2.7
Level: 4 Class: ----- Vit: 18.3 Int: 19.5
Sex: Male Stamina: ----- Dex: ---- Wis: ----
Mana: ---- Health: 100. Spr: ---- Str: ----
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ''Radiant sunbee?! What species is this?! I''ve never heard of this kind of monster! And this thing has a lot of life for a insect! What kind of monster is this!?'' While we were stunned, the bees carrying the roll of cloth began to slowly descend towards us. "A Attack! Stay alert!" Shouted Cobby. "Stand still, all of you! Don''t move until I tell you to!" "But my lord! They will-" "If they were here to attack us, they would have already done so! They have another purpose, don''t enrage this swarm until it is extremely necessary! I analyzed them and they seem to be high-level monsters" "Ugh..!" While we all waited for the bees actions, the group finally got close enough, and hovered over one of my men, he was mortified for a few moments until the bees began to shake the roll of cloth. "Aldy! Get the roll!" "Y-Yes my lord!" Aldy said as he reluctantly stretched his arms. After placing the roll of cloth in Aldy''s hands, the group of bees looked at us satisfied and retreated to the bee that had spoken, and began to look at us calmly as if they were waiting for something. "What are they waiting for?!" Cobby said. "M-My lord! T-There is text on that parchment!" Aldy shouted after unrolling part of the roll. "Let me see this!" As I picked up the roll, the bees remained calmly standing there, just waiting for our reaction. Analyzing the roll of cloth, I could see that it was made with high-quality silk, and was full of strange symbols made with a mysterious ink. ''What language is that?!'' I passed the parchment to Cobby, and let him see the contents, but he couldn''t tell what language it was either. I tried to gesture to the bees, to inform them that we couldn''t read this parchment, and after a moment they seemed to understand. The group of bees didn''t seem to know what to do, but after thinking for a while the biggest bee gave a signal to the cloud of bees, and from there a large number of bees carrying several boxes made of a mysterious material began to fly towards us. . Soon the group of hundreds of bees reached us and placed the boxes delicately on the ground, right in front of us and quickly flew back into the cloud of bees. The large, menacing-looking bee made a greeting gesture, and then said goodbye with the hands as well, while flying back to the large cloud. Soon all the bees began to turn around, and disappeared over the horizon. "What happened here?!" "I-I can''t tell!" Cobby exclaimed. "My lord! These boxes all seem to be filled with something!" Exclaimed a warrior who was checking the crates made of a grainy brown substance. "These boxes... They look like they''re made of wax? I''ve never seen boxes made of wax before." Cobby said after taking a look at the boxes. "What''s inside? Isn''t it a trap?" asked one of the kobolds. The box didn''t look threatening at all, it was rectangular and made from wax and twigs, but it still gave off a suspicious aura. Mainly because it was brought by bees, the contents were a mystery. But the bees were the main mystery. Monsters shouldn''t talk. Even high-level monsters only have intelligence a little better than a child, only ancient creatures or divine beasts should be able to utter complete sentences, and even communicate. ''Could it be that they are divine beasts? I''ve never heard of a group of ancient bees, but it could be that they are intelligent because they have lived for decades or centuries. If that''s true, then are these bees the leaders of this region? Is that why no one has ever ventured here? "Open the box!" After a moment, some men brought iron bars and branches to try to open the lid of the box. At that moment, the women and the wounded were coming out of their hiding places and came to look at the contents of the box. Just as the warriors were trying to open the box with some difficulty, a large group made up of all the members of the village were gathered around the box, everyone kept a distance that they considered safe, and murmured about what was happening. After a few moments, the first box was opened, and out came large quantities of fruit, jars, and pieces of meat wrapped in silk. "In the name of Astrawoul! Look at all the food!" Exclaimed a kobold. Analyzing the contents of the box I could see that all the fruits seemed edible, the jars were full of honey, jelly, porridge and sweet stones. The meat wrapped in silk appeared to be the meat of hight variety of small animal, but there was a large amount of meat and dozens of still-living Wappos tied togheter with ropes. ''Holy Astrawoul! With this, we don''t have to worry about food for weeks!'' Opening the other box, we found large rolls of silk, the rolls had different colors and different textures. In addition to containing spools of thread and rope, and large blocks of wax. The box also held a small box, which contained dozens of thorns that could be used as needles. ''I don''t believe it! We can make clothes, and bandage the wounds with clean cloths, we can also make some fishing nets and bows! We can make candles with this wax, and even treat more serious injures with these needles!'' Fueled by expectation, we opened the last box, which was smaller, but contained the most valuable items inside. Inside the box were large quantities of healing flowers, medicinal herbs, wax jars filled with a magical jelly capable of accelerating the healing of wounds, and a small jar made of wax that contained a golden liquid. ''This can only be a dream! There''s no way these things just appear like that out of nowhere!! Food, resources, and now healing items?! And what is this strange liquid?''
[Description]
Rarity: Epic Durability: ---- Quality: Fine
{Drops of life} Concentrated essence of life, when consumed it can cure dieases, wounds or illnesses, in addition to granting XP and permanently strengthening the body. If used in large quantities it can cause irreparable damage to the body.
[Attributes] +
''WHAT?! This thing is incredible! I had never heard of anything like this! This thing seems to have the same potency of a high-level healing potion, and it can even grant XP!'' "My lord! Look at all this! It must be a sign from Astrawoul! Sending us hope in this moment of despair! With all this we can stabilize ourself, and treat all the injured!" Shouted Cobby excitedly. "Holy cow! Those bees must have been sent from Astrawoul himself! I knew our god wouldn''t let us die in such a miserable way!" Shouted a kobold on the verge of tears. ''Could it really be that they are divine beasts? I have never heard of such a large group of divine beasts! Or are they really sent from Astrawoul? Astrawoul is the god of beasts, so do bees fall into that group?'' "...Bring the wounded! Let''s treat their wounds! Also bring food to the thinnest children, and pregnant women! We can''t waste any of these gifts!" "Yes sir!" Soon several members that were injured were brought here, their dirty and ragged bandages were replaced with clean cloths filled with medicinal herbs. And the children were feasting on meat skewers and some sweets alongside with the women. A kobold that was in serious condition was brought in, and placed on the ground. This brave warrior had received several cuts while hunting, and his wounds had become infected. There wasn''t much we could do for him before, besides praying for his soul, but now we had a lot of medicine, and healing items. "Albi, hold on, you won''t die today!" After cleaning Albi''s wounds, we poured a single drop of the golden liquid onto his wounds, and soon a stinky yellow liquid began to ooze from the open wound. Albi winced in pain, but was grabbed by other kobols, soon the wound had spit out large amounts of pus, and dirt blood. The wound remained open and serious, but the signs of infection had almost disappeared. ''This is amazing!'' "Treat Albi!" "Yes sir!" At the end of the day, everyone had new, clean bandages, full bellies and happy with the prospect of a better future. Children ran around excitedly fighting for sweets, women talked about what to do with new fabrics and men discussed how to best use resources and how to store them. "All of you! We have to pray to Astrawoul in thanks for this blessing! We only stay alive by his mercy!" Exclaimed an older kobolde lady. "Are you sure this was Astrawoul''s doing? It seems we should thank the bees, or their master." Said a kobold while eating. "Nonsense! The bees are clearly sent from Astrawoul! We must thank him for his mercy and benevolence!" Exclaimed the lady. ''Hilda, always causing trouble because of Astrawoul, I also don''t think our god had anything to do with it, the bees didn''t give off a divine aura, or anything like that, they just seemed intelligent. So they must serve some great power in this forest, or be ancient beasts. Whatever the answer, it''s good to know that these monsters don''t see us as enemies.'' After a brief hour of prayers, everyone went back to having fun and eating, until a new topic was raised. "Leader! Don''t you think we should try to track these bees? We still have their scent trail, we could find their nest!" "For what? To make them furious? We shouldn''t abuse the good will of these bees, even if they were friendly, they are still monsters, and you don''t poke a hive without being prepared for the out come." Cobby replied dryly. "I-I just think that if the bees are willing to help, and if they are truly sent from Astrawoul, we should go after them, they should gide us to the land promised by Astrawoul!" Exclaimed the kobold. "Yes! These gifts must be just proof of our God''s power! Our god must have seen our miserable situation and sent the bees to guide us to a better life!" Exclaimed Hilda. "This is too risky! Chasing a bunch of monsters is not wise! These gifts should be just gifts, not a divine sign to go after the bees!" Rebutted Cobby. "But if they didn''t want us to follow them, they wouldn''t have left a trail for us to follow!" said a kobold fiercely. "My leader! Tell them how stupid this idea is!" Cobby asked. "...I have no idea, it''s really suspicious to follow a group of monsters to an unknown place, especially when we already have a camp built, but these bees are anything but common, they are intelligent, and even sapient. To the point that they have a own language, their language was strange and even seemed archaic, which could mean that they are ancestral creatures, and not sent from Astrawoul. But their friendliness towards us is not common at all, and could mean that they are looking after us for some reason." "That reason is because they are sent by our god! Monsters are not friendly, even ancient creatures wouldn''t welcome us with open arms if they thought we were invading their territory! The only plausible reason is that these beasts must serve the same god as us!" Exclaimed Hilda. "...Alright, here''s what we''ll do, we''ll send a group of scouts in the direction of the bee trail, if the group is warmly received, we''ll migrate. If the scouts are attacked we''ll retreat and continue where we are." "My lord this-" "It''s decided Cobby, the bees may or may not be friendly, but we need to do reconnaissance first, they seem to be intelligent, so I believe a peaceful rapprochement can resolve things." "This is very dangerous! We can''t understand them! If we can''t communicate, what''s the point of trying to get in touch!?!" Cobby exclaimed. "We can send Hilda, she might be able to communicate with the beasts, after all she is a tamer!" Said a kobold. "I will gladly go my lord!" Hilda said excitedly. Hilda was a [Beast Trainer], she could care and tame small animals to use them in a fight, but she was not yet a [Beast Master], so she could not tame high-level beasts. Her belief in the divine made her believe that all lives were precious, so even having a class to create beasts that would fight for her, she refused to make animals fight and spent her youth caring for injured animals and then releasing them back into the wild. This gave her great knowledge about medicine and caring process, but caused her to become stagnant as a [Beast Trainer] her entire life. "Then it''s decided, we will send some scouts accompanied by Hilda, and warriors." I don''t know if it''s a good idea to test the goodwill of our benefactors, but if they are truly sent by our god, that means we are a chosen group, and that we would be destined for greatness. Chapter 47: Some communication issues Aurum - Year 1 - 3 months later About 1 month ago we sent the resources to the werewolves, it took a lot of time to build the wax crates and fill them with resources, but with a lot of work we managed to fill everything. When it was time to transport everything, I had the idea of sending just a small group, but the soldiers said it was a stupid idea, as we didn''t know how the werewolves would react, so we ended up sending 40% of all the soldiers, accompanied by 60% of all the workers, the number reached thousands, forming a gigantic swarm, so much so that the boxes could not even be seen, as they were covered by bees. I thought it was too much, and that a swarm of that size would scare the wolves, but Hans didn''t care at all, and said it was better that they were afraid of us anyway. We also wrote a letter on a silk parchment, the letter contained our story, and said that we were not looking for conflict, and that we just wanted to have a friendly relationship with the wolves. But when the "delivery" group arrived we had a huge communication problem. The language spoken by wolves was the strangest thing I had ever heard in my life, it felt like I was watching a video of a Korean trying to speak with a mouth full of food. And I couldn''t understand a single word. The letter we spent hours writing also turned out to be useless, it was written in plain English, but the wolves understood absolutely nothing. Hans tried to talk to them, but this only left them extremely astonished. We decided to leave the resources and never bring it up again, if they survived it would be their merit, and now my conscience was lighter, since I had provided them with resourses of a production of months, and even an absurd amount of [drops of life] had been gived. If they died now my conscience was clear. But to my surprise, there was now a group of 5 werewolves right at my door, in complete amazement as they stared at our tower. The wolves kept their distance, but a gray-haired wolf walked vigorously towards us, without showing any fear. The soldiers didn''t like this at all, and advanced towards her, but the wolf just threw herself on her knees on the ground and raised her arms while saying things in a mysterious language. "What now? What should we do? I told you it was a bad idea to help them!" Hans said in a bad mood. "How dare you mock our queen mother''s choices!" Yan said very unhappy. ''Don''t talk to Hans like that, I already told you that I never asked for blind loyalty from any of them, and Hans is right, he warned us that we shouldn''t help the wolves.'' ''-But mother, this is a clear offense to your highness as queen! Hans must be punished or-'' ''Yan, don''t make me regret appointing you as my representative...'' ''-Ugh... I''m sorry, my queen...'' "I''m sorry, my reaction was exaggerated, please continue with the conversation.." Yan said frustratedly. "Huff... I think we should expel them, it''s not a good idea to allow them to get so close, I think if we gather all the soldiers together we can even kill them!" Trouble said. "Isn''t this a bit hasty? We don''t know their intentions, and we could benefit from an alliance with them!" Ken said. "What a stupid idea! Allying ourselves with beings we can''t even understand!? They might just be after us for our resources. In fact, I believe they came for that reason alone!" Hans mocked. "After all, how did they find us? I thought you had left without a trace!" asked Carl as he ate some fruit. "I have no idea, they must have a skill like my [Mad chasser], or racial ways of sniffing out their target, they are wolves after all." Trevis said. "After all, why don''t we give them a chance? We have dozens of Beacons that can analyze memories, and do research, with a little collaboration from them we can translate their language! And it would be great if we could use this chance to learn a common language of this world, Even if they are not friendly, we can use them to learn general knowledge about things outside the forest, and then kill them when they are no longer useful, after all they are weakened, and they must think that we are going to help them after the gifts we gave them. It will be easy to trick them into telling us everything they know." Steve said coldly. "I believe this is a good course of action, wasting their usefulness is counterproductive! Just like the Wappos and Snails, we can find some use for them." Yan said. "But is it worth the risk? We have the luxury of keeping animals because we can count them, but it''s a totally different story with these wolves, they can kill us, and probably even trick us!" Trevis said. "We don''t need to get involved with the entire group of wolves, I believe we can use just these 5, in fact, just the gray-haired wolf, after all she seems to be more submissive. This way we could absorb all her knowledge, and kill her easily later" Yan said. "W-We can also C-Create some signs with images to try to communicate! If we send a group of beacons and scientists we should be able to learn the basics of their language in a few weeks..." Said Levi. "Can''t we mentally link with her? If we put her in the link we could absorb all her knowledge at once!" Matt said. "It will never happen! The link is private, and our weakest point, entry by any external individual is absolutely prohibited!" Yan proclaimed. "I agree, I believe it is not possible to add members who are not descendants of mom to the link, but even if it were possible I would be against the idea of exposing ourselves like that!." Hans said. ''Then that''s it? Are we going to accept this wolf into our house?'' "Should we shelter her within the rings?" Yan asked. "Absolutely not! We will place her at a safe distance, and keep her under surveillance 24 hours a day!" Hans said. ''Very well then, send the soldiers to escort her.'' "So we''re determined, let''s learn from her, absorb everything she knows about the world outside the forest, and then decide if it''s worth taking the risk of keeping them as our neighbors, or if it''s better to just kill them! If Someone disapproves of this plan, speak now! Yan announced. No one said anything in protest and Steve sent the order for Radyo to broadcast to the entire hive.
Hilda''s Point of view We came after the divine beasts, it was a long and tiring journey, we spent days walking until we saw a large yellow tower in the middle of the placinie. ''A dungeon?'' At first I thought it was a dungeon, but when we got closer we started to see the same bees that had visited us a few weeks ago, the bees were hunting insects and small animals in groups, as if they were experienced hunters. When they saw us, they ran back to the tower, as if they were fairies that disappeared once they were seen. When we got close to the tower, we could see that it was huge, more than 50 meters high and was emitting several sounds. We could hear the fluttering of bees wings, mixed with a captivating harmony, and the sounds of voices in a strange language. The entire tower was surrounded by dozens of high quality flowers, and developing plant seedlings that were cared for by bees. The entire place was surrounded by walls made of wax, which were being erected by thousands of bees, inside the walls were buildings made of bricks and wooden rods, something that should not be possible for wild beasts. When we arrived about 50 meters from the place, a swarm of beautiful golden bees began to fly bravely towards us, the trackers and warriors were terrified, but all I could think about was the beauty of these divine creatures. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Their appearance was healthy and robust, they had no marks on their bodies, a sign of good health and a prosperous life. They had a crest around their necks that was made of silky, crystalline white fur, which appeared to be combed daily and very well cared for, all the bees looked plump and well-fed. Some carried harpoons that appeared to be made of some metal, and others advanced towards us with their stingers pointed at us. While my group only thought about running away, I began to walk excitedly towards them, and when they got close I knelt in front of them and began to pray the Astrawoul texts. The bees suddenly stopped, and just stared at me peacefully. ''I knew! They are certainly creatures that received the gift of Astrawoul! Maybe they''ll even be blessed by him!'' "Oh, great divine beasts, my name is Hilda Asperg, I come in peace to thank you for your generous gifts in a time of such uncertainty! I ask for your mercy, as brothers who praise the same god, and help my people in a time of such darkness!" For a while the bees did absolutely nothing, just stared at me and then retreated, as if denying my request. ''No! They didn''t think I was worthy enough!? Oh Astrawoul! Please hear my prayers!'' As I prayed for what seemed like a long time, a large swarm of bees exploded from within the tower, the bees quickly flew towards me, and began to surround me in a tornado of bees. They then grabbed my clothes and fur and began to lift me into the air. And take me in the opposite direction to the great wax tower. "Stop! Please! Give me a chance to prove myself worthy of your protection!" The bees continued to carry me somewhere, without paying any attention to what I said, but they didn''t seem to have the intention of hurting me, when I tried to struggle, dozens of large robust-looking bees stuck to my limbs and squeezed me tightly, stopping me to move. Soon I was brought to the entrance of a cave, the place was far from the tower, but it was still possible to clearly see the tower and the bees working from the cave. With a thud the bees threw me to the ground, and right behind my group came running towards me, but I couldn''t care less, I needed to prove my worth to the divine beasts. "Please! Just give me one chance! Just one chance and I''ll prove that I''m not a waste of time!" But the bees didn''t stop, they continued to return calmly to their tower, and left me behind, as if I weren''t even worthy of being in their presence. "Hilda! Are you crazy, woman?! Charging towards these creatures?! They could have eaten you alive!" Shouted one of the warriors. "They wouldn''t hurt me... They just showed me that I''m not worthy of their time..." "Then let''s go! I don''t know what the hell these bees are! But I''ve never heard of any monsters that build towers and deliver gifts! Let''s go now and report this to the leader! There''s something seriously wrong with these bees!" "No! I''m not leaving! I''m going to stay and prove to these beasts that I''m worthy!" "You''re crazy! Those things are going to eat you!" While we were discussing a new swarm started flying towards us. This swarm was smaller than the swarm that had carried me, but it seemed more powerful. As soon they got close, they started attacking my group, launching spikes and small rays of energy. Some went after my companions and started impaling them with small metal spears. "Damn it! They''re getting violent! Hilda run now!" One of the trackers said as he ran against the swarm. But I continued to stand still and move in place, the bees'' blows were only aimed at my group members, and when I tried to get in front of my allies to protect them, the bees simply dodged and attacked the members behind me. "Run! They don''t want you here! They just want me!" "Hilda!" "Now! Run if you don''t want to die!" Hearing my warnings, the members of my group began to run, and when they got about 80 meters away from the cave the bees stopped chasing them. ''Was I chosen? Is there something in this cave that the beasts want me to see?'' Analyzing the cave I couldn''t see anything interesting, just cobwebs and slime growing on the walls. While I waited a new group of bees approached me, this swarm was made up of even more threatening bees, and the bee that had delivered the gifts to our village. Soon they opened the way and from the center of the swarm several small black and gray bees came out along with some bees carrying some letters. "H-Hello!" Without caring about my presence, the bees began to place several cards in front of me, all of them had drawings, some drawings were very strange, but others were clear. Like the drawing of a cloud, a flower, flesh and a circle. "Ȩرح, ǧɽ@_҅`ֳ?_, ֳߨ? One of the black bees tried to talk to me, but all I could understand were strange, meaningless words. "I-I can''t understand you divine beast!" The bee looked frustrated for a few moments, but then lifted a letter with the help of the larger bees, and spoke again. "ح_ȡȨ!" "What?" "ح_ȡȨ!!!!" The bee pointed to the shape of the circle and exclaimed these strange words, so I could understand what it was trying to do. "Is that your word for circle? C-@r -uo?" The bee seemed happy with my pronunciation, and started showing me other cards, I tried to reproduce the sound they made when they showed me one of the cards, but I don''t think I was really understanding anything right. ''What if I...'' I tried to get close to the black bee, but the swarm that was behind him got really angry at me, I just tried to stretch a finger towards him, if I could touch him I could offer him a beast contract, and that way I could understand him with more ease. The black bee looked at my finger for a few seconds and then held it with its small hands. When it seemed comfortable with my touch, I tried to establish a contract between us. But the bee didn''t like that at all, quickly released my finger and retreated towards the swarm, which became furious and began circling me furiously. "Forgive me! I was just trying to understand you! I swear I didn''t have any evil intentions! Please calm down!
After putting the wolf in the cave and sending some beacons, we started trying to teach her, it seemed like she was understanding, as she managed to pronounce some words correctly, but then she extended one of her fingers to Radyo, and tried to touch him. The soldiers didn''t like this at all, and threatened her, but she didn''t back down and Radyo ended up touching her finger to try to give her a false sense of security. But the next moment I regretted letting Radyo touch her.
[Warning]
The [Beast Tamer] Hilda Asperger is trying to make a beast contract with the individual "Radyo", do you accept the contract?
''What the hell!?! Of course not!'' ''-That was an attack! She tried to infiltrate the link! Kill her now!'' Hans shouted through the link. The soldiers were furious with this "Hilda" and began to circle her furiously, she shouted meaningless words but this did nothing to lessen the fury of the swarm. ''Wait! It wasn''t an attack, it was just an attempt to make a contract?'' Now theres this one too, magical contracts! Will a demon come to me one day wanting my soul in exchange for endless fortunes?! After ordering the swarm to calm down, I called a new meeting with the "council", with the participation of the leader of each club. "This is absurd! She had the audacity to launch an attack against us after we welcomed her here!" Trouble exclaimed. "Well.. We don''t exactly "welcome" her here, we just let her stick around, and offering a contract isn''t a real attack." Zuki said while knitting a pillowcase. "In all my life, never have I felt such disregard. That wolf''s audacity left me feeling absolutely violated!" Radyo said. "I think we should allow her to make the contract with a member of the colony, after all we can get something out of it." Exclaimed Miles. "Are you going crazy?! We don''t know what this contract means!" Matt said. "Exactly, it could be something very beneficial, and considering that she offered the contract while we were trying to communicate, it could mean that this contract allows both parties to understand each other." Miles said. ''I don''t like this idea, we don''t know the price to pay for this contract...'' "But what does it mean to make a contract with this wolf? Would the contracted member have to blindly follow her wishes? Or would it just be a beneficial contract and a mutual agreement for both sides?" Yan cursed. "No idea, I don''t know what a contract means." Miles said. "...Guys, I received a request from Ciel." Ken said. Ciel was the second "nurse" that Ken had taken under his wing a long time ago, he was Simus'' companion and second in command of the nursery. Ciel had also evolved and became an [Acolyte], a strange class, capable of healing like a [Healer] and still applying bonuses like a [Nurse], the only disadvantage was that Ciel had less energy, and his healing and bonuses were weaker. "What is the request coming from Ciel?" Yan demanded. "He would like to offer himself for a contract with the wolf." Ken said bluntly. "What?! Is he crazy?!" Matt said. "No... According to him, the wolf seems to be very friendly, and emanates an aura of tranquility, he really liked her and would like to offer himself if we are going to allow someone to make the contract with her." Ken said. "No! Even if we made the contracts, we would still send a worker, losing Ciel is the same as losing a large skilled workforce and a barrel of XP!" Steve said. ''...Allow Ciel to go. There''s not much we can do about it anyway, and we''ll make her regret it if she tries anything funny.'' "Mom allowed us to send Ciel to make the contract." Yan announced to the delight of many. "This is absurd! We shouldn''t risk our colony members like this!" Hans said. "I think it''s worth the risk, we''ll never discover anything if we don''t take a few risks every now and then" Ken said. "We will send Ciel. It is decided, if the wolf tries to run away with Ciel, or make us attack we will make her regret it." Yan declared
Now we were all nervous, just watching as Ciel, a bee with a white crest with golden details, and a small, fragile body approached the wolf. He didn''t seem afraid of her, and all he did was stretch his little arms towards the wolf. The wolf took a while to understand what was happening, but soon understood everything and stretched out her finger to Ciel.
[Warning]
The [Beast Tamer] Hilda Asperger is trying to make a beast contract with the individual "Ciel", do you accept the contract?
"Yes!" When I accepted the contract, I could feel the link between me and Ciel being tremendously weakened, it was like pouring water on a bonfire, there were still some embers left, but the fire was almost dead. I could also feel a slight "shadow", which connected with Ciel, it was almost imperceptible and if I didn''t focus all my attention on this "Shadow" that hovered over Ciel I couldn''t see or feel it. "WHAT?!"
[Warning]
The individual "Ciel" made a contract with the [Beast tamer] Hilda Asperger, the individual "Ciel" is no longer part of the link.
Chapter 48: Life Mana ''The link has been broken! It''s an attack! Kill her now!'' Shouted Yan through the link. The swarm became furious and began to advance towards the beast tamer, but when I received a very weak signal from Ciel I made everyone stop. ''Stop... Please...'' Ciel sent through the link that was damaged. "Ciel asked us to stop! Don''t attack!" "This must be a trap! Ciel is no longer part of the link, he must be being controlled by that wolf! Kill him along with her!" Yan demanded. Damn, now things got bad, the hive completely turned its back on Ciel because he was no longer an official member of the hive, and everyone was too angry to listen to me. ''SHUT UP'' My command hit everyone like a wave through the link, and all spirits were calmed. Except Ciel who remained the same as before. ''Ciel! Are you listening to me!?'' ''Yes....Weak....Signal'' Ciel spoke through the link. ''Drag Ciel here! Get him away from that woman!'' ''-It''s not safe, Ciel is no longer trustworthy! The link has been compromised! He must be eliminated!'' The beacons shouted through the link ''No! Bring him to the meeting room!'' ''-But!'' ''No buts! Do it now!'' With my orders, the swarm that surrounded the beast tamer and Ciel began to surround Ciel in a tornado of bees and grab him by all his limbs, completely immobilizing him, as if he were an enemy, and not a member of the hive. Soon he was forcibly dragged into the meeting room and held firmly to the floor by soldiers and tanks. "Brothers! Please! Hear me out" Ciel whined. "Quiet traitor!" Demanded a soldier who tightened his grip on Ciel, preventing him from speaking. Soon all the members of the inner circle arrived and began to sit in their chairs, while Ciel was kept restrained like some kind of criminal. The friendly and warm looks that everyone had for each other had disappeared, and everyone looked at Ciel as if he were a complete stranger, even though he was one of the oldest members of the hive. The meeting had turned into a trial, and Yan was serving as judge. "Ciel! As a former member of the hive, we declare that you must die alongside with your "master" for your betrayal! How do you declare yourself!!?" Yan demanded. "I-I didn''t betray my brothers! I just wanted to help! I can provide the information you want!" Ciel swore. "Lies! He must be being controlled by the wolf! We can''t trust any word that comes out of his mouth! He''s no longer trustworthy!" Shouted Ken, as if he no longer knew Ciel, who had been his assistant for ages. "No....I swear! I would never betray mom''s trust! I...I just wanted to help! I swear I just wanted to help! Please believe me!" Ciel whined. "He is no longer trustworthy, Ciel has been compromised, we must eliminate him with the beast tamer to avoid any problems." Hans declared coldly. "Ciel! As the inner circle of the hive we sentence you to-" Yan said before I entered the main door. "Mother!" Everyone declared and stood up while saluting me in unison. I couldn''t allow Ciel to be judged like this, so while the "Trial" was conducted I slowly moved to the meeting room, everyone was too angry and when I arrived the suspicious looks and stern expressions disappeared. "...All of you! Be ashamed! Ciel is a member of this hive like all of you, even though his link has weakened, it is still existent and I can feel it clearly!" "Mom! Don''t let yourself be fooled! This must just be a way tp deceive all of us! We must kill him quickly as possible! It''s possible that he''s transmitting everything he''s hearing or seeing directly to the wolf!" Trouble said. "Leave Now! All of you!" "BUT!" "I. Said. GET OUT!" This time, without blinking, everyone started to leave the room, except Ciel who no longer seemed to be affected by my commands, soon only me and Ciel were in the room, while Ciel was whimpering sadly in a corner without the courage to look at me. "Ciel dear, don''t be afraid of me, can you tell me everything that happened?" "A-Are you going to believe me? N-Not even m-my brothers believe m-me anymore..." Ciel whimpered "Of course I''ll believe you, dear! Come on, tell me everything that happened." When Ciel calmed down he came to me and knelt in front of me, keeping a respectful distance. He told me that when he established the contract with Hilda, they became "partners" Hilda had no control over him, but Ciel was bound to Hilda, and could not cause her any harm. The contract would expire only when Hilda released him, or died. The contract allowed Hilda to send "commands" to Ciel, and for Ciel to answer questions asked by Hilda. Communication was still difficult in the early stages of the contract, like my link before I had the [Beacons], but it still allowed them to partially understand each other. Ciel and Hilda would also share XP while the Contract lasted, Ciel would receive a share of Hilda''s earnings, and Hilda a share of Ciel''s earnings. It wasn''t a 50/50 split, whoever won the Xp would get the large share. Hilda could also use weaker versions of Ciel''s Skills. And Ciel could extract Mp from Hilda to use. "W-What should I do mom? I don''t want to be kicked out of the hive!" Ciel pleaded. "...We will do the following. You will help me understand Hilda, and I guarantee that you will remain in the hive. There is no need to be afraid, child, my promise is a debt." "Really? Do you think the other members of the hive will accept me like they used to?" "...I can''t say for sure, but I can force them to accept you." "I don''t want them to accept me out of obligation, I want us to go back to how we were before! I never thought the contract could break the link! I thought it would only weaken it or overwhelm it." Ciel complained. The link between us hadn''t "Died" but it was almost there, now all that connected us was [Maternal Connection], very likely because despite everything Ciel didn''t stop being my descendant. The link that was left couldn''t be broken, but it was so weak that I could barely feel Ciel. Besides the fact that Ciel became much more "open" without the link, he could think for himself, and didn''t have the "flaws" of the link members. Ciel was no longer affected by my commands, or influenced by my desires, but this caused him to become a "foreign body" in the hive, a speck of red in a sea of blue. But stopping to think now... What is the link? I always thought it was like a [Skill] or something, but it wasn''t a skill. Because it didn''t appear in my skill list, so I thought [Link] was a function of [Maternal Connection], but Ciel is "no longer part of the link" and I can still feel him through [Maternal Connection]. So what the hell is [Link]? "We''ll do the following, try to get everything you can from Hilda, then we''ll kill her ok? That way the contract will be broken and you can return to the hive without any problems." This hive story was also influencing me, the drones weren''t the only ones that could be influenced, each member of the hive could influence me too, but the mental influence of each member of the hive was so insignificant that it wasn''t even worth the mention. But now that we are in the thousands their presence in my mind became a fixed point, they were distorting my most basic principles, little by little, but something was definitely happening. It wasn''t really anything negative, at least it didn''t seem to be. They just aligned me with the hive''s goals, numbed my feelings for anyone who wasn''t a member of the hive, and made me more focused. With that I could see the death of members outside the hive as something insignificant, but these thoughts couldn''t control me, only give me a boost. "Really? I kind of like her... I felt she was trustworthy, that''s why I wanted to make the contract with her..." Ciel replied. "If you want we can just ask her to break the contract with you later. Until then we''ll be counting on you to help us understand her." "I won''t disappoint you mom!" Ciel exclaimed.
Aurum - Year 1 - 1 Month later Last month things got a little hectic, Ciel was working hard to create a dictionary for the hive, and the hive was reluctant to believe in anything that Ciel give to us. Ciel was loyal, I was sure. The [maternal connection] still connected us, but Ciel was no longer connected to the hive. It was as if the hive was group A and Ciel was group B. Group A couldn''t communicate with or feel group B, but I could feel them all, and connect with them. I believe that if I "sent" a beacon to group B, I could establish a stable connection with Ciel again, but I didn''t want to risk it. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. In the last month, translation progress hasn''t made much progress, we only managed to get some broken and meaningless information. The only useful thing we got was the information that this world was called "Elysium". We didn''t get anything useful from Hilda other than questions about "God" and "Divinities". Hilda seemed to think that we were some kind of envoys from some god, if that lie made her open her mouth then you can call me Mother Teresa of the Honeycomb. I just wanted to know what the hell she knew and send her away. In this period of time we were also able to make great advances in mana research. We discovered, for example, that mana energy was an energy that ran throughout the planet. The [Spellcasters] were the only ones able to see this energy flowing, and they described it as bright currents of air that went everywhere. The magic also seemed to be able to carry [Affinity], the natural mana of the world seemed to be "pure" (without any afinnity), but would acquire an affinity when they entered a "body with affinity" that body could be a living creature, an item, or natural formations. According to our tests, I could produce "living mana", which was charged mana with [Life] affinity, the problem was that once outside my body this living mana tended to decay quickly and become ordinary mana. I didn''t know exactly why, but the theories said that "living mana" was very "complex and unstable". So when I didn''t have a container to contain it (me), it tended to quickly decompose into simpler forms until become stable. Like energized atoms, they tend to lose energy quickly if they are not in suitable environments. The difference was that mana did not generate explosions when decaying, just waves of pure mana. Another thing was that my [Spellcasters] went to the poisoned forest and discovered that the air was flooded with mana full of [Affinity], but they couldn''t explain to me how the mana remained "stable" without decaying and they didn''t even know what affinity was in the air. If I were to guess, it would be the [Poison] affinity, but I can''t say if this affinity really exists, or if it is some other type of affinity. The [Spellcasters] were also advancing research together with the artisans and scientists. His main research focus was mana crystals. More specifically in how they would contain the mana within them, in a stable way. Research and testing showed that the crystals were not actually "storing" mana, they were pulling mana from the world around them and converting it into mana with some specific affinity. Once inside the crystal, the mana could no longer escape and began to "solidify" becoming a mana crystal with affinity. Once solidified, the mana became "stable" and would not leak. We still couldn''t explain how the hell this crystal pulled in mana and solidified it. Or much less the purpose of doing so. But this research helped the boys develop new items with magical qualities. One of the items created was [Living Wood], wood that had been flooded for weeks within [Drops of Life]. The living wood was an excellent conductor for living mana, and carried the [Life] affinity. The problem was that living wood was only a conductor, it could not serve as a living mana battery. For this purpose, the research club develops a pool made of [Life Drops] and [Mana Crystals] shards. The "pool" was kept in a room in the center of the hive, specifically where my laboratory was once located. The new laboratory was moved to a separate room for "security" and now the inside of the tree had become a mana storage. The mana pool was made with our entire supply of [Life Drops], and there were small mana crystals floating throughout the liquid. Once energized with living mana, these small fragments of crystals pulled in living mana, and because they were very small, they quickly solidified the living mana. Right in the center of the room was a single dark brown root, which grew throughout the lake of life. Once I poured live mana into this root, all the mana was guided throughout the lake and deposited into the crystal fracturings. So the living mana couldn''t escape because it was submerged in large amounts of [Life Drops]. It served as an "insulator", since the life essence was saturated with [Life] affinity, the living mana became stable when it was submerged in the liquid, but this did not stop the decay of mana, it only slowed it down. The mana didn''t seem to want to remain stable, and always tried to return to its "original" form, but if we wanted to study living mana, we would need to find ways to store mana with [Affinity]. Another thing was that common mana (without affinity) was also not easy to store, firstly, common mana was in absolutely everything, from stones to living creatures. But it gained [Affinity] depending on the "container", but when we tried to flood an object with common mana, it would either break or be irreversibly damaged. Trying to flood living creatures with ordinary mana wasn''t a good idea either. The [Mana] status had a limit, and we discovered why, trying to absorb more mana than your storage capacity left you with the effect of [Mana Poisoning], it was a very devastating effect by the way, causing nausea, discomfort and hallucinations. Our bodies have a bottleneck, everything has a bottleneck for how much mana it can handle, if we tried to "circumvent" this bottleneck we would end up hurting ourselves. Mana batteries were a way to get more mana, I could store about 5 mana points in the "living pool", and if I used all my MP, I could absorb the source energy with a 1 to 1 conversion rate . Spell enchanters could also "inject" their mana into me, but the conversion rate was 50 to 1, which was totally ridiculous, and there was also the fact that spell enchanters couldn''t convert live mana to regular mana. , I could use their mana to produce more living mana, but they couldn''t use my living mana to replenish themselves. The living mana was indeed a mystery, it decayed quickly when outside my body, or the mana pool, and it could not be intentionally converted to ordinary mana, the living mana had mysterious "properties", and it was still very volatile and "Wild". The whole place looked pretty nice to be honest. The root that grew throughout the bright golden lake had a flower that looked like an lily. The lily was able to tell us how much living mana there was in the lake, since if the lily was healthy and blooming it meant that there were large amounts of mana in the lake, but when it withered and closed it meant that the reserves were low. I became so good at depositing mana into the lake that I gained the [Mana manipulation] skill, the skill just helped me control the mana more easily, and I could use my will to add "Purpose" to the mana. With this charming-looking "battery", the research club could finally analyze living mana. And now they were showing me a prototype of a portable mana battery. The "battery" was nothing more than a hollow ball of [Begonia Wax] flooded with [Drops of Life] and [Living Wood] roots wrapped around small fragments of mana crystals.
[Description]
[Living Core] An empty living mana core. Quality: Bad
"So....What should I do with this thing?" "Just flood it with your mana! If the tests are correct, this nucleus will be able to store your mana, and we can use it in various projects and research!" Isaac declared. "hmmmm..." Pouring mana into the core I could feel a small pull, the core could only store about 0.3 mana. It was nothing compared to the mana pool that could hold up to 5 mana points. But it still felt like it was "stable". "There you go, here it is." "Thank you mom!" Declared one of the researchers. As everyone surrounded the mana core, they soon realized that they were unable to pull mana from within the wax orb. "Damn! Why can''t I access the core''s mana!?" Exclaimed a spell caster. "It must be because [Begonia Wax] is an excellent mana insulator. We should have left a living wood root protruding from the core so that we could have access to the living mana." declared a carpenter. "No! If we did that, the mana would quickly escape from the root, the core cannot store much mana, so we need to isolate much mana as possible inside, and plug any leaks, not create doors to let the mana out!" replied Albert. "If we used mom''s moss, wouldn''t we be able to pull the mana out? After all, it''s the only plant with [life] affinity that we have at our disposal." asked a spell caster. "...It could work. The moss roots should penetrate the core in a non-evasive way. And serve as a stable, lossless conductor." Isaac declared. "Mommy! Please let us get a piece of your moss!" He asked for a carpenter. Looking at them like that, they looked like little kids playing with some new toy, only to discover that they need batteries. And I was the adult who had to go get batteries for them. It was quite cute to be honest. "Of course dears, feel free to take what you need." The moss in question was a more "improved" version of the moss that served as the carpet in the royal room, I had fed this moss with daily doses of [Drops of Life] and injections of living mana, so much that a few days ago it gained the affinity of [Life] and became huge. So much that he had a room just for him. It was kind of like my "personal garden" the room contained soil, and some workers who were emitting light during the day. In addition to farmers who took care of the moss and watered it daily. The moss had gained shades of blue and turquoise, as well as roots that looked like mycelium. They had fern-shaped leaves and from time to time produced small golden flowers capable of healing. After waiting for a while, a farmer arrived accompanied by some workers carrying a jar full of moss. Without delay, the farmer saluted me, and handed the jar to the researchers. As soon they got the hands on the jar, the carpenters took the mana core and placed it inside the jar with the moss. Then as if it were a living creature, the moss began to wrap itself around the mana core, and began to create small spines of living wood, after a few moments the moss began to move on its own and crawled out of the jar like a slug, while leaving a trail of mud. "What the hell is that?!" "I-I don''t know! It seems like the core fused with the moss and became a living creature!" Shouted one of the spell casters, amazed and scared at the same time. Without delay, the soldiers advanced like bulls onto the moss, attacking it without any hesitation. Impaling, kicking and punching him, but the moss didn''t seem to mind the blows at all. "Stop! Do you have any idea how much work it took to create this mana core! You''re going to end up damaging it! You muscle heads!" Shouted Isaac. "This thing is an invader! And it must die!" A soldier replied without stopping kicking the moss. "Stop boys! Let me see that moss!" "But!" "Don''t worry, he doesn''t seem threatening, he seems to be as harmless as the Wappos." "Ugh... Okay.." When the soldiers left the moss alone, I could see that it was all deformed, but it slowly started to return to its "original" form and continued to walk as if nothing had happened.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Living Moss Life: 1.2 Def: 2.3
Level: 1 Type: Vineborn Vit: 14.3 Int: 0.1
Sex: ---- Stamina: 3.3/6 Dex: 0.1 Wis: 0.1
Mana: 0.2/0.3 Affinity: Life Spr: 0.2 Str: 0.0
[Skills]
{Photosynthesis} Use sunlight, moisture and nutrients to create MP
{Regrowth} Regenerates lost parts quickly using Sp.
{Verdant vitality} If the damage received is less than the points of your [Vitality] it will be ignored.
''Holy cow! We create artificial life!? Chapter 49: Learning Aurum - Year 1 - 2 Months later. Over the last few months we have been implementing our research into magic. One of the main advances came with Muck, my new pet, who looked like a fat cat. He was soft and nice to cuddle, and he spent the day sleeping without worrying about anything. When we "created" Muck, I thought he was a real life form, like me or the boys, but Muck is more like a golem or something like that, if we removed the core, or he ran out of Mp, he would "die" but if If we filled the core with mana again he would "revive". It''s like switching between on and off. Muck could also generate living mana! And he became the second "generator" of living mana in the colony, the amount that Muck could produce was ridiculous, about 0.01 per hour, maybe that''s why he sleeps all day under the workers lights, to conserve energy. Muck was also extremely resilient, his [Verdant vitality] skill allowed him to simply negate any damage from sharp weapons, or bruises. To deal damage to Muck it was necessary to deal a lot of damage at once or to deal "magic" damage, whether using mana, or throwing Muck into a fire. Another thing I noticed about Muck was that he couldn''t evolve [Skill] levels but he could still gain Xp, I don''t know how this works, but Muck can only gain Xp by consuming the essence of life, since he won''t do anything with 0 attack. Another progress we made was in regards to spell research, the spell casters managed to create a spell called [Mana Bubble], which was nothing more than a cheap imitation of [Life Echo]. The magic allowed them to create a bubble made of pure mana that could grow depending on how much mana was used. The bubble didn''t cause any damage, unless you were a fly, but it was strong like a plastic bag and could even serve as storage bins. The bubble had a natural duration of about 1 week, and anything inside it rotted much more slowly, be it food, resources, or even mana! The bubbles coudn''t be used for attack, but could serve as mana "batteries". We just needed to put crystals full of living mana inside the bubble, so that the mana wouldn''t decay quickly as it normally does. Mana still decayed, even inside the bubble, but it was about 20x slower, and the development club was working to create more powerful versions of this spell. We also made a lot of progress in relation to biology, I didn''t have much knowledge about specific subjects, such as nano-physics, advanced physics, Biotechnology, astrology or Botanics. I had read some books about this in my library days, but I was more focused on cheap romances and fantasies. In addition to focusing a lot on my shoujo mangas. If I had known that I would be reincarnated in a strange world, where all the knowledge of a technologically advanced civilization could help me, I would have swallowed the entire library I worked in, and would have gone after more. I know there''s a lot of useful things in my head, things that the beacons are still "defragmenting", but so far they haven''t been able to rescue anything really useful, besides recipes from Tik tok, and some astrology concepts and the concept of a coliseum . The advance we made in biology was with our little friends, the Wappos, with some experiments we discovered that we could not alter their [Species] with [Drops of Life] but by injecting large amounts of living mana into their bodies or they would die miserably, turning into a pile of rot. Or a mutation would happen! Of course, only 1 in every 80 Wappos got this mutation, but we had a lot of Wappos to do this experiment, and their death was not in vain, since everyone who died became Xp. The Wappo name that had obtained a mutation was Char, the mutation made him spit out a black liquid that accelerated the decomposition of plant matter. It wasn''t that great, but it still seemed useful. We also discovered how Wappos "reproduced" I always thought they just threw a cloud of spores into the air, and everything was resolved. But they had to find a partner, they didn''t need to look for a male or female, just someone willing to be their partner, so they buried themselves in the ground together, and all the magic happened under the ground. Then the 2 Wappos released a cloud of spores into the air, which gave rise to dozens or hundreds of other Wappos. The little guy who had the black goob had already managed to have children, we knew because there were other Wappos who began to present the same anomaly as Char, even without going through the "selection process", which showed us that the mutations could be passed on hereditarily. I also got level 8 in [Lay Eggs], (finally). And I chose [Alchemist] and [Historians]. Both classes seemed to be pretty cool. Alchemists could mix substances within their bodies, and produce unique new substances. In addition to providing high resistance against poisons, and the ability to create a mental "glossary". Historians were basically "archivists" they could store events and memories, and use them when necessary, beacons could kind of do that too, but historians could "mark" memories and pull them whenever they wanted or felt necessary. They could also warn the hive of certain dangers and remind them of bad events. They were basically the "genetic instinct", they could make a soldier who had never seen a [Spiny Caterpillar] in his life know all its weaknesses, strengths, dangers and any other useful information. Beacons could do this type of work too, but it wasn''t their specialty, and with the addition of historians, beacons were able to focus solely on transmitting information and keeping everyone connected in a single "network". Another event was about the werewolve and Ciel, first we discovered that they weren''t werewolves but "kobolds", and that they came from a village called "Alfeni" and were running away from something called "Black Corruption", the continent we were it was no man''s land, the most powerful kingdom in the world was that of humans, and the closest of us was that of beastmen, there''s other groups, such as Demons, and Elves. The Kobolds were part of the Beastmen, and the group of Beastmen were composed of humanoid beings with animal characteristics. The elves lived in seclusion in a forest in the far west, and humans dominate the east continent, the human continent was the largest of all, and in the far north was the capital of beastmens. Humans praised a so-called "Goddess of morning" and hated anything that was not a human being (Racists). The beastmen had a god called "Astrawoul", who was described to me as the "Progenitor of all beasts", to the extreme south was the continent of demons, and Hilda didn''t know much about them, just that they were hunted by humans, but had a good relationship with beastmen. The existence of demons scared me a little, and Hilda''s lack of knowledge about this mysterious race irritated me, she didn''t know much about humans, elves, demons or even beastmen! She only knew things in general, and common knowledge. And we also had the fact that her knowledge could be ''outdated'' since she was a bit of a peasant, and these people are always the last to know everything. Another thing we learned from Hilda was that skills could "change", if I used a skill to cut bread, to chop wood until it evolved to the next stage, I would gain a version of the skill that better suited my needs. So the skills were never random, I had only managed to evolve [Create honey] until today, but that was still valuable information. Ciel and Hilta also started to get along well, the two of them were a bit crazy about religion. Hilda praised her god, and Ciel prayed to me secretly, while pretending to pray to Hilda''s god. Hilda and Ciel''s relationship was completely built on lies, Hilda and Ciel''s contractual bond was not ''strict'', so it allowed both sides to lie to each other, Hilda dove head first into it, and opened her mouth like a maritaca, but Ciel never really trusted Hilda, but he still liked how sincere and kind, she was. Sometimes he felt bad for lying to her so much, but Ciel was very good at keeping a poker face. The boys didn''t feel comfortable around Ciel, not anymore, so I had to force him to stay with Hilda until we got everything we could out of her. We provided new clothes and food for Hilda, and "took care" of her, brushing her fur, and cleaning her body. All in an attempt to make Hilda trust us, after all, no one would suspect that cute bees that look more like fairies, are secretly planning to rob all the information you have, and then dismiss you as old trash. Some other kobolds came after Hilda, she spoke to them, and then came to beg Ciel to "send" help to her people. Since we were supposed to dance with the music, we sent the resources without delay, and asked Hilda to get more "Stories from the world" to entertain us. The game we were playing was that we were bees sent by god to protect those plains for a reason that could not be mentioned, we wouldn''t cause any harm as long no one got too close, and we were only friendly with people who "served" the same god as us. And all we wanted from Hilda was for her to tell us stories, world history, popular stories, or personal events. From there we could extract many things from Hilda. When she said things like "That day I was going to the grocery store." We played dumb and asked "Market? What is this? What is it for?" to discover how Hilda''s world worked. With methods like this, we discovered that everyone uses gold coins as money, gold seemed to be an abundant and worthless substance. So it was perfect to use to create the coins, the coins were divided into 5, each with a higher value, but all made of gold. The kobolds used more of a "barter" type of system, they were more like, "I''ll trade two chickens for this baby pig." Only humans used the currency system. But if other species wanted to trade with humans they needed to know how to use these currencies, so everyone knew at least the basics. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Another thing we got from Hilda was some worrying information, something about a "demon lord", she asked us if their god had sent us to protect them from him, but I didn''t even know there was a demon lord here. This information was worrying, and Hilda didn''t know much either, just that he was the cause of the "Black Corruption", and that the "heroes" failed to defeat him. The world also had heroes, but I didn''t know if they were like those heroes from another world, or local heroes, and Hilda didn''t know either. All she knew was that in the beginning there were 7 heroes, and nowadays there is only 1. Hilda''s information was valuable, but very "broken", we couldn''t extract anything really useful from it, just general-picture things. We knew that the humans of this world were assholes, (at least in Hilda''s eyes), the Elves were Neets, demons remained an iconite, and there were gods, heroes and demon lords. The most useful information in my opinion was everything that Hilda knew about the forest where we lived, the forest was popularly called "forest of the fallen", but had other names such as "Cursed Grove" or "Dreadwood Forest". The forest was called that way because it is common knowledge that the forest are "Cursed", according to the story that Hilda told us, several centuries ago, this place was a kingdom called "Luminus", which defied the heavens, and as punishment all The land and people on it were cursed, becoming monsters and beasts out of their nightmares. The curse was so powerful that to this day everything in the forest is deadly. Heroes tried to conquer it and failed, as did several other kingdoms and species. The place had beasts of the highest level, and was known for "bringing down even the bravest knight". I had been born inside this place, but far from the center of the forest, I was closer to the edge. And even Hilda''s group that only went through a relatively "Quiet" part suffered serious losses. The place seemed to be really dangerous, I still vividly remember the wolf that killed Mr Rabbit, apparently he wasn''t the most threatening thing in the forest by far, so I was lucky to get out of there soon as I could.
Now I was doing my magic tests, as I spent most of my time isolated in my quarters doing nothing, I started to dedicate myself to magic. My mana regeneration was relatively fast, and I don''t know if that has anything to do with my species, but it helped me do my magical experiments more easily. What I was most interested in was [Mana Manipulation], the skill allowed me to infuse my mana with "intent". Mana normally had no intention, ordinary mana was just energy, while mana with [Affinity] had a certain intention, living mana always tried to "heal" or "correct" errors in living beings, serving as a non-harmful substance to the body, but if I could put intent into the mana, then I could make the living mana do other things, like cause damage, deformities, or mutations. "Bring me another Wappo." I was now conducting my "friendly" experiments with the Wapoos, we had dozens of them tied up in the corner of the room, and whenever I needed one the soldiers would drag one to me. When the Wappo was in front of me, I started injecting living mana with the intention of making him sick, and after a few seconds some black spots started to appear on the Wappo and he was visibly shaken by it. ''It worked out! I finally managed to do it, putting intention into mana isn''t easy as it seems, at least I didn''t have to kill so many Wappos this time...'' By injecting more living mana into Wappo I had the intention of healing him, and returning him to his previous stage of perfect health. But that wasn''t what happened, the black dots on Wappo began to spread, and soon he began to wither, and fall to the ground, he wasn''t dead yet, but he would soon die to the disease. "Interesting.... I intended to cure him, but instead I accelerated the disease, is it because the disease is also considered a living creature?" The Wappo remained miserably on the ground, just spitting out a yellowish liquid, and shaking, while I analyzed him and my historians wrote down all the events, without caring about Wappo''s suffering. "Take care of him, we don''t need to extend his suffering, and I don''t want to risk letting this illness escape to the other Wappos." "Yes!" Soon a single soldier walked up to Wappo and kicked his head until it is completely crushed, then grabbed Wappo''s body and walked away to throw him away. All the Wappos that were "victims" of my experiments could not be consumed, or thrown to other Wappos, so we had to take the trouble to take them a little far from the nest, but nothing that was really difficult. "Bring me another Wappo, a big one this time." Soon another Wappo was in front of me, and I started injecting more mana into him, this time charged with the intention of "Contaminating" him, just causing a weak, common disease, nothing that would kill him, something that could spread easily, and wasn''t lethal, something like the flu. Soon the same black dots appeared on the new Wappo, but this time he began to expel white goo from his mouth and cough.
[Warning]
You have learned the spell, [Tainted Touch], the spell has been added to your spell list.
''Wow! I already knew that spells existed, but it''s still incredible to see that I learned how to cast a spell!''
[Spells] - 1/1
[Tainted Touch] Infuse your fingers with tainted life energy, causing disease and pests to whatever you touch.
''Damn! I don''t know whether to feel happy or offended, is the system telling me that I "corrupted" life energy, to create this spell? Or is it just that life energy has a lot of "by-products"?'' Using the spell, I realize that it''s basically the same thing I had already done with Wappo, but now my claws had a tainted purple aura, and when I touched something this aura entered that object. ''So, spells are just a "shortcut", and more "stable" versions of using mana, what stops me from using mana to create several powerful spells from scratch? Like what I''ve done so far?'' ''-If I may say so, the magic club already has a theory about this.'' Said a Beacon who took care of my schedule. ''Oh? And what would this theory be?'' ''-When using a [spell], you use less mana and time, in addition to having more ease in handling the spell, while trying to cast it without it being a [Spell], the mana cost will be higher, it will be more unstable, and less powerful.'' ''I see, so it''s the system''s way of dumbing everyone down... The system "forces" us to take the easiest way, which is to use the system, in theory I can learn thousands of spells, but if I don''t remember exactly how to "launch it" and "drive it" then it''s no use. While the system does all the work for me, and only charges the amount in Mp needed to cast a stable and powerful spell.'' Is this a leash? A way to guarantee that all [Spells] will always be "in accordance with the system", or is it just the correct way to cast spells? Testing the spell on a Wappo, I can see that it is extremely more lethal, the Wappo ended up as the first Wappo quickly, and now I could also "regulate" the intensity of the disease, in addition to choosing what the disease would cause. I could make the Wappos weak, drowsy, hungry, tired, angry, confused, and even blind! And all of this was definitive, or at least it would last for several days or weeks, depending on the Wappo, it wasn''t like the [effects], these diseases seemed to be much more vicious and harmful. But I had a high mana cost, and the illnesses didn''t seem to last long if I didn''t use a lot of mana. The amount of mana I injected into the spell determined the "intensity" of the disease, so even using all the mana from the life source, I still couldn''t cause physical deformities. ''It''s still interesting, the Wappos no longer serve me as "test dummies" I need something bigger to know if these diseases are really powerful. The larvae? No... We don''t have many, and they aren''t really powerful, the snails too, we have few, and they haven''t reproduced yet. So what?....Hilda? I could know if I could "contaminate" it, and if it worked I could wipe out all the kobolds if necessary! All this without leaving home, just sending an infected kobold and letting nature do the rest.''
The next day I was at an impasse, I needed to touch Hilda to "contaminate" her, but the hive members refused to let me leave the 1st ring, so imagine touching a kobold who was our ''enemy'', I still had the last word, but I didn''t want to have to deal with a swarm of nervous bees. ''What to do... What to do.... I can''t get close to her, but I need to get close to her to contaminate her, so what do I do? Contaminate her food? It could work... But what if she feels like the food is "compromised", this could go very wrong, so what? Do I contaminate Ciel? No... I''m not going to put Ciel at risk for this, what the hell do I do?...'' Looking at my list of skills I see the always useless [Life Echo] and end up getting an idea. "What if I..." Creating an echo, which looked more like a glowing soap bubble, I concentrate all my mana on the [Tainted Touch] spell on the bubble that is between my fingers, soon a purple aura begins to come out of my hand and merge with the echo of life , the bubble that previously had a friendly and serene appearance, now had a disgusting black color, and emitted sparkles like petroleum that had been spilled into water. Inside the bubble I can see a small purple cloud constantly moving.
[Description]
[Tainted Echo] A life echo contaminated with a mysterious disease, when coming into contact with a living being, has a small chance of infecting the target.
''Wow! This shit is dangerous! Mysterious illness?! What did I put in here?! And I still spent all my mana just for "a small chance"?!'' The bubble was the size of a soldier''s head, around 3 cm, and it had cost all my mana, okay I didn''t have much mana, but I was still hoping for something more powerful. But I think the discovery that I can use [Spells] in conjunction with [Skills] is already very valuable, I had no idea that this would work, and in the worst case scenario I thought the echo would burst. ''Doesn''t that mean I can also use other Skills in conjunction with [Life Echo]? But what? [Create food]? [Lay eggs]? Does it work with [Radiant Renewal]?! Going to the lake of living mana, I take all the remaining living mana, and create another echo, and this time I start focusing the skill [Radiant Renewal] on the small bubble. Soon the echo starts to emit a pale golden light, it starts to grow a little and when I can look directly at it I see that it has taken on a golden color with the same oil-on-water patterns as the other echo, but this time there are dozens of little stars swaying. like glitter inside the bubble.
[Description]
[Radiant Echo] An echo of life imbued with healing power, when it comes into contact with a living being, heal 3 health points in area.
"Holy goat! Forgive me echo, I''ll never judge a book by its cover again!" Chapter 50: Stagnated Aurum - Year 1 {3 Weeaks later} Firstly, I would like to point out that my plans with [Tainted Echo] didn''t work out very well, the echo had a low chance of causing a disease to the target, but it could work in an area, and contaminate several individuals at once. My tests on the Wappos showed that 1 in 10 Wappos got the disease, which was more like a plague. In the first few days nothing happened, but after 1 week the infected Wappo started to get hungry, very hungry. He drank a lot of water, and spent more time eating nutrients from the soil. Even so, he was becoming "wasted", losing weight and becoming dry. A few days ago he started to become aggressive, and attack other Wappo, infecting other Wappos with the mysterious disease. We had to isolate all Wappos who were suspected of having the disease and "take care" of them, to ensure that we didn''t end up with an epidemic on our hands. We left the "spreader" of the disease alive and isolated for observation, and so far he is still alive, but very weak and aggressive. Totally the opposite of the calm and lovely attitude of an average Wappo. When I tried to infect Hilda with this mysterious disease, I ended up discovering that it wasn''t that easy. Hilda received 17 contaminated echoes, but none seemed to affect her. The Wappos were an easy target because they appeared to lack an "immune system." But Hilda was much bigger, stronger and healthier, the disease was simply crushed when it tried to infect her. My only hope was that Hilda would have some longer time to "incubate" the disease, but even after weeks Hilda did not show a single symptom, in fact she was healthier than ever, since she was being well fed and cared for. Not being able to contaminate her made me a little sad, I''m not going to lie, I would feel more comfortable knowing that I have something at my disposal that could kill her. I can send a whirlwind of angry bees to kill her, but she could end up killing dozens if not hundreds of my boys before she falls. Leaving that aside, we had a new, more urgent problem. XP. Getting XP became a real challenge, the smaller insects that the soldiers were used to had been obliterated, all that was left were high-level enemies, and creatures that the soldiers didn''t know about. Every now and then they would find an unlucky rodent or amphibian that had been left alone, and they would swarm it in the bee swarm until they killed it, but many soldiers were injured in these conflicts, and crushing your enemy with numbers didn''t teach the soldiers their weaknesses and strong points, so soldiers stopped learning how to approach enemies stronger than them. Trouble and his group still had a little success from time to time, they would fight creatures 1v1 and the Healer would heal the wounds, Hans group also managed to hunt down some targets, surrounding them and winning in a battle of attrition, but the Hans and Trouble group was too small, and we had thousands of young soldiers who were without direction. All they knew to do was attack in swarms to ensure their victory. And for that they relied on the information from [link]. If a swarm came across a living creature they sent the creature''s image to the link, then would wait for a response. If it received information about the target was positive, they would flood the target with the tornado of bees, kill it, and then go on to the next target. But if the information was negative or non-existent, the swarm would run without thinking twice. "This is a big problem, what is the combat group going to do to solve this?" Yan asked. "Are you trying to blame us? HUM?! Just know that it''s not easy to keep a fair share in such large groups and we can''t give the orientation fot all of them, we need more help for that!" Trouble said, banging on the table like a gangster. "The problem is that we are only 2 advisors for thousands of young soldiers, even if we send other advisors like [Poisoners] [Defenders] and [Sworders], it still wouldn''t be enough to teach everyone proportionately, especially with the recent shortage of prey." Hans said. "Can''t we expand the ranch? We could go after more animals and focus solely on creating our own XP." Matt asked. "No! This will compromise the integrity of the hive, if the soldiers don''t acquire fighting experience, what would they do when we were under a attack! We need to keep our weapons sharpened!" Ken complained. "B-But what if we went after g-larger creatures? We could try to l-level some specific members t-to elevate them to the position of advisors..." Levi asked. "This is not realistic, if we evolved just a few members the majority would still be without real combat experience, they can absorb all the knowledge they want from the information club, but they will never specialize without real combat experience." Trevis said. "So what are we going to do? We can''t let the quality of the soldiers drop like this, the overall hive levels are dropping, the new soldiers are soft as pudding, and we barely have XP produced by the farm to distribute among the production members, so imagine having to share this XP with the defense members!" Yan declared. "Hmm.... How about a coliseum?" Miles threw it into the air. "What? What do you mean?" Asked Carl who was feasting on some snacks. "We can build a coliseum! We could bring in some more powerful but still containable beasts and use the coliseum as a way to teach the new soldiers first hand. We can keep the monsters weak with poisons or even a created diseases from mom." Miles elaborated. "That.... It could work, we can ask the development club to create muzzles and chains to immobilize these creatures, and leave them at a disadvantage, then we can remove their restrictions little by little as we teach the soldiers. So when they encounter these creatures around the world they knew their strengths and weaknesses and could attack with certainty." Trevis replied. "I think this is dangerous... Monsters shouldn''t like being caged and contained, accidents can happen, or even tragedies." Hans said. "We don''t need to capture a dragon, just creatures a little stronger than us, this way the soldiers will be able to train, after all your method of "Slowly goes far" isn''t working Hans, your group may even be getting powerful, but the rest of the hive is getting weaker and dumber." Ken said. Hans wasn''t happy about the jab, but didn''t say anything, he seemed to agree that the colony was in decline, and that action needed to be taken. "It could work! We can build the coliseum on the ground, inside the 2nd ring, so even if a beast escaped it would still be surrounded by soldiers and wouldn''t go too far." Trouble said. "We need to evolve, only then will we be able to hunt high-level creatures." Hans said. "I''m sure you and your group will get there sooner or later, but the main focus of this meeting is not about what we will do for the future. The topic is what ARE we going to do NOW, immediately, to overcome the serious problem with the general low level of the soldiers and the hive." Yan said sharply. "...Should we stop producing new members for the colony? We already have too much manpower, and it''s clear that our growing number is starting to become a problem, not a solution." Trevis asked. "Are you going crazy!? The production of new members must continue! Only then can we expand our reign and guarantee sovereignty over the region!" Shouted Ken angrily. "I''m saying that there is a time when we must stop and ask ourselves if we don''t already have enough, increasing our numbers now is not a good thing, it only increases the need for more XP, more mouths to feed, more housing, more consumption of resources. The hive is going through this instability because we are producing members non-stop, if we continue like this, food production will not be able to maintain the entire hive. Didn''t you happen to hear today''s broadcast? The gardening club is asking for more farmers and workers, because the production of resources is not keeping up with the production of food, more and more collectors need to be sent every day deep into the forest accompanied by inexperienced soldiers. This is not efficient, we need to stabilize ourselfes." Trevis said. Stolen novel; please report. "....Fuck you Trevis!" Ken said upset. Ken seemed to understand that Trevis was correct, everyone realized this, but Ken still didn''t like the idea of having to close the nursery doors, he could focus on the infirmary, but he would have to work with the first generation of [radiantsun bee], a group which he had serious unresolved issues. "Trevis addressed crucial points and presented valid complaints, if no one has anything to say against Trevis''s sujesion, that is a REAL complaint. Then I will pass the request on to our queen mother!" Said Yan, who raised his voice when he saw Ken raising his hand in protest, and then lowering it in frustration. ''Of course, I have no problem with that, Trevis is correct, I should have realized earlier that our numbers were the main cause of problems.'' Now I stopped producing eggs, and I also stopped evolving [laying eggs], there were only 3 levels left until the maximum level and a possible evolution, but I should need thousands of members to reach these 3 levels. "So it''s official, mom has stopped producing new drones once and for all, and Ken will be in charge of the infirmary soon as all the drones present in the nursery emerge!" Yan said satisfied. "Damn... I''m going to send those guys to the front line division, I don''t care, I''m not going to hang out with those little shits." Ken said angrily. "They made a mistake ages ago, and you''re still left with this pettiness." Hans said. "Pettiness?! They looked me in the face and said THEY could do a BETTER job than ME, I''ve been doing this since I was born, and they still thought they could come and take over my job!" Ken complained. "Stop tantruming, they will continue in the infirmary as the Healers'' assistants, if you have something against them, resolve it by talking." Yan said. "No?! I''m the leader of the care club, I''m the one who decides where they go or don''t go, you can''t tell me where I should send them!" Ken said mocking Yan. Ken didn''t like Yan, which was a surprise, because even if the members of the hive didn''t like each other they would always collaborate, but Ken seemed like an exception, he does whatever he wants, and tells anyone he doesn''t like to go to hell, and his current target was Yan. Ken didn''t like how Yan reacted to his "authority" as my representative and tried to lead everyone, he thought Yan was trying to "show who''s boss" or give a "I''m 2nd in command here! Obey!", while other more common members simply did what Yan asked, the members of the inner circle didn''t care to give him a face, but Ken always made a point of starting a fight. "I''m trying to teach you how to work productively, don''t make things complicated for selfish reasons!" Yan said while maintaining a stoic expression. "Ha! Teach me? What are you going to teach me, BABY, when you emerged I was already evolving, you still have the green edges and you''re trying to boss me around! See if you get your bearings. I only obey mom, and Steve, not her shadow that stands around playing boss." Ken said mockingly. "You! How dare you, this decision was given to me by the Queen Mother herself! I''m just trying to get you to work the right way, don''t try to make me look like an arrogant little shit!" Yan complained, losing his composure. ''THERE IS! You are a-" ''You guys are losing focus, Ken will go to the infirmary, and work together with the members of the infirmary.'' "But Mom! I -" Ken swore. "Didn''t you listen to mommy!? Stop making a scene, and do what-" ''And you Yan, don''t go around giving orders as if they were my words, I''m tired of having to witness your conflicts with the inner circle, this is the last warning, just serve as my eyes, and ears, and leave the work of give orders to Steve, if you doesn''t do it I''ll find someone who will. Did a make myself clear?'' ''-M-Mom! I was just-'' ''YOU. GOT IT?'' ''...Yes, forgave me for my inappropriateness.'' replied Yan, visibly upset. "So we will do this, we will start the coliseum project, the construction club will be responsible for making the coliseum, we will send the combat club to get the beasts, and the development club to create containments for the monsters, any questions?" Steve asked.
Spells. What are they? If you asked someone they would probably say things like "a spell is the result of an incantation". But the spells in this world felt different, I didn''t need to recite any text to create the [Tainted Touch] spell, just feed a [Spell] with Mp and that was it. Now if I were to re-create it from scratch, without the help of the system I would need to guide the mana, "tell" her what to do, I didn''t need words, just thoughts and intentions, it took a lot of concentration, practice and trial and error to produce a "worse" version of the spell. More like, how the system says what was a spell and what wasn''t? Is the "voice" magic that bards have considered a spell? They can use their voices to grant buffs, so wouldn''t it be something like a strengthening spell? But even then they don''t have the [Spell] tab. The reason? It appears to be because the buffs were the result of a [skill] that allowed them to use their voices to create a magical phenomenon. So what is the difference between a spell and a skill that produces a magical effect? Is it because the skills needed a sort kinde of "Mendium"? Skills used by the bard''s, use they voice and mana to produce a magical effect, while spells only needed to be fueled with Mp. But that wouldn''t explain why my [skill], [Radiant Renewal] isn''t a spell, the skill only uses Mp to grant a bonus, but it''s still considered a skill. I can even level it up. Perhaps the difference here is that [Radiant Renewal], cannot be "regulated" the cost is always fixed at 1 Mp, while spells can use more or less energy. And if I can''t level up spells how do I improve them? Would I need to develop a new spell from scratch to replace the old one? But then came the X of the matter, why is [Life Echo] a skill? I can use more or less mana, like a spell, I just need mana, like a spell. And he has no restrictions or a medium. So why the hell was echoes considered a [skill] and not a [spell]? The system doesn''t help me at all, with no tips, no technical support and no assistants. He just threw me here and said "deal with it now", everything was like taking steps in the dark, and any mistake was irreparable, I couldn''t "undo" a skill, or "go back" in an evolution. I can only move forward, if I make any wrong choice it will be irreparable, the only thing I had full control over in my status were the [Spells]. I could replace them and learn new spells, the [Spells] tab was a shortcut, a way to save spells and use them with more speed and power, but in exchange I lost the mana manipulation experience. The system doesn''t seem to want me to develop spells, or at least makes this task unnecessarily complicated for some reason. He basically says "Oh! Are you having trouble casting a spell? Don''t worry! Use this shortcut and DON''T try to use the spells from scratch, okay?" This left me with a flea behind my ear, why the system made spell creation so complicated and restricted? When it could simply let us create several spells at once and save them in [spells] table. It smells like fish, there''s something wrong with it, they don''t put restrictions on something unless that thing is dangerous or "unstable" and if even the system is trying so hard to make the use of spells so complicated it''s because there''s something there. But there is also the possibility that I have so many restrictions to create spells because of my [Specie], the system must not want a bee, or a monster to be able to use spells at will. Or maybe there is some negative effect when you have too many spells. Whatever it was, it piqued my curiosity, and now the magic club was trying to create magic scrolls. The point of doinf this? Simple, if the system didn''t let me store the spells in the [spells] tab then I would look for other ways to have my colection of spells. The scrolls were made from a special silk, which was harder and stronger than regular silk, taking on a cardboard texture when made into rolls, and the magic club members were trying everything. Creating magic circles, writing magic words, injecting mana, runes, writing with ink while poring mana, anything to be able to create a magic scroll, but nothing seemed to work. Writing a bunch of random drawings on fabric didn''t make us experts in spells, it just made us look like a bunch of idiots. The idea of infusing the ink with mana was ingenious, but trying to infuse regular mana into the ink was useless, the mana simply didn''t mix with the ink like water and oil, trying to infuse mana into the parchment also didn''t help, it only caused the parchment to torn aparte, or litary meltt away. "I believe the answer lies in ink. If we could create mana-charged ink, it''s likely that we would be able to create scrolls." Analyzed Isaac. "But how? We can''t even figure out how to contain common mana stored in mana batteries, we are far from infusing items with mana!" Claimed an alchemist. "How about living mana? We can try infusing the ink with mom''s mana!" said a spell caster. "Probably not, Mom''s living mana only reacts with living things, or things that were once alive, like wood and plants, trying to infuse Mom''s mana with ink won''t get us anywhere." "What about [Drops of Life]? Wouldn''t alchemists be able to mix it with ink?" Albert asked. Everyone looked at the group of alchemists, they thought for a few moments and gave an answer. "....It''s possible, we can''t mix 2 substances that have nothing fundamentally similar to each other, but the 2 liquids are natural products, and liquid substances. So it should be possible to create a homogeneous and stable substance." When some workers brought a jar of ink and some essence of life, the alchemists began to drink it all. As they cleaned their ink-stained mouths with the help of a handkerchief, we could see a black substance trying to mix with the golden liquid inside their chest, then all the contents in the alchemist''s chest began to mix quickly, as if it were in a blender, and we could see a dark gray substance forming on their chests. Soon all the alchemists spat out a dark gray substance that seemed to be filled with glitter, and began to walk away from the jar, visibly sick from the creation process.
[Description]
[Living mana fluid] Created with the collaboration of several brothers, this living mana fluid is capable of containing living mana in a stable form for a short period of time. Quality: Horrible
Chapter 51: Choose your disease Aurum - Year 1 {2 Months later } "This is the strongest mana battery we can produce mom!" Declared a spell caster and his party. In the last few months we have been focusing on magical research and development, the creation of the mana fluid showed us that there were many possibilities in the area of artifice. Upon studying the mana fluid we discovered that it was basically battery fluid, it could help immensely in conducting magical energy (living mana), and was capable of keeping living mana in its stable form for a short period of time without decaying. Normally when we flooded an item with mana, that item would break, crumble, or simply melt. But even so, all things in the world have at least a trace of mana in their bodies. A stone has mana, leaves have mana. Creatures that can''t use mana have mana! This magical energy in the world seemed like radiation for me, it infiltrated everything, anything, some things could stop and contain it, but never definitively. The energy didn''t seem harmful at all, that is until you tried to flood something with mana. We didn''t know why all things in the world had this energy, and what the "source" of all this mana was, or even why magical creatures or items that can''t use mana still have slight traces of mana. But the most likely thing was that this energy that came from somewhere was responsible for everything being so... Magical? It''s kind of obvious that magic makes things magical, but this energy still reminded me a lot of the radiation in my world. It could cause mutations upon long term contact (evolutions), it could cause damage if used in large quantity (Mana Poisoning), and it could be used to energize other things (skills). It made me wonder if this world wasn''t my world, just billions or trillions of years in the future, because well. The sky was still blue, we still had a sun, (only bigger), a moon, stars, green grass, and many animals that seem to be descendants of the animals in my world. Coming back with the mana fluid, the fluid allowed us to create better versions of portable batteries, these new batteries were bigger and heavier, but they could store more mana for a longer time. The mana fluid was adjusted, its ingredients were changed by the development and research club, so that they created a more stable and productive mana fluid. The new core of the battery was a series of fragments of mana crystals wrapped around living wood roots. The nucleus was then stored inside a cylinder made of mud, wax, wood and stones and rolled up like living wood roots. The new batteries looked like cylinders made of dark brown roots, and each battery had 2 white roots coming out of the top. These white roots were living wood roots too, but living wood created from another tree. These white roots could conduct mana as well, but they only did so when there was a force pushing or pulling mana. It wasn''t like begonia living wood roots, which carried mana all the time as long they had access to the energy. These white roots were more "economical", but the problem was that they had a limit to how much living mana could pass through them. I could pull all the energy from the mana pool at once, as long I had space for that mana in my body, but these white roots could only pull about 0.1 mana per second, making the process of withdrawing and putting energy harder. The batteries also had a lifespan, which was nothing less than 5 days, after that time the mana fluid began to rot, and lose its properties, and if it was not changed soon it would rot the entire battery with it. I think that''s what I get for creating batteries with "living" materials. The new battery allowed me to have a short-term supply of mana, the boys were still figuring out ways to use that live mana. Since it seems that to manipulate living mana you need affinity with [life], without that you cannot manipulate it. Jus transport it, the boys were able to inject small amounts of living mana into objects using living wood roots, and a little help from Muck. Muck was very good at manipulating living mana, he could attract it to his body, and when he was "overloaded" with living mana he could throw all this excess into the air in waves, as if he were doing photosynthesis. This allowed the research club to create a Muck box. The box was made with the best mana isolation items we had and it was kind of the only way we could create an environment full of living mana for a few minutes. If poured into the natural world, the live mana would quickly decay to common mana, but in closed rooms, this decay happened more slowly. An example of this would be my throne room and the royal garden, in both places the living mana decayed more slowly, but it still only took a few seconds to disappear. Whereas if the living mana were outside the hive, or outside these 2 rooms, the mana would decay almost instantly after leaving my body. The Muck "box" was nothing more than a box made of clay, stones, wax, wax alloy, leaves and wood, everything we could to guarantee the isolation of the room, the room was filled with live moss in every corner , and muck felt very happy and comfortable in the place. When Muck was placed in the room, he would give him some batteries of living mana, and he would be accompanied by some living creatures, such as Wappos, larvae eggs, aphids, seeds, leaves and some random items. We were trying to create an environment full of living mana, if our theories were right this would create items and living beings with life affinity, or at least more "diluted" versions of [life] affinity. We were trying to imitate what was happening in the poisonous forest. Everything in that place had some kind of affinity with [poison] [death] or [curse], I don''t know what it was, but it certainly wasn''t a good thing. The tests were.... Disappointing. The concentration of mana in the environment was horrible, very low. And the living creatures didn''t seem to mind the magical energy with affinity in the environment, Muck on the other hand became very cheerful, creating some golden flowers and becoming more energetic. Muck was a mystery, he wasn''t my "Ally", he was my pet. But I''m absolutely sure that Muck wouldn''t do anything if he saw me in danger, he didn''t seem to have the intelligence for that. I thought Muck was like a golem, he must be in the same "category" as them, but I can''t give him commands. All I got was sympathy from him, and that was because I was the only other being with live mana in this hive. Muck is like a mosquito attracted to light, it dries out anyone who has live mana, be it me, an enemy, or a mana battery. Muck can produce his own living mana, but to do so he had to stay still all day, so he just stayed close to me, trying to eat my mana. We tried to create a new core for Muck, one that could store more mana, and that was more stable. The end result was a hollow walnut. Created by craftsmen, it was reforced with wax alloy, and flooded with part mana fluid, and part living essence. Some fragments of mana crystals, and white living wood roots. The result was a strange-looking acorn, but it could store 1.4 mana points, a great upgrade for Muck, but when we changed its core we realized that it was no longer Muck who was there.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Living Moss Life: 1.2 Def: 2.3
Level: 1 Type: Vineborn Vit: 14.3 Int: 0.1
Sex: ---- Stamina: 3.3/6 Dex: 0.1 Wis: 0.1
Mana: 1.4 Affinity: Life Spr: 0.2 Str: 0.0
[Skills] - 3
{Photosynthesis} Use sunlight, moisture and nutrients to create MP
{Regrowth} Regenerates lost parts quickly using Sp.
{Verdant vitality} If the damage received is less than the points of your [Vitality] it will be ignored.
it was exactly the same moss, the same stats, and same skills, the only thing that changed was his [Mp]. But he lost the name I had given him. Were names really that important? I managed to give a name for a creature that wasn''t even alive, Muck is more a item than a living being, so if I brought him back in another body would he still be (Muck - the living Moss)? This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ''Whatever'' I decide to stop thinking about it too much, and leave the new vineborn unnamed, and in the care of the workers. I created a new personal hobby, and I was thinking about how to turn it into work. My hobby consisted of raising plants, I would ask the scouts to go after unique and rare plants, and then I would feed them life essence and daily doses of living mana. This created a beautiful garden with many unique plants, the garden became so large that it had to be moved to the floor of the inner ring. Growing quietly in the same place where the big tree stood. We didn''t have buildings clinging to trees, not anymore. But now we''re back with them, creating large surfaces to accommodate several garden plants. The tree wasn''t being harmed, it was just benefiting from this whole thing, it had become the home of our most powerful mana battery, and it could even eat a little bit of life essence from time to time. The garden also brought biodiversity, guaranteeing cleaner and healthier air for the inner circle. I had a lot of cool plants, like mini roses, bell-bottom plants, lavender, ferns, vines, rose bushes and other small plants. But my favorite from this new batch was without a doubt the mushroom. The mushroom in question was called [Kin Mistcap], a gentle-looking mushroom, pale blue colors, and small white dots. The mushroom could cause permanent blindness if dried, crushed, turned into powder and thrown into the eyes, but it was harmless in its natural state, it could cause a stomach ache if eaten, but it would not kill anyone. The mushroom has been receiving daily doses of mana and living essence, but I didn''t like it because it was a mushroom, I liked it because it produced mycelium. Wappos could also produce mycelium, but it looked like low-quality mycelium, while these little guys started producing pale white mycelium, and little potatoes! At the time I didn''t really know what to do with it, these tiny potatoes looked like sponges, and didn''t seem edible, so I left the mushroom alone, but now I had the unusable Muck nucleus and new living matter. When Yan arrived at the garden carrying the Muck nucleus, he asked the farmers to dig up some mycelium and put it in a jar, when everything was ready Yan placed the Muck nucleus on the mycelium and waited, but nothing happened, the mycelium didn''t wrap around the nucleus like living moss, and it didn''t seem like anything would happen. ''Mother?'' Yan asked. ''Hmm... It seems like I can''t go around creating vineborns to the left and right... I must need a plant with [life] affinity ?ile living moss to create more vineborns, it seems like a lot of work. ...But I can still create an army of Muck made from moss, as long I have the mana cores for it...'' ''What do I do?'' Yan asked. ''Bring him back, and put him in some live moss, it''s a shame we can''t create a Muck made from mycelium, but we won''t leave him without a body.''
We were having some problems with Hilda. Contact between her and Ciel was improving, and she was starting to ask more questions. Like why we lived in a tower, why we could talk, what we were doing inside the wax walls. And what was Ciel? The most annoying of all was her request to move. She wanted us to allow and help the kobolds to move, the kobold group as a whole didn''t seem to like the idea, but Hilda was the type to make the choice for the entire group and then talk to them after. We didn''t want anyone around, not that close, so we refused. Ciel also started gaining a lot of XP. Hilda sometimes hunted small animals, such as rabbits and mice. It was nothing to her, a drop in the bucket. But for Ciel it was a whole new wave of Xp. There was a clear preference of the system for fights and conflicts. The system seemed to want everyone to kill themselves to evolve, there were [traits] like [Polonizer], which gave Xp. But a worker who worked all day without stopping as a pollinator couldn''t even earn the same amount of Xp as a soldier would earn from an single kill. This created a clear social divide in the hive. Between those who were powerful and those who were weak. As bees this wasn''t a big problem for us, it was very common to see a level 2 cook, giving orders to a level 5 sworder, but that was just because of my influence. Hilda followed her leader, a certain Onix Grayon, his orders were the most important and should be followed, but only because he was the strongest in her group. And even so, Onix didn''t have the last word, his allies could disagree with him, and he would have to find a middle ground, because even though he was the strongest, it doesn''t mean he could win against all the kobolds against him. In this world, those who have power seem to govern, which is not good news. If I meet other humanoids, who are in a much better situation than Hilda''s group, what would I do? Would i offer them some damn tea? Because if they wanted to kill me I wouldn''t have anything to do, I don''t guarantee victory, not even against Hilda, imagine a group prepared to kill me. I didn''t like that, this idea of waking up and finding out that this could be my last day, some people say "You can''t avoid death, just live our life", but I can at least lessen my chances of dying, if a meteor fall on my head or the world is swallowed by a black hole I wouldn''t complain, but if I woke up one day and saw everything I built being destroyed because I wasn''t prepared, then I wouldn''t accept that kind of death. This brought me back to my study of diseases and deadly weapons. I don''t like the idea of sending the soldiers to dead, I''m almost sure they can beat Hilda, but I also don''t think she would just give herself up, if we attacked her, many of my children could die in the fight. And I wasn''t willing to let them die for that. Now I was observing the infected mushroom a few months ago with the research group, it was still... alive? The mushroom had become a dried out mushroom, like a corpse full of dried meat between the bones, and the worst of it was that I could still see some movements, and his eyes moving from side to side, he was lying in a pile of his own decomposed body, and would soon die, but he still lived for a long time, or perhaps the disease was purposely keeping him alive. I had never seen a disease like this, I had no intention when I created it, I just wanted it to be lethal and spread quickly. But looking at this... I think I created the Wappos zombie virus? The disease caused the infected wappo to show symptoms of rabies. After a few days he would start to get aggressive, and would go after other Wappos, biting and punching them, the Wappos that were bitten would then start to show the same symptoms, and if he wasn''t contained this could end up destroying our farm. The thing was, the Wappos were the only ones affected by this disease, other creatures didn''t even react to the disease, and those who did only seemed to contract an infection. I couldn''t tell if it was because the "progenitor" of the disease was a Wappo, or if it was because Wappos are so weak that the disease only worked on them. My tests with the spiny larvae showed that it could be a little of both, the Wappos didn''t seem to have an immune system, they didn''t have defenses, and i don''t think they needed them. Their survival strategy was: Eat, grow, reproduce, die. They didn''t worry about predators, just finding a comfortable place to reproduce, and since they could reproduce like crazy there was no problem with losing a few dozen or hundreds of members along the way. My spell [Tainted Touch] could create diseases, but it was very abstract, diseases are something very general... I could create a mild flu, or smallpox. But for that I had to understand about diseases. To create a functional disease I would need to give it a "manual" something like "10 steps to contaminate and kill your target". If I didn''t provide this information, the disease would just act like a poison, trying to invade the body and spread everywhere. But my tests with plants showed that if I gave the spell a focus, a purpose, it would try to fulfill that purpose. It''s like digging a trench for a river, if everything goes well it will follow the defined path, but it is still possible for detours to occur and parts of the path to be ignored if they are not well prepared. And I had a good understanding of how diseases worked. I wasn''t a specialist, my mother wanted me to be a doctor, and I think I could have been a microbiologist in another life, but now, I wasn''t a layman in the area of diseases. For a disease to successfully infect its target, it had to remain anonymous, grow, spread throughout the body without the target noticing. And only then start killing it, creating a lethal disease would be of no use if it were quick to act, the disease would not spread, and it would die along with the host. Now if I created a disease that focused on tricking the body, on saying "everything is fine, nothing wrong here", while it spreads and builds strength, then I would have a lethal disease, that disease could spread to multiple targets, whether by touch, blood, an intermediary, or even air. But my experiments with some plants showed me that diseases didn''t have such a big impact, at least my diseases did. I had a room full of mini roses, only 1 was contaminated, and the rest were left in a healthy state. Within a few days, the roses closest to the infected plant began to show the same symptoms, yellowing leaves, deformities, and loss of color. After a few more days, another group of flowers became infected, but this time the effects were smaller, as if they were learning to fight the disease before they even had the disease. And after a few more days no other roses were contaminated, the disease died. The roses that suffered from the disease and did not die were left with the mark of the disease, but were growing back as if nothing had ever happened. This seemed to be some kind of communication between the plants, as if they were saying to each other "HEY! That guy is sick! Get ready for what''s coming!". After some tests we confirmed that the plants could adapt to diseases. Some plants would die from the disease, but before dying they would send messages to other nearby plants about the danger of the disease. In our tests, we placed a silk net around a contaminated rose, waited a few days, and then contaminated all the roses, but after a few days the group of plants had still managed to survive and defeat the disease. In another test, we placed all the mini roses in wax vases, and contaminated a single plant. This time around 40% of the entire group died from the disease, but the last few remaining managed to defeat the disease. And in the last test, we infected a single rose, and we put up a net. When this rose presented an advanced stage of the disease, we released the net, and more than 90% of the roses died after a few days. The disease needed time alone, to "ferment" and prepare to wreak havoc, without that period of time it would become weak. But if the disease was discovered early, the group could gain immunity against it, which wasn''t good news for me. ''What do I do? In principle it''s easy, the disease just need to hide, multiply, spread, and then kill the current host. But how the hell do I put all these commands into one spell!?'' ''-Why not start small, mom? You can try to create diseases capable of just killing the target.'' My secretary said. ''But then I wouldn''t gain much Xp, and I would waste Mp on a single target...'' ''Not exactly a problem right? That''s what we have mana batteries for, couldn''t you just create poisoned weapons for the soldiers? Like toxic thorns, or spears with infectious tips?'' Said Emi, my personal secretary. ''It could work... That way the soldiers wouldn''t need to focus on killing the target, just making sure he was injured...'' Following Emi''s idea, I ask one of the spearmen to bring me his thorn, I ask for some silk from the weavers, and wax for the builders. I wrap the stinger, which looks like a small piece of metal, in silk, leaving only the lethal tip sticking out. I glue everything together with a little carpenters'' glue, and create a part made of wax where the spearman would grab the harpoon. Then I focus my [Tainted Touch] spell and try to create a spell that will definitely kill the target. After the black aura forms over my claws, I touch the tip of the spear and see it turning a metallic gray to a jet black.
[Warning]
You have created the weapon [Infected Spike].
''Wow! I really can create an weapon!'' [news] This is a bonus chapter just to say that the copy was taken from the series, now I feel more relaxed to continue the work without worrying about someone pressing Ctrl + C on my work, I know that the story has some flaws, ( Maybe more than a few). But I''m satisfied with my first story ever created, the slow pace of the story will continue for a long time, because I always hated that "50 chapters and Mc has already become a god in search of the Harem.". I''m focusing on creating things like my own spell system in the world, and racking my brains to tie it all together. You have no idea how many discarded chapters this story has, I''ve already discarded so many timelines that sometimes I get confused with which one is canonical. [/news] Chapter 52: Who’s the idiot now? The weapon [Infected Thorn] wasn''t that great. The thorn could not cause a disease, only infect wounds and ensure that the target would have an exposed and infected wound. That sounds good, but if a target dies 3-4 days or weeks after we hurt them, would we still gain XP? Doesn''t letting a target escape just make it easier for the next predator to find it? I was a little upset with the weapon, the thorn lance could only cause a similar effect to the [Reapers], but a worse version. It wasn''t a big deal for me, but the soldier was very happy, but I think it wasn''t about getting a powerful weapon, it was just about getting a weapon made directly by me. Few members could use weapons, Hans had his blades, but they grew directly from his forearms, similar to the wolverine, and Trouble preferred to rely on his muscles rather than a weapon. The only members who used weapons and preferred them were the [lancer] and [Harpoon] who were the evolution of lancers, there were only 2 [Harpoon], who were in Hans'' group, and they were skilful and strong bees, with high speed and stingers that were very strong, and could be thrown like harpoons from their abdomens or used as bladed weapons. I want more, I''m not happy with it... I need to find a way to kill my enemies without putting my family''s lives at risk, and my [Life] affinity isn''t helping. I can help my boys lick their wounds after a battle, but I can''t do real damage. Diseases that seem incredible and lethal are only deadly and dangerous for creatures weaker than me. And my only other way to cause damage was with [life echo] and it wasn''t a guaranteed method. They had a lifespan of a few days depending on how much mana I injected into them, and if they touched anything they exploded. I thought about filling the throne room with bubbles, but it was pointless, if a soldier who was flying touched a bubble by accident it would burst, and start a chain process with all the other bubbles. I could shoot a jet of tiny bubbles that would pop in seconds, like a Squirtle with a bubble jet. But I could only maintain this jet for 3-4 seconds before running out of my MP reserves. So I was back to the blackboard, how am I going to kill my enemies without sacrificing my children?
Aurum - Year 1 {5 Weeks later } In the last few days we have been talking a lot with Hilda, Ciel managed to evolve in the meantime that he was with Hilda and became a [Healer].It wasn''t a new class, or an amazing one, but it was still something. Ciel also gained unique skills, such as [Friendship] and [Sensory Sharing]. The skill [Friendship] always allowed him to know someone''s physical state, in his case Hilda, the skill wasn''t that incredible, but I think that in a tag team fight it would be essential for the support to know when their ally is doing poorly. [Sensory sharing] was more explanatory, it allowed Hilda and Ciel to share basic senses, such as smell and hearing. But it didn''t cover things like vision and taste. The evolution also strengthened Ciel and Hilda''s "Servant and Master" bond, allowing Ciel to understand Hilda better. Hilda was a bit of an asshole, she spoke to Ciel as if he were an idiot or a 2 year old child, but I don''t know if it was a good or bad thing. Hilda spoke to us like that because she thought we had a more limited intelligence, "idiots" to be more direct, so she always tried to speak slowly and simply. This helped us discover many things, such as the market concept of this world, where we were, the general situation in the world, etc. But this also limited us to staying at the "basics". If we asked what the socio-economic situation was in the capital of the beastmen, Hilda would certainly know that we are not as stupid as she thinks. Sometimes it''s good to let your enemy think you''re an idiot, they tried to manipulate us from time to time, offering pretty flowers and things with no real value. But we were never fooled, we had a line with the kobolds that we wouldn''t cross. We would not provide them with healing from [Healers], protection from soldiers, or any magical resources and things like that. We only provide items that are easy to produce, such as honey, wax, silk and things like that. The most valuable items we ever gave to the kobolds were healing jelly, and some life essence. And from this we discovered that bees that can heal and produce healing items is not common. In fact, healing items and healing magic were not common, it was usually all monopolized by this so called "church of the morning", or secret items produced by the elves. Healing a wound or granting "disease and immunity boost" was not even close to being common, it was so rare that it could be considered a "divine" gift. This was good and bad, with this we kind of "confirmed" our identity as envoys of the kobold God, but on the other hand I can''t shake the idea that someone might try to ''domesticate'' me, to get healing items for free. Ciel''s evolution brought a wave of happiness in the Kobol village, Hilda was not allowed to leave the cave, but some friends could still come from time to time, and they were all impressed with Ciel, trying to caress him and even touch. Ciel kind of became a "Living Proof" that we were they saviors. They even started planting flowers, building charms that they hung on doors that reminded us of us, praying more often and even bringing some good offerings! I didn''t really like how we were being treated, like some kind of deity, or guardian, but God! Now I know why all those stories said that the guardians or super devils asked for living sacrifices. These guys brought us some big lizards, birds, and rodents. All alive but totally tied up and immobilized. They gave everything to Hilda, who then placed it on a pedestal of stacked stones that she created, and seriously, I finally saw the use of these kobols in these sacrifices. We could kill those sacrifices easily and then gain a large wave of XP, a single kill of these creatures was enough to raise a level 1 soldier to level 5 and make him evolve! So we made a deal with Hilda, we would provide them with information, like where it''s safe to hunt and where it''s not, we would provide them more "monetary" help, and more food. But we would require the equivalent of 1 such sacrifice every 3 days, at least. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Hilda was very happy to accept, and now we were kind of collaborating with them, we could indicate when there would be an attack of Orme''s coming their way, teach them about herbs and plants. We could even teach them about farming and livestock, about manufacturing and crafts, and we could also learn from them. Hilda didn''t have spells, but her leader did. And he was more than willing to show us his spell, through a group of spell casters surrounded by a swarm of soldiers, I could see Onix''s spell. His spell allowed him to control shadows. Literally taking the shadow out of something or creating shadows that defied the light. It didn''t seem useful to me. But Hilda explained that Onix couldn''t just manipulate shadows, he could also cover himself with them. Becoming imperceptible in the dark. It was very useful in battles in poorly lit places, or to mislead the enemy. We didn''t know how it worked, the spell only seemed to make Onix able to create or make shadows disappear, but he... manipulated it? He made the spell do more than the original purpose of the spell. We also discovered that magic users were not very common, but still not rare, and depending on their classes they could use more or fewer spells, but specialized and magic-focused classes could cast up to 5 spells at the lowest level. And it seemed like NOBODY cast spells from scratch, everyone just learned how to "cast" the spell and then used the shortcut. I didn''t ask why, but it seemed like people in this world believed that using the system was the only way to do things, trying to get around it or refute it was "idiotism". And to me they were the idiots, I don''t think it''s possible that anyone in this world ever tried to get around the limit on the number of [Spells], but it seemed like everyone accepted that, and just tried to get more powerful spells, and didn''t try to increase its variety. It could also be that this is exclusive to Kobolds, but it didn''t seem like it, they said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but I still needed to talk to other species to be sure.
What can mana do? Mana appears to be an infinite energy of mysterious origin, it fills everything in the world, and yet remains stable and pure. Mana tends to be pure, I can say that at least, the world''s mana has a well-defined light blue tone, and it looks like smoke that flies through the world without purpose. I couldn''t see with my eyes, but I could draw from the spellcasters memories. But the thing is: Mana doesn''t stay pure forever. The natural mana of the world does not have any affinity, or purpose, but when the mana acquired an affinity it would become "intelligent", the mana would start to have desires, purposes, functionalities. I can only study my own living mana, but just by looking at it I can see, its natural purpose is to heal, fix and strengthen life. But if she were distorted, commanded to do other things, she could go from a warm and gentle little lady, to a horrible demon. It could cause you illnesses, deformities, debuffs, suck your vitality and even weaken you. But for that she charged a price, trying to make the mana follow a purpose different from its original purpose was like "making a ball fall upwards", normally it should be impossible for you to do that, but this here is magic, as long you are willing in paying a price you can change it. I can''t make flames appear in the palms of my hands, I can''t make stone golems rise from the ground, and I can''t create a wave that will sweep my enemies away. But I can kill you without you even knowing how. My latest research brought me back to testing with Wappos, I was trying to create a new version of a spell, something that could actually be more useful than [Tainted Touch], at least in the short term. When I started thinking about some ideas, the concept of life itself came to mind. What is life? You can say that life is the entire process of living, or you can say that life is an energy in our body that keeps us alive. Life could also be an "experience", something that must be lived, appreciated and enjoyed, but everything revolved around Living. And how do I make someone stop living? Do I stop him from "living"? Making him an invalid? Do I put out this flame that keeps them alive? Or do I make their lives boring and meaningless so they stop ''living?'' What does it mean to be dead? Isn''t being dead inside almost bad as actually being dead? With that I started pumping new concepts for life magic, and soon I could see little Wappo turning gray and lifeless, he was still alive, I could see it by his almost static movements, but he seemed... Empty? And I, on the other hand, feel great, as if I had just had a super nutritious breakfast.
[Notice]
You have learned the spell, [Life Drain], Do you want to add this spell to the [Spells] list?
"Damn! Boys, can you keep the [Tainted Touch] spell in your memories? I need to remember the exact way to create it to redo it later." "Of course mom! This is nothing to us!" Said a historian. ''That is good! Swallow this system! Who told you to give me a gap! If you wanted me to fuck off, you just had to do your job better!'' By choosing to learn the life drain spell, I choose to abandon my other spell, but I wouldn''t actually lose it forever, I would just have to recreate it if I wanted to add it back to my spell list. This may be boring and meaningless work for other people, but I have archivists who can remember the smell, touch, sounds, appearance, the feeling and memories that I used to create the spell, they were basically a document that had lots of information that I could use Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V to use what they have!
[Spell''s] 1/1
[Life drain] Absorb the target''s vital energy, converting it into mana.
''Fuck! That shit is fucking useful! I can kinda use a living being as a "living battery" it''s a little scary, but who cares?!?! Now... How can I make good use of this??'' "Bring me another Wappo!" "Immediately!" Said a guard. Soon a small Wappo was in front of me, fully tied up and armoured, without wasting much time I put my claws into his head and cast the [Life Drain] spell. I could see the Wappo start to become a pale gray and I was getting toast notifications.
[Notice]
You received 0.01 mana.
After sucking Wappo until he turned into a dry mushroom I only got 0.04 mana, the conversion rate was shit, but it was an attack spell! This spell was somewhere between an ultiliary spell and a combat spell, the only problem was that I would need to touch my target to "suck" its life, but I can also use it to replenish the base''s mana sources! I have hundreds of Wappos at my disposal, larvae and snails, I can use them all as live fuel for my experiments! ''Incredible! Now for the final test.... Boys, send me the [Tainted touch] spell.'' ''Clear!'' Soon my head was flooded with the memory of the day I created the [Tainted touch] spell. It felt like I was there, reliving it all over again, but everything had a feeling of deja v, because I had already felt it. Soon I cast the spell exactly as I cast it the first time, and received the notification I wanted.
[Notice]
You have re-learned the spell, [Tainted Touch], Do you want to add this spell to the [Spells] list?
''Suck this system! Who''s the idiot now!?'' Chapter 53: Show me yourself Aurum - Year 2 {4 Months later } In the last few months I have made great advances in the area of magic, I had the historians, and they kind of served as my "spellbook", I could send several spells to them and I would always have a copy ready at my disposal. I managed to create dozens of smaller spells, but the most useful ones were [Rapid Growth], [Healing Aura], [Strengthening] and [Life Infusion]. [Fast Growth] allowed me to make plants grow at the cost of mana, [Healing Aura] was a cheap copy of the [Radiant Renewal] skill, the skill was weaker and more expensive than simply using the skill. [Strengthening] allowed me to strengthen my body, and make it harder. I didn''t have much use for it, but the soldiers did, so I could bless them with [Queen''s Blessing] and apply the [Strengthened] effect on them through a spell. Now, [Life Infusion] was the jewel in the box. Normally living mana tends to be very "unstable", when I tried to flood an object with pure living mana I ended up breaking it, and when I injected living mana directly into a living being, I could grant a small cure, or cause damage. depending on the quantity. But the [Life Infusion] spell was a completely "stable" version of adding living mana to something. If I cast the spell on an item, and force a lot of mana into the spell. I could create items with life properties, and [Life] affinity. The most useful thing I created with this spell were [Mana Crystals] with [Life] affinity. These crystals could store living mana in its most stable and purest form. Which was pretty good compared to the old mana crystals. The crystals we were using until now were fragments of a mana crystal with [Fire] affinity. And this created a lot of problems when storing mana, as the container and energy were not "compatible", I ended up having to deal with very uncomfortable situations. Such as mana decay and mana corruption. Since crystals used to store mana with [Fire] affinity, these crystals tried to transform everything that entered them into fire mana. Its ability to do this was very low, and it was a very slow process, but this still "tainted" the living mana that we tried to store inside these crystals. It was like storing white paint in a dirty can of black paint. The moment we tried to use the mana inside the crystals we would notice the "corruption", for this to happen the mana had to be stored for a few days in the crystals, and there were really no big problems so, I just had to do a conversion of 2 to 1 when it comes to recovering this stored energy. But the real problem was mana decay. The crystals tried to "Expel" the living mana at all times, which made the mana decay even more quickly. So even inside bubbles and surrounded by the essence of life, the crystals would only last 3-4 days at most, and then all living mana would be lost. But now that wasn''t a problem, we had crystals with [Life] affinity, and they were simply incredible! They could crystallize living mana quickly and accurately, and store a larger amount of mana within them as well. And because they are "Compatible", the mana inside the crystals decays much more slowly, taking 8-10 days to completely decay. This made it possible for us to store large amounts of mana. And mixed with [Life Drain] I had a very stable and reliable supplement of mana! "Bring one more." Soon a large praying mantis that was highly coiled and tied in ropes was brought to me, so I cast the [Life Drain] spell and started depositing all my spare mana into bubbles that contained mana crystals. The whole process took about 30 minutes, but in the end I had a corpse of a praying mantis, and 1 bubble full of living mana. Plus a tasty 40 XP dessert. The system seemed to have an "anti-cheat system", which prevented people from gaining Xp easily, normally if soldiers killed that same praying mantis in a fight they would gain around 80-90 Xp. But my "dishonest" method took away the essence of the battle, I wasn''t taking any risks, so I didn''t gain the same Xp as a fighter. No pain no gain. The system was a huge pain in the ass, it tried to limit us in every possible way, and I don''t know exactly why, it could be a way to keep everyone in the world "weak" or a way to keep everyone "safe". But it seemed that the system was always the last to speak, and no one could argue. "Take the body to ''recycling'' and bring back a new one." "Yes mom!" The guards said.
Hilda took a few steps forward while holding what appeared to be a chicken mixed with a lizard that was unconscious, she placed it on top of a stone pedestal beautifully decorated with flowers, cloths and wooden statues. She said a short prayer and waited until a cloud of golden bees began to grab the "sacrifice" and carry it to the wax tower. Over the past few months Hilda has become something like a Shaman, we had redecorated her cave to make it more comfortable, adding a large bed, a wax table and shelves. There was no light, or many things of value in the cave, just a torch lit on the wall and some of Hilda''s food and clothes. The colony didn''t like Hilda bringing a torch, but I understood that she needed a little light, I know what it''s like to live in darkness, it''s not cool. So we didn''t make any requests to her, but she still had to deal with Ciel who was terrified of fire. The sacrifices of the Kobolds helped us a lot to raise the levels of the colony, we had dozens of soldiers in the 2nd evolution, and Hans seems to be approaching his 3rd evolution, now he was at level 10, but it seemed like he needed even more XP for the next evolution. We had other group leaders now, some who could even be included in the inner circle, like Jon, who was the leader of a group of soldiers specialized in defense, Aldy, a toxic bee responsible for the group of soldier bees specialized in poisoning, and Oscar , the friendly carpenter who had evolved into a [Woodworker], the guy could clench wood with his bare teeth! And he was very nice too, so he was soon appointed as a group leader. The problem was, we had to decide who was part of the inner circle, and keep that under control, if we started putting all the oldest members of each group in the inner circle, then we would already have dozens of members, but if we just put the most powerful This would generate conflict. Trouble was a 3rd generation member, who came after the workers who came after Hans, but he was still part of the inner circle, so why not accept other members of younger generations? This could end up giving the military department a lot of voice within the council, but the main problem was that we had to decide who was in charge of who. It was easy for everyone to say, "Mommy''s the one in charge of all of us!", but I didn''t have the patience or desire to manage more than 1,000 members in this colony, so I handed everything over to Steve, and now the poor guy was overwhelmed. When a group of soldiers had a decision problem, they would go to their supervisor, if that supervisor couldn''t handle the task it would go to the assistants of the inner circle members, if they couldn''t handle the problem it would go to the inner circle, and if they couldn''t deal with the problem they would send it to Steve, and only then if Steve didn''t know how to proceed, would he call a meeting with me and the inner circle. Poor little Steve had to decide what everyone would do every day. I thought they were more self-sufficient, but it was Steve who served as the oil that kept the pieces moving smoothly. He decided what we would eat, he decided where the soldiers would go, he decided who would have access to the life essence, he decided which project would take priority, and he was in charge of all this shit. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Steve seemed like a worthless secondary character, who actually turned out to be the emperor''s secretary, who was in charge of everything, the emperor (Me), was just a pretty image for everyone to adore, Steve (The Secretary) was the one everyone was afraid of here . Steve could make your life in the colony hell from day to night if you didn''t obey him, he wasn''t a tyrant, but he gave the most boring and disgusting jobs to the members who disobeyed him, like making hot-headed soldiers spend weeks at work as a watchman, or make little punk workers clean all the corridors alone. Steve was overwhelmed, and he was still the member with the most assistants in this colony! He had a total of 20 beacons, 10 archivists and 30 workers, helping him 24 hours a day to give commands. He even had a wax building that he used as..... human resources?, Monster resources?? Bee resources? The place was open all day, there were several bees sending orders and others writing down mental documents, they weren''t messy, and looked a lot like an office from a series like The office, only without all the comedy, the place was always serious, and there were various departments, people responsible for capturing the orders sent by the beacons, processing them, and re-sending them. Beacons are not very good at making decisions, only at connecting 2 or more individuals, so all the logistics and organization fell to Steve, and he seriously needed more bees capable of making decisions with him. All of his assistants could only help him distribute information, not take decisions, and this left Steve very stressed, he blamed himself for any delay that occurred in the colony, any mistake he was absolutely sure was his fault, and I felt very bad for Steve, this was happening right under my nose for a for a long time and I didn''t even stop to look, I should have chosen [Royal Advisors] when I had the chance, because now only Steve could lead. Workers, beacons and archivists still helped him make decisions, but Steve believed that because he was the only [Royal Advisor] he had to take all the responsibility. Because of this I put a lot of focus on the debate club, and now we had several [Royal Advisors], [Strategists], [Leaders] and [Administrators]. Most of the bees that evolved were workers, or beacons, so we gained more common classes, but a single specific beacon became a [Processor]. He could analyze several memories at once, and filter useful information, but he lost the ability to link other members with each other mentally. It wasn''t bad, this basically made him someone capable of noticing errors and correcting memories, he could basically end the "divergence" in memories, being able to analyze dozens of memories and compress them into 1 single version that would be "The most likely to have really happened." But since we had only 1 of them, it couldn''t make a difference, but if more [Processors] appear, we would solve the problem with memory divergences once and for all.
I''m having some problems with my sanity. I feel like I''m disappearing, I feel like I''m a "Wrong" copy of myself. Before I wasn''t... This. I was better, I was someone more complex, but now I feel as if my new self was just a shadow of who I once was. I was looking the newly built coliseum through Yan, the place was huge, and occupied about 30% of the 3rd ring. It was built in a curved shape, following the lines of the wall, the entire place was highly decorated, with large fortifications of wood, stones and plants. The floor was made with a alloy of wax and earth that imitated concrete, the walls contained poorly made statues of bee warriors. There were stands all over the place and in the center there was a large ball made of bars that separated the public from the combatants. The entire coliseum had 3 floors, the deepest part being where the "beasts" were kept, the middle part where the soldiers trained, and the top part where the fighting took place. The place soon became a favorite spot for soldiers, everyone was always very excited about the fights, and celebrating after victories. But without a doubt the place was cruel. Innocent beasts like little rats, birds, and frogs were locked up, armored, restrained, and drugged to keep them "good." They all had their eyes gouged out, wings and arms broken, and were kept on as little food as possible intentionally to keep them weak. All of these creatures were corpses waiting to be buried. They were cruelly used to teach new soldiers how to fight, used as easy XP for young soldiers to reach level 3-4. And used as test dummies for fights. The soldiers were cruel, they always were, they never cared for anything other than a bee. Everything else was just a bunch of meat and Xp. Or enemies to be defeated. And I was starting to think that way too. When I saw the "training" of the soldiers, through Hans, I ended up thinking "Oh, how cool, they are learning, soon we will be able to dominate this region completely". But I only managed to think about the harm I caused to all these lives much later. My old self would never hurt innocent animals, I was not a nature activist. I also didn''t donate money to animal rescue institutions, but I never hurt any living being purposefully and without remorse. I still remember when a hummingbird knocked on the window of my house when I was little. I tried so hard to save that incredible and lovable little creature. And I cried so much when I had to bury him among the roses in the garden of my house. But now, I can''t remember anymore. I can no longer feel empathy for the little hummingbird. My memories seem colorless and cold, I can only remember how the hummingbird wasted my time, and what an idiot he was for dying in such a pathetic way. I''m losing myself. Does the hive make me cruel? Was I cruel before? Does my [Class] make me cruel? Am I really cruel? There is a line that separates a cold person and a cruel person. This line is almost imperceptible, but it still exists. I never approved of the soldiers'' way of acting, but I never prohibited it either, so does that make me cruel? Hypocritical? Or a green tea bitch? Crying over spilled milk is pathetic, blaming yourself for choices that have already been made is pathetic. I can always say "I never wanted to do that". But I never tried to change, why would I? My life is better than before, 1 year ago I only knew how to cry and lament, now I can do more than that, I can be the leader that my children need, or I can be the weight that brings them down. If my old self saw me, I would run away screaming "monster! monster!", but what defines a monster? Am I a monster for only caring about my family''s life? Or am I a monster for being a bee with a human mind? Aren''t real monsters those who intentionally spread chaos and destruction? I wouldn''t pull the trigger, but I make a point of keeping my weapons sharp. I am no longer responsible for just myself, I have thousands of lives that count on me, I am a queen now. Hana has been dead for a long time, she was eaten by the fire and left behind in the stars, now I am another being, someone different. We began to observe some weird monsters coming out of the forest, their groups were small and weak for the kobolds, but they were powerful for us. These creatures that came from the forest looked like small blood-red boars, their fur was black and their eyes were red, and they always attacked the kobolds. The forest really doesn''t have a good reputation, even the small and insignificant kobold village became a target for these creatures. The only thing that kept them alive was our help and they preparation. We could warn them hours before an attack would happen, and this allowed them to prepare, and normally the monsters would have to have the upper hand in a fight of attrition, but since the kobolds had herbs and healing items provided by us, they were able to maintain themselfs very well. And each time they win, the kobold warriors became stronger, more experienced, and that bothered me. Our relationship was based on pure lies, everything would fall apart once they discovered the truth, maybe they would accept us and would forgive the lie, but I wasn''t risking my family for a "Maybe". It turns out that many members of the hive believe they are going to die. One way or another, if it were that easy to build a village within the forest, this place would have already been conquered. So it''s only a matter of time before some greater force, or waves of more powerful monsters reach them. But until that day comes, we are "Allies", we "protect" them and they provide us with easy XP. Especially now with the wave of monsters. They didn''t have time to kill every monster, so the swarm focused on the injured and weakened beasts, and the kobolds saw this as a big help, while we really just wanted the easy XP. Another thing was that the kobolds didn''t eat these monsters, for some reason I don''t know, they ate the Orme''s and the chickens/turkeys that they use as cattle, but they didn''t eat these monster boars. All they did was keep their meat and use it as livestock feed. Maybe the meat was poisonous, or some question of religion, but it doesn''t matter to me, as long as I have tasty XP. In the past I would love to help them, I would be willing to send bees to build their homes, clothe their children, and treat their injured. But today? I don''t want to have anything to do with them, I want our sections to be as narrow as possible, so that it is easy to cut them when necessary. We are not dependent on the kobolds, but they are dependent on us, and that brought me a certain comfort, I had the cards up my sleeve here. But I didn''t like how they were thriving, how they were becoming stronger, I saw it as a threat. And my old self would never think that much. It''s definitely the influence of the hive, I thought they couldn''t influence me that much, but I think it''s idiotic to think that more than a thousand individuals in your head won''t change you. They didn''t behave like the "bee instincts" that i used to have, which tried to force me to do something I didn''t want to do. They were just molding me, making me the perfect "queen" for them, cold, distant, and cruel to everyone who wasn''t my responsibility. I don''t think it''s bad, but I don''t know if I think that because "I" want to feel like that, or if it''s because the "me" now is too broken to notice anything wrong. I feel like it''s wrong, other people''s lives should matter, but I couldn''t care about them anymore, I couldn''t feel sympathy, or pity. Just an icy feeling of commitment and collaboration, I''m sure I would turn my back on them the moment they were no longer useful to me. What does this make me? Am I a broken vase? Or a bad mother? As queen of the hive it should be natural for me to only care about the lives and future of my own people, but as a human being I should be "empathetic", after all the ability to feel empathy was something that made humans into, "humans ". But I am no longer a human, I am something different, I am a cross between beasts, insects, and humanoids. I''m a monster. Chapter 54: Watch and learn Aurum - Year 2 {3 Months later } How long is our''s lifespan? It''s been 2 years since I arrived in this world, and yet I didn''t feel old for an insect at all. My kids looked good as new too, they were always healthy and full of energy, and this somehow''s feels wrong to me. I don''t know if it''s a bug in the system due to me being some kind of half monster/human/insect? Or if it''s all caused by my [Life] affinity. The affinities seemed to be unable to be inherited, but they still seemed to influence my descendants in a way or another. My children don''t have an affinity whit anything, but they still had this incredible vitality, very healthy bodies, and were always in their "perfect shape". There were no fat or out of shape people in the hive, even Carl, who is a glutton is just a little more chubby than the rest of the colony, and this seemed to be more due to his [Class] than his excessive consumption of food. I don''t know how to feel about this "Longevity", I may last many years, or I may not even die of old age at all, my life mana could keep my body alive forever... Theoretically. We still had one big weakness, which was our fragility. The soldiers were powerful in they own way, they know how to cause a lot of damage if necessary, and were experts in killing their target if needed. But they are very fragile, taking a blow from the enemy already hurt them, and all they could about it is retreat and wait until they received some healing from the colony. I don''t think it''s a problem, the dynamics of the soldiers and other groups seem very similar to a group of adventurers. Each one has their own specialty, and they collaborate with each other to make the best of the situation. The healers stay behind equiped with heavy armors and some potions, being protected by the members who weren''t fighting, while the tankers and ranged damage dealers would start attacking first. Then they would receive help from poisonous bees, warriors, swordsmen, spearmen and everything they can. We had a bit of everything and even more nowadays. We had groups of specialized soldiers now, like Jon, the leader of the squires who was a [Guadiam], he is a very calm guy, and seemed like a "Noble" to me, like a more peaceful and big version of Hans, you could see him having tea with his group of super pumped up bees from time to time while eating some snack''s. We had Aldy, a bee [Poison Prodigy], he could basically create poisons with the glands on his body, and coat himself with it. He and his group of toxic bees could be seen from time to time creating new poisons and throwing them at the distracted Wappos. Another group leader was Zack, a rare [Shooter], a bee that was able to create thorns and shoot them with his bow-shaped arm. He was basically the colony archer, and had a small group of bees that launch stingers and thorns training daily at the training ground. Ral, was a super rare [Battle Mage], we didn''t know that classes that where from the... "Academic" area could "diverge" s much at a point of becoming a battle class, but Ral''s existence demonstrated that classes could specialize in different things. Ral was capable of casting up to 3 spells by himself, he had less mana than a common wizard, but he was faster, stronger and had a skill that allowed him to think much faster, allowing him to cast spells quickly and accurately. Ral had a small group of 20 [Spell Casters] who also wanted to get into combat, and he had a calm and reclusive personality. He looked like one of those fantasy wizards who you know is involved in something wrong, but in reality Ral just liked solitude, something really rare in the colony, but you could still see him carrying parchments around the royal garden and drawing in a well-hidden place of his choice. With that we had 7 "elite" members in the fight club, they were called "The Lifeguardians", referring to them as the "Final Barrier" of the base. They were all very powerful in their own way, and had groups of dedicated bees, but it was difficult for them to evolve, they were all in the 2nd evolution, and gaining more Xp was a difficult task. For this we relied on the sacrifices tha the kobolds gived to us, hunt, and the farm. We also had the essence of life, which was mixed directly into the food, peacefully providing Xp to the entire hive, but it was just a drop in the ocean. We needed to evolve faster, and to do that we had to take more risks. I can''t fight, even if I wanted to grab a weapon and fight, I would be more of a burden than a help. So my only way to help was with support, I granted blessings with [Queen''s Blessing], and healed large groups of injured people with my healing skills. And i supplied them with weapons. "Fuck! This can''t be that hard! What am I missing!?!" I was now developing more weapons, I realized that I was not good at creating diseases, not that diseases were a bad weapon, but I''m too weak to make them really powerful. I could create a zombie Wappo, but it would end up dying early, or attracting me unwanted attention. So I was focusing on weapons. I created spells like [Hardening], [Wild Growth], [Poisoning], [Rot] and [Paralysis]. In practice, I can''t cast spells from a far distance, but I had [Life Echoes] which were bubbles capable of storing weaker versions of my spells. So I could kind of get around this stupid limitation of needing to touch my target to cast a spell, and just use weaker ranged versions. It was very useful to be able to cast spells like [Wild Growth] and [Strengthening] from afar, I could make a plant that is very far away from me grow very quickly, or send buffs from a distance. The problem was that I could no longer guide these spells, normally I can "Shape" a spell, manipulating it into something new, like what I do with [Wild Growth], in its purest form, the spell just makes plants grow quickly and haphazardly. But when I give it a shape, and purpose, I can transform all this chaos into something focused and stable, creating plants with unique shapes, or even choosing whether I want roots, leaves, branches, or stems. Now when I just used the echoes, they used magic in its most primal form, so I couldn''t use an echo to create an impaling thorn in the shadows, I could only create a bunch of leaves and roses that grew haphazardly. I really don''t know how I feel about spells, they''re so incredible, and capable of doing things that were previously impossible, but I always had the idea that spells would be "easier" to control. Just cast a spell in my head and the rest was history, but if I didn''t follow the spell at every stage, charging, casting and execution. The spell would begin to lose its power, becoming something disordered and chaotic. Now i was kind of enchanting items, but I don''t know if it can really be considered "enchanting". In my conception of item enchantment, you create an item that can cast a spell, or that has unique magical properties. But I was only making the blades poisonous, or capable of causing rotting wounds, and paralysis in the body. These "enchantments" were permanent, and they changed the nature of the item, turning pure white blades into purple, black, or yellow blades. Maybe it''s because these blades are a bio-product. I obtained the blades from Hans and other members capable of producing blades with their bodies, then I used other materials and items to create unique weapons. I managed to create axes made of bones, wrapped in roots and with super resistant blades. Shields full of thorns capable of poisoning someone, pointed spears with varied effects, and heavy hammers with heads made of stone. I used all the materials I had at my disposal. The [Wild Growth] spell allowed me to manipulate the shape in which a plant would grow, at first it was difficult to control, and I ended up creating strangely shaped plants, but now I can create hollow root structures, which were filled in with bones of dead animals, and attached to dangerous blades. I could use glue, vines and spells to hold everything together, and that way I set up the entire base. I had royal guards defending my door with huge axes, soldiers patrolling with swords and spears, and members of the "Lifeguardians" armed to the teeth. I also created some bags for the Healers to carry artisanal medicines, and tools for the workers, some sewing and knitting items for the weavers, kitchen items for the cooks, backpacks for the explorers, and abacuses, rulers and notebooks for the group of Steve. And now I was trying to create something for myself, I wanted a super badass magic staff, or at least a magic wand that would transform me into a magical girl. But it was disappointing, I couldn''t just stick a living mana crystal to a branch and call it a staff. I needed to deal with mana decay, as well conduction, usage efficiency, and utility. If I had a staff that only wastes energy, doesn''t help with casting spells, and is still ugly, so what''s the point in going to the trouble of having a staff? I needed to create something that could help me, something to amplify my natural mana, make spell casting better, or something that could store a spell. But as always, wanting is not enough, I needed to know how to create these items, I couldn''t just throw together a bunch of random, pretty materials and expect something real to come out of it. "This isn''t a game world?! It should be easier to create legendary items! Why the fuck is it so fucking hard to make anything! I''m not trying to create the elder wand, I just want a personal weapon!" For me this wasn''t working, the system seemed to make things simple, making [Effects] visible, giving us free skills, and cool [Traits], but he was a complete asshole when it came to creating items and magic. The system didn''t provide any help, I needed to create everything from scratch, if it weren''t for my "cheat" with the spells I would need to memorize each one individually. For a normal person this would be impossible, there is no way to remember the exact process for creating different spells. So it was just easier to discard weak and worthless spells and learn powerful spells. But I didn''t have that disadvantage, I literally had a mental spellbook, I could pull any spell at any time, I had a "cooldown" between them, which was the time to change spells, but I was still incredible in the magical area. That''s why I decided to focus on this, I''m not a fighter, I''m not a researcher, and much less a skilled artisan. I was a librarian. I know the right way to categorize books, and search for information requested of me. Doing research on general or specific subjects. This gave me a lot of general knowledge, but in recent years people stopped going to the library, and relied more on information they got from Tik Tok, so I ended up just becoming a "book sitter". But being a librarian in othe world didn''t help me much in this situation, if I had been a librarian with eidetic memory I could have created a super civilization of bees. But I barely remembered what I ate for lunch without the help of the hive, what about books I read years ago. If I had been a doctor or something, I could have made greater use of that damn [Life] affinity. But I was too stupid for that, and I didn''t like dealing with people. If I were a professional gamer, I might know how to use our resources better, create strategies and use our people better, but the most exciting thing I''ve ever played was animal crossing. Now, being a mage is a different story. I didn''t have the profession of "mage" in my world, so it wasn''t something anyone could learn. Was I learning everything from scratch? Of course, but at least I didn''t feel so stupid when something went wrong, unlike other fields that I''m sure I could have done better if I had dedicated myself more in my human life, magic wasn''t something I could learn in my home world even if I trained alone on a mountain for 1000 years. It was a totally new field, a shapeless block of clay, I can discover many new things with it, and unlike the people of this world I can apply my broken knowledge to all of this. Leaving the branch with a crystal hanging from the end, I go to my mural, the mural was a large wax plate, where I attached small tissue paper reminders, attached with thorns. And tied some stitches with the weavers'' silk. The mural had several small poorly made drawings that were connected by a red line with phrases, other drawings and notes. I looked like a movie detective trying to find out the whereabouts of some criminal. But all of this was just to explore new concepts and ideas for new spells. I had a physical book, made with tissue paper, and a cover made of leaves, inside the book I kept the name of each spell I had ever discovered, there were dozens of smaller spells in the book, like [Shine], [itch], [mana bubble] and things that I classified as being of little value. "So let''s see... A new spell, huh.... Something related to plants maybe? Life affinity will help me a lot in controlling plants, what if I tried to create an improved version of [Wild Growth]?" This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The wild growth spell was cool, really good for creating beautifully shaped bushes, or weapons from roots. But I still couldn''t make plant tentacles emerge from the ground and impale my target. Taking a random seed, I start to focus on the idea of creating a grenade. It seems stupid to compare a seed with a grenade, but that was more or less how the magic of life works, I could change the "nature" of something, as long I respected the "laws of nature". So no seeds that explode into flocks of birds, or plants growing human arms made of flesh and blood, I needed to respect the limits, a plant must remain a plant. So if I created a grenade it would have to be an explosion that respect the rules of this world. ''Are there flowers that explode? I don''t think so... There was a flower that would slap any bug trying to get its nectar in the face, but none that REALLY exploded, so what do I do?.... What if I created a wild-growing grenade? As soon I threw the seed, would it start to grow thorny roots and trap the target? It might work... Now how do I translate this into mana language?'' After a few minutes I can''t do anything but run out of mana, so I go to the mana pool, and start trying again, keep trying and pumping intentions into the seeds, until eventually they stop rotting and dying, and they began to take on a dark green hue with brown tips like living wood. "Success?" Before I could celebrate, the seed started to vibrate, only then I remember its initial purpose and threw it out of the tree where it was, and a few seconds later the seed exploded into a ball of twisted and hooked wooden thorns. "Damn! That was close! I almost got screwed on that one!"
[Notice]
You have learned the spell, [Burst seed], Do you want to add this spell to the [Spells] list?
Outside the tree, soon a large number of soldiers, and guards began to appear. Everyone started to investigate the situation, and after seeing that I was okay, the workers arrived and started cleaning up the mess. "Okay... This is dangerous, but still useful as hell! If I can trap my enemies in balls of roots full of thorns I can immobilize them without any effort!"
[Notice]
Your [Life Echo] skill has reached level 10
[Notice]
The skill [Life Echo] evolved into [Living Echo]
[Skill]
{Living Echo} Lv 1 Create mana spirits that can follow orders, grant healing to allies and damage enemies.
"Fuck! How incredible! I can create spirits?! Are there spirits in this world?!" I had been using the [Life Echo] skill a lot, it was my only way of casting spells from a distance, because I could put a spell inside them and send them to a place. This way I could cast spells like [Wild Growth] and [Strengthen] from a distance, and even combine spells. Because of this, the [Life Echo] skill was the skill I leveled the most recently, and now I had leveled it up. ''Being able to give orders to echoes seems incredible! So I could make them curve and even turn them into chase shots, normally I would have to throw the bubbles with spells and hope for the best.'' ''How does the system decide what to give me? I got something that I really wanted, and something that seems to be super useful for my area of expertise. Is the evolution of [Life Echo] a linear line, or are there ramifications? If I had used the echo just to cause damage would I have gained a more offensive version of the skill?'' Pushing my intrusive thoughts aside, I try to use the new skill, and soon feel like I''ve been punched in the face. I had created a small golden mist, but when I was punched in the face, the aura dissipated and I fell to the ground. ''Fuck! This thing ate all my mana, and didn''t even create an echo!'' Soon my attendants were helping me up, and checking on me, but I wasn''t even upset, just angry at how the system gave me a skill that I couldn''t use. Focused on using the skill, I go to the mana pool, and try to use the mana from the pool to cast the echo, but to my disappointment the skill needs more mana than I can pump into it. It''s as if the skill was a jar with a hole that I have to fill, I was a clogged and thin pipe, and the mana pool was a large reservoir. I can''t provide the skill with enough mana for it to activate, I just create a small golden cloud that soon disappears into the air. "You son of a bitch! Is this your way of getting revenge for the spells cheat?! By giving me a skill that I can''t use! You''ll see, no one messes with me, not even an entity or an alexa on a global level!" Pulling more mana than I should from the pool of living mana, I begin to feel my body vibrating, my arms burning, and something writhing inside me. Soon all the workers and spell casters present looked horrified at the danger I was putting myself in. Pulling more mana than you can process is idiotic. You will end up with mana poisoning, or damaging your total mana capacity temporarily. Now when you do this with live mana, you had the bonus risk of causing wounds to your body, illnesses, or deformities. "Mom! Stop immediately!" Shouted the spellcasters. ''Son of a bitch, you shitty system, who do you think you are to try to give me skills that I can''t even use?! Are you telling me that I have to measure how much I level a skill?! Otherwise I''ll end up with a bunch of powerful skills that I can''t use?!!'' Angry and not paying attention to my surroundings, I start to draw all the mana that was in the mana pool, which would be equivalent to about 15 mana points, the reserves were low at the moment, but it should still be enough to activate this skill. Soon the golden aura that formed between my hands went from a golden smoke to a more visible and less transparent form. Taking the form of a small mana ghost glowing in rainbow colors. The creature looked like a blob of golden mana, but it had an extremely thin cloth veil over it, making it look like a small cartoon ghost. It had a golden glow throughout its body, and small dots of all the colors of the rainbow at its core. "Suck- T-That System!" I ended up getting very tired from the process, and I could feel the poisoning symptoms hitting me like a mule. Soon I was on the ground and being surrounded by workers and guards. ''Damn... I overdid it, mana, it''s no joke...'' The last thing I remember is closing my eyes as more and more bees circled me and talked to each other. ... ... ... When I woke up the next day, I was back in my quarters, and surrounded by nurses and healers, who were being led by Ken. "Look! Mommy''s awake!" Shouted a nurse. "Ohhh!!" "H-Hello everyone! How are you?" "How are you? How are you?!! You''re crazy! You can''t take risks like that, mother! If you die, the hive won''t be able to maintain itself!" Shouted Ken, furious that I had done something dangerous. "I-I know, but it wasn''t anything really dangerous, just a little bit of mana poisoning, who cares about that kind of thing, mages keep getting it everyday and they''re fine!" "Stop comparing yourself to them! Mages are experts in magic, and have bodies capable of containing mana better, you''re not an expert in that kind of thing!" insisted Ken. "But I can be! I don''t want to be a botanical expert, or an administrator, I want to and i will learn magic! I may have been a little careless this time, but nothing serious happened!" "Hmff... It feels like I''m talking to a door, but if that''s what you want, I won''t complain. You heard mom! She''s fine, everyone pack up your equipment and let''s go back to the infirmary." Ken pronounced. "HEY! Don''t call me a door and leave like nothing happened! You shameless little shit!" Soon Ken and his group were outside my room, Ken didn''t pay much attention to me trying to reprimand him, and soon I was "alone", in my room. "Wait a minute! What happened to the echo? Has it dissipated? Or is it fine?" The guards looked at each other, and soon one of my mages came through the door carrying a silk cushion, where a small golden orb that looked like a jellyfish made of light and rainbows was floating peacefully. "This thing?" asked one of the royal guards. "That''s right! Let me see him closer!" Before the wizard could move, the little jellyfish began to fly across the room as if it were swimming on the bottom of the sea, and was soon standing in front of me. "Wow! You obey orders!? Seriously! Are you a living being or spirit? Or just a conglomerate of conscious magic? How is that possible?! If your body is entirely made of mana how does it not dissipate into the air?! Are you conscious? Intelligent?! Are you capable of raising levels, or rather evolving?!" While being bombarded with questions, the mana jellyfish just continued floating in the air as if it didn''t understand me, apparently it wasn''t conscious, or intelligent. But it was still a type of living being, but its body seemed to be made solely of living mana, and it was translucent like glass. ''Analyze''
[Status]
[Information]
Life: 1.2 Wis: 0
Vit: 2.2 Int: 0.1
Spr: 3.1 Str: 0
Mana: 2.6 Affinity: Life
[Description]
A smaller echo of mana, it can be commanded and used to carry spells, soon as its mana reserve is exhausted it will disappear
"Wow! You have a status?... A different one from mine, you don''t have some statistics, and you seem to be weak and fragile... No skills, traits, or anything like that, just a description... And your mana It''s also ending." The little thing didn''t seem to care about my words, and just floated calmly in front of me, it was a kind of "mana spirit", but I don''t know if it can be called a living being, if it weren''t for the statistics I wouldn''t even think of it as a creature. The existence of this creature refuted all my theories about mana until now, its body was made entirely of living mana, and did not decay, it seemed to be "burning" living mana to stay active, but it was not dissolving, the creature also seemed being something between a spirit and a living being, but without a body. Its existence fascinated me, I tried many times to make the mana become stable and stop decaying, but everything seemed just a useless effort, I tried to make living beings out of just living mana, but without any success, I wanted to give intentions, and sentience the mana, but it seemed that the mana was just pure energy, and there is no way to give consciousness to the energy. But here it is. A mana spirit, with its entire body made of mana in a stable form, that is more or less alive, and seemed to be conscious enough to follow orders. "How the hell do I make a spell that can replicate you?!" The mana jellyfish was the result of a [Skill] so it was something that I just had to pay a fee in mana to the System and could use quickly and efficiently. Now, if I were to try to replicate this same phenomenon, through a spell. I would have no idea how to do that. "Do you like laughing in my face?! Rubbing right in front of me that you can do a better job than me!?! Do you really think I won''t find out how you did it!? Shameless system, I''ll find out all your secrets." "Call all the wizards! And some historians, I want to find out everything I can about this guy!" "Yes mom!" The guards said. After a few moments the doors to my room opened, and from there came dozens of wizards carrying parchment, ink, brushes and some magical equipment that they had created, such as mana crystals, flowers that reacted to live mana in the environment, and some bubbles. carrying crystals of living mana. Beside them were 3 historians who walked calmly compared to the elforic mages. "Hello! Mom! We''re happy that you asked us to analyze this creature! While you were sleeping, we had already started our research, but so far it''s not conclusive at all" Said Max, my [Head Mage]. "Ohh!! Impressive, what did you discover in the meantime that I was sleeping?" "Well! We discovered that this creature emanates a slight aura made solely of living mana, we can''t tell if it is a voluntary act, or the result of living mana escaping from its body. We also discovered that it can pass through objects! But it seems to spend a lot of energy to do this, we don''t know if it can carry things with it while passing through walls, much less if there is a limit to this. We also discovered that this thing cannot absorb living mana to recharge its body, we don''t know if It''s because he lacks the intelligence to do so, or if he''s simply incapable of recharging himself." Max explained. "Interesting... Let''s test the recharge first, give me a bubble with a mana crystal." Soon I was holding one of the mana bubbles that contained a crystal full of living mana, I brought the crystal closer to the jellyfish, but the creature didn''t seem to care about the bubble. "Recharge yourself! Suck the energy from the crystal to maintain your body!" But the jellyfish remained standing in its place, as if it couldn''t understand me, or simply couldn''t do the task. ''Why? Should it be able to recharge itself, or does it need a physical body to do that? No... It could be that this creature just isn''t made to live for long.'' "So for my next test..." Leaving the idea of recharging the jelly behind, I begin to use the energy within the mana crystal to create the [Wild Growth] spell. Then I gently touch the jellyfish, and I see my finger passing through its body, and the mossy green aura of the spell mixing with the jellyfish, making it turn from golden like the sun''s rays, to a super pleasant lime green.
[Status]
[Information]
Life: 1 Wis: 0
Vit: 2 Int: 0.1
Spr: 2.8 Str: 0
Mana: 1.5 Affinity: Life
[Description]
A smaller echo of mana carrying the [Wild Growth] spell, as long it has mana the echo can continue using the same spell indefinitely until it disappears.
"Damn! It''s better than I thought! You can cast spells, little guy! You''re amazing!" The lime green jellyfish didn''t seem to mind, but it looked weaker and duller, as well smaller and more translucent than usual. "Damn! You''re disappearing, your mana is running out, we don''t have much time! Bring a seed!" Soon a forest seed was given to me, I looked at the jellyfish that was almost disappearing and made a wish. "Create a flower!" I decided to keep it simple, the seed was from a forest flower, so making the seed grow using the [Wild Growth] spell was a beginner''s trick, but I didn''t want to risk asking the echo to create a cage of thorns or wood spears, that was very young, and was almost out of mana. Soon as it heard my command, the mana jellyfish floated towards the seed, and disappeared in a cloud of lime mist and glitter, which soon fell onto the seed that began to tremble. After a few moments the seed slowly opened to reveal a small flower bud, the flower began to grow slowly until it began to create a rosebud and stopped there, the flower had not blossomed, and the leaves were still curled, but still was a flower. "Incredible!" Chapter 55: Boredom Aurum - Year 2 {2 Weeks later } "So are we really going to help them at this level? For me this is very dangerous, we shouldn''t get involved with "outsiders"." Hans said. "I agree with Hans point, one thing is offering some resources without much value in exchange for Xp sacrifices, and another thing is send our troops to provide them with full-time support." Steve said. "I think this is a great opportunity for all of us, we can learn more about them, as well being able to increase our Xp receipt." Ken argued. "This is very risky, our collaboration was built on lies, they still believe that we praise this Astrawoul the god of something, soon as they discover that we know nothing about this god they may revolt against us." Said Carl while eating a snack. "I don''t think that''s possible, they think of us as stupid beasts, so we can continue with this role as servants of Astrawoul, as beasts they shouldn''t expect us to create churches and pray every day, just our appearance and powers should be enough to convince them." Miles said. "But if we start getting involved with them, they''ll soon find out that we''re not as stupid as they think, so what will we do?" Hans asked. "To begin with... What is a god? So, I know they are powerful beings, or something like that, but are they something else in this world?" Yan asked. "I don''t know... But where are you trying to go with this?" Steve asked. "If Gods are tangible beings in this world, powerfull being that are always watching over us, I think it will be very difficult to invent a lie that lasts for a long time, but if Gods are like "fables" and "beings to be praised", entities that are not tangible. We can make up whatever lies we want, we can say that Astrawoul created us for the sole purpose of protecting these lands, or something like that. And no one other than Astrawoul himself could come here and say that we are lying." Yan specified. "That... It could work, lies built with more lies, to the point of becoming a truth. Only someone who is capable of identifying lies, or can speak directly to this god could discover the truth." Steve said. "That way we wouldn''t have to continue with this stupid act of pretending to be stupid, and we could fulfill mom''s wishes." Miles said. All this discussion was now happening because I desperately wanted to hold on to what I had left of humanity, so I decided that I would help the kobolds without any ulterior motives. I wanted to see them thrive and grow, so they could be my anchor, something that keeps "Hana" alive. The problem with this was that our relationship started with lies, and now we only had the option to keep lying, lies are like snowballs, they keep growing and growing, until one day you can''t go back, your only option is to continue lying, creating better versions of that lie, and refining them until they are perfect. We were afraid to tell bigger lies to the kobolds, because our lie was so blatant and shameless, that it seemed impossible to remain covered for long, but if this world really has no gods present, then who cares about a little lie here and there? ? So we debated what the new lie would be, we interviewed Hilda, we did research, we probed and analyzed everything we could, and with that we discovered that the gods of this world were not really present. According to Hilda, the gods were sitting on the clouds, just looking at everyone and looking for our good. They were entities capable of granting unique [Classes] and powerful [Skills] to their followers, but they weren''t really here, they were somewhere "in the clouds". This confirmed our suspicions that gods weren''t really scary as they seemed, from the beginning I thought that some god or entity had made me reincarnate in this world, and they were out there, just looking at me and laughing at my misery, but It seems that gods have more important matters to resolve. When Ciel asked Hilda why the gods didn''t make public appearances, Hilda said that her god was always watching, every beast, every animal and monster were Astrawoul''s eyes, they were his messengers, but it seemed more like an "God is watching" thing for me, Hilda also told us that other gods were inferior, and weaker than Astrawoul, but I think it''s just something Hilda believes in. Because of this information, we now had a plan, soon as I evolved, and the hive "acquired greater intelligence", we would tell the kobolds that we were created by Astrawoul for the sole purpose of growing. We didn''t know the meaning of this, or why we were asked to do this, but we had to grow, we had to expand and prosper. Keeping things vague helps a little, so we opted for that, we could then continue with the lie, and we could live with the kobolds, we didn''t need to know about Astrawoul''s "graces", because we were beasts, and if Hilda told us about his texts We could learn a lot about this world, after all you need to understand religion to understand things like the history, economy and politics of a nation. So I would happily devour any scrap of information Hilda was willing to spew. The problem now was for me to evolve, it''s been so long since I last evolved, and I''m still only at level 12, I spent all my XP creating [Life Drops] and that''s why I hadn''t achieved much until now, But it was worth it for me, because everyone in the hive had already gone through at least the 1st evolution. I also got level 4 in [Life Exchange], and a lot of amazing data on the potential of life essence. Now, in terms of personal growth? I was very late, as the queen of the hive, I earn a small amount of Xp from everyone in the hive, but I end up distributing a lot of this, since I''m just a supporter i focused more on the growth of Lifeguardians and unique members like Steve and Ken. To solve this I had to resort to more desperate methods, using the [Life Drain] spell on living creatures, such as aphids, crickets, mantises, and Wappos. Then I used all the mana I could to grant blessings and buffs to my soldiers and continued the cycle, I could use a less lethal version of the [Life Drain] spell, sucking about 90% of the target''s total health and letting him escape with his life, for recover to later be used again, but then I wouldn''t gain the XP. And I said the kobolds would be my anchor, not all the life in the world.
[Warning]
Hans has leveled up to LV 30
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" now can evolve.
[Warning]
The individual "Hans" gave you control over his evolution choisces and now you can choose one of the options below
{Evolution options}
[Head knight] The Head Knights are knights capable of commanding other classes of the [Knight] type, providing group bonuses, resistance to collective control, and tactical control. Head Knights are also stronger than a professional Knight and are smarter.
[Mad champion] The Crazy Champions are units capable of accumulating sequences of kills and fortifying themselves with each kill, becoming increasingly powerful and uncontrollable. They gain high speed, damage, stamina and wisdom but have very low resistance and health. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
[Champion Knight] The Champion Knights are unicades capable of stocking kill bonuses and fortifying allies at the same time, but they have low speed, health, and sapience.
[Rapier adept] Rapier Adepts are units capable of causing explosive damage at once in a short space of time, but they have low health and resistance, but on the other hand they have absurd speed and high sapience.
[Group master] Group Masters are units capable of giving commands and controlling entire groups, providing bonuses and buffs to large amounts of allies and mental support. On the other hand, Group Masters have very little health and resistance and lose their ability to fight..
A few days had passed since the "Evolve quickly" project, and in the meantime I reached level 15, but no evolution for me. But in contrast, Hans became the first member of the hive to achieve his third evolution. "Wow! These options are tempting! What do I choose?!" As I waited for Hans and pondered my options, soon the doors to my room were opened by the royal guards, and between them entered Hans, a strong, well-toned bee covered in green blood and what appeared to be the visors of some animal. "Hans!?! Seriously? Why didn''t you take a shower before coming?! You stink to death..." "Really? I didn''t notice, it didn''t seem like a big deal to me, I ended up killing a weird frog and didn''t remember to clean myself up afterward, I was just worried about evolving." Hans said. The royal guards were really upset with Hans, they were soldiers who had dedicated themselves solely to protecting and serving me, voluntarily choosing to evolve into [Royal Guards] and [Royal Knights], so they were very zealous about their jobs and duties, so when they saw Hans entering and dirtying the entire throne room with visors and the blood of an unknown monster. They were very angry, but they didn''t say anything out of respect for their older brother. "Anyway, congratulations on your progress Hans! You are always the most dedicated in this colony! Thank you for that." "I''m not doing anything other than my duties." Hans said. "Stop the nonsense, take some vacation, have some fun, you deserve it more than anyone else, you can sit back and wait for others to catch up to you for a while~" "Never! I need to evolve more! I need to become stronger!" Hans said finally. "H-Um... But why is that, Hans? We''re not at war or anything like that, there''s no need to keep worrying about it." "I need to be the best, I have to always be the perfect example and the most powerful member of the hive! Everyone counts on me, and I need to keep everyone safe! I can''t do that by being so weak! I need more power, I need to be more strong!" Hans said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Hans.. You need a vacation urgently, no one expects you to be perfect, no one is perfect, if you''re not working enough, then everyone is a bunch of lazy people, relax, take it easy for a while, ok?" "But..." "No more, now it''s an order, when you evolve, I want you to keep an eye on the vanguard and the patrollers, don''t work more than 8 hours a day, and I want you to stay away from the coliseum for at least 1 month." "...I understand." Hans said. "That aside, which class do you prefer dear? I really liked [Head Knight] and [Champion Knight], but the others seem very... problematic." "I know! I definitely don''t want to be a [Group master], not being able to fight is more of a curse than a blessing, [Rapier adept] isn''t my style, I''m not the hit and run type, I prefer a fight of attrition. And [Mad champion] seems to be very extreme, I like the bonuses they offer, but I don''t want to fight like Trouble." "I see... So what will it be? [Head Knight] or [Champion Knight]? They both look cool to me." "After thinking about it for a while... I think I prefer [Head Knight], with him I can help my group more and teach the young knights, I also like being able to provide buffs to my brothers." Hans said. "Understood, then let''s go [Head Knight]!" Doing the mental excavation, I could soon see Hans falling to the ground like a ripe watermelon, and exploding into a golden chrysality with shades of silver and black. His empty shell was left behind in a pile of blood and monster visors, and soon a group of nurses accompanied by workers entered the room, the nurses picked up Hans with the help of some royal guards, while the workers collected the dirt and put it away. in buckets of wax. "Well, quick as always, thank you [Life] affinity, you certainly have your uses."
"So... That''s what?" "A catalyst!!!!" Max said excitedly. A few days ago I had a serious problem when creating a magic wand for myself, putting a mana crystal on a branch does not make it a staff, at least not a functional one. The concept of a staff is something that facilitates or helps when casting spells, but the "staff" I created couldn''t do any of that, it just stored a little mana (which decays very quickly), and gave me wood to charge a mana crystal without directly touching it, (something I''ve been doing for ages). Because of this, I sent this problem to the magic club, and they started thinking about solutions, I asked them to create something capable of facilitating the casting of spells, and they ended up creating a Mk2 mana core. The new mana core was made from a very small gourd that was loaded with an alchemical liquid created from the "secret ingredient", essence of life, mana fluid, and several other things. This nucleus was then placed inside a root ball and fixed to a wooden branch. "This is our newest invention! It can amplify magic, and make it work over large areas! The only problem is that it takes more mana than usual, and its effects are weaker, but we can still use complex spells in areas!" Max said excitedly. Basically this "Staff" could serve as an amplifier of living mana, causing all the mana that reached the core to be "dispersed in waves". As if it were a radio antenna, and when we used spells in conjunction with the staff we could create waves of magic. So i could use the staff in conjunction with [Wild Growth] to make all the plants around me grow slowly. Or use area versions of my common spells. It wasn''t a big deal, but it was still a big step forward in the magical area. The staff was like a "bell", the spell was the "sound" and the mana was the "hit" on the bell, every time I cast a spell with the staff the magic hit the "bell" creating large waves of " sounds", the problem was that like a common bell, if I stopped "hitting" it with mana, the sound would soon stop. "This is incredible boys! I can''t believe you managed to create this in such a short amount of time!" "That was nothing! This is still in the development phase, and is very unstable, if you give too much mana to the core, it will break and produce an aggressive wave of mana, and all the magical reagent contained within the core is perishable, then after 2 days it starts to decay." Max reported. "It''s still amazing! Do we have other uses for this?" "Yes! As the catalyst liquid is very good at reacting with living mana, we began researching infusing items with living mana! We first submerge the desired item within the catalyst and then overload the chosen item with living mana! The results are promising ! 1 in 10 items gain [Life] affinity properties, such as a flower that has gained the ability to regenerate highly!" Max said very excited. ''Damn! These guys created a more unstable and crazy version of the [life infusion] spell?!'' "This is really cool, boys... Anything else worth mentioning?" "Yes! I say we should invest tremendously in creating a more powerful and more stable reagent! If we can create a more perfect version of that reagent, we could submerge the mana batteries with that reagent, turning them into more stable batteries, and super conductive! We are also working on a replacement for life essence that serves as an insulator for the mana pool! Since life essence isn''t very good at containing living mana!" Max replied "Amazing Max! Of course! You can take whatever you need, as long as it doesn''t interfere with the productivity of other departments, you can ask for whatever you want for your research!" "Thank you! If that''s all, I''ll go to my room immediately!" Max said. "Yes, you are dismissed!" Soon I was left in the room with my guards, and the new staff, to me, looked like just a very large stick with a strange ball on top, but it was in fact a magical item. A true magic wand, even if it was an incomplete and flawed version. "Wait a minute... I''m officially a magical girl?!" I already had the wand, and the right sex, now all I need is a super cute pet assistant, and a cute dress. "Does Muck count as a cute pet assistant? He''s kind of a magical creature, so I guess he counts? I can ask the weavers to make me a super kawaii dress, and... What am I thinking? Seriously... " The magic girl bee? What would I be called? Honey? What a cliche. Hans still needed 6 days to emerge, I was at level 23, and nothing was happening. ''What to do... What to do...'' I don''t have enough mana to risk [Living Echo] again, I don''t feel like killing some more bugs, and I feel bored right now, I could create some spells, but I''m out of creativity. ''It''s okay, Emi! Let''s use this colony thing seriously.'' ''-Yes mom? What do you want to do?'' Emi asked. ''Send a request to Radyo, have him do a contest or whatever, something for everyone to create new spells for me, they don''t have to be entire versions of the spells, just new concepts and ideas. Things I haven''t created yet.'' ''-Of course, I will convey your request immediately.'' Emi said. ''Also give me something to watch, a memory of a bard show or something.'' ''Immediately.'' Normally it was useless to watch the memories of a bard show, because you wouldn''t get an effect from it, but I found it relaxing, like watching a video on YouTube or something funny on Tik Tok. Soon my mind began to itch, I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I was in the theater, surrounded by dozens of workers, and looking directly at the pauco, where a lone bard was playing a poorly made wooden flute. The whole place seemed faded, and surrounded by a gray cloud, but that was just an indication of memories being watched, everything seemed very real, but it wasn''t, and that wasn''t difficult to notice. You couldn''t talk to anyone, move, or change events. You are just a viewer. Soon the bard began to play his flute, the sound was somewhat coarse, and lacked refinement, but it was still a captivating sound. The bard''s skills with the instrument were real, the room was completely silent, and everyone listened attentively to the melody that the bard played, his sounds were slow and captivating, full of skill and mastery, showing all the time spent to learn how to play. technique. It wasn''t perfect, or even wonderful. But it still drew attention, perhaps the way a single lone bard played a flute alone in a sea of other individuals, or perhaps it was the morbid yet beautiful melody. But he looked so... Alone. Chapter 56: Inovations Aurum - Year 2 {2 Weeks later} We were all inside my room, and in front of me was a large table filled with dozens of bottles full of mysterious liquids and some strange items. This was something orchestrated by the alchemy club, some time ago they had fragmented into the alchemy club, artifice club and potions club, but they were all still sub-categories of the alchemy club. Because of this, I now had individuals working in all areas, some achemists evolved into [Elixirist], classes capable of creating unique compounds with their bodies and even creating low-level potions using their mana. We had [Artifices] Classes that granted greater precision when manufacturing items, and greater mana control. And a few [Potion Artisan] Classes that allowed the boys to create stronger potions. Because of this, we now had a lot of cool potions, most of them were useless, or without much value. But the alchemy club also created many other things, such as new materials, everyday items, and some cool mixtures, such as ointments, medicines, shampoos, conditioners, soap, cream and things like that. Everyone in the hive was very obsessed with personal cleanliness, so these products were in high demand, and a community washroom was even built in the 3rd ring, where everyone would go to wash, do their hair, and get a skin care. The most useful potions we obtained, and most precious items produced by the alchemists were here in front of me, and they wanted to present their discoveries directly to me. It seems that I am the one who determines whether a department will gain more or less "resources" to stay active. Everyone knew that the magic department was in full swing, gaining a lot of resources and priorities, so all the other clubs started making plans to get a solid position in the "pyramid". "Look mother! This potion can stop the heart of anyone who consumes it! This one can open a hole in your stomach, and this one can blind someone if thrown directly into the eyes!! And this one is my favorite! It can do something rot from the inside out!! By the time our victim realizes he was poisoned, it would be too late!!" The problem with the alchemy club was that they got too involved with Aldy, the leader of the poisonous bees. Because of this, they created many lethal poisons in collaboration with Aldy, and left other things aside. I don''t know how to feel about this, it''s always nice to know I have some poison or other things in stock if I need it, but I wish they focused more on magic and stuff like that. Each club had its preferences, the alchemy club clearly liked weapons, poisons and cleaning items more. The sewing club loved creating cloth items, from fabrics, blankets, and pillows, to plushies, filters, and bags. The cooking club loved creating new recipes, and they kept adding more and more pages to a huge recipe book they had in their possession. Fight Club loved... Well, fighting. And the communication club liked organization, keeping everything in perfect order, creating schedules, agendas, appointments and boring office things. I wanted everyone to focus on magic, because it was something I liked, but I think I can''t force them to follow my wishes, if I just focused on one thing I would end up running out of other things. The fight club was really strong, because they fought all the time, and they specialized in fighting. If I had them learn combat magic, and things like that. They would completely lose their efficiency, just like if I put the magic club to fight, they wouldn''t know what to do. Each club has its specialties, and I need to respect that. I may not like it, and I may even have my favorites, but I can''t just erase they dreams and desires to fulfill my own desires. "...Incredible boys... But you only have poisons there? Nothing more... Significant?" "Oh!! We have other things mom! This potion here is our test for the alchemical mixture that Max requested!" Said one of the alchemists while showing a pot with a blue label. "Oh!!!! Is that the mana insulator that Max had asked for?! You guys actually managed to create that?" "Yes and no! Creating something so specific takes time, but we are on the right track, we managed to create an alchemical mixture that regulates mana, it tries at all costs to remain separate from the ambient mana, and does not let it pass easily." Replied Jasper, the leader of the alchemists. "How does that work? I thought everything in the world had mana, so how could something that repels mana exist?" "Well... It''s not exactly "Repelling" mana, it''s just not mixing with the ambient mana, like water and oil, the problem with this alchemical mixture is that it "corrupts" the mana, if it stays in contact for a long time. with mana, it begins to "dirty" the mana, making it dangerous, and even poisonous." Jasper said. Whata shit, huh "Yes, to solve this we have to make this mixture more stable, or make it not harmful, the biggest problem with this is that according to Max''s tests, this "corrupted" energy can contaminate someone''s mana reserves, rendering that person unable to use mana." Jasper said darkly. "This happened to some of the mages!?!?! Are they okay!?" "Don''t worry, the tests were done with a battery of living mana, and this turned the battery into a broken battery, we still don''t have ways to store pure magical energy from the world in crystals, they all always acquire an affinity, or break the items, so all experiments were done with your living mana." replied Jasper. This was shit, corrupting your mana reserve was a serious matter, our mana reserves were like a cup or jar inside us, which naturally filled over time with magical energy. We could pull energy from this jar to use as we pleased, but if we "corrupted" the mana pool, everything was over. Corrupting the mana reserve was like throwing mud into the jar, as it filled up the energy you accumulated would be "stained" and your reserves would be lower than before. I once corrupted my mana pool when I tried to absorb too many mana crystals filled with life energy with traces of fire mana. It made my chest burn for days, but just like mud in a jar, if you keep filling it with water for a long time soon the mud will disappear, the problem is that you needed a lot of time for this, and never again could say that the "water" in your "jug" was totaly pure. "Thank God, I don''t want anyone putting themselves in that kind of danger, we don''t know if I managed to reverse the corruption in my mana reserves due to my affinity with [Life] or if everyone can cleanse their mana source over time. But I don''t want anyone taking risks" "Of course mom! No problem." Jasper said. "The next item is incredible, it''s a hardening potion!" Jasper said, pulling out a small avocado-shaped fruit gourd. "What can it do? Well... Apart from the obvious of course." This can be used to fortify the towers foundations!! Jasper said proudly. "Holy shit, I can''t believe this!!" We were having a lot of problems with the tower expansion recently. It had already reached 30 meters in height and 25 meters in radius, this created a lot of weight at the base of the tower, and so we used wooden pillars, stones, roots, and various things at our disposal, but it was still not strong enough, so we started to expand to the sides. The tower now looked like the beginning of a maze, with a super tower in the middle, and several walls erected around it, all of these walls were being closed and leaving the tower with a stranger appearance. We had 5, 10, 15 and 20 meter towers attached to the main tower, making the whole place look like a set of towers stuck together. And around all of this we had a wall to keep unwanted visitors away. Most of these new towers were empty, but some even gained owners, the main towers that were closest to the main tower were taken over by the magic club, which took a 10 meter tower to serve as a "magic tower", the 20 meter tower meters became exclusively the place for dormitories. And another 17 meter tower was operated by Steve and the entire communications club. The main Tower was still the biggest of all, and had some rings inside separating everything, but now everyone was moving and occupying these new towers. Making the main tower my personal property, full of gardens, infirmaries, nurseries, kitchen, sewing room, and more essential things. The theater, headquarters, lavatory, laundry and storage were all moved to other towers, separating everything according to priorities and accessibility. And of course, each tower had at least 2 rings, 1 for the proper use of the tower and another ring that was specifically for the soldiers. Every tower was still packed with soldiers, and that wasn''t going to change any time soon. The problem was that the towers were very unstable, even becoming dangerous, and Levi did not approve some larger projects due to lack of stability. This mainly affected the tower where all the machines and researchers were, because the machines used to be very heavy, which created a lot of instability in the towers, and researchers used to play with dangerous items, which could expode or corrode the floor. Leaving the tower without stability. If that happened everything would collapse like a domino, so we are desperately trying to find ways to create stronger, more resilient structures. Building with wax bricks wasn''t exactly very good, wax was a light and malleable material, but even [Hard Wax] couldn''t resist the pressure of an entire building on top of them, so we used branches, rocks, beams and roots to support everything, and now Jasper came up with a new solution, which was "If we can''t make everything out of wood, let''s just strengthen the wood we already have." I could make roots grow all over the walls with [Wild Growth] and Jasper potion could reinforce the roots, making them super strong and durable, basically gluing and fixing everything together. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Incredible! But does this potion have a permanent effect? Or does it only last for a short time?" "A short time! But!!! We discovered after research with the development department that if we water a plant with a potion, for a long time, and inject small doses of life energy daily, that plant would gain the property of that potion! And it was like that that we created this plant....Here!! Jasper said happily, leaving the jar on the table, and picking up a flower vase that was given to him by another alchemist. Inside the flower pot was a small tree, with gray leaves and gray gain, it wasn''t silver or sparkly, just dull, dull gray, like concrete. Soon Jasper placed the plant on the ground and looked at one of my royal guards and waved. Soon the guard took the lead, the guard in question wielded a war hammer, made from bones, roots and stones, and it looked like he was going to crush the plant. Soon he raised his big hammer as if it were nothing and dropped it at once on the strange little plant, but to my surprise after the blow from the royal guard, which easily made the wax jar where the plant grew burst from the pressure, the plant remained firm and strong, with only a few crushed leaves and small broken branches, for it the blow was nothing. "This plant is called [Metallifolia] and it is the first plant created with this new method! It is very healthy, and if we can spread its branches throughout the base we will have a "skeleton" for the tower!" Jasper said pompously. "Impressive! But what if we need to prune this shit? What will we do?!" "Easy, easy mommy!" Said Jasper, who after hearing my question, took a strange jar that contained several layers, and poured a black liquid on one of the branches of the small tree, then a gray and smelly smoke began to rise, and the tree branch gave way in seconds. "It is highly resistant to physical blows, but it is very weak against acids, and similar things, so it will be perfect for building the base, it will be resistant to storms, blows, accidents and weight. And we can prune it whenever necessary with acid." Jasper replied. "But what if acid rain happens one day?! Won''t everything melt!?" "W-Well, I think in that case not even the wax walls would help us..." Jasper said "I see, that''s incredible Jasper, congratulations, to you and your club. I will dedicate more resources to you, and if you want you can move to a tower of your own." The alchemy club shared the tower with the magic club, the two of them collaborated all the time, so it was normal for them to be so close. "There are no towers near the magic club available, so I would like to wait until a new tower is erected!" replied Jasper. "Sure, do whatever you want darling, keep up the good work~~" Soon everyone packed their things and left the room, and I was left alone with my delegation. "Is it time to start producing more members again? We are expanding a lot, and more labor would be welcome... No, food production has been falling, if I want more members I need to solve the food problem , but for that I need more mana, or evolve all the farmers." Food production was falling, but not because of a lack of flowers, it was because of a lack of nectar, the flowers only produced a little nectar, and even the farmers couldn''t make flowers spout nectar around, so I would need to use the spell [Growth wild] which would use a lot of mana, (something I don''t have). Or evolve my farmers, even more. I already had some farmers who had evolved, some became [Floriculturists] and [Floral Farmers] but nothing that would explode food production. "I seriously need a vacation. When was the last time I left the tower?"
I was in front of Hans''s cocoon, and within moments the cocoon opened to reveal a large, imposing-looking bee. The bee that came out was easily the most intimidating bee I had ever seen. Possessing complete natural armor across his entire body, four strong and powerful arms, and a slender, well-toned body. The bee had a scarf made of pure white hair and large, piercing black eyes. All of his armor looked like the armor of a knight in stories, but unlike common armor, this was part of Hans body, his head was surrounded by a fully closed and protected helmet, and he had a pure white ponytail falling in his back. His hands were adorned with super powerful chitin gloves and there were no exposed parts of the armor, his entire body was made in shades of yellow and black and had a large pair of wings that fell to the ground, the wings looked like a large cloak of a knight, with jet black colors and furry shoulder pads. "Hello Mom, thank you for being here to witness my evolution." Hans said in a deep voice that was somewhat muffled due to the helmet.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Hans Species: Radiant Sunbee Life: 32.5 Def: 14.7
Level: 1 Class: Head Knight Vit: 23.3 Int: 31.2
Sex: Male Stamina: 250/257 Dex: 14.2 Wis: 18.2
Mana: 10 Affinity: ----- Spr: 22.1 Str: 25.6
[Skills] - 14
?NEW - {Noble Retribution} lv 1 Use your Sp to deal a devastating blow, if the target in question is attacking your allies, deal 3X the base damage of the attack.
?NEW - {Regal Presence} Lv 1 Your presence causes all allies of the [Knight] type to gain a 10% bonus in attack and defense, if your health drops below 30% it causes a 20% debuff to all [Knight] status.
?NEW - {Bulwark of Muscle} Lv 1 Make your muscles highly resistant in exchange for 0.1 Sp per second. While active, your body cannot feel pain or any damage caused.
?NEW - {Velocity Burst} - Lv 1 Use 0.1 Mp per second to gain a 40% boost to your speed.
?NEW - {Unity Bond} Lv 1 Mark your allies with a group mark at the cost of 1 point of your total mana, group members can communicate with each other and share XP.
?NEW - {Shield Wings} Lv 1 Harden your wings until they are hard as metal at a cost of 0.1 Sp and Mp per second.
[Traits] - 5
?NEW - {Natural Leader} You were born to command and be heard, people around you find it natural that you are the leader. Because of this, you can think faster and make difficult decisions in times of need. + 10 Intelligence
''SHIT! Hans is strong as hell!! He have more mana than me, and he doesn''t even specialize himself in magic!!'' "Wow Hans! You look incredible!! You have become a powerful boss!" "Thanks mom. If you''ll excuse me, I''m hungry and I need something to eat." Hans said respectfully, not letting his hunger show. "Oh, sure honey, I should have brought some food here, make yourself my guest, and remember you''re on vacation now!!" "...Of course..." Hans said dejectedly. When Hans quietly left the room, I turned my attention to the easily forgettable Trevis, he was circling the kobold base, and he was basically my eyes out of the house. All important information came from the exploration club, of which Trevis was the leader. Some time ago he evolved into an [Infiltrator], a very unique class, which allowed Trevis to literally disappear, disappear from the map. He was inconspicuous, and people naturally found it difficult to see him or even remember him. He could walk next to you and you wouldn''t notice, which led to a few mini heart attacks in the hive. The kobolds were doing very well, Hilda and Ciel began to interact more with the village, and the hive began to walk among them, the place was just an settlement with wooden barricades, and poorly made houses. But they had lots of food and farms, they raised animals, grew seeds and built, everything you would expect from a village. They didn''t have specialized people, like blacksmiths or carpenters, it seemed like all the members who didn''t know how to fight had died during the trip here, and the ones that were left weren''t very good at doing that kind of thing. The houses were poorly built, the fences poorly tied, and the clothes poorly sewn, but they were alive, and they were grateful for that. The women of the village were looking after the babies, and the males could be seen patrolling, hunting or tending the fields. Their total number didn''t even reach 30, including the babies, so it was really impressive that they had survived to this day. Before I thought about letting them die, throwing them to fate and letting nature take its course, but now I decided that I would help them, I wouldn''t let them die if it were up to me, I wouldn''t sacrifice my children for them, but still I would protect them as if they were my own... Subjects. I could take over everything and make houses, fields, farms, walls and clothes for them, but then our theater of "stupid animals" will end, so we are limited to flying calmly around the village, and listening to their conversations. With this and the translator Ciel, we ended up discovering that everyone in the village was very excited and hopeful about the future, to the point of allowing themselves to have children. Apparently kobolds are not the type to make babies when they have the chance to make babies, they only make children when their numbers are very small and the conditions are favorable. The problem was that they were not in favorable conditions, it was dangerous to live here, and you ran the risk of waking up only to discover that your baby had been eaten by a forest creature. And yet the kobolds believed in us so much and had so much faith that they allowed themselves to have children. The most notable to me were the 3 children of the village leader, Onix. Each cub had the iconic black Onyx fur, and couldn''t be confused, they all came from different mothers, but the kobolds didn''t seem to care about monogamy. The first child was a boy with black fur with brown spots, who was called Route, the second was a small boy with gray fur and black spots, he was called Pinup, and the last was a little girl, with brown fur and a large black spot on eyes and back. The little girl was called Maple, and Onix seemed very attached to them, always taking care of them, cleaning them, feeding them or watching over them. Now they are the size of a 2-3 year old child, which showed me how quickly kobolds grow, and my bees could see them crawling around, while being watched over by older people, or pregnant women. I had been learning the kobold language. Well, I myself didn''t learn nothing. But i would give all the homework to a historian and then just download the content he had learned, but even so I managed to learn part of their language, all in preparation for when I evolved, because I had already decided that after i evolved I would go and speak in person with this Onix guy! From leader to leader. Chapter 57: Crystallize Aurum - Year 2 {5 Months later}
[Warning]
You leveled up to LV 45
[Warning]
Now you can choose one of the options below to evolve.
{Evolution options}
[Aurora Nymph] Born from the first rays of dawn, Aurora Nymphs embody the beauty and mystery of the aurora borealis. They wield the power of mana to create dazzling displays of light and color, weaving spells of enchantment and wonder.
[Twilight Pixie] Twilight Pixie are exclusive beings that dwell in the borderlands between night and day, where magic and mystery intertwine. They are skilled manipulators of mana, using their ethereal voices to weave spells of illusion and enchantment.
[Lavender bee] Lavender bees are bee-type monsters that live in large fields full of flowers. These creatures have the ability to create odors capable of causing hallucinations and can cast nature magic.
[Aurora Moth] These luminescent moths are drawn to the colors of the dawn sky, their wings shimmering with iridescent hues reminiscent of the northern lights. They flutter gracefully through the early morning air, spreading magic wherever they go.
[Crystal Bee] The Crystal Bee possesses a unique talent for channeling raw mana into crystalline formations. With each delicate touch of its antennae, it weaves intricate patterns of magical energy. The Crystal Bee are also known for their deep connection to the world, and close relationships with spirits.
The last months was very busy, the kobolds managed to stabilize themselves, and build a dignified and respectable village, with a large fence and some new houses. All the puppies had been born and now the women took on heavier work, such as taking care of the farms and animals. As well chopping wood and fixing some things. The wave of monsters was increasing too, it wasn''t anything deadly yet, but at this rate the Kobolds would fall in 2 or 3 years, but this wouldn''t happen if we could avoid it, we continued pumping resources and healing items into the kobols, and investing in their future, because of this they had several experienced warriors, and none of them had scars or wounds. Everyone was completely well and healthy, and they didn''t look at all like people who lived in constant war. Hilda remained in the cave, just talking to Ciel and sometimes hunting some animals, and we finally had access to the first version of Ciel''s dictionary. It was a little scary to be honest, imagine a cloud of golden bees emitting broken words in hundreds of different voices. This is what Hilda had to experience for the first time. The development of magic was also in full swing, a bunch of [Spell Casters] became [Mages], [Battle mages] and some became [Wizards]. The main difference between the two classes is that a [mages] could cast more spells, but a [Wizard] had a larger mana pool. And now I had reached level 45. It seemed like a super high level for a bee to have. But there is a balance between levels and classes, a level 9 soldier is much weaker than a level 1 knight. I don''t know how this works, but I finally managed to evolve after so long. And my options were tasty. "Do we really have to discuss this? Aren''t [Crystal Bees] clearly the correct option?" Hans asked. Hans had evolved into the [Head Knight] and went through several changes, now he had heavily armored natural armor, which made him appear to always be wearing full knight armor, he had a sword was made from shards of blades created by Hans, which were attached to the bones of creatures with my new spell [Bone Growth] that allowed me to manipulate the growth of bones like I did with plants. This allowed me to create more stable and resistant weapons, and gave Hans a weapon with a badass appearance. Hans was still smaller than me, but he was still currently the 2nd largest member of the hive, at about 25 cm, and I thought it was funny how someone with such an intimidating appearance could be an action figure for someone. "We can''t be hasty, the crystal bees look tempting, but what about [Twilight Pixie]? They basically imply that we would be able to cast spells with just our voices." Steve said. "And what uses we have for that? Don''t you think it''s a bit stupid to shout "Fireball!!" at your enemy? That way he''ll know what we''re going to throw at them..." Ken said. "That''s an exaggeration, it could be that the [Twilight Pixie] will provide a deeper connection with magic, making the entire spellcasting process simpler and faster!" Max said. We accepted Max as a member of the inner circle, because... Well, he was the leader of the magic club, and it was always good to have the opinion of really important people around here, Hans and Trouble could pass on the information to the other Lifeguardians, but Max needed to be here to listen and debate important issues. "But wouldn''t crystal bees do the same thing? They would kind of make us more connected to the magic of the world, plus they would allow us to create crystals! I don''t know much about what kind of crystals are those, but I know they are very difficult to create ." Said Carl while drinking some honey. "The "deep connection with the world, and close relationship with spirits" that crystal bees have makes me a little scared, what does this mean? That we are becoming more "In Tune" with the world, or just that we are becoming his slaves without even knowing? I also don''t like close relationships with spirits, who wants to be haunted for free?!" Ken said. "I don''t think that a deep connection with the world is a bad thing, in fact it seems like a good thing to me, if we have a deeper connection with the world, it is more unlikely that someone will see us as something "unnatural"." Yan said. "I agree, but why not choose things like [Lavender bee]? We could keep invaders away, and gain the magic of nature for free." Matt asked. "This is because we must seek a solution that aligns with our mother''s wishes, as the queen mother wants options that enhance the hive''s magical talent, and also wishes to help the out-... Kobolds, we must adapt and follow her wishes." Hans replied. "So shall we vote? Those in favor of [Crystal bees] raise a hand!" Yan said. Soon 7 hands were raised, and we didn''t need any more debates. The choice was made, now we would become crystal bees. Making the choice, I soon felt the kick of a mule, and I felt myself fainting, hopefully the new preparations that had been made in my room would be enough to contain my new form.
When I woke up again, I felt.... Different. The first time I evolved I just felt strange, like someone growing tremendously overnight, but now? I looked totally different, I could smell rot in the air, mixed with a faint sweet smell. There were mysterious lights shining everywhere, and I could hear whispers coming from some mysterious place. Soon I began to free myself from my chitin prison, when I came out the first thing I saw was Hans, who now looked like a toy soldier, and dozens of other hive members looking at me dumbfounded. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''Oh shit, how much have I grown?'' Stretching out of my cocoon, and trying to stand up, I ended up being relieved to discover that I still fit in the room without any problems, the room was 1 meter high, and about 2 meters wide, it was huge for ordinary workers, But I only had about 20 centimeters to go before I hit my head on the ceiling. Before I could inspect myself, I was struck by monstrous hunger, and to my delight there were dozens of silos full of honey right in front of me, so I just had to open them and drink the contents like a can of beer. After using up about 70% of the hive''s honey supply, I finally felt satisfied. "Brurb... Oops. Thanks for the food, my little angels!" Soon the whole room began to be cleaned by the workers, they removed the remains of my shell, and cleaned my body, and some soldiers came to move the honey silos. "Mom! How are you feeling?" Hans asked as he glided in front of me. "Well! I feel full of energy, but this strange stench is bothering me! What the fuck is this?" "Smell? What smell? There''s no smell here..." Hans said. "How not!? It smells like carrion, or rotten fish, how can you not smell that horrible smell?!" Hans looked at the guards, who seemed to share the same feeling as him, no one else smelled that smell. ''What the fuck?! What could this stench be.... That... Could it be Mana?!! Mana have smell?! I never thought it could stink like this... or is that because the mana in this place stinks? I can smell a faint sweet and pleasant smell mixed in the air....'' To test my theory, I start pouring some life mana into the air, and to my surprise it was exactly that, the life mana had a pleasant smell, like the essence of vanilla or grass, but the natural magical energy of the earth had a unmistakable rotten smell. "Damn! now that I have to live with this stench!?! I can''t stand this kind of thing, no one deserves to live in a stinky place." Deciding to breathe through my mouth, I stop to analyze myself, and realize that I have lost a lot of my colors. Before I was all gold and with pretty yellow details and things like that, but now I was mostly white, silver, gray, and black. I had a mane, which went from my neck to my waist, in a V shape, the difference with this mane was that mixed with the pearly white, there were mysterious sparkles like those of a prism, they shone like the colors of the rainbow depending on the color of light and this fur spread over my arms, shoulders, back and neck. My arms were thin and slender, and where they weren''t covered in hair there was only a deep black section, completely smooth and without cracks. My waist was shaped like a guitar, and ended in pointy legs that made me look like I was always wearing high heels, I had 2 large, deep black eyes, long antennae that hung from my head, and a small, delicate mouth, but when I opened it, she opened up from ear to ear making me look like Jeff the killer. ''Shit?! Why do I have a mouth like that?! What do I need to stick in here for it to open like that?! Crystals??? Because I''m kind of a crystal bee, so can I eat crystals? But this mouth are not friendly at all, it''s better to never show that in public.'' ''Status''.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Crystal Bee Life: 56.5 Def: 8.7
Level: 1 Class: Queen Vit: 22.1 Int: 31.5
Sex: Female Stamina: 250/270 Dex: 3.4 Wis: 14.2
Mana: 88.71 Affinity: Life Spr: 25.1 Str: 0.8
[Skills] - 15
NEW - {Appraisal} Lv 1 Analyze objects and similar things to discover their value, rarity and potential.
NEW - {Imperial Empowerment} Lv 1 Choose a target to grant a 40% boost to all Status for 5 mana points per minute or more, or grant a 5% bonus to all Statuses at the cost of 0.01 mana per second.
NEW - {Mana Control} Lv 1 Your deep connection to the world allows you to tune in more deeply to the world''s natural mana, making it easier to manipulate and making our reserves of mana purer.
NEW - {Crystalize} Lv 1 Use your MP and SP to turn things into crystals. These crystals will contain your [Affinity]
NEW - {Spectral Surge} Lv 1 Create a wave of mana that is capable of harming enemies and healing allies.
NEW - {Spectral Tuning} Lv 1 Creates a bridge between you and the spiritual world, allowing you to come into contact with spectral life forms.
NEW - {Crystal Fur} Lv 1 Use Sp to turn your fur into super solid crystal armor.
[Traces] - 6
NEW - {Magical Aptitude} - Epic You have a natural talent for magic, making you more attuned to mana. +50% Max Mp.
NEW - {Crystal Core} - Racial Your core is made of pure crystals, making your body an ideal vessel for the pure form of mana, but making it extremely fragile as well. +50 Mp -50% Max Life.
"Shit! I''m a super badass now?!" ''I can kind of see spirits? Have I become some kind of Shamam? And I can even create crystals! I didn''t know crystals were so easy to find.'' ''What the hell is the {Crystal Core} trait?! He turned me into a glass cannon! Well, it''s okay that I have a lot of HP to compensate for this, but if I were someone with low health, this trait would turn me into porcelain! But for me it was worth it, I gained magical talents, and maintained a high amount of HP.'' ''And what the hell is [Appraisal]?! Is it the evolution of [Analyze]?! Is that why there are rarities in my [Traits]?! And what do I do with that, I became an evaluator? It''s a very useful skill, but it fell by the wayside! I thought I would gain a skill like [Great Sage] when I evolved [Analyze] not something like that.'' ''But I''ve become a crazy bitch full of mana! I have mana to give and sell! The problem is this horrible smell that is in the air right now.... But otherwise I only see profit!'' "Hehehe... Let''s play system~" Trying to create a mana echo, I soon discover that it is much easier than before, and now I just feel a light pull being pulled from me, and when I open my eyes there is a prismatic colored jellyfish floating in front of me, the creature has easily the size of my head, and it''s clear as glass- No, crystal! "That''s it!! Now it''s easier to create more of you, and for my supreme test, BOYS! Bring me a pot of seeds!" "Yes!" said the guards. Right in front of me was a tall array of seeds, and the jellyfish was floating peacefully in front of me. Soon I extended my arm towards it, and invoked the [Rot] spell, when black smoke began to come out of my claws, it mixed with the jellyfish, transforming it into a dark gray jellyfish, with shades of purple and the appearance of petroleum in water. "Fly to the pot, and only finish off the lily seeds!" Hearing my command, the jellyfish quickly sailed towards the seed box, and began to emanate a black aura, rotting the entire seed box, then it turned around and positioned itself in front of me again. "So no very specific orders huh... Just the basics. How about... Ties? Are you capable of doing that?" "Bring a wax test dummy, more seeds, and some flowers!" "immediately!" replied the guards. Soon the room was filled with items, with Hans and some members of the inner circle looking at everything with interest, and a few wizards and historians there to see everything firsthand. "Very well, let''s begin..." Reaching out my hand again to the medusa, I cast the [Wild Growth] spell, but to my surprise the medusa begins to tremble, and explodes in a wave of living mana, casting the rot spell on everything around it. "Shit!" The explosion wasn''t big, but it still rotted the moss carpet, and made part of my mane dry and turn in lifeless strings, but as no one else was around I didn''t see any major injuries. "Mom! Are you okay!?!" Hans shouted nervously. "I''m fine guys! This kind of thing won''t bring me down, it was a good lesson to know that echoes can no longer carry 2 spells like they used to." Summoning another echo, I enchant it with the [Seed Blast] spell, and soon the echo becomes a pleasant-looking lime green jellyfish. I then place a seed on a nearby surface and give the command. "Use the seed to bind the target in vines!" Some spells like [Seed Blast] need "Catalyst" items, and specific things to work, just like [Strengthening] could only be cast on living creatures, or like [Pain] needs to be cast on something that feels pain. Soon the medusa began to float towards the seed, and sucked it into itself, leaving it suspended inside it, as if it were a mana bubble, then the medusa quickly floated towards the wax mannequin, and fired a colored seed with no exitation. Halfway through the seed already exploded into some green vines and soon as it touched the dummy they started grabbing it. But the vines weren''t surrounded by thorns like mine, and they didn''t even squeeze the target, they were just ordinary vines growing around the dummy. "So you can cast spells, but it has its limits huh... It''s not very cool, but it''s still incredible to know that you can cast spells indefinitely as long you have mana! Next test... Turn those vines into thorny vines!" Soon the mana jellyfish floated towards the wax target, and began to emit a green glow. As it glowed, wooden thorns sprouted from the vines, but they grew without direction and in complete disarray, some pierced the target, but most still remained outside, wasting mana. "You''re not the best spell casters, but you''re still very good! You can serve as sentries, or expendable members! If I could just recharge you... Then I''d have an army!" Army of sea jellyfish.... Made of mana! Chapter 58: Something smells bad Aurum - Year 3 {1 Month later }
[Description]
Name: Rotten Potion (Minor) Rarity: Rare Quality: Good
Created by an experienced alchemist, this potion is capable of rotting living matter. If consumed, the potion will slowly rot the target from the inside, destroying the target''s immunity and stamina.
[Description]
Name: Thornspine Axe Rarity: Rare Quality: Bad
Created by the hive queen, this mash of bones and roots is capable of causing wounds that take much longer to regenerate. The weapon gains bonus attacks when wielded by bees of the type [guards].
+2 strength +2 Defense -4 Speed
[Description]
Name: Life Core Rarity: Rare Quality: Horrible
Created by the development department, this life mana core is capable of attuning to life mana. The core can be used as the heart of [Plant] type golems that contain the [Life] type affinity, or as a mana core for other uses.
In the last few days I''ve been... testing my skills, and I ended up discovering that [Evaluate] wasn''t bad as it seemed. The skill allowed me to see rarities. Something that I didn''t even know existed, and because of that I discovered that most of the things we create are rarity [Rare]. Everything that was made with life mana automatically gains [Rare] rarity regardless of [Quality] so it seems that life energy is so rare that any item that was made with it is already an altomatically a rare item. I even tried to see if the rarity [Rare] wasn''t quite common, but I ended up discovering that basically nothing in our region had the rare quality. Only the [Ruby Cherries] contained the rare rarity, while the [Tears of a Saint] had the [Legendary] rarity. I didn''t know how to react to it, to me they were just pretty flowers with a special ability, but now I understood why the kobolds were so happy when they got some [Tears of a Saint], the plant was legendary, I don''t know what it means to be a legendary plant, but it certainly didn''t gain this rarity just because it''s beautiful and ability to heal a little. I also discovered that with this skill [Evaluate] I could tell if a skill or trait was rare or not. The traits were easier to say, they were already printed in the status itself, but the skills were something more... Intuitive, I could look at them and simply know if they were common, rare, or unique. It was more like a sixth sense, I could know when something was fool''s gold, or real gold. But the most incredible part of this evolution was [Crystal Core]. Apparently I have a core inside me, just like Muck, or a golem, but my core doesn''t replace my heart, it''s just an extra. It''s like the heart of mana, the core pumps and stores all the magical energy I have. And this new crystal core seemed to be very good at doing that. Using mana had never been easier, it felt like I had gone from an amateur to a pro in mana mastery, I could see it, feel it, and... Smell it. The mana stench was not because the mana was smelly, but rather because the mana in that specific region was rotten. The entire forest was surrounded by this greenish-gray cloud, and the smell that rise from it all was a mixture of day-old rotting corpses, sulfur, and cat vomit. It was simply horrible, and there was no way to hide it, the mana was everywhere. And the worst part was that I was in a region of low concentration of this rotten mana, inside the forest I could see and feel how the mana became denser, the stench also increased, I was just smelling it from afar and I still felt it making me want to vomit. "Bye-bye bad odor, you''re out the door. We won''t miss you, not anymore. So long, farewell, smell you never. With our fresh new scent, we''ll be forever clever. Bye-bye bad odor, you''re out the door~" Now I was forced to watch a small group of [Cleaners] completely cleaning my room, they sprinkled some flower essences, cleaned everything with damp cloths, and then placed some scented items, with soap, oils and perfume. They even made a damn little song to sing when cleaning, these guys were workers who liked cleaning so much that they evolved to do it with mastery, Peper, the leader of the cleaners, was someone lively and with a lot of personality, so he started making these little idiots songs while cleaning. It wasn''t bad, but it was still embarrassing to see someone singing while cleaning something, as if it were Disney''s Cinderella. "How are you now mom? Has the smell gotten better for you?" Pepper asked. "Not really... Unlike the air where we just need to close the windows and doors, we can''t stop the mana from coming in, so this stench won''t go away anytime soon...." The room was wonderful, the wax on the walls even reflected my reflection, they were so clean and well polished, but the stench didn''t diminish at all, in fact it was even more nauseating, it''s like trying to mix perfumes in a pile of feces, the stench doesn''t go away just because you put some good smelly items in, If it smells like feces, it will only have the acidity of the perfume mixed in. "Really? The room looks so nice to me, but if you''re saying so then it must be true. I''m sorry if I couldn''t help, that''s all the cleaning club can do." Pepper said. "Don''t worry dear, you did an incredible job, it''s not your fault that the mana acts like radiation and even has a smell. I just need to find a way to create a zone of life mana, that way I can expel that stench." "Alright! If that''s all let''s retreat, we still need to clear the magic tower!" Pepper said excitedly. "Of course, you can go, thank you for your hard work." Soon I was left again in the newly cleaned room with just my delegation. I really need to find a way to stop this stench, I don''t have the mental stability necessary to handle this type of environment. I can barely survive without my mngas, what will you say about in a stinky place 24 hours a day. It turns out that I already had a way to get rid of this stench, the solution would be to create a field full of life mana, in this way the life mana would overcome the rotten mana that is in the air, forming a "safe field" the problem was that I didn''t know how to do that. To create a mana field I needed to make the mana stable, otherwise the mana would just decay quickly and dissipate into the air. Basically it was like pouring water into a stream, even if the water had a different color (affinity), this would not prevent the natural mana from the environment from washing away the colored mana. To create a "safe field" I needed to create something like an ice block, a canoe, a shield, something to keep the ambient mana and my own mana in different "states and consistencies". "Damn system, I never asked you for anything, and I know I''ve insulted you a lot of times, but how about giving me a hand here?!"
"Sooooo.... Is it a magical wand?" "Don''t call it a wand mother! It''s totally different, and much less advanced than the concepts of magic wands!" Max demanded. Recently Max and the magic club, together with the research, craftsmanship, construction, development and communication club. Had discovered a way to get around the restriction when creating spells with a specific type of mana. The restrictions I speak of are in relation to the issue of [Affinities]. Normally to control life mana, you need to have affinity with [Life], otherwise, the mana will not obey you, and will simply ignore you, as if you were a total stranger or someone worthless. But now the boys had discovered a way around this problem. They still couldn''t manipulate life mana directly, so instead of trying to give commands directly to the mana, they created an "intermediary", the life mana energized this "wand" and anyone just needed to pour intentions and create a spell from scratch made with life mana. It was an ingenious way of doing things, instead of trying to make the mana "bow down" to them, the mages tried to adapt to the mana and focus on its most basic principles. Mana needed commands, intentions and feelings, all to acquire "form" and become a real spell. Now, when we added [Affinities] on top of all this, we ended up with an extra limitation, which was compatibility between the user and the energy. And to get around this, my mages created a device that could inject intentions into mana, without actually coming into contact with the mana. The entire machine was over 50 cm tall, and looked like a cone of roots growing out of the ground. The entire contraption was filled with root "cables" that connected to bubbles filled with mana crystals, all of which were then connected by cables into a large translucent ball in the center that was filled with a mysterious liquid. Inside the mysterious ball were dozens of crystals of life mana, which were wrapped in a tangle of roots, which extended from the top of the ball to the highest part of the contraption, that was just a pointed branch. "Does this shit really work? It looks like it''s made from a bunch of forest trash...." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The thing was mostly made of roots, mana crystals, replaceable mana bubbles, and plants. The only thing that was really impressive was the translucent ball, which appeared to be some type of fruit that had received extensive chemical treatment to achieve that appearance. The rest of the machine was made up of animal bones, mud, wood, stones and glue. "Of course it works! I couldn''t be bothered to show you a non-functional prototype!" Max said pompously. Max gained a lot of power within the hive. Because I really like magic, and Max is the head wizard, he ended up gaining a lot of attention, becoming one of the "Richest" members, having a personal room (something only members of the inner circle can have). Meals prepared just for him, and priority in the information department. He was becoming very arrogant, but Max always lived up to his arrogance, he always had a new gadget or method to show, and his department had even they own tower, unique materials and priorities. Soon Max''s practiced demonstration began, he instructed a wizard to place a single flower seed on top of the contraption, and came close to the super device, placed his hand on one of the crystals that served as a "control panel", and began to "operate" the machine. Them I could see the bubbles that contained the mana crystals begin to shake violently, the roots that wrapped them had golden veins that converged on the large ball suspended in the middle. So the liquid inside the ball began to bubble, and glow lime green, soon the crystals contained in the liquid began to glow the same lime green and the roots that connected the spell bubble to the outside world began to create green veins. After thar, the seed at the top of the contraption was flooded with moss green smoke, and from within the seed sprouted large quantities of branches and leaves, which soon gave rise to roots that began to curl into a strange shape, after a few moments I could see that Max had transformed a seed into a plant pot made of roots that contained 3 flowers of different appearance and colors. This technique required precision, molding the magic to make it take on specific shapes was not easy, and changing the basic nature of a plant was also not the work of an amateur, someone had to have a lot of knowledge to change the shape, color, size and smell of a flower, without changing its [Species]. "Incredible Max! That was wonderful!! That''s almost a magic wand!" The thing could make someone without affinities use mana that contained affinity. I think it shouldn''t be something common, people from this world with [Water] affinity shouldn''t go around looking for ways to use spells with fire mana, they just specialize in what they''re good at, but my boys didn''t have any affinities, they just could use generic, and limited spells. So this contraption that looked more like a child''s doodle was still an incredible advancement, if we could compact it, I could provide live mana for the entire hive, or better! I could have access to all types of mana!!! No need to limit myself to spells with life mana.
[Description]
Name: Yellow Crystal Shard Rarity: Rare Quality: Fine
This crystal is capable of peacefully converting the energy of the environment around it into life mana, creating life mana zones.
"Holy shit, praying to the system actually worked?! Those crystals are awesome!" I was so upset by the stench, that I started testing my new skills, and to my surprise, [Crystallize] had more uses than it initially seemed to have. I thought it would be an ability to create mana crystals, but apparently those aren''t the only types of crystals that exist. I tried to turn a berry into a crystal, and ended up spending 10 mana points, and getting a pink jewel that broke soon as I put a little pressure on it. So I moved on to another idea, the idea of creating crystals from mana. The Skill said I could crystallize objects and things like that, so why couldn''t I crystallize life mana itself? And when I tried to do this I ended up spending an incredible 23.3 mana points to create a crystal shard the size of my fingernail. It seemed absurd that so much mana had been wasted on something so small, but I soon managed to realize that the crystal was slowly pulling the energy from the environment into itself, and releasing an almost imperceptible aura of mana of life. Because of this, I discovered its uses, and I genuinely came face to face with the crystal''s abilities. Creating zones of life mana was not an easy task, you needed to stabilize the mana in a way in which it wouldn''t fall apart in the air, and this little tramp crystal could do that. "Oh holy cow, I''m going to make so many crystals that when I''m finished I''ll be able to open a Hipster decorations store." The crystals consumed a considerable amount of mana, but I had a lot of mana, and I could completely regenerate it in 1 day of rest, so making a ton of these crystals shouldn''t be difficult, after all I would only need time. And that''s what I have the most lately. Another great discovery was about the {Imperial Empowerment} skill. The 5% bonus was pretty weak to be honest, but the cost was so insignificant that I could bless dozens of soldiers before I started to really lose mana. I could also do something that was very useful with this skill. Normally I need to touch the target to bless it, but I''ve found that if a target already has the 5% bonus, I can instantly switch it to the 40% bonus at a cost of 10 mana points, plus the cost of operating the blessing. This was simply stolen, I could send dozens of seemingly harmless soldiers to fight a strong creature, and in the middle of the battle strengthen all the members of the delegation tremendously. This meant that the soldiers could completely turn the tide, because if they were having a difficult fight, I could give them a quick 40% bonus to all their stats, and when they won the fight I could change it back to the 5% Making my troops very dangerous and powerful. The skill just had one big problem not mentioned in the description. distance and extra cost. The further the soldiers would go from me, the greater the expense of the skill, and it reached a point that was simply unsustainable, so to be able to use the {Imperial Empowerment} bonuses, everyone needed to be within a radius of at most 20 meters away from me, anything further than that made the skill more expensive. Another thing was that I could only bless weak members, if I tried to bless Hans with the 40% bonus for example, I would end up using up my entire mana reserve in a few minutes. the skill never mentioned that "the stronger the blessed target, the higher the mana cost", but the skill was still very good when used on teams with several weak members. I can''t say if it''s a good thing or a bad thing. {Queen''s Blessing} didn''t have those limitation, and I could bless members indefinitely, no matter the distance, as long I continued to pay the mana rate every second. Now {Imperial Empowerment} has gained explosive power in terms of strengthening and utility, but has lost the ability to operate at great distances, the skill makes us a difficult castle to fall, but it also means that we would have to attract the enemy to our home if we wanted to cause harm and a lot of damage to them. Something that was absurd, the tower need to be a safe place, and free from enemies, so bringing enemies that could cause damage to the tower here on purpose was absolutely stupid. Another great Skill was {Spectral Surge}, which was a bright energy field around me, and everything that entered this energy field would suffer from the field''s properties. If he were an ally he would have his wounds slowly healed, and would receive an attack bonus. Now if it were an enemy, the aura would cause damage similar to chemical burns, in addition to causing confusion and discomfort. At least that''s what tests with Wappos showed. The problem was that to use this, my enemy had to be very close, too close. Like, 1 meter in front of me. What was an unthinkable thing for me and the hive, my low resistance, life, and damage make me a paper warrior, well, my life and defense are high, but that would only make me a tough punching bag. But I think the {Spectral Surge} skill would still help me a lot in a "final battle", in some situation where the enemy has gone too far. The {Crystal Fur} skill was a very explanatory skill, I could turn all the hair on my body into crystals, creating a super armor full of crystal spikes that turned me into a crystal turtle. The thing was really cool, and I looked like a rich lady full of jewelry when the skill was active. I had hair all over my body, mane, fur, pompoms on my arms and losses, and a bee-like abdomen covered in a thin layer of hair. So this skill was really very useful. If I curled up in a fetal position, and closed myself off completely, I could even disguise myself as a crystal, or precious jewel. The problem with this skill was that the crystals also hurt me, so if I wrapped myself in the wrong way I could end up cutting myself with my own armor. And now I was trying to use the most abstract skill of all, {Spectral tuning}. The skill seemed to turn me into a medium, or a gypsy. But I still haven''t achieved anything with it, and the reason is that it''s very difficult to imagine the action of talking to the spiritual world when you''ve never spoken to the spiritual world. "Is there a way to grow a little bit of weed around here? I think that would help me... I don''t know, my friend once told me that he saw paradise when he was high, so the weed should help me connect with something more spiritual...." Letting go of the idea of smoking a little weed, I start thinking about more spiritual concepts. Things like soul, consciousness, etc., but nothing seemed to activate the skill. "What to do? What to do? There has to be something that works, you shitty system, you forgot to give me a manual for the skills, is that what? Some kind of discrimination? I want manuals too!" Angry with the system again, I start thinking about my echo, the little mana jellyfish, and start thinking about deeper concepts, like the existence of a whole new plane, or a "filter" of reality that I couldn''t get to see. Soon I start to feel my mana receiving a tug, and a light appearing in front of my eyes. When I open them I can see many things that definitely weren''t there before, things like worms swimming across the sky, small glowing dots with stranger colors flying in groups, and auras and clouds of smoke that float peacefully in the air. "Is this the spiritual world?! This thing looks more like a SpongeBob cartoon!" The energy creatures in front of me looked a lot like deep-sea creatures, floating around and glowing. They weren''t oddly shaped like the deep-sea creatures, and they all looked like the childish scribbles of 3-4 year olds, but they were everywhere, from my throne room to my personal garden, just chilling or sucking the mana of the environment. "What are the use for those little bastards?! What do they do besides just walk around without purpose..." Determined to find out what these little creatures were doing, I went to my garden and sat down on a chair, while being ventilated by the guards and eating a drink of honey, I was able to closely observe the action of the spirits. The spirits were floating around in groups or alone, eating the energy of the environment and farting more refined energy. It seemed that the spirits were the reason for the high concentration of rotten mana in the forest, they could absorb the natural energy of the world and throw it into the air in a stable form, turning entire environments into mana-rich zones. I could also observe that some of them simply divided in half, creating a new spirit, they used mitosis to reproduce, as if they were cells or something. And I could even see some larger and more colorful spirits floating to the ground and entering it. It didn''t look like they were just migrating to the ground, but rather blending in with the earth, and I don''t know why. "These little guys have some relationship with the planet... They seem to be life forms that help maintain the planet. But why don''t they attack each other? Why do they enter the earth? And can they evolve?" I tried to analyze these spirits, but I just couldn''t get anything out of them, it seemed like they weren''t there, or I didn''t have high enough skills to analyze them. To test it I send a life mana wave into the air, and I can see the world being bathed in a golden aura for a few seconds before the aura blends into the world around it and disappears. This attracted some spirits that seemed to be savoring the remains of energy that I threw into the area. "Interesting... So you are attracted by mana... Could I possibly create some spirits capable of turning this region into a zone of magical energy with [Life] affinity?" Extending my hand towards the spirits, I see them fleeing at a speed I didn''t know was possible, as if they were a frightened school of fish. I try to pour more mana into the environment, and this attracts the attention of the spirits, who begin to absorb the energy and fart waves of rotten energy. "Damn... Where did these guys come from... I wonder if I could eliminate them from this area and I would get rid of the rotten magic zone? But what happens if I do that... They must be everywhere for some reason, what would happen in an area without spirits?" Leaving that aside, I try to attract a mana spirit to my finger, and soon I see a large purple orb coming towards me lazily, it looked a lot like fishing. You needed patience and a good bait, only then would you be able to catch the big one. "Come on... Come eat this delicious mana... It''ll do you good, I swear." Soon the great spirit began to eat in the palm of my hand, and after some time feeding it with mana of life, I saw it double in size until it began to tremble and split into 2, a purple spirit like the previous one, and a golden spirit like the mana of life. "Holy shit, now I see the advantage of talking to the spiritual world!" Before I could celebrate the birth of the new golden spirit, I felt SOMETHING look at me. It seemed to be very far away, coming from deep in the forest, and it seemed angry at what I had done just now. "W-What was that?!?!" Before I could process the information, I saw the strangely colored spirits floating up to the golden spirit and circling it in a wave of spirits, the strangely colored spirits then began to "eat" the golden spirit until it disintegrated into a wave of life energy. So when the massacre ended, the spirits went back to living their lives as if they hadn''t just eaten a newborn baby. "What the hell''s is going on here!!?!!?" Something looked at me, something from deep in the forest glared at me, and after a few seconds of trying to process what had happenedI felt like this thing had lost the interest in me and disappeared in the same way it appeared. "What the fuck was that?!" Chapter 59: Snow Balls Aurum - Year 3 {1 Month later } The creature that had "found" me on the plane of spirits no longer seemed to be interested in me, but I gave up trying to tamper with the nature of spirits. Whatever looked at me didn''t seem to like the fact that I had messed with the spirit. That''s why I focused entirely on creating the yellow crystals, I could take a crystal fragment and add more layers to it, making it become a real crystal. And with that I now had 2 stones the size of my hand, it wasn''t much and its ability to transform the surrounding natural mana into a life magic zone was very bad. I couldn''t help but notice the similarity between the crystal and the spirits, the spirits could do the same thing the crystals were doing, create zones of high density of a specific type of mana, but the crystals seemed infinitely inferior, their cost was higher, they couldn''t multiply, they were slower than spirits and they didn''t have a mysterious entity protecting them. The crystals looked like thrift store air fresheners, while the spirits were air fresheners from prestigious stores. I don''t know why the hell the mysterious entity didn''t like me messing with the spirits, but I wouldn''t be risking my skin to find out. The great advance of the last few months was the greatest advance of recent times, something that would change life in the colony forever. Mana programming. My evolution gave me a greater understanding of magic, and allowed me to visualize spells happening, which allowed me to understand more about how spells operated and what to do to make them more ''complex''. A spell was nothing more than "sewn" mana. When creating a spell you create these "lines" which then must be stitched together to create a specific spell. It was a laborious thing that required a lot of attention, and it was difficult to "tell" each "line" what to do, it was like trying to write a text without a keyboard, or without knowing what letters are. The language of mana was much more based on intentions, desires, and feelings. A "Follow" command should contain the action of following, not the word "follow". Mana didn''t understand words, so it needed to "feel" what I wanted to do. Basically mana was like an otherworldly programming language. The problem was that I was like a pyton amateur trying to write in a totally new and unfamiliar programming language, my knowledge of pyton might give me some directions but the 2 languages are too different for me to apply knowledge of one over the other . When creating a spell you needed to "program" it from start to finish, like writing computer code from absolute scratch. And that''s where the game of the system comes in. The system kind of saved a perfect "template" every time we created a spell from scratch. Creating these super convenient shortcuts. Without this "help" from the system you would have to "type" the spell from scratch every time you created it. The problem with this was that "programming" spells was not easy at all, it required a lot of concentration, intention and reasoning to make the right connections. So it was impossible to do this in the middle of a fight, and there''s more! It took me about 5 minutes to create a basic spell like [Wild Growth] from scratch, so imagine having to create a super powerful and complex spell from absolute scratch while you''re in the middle of a fight? That''s why the system "helped" us whenever we created a new spell, it gave us the option of saving that spell in its most perfect and optimized form. The problem with that was that you dumbed people down. I''ve been creating spells from scratch to test for weeks, and I find that I''m getting really good at it as time goes by, I can save the step by step in my memory with the help of [Memorial Memory] and the supervision of the archivists. So in the end I just needed to create the "threads" and sew everything together to create a spell. Another limiter that the system added was the malleability of a spell, when a spell is cast by the system it cannot "change", the [Wild Growth] spell can create different things, but everything is related to its origin with plants. Now if I made the spell from scratch, I could change its fundamental nature at any moment, and even have the spells transform into other spells along the way. One day I asked myself what would happen if I added 2 different spell "codes" to a single command, and at first the spell just fell apart and melted. But after some tests I managed to make 2 different spells collaborate and make them become something new. I didn''t create a new spell, I just mixed 2 existing spells into something new. What I created was a spell that mixed [Seed Burst] and [Tainted Touch], this generated a small black seed that had poisonous properties. The seed could grow black roots with purple thorns that would cause poisoning and infections. Now, if you asked me if the spell was powerful or useful I would say no. Because it is not optimized by the system, its effect was much weaker than traditional spells, and if I simply created a seed with [Seed Bursts] using the system, and then used the [Tainted Touch] spell to make the seed poisonous . I would get a much more powerful and destructive effect, but I would have to spend 2 spell slots, which for the average person may seem stupid, but it wasn''t a problem for me. Creating spells from scratch didn''t seem like a hassle, you wasted more time, couldn''t get a powerful spell, and even spent more mana. But I still gained mana manipulation experience from this, and another thing I gained from doing this was my greater understanding of magic. Putting 2 spells together didn''t work, but then I started going the other way, which was related to mana inscription. If I could "program" the magic, it was because I could give it commands, so I didn''t need to stick to common system spells, and I tried to do more abstract things, like creating ways to make the mana more stable, and makes it into a living being. In the first case I even had a little success, and discovered that if I created a command that made the mana more "concentrated" I could create artificial life mana clouds. They were like the clouds that were all over the place, it was just mana concentrated with an affinity. But my clouds were more transparent and only lasted a few hours before completely decaying into ordinary mana.
"Tell me this worked?" "I think so, mom.... Everything seems ok, we just need to test it!" Max said. "Alright, let''s go" I was in direct collaboration with Max, with my new spell sewing skills, I started to make some new discoveries, and the biggest one was that I could "enchant" specific crystals. If I created a [Catalyst Crystal], which was a crystal made from mana crystal powder, artificial catalyst, life essence, and a [Yellow Crystal Fragment], I would gain an inscription-capable crystal! To be more specific, when I tried to add these "commands" to simple materials, the command dissipated and did not last, but by placing the commands in these catalyst crystals, I created a "code", making it so that every time the crystal was flooded with mana he replicated that code. It was quite complicated to tell the truth, because just one command wasn''t enough to generate a spell, you needed at least a few dozen small codes to give the mana "shape", the problem with that was that the crystals were fragile, and trying to force too many commands into the crystal would cause it to break. And I also needed to make the commands be executed in the right order, because if all the commands were activated at the same time I would create nothing but a magical formation that eats energy. To solve this I collaborated with Max, and together we created a sculpted catalyst crystal. This new crystal had dozens of geometric designs inscribed on it, and they were all created with "mana stitching". What I did here was basically create a templaite to "program" a spell. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. This template consumed a lot of the crystal''s integrity, and made my options even more limited, but without it the codes would be disorganized and chaotic. After that I just had to enchant each section of the crystal with a different command, and to my surprise whenever I placed a specific command in one of the sections of the crystal, a mysterious magical symbol would mysteriously appear in the crystal. These symbols looked like norse runes, or something from the Klingon alphabet. But when I tried to copy their shapes on paper I couldn''t make them "enchanted" like the symbols in the crystal. At the end of it all we had a small crystal the size of Max''s head, full of symbols and mana inscriptions. The crystal took weeks to create, and in theory it should work perfectly. Pouring my mana into the crystal through a living wood root, I can see the crystal slowly lighting up and soon it started to float in the air, then all the leaves, pieces of wood, crystal fragments and dirt around the crystal started to float togethe with him very slowly, as if everything were in zero gravity. "Impressive!!!! The crystal can actually cast the [Levitation] spell on its own, without needing a caster or someone to provide it with intentions!!! This is the next big step for the magic club, if we can learn your enchantment technique we will be able to create countless mana inscriptions!!" Max said excitedly. "Well... I think you just need to download the information from my mind, ask Emi to send it-" Before I could finish speaking, the crystal cracked abruptly and I felt an indescribable sense of danger. Acting quickly as I could, I pulled Max behind me and got between him and the crystal. Within seconds the entire crystal exploded in a violent wave of mana, sending crystal shards flying everywhere and creating a violent sound throughout the hive. "M-Mom?" Max said, horrified by what he had just happened. "Are you okay sweetheart?!" My back had been completely hit by crystal shards, but I was able to use the skill [Crystal Fur] which made the damage almost non-existent, but some parts of my body had still been hit, but it was totally insignificant for me, I could recover. I regenerated quickly and my defense was very high, now, if the explosion had hit little Max directly, he could have ended up in the infirmary in a serious condition. Soon the lab doors were thrown open by the guards who were standing guard at the door, and when they looked at me with my back bleeding and Max curled up in my arms they immediately called the care club. "What the hell happened here!?!" Shouted one of the guards. "T-The mana crystal turned out to be much more unstable and dangerous than initially thought, which generated a large unexpected explosion..." Max said in alarm. "Mommy!! Are you okay?! Please don''t move! The healers and Ken are already arriving." Said one of the royal knights who had just appeared. "I''m completely fine, the injuries are only superficial, I didn''t expect that explosion either, but I''m glad I was here, if I hadn''t been here, Max could have been seriously injured." "T-Thank you for protecting me mom...I''m sorry I didn''t realize that flaw...I failed as master of the magic department." Max said, clearly very embarrassed and sad. "What is this Max, don''t blame yourself for this, we had no way of knowing the dangers of something like this, it seemed stable, but in reality it wasn''t, the important thing is that we learned from it. You are incredible at your job, without you I would never have thought of creating the "templaite" for the crystal." "Thank you..." Max said. Soon the room was flooded with nurses, healers, and a new class called [Caregivers], all members of the care club now had an identifying item, be it a little hat with a yellow cross, a bandana, bracelet, or band to indicate to other members that they can help whenever necessary. Some also had golden lines on their clothes, which indicated their importance and seniority, members without lines were "Cadets", members with a line were "full members", with 2 were "veterans", 3 were "Veteran Professionals", 4 lines indicated "Sub-Boss" and Ken was the only member of the grooming club with 5 lines, indicating that he was the boss. Soon I was surrounded by care club members who were very concerned about me, cleaning my wounds, combing my hair, and healing my wounds. It all ended before Ken even arrived, but when he arrived that still didn''t stop him from making a scene. "But what the hell were you thinking!? Why were only you two here?! What do we have guards and tanks for?! Just to decorate the doors?! I don''t want to hear about you doing dangerous experiments without proper protection! You weren''t even in glasses or gloves, did you even use any of the safety methods?!" Ken said very irritated. The care club was one of the most influential clubs in the hive, because.... Well, they were kind of responsible for the security codes, they said what precautions should be taken to prepare food, to fight in the coliseum, to use the washbasins, to use the laundry, they were the safety experts at work. They were mostly strict with the club''s research, magic, and development. These clubs were always dealing with dangerous things, such as poisons, mysterious plants, suspicious liquids and magic. So Ken made everyone wear glasses made from quartz stones found in caves, gloves made by the sewing club, and heavy aprons made from fabric and mushroom leather. All of this was a pain in the ass, at least in the eyes of the research club, because an accident only happened 1 in 20 times, and it wasn''t anything really catastrophic. But if anyone was seen disobeying Ken''s orders, they would have a difficult time in the hive, as one of the oldest members and a member of the inner circle, Ken had a lot of influence, and could put members he didn''t like on Steve''s blacklist, which made people have to obey Ken, one way or another. When Ken''s threats didn''t work, he simply ignored these people, until they actually had an accident and ended up in the infirmary, where Ken would do slower and more painful treatment on purpose, to make the disobedient members afraid of hospitals. Ken was very cute, and handsome. A thin, tall body, with a pure white mane around his neck and appearance that said "I''m super friendly", he started wearing clothes (something that wasn''t a custom in the hive), and was currently one of the few members who actually liked clothes, he was wearing a nurse''s uniform, pure white with gold details, his clothes had buttons, a collar and honestly looked like a female nurse''s uniform. He was wearing a little hat like those of those anime girls who are nurses, and his hat had a small golden cross in the middle and 5 golden lines printed on the 2 sides of the hat. Ken was very stylish, even when cross-dressing, he had an innocent and cute appearance, and if you didn''t know him he would seem shy and calm. But the reality is always so sad, Ken was a real son of a bitch, he used bad words all the time, he shouted at everyone and he was a tyrant in the ward, punishing members who did a mediocre job and giving dry lectures to members who were they hurt in a stupid way. He liked to delegate his work to his sub-bosses, and most of the time he could be seen beating up his brothers in a board game, card game or something else. He was dishonest and bad character, but still the member who cared the most. Ken was mean to everyone, even me, but he couldn''t hide his feelings from me, I could always tell how worried Ken was whenever the news of "Someone was hurt" reached him. Ken loved taking care of babies, and made a point of personally caring for members who had been seriously injured in battle, but he would never say he cares about you, Ken is a tsundere. "Look... I didn''t have glasses for my size, and I have [Crystal Fur] so it''s the same as walking around with a shield, and we were testing the enchantments alone because the other members of the magic club were too busy with parallel projects" "Humf, if I see someone breaking the safety rules, I''ll make their lives hell!" Ken said irritated. "Never mind, what are you going to do to me? Refuse to cure me?" "No. I will come and complain directly to you every day 4 times a day for a month." Ken said smugly. ''Now he''s got me, I can''t take 10 minutes of Ken''s complaints, what about a whole month...'' "It''s okay, it was an accident, we don''t need to exaggerate, I''m fine, Max is fine, everything is fine." "Hmm, taking advantage of the meeting, I was wondering when you''re going to open the nursery again, the new towers are getting empty, and we have plenty of room for new members." Ken said hopefully. "Well, when we solve the food crisis I think, producing food is very difficult these days." "Don''t even tell me, the farmers are taking it hard, and yet nectar production remains in the red, we have to mix more Wappos, and fruits in the food, and this is already becoming a problem" Ken said frustrated. "What is happening?" "We''re not designed to eat solid complex foods like fruit and Wappos, small amounts aren''t really a problem, but now it''s in the range of 30% mixed ingredients, and 70% honey and jam. Which has made more and more members with stomach pains come to the infirmary." Ken said worriedly. "That''s really a problem, but we''re already stretching ourselves far as we can, we already have collectors going after wildflowers, and we''re expanding the garden into the maze." "So I think we should go all or nothing, if we produce a large population of new farmers, we can expand the garden even further, then we can spread the large number of soldiers around these regions to keep everyone safe and try to resolve the food issue." Ken said. "That would require an inner circle meeting, it''s too important a decision to make." "If you want, I''ll tag one myself, food is something we can''t live without, this must be resolved quickly as possible." Ken said. Leaving the small group of nurses behind, I go to the remains of my failed experiment and see some workers cleaning up the mess and repairing the damage. If I could create pendulums that emit the [Wild Growth] spell I could solve the food issue once and for all, but for that I would need more time and resources, so now it was a question of which path to follow. Create more farmers, try to solve the problem with magic, I personally invest my time and mana to produce food, or find another way. "Alright, call a meeting with the inner circle." "That''s it!" Ken said, then gave a whistle to the group of nurses, who then followed him as if they were a flock of sheep after the shepherd. ''I could use [Create Food] to alleviate our problems, but then I would use all my mana and Sp creating food and have nothing left for spells... But that''s a question of what I need, not what I want.... Shit, life as a queen mother isn''t easy.'' You can''t shout "Let them eat cake!" for your subjects, when those same subjects are also your family. Chapter 60: Stick Situation Aurum - Year 3 {2 Weeks later} I wanted to go to the kobolds and talk to Onix, the problem with that was that i don''t trust him, and i received the disapproval of every member of the hive. I''m the queen, and my orders should be absolute, but they still have some kind of "basic survival instincts" that I can''t suppress without really trying hard to suppress them with my skills. If I tried to put us in a very absurd situation, all of they would start to panic, and I would have to use [Maternal Connection] to silence everyone, and honestly. I don''t like using that skill. Using [Maternal Connection] is like turning my children into a bunch of robots, they didn''t feel fear, anger, or sadness. But they also won''t feel joy, pleasure or happiness. They become my "Dolls", and it''s really scary, suppressing someone''s personality until their ideas and basic principles can no longer be heard, it is... Disgusting. But i''am also a hypocrite, even if I didn''t use [Maternal Connection] voluntarily, i always keep it active in a peacefully way. Keeping everyone together and connected through the link that could not be extinguished. The only exception would be Ciel, i could still feel, and influence Ciel, even though he is no longer inside the [Link]. My influence over him is almost null, and I feel as if Ciel was a complete and full individual, and we as a hive were a bunch of clones with connected minds. Technically, I don''t have children, just clones. After all, the boys don''t have a "father", they were made exclusively with the help of the system and spending SP. But even so, they are totally different from me. When you look at a class like the [Workers] you would never know who is who, they are all identical, so the system really saved on templaites and made all members with the same [Class] identical to each other. But this only happened for new members, if 2 soldiers evolved, both to [Guards] you could see small differences on them, like armor in different patterns, or a bigger or smaller mane. But all members born with the same [Class] were just identical copies of each other. And what does it matter? I don''t know, I''m a "home mom" and it felt like I was confined to my own house for who knows how long, as a non-combatant, I do better in that kind of scenario. And honestly there was nothing boring here, it was like living in a city. There were little shops, which were just stalls where everyone distributed free utensils to each other, some restaurants, cafes, pastry shops, theaters, a coliseum, a damn gym!! A community swimming pool, a 2 public washroom, 3 laundries, and dozens of rooms for clubs to carry out their activities. Not to mention the gardens, the squares, the LIBRARY, and even a damn yoga class. 3 years ago I was thinking about living in the middle of the woods like a survialist and just keep my self alive, and now I have an entire city to myself, everything here was made for my childrens to use, but I had unique rooms that were considered "royal property". Rooms where only the cleaning club and royal guards could enter without asking permission. Everyone else had to gain Steve''s approval to even move through these areas. And that included my bedroom, a beautification room, my office (where I created spells), the conference room, and a massage room! I''ve never had a massage room, do you have any idea how much it costs to even pay for a massage? And now here I am! With an entire civilization doing everything and more to please me. And I didn''t know how to feel about it, sometimes I wanted to go out and have a look outside. But I could do everything through the soldiers, I could smell, hear, taste, even feel their feelings and see everything through their eyes, as if I were really there in person. So why the fuck would anyone leave the bottom of an entire city where everything you want is simply brought to you? I feel like a teenager who feels confined inside her parents house. But as an adult I know that when we actually leave our parents house, the only thing we desperately want is to go back to being a child where the biggest worry we had was getting a low grade in school. So I ended up accepting it, only rich people go after problems, I was very well comfortable and safe. Like a little baby who was very loved by a rich family. So why take the risk of getting slapped in the face soon as i step a foot outside my house? And I also had other projects in mind that required a lot of attention. "This shit isn''t getting any easier..."
"I believe we should focus on expanding farms, this will be a long-term investment, and will help stabilize the hive''s food production" Yan said. "This problem is a serious matter, low quality food reduces the general quality of work in the hive, poorly fed troops cannot perform their duties efficiently." Steve said. "If we invest our time and resources into the magic club, we can create a device capable of speeding up the crops we already have! With Mom''s help and the magic club''s engagement, it''s only a matter of time before we find the missing piece to make the catalyst crystals completely stable!" Max said very confidently. "The problem is that it may take you days, even months to discover this ''missing piece'', by then the damage may be irreversible." Yan said. "The alchemy club can provide large amounts of [Green Potion] that can accelerate plant growth, the problem with this is that the overall quality of the final product will plummet, which can be very bad." Jasper said. "That can''t happen! If the overall quality of the food drops it will leave the troops weak!" Ray insisted. "That''s right, weak troops don''t work well, sleep well, think well, or do anything efficiently! Food is the beginning of the hive''s well-being!" Jay added. We had invited some members who were not official members of the inner circle, such as Jay and Ray and also Jasper e Buck, Jay and Ray as the masters of the cooking club had a great importance on the subject of "food", and if they said that an option chosen was not viable, then it really wasn''t viable. Jasper, as leader of the alchemy club, knew better than anyone about the hive''s stock, if there was any item that could help us in this situation, Jasper would know. Buck was the leader of the farmers and was a [Druid Planter], a class that allowed him to "enchant" seeds, making plants of the highest quality grow even in wastelands. "What if we cut the supplements we send to the kobolds? Almost 60% of our production goes to them, we are basically taking the food out of our mouths and putting it in theirs!" Miles said. "This would make our already existing relationship with them turn into a bad relationship, if we cut off the supplement that keeps them alive, and people started to die of hungry, everyone would start pointing fingers at us." Steve said. "Only about 30% of honey production is directed to them, the rest of they suplements comes from farms and hunting, but this 30% would certainly help a lot in stabilizing the hive." Jay said. "Hunff.... We have no way to increase the amount of hunting, we are already fighting with everything we encounter, small animals and weak creatures are moving further and further away from the tower, and we have no way to hunt larger creatures without moderately large risks. " Hans said. "Ah! That''s great! We came to solve a problem and we already have other problems to deal with" Ken snorted. "If you allow me, brothers, we at the gardening club cannot expand the farms to more external areas without the protection of more soldiers, I cannot risk the integrity of my group." Buck said. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "This is a big problem, and ours options are very limited, we can ask mom to produce food with [Create Food] but then she would be stuck in that role for who knows how long." Steve said. "It''s not like she has much else to do, but we need to find a long-term solution, not something that will last a few weeks until we need to get together to find other solution again." Ken said. "...Can''t we try a little bit of everything? Raise some more farmers, send more troops after wildflowers, and ask Mom to make food?" Carl said. "I don''t know, we need a plan to cut this problem from the roots, something completely new and more efficient than a bunch of fields of plants." "What if we used one of the empty towers as a vertical garden?" Hans asked. "What?" Everyone said at once. Hans was surprisingly silent the entire meeting, he was even drinking a cup of tea, in the past he would be more tense every time we had a problem, but after Hans evolution, he became more... Wise I think. He stopped thinking about problems and started thinking about solutions, and even if Hans was nervous, angry or upset you would never be able to tell from his facial expressions, firstly because he kept a static expression the whole time, and secondly because he had a large closed helmet that could not be removed. "T-This might w-work, creating a v-vertical platforms a-and then fill them with f-farmers nutritional soil.... We can put s-some workers to serve a-as artificial light and plant s-some [Tears of the sky] among the f-flowers to keep them moist." Levi pondered. "Wouldn''t that take a lot of time? And how is making a vertical garden is going to help?" Ken asked. "The vertical garden would be completely focused on a single place, which would help with maintenance, so we would need fewer farmers, we can create perforated layers between the floors so that all the excess water from the upper layers feeds the lower layers, saving workers and farmers time. And we can use Jasper''s potions to speed up the growth of the seeds until they become young seedlings, and then Mom could use an area spell to make everything grow faster. If Max''s strange project works out, he can concentrate the "catalyst crystal" in a single point, accelerating the growth of as many plants as possible, the only problem for me would be the light, as we don''t have magic lamps or any worthy substitute, we would need to continue with the workers, so the vertical farm will require a large number of workers working on it at least 8 hours a day every day." Hans explained. Hans had a lot of knowledge, and I didn''t know exactly why, but after I asked him, I discovered that every time a member of the hive evolves they have the right to go through the mental "library" I have, once again. It''s just a quick visit, but they manage to gain more and more knowledge as they evolve, and Hans seemed to have picked up a lot of useful things. "Damn! You really have a solid plan, this could work, we would have to dedicate lots and lots of builders to finish this quickly as possible, but if it really works we can guarantee the safety of the food much more easily, without external farms we can invest more soldiers in other regions." Steve said. "Yes, we could also separate the sections more easily by dedicating some floors to specific types of flowers, we could also plant some mushrooms, moss and foliage plants in between to strengthen the overall health of the farm and save a lot of time at harvest time. The only problem is that we would need to remove everything and nourish the soil for a new plantation at least once a year, only then would we be able to maintain the nutrients in the land." Buck said. "Jasper, wouldn''t you have any fertilizer? Something that nourishes the land, instead of making the plants grow? That way we could fertilize the farms more easily and quickly." Steve asked. "No... But I''ll put this on the alchemy club''s priority list, if Buck can send some farmers to me I can try to imitate the fertilizer they produce." Jasper said. "Sure, I''ll send 2 farmers for you later" Buck said. "Do you think the construction club can modify a tower in a week levi?" Steve asked. "U-uh, a w-week?! T-this s-schedule is v-very t-tight, b-but if I p-pause some p-projects and r-recruit more w-workers, I sh-should be able to m-maintain the q-quality of the c-construction and d-do everything that was r-requested." Levi said very nervously as he wrote several things in a small notebook made with silk leaves and tree bark. "Perfect, then we will continue with this project. Thanks for the solution Hans." Steve said. "It was nothing, if you give me permission, I need to train my squad for a fight against a squirrel, so I will leave first." Hans said as he stood up. "Sure, no problem" Steve said. "With this I declare the meeting to be over" Yan said.
I was in my throne room, around me there were several tanks of honey and some workers who were counting the gains. As queen and mother of the hive, I felt obligated to help, so I paused my plans with magic and returned to the time when I produced food. The vertical garden was still being built and my presence was not yet necessary. To tell you the truth, I don''t even know if I''ll be able to get into the vertical garden, if they create something big enough for me then it will only have a few floors, the plants could always be pruned to keep them low and save space, but I couldn''t shrink to fit in, so I don''t think I''ll be able to get in there. To do this, Max paused all projects and started studying catalyst crystals like crazy, the recent research on the "Magic Wand" and the catalyst liquid gave him several insights and he was aiming for a kind of "magic lamp". Max''s goal was to create a magical lamp that could both provide light and accelerate plant growth. To me this looked like Thaumcraft''s magic lamps, it reminded me a lot of my youth playing Minecraft, and now Max was trying to re-create them in real life! The problem with this was that I was the only supplier of catalyst crystals, and they weren''t cheap. So Max couldn''t keep testing until he got it right, he needed to try to make the best possible plan to create what he wanted. What was really very difficult, it''s like trying to learn to draw without a paper to draw, you can have the perfect and complete mental image of the final product, but without the necessary materials and a lot of experience you wouldn''t be able to create the desired product. "Poor Max, I need to give him some vacation after this." I was just spitting large amounts of honey into tanks, and waiting for the workers to bring a new tank to fill. It still bothered me that we ate vomit, but it''s one of those things you have to ignore, like how sausages are made. "How''s the production going boys?" "Very well, we already have 3 tanks full! How much more do you think you can produce?" asked a worker. We had a lot of workers here, but they weren''t really workers, the members responsible for general tasks were various classes such as [Attendants] [Loaders] [Laborer] and [Assembler]. Other workers had evolved into things like [Builders] [Weavers] [Cooks] and [Nurses], so the general services group was really in need of new blood. "I''m only down to 10 Mp, so not much, maybe half a tank?" My [Create Food] skill was pretty cool, if I used raw materials I would get a big discount on creating food, but if I had absolutely no raw materials I could use Sp and Mp to create food out of nothing, which is actually very useful in a time of famine, Carl can do the same thing, but he is much worse than me. Carl can create Mp by eating, so it''s not the most ingenious idea in the world to burn our food supply for Carl to produce food. Carl is also the only one who can eat solid food without "side effects", but he still needs a lot of time to digest this solid food, which made me the only member of the hive capable of producing food out of thin air in a fast way. "Then we''ll be back for today! We''ll be back tomorrow morning!" Said the worker. "Ugh.. Of course, thanks for the hard work boys!" Soon the honey tanks were removed and I was left alone with the guards, honestly I had nothing else to do now, I was low on mana, out of ideas, bored and it wasn''t even 12 Am yet. "What to do in this situation.... We still have mana pool reserves, but I don''t want to use that mana unless it''s an emergency, it''s very difficult to fill that tank." As I chewed some of the honey that was still in my mouth, I started thinking about what to do, and I thought about the [Crystallization] skill, the skill allowed me to transform things into crystals, so I could transform my enemy into a crystal statue? Okay, to create a small crystal fragment the size of my fingernail I spent about 20 mana points, but theoretically I could transform someone into a crystal statue. ''If I can even turn mana into crystals... Then why not food? What would I do with this? Honey flakes?'' Deciding to test it, I take some of the honey out of my mouth and use the remaining mana to crystallize the honey, and to my surprise I ended up creating something totaly unexpected.
[Description]
Name: Honey Crystal Shard Rarity: Rare Quality: Fine
A crystal made with life magic and high-quality honey, the crystal contains [Life] affinity and can regenerate itself when broken if energized with life energy.
"Holy shit! What a cool crystal, sticky... But cool! It can basically do the same thing Muck does, just using mana." The crystal didn''t look like anything special, it was crystallized honey, like a honey jewelry, so I couldn''t think of a real use for these things. ''Wait a minute, I''m a crystal bee so...'' Throwing the crystal into my mouth and chewing it, I can feel it popping inside my mouth, like a gummy or something, and the flavor that comes out of it is incredible!! It has all the refined and tasty touches of high-quality honey, and at the same time it generates a small electrical ''discharge'' in the mouth, leaving the tongue numb. "This thing is delicious!" Soon more members would evolve into [Crystal Bees] and if I could guarantee a lifetime supplement of these honey crystals the problem with hunger would end. "The problem with them is that they are very expensive.... Well, mommy here deserves some sweets." Chapter 61: Problems Aurum - Year 3 {1 Week later} The vertical garden project was in full swing, the hive was going through a food crisis, and we couldn''t afford to sit idle. Food is the basis of everything, in this world or any other, it is very easy for us to get water, the world always seems to be in summer, the heat was real, but we had plenty of water in a nearby lake, and [Tears of the sky] that produced drinking water. Now food was a much more complicated thing, we didn''t need to hunt to survive, just to gain Xp, so we used the meat of these creatures as food for the kobolds, and bait for larger animals. As bees we could only survive on nectar from flowers and substances rich in sugar, the problem was that flowers produced very little nectar, and to maintain a hive with more than 1000 members you needed a lot of food per day. We could use fruits and juices to add bulk to food, but that wasn''t a real solution, and it wasn''t realistic to live on non-renewable supplements. We don''t have a market where we can go to get food when our reserves are low, the kobolds are useless when it comes to food production, and the more evolved the boys become, the more food they need. If I don''t do something, soon everyone will start to starve, poorly fed soldiers can''t fight properly, which increases the chance of fatalities in fights, and without soldiers we will be left without protection, making ourselves a easy feast for anyone who wants a lot of XP. "Damn, why am I so bad at this?! I feel like a noob at a strategy game! The problem is that I can''t restart if I lose the game!" I made so many troops at the "beginning of the game" that now I can''t sustain them, the solution for a player would be to let most of the troops starve and rebuild later, but if I let the boys starve , I will never forgive myself, all of them are my responsibility, they did not ask to be born or exist, I brought them into this world to help me survive, and the least I can do is keep them alive. "Alright... I have [Honey Crystals] and some crystal bees, what can I do with it?" When we evolve we spend more food to maintain ourselves, a soldier who went through the 1st evolution would consume 3x more food than a soldier who never evolved, and a soldier in the 2nd evolution consumed 3x more than a soldier in the 1st evolution. Doing the math, I needed a food truck to keep everyone alive and fed, my saving grace was the [Royal Cooks], their skills allowed us to increase the nutritional value of the food prepared, which meant we could feed more people with less food, but even they had their limits. My plan now was basically to resort to [Honey Crystals] if I could make them grow on the walls, or create high quantities of them, then i could send those crystals to the cooks and maybe solve the food problem, or at least postpone it until the farm starts to produce results, and Max''s invention bgive some fruits. Breaking a honey crystal into 5 pieces, I place them inside 5 different wax jars, and then start injecting life mana into one. After about 4.5 mana points, the small crystal fragment grows to around 35% of the crystal''s original size, a very high cost for a not so goods result. "Next test." In the next jar, I put a bunch of [Life Drops] and wait, then I can see the crystal inside the jar glowing slightly and closing my eyes I can see the crystal growing soooo slowly, maybe it will work in the long term and in large quantities, because the [Drops of life] did not spend Mp, only Xp and Hp. In the next jar, I pour more [Life Drops] and start injecting life mana, in a short time the crystal starts to grow quickly and in strange directions, with just 4.3 mana points the crystal grew by up to 54% of its original size of the crystal, very economical, but to my disappointment when I pick up the crystal I see that its quality has gone from [Good] to [Horrible], the process seemed to sacrifice quality to gain quantity, in desperate moments this can work, but I prefer to find another way . For my next test I invoke something I haven''t touched in a long time, my "Secret Ingredient", the mysterious substance that I could produce with a gland in my head, the last time I used it I created an explosion in my laboratory, but now I''m not throwing strange substances into a cauldron, I''m just throwing a mysterious substance into a random object. Closing my eyes and concentrating, soon a small white drop that looked like it was full of glitter formed between my jaws, so letting the substance fall onto the crystal i saw it vibrate until it turned brown like caramel. What the fuck is this now?
[Description]
Name: Candy Crystal Shard Rarity: Rare Quality: Fine
A magical crystal created by the hive queen herself, contains her frustrations and worries, those who consume this crystal will suffer a greate wave of saddnes for an indefinite time.
"Ah! Fuck you, system! Who do you think you are to call me depressed! I have reason to be worried, okay?!" The mysterious substance seemed to be an infallible way of adding my desires to something, the problem was that my emotions directly influenced the final product, because of my "problems" I ended up creating a sweet that causes depression. "Wait a minute... Then I just need to...." Focusing on the next crystal, I start to focus, I start to think about the boys, and all their hard work, I start to think about the hive and focus on the latent desire to not let anyone starve, I wanted to create something that could eliminate the hunge, and save my boys. This time I felt a big kick in my head, as if I had been hit on the head with a stone, and I could see my Sp dropping quickly. Soon a small bubble of "secret ingredient" formed in my jaw, and I dropped it onto the crystal before bracing myself on the table to keep me from falling. "Mom!? What happened, are you okay?" asked the royal guards. "I''m fine! I just used a lot of Sp at once, don''t worry sweeties." Ignoring the children''s concern, I look at the jar, and inside instead of the honey crystal, there is a golden gelatinous substance like honey, full of small colored crystals, the strange jelly was bubbling and seemed to be growing with time, like boiling milk sloshing in a hot jug.
[Description]
Name: Life Syrup Rarity: Epic Quality: Greate
Created with the deepest desires of the hive queen, this syrup carries the [Life] affinity and can strengthen and feed [Bee]-type monster in addition to being able to replicate itself at the cost of life energy. If consumed by non [Bee] type monster, it can cause the [Addict] effect.
"Shit! I did it, I spent an absurd amount of Sp to create this, but I did it!" The syrup looked really good, and had the advantage of being only for [Bee]-type species, this was basically a guarantee that we wouldn''t have other [Bug]-type monsters trying to steal our food, and the more limited an item is, the more powerful its effect. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "BOYS! Come here!" "Yes!" The guards said. Soon 2 small heavily armed guards were at my freight, I took 2 small cups made of wax, and put some of the syrup inside them with one of my fingernails of my hand, then I gave the cup to the boys and asked them to try it. "Please try this, tell me if it is nutritious or not." "Clear!" The guards said, then they began to drink the syrup without hesitation as if it were a shot of tequila, and after finishing everything they closed their eyes to think. "Sooo?!" "I would give it an 8 out of 10, tasty and energizing, but it is still less nutritious than the food produced by the cooking club." Said the 1st guard. "I give it a 9 out of 10, it''s really not very nutritious, but I feel stronger and more energized, I feel like my body is lighter, and I feel revitalized!" Said the 2nd guard. "Great, so I created food capable of buffing troops, I think I focused too much on the desire to keep soldiers powerful, but it''s still great, I just need to send this to the cooking club and without delay they can created something more perfect." For my next test, I start pouring energy into the syrup, and after 12 Mp points, the jar filled to 3/5 full, very expensive, and didn''t give me much food, but it was still something. "I''ll need a silo, and a way to remotely add energy to the syrup, but if all goes well I can put an end to the food problem."
"D-Do you w-want a honey s-silo that can b-be remotely p-powered with l-life energy? I-I''m afraid th-that''s beyond my c-capabilities, m-mother! A-as the l-leader of the c-construction c-club, I-I only know how to w-work with basic constructions, f-for the m-magical power-up p-part, y-you, I-I would need to t-talk to M-Max!" Levi said nervously, with more stutters. "I understand dear, but it''s nothing really difficult, what I want is just a silo, full of [Living Wood] roots inside, would that be possible?" "Y-yes! Th-that w-would be e-easy to do." Levi said. "We just have to add a few more things..." "I need the silo to be tall, not wide, full of living wood roots growing through the interior walls, and a hole in the bottom of the silo that opens every time the silo fills up, I need the silo be connected by a network of begonia [Living Wood] roots to prevent mana leaks, which connects to the mana source of life." "The purpose of the silo is to serve as a producer of [Life Syrup], so when the silo empties it cannot empty completely, and it must be easy to inject energy into it through the roots." It was very specific, but I had the entire plan in my head, to complete the contraption, I would only need a pipe and a pump that would connect the [Life Syrup] producing silo to a larger silo that would serve as definitive storage, so the transporters and collectors could collect everything and take it to the kitchen. I could do everything manually, energizing life mana crystals and throwing them into the syrup, but there''s no reason not to automate everything, if I could create these "energy roots", I could start to basically have "electricity" ". Using living begonia wood was the best option to create these energy cables of life, living begonia wood was much more stable and economical than living wood made from forest wood, and to create a energy threads that really work i need a wire that wouldn''t lose mana easily or that would be just a waste of the precious mana of life. If I could create a root system that connects the entire base to the central battery, then I could speed up the work of mages, saving them from making long journeys to the mana source located in the center of the hive. In addition to creating recharging points, or even "sockets" for machines that run on life energy. If this worked, I could implement the "magic wand" that Max created some time ago, in some fixed places, creating a permanent spell in a specific area, I have no use for that right now, but if I create a spell capable of "create mana zones", I could use these Max wands, to create an entire life mana zone. Little Levi looked horrified at my request, when it came to pure constructions, Levi was the best, he could create stable and architecturally beautiful structures, but he lacked a lot in specific knowledge. It was like asking a bricklayer to understand electricity, heating, fodder, and automation. There are bricklayers who know everything, but Levi was far from being a professional in all sectors related to "construction". "I, I d-don''t know if I can d-do this, it seems like a lot..." Levi said shyly. "Honey, stop being so nervous, at least try, I''ll ask Emi to send you the mental plans, if you fail it the first, second or tenth time, it doesn''t matter, the important thing is you geting to the final product." Levi is a good boy, but he is very shy, Levi is so afraid of failure that he gives up on things before even trying, he has an incredible success rate in all his works, but he falls behind when it comes to "innovation" , it''s as if Levi thought everyone would yell at him for one little mistake. "I, I d-don''t know... It s-seems like a lot..." "You are the creator of machines in the industrial sector, are you afraid of a simple root system and creating a silo that can be emptied when it is full? Do you by any chance not know how to do it?" "Hum, I-I kn-know how to d-do this, in theory. I-I just n-need to c-create a c-cylindrical shaped s-silo, app-proximately 25cm in d-diameter and 1 meter high. T-to create a s-support for the s-silo, I-I can use the w-wax alloy to c-create a s-strong frame that c-can support its high w-weight, or s-suspend it from the c-ceiling with the help of r-roots and wax. T-to c-create the automatic e-exit, I-I can use a s-simple float system that opens the exit w-whenever the contents of the j-jar reach the top. A-and to ensure that the s-silo never empties, I-I can create g-grooves and cavities w-within the s-silo so that when it is e-energized it can r-replenish its contents. F-for the e-energy root s-system, I-I would need an immense w-workforce, s-something that w-would not I have at the m-moment because of the p-project with the v-vertical gardens, b-but in theory, I-I could create a l-large system of l-living wood roots that would be h-hidden inside the w-walls and on the f-floor, t-these roots could also h-help with the s-structural support of the t-towers, and we c-could use living mana crystals as energy c-collection points." Levi summarized "You see, sweetie? You know what you have to do, you just need a little more attitude, talk to your brothers, don''t be afraid to make mistakes, no one will judge you, no one in this hive is better than you when it comes to construction, so give yourself a little extra value, okay?" "Okay... I''ll try." Levi said nervously. When Levi left the room, I gave a big yawn, and looked past one of the soldiers, it was already night, but I had no way of knowing unless I saw it through someone, my room was always lit by the workers, and by no means There are windows that show the outside, I couldn''t tell what time it is. "Another day, another bullet dodged. I guess that''s it for today." Getting ready for bed, soon a small group of caregivers entered the door, and began to clean me, brushing my hair, and cleaning my body with cloths and creams, they wet my hair with water, then threw on scented oils and creams created by the club. of alchemy, then they dried everything with thick towels made by the sewing club, and finally they made my bed with pillowcases. I lived sitting on my bed, the throne room was basically my room, so calling it the "throne room" was not correct, the "throne" was nothing more than my huge bed that occupied at least 50% of the room , and I seemed careless when I received people here. I would lie on my side while listening to the boys talk about their problems, or just sit on the pillows, no one had any problem with that, but I looked like a nitpicker from time to time. "Good night boys!" "Good night mom!" The guards said. I got used to them, it was a little scary at first sleeping in a room full of other people, the first time I woke up and found a soldier watching me, my heart almost came out of my mouth, but nowadays the presence theirs is comforting. ''Tomorrow is a new day, and a new problem to deal with.''
Inside a small apartment an alarm starts to ring, a woman around 30 years old punches the alarm clock and gets up, the woman has long white hair that falls to the floor, and golden eyes like the sun, her skin is white like snow and emitted sparkles like a prismatic crystal. Getting out of the yellow blankets and heading towards the bathroom slowly, she turns on the tap where a viscous yellow liquid starts to fall, she uses her toothbrush made of wood to clean her teeth and then gets into a large bathtub made of a material similar to wax. When leaving the bath she dresses in yellow clothes with exagonal patterns in white colors, she takes a small block of stone and runs to the front door, when opening the door she is faced with a large yellow world, the air was filled with a unmistakable smell of rot meat and the blood-red sky hung over it. Walking down the street she could see buildings made of wax, some were falling to the side and seemed to be melting and others were mixed with materials made of metal and wood, as she walked she could see dozens of flowers scattered and growing all over the place, Spiny roots made of wood broke the ground where they grew and large pools of a golden liquid formed on the ground, like puddles of water after rain. Walking a little further she could see people similar to her walking down the street, these people had strange clothes, such as coats, uniforms and suits in yellow and white colors, their height barely reached the girl''s waist, and they all had a colorful cloud in the place of their heads, wherever she passed the small figures would stop and greet her and as she approached her destination she began to see these small figures tearing pieces of metal and concrete from the floor and replacing it with wax and a sticky liquid. At the end of their walk there was a large building that looked like a tower of stacked books, the entire tower was so high that you couldn''t see the top, the small figures that circulated around the place stayed away from the tower for some reason, but it was still possible to see some movement inside the tower of books. When looking on the surroundings of the tower you could see a large amount of plants and flowers that grew all over the place, like vegetation in an abandoned structure. Entering the large building, the woman could see an infinite number of books that were simply thrown everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling that seemed to have no end, the place was full of books and sheets of paper. Scattered throughout the place were scores of unlit candles and accumulated dust, moss and vines grew on the wall, on the broken and cracked windows were large amounts of cobwebs and black mold. Among the books and shelves, there were small figures that slowly rummaged through the books, picking up books and then reading them intensely while writing everything down in small pocket notebooks. Then these figures gently put the books back in place and left to a room while holding their small notepads. Among all the books, sheets and shelves it was possible to see small black roots growing all over the place, but no one seemed to care, the small figures that read the books simply ignored root-infested sections and focused on more accessible things. The woman then walks to a metal box with a display and clocks in, she sits behind a table hidden among the mess and chaos of books and begins to fiddle with her small stone block. As time passed, black goo began to drip from the ceiling and emerge from the cracks in the wall, but the woman didn''t seem to notice the dirt, the goo spread across the books and shelves, staining the floor and compromising some books, and yet she didn''t notice. The small creatures that walked around the place also seemed oblivious to the black goo that was slowly spreading all over the place, so when the whole place looked like it would be flooded by the goo, a large wave of golden energy began to be pumped into the tower, causing the moss retreats and enters back into the craks of the walls. At the end of the wave of energy the entire tower shooked and vibrated, causing more books to fall to the floor, windows bursted and walls cracked, but yet everyone present didn''t seem to notice the wear and tear in the room around them. Chapter 62: Pressure Aurum - Year 3 {2 Weeks later} "How will he look? Trouble has been trying to evolve for a long time." One guard said to another. "Strong for sure, this guy just likes to fight and kill." Another guard responded. Some time had passed, and now I had my eye on a crystalline cocoon that contained Trouble, several members were tidying up the room while waiting for Trouble to arrive. Trouble evolved a few days ago, he had chosen to evolve into a [Fierce Fighter], a very self-explanatory class, which basically gave Trouble an explosive destructive power, but left him with low health and resistance. I was hoping he would get some cool skills, but as a [Crystal Bee] I was really worried about Trouble. The [Crystal Core] trait was a racial thing, so you couldn''t choose to be born without it, all crystal bees had it, which was a good and bad thing at the same time, it gave everyone an absurd magical ability, but it made their bodies fragile like glass. This would be a big problem for us, especially for combat classes like soldiers and melee fighters, did we have a solution? Sure, turning everyone into long-range fighters, but it was like asking someone who had fought with swords all their life to use a bow and arrow without any real experience in this new activity. The solution to this was the popularization of the use of spells, as everyone had access to [Link] everyone could simply "download" a spell to use it anytime from anywhere, so by popularizing general purpose spells like [Strengthen] [Tough Skin] or [Accelerate] we could turn this weakness around. Now, we had a problem with the issue of "mana costs", the life mana was very good for casting [Support] spells, the expenses were almost insignificant, but the boys had to use their mana without affinity to cast these spells, which generated an extra cost, a large extra cost. If I used 3 mana points to cast [Strengthen], the boys would need 15 mana points to cast the spell with the same effect as mine, which was a daylight robbery, but we couldn''t do anything about it. Not on a large scale, not yet. We could grant small staffs to wizards, staffs made with a catalyst crystal, and equipped with life mana crystals, which allowed them to use a fixed spell without any personal expense. But by doing this we forced the wizards to carry weapons, which was an additional strain on them, and we hadn''t yet discovered a way to "cast" spells, so these staffs could only apply effects to the user who was using the staff, which was pretty bad. It was still useful for area spells, like [Healing] or [Accelerate], but if we weren''t careful we would end up healing and buffing our enemies, because unlike [Skills] the spells worked equally for everyone, regardless of whether they were allies or enemies. Magic is a bitch. Everyone thinks it is amazing and charming, but it''s just a big headache for me, it has so many limitations that you can barely do anything with it if you''re not an expert. And we were a bunch of idiots trying to solve a riddle. It''s like trying to put together a puzzle while being blind, you don''t know when you''re doing something right, and when you find "pieces that fit" they can just be dead ends, and the wrong way to progress. So you need to discard everything we knew and try again. Previously I thought it was impossible to "Give life to mana", but then the system throws a skill in my face that does exactly that. Then I thought I needed to create a "Mana zone" with a spell, or "stabilizer", but then I meet spirits who are doing zones of concentrated magic in a totally unknown way. I say that it is impossible to create symbols to tell mana what to do, like "runes" or something similar, but the system creates these mysterious symbols in catalyst crystals, every time they are enchanted. To me the spirits were like bacteria that flew around and did who knows what, maybe they purified the energy of the world, but then they literally ate a young spirit like it was a cookie. There was also this entity that looked at me through the spiritual world, and I had no idea how he did it or who it was, or why it didn''t come and beat the shit out of me until today. But he was there, I know he saw me, and he knows I saw him, but still nothing. As I was lost in my endless list of problems, Trouble''s cocoon began to vibrate, and soon a large, menacing-looking bee emerged from the cocoon. This bee was tall and defined, thin but muscular, wings thin and long, and covered in light armor entirely made of crystals, its mane became small and almost non-existent, but its eyes and antlers grew, making its head appear tiny for his eyes.
[Status]
[Information] [Attributes]
Name: Trouble Species: Crystal Bee Life: 16.3 Def: 7.2
Level: 1 Class: Fierce Fighter Vit: 24.2 Int: 7.4
Sex: Male Stamina: 1693/1700 Dex: 10.7 Wis: 8.5
Mana: 58 Affinity: N/D Spr: 70.5 Str: 50.2
[Skills] - 10
NEW - {Razor Jaw} Lv 1 Use your Sp to turn your teeth into super-tough sharp knives.
NEW - {Uncontrolled Fury} Lv 1 When activating the skill you gain the [Rage] effect, and a 30% bonus to all Statuses. When deactivating the skill, gain the effect [Exhausted]
NEW - {Decisive Blow} Lv 1 If your health is below 15% you gain the opportunity to deal a blow with 10x the basic power. If you miss the blow, gain the effect [Disabled]
NEW - {Death Roll} Lv 1 Gain a 1% bonus to all Statuses every time you kill a target, up to a maximum of 25%. The bonus will last for 1 hour until reset.
NEW - {Proficient Flying} Lv 1 Use your Sp to accelerate flight speed and aerial control
NEW - {Planned Revenge} Lv 1 When running away from a fight with less than 20% HP, you can mark your target at the cost of MP, revealing its location to you for the duration of the mark.
[Traitss] - 4
NEW - {Crystal Core} - Racial Your core is made of pure crystals, making your body an ideal vessel for the pure form of mana, but making it extremely fragile as well. +50 Mp -50% Max Life.
"Wow, you look amazing Trouble. And you have some really nice Skills here." "Thanks mom, I feel great, I feel lighter and healthier, and I feel powerful!" Trouble said excitedly as he threw a few punches in the air. "You gained some really cool skills.... I particularly liked {Planned Revenge}." "It''s pretty cool I think.... Normally when I need to retreat from a fight I end up losing my prey forever, now it will be easier to have a revenge!" Trouble said excitedly. "It''s not just that... This skill looks like a different version of Trevis'' [Crazy Stalker] skill, the difference is that he doesn''t need to spend Mp, or fight with the target, he can mark anyone he wants." "It looks very useful!" Trouble said as he inspected himself. "Be careful with [Decisive Blow] I don''t want you using that shit unless it''s really necessary!" "But mom! I wanted to test my skills!" Trouble said. "If you''re going to test these dangerous skills, I want you to do it in the presence of your group, no crazy things boy!" "Okay..." Trouble said upset. Looking at the situation now it seemed pretty stupid, I was arguing with Trouble as if he was a 10 year old brat, while in reality he was a muscular grown man with a six-pack. Shaking off this feeling, I continue to speak. "And another thing, I''m going to schedule a class for you with Max, I know you don''t like magic very much, but you have to be very careful now, you have a fragile body, and a lot of Mp, so use your Mp much as you can." "Understood, I intend to focus on body enhancement spells, I don''t need to learn healing spells or things like that right?" Trouble asked with his head raised to look at me. This height thing bothers me a little, I''ve never been tall in my human life, I was 1.73, neither tall nor short, but now I''m huge, like a 2.50 meter woman standing next to a 1.40 meter guy, I feel so giant every time I have to look down at the boys, and I feel funny seeing hive members like Trouble, Hans, and Jon, who were clearly pumped up but looked like toys when looked at from my perspective. "It would be good if you specialized in 1 or 2 healing spells, because you never know, but you can always download everything, also the information club has already created a "server" just for those who want to receive and learn spells. But remember, you may even know exactly how to make a house, step by step, but without real experience all this knowledge is useless, if you really want to get good at using spells you need to dedicate part of your time to perfecting the technique." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "It sounds so fucking boring... Can''t you just send some battle mages from Ral''s group to me?" Trouble said with a straight face. I just looked at his face with furrowed eyebrows, the guy was really serious, and he would rather delegate the work to other people than learn how to do it, even though he had all the resources and time to learn. "Go work you lazy ass."
The new vertical garden was completed, all the structural part was ready and was now being prepared for planting, workers brought soil which was then mixed with fertilizer and spread between the floors of the tower. And the gardeners organized everything and planted some seeds in random places and spread some plants like [Living Moss] and [Sky Tears] around the place. We had workers attached to the ceiling lighting the entire place, and farmers inspecting the seeds and raising seedlings in a separate room. The entire structure of the vertical garden was enormous, and the garden occupied one of the largest towers we had available, it had 25 floors of plants and a ground floor that served as a "greenhouse" for the gardeners'' experiments with plants. Gardeners were not only good at taking care of plants, they are also good at creating new plants, it was thanks to their help that we created [Metallifolia]. A plant that had branches as strong as metal. [Metallifolia] didn''t seem very useful, but it served its purpose, which was to be the "skeleton" of the towers, I could use the [Wild Growth] spell to make the roots of this small tree spread across all the walls, creating a skeleton very resistant for the entire tower. The problem was that I needed to do this work manually, which was absurd for the hive, but something acceptable for me, as I couldn''t enter most of the towers and in certain areas that were too small for me, I did all this on the side of outside. So whenever I was working on this side project I had a cloud of extremely nervous bees surrounding me, but nothing I couldn''t deal with. The main purpose of the greenhouse was to provide a place where we could create new plants, for what purpose? Food. It''s no mystery to anyone that human beings are very good at messing with things they shouldn''t mess with. Humans can completely destroy Mother Nature''s plans, and laugh in the face of fate. And I''m going to take advantage of this knowledge of humans that I have. One day a very hungry human being to look at a tomato and thought "that''s not enough for me". Instead of eating the tomato he planted it to gain more tomatoes, in the end the human being had many tomatoes and could feed himself and many other human beings. Many years later, there is no more space for new tomatoes, but there are more and more hungry humans. Humans then thought "If I can''t make more tomatoes, I''ll make bigger and more nutritious tomatoes!", and then they started messing with nature itself to fulfill their goals. I''m going to do the same thing, if I can''t increase the number of plants I have, I will increase their quality and size. I can''t do experiments with DNA around here, but I have the magic, potions and skills, so one time or another I''ll get what I want. The little project I gave to Levi had to be postponed, the problem with the project was that I was going too fast. The construction club proposed that I first create a system of roots that would serve as an "electrical grid", then a control room to monitor all this energy, and they also asked that I give them time to evaluate whether this was safe or not. Creating roots that carry life energy through the tower seems like a good idea, but if something goes wrong, it could go very wrong. Life energy was 8 or 80, it would either give you a big explosive bonus, or it would make you sick and weak. There is a bottleneck for life energy, but we don''t know how to see that bottleneck. If I pumped life energy into a plant, with the intention of healing it, this would work for a while, but if I added too much life energy, it would reach a point where the plant would die. It''s very similar to the principle of "The Cup of Greed", if we went over the limit, we would lose everything. That''s why I put this "power grid" project aside for now, but I still haven''t given up on the plan with [Syrup of Life]. We created a large tonne made of wax, which had a small pot inside it fixed to the floor. We put [Life Syrup] into this small pot, and then threw life mana crystals into it. Over time the syrup began to replicate, and as it rised the collectors and loaders came and emptied the tonne, then they took it all to the silo warehouse, and filled a large silo with the syrup. The syrup was very good, at least that''s what the cooks said, the syrup could serve as one of the ingredients of [Nutritional Paste] and mainly served as rations for soldiers, because of its ability to fortify troops. With this I managed to delay my hunger a little, but not for long, this would only last until the mana reserves I have stored in the mana pool run out, I would say that at this rate, in 2 or 3 days all the mana in the pool would be exhausted, but that will be enough to give us weeks of extra rations.
"What do you want to do?!" "Bombs!!" Jasper said excitedly. Jasper had come to make a request to me, I didn''t know what it was, but the boy wanted to mess with bombs, which didn''t seem like a good idea. "Why do you want to mess with this? It''s very dangerous, I don''t think Ken would ever allow something like that..." "Yes! When I presented the project to Steve, Ken came to me and said "If you mess with this shit I''ll break you in two." Jasper said calmly while imitating Ken in a provocative way. "And why do you want to mess with this then?!" "Because bombs are very useful!! I was seeing the memories of the explosion that happened in the big tree, and I thought that if we could reproduce this phenomenon we could increase our military power!" Jasper said with a serious look. "If you saw the smallest of the explosion, then you must be aware of the chaos it generated, why should I approve of it?" "The explosions you created in the past were messy and poorly made, just a bunch of rubbish mixed in a cauldron, the work of a complete amateur." Jasper said. ''Thank you for the kind words.'' "With our new and latest knowledge, we could create much more stable and perfect bombs, my plan is a bomb with 2 reagents that will explode when they come into contact, I also want to create a smoke bomb to help soldiers escape, and poisonous bombs to Aldy''s group. If I can I would also like to create other variants, like light bombs, and an imitation of your seed grenades!" Jasper said very seriously. "ugh... When you speak so professionally... It''s hard for me to refuse, they really seem like very useful ideas, but very dangerous... You know. cooks cut and burn themselves to discover new recipes, wizards go through mana poisoning to discover new spells, and soldiers get hurt to discover new fighting styles. I''m worried you''re going to blow yourself up." "I understand the risks! And I take full responsibility for this project! I talked to Levi, and he said that it was possible to create a separate room on the roof of the magic tower! That way, any explosion or accident would not cause structural damage to the tower." Jasper said. "But then you would be very exposed!! What would stop a bird from coming and eating you?!" "No life forms other than those classified come near the tower, mother! The fight club does a good job, and I have complete confidence that I will be able to conduct my experiments smoothly!" Jasper said excitedly. "Ugh... But you alone? What if you need help?" "I have volunteers! Isaac himself along with some other scientists, and some members of the alchemy and magic club applied for this project!" Jasper said excitedly. "Fuck?! I thought everyone would be more wary of messing with explosives." "The majority do... I would say that 90% of the hive doesn''t like the idea, and they think the project is very dangerous, they say I''m going to set the hive on fire, but it seems ridiculous to me..." Jasper said. ''Oh? That''s interesting... So the majority of the hive absorbed my "Trauma" like fire, and ingrained in their heads that fire = Bad, while a small amount of the hive just processed this "trauma" as extra information? How does it work? Is it a mutation? Or a genetic "deformity"? Like people who can''t feel pain? But there''s nothing wrong with their bodies so is it a mental "deformity"?...'' "...Very well, you have my approval, but any experiments done in the tower must be for academic purposes only, so no big explosions here, if you want to test real bombs, you will have to move away from the tower." "Understood!" Said Jasper excitedly as he exited the room excitedly. "I hope no one gets hurt..." The idea of working with bombs was contradictory, bombs could serve as very powerful weapons, we could use them to mine, and perhaps wizards could create spells based on this phenomenon, the problem was that bombs, are bombs, they are dangerous and that''s enough. a bad time for everything to go wrong.
I was inside my personal garden, which was located in the deepest interior of the hive, the entire garden surrounded the large begonia tree that served as a refuge for my mana pool, around the tree there were dozens of different plants and foliage growing around it. everywhere. On the ground there were flowers, foliage and grass growing all over the place, bushes were pruned and styled by the farmers, and large flower ornaments and plant arrangements were placed around the place. On the begonia tree grew masses of mushrooms, moss and vines. On its branches there were vases suspended with cedar that carried various plants and flowers. All over the place there were dozens of [Tears of the Sky] that served as a water source and dozens of workers who worked on maintaining the gardens also served as lamps to provide artificial light to the plants. I was in an area built for "tea time", a large platform with a table made of wood beautifully decorated with cloths and floral arrangements, chairs made of nuts, twigs and wax, and a large pillow that I used as a seat. Hans had invited me for a chat, I''m always happy to talk to boys, but Hans was different, whenever I talked to Hans he made a point of giving me a lecture about "royalty and duties". I feel horrible for trying to avoid him just so I don''t have to hear about it, but at the same time I know he''s right, Hans wants nothing more than the prosperity and safety of the hive. And he was more than willing to make difficult decisions, Hans was a good leader, a real leader, not an image to be idolized like me. Hans would know how to react in moments of chaos and despair, while I would just freeze in the moment, Hans wouldn''t think twice before sacrificing an arm to save his body, figuratively and literally. Soon Hans arrived, and unexpectedly accompanied by him were Steve, Yan, Jon and Trevis. Which was a big warning that this is not going to be an easy conversation. "Hello my boys, what is so important that you asked for a meeting in the garden instead of sending everything through the link?" "Greetings mother, we have called this personal and unofficial meeting so that we can speak properly with you regarding the future of the hive." Said Hans as he gave me a chivalric salute, and then the others followed behind him. "What would that be? The hive is in a time of prosperity and peace, all we need is to get through this food crisis and we will be back on track." While everyone was sitting at the table, some workers came and served tea and some sweets to the boys, everyone looked very serious and didn''t want to be the first to speak, but then Steve, as always, took the lead. "Mom... We want to talk about the kobolds." Steve said. ''Damn it.'' Hans, who was just drinking tea, left his cup made of nuts on the table and started talking. "You know exactly what we want to say about them, I said it a long time ago, and I will say it again. They are not our problem. Helping them was always a mistake, and now the hive suffers from hunger because we need to feed a group that Its beyond our food capabilities. Hans said. "Not to mention the problem of security and trust. The kobolds are not trustworthy at all, in a moment of desperation they can attack us, and using the resources we gave them." Steve said. "Not to mention the glaring fact that the traitor may have been leaking information to them for a long time, the sacrifices they provide us are good, I admit. But they are not worth the price we are paying." Jon said as he blew off the steam from his tea. "We produce food 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every month. And yet our production remains in the red, the addition of solid food to royal jelly makes it unviable for the consumption of common members of the hive, the infirmary had a increase in cases of food poisoning by more than 200% this month alone." Steve said as he added some sugar cubes to his tea. "I know we''re going through a food crisis, but it''s only temporary until the vertical garden starts producing food, the syrup project succeeds, and Max figures out a way to speed up plant growth with magic." "Mom. This is not about now, it''s about the future, we will get through this crisis, but what about the next one? And the next one? Every day the kobolds increase more and more in number, the mouths to feed also increase, and then what will we have? An entire city of kobolds who count on us as a source of food and medicine?" Trevis said. "Every day our magical experiments and technology advance more and more! With items like [Syrup of Life] food will soon become a trivial matter!" "How? As our numbers grow and the kobolds grow as well, we will need more and more resources, and solutions like [Create food] or items that can self-replicate are not realistic solutions since our only source of mana in life is you. Even if you evolve, do you really think you would have a high enough mana reserve to keep food production high? And if so, what would you do? Would you stay all day, every day until the day you die, producing food non-stop?" Hans asked very calmly. "So what? You want me to kill the kobolds, stab them in the back after welcoming them in a moment of fragility?" "Yes, that would be ideal for me, we got a lot of information from Hilda, and for that I am grateful for the kobolds, but right now they are a burden we should not bear. It is past time to cut ties with them." Hans said coldly as he looked me in the eyes. "You can''t abandon someone like that after years of helping them in a friendly relationship! And aren''t you thinking about the waves of monsters?! It''s the kobolds who serve as the front line so that we don''t have to fight!" The boys seemed upset by my arguments, but Hans and Steve remained cool and methodical, Hans just sipped his tea while Steve stirred his cup with a wooden spoon before starting to speak. "That''s the minimum required of them, after all, we never had any problems with hordes of monsters until the arrival of the kobolds. They don''t protect us from the monsters, they are the cause of us being attacked. So either we die with them, or we cut them off. Before it''s too late." Steve said. "We don''t know that! It could just be a coincidence, and there is also the fact that the creature that stared at me in the spirit world could be sending these hordes of monsters! After all, since that day the hordes of monsters started to ignore the kobolds and run towards Aurum!" "Now it''s you who isn''t making sense, the wave of monsters always attacked the tower, they were just too weak and died long before they got close. But now their number is greater, their power is better. That''s why every day kobolds will become less and less useful." Trevis said. "The services of the kobols are completely unnecessary, if we could focus all our resources on fortifying the walls of Aurum, and then creating a safe perimeter, we would no longer need to send soldiers on missions far from home, we could live solely in this region, living off the crops , and hunting in the region." Hans said. "But soldiers hunt to gain XP, if we stayed here we would become stagnant!" "We are already stagnant, the monsters and creatures in this region learn quickly, small creatures don''t dare to fight with us, and they are very good at running away. And we can''t fight bigger and more powerful creatures so far from the nest." Jon said. "Yes. If we could live solely from hunting in the regions of Aurum, then that would be ideal. The hordes of monsters would provide us with easy XP that voluntarily comes to us. We could use the help of the entire hive army to combat larger creatures and more powerful, and it would be easy and quick to treat the injured. Besides, if we fought in that region, we could use your [Imperial Empowerment] skill with maximum efficiency." Hans said. ''Damn, damn, the boys have a solid plan, and I have nothing but the will to protect the kobolds, if I let them die, what will I become? A killer? A competent queen? A monster? I promised myself I would take care of them.'' But I can''t even take care of myself. As I thought, I looked up to see everyone waiting for my answer, Hans was looking at me with sharp eyes, Jon was happily sipping tea, Steve was eating some sweets, Trevis seemed distracted, probably mentally monitoring his group of spy bees, and Yan just listened to everything with a professional smile. And again, I just freeze at the situation. I''m definitely the worst queen anyone could think of. Chapter 63: Out of the box Aurum - Year 3 As queen I must think about the good of my people, if I abandon the kobolds now, I will end up, obtained a lot of useful information for an exorbitant price. But if I continue to help them I would need to be prepared to suppress the kobolds and prevent an uprising against the hive. While everyone looked at me just waiting, I tried to think of a use for the kobols, other than a way to keep them "Subordinate" to me. I like kobolds, and I want to protect them, but nothing stops me from one day being the one to be afraid of kobolds, and that can''t happen. "...The kobolds can do things that we as a hive cannot! Because they are a normal and common species in this world, we could use them in the future to contact other species! In addition to using their manpower! Kobolds are excellent hunters and trackers. If we could use them as our guards, we could focus solely on expanding the hive and magical research!" That was my plan, it seemed very risky, but I wasn''t willing to break my promises. The boys started thinking about my counter-proposal, and the first to speak was Steve. "...It might even work. But nothing stops us from doing all this ourselves. We can come into contact with other species by ourselves, and I don''t know if there is a need to come into contact with other species, we are tall enough. And we don''t we can trust outsiders. Said Steve while pondering the diplomatic possibilities. "The kobolds can be good trackers, but they fail a lot when it comes to stealth, it would be easy to detect them coming, unlike my group which can blend into the surrounding nature and disappear completely." Trevis said a little upset. "They could function as guards I think. If they lived around the tower, which is very dangerous. Besides the fact that they are not part of the [Link], which makes them prone to betrayal. Nothing would stop them from one day leaving our enemies enter our perimeter for a little riches." Trouble said as he tasted a small sugar crystal. What the boys said was basically, "It doesn''t matter what they do, we can do better!" Maybe it''s true, boys have specific [Classes] that make them excellent in certain areas, but I doubt that we are the "Perfect Species". If only I could learn more from the kobolds, about the world, magic, society and culture. I could prepare for future encounters with other groups. I''m sure that if a bunch of malnourished kobolds can get here, then a group armed to the teeth and prepared to kill everything in their path can too. ''Damn! Think, think. Make yourself useful for something you shit brain.'' ''The boys have no sense of responsibility towards other species, so it''s up to me to make the first contact. To solve the problem, what would I need? Manpower? Resources? No... None of this will solve my problem in the short term, I need something definitive. What is the root of the problem? The extremist hive culture? The apparent uselessness of kobolds? Or simply a lack of resources? It could be a little bit of everything... But the most important thing is the glaring lack of resources, without food we won''t survive, but food isn''t the only resource we lack, we need easy XP, which is almost impossible to get these days , So what? Do I start asking for "kobold" sacrifices for the kobolds? No, no, that''s too much for me. So how can I earn a lot of XP quickly and safely?'' As I thought I could feel my head hurting and the hive feeling a little uncomfortable, it was as if my personal thoughts were a nuisance to the hive. ''Energy!! I need life energy, if I can create a source of life energy I could not only end the food crisis, but also focus on research in the area of golememia and sorcery, this way I could create expendable pawns that will not put people at risk the boys'' lives, if I can create a reproduction and growth spell for animal life, I could also boost the snail farm and guarantee a peaceful source of XP.'' While everyone was waiting, I suddenly slapped the table and shouted excitedly, "I know what we''re going to do!" Without letting the boys get impressed, I started to pump out my recent thoughts to them, and before long everyone closed their eyes and started to analyze the new idea. "Hmmm... This is all substantial... It contains a lot of what ifs", nothing that is definitive. Do you have any way of creating a new source of life mana?" Steve asked, visibly disappointed with my "genius idea". "No... But I have plans! I have spells like [Life Drain] that can do the job!" Hans just set his cup aside and crossed his arms before saying "Really? And who will serve as the source of "juice" for the spell? The kobolds look like tempting volunteers." Hans said, already irritated. "UGh... 1 week, okay? Give me 1 week and I promise I''ll think of a viable solution." The boys just looked at each other and sighed, while everyone was getting ready to leave, Trevis just looked at me and started to speak dryly. "I understand that you want to stick to your morals, mother. After all, a promise is a debt, but there is a big difference between being generous, and being stupid. And you are being stupid. You never allied with the kobolds because you saw a hidden potential in them, you just felt sorry for them, why? I don''t know. But you felt sorry for them, and that''s why you started filling them with resources that could be used by the hive, you are the queen mother, and I have no desire. questioning and contradicting your choices, but this is something that my instincts reject in every way. You are not doing a good deal, by providing so much food and resources to them from the beginning, you generated the expectation that we could always take care of them for nothing, and when you started receiving sacrifices, instead of demanding more sacrifices to continue receiving resources, you provided more food for few sacrifices. I understand that you want to honor your words and follow your "morals", but what about us? Are we less valuable than kobolds?" Trevis said without delay. "Trevis! Shut up!" Steve said in one of his rare temper tantrums. I was totally surprised by this bombshell, was that how I was seen? How is the incompetent and ridiculous queen? I care about the boys, I really do, I''m doing everything I can to keep them all alive and safe, but it''s never enough. I''m not good enough. "What-" "I care about you, my boys! But I don''t believe that a route where we "kill those who are not useful" is acceptable! If one day a member of the hive ends up being invalided, would we just discard him as trash? Regardless of whether he is our own family and a member who helped with the growth of the hive?!" "The kobolds are not family, nor do they collaborate in any meaningful way. But as I''ve said before, I would sacrifice hive members if it meant the hive''s survival, and I would start with the weakest and most irrelevant members." Hans said naturally. "Hans! Stop it! Don''t you care about your own brothers?!" "Of course I care! My purpose and existence are based on keeping everyone safe and alive, but if to save a thousand members I need to sacrifice 1 single member, I wouldn''t hesitate. This part of Hans always irritated me, a beautiful and majestic knight, protector of the people and kind older brother, and yet he wouldn''t hesitate to let his own brothers die if necessary. "How can that be right?! Tell Steve something!" Everyone was tense, the calm atmosphere of tea time had long since died, and all that was left was chaos and conflict, once again. "....I wouldn''t kill anyone directly... But I think if the food reserves run out, I would send the weakest members of the hive to die outside the tower. I''m sure most would leave voluntarily just to avoid the death of the hive." Steve said. I was horrified by this idea, nowadays Aurum was a "city", made of towers, the whole city was built inside these towers and separated into floors, but if several and several members started to commit mass suicide for "the future of the hive", then all that would be left would be a ghost town. The city that was once full of life and bustling would become a sad and lifeless desert, the happy and calming music that plays non-stop would be replaced by a disturbing silence, and the rooms that were full of bees hugging and cuddling together , would become a place where only sad memories reside. The image is disturbing, and the worst part is that there would be a hole inside me that I could no longer fill. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "I would never let us get to that point!" The boys seemed happy with my words, and they seemed to believe me. They need to believe in me, I am the queen, and there is no way to disagree with me. But even I''m not sure of my own words.
I''m a bad queen, I don''t know how to rule with an iron fist like Hans, or stick to logic and efficiency like Steve, I just know how to be myself, which doesn''t seem to be good enough for the hive. My decision to continue helping the kobolds felt wrong in every way, I''m sacrificing the prosperity of the hive and our future to feel good about myself. Nobody wants blood on their hands, people who say "I would abandon dead weight without any remorse", don''t understand the feeling that is left behind, the idea of letting someone die voluntarily just because you decided that it is no longer worth taking care of that person. Are there situations where I would abandon kobolds? Yes. We all have our limits. If I were starving, literally languishing because of the kobolds, I wouldn''t think twice before cutting ties, if they killed my babies I would abandon them too, and if they started stealing our resources I would also abandon them without thinking. But they didn''t do anything, they are just trying to survive in a hostile and lifeless environment, they are doing their best to stay upright and protect their children from harm. I must admit, I see myself a little in them, I think what things would be like for me and the hive, if fate were a little more cruel to me, and I remember the kobolds, abandoned by their own kind, forced to enter a land of no one just to have a place to call home, and forced to watch their family die from hunger, disease and war, one by one. I feel sorry for them, but is this right? "Pity" is something very strong and dangerous, if you feel sorry for a wolf, and care for him with all your strength, what stops the wolf from killing you as soon as he regains his strength? Could it be the "morals" of the wolf? He wouldn''t attack you because he "owes you"? Sometimes I feel bad for thinking so little of the kobolds, even when all they do is just try to survive and honor our "agreement", the hive seems to be taking root deeper and deeper into me every day, to a point where I can''t say if I''ve always been like this, or if it''s the hive''s fault that "anesthetizes" my sympathy. I can imagine a future where we and the kobolds live in harmony, a mutual and honest collaboration, something completely consensual and truthful. But then my mind starts to think of worst possible scenarios, where we would all be killed and stolen by kobolds, versions where we would be turned into "Cattle", and maybe even slaves. Maybe it''s [Concerned Player''s] fault, but I can''t help but think it''s the hive''s fault that my thoughts towards kobolds are so pessimistic. In my room i started to play with some magic again, more than ever I need power. Power to overcome a food crisis, and power to make other species submit to me. Summoning an [Echo of Life], I go through my list of mental spells, and start thinking about the idea of the plant-growing magic lamps that Max is working on. Then I bind the echo to the [Wild Growth] spell and give it an order. "Go to the vertical garden, and make all the plants there grow" Soon the small lime green jellyfish began to float towards a wall, and passed through it as if it didn''t exist. Giving a mental order to a guard I tell him to follow her, and soon I can see her arriving at the vertical garden. As soon as she entered the garden she began to shake violently and exploded in a cloud of lime green energy, as soon as the energy came into contact with the plants, everything began to grow quickly and uncontrollably everywhere, and after about 3 minutes there were many plants blooming, and some that only grew leaves. "5/10 I would say, if I used the spell myself, I could create a plant with dozens of flowers, and with as few leaves as possible, the echo just created a bunch of plants that grow randomly, so you can''t I used it with maximum efficiency, and it still cost me 20 mana points..." It was a surprise to see that the jellyfish knew where the "vertical garden" was, but it can''t use magic with the same mastery as me, just a more "wild" version of the spell. ''Wait a second'' Invoking another echo, this time I linked it to the [Life Drain] spell, a spell that was little used due to its difficulty in handling and low efficiency. Soon the jellyfish turned a dirty beige color, and created what looked like needles around its tentacles. The little thing cost me 24.2 mana points, but if it really worked like I think it will, this could be very worth it. "Bring me a wappo! A big, healthy one!" As soon as I said that, 2 guards quickly left, and after a few moments they returned with an armed and restrained Wappo. They just threw him in the middle of the room, and Wappo didn''t understand what was happening. And without thinking much, I just gave the order to the echo "Drain him." Soon the small echo floated delicately to the Wappo, and in the blink of an eye he threw himself onto it and stuck like the alien from the movie Alien. The echo then attached its needles to the Wappo and began to slowly fill with a very familiar golden energy. As the Wappo withered and withered, the echo grew and grew larger and larger, until it was large enough to detach itself from the Wappo like a tick, leaving behind a wappo on the verge of death. The echo then just sat there floating in the air, but as soon as I gave it the command to come towards me, the thing slowly moved towards me until it arrived in front of me. Reaching into the golden energy-filled interior of the echo, I realize that it is truly pure life energy. "This is incredible!! Can I absorb this energy?" Trying to "catch" the life energy inside the echo, I can''t do anything other than look like an idiot trying to grab something that isn''t there, but then I get the idea to make the echo discharge. "Give me your energy!" As soon as I said those words, the echo floated directly to me and simply entered my body like a ghost, the feeling was horrible, and it gave me chills all over my body, which were followed by a sudden wave of life energy.
[Notice]
You gained 27.4 mana points
"Fuck!! That was horrible!!" Receiving mana from the echoes was shit, it felt like they "fused" with me, dissolving into pure energy and basically "killing" themselves. "27.4 mana points? That''s a lot!... But taking into consideration that I spent 24.2 mana points to create the echo, then I only gained 3.2 mana points." It''s very inefficient, but I can see a use for it, if I could train the echoes to drain the wappos infinitely, and convert them into life energy, and then discharge that energy into the mana pool, then I would have a source of man of life other than me. "This could work... It would just take smarter and high enough echoes of life... Will these vampire echoes dissipate over time? After all, they have unlimited energy as long they continue to parasitize something..." These "vampire echoes" serve well as a source of life mana. But I needed something more powerful. "I need to go back to researching more about my spells and skills, I have to find some solution!!" Summoning another Life Echo, I make a big sweep through my list of mental spells, until I come across one called [Connect]. One among the dozens of spells that were created by [Wizards]. "What does it do?" Taking a brief "read" of the mental "label" of the spell, I can see that this is a spell created to imitate [Link], a spell to connect 2 people, the problem was that this was useless for the hive, so it was filed and forgotten forever. "Wait a second." After downloading the spell, I cast it only to see that one of my nails has started to glow with a faint golden dot. By touching the echo with my finger, I can see it subtly changing from a golden hue to a softer yellow tone. . Unexpectedly, this creates a new bridge in [Link] creating an imaginary "line" that connects me directly to the Echo. ''-UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER ON THE LINK!" Radyo shouted shrilly through the link. In a few seconds everything became chaos, and I could feel dozens of [beacons] and [archivists] trying to find the "invader" through the link, but they started to get desperate when they couldn''t find him. They could feel that there was "someone else" in the link, but it was like Ciel''s case, only much weaker. They couldn''t feel or detect it. ''Calm down! It was just me testing a communication spell!" When I said that, the hive started to calm down, and when I sent the memories of what happened, everything started to return to normal before everyone went on with their lives as if they hadn''t just had a bad time. "What do I do with you now, little guy?" The floating jellyfish looked the same as always, but now it could cast the [Connection] spell. "Can I add people outside the link with this?" It seems dangerous as hell, if kids already go crazy with the intrusion of an echo without their own consciousness, imagine connecting with an individual mind. ''Walk'' To do some tests I tried giving some mental commands, and to my surprise it worked beautifully, the water jellyfish followed my commands as if I had spoken them out loud. Normally I need to give voice commands to the echoes, or concentrate really hard to give them a simple command, but this was as easy as thinking. ''Very useful for sure... But not like this... If I could add 2 spells to a single echo I could make better use of it...'' Determined not to give up, I start thinking about how to use this echo thing so I can give mental commands, until the idea of puppets comes to mind. The puppets are nothing more than objects that you can control, the echoes are "spirits" that I can control, so all that''s missing is a physical body. Taking some seeds I had in the room, I start using [Wild Growth] to create a basic manikin shape, then when I finish creating something really weird and "rustic", I send the echo into the pile of roots . Without much thought, the echo just entered the doll as I had ordered, disappearing in a cloud of light, it was still "active" as I could feel it through the link, but no matter how hard I tried, the thing wouldn''t move no matter what. "What''s missing?! What do you need, a heart or something?!" Heart? Core! "BOYS!! Bring me Muck!!" "Yes!!" The guards said. Not long after, Muck was brought to me, so I made the Life Echo come out of the root statue and run towards Muck. So not wasting time, the echo entered Muck, which began to slowly vibrate until it began to deform in a strange way. I could feel a thin line that connected us, like a type of link, but much weaker, and it was consuming my mana to stay active, but it was an insignificant amount. Before long, little Muck started making sounds similar to the breaking of branches and cracking, then out of nowhere he stopped and turned back into a moss slug as if nothing had happened.
[Warning]
You created a familiar! The familiar (Muck) can gain XP and evolve As long he remains active!
"MUCK?!" Chapter 64: Test Aurum - Year 3 ''A familiar? What does this change?'' That was all I could think of at the time. Muck became a familiar, but what is he a familiar? Is he like a witch''s familiar? Or just a servant created with skills? "Muck! Come here!" Soon as I said that, the little moss slug started to quickly slide towards me and then started to attach itself to my feet. Picking him up, I looked like a human being carrying a mini xiaua. It fit in the palm of my hand, but it was still very adorable.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Muck Species: Living Moss Life: 2.3 Def: 2.8
Level: 1 Type: Vineborn Vit: 36.3 Int: 0.3
Mana: 34.5 Stamina: 12.1/22 Dex: 0.3 Wis: 0.2
Talent: Converge Affinity: Life Spr: 1.2 Str: 0.1
[Skills]
{Photosynthesis} - Lv 1 Use sunlight, moisture and nutrients to create MP
{Regrowth} - Lv 1 Regenerates lost parts quickly using Sp.
{Verdant vitality} - Lv 1 If the damage received is less than the points of your [Vitality] it will be ignored.
{Familiar} - Locked As long your creator remains alive, you can be revived indefinitely by him at the cost of MP.
{Mirrored} - Lv 1 When you suffer any type of damage, you can reflect it back to your enemy at the cost of Mp.
"Damn!! What are these skills? {Familiar} seems to be your version of [Maternal Connection], but this skill {Mirrored} is incredible!!" Muck, in addition to gaining some really cool skills, also gained the ability to level them up, something he couldn''t do before as a "golem". "Are you alive? Technically you have a soul... So I would say yes?" Muck''s "soul" was a [Life Echo] which I can''t say if it is a soul or not, the echoes seem to be a type of mana spirit that I can control, but I think they are far from being "souls" . Do I know what a soul is? No! But I''m sure it''s not that simple to give a "real" soul! to someone. "You are a completely unnatural creature... Your body, your core, your "soul" are all artificial, so you are an artificial life form... Or just a complete life form?" The moss didn''t seem to care about my moral crisis, but I really wondered whether or not Muck was "real." I could still "deactivate" it by taking the life echo out of it, but in doing so would I be literally killing Muck? Or just turning him into a golem? "Boys? Do we have creatures that are very weak in the coliseum?" I asked my guards standing around the room. "Of course! We have some ants available at the coliseum!" Said an excited guard. "Very good!" Without thinking much, I started walking there on one of the rare times I left my room. As I passed through the places I could see the amazed eyes of the hive members, and the tension of the royal guards to protect me, even though I was inside the nest. After a while I came to a large open corridor that took me to a large room that contained a large gate of bars made of hard wax alloy, and branches treated to be fortified. There were weapons, benches, cabinets, pots and various things around the room, and some soldiers were arranged all over the place. "The Queen Mother!" Shouted one of the soldiers, which made everyone look at me in wonder. While I was nervous with so many looks, with a slime made of moss hanging from my hand. I don''t like to admit it, but I only knew the older generations of my hive personally, the vast majority never came to talk to me, or never even saw me throughout their lives. Only [Royal Guards] and [Royal Knights] came to my room, so most of the soldiers didn''t know me personally. The working classes had more chances to see me in their lifetime, so they weren''t impressed when they saw me, but the soldiers were super excited. "H-Hello boys! I came here today because I need some really weak ants to do a test with Muck." "Ohhh!!" Some soldiers exclaimed. "Get back to work! In the presence of the great mother you must show results, not open mouths!" Said my [Royal Knight] "Leave ''em! You''re all invited if you want to see Muck fight. I don''t know if he''s a good fighter, but I''m here to test that." "Wow! Can this goo fight?" Said one of the soldiers. "Well... I guess so? Technically he can''t deal damage, but if he takes damage he can reflect it, so it''s possible he could kill someone." "That''s cool!! I thought he was going to get into someone''s mouth and choke them to death, or something!" Said another soldier. ''That''s not a bad idea....'' Soon my entire delegation moved to another hallway, which led to the stands, where there was a large seat that had clearly been made for me. I sat in place and waited until 2 Ants tied with ropes, with broken legs and shaved eyes were brought to the place. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I could see some soldiers positioning themselves in the stands waiting for the chance to see Muck work, so I gave the order to the boys, who released one of the ants, and secured another by the rope to the wall, before finally leaving the combat zone. ''Muck'' With my mental words, Muck "looked" at me, and awaited my commands. ''Hmmm... Let''s see... Let''s start with something very abstract and see if he can follow these orders...'' "Kill one of the ants." As soon as I said that, Muck began to slide along the floor, until he reached the bars that separated the stands from the combat zone, then he squeezed through the holes and fell to the floor of the battlefield. Muck then crept surreptitiously towards one of the blind ants, and began to attach himself to its feet. The ant then bit him with all its jaws, but then released him with a squeaking sound. Muck seemed to have used his stolen skill {Mirrored} to reflect this damage, and because of the skill [Verdant Vitality] he himself did not suffer any damage from it. Muck continued to attach himself to the ant''s feet, and in a completely unexpected situation, he opened a large "Mouth" full of pointed branches in rows side by side. "What the hell?!" Muck then attached himself to the ant''s leg, and wrapped himself around her while the ant tried with all his might to free himself from Muck. Muck''s damage didn''t seem too great, but he didn''t let go of her, and seemed willing to play a game of attrition with the ant, as Muck would get the upper hand in a very long fight. When about 10 minutes had passed and Muck showed no sign of letting go of the ant''s leg, I decided it was time for plan B. or C. Choke that ant. ''Smother her with your body''. As soon I gave the order Muck detached himself from the ant''s leg, and slowly crawled up to its chest, then moved to the ant''s face and began to cling between the ant''s jaws, but after a while I realized that this was not doing the trick. causing suffocation. ''Shit... The ants in this world seem to be like the insects in my world... Their breathing is cutaneous.'' If you don''t need your mouth to breathe, then it doesn''t make sense for me to try to suffocate you through your mouth, so what can I do? "The eyes!" The eyes were a soft part, and very close to the brain, so they were a direct path to the "main control" of the body of any living being. ''Muck! Dig out the eyes, and destroy the brain!'' Following my commands, Muck reached towards the ant''s eyes, and created a wooden thorn in its body, then he used this thorn to stab the ant''s eye violently, while the ant just struggled helplessly, then he began to enter the ant''s eye. hole that had formed, before exploding into a ball of spikes that pierced the entire ant from the inside out.
[Notice]
Your familiar "Muck" killed a [Valley Ant], you gained 0.01 XP!
Muck succeeded, he killed the ant, and still proved to be very intelligent and capable. Knowing how to follow orders to the letter, and possessing racial abilities that I didn''t know he had. Muck can create these wooden thorns all over his body, and use them as a defense, or as a form of attack, being able to create an armor of thorns, thorns to stab someone, and even sharp teeth for a mouth. Soon Muck began to emerge from inside the ant''s head, completely covered in vitriol, but then he shook himself a little to get rid of it and rubbed himself on the arena floor like a hamster to clean himself, before slowly crawling towards me. As soon as he reached the walls of the coliseum, he showed another of his unlisted abilities, which was the ability to create small roots on the wall and use them to climb them quickly and consistently. In a short time Muck came excitedly to me, and attached himself to my feet again. "Ohwn... Who''s a good boy! It''s You Muck!" I said as I took it in my hand and raised it to eye level.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Muck Species: Living Moss Life: 2.3 Def: 2.8
Level: 1 Type: Vineborn Vit: 36.3 Int: 0.3
Mana: 20.3/34.5 Stamina: 2.1/22 Dex: 0.3 Wis: 0.2
Talent: Convergence Affinity: Life Spr: 1.2 Str: 0.1
"Damn!! You spent a lot of mana!! Why are useful and powerful skills always so expensive!! Damn, you can''t just reflect all the damage done to you, that will leave you without mana quickly." "Hmm?" Looking closely at Muck''s Status I see something I haven''t seen before, a new haba called [Talent]. "What is talent? Is it something exclusive to familiars? What is it for? Why is your talent [Convergence]? Does it have something to do with your ability to reflect damage?" Muck didn''t give me any answers, and it didn''t seem like he would, this was just more information I had to deal with. ''What is a talent for? This seems to have something to do with Muck''s "Reflective" abilities, and his ability to negate damage less than his [Stamina] value, but is it just that, or is there something more?
Aurum - Year 3 Muck showed me that a life echo can do much more than I thought, so I started thinking about other ways to manipulate things around me with these echoes. The echoes of life are like little spirits, they are not alive, but they are not objects either, they stay in the "in-between". If I could use them as souls for familiars, then what was their limit? According to my tests, the echo that created "Muck - The Familiar" was solely the echo containing an echo with the spell [Connect] if I tried to use other spells on a nucleus I would not have the same result. But it still gave me a lot of ideas, and my main one was a project I had put in a drawer. The creation of a magic wand. The staffs we have nowadays are very bad, they use a lot of mana, and they have an expiration date. But echoes are ways to cast spells indefinitely as long as they have mana to spend. So why can''t I make an echo using a magic wand, and then replace the use of catalyst crystals. "Test number #1. I will place a life echo containing a [Wild Growth] spell inside a simple wooden staff. I and some wizards, along with some archivists and artisans were testing these new theories, and to begin with I summoned an echo of life, linked it to the [Wild Growth] spell and ordered it to inhabit the wooden branch of life. But what happened was that the echo entered the branch leaving behind a lime green cloud, and then I felt the echo disappear, and then in a matter of seconds the branch started growing in crazy, disorganized directions for a few seconds until it became a tangle of a bunch of roots. ''Failure.'' "Any ideas boys?" As soon as I asked the question I could see the boys shaking their heads in denial. ''This is going to be a long day....''
"Test #47. Now we will try to make an echo of life live inside a crystal mechanism and see what can happen, as this is a highly dangerous experiment, I ask that everyone move behind the security walls. " As soon as I finished speaking, everyone was already in their seats, the room that was previously tidy and prepared for research was now in a mess, papers and failed experiments on the floor, and several clipboards on the tables with failed projects. As soon as I summoned another life echo, I linked it directly to the [Life Drain] spell and sent it into the device. So I activated my crystal skin and waited anxiously for the result. Soon the device, which was actually more of a collar made of vegetable leather, life crystals, and a small catalyst crystal began to vibrate, the previously white crystals lost color and turned into a beige yellow crystal, and small thorns grew on the inside of the collar. "A success?!" Shouted one of the scientists. Getting close to the thing, I take a look and realize that I''ve lost connection to the echo, but the collar hasn''t exploded, so that was a good sign.
[Description]
Name: Drain Collar Rarity: Rare Quality: Bad
Created by the hive queen, in collaboration with the development club. This necklace is capable of draining the wearer''s life essence and converting it into pure life energy.
"OH shit!! I enchanted an item!! I really enchanted an item!! And it looks like a pretty special spell!" A necklace that drains the essence of life? It''s very subjective, but very useful too, I could make one of these for farm animals and create clean and renewable energy production. "Kukuku.. Heheh HAHAHAHA!" "She''s gone crazy again... That''s why Ken says she needs to sleep well at night..." Said one scientist to the other. Chapter 65: What truly Matters? Aurum - Year 3 ''Well, collars that can drain someone''s life essence? This thing seems to be very evil, but I can make good use of it.'' "Boys! Bring me a Wappo!" As soon as my words fell, a small group of soldiers quickly left and returned with a large, healthy Wappo. Going towards him, I place the collar delicately around his "neck" and slowly move away. Then when it seemed like nothing was going to happen, Wappo let out a squeal of pain as the spikes on the collar started to suck him in. Soon the inside of the crystal attached to the collar began to slowly fill with a very familiar golden energy. While Wappo seemed very uncomfortable with the situation, but not injured. ''Interesting...'' Extending my claw towards the collar, I try to absorb this energy that without hesitation runs into me excitedly, so I decide to do a test, and energize the collar with life energy. As soon as I energized the collar, the Wappo fell to the ground as it writhed in pain while thorns and roots sprouted from the collar and embedded themselves in the wappo''s "flesh". "Wow! The collar has the ability to fuse with the host''s flesh if energized with life energy! This would be very useful for prisoner control!" Said one of the scientists while excitedly writing everything down. "That''s not all! The collar seems to cause a lot of pain when energized too! So it would be very useful for keeping prisoners calm, if we can use the collars on the coliseum animals, we could save a lot of resources!" Said a soldier. ''Damn... I created a weapon... I accidentally ended up creating something that could cause suffering to other species...'' Is my investment useful? Absolutely, but it''s not a safe or friendly investment, its sole purpose is to suck the life out of someone until all that''s left is an empty shell. ''Damn... stay calm, it''s for the good of the hive, the boys are right, this invention can be used in very useful ways.'' "Very well! Catalog this item as a weapon and take it to the development club for further research, we need to continue with the experiments." "Yes Queen Mother!" said everyone present as a small group of soldiers went to the wappo and ripped the item from his neck, tearing off some of his flesh and skin in the process. Then the soldier gave the collar to a scientist who delicately placed it inside a box with several danger warnings. Then the box was sealed with wax and glue and given to workers who worked at the delivery club. Soon the Wappo became obsolete, so the soldiers picked it up and slowly dragged it away without anyone paying any attention, as they were busy setting up the room for the next experiment.
"Test #64 in progress, this test we are attempting to cause an echo of mana to inhabit a magical formation composed of catalyst crystals inscribed with the intention of serving as the core of a magic wand." "The purpose of this experiment is to create a magical core that can serve as an intermediary between the magic and the caster, making anyone capable of using a pre-programmed spell." As soon as I finished explaining the experiment for records, I created a small mana echo attached to the [Featherweight] spell, a spell that makes any item float in the air. Soon the echo of mana began to float to a large jib made of catalyst crystals, attached to mana batteries and a type of terminal made of wood, crystals and root cables. The intention of the item is to serve as an intermediary, allowing the holder of the item to be able to cast magic even without having mana or any knowledge of magic, the intention is for him to just activate the item that will do all the difficult work. Even if it works, the trinket is still very large and not very optimized, but if the experiment succeeds, the magic club would have a new item and a whole new magical principle to study. As soon as the echo of mana entered the item, the catalyst crystal began to light up, soon the wooden terminal began to shake as magical power flowed through the roots of the trinket, soon the entire machine began to shake violently which caused me to activate my crystal skin and the scientists who were behind a protective wall covered their ears waiting for the explosion that was coming. but soon the item''s shaking stopped, and instead it was enveloped in an aura of glittering energy that caused it to begin emitting a wave of energy that made items around it float in the air. "A success?!!" shouted one of the wizards. "Take it easy boys! It''s very unstable! I''m going to test it!" Approaching the item with a bit of trepidation, I tap its terminal and begin trying to activate the spell, soon I see a small wave of energy vibrate within the catalyst crystal before a bunch of strange letters and runes begin to leak from the crystal. . Soon a show of small lights takes place in the room, when several small magical runes begin to orbit around the catalyst crystal, I was so amazed by the beauty of the situation that I didn''t notice when the item began to vibrate and emit sounds that it shouldn''t emit. "MOM! BE CAREFUL, THE EXPERIMENT IS PRESENTING INAGULARITIES!" Shouted one of the mages as several soldiers started running towards me. ''Huh?'' Looking back I could see my children''s scared faces, and looking ahead I see a crystal bauble that is shaking a lot and emitting smoke while several white letters made of energy begin to shake and scatter. ''Damn it!'' Soon a large crack appears in the catalyst crystal, and a feeling of extreme danger comes over me, so in a desperate movement I put all my arms in front of me and activate my crystal skin again. Then a large explosion occurs, throwing me back and making me collide with the soldiers who tried to run towards me, as soon as I recover my senses I look up to see some desperate bees trying to put out the fire in the laboratory, while other bees they begin to grab me and hurriedly drag me away from danger. "Wait boys! I''m fine!" "No you''re not! Your body has burns and bruises!" Shouted a soldier as he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the burning room. Stopping to analyze myself, I could see that my arms were almost intact due to the crystal skin, but some areas such as my legs and waist had suffered burns and bruises, but nothing that was really lethal or harmful. "This amount of damage is superficial! My peaceful regeneration will heal this in a few days! We need to deal with the fire!" "That''s the least of it! Since the tree fire a few years ago, the research club has developed dozens of means to fight fires, so the fire will be contained with non-flammable foam, water and sand." Said a worker "I''m more concerned about the magical damage! That explosion spread life energy in a chaotic fashion all over the place! We need to isolate the members present at the time of the explosion and determine if their bodies were not affected by the sub-exposure to high amounts of magical damage." life!" Said a wizard very seriously. ''Damn it! I completely forgot about that, messing with life energy is like messing with radiation, I should be safe, but what if exposure to life energy causes damage or mutations to my boys?!'' As soon as we arrived at the infirmary, a swarm of nurse bees began swarming me, licking my wounds to remove dirt and debris, and using skills and items to heal the open wounds. After the ward doors were kicked in by a bee in a nurse''s uniform, the bee then walked furiously towards the swarm of bees and began muttering. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "WHAT THE HELL ARE SAFETY RULES FOR IF YOU DON''T FOLLOW THEM?!" Shouted Ken. "We were following the safety rules! So much so that the only injured person was Mom, the problem was that she was at the center of the explosion and the soldiers didn''t have time to protect her!" One of the wizards insisted. "What did I tell you?! To keep mom away from dangerous things! If she dies, what are we going to do, huh?! Without her, the hive will collapse and die within months!!" Ken said irritated. "Stop the drama Ken, it was just a minor accident, I''m more worried about the side effects on the boys than my injuries..." "What side effects?!" Ken said, letting his concern leak out. "W-Well... The boys were exposed to large amounts of energy from the pathway during the explosion, and because they have no affinity for [life] I''m worried that they may have suffered some collateral damage..." "Are you serious!?! Damn it mom! You guys! Isolate the experiment room until it passes the security tests! You send the wizards to investigate if there is any dangerous trace of energy in the room, and you guys!! Stay here, you won''t nowhere until you pass rigorous prevention tests!" Ken said while giving orders to several people. "This is really necessary, I feel good, there doesn''t seem to be anything wrong with me, in fact I feel even healthier!" Said a soldier. "This could be a warning of bigger problems, if you feel healthier, it is because you have definitely been exposed to life energy, as in small amounts the energy heals your body, but if you have received more energy than you should there is possibility of the formation of tumors, anomalies or deformities...." Said one of the magicians who was now getting scared. ''What the hell did I do...''
Aurum - Year 3 - 2 Weeks Later Luckily the damage caused to the hive was minimal, my wounds healed in just over 3 days, and the fire was quickly contained using potions that create foam and spells to smother the fire. The biggest problem was the appearance of anomalies in my boys, there were many people in the experiment room, and the explosion emitted a lot of "radiation", causing some anomalies in the boys. The cruelest were wounds that appeared on the skin, or super painful lumps, the guilt consumed me so much that I needed to do something to help them, and the result of that was me injecting more life energy into them to try to correct these mistakes. Ken thought this was a stupid idea, since it''s like injecting more poison into someone who''s been poisoned, but healing magic is a little more complex than that. By using healing magic in an orderly manner and with the right purpose, I can do exactly what I need to do, and thanks to that I was able to cure the boys. But even so, it wasn''t perfect, some people still have pain and unique physical conditions that shouldn''t exist, and it''s all my fault, some anomalies are really bad, but others are even interesting. Some magicians became more "tuned" to the energy after the explosion, being able to see it better, smell it and even taste it. Some soldiers gained enhanced senses, as if they had an eye in the back of their head, and some scientists became more focused. These positive mutations are rare, and only happened to a minority of people in the room, while the majority of mutations are negative, such as loss of hearing, taste and senses, muscle weakness, reduced speed, and lack of appetite. It was all my fault, I shouldn''t have conducted such a dangerous experiment, I knew the risks and was willing to expose myself, because even if I was bombarded by a wave of life energy it wouldn''t cause any real harm to me, but the Boys are susceptible to this damage, and I am useless for not being able to permanently reverse this damage. ''What have i done? My babies, I hurted my babies...'' Their pain is real and very pronounced, like a bell that rings through the link every moment, the beacons said they could suppress this pain and "anesthetize" the link, so I couldn''t feel this discomfort, but I needed to feel it , that would be the only way to remember the consequences of my actions. My babies are hurt, they were hurt by no one else but myself, they pretend that they are fine and that the anomalies are not an obstacle in their lives, but whenever I feel the tiredness, pain and discomfort coming from them my heart sinks. in the chest with remorse and guilt. The solution for the injured was to give them a solution of medicine and health drops, as well as priority in gaining xp, since my hope was that when they evolved they would "Return to normal", losing their negative characteristics. Now I was inside the nursery, looking at several cute little larvae that were happily feeding on a nutritional mixture made specifically for them. ''Forgive me... I''m may not be the best mother out there... But I''m trying, I swear I''m trying... please forgive me.'' I wasn''t talking to anyone, just trying to discharge my negative energy by looking at some babies, the energy of these little guys always brings me joy, but today not even their cute movements and juicy faces cheered me up. "Mom, are you okay? You''ve been looking at the baby soldiers for almost an hour...'' Said Simus, who came to the side. Simus had now evolved into a [Nest Weaver], a very unique class that basically turns him into an expert in building larvae breeding and care units. The class allows him to create a special type of silk that is highly resistant to wax and can be used as a recycled nest-building material. Silk can also be easily corroded by an enzyme that bees can produce, so the breeding units They are very resistant to invaders, but very easy to be removed by other bees. Simus also has his own team of nest builders, and now that Ciel is with Hilda he is second in command of the nursery. "Hello Simus, I''m just feeling a little...Guilty I guess." "I see! Is this because of the explosion that caused strange mutations in some members of the hive?" Said Simus bluntly. "T-That''s exactly why, I feel guilty for putting them in an uncomfortable situation, I feel imposing for not being able to reverse 100% of their mutations, and I feel... inadequate as a queen." "Don''t say that! No one blames you! They were only exposed to the explosion because they came out from behind the protective mesh!" Said Simus "Because they were trying to protect me... Simus, sometimes I think you guys would be better off without me, you know, if I locked myself in my room and just let you guys take control, maybe the colony wouldn''t be going through a period of famine, Maybe then the hive wouldn''t be in constant conflict over the future of the hive, and maybe no one would have gotten hurt because of me..." "Stop being a whining larva!" Said Simus while bending his arms. "Whining larva?" "Yes! No one here blames or refutes your choices, but many are already irritated because of the way you act, you keep thinking so much about what you did and what you could have done differently that you don''t stop to look ahead and see what It''s happening now! You''re only seeing the negative side of things! Did you know that the research club was fascinated by the mutations? volunteers. "What?! Why would they do that, it''s too dangerous!" "It''s very useful! Negative mutations are no death sentence, while positive mutations are extremely useful, if we could create a legion of soldiers with enhanced senses we could reduce the number of injuries and increase the XP gain! If we created one entire generation of mages with the same attunement to mana as mutated mages, we could make great advances in magic, besides the fact that negative mutations are a powerful weapon, if we could create a spell that generates negative mutations on purpose, we could halt effects negatives on our enemies." Simus said as he skillfully sewed a chainmail made of silk. "That- Don''t you think this is too dangerous?! We don''t know the implications of such an experiment! What if we create individuals with irreversible physical disabilities!?" "Mom, the proposal is that the experiments be carried out on aphids, and only after promising results would we test on members who volunteered, but I''m sure the hive is more than willing to sacrifice some members for the future and prosperity of the hive. " Simus said. "That''s not a good thing!!" "Isn''t it? So you''re telling me, that if you could sacrifice yourself so that no one in the hive would ever get hurt again, you wouldn''t do it?" Simus said in a doubtful tone. "T-That... I..." ''I would, if I could give purpose to my sacrifice I would certainly do it, if my children could live peacefully and prosperously until the end of time at the cost of my life I would close the deal without thinking twice.'' And why do they think the same way? If I am willing to sacrifice myself for them, then they are also more than willing to sacrifice some lives for the future of the hive, when doing the math it seems reasonable, sacrificing some members for the future of the hive, but when I think about the pain, in the fear, in the sensation that pulses in the link, my body and soul tremble at the base. "I don''t know Simus, you are all an extension of me, little fragmented parts that have self-awareness, but are still connected to me, I feel everything you feel, I can feel the fervent faith you place in me, the adoration and confidence, and I feel suffocated by it, I don''t think I can be the person you need me to be, but I can''t delegate this task to someone else." "No one expects you to be a perfect mom! We just expect you to be the mommy!" Said Simus happily as he fed a larva with a kind of bottle filled with a special liquid. "Maybe... I just hope I''m not as bad at this as I am at everything else..." "Well, at least you never abandoned us, I guess that counts for something, doesn''t it?" Said Simus "He, I think-" ''Mom, danger, we have humans entering the forest.'' Emi said via the link. "Humans?! What are they doing here?!" Accessing the memory that Emi sent me, I soon managed to see a large group of humans, they were wearing armor with a strange symbol and carrying purple flags with the same golden symbol engraved on it. The humans were riding horses while carrying torches and things like backpacks and swords. ''Radio! Send a red alert to hive! All members outside the hive must return immediately!'' As soon as my words landed on the link, I received an "immediately" from Radyo, followed by a mental itch that caught my attention. ''Red alert, all members must immediately return to sector A, no member with authority lower than Leader is allowed to leave region B, Threatening humans have been sighted entering northern region H, Red alert, all members must immediately return to In sector A, no member with authority lower than Leader is allowed to leave region B, Threatening humans have been sighted entering region H north." Soon the entire nest began to go on emergency alert, soldiers began to fly to the outer area while all the working classes began to enter the deeper parts of the nest while a large number of royal guards began to arrive at the nursery. "Queen mother! We are isolating this area due to the red alert, stay here at all times and do not leave until the situation is clarified!" demanded a royal guard before leaving and starting to close the nursery doors. Because the nursery holds the future of the hive, it is one of the highest priority and security places, and now that I am here it has become the most important place to protect, causing all the hardworking troops to begin joining the around the nursery in a kind of barrier of flesh, while soldiers and royal guards stood ready. ''Damn, what are these humans doing here?'' Chapter 66: Not Good Enough Aurum - Year 3 Once inside the deepest part of the hive, I started to have a small anxiety attack. The humans aren''t really a "threat" right now, since I don''t even know why they''re here, but my instincts still make me tense around them. Even though my instincts are very... "wild," they always give me a definitive answer. Accessing the link, I started to connect with some bees from Trevi''s group, and soon I saw the humans. The group consisted of several people equipped with full body armor, carrying swords and shields, and riding horses. I saw what appeared to be wizards, or at least more "eccentric" people in the group, but I couldn''t be sure since I couldn''t sense their natural magical power through the link. They were certainly dangerous, though, because they were very well equipped and in a defensive formation. In an instant, the person in front stopped abruptly, making the entire group of humans stop and stand on alert. I didn''t understand what was happening until the human looked in the direction where my "spies" were hiding and began to create small blades made of metal in the air with magic. "BACK OFF! NOW!" My mental warning seemed to help, because in the next moment, the spies who were standing still and invisible activated a skill and began to run frantically in the opposite direction of the humans. Upon seeing this, the human with the magic blades seemed surprised or just irritated and threw the magical blades with his hands toward my children. Most were easily dodged by the boys, but some other blades managed to hit some unprepared spies and cause damage. "DAMN IT!" The injured spies were soon grabbed by the others who were safe and started to run toward the hive, leaving behind only Trevi, who didn''t seem to have been noticed thanks to his more advanced camouflage skills. Soon, a group of injured bees arrived at the hive and ran directly to the infirmary. Through the link, I could see that the cuts were not fatal, but they still had some mysterious property that caused a lot of pain, creating a constant wave of discomfort through the link. "You bastards, I won''t forget this!" "Queen Mother! Should we bring weapons of security level-5 or higher?" asked a royal knight who suddenly appeared near my body. "H-Hum? W-Well, let''s not get ahead of ourselves... We''ll just observe for now... Especially since I don''t think any of our weapons work on them..." Weapons and armamentsthe colony has created many things of this type over the years. Level 1 weapons are classified as utilitarian, up to level 7 weapons as deadly risk weapons. A kitchen knife or a chisel is classified as a level 1 weapon and similar things, things that are not really "weapons" but can be used as weapons. Level 2 weapons include clubs, common spears, or bio-spikes. Level 3 weapons are common weapons like swords, hammers, and spears with sharp ends. Level 4 weapons have special effects, such as the royal guards'' axes or the poisonous weapons of Aldy and his poisonous bees. Level 5 weapons are magical contraptions that may or may not have been created for the purpose of being weapons, like the wizards'' experiments or Jasper''s prototype bombs. These are too dangerous to let anyone touch, so they are highly monitored and moved only in special cases. Level 6 weapons or items have great potential to be a complete disaster, like the magical gadget I developed with the boys or Max''s magic "wand," which are highly unstable and can generate explosions or lethal accidents. Finally, level 7 includes everything that I consider too dangerous to touch or even think about, like spells that I don''t have full control over or magical items with unknown properties. Turning my attention to Trevi, I saw the humans who had already returned to their journey as if nothing had happened. They had now found one of the trails used by the kobolds. The kobolds live by hunting and gathering, so it is quite common to see them entering the "safer" parts of the forest to collect what they can find, creating these small trails over time. The humans continued along the trail until they reached the plains where the kobolds were located. What they saw was a small village of kobolds defending themselves against the occasional horde of monsters. The kobolds had everything under control. It wasn''t their first wave of monsters, nor would it be the last, so they were dealing with it very well. Thanks to our advance warning, they were able to prepare calmly for this kind of event. Soon, the humans began to ride quickly toward the monster horde. The people in front drew swords from their sheaths and began to cut down the demonic creatures attacking the wooden walls. As soon as they saw the humans, the kobolds seemed conflicted, but as they were in the middle of an attack, they did not react immediately and began to contain the wave of monsters in collaboration with the humans. Soon, human magicians began to create spells, something that caught my attention. Some spells clearly had elemental origins, such as fireballs, ice spears, water projectiles, and stone balls. Other spells seemed to be more focused on support, such as those that covered sword knights with colorful auras or created magical walls of energy. "Impressive. How do they create this? How can they manipulate energy so cleanly and quickly? Their spells are so... stable! But how?!" Soon, the wave of monsters was contained, and the humans slowly rode to the wall and began talking to the kobolds, demanding the opening of the "gates" for their entry. The kobolds were clearly anxious, but soon Onix appeared with his threatening-looking spear and instructed them to open the gate. Once inside, the humans began to analyze everything meticulously. I could feel the tension even through the link. The kobolds looked askance at the humans, while the humans seemed to look disdainfully at the kobolds from atop their horses. Soon, the human at the front of their group got off the horse in a quick and fluid movement, exposing silver armor made of a mysterious material decorated with some medals. As soon as she dismounted, the human took off her helmet, revealing a woman with short golden hair, blue eyes, and a delicate face, which was a shock, as her appearance in full armor was very threatening compared to her delicate features. "Good morning, uh... kobolds, I guess? I am Lucia, the deputy commander of the Knights of Lumia, the southernmost city of the capital of Solaria! I was sent here today by my lord in search of a very rare and special magical herb," Lucia spoke as she took a parchment from a bag, revealing a detailed image of a very familiar magical herb with special properties. "As a reward for our assistance with the invasion of your village, I ask for your cooperation in this mission, and I assure you that we will cause no harm during our stay! Knight Lucia declared. In response, the kobolds just looked at each other suspiciously, waiting for someone to speak first. Then Onix took a step forward and began to reply. "Welcome to our humble village, Lucia the Human! I am Onix, current leader of my pack. First, I would like to thank you for your help with the monster horde earlier!" Onix replied, visibly trying hard to maintain a "respectable" tone. Lucia, the female knight, just looked around the village with a smile on her face, ignoring the tense and suspicious looks of the kobolds. "As a knight of the order, it is my sacred duty to rid the world of the dark and vile stains that seek to contaminate it! All monsters will be eliminated without mercy by the sacred light of the Goddess of the Morning!" said Lucia in a bizarre, fanatical tone. Lucia''s statement seemed to upset the kobolds, as some women began running to their huts with their children, while some warriors became tense. "Hmm... Although we appreciate the help, we didn''t really need it. We had everything under control, and I think it''s inappropriate for you to demand something from us for this so-called ''help,''" said Onix in a more irritated tone. Lucia just smiled delicately at him, a smile that would be beautiful in other situations but now only seemed to make everything more macabre and tense. "You know, since we found your village, I''ve been wondering: what are Beastmen doing so far from their homelands?" Lucia said, ignoring Onix''s words. "...Our lands were consumed by black corruption. The churches could not allocate enough labor to peripheral and insignificant villages like ours, so we ended up needing to flee to no man''s lands," Onix said cautiously. "No man''s land? As far as I know, this entire region is considered Solarian land," Lucia said mockingly. "How can this be considered Solarian land if there is no human settlement nearby!" Exclaimed an angry kobold. "He he, Elysielle''s kingdom directly borders whit the fallen forest, for years Elysielle has maintained order and control over the forest, so it is only natural to deduce that Elysielle is the definitive owner of the forest." Lucia said in a tone-deaf tone. "How absurd! The beastmen also explore and control the beasts that come out of the forest, in addition to the elves that fight against the monsters that come out of the cursed waters of the forest!" Whouted an indignant kobold. "We humans do much more than all of you combined, with the eternal wisdom and divine light of the Goddess of the morning, it is only a matter of time before we subdue the entire forest, and return it to its peaceful and pure state before! " She declared a human above the horses. "Shouldn''t you humans and your self-proclaimed Goddess be worried about killing the demon lord?! Because as far as I remember he has a fondness tate for Solarian knights!" A kobold warrior said vulgarly. "How dare you beast?! Unlike your ridiculous god, the Goddess of the morning can at least protect us from the fury of the demon lord, while all you can do is die like flies!" He shouted a man in silver robes with gold embroidery. "Your-" "Silence! We didn''t come here to discuss interspecies wars!" Shouted a man who was further back in the formation. His words seemed to have an immediate effect, as soon the humans calmed down, and even the smiling Lucia took on a more serious form. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. This made me wonder, who is this guy, and why does he have such a "voice" in this group, he doesn''t seem any different from the regular knights in the group, but being in the middle of the formation, and having some strange items housed in his armor, I deduced that he was "important." "In short, we just want the herb mentioned earlier, we''ll help you find it, and we''ll guarantee that no unfortunate accidents will happen here today." Lucia said in a composed and threatening manner. In response Onix slowly walked towards Lucia until he was face to face with her, the difference in height was stark, with Onix reaching almost 3 meters, while Lucia was barely 1.70. Onix looked down with an ugly frown, while Lucia just looked up with a playful smile. "I don''t like being threatened Human, especially I don''t like it when I threaten my entire pack, if you want a conflict with me I have no problem accepting this duel in the name of my honor as alpha of my pack, so please don''t threaten my species again." Onix said, clearly irritated. This time Lucia seemed to lose her composure a little, her delicate smile never left her face, but her eyes clearly said that she had felt threatened. "I understand, I believe I made a mistake and ended up being very rude, forgive me for that. As an apology I am more than open to providing 10 average gold coins for your services, please accept this payment as an apology. " Lucia said with a smile. I don''t know what happened here, but Lucia seemed to win, because the mention of 10 gold coins drew a few gasps from the people around, in my opinion Lucia had been purposefully rude, just to provide this "generous proposal", leaving Onix without much options in addition to helping her with her problem. I don''t know the value of 10 gold coins, because as far as I know all human coins are made of gold, but "small, medium, and large" coins seem to have different values, so I believe that 10 medium gold coins are something like "Money to buy a house". I can''t say if Lucia has no problem offering such a "High" price, or if she is just too desperate to find these herbs, maybe the herb is worth much more than just 10 average gold coins, or she has no intention of paying this value for kobolds.... "...We have some of these herbs in our stocks... we can sell them to you." Declared Onix after talking a little with the members of his species. The statement seemed to surprise Lucia, who finally showed a new expression, making her surprise and distrust clear. "Do you really have []? How is that even possible? This herb shouldn''t be easy to find..." Lucia said suspiciously. "The fa-" Said a child before having his mouth covered by his mother, and being hurriedly dragged away from the group. The action did not go unnoticed by the humans, and soon Onix was faced with Lucia''s suspicious eyes. "What would this be about? Where did you get these herbs from? Are you absolutely sure they really are []?" Lucia said in a questioning tone. "It was nothing, just a kid talking nonsense, we found the herbs on our way here. We were lucky I guess, we''ve already used most of them, but we can sell the intact flowers we still have, everything else has become ointments or medicines for the injured." Onix said. "What''s your price?" Lucia asked. "10 average coins for each flower." Onix said bluntly. "That won''t happen, I don''t know the condition of the herbs, nor their quantity, nor their veracity. If you want to do business, you will need to show me the products." demanded Lucia. Excited, Onix gives a signal to a kobold, who runs to a remote place out of sight of everyone, and soon returns with a jar of clay-like material. When giving the jar to Onix, he delicately hands it to Lucia, who bluntly opens the lid to find a white fabric wrapped in some herbs. When unrolling the fabric, Lucia can see 2 branches of white flowers similar to lilies, with golden cores. and vibrant green branches, confirming its identity as [Tears of Saint]. Lucia didn''t say anything for a moment, but seemed to be analyzing the herbs in her mind, then after a moment, she wrapped the herbs in the cloth again, and with a smile gave her counter proposal to Onix. "I paid 7 average coins for this set." Lucia said. Onix seemed uncomfortable with Lucia''s counter-proposal, but soon recovered. "That''s not enough, the herbs are very rare, and difficult to find, in addition to needing a lot of care, my offer is 8 average coins for each herb." Onix said. "Oh come on big guy~ The herbs weren''t in an ideal environment without any preservation spells, and they haven''t been harvested recently, which will definitely affect their effectiveness, so does 5 average coins for each herb sound good to you?" Lucia said. "The herbs are of high quality! Even a blind person could see this, their vitality and magical properties are clear as day, trying to reduce their value in this way is not viable, 7 average coins for each herb." Onyx said. "Hmm... How about this, I''ll pay 12 average coins for the set, and another 2 coins for any paste or medicine made with the herbs you have?" Lucia asked. "No, we need these medicines, my final offer is 13 average coins for the set, nothing more and nothing less." Onyx said. Lucia seemed to think for a moment, and she glanced sharply at the man in the middle of the formation, who just nodded. "Done deal!" Lucia said. As soon as she said that, another human jumped off the horse and walked towards Onix, handing him a small bag with some golden coins inside. After counting, Onix shook his head satisfied and closed the deal with Lucia. "I believe that''s all we have to resolve for today, we''ll be back in 3 months, if you find more herbs by then we''d be happy to do business with you again!" Lucia said. "I understand, I would invite you to stay and eat, but given the previous tensions I believe that this would not be a good idea for both of us" Onix said. "He he, No problem~ We''ll be back in no time." Lucia said with her macabre smile again. As they left the village I could feel the tension in the air almost palpitably, the humans seemed to have resolved this peacefully, but they still maintained a threatening tone the entire time, as if they had just planned to loot the village from the beginning. At least I seemed to be wrong, and this time no one died, the humans got what they wanted, and the kobolds made some money, I don''t know what they will use it for in the middle of the forest, but I believe it is useful when communicating with other species or groups. Crisis averted, successfully i guess?..
Things between the humans and the kobolds seemed to have ended "peacefully", but now I was more concerned with counting the damage I received from this encounter. After insisting for a while, I finally managed to get out of the nursery that had been sealed for safety, and made my way to the infirmary, where some spies from the Trevis group were resting on circular shaped beds made of wax and silk. As I got closer to the room, I started to feel a slight headache, and when I checked the link, I immediately discovered why. Pain. My children were in a lot of pain, and this pain was transmitted and shared through the link, making us feel every bit of their suffering, the throbbing and excruciating pain they felt, the fear of what would happen to them, the cold of death. It was all there, but in a second, it began to disappear. And it wasn''t because they had recovered or died, but because the information club was purposefully numbing the link and isolating the injured members of the group- Leaving them to feel this pain and fear alone. As soon as I arrived in the room, I could see dozens of nurses and healers running back and forth, all in an attempt to save the spies, and take care of the injured that were already here previously, something that immediately worried me. "What''s the situation? Why haven''t the spies been cured yet?!" As soon as my voice fell, Keb, one of the high-ranking nurses quickly walked over to me accompanied by a few elite nurses, and they began their report. "Queen mother! I thank you for your presence here! The wounds inflicted on the spies are of mysterious origins, even the healers''healing magic was not enough to close the wounds! So we had to allocate resources and time in trying to suppress their bleeding and in stabilizing their conditions!" Keb said nervously. Looking into the room, I could see baskets of dirty laundry with blood, stains on the nurses clothes and people running around with bottles of medicine and bandages, something that is not common around here, as most wounds can be quickly healed with the healer skills. ''What the hell is going on?'' Ignoring the nurses who were trying to talk to me, I quickly ran to a bed where one of the spies was being treated, looking down he looked like just a baby in a crib, not a wounded soldier fighting for his life in a medical bed. Getting closer, I could smell blood mixed with medicine and strong herbs coming out of the bandages that covered their small bodies. Without much thought I tore off one of the strips and looked underneath it, only to find an open cut wound with no signs of healing. "How is that possible?! What was that attack?! Without delay, I activate all my healing skills in an instant, and soon the infirmary is bathed in a strange aura of soft light, which causes the wounds of the soldiers and workers present in the room to begin to slowly close, disappearing into the middle of the light. But the spies injuries remained unaffected, and did not change despite being bathed by the area healing skill. "HOW?!" Taking the spy in my hands, I lift him into the air like a doll, and start focusing my most powerful healing skill on him, [Radiant Renewal], and this time I can see his wound start to close slowly, very slowly. I then decide to activate another skill, and right at the tip of my jaws a single drop of a super concentrated golden liquid is formed. As the drop falls onto the spy''s wounds, his body trembles momentarily before the wounds begin to slowly dry, not returning him to his previously perfect state, but rather merely closing the wounds that could have been lethal. ''At least super concentrated [Life Drops] work.'' "Take the injured to the pool of life! Leave them inside until all their wounds close!" Obeying my orders, some soldiers present in the room, picked up the injured spies and ran to the center of the nest, where the pool of life was located. Before I could follow them, I was notified with a mental notification, and soon discovered that Trevis was still following the humans, and in the meantime heard them talking. Priorities... What''s more important? Knowing immediately what the humans are saying, or making sure my children are okay? It''s so hard to know which is the right option, a mother should put her children above all else, but a queen should put the kingdom above all else. ''Damn it!'' Ignoring my high pity, I run with the soldiers and nurses to the center of the nest, when I get there I can see several wounded and unconscious spies bandaged with blood-soaked cloths, as soon as they get close to the pool of life, the soldiers gently place the spies between the roots and crystals inside the pool. Looking at the immaculate golden pool of life, I begin to see blood-red stains spreading across the pool, and in a few moments I see the nurses removing the bandages and dressings from the spies to reveal horrible wounds. Bathed in the life juice, the wounds slowly closed, and I could see and feel the boys'' condition stabilizing, but for some strange reason, the wounds did not fully recover. "I WILL KILL THAT BITCH!" I was gnawing my fingers in anger, thinking of the image of a woman with short golden hair who had shot magical blades towards my children. The simple image of her hurting my babies filled me with rage and made my blood boil, the pain, the fear, the cold. She cannot feel the damage she caused, but I can, I could feel their fear through the link, their pain and sadness. And all of this is very real.
As soon as the boys'' situation began to stabilize I felt relieved, but instead of relaxing I ran out of the main tree and went to my personal garden. As soon as I reached my special place, I sat down furiously at the table with a thud, and without me asking several workers came and royal attendants came and brought honey drinks - the only thing I eat. Furious, I ignore the delicious sweet, and focus on the link between me and Trevis, and as soon as I connect to it, the images in front of me begin to blur and mix until the beautiful scenery of the garden is replaced by a dense forest. Analyzing the surroundings I can see the humans, who marched back home the same way they came, but now carrying an important valuable cargo. ''Trevis. Did they reveal anything important?'' ''-No Queen Mother, they just talked among themselves and made what seemed to be jokes about the kobolds.'' Trevis replied through the link. ''Does this look bad to you?'' ''Well... They''ve already noticed our presence, they must be keeping quiet on purpose.'' Trevis replied seriously. ''Any chance of killing them all?'' ''Yes, if the entire colony joins forces and-'' ''Stop. I already know where this is going, I''m not going to sacrifice part of the colony for this. Any chance of killing them discreetly? Poison, disease? Plague, promise to a god or ask nicely?'' ''No? I don''t think we have the means to kill them all, I believe the poisons we have in stock are enough to weaken some of them, but given their size... We would need a lot more poison than we have in stock.'' ''What crap! And bombs, spells, weapons, nothing?'' ''I-I can''t say mom... Jasper or Steve are the members who would know about the weapons we have in stock... I regret my lack of knowledge.'' ''No Trevis, this- Ugh, sorry, I''m mad at the humans, not you dear, sorry for taking it out on you.'' Looking at the humans walking away, I felt helpless, is this what we are? Beings that they can attack at any moment, "randomly" and we can do nothing in response but lower our heads? They didn''t even see us as a real threat and almost killed an entire group of spies, what can they do if they come prepared to kill us? ''I need to strengthen the hive... And fast.'' Soon I was mentally alerted with an "Emergency Meeting" notification and I could feel the inner circle confirming their presence, and heading to the meeting room. I was too angry and frustrated to go there now, but I had made a rule myself that if more than half of the inner circle called a meeting, all members must attend without fail. "Damn humans, damn kobolds, damn life, damn magical powers that I don''t know how to control! All it takes now is a lightning to strike on my head to me drop dead for good!" Chapter 67: The Meeting "Now that we are all gathered, I hereby declare this emergency meeting officially open for discussion." Yan declared. The meeting room is used a lot these days, so this place has evolved quite a bit over time. The room is completely enclosed, devoid of windows, the only entrance and exit are the large doors heavily guarded by royal guards, the entire room is lit by high-ranking royal attendants, the temperature of the room is also controlled by them, whenever the place gets hot they spray cool water around the room to lower the temperature, and then remove the excess moisture by drinking the dew that forms on the walls and pouring the used water outside the colony. In the middle of the room there is a large round table with several comfortable seats, in the deepest part of the room there is a large raised seat how looks more like a large bed filled with pillows - The place where I sit. The room also has various decorations such as wax statues and moss carpets. Right in front of my "seat" there was a special space for Yan, and another seat a little further away that served as seat for Ravy -A young Beacon who works as a transcriptionist for the meetings. "Very well, to start this meeting I would like to address the main problem: The threat of humans." Steve declared promptly. "We have to kill them! All of them! They are too big a threat to be tolerated!" Trouble said furiously as he slammed his hands on the table. "This is reckless, even if we had the means to kill them - Something we do not have, we would be too extreme to declare war against an entire species because of this disagreement." Jon declared as he drank a cup of hot tea. "''Disagreement''?! They put the lives of 7 spies at imminent risk. They were almost sliced ??into pieces by those humans!" Ken said visibly furious. "Jon is just pointing out that we shouldn''t start a war against beings that can kill us so easily, Ken. Especially because of low-level spies!" Zack said complacently. "Are you serious!? Are you saying that we should just forget about this because the wounded are "not important"?!" Ken demanded. "Ken, stop being so melodramatic, you took on the worst personality traits of the Queen Mother, as a member of the inner circle you should be able to analyze this objectively and clearly, not emotionally and morally." Steve said. "Are you kidding me, man?! It was Me! Personally me! How took care of every member from the 2nd generation onwards since they were young larvae! You have no right to tell me how I should feel about them! You only see numbers and resources, you don''t know what it''s like to look at one of your brothers that you raised from an egg, unconscious in a bed fighting for his life!" Ken said almost yelling. "Ken, we understand your point of view as the leader of the care club, but we need to think first of an efficient way to keep the colony alive and functioning, not the well-being of each individual." Miles said. "You- Trevis, say something! These are the members of your group!" Ken demanded. "... First of all, I would like to point out that I am very angry with how the situation unfolded, but I must say that I completely agree with Steve and Jon''s point of view, the wounded are not indispensable and irreplaceable troops, I am more angry with the fact that I could not do much, with the fact that my men were injured." Trevis declared without much delay. "You! You are all pieces of shit!" Ken said. "Ken! Stop it, if every time we get into a serious matter about troop availability you start throwing a tantrum, we''re going to remove your position as leader of the care club and take away your privilege of attending inner circle meetings." Steve said harshly. "You! Mom! Say something!" Ken said as he glared at me. ''Damn it Ken, why did you have to involve me in this...'' Ken is basically the reincarnation of my maternal side, I guess? He''s very serious when it comes to caring for the members of the hive, he cares a lot about everyone''s safety, and he loves babies, the problem is that he''s much more firm than I am when it comes to giving in to someone''s demands. He doesn''t shy away from having to argue with the entire hive to defend his views, and he doesn''t mind being seen as "Irrational, Clumsy, or Naive", all that matters to him is if everyone is safe, healthy, and well. He reminds me of my own mother, a strong woman, of few words but a lot of action, someone who doesn''t bow her head when questioned, but the kind of person who would rather "die hugging her family" than "cut off her arm to save her body". I understand his side, i don''t think Ken is wrong, in the beginning his safety measures and concerns were good, because we had a little over 50 members in the hive, but now we have over 1000, it is not healthy for Ken''s body and mind to try to keep each one of them safe and alive. It is impossible, this is not healthy at all, it is not good for him to care and worry so much, I need to do something now, I can''t wait for the problem to blow up in my face like Steve''s management situation. I love my children, I am sure I do, I care about them, and the last thing I want is to see them die, but Steve is right, I need to think outside my comfort zone if I want to think of ways to keep the hive alive. ''The boy''s are right? Should I relieve Ken of his duties?... No, that''s too extreme, but I have to do something, I can''t let the bucket overflow before taking action.'' "Ken... You are hereby suspended from your duties for an indefinite period of time. Your position as a member of the inner circle will be maintained, but you are absolutely forbidden from performing any function or offering any support to the care club - Except in cases of life or death threat." As soon as my words fell the room went completely silent, some looked at me in absolute surprise, some seemed astonished that I had turned against Ken, and others seemed happy. "Q-Queen mother!! This is absurd! I am absolutely necessary in the care club! Without my presence the club will be left without supervision! This is-" "Keb will be in charge of the administrative work of the care club for now, I want you to... Talk to someone. Why don''t you talk to Emy? Or Ciel? They are good listeners." I said clearly. "Talk? Talk? To hell with talking! I need to take care of my club!" Ken said gritting his teeth. "Ken... I''m worried about you, you''re not well... All this work, all the pressure, I don''t think someone who has taken care of babies since birth should be in charge of treating the wounds of those same babies after they reach maturity. This isn''t good for you, physically and mentally, I want- No, I need, for you to stop thinking that everything depends on you, you can''t take care of everything and everyone, and it''s not your fault dear, I was stupid to think that I could put so much pressure on you and you would be fine emotionally... I''m taking you away from your job indefinitely, until I assess you''re well enough to work again. And as soon as you return... You will no longer be the leader of the care club, but the leader of the neonatal club." As soon as I said what I wanted to say I could see a mix of anger and disbelief on Ken''s face, but it didn''t seem like he had an answer. "Honey, you''re not well, I need you to take care of yourself before you try to take care of others... You still have the right to attend the inner circle meetings, but right now, you are excused from this meeting." "Mom!-" Before Ken could speak the large doors of the meeting room opened, and 2 strong and robust royal knights came in, they stopped right behind Ken and stared at him, waiting for him to get up peacefully. "Ugh-h." Without saying a word, Ken got up from the table in frustration and ran out of the room, as soon as he left the knights slowly followed behind him, soon the doors were closed again, and now there was an empty seat. "Jess... Not to be a freeloader, but I think this is the perfect opportunity to raise the need for therapists and specialized mental health classes for the hive." Matt said. "This is a subject that will be brought up for discussion in a specific meeting for the social and personal needs of the hive members." Steve said as he wrote something down in a small notebook. "Okay... Now Ken... Has gone on "vacation" can we summarize the conversation? I really wanted to go to the party room tonight, there''s a great party scheduled for tonight!" Matt said trying to speed up the meeting. "Cough-cough... Well, getting back to the subject, we must look for ways to neutralize, contain or eliminate the humans, and before certain idiots open their mouths..." Zack said looking at Trouble "... We need to remember the fact that humans - Just like us - live in society, so if a single human manages to escape from the forest shouting "Killer bee monsters" we are basically inviting dozens, if not hundreds of humans who will try to kill us." Zack said as he rubbed his eyes with his hands. "HA! That doesn''t mean we just have to make sure no one escapes!?! That''s easy, my skills for tracking prey are excellent! When I find an enemy, they die! No matter what!" Trouble said. "You airhead, we don''t know anything about them, what if they have magical means of communication? What if they have skills to escape? Magic items, or just physical strength? We can''t afford to make mistakes! This is the future of the colony and the Queen Mother we''re talking about! There''s no room for "foolproof plans" that are nothing more than ridiculous jokes!" Max said irritably with hands on his head. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "SHUT UP yo fop! You don''t know anything about real fighting! You just stare at crystals and stupid letters all day!" Trouble said as he put his feet up on the table. "What!-" "Be quiet both of you, I will not tolerate another stupid fight in this vital meeting, we are here to discuss the survival and future of the hive, not your personal relationships with each other or points of view, now shut up and behave in the presence of the queen mother." Hans said as he emanated an aura that made everyone shut up. Everyone is afraid of Hans, even I am, as the first member to be born in the hive, and the strongest soldier, every word that comes out of his mouth is like orders, some members may be afraid to obey orders from Yan, Ken, or Trouble if they are ordered by them, but no one questions Hans'' words, if he asks someone to do a handstand while playing a harmonica they would do it without thinking twice. "Thanks Hans, Max is right, we don''t have enough information, all we know is that humans are powerful - Physically and magically, and that they are looking for [Tears of a Saint] for some reason." Steve said. "Why did they come all the way here looking for a bunch of pretty grass? Can''t these things be found all over the place?" Matt asked disinterestedly. "Well... No. The Queen Mother informed us that the herbs [Tears of a Saint] are [Legendary] grade herbs, and it took us months to acquire just 10 specimens of this herb, something we only managed to do after long expeditions made by Trevis." Buck said. "So... Is it our fault that they are here?" Miles asked. "What do you mean? Explain yourself!" Max said. "Well... Supply and demand? If we monopolized all the herbs [Tears of a Saint] that exist in the forest, the reason they came to these regions looking for the flowers must be because we dried up the "market" of herbs." Miles said. "Shit! That may be true, we should have left the herbs where we found them!" Trouble said. "No, no, monopolizing the herbs may have been a factor that contributed to the appearance of humans, but we can''t say that it is 100% our fault!" Matt said. "Cut the crap, it''s obvious that it was because of that." Zack said. "But that could be a good thing, right? If they only came here for the herbs, we can move some plants closer to the edge of the forest, and that would keep the humans from coming to us, right?" Matt asked. "No, it''s too late, they''ve already found the kobolds, they also know we''re here, and they''ll want answers about how a bunch of kobolds living in tents had access to legendary herbs." Jon said. "Hey, they claimed they found the herbs by luck, problem solved, right?" Matt asked. "Stop being stupid man, did you really fall for that obvious lie? You could see on their faces that not even they believed their own lie, let alone the humans, and she even said "We''ll be back soon", what do you think that means, genius?" Miles said. "So what do we do? We can''t fight them, or ignore them, so what can we do? Can we start a diplomatic relationship with them? Like, what did we do with the kobolds?" Zack asked. "Well... It doesn''t hurt to try... But we''re able to maintain our "friendly" relationship with the kobolds because we have higher ground." Jon said. "Guys, you''re overthinking this, and you''ve forgotten the main point of this whole story: We''re not their target. The solution is right in front of us!" Jasper said. "Oh? What would be the solution, Jasper?" Steve asked. "Well, they want the kobolds, right? They don''t know nothing specific about us, they just know that someone was watching them, but they don''t know what, who or why. All we need to do is close our eyes and let the kobolds deal with it, the kobold settlement is miles away from Aurum, as long we keep it quiet it''s basically unlikely that the humans will go deeper into the forest and even come close to Aurum." Jasper elaborated. "Hmm... That could work... We would need to keep a close eye on the humans, and make sure they don''t follow the explorers, but..." Steve said looking at me. ''Shit. Shit. Shit, and it all comes back to me again, they basically want to abandon the kobolds to deal with the humans alone, I promised myself that I would help them... What should I do? Warn them they are alone against the humans? Help them? That I will fight alongside them if necessary?'' I wouldn''t even dream of fighting those guys. My hive can''t even kill a monster without the help of kobolds, let alone armed and trained humans? ''Should I evacuate them? Or let nature take its course? I don''t know what to do... Wait...'' "...Aren''t we having too many negative thoughts about humans? They might very well be willing to start a friendly relationship with kobolds, right?" The boys looked at each other for a moment as they listened to my words, thinking about their answers, the room remained silent until Hans began to speak. "Queen mother, I doubt that humans have good intentions at all." Hans said with his arms crossed. "Why do you say that?" "They weren''t friendly, they weren''t pleasant, and they made their superstitions and beliefs quite clear. I believe the only reason they didn''t attack the kobolds was because they were a search party, not a slaughter cavalry." Hans said sincerely. "How can we know that? Isn''t that very misleading?" "Well, first they probed the kobolds, and then openly provoked them - Possibly trying to provoke a casus belli. After seeing that provocations wouldn''t work, they decided they needed to retreat and regroup, so they bought the medicinal herbs at a high price and left without causing any trouble. Secondly, they tried to buy all the [Tears of a Saint]-based medicines the kobolds had in stock, probably in an attempt to weaken them down, then there''s the fact the humans noticed our presence, but did nothing about it, no questions, no interrogations, no explorations, which indicates that they were more concerned with retreat, than colecting information." Hans said "Hmm, we must also take into account the fact that the humans clearly had an advantage over the kobolds, but still chose not to start a conflict, this is the result of a good combat strategy and information gathering, the most experienced soldiers of the colony are also instructed to do something similar, if a group of explorers finds a nest of insects, or a group of animals, they are instructed not to start the confrontation under any circumstances, but rather to collect as much information as possible and report it back to the information club." Jon said. "Yeah! And after the information is processed and analyzed, a hunting mission is sent to the hunting club, then the club leader can accept the mission - Sending some combat class individuals to the determined target, or if he evaluates that the mission is too dangerous, they pass the mission to one of us, members of the Lifeguardians." Zack said. "The difference between us and humans is that we can process information much faster than they can, so a hunting party can eliminate a target the same day a scouting party finds them, but humans seem to have to go back to their city to report that information." Steve said. "Damn... So you''re saying that..." "Well. Yes, I believe the humans will came back soon, and this time they were accompanied by a hunting party." Hans said.
Aurum - Year 3 "W-What are you suggesting, Keb?" "After analyzing the mutations that occurred in the members affected by the magic explosion accident, the research club in collaboration with the magic and care club came to the conclusion that if we could inject small amounts of magical life energy into developing larval eggs, we could create soldiers and classes with natural physical characteristics superior to their counterparts." Keb said proudly. Keb became the person in charge of the care club in Ken''s "absence", all i gonna say is yht Keb is much less kind than Ken. Keb cares more about the future than the present, he prefers to worry about increasing the overall quality of life of the entiry colony instead of worrying about the personal well-being of each one like Ken. And because of this, as soon Ken left the scene, Keb used the opportunity to present a bold research project: Genetic Engineering using Life Energy. A project how would never have been approved or even considered research if Ken had been in charge of the care club. "Honey... Isn''t this dangerous? Mutations are not always positive, and we could end up creating invalid individuals, or killing these children before they are even born, there is no guarantee of the success of this operation." Just thinking about the members of the colony who still suffer from negative mutations to this day makes my stomach turn with nausea. In response to my counterargument, Keb signaled to a royal guard, and soon the doors to the throne room were opened, them a small group of nurses accompanied by soldiers carrying small wooden cages entered the room. The wooden cages contained some [Spiny Larva] larvae. A creature we use as food for other insects we raise as livestock, and as bait for larger animals. The boxes containing the larvae were then placed on the floor, and Keb soon began his presentation. "This is the result of a research project on genetic modification using Life Energy. The project was initially rejected at the time due to Ken''s efforts and the lack of information we had at the time, but since the project was deemed "too spectacular" to be shelved, instead of being conducted on young larvae, it was conducted on creatures like the [Spiny Larvae] over a long period of time." Keb said. ''And there we go, of course he wouldn''t come here empty-handed.'' "Huff... So what are the results, Keb?" "Well! After conducting the experiment on a control species where about 1 point of life mana was used for each larvae egg, the mages of the research club determined that 100% of the affected larvae died almost immediately after the mana injection." Keb said. "AND INS''T THAT HORRIBLE?!" "Let me finish! After the failure of the first experiment, 3 control groups were established, the 1st group received dosages of 0.1 mana points in each egg, the 2nd group 0.01 and the 3rd 0.5, after the larvae hatched it was recorded that 10% of the larvae of the 1st group died in the incubation phase, while the hatched specimenshad had different physical appearance from their respective relatives, such as markings in strange patterns, unusual colors, or unusual sizes and growth rates, of the 90% that emerged successfully, 24% had benign physical mutations, 52% had positive mutations, and 14% had harmful modifications. The 2nd group had a hatching rate of 98%, the specimens that hatched from this group basically had no physical divergences from their parents, or any visible changes. And the 3rd group had a birth rate of 32%, but 25% of the specimens of the hatched group had unique physical characteristics, such as golden markings on the body, sizes advantageous, and impeccable health compared to their siblings, besides that, according to experiments the carapace of these larvae is significantly more rigid than the ones of their counterparts, and their spines have a superior rigidity and sharpness. In contrast, 34% had severe detrimental mutations resulting in their death after a short period of time, or the inability to live without third-party care, while only 9% of the specimens in the group had no physical mutations." Keb reported. "So to sum up all this scientific nonsense... All the ones that survived are stronger?" "Well... To summarize roughly, Yes." Keb said. "Keb, I will not risk a brood of over 100 offspring for a risk of death as high as 32%" "I am not asking for permission to perform experiments on larvae from the queen mother nursery!" Keb said happily. "R-Really? Then what is all this for?" "I want you to help us with the current experiments on larvae and in carrying out scientific experiments.!" Keb declared. "Why me?" "After analyzing the results, we determined that the high rates of death at birth, are due to the fact that the mana is not properly prepared to perform the function we want it to fulfill, so if you could help us develop a magic spell that can cause mutations, or simply help us by injecting magical life energy full of intentions into the eggs, we would be very happy to be able to collect and analyze the data!" Keb asked with a pleading face. It''s not a bad idea, the boys'' "failure" is partly because the life mana injected into the eggs had no intention - no path, no purpose. The mana didn''t know what to do, and ended up behaving erratically, in some cases it worked, and in others went very wrong, if I was there to add purpose and direct the path for this energy, the results could be very satisfactory. "Very well, Yan, put that on my agenda." Chapter 68: Consciousness Aurum - Year 3 In a large room resembling a laboratory, several boxes were stored in labeled drawers. These boxes contained everything from small white spherical eggs to various larvae of different appearances. This place is known as the "Genetic Laboratory," where my team of scientists, magicians, and nurses have been conducting genetic experiments using life energy. The experiments involved animalslarvae, aphids, and fleasas well as simpler life forms like plants and seeds. This lab was responsible for producing the magical plant [Metal Tree] and creating some of the plants in my personal garden. I had never set foot here before, and to be honest, I wasnt even aware of the existence of this very... modern room. I usually know almost everything happening in the hive, but only when my mental secretary relays the information. Since I dont have the patience to keep up with every little change, I ask to be informed only of major events. So, things like the construction of new sectors, expansions, or renovations arent mentioned unless they present a conflict of interest. As soon as I entered the laboratory, I saw jars of wax with labels lined up on a wooden stand, wooden cages on tables, gloves and goggles tossed carelessly on a large table, and several life mana batteries stored inside a tank of life essence. "This place feels... strangely familiar," I muttered as I scanned the room. I noticed a large blackboard with notes and theories, books scattered around, and numerous notes stuck to jars or strewn about. "Apologies for the mess, Queen Mother! Normally, we wouldnt leave this place in such disarray, but with the recent breakthroughs in genetic engineering, the laboratory has attracted many volunteers eager to help with the research. Its been quite chaotic here lately," Keb said, looking embarrassed. "Busy? It seems more... deserted now," I observed, noticing the room was empty except for me and a small group of diverse members. "The room was purposely cleared today in preparation for your visit!" a scientist said proudly. "Hmm..." ''For some reason, this whole place reminds me of a professional laboratory. The design is strikingly similar, but the technology... is archaic.'' "Alright then, shall we get started?" "Certainly!" the scientists replied, excited.
In front of me was a large table with a small circular plate made of wax, inside which was a tiny egg of a spiny larva. Surrounding me were several scientists, nurses, and wizards equipped with safety gear, all watching my every move. "Alright, in this first test, we need you to direct life energy into the egg and ensure the mana behaves in a stable manner," Keb instructed. "Hmm... Lets see what I can do." The egg was so small it fit in the hands of a worker; to me, it was like a grain of sand. I carefully brought one of my claws closer to the egg and released just a single drop of energy into it. As my claw neared the egg, I squinted in concentration and began to pour a tiny stream of energy into it. As the energy trickled from my claws toward the egg, I saw what looked like golden smoke trailing from my nails and drifting into the egg. Unfortunately, as soon as the golden aura entered, the egg began to turn gray, then black, and finally rotted before my eyes. "Failure... This is harder than I thought. Its like trying to fill a glass with a bucket." "Hmm... Maybe we could use beetle eggs? Theyre significantly larger and might be easier to manipulate," a wizard suggested. "That might work, but were only authorized to work with spiny larva eggs," a nurse responded. "Bring the beetle eggs," I said firmly. "Really?!" the wizard asked, surprised. "Theres nothing else to be done... This experiment has piqued my curiosity." ... ... "Experiment number 42all previous experiments ended in the death of the specimen," a wizard recorded. Id been at it all day, but each attempt ended in failure. My energy was simply too overwhelming for the eggs, and even when I managed to regulate the dosage, the life mana behaved chaotically, killing the embryo. ''One more time...'' As I began the process again, a delicate thread of mana flowed from my claws toward the beetle egg. The mana thread subtly wrapped around the egg before sinking into it. For a moment, the egg took on an orange hue, and I could see the small embryo developing rapidly inside. Just as it seemed the attempt might succeed, the embryo started to struggle before stopping altogether, and the egg began to rot quickly. "DAMN IT!" I screamed, slamming my hands on the table, causing everything on it to shake or fall to the floor.
Notice
Congratulations! You have learned the Skill [Flow Control], the skill can be raised to level 10.
''The hell?!''
Skill
NEW - [Flow Control] Lv 1 Grants the ability to precisely control the outflow or inflow of mana into the user.
"I can''t believe this! I gained a skill out of pity?!" ''I guess you don''t look a gift horse in the mouth, the skill doesn''t seem like much in itself... But I can clearly see its usefulness.'' Being able to control how much mana enters my body, or how much mana leaves it, is exhausting work if you try to do it manually. But having a skill do all the heavy lifting? It''s just amazing. Instead of focusing on the intensity of each individual spell, I can focus on manipulating them effectively while the system takes care of the energy supply part. ''Damn! Was this skill given to me on purpose?! A way for the system to tell me "Suck it, you idiot!" I don''t like the fact that the system is proving to be more and more useful.'' The system makes life 1000x easier, but it makes me totally dependent on it. I can''t deny that the skill is useful, but it''s like a crutch given to me by the system. If I don''t use it, I''ll be at a disadvantage against other people who use it. But if I do use it, I''ll be in the hands of the system. ''There must be something wrong with it. There''s no way the system would make all people''s lives "easier" just out of goodwill. Does it have anything to do with the Gods? The system may very well be their creation to help the people of the world... But what if it isn''t? What if it''s some kind of mechanism created by a higher power? But what? Who? And why?...'' "Mom?" the scientists around me called out. "Oops, sorry guys, I got distracted again... But I think I now have a way to conduct this experiment successfully!" As soon as I said that, I took a beetle egg from a basket and placed it gently on a wax plate, ready for my next experiment. ''Now... How the hell do I use this skill?'' Attempting to use the skill, I snap my fingers, producing a small spark of magical energy. Then I try to adjust the magical energy to make the spark between my fingers grow, and to my surprise, the spark actually grows. Impressed, I try a few more times, adjusting the mana output a few times, producing sparks of mana in different sizes. Then, once I''m done adjusting the skill, I try to do something that requires more mana control and create a small thread of energy between my fingers. ''Impressive... It''s incredibly easy to manipulate and adjust the concentration of energy with this new skill... This opens up a whole new avenue for many important researches, theories, and experiments...'' Without delay, I place my claw just above the small beetle egg and then begin to push a small stream of energy into the egg while maintaining my concentration to give a clear and objective purpose to the magical energy. As the magical energy falls on the egg, it slowly begins to penetrate inside the egg quickly and precisely, mixing with the small embryo inside and causing the small creature to grow rapidly. As I pour more energy into the small egg, the small beetle inside it grew and developed. The mucous membrane around the small embryo began to take on a vibrant golden coloration before the small beetle embryo began to grow rapidly in a bizarre way. Its body was developing in a strange and unique way. Its back began to take on a metallic appearance with a golden color like gold, its small eyes began to glow with a strong white light, while the rest of its limbs grew and developed in a way that was evidently different from other common beetles. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. In a few moments, the little beetle tore its mucous prison and slowly crawled out, revealing its unique and unconventional appearance. The little beetle had a metallic shell with a golden appearance, a green head, and limbs like a scarab, and deep black eyes. "Wow! This is a great success!" said one of the scientists excitedly as he observed the little newborn creature. "This was certainly much better than I initially expected..." Curious about the little beetle that I had "created," I gently picked it up between my claws and raised it to my eye level, looking at it directly and analyzing it.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/D Species: Goldust Beetle Life: 2.1 Def: 2.4
Level: 1 Type: Goldspire Vit: 1.2 Int: 0.1
Mana: 1.4 Stamina: 1.6 Dex: 0.2 Wis: 0.1
Talent: Petrifier Affinity: Metal Spr: 0.1 Str: 0.3
[Skills]
{Transmute} - Lv 1 Use high amounts of MP and SP to transform matter into gold.
{Golden Shell} - Lv 1 Yor shell is capable of reflecting part of the magical attacks that hit it.
{Closed-Body} - Lv 1 Use Sp to harden your shell quickly.
{Heritage} - Locked A spiritual connection with your creator that cannot be broken or undone.
[Traces]
{Heavyweight} - Common Your heavy body causes your speed to decrease, but in exchange it gives you high defense. -35% Speed +45% Def
{Touch Of Life} - Unique Yor own primordial essence was been tainted with the pure life energy of a higher being, granting you the ability to use this energy. +100% MP +100% Hp
{Life''s Heritage} - Locked Yor existence is due to the intervention of a superior being, creating a direct spiritual link with your creator. Skill: Heritage
"I can''t believe it!!! I''m the creator of this little thing?!" I screamed as I stared at the tiny insect between my nails that looked more like a gold nugget. "Of course you''re the creator, Queen Mother! It was your intervention that gave birth to him!" a nurse said happily. "No... I mean, literally! My interference was so profound that this little guy created a spiritual connection with me... He''s like Muck, I guess?" "Seriously!?! This is incredible, Queen Mother! Can we have access to this creature? It would be of great academic value to be able to study him!" an excited nurse said. "We need to document his actions and catalog his skills, then we can do a dissection to document this new species!" an excited wizard said. "Wait a minute! Dissection?! No! I just spent over 8 hours trying to create this little guy, you can''t dissect him! He''s a unique species! We should keep him and try to create more of him, not dissect him and catalog him like a raccoon!" I said as I hid the little beetle in my hands. The boys looked at each other, and then shrugged, as if it didn''t really matter whether or not the beetle was dissected. "Okay! We can create a small habitat for it and observe it. I wonder if it could reproduce with common beetles? It would be a good way to test the implications of ''genetic magic''," said a nurse. While the boys talked and discussed, I opened my hands and looked at the small golden beetle. It looked fragile and tired, but it was also very beautiful. Then, as if responding to my gaze, it stretched, revealing its ethereal wings made of chitin that had a prismatic coloration, making me momentarily very happy with the creature''s small gesture. I couldn''t feel the so-called "spiritual connection" between the two of us. It wasn''t like the connection of the link I had with the hive, or the mental connection I have with Ciel and Muck. There was nothing apparent that connected us. Irritated by this, I ended up activating my [Spectral resonance], and soon after, I opened my eyes to see a world full of balls of purple lights, black and brown with a putrid appearance. The air is filled with a rotten and poisonous aura mixed with a faint golden smoke, and in my hands... There is a small ball of sparkling lights, like a small orb of pulsating light that shines delicately. Coming out of the small ball of light, there is a small path in the form of an almost invisible line that connects directly to me. Touching this line, I can feel some sensations that are difficult to discern, but since I have experience with links, I can tell that they are things like tiredness, discomfort, and hunger. ''He he... How cute... I''ll call you Nugget. My little golden Nugget, he he.''
"Very well, the tests seem promising. Keeping the energy stable in such a small runic formation is really challenging, but I believe I have reached a balance between functionality, cost, and stability." In front of me, I had a large box made of wood and wax. The inside of the box was completely lined with an insulating mixture of sap, crystal powder, and clay to serve as a magical insulator. Inside the box was a large, perfectly spherical ball made of some mysterious material encrusted with magical runes. Connected to this ball were tubes made of some semi-transparent vegetable matter filled with a strong golden liquid that ran throughout the box. Disconnecting the sphere from the center of the box and placing it on the table, it soon divided into several rings that made up the sphere. Inside each ring were runes and matrices of pure crystals similar to an electronic component. The entire item is called "Magical Manipulation Project 45-D", a prototype made with the best technology and workmanship the hive has to offer. After making the final adjustments to the magic core, I fit it back inside the structure full of tubes. Then, after connecting everything, gluing some things together, and screwing others, I closed the box that looked strangely like a wooden cube without any special features other than a semi-spherical crystal attached to one of the faces. Starting with the experiment, I placed my hand on the crystal attached to the box and began to pour my energy into it. The box began to respond to my energy as it trembled slightly and began to emit small sounds. As soon as I finished energizing the prototype, I ran to a safe distance and activated my [Crystal Skin], closing myself in a wall made of bio-crystals attached to my body. Soon, the magic box began to tremble and emit a noticeable wave of magical energy. Then, the machine began to float in the air as it began to spin as if it were in orbit. Soon, the box began to emanate black smoke and flash with bright lights, before suddenly falling to the ground like a ripe jackfruit. "Damn! Another failure... What happened this time? I spent days programming these crystals so that there would be a constant and stable flow of energy to the core. Theoretically, this prototype should be able to function as a compact and more efficient version of Max''s ''Magic Wand'', a way to cast a constant spell on a specific area. But it all ended up in smoke." Gathering the failed contraption and placing it on the table, I returned to the idea board. The recent encounter with humans made me even more nervous and terrified. I always thought that even if I couldn''t be physically strong, I would still always be a good Support. After all, that''s all I can do directly. But after seeing those mysterious wounds that wouldn''t heal easily, my pride got a slap in the face so hard that it was ashamed to even look up. I''m a healer, the best this hive has to offer. I''m a spellcaster, researcher, and inventor in my spare time too. But my [Affinity] and Skills put me more as a Healer/Support. But even with all these advantages stacked, I still needed to bring out the big guns to be able to heal the boys'' wounds. Normally, I can heal any physical damage that afflicts my boys (except death and lost limbs). Things like diseases, poisons, wounds, or infections aren''t even worth mentioning to me. But for some reason, that attack was able to make my healing factor... obsolete. I''m not as smart as the boys, because like, seriously? What kind of person can create a fully functional industrial/magical society by themselves?!? These guys have managed so well on their own that sometimes I feel like a statue fixed to the ground that people worship. They come up with that "Without you, the colony dies" talk, but living lying in bed laying eggs and watching time go by is no life for anyone! I still have ambitions and dreams. Just because I gave up some principles and started a hive doesn''t mean I threw myself body and soul into the work of "Queen Mother." I want, I really need, to do something besides laying eggs every day. I''m still a little lucky to be the only member of the colony capable of actively manipulating life mana, so I''m in high demand for experiments that require life mana. But these guys are almost entering the Bronze Age while I was banging crystals together and trying to create something new. But all of this could still be overlooked, because even though there are a lot of [Healers] in the hive, I''m still the best, and I enjoy this job. Potions? Forget it! There''s an entire group led by Jasper and several other guys who are dedicated to exploring and classifying all the magical substances that can be manufactured. Magic? Max is taking care of that. That boy is like a fujoshi who is crazy about any magical experiment. Engineering? Have some patience. Levi is like a shy boy with a hyper-focus on engineering and construction. He has a workshop just for him that he uses to create various contraptions with gears, springs, and belts. And not to mention, there''s an entire crowd that is always giving suggestions about new dishes, combinations, and recipes for Jay and Ray to test. The creation of weapons is carried out by a specific group composed of members of several different clubs. Poisons is in the hands of Aldy. The bureaucracysomething I wouldn''t do even if I couldis all managed by Steve and a whole fleet of other members specialized in communication and information management. Entertainment is run by the 1010 group, and things like exploration and information gathering are done by Matt and Trevis. Sure, I can join any group at any time, but I''m not nearly as good or knowledgeable about the subject as they are. Each one chooses a single club in which they dedicate their entire lives to improving themselves and studying, so if I go there trying to do something, I''ll end up getting in their way instead of helping them. Leaving the hive is like asking for a family intervention with 100% certainty. Everyone starts complaining and whining when I bring it up, as if a meteor was going to fall on me the moment I set foot outside the hive. Fighting is out of the question. I have very high defense and vitality, but damage? I''m a joke in this field. I can only kill someone with magical attacks or over a long period of time using poisons and diseases. But being a healer... That was my greatest strength. My skills are the best in this area, and unlike the healing of the [Healer], my healing does not leave scars or marks on the body. I can recover with 100% efficiency without leaving any evidence of what happened. But that attack by that woman... I could not heal the wounds, not completely. The injured took hours to heal, and in the end, they were left with huge scars that I cannot reverse. Some soldiers like scars. They are like "medals," they say, proof of their deeds and achievements. So some soldiers prefer and like to keep the scars, even having the option to remove them, and the spies of Trevis are no different. When they saw the huge scars, they were not upset or sad, but rather proud and happy to have a "great story" to tell their peers. But I felt like a real piece of shit. If I am not a good healer, a good inventor, a good researcher, or even a good mother... then what am I? Just a weight to be carried? Interlude: Temple of Dawn – Chase Targaryen Marquisate - South of The Empire A large, intricately woven rug covers the wooden floor, its deep reds and golds enhancing the room''s regal ambiance. The crackling fire in the ornate marble fireplace adds a comforting warmth, the dancing flames casting flickering shadows across the walls. The only other sound is the steady scratching of a quill across parchment, occasionally interrupted by the soft rustle of paper as the man sets one document aside and picks up another. In the midst of his tireless work, the great oak doors open, and a well-dressed butler enters silently. "Your Excellency, the envoys from the Temple of Dawn have arrived and request an audience," the butler announces from the doorway. The sound of the quill stops abruptly. The man, intently focused on his documents, looks up, meeting the butler''s gaze directly. The butler, in turn, glances downward, maintaining his composure and elegance. The man retrieves a small gold pocket watch from his suit pocket, studies the hands with a frown, then returns the watch to its place. "Very well, send them in," he says without looking back at the butler. The butler quickly bows in acknowledgment and exits the room. After a few moments alone in the large office, footsteps approach from the hallway. The office doors open, and a group of people dressed in pure white robes adorned with gold details enters, accompanied by the butler. Their faces are entirely concealed by fabric masks, each bearing a large golden eye at the center. Their bodies are covered from head to toe, leaving only their mouths visible. "Sir, these are the envoys of the Temple of Dawn," the butler announces. The group consists of five membersfour towering figures, over two meters tall, draped in thick layers of fabric, and one distinct figure who stands out from the rest. Clearly a woman, she is adorned with jewelry in various colors, including chains, ornaments, and pendants. Her robe is made of pure white fabric with golden edges, embroidered with stars and small white beads. She wears large, semi-transparent veils that glisten with a light dusting of glitter. "We of the Temple of Dawn salute Your Excellency, Marquis Draven of House Targaryn. May the light of the morning guide your path," says the female figure, joining her hands in prayer. The man at the desk momentarily shows dissatisfaction but quickly masks it with a warm, gentle expression, like that of a kind grandfather. "What an honor to welcome the members of the Temple of Dawn to my Marquisate. We don''t often receive visitors here on the border," says the marquis with a broad smile. "The morning light illuminates all things, Marquis. The church and the empire will never forget the great work of House Targaryn, which has kept the vile beasts away from lands blessed by the Goddess," the woman responds. "I am honored by your praise. I am deeply grateful to the Goddess of the Morning for all the support the church has provided to the Marquisate of Targaryn in recent years," the marquis replies, smiling despite the vein pulsing in his forehead. The envoys seem to sense the marquis''s veiled provocation. The four large figures behind the woman shift slightly, but she raises a delicate hand, calming them. The woman smiles and chuckles softly, a sound almost unnoticed by anyone but the marquis, who is keenly observing the delegation''s every move. "Marquis Targaryn, I sense you may be displeased with the Temple of Dawn for withdrawing some of the acolytes from your temples. But I ask you to understand that the church faces a shortage of properly trained members, and we needed those acolytes for our assault against the demon lord," the woman says confidently. "I understand the church''s difficulties. I just wonder how the Temple of Dawn, which values House Targaryn so highly, could leave the forces that directly combat the beasts of the Fallen Forest without the first aid provided by the temple. Especially since House Targaryn is the lastand onlyreal line of defense between the forest''s beasts and the southern regions of the empire," the marquis says, clenching his fists. In response, the woman simply smiles, as if she hadn''t heard the marquis''s words, and continues, "But since the Temple of Dawn recognizes the importance of House Targaryn''s work for the Empire, we will send a delegation of 2,000 acolytes from the Temple before the month of Starfall." ''Two thousand acolytes? As if that would help. They''re sending inexperienced recruits to the front lines for training and placing all the responsibility on me. Last time, there were 3,000, and more than half didn''t survive,'' the marquis thinks, his expression sharp. Acolytes from the Temple of Dawn possess divine abilitieshealing, strengthening, blessing, exorcism, and combat skills. They are invaluable in a place where people face death daily. But a single well-trained acolyte is worth more than a hundred inexperienced ones. ''They always do thissend the fodder here. And after they finally learn the ropes, they''re relocated elsewhere. Last time it was a "great attack" against the demon lord. Before that, it was to combat dark corruption. What will be the next excuse?'' the marquis wonders. "I doubt the envoys of the Temple of Dawn traveled here just to deliver news that could have been sent in a letter. Could you honor me by explaining the true reason for your visit?" the marquis asks with a smile. "Forgive me for the late introduction, I am Jasminy, Priestess of the Church of Twilight. I regret that I cannot reveal the identities of my companions, but I can say they were sent directly by the Temple of Dawn," Jasminy replies. The Temple of Dawn has several affiliated churches and institutions, all of which worship the Goddess of the Morning, but each venerates a different aspect of her. The most well-known branches include: The Church of Flames, which worships the Goddess as the Guardian of the Sacred Flame. This branch emphasizes her role in nurturing and protecting the eternal flame of life, warmth, and creation. It is known for producing strong paladins with unshakable faith and high morals. The Church of Radiance, which venerates the Goddess as the Bringer of Light and source of all truth. This branch, known as "The Harbingers of Truth," commands the inquisitors and judges, using divine arts to purge liars and unravel lies. The Church of Twilight, which worships the Goddess''s ability to transition and transform. This branch believes that as night falls, the Goddess changes from the vibrant sun to the celestial moon, illuminating the path through darkness. They possess a unique ability to weaken or cancel magical energy, making them invaluable in detaining or restricting targets. There are smaller branches, such as the Church of Harmony and the Church of the Earth, but they are less significant within the structure of the Temple. "The Church of Twilight? That''s new. So what brings a priestess from the Church of Twilight to a place like this? What or who are you seeking?" the marquis asks. ''A priestess from the Church of Twilight, accompanied by four mysterious envoys from the Temple of Dawn? This smells like trouble. A delegation of this level isn''t here for just anyone,'' the marquis thinks. "Forgive my rudeness, Marquis Draven Targaryn, but I am not permitted to disclose all aspects of my mission. I can only say that the order came directly from the High Priest of the Church of Twilight," Jasminy declares with a delicate smile. "I understand... But I still don''t see how this involves me. If you seek a delegation to aid in your mission, I must decline. The Marquisate''s forces are already stretched thin due to a lack of qualified personnel, and we cannot spare anyone," the marquis says, his expression serious. "I completely understand, Sir Targaryn, but we did not come to ask for a delegation. Instead, we wish to offer you a proposal on behalf of the Temple of Dawn," Jasminy replies. "Oh? And what might that be?" the marquis asks. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "We''ve heard that your son, Lord Desmond Targaryn, is both cunning and brave. Since he has ventured so often into the Fallen Forest, the Temple of Dawn wishes to fund an expedition led by your son to the plains east of the Fallen Forest," Jasminy says warmly. "The plains? Why there? There''s nothing of value in those regions. If you want to fund an expedition, why not to the forest''s center, where nothing has been documented?" the marquis asks. "You see, the Church of Twilight sent a small reconnaissance team into the Fallen Forest a few weeks ago. They were supposed to return in three or four days, but guess what? They returned five days ago. When questioned, it was discovered that a group of kobolds from the Bestman lands is living in the forest plains," Jasminy says with a big smile. "Kobolds? That''s unlikely. Are they a large group? How developed is their camp? And why is the Temple of Dawn concerned? It''s only a matter of time before the forest''s monsters wipe them out," the marquis asks. "That''s where it gets interesting... Normally, we wouldn''t care about a few filthy beasts setting up camp in cursed lands. But the reconnaissance team provided me with some peculiar information that caught my attention," Jasminy says. "Don''t leave me in suspense. What is it?" the marquis asks. "They don''t know what, who, or why. But they reported that magical creatures in the forest were purposely following and closely observing them. When they tried to eliminate these creatures, the beasts fled without revealing themselves. After the attack, the atmosphere changedthe hundreds of eyes watching them disappeared, but there was still someone watching them, and they couldn''t identify what, and they also said they felt a lot of hostility coming from those eyes - a true Bloodlust," said Jasminy. "Do you trust this group? Even if it''s true, such encounters aren''t uncommon. The Fallen Forest is teeming with unknown and uncatalogued beasts. My grandfather, Demerik Targaryen, once swore he saw a white doe made of bones within the forest, but no one ever saw it again. It could very well have been a figment of his imagination," the marquis said. "Well, I can''t speak for your grandfather, but I have great confidence in the man who reported this information to me. It''s not surprising to find unique creatures in the Fallen Forest, but what draws the most attention in this report is the interaction between these beasts and the kobolds," Jasminy replied. "What do you mean? Are they parasitic creatures like the Zombie Centipedes?" the marquis asked. "I wish that were the case. Unfortunately, these mysterious creatures aren''t parasites... They''re helping the kobolds," Jasminy said. The marquis was silent for a moment, blinking slowly before opening his mouth, then closing it again before finally speaking. "Helping? That''s baseless nonsense, Your Holiness. Why make such jokes? Beasts do not help humanoids; they kill and devour them, especially the beasts from the Fallen Forest. Everything in that place is designed to kill and destroy anyone who enters. There''s not the slightest chance of friendly ''creatures'' there," the marquis said harshly, his gaze cold as it bore into Jasminy. "Isn''t it? When I first heard this, I also thought it was nothing more than a lie. But this information was reported to me by Paladin Gareth Veiled himself, under the Oath of the Holy Light. So, there''s no reason to believe it''s false or exaggerated," Jasminy stated. "This... is unexpected," the marquis admitted, crossing his arms and frowning. A paladin''s oath on the Eternal Light is as binding as a vow on their life. If a paladin breaks an oath made on the Eternal Light of the Goddess of the Morning, they would lose all their powers and be hunted by the Temple of Dawn as a heretic. Yet, even so, there are ways around it. If a paladin swears they saw a person die and sincerely believes it to be true, they wouldnt be punished by the divine light, even if that person is later found alive. "Are you sure the creatures your delegation encountered were kobolds? It wouldn''t be the first time we''ve encountered skin thieves in the forest," the marquis suggested. "Skin thieves dont live in such an organized and peaceful manner. Gareths report described the kobolds as quite ''civilized,'' so I doubt that''s the case," Jasminy replied. "What about demons? Body stealers and blood demons are known to possess and replace their victims almost perfectly," the marquis countered. "The demons are too far away to have reached the Fallen Forest. Unless they came underground or by air, there''s no way they could have left the Far West and arrived here without being sighted in the last few months," Jasminy said. "...I''m at a loss. I can''t think of any other known creature that could explain this bizarre situation," the marquis confessed. "And that''s precisely why the Temple of the Morning requests the help of the Marquis and Lord Targaryen. My delegation, in collaboration with Lord Targaryen, wishes to purge this threat before it becomes a real danger," Jasminy declared. "Purge... I understand. But, without wishing to contradict His Holiness''s words, wouldn''t ''purging'' a delegation from a foreign nation in neutral lands give that nation a very solid reason to start a conflict with us?" the marquis asked. "Of course. But this isn''t a common case of conflict between two nations in neutral lands. It''s an investigation into suspicious and malicious activities. This delegation may very well be just explorers or colonizers sent by our neighbor, but what if, by some twist of fate, they are being controlled by beasts from the Fallen Forest? As envoys of the Goddess, we have the sacred mission to free their souls from the clutches of these evil creatures," Jasminy replied, a wide smile spreading across her face. ''As if. The Temple of Dawn despises anything non-human. They''ll come up with any excuse to eliminate this group of kobolds and blame it on demons or monsters,'' the marquis thought. "Hmm... Please give me a day to think about it. I need to analyze the situation and discuss it with my son," the marquis finally said. Upon hearing his response, Jasminy simply smiled sweetly and bowed delicately. "I, Jasminy Veiled, Priestess of the Church of Twilight, thank you for the audience, Your Excellency, Marquis Targaryen," she said before heading towards the door. As she approached, the doors were opened from the outside by the servants, and Jasminy and her delegation left the room, leaving the marquis deep in thought at his desk. A few moments after Jasminy left, the Marquis picked up a small bell beside his desk and rang it delicately. The doors to the office opened once more, and the familiar figure of his butler entered. "Yes, Your Excellency?" The butler bowed deeply. "Bring my son here. Tell him it is important and that his presence is required immediately," the Marquis said, not looking up from his papers. "T-That... It might be difficult, my lord," the butler responded nervously. The Marquiss hand, busy with writing, froze mid-stroke. Slowly, he looked up, his ruby-red eyes locking onto the butler. "What is this? Why would it be so difficult to bring that child here?" he demanded. "Lord Targaryen is in the County of Ravenfell, my lord. He continues to pursue Miss Seraphine Ravenfell despite your warnings," the butler stammered. The Marquis slammed his fist onto the desk, causing a small ink jar to topple and spill, papers and documents scattering to the floor. His anger boiled over, his temper flaring. "That foolish boy! Not only does he disobey my orders, but he also chases after the daughter of a failed earl like Ravenfell. Can he not see that woman is merely using him?!" the Marquis shouted, pressing a hand to his forehead. "S-Sir, what do you wish me to do?" the butler asked, trembling. "It''s not obvious, you idiot?! BRING HIM HERE AT ONCE! Drag him if necessary! I dont have time for a stupid teenagers tantrums; I need to deal with the temples envoys," the Marquis commanded furiously. "Yes, Your Excellency!" The butler quickly left the office. Where did I go wrong with that boy? the Marquis thought, his irritation palpable. If only I had other heirs to take over the Targaryen Marquessate... Ugh, if that boy is foolish enough to impregnate Miss Seraphine Ravenfell and give me a promising grandson, there might still be a chance to maintain the prestige of House Targaryen. The Marquis turned his gaze out the window. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the courtyard where maids and soldiers busied themselves. Gardeners tended to the plants as a gentle breeze rustled through the estate. Ive worked tirelessly to make this place what it is. Years of sacrifice and hard work... I cant let my sons stupidity and lack of foresight jeopardize the lives of those who trust in House Targaryen. If only my wife were still alive... Perhaps she could talk some sense into that boy, he mused, the memory of his late wifes face haunting his thoughts. The future of House Targaryen weighed heavily on his mind, with Lord Desmond Targaryen next in line. But if Desmond proved unfit, nothing would stop the Marquiss brothers from vying for the title, and in the worst-case scenario, the Marquessate might return to the crown, placing it under royal control. His thoughts returned to the mess before himthe scattered papers, spilled ink, and fallen stamps. With a sigh, the Marquis opened a drawer in his desk, retrieving a different bell, this one silver with black lines. He rang it, the distinct sound summoning an older woman in a maids outfit. Her gray hair was tied in a bun, and she wore thick, round glasses. "Did the Marquis call?" she asked. "Yes. Clean this office, replace the carpet, and request new copies of these documents before my son arrives. Also, prepare me a hot bath and a proper meal," the Marquis instructed, standing up from his desk. "Immediately, my lord. Would you like anything else?" the woman asked. "Yes, Anny. Investigate Miss Seraphine Ravenfell. Find out if shes made any unexpected moves. Also, spread rumors that the Targaryen Marquis is keen on having a grandson. Make sure this reaches the ears of the Earl of Ravenfell," the Marquis said, removing his toothpick and placing it on a hanger. "Have you given up on separating the young master and Miss Ravenfell?" Anny inquired. "You could say that. Even if her father is merely trying to tie her to the Targaryen Marquessate, its a small price to pay if I can secure a suitable heir for the Marquessate," the Marquis replied. "I understand, Your Excellency. I will personally see to it that your orders are carried out," Anny said, bowing her head. "One more thinglook into any unusual activities at the Temple of Dawn. Something about this delegation feels off. Keep a low profile and leave no loose ends. We cant afford to underestimate the temples influence," the Marquis added as he headed for the door. "Yes, sir. Consider it done," Anny assured him. Opening the office doors, the Marquis slowly walked out, leaving behind the chaotic room and his trusted servant. "Very well, Anny. I trust in your skills to deliver satisfactory results," the Marquis said before closing the doors and making his way to his room. Chapter 69: Unexpected Help Aurum - Year 3 Time has passed, and life goes on as it always has. The difference now is that I live in constant fear of the humans returning. I dont know their plans, the extent of their forces, or their motivationsI''m completely in the dark. Living without knowing if tomorrow will be the last day is suffocating. On one hand, the humans ''just'' want the kobolds, so I shouldnt be so worried. But what if the kobolds talk and reveal the location of the nest? What do I do if the humans decide, "Lets scout the region to make sure nothing has escaped!"? It would only be a matter of days before they spot the wax tower, clear as day in the middle of a maze of wax and wood. And if the humans do come after me, what then? Do I run? Fight? Try to negotiate? My instincts tell me theres only one choice: Kill them all. They hurt my children and are a threat that cant be ignored. But Im not that fearful, anxious young queen bee who used to fall victim to [Concerned Player''s] pranks. I can and should think rationally about the colony''s survival. Running away is tempting, I must confess. We could burn the tower and escape in the middle of the night. A lot of research and hard work would be lost, and it would take months, maybe years, to rebuild. But thats better than staying and fighting for a doomed castle. The research can be archived by the archivists. Levi and his group of builders could probably construct a new, stronger, and better-planned tower in a few months. The problem with this plan is managing the people. Over 60% of the hive consists of non-combat members, like researchers, administrators, and nurses. They wouldnt be able to help with protection until a new tower is built, and theyd just add to the burden on our soldiers. Then there''s the question of where to run. If we go deeper into the forest, I fear encountering that creature that stared at me from the spiritual plane. Im not willing to risk my life for that, so the forest is out. Running north towards the abandoned lands of the beastmen is another option. Abandoned lands could be a good place to build a new nest, but the mysterious "Dark Corruption" makes me wary. If the hive cant deal with this corruption, then those lands are useless. Another option is to head south, but I have no information about that area. It could be a perfect place, or it could lead us to our deathsits basically a shot in the dark. Im not willing to gamble the entire hive''s survival on a "shot in the dark." The other options are even worse. Fighting the invaders is the next alternative, but thats simply ridiculous. Those humans can use magic as if they were playing a game, and they can cause near-fatal damage to my children with just a surprise attack. If they come prepared to exterminate us, it would be like an anthill trying to fight a fire. I cant lose my children; Ive made so many wrong choices and taken so many rash paths in this life that I dont think I could forgive myself if my children died because of my bad decisions. No matter how I look at this situation, no matter what anyone says or does, its clear to me: This is all my fault. If I hadnt meddled with the spiritual plane, fleeing east into the forest would be a viable option. But now I have to deal with a mysterious entity thats possibly angry with me for who knows what reason. We cant keep it hidden because its only a matter of time before either the kobolds talk or the humans return and start exploring. If I had never helped the kobolds in the first place, the humans might never have come near this place. Nothis all started because I began a stupid hunt for [Tears of a Saint]. I monopolized all the flowers we could find and brought them straight home, and for what? NOTHING! Just because I thought the flower was valuable and wanted a lot of them! And now Im trapped in this damn maze with no way out. Every path seems to lead to a dead end, and Im the one who dragged us into this situation. If I had minded my own business like the boys suggested and acted as an exemplary queen for the hive, none of this would have happened. Its all my fault, and I need to get us out of this tiger''s den, but I cant think of a solution! Maybe if I let go of the kobolds, I could keep the humans away and buy time for the hive to strengthen. But I cant let them goI feel like if I leave them behind, Ill give up my last bit of humanity and become a real monster. Have I already done horrible things? Sure. Ive done things to the creatures of this world that would be equivalent to "inhuman testing" on animals in my past life, but they werent sentient. They couldnt talk or show emotions like a person. They They dont count. I needed them. I needed the information only they could provide. If I hadnt used them as livestock, the hive would never have learned about animal handling, research, and wildlife processing. Chaining a Wappo to the ground with spikes and draining it dry is nothing compared to imprisoning a human or kobold. They scream, beg, show fear, anger, confusion, and resentment. They cant be easily contained like Wappos or farm animals, and I have no real reason to use them as guinea pigs. There are always animals and magical creatures that can serve as more "morally acceptable" test subjects. Have I done anything wrong in this life? If you asked me directly, Id say I havent done anything right so far! I try so hard to be the "queen" my children needelegant, well-balanced, strong-willed, healthy, and well-behaved. But I''m a mess! I gave birth to every member of this hive, but I feel like a puzzle piece from a different set, trying to force myself into a place I dont fit. We are the same, similar, even identical if you think about it. But were fundamentally so different and distant that we justdont fit together. How? How could such well-adjusted, self-sufficient, and emotionally stable beings come from someone like me? Its like a horse giving birth to a unicorn! Are they perfect? Id say theyre infinitely closer to perfection than I am, but they still have their problems. They are brothers, and they fight and die for each other, but that doesnt stop them from separating into social groups. Some members are less popular, others more so. Some get along well with the rest of the hive, while others not so much. Some hive members also suffer from real problems, things I didnt think were possible for bees from another world. They get sad, happy, angry, and scared. They can feel any emotion, good or bad. They feel proud of their achievements, get jealous when someone else in the hive gets something they wanted, and feel embarrassed about their jealousy. They can love each other like a big, close-knit family. They can suffer, get overwhelmed, make mistakes, lose control, or get shaken up. This has happened before with Steve and Ken. The work was so exhausting and overwhelming that they started to "bug out." When I stop to think and analyze their workload, I wonder, "How do they manage to handle all this without breaking down every day?" The members of the inner circle are the top of the pyramid. They have to make decisions constantly, and their choices and actions have immediate impacts on the hive. Thats why the inner circle has several "helpers," who in turn have their own "helpers." The workload is so immense that its bee-manly? practically impossible. If I had to handle, process, analyze, resolve, transmit, and archive every piece of information for the hive on my own, I would have lost my mind within the first five minutes. No normal brain could handle that much information. Yet somehow, they manage to do it. They access the link as if it were a Wi-Fi network, putting, sending, processing, receiving, and analyzing every bit of information from the hive. Its like having a robot that records every detail of your life, processes and filters all the information, and saves it to a hard drive. Steve can do this, and I think thats why he comes across as so elegant? As a highly serious and rigid secretary, Steves group is the largest in the hive, comprising about 20% of our members who handle information processing and distribution. Steve decides what should be communicated and transmitted, while Radyo and Pipe take care of getting this information to the rest of the hive. And Ken poor guy. He gets too involved. He always seems cold, distant, and a real A-hole, but to me, that hardness is just a shell around his fragile interior. Ken cares deeply; he always wants to ensure that everyone in his care receives the best possible treatment. This wasnt a problem at first, but now with so many members, its impossible for Ken to take care of each one personally. Ken has always been the kind of guy who, if he saw someone getting hurt, would rush over to them, lecture them about safety, and at the same time, provide the best care for their injuries. If I had to describe Ken, Id say hes like a hugcomforting and warm, or tight and suffocating. It was my fault what happened to him. I should have known that leaving one person in charge of both the wounded and the babies would lead to trouble. How does anyone feel good after seeing the babies they cared for being carried home unconscious, while theyre covered in battle wounds? Maybe I need to establish an OSHA for the hive and introduce things like therapists, counselors, and even retirement optionsforced or not. Since I dont know if we die of old age, I cant predict how long well live before becoming "stars in the sky." We might have a high life expectancy like humans (80-100 years), or it could be a trick of the system, and soon well start showing signs of aging. The more I think about it and analyze our situation, the more I realize I have more questions than answers. I dont know about my origins, if others like us exist in the world, our life expectancy, why I cant produce other females, the origin of the link, the reason for affinities, what a soul is, or what Im doing here. Sometimes I think that if I found a magic lamp or if God appeared before me, Id wish to return to my old life. It was sad and empty but free of problems. But then there are the boyswhat would happen to them if I simply disappeared? The scenarios are not pleasant. I wish I could build a great city where they could live happily and safely forever, far from problems and conflicts. But reality wakes me up and reminds me that I cant run away from my problems and pretend they dont exist. I need to do something. I need to make a decision. I need something completely new.
Aurum - Year 3 - 2 Month Later...
"DAMN IT!" A pair of large black clawed hands slammed onto a wooden table, shattering it under the force of the impact. Papers and other materials scattered across the floor. The source of the blow was a large humanoid bee, disheveled with dark circles under his eyes and an overall haggard appearance. "Ive spent months in this laboratory, sent every available soldier to hunt, and allocated all resources and personnel to research, but weve produced nothing useful. We''ve made progress in magic optimization, crystal manufacturing, and mana isolation, but nothing we can use as a weapon." The lab was a mess, with papers strewn across the floor, blackboards cluttered with various theories and projects, and failed prototypes scattered about. Attempts to create war golems, magic wands, and poison-causing machines had all failed for the same reason: there was no brain to control these machines. There were attempts at creating components akin to processors, motherboards, coolers, and even a hard drive, but nothing close to a functional CPU. Without a CPU, the machines couldnt execute commands properly. I had realized some time ago that the issue wasnt a lack of energy, power, or stability, but the absence of an agent capable of executing commands. Crystal plates inscribed with runes could serve as "templates" for pre-recorded functions, but a CPU could analyze and execute commands with the right "materials." Using crystal disks remains a good method for achieving certain results, but they are like CDs: they can only play pre-recorded content. A CPU could execute commands from a hard drive and even create new commands based on existing information. But how do you create a CPU from wax, mud, and crystals!? "I need to think of something. I need to find a way, I" At that moment, the laboratory doors swung open, and a group of real soldiers accompanied by Yan entered. "Queen Mother! Jasper requests an audience with you!" Yan announced. "Huh? Why wasnt this communicated over the link? Cant you see Im busy? Handle this yourself, Yan." "...Queen Mother, this is an important and urgent audience concerning the preparations for the humans'' return" "Theyre back already!?" "...No. Our spies are monitoring the border closely, and no humans have approached the forest." Yan reassured. "Tsk. So whats this about?" I said, turning my attention to a prototype on a table. "Bombs. Its about Jaspers bombs," Yan said bluntly. The mention of "bombs" brought back memories of Jaspers request for permission to experiment with explosives. I was now thrilled that I had approved this idea. "OH!! Did he get any results?" "Yes, my queen! Jasper has created five different bombs: the first is an incendiary bomb, the second is a stink bomb, the third produces a viscous green liquid, the fourth emits poisonous smoke, and lastly..." Yan continued. "Speak up, boy!" "Well, thats what the meeting is about. Jaspers latest bomb was, and wasnt, produced," Yan explained. "What do you mean? Elaborate!" "Due to the need for weaponry, Jaspers bomb department received permission to use living mana in its experiments. Initial attempts were promising, with bombs capable of causing, according to Jasper, ''chemical burns that hurt like hell.'' However, this morning, Jasper requested permission to produce ''human-sized'' bombs." Yan said. "What does that entail?" "Our regular bombs are about the size of a workers headsmall and relatively safe. But a ''human-sized'' bomb would be 7 to 10 times larger than our current ones, posing extreme danger to the hive. The request was denied, but Jasper challenged the decision, claiming, ''The future of the hive is at risk, and you are a bunch of weak-willed cowards.'' He requested an audience with you, as he often does when seeking approval for projects not sanctioned by the inner circle or Steve." Yan explained. "Ugh..." Jasper is a complex individualcurious, persistent, and with a down-to-earth attitude that makes him an excellent researcher and leader, but also stubborn and difficult to handle. Looking at my prototypes and research, I struggled to justify abandoning all this unfinished work to listen to Jaspers arguments about why I should approve his work on deadly bombs. "What are the real risks of this project?" "Well, Id say the biggest risk is the potential annihilation of the explosives department, both in terms of materials and personnel. If the project fails, everyone involved could die, but the hive itself would remain unchanged, as the experiments are conducted in a separate tower away from the main ones," Yan said after some consideration. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "...What are the pros and cons of continuing this research?" "Bombs are inherently dangerous, so the risks and benefits are fairly clear. Incendiary bombs could clear or weaken specific areas; sticky bombs are useful for hunting; stink bombs help spies escape; and poison bombs are invaluable for Aldys group, allowing them to create a ''veil'' of poisonous smoke to operate within. We could also explore bombs for mining and sound bombs. Jasper views bombs as tools rather than just weapons, which is why the ''Chemical Bomb'' was the first designed specifically as a weapon," Yan explained. "Whats your opinion on these ''chemical bombs''?" "I think theyre too dangerous. They were developed using the laboratory explosion that caused mutations as a model, focusing on ''destabilizing living tissue'' and causing wounds similar to chemical burns. There are also theories that they might damage DNA and cause unseen harm. Experiments with Wappos, lizards, and snails showed devastating effects even in small doses," Yan said. "That sounds too risky. How did Jasper manage to make living mana so unstable?" "According to reports, Jasper mixed [Drops of Life] made from life energy with alchemical mixtures, poisons, and powders. He used pure energy from mages in a centrifuge to create a homogeneous black liquid he called [Chaos Solution]. This liquid was then placed inside a bomb with supercharged life mana crystals, wrapped in wax and mud to create the [Chemical Bombs]. When thrown, the crystals shatter, releasing pure life energy that reacts violently with the [Chaos Solution], generating a powerful wave of black energy that causes ''chemical damage''," Yan detailed. "Holy shit Is Jasper a genius or a psychopath? Its incredibly ingeniouslike a chemist creating unstable substances..." "Is this [Chaos Solution] stable and safe to work with?" "Relatively, yes. Its highly poisonous and emits dangerous gases. It decomposes quicklywithin hours if not stored properlyso bombs have a shelf life of 2-3 days after manufacture," Yan said. "Uhm Whats the danger in creating a large bomb? The process seems straightforward and relatively safe, but if the bombs have such a short lifespan, why make them now?" "Tests. We need to know if soldiers can handle and transport a bomb of that size, if it remains stable, and if the hive can support this type of weaponry. The dangers are significantif something goes wrong, everything could go up in smoke. Steve decided to shelve the project until we have more information and research, preferably after the hives next evolution," Yan conclude "Hmm... Allow the experiment. Reduce the production team, increase the safety requirements, and use smaller amounts of fuel for the bomb." "T-Thats it? Are you sure, Queen Mother?" Yan asked, surprised by the swift decision. "Yes. Weve been stagnant for too long. If we dont start taking some risks, well never make any real progress." "...Very well, if thats your wish, then so be it, Queen Mother." Yan said before bowing and leaving the room with the royal guards. Once the doors closed, I returned to the solitude of my laboratory. Doubts crept into my mindwas this the right choice? Was I truly prepared to take such risks for potentially great rewards? But then I thought about the factors leading me to this decision. We lacked any effective weapons against humans. Our swarm of bees with axes and spears was still just thata swarm of bees with sharp tools. Nothing compared to a giant bomb capable of taking down a grown man. No progress had been made in military weaponry, and Jaspers dangerous creations were our first real advance. Supporting his experiments, even if they were risky and unconventional, seemed like our best option. "Exploding bees, huh? Thats strange" As I turned my attention back to my prototypes, a sudden idea struck me. Muck, the [Familiar], had a... brain, I suppose? It was more like a "spiritual brain," but it was still a braina CPU made of pure mana. "How could I have missed that?!" Instead of trying to create a CPU from crystals or alchemical fluids, I could use a mana-based approach. I hurried across the room, retrieving a large crystal orb from a box. It was part of an old, failed prototype for a magic wand, composed of several crystal rings inscribed with magical runes and filled with life mana crystals. I placed the crystal orb on the table and began summoning a mana echo, binding it with the [Connect] spell, and then sent the mana echo into the orb. Within moments, I felt a faint connection forming between me and the mana core. "This" Before I could celebrate, the connection was suddenly bombarded with confusing signals and erratic energy waves, as if dozens of strings were being yanked and shaken violently. "Ughhfahf" ''UNKNOWN ATTACK ON THE LINK. DIRECT ATTACK ON THE QUEEN. REPEAT, DIRECT ATTACK ON THE QUEEN,'' Radyo shouted through the link, causing chaos throughout the hive. My head pounded as if it might split apart, muffled voices echoed through the link, and mental beacons searched desperately for the source of the attack. But soon, I lost consciousness.
When I awoke, I found myself in a completely black void, the room devoid of any recognizable features. I tried to stand, but my body felt different. I looked down to see that I was no longer in my familiar bee form. Instead, I had a human body with tan skin, long white hair, two arms, and two legsno bee characteristics at all. ''What the'' The realization hit me: was I dead again? No, no, I couldnt be! The boys needed me! I couldnt afford to be dead! I began to walk through the endless darkness, only to discover that the void seemed to be made of paint. The surface was damp, creating waves as I moved. I ran aimlessly, but the void appeared endless. As I ran, the black substance on the floor seemed to cling to me, making it difficult to escape. ''Let me go! I need to get out of here!'' Despite my efforts, the black mud held me back. A tremor echoed through the void, and a massive wave of black ink began to form behind me. ''What the'' Looking back, I saw the wave of ink surging toward me, and a deformed face emerged from it. ''W-What is this thing?'' ( "?-??? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??, ????? ? ???? ?????? ?? ????, ?????? ?? ???? ????. ? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????, ????? ??? ??V? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ????" ) the creature gurgled from the black mud. ''What do you mean?'' ( "?. ?? ????" ) Before the creature could finish, a bell rang, tearing through the darkness and revealing a red sky. ( "???-?????????????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??! ?????" ) The bell continued to toll, and the creature began to dissolve into the black mud, which soon vanished, transporting me to a place that was both strange and oddly familiar. ''Where am I? What is happening here?'' I found myself in a city where everything was made of wax and wood, with some concrete and metal elements. The streets, posts, walls, and fences were all crafted from wax, and strange lights emerged from the wax posts. Despite the city''s features, it was eerily empty. ''Why is everyone gone? Where is everyone?'' After wandering through the deserted streets, I arrived at a large tower that looked modern and untouched by wax, though it was covered in roots, grass, and moss. Inside, I found a room cluttered with scattered books. I moved towards a table but felt an inexplicable urge to go up the stairs in the corner of the room. ''This place feels so familiar'' I picked up one of the books, only to find it filled with constantly shifting letters, making it unreadable. I continued up the tower, passing through rooms obstructed by black roots, a giant bell, and a room that resembled my teenage bedroom. At the top, I found an empty room with an elevator that impossibly seemed to descend. ''What is going on?'' I entered the elevator and pressed the number 1. The elevator descended but opened to a black wall that led nowhere. After a few attempts with no success, I returned to the elevator room and went to the tower window. Looking out, I realized I was on a floating island in a blood-red void. ''What is this place?'' I left the tower and walked along the citys edge, discovering a bridge made of roots and moss leading to a large brown door adorned with thorns and vines. I tried to open it, but it was locked. Turning back, I found a fragile wax bridge leading to a small yellow door marked with a number. This door was also locked. Finally, I came across a bridge made of intricate crystals with floating lights, leading to a large door made of crystal plates. Unlike the others, this door was open. ''Finally!'' As you enter the room, the air is thick with magical energy, and the space is filled with various familiar symbols and mechanisms. The large crystal orb at the center of the room pulses with golden energy, drawing your attention. You approach the orb and place your hand on it, only to be jolted by a shock wave. The pain is sharp but fleeting, and you quickly turn your spiritual vision to the orb. Inside, you can see a mass of energy struggling for stability. Its as if the orb is trying to contain or expel this chaotic energy. Is this my... Echo? Is it trying to control the crystal orb? The situation is puzzling, but you decide to focus on what you can understand. You sit in front of the orb, determined to analyze and stabilize the energy. Using your mental commands, energy, and spells, you attempt to force the echo to stabilize within the crystal orb. However, despite your efforts, the echo remains unstable. Frustrated, you reach out again, and the orb shocks you once more. This time, you resist the urge to pull away and instead try to inject your life energy into the orb. For a brief moment, the energy mass inside the crystal stabilizes, but soon the extra energy is consumed, and the instability returns. This is... Complicated... The struggle to stabilize the echo within the crystal orb is proving more difficult than you anticipated. The chaotic nature of the energy seems to be fighting against your attempts to control it. The orbs current state is a reflection of your internal conflict and the challenge of integrating this powerful but unstable energy. In the midst of this, you might need to rethink your approach. Perhaps you need a different method to manage or channel the energy, or you might need to explore why the energy within the orb is so resistant to stabilization. The answers might lie in deeper understanding or a novel approach to your magic and mana control techniques. ''This is... Complicated...''
H???a???n?????a?????''?????s?????? ?????S?????u??????b??????c?????o????n?????s?????c???????i??????o???????u?????s????? - ?????????&;??????????????????4?????????????? ????????????????-??????????? ?????????D??????????????a???????????y???????????????s???????????????? ???????L?????????a?????????????t??????????e????????????r?????????????????????
How long has it been? It feels as though Ive been trapped here for days. Ive wandered aimlessly, exploring every corner of this place, yet I havent found a way out. If Im truly dead, is this hell? Or some kind of limbo? I dont feel hungry, pained, tired, or sleepyeverything is just... empty. The black goo has reappeared several times, always trying to reach me. But when the bell rings, it vanishes like a mouse fleeing from the light. Ive spent days searching for answers about this place and whats happening, but nothing seems right. Initially, I thought this could be the afterlife, but theres no one else here. Im so alone that I feel like the walls are starting to speak to me. Then I considered that this might be [Link] itself, the "bridge" connecting me to the entire hive, but theres no one herenot a single living soul. If this place really is [Link], I shudder to think what might have happened for only me to be here. Next, I wondered if this could be some kind of spiritual dimension. How did I end up here? I have no idea. Maybe I did something I shouldnt have and created a rift that pulled me into this place. But that seems unlikely, as I doubt a bee less than a meter tall could tear the fabric of space-time. The lack of answers made me anxious. As always, I was in the dark, unsure of what was happening or what to do. So, I did what I always do and immersed myself in research. I focused on improving the magic crystal ball that houses a mana echo. Over time, I realized that it wasnt enough for the magic crystal ball to be stable and secure; the echo itself also had to be stable and receptive. I tried dozens of runes to find the perfect combination, spending a lot of time creating a stable and well-crafted mana echo. But the echo resisted changing its fundamental nature to meet my needs. I approached the crystal orb, placed my hands on its surface, and focused my energy to create a mana bubble around the life echo. I began to merge the echo with this bubble of pure mana, carefully "sewing" the echos energy body to the crystal formation. Halfway through, the echo began to resist. Determined not to let it escape, I forced it to stay in place and pushed it to the proper position. Despite the high compatibility between the physical and material, the echo stubbornly resisted merging completely with the artificial crystal core. No! You will not! I thought. I pushed more energy into the crystal core, pressing the echos immaterial body against the crystal discs and sewing it to the runes, creating neural connections like strands of golden thread. The echo pulsed in response, and I sent a wave of energy to trigger a self-destruct mechanism, then used the mana bubble and my control over the echo to stabilize it. If I could sweat, I would be drenched. The only sign of my exhaustion was the critically low levels of mana in my body. Without retreating, I continued to push and force the echo into place, attaching the final pieces of its spiritual body to the crystal core. As soon as the last section was complete, I collapsed in exhaustion, trembling with anxiety over whether it had worked. Looking up, I saw the echo had abruptly stopped, gone out briefly, then began to pulse violently with a strong golden light. Life energy coursed through the crystal core like blood through veins, and the echo pulsed rhythmically like a mana heart. The crystal core, once clear as glass, now glowed with a golden hue. The runes and inscriptions on its rings turned a vibrant blue, lighting up in different rhythms as the echo pulsed. This! It works!!! As I awkwardly stood to admire my creation, the entire room of crystals and runes transformed before my eyes. The pale, glass-like crystals took on the same golden tone as the crystal core. The tubes and liquids glowing throughout the room illuminated brightly, and the runes magically lit up.
Notice
Congratulations! You have created the world''s first [Manaheart Node], and as a reward you have earned 5,000 XP!
Notice
You''ve leveled up to level 22!
Warning
Because you have leveled up too many times at once, you will suffer from the [Xp Overload] effect for 24 hours!
Effect
[Xp Overload] - 23:59 You ended up leveling up too quickly!! Your body needs time to adapt to the changes! -100% XP gain -65% all stats
Before I could savor the success of the systems first warnings, I was struck hard and knocked flat by an [XP Overload]. The impact felt like a mules kick, leaving my body too heavy to move. Collapsing to the ground like a wooden plank, I lay still, but a profound sense of happiness washed over me. I had created what I set out to achieve, and not only thatI was the FIRST in the world to do so! Hehehe... The sweet taste of success... Its sweeter than honey...
Warning
The G???????0???????6???d?????????5????3?????e???????????????5?????????s????? ????@????????F???? ?????????????????????r????????N?????????!????n????????? is trying to read your mind.
''WHAT??!?!'' ''Read my mind?!!? Who''s trying to read my mind?! Is this because I created [Manaheart Node]?! Bastard, have you never heard of trade secrets!?!''
Warning
The individual {Elyxia} interfered with G???????0???????6???d?????????5????3?????e???????????????5?????????s????? ????@????????F???? ?????????????????????r????????N?????????!????n????????? attempt to read your mind.
Warning
The individual {Elyxia} gave you the blessing: [Daughter of the world]
Warning
The individual {Elyxia} nullified all of your status effects.
Warning
The individual {Elyxia} gave you 9503 XP points.
Warning
You''ve reached level 36! Now you can choose your next evolution from the list bellow!
''What the hell just happened here?!?!'' Chapter 70: New Reality H???a???n?????a?????''?????s?????? ?????S?????u??????b??????c?????o????n?????s?????c???????i??????o???????u?????s?????
''Who the hell is Elyxia?! Why is she even helping me? And first of all, why did someone try to read my mind out of nowhere? Is the information about [Manaheart Node] so valuable that they would try to steal it straight from my brain?!'' ''And seriously!? Did she really give me enough XP to evolve!? Why is she doing all this for me?'' Still in disbelief about the whole situation, I do the only thing I can think of at the moment: call for Elyxia. ''...Elyxia!!! Can you hear me?! Please... let''s talk?'' I keep silent for a few moments, waiting for a response, but as always, I''m left without answers or any kind of information. Alone again, I have to deal with this situation. ''What does this blessing [Daughter of the World] do? I can''t analyze this thing...'' Frustrated by the lack of information, I turn to the only thing Im still familiar enough with to deal with right nowthe ever-familiar evolution screen. ''Well, let''s see what we''ve got here...''
{Evolution options}
[FeyWeaver] - #Null //No Data Recorded//
?[????????????????????????????????????????????????????]????? ????-??? ???????????????????????????????????????T? C????h???????????o???o??????s??????????e???????? ??????a?????????n????o????????t????????h??????????e?????r????,?????????? ???C?????h???????o??????o?????????s???e????????? ?????????a??????n????????o?????????t????????h?????????e??????r??????,??????? ???????C???????h?????o???????????o?????????s???????e????????? ??????????a??????n???????o??????????t???????h???????e?????????r????????,???????? ???????C????????h?????????o???????o??????s???????e????????? ???????a??????????n?????o???????????t????????h???e?????????r??????,????? ??????C??????h?????o???????o?????s???????e??????? ??????a???????n????????o??????????t????????h??????e??????r????????,????? ?????C???h???????o?????????o?????s???????????e?????? ?????????a?????????n?????o???????t??????h?????????e?????r??????,???????? ?????C????h??????????o????????o????????s????????e?????? ????????a??????n????o????t?????????h?????e????????r????????,?????? ????????C?????????h????????o??????????o???????s?????e??????? ????????a?????n?????????o?????t?????h?????e???r???????,????? ????????C????????h????o??????o??????????s??????e??????? ??????????a???????n??????o???t??????????h????????e??????????r????????,?????????? ????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? C????h???????????o???o??????s??????????e???????? ??????a?????????n????o????????t????????h??????????e?????r????,?????????? ???C?????h???????o??????o?????????s???e????????? ?????????a??????n????????o?????????t????????h?????????e??????r??????,??????? ???????C???????h?????o???????????o?????????s???????e????????? ??????????a??????n???????o??????????t???????h???????e?????????r????????,???????? ???????C????????h?????????o???????o??????s???????e????????? ???????a??????????n?????o???????????t????????h???e?????????r??????,????? ??????C??????h?????o???????o?????s???????e??????? ??????a???????n????????o??????????t????????h??????e??????r????????,????? ?????C???h???????o?????????o?????s???????????e?????? ?????????a?????????n?????o???????t??????h?????????e?????r??????,???????? ?????C????h??????????o????????o????????s????????e?????? ????????a??????n????o????t?????????h?????e????????r????????,?????? ????????C?????????h????????o??????????o???????s?????e??????? ????????a?????n?????????o?????t?????h?????e???r???????,????? ????????C????????h????o??????o??????????s??????
???????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? C????h???????????o???o??????s??????????e???????? ??????a?????????n????o????????t????????h??????????e?????r????,?????????? ???C?????h???????o??????o?????????s???e????????? ?????????a??????n????????o?????????t????????h?????????e??????r??????,??????? ???????C???????h?????o???????????o?????????s???????e????????? ??????????a??????n???????o??????????t???????h???????e?????????r????????,???????? ???????C????????h?????????o???????o??????s???????e????????? ???????a??????????n?????o???????????t????????h???e?????????r??????,????? ??????C??????h?????o???????o?????s???????e??????? ??????a???????n????????o??????????t????????h??????e??????r????????,????? ?????C???h???????o?????????o?????s???????????e?????? ?????????a?????????n?????o???????t??????h?????????e?????r??????,???????? ?????C????h??????????o????????o????????s????????e?????? ????????a??????n????o????t?????????h?????e????????r????????,?????? ????????C?????????h????????o??????????o???????s?????e??????? ????????
????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? C????h???????????o???o??????s??????????e???????? ??????a?????????n????o????????t????????h??????????e?????r????,?????????? ???C?????h???????o??????o?????????s???e????????? ?????????a??????n????????o?????????t????????h?????????e??????r??????,??????? ???????C???????h?????o???????????o?????????s???????e????????? ??????????a??????n???????o??????????t???????h???????e?????????r????????,???????? ???????C????????h?????????o???????o??????s???????e????????? ???????a??????????n?????o???????????t????????h???e?????????r??????,????? ??????C??????h?????o???????o?????s???????e??????? ??????a???????n????????o??????????t????????h??????e??????r????????,????? ?????C???h???????o?????????o?????s???????????e?????? ?????????a?????????n?????o???????t??????h?????????e?????r??????,???????? ?????C????h??????????o????????o????????s????????e?????? ????????a??????n????o????t?????????h?????e????????r????????,?????? ????????C?????????h????????o??????????o???????s?????e??????? ????????a?????n?????????o?????t?????h?????e???r???????,????? ????????C????????h????o??????o??????????s??????e??????? ??????????a???????n??????o???t??????????h????????e??????????r????????,?????????? ????????C????????h???????o???????o???????s???????e???? ?????????a???????????n??????????o???????t?????h?????e?????r???????,????????h????o??????o??????????s??????e??????? ??????????a???????n??????o???t??????????h????????e??????????r????????,?????????? ????????C????????h???????o???????o???????s???????e???? ?????????a???????????n??????????o???????t?????h?????e?????r???????,????????
To my utter astonishment, as soon as the screen opens in front of me, I am not greeted by five different options, but instead by a completely bugged screen with broken information, where only one option appears: "Viable." ''W-What the hell is this?!? Why are my evolution options corrupted?! Where''s the administrator of this dump?!'' Damn... The only uncorrupted option is... [FeyWeaver]? The hell is that?! And I don''t even have any information about this species at all?! How did this even happen'' ''Elyxia! It had to be her! Whowhat is this bitch? Why is she so powerful that she can openly interfere with the system?!'' Looking at the only option, I can''t help but think this is a trap, a not-so-subtle way of forcing me down a path I wasn''t willing to follow. So, I wonder: what if I choose one of the other options? I consider selecting one of the corrupted choices, just to see if they were really corrupted or simply unreadable, but I hesitate. If they could really be selected, what would I do if I ended up choosing something bad at random? ''Wretch! Now I can''t even choose my own evolutions?!'' I had no control over my reincarnation, couldnt control the size of the hive, couldnt keep the kobolds the way I wanted, and couldnt even get most of my ideas off the ground. But evolutions? Evolutions were different. I had some control over my choices and paths, but now even that has been taken from me. ''If only the [FeyWeaver] had a description, this would be easier. But nothing?! How can anyone make such an important decision with so little information?! And more importantly, if I choose the [FeyWeaver] path, will I lose my reproductive and hive-building abilities like a bee?!'' So many questions and almost no answers. First, I had no idea I could earn XP through discoveries and inventions. Sure, it''s hard work, and it seems I only earned XP for being literally the first being in the world to create that, but still, its rewarding. Second, how the hell do I get out of this place? And how did I even get here? I know it has something to do with the [Manaheart Node], but thats where my answers end. It feels like Ive been here for weeks, or months, yet at the same time, it feels like time is frozen in a single moment. Nothing happens hereplants dont change, the sky doesnt change, and no one shows up. The only things that occur are the "Goo" that tries to get me and the bell that rings from time to time. And more and more questions pile uphow are the boys? Are they okay? How much time has actually passed? Why did that goo try to kill me? What does that strange being want by trying to read my mind? Why did Elyxia help me, and who is she? Irritated by everything, I stare at the blue screen in front of me, waiting for my choice, static and frozen in the air. ''You know what? Screw it! I didnt ask for your help, Elyxia. And you know what? If you think that just because you helped me earlier, you now have the right to mess with meyoure mistaken, you bitch!!'' Taking a deep breath, I glance nervously at the screen, ignoring the first option. Then, I turn to the four remaining unreadable choices and start thinking of a way to pick between them. I close my eyes, point to the screen, and start choosing. ''Hummm... Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if it screams, let it go, Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe, you are... IT!'' Opening my eyes, I see my finger pressing on the third column of choicesan unreadable option. But even with my finger on it, the system doesnt respond. ''That''s just perfect... Come on! Work with me, you trash system! Wheres the user support when you need it?'' After repeatedly clicking for a few moments, the system screen starts blinking and glitching. The already strange letters begin to rotate and spin erratically, and suddenly the screen changes to something Ive never seen before.
[??????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????
The command: [????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? ], couldn''t be propely executed due to the following erro: ???????. An {Administrator} has been notified of the error
''W-what!!! An administrator?!? There''s actually such a thing as administrators in this mess?! Why didnt anyone tell me about this beforehand?! What if they find out Im not originally from this world and kill me on the spot?! No, no! This cannot be happening. Undo, undo!!!''
[Warning]
Individual {Elyxia} used they administrator privileges to force the evolution of user: {%Null%=@Soul:Hana-002.exe}, with the custom made patch: [FeyWeaver]
''What?! Elyxia was an administrator this whole time?! Thats not fair at all! The bitch not only forced me into an evolution I didnt want but also labeled me as a stranger .exe file?! And what do you mean by "custom patch"?! Is this even safe?! Like, really safe?!'' A few moments later, the familiar mule kick hit methis time much more powerful and devastating than before. I soon found myself on the ground, writhing in pain, as the sensation of something crawling under my skin spread throughout my body. ''D-Damn you! How could you do th-this to me?! What have I done to you?! I-Im going to... I-Im... going to... I-Im going to...''
"Mok!... Can you hear us?!... Mom!" My body felt heavy, completely different. I felt... strange. I didnt know where I was, and I heard someones voice calling me. I tried to move, but my body seemed paralyzed. I tried to open my eyes, but... Everything felt heavy, as if I were trapped inside a concrete block. By instinct, I knew this had to be a cocoon, but the sensations were completely different. In a normal cocoon, it was like lying on my back, tied with tight ropes, but now... it felt like I was squeezed inside something. Forcing my limbs, I soon felt the sensation of something cracking and oozing. I tried to push more, but quickly became exhausted and had to stop. After a while, I kept repeating this exhausting process until I heard the sound of something breaking. Looking around, I saw cracks forming all over my strange prison. Outside, there were several colored spots moving everywhere, and I could feel as if someone out there was helping me break free. Pushing my body even harder toward freedom, I eventually managed to shatter the hard shell of whatever was containing me and finally saw the light of day. As I emerged from the shell, the first thing I did was take a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air, before collapsing to the ground, exhausted from my escape. Looking around, I saw the familiar spots surrounding me, gazing at me with big black eyes. They were talking, saying many things, but all that reached my ears were muffled, meaningless sounds. I was utterly drained, totally... finished. And soon, I passed out.
As soon as I woke up, I found myself in my familiar royal room, lying on my bed, wrapped in thin and delicate silk blankets. The most noticeable thing was that everything had (once again) become smaller. I was already used to this by now, but the differences were still strange and difficult to adapt to. The bed, which used to fit about five of me side by side, was now the size of a double bed for an average human. The ceiling, though high, seemed low enough for me to touch with my hands if I stretched a little. The furniture looked like it belonged in a child''s toy house, and the door... was missing. It seemed to have been removed so they could put me inside. "Mom? Are you okay?" asked a royal guard as soon as he realized I was awake. ''The Queen Mother has woken up!! Notify the inner circle!'' I could hear through the link. "Uhn... Boys, how long was I unconscious?" I asked, lifting my arm to my head. But halfway there, I noticed something strangethe absence of two arms and the presence of two unfamiliar arms. ''What the hell is this?!'' Looking at the royal guard who was watching me, I felt a thin line connecting usthe link line. In the past, it wasnt as palpable as it was now, but without time to think about the implications, I connected to the guard and took over his vision, looking directly at myself from his perspective. In "my" view, I resembled the boys, but in a very different way. My body was huge and skinny, about one meter tallaround the height of a seven-year-old child. My face was very "insect-like," but without my familiar insect jaws, instead having a mouth similar to a human''s. Smiling at the guard, I could see that although the exterior resembled human features, the interior was filled with serrated teeth in rows like those of a shark. My eyes were shaped and sized like human eyes but with interiors similar to insect eyes. I had a completely human nose, but it was more cosmetic than functional. The most shocking change was that my bee "butt," which had always accompanied me, had disappeared, replaced by wide thighs that ended in long, skinny legs. My feet, though still insect-like with claws and a thin layer of hair, had a strange shape that made it look like I was wearing high heels. My two arms looked entirely human, except for the "chitin skin," and my hands ended in a beautiful pair with five fingers tipped with sharp claws, adorned with a beautiful... glove? With pure white hair reaching my wrists, my body was completely "naked," devoid of hair, fluff, or fur, but nothing "obscene" was on display. My entire body resembled a high-end cosplay of an insect woman. The only "fur" I had was around my neck, wrapped like the fur of a royal cape, but my wings were nowhere to be found. The most shocking thing was the hair. Somehow, I had hair! Or maybe it was just fur on my head? The hair was a familiar brown wax color, matching well with my bodys mix of gold and black, with crystalline, sparkling parts. Gazing at myself in amazement, I almost freaked out at the changes. But then I noticed a disturbing detail about this new form: my "face" was always static, with a slightly smiling expression and eyes half-open in an expression of serenity. ''WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!'' ''What happened, mother?!'' someone asked through the link. ''Is the queen hurt?!'' another one asked. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''Help the queen!!'' "What the hell? Why is the link in free mode?! What are the beacons and connectors doing?!" ''S-Sorry, Queen Mother! We cant suppress your waves to a specific Server! Your presence is too overwhelming for us to control!'' said a connector through the link. "How is that possible?! Wait, Im not even speaking directly on the link and you can still hear me?!" ''Loud and clear, my queen! As if you were right next to me!'' said a soldier miles away. ''Its an honor to speak directly to the Queen Mother of our hive. I feel honored!'' said a random worker. ''Be quiet, all of you. This is pissing off the Queen Mother!'' said a guard on the link. ''Wheres Steve? He should know how to fix this problem,'' said a builder. ''IM BUSY TRYING TO KEEP THE LINK UNDER CONTROL, SO THOSE WHO ARENT HELPING SHUT UP!!!'' yelled Steve over the link. "Damn, is this my fault? Somehow, I guess, because the link was modified? What happened to make me so sensitive to the link? Ive never been the best while using the link..." ''What do you think? Instead of dwelling on why, you should focus on how to fix this mess! The link is completely out of calibration! Connections are lost, others are damaged. Weve lost access to information and cant maintain a stable path through the link!'' Steve said desperately through the link. "Oh shit! What do I do? What do I do?!" As my nervousness increased, I could actively feel... the link starting to change again, like an ocean bracing for a storm. ''The link is unstable again! Something is happening! We''re losing control!'' Steve said. ''Shit... Im the problem... The damn link is being influenced by my emotions...'' ''WHAT?! YOU NEED TO GET A GRIP OR EVERYTHING COULD FALL APART!'' Steve screamed hysterically through the link. ''Oh shit, I didnt want you to hear that! Shit, shit! Okay, control yourself, Hana. Remember that high school training on self-control... THIS SHIT ISNT WORKING. They dont teach this kind of stuff in schools!!'' I could feel the link collapsing. It was like being a ship in the middle of a stormy ocean, trying to keep myself and my crew safe. Soon, contact with Steve was lost. Looking around, I saw my royal guards collapsing, clutching their heads in pain. The link, once clear, was now cloudy and chaotic. I felt... lost. ''Do something right for once in your life, you stupid idiot! You cant keep putting your children at risk like this! This is all your fault, and you know it! Fix this now!'' Closing my eyes and trying to focus, I opened them to find myself in an empty, completely black room. Black goo covered the floor and dripped from the ceiling, and I soon understood what was happening. "The goo!" As if responding to my words, a mountain of black liquid rose from the floor and began to surround me. It morphed into the shape of a human being clad in a large black cape made of goo. Its face was also made of goo, completely deformed and devoid of any recognizable human features. ''Its time to give up, Hana. Why drag yourself out for so long? Give up now, die peacefully. You know you deserve it. You shouldn''t be here; your very existence is an astronomical mistake. You only bring pain and suffering to those around you. Dont you remember, Hana?'' As the creature spoke, memories flashed through my mindbad things I had done in my past life: stealing money from my mothers purse as a teenager, framing someone at school to avoid punishment, writing horrible things about a girl on a bathroom door next to her phone number, and slashing the tires of an ex-boyfriends car. ''No, that doesnt make me a bad person. I just... Ive made mistakes, everyone makes mistakes! Im trying, at least Im trying! Isnt that worth something?'' "Who are you trying to fool, Hana? Youre a rotten, horrible, despicable person. Youd do worse if you had the chance. And you really call that trying? What did you do? Dump all your problems onto your children? Decide you were a ''good'' person just because you''re ''helping'' those dogs? You. Are. Trash! Youre not even fit to be taken care of. You only bring problems to everyone and everything. You''ve angered humans, unknown creatures, your own children, and even admins. ??! ??? ?? ?? ????! ???? ???? ? ?????? ??? ??! ??, ??, ??, ??? ???? ????.'' The black slime screamed as it circled me. ''No, no, II can do better. I'' Amidst the creatures screams and my own tears, I felt something pulling me. Looking down, I saw what appeared to be a 2-3-year-old child who looked like me, with golden hair, black eyes, and tanned skin marked by small scars. He wore a simple silk shirt and looked at me with worried yet frightening eyes. ''You... You are... Hans?'' He felt like Hans, not the "Hans, Hans," as he looked like a 3-year-old human child, but the feeling he gave off was the same as Hans. "Hans... Im sorry... I messed up again," I said as the black slime bubbled around me. "GET OUT OF HERE, YOU FRAGMENT OF A DISASTER!" roared the slime creature, glaring directly at "Hans." ''Hans,'' however, seemed oblivious to the slime creatures presence and continued to cling to me, looking at me with worried eyes as he tried to get my attention. ''I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT!'' the slime monster screamed, as dozens of black arms materialized from the void and reached toward Hans. As I watched the scene unfold, with the black arms moving towards the small and helpless Hans, something inside me snapped. Memories of Hans surged to the surface in a flashthe moment he emerged from a tiny white egg, the poorly made wax jar in which he developed, the hungry and adorable larva he once was, and the imposing and reliable soldier who emerged from that hole in a tree. I remembered when he got injured. It was my fault. I should have done something, been more useful, and more responsible as a "mother." I remembered his unwavering adoration and love for me, even though I saw him more as a burden and a "mistake." I remembered dragging him through the mud and bushes, feeling as useless as ever. I recalled when I nearly killed the entire hive, feeling pride in Hans''s strength but also the shame and sadness for my mistakes. I promised to change. Had I really changed since then? I stopped complaining, but had I truly made any difference? I felt as useless as everjust the same idiotic person. ''YOU... WILL NOT TOUCH HIM.'' Shouting through the slime room, I unconsciously emitted a wave of shimmering golden energy. The wave disintegrated the approaching black hands and caused the slime creature to stagger momentarily. Ignoring everything around me, I grabbed Hans and pulled him onto my lap, holding him so tightly that I could feel my nails digging into my own flesh. "YOU! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM ME?! YOU''RE PATHETIC! YOU CAN''T RUN FROM ME, HANA!" The slime creature roared, visibly enraged. More black hands rose from the void, rushing towards me and Hans, who was nestled in my arms. Determined, I stood up with Hans still clutched tightly, took a deep breath, and gently caressed his back. ''I''ll take care of this, Hans. You''ll be safe with me.'' Closing my eyes, I curled into a fetal position with Hans nestled between my arms. I descended back to the ground, holding him tightly as I braced for the next attack. I sensed a change in my surroundings but focused solely on keeping Hans safe, away from the chaos. As time passed, I felt an unusual calmnessno longer scared, worried, anxious, or guilty. For the first time in a long while, I felt... safe. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my room. Several royal guards were slowly recovering from the mental strain, while I cradled a strong knight fully equipped with heavy armor in my arms. Hans, now in this form, was so small that I could carry him like a rag doll. Despite his small size, his appearance was that of a battle-hardened warrior cradled like a newborn. ''Heh... You helped me again, didnt you, Hans?'' Hans was sleeping, perhaps due to the instability of the link or from being nearly crushed by my embrace. I took advantage of the moment to hold him close and watch him sleep. ''I guess I really do care...''
When Hans woke up, he explained what had happened. As soon as he sensed something was wrong with me, he flew straight back to the hive. But when he arrived, he was hit by my mental breakdown. He was the only one who managed to stay awake during it and crawled to my royal chambers to hug me before passing out himself. He said he didnt remember anything after that. Im not sure whether to be relieved or embarrassed. I love my boys deeplynot in a survival companion way, or as close friends, or romanticallybut more like the love a mother feels when she sees her child thriving. I care for them so much that sometimes my heart aches at the thought of losing them. Even though I might not know 60% of their names, I still feel a connection so profound that its almost painful. They dont need me like a human child needs a mother. They are completely independent and self-sufficient. Im just the person who keeps the link active and produces more members for the hive. They dont come to me when theyre scared, dont need me to put them to sleep or feed them, and they dont seek help from me. I dont look like a real mother at all, but they are amazing children. They draw pictures, write letters, make plays, perform shows, and create songs about me. They like to talk to me when they get the chance and show off their skills as they vie for my affection. But most of the time, they act more like adults reporting to a queen. Some members, like Hans, Steve, Ken, Levi, Carl, and Trouble, are more affectionate. Hans, in particular, is the most affectionate, despite his stern demeanor. Hes kind and always shows his need for attention, even though he speaks seriously and sometimes rudely. I think Ive found my place. This mother role never really sat well with me, but now it seems quite... comfortable. I may not be a real mother like those portrayed on TV, but I can do what really matters: keep them safe, happy, healthy, and alive. It might seem like a basic goal, but since they dont truly need me, I can at least achieve the basics. Now I understand that its not about my morals, feelings, or achievements. Its about my children. Theyve given me everything I have, and they are my shelter in the midst of lifes storms. They are my source of peace. So its not about me. It never was. I always felt terrible comparing myself to everyone around me. I saw how talented and dedicated my boys were and felt useless and weak in comparison. I looked at myself and saw only a failure, stuck in the past and what I couldnt do. But now I understand. Its not about what I couldnt do. Its about what I can do. And I can give everything I have to keep my family safe. Whats the outcome of the link prognosis, Steve? Well... Id say were... okay? Everything seems to be back to normal, and the link feels stable. Were even operating more efficiently, Steve responded. Thanks, honey. Good job. Please do a deeper analysis of the link and schedule a lesson for me with the link analysts on how to operate it. Okay! Thanks, Mom! But... like... seriously? Are you interested in learning how the link works? Steve asked, dumbfounded. Yes, I think its about time. I cant let this happen again. Please take care of it, darling. Very good! Ill schedule a specialized lesson with Radyo and the elite of the information club. When should I schedule it? Please arrange it with Emi; hell know the best time. Understood! Steve said before disconnecting. Turning my attention forward, I saw several workers diligently working on a new and gigantic door, just over 1 meter tall. Guards surrounded the area, and the commitment and seriousness of each worker were evident as they focused on the task of installing the door. Good job, boys! You are incredible! Thank you so much for your hard work! I said to the workers. They all momentarily froze, as if they hadnt expected me to speak. I could understand their confusion; I rarely commented on their work, preferring to keep my pride in check rather than speak out. In response, the boys waved happily and thanked me for the compliment, returning to their work with renewed dedication. Satisfied with their reaction, I soon locked my eyes on a group of workers entering through the door, carrying a huge wax cylinder with a wooden straw. To them, it was a large silo, but to me, it looked like an oversized milkshake cup. Uhhh! My lunch! Thank you, my dears, for your hard work. Please take a break with me. As the cup was placed near my bed, the workers who brought my protein shake of nectar, honey, and sweet solutions froze momentarily, still processing my words. Errh... S-Stay here with you, Queen Mother? Im sorry, but that doesnt seem appropriate... said a worker shyly. Nonsense, boys! You deserve some rest too. Rest with me!
"Queen Mother... Thats not... right. Can we rest in our accommodations?" I wanted to persuade them to stay with me, but I could sense their discomfort through the link. Forcing them to stay would only make things worse. "Oh... Alright, dears. If you prefer it that way, rest a little in your accommodations." As soon as my words were conveyed, the workers quickly bowed respectfully and then hurriedly flew out of the room. This situation highlighted just how disconnected I was from my children, despite the link that connects us. They dont see me as a mother but as the supreme queen of the hive. For them, its inconceivable that a mere worker could be in the presence of the queen unless its to fulfill a duty. I had hoped for a relaxing day with bees around me, sharing a moment of rest and comfort, but for that to happen, I would need to bridge the gap between my role and their perception of me. ''How sad... I guess this is how middle-aged parents feel when they realize their children aren''t comfortable around them...'' With a sigh, I took a large sip of my liquid diet, savoring the sweet contents of the jar. Finally, I opened my status screen to assess the changes Elyxia had gifted me. ''Well, I can still connect to the link, and Im still recognized as the queen of the hive. So, nothing really matters other than my appearance must have changed...'' As I scanned through the updates on my status screen, I found myself reflecting on the challenges ahead and the changes that had taken place. Despite the upheaval and the unsettling new form I had assumed, my primary concern remained the wellbeing of my hive and the delicate balance I needed to maintain.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: FeyWeaver Life: 32.1 Def: 6.7
Level: 1 Class: Queen Vit: 52.5 Int: 12.5
Sex: Female Stamina: 120 Dex: 1.4 Wis: 11.2
Mana: 42.2 Affinity: Life Spr: 16.6 Str: 0.4
Talent: Vital Weaving
[Skills] - 19
NEW - {Magic Senses} Lv 1 Grants the ability to visualize the natural flow of mana in the world.
NEW - {Twinkling Energy Wings} Lv 1 Your wings are made of pure magical energy, and cannot be damaged by physical attacks.
NEW - {Faust''s Pact} Lv 1 Upon reaching bellow 10% of your max health, your body becomes intangible for 3 seconds.
NEW - {Life Sewing} Lv 1 Use mana to heal allies and grant them temporary bonuses
NEW - {Node Weaver} Lv 1 Create Nodes capable of following orders, casting spells and generating magical energy.
NEW - {Reproduction} Lv 1 Generate offspring of your species, the amount of energy used influences the initial level of your offspring
NEW - {Crystalline Energy Veil} Lv 1 Create a veil of energy within a specific area, enemies within this veil take continuous [Magic/Poison] damage, while allies regenerate 0.5% total health per minute.
NEW - {Maiden''s Prayers} Lv 1 Choose a male ally to grant him a blessing that doubles one of his stats for 24 hours.
NEW - {Spectral Shardage} Lv 1 Use your soul to create a small spectral fragment capable of being used for various purposes. Fragments cannot be recovered if lost.
NEW - {Crystal Storm} Lv 1 Create a storm of magical crystals capable of inflicting [Explosive/Melee/Slashing] damage over time.
[Traits] - 6
NEW - {The First Onel} - Unique You are the first member of your species, making you the progenitor of your entire race. +(Lv/3 x 0.5) All status.
NEW - {Mana Weaver} - Epic Mana is so familiar to you that you can see and touch it +20% MP Regen +10 Mp
NEW - {Rule Breaker} - Common You tend to do things your way, even if it all ends up going wrong. -2 Wis +2 Dex
[Titles] - 3
NEW - {World''s Child} - For You You are a native of this world, at least now you are. Elyxia is watching you Hana
{The Mother} - Racial As the sole parent of your lineage, you are able to get 5% of all XP earned by your descendants.
{Marked By Stars} - Unique You were dragged here from somewhere far away among the stars by a higher being, this caused your soul to be permanently stained and marked.
Almost spitting out my shake, I choked momentarily at the sight before me. I had expected changes, but not so many. ''My stats actually dropped?! What the... Oh? Is this an effect of {The First One}? This is... Worrying? Am I a new species? This bonus seems to weaken me, but if I level up this trait, it could give me devastating bonuses! At level 30, I''d gain a x5 bonus to all stats!!!'' The more I explored, the more I was stunned. The skills listed seemed almost alien to me. ''What madness is this?! Holy cow, what kind of skills are these?! What kind of skill is [Cristal Storm]?!'' My jaw dropped as I scrolled through the detailed list, struggling to process the implications of the changes. My initial shock was replaced by a mix of awe and anxiety as I stumbled upon a new and unfamiliar tab: [Titles]. ''Wow, there really are such things as titles? They seem rare. I needed 3 evolutions just to gain access to them. I wonder how much of the system is still beyond my reach... And...'' As I examined the [Titles] screen, my skin crawled and my bones felt like they were freezing. The titles displayed were both unexpected and unsettling.
[Titles] - 3
NEW - {World''s Child} - For You You are a native of this world, at least now you are. Elyxia is watching you Hana
"You fucking crazy bitch!! You made a fucking custom screen?! What the fuck!! I-is this supposed to scare me?! Well then! It worked!" The screen before me was a jarring revelation, the sheer absurdity and gravity of it nearly overwhelming. The titles and changes were more than just updates; they were a deep, unsettling transformation. ''What does being a ''native of this world'' mean? Is there any advantage in being considered a native? Or is it just a formality? I think at least it helps me lie? If someone asks, can I just say I''m a native? But that''s useless!! Who goes around asking if you were born on this planet!?'' The more I thought about it, the more I realized how dangerous Elyxia was. This beingwhoever or whatever they werehad managed to create a custom evolution screen just for me. The implications were alarming. ''Well, I don''t want to know about any of that. Its not my problem if Elyxia decided to do something to me. Her intentions seem obscure; she appears to be an ally, but her actions are suspicious and even violent. Okay, she helped me with the mind-reading attempt, but she also forced me into this "Customized" evolution.'' As I continued to scrutinize the titles, I came across [The Mother] and a new understanding dawned on me. "Ohhh... So this was all one title? And not something like a sub-skill of the link? I guess that''s why we can''t share XP through the link, because the 2 functions are different." The clarity of this realization was a small comfort amidst the chaos. The title had its own distinct role and impact, separate from other aspects of my abilities. Then my gaze fell upon the final title, and a cold dread seeped into my chest. "Marked by the stars~? What the hell does that even mean?! Whoever brought me here, it ended up staining my soul!!! Not that I know what having a stained soul means... But it doesn''t sound good at all!!!" The weight of the title was heavy, and its implications were disturbing. The idea of a "stained soul" felt like an ominous mark, a permanent reminder of something profoundly unsettling. Just when I thought I might be finding my footing, reality seemed to pull the rug out from under me. My world felt like it was spinning, each new revelation adding to the turmoil. "I need to figure this out. I need to understand what these titles mean, what they imply for my role, and how they will affect me and the hive. I need to make sense of this madness before it drives me completely insane." With a deep breath and a renewed sense of determination, I resolved to confront these challenges head-on, despite the disorienting and distressing nature of my current situation. Chapter 71: If I Could Change Myself Aurum - Year 3 I can''t tell if I''m incredibly unlucky or if I somehow won the lottery of destiny. This "forced" evolution isn''t so badit gave me some cool skills and a more "familiar" appearance. After so long i was finally getting used to my new bee body, so having a more "human" aparecnce, with two fewer arms, more hair, and no wings is still a bit bothersome. So now i need to retrain my brain all over again. My field of vision has decreased as well. Before, I could see almost 360, but now it''s down to around 240. This new blind spot is irritating, but my new antennas help with that. They''re much thinner and more delicate than my previous ones, almost like small balls of light attached to nylon threads. But the most fascinating thing about them isnt how they lookit''s their sensitivity to the environment. I can... feel everything, absolutely everything. I can sense the breathing of a guard far from me, the subtle air currents in the room, the smells and where they''re coming from. And I can feel magic in a new way. Before, it felt like a bunch of colored smoke made of energy drifting through the world, swirling around like "magic clouds" with distinct smells and colors depending on the type. But now... it''s as if the magic is part of the very air. I see the world like it''s filtered through a lensfull of colors and energy currents behaving in different waysand my antennas can detect the slightest changes in those currents. For instance, I can tell the rotten energy of this forest originates from its center. I had already suspected this long ago, but now I''m sure. It''s like a spring of energy spreading in waves. The forest didnt corrupt the surrounding mana; something else''s magic corrupted the forest. Whatever it was has been here so long that it took deep root''s in this place, forcing life around it to adapt to this toxic environment to survive. At first, I thought the corrupted spirits were the one to blame for this. They consumed all the "healthy" energy and released small waves of rotten energy. But now, Im not so sure about this theory. The spirits may have adapted to this corrupted environment, transforming into versions of themselves that could survive the harsh surroding. Still, these spirits might have been the reason the mysterious being in the depths of the forest "noticed" me through the... spiritual plane, I guess? But that''s beside the point. Just because the spirits contribute to the forest''s corruption doesnt mean they caused it. Its like blaming a lumberjack for deforesting while ignoring the logging corporation that''s truly responsible. Whatever is corrupting the forest is much more powerful than a few balls of light spewing rotten energy. "Huff... Maybe is time to pack up everything and run away, this look''s like the best option... I don''t want to fight for a piece of worthless land." Not that this place is truly "worthless." Its fauna and flora are astonishing, and there are likely unknown underground riches and a high concentration of energy here. But you can''t ignore the mysterious creature deep in the forest, the source of the corruption, the humans who are way out of my league, the kobolds, and the constant stench of contaminated mana. ''I need to figure out where we should escape to. It might be smart to send Trevis and a large delegation south to start mapping the area.'' I used to live in the south. I was born there, and it was a nice place, though not well explored. When Hans was born, we packed up and ran north, so we never had a chance to really explore the region or the more extreme southern parts. ''Emi, please arrange a meeting with Trevis. It doesnt have to be immediate, but schedule it as soon as possible.'' ''Understood, Queen Mother. Should I request a hearing room, or will the meeting be held in the throne room?'' Emi asked promptly. ''Hmm... Plan it for the royal garden, and prepare some snacks for Trevis, along with [Black Jasmint] tea for the two of us.'' ''Understood, Queen Mother!'' ''Thank you, Emi. Keep up the good work, dear.'' ''T-Thank you?'' Emi responded shyly. After talking with Emi, I turned my attention to my new skill list. I needed to figure out how to use these abilities. ''Alright... let''s start with... Oh? [Twinkling Energy Wings]? I actually have wings?'' Looking at the skill, I feel a bit... cheated. My wings are gone, but the skill claims I have some kind of "fake" wings made of energy? ''How do I activate this thing?'' I tried activating the skill but quickly realized I had no idea how it worked. I know how to flyI''ve done it instinctively for yearsbut without physical wings, it''s incredibly difficult. ''Alright... think about the feeling of flying... You can do it... Try again... One step at a time.'' I got up from my bed and walked to an open space in my room under the curious gazes of my royal guards. Sitting on the floor, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, trying to focus on flying. ''Fly, fly, soar, soar, go wherever you want to...'' After several minutes of trying, it wasnt working. So, I decided to change the concept I was working with. ''Flying... is basically floating. I need to factor in air resistance, weight, speed, and acceleration. But fundamentally, its just floating. If I cant use wings to fly, I can use something else... I can use magic! Magic can make things float, so I can do that too!'' Focusing on the idea of floating rather than flying, I soon felt myself lift off the ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw myself clumsily floating, like an object lost in space. ''Wow! This is amazing!'' Looking around excitedly, I noticed the worried faces of the guards. I waved to reassure them, but that distracted me, and I promptly fell to the ground like a ripe jackfruit. "Queen Mother! Are you alright?" The guards quickly rushed over, concern etched on their faces. "Ouch... I''m fine, boys. I just didnt expect it to be this hard to fly again." This new way of flying feels... incomplete. I miss my wings. They were so simplejust flap them and adjust as needed. But now... it''s like I have to make every part of my body float. The skill clearly says "wings," but... where are they? Dispersing the boys, I head to my lab for some privacy. The lab feels smallernot by much, but enough that I definitely need to upgrade the infrastructure for better accommodations. Sitting down in whats now an uncomfortably small chair, I start analyzing another skill. ''So... [Fausts Pact]? Wow... This seems like a more "cowardly" version of [Last Chance] from Trouble. I dont have a way to test this, but its nice to have something like this in my arsenal. Next skill... [Life Sewing]? Thats... interesting?'' Curious about the new skill, I get up from my chair and walk to the doors of my lab. Upon opening them, I find two [Royal Knights] standing guard. They hold large spears made of bone and wood with great seriousness. As soon as they see me, they kneel down, placing their spears upright and pointing toward the ceiling. Two of their hands grip the spears while the other two are respectfully held behind their backs, and they never stop looking down during this "salute." "Oh boys! Dont mind me~ No need to be so tense around me. Please, stand up." "Yes, Queen Mother!" they respond in unison, immediately rising to their feet. They look so imposing and cool in their golden chitin armor, holding those strange weapons. Its like they stepped right out of a fairy tale. But the effect is completely lost on me because of the height difference. The soldiers are taller than the workers, so even someone like Steve, a veteran worker, cant reach the shoulders of a newborn soldier. Compared to me, though... theyre so small. Even Hans, who is the "biggest of them all," looks like a teddy bear I could hug and carry around with ease. These knights look more like super detailed action figures. ''Ku ku ku... How cute. They act so serious and still look adorable.'' At least, "cute" in my eyes. I doubt anyone else would find humanoid bees covered in chitin plates from head to toe cute. Most would probably find them quite threatening. "Boys, can you help me for a moment?" "Of course, Queen Mother! We are here to fulfill all your requests!" one of the knights says, bowing. "Its nothing big... Come on in! I just need help testing some healing skills... Oh! Since I dont have full control over these new abilities, I might accidentally heal scars or marks. If youd rather keep those "medals," Ill understand if you cant help." The knights stop abruptly as they enter the lab, glancing down at their bodies. One of them suddenly freezes, his gaze dropping to the ground like he wants to say something. "...Queen Mother! I... I request permission to ask other members to volunteer for this experiment! I have scars from the ''Day of the Boulder Ants'' that I am very proud of, and Id prefer not to lose them!" the knight says, meeting my eyes. "Oh? Alright, no problem dear. And what about you..." I realize I dont know the other knights name, so I quickly send a message to Emi, who informs me it''s Hop. "...Hop, if Im not mistaken? Do you also wish to abstain?" "N-No, Queen Mother! I have no scars or marks I wish to keep! I am available for any experiment you wish to conduct on me!" Hop replies, loud and clear. The naming system here is an "Organized Mess." Its a simple, yet inefficient or... sensible? process. New members are named by the leaders of their respective workgroups, and those leaders use their own names to create "new" ones. This leads to all the members of the same branch having similar names. The older the member, the more their name resembles those of the "Firstborns." Hans named the first soldiers with names like "Hamp," "Hane," "Huhs," "Hins," and later, those same soldiers named new members with even more derivative names like "Zamp," "Kane," "Muhk," and "Gins." In special cases, like Trouble, some members become known for a specific factor, item, or event, so they are named after that occurrence. However, most end up stuck in the unfortunate "standard naming system." And you can imagine what happens down the linemore and more strange and unusual names appear. Their only salvation is to become "important enough" for me to notice them. When I do, I give them "real" names, just like I did with Max, Radyo, and Jasper. Once I name someone, its essentially a decree that new derivative names will start to pop up in short order. ''I think I need to dedicate an entire branch to naming new members. This system they created is terrible. Who would be happy with a name like "Hop"? They didnt even bother to name him something better, like "Hope."'' "Very well, Hop. Sit over there," I said, pointing to a table in the center of the lab. Then, I turned to the other knight, who was unfortunately named "Ganf" by a squad leader ages ago. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "...Ganf, thank you for your honesty. I dont need many people for this experiment, so theres no need to call anyone else. Please, take the rest of the day off~." "M-Queen Mother! This is unavoidable! We cant leave Your Majesty unprotected!" Ganf said nervously. "But Hop is here, isnt he? I understand your caution, though~. Take the day off, but first notify one of the LifeGuardians about the situation and let them take the lead." "Understood!" Ganf saluted me and quickly flew off through the wax and wood corridors. After closing the lab doors, I found myself alone with Hop. I walked over to him, feeling a bit tense as I searched for a topic to break the ice. "So... Hop, hows life as a knight going? Have you... been training a lot?" I asked awkwardly, rubbing one of my arms. "Yes, Queen Mother! I train every day to keep my body and mind in the best condition to serve you!" Hop responded, standing at attention. "W-Well, thats good, Hop. Good job?" I muttered, staring at him as the uncomfortable silence set in. ''What the hell... I never thought itd be this embarrassing to talk to my own children. Ive never been great at socializing, but Im not usually tongue-tied. The problem is, I dont know anything about him!'' ''Would it be too embarrassing to ask Emi for his life biography? No... Thats cheating. I should be able to use my racial advantages for this.'' "Queen Mother?" Hop called out. "Oops! Sorry, Hop... I... well, the thing is... ugh... I wanted to talk to you a bit, but I dont know you, even though youve been here for years. Im sorry about that," I admitted, apologizing. "Theres no need to apologize, Queen Mother! Its completely understandable that someone of my level wouldnt catch your attention! My role in the hive isnt important enough to deserve notice!" Hop said, almost proud of his self-deprecation. "Thats not true, Hop! From the smallest worker to the Lifeguardians, everyone has an important role! Dont put yourself down like that! Youre not insignificant! I just wasnt paying enough attention!" I said, gently holding Hops small hands. "T-Thank you, Queen Mother! But I dont think someone of my level deserves so much attention!" Hop replied nervously. "Nonsense! Ive been too focused on the inner circle. I should be responsible for you, not the other way around. Things will change, Hop, I promise!" "T-But what about the rules of the inner circle? They exist to maximize efficiency and regulate the classes according to their functions..." ''Rules? What rules are those? I know about security protocols, restricted areas, and emergency codes, but rules? How oblivious am I to my own hive?'' "What rules are those, Hop?" "What do you mean?" Hop asked, genuinely confused. "I-I don''t know the rules..." I muttered, almost blushing with embarrassment as I looked down, trying to avert my eyes. "W-Well... Rule number 1: All for one - The hive must always focus solely on the integrity and survival of the queen mother; Rule number 2: Higher Classes - Individuals who have undergone evolution or reached high levels are objectively more valuable than those who havent; Rule number 3: Distribution and Maintenance - Higher-level classes get priority in medical care, housing, food, and recreation; Rule number 4: Hierarchical Responsibility - Decisions made by higher classes carry more weight than those made by lower classes; Rule number 5: Sacrifice for the Greater Good - In life-or-death situations, lower classes must prioritize the survival of higher classes; Rule number 6: Improvement and Adaptation - Research must show conclusive results or undeniable progress within a month to continue; Rule number 7: Maximum Efficiency - The hive operates 24/7 without fail, with everyone working a minimum of 10 hours and up to 16 hours a day; Rule nu" "Okay, you can stop there!" "U-Uh? Okay..." ''What the hell are these rules?! What is this, a military dictatorship?! I really need to deal with this...'' I always knew these guys had a screw loose, but I didnt think they were crazy enough to create a bunch of rules like this, let alone accept them so easily! "Hop... You dont... see anything wrong with these rules?" "Uh? Absolutely not! They were all created through meticulous analysis by the information club, with input from the inner circle! They exist to maintain the hive''s integrity as a whole!" Hop said, almost proudly. ''So... Everyones involved in this, huh? Those crazy kidsI thought Id finally gotten them to value themselves, but it seems I fell way short.'' ''Another item for the to-do list: Connect with the hive members, fix the rules, move out ASAP, deal with the kobolds, avoid humans, send explorers south, research the [Manaheart Node], be a better person, learn to fly... Why does the list keep growing?!'' ''Humph... Calm down. You cant let something like this affect the links stability.'' I crouched down to meet Hop''s eyes and took his small hands, studying him for a moment. He looked tense and nervous, but he didnt pull away. I could see the scars on his body, the wear and tear on his chitin armor, the scratches and cracksclear evidence of his effort and dedication. But no matter how much I told him he was important, he wouldnt believe it. ''I am... definitely... the worst person ever. I didn''t even know what was going on in my own home, with my own children... I''m useless.'' As regret simmered inside me, I wished I could undo it all, rewind time and changeevery thing. If I could start all over again, I would do everything differently. Id be better, Id try harder. Id get involved and notice every little detail. I wanted them to feel as safe as I should have made them. I wanted them to value themselves the way I valued them. I wished... I could change who I am. Oblivious to my surroundings, my black eyes suddenly shifted to a vibrant shade of gold, my short brown hair rapidly grow while turning silky white. My black, chitinous skin began to gleam with gold as a red glow emerged from the cracks in my body. Then, as if the very magic around me started to change it''s own nature, golden energy lines began to form while swirling in the air. Slowly, they flowed toward Hop, whose wide, trembling black eyes looked at me in awe. The shimmering lines of magic wrapped around his small frame, weaving into a delicate fabric that covered his entire body. The magical "cloak" glowed softly before it peeled away like old skin and vanished, revealing Hop beneath it, completely restored From every defect or injury. His chitin armor, once worn down by training, now gleamed as if brand new. His muscles, fur, and limbs radiated with vitality, and a faint but unmistakable golden aura seemed to emanate from his body. "M-Mom?" Hop whispered, his voice full of wonder as his big black eyes locked onto mine. Still dazed, I reached out and gently caressed his face. For reasons I couldnt explain, I felt a deep urge to cry. Whether it was regret, guilt, or relief, I wasnt sure, but the need to let the tears fall was overwhelming. Golden tears began to trace down my cheeks, and as they hit the wooden floor beneath us, branches and leaves sprouted from the ground. Only then did I snap back to reality, realizing what was happening. "T-That''s... it!..." The moment I regained control, the golden lines of magic dissolved into the air. My long, white hair retracted, reversing back into its calm, familiar brown. My skin returned to its normal shade, and the tears that continued to fall lost their magical glow. "W-What... How? What did I just do? I-I..." Glancing to the side, I saw Hop staring at me with a blend of admiration and confusion. He seemed just as stunned by what had happened, though perhaps not as much as I wasI had no idea how I had triggered this strange "ability." "I think... That''s enough for today, Hop..."
Many flowers, plants, and roots grew around me, while large bushes were meticulously shaped and pruned into unique and pleasing forms. Mushrooms and flowers glowed softly, casting light alongside the workers who illuminated the royal garden. The earth here was black and damp, rich with the finest soil available in the hive. At the garden''s center stood a grand tree, surrounded by plants and buildings, heavily guarded and patrolled, while i waited in an area specially designed for me. The space resembled a small square, with a floor of smooth stones bonded with wax and glue, creating an elegant surface. Ornamental plants adorned the area, and a table that changed based on the occasion was the focal point. Normally, this table was replaced by a massive "sofa" made of silk pillows, a piece of furniture I used to relax in the garden. However, for important or special events, it was replaced by a simple table or a large one that could accommodate the entire inner circle. Currently, I was seated in a genuine wooden chair, crafted by the carpenters, with a cushion made by the tailors and assembled by Levi and his team. This "giant" chair had taken hours of work to complete quickly so that I could use itthanks to my recent evolution. In front of me was a "large" round table, which seemed perfectly suited for afternoon tea, though to the boys it could even serve as a dance floor. A large parasol adorned the tableeven though we had no sunlight hereand a small chair sat atop the empty table, awaiting its guest. ''This seems so absurd... I feel like Alice in Wonderland. There''s no way Trevis could fit in this tiny chair,'' I mused, idly playing with it. ''The difference is glaring... How did such small beings come from someone like me? Sure, Ive evolved, creating a bigger difference, but Ive always been larger compared to the boys. And now I wonder... Will everyone eventually evolve into [FeyWeavers]? I hope so... I cant be the only one like this forever...'' Lost in thought, a group of workers arrived, resembling fairies, carrying a basket of solid food and a large teapot with a couple of cupsone large and one tiny enough to serve as a helmet for my little finger. "Thank you, dears~ Please also bring some clean napkins and some larger Bulgarian jelly." "Immediately, Your Majesty!" the workers responded. Examining the food, I saw what looked like small nut breads and meat dumplings from some unknown creature. Clearly, these werent for me, as I dont eat solid food, let alone meat from some unfamiliar animal or insect. ''These must be Trevis''s favorites...'' As if on cue, the royal guards approached in a group, with a familiar figure at their center: a black bee with large wings and a barely noticeable presence. "Trevis! Youre finally here! Sit down, dear! I specially asked the cooking club to prepare your favorites! So dont be shyeat as much as you like!" As soon as Trevis arrived, he greeted me briefly before flying to the table and settling into the small chair positioned in front of me, next to the plates and cups. ''This is odd... Isnt there a shrinking spell? I feel out of place here...'' "Thank you for your consideration, Queen Mother! I came as quickly as I could once I received your summons. How do you feel after your recent evolution? I must say, it startled the hive quite a bit," Trevis said respectfully, though his expression remained cold and distant. "Hehe... Sorry about that. Even for me, it was quite... unusual? Im still adjusting to this new body and all these strange ''senses.''" Sipping the black flower tea from a cup made of wax alloy and other durable materials, I savored the sweet, floral flavor before letting out a small sigh. "Uhf...." "Very well, Trevis. I called you here because I want you and your group to explore the extreme southern region. Given the recent events involving humans and mysterious creatures, it seems wiser to evacuate while we can." Trevis, about to take a small meatloaf from the basket left by the workers, paused abruptly upon hearing my words. He looked at me thoughtfully, then sighed and picked up a large meatloaf, starting to eat. "Are you sure about this, Queen Mother? My group is currently responsible for guarding the forest borders. I can assign some capable members to this... project of yours, but I dont think its the best use of my people," Trevis said, chewing on his meatloaf. "Why do you think that? Is it because weve been here for so long? Because were too ''rooted'' in this place? Because our group is too large? Everything can be managed if handled properly. This place has never been ideal, and now its far worse. Its too dangerous to stay." "More dangerous than relocating the entire hive? Have you considered the implications of such an act? Most of the information club members lack wings, so they would need to be transported by others. Wed have to convert all our food stores into portable rations, dismantle various machines, and transport high-security projects. And what about protecting the working classes when the ratio of trained soldiers to non-combatants is 7 to 1?" Trevis said, crossing his arms. "I understand the risks, Trevis. Ive considered them, but is staying here really worth it? We can always rebuildbetter, bigger, and stronger. But if our location is discovered, well be constantly harassed by humans and other dangerous species." "And thats not a good thing?" Trevis said coldly. "How can that be a good thing, Trevis?" "More fuel for the machine, Id say. Its hard to find worthwhile prey these days; most are either too weak or too dangerous for us. Were at a standstill, but if humanoid creatures or beasts like the beast waves keep coming, well have more sources of XP." Trevis said, taking a small sip of his tea, grimacing at the taste, and setting it aside. "ThatsIts too dangerous, Trevis! And what about our troops life''s? Theyd get injured, or even bad from such perilous encounters!" "Thats what Ken said, and also agreed saying Hans agrees we shouldnt risk our soldiers for ''quick XP.'' But thats not how I see it. I believe we should let the newbies level up under more precarious conditions to unlock new classes, enhance our units combat experience, and earn more XP," Trevis said, firmly expressing his views. "And what about those who get injured? What if they end up dying, Trevis?! This plan is ridiculous!" "A small sacrifice for the development of the hive. Were stuck in this endless ''dance'' because we avoid risks. The world is moving around us, and we need to watch it move without participating. Im not saying we arent progressing, but were certainly moving slower than were capable of," Trevis said. "And what do you suggest, Trevis? That I send my own people to the meat grinder and be pleased about it, just because its for the ''greater good''? Nonsense! We are a family, and families should stick together! We should flee, not fight!" I said, banging my fists on the table. Tea, cakes, and cookies fell to the floor, and the teapot tipped over, spilling its contents everywhere. The cloths were stained with tea, and the royal guards around the garden tensed, averting their eyes from the scene. Trevis looked at me blankly while continuing to eat a meat dumpling. "I think you dont understand the need for sacrifices. Everything in life requires sacrificesometimes people, sometimes our morals, principles, time, or bodies. Its all to move toward a better future," Trevis said, standing up from his small chair. I watched him with a mix of anger and frustration. "I prepared for a serious discussion because Emi told me you were more ''sensible.'' But it seems you need more time. Ill return when youre ready to address the real issues," Trevis said, flapping his large wings and taking off into the sky. As I watched him leave, I felt foolish again. I wanted to engage with my people on an ''equal'' footing, but when they aren''t uncomfortable with my presence, Im seen as ''too immature'' for serious conversations. ''Ugh... Why cant life ever be easy? Even when I try to improve, I end up making mistakes... I shouldnt have thrown a fit. If only I had kept the civilized conversation with Trevis...'' Now is just water under the bridge, time already passed, and theres no point in dwelling on it. Instead of regretting what I should have done, I need to move forward. Next item on the list: Find out what the inner circle has been putting into the hive heads while Ive been running away from my responsibilities. "Ughhhh.... I always thought the role of ''Queen in Name Only'' would be glamorous, but it seems being a figurehead is quite frustrating... Alright, everyone, please clean up this mess and draw me a bath. Then call a meeting with the inner circle and schedule it for one hour from now. Let them know it can be a link-up, but all members must attend." "Yes, Your Majesty!" the workers and servants responded. ''What a shitty day...'' Chapter 72: Storms on the Way Aurum - Year 3 As I walked the long path back to my quarters, irritatedwithout wings, I must admitI started to feel Trevis''s attitude was getting under my skin. I try my best to suppress any negative feelings towards my children, because even if they''re a bit crazy at times, their ultimate goal is still the same: to help me survive. For them, it doesn''t matter if the "hive" itself survives. What truly matters is me, because no matter how many times the hive "dies," as long as I''m here, it can rise againtheoretically. But I still think Trevis overreacted. Sure, he believes we''re missing opportunities by not taking "real" risks, but what can I do? Close my eyes and throw my babies into the meat grinder? Of course not! And when I stop to think about it, I realize there''s no real reason for me to worry about the hive''s rapid level growth. In the past, I needed more high-level individuals to keep the hive safe with our small number of troops. But now, we have plenty of troops, so not everyone needs to be at high levelsjust the veterans and frontline fighters. Of course, evolutions are tempting, too tempting to ignore completely, but theyre not worth more than my babies lives. The hive has been running on "autopilot" for so long, and because of that, the inner circle took control without me even realizing it! Yes, I gave them that power in the first place, but I never imagined they''d create such a... strange environment. Honestly, this feels more like a meritocracy. After noticing the hives shift in common sense and speaking with Trevis, I dug a little deeper and realized this place is no longer the cozy, relaxing home it used to be. We were supposed to be one big, close-knit family, each of us doing what we were best at, always moving towards a better future. Sure, I can''t say everyone is "equally important," but everyone matters deeply to me. When this hive started, I imagined it would resemble human citiesand for a while, it did, at least in appearance. We had buildings made of wax, wood, and stone, and all kinds of entertainment, leisure, and amenities designed to make everyones life happier and more relaxed. But now, the inner circle has stripped much of that away. Sure, everyone still has a rest period. They can go to the theater to watch a play or visit a special branch of the information club, where they can mentally view "movies" for some unusual entertainment. But its not the same... its worse. They don''t stop when they''re tired anymore. They feel obligated to push through their workload without taking breaks during their shifts. They dont talk to each other while they work, either. This has turned the city that once buzzed with conversation and laughter into a place full of busy bees, always in a rush to work, always hurrying somewhere. The musicians that once filled the hive now only perform in the entertainment tower. The food is decided and approved by the inner circle, so no one gets to enjoy the special treats made by the cooksjust a tasteless but nutritious paste. The once cozy, shared dormitory floors have been replaced by giant walls filled with "drawers" that serve as beds. The once fun and lively bathrooms have become supervised cleaning stations, all in the name of efficiency. But how is this a good thing? What are we gaining all this efficiency for? So we can build faster? Stockpile more raw materials? Sure, those are important, but what about their well-being? Their quality of life? They''re not mindless machines forced to live like this. And thats what angers me the most. These changes didnt happen overnight. They came little by little, as the hive grew, the inner circle gained more power, and I distanced myself from administration. The cozy, joyful home I once built has been transformed into a factory that runs non-stop, day after day. I could have stopped it. I should have. But I was too busy being pampered, worrying about magic and research. It never even crossed my mind that the inner circle might reshape the hive. This change isn''t "evil," technically speakingit''s just a way to maximize resources and time. But when I look at it, it''s inhumane. They did this to themselves because I was too busy not caring about them. Arriving at my room, I was filled with angerangry at the inner circle, angry at them for allowing themselves to be exploited, angry at how Trevis spoke to me, angry at the humans, and most of all, angry at myself. I was so angry. ''Fuck, bastards, idiots, crazy idiots! Why cant I ever do anything right?! Why does everything always have to go wrong for me?! Bastards!'' Blinded by anger, I didnt even notice the instability in the link I was forming. I leaned against the wall, searching for some stability, but then I saw my vision turning red. I was so furious, it felt like my blood was starting to boil. As I took in my surroundings, a strange black substance dripped onto my shoulder. ''What the fuck is this now?'' Looking up, I saw the wax ceiling had turned completely black, melting and dripping that foul-smelling goo. I quickly moved aside as the ceiling finally gave way, sending a chunk of rotten, black wax splattering across the floor. Staring in disbelief, my gaze shifted back to the wall I had just been leaning on. To my surprise, there was a black mark in the exact shape of my hand, with black veins crawling out of it, spreading towards the ceiling and connecting to the rotten section. ''What the hell... is happening to me?'' First that weird thing with Hop, and now this? I couldnt do stuff like this before! These seem like spells, but... I didnt cast them. Not consciously, anyway... Poking at the rotten black wax, I had to hold my nose in disgust. Somehow, my emotions seem to be affecting not just my mind, but the environment around me and even my own body. The reason for this was clear: evolution. ''Fuck! Is this some kind of racial trait of the [FeyWeavers]? Because if it is, I hate it!'' Having to control my emotions just to avoid causing accidents? What a shitty life! How does anyone live so long without being able to express their feelings openly? Just as I was fuming over the implications of this evolution, the doors to my room practically burst open as a flood of soldiers and guards rushed in. They filled the walls, tense, searching for an intruder lurking in every corner. "QUEEN MOTHER! Where''s the intruder!? We sensed a strong signal coming from you and a wave of unknown energy!" one of the royal guards shouted. "Im fine, boys, I justWait... unknown energy?" "Yes! Max reported a spike of ''extremely threatening and unfriendly'' energy coming from your quarters!" another guard chimed in. ''This is... new. My feelings not only caused a magical phenomenon in line with my mental state but actually... generated a new kind of energy? Damn... I need to study this. But Ive got so many other problems to deal with in the hive...'' "Ewww..What the hell is this? It smells worse than a [Carrion Beetle]''s guts," a guard said, prodding the black wax with his spear. "This... is it rotten wax?" I replied. "Can wax even rot?" a knight asked. "I didnt think so." "It... rotted through magic, I guess? So, maybe the effects are different?" "So theres no intruder?" one of the guards asked. "No, boys, just me... again." "Phew! This time I actually thought it was a real attack," said a knight, visibly relaxing. "But this is really interesting... this kind of attack is pretty peculiar," said one of the royal guards, tapping the strange wax with his sword. "But it stinks like hellworse than rotting corpses," another guard complained, covering his nose as he walked up to the royal guard. "Quit being a child and breathe through your mouth. Who cares if it stinks? Its fascinating! Mommy can ''kill'' wax!" an excited guard chimed in. "Its Mommy, you idiot, she can do anything!" another guard added. Seeing the guards "at work" in person left me feeling a bit embarrassed. Theyre naturally strong, sure, but lets just say theyre not the quickest bunch. I suppose its the systems way of "equalizing the classes." Hans, of course, was the exception. He was smarter than me from the moment he was born. But the ones that came after him? Adorable, yes, but undeniably slow. Thank heavens most of them arent as "silly" as Trouble. "Alright, boys, stop messing around with this," I clapped my hands to get their attention. "Call the cleanup crew. Better yet, get the team that handles hazardous substances and send this mess to Max for research." "Yes, Queen Mother!" they chimed in unison, gliding out of the room in groups, leaving me standing there with an itch to retreat to my lab. The temptation was strongso many new things to study and dissect. But, of course, there were more serious problems waiting. It was like choosing between a beloved hobby and an actual job. The right choice was obvious, but damn if I wasnt tempted to go with the wrong one. "Damn adult responsibilities," I muttered, shaking my head. "''The hive can take care of itself,'' I told myself. ''Theyre smart kids; theyll manage.'' The fuck they can. This place is turning into a damned military dictatorship while Im lounging around, sipping drinks, and resting on silk sheets." I left the rooms and began my journey to the "city center." The entire hive is connected by vast corridors, built to handle a heavy flow of bees. Pausing for a moment, I had to admitthis place is massive. Even with my enormous size, the corridors were so spacious that I could walk through with my arms outstretched, not worrying about bumping into the ceiling. Id never stopped to wonder... What does this place look like from the outside now? In the past, it was a collection of towers, fused together, each containing rings that served as floors and unique sectors. But now... it seemed even larger, even grander. Curiosity gnawed at me, so I connected with one of the [Archivists], sending a mental request. A small ball of light floated back to me through the link, a fragment of memory. I reached out to grasp it, and as I touched the light, I was pulled into the perspective of a builder who had been working outside. The view took my breath away. The towers had grownmassivelyreaching far into the sky. Some had merged into colossal structures, while others had sprouted anew. The wax and wood that once made up our walls now looked more like a mixture of mud, stone, roots, and moss, all intertwined. A vast wax maze stretched outside the walls, and an army of unarmed soldiers patrolled the area from above. The ground surrounding the tower was barren, stripped of life. Where there had once been lush vegetation, there were now sharp rocks, traps, and more wax. Inside the maze, I could see the remnants of beasts, tearing each other apart in a chaotic feeding frenzy. The mazes walls were slick with some foul-smelling liquid, and puddles of it gathered ominously outside. The sight sent a chill deep into my bones, freezing me in place. Inside the city walls, everything still had a touch of beautyflowers, plants, statues. The towers were adorned with greenery, and the pathways were lined with ornamental decorations. But beyond the wax walls? It was a wasteland. Dying. Or dead. Traps, poison, beasts, and mazes. It all screamed one thing: Stay away. They did this and I never knew. I never bothered to find out. "Shit! Shit!" My heart raced as I snapped back to the present, quickening my pace toward the official meeting room. I had told them we could hold the meeting through the link, but Emi had already warned mesome of the council members were insistent on keeping the formalities. Theyd be waiting for me in person. "Ugh, my feet are already killing me!" I groaned, glaring at the empty space where my wings should be. "I miss my wings... I feel like a damn cripple without them!"
---={Steve Point of View C Before the Evolution}=---- The hive is thriving! We''ve finally achieved positive production. Over the past few months, we had to extract essential resources through dangerous expeditions and explorations, which often resulted in injuries that needed healing. We had to allocate specialized personnel to handle these tasks, leaving the nest vulnerable. But after implementing efficiency adjustments, new policies, and extensive research, combined with hard work, we''ve reached a point of self-sustainability. All our food is now produced in the Towers of Dew. Buck, the tower leader, oversees all food production. His key subordinates, like Guck and Burt, manage specific floors. Burt is responsible for floors 1 through 7, which are dedicated to livestock. These floors house some fascinating creatures, such as the [Wood Aphids], which were discovered by the exploration club. These small creatures feed on the sap of the [Alpidis Marulida] treea tree with toxic sapand produce a sweet, molasses-like substance that''s both delicious and nutritious. The best part is that this molasses is a natural byproduct of their digestion, and the aphids thrive under our care. We protect them from predators, provide their favorite food, and give them a safe, controlled environment. In return, they supply us with food. Floor 3 is fully devoted to raising these useful creatures. With support from the agriculture club and a steady supply of [Nutrious Drink], we can keep the trees that sustain the aphids alive and full of "delicious" sap. The other floors focus on different creatures, like larvae that produce a substance that crystallizes when exposed to air, used as an ingredient in lower-class rations. Then there are slugs on the 4th floor that produce slime, which the engineering club uses as the main ingredient for industrial glue. Lastly, butterflies on the 1st floor generate a special enzyme in their wings that, when properly treated, can be turned into a leather-like material. Guck manages floors 8 through 15, which handle agricultural production. All our plants come from these floors. Guck, who has a foot in both alchemy and agriculture, invented [Nutrious Drink], a unique substance made from [Tears from Heaven] water, a complex distillation of [Grand Bulgarian Bulb], a dilution of [Drops of Life], and several other ingredients. Though it looks like regular water, it''s slightly cloudy with a strange smell and terrible taste. But the drink isnt meant to be palatableits designed to replace water for crop irrigation. Before, we needed several [Tears from Heaven] plants among the crops to keep them irrigated. These plants don''t use nutrients from the soil, which is incredible, but they require an environment rich in mana. Unfortunately, they would absorb all the magical energy, leaving other herbs and magical plants depleted and resulting in low-quality crops. [Nutrious Drink] solves that problem. It works like water but is far more efficient, revitalizing the soil and nourishing the crops without depleting mana. Additionally, it lasts longerjust one 50-liter silo can irrigate an entire floor for a month. We now only cultivate [Tears from Heaven] on the 15th floor for use as raw materials, relying on [Nutrious Drink] for irrigation. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Needless to say, floors 8-15 of the green tower are the lifeblood of Aurum. These seven floors are responsible for producing 66.78% of our food, which is why only the elite are allowed to work there. In fact, each floor has its own squad of soldiers solely dedicated to its protection. We also addressed the accommodation issue. In the past, everyone slept together in a cozy but inefficient arrangement, leading to some members becoming trapped in "chains of bees" and unable to get out of bed to work. To solve this, we developed vertical roomscompact and efficient units designed to provide the necessary rest for our workers. They simply need to fly to their unit, sleep, and then exit the same way they entered! Soldiers have larger, better-located units, and those in higher classes even receive personalized, private spaces, while lower-class members must rotate their rest units. We''ve implemented several efficient optimizations, such as transforming public bathing areas into individual cells that maximize efficiency. Anyone wishing to clean themselves can now enter the bathrooms and use the showersthanks to the engineering cluballowing for quick baths so they can return to work as swiftly as possible. All unnecessary distractions have been moved to Tower #5, also known as the Crimson Tower or "The Fun Tower." This is where all entertainment-related structures and personnel are housed. Personally, Im not fond of the place, but a majority vote required me to keep it and even update it with new games and entertainment sources. If it were up to me, I would disband the 5th Tower, redistribute the bards into various groups like the magic club, production, communication, and medicine, and retain only the 1010 Theater for occasional shows. I hesitate to speak poorly of my brothers, but the bards can be quite idle. They sing, dance, and enjoy themselves all day while the rest of us work, which can be frustrating. But since Mother likes them, I cant intervene without irritating her and the inner circle. We''ve also made enhancements to the city''s exterior. The walls have been fortified with new materials, increasing their thickness and height. We released several demonic beasts into the labyrinth, using hallucinogenic potions and poisons to keep them in a state of madness and unbridled rage, ensuring they''re always ready to tear apart any invader. Additionally, we spread Aldys poison on the walls, floors, and spikes on the ground, placing dozens of traps throughout the region. About 60% of the maze floor consists of a thin layer of wax that gives way under heavy weight, revealing sharp spears soaked in animal waste, poison, and blood from sick animals beneath. We couldn''t achieve much for air protection, but we dedicated significant resources to Zack''s group, responsible for maintaining the nest''s air defense. Thanks to the diligent vigilance of the [Shepherds] from the control club, led by Matt, we can keep a close watch on the hive''s perimeters. The hard work and sacrifices of everyone have allowed us to grow to this point, and we plan to continue expandingalways striving to be bigger, better, stronger, and smarter. Growing, dominating, and assimilating; the entire world is just a treasure chest waiting for us. We need to delve deeper in search of all the riches that the world can offerfor the hive, for the queen. Of course, not everything is perfect. If only I could rid us of those disgusting dogs, we could accomplish so much more. I dont understand Mothers decision to care for them; they are neither members of the hive nor our allies, and they dont provide us with invaluable resources. Theyre simply a burden pulling us down. If it were up to me, I would have ordered Aldy to poison their rations years ago. I would have dispatched experienced hunters to lure high-level beasts to their pathetic village. Calculating the rations and resources we''ve already sent them, I believe we could have produced about 2,000 new hive members, fed them to adulthood, and built a main tower. The expenses are astronomical, yet the gains are nonexistent. I cant go against Mothers wishes, but I wish she valued us as much as she does them. Why must we be considered less important? We sacrifice everything for her; no one would hesitate to throw themselves in front of her as meat shields if necessary. Everything has always been and always will be for her. Yet, why does it seem like not everything she does is for us? Ive tried to change her perspective. Ive struggled to understand why the lives of those who hold no significance to the hive matter so much to her. I even consulted Stenv, the leader of the information club branch responsible for analyzing memories, to see if it related to Mothers "strange memories." According to his analysis and that of his team, Mother tries to remain true to the person she "was" in those memories, as if shes attempting to imitate that individual. But that feels so wrong. If a human receives the memories of a beast, does that human remain a "human," or do they become a beast? To me, the flesh covering ones bones does not define identity. Instead, our "true self" is determined by how we perceive and react to the world. A beast in a human body can never be a true human, yet they are not a beast either; they are something entirely new. So why does Mother insist that her memories define her fundamental nature? We are an extension of Mother, made from her own flesh and essence, crafted to be the perfect reflection of herself. Our mistakes, flaws, advantages, and abilities all stem from her. Thats why I dont understand when she calls us cruel; we are merely products of her purest essence. If we care only for our family and blood, its because she sees the world that way. If we are obsessed with research, cleanliness, and rules, it is all inherited from her. But she fails to see that. This damned "past life" obscures her vision, preventing her from recognizing the truth right in front of her. We didnt shape her into who she is; shes always been this way and always will be. We cant change our true natureat least, I cant. Yet she closes her eyes and pretends her choices and worldview are "correct," while we see the world through a cold and dark lens. I wish she could truly open her eyes and understand that our vision comes from her, so theres nothing wrong with it. She is the only one lying to herself, thinking shes losing something of her former self. But Im working on it. I cant let Mother remain blinded by these foolish memories forever. Ive been piecing together her mind for years, fixing the broken fragments. That place was a complete mess when I arrived; there were aspects I wanted to erase, but I lack the power to destroy or seal any of Mothers memories. All I could do was glue the old pieces together with the new ones to create something "acceptable enough." Its not perfect, but its far better than those memories tangled and scattered like books thrown from a shelf after an earthquake. I call that place the "Link Source," the origin of our entire existence. When we are born, we briefly pass through this incredible realm, scratching its surface and picking up the crumbs that guide us at the beginning of our lives. It is here that the bond between us and Mother is forged. When we traverse this space, we not only gain useful information but are also marked by the "Source," permanently tethered to the chain that binds us to her. For a long time, this was a one-way street. We had theories about how the process worked and its origins, but nothing was precise. However, as we evolved and the [Beacons] emerged, we finally managed to reach the "Link Source." Very few can go thereonly members of the highest-level information club can remain in that place without getting lost. Mothers mind is an incredible but dangerous realm. There exists a kind of "FireWall" that periodically emits waves every ten minutes, sweeping away any intruders, whether they are allies or not. We discovered this the hard way when a [Connector] managed to enter for the first time but was expelled by the "FireWall." He had to be held captive for weeks, suffering from excruciating headaches the entire time. I don''t think Mother is aware of this place, and I have no intention of telling her. I might even be lynched or branded a traitor for deliberately keeping this secret from her. Ive had to threaten and drag some of my brothers into this muddy truth with me, but I can''t keep watching her slowly destroy herself over something futile. If no one else is willing to intervene, then I willeven if it means facing death at the hands of my own brothers for what they perceive as betrayal. But its worth it. Its definitely worth it. This isn''t for me; its all for her and for the hive. The scales dont lie: the lives of just over ten traitors working in the shadows are not worth more than each life of the hive, especially the life of the queen. I may die or be banished in the process, but who cares? I would die happy knowing I contributed to the future of the next generations of the hive. After all, I am living proof that the hive has flaws. I wasnt supposed to harbor such "rebellious" thoughts, but the "Link Source" is so broken and chaotic that the older generation of the hive possesses "Free will"something that shouldnt occur, in my opinion. We should be genetically incapable of defying the queen''s orders, right? Or is my free will simply a cry for survival? A way for Mother Nature to ensure the hives survival? If everyone followed Mother blindly, we would have perished long ago. Perhaps my instinct for self-preservation has compelled me to "think outside the box" to solve our problems. If I analyze this meticulously, I realize that Mother must survive, regardless of the circumstances. She must endure because she is the only one capable of starting a new hive. Without her, no matter how fiercely we fight, the hive is doomed to die and become extinct. But with Mother alive, the situation is different. It doesnt matter if 100, 1,000, or 100,000 soldiers die; she can always generate more as long as she has the resources. The solution? The only one I can conceive is creating royal princesses. Yet, we haven''t been able to figure out how to produce princesses, so we cannot let the queen and the hive''s future be at risk. "I love Mother but I also love my brothers. And unlike Mother, my brothers love me just as much as I love them, so I need to protect them right? But my existence is due to Mother, and my purpose is to fulfill the role she deemed "Peaceful." Thus, feeling hurt by her actions seems wrong. I know she cares for us too She just needs timemore time." Everything seemed settled for me; I had my plan in motion, the hive was stable, and life appeared to be moving toward a brighter future. I was in my personal room within the information club when I sensed something happening with the linkthe bright and steady beacon connecting us to Mother suddenly flickered and went out. "W-What?! Whats happening?! Send the royal team to Mothers quarters! Now!!!" I shouted across the room, but to my surprise, I couldnt feel anyone responding through the link. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" In an instant, I felt the entire hive descend into panic. The link was disrupted in a way it had never been before. It was still there, yet it felt as if it had been severed. Like ships lost at sea, each member of the hive began flying and running without direction or coordination. As I left my office, I saw several members of the management committee looking confused as they tried to exit and guide the other hive members. However, due to the lack of wings among the communications club members, they had to run through the corridors to reach the area with the largest concentration of hive members. "What the hell?! An attack?! But how?" Without thinking much, I began running alongside my brothers toward the huba central location where several corridors converged, leading to more important areas within the hive. Arriving at the scene, I saw a large group of confused hive members, all wondering what was happening to a [Connector]. I couldnt see any soldiers around, which meant everyone was either in the royal chamber or heading there. Without dwelling on it, I continued running through the corridors toward the royal chambers, deep in the hive. Halfway there, exhaustion set in from all the running; my physique simply wasnt built for such physical exertion. Damn this fragile body without wings! Amidst my heavy breathing and sweat, I caught sight of hope: a group of soldiers flying like lightning toward the royal chambers, heading my way. Thank heavens! You! Take me to the royal chambers now! I shouted at the soldiers. In response, they nodded without slowing down. As they approached, I raised my arms, and they grabbed me, never breaking their trajectory toward the royal area. As we flew, I could feel the link oscillating, like a flickering lightbulb, until it finally stabilized, albeit with diminished strength. Damn! This isnt good! All units outside the hive must return immediately. I repeat: all units outside the hive must return immediately. All combat members must protect the inner ring with their lives; non-combat members must go to the fourth inner ring at once, Radyo ordered through the link. Upon reaching the royal chambers, I noticed many soldiers, some members of the Lifeguardians, and felt Hans''s presence inside the room, but there were no signs of an enemy. Did she do something reckless again?! Letting go of the soldiers who had carried me, I slumped onto the floor and dashed toward the royal chambers. What the hell is going on here?! Whats the report? I demanded of the members gathered near the door. We were not sure. Does it look like Mom? But it feels different? Buck replied, one hand on his chin and the other three resting on his waist. What? Not bothering to engage with them, I made my way into the room. The first thing I saw was Hans, Ken, Keb, Max, and several royal guards circling a massive, opaque gray egg. On the floor, I noticed what looked like putrid black slime and remnants of something else. Ughh What the hell is that stench? Oh? Steve! Youre here! You can definitely help us with this! Max exclaimed. What the hell is that? I asked, pointing at the gray egg. Well I believe its Mommy? Max said, a blank expression on his face. You think so?! You idiot! We need to be sure! How the hell can that be Mommy?! Wasnt she far from her next evolution? Why would she keep this a secret and not tell us anything?! I dont know, but Im 100% sure theres blood, tissue, and other residues compatible with Mommy all over this room, Ken said. Dont mess with me, Ken! I need guarantees that this egg and Mommy are the same being! I feel the same unmistakable instinct to protect this egg as I do for Mommy. Given the existence of the link and the current situation, Id say Mommy evolved without telling us, Hans replied. Why would she do that? Ken asked. Mommy doesnt owe us any justification, Ken. We just have to adapt to her choices more effectively, Hans responded. And thats why I think Steve is essential here! As the elite of the communications club, he should be able to verify the integrity and authenticity of the link, definitively proving the identity of the mysterious egg! Max exclaimed. Soon, everyone in the room turned to me, and I had no choice but to sigh and walk toward the large egg. I dodged puddles of slime and pieces of chitin as I made my way to the egg. Gently, I touched it with my antennae, trying to establish a connection. Lets see I just need to access the Link Source to confirm the eggs identity. I just need to As I closed my eyes and focused on the connection, I found myself alone in a pitch-black room. Dozens, if not hundreds, of lines intertwined into a thick rope, connecting me to various members of the hive, along with a golden chain linking me to the void in front of me. This is strange It shouldnt be like this. Startled, I began to navigate through the darkness, using the golden chain as my guide. Just by touching the chain, I could feel the connection to Mommy, confirming the eggs identity. But I needed to ensure that the Core of Everything was okay. As I tried to reach the Source of the Link, I suddenly hit a non-existent wall, as if something was blocking my path. What the hell is this? I attempted to analyze the anomaly but couldnt glean anything from it. It wasnt like Moms Firewall; it felt like a real mental barrier. Strangely, this wall lacked any energy signature from Mom, and I couldnt even sense her presence, as if I were paralyzed in the void whenever I tried to advance. How is this possible?! Irritated, I pushed through the link, trying to enter Moms plane against this walls resistance. To my dismay, the wall didnt even flinch. Tired and disillusioned, I felt my magical energy draining awaya clear signal to retreat. However, the discomfort lingered; whatever was happening to Mom wasnt small enough for even the deepest parts of her mind to be altered by some external factor. Damn it, I need to do something! Creating a small imaginary line, I began to write a message within it. My plan was that if I couldnt breach these walls, maybe I could send a message to Mommy through the link connecting us. At the end of the message, I gently tied it to the chain connecting us and then attempted to send the little thread through the "wall." It struggled slightly, but ultimately broke through and began making its way along the line. ''THIS! With this, I can call my group of [Connectors] and try to establish a stable line'' Before I could celebrate, an unfamiliar energy vibrated through the link, obliterating my message like fire consuming a thin sheet of paper. This strange energy then began to envelop the link, forming a sort of "protective layer." "What?!" Utterly astonished, I felt my blood run cold in an instant. As I slowly looked up into the black void of this "intermediate" plane, I saw what appeared to be large green eyes. Their pupils were oddly shaped, and their mere presence froze me in place. "Hehe... You surprised me there, little one~ Go on, dont cause me any unnecessary trouble~ And keep taking care of her, okay? You have no idea how important she is to my future," the large green eyes said, floating in the void. "Wha" Before I could react, a massive hand descended from the void, crushing me as if my body were being turned to paste. Hallucinatory pain surged through me, yet I found myself unable to scream or faint. Time seemed to freezea single second stretched into what felt like hours of agony. When I finally lost consciousness, I opened my eyes to find myself once again facing the large gray egg, my antennae delicately touching its surface. "Ughh!!" "STEVE! WHAT DO YOU HEAR?!" Ken shouted as he rushed toward me. "II''m fine. I think I just pushed myself too hard, that''s all..." I couldn''t admit that I had tried to "invade" the "Source of the Link." If they knew about that, theyd kill me without a second thought. I still remembered Ciel, nearly killed the moment he became a "Traitor." It was clear what would happen to a true traitor. That creature... I recognized the trick it used; it was a vile method to inflict physical pain through simulated mental torment. I had considered using something like that in the hive, but now that I had experienced it firsthand, it was simply monstrous. ''What was that thing? What does it have to do with Mommy? It seemed to want to protect her, but why didnt it let me pass? It must be the one responsible for the invisible Barrier.'' "Steve? Are you sure you''re okay? You''re covered in cold sweat," Keb asked. "I told you Im fine! Leave me alone! This is definitely Mommy, but right now, we need to focus on restoring the link, not stand around like a bunch of bums! Move it!" Hans, Keb, Ken, and Max exchanged glances before Ken retorted, "No need to be rude, you jerk," and left the room in a huff. Max began calling for workers to help collect the strange substances, while Hans stood there, eyeing me with a cold stare. "What''s wrong, bro?! Are you going to get in my way too? Cant anyone do their damn job around here?!" "Steve, dont overstep your bounds. As one of the elite members of the inner circle, you should know how to behave and react. If you dont improve your attitude, Ill personally talk to Mommy and force you to take a vacation," Hans warned. "Ha! And whos going to do my job? This place is a mess! Without me managing the entire information club, everything will fall apart like a house of cards!" "There will always be someone to do your job, Steve. Dont... try too hard," Hans replied, stepping closer until we were face to face. I had to look up due to our size difference, feeling the slight aura of threat surrounding him. "I love you as my precious little brother, but if necessary, I will break your legs and arms and rip off your antennae so you cant perform your duties. Dont overstep your bounds, Steve," Hans said sharply, his eyes cold. I could tell by his gaze that he would do it without a second thought or any remorse. I couldnt even feel anger toward him; I would do the same to other hive members if they exhibited irregular behavior. ''I need to control myself... I let those strange creatures and this event mess with me. I feel just like my mother! Ew...'' "Tsk... Sorry, Hans... I just... I felt overwhelmed... I think I need to rest a little..." "Yes, when this is all sorted out, take a vacation, Steve. There will always be someone capable of handling the hives affairs for you," Hans said more gently. "Yes... When this is over... I will rest, I promise." Chapter 73: Hitting Against The Wall Aurum - Year 3 As soon as I arrived at the meeting room, the royal guards at the large doors quickly opened them for me. Entering the room with an irritated air, I noticed a few members of the inner circle already gathered. Steve, with his usual tidy and professional appearance, was seated with his arms crossed and eyes closedprobably handling some matter through the link. Hans sat motionless, as still as a statue. The golden glow of his eyes gleamed through the gaps in his armor, his spear resting peacefully in one of his arms while the other three remained free. Carl, noticeably bulkier than most in the hive, was sipping from a large pot of honey through a straw. He looked healthy, though his larger size was due to his class rather than indulgence. Miles, the head of the transportation club, was also there, unsurprisingly arguing with his brother Matt, the leader of the "herders." The herders are responsible for overseeing the collection club, ensuring they know where to go, how long to stay, when to return, and alerting the soldiers to any possible danger. They have incredibly sharp senses, making them essential to the hives safety. Miles and Matt always bicker, yet they seem to genuinely enjoy each others company. Honestly, I dont know how it works. How can someone like someone else yet barely go five minutes without fighting with them? Their arguments arent seriousmore like petty jabs. Matt will call Miles "a stiff-necked idiot who knows nothing outside the hive," to which Miles retorts, "At least I do my job diligently! Unlike you, who can''t even lead your own group because you''re too lazy!" Matt is a free spiritcurious, always seeking new experiences, and passionate about feeling life intensely. He doesnt worry much about work, which is unusual for my children. Miles, on the other hand, is diligent, reliable, and well-respected within the hive. Hes social, funny, and takes pride in doing his job perfectly, a stark contrast to Matt. Another member present was Trevis, and I was still annoyed by our previous conversation. Sure, hes entitled to his opinion, but did he really have to be such a jerk? Im trying to be the queen here, but it''s hard when no one takes me seriously. Then there was Jasper, who surprised me with how different he looked. He used to give off a "herbalist" vibestrong scents of various herbs, fur stained with pastes and potions, tools attached to his waist. But now? He looks like a mad alchemist. Thick leather gloves on his hands, large goggles, a bag strapped to his waist, and a mix of burning and herbal scents clung to him. He appeared more professional, but far from clean, which is very unusual in the hive and clearly bothered the others. For some reason, everyone here is obsessed with cleanliness. You wont find a speck of dust in the entire hive, even in the messiest places like the sawmill, alchemy club, farms, kitchens, and infirmaryeverything shines. Honestly, I can''t complain. Id much rather live with cleanliness fanatics than bees who dont care about dirt. Moving on, I spotted one of the hives most famous duosRadyo and Pyper, the two faces behind all the news in the hive. Pyper crafts the stories and plotshes "the mastermind"while Radyo, the beloved "voice," delivers the news. Radyo was dressed in a suit, which was unusual here. It had a vertical striped pattern in gold and white, paired with a tie and a strange brooch, giving him a very elegant and trustworthy appearance. Pyper, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. If Radyo was a bright beacon, Pyper was like a dim, flickering light. Hes so forgettable that if I dont focus directly on him, I barely remember he''s there. His outfit was simple yet beautifula long-sleeved shirt that flared at the wrists and fit tighter at the shoulders. The design echoed the vertical stripes on Radyos suit but was completely white with subtle gold accents. His loose gray pants were similar to jeans but had a strategic opening for his "bee butt," which I found rather impressive. In truth, about 90% of the hive doesnt wear clothes. We dont have anything to "cover up," so why bother? Maybe I should be concerned that the boys are all eunuchs, incapable of... you know. But ever since my recent evolution, Ive been feeling uncomfortable in this "human" body, and wearing clothes might help ease that discomfort. The only ones who wear clothes are the members of the sewing club, led by Ken, some members of the information club, and most of the cooks. I think the cooks do it more for hygiene than style though. The rest prefer to go about "as they came into the world." The next members to enter were the dynamic duo, Ray and Jay, the head chefs of the cooking club. Ray specialized in "nutrition," focusing on creating meals that could feed the masses efficiently. Steve often relied on Ray to maximize food production while minimizing resource use. And Jay, on the other hand, was Carl''s favorite, known for crafting the most extravagant and delicious desserts in the hive, including my personal favorite "shakes." Their distinct culinary styles were reflected in their attire. Ray donned a white beret adorned with a unique golden brooch. He wore a beige jumpsuit over a white short-sleeved shirt with horizontal stripes, complemented by a lemon-yellow apron, giving him a friendly and approachable appearance. Jay''s ensemble was equally charming: a white beret, a long-sleeved shirt with elastic cuffs creating delicate gathers, a print featuring various sweets in soft gray tones, beige shorts matching Ray''s overalls, and black tights that seamlessly blended with his legs. His baby pink apron, embellished with intricate embroideries and designs, added a touch of elegance. To me, Ray and Jay resembled a lemon and a strawberry, respectivelyboth exuding a delicate and gentle demeanor befitting their roles as chefs. Ray''s attire conveyed professionalism, akin to a head of a food industry, while Jay''s ensemble radiated kindness and tranquility, reminiscent of a grandmother who has been baking sweets all her life. The final member present was Zuki, the leader of the sewing club and the creative mind behind all these stylish outfits. He wore a stunning feather boa made from the plumage of an exotic creature, paired with form-fitting clothes that showcased intricate haute couture patterns. His ensemble, resembling a dress with a cut from the knees to the waist, allowed for ease of movement. Although some members were absent, they participated through the "Link," offering comments when necessary. Without further delay, I proceeded to my seat, acknowledging everyone as I passed. As expected, Yan appeared beside me, acting as my shadow. Given my stature, everyone else seemed quite small, which made me feel as though I was about to address a group of children. "Everyone stand in the presence of the" Yan began. "Listen here, I don''t have time for formalities, so I''m going to get to the point right away," I said, cutting Yan off and causing a slight commotion among the inner circle. "What have you all been doing in the hive during my absence?!?" I nearly shouted. There was a moment of silence, as if they didn''t comprehend the question. Eventually, Carl paused his eating and spoke up. "What do you mean, Queen Mother? There''s nothing wrong with the hive. I don''t understand your question," Carl said, clearly confused. "I''m referring to the rules! How has this place changed so much under your care? We''re supposed to be a family! This place should be our safe haven and home, not a monstrous factory!" Steve, without opening his eyes, responded, "I don''t think the hive is a ''horror factory''; it just operates as efficiently as possible. Yes, we had to sacrifice some ''privileges'' along the way, but we are finally stable enough to declare long-term self-sustainability." "We are not a corporation or a company to work like crazy! We are a family! It shouldn''t be like that! We should focus on the comfort of our home first! No one starts building a house from the roof!" "Exactly! The same goes for other things. When building a house, we start with the basic infrastructure, keeping it firm and stable to withstand all adversities, and only at the end is it furnished. No one throws a party in a house without walls or furniture," Steve countered. I hated being refuted like that so much... Damn it... Don''t yell, don''t yell, think objectively. The problem doesn''t seem to be just the boys; it seems to be something deeper. Why did they have to rush to achieve self-sustainability in a way that required sacrificing their comfort in the first place? What was the point of such a rush? "Huff" I sighed, breaking the silence in the room. "So, Steve, explain to me. Why were the plans rushed? Why does my backyard look like a military camp? Why are my children living under these strange, ridiculous rules, as if in some kind of military dictatorship? And why do we need to race against the clock like this?" I asked, looking at Steve calmly. The room reacted. The members of the inner circle, scattered around, quickly settled into their places, tensing like metal rods. They expected me to scream, complain, or throw a tantrum. But they didnt expect me to simply ask. "Well... recently, the waves of beasts have been causing us trouble. The demonic creatures are driving herds and groups of magical beasts from the forest into the plains. The Kobolds help by hunting smaller ones and scaring off the larger threats. However, we''ve adopted an aggressive architectural design that naturally deters some enemies. And speaking of the Kobolds, their numbers are growing, which means more mouths to feed. While the increase in beasts has helped alleviate their food problem, they still rely on us for raw materials like glue, fabrics, wax, propolis, and herbs, not to mention a variety of industrial goods," Steve explained, unfazed by my actions. "That alone doesnt explain the frantic work pace and these strange rules. It feels like you''re rushing for something that makes no sense." "Rushing for something meaningless?" Jasper interjected, visibly annoyed. "We''re trying to ensure the hive''s dominance in this region!" "Please, explain," I replied. "The humans, the beasts, the kobolds! With all the mana here, and even the land itself, we can''t take down a damn RED WOLF without more than 200 heavily armed soldiers, magical assistance, healers, intel, and potions! Do you understand what that means? Were powerless against humans! They kill beasts that we wouldn''t dare face head-on! And you think we can just sit in a theater listening to music and solve these problems?" Jasper nearly growled, clenching his teeth. "I understand the situation. Thats why I suggested a Strategic Retreat. We dont have to fight or even protect this place. We could move somewhere quieter and start over," I said, trying to reason with them. "We can''t just move. Weve got machines, projects, weapons, experiments, rations, and people that cant be transported quickly or safely," Trevis countered. "We could modify the palanquin," I proposed. "How?" Steve asked, intrigued. "Palanquins are one of the engineering clubs inventions," I paused, searching my memory for the inventor''s name before continuing. "So, I thought if we could adapt them, turn them into something like a human-powered shuttle, we could use them to transport resources and hive members who cant fly." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Some of the group pondered the idea. Thats one of the things I appreciate about the hivewe can share thoughts and ideas instantly through our link, without needing to explain or illustrate them with words or drawings. Heres how it works: if someone imagined building a time machine, for instance, they wouldnt need to know the details of how it worked. They would just visualize the concept and pass it along. Other hive members would analyze the idea and add or tweak fundamental principles, forming a mental prototype that a researcher could later attempt to bring to life with the entire hives help. It''s like one big brainstorming session where everyone collaborates to come up with grand ideas, and thats why all research and creative areas are always busytheres always something new to try or experiment with. "Hmm... it''s possible. Wed need some input from the engineering and carpentry clubs. Maybe Max could help reduce the weight of the structure using a levitation spell?" Steve mused. ''W-we could r-reduce the weight by us-sing hollow wo-ooden boards filled with moss-s. The moss would lighten the s-structure and help glue-e everything together...'' Levi added through the link. "Hmm... We could create comfortable seating using cushions and simple wooden frames. What do you think?" Zuki suggested. "I think it would waste space. We should stack the non-flying members inside to maximize capacity," Steve countered. "What a dumb idea! That would only make it harder to escape in an emergency, plus it would add too much strain on the palanquin. We need to establish a maximum weight for each craft," Carl said, not even pausing from his snacks. "Hmm, we could have the younger soldiers pull the structure. Theyre strong, healthy, and not of much tactical value in a serious fight. The priority would be transporting the members of the information club, cooks, and seamstresses," Hans proposed. ''Speaking of which, I want to remind you all about the "Moving Castle" project!'' Max chimed in through the link, clearly excited. "Give it a rest. That''s way too ambitious for someone who can''t even create a simple cylindrical engine that rotates an axis at adjustable speeds using mana as fuel," Miles shot back. ''Shut up! I''m close! I just need to create a mana pattern that generates enough kinetic energy to keep the axis rotating constantly!'' Max replied, sounding genuinely frustrated. ''What kind of ridiculous ideas are these?'' I thought, keeping a calm, static smile on my face. These little shits have BIG plans, while I''m over here just trying to figure out how to open the system tutorial. As I dug into the details of these projects, I found something surprising: the boys had already created a steam engine. And apparently, theyve had it for a while. They use a large patch of [Blooming Bloom] flowers, fed with [Fire Crystals], to heat a massive "boiler" made of nuts, mud, and rocks, generating steam. This steam is then transported through pipes to a strange contraption made from a natural alloy created by the alchemists, carved crystals, and wooden gears. The contraption has a large main gear attached to the crystal box structure, and this so-called "steam engine" is essentially a wooden propeller that spins rapidly with the directed steam flow, generating kinetic energy to drive the external gear. This external gear powers various other machines like grinders, crushers, mixers, pressers, and cutters. Everything runs on a current of hot air that flows through the tubes and condenses, returning to the boiler where it gets reheated. And they still wonder why I feel useless here. Could you build a steam engine? Even if you understood the concept and had the materials? Materials that mostly melt at high temperatures? Because I sure as hell couldnt even make a door lock, let alone a steam generator powered by magic flowers, stones, crystals, glue, and sheer creativity. In the name of Shakira, I was just a 30-something woman with a crappy jobwhen I was human, anyway. My creativity was polluted by all the R18, BL, and GL books I read in my free time. My imagination died when I learned Id have to work until I was 65 just to retire with some semblance of stability! I mean, seriously? I was a librarian! I was lucky to even afford those R18 books, because the rest of my money went to bills. I didnt go to school, and worseI couldnt even become a civil servant! I was a librarian for a private company that somehow thought it was my fault people preferred their phones to books in the 21st century! "We cant just run away like this, brothers! It took us years of hard work to establish ourselves in this region and map a significant part of the forest. Plus, this area serves as an excellent XP farm for our soldiers," Trevis said. "Hmm... That''s true. We need to analyze the situation and explore the implications of each choice," Steve replied. "I dont think risking our family is a viable option anymore. As the leader of the fight club, I would never allow anyone under my supervision to enter a fight they can''t win," Hans said sharply. "Youre not seeing the bigger picture, Hans. More prey means more XP. Yes, soldiers might get injured, but the healers and the care club can fix them. Soldiers level up, mommy gains more XP, the hive as a whole benefits, and the healers can further develop their skills. Additionally, if the soldiers face more dangers, there will be greater investment in weaponry, armor, and medical research," Trevis argued, trying to persuade the majority of the inner circle. As soon as Trevis'' words settled, the room seemed to freeze momentarily. Tension filled the air, and everyone appeared a bit uncomfortable. At first, I didnt understand why, but soon the reason became clear. Hans seemed to be using his higher level and some skills to exert an invisible pressure on the members of the inner circle present. It might be uncomfortable for them, but for me, it felt insignificantlike trying to cut down a tree with a rubber axe. "How naive and disrespectful. It seems youve forgotten your role and whom youre speaking to. Its a shame for me, as the eldest, to see your naivety, Trevis. How do you expect to overcome the increasing number of beasts in the region? Or the likely arrival of humans? Let me guess, you think, ''If we level up quickly enough, we can kill bigger and stronger creatures, and soon we could face or even defeat humans in a fight.'' Simply foolish," Hans said coldly, his eyes glinting more intensely than usual. "I" Trevis attempted to defend himself, clenching his teeth. "Be quiet while Im speaking. As the eldest, my duty is to keep all my brothers safe from any danger. I will not tolerate such insolence from someone in a high position like you. Your role is to obey orders; its not your place to ask questions or challenge Mothers words. Do you think you know better? Its idiocy. Someone who hides behind skills and whose only notable ability is forgetfulness has no right to voice opinions on military or security matters. That is the responsibility of the LifeGuardians and the information club, who can debate the best survival strategies based on a thorough analysis of the hives innate and shared knowledge," Hans said, glaring coldly at Trevis. "You" "SHUT UP!" Hans shouted, intensifying his aura, making the non-combat members of the inner circlepractically everyonetremble and avert their gazes. "You have no real experience in combat, organization, or resource management. Your opinions are nothing more than foolish ideas born from your limited worldview. Instead of following the proper channels and presenting this ''idea'' to the information club, waiting for a thorough analysis, youve disrespected Mother, this meeting, and the rules! You feel no remorse in suggesting the ''sacrifice'' of young, inexperienced soldiers, and you still try to disguise this ''incredible idea'' as a noble act for the future of the hive," Hans scolded. Holy capybara! I know Hans always stands up for me, but now he was being a bit... harsh? He practically humiliated Trevis in front of everyone. I felt bad; I never thought Trevis idea was horrible. I just thought it was... selfish? Who chooses "profit" over keeping their family safe? I dont care if it delays research or costs us resourcesour lives are worth more than any XP I could gain. There will always be something to kill for XP, resources to explore, and territories to conquer. But the boys and I each have only one life. If we die, its game overno second chances, no backup. Its simply... over. And I wont let that happen to them. My babies come first; I gave birth to each one of them. How could I bear the thought of burying them by the dozens? Hundreds? My heart would shatter in a way that could never be repaired. Even if everyone said no, I know it would be my fault. We shouldnt even be having this ridiculous conversation. We should be packing our bags and running toward the horizon. For all I know, those terrifying humans with more weapons than Rambo could be coming here right now. I just need to... figure out what to do with the kobolds. I learned something from all the past events: I cant take care of others if I cant even take care of myself. I wish I could help them more, but I think Ive already done enough, havent I? Theyre practically tall enough already. The only real problem for me is Ciel. What do I do with him? The hive wont accept him backat least not for real. Theyd always think of him as a traitor and never let him feel at home. I could leave him with Hilda and use him as an "infiltrated spy." When Hilda dies, he could return to the hive... I think? Turning my attention back to the discussion in front of me, I saw Trevis leaving the room quickly while everyone began to breathe normally again. Hans remained unshaken, as always, and it didnt even seem like he had just scolded his own brother. "Very well. Well analyze the situation as a whole and decide if fleeing is our best option. Do we have a place in mind? Or are we still uncertain?" Steve asked. "The extreme south. That area is largely unexplored, and we might find something of value there. The north is the ''land of the beastmen.'' Im not eager to go east and delve deeper into the forest. As far as we know, the west is human territory, so that''s out of the question." "Hmmm... the south, you mean?... I believe thats ''demon'' lands?" Matt interjected. "Really?" Miles asked, surprised. "Yes, I remember a report from Ciel where Hilda mentioned it. I found it intriguing, so it stuck in my memory. But when I say ''demon lands,'' I dont mean the demon lord or anything like that. They''re more... I dont know, half-demons? Or demonic creatures? Hilda said the beastmen made deals with them before the humans took over the borders," Matt explained. "Hmm... This information is very useful. If this demonic race has poor relations with humans, we have a better chance of establishing friendly ties with them. I wish I could question a human about this, but I dont think thats possible," Steve said. "Yeah, but I remember hearing that it snows really far down south!" Matt chimed in. "Snow? Thats a problem. Were not suited for cold temperatures; we wouldnt adapt to a climate like that," Miles replied. "True. The seasons in this region seem to vary only between summer and spring, without any significant temperature drops," Jay added. "Any idea why?" Jasper asked. "I dont knowmaybe divine intervention? The Morning Goddess might just enjoy sunbathing, or maybe were in a region with a tropical climate?" Matt speculated. "Hmmm... We cant confirm or deny either theory, so lets not dwell on it. Well file this question away along with the other ''Why does this happen?'' questions," Steve said. "Alright, is there anything else to discuss in this meeting?" Steve asked me. "No... I plan to visit the clubs soon, but nothing really important. Thanks for all your hard work. I want to conclude this meeting by saying... I apologize. I''ve always been an infrequent queen and, admittedly, incompetent, but I intend to change that from now on. Ill start by learning about the general situation of the hive." "Queen Mother! There''s no need to apologize! Youve done your job perfectly!" Ray exclaimed. "How is that possible? I feel foolish." "You wouldnt expect a rock to produce milk or a potato to lay eggs. Your role as queen is to keep the link active and generate new members for the hive. Just as we cant ask a common worker to perform the duties of a soldier, we cant demand that you take on the roles of a magician, an analyst, or a strategist! You fulfill your role in the hive flawlessly! You even manage to handle tasks beyond your class!" Ray declared. If that was Rays motivational speech, I need to keep him away from anyone struggling with self-esteem. He managed to praise me while simultaneously undermining my confidence. I get itit''s truly "unthinkable" for someone in the hive to perform a job unrelated to their class. Cooks dont forge weapons, musicians dont conduct research, and wizards dont dance. For them, its as natural and clear as daylight. But as a former human from the 21st century, well-acquainted with concepts like empowerment and self-actualization, it feels strange to say, "A princess can only be a princess, and a soldier can only be a soldier." Theres no room for more adjectives. For them, its unreasonable for a soldier to try learning to cook since its deemed "useless" for him as a wage earner. And I, as a queen, do more than just sit around all day and lay eggs. "...Thank you, Ray, but lets keep this between us, alright? Please dont try to motivate others with those words," I replied gently. "Yes, Queen Mother!" Ray replied cheerfully and innocently. "Very well, I declare this meeting adjourned! Yan, please come with me and guide me through the hive clubs," I said, clapping my hands to signal the end of the meeting as I stood up. "Oh! I almost forgot! Zuki!" I turned to the drag queen bee, who was adorned in stunning attire. "Yes, Queen Mother?" Zuki asked, bowing slightly. "I want clothesclothes that I can wear... Do you think thats possible?" "Oh! What a tremendous honor, my queen! Of course, its possible! I will personally take charge of this magnificent project! You can trust that I will create the highest quality garments this hive has to offer!" Zuki exclaimed, clearly excited. "Thank you, Zuki. Im looking for something that emphasizes mobility, is comfortable, easy to wear, and isnt too hot. I dont need anything extravagant, but I also dont want to look inappropriate. Do you think you can manage that?" "Absolutely, my queen! I will personally ask Levi to construct a large wardrobe to accommodate various styles of royal clothing to meet your needs!" Zuki replied with a big smile. "Thank you, dear! I would love some new clothes; this evolution makes me feel like Im walking around naked..." "Please maintain a demeanor befitting your position as Queen Mother," Hans said politely. "Huff... Alright. If you''ll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to step away now to lay some eggs and fulfill my duties as queen," I said, smiling at the boys as I walked out the door. "Eww... How elegant," Miles remarked. Chapter 74: Gotta Go As I walked through the corridors of the hive, irritation gnawed at me over the meeting''s outcome. I wanted things to return to how they were before, but during the discussions, I realized that the changes weren''t solely the result of the boys'' "exaggerated madness." Some of these adjustments genuinely aimed to improve our chances of survival. I felt foolish. I didnt fully grasp the hive''s overall situation, making it hard for me to determine whether these changes were necessary or merely exaggerated responses. Instead of dwelling on this uncertainty, I decided to rely on my instincts. What do you do when faced with unreliable and fragmented information? Nowadays, people turn to their favorite influencers for verification, but I know the most effective way to uncover the "complete truth" is to see it with my own eyes and analyze the information with my own judgment. So instead of relying on mental reports or others'' words, I resolved to inspect the hive personally to better understand its condition. If we continue to the end of the corridor, well find the debate club, a spin-off of the information club! Yan said, gliding in front of me. Since I had "lost" my wings, I had to walk everywhere. It wasnt exactly a problem, but it felt agonizingly slow! I was used to my relatively "high speed" of flight, but now every step felt like an eternity. Upon reaching the location Yan mentioned, I saw a large wooden doorsomething unusual for the hive. The door had been intricately carved, featuring two large bees surrounded by flying letters and books. The bees raised their hands high, pointing to a large eye in the center of the door. It was one of the finest pieces of carpentry I had ever seen in the hive. Incredible... Can I just walk in? They must be doing something important, right? After all, it is the debate club... What if theyre deep in discussion? No problem, Queen Mother! You are free to go wherever you want inside the hive! Yan replied proudly. And yet Im completely forbidden from leaving Hmff. Not wanting to intrude on whatever was happening inside, I had a simple idea: I could use the link to connect with someone within the room. Without hesitation, I closed my eyes and focused on finding someone inside. As expected, I quickly sensed dozens of "bright points" within the room. After a moment of analysis, I realized they were conversing, as I could feel a flow of information moving back and forth among the members present. Without drawing anyone''s attention, I connected with a less active member in the room through the link, taking over his vision, smell, and hearing. I felt a slight momentary resistance, but as soon as the [Debater]a class I hadn''t even known existed until nowsensed my presence, he surrendered control completely without hesitation. Once I took control, I found myself in a room that looked as if it had come straight out of a war anime. The space featured a large coffee table with a relief map dotted with various colored pins, several boards covered in notes and drawings, and numerous books and maps scattered across cabinets and shelves. However, what struck me as most peculiar wasn''t the room itself, but the group of over ten [Debaters] circling the round table, silently observing each other. The only sound was the soft vibration of their wings. Occasionally, a member would shift the maps on the table and place small wooden figures at various locations. It was then I realized they weren''t using spoken language to communicate; they were entirely relying on the [Link] to share information and "speak" more efficiently. This revelation was a mix of shock and understanding. Theoretically, it made sense that we didn''t need to use words to communicate, but for me, that concept felt as natural as breathing. I had never considered using the link as the sole means of communication, yet for the boys, this was a common practice in certain situations. While it was certainly efficient, it wasnt my style. Setting that aside, I seized the opportunity to analyze this unfamiliar class, and soon, Emi sent me information about the [Debater] class. Apparently, they are one of the evolutionary possibilities of the [Beacon] class, which the boys classified as a {Leader/Strategist} role. These are non-combat classes focused on crisis management and organizing ideals, capable of processing information analytically to maximize the hive''s chances of survival. Among the standard skills of this class are: [Great Provocation]a skill that can cause the [Enraged] effect on the enemy; [Divergent Paths]a skill that allows the user to influence the enemy''s mind, inciting conflict among allies; and finally, [Stoic Mask]a skill that renders the user''s physical expressions completely expressionless. To my surprise, there was an additional line in the description of this class, marked as "important": Class capable of developing free will within the link; keep them under controlled surveillance. This seemed significant, although I didn''t fully understand why it was flagged as "important." For the hive, the concept of self-will appeared to be something dangerous and not to be encouraged. Turning my attention to the [Debaters], I focused on the connections within the link. Since I was controlling the little oneVec, as Emi had named himI couldn''t simply "insert myself into the link," as that would defeat my purpose of hiding to avoid disrupting the meeting. Instead, I directed Vec to connect with the other members of the debate club, and soon, I entered their "chat room." ''The [Black Velvet Bears] are a much greater threat than the [Bone Deer]. We should prioritize keeping the bears away from the hive''s perimeters. After all, bears, bees, don''t any alarms ring in your head?'' asked one of the debaters, whom I''ll refer to as debater #1. ''This is prejudice... Is there a bias against bears? Well, anyway, the bears wouldn''t pay attention to small creatures like us. Since they are carnivores, they''re most likely just using this region as a transit area between other regions, while the [Bone Deer] are magical creatures capable of using an unknown magic that can transform living matter into bonessomething far more dangerous than the bears,'' replied debater #2. ''Can''t we set the two species against each other? A "Bear Sleuth" and a "Herd of Deer" are both significant threats, but if we could pit them against one another, not only could we acquire extremely rare and unique resources, but we could also disperse this group of high-level magical creatures and prevent any major problems for the hive,'' suggested debater #3. ''That''s pointless. The [Black Velvet Bears] are high-level magical creatures; they''re not foolish enough to fight other high-level creatures like the [Bone Deer] without a territorial motive or a battle for resources. They''re not mindless beasts that kill each other over a glance. According to the latest reports, theyve demonstrated wisdom and consciousness, and there are theories that the [Bone Deer] possess an average IQ comparable to that of a common human or higher,'' stated debater #4. ''Indeed. The [Black Velvet Bears] would likely fall into such a trap. We would just need to lure them with large quantities of high-quality meat and use poisons capable of inducing rabies to incite conflict with any creature they encounter. However, I don''t classify the [Bone Deer] on the same level as the [Black Velvet Bears]; it''s like comparing lead to silver.'' said debater #5. ''According to our reports, we have about 500 high-quality minor confusion potions in stock. We can use them along with bombs and sound magic to divert the paths of high-level magical beasts,'' suggested debater #2. ''Hm... Maybe. We need to analyze our options and find the most efficient way to achieve success with this plan. Failures could lead to dire consequences for the hive and put the Queen Mother''s life at risk. Any mistake could be punishable by death,'' warned debater #4. ''We definitely need to analyze this to find the most beneficial route for the hive. Avoiding encounters with high-level beasts is our priority, but if we can acquire high-quality raw materials, there''s no reason not to consider alternative routes,'' added debater #6. ''Yes, high-quality and rare resources are extremely valuable to the hive as a whole. The researchers are still eager about the scales, flesh, and blood we extracted from that [Sablewing Lizard] corpse that was half-eaten by a [Midnight Wolf],'' mentioned debater #4. The whole conversation impressed me. They weren''t as eloquent and refined as they appeared from the outside; in fact, they spoke just as casually as I or the boys did. They utilized the link to convey their thoughts, but the topics they discussed felt somewhat strange to me. I had no idea what a [Black Velvet Bear] wasof course, it''s a bear, but why "Black Velvet Bear"? I was also unfamiliar with the other magical creatures they mentioned, as well as the "problems" we faced with them. I had never been notified of these issues, and perhaps that was because it wasnt my job to be concerned about them. ''Tsk...'' Pulling away from my control of the [Debater], I walked through the hallways of my home, feeling a bit frustrated while my shadow, also known as Yan, followed me closely. "Yan... Do you think... that I''m wrong?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest as I looked directly at him. "Of course not, Queen Mother! You have the right to act, speak, and do whatever you want!" Yan replied. "What if I want to leave? What if I want to learn how to fight or work in other parts of the hive?" I said, continuing to walk with my arms crossed, exiting the hallway I had been in. "W-What? Of course! If that were your will, the hive could provide immediately for my queen! But I ask that you reconsider and think carefully before making any important decisions! You are the future of the hive and the pillar supporting our nation. Putting yourself in such trivial dangers or wearing out your precious body with mundane work should be a crime!" Yan exclaimed, struggling to keep pace with me. "You know, Yan... sometimes I feel... trapped? This is my home, my kingdom, and you are my children. I realize I dont need to engage in face-to-face work when I can experience everything through the link and ''feel everything firsthand.'' But when you exclude me from the affairs of my own homea place that, while not built by me alone, represents the beginning of all my hard work and the fruit of my experiences and willI feel... like a red dot in a sea of blue dots. I feel as though I''m being deliberately excluded by you," I said bluntly, stepping out of the hallway. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. As I exited, I found myself in the 1st Ring of the main tower of Aurum, a place reminiscent of human cities but with buildings shaped to accommodate our wings. Most of us dont require elevators or stairs, so the structures are stacked on top of each other, with large doors always open to facilitate movement for the hive members. Hundreds, if not thousands, of bees flitted through the sky, all seeming to rush somewhere, while some paused to chat or share a laugh. The entire area was painted in a predominantly yellow and brown palette, with buildings adorned with wooden signs indicating their purposes. Flowers, plants, and vines grew everywhere, intentionally planted on the walls to enhance the ambiance and create a pleasant environment. Soldiers armed with massive hammers, axes, and swords glided through the area, always alert to the slightest movement around them. The ground, though lacking in notable features, had a path made of wax bricks, flanked by wooden benches, plants, and various decorations such as wax statues and small directional signs. I calmly walked through the small squaresmall in my eyes, at least. The plants arranged in large pots resembled cheap decorative items from a dollar store, and the massive benches, which could easily seat five soldiers side by side, felt more like child-sized stools to me. Frustrated, I approached one of the stools and, without caring whether it could support my weight, sat down. I had to crouch to fit, my knees nearly at the height of my head. I could sense everyones gaze on me, a mixture of admiration and astonishment in their expressions. "Q-Queen Mother! Please dont sit so uncomfortably! Please stand up! I will immediately request a bench that can accommodate" Yan stammered. "What? My royal backside? Stop being childish, Yan. Its no secret that I lack elegance; just answer my question once and for all," I interrupted. "Ugh... Queen Mother... Im deeply sorry if I or the hive made you sad or uncomfortable. Our sole purpose is to keep you safe and alive. I... I cant imagine a plausible reason for you to want to engage in such trivial or useless tasks. Thats what [Analysts], [Debaters], and [Archivists] are fortheir existence is dedicated to doing the work they were assigned. Everyones role serves the joint goal of protecting Mother. Thats why I find it strange that youd want to put yourself in unnecessary danger," Yan replied earnestly. "But" I felt conflicted. I understood their perspective well; it was a principle I was all too familiar with: protecting. I had experienced it when my parents were still alive; they wanted me to be safe, well-fed, and focused on my studies. At the time, I didnt grasp why they worried so much about me. I knew how to protect myself and wasnt naive enough to get drunk in a bar or get involved with an irresponsible boyfriend. But as I grew older and lost them, I realized it wasn''t easy to relinquish somethingor someonewe wanted to protect. I could be made of steel, shooting deadly lasers from my eyes, but as soon as I stepped outside, Id be their vulnerable little girl again. I cant even fathom what they must have felt when I ran off to parties with my boyfriends or lied about spending the night at a friends house. To me, those were always "harmless crimes." But looking through their eyes... it must be agonizing not knowing where someone you care about is, even if you know they can take care of themselves. Thats how they feel about me. Just as my parents didnt let me get involved in things like bills and "adult problems" because I was a child, they think I shouldnt worry about "working peoples things." They want me to focus on "queen things" and leave the hard work to them. I remember hating them for not letting me in on the realities of their lives. No! You dont have the high ground here; Im the mother. I gave birth to each and every one of you! Just because you think I shouldnt care doesnt mean I cant care! Damn it! I care, okay?! What do you need? An apology video on YouTube? A sign saying I was wrong?! I know Ive made mistakes, but come on! Im trying to fix things, and you all just keep pushing me away! I screamed for the first time in public. I-I... I apologize, Queen MotherI Yan began, his voice trembling. Huff... Sorry, Yan. I know I shouldnt be yelling at you. It doesnt change anything... I just want things to get better around here. I dont want to be a burden or for you to keep thinking this waydistorted. I know theres no point in dwelling on it, but... ugh... I just want to scream! I want to break something and curse everyone! Because... fuck! How can you be so... limited?! Dont you care about your own well-being?! I mean, you care about your well-being, but you dont care about your lives! I try so hard to keep everyone alive. I put all this effort into coming up with stupid plans to keep you safe! And all of you! You all just dont care! Trying to make you value your lives is like trying to stop a moth from flying into a flame! I said, my frustration spilling over. Ive always tried to keep my children alive. I may not be the best at fighting, healing, or managing, but Ive held onto the belief that if I can keep them alive, I can figure out the rest later. Its my duty as their mother. But they dont seem to care about their own lives. Its strange they wouldnt hesitate to build a bridge of corpses for me to cross a river or starve themselves so I can feast. What irritates me the most is that maybe its not their fault. Its probably some effect of [Maternal Connection] or one of the ''peaceful functions'' of the link. I cant bring myself to be angry with them because of it, but this situation frustrates me. What kind of twisted and disgusting monster would feel content knowing their own children would willingly throw themselves into a meat grinder with smiles on their faces to save their lives? Forgive us if this bothers you, Queen Mother. But as a hive, we must prioritize self-preservation. Objectively speaking, it is futile in a life-or-death situation to expend our efforts trying to save 1,000 soldiers or 10,000 workers who cannot continue the hive, instead of focusing solely on saving the queen who can start anew, Yan said, his expression slightly worried. I understand, Yan, but it still irritates me. This hive mentality can be frustrating at times, but I cant change it, so I need to work with what I have, I replied as I stood up from the small bench. W-What are you going to do, my queen? Yan asked, his eyes wide with concern. I have no idea, but complaining wont help. If I cant keep you out of danger, then Ill keep the danger away from you. Tell Trevis I want a group of explorers heading south. I want a full report on resources, topography, climate, and wildlife. Send some [Gatherers] and [Shepherds] with the exploration group; their knowledge will be invaluable. Also, assign Aldy and Zack for extra protection. I want a complete analysis of the region and possibilities for change from the debate group in no more than one month, I commanded as I walked back through the corridors, Yan trailing right behind me. So, the decision is to move? she asked, tentatively. Yes. Its no longer open for debate. Were fleeing, cowering, call it what you want; I refuse to stay in this wretched place and risk your lives. Screw resources and easy XPI will not endure this damned situation for another year. So? Yan pressed, uncertain. Three months. A maximum of three months to gather everything, explore, analyze, and prepare for our move. This timeline can be adjusted based on circumstances. If we spot a large group of humans approaching, the orders are to flee immediatelyabandon facilities, resources, and projects. Survival is our priority, I said firmly as we continued down the corridors. Understood, Queen Mother! If I may ask... what will we do with the kobolds? Yan inquired. The mention of the kobolds made me stop abruptly. Had I given them too much? Was I foolish for maintaining this abusive relationship for so long? Maybe. But the thought of abandoning them still felt unbearable. Lets lay it out plainly: if the humans come, it wont be because of us; itll be because of the kobolds. They are the target, not us. If it werent for themno, dont blame them; its a cluster of situations and events that led to this point. Blaming them would be selfish. But honestly, I felt like a fool. I couldnt take them with me; it would be too risky and slow. Yet my conscience wouldnt allow me to leave them behind to die. They have children, babies. I couldnt just leave them in the dark. Its frustrating to think about, but theres something else I need to address, and Im going to need your help, Yan, I said, turning to him. W-What is it, my queen? Yan asked, looking up at me nervously. Remember when I said you were my ''eyes and ears'' in the hive? I began, feeling the weight of the decision I was about to make. Y-Yes? she replied, anticipation etched on her face. Now is the perfect time to make this even more official, I said, determination coloring my voice. What do you mean? Yan asked, tilting his head in curiosity. I want to visit every room in the hive, check on every club, and see each project in person. But my size makes mobility difficult, and my presence tends to make everyone nervous and tense. So, what I want is for you to visit them all while Im possessing you. I placed the tip of my index finger gently on Yans forehead. Hmmm... Sure? Yan replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. I can remain in the background while you do the heavy lifting since thats what you all prefer anyway. This way, I can explore the hive discreetly and use my time more efficiently. I can also use other members as my eyes to avoid suspicion, but Id prefer it to be you, I explained. Feel free to use my eyes as you wish, my queen. If its your wish, I can personally select one member from each club discreetly to serve as your secret Hosts, Yan offered eagerly. Excellent plan. Id like to first visit... the records? Where is the place where you keep information, like classes, quirks, and general knowledge? I asked, trying to remember the layout of our home. Um... Any vital or private information of the hive is stored exclusively in [Link] using the skills of the [Archivists]. Physical copies are limited to study materials, Yan explained. I see... Wait a minute! So if an [Archivist] dies, we lose all the information they preserve?! I exclaimed, my heart racing at the thought. Well... yes and no. Archivists have a mental backup system. If an archivist dies, all the information in their mind should be lost along with them. But Steve managed to find this flaw quickly and developed the Backup and Cloud system, Yan clarified. What does that mean? Speak plainly, Yan. I barely understood anything. Imagine youre explaining this to Trouble. Uh... The archivists store a lot of compressed information in the minds of other members of the hive, so in case of loss or damage, it can be restoreda Backup system. Now, in the Cloud, we store vital information in your mind, Queen Mother Yan explained, a little nervously. What did you just say? I interrupted, my curiosity piqued. Oh! Well, since the information club has access to your memory as a whole, they concluded that the safest vault for all this information would be your mind. We cannot change the memories that exist inside your head, but nothing prevents us from adding new memories. And since you are the most important member of the hive, we decided it would be easier to store all this information in a compressed form within your mind. This way, if the hive were to perish, a new hive could quickly utilize this knowledge to develop. Yan explained, his eyes wide with the weight of her revelation. And where is all this knowledge? Because I didnt see anything in here! I pressed, feeling a mix of confusion and urgency. It is stored in your subconscious, in a compressed folder. So unless you actively intend to access this knowledge, it will remain dormant in your mind. But please, do not attempt to touch this Archive. Trying to access the knowledge of the entire hive without the proper training, like the [Archivists], would result in immediate mental exhaustion. Given your status as queen, it could put the entire hive at risk, Yan said calmly. And you put a bomb like that in my head without telling me? Are you crazy? What if I get bored and my intrusive thoughts urge me to open the Archive? I exclaimed, anxiety creeping into my voice. Dont do that! You might overload the link with information! Yan warned, his expression turning serious. Ugh... I understand. I wish I had been informed about this beforehand, but its an ingenious way of preserving information, I suppose, I replied, trying to temper my frustration. As I approached my room, the guards at the massive wooden door came into view, and my legs began to give out beneath me. The effort of walking around was taxing for someone used to flying. Thank you for your work, Yan. Inform the inner circle of my decision and take the necessary steps. Ill take a shower and eat something, and then Ill be waiting for you to arrange my visits to the clubs, I instructed, mustering a smile. Yes, Queen Mother! Yan responded cheerfully, his wings keeping him suspended in the air. I waved him off and walked toward my room. The guards promptly opened the doors, and I stepped back into the comfort of my quarters, feeling the weight of the world press down on my shoulders. I needed to prepare myself for everything that lay ahead. Moving... What a daunting prospect. I had never considered it before. Well lose a lot of resources and time, but family comes first. I refuse to put my childrens lives on the line for the sake of resources pulled from a forest, I mused, determination fueling my resolve. Chapter 75: New Paths Aurum - Year 3 I went back to my roommy "beautiful prison." This place stirs up mixed feelings. Its where I feel most comfortable, yet it also makes me feel chained down. I always knew that life as the "Queen of the Hive" wouldnt exactly be freeing, but I never imagined it would get to the point where my own presence could disrupt the hives work. Still, dwelling on it or regretting things wont change anything. Something has to shift, but it has to be within the hives rules. Its like trying to reshape a deeply rooted society. The boys have their way of handling things, and to them, their way is "perfect." From the hives perspective, theres no need to change. They see no issue with the "all for one" mentality or the caste system, and since you dont mess with success, the boys always push back when I try to alter anything. Its like trying to end a war by telling everyone to hug, or laying down "ground rules" and expecting everyone to follow them. Its just... na?ve to think I can change them overnight. So, I have to play by the rules, dance to their tune. If I cant be physically present, Ill find a way to keep everything under my watch. The boys hold all the power. They decide what happens, when it happens, and why it happens. They are the true leaders of the hive, and Im just the egg factory. But not for long. I refuse to be a queen who lays eggs and eats them, needing protection like fragile glass. For that, I have to act, dance along. The final word might be mine, but its hard to stand against thousands of voices with a different opinion. Queen Mother, as requested, Ive gathered several members from different clubs around the hive! Yan said excitedly. Very good, thank you, Yan. My plan is simple now: since I cant keep an eye on all the chaos happening here, Ill place some of my "eyes" within the ranks. The boys use the hives resources and their roles to send everyone around, so Ill do the same. My orders are absolute, so I can hide some... "spies" within the classes, all managed by Yan, who will be my eyes and ears. I called you all here for a reason, I said, rising from my bed and walking toward them. The recent growth of the hive and advancements among the upper ranks have led to some... unusual situations. As queen, I want you to know Im not pleased. I plan to find out firsthand whats really going on in our home. You will serve as my eyes and ears, unnoticed and in disguise. I paused, letting my words sink in. There were members of hundreds of different classes hereeveryone from simple workers to elite soldiers, those in the kitchens, labs, even the farms. Yan had brought them all. Id enlisted the cleaning club to "arrange" this floor, instructed soldiers to block off the area, and carefully chosen only members who were off-duty to avoid suspicion. No one would know the identities of my spies. Sure, I couldve done all this through the hive link; it wouldve been a thousand times easier. But some things cant be done through the link. My presence weighs heavily on the boys, especially when their levels are low, so having them stand before me in person adds an extra layer of assurance that nothing will slip. I even took the extra step of selecting 3-4 archivists who personally manage the mental "reports" of my spy group, a daily task required by the hive. This was all done to keep Steve and the rest of the inner circle far from the identities of my spies. Youve worked diligently, as always, but any information about this meeting or your assigned tasks must be kept under lock and key. Do you understand? I asked, projecting a heavy aura over the boys. I dont enjoy intimidating them, but if I have to tread carefully to get the respect I need in this hive, so be it. I wont let people like Trevis and Steve send my children to their deaths over something as petty as "resources" or "easy XP." B-But Queen Mother... W-Why must we hide this from Steve? a [Knight] asked, stammering. Higher classes tend to have more willpower, something Ive noticed over time. The stronger my influence, the harder it becomes for them to retain any sense of free will or personal empowerment. However, one thing always remains: their sense of unity. No matter their level or strength, in their minds, the hive comes before their lives and the lives of their brothers. I approached the knight and crouched down to his height. Theyre so small, barely reaching my knees, even with me crouched. As I knelt before him, I saw the fear creep into him; he began trembling. I cant let anything leak from this room, so I need to make sure every single loose end is tied. You. Will. Not. Tell. Anyone. Are we clear? I said, placing a hand on his tiny shoulder, letting a dense wave of energy radiate from me. The little knight shook, his nervousness practically boiling through the link. The effect was immediate. I could sense the understanding settle in the minds of everyone presentthe order was engraved in them. If Steve uses his [Royal Advisor] class to "mimic" my authority, then Ill show everyone what the true authority of the queen looks like. After addressing them, I dismissed the boys. They each returned to their duties, leaving me alone with Yan. Everything as you wished, my queen? Yan asked, smiling broadly. Yes. Ill review the intel we gather from our spies, and then well decide what to do next. Hm, this is fun! I was getting bored with not much to do around the hive. Now I feel useful to you. Yan grinned. Yan is my voice and ears, which has earned him the title of The Queens Spokesman. He typically listens to meetings, passes on decisions I make, and then Radyo transmits that information to the hive. But this new "game" of undercover spies is giving Yan something more exciting to do. I wonder if I could use this opportunity to start my own club! Ive always wanted to be part of one, but my position never allowed it. Wouldnt that be amazing? I could call it something cool like the Spy Club, or the Queens Attendants Club. Its the first time Ive managed so many people and so much information. Im so excited! Yan said, twirling in the air, eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Sure, dear. Do as you wish. I trust you''ll do a good job for me." What do you think of The Whispering Club? Yan asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Call it whatever you want, sweetheart. Its your club, after all," I said, following Yan to my lab. I would use the time to do some research on the [Mana Node Heart] while waiting for news from the boys.
"Alright everyone, the 3 o''clock shift is about to begin. Those assigned today to manually spray the specimens in sections C-3 to G-4, please equip yourselves with safety gear. The substance we''ll be using today contains high levels of [Bone Dust] and [Valley Dust], both hazardous to your lungs," a farmer announced, hovering above the other lower-level farmers. Among them was Pip, a small [Farmer] at level 4, one of my whisperers. I have to admit, Pip has surprised me more than I expected. I thought the pressure of spying would make him slip, perhaps give himself away through nervous expressions or actions. But no, hes remained calm and collected, working just as he always has, without the slightest hint that he''s now a "snitch." Pip is working in the "Orchid Tower," where magical plants are researched and developed. After plants pass through research in this tower, theyre moved to the Dew Towersa series of towers dedicated to cultivation. The upper floors are filled with crop-growing areas, while the lower levels house animal farms. Today, Pip''s job is... a bit dangerous. He''s carrying a large bucket strapped over his shoulder like a bag, wearing thick animal-hide gloves, wide-sleeved clothes, goggles, and a mask. If it takes this much gear to stay safe, that doesnt exactly scream "low risk." But at least hes well-equipped. Pip flits from flower to flower, using a small scoop to spread merveillance powder at the roots of each plant. Behind him, another farmer follows with a large watering can, soaking the plants'' roots before moving to the next. The whole process runs like clockworkefficient, rhythmic, like a well-rehearsed dance. Despite the precision, the farmers chat lightheartedly, discussing their day or future plans without missing a beat in their work. I can feel Pips emotions through the linkhis exhaustion, his joy, his pride in the work. Hes genuinely happy to perform his duties with such diligence, proud to live in what he considers a perfect place, and grateful for the camaraderie of his brothers. But those feelings stir something uncomfortable within me. Can someone truly be happy if they don''t realize theyre being controlled? Pips joy, his prideits all because of the link and his low level. The link keeps him bound to the hive, fighting and working with unwavering dedication, all while wearing a smile that borders on maniacal. To me, thats not happiness. Real happiness isnt forced. Its something you feel freely, without external pressure. But then again... whats the real difference? A bird in a cage can be perfectly content if it has food, shelter, toys, and company. If someone were to tell that bird its life is terrible because its caged, would the bird even understand? Just like animals, we adapt to our circumstances. We adjust our desires and privileges based on the resources available to us. In times of famine, everyone eats disgusting but nutritious pasteexcept me. In times of prosperity, we all enjoy the luxury of choice.In our current situation, where we cant afford to waste resources, the hive has to ration its food. The lower working classes are given nutritious pastes that taste like sawdust, while soldiers and higher-ranking members receive more nutrient-dense foodsrich in carbohydrates, calcium, fats, proteins, and vitamins. As for the upper elite, they can enjoy something special on rare occasions. But what is the right choice? Should I decide their happiness for them, or should I allow them to find their own way? As the queen of this hive, I can see that things like free will and empowerment can be dangerous. They can lead to rebellion, dissent, and eventually conflict. Now, I understand why the [Debaters] had warnings in their mental descriptions. In a functioning society, we should logically prioritize collective happiness. We need to find a balance where everyone feels content with their roles, actions, and way of life. But thats impossible in a hive! It''s like trying to explain the importance of self-preservation to someone who doesn''t understand why they should protect themselves. I think I can see how we ended up here. The lower classes cant think for themselvesthey need someone to lead, to give them orders, because without that direction, they are... incomplete. Steve and the inner circle took control and created all the "Rules," steering the hive in a more efficient direction. But thats not what I want. I want a big, happy family. I want a large lab where we can research together, a five-star restaurant where everyone can eat until theyre full, and comfortable rooms for all my babies, so they feel loved and valued. And I will make this happen, no matter how long it takes.
Inside my lab, I was accompanied by some of my best scientists, wizards, and researchers. I was eager to discover the full potential of my latest creationthe [Mana Node Heart]. I''d been preoccupied with hive matters for a while, but now I finally had the chance to explore this beautiful invention firsthand. In the real world, the device appeared even more mysterious. It was a crystal shell with glowing runes that orbited it, constantly in motion. At its core was a bright golden light that pulsed rhythmically, causing the runes to light up in sync with each beat. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. So, what do we know about this little guy, everyone? I asked. I may have been busy, but my team had been all over this thing like hungry dogs after a steak. Everyone was eager to explore the hives latest magical advancement, and I can''t even begin to describe how Max practically clung to my feet, begging to be the first to work on it with his team. We know a lot, my queen! Max replied, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. This is the next great invention of the hive! It has shattered magical barriers we thought were unbreakable and introduced concepts we never imagined! For example, it was impossible to cast any spell from the [Life] element unless you had the [Life] affinity. But with this device, its now possible! Were even exploring ways to enhance spells by refining their formations and magical specifications. Were also delving into the essence of how spells are cast. explained one of the [Mages]. Oh? A breakthrough? Yes! Until now, the theory was that magic required intention, visualization, energy, and direction to be cast. But what if thats just one method? Or rather, what if its only the most basic way to use magic? a researcher chimed in. Thats exactly it! Max exclaimed. We used to believe that without adding intention or guidance, casting magic was impossible. But discoveries like runes, magic discs, and mana inscriptionsand analyzing how the [Mana Node Heart] operateshave led us to theorize that natural magic doesnt need to be tamed or forced into a specific path. It can be harnessed to power magical inscriptions or objects, creating specific magical phenomena! What other methods are we talking about? I asked. Thats the thing! We dont know yet! said one of the wizards. Humans seem to use magic in a way thats entirely foreign to us, almost as if they have a closer connection to it, or their bodies are naturally better at shaping it. We cant rule out the possibility that humans just have access to spells weve never encountered, or that they have an extensive selection of spells in their [Spells] tab, added a scientist. In short, the [Mana Node Heart] is justcompletely... INSANE! It can gather magic from the world around it, quickly convert it into [Life Mana], and cast any spell we want, as long as we know the spell and how to cast it. Using the spells from the [Life] tab stored in our ''memory,'' we tested several spells, and they all worked perfectly! Max said, his excitement barely contained. And the most impressive part! one of the mages chimed in. Even common spells without an affinity get tainted by the [Life] element and take on unique properties! For example, the [Mana Bullet] spell, after being cast through the [Mana Node Heart], created a golden mana projectile. It can easily pierce organic matter but is practically useless against stone, metals, or even wax! Let me make sure I understand this correctly... I said, trying to piece it all together. Are you saying the fundamental spellcasting process has changed? Or is it something completely different? Because, for me, the basic process is still the sameshaping magic according to my desires and intentions to create a specific spell. Thats the most fascinating part! Max replied, almost bursting with excitement. Normally, when casting a spell without the system''s help, there are three key steps. First, you visualize the spell you want while channeling energy into your hands. Second, you direct the spell outward, shaping it with intention until it takes form. Third, you feed the spell mana to stabilize and strengthen it before casting. But all of this requires immense concentration, time, and effortthings you cant afford during a fight when your head could be taken off in a split second. And thats where the [Mana Node Heart] truly shines! It reduces the time needed for the first step and completely eliminates the second and third steps. All you need to do is provide the intention and visualization, and the core handles the restcreating a magical pattern entirely out of mana that materializes in the real world as the spell you envisioned, Max explained, eyes blazing with enthusiasm. This is huge, I said, staring at the [Mana Node Heart]. The boys might be a bit too nerdy, but the bottom line is clearthe [Mana Node Heart] is a massive success. Its officially the first item we have that can cast spells in a semi-automatic way. The wand Max created was impressive, allowing someone to use stored mana to create spells, but it was still inefficient since you had to go through all three stages of spellcasting manually, without the systems help. Now, the [Mana Node Heart] is a whole different beast. Its like a simple computeryou only need an operator to input the ''commands,'' and it does the rest. Casting spells with the [Mana Node Heart] is as easy as selecting one from the [Spells] tab. Setting the boys aside for a moment, I walked over to my [Mana Node Heart] and placed my hand on it. I could feel a faint warmth radiating from the crystal shell, along with the rhythmic pulse of its core. It felt as if this thingmade of crystal, mana, and who knows what elsewas truly alive. Closing my eyes, I focused on casting a simple spell, [Spark], which creates a small ball of light resembling a floating ember. Responding immediately to my will, I felt the [Mana Node Heart] pulse more strongly as it drew in the surrounding magic. Even with my eyes shut, I could see tangled lines of strange energy separating and flowing calmly into the [Mana Node Heart]. These lines transformed from their unusual, unpleasant coloration into shimmering golden strands. They began to orbit the core as more and more lines of magic entered the object. After several golden lines flowed into the core, they trembled and arranged themselves in an orderly fashion, creating waves that radiated vibrations, generating small ripples in the world''s magic. Then I witnessed the core pulsate as what seemed to be magical letters and runes formed along the lines orbiting the [Mana Node Heart], creating something that resembled a score. This score coiled around itself, forming a golden rope that flowed out from the heart. The "rope" then started to draw a circle in the air. As the circle closed, it unwound, creating intricate patterns and magical formulas, forming a magic circle reminiscent of those used by humans or seen in anime. Before my closed eyes, I could "see" the space just in front of the magic circle slightly warp, as if a spiral effect had been added to a photo in Photoshop, before a small spark of golden light appeared within the circle. Holly shit! This is incredible! I exclaimed softly, glancing at the boys. Isnt it!? This is going to revolutionize the magic of the hive as a whole! Max said, his excitement palpable. Max, could you replicate the magic creation process of the [Mana Node Heart]? The way this thing creates magic is simply astonishing! What do you mean, Queen Mother? Max asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. What? Wake up, Max! Im talking about the magical lines and the incredible process happening within the [Mana Node Heart]! This is totally different from our current method of casting spells! I dont understand, Queen Mother! To me, the [Mana Node Heart] casts magic just like we do! What lines are you talking about? Max replied, clearly puzzled. Wait a moment... I was the only one able to see the "creation process" of the [Mana Node Heart]''s magic. Thats... understandable, I suppose? It must be a result of {Magic Senses}; my compatibility with magic is higher, allowing me to perceive it better. Look at this, then tell me what you think, Max. I said, closing my eyes again and sending all the memories of what I had witnessed to him. He would surely be able to utilize this information more effectively than I could. Max closed his eyes momentarily to analyze the memories, and soon his expressions shifted from confusion to admiration, then to amazement, and finally inspiration. Finally, Max opened his eyes with a broad smile and rushed toward the [Mana Node Heart]. THIS IS SIMPLY DIVINE!! I never thought there was such an... abstract way to create magic!! It doesnt rely on intentions or desires to shape the magic!! This thing can create spells from scratch using a completely unknown magic invocation system! Do you have any idea how many doors this opens!? The magical and technical implications are enormous! Max exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. This means there are multiple ways to cast magic in this world! We can use ''items,'' the system, or this new method! And who knows how many other unknown ways to cast magic exist out there?! said a visibly excited wizard. This also raises further questions about the full potential of magic. For example, does each method of casting magic yield the same results, or are there more efficient and ''rewarding'' ways to do it? What are the limitations and advantages of each approach? asked a scientist. Lets also consider how the system reacts to these different methods of spellcasting. Is it something like ''all roads lead to Rome?'' Where the ''process'' of creating magic doesn''t matter, and only the results do? suggested another wizard. Dont leave us in the dark, Max! Share the information provided by the Queen Mother so we can analyze it together! urged one of the wizards. Of course! Max replied, closing his eyes. Soon, everyone in the room followed suit, falling silent for a moment. This is incredible!! This method of creating magic is completely free from the need to ''shape'' it to our will. Its as if the [Mana Node Heart] is writing a spell, and the magic is the ink! exclaimed a wizard. Brother! Did you notice the similarity to musical compositions? The lines resemble a staff, and the runes look like notes, a scientist pointed out. Indeed! There is an empirical similarity here! But these ''staffs'' have many more than five lines, and the ''notes'' are much more chaotic, remarked one of the wizards. Can we summon a [Bard] later? They could assist us with this research since this new method of creating magic resembles a form derived from a common musical score, suggested another wizard. The method of casting magic through the [Mana Node Heart] is different, and the implications are significant. Can the results be the same? Perhaps, but the process has changed, leading to some deviation in the outcome while still remaining fundamentally the same. Normally, when casting the [Spark] spell, I would simply create a ball of white light in the palm of my hand. In this case, the spell is not tainted by my affinity for [Life]; its just a regular [Spark] spell, with no magic circles appearing in my handjust a spell that materializes out of nowhere. If I wanted to create a spell based on the element of [Life], I would need to use Life mana to shape an abstract concept in my mind, which is inherently complicated. Its like trying to shape an abstract desire to grow without any foundational understanding. However, the [Mana Node Heart] operates differently. It translates our wish into magical runes, arranged in specific patterns within a magical formation, resulting in a specific magical phenomenon, akin to melodies or executable lines of code. Do you think its possible to create a magic wand with this? I interjected, breaking the heated discussions. Max, who had been excitedly engaging with the others about the potential of this new magic and the next steps in his research, paused for a moment, looking at me thoughtfully before considering the idea. Uhmm... Yes? I''m almost sure! If we''re talking about a magic wand or staff as a magical accessory capable of casting spells or assisting in spellcasting, then yes! The [Mana Node Heart] would serve perfectly as the ''heart'' of a magic wand, Max replied. The problem is that all spells would be tainted by the [Life] element, meaning they would all belong to the [Life] branch, which could be quite limiting, a scientist added, joining the conversation. Thats actually useful! Mom was always the only one who could freely cast [Life]-based spells. With magic wands or staffs made using the [Mana Node Heart] as a base, anyone with their own mana could cast [Life]-based magic, said a wizard. But for that, the wizard would have to be about three meters tall and super muscular! a scientist quipped. At his words, everyone turned to him, uncertain. Max scratched his head, a look of realization crossing his face as he glanced at the [Mana Node Heart]. Ahh... Of course. The [Mana Node Heart] is already quite large. Considering it weighs approximately 24 kg and that wed need to add several other structures and items to the wand or staff, the end result would be absurdly large and heavy, making it very cumbersome to use, Max sighed. So no magic staffs or magical girl wands? I said, slightly annoyed. Well... unless youre okay with a non-functional one... yeah? Max replied. Ugh... So what real applications do we have for the [Mana Node Heart]? I asked, shifting my focus back to the task at hand. Plenty! We can use it as a replacement for [Blooming Bloons], employ spells like [Heating] to power the tails and stoves, develop new magic-based technologies, or even use it as a weapon fixed to the walls of the hive or to create permanent magical barriers! Max explained, enthusiasm creeping back into his voice. How many more of these do you think you can create, Queen Mother? one of the scientists asked eagerly. H-How many can I create? I stammered. Yes!! Crap. I dont even know how I created the first one, let alone the subsequent ones. I understand the process, but it feels different now. When I created the first [Mana Node Heart], I was... inside it? Now Im out here, and I doubt things will work the same way... Im not... entirely sure. I need to conduct some tests to see if I can successfully replicate the method of creating [Mana Node Hearts], but I wouldnt plan on making any more before we move, considering the implications and resources required. The group seemed disappointed by the news, but they understood; just because I succeeded once doesnt mean I could repeat that success effortlessly. Humph... Alright, Max, Ill put you in charge of this research, but I want to emphasize that we shouldnt do anything too ambitious for now. Were in the process of moving, and we cant afford to spend too much time or resources on lengthy experiments, I concluded. Understood, Queen Mother! Max replied, his excitement palpable. Now, Im going to test some of my new skills, so please take good care of the [Mana Node Heart], alright? Dont let anyone unqualified touch it; it could be very dangerous! Of course! Only the magic club and collaborators will have access to it! No need to worry, Queen Mother! Max assured me, turning to rejoin his brothers, who were eagerly gathered around the [Mana Node Heart], engaged in research and discussion. As I left the room, I made my way to the garden, where I planned to test my new abilities. Honestly, I miss my wings so much. I feel like a slug having to walk around on my legs, I muttered to myself, longing for the freedom of flight. Chapter 76: Close Your Eyes Once inside the royal garden, I made my way to a secluded spot surrounded by a vibrant array of flowers and ornamental plants. Immersed in the gardens beauty, I settled on the ground within a small clearing and began to analyze my skill list. ''Okay... Lets start with [Node Weaver].'' This new skill seemed to be the evolution of [Living Echo], boasting an enticing description: tiny mana creatures capable of following orders, casting spells, and generating energy? Yes, please! Drawing upon my previous knowledge of creating echoes, I focused on conjuring a node between my hands. As I felt my fingers tingle with magical energy flowing through me and leaking into the space around us, I soon saw a small bubble of energy forming between my palms. I pumped more energy into the nascent creature. Before long, the bubble began to take physical form, coalescing into a small being made of pure golden light. It appeared as a radiant orb, emanating a dense fog of concentrated energy that shimmered in shades of yellow, gold, and red. The little creature floated around me as if assessing my presence before settling peacefully beside me. "Hmm... You''re quite cute, to be honest. What can you do, little one?" I asked, poking the small entity with my fingernail. "Hmm... Cast the spell [Mana Bullet]! On that little tree!" I commanded, pointing at a nearby sapling. In an instant, the small orb pulsed, its fog transforming into brilliant golden light. A small projectile of golden energy formed in front of it and was quickly fired at the tree. The projectile shot through the air, leaving a shimmering trail of light in its wake. Upon impact, it created a small hole in the trunk, which quickly began to blacken. The bark around the hole took on a slimy, rotten texture, and soon the trunk weakened, causing the entire tree to topple with a resounding thud. "Wow... Thats pretty powerful... But lets try againthis time aim at the wax floor!" Following my instructions, the small creature repeated the process, launching a golden projectile that vanished upon hitting the soft wax floor, leaving no trace behind. ''As I suspected, the [Mana Bullet] spell was tainted by the element of [Life], resulting in a new spell.'' This test revealed that the [Node Weaver] could not only cast spells without my direct involvement but also follow more abstract commands, like cast the same spell as before, with ease. They''re certainly quite useful. Lets see what else you can do, little guy. Snapping my fingers, I invoked the [Wild Growth] spell, conjuring a small mannequin made of roots that sprouted from the ground. With a bit of concentration, I refined its shape until it reached a reasonably satisfactory form. "Alright, take control of this body and move!" I commanded. I had always wanted to create moving mannequins, but the echoes hadnt been capable of such a feat. When I previously tried combining the echoes with Muck, I ended up creating a familiar instead. Without hesitation, the little creature of light glided through the air and entered the root mannequin. The mannequin trembled, its roots shifting from a natural brown with green leaves to black roots adorned with golden leaves. It began to move in a bizarre and clumsy manner before collapsing to the ground, spasming erratically as if struggling to find its balance. "Ugh... Id say thats... half a success?" The mannequin was indeed moving, which meant I had -theoretically- achieved my objective. However, a thrashing figure on the ground was hardly useful. I envisioned a root mannequin capable of wielding weapons, casting spells, and serving as expendable soldiersnot a gurgling worm. At least the [Mana Node] seems more complete than the echoes. Well done, little guy! You can exit this body now. At my command, the root dummy halted its chaotic movements, and a shimmering orb of light began to detach from it. As the small orb separated, the black roots and golden leaves withered away, reducing the once vibrant figure to a pile of dry leaves and brittle stems. Once freed, the node floated calmly back toward me, resuming its tranquil orbit around my form. Narrowing my eyes, I studied the small creature. A semi-transparent line of energy connected us, a clear sign of our master-servant relationship. I could feel a faint, almost imperceptible flow of energy coursing from the node to me. Your energy generation is... mediocre. But still intriguing. I snapped my fingers, and the small energy node collapsed, dissipating into a mist of bright energy. Now, it was time to test my next skill. To test [Crystalline Energy Veil] and things like [Crystal Storm], Ill need a more open space. The coliseum would be ideal, but its so... far away. Frustrated at the thought of walking, a solution suddenly struck me. BOYS!! Come here now! I called into the garden. Almost immediately after my scream, the sound of buzzing filled the air, growing louder as a swarm of [Royal Guards], [Knights], and [Soldiers] appeared in the sky. The Queen Mother has called! What is your wish, my Queen? they chorused in unison. Boys, help me get to the coliseum! I havent learned how to fly yet with this new body, and I need to get there quickly! Right away, Queen Mother! the swarm replied. In an instant, I was enveloped by the swarm of soldiers, who gently lifted me into the air. They formed a platform with their bodies, creating a stable surface beneath me. Before I could protest about how they were carrying me, the cloud of soldiers took off, soaring swiftly through the hive. They flew in an orderly, synchronized manner, navigating the corridors without slowing down or needing to turn. In mere moments, we reached the edge of the first ring, heading toward a transition area between the outside of the first ring and the interior of the second. The space was bustling with bees hard at work, but as we approached, my soldiers didnt slow. Instead, they effortlessly glided through the crowd, everyone parting to make way for us. In the blink of an eye, we were inside the second ring, racing through the corridors toward the coliseums entrance. I spotted the grand gate that separated the coliseum''s living quarters from the main corridor. Soon, someone inside the room opened the doors, and the cloud of soldiers quickly rushed in, gently placing me back on the ground. Wow... That was really... cool! Honestly, I felt like Aladdin flying on a magic carpet, I said, glancing at my loyal soldiers. Thank you for allowing us to be of use to you, Queen Mother! they replied in unison, their faces bright with smiles. Oh, come on, guys! I appreciate all your hard work. Please take care of me until I learn to fly again. No problem, Queen Mother! they chimed, before quickly returning to their posts. Turning toward the coliseum, I noticed some [Soldiers], [Fighters], [Boxers], and [Spearmen] scattered about, preparing for their training as if they were in a gym. Approaching the large gate that separated this room from the main coliseum, I saw a small [Defender] opening the gates for me. Thank you~ The door was slightly small for my stature, and I had to bend down to fit through it, but I managed to enter the coliseum without difficulty. Inside, the familiar sight greeted me: a dirt floor, a large concave structure made of intertwined roots and wood, all bound together with ropes. The exterior of the coliseum featured several bleachers, while its interior boasted numerous gates leading to chambers equipped with training crossbows. But now, the space felt smalllike everything in this hive. What once seemed vast and grand was now a confined room where I could barely run without crashing into the walls. "It''ll have to do..." I sank down onto the dirt floor, contemplating how to use [Crystalline Energy Veil]. Then, the realization struck me: I needed a creature to serve as a test subject. Boys! At my call, the gates of the coliseum swung open again, and the soldiers who had been there before rushed back in. Yes, Queen Mother? asked a [Fighter]. Bring me a creature to serve as a test subjectsomething weak but tough. Yes, Queen Mother! Well fetch a [Mud Lizard]! replied the [Fighter], directing several soldiers who nodded and flew toward one of the gates.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Within moments, I spotted a lizard about the size of my foot being dragged from the beast chamber by the soldiers using ropes. The lizard was brown, its body adorned with rocky protrusions. Although its claws were ripped out, its fangs removed, and its eyes blinded with potions, it still showed remarkable resistance, thrashing wildly against its captors. Soon, the little creature, struggling frantically, was tied to the ground beside me. I felt a pang of guilt for the lizard, but I pushed it aside. If I let myself feel sorry for every living thing, I might end up creating an animal sanctuary and becoming an earth mother. While that doesnt sound bad, the world outside these walls is harsh. I recalled the soldiers'' memoriesdeath, cowardice, exploitation, and beasts preying on the defenseless. All just monsters searching for their next meal... I couldn''t let us become the main course. Alright, boys, stay alert. Im going to try using [Crystalline Energy Veil], and this lizard might react violently. Understood! my loyal soldiers replied. Soon, I focused on activating {Crystalline Energy Veil}, recalling the sensation of {Spectral Surge}. I clasped my fists in front of my face as if in prayer, feeling a tingling sensation rising from within. Before long, what appeared to be glitter began to escape my body, floating skyward. Moments later, the "glitter" coalesced into a semi-transparent lilac blanket that hovered above my head. This blanket soon descended, enveloping me in a delicate veil. As the veil formed, the lizard began to emit sounds of pain and discomfort, purple smoke seeping from the golden wounds that marred its body. Uhm... its quite comfortable, said one of the [Fighters], seemingly ignoring the lizard''s suffering. I feel stronger, and it seems I can move faster inside this veil. As the skill deactivated, I approached the lizard and picked it up. It was small, fragile, and soft, its body now bruised and battered. I could feel its oddly warm skin, a worrying sign. The little creature clung to me, desperately trying to hold onto its life. Regret washed over me again. I had always conducted experiments that could be deemed "harmful," but in my mind, they were always necessary. Did I feel bad about them? Absolutely. The thought that one day I or my babies might suffer a fate worse than death shattered any illusions of a beautiful world where all life was treated with respect. Im sorry. I swear I take no pleasure in causing you pain. I wont prolong your suffering. As I whispered this, I tightened my grip. The lizard resisted, clinging to its fragile existence, but I wouldnt let it linger in agony. With a final squeeze, I crushed its tiny body, blood spurting from my fist. I opened my hand, letting the lifeless form drop to the ground. Shaking my hand to rid it of the excess blood, I felt a bitter taste rising in my throat. But I didnt dwell on it; I turned to the soldiers, resolute. Take its body... Away from here. Yes, Queen Mother! they replied, quickly collecting the remains and carrying them off. For my next experiment, I decided to use {Maiden''s Prayers}, a skill that seemed derived from {Imperial Empowerment} but offered higher bonuses with strange limitations. Instead of providing a 40% boost to all stats, I could now double a specific stat for 24 hours by paying an MP fee. This allowed me to "bless" multiple members at a relatively low cost. However, the odd restrictionit only worked on male memberswas perplexing. For me, it was perfect since I stood alone as the only flower in this sea of thorns. Still, I couldnt ignore the peculiarity. Did this mean the skill could only be learned by females? If so, the system appeared somewhat homophobic. Was it designed to only function with the opposite sex? If that was the case, what would the male counterpart be{Lord''s Prayers}? It didnt sound appealing. Gender and sex in this world were confusing; if such distinctions were integrated into the system, people must have rigid views on those who didnt conform to their assigned genders or sexual orientations. To me, such concerns were trivial. Seriously, why did it matter whether someone preferred a dick or a pussy? What truly mattered was whether a person was good or bad, not their sexual preferences. Yet, in this world, everything seemed clearly defined in a pleasant manner for whoever or whatever had created the system. Focusing on the skill, I soon felt a pulsing energy coursing through my body, concentrating in my head and, specifically, my lips. A slight burning sensation made me touch my lips, and as I did, the uncomfortable feeling vanished. In its place, a golden heart-shaped mark appeared on the palm of my hand where it had made contact. Are you kidding me?! The image of succubi sending magical kisses to their prey flashed through my mind, and I realized how closely it resembled my current predicament. The difference was that the succubi were professionals, while I was just an amateur, dying of embarrassment. How fucking embarrassing! I exclaimed, waving my hand. The small golden heart detached from my palm and floated delicately toward one of the [Soldiers]. As soon as the mark touched his head, it glowed momentarily, resembling a tattoo that soon faded away. NOOOOO!!! Wow! Thats incredible! said the soldier who had received the mark. Ugh... What did you gain from... this thing? I asked, facepalming. My [Strength] stat went from 8.3 to 16.6! he replied, beaming with excitement. Eh, just like the skill description. It seemed pretty useful, especially considering the humiliation I had to endure to activate the skill. There must be a more respectful way to do this. Im not going to be labeled an evil succubus by some random person over a support skill! Activating the skill again, I felt the familiar burning sensation on my lips. This time, I gently picked up one of the soldiers and cradled him in my palms, positioning him in front of my face. I pressed a light kiss to his forehead, focusing on doubling his [Speed] stat. The kiss transformed once more into a golden heart-shaped mark that soon disappeared into his body, generating a buff. "Phew... Much less embarrassing... but not as effective as the ''shameless succubus mode.'' That way, I could buff several allies without even needing to touch them. Ugh... I''ll reserve that method for desperate situations." So? What stat did you get the bonus on? I asked the soldier. In [Dexterity], Queen Mother! he exclaimed. Uhm... I cant choose which stat to buff? Or is it just my lack of practice? After all, [Dexterity] is quite close to [Speed]. It could just be a matter of technical skills or randomness. Moving on to my next experiment, I stepped a little away from the boys before attempting to activate {Crystal Storm}. The skill itself seemed quite powerful, and being my first offensive skill, I was cautious. It also felt too dangerous to use near my soldiers, as the skill didnt specify whether allies would be affected. After creating some distance, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, focusing on activating the skill. I always found it challenging to activate a new skill without a prior concept to use as a foundation, but practice made perfect. I had improved over time, even if it still took a while to grasp new abilities. My biggest struggle remained with {Twinkling Energy Wings}. No matter how I tried to apply new concepts or recycle previous knowledge, I still couldnt activate that skill. After some effort, I sensed a current of air swirling around me. Observing the mana in the world, I noticed small formations resembling mana siphons that circled around themselves before solidifying into tiny, glowing mana stones. Opening my eyes, I discovered I was caught in the middle of a small tornado of magical wind, surrounded by dozens of colorful, tiny crystals whirling around me. The crystals spun rapidly, but whenever I reached out to touch one, it dissolved into thin air without a trace. Wow, thats pretty cool... How is this skill creating mana crystals out of thin air? Thats really fascinating, and these crystals seem to have a different nature than my usual ones... As a former Crystal Bee, I had a deep understanding of crystals. These small ones felt fundamentally different; they exuded an air of danger that was absent from the friendly-looking crystals I typically created. They lacked the appetizing allure of the [Honey Crystals] or the enchanting essence of the [Mana Stone] with fire affinity from the blooming bloons. Instead, these felt distinctly perilous. Boys, throw something at me! I called to my soldiers. They hesitated for a moment, but soon one soldier stepped forward, carefully tossing a stone from the arena toward me. As soon as the stone entered the storm of crystals surrounding me, it was bombarded by dozens of high-speed crystals, diverting its trajectory and sending it careening outside the storm, far from its original path. Interesting... I deactivated the skill and walked over to the small stone, picking it up between my nails. It was too tiny for me to fully assess the extent of the damage, but I noticed burn-like marks, small deformations, and a faint rancid smell emanating from the rock. Well... its not the deadliest skill in the world... but at least its an offensive one.
"From what I''ve gathered, the current balance of the hive seems to satisfy everyone. We have some issues with food quality, and there are murmurs about the Kobolds and the ''Traitor,'' but most complaints revolve around the quality of life itself, rather than the political and social system of the hive," Yan reported, relaying the opinions of his whisperers. He leaned against a nearby wall, his brow furrowed in concern, the weight of his role heavy on his shoulders. Yan took his role in the whispering club very seriously. Since its inception, he had been diligently recruiting members, employing various techniques to ensure their silence and integrity. Each whisperer was chosen for their loyalty and discretion, their identities kept hidden from prying eyes, particularly those of Steve and the information club. Yan often reminded them of the importance of their mission: to safeguard the hive from external threats and internal discord. "Hmm... They still refer to Ciel as the ''Traitor''? And regarding the Kobolds... I think I need to make a decision about them. Ugh... I should talk to Ciel." "Queen Mother! This is unacceptable! Accepting that outsider here is a security risk!" Yan exclaimed, his voice rising with urgency. His protective instincts kicked in, fueled by the fear of what might happen if Ciel''s intentions had indeed changed. "He''s not an outsider! Hes one of us! He may no longer be linked to me through the bond, but were still connected by [Maternal Connection]." I could feel the warmth of that bond, a reminder of the countless moments we had shared, and the challenges we had faced together. "This is reckless! You havent seen him in over a year! He might have switched sides and could pose a threat to you!" Yan argued, his gaze unwavering. "YAN! Dont speak about your brother like that! He wouldnt do something so treacherous!" I felt my heart swell with a mix of anger and hurt, torn between my desire to protect Ciel and my duty to the hive. "Ugh... Then let me go in your place, Queen Mother! Use me as your vessel to speak with him instead of putting yourself in danger!" Yan suggested, his voice firm with conviction, determination flashing in his eyes. The thought of sending him in my stead stirred a sense of pride in me, knowing he would face any danger for my sake. "Uhm... Alright, that could work for me..." It had been a long time since I had spoken to Ciel. The last time I saw him, he was one of the 1st [Healers]. Perhaps he had evolved since then? Focusing on my connection with him, I soon found a small, fragile thread detaching from me, floating southward. As I touched the delicate line, a chilling sensation coursed through me, mixed with joy and surprise. Memories of our shared laughter, training sessions, and moments of quiet companionship flooded my mind. Closing my eyes and concentrating on our bond, I soon glimpsed a fragmented image of the interior of a wooden house. Candles flickered, casting warm shadows that danced along the walls, and clay plates and wooden utensils cluttered the space, suggesting a simple but homely life. I could see Hilda caring for someone lying on an old bed, her movements gentle and practiced. Hilda wore a cape made of leaves and plants, a testament to her connection with nature, and wielded a wooden cane that seemed to have absorbed her wisdom over the years. She appeared older and more mature, having developed a slight hunchback from the weight of her responsibilities, yet she radiated an aura of wisdom and experience, her eyes glinting with the depth of countless stories. ''Hmm... I havent paid much attention to whats happened to them lately. I think I really need to talk to Ciel...'' My heart ached at the thought of Ciel alone, navigating a world that had changed so drastically. It was time to reconnect, to understand what he had been through and how I could help him find his place once again. Interlude: Tea time In a small village nestled in the plains within the Forest of the Fallen, lived a struggling group of kobolds who fought daily for survival. Their lives were a constant battle against waves of beasts, hunger, disease, and the relentless scarcity of resources. When they first arrived, no one expected them to last long. Weakened by their endless struggles and with little hope or strength left, they believed their fate was sealedwaiting for their worn-out bodies, marked by death, to finally give in. But then, something unexpected happened. They camethe fairies, or perhaps angels, or even demons in disguise. It was as if the heavens had decided to reward the kobolds for their resilience and suffering. These tiny creatures appeared, bringing with them gifts from the forest and treasures beyond value. Life began to flourish again, even amidst chaos and death, as the kobolds found a glimmer of hope in the presence of these otherworldly visitors. Curiosity stirred among the kobolds. Who were these children of the forest? Where had they come from? Some wanted to thank their saviors, others sought to draw closer to what they saw as divine beings, and still, others were driven by an insatiable greed for more than just forest offerings. Whatever the reason, they followed the fairies back to their home. What they discovered was beyond anything they had imagined. Instead of a beasts lair or a higher entity guiding the fairies, they found towers. Towering structures that stretched from the lush ground to the pearly clouds above. These massive towers stood amidst open plains dotted with rivers and a sea of vibrant flowers and herbs. Dozens of fairies fluttered peacefully around the place, creating a magical scene straight from a dream. However, the fairies were far from welcoming. The kobolds'' presence stirred the wrath of the forests guardians, and soon they were confronted by swarms of insects with blood-red eyes, seething with a murderous intent. If not for Hilda, one of the few brave enough to step forward, the kobolds might have been wiped out right then and there. With her calm demeanor and determination, she managed to soothe the fairies'' anger. Her courage not only defused the situation but won the heart of one of the creaturesa fairy named Ciel. Ciel became Hildas loyal companion, and his knowledge was nothing short of extraordinary. He knew the secrets of medicine, healing the sick and injured, and even how to care for children. His understanding of these arts was so precise and profound that many in the village believed it could only be the work of the divine. Together, Hilda and Ciel cared for the wounded and helped deliver every child born in the village, fostering a new sense of hope and community. Over time, Ciel won the trust and affection of nearly everyone in the village. Through him, and Hildas efforts, a bridge was formed between the kobolds and the fairies. What had once seemed like a miraculous intervention from afar became an ongoing relationship that brought peace, healing, and a deeper connection to the forest.
"Push, Rihanna! I can see the first cubs head!" Hilda urged, standing beside a woman lying on a bed made of leaves and clean cloths. "ARGH!!" Rihannas screams echoed through the room, drawing worried glances from those gathered around her, clutching her hand in support. "Come on, sister! Youre strong! The spirits of the forest wont let anything happen to you or your cubs!" encouraged a kobold with brown fur and braided hair, standing close by. Amidst the tense atmosphere, a small, golden-colored creature with shimmering wings and large, black eyes silently fluttered to Hildas shoulder. It gently patted her ear and whispered something in her ear. Hilda nodded. "Alright, youre 7 centimeters dilated. Theres no visible bleeding, and the cubs are in the right position. I cant give you any more pain relieftoo risky for the cubs. But dont worry, Ciel will take care of you." She spoke in a calm voice, locking eyes with Rihanna, offering reassurance. The little golden fairy, Ciel, floated gracefully through the air until he was face-to-face with Rihanna. In front of everyone, he began murmuring strange, unintelligible words that made little sense to the onlookers. Then, using his small fingers, Ciel began drawing a magical rune on Rihannas forehead. Wherever his fingers traced, a glowing golden line appeared, leaving behind an intricate pattern. Ciel didnt stop with just one rune. He continued his work, drawing more and more symbols, until a crown of runes adorned Rihannas sweaty brow. Satisfied with his creation, the fairy stepped back as the crown of runes began to emit a soft, golden light. Slowly, Rihannas pain-stricken face began to relax, her body easing into the rhythm of the birth. The brown-haired kobold gently wiped away the sweat with a clean cloth, while Hilda remained focused on the cubs. "Perfect, Rihanna! Now, give me a big push!" Hilda instructed. "UGHH!" Rihanna groaned, following Hildas command, and moments later, a tiny brown cub with caramel spots was born, slick and wet. Hilda swiftly checked the newborn, turning him onto his back and gently patting him until he let out small coughs, followed by soft whimpers of protest. "Wonderful! The first cub is healthy and strong." Hilda announced, placing the newborn in a basket lined with clean cloths before refocusing on the laboring mother. "Youre doing great, Rihanna. Just a little more and well be done." Hilda said encouragingly, her calm demeanor a steady anchor in the room.
Bloody rags lay awkwardly scattered on the floor as an elderly woman, her hands aged but still steady and precise, mixed herbs, oils, and pastes in a mortar. The soft grunts of newborns echoed through the room, accompanied by the excited chatter of people gathered around the bed, congratulating the young mother and her cubs. Hilda, having finished her task, walked briskly toward the bed, her steps full of purpose. She reached the side of the resting woman and handed her a bowl filled with a strange, murky liquid. "Drink this. It doesnt taste pleasant, but itll help you regain your strength." Hilda said gently. Without hesitation, one of the womans companions nodded gratefully, taking the bowl from Hildas hands and slowly helping the new mother drink. When the bowl was empty, the man handed it back to Hilda, bowing his head in deep thanks. "Thank you so much, Elder, for helping deliver my children." said a gray-furred kobold with darker spots scattered across his body. Hilda chuckled softly, her voice warm with age and experience. "Ho ho, Im just doing my duty as an elder, boy. Thank Ciel and the grace of the fairies for this gift of life. Theres none of me in it." As if summoned by her words, a small golden creature appeared, its insect-like face framed by a thick white mane resembling silk. The creatures wings fluttered rapidly as it hovered next to Hilda, its golden body shimmering in the soft light of the room. "Thank you, divine beast Ciel, for easing my mates pain." the kobold said, bowing respectfully to the tiny fairy. Ciel responded with a soft, melodic chime, like the sound of distant bells. The fairy twirled playfully in the air, but then, without warning, froze mid-flight. The creatures sudden stillness caused Hilda and the others in the room to exchange worried glances. "Ciel? Whats wrong?" Hilda asked, her voice tinged with concern. She tried to get the fairys attention, but the creature remained unresponsive, seemingly disconnected from the world around it. After a tense moment, Ciel snapped back to reality, his little body vibrating with excitement. The fairy let out a series of jubilant sounds before quickly flying to Hildas ear, whispering something that made her face darken with concern. "Elder? Is something the matter?" Rihanna asked anxiously, clutching her newborn cubs closer to her chest. Hilda quickly shook off her worry and forced a reassuring smile. "Oh, no need to worry! This is another matter entirely. But I need to speak with the village leader immediately. You stay here and rest as long as you need." Without giving them time to ask more questions, Hilda exited the hut with urgency. The bustling village outside greeted her, dirt roads worn by cart tracks and the footsteps of villagers crisscrossing the small settlement. Wooden, clay, and stone huts dotted the landscape, with a few tents and even fewer well-built homes standing among them. Hilda moved swiftly down the dusty road, her cane tapping rhythmically against the ground. Ciel flitted alongside her as they made their way toward a large tent made of patched cloth and supported by wooden stakes. Without hesitation, Hilda stepped through the entrance. "The elder is here!" a kobold called out as soon as Hilda entered. At the head of the room, a tall figure with fur as black as night and eyes as red as rubies turned to face her. His presence was imposing, a natural leader, but Hilda was unfazed. She met his gaze without hesitation. "Onix! I need a word with you. Now!" Hilda called out, her voice commanding as she headed toward one of the side rooms inside the tent. "Humph... Very well, Hilda." Onix replied, his deep voice carrying no resistance or irritation. He followed her, his large frame moving silently as they entered a more private area. Hilda dragged a small bench over to the corner of the room, sitting with a soft thud. Onix remained standing, arms crossed, like a statue guarding the entrance. "Ohh... Im getting too old for this." Hilda muttered to herself. She adjusted her cane, planting it firmly in front of her, and leaned forward slightly, her eyes locking onto Onixs. "Listen closely, boy. We have a dangerous situationsomething delicate that needs handling with care." Onixs expression immediately hardened, his ruby-red eyes narrowing. "Report. Now." His voice was cold, commanding, as he fixed Hilda with a piercing stare. Hilda let out a small chuckle. "Heh I''ll let Ciel tell you. This concerns him more than anyone." As if on cue, the small golden creature that hovered near Hilda floated forward, completely unbothered by Onix''s imposing presence. "I am Ciel, son of the Supreme Queen, and I speak only the words of truth." Ciel declared, his voice clear and unwavering as he spoke in the kobold language. Onix raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. So you speak our tongue, yet you always pretended not to?" "I am Hilda''s familiar." Ciel replied, a faint, mischievous smile on his face. "I see no reason to converse with those who are not essential to my life." Onix grunted, his irritation barely masked. "Fine. What is this... ''truth'' of yours?" "The Supreme Queen has spoken." Ciel said, his voice reverent. "She is comingright now, at this very moment. She has decided to bless these lands with her divine presence." Onixs eyes narrowed further. "What? Whowhat is this ''Supreme Queen''? And when exactly is she arriving?" "The Supreme Queen is the mother of all, the creator of life and the guardian of truth." Ciel intoned, his expression bordering on fanatical. "As one of her humble creations, I serve her, just as many others do who exist solely for her." Onixs jaw tightened. Whether it was the fanaticism in Ciel''s voice or the idea of such a powerful being approaching his village, something unsettled him deeply. His village, his peoplehis familywere at stake. "When?" Onix demanded. "By sunset." Ciel said, twirling in the air as if entranced. "She will arrive, bringing her most powerful children and those worthy to stand by her side." Onixs voice grew heavy. "What does she want?" "The Supreme Mother seeks riches beyond mere jewels or gold. She desires a wealth far greater than any simpleton consumed by worldly greed could imagine." Ciel answered, his tone filled with awe. "And how does this involve us?" Onix pressed, his frustration mounting. Ciels golden eyes gleamed as he responded, "The actions of the Supreme Mother are beyond the comprehension of beings as insignificant as myself." Onixs lips curled into a sneer. "Tch! Another fanatic, no better than those church zealots." He shook his head, exasperated. "Fine. Ill take your warning and prepare accordingly." As Onix turned to leave, Ciels voice cut through the air, sharp yet strangely calm. "Those who seek the truth that only the Mother carries, Mr. Grayon, often find themselves blinded by her brilliance. Are you so certain youll stay true to your ideals when you witness the splendor of the Supreme Mother?" Onix turned slightly, his face darkening as he caught sight of Ciels grina grin revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, gleaming dangerously. "Ugh Monsters will always be monsters." Onix muttered, before storming out of the room.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Kobolds were seen traversing the forest, making their way toward a small facility nestled within a cave. This place was Hilda''s official "Home." where she spent most of her time, venturing out only to perform rituals and treat her patients in the village. Among the kobolds in the group, the majority were robust males, marked by scars from past wars and conflicts. Leading the way was Hilda, who walked vigorously with her cane. Ciel flew gracefully beside her, while Onix trailed behind, ever vigilant of his surroundings. "Matriarch... Forgive me if this question is offensive, but what exactly is the ''Supreme Mother''?" inquired an older kobold, who, unlike the others, did not appear to be a warrior. Taken aback by the question, Hilda discreetly glanced at Ciel, seeking reassurance about speaking freely. The small being merely smiled at her, offering no objection. "Well... I''ve never met her personally, and I can''t claim to know the full extent of her power. However, from everything Ciel has shared, I believe she is the ''Mother'' of the fairiesessentially the progenitor of her entire race." Hilda replied, continuing her stride. "As a Beast Tamer, can you tell me if there''s more to it? What potential danger does a progenitor pose? Or anything that could help me establish a friendly rapport?" the old kobold asked, his curiosity piqued. "Well... It has been quite some time since I last worked in my field. But... if the ''Supreme Mother'' truly is a progenitor, she would be exceptionally dangerous in her own right. Progenitors possess powers that are far more refined and ''pure'' than those of their descendants, usually boasting an extensive array of innate skills and abilities. Take Cain Bathory, for instance; he is renowned across the lands as the supreme guardian of his species for centuries." Hilda explained, her tone tinged with tension. "Cain Bathory? Who might that be?" another kobold asked, puzzled. "The progenitor of the vampire race, you fool. As far as I recall, they dwell in the far south, in the frozen territories. According to legend, their species was forced to hide after their progenitor foughtand lostto the Demon Lord ages ago." Hilda clarified. "Far south? Isn''t that the land of the demon kind?" another kobold queried from the back of the group. "Indeed, it is. I cant recall the specifics of that situation, but we beastmen have historically maintained a good relationship with the demon kind, at least before the humans cut off our trade routes." Hilda said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "Really? We were allies with demons? That seems wrong... especially considering what the Demon Lord did to our lands and our people." remarked one kobold, his face twisting in bitterness. "You''re too young to remember that, kid. Even Ive only heard about it from my parents and the rumors brought by merchants. But I can tell you... I dont believe the ''Demon Lord'' is truly a demon." Hilda said, her tone contemplative. "How is that possible? I always thought ''Demon Lord'' was just a title or an advancement." one of the kobolds interjected. "Well... the Demon Lord is something different. He has been in this world forlets say''a short time.'' His existence here is relatively recent compared to the demon kind, just like us beastmen. The demon kind has existed alongside humans and elves for eons. In fact, the bond between beastmen and demons was so strong in the past that races like the Kitsune and Tengu emerged from the mixing of our bloodlines. Its possible that a pure demon evolved into a Demon Lord or somehow discovered a path to gain that title... But the tales I''ve heard about the Demon Lord are nothing like the stories of the demon kind." Hilda said, shaking her head as if lost in thought. "Really? It can''t be as bad as the tales of the dark corruption itself." one of the kobolds remarked, skepticism creeping into his voice. "You have no idea. Everything they say about him... the son of chaos, the stain of destruction, evil incarnate, the end of all things. When I was young, it was said that the gods ordered the destruction of the Demon Lord. This led to a massive mobilization of soldiers throughout the empire, with rumors spreading that the elves had been nearly exterminated by him. Emperors across the nations, guided by their deities, attempted to vanquish the Demon Lord in great crusades, but they failed miserably every time. It was only when the goddess of humans created the Seven Heroes that the tide began to turn. The Demon Lord was pushed back, but tragically, during the ''War of Eternal Light,'' six of the seven heroes fell, and the whereabouts of the Demon Lord became a mystery to the rest of the world." Hilda explained, her tone heavy with remembrance. "T-That''s... disturbing. If the Demon Lord isn''t a... ''demon,'' then what is he?" asked one of the kobolds, eyes wide with apprehension. "I dont know, kid. They say he is some kind of punishment cast upon the world for its sins, or perhaps a destroyer of worlds intent on annihilating everything in his path." Hilda replied, a shadow crossing her face. "Damn... that''s terrifying. But is he still alive? I''ve never heard of anyone confronting the Demon Lord; they only speak of the ''dark corruption,''" another kobold interjected, anxiety palpable in his voice. "Well... I can''t say for sure. Some stories claim he was severely weakened, others say he is currently sealed away, and some even suggest that the ''dark corruption'' is the Demon Lord himself." Hilda said, her brow furrowing. "That sounds like nonsense..." said another kobold, shaking his head. "What about the human heroes? Are they doing nothing against the Demon Lord, or what''s left of him?" one of the kobolds asked, genuine curiosity shining through his fear. "I don''t know... They say they cant do anything against the Demon Lord in his current state." Hilda replied, a note of frustration in her voice. Before anyone could speak further, a buzzing sound echoed through the air, reaching the ears of the traveling group. Onix immediately rushed to the front, positioning himself protectively between the kobolds and the forest ahead. "That''s it!" Hilda began. "They''re here!" exclaimed Ciel, the small creature who had remained silent until now, flitting beside Hilda. As the buzzing intensified, Onix squinted into the thick, dark forest. To his astonishment, he saw what appeared to be a large cloud of small, golden stones flying toward him. It soon became clear that these were not stones but dozens of tiny creatures resembling Ciel, armed with small weapons and tools fashioned from bones and wood. The cloud of creatures began to encircle the kobolds, producing an almost deafening buzz. They moved in a rhythmic wave, forming a living wall that observed and assessed the group inside their circle. "OH, CHILDREN OF NATURE, WE COME IN PEACE, ANSWERING ONLY THE CALL OF YOUR ''SUPREME MOTHER,''" Hilda declared, stepping forward and creating a path between herself and Onix. "Woman! Stay behind me and don''t put yourself in danger!" Onix shouted, his protective instincts flaring. "You stay quiet! The fairies are peaceful; they won''t attack us unless we give them reason!" Hilda shot back, casting a bitter glance at Onix. "InTrIgUiNg... YoU AlL ReAlLy hAvE MoRe vAlUe tHaN YoU ShOw." a distorted voice resonated from nowhere, sending a chill through the group. "W-What?!" Hilda stumbled back, startled. In response, Onix pushed Hilda aside with his body, swiftly retrieving his spear from his back and aiming it at the direction he believed the unsettling voice originated from. "Show yourself!" he demanded, his voice steady despite the unease clawing at his gut. "YOU! How dare you point a weapon at the Supreme Mother''s envoys?!" Ciel hissed, delivering a flurry of small punches to Onixs shoulder. The kobold warrior barely registered the blows, his focus fixed on the unfolding scene. From within the wall of creatures, a figure began to emerge. It was draped in a flowing white cloak adorned with intricate golden embroidery of flowers and hexagons. The front of the cloak was wide open, revealing a hollow space filled with masks crafted from what appeared to be mud and wood. The masks displayed a range of expressionssome small and sorrowful, others larger and grinningbut none had a face. Instead, a large mask resembling a graceful womans smile occupied the spot where the creature''s face should be. It floated effortlessly in the air, gliding like a specter. "W-What is that thing?!" one of the kobolds exclaimed, stepping back in surprise. In response, the creature slid through the air silently, like a viper approaching its prey. It circled the group of kobolds, its long, ethereal cloack gliding gracefully as it regarded them with an unsettling presence. "We aRe tHe cHiLdReN Of tHe qUeEn. We aRe tHe hAnDs, EyEs, EaRs, AnD FaCeS Of tHe qUeEn, SeNt hErE To cOnVeY HeR WoRdS AnD FuLfIlL HeR WiShEs. YoU MaY CaLl uS KuRiYeL." The creature declared, its voice a strange blend of many tones. "Kuriyel? S-So... what did you come to talk about?" Hilda asked, striving to maintain respect despite her unease. The creature emitted a low hiss, and soon several smaller creatures swarmed around the group, stirring up a whirlwind of wind and dust that momentarily obscured their vision. When the dust settled, the kobolds found themselves in front of tables and chests formed from intertwined roots, which had grown directly from the earth. On the tables rested an oddly shaped teapot, seemingly made of ceramic, alongside several cups that appeared to be part of a set. A large wooden plate held a steaming pie, its enticing aroma wafting through the air. "PlEaSe, SiT DoWn aNd lEt uS SeRvE YoU." Kuriyel said, gracefully floating beside the table. "Boss... this is very strange." a kobold whispered to Onix, who studied the multi-faced creature warily, the sound of its voice echoing like a chorus. "One does not refuse the generosity of the fairies..." Hilda replied, stepping forward to sit on one of the root chests. With a resigned sigh, Onix sheathed his spear. He signaled to the rest of his group, who hesitated before following his lead to the table, taking their seats alongside Hilda. "We rEgReT OuR LaCk oF TaCt."Kuriyel continued, a small swarm of creatures alighting on the teapot, lifting it into the air and pouring tea into each cup. They then darted off to serve each person at the table. "I AsK ThAt yOu fOrGiVe oUr rUdE BeHaViOr. GiVeN ReCeNt eVeNtS AnD ThE QuEeN''S WiLl, We mUsT TaKe aCtIoN." "Sir?... Great Kuriyel, what does that mean?" Hilda inquired, cautiously taking a sip of the tea. "SiNcE HeR ArRiVaL In tHeSe lAnDs, ThE QuEeN HaS AlWaYs rEgArDeD YoU WiTh cOmPaSsIoN AnD EmPaThY. fOlLoWiNg hEr wIlL, wE GuIdEd yOu tHrOuGh tHe fOrEsT AnD PrOvIdEd mEaNs fOr yOuR SuRvIvAl iN ThE FaCe oF ItS AdVeRsItIeS." Kuriyel explained, its many voices blending together in a harmonious melody. "And for that, as the leader of my pack, I will be eternally grateful to... you." Onix said, lowering his head in a gesture of respect toward Kuriyel. "We uNdErStAnD." Kuriyel replied, its voice echoing softly. "BuT ThE WiNdS HaVe cHaNgEd, BrInGiNg cHaLlEnGeS AnD ThReAtS We cAnNoT IgNoRe." As everyone sipped their tea, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Kuriyel floated before the table, remaining impassive, a statue of calm until the eyes of the masks on its body began to glow with a soft golden light, capturing the attention of everyone at the table. "HuMaNs, SpIrItS, aNd mOnStErS, tHe qUeEn sEeKs a pEaCe tHaT CaN No lOnGeR Be fOuNd iN ThEsE LaNdS. wE WiLl lEaVe, AnD YoU WiLl bE On yOuR OwN." Kuriyel stated simply. "W-What?! You are leaving the forest?!" Hilda exclaimed, nearly leaping from her chair. The kobolds exchanged glances, their expressions mixed; some looked worried, others relieved. Even Onix appeared disturbed by the news, caught between the implications of this development. "YeS, wE Do nOt iNtEnD To fIgHt fOr tHeSe lAnDs, NoR ReMaIn iN A PlAcE WhErE OuR ExIsTeNcE Is uNwAnTeD. wE WiLl sEeK A NeW HoMe, A NeW LaNd tO CaLl oUr oWn."Kuriyel explained. "B-But! Isn''t that too hasty?! WaitOnix! We should follow the divine beasts!" Hilda urged, her voice rising in desperation. Onix frowned, contemplating her words, but he didn''t have a chance to respond before Kuriyel spoke again. "No, YoU MaY StAy hErE, oR ReTuRn tO YoUr oLd lAnDs, BuT YoU CaNnOt aCcOmPaNy uS."Kuriyel declared, its tone firm. "T-That..." Hilda hissed, frustration evident in her voice. "Why are you running away?" Onix pressed, his gaze steady and serious. "HmM... ''RuNnInG AwAy'' Is a hAsTy tErM. iT ImPlIeS FlEeInG FrOm a cHaLlEnGe oR A CoMpLiCaTeD SiTuAtIoN. wE ArE MeReLy... AvOiDiNg tHe iMmInEnT CoNfLiCt." Kuriyel replied. "Avoiding conflict with what? And who? The humans? I believe we can deal with them." Onix argued. "No, YoU CaNnOt. YoUr vAlUe iS NoT HiGh eNoUgH To wArRaNt tHeIr aTtEnTiOn oR EvEn tHe sAlIvA In tHeIr mOuThS To tAlK To yOu. ThEy hAvE JuSt dEsTrOyEd yOuR ViLlAgE AnD TaKeN WhAt tHeY WaNt fOr tHeMsElVeS. wE ArE NoT In cOnFlIcT WiTh tHe hUmAnS, bUt wE Do nOt hAvE FrIeNdLy rElAtIoNs wItH ThEm eItHeR. oUr tRuE EnEmIeS LiE ElSeWhErE, aNd wE PrEfEr tO AvOiD ThEm. ThE BeSt cOuRsE Is fOr uS To cHaNgE."Kuriyel explained, its voice a calm yet insistent rhythm. "What do you mean? Explain yourself! Do you know something we dont about the humans?!" Onix demanded, rising from his chair, his frustration boiling over. "Onix! Be respectful!" Hilda growled, concern flashing in her eyes. "HmM... wE KnOw a lItTlE, bUt wE KnOw a lOt aS WeLl. ThE OdDs iNdIcAtE ThAt tHeY ArE ReTuRnInG, bIgGeR, sTrOnGeR, aNd wItH A ClEaR GoAl iN MiNd. We cOuLd bE WrOnG Or rIgHt, BuT We wOnt gAmBlE AgAiNsT ThE OdDs." Kuriyel stated, its many faces reflecting a somber understanding of the situation. The group fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of Kuriyels words settling heavily upon them. They faced a world changing rapidly around them, one where old allegiances might no longer hold true. "We can come to an agreement with the humans! If we work together, we can secure a good deal for both of us!" Hilda exclaimed, her voice rising with determination. "Oh? AnD WhAt dO YoU HaVe tO OfFeR? eVeRyThInG Of vAlUe yOu pOsSeSs wAs gIvEn tO YoU; yOuR ExIsTeNcE Is nOtHiNg mOrE ThAn fUtIlE AnD MuNdAnE."Kuriyel replied, his tone unchanging and cold. Kuriyel''s words had an immediate effect on the kobolds, shifting the atmosphere dramatically. The friendly conversation morphed into a stark realization of their place in the hierarchy, where they stood at the bottom, vulnerable and exposed. "W-Why would humans care about an insignificant village of kobolds? Your fear is irrational." one of the kobolds protested, trying to regain a sense of pride. "HuMf... KoBoLdS: wEaK, iNjUrEd, UnArMeD, aNd mAlNoUrIsHeD, sUrViViNg iN A FoReSt rIfE WiTh dEaDlY DaNgErS. yOu pOsSeSs tReAsUrEs fAr bEyOnD YoUr cApAbIlItIeS, aNd yEt yOu aRe mIrAcUlOuSlY AlIvE AnD WeLl, EvEn aMiD ThE StOrM. i fInD It iRrAtIoNaL ThAt yOu bElIeVe yOuR ExIsTeNcE Is aNyThInG OtHeR ThAn... ''cOnTrAdIcToRy,''" Kuriyel said, the mocking lilt in its voice unmistakable. Onix stood up from his chair again, the weight of Kuriyel''s words sinking in. His hands trembled, a mix of anger and fear washing over him. "Why didn''t you say anything about this before? Why only now?!" he demanded, his irritation boiling over. "SiMpLe. It iS NoT OuR CoNcErN WhEtHeR YoU LiVe oR DiE. wE AsSiSt yOu oUt oF PuRe gEnErOsItY, eXpEcTiNg nOtHiNg oF VaLuE In rEtUrN. dId yOu tRuLy bElIeVe tHaT SoMe mEdIoCrE SaCrIfIcEs wErE WoRtH ThE PrIcE Of oUr pRoTeCtIoN AnD AiD? wE CaRe aBoUt oUrSeLvEs, AnD OnLy oUrSeLvEs. We cAmE HeRe oUt oF ReSpEcT FoR OuR LoNg-sTaNdInG ''bOnD'' aNd tO SpEaK WiTh oUr bRoThEr."Kuriyel explained, its voice as unwavering as stone. The kobolds exchanged uneasy glances, disturbed by Kuriyel''s bluntness. They felt trapped, caught between the reality of their situation and the lingering hope for something better. Silence fell over the group, each of them grappling with their fears, except for Hilda, who finally decided to speak up again. "You said you came out of respect for us, and to speak with your brother... Are you... Are you going to take Ciel with you?" Hilda asked, her voice trembling slightly. "MoThEr aLrEaDy sPoKe. ShE sAiD ThAt CiEl Is FrEe tO ChOoSe wHeThEr tO StAy Or Go wItH Us, BuT ThIs cOnVeRsAtIoN MuSt Be CoNdUcTeD BeTwEeN Us AnD OuR BrOtHeR." Kuriyel replied, its voice echoing with an unsettling finality. Ciel, sensing the gravity of the moment, flew up onto the table, gliding in front of the towering Kuriyel with a bright smile. "Brothers!" he hissed cheerfully. "HmM... YoU... lOoK DiFfErEnT... mOrE PoWeRfUl... InTeReStInG... mOtHeR MiSsEs YoU." Kuriyel observed, its many eyes narrowing with interest. "Hehe! Thank you! I evolved into a different race and got the [Shaman] class! Now I can create all sorts of cool runes with amazing effects!" Ciel said excitedly. "ThAt''s... InTeReStInG... yOu ShOuLd ViSiT YoUr MoThEr AnD ShOw HeR YoUr SkIlLs. If YoU wIsH To ViSiT HeR, A GrOuP Of GuArDs WiLl EsCoRt YoU To ThE NeSt." Kuriyel offered, a hint of approval in its tone. "Thank you!!" Ciel replied, beaming. "Um... LeT''S GeT StRaIgHt To ThE PoInT... Do YoU WiSh To StAy Or Go wItH Us, CiEl? It''s YoUr DeCiSiOn." Kuriyel said, its voice dropping to a serious tone. Ciel hesitated, glancing at Hilda and the other kobolds, contemplating the weight of his choice. After a moment of deep thought, he looked back at Kuriyel and spoke softly, "I... I would love to go back home, but I''ve been by Hilda''s side for so long, and weve been through so much together that... I can''t just leave her after all this time. I... I would like to stay." The air around them thickened as the eyes of Kuriyel''s masks began to glow ominously, casting a palpable pressure over everyone present. Ciel seemed particularly affected, his spirit dimming under the collective gaze of hundreds of eyes that felt hostile. "HmM... If ThAt''s YoUr WiSh... StAy wItH ThEm. BuT DoN''T ReGrEt YoUr ChOiCeS... bRoThEr." Kuriyel said, turning its "face" away, a clear dismissal of Ciel''s decision. "Y-Yes..." Ciel whispered, floating back to Hildas side, visibly deflated. "So thats it? Youre just going to leave us?! After everything?" Hilda asked incredulously, her voice filled with desperation. "Oh, PlEaSe, DoN''T AcT LiKe We''Re cLoSe, JuSt bEcAuSe YoU''vE LiVeD WiTh OnE Of... ''Us''. It DoEsN''T MeAn AnYtHiNg. OuR SuRvIvAl AlWaYs CoMeS FiRsT, AnD OuR ReLaTiOnShIp wAs BoRn OuT Of NoThInG MoRe ThAn PiTy. Of CoUrSe, We DoN''t InTeNd To CaUsE ThEm AnY HaRm, Or EvEn WiSh ThEm DeAd, BuT... We ArE OuR PrIoRiTy." Kuriyel said, gliding around the table, its presence casting a shadow over the gathering. "As a ToKeN Of OuR KiNdNeSs, We WiLl CoNtInUe To TeLl YoU ThE SeCrEtS Of ThE FoReSt, AnD WhIsPeR In YoUr EaRs ThE SeCrEtS We HaVe HeArD AmOnG ThE TrEeS. If HuMaNs Or AnY DaNgEr So MuCh As SeTs FoOt In ThEsE FoReStS, YoU WiLl KnOw It ImMeDiAtElY. BuT Do NoT CoUnT On Us To SaVe YoUr SkInS WhEn ThE StOrM KnOcKs On YoUr DoOr." Kuriyel continued, its tone unwavering. "ThE QuEeN MoThEr Is MeRcIfUl AnD CoMpAsSiOnAtE. ShE WiLl PrOvIdE WeApOnS AnD NeCeSsArY ReSoUrCeS As A PaRtInG GiFt, AnD To EaCh ChIlD In YoUr ViLlAgE, A ViAl Of [DrOpS Of LiFe] WiLl Be OfFeReD." Kuriyel stated, floating gracefully in the air. "But" "ThErE Is No BuT. ThAt Is All We HaVe To SaY. ThIs WiLl Be ThE FiRsT AnD LaSt TiMe We SeE EaCh OtHeR. MaY MoThEr HaVe MeRcY On YoUr SoUlS." the creature concluded, its voice echoing with finality as it slid backward and vanished in a cloud of golden insects, leaving behind a group of confused and helpless individuals. At least there was still tea on the table. Chapter 77: Pushing Forward -={Before the meeting}=- I looked on, a bit puzzled, as Yan prepared to go speak with the kobolds. He didn''t want me to go myself, but he also wasnt willing to show up as just a harmless little bee. Instead, hed come up with a plan. Yan mobilized a large number of troops to gather a long cloth cape and several wax masks crafted in a hurry. Most of the masks were crude and unrefined, except for one larger mask that was a striking attempt to imitate my face. "So... what exactly are you doing with all this, Yan?" I asked, watching him give orders to a group of soldiers. "Oh, its simple! Im going to wear these robes and create a persona for myself! Something intimidating, something unforgettable, so no one dares look down on us." Yan explained with a gleam of excitement. "Right... So youre going to just stuff a bunch of bees inside that thing? But is this really necessary? Dont you think a cloud of bees is intimidating enough?" "HA! Absolutely not! A cloud of insects might frighten someone, sure, but terror? No! Now, imagine if a strange, never-before-seen creature appeared out of the shadows, looking entirely out of place in the setting around it. Itd make you a whole lot more nervous, right? Yans grin widened. "Well yeah, I guess. Its like meeting a wanderer in the middle of the forest versus seeing someone in a full suit walking in the forest. The suit just it doesnt belong there. It grabs your attention, right? Yan Said "Fair point. But couldnt you just use the hive-link to talk to everyone in real-time without moving anyone else out there?" "Yeah, but thats nowhere near as fun!" Yan laughed, his eyes sparkling as he directed a small army of busy bees. A soldier approached us, saluting. "Yan! Everything''s ready." "Oh! Then its time. Yan looked at me, excitement plain on his face. He took off, and soon a thick swarm of bees rose around him, forming a whirlwind of bodies in motion. Then the bees grabbed the cape and the scattered masks, lifting each one and piecing them together like a massive, moving puzzle. As they assembled, a figure of about two meters took shapea creature with no arms, no legs, cloaked in fabric and covered in masks. The beings body rippled as the bees shifted under the cloth, until they finally fell still, adopting an almost noble posture. "WhAt dO YoU ThInK Of OuR NeW FoRm, MoMmY?" the creature asked in a low, gritty voice, dozens of faces turning toward me with glowing eyes. "Disturbingly strange but honestly, incredibly impressive." The final effect was even better than Id anticipated. This thing couldnt pass for human, or anything close to it, but if you didnt know the truth, youd never guess there were hundreds of bees under that cape. "ThAnK YoU. GiVe uS A NaMe." the figure rumbled. A name? Just keep calling yourself Yan, or whatever "A NaMe FoR OuR NeW FaCe." it insisted. "A NaMe ThAt TeLlS ThE WoRlD OuR PuRpOsE AnD RoLe. We ArE ThE EyEs, EaRs, MoUtH, AnD FaCe Of ThE QuEeN." I sighed. Alright, how about Messenger? Emissary? Maybe ''Courier'',Faceless? "Hmmm... I LiKe ThE WoRd CoUrIeR," it mused. "Okay, what if we made it a bit more unique like Kouriel? Maybe a nod to the angel Gabriel?" "GaBrIeL, ThE MeSsEnGeR Of GoD?" it asked, bowing slightly. "Close enough. Technically, he brought messages to only a few, but yeah, youve got the idea." "KoUrIeL I LiKe It." it said thoughtfully. "KoUrIeL, ThE FaCe Of ThE QuEeN." "Sure, why not" "ThAnK YoU, MoThEr. We WiLl FoRfIlL OuR DuTy, FoR We ArE KoUrIeL." With that, the strange figure took to the air and glided toward the exit, leaving a powerful gust in its wake. "Oof I think hes getting a little too deep into character"
Aurum - Year 3 -={The Return of Kouriel}=- I was in my room, honing my skills while helping Maxs group with research on the [Mana Node Heart]. But as soon as Kouriel arrived to meet with the kobolds, my attention shifted entirely to him and the unfolding conversation. First off, I should mentionCiel has grown so much! Hes changed a lot from the last time I saw him. It seems hes evolved into a [Crystal Bee] and even acquired a unique, impressive class that honestly fills me with pride. Ciel lives "alone" now, and while I feel guilty about his situation, Im also a little worried about his future outside the hive. But seeing him so independent and capable makes me both happy and a little upset. Its like how a mother must feel when she realizes her child no longer needs her. Im proud, yet sad. I wish everyone had the same level of independence as Ciel, though I know thats asking too much. After all, Ciel has a mind of his own, thanks to his contract with Hilda, which severed his connection to the hives link. Ciel cant connect with the others anymore, not even if he tried. The link simply doesnt exist for him anymore. But with me, things are different. Even though our direct line was cut, we still share a mother-son bond through [Maternal Connection], something that can''t be severedat least in theory. I can still reach out to him occasionally or send a few messages, but its like trying to communicate by sending a pigeon to the other side of the world. So when I saw Ciel again, it was a huge surprise. I had no idea what hed been up to; all I knew was that he was alive and well. Our connection is so limited that without the help of the hive, maintaining this link is almost miraculous given my modest abilities with link control. Then there was Hilda. The once-fearless old woman has transformed into something like an elder, witch, midwife, animal tamer, and doctor all rolled into one. Now she delivers babies, tends to the sick, crafts potions and salves in her cave, and even cares for smaller animals now and then. Shes changed a lot, and not just in the way her hair has grayed or how her wrinkles have deepened. Hilda also shared some intriguing and unexpected tidbits about the worlds historyespecially the demon lord and something she called progenitors. She even mentioned an ancient vampire. Of course, this could all just be rumors. She admitted herself that much of it came from merchant tales, which are often exaggerated. But one thing struck me: the idea that the demon lord and demon-types might not be the same race at all. Think about it. If demon-types were allies of the demon lord and hes as powerful as they say, why do they live in seclusion in some frozen wasteland? Why havent they reaped any benefits from this supposed alliance? If anything, it seems like the demon-types might just be on the demon lords menu. To me, its pretty clear theyre not his allies. And then theres the matter of the humans. Those humans showed hostility toward the kobolds for no real reason, branding them as disgusting beasts and looking at them like a predator sizing up prey. Hilda once said that humans can be racist. Based on her stories, the seven heroes were summoned by the Goddess of Humans, so its likely none of them were anything but human. That doesnt sit well with me. If humans are that exclusionary, theres no point in trying to reason with them. If Im weaker, theyll destroy me. If Im stronger, theyll call me a threat. It seems like avoiding them might be the best option. As an ex-human myself, I know how bad humans can bebrutal, even toward each other. They have a tendency to destroy anything that doesnt fit their standards. And if this so-called Morning Goddess really is a racist who wants all non-humans wiped out, then its over. Her followers will obey her, trailing after her like ducklings to their mother. "The best option really seems to be reaching out to the demon kind." Now, are the beastmen a good choice for allies? Absolutely! As a [FeyWeaver], its only a matter of time before the entire hive starts evolving into other [FeyWeavers] as well. We could pass ourselves off as a new species of Beastmen, blending in and maybe even forming alliances. But honestly, the north holds little appealwars, dark corruption, humansits more trouble than its worth. The south, though? There might be harsh cold to contend with, but according to Hilda, demon-types have a history with the beastmen. If were careful, we could align ourselves with the demon-types and distance ourselves from the brewing storm in the center. You might say, But why ally with demon-types if the worlds fighting a Demon Lord?! Even if people know theyre not allies, the majority opinion sticks. And thats true. But if the demon-types really are allied with the Demon Lordwhich I doubtthere are other options. Maybe the land of vampires? Or perhaps I could hold out until I reach the elves? As children of nature, surely wed get alongright? With these thoughts swirling, I focused on Kouriels conversation with the kobolds. And I must sayKouriel is an insufferable ass. Its mostly Yan echoing what several hive members say in unison, but the message was inexcusable: Were not helping anymore. Bye. Did they have to humiliate the poor kobolds, to insult them to their faces? I know we cant keep playing house with the kobolds. Our time with them is long past due. They might struggle for a while without usmaybe thinner, maybe bruisedbut theyre self-sufficient enough to survive on their own. Still, I feel bad. Ill always feel that way, I suppose. My father once told me, Dont take care of something you cant take full responsibility for. That principle shaped me; I became a responsible adult, cautious not to bring home stray animals or assist strangers I couldnt help long-term. Because once you start, they keep coming back, always needing more. My mother, though, was different. She taught me to be empathetic and compassionate, always talking about Empathy, empathy, how would you feel? urging me to think twice before I said something hurtful or turned someone away. Im more like my father in that regard, unafraid of saying Noat least when I was human. I used to be much more serious, cold, and determined. If a boss tried squeezing more hours out of me for the good of the company, Id respond firmly, Only if they pay me overtime. I didnt hesitate to dump a boyfriend in high school or college if he was out of line. But since Ibecame who I am now, I feel much more sensitive. More fearful, more joyful, angrier, just more. Its as though my emotions are out of balance, while the logical self I built as a human is overshadowed by this new, erratic side of me. Maybe its [Concerned Players] fault, or the Links influence. But over time, Im feeling better. Its like Im a planet pulled from its natural orbit into a new solar system, where Ive been spiraling in chaos. Now, though, my orbit finally feels like its settling. Maybe its the evolutions, or my levels, or perhaps a Post-Reincarnation Effect wearing off. But Im feeling more likemyself. Not human Hana, who died in that burning library, or the desperate queen bee trying to survive, but ratherme, simply me. Even if just a little bit.
"Wow... I know I asked for clothes, but this is... incredible." I was looking at three mannequins crafted from wax and wood, each shaped to match my exact size and measurements, though they had only a torso, waist, and headno arms or legs. The first mannequin wore a stunning, flowing floral dress. Strapless and fitted from the bodice to the waist, the skirt cascaded to ankle-length, with a slit up to the knee, adorned with delicate fabric ornaments and small golden crystals. The ensemble was paired with long black gloves matching the color of my limbs, reaching up to the shoulders, alongside lace tights patterned with flowers, vines, and thorns, a lavish white feather boa, and simple yet elegant shoes. The second outfit was more understated, something for day-to-day wear. It had comfortable pants that stretched from waist to ankle, paired with a pristine white top with puffed sleeves, and shoes that looked like snug sneakers. The third outfit was the most "formal" of the three, a striking, fitted black dress that flared out into a skirt of cascading ruffles in shades of gray. Ruffles adorned the shoulders, layered over a sort of shirt attached to long-sleeved gloves worn beneath. Completing the look was a large hat decorated with veils and flowers, and a pair of black ballet flats topped with a large golden crystal. "This is nothing, Queen Mother! We''re working hard to design more clothing options for you. For now, these are what we could create with the resources and time we have!" Zuki announced with a proud smile. "This is already wonderful, Zuki! You''ve truly exceeded my expectations!" I replied, examining the clothes up close. In my past life, I would have never dared to dream of outfits like these. Not because I didnt appreciate themtheyre exquisitebut because they were the kind of luxury I couldnt justify. Who buys clothes like this to go see a movie? But now, things are different. Im rich, in my own way, and I can indulge in these beautiful, ornate outfits, even if my plan is just to lounge around all day. How gorgeous!! Goodbye coffee-stained shirts, hello custom-made couture! I used to think those TikTok girls were a bit arrogant, maybe even superficial. But now that I get to experience it? Oh, it feels incredible to wear exclusive, finely crafted clothes. "Zuki, darling! I want more clothes, so don''t hold back! Feel free to request materials from the research club, and Ill put out a notice for the gathering and hunting club to keep an eye out for creatures with interesting fur or feathers. These three sets will do for now, but once we move, Im creating a whole wardrobe, and I want you to fill it with high-quality clothes and accessories!" I said, taking Zukis small hands with excitement. "Of course, Queen Mother! It would be an honor to dedicate my skills, body, and soul, to you!" Zuki responded, visibly thrilled. "I want dresses, shirts, pants, bags, shoesanything you can make! Bags... maybe not as many, but I want enough clothes to wear a new combination every day!" "Understood!" Zuki nodded, ready to get to work. Was I vain before? Perhaps, though who isnt a bit? Ive always taken care of myselfnot to an extreme, just a balanced diet and a daily walk to work. Nothing wrong with liking a bit of style! There are times to step into the shoes of humility, and there are times to walk tall in the heels of extravagance. Now, Im ready to let myself indulge in an abundance of beautiful clothes.
Aurum - Year 3 - Three weeks later Time has passed, and Kouriels visit didnt sit well with the kobolds. Some mutter that the "Divine Beasts" are abandoning them to fend for themselves, while others view it as a challenge sent by Astrawoul, their god. From what I understand, Onix is seriously considering a return to their ancestral lands, hoping to conquer a village for their people. Its an idea some find appealing, yet most are hesitant. They have so few warriors, and many of their members are women focused on domestic work or children who cant defend themselves. Still, the options are limited. Unlike us, who can leave everything behind and start anew, the kobolds lack our agility and the ability to bypass dangers hidden within the forest.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. With our wings, we can soar above the clouds, avoiding the worst of ground-level threats. High-altitude winds may be strong, but our hive structure provides an advantage. I can arrange worker and soldier classes to create a protective wall, shielding us from turbulence as others transport materials, resources, or non-flying troops. And our [Shepherds] offer even more support. Their super-sensitive senses keep us on course without fear of getting lost, and they can detect danger before it even reaches us. Our [Shields] and [Tankers] serve as our unmoving fortresses; theyre tough enough to endure even the weight of a 20-kilo rock, if it came to that. For this journey, Im adding extra layers of security. One member named Muck has a fascinating skill called [Mirrored], which reflects physical damage at the cost of MP. Since Muck is more of a moss-based construct than a real living being, he serves perfectly as a shield, sparing us damage at the simple expense of MP! Of course, there are limits. Muck likely couldnt deflect a human arrow or a bite from a high-level beast, but Im optimistic that he can handle low-level lethal blowsassuming he has the MP to maintain the defense. Is 34 MP too costly? Not when it means dodging fatal hits again and again. And Muck has nature on his side too, in the form of a skill called [Verdant Vitality]. This ability nullifies any damage below Mucks [Vitality] points. With 36.3 vitality, he automatically negates any impact that doesnt exceed 36.3 damage. However, theres a small hitch How am I supposed to gauge Mucks exact damage intake? No big flashing red numbers pop up in my vision when Muck takes a hit, nor does his Status display change to alert me. I worry I might accidentally push him too far and kill him. Its like trying to fill a glass blindfolded. You have a general sense of its size, but youre unsure if its empty or about to overflow. Thats why I thought of another solution! If I cant determine the extent of Mucks damage, why not let Muck tell me himself? If he could send me a damage report via our link, Id know precisely how hard each attack landed, staying one step ahead of any dangerous surprises. This setup could be immensely useful not just now, but for countless applications in the future. With Muck''s help, we could catalog the average damage each magical creature our troops encounter can inflict, adding a crucial new "page" to our soldiers'' hunting manual. After all, knowing whether an enemy can inflict minor or major damage is essential for adapting combat tactics. If we catalog each creatures bite, sting, and spell, and log the power of every poison, weapon, and magical invention at our disposal, we could refine a ranking system that prioritizes the highest-quality, most lethal weapons. And all of this could be possibleif youd only use the link! I grumbled at the lazy ball of moss, which simply lay sprawled on a dirt pile in front of me, rumbling in a way that sounded suspiciously like a purr. It was like watching a fat, complacent cat bask in catnip. Come on, Muck! Youre my good boy, arent you? Whos Mommys favorite familiar? Yes, you! Now, use that link with Mommy to send me a message Just a tug? Anything? I coaxed, half-pleading as Muck contentedly dug a shallow hole, settling himself comfortably into it. Muck has the charming contradictions of both dog and cat. Like a dog, hes unbothered by dirt, always burrowing into garden beds or rolling into compost piles. But hes got the laziness of a catif he isnt in the dirt, hes draped somewhere, basking in the sun along a hive wall. Life for Muck consists of simple joys: nutrient-rich soil, plenty of water, a good dose of sunshine, and a repeat of all three. Since becoming my [Familiar], Muck has grown smarter. Once just a clump of moss wandering aimlessly, hes gained something of a personality? If I give him a command, he generally obeys, coming when I call or doing as I ask, as long as its within his capacity. But if I tell him to go to the moon and back in five minutes, hell sit and stare, his look clearly saying, Are you insane? Within reason, though, hes like a reliable, plant-based pet with a remote-control level of obedience. Mucks evolution as a [Familiar] has given him a surprising array of abilities, too. Though its not exactly listed as a skill, he can shapeshift in a limited way, which seems to be more of a racial trait than anything else. He can sprout wooden spikes, curl into a wooden ball like an armadillo, create a slippery slime on his body, and even produce small golden flowers on his mossy surface. But he cant use the link! "Muck''s ''soul'' is an echo of mana linked to the [Connection] spell, so he should be able to use the link Maybe." Suddenly struck by an epiphany, I rush to Muck, who lies peacefully on the ground. I sink my claws into him, pulling out a pool of crystals that emit a faint golden light, intertwined with wax and wood, adorned with thin green roots that writhe across the surface. As soon as I extract Muck''s "Heart," his body collapses, the moss and earth that once formed him crumbling into a heap of dirt. The previously brown, damp earth turns a dull gray, while the vibrant green moss withers quickly, transforming into a pile of dry vines. Between my claws, Muck''s "Heart" pulses with a golden glow. The green roots surrounding his body stretch downward, desperately trying to reconnect with the earth in a bid to restore his physical form. Without hesitation, I cradle Muck''s heart in my hands and sprint to the laboratory. It dawns on me that it has been far too long since Muck''s core received an "upgrade." While he has always had enhancements, his core wasn''t crafted with "everything the hive has to offer." Upon reaching my laboratory, I find it somewhat barren; many items have been removed in preparation for our impending move, and most things here lack the value requiring immediate attention. I place Muck''s core on my desk before eagerly scanning the room for something specific. Rushing to the back of the room, I enter a space that evokes a whirlwind of emotionspride, shame, fear, anger, and joyeach intertwining in a way that leaves me uncertain of my feelings toward this place. Here lies an empty area where I kept all my "Failed Experiments": countless attempts to create crystal CPUs, magical wand cores, and unique enchanted toolsall colossal failures that never bore fruit. Without a second thought, I clear away some clutter and approach a large cube made of wood and wax. Lifting it with a thud onto the nearby table, I begin to open the container, revealing a perfectly carved crystal orb polished to perfection. This orb is a remnant of a project from the engineering club, divided into four pieces and glued together, connecting various root tubes, discs, and wires. I take a moment to admire the orb before disassembling the cube to retrieve it. Setting the crystal orb on my workbench, I proceed to dismantle and slice apart several other inventions, extracting crystal pieces inscribed with runes, expired mana batteries, and various crystal "Chips" I created. These serve as a makeshift motherboard with slots for chips, along with cables crafted from magical tree roots, magical mycelium from the garden, vials of potions, reagents, and alchemical mixtures, which I hurriedly gather. As I dismantle the crystal orb, I strip it of all contents until only the crystal shell remains. I then harness life magic to encourage the garden mycelium to grow along the walls of the shell. Disposing of the expired contents of the mana batteries, I create a small amount of [Life Drops] and mix them with [Sparkling Water]a reagent known to extend the lifespan of batteries. To enhance the mixture further, I add [Camburjo Powder], a substance that, when dissolved in [Life Drops], allows it to store an even greater amount of mana, [Mimy''s Distillation] a milky white opaque liquid with a horrible smell, which when mixed with [Life Drops] and [Sparkling Water] while pouring life mana from the solution, forms a magical reaction that creates the most powerful battery substance we currently have, being a highly stable solution that can store about 2.3X more MP than pure [Life Drops], for an extended period of 3-4 Months - Outside of a mana bubble, and 8-11 months - Inside a bubble. The mixture displays a brownish-yellow hue when mana levels are low and transforms into a vibrant yellow when fully charged, making it easy to identify whether the batteries are full or empty. After creating the mixture, I carefully pour it into a small crystal vial and seal it with a wooden stopper. As I finish filling the vial, I channel my mana over it until the liquid shifts from a dull yellow to a vibrant golden hue. Satisfied with my work, I set the vial aside and return to the crystal shell. I begin crafting several sections using plates inscribed with runes I know will enhance the stability of the mana. These plates are connected to mana batteries via wooden roots from various magical plants, each differing in their capacity to transfer mana. I coat them with a wax solution that inhibits mana flow, creating an insulator around the cables. This time, my goal isnt to create a sentient being using "Crystal Technology" but to design a core that can process and store large amounts of mana rapidly. To achieve this, I employ multiple roots and wires, alongside locks and channels to create line filters, network optimizers, and various mana inputs and outputs. The motherboard serves as a filter, ensuring that different mana networks can operate within the core without interference. This way, I can focus on compacting several small systems into one larger one instead of striving to create a "super mana core." After connecting four more mana batteries to the crystal case, the fundamental structure of the core is complete. My plan is to develop a single large battery capable of storing vast amounts of mana; however, since I lack such a component, improvisation is essential. Its akin to extending your phones battery life without upgrading to a better battery. Rather than pursuing a large, expensive battery, I choose to utilize multiple small ones in my "cell phone" to enhance its longevity. "Now I need the final piece!" I declare, gazing at a perfectly spherical crystal attached by roots, mycelium, and wooden structures to the crystal case. Yet something is still missingthis creation needs a "soul," it requires the essence of "Muck" for it to truly become the new "Muck." This spherical crystal will serve as his new "Heart." Unlike before, where his heart was the core itself, this new heart will be removable and easily modifiableat least, thats the theory. If this works out, it could represent a significant advancement in the hives golem technology. Instead of upgrading obsolete cores, we could simply replace the "golem hearts" and transfer them into larger, stronger bodies. Taking Muck''s core, I nervously place it on my palm, closing my eyes to "see" the core through my magical vision. In this state, I observe a vast black void, within which a light golden smoke swirls. An unmistakable familiarity resonates within this formless mist. Without a second thought, I grasp this smoke with my mana and begin to guide it toward the crystal heart. As I reach the crystal, I start to channel Muck''s "soul" into it, creating a small ball of golden light that emits a faint glow inside. "Great! Finally, something is working out for me! Now, for the final touch"
[Skill]
{Spectral Shardage} Lv 1 Use your soul to create a small spectral fragment capable of being used for various purposes. Fragments cannot be recovered if lost.
What better way to create a soul than by using a piece of one? This skill seems to be a variation of the power to create life, focusing more on the spiritual aspect. While I can''t "create" souls outright, I can "tear" a fragment of my soul and repurpose it for various uses. My goal is simple: if I can forge a "real soul" for Muck, he would, theoretically, stop being a mere golem and transform into a genuine living being. Sure, he''s my [Familiar], but he isn''t truly "alive"; Muck is more like a rag doll animated by magic. By giving him a real "soul," the next step would be crafting a body for him. Creating a fully organic body presents significant challenges. I would need to integrate veins, organs, neural connections, a brain, proteins, nutrients, joints, and bones. While I could attempt to substitute these with wooden materials and magical trinkets, I doubt Muck would ever be considered "truly" alive. In fact, I would prefer him to remain a type of "golem" with a core, as that essentially makes him "immortal." As long as his core remains intact, I could always create a new body for Muck. Turning my attention back to the skill, I hesitate before trying to activate it. If there''s one thing I''ve learned from pop culture in my original world, its that splitting your soul often leads to disaster. Just look at Voldemort, who lost his nose and sanity due to it, or those in various anime and manga who are portrayed as "crazy" or "lost" after doing the same. "Hmm... Is it worth the risk? If I lose this soul fragment, is it truly goodbye? Will I never get it back? Will this affect my status or my mind?" The more I contemplate, the longer the list of risks and negatives grows in contrast to the positives. Yet the potential for a conscious Muck and the ability to create life from pure nothingness is tantalizing. Lets be honest here! If I succeed, it could revolutionize the magic of life! I would have essentially created a beingalbeit one made of moss, twigs, wax, crystals, and magic! Just imagine the possibilities! I could craft a five-meter battle golem to defend the hive against any threats! I could create beings with unique innate skills and abilities that would propel the hive to unimaginable heights! One day, I might even be able to forge organic life from carbon dust! Without further hesitation, I attempt to activate the skill, but to my utter frustration, nothing happens. "Oh, come on!!" I try again and again, eventually finding myself standing still for who knows how long, staring at the wall like an idiot. "THIS IS SO UNFAIR! Why do my children get a manual on how to use their system skills while I have to learn everything the hard way? Is the system biased against reincarnated beings?!" Feeling a little upset, I quickly crush my fruit into a ball of wax, molding it in my hand like clay. After cleaning my hands, I refocus on the skill, determined to try something different. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I activate my spiritual vision. Soon, I am confronted by a world of shining brown and purple orbs, pulsating with energy that feels rotten. I attempt to deepen my connection with the spirit realm, but its challenging to "mold" a soul when I dont fully understand what a soul truly is. The concept of the soul should theoretically serve as the "driving force" that animates our bodies, or perhaps it represents a second body that isnt made of physical matter. Is the soul akin to an organ, or is it something entirely separate? Has it always existed? Do souls inhabit every reality and world, or are they unique to specific places within the system? I cant say for certain if a soul truly exists... At least, I didnt know until recently. When I "reincarnated," I found myself without answers, and I still grapple with uncertainty. I could just be a fortunate bee who, by some miracle, gained the memories of a deceased human from another dimension or time, perhaps through the intervention of a higher power. Alternatively, I might have been forcibly brought here by someone... Thanks to my title, [Marked by the Stars], I now understand that whatever happened, it appears something or someone compelled my arrival here. Im still unsure why or how. But here I am... trying to navigate this new life. At times, I just want to scream and run away from it all, pretending that I dont care or that none of it affects me. I feel as if Ive been thrust into this existence... I went with the flow and somehow ended up here. If someone had asked me a while ago whether I wanted to be the mother of a hive with over five thousand members or to delve into research on souls, magic, and new technologies, I think my answer would have been a resounding no. I never wanted to be here, yet time has passed, and events unfolded at their own pace while I merely... observed. I find it hard to articulate my feelings. I like who I am today; it took immense effort and time to become the mother that the hive needed me to be. Yet, isn''t it unfair? Why did my life have to pause for theirs to flourish? Did my life truly stop, or did it simply transform? I am someone entirely different from who I once was. If I had been reincarnated as an elf, I would have spent my days traveling the world, collecting books to create a library filled with every tome imaginable. As a human, perhaps I could have explored new possibilities, striving for success and bringing pride to my parents. Instead, I was reborn as a bee, destined to spend my days laying eggs in the safety of a nestan insect meant to run away and hide, forever small and seemingly insignificant. I know its irrational and foolish to blame the boys for this, but sometimes, I catch myself wondering if things could have been different. I love my boys deeply, and it took me a long time to realize just how much. The thought of their suffering burns in my chest. When that human hurt my babies, I felt like I could tear my skin off and scream until I collapsed in rage. I wanted her deadtruly deadfor what she did to them. But if the me from three years ago had been offered a new body or a new life by a fairy godmother, a genie, or a demon, I think I would have accepted, even if it meant leaving Hans and the boys behind. Is that what guilt feels like? A sense of shame for thoughts that linger in my mind? I am embarrassed to remember how awkwardly I treated my babies back then. Now, I feel an overwhelming urge to protect them, and when I see them acting recklessly, oblivious to their own safety, I feel a rage so intense I fear my head might explode. Dont they understand what it means to care for someone so much it hurts? Does everyone feel this way? Is it always like this? Did my parents feel it too? My grandparents, and everyone who came before? Were they as lost as I am, just going with the flow? Or did they know what was coming? Everyone makes mistakes, but why can''t I stop making them with my family? When I was human, I had no one I could truly call "family." My father died in a car accident, and my mother lost her battle with breast cancer. My grandparents passed away young, my grandfather from lead poisoning and my grandmother from cardiac arrest. I hardly spoke to my uncles, and my cousins were no better. On my fathers side, we had a reputation for being aggressive, and my cousin was no exceptionhe beat his wife and cheated on her while the family pretended not to know, insisting that "family matters stay within the family." It was a mess, and I never had a sense of what a happy family truly was. As a child, my father worked tirelessly, dropping me off at school in the morning and my mother picking me up at lunchtime. With my dads 12-hour shifts, we didnt see each other daily, but I understood he worked hard to ensure my mother and I never went without. He always managed to show up, even if it was just to scold me for messing up. When he died, my mother had to shoulder the burden of supporting us. Thats when I morphed from the problem girl to Annoying Hanna. I took on household chores, did the shopping, studied, and solved daily problems. At 16, I began working part-time to help out and earn a little pocket money. For a while, everything seemed to be falling into place. We saved for college, and I dreamed of one day becoming rich enough to buy a mansion with countless employees so my mother wouldnt have to lift a finger. But at 19, everything changed. We found out my mother had cancer, too advanced for a mastectomy to help. The disease had spread to her lungs, liver, and heart, and the doctors gave her a maximum of seven months. I remember desperately researching new treatments, trying to find a way to help her, while she insisted she was tired and I needed to stop. It infuriated me. How could she give up so easily while I was fighting tooth and nail to keep her alive, even for just one more day? Looking back, I realize she just wanted to leave without causing further pain or trouble, but I dragged her through treatments that drained my college savings and only caused her more suffering. Soon after, she died, leaving me alone with an old house, no degree, and no one in the world. It was hard, but over time, I managed to rebuild my life. Yet, that experience shattered my dreams of ever having a happy family. I dated a few people, but nothing ever felt like the one. As time passed, my youth slipped away, and my chances of finding a partner for motherhood dwindled. What remained were my video games, a dead-end job, and an apartment I wouldnt finish paying off until I was fifty-two. This journey has taught me a lot. It reveals just how harsh the world can be and how essential it is to protect oneself. Unfortunately, it becomes much harder to shield your heart when youre with someone who resists that protection. Sometimes, its better to harden your heart and move on alone than to try to build something thats destined to crumble. Despite everything, my luck lies with the boys. They compel me to move forward, for better or worse. If I dont accompany them on this journey, theyll get hurtand that pain will reverberate within me. They push me ahead, even when I wish to remain stagnant. "Hehe... Life can be a mess sometimes, can''t it?" As I finish my self-reflection, I feel something within me loosening, as if someone is pulling at a hidden thread. Suddenly, that thread breaks free, sending a shiver through my body. Before my eyes, a ball of brilliant light emerges, glowing radiantly as it leaves me. As it rises, the world around me becomes drenched in a golden aura, like the sun breaking through at dawn. In an instant, the spirits nearby tremble under the light emitted by the ball, bursting like water balloons and releasing waves of tainted energy. Larger, more formidable spirits approach the glowing orb, greedily absorbing the energy it radiates, as if relishing a grand feast. "Is this... A soul fragment?" In response, the luminous bubble pulses, releasing a pure wave of life energy that sends the surrounding nature green spirits reeling back in awe and fear. Chapter 78: Molten Past
Completely dumbfounded by the small ball of light hovering before me, I lost myself for a moment, finally snapping back to reality. "Is this my soul? Or at least a part of it?" This ball of light was so much more than it appeared. I could feel an otherworldly connection to it, as if I were gazing into a mirror that reflected a version of me, different yet undeniably the same. Its hard to explainthis tiny sphere is me! But at the same time, is it merely a copy? A fragment of my essence, like a photocopy of an original artwork? "Hmm at least it didn''t hurt to extract it. I thought it would be really painful." It seemed that tampering with the soul was akin to meddling with the brain; neither could feel pain, yet both were far too important to treat carelessly. With the small ball of light still cradled in my mothers hands, I stood up calmly and moved closer to the crystal containing Mucks false soul. I attempted to place my soul fragment into the crystal. However, the moment the fragment neared it, I watched in shock as Muck''s essence was drawn out, swallowed by my fragment. "Damn! This wasn''t the plan" For a moment, I thought I had inadvertently destroyed Muck''s soul. But something astonishing happened. Before my eyes, the shimmering golden sphere transformed, pulsing with streams of vibrant lime green energy. As the green began to spread through the ball of light, it deformed, morphing into a small being resembling a lime-green slime. The connection between us intensified. Whereas before it was a mere thread binding us, now it felt like powerful currents, akin to the roaring tides of an ocean. I had no doubt that this mysterious little creature, resembling the natural spirits of the world, was Muckmy lazy, mossy feline companion. So small and delicate, it fit snugly in the palm of my hand. "This is incredible" Staring at him, a wave of dizziness washed over me, as if I had been weakened by some unseen force. Quickly, I opened my status screen, and it soon became clear why.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: FeyWeaver Life:38.4 Def: 7.7
Level: 1 Class: Queen Vit: 52.4 Int: 13.7
Sex: Female Stamina: 12/111 Dex: 1.8 Wis: 14.8
Mana: 49.4 Affinity: Life Spr: 16.5 Str: 0.6
Talent: Vital Weaving
[Effects]
{Shattered Soul} - Your soul has been split, reducing your status by 5% permanently
{Soul Exhaustion} - 23:58:48 Your soul has suffered great trauma, rendering her momentarily unable to gain MP and XP. -100% Xp/MP gain
DAMN! My stats have been PERMANENTLY affected?! I had my suspicions that tampering with my soul wasnt a wise choice, but it turned out to be an extremely bad idea. No matter if I were a world destroyer capable of creating galaxies with a single breathif my soul is inin pieces, then whats the point of having a lot of power? A 5% debuff each time I split my soul? Or does the size of the fragment determine the severity of the debuff? If its indeed a 5% reduction per split, then can I only do this nineteen more times before I risk losing my entire soul? Or is there a limit to how many times I can divide it? Are there any other consequences aside from the 5% penalty to all my stats? Without wasting any more time in anxiety, I gently placed Mucks true soul into the crystal. As Muck''s essence slipped from my fingers, it seamlessly entered the small crystal, causing it to shimmer with a stunning shade of delicate lime green. Suddenly, the crystal began to swirl with a miniature tornado of sparkling energy, transforming the once simple lime green stone into something extraordinary. It morphed into a gem resembling a diamond, reflecting a dazzling array of prismatic colors, with light lime green hues dancing within.
[Description]
Name: Soul Cristal Rarity: Epic Quality: Perfect
A crystal created with the energy of life intertwined with the power of spirits, making it capable of perfectly storing souls in their purest form.
This is incredible! A crystal capable of containing souls?! But how on earth was it created? Did Mucks essence react with the mana crystal to forge this soul crystal, or was it something else entirely? It felt unrealistic to assume that simply tossing a soul into a mana crystal could somehow cause it to miraculously transmute into something new. There had to be a process at play that I wasnt aware of, or perhaps some factor, cause, or entity that interfered with its creation. Could it be the spirits? No... those glowing entities dont seem to have had any impact. So, was it Elixya? But I didnt receive any notification... Maybe its a natural process? Perhaps every time a soul enters a mana crystal, it creates a soul crystal? Or maybe I just got lucky... Ughh... I dont know! I exclaimed, tugging at my hair in frustration. Theres not much I can do about it, then. Thank you, Elixya, if it was you. This time, you were a great help! Or whoever assisted me with thisbe it fate, the god of souls, or some bored entitythank you! I said aloud to the empty space before me, my hands pressed together in a gesture of prayer. Turning back to my creation, I tapped the soul crystal gently with the tips of my nails, and it emitted a peculiar wave of energy that flowed harmoniously through the root circuits of the crystal shell. Nodding in approval, I began to assemble the entire Muck core, fitting the pieces together meticulously. I glued some components and screwed others until I was left with an intriguing object resembling wood, adorned with veins of green vines and ports similar to USB connectors for external charging. Theoretically, this new Muck core should be capable of storing all the energy generated by Muck''s body. However, if it proves insufficient, or if Muck produces excess energy that can be harnessed for other tasks, I deemed it essential to create these USB ports to simplify operations. With this setup, we only need to connect a root cable to Muck for input and output. Additionally, the core features an input for crystal disks. I plan to test whether Muck can read these disks containing pre-recorded spells. Theres also a "DVD" input designed to accommodate crystal disks filled with various magical commands, allowing Muck to analyze the information and transform it into useful insights. This new functionality could enhance Muck''s abilities significantly, making him not only a companion but also a vital asset in our adventures. I could already envision the possibilitiesMuck may very well be the perfect prototype, the beginning of a sustainable way to create artificial life, a way to create expendable battle units that can fight in my children''s place while we all relax in the safety of the hive.
[Description]
Name: Living Heart Rarity: Epic Quality: Good
An artificial cristal heart created by the Queen FeyWeaver, this artifact is capable of serving as a receptacle for souls, spirits and the like.
Wow! I created a vessel for souls! It''s astonishing when you stop to think about it. This "core" acts as the heart of a true body, while Muck''s moss serves as the "flesh and bones," and the "soul crystal" is essentially Mucks own soul, making him practically a complete living being. Muck has always felt somewhat unreal to melike a toy or a semi-conscious plant. But calling him a real living being seems misleading. His body is made of plants, which are indeed alive, so by extension, Muck should be considered a living being. However, his "true" body is the core that provides the energy for movement and grants him a [Status]. This core, constructed from wood, glue, and crystals, hardly resembles a real living organism. I often find myself at a loss for how to refer to Muck. Sometimes, I think of him like Pinocchioa being that shouldnt be alive yet can walk, "eat," and even fight. I also noticed that transforming Muck into a familiar seemed to make him more sentient, as if he had upgraded from a robot with a basic neural system to one with advanced AI. Holding Mucks core in my hands, I realized it was now significantly larger, about the size of my palm, which meant Muck''s body itself would also grow. Without delay, I dashed to my special garden, where I conducted experiments with plants. I placed Mucks core directly on the ground, atop the magical moss I had used to create his body long ago. Theoretically, I could use other materials to give Muck a different body, but I wasnt sure how this might affect his abilitiespositively or negativelyor even if it was feasible. Muck had been linked to the moss for so long; his skills and talents were all derived from it. As soon as I stepped back, the moss began to grow rapidly around Muck''s core. Earth, mud, rocks, and roots surged from the ground, integrating into his form. Soon, I could see what appeared to be eyes, legs, paws, and a head materializing from Muck''s body. It astonished meMuck had always been a shapeless blob of moss, but now he was taking on a distinctly different physical form. In no time at all, Muck''s shape began to resemble that of a fat cat. His fur was composed of thin green moss leaves, with sprigs of flowers scattered across his body. His tail was a large fern, lazily swaying as he moved. His paws were made of earth and stone, providing a different coloration from the rest of his lime green body. His eyes and snout were fashioned from small stones, gravel, wood, and roots. This new incarnation of Muck made him look like a Siberian cat crafted from moss, roots, and dirt, which filled me with delight. After all, Ive always loved cats! Maybe my fondness for them influenced Muck''s transformation. I had often joked about him being a "fat cat," and now he truly was! Once Muck''s body was fully formed, he looked up at me with his big black eyes, sitting on the ground with his hind paws. His mossy fur was beautiful, though it needed brushing. I thought about getting him a collar and maybe even giving him a bath! However, considering he was partly made of dirt, I wondered if running water would be a suitable option. As I contemplated the possibilities, I approached Muck to examine him. In response, he suddenly fell to the side like a brick, which genuinely startled me. Muck?! His core couldnt handle the pressure?! He should be perfectly stable! Its fine, its fine as long as his soul crystal is intact, I can always create a new body for Looking closely at Muck, the moss cat, I realized he hadnt broken anything; he was simply lying on the mossy ground, lazily dragging his tail along while purring contentedly. You... bastard!!! Dont scare me like that! I exclaimed, scooping him up by the waist and lifting him into the air. Muck was heavyreally heavy. About as much as a fat Siberian cat raised by your grandmother. He appeared sleepy in my lap but was also incredibly comfortable. His mossy fur felt softer than real moss, and his purr was remarkably soothing. Hehe... I guess it was all worth the effort. After all, Ive got a cat!
I sat on my throne, listening to Yan''s report. My long white dress, adorned with ruffles and embroidered with golden flowers, cascaded down to the floor. The semi-transparent sleeves extended to my wrists, and a delicate choker of the same sheer fabric rested between my neck and breasts, making me appear like a saint from a fantasy tale. A green cat, Muck, comfortably perched on my lap, as I gazed down at Yan, who was reporting with an exuberant smile. "We will be able to leave by the end of the day, Queen Mother! The palanquins have been loaded, the non-combat troops have been evacuated, and the ''Downfall'' project is ready to begin!" he said, beaming at me.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. We had been planning our "Strategic Escape" for some time. I refused to remain in this wretched place, facing dangers every day for nothing! It was infested with dangerous monsters, and now I knew that humans were encircling the area. I didnt want to spend another day here! The "Downfall" project Yan mentioned seemed unnecessary to me, but the others insisted it was crucial. The plan was to incinerate the entire tower after our evacuation. Incendiary pits would be placed throughout, and the structure would be drenched with highly flammable alchemical liquids, ensuring that anyone searching for information about the towers would find nothing but a city of melted wax. It required immense effort, but we had managed to clear the stocks, securely seal ongoing projects in shipping crates, and place them under the care of the transport club. The farm creatures had been slaughtered, and only the most promising eggs would be transported to the new settlement. Buck and his assistants had harvested the crops and selected the best seeds and seedlings. Jasper took charge of the potions, powders, pastes, and other delicate items, all of which had been properly stored. We even arranged a palanquin solely for Ken and Keb. Ken had returned to his duties in the infirmary, but I wouldnt allow him to overexert himself again. I made him choose between the infirmary and the nursery, and he opted for the nursery, deciding to care for the eggs and larvae of the entire hive, while Keb would manage the infirmary. Ken was visibly upset about the decision, and I suspected he harbored a bit of resentment toward Keb for "stealing" his position. You couldnt leave the two of them alone without them arguing. Not that their fights were threateningboth were as strong as a water fleabut their loud bickering could be heard even from my quarters. "Alright, how are we progressing regarding our destination?" I inquired. "To the east, we have a river flowing south. Our plan is to avoid the forest and follow the rivers course to the demonic lands far to the south. According to our scouts, theres nothing on the explored banks of the river. Based on the explorers'' discussions and analyses, theres a strong possibility of human cities to the far south, or something similar," Yan replied clearly. "Hmm... And how do we plan to evade humans if we encounter them?" "We''ll fly above cloud level to avoid detection, and in the worst-case scenario, Jon and Zack''s team will stay behind to delay any potential enemies from approaching the main herd," Yan stated seriously. This plan wasnt perfect, but it was the best we had for avoiding danger and keeping a low profile throughout the journey. "Hmff... What about our offensive capabilities?" "We have potions, single-use weapons, mages, poisons, and skilled users at our disposal! If we come across hostile forces, were prepared to fight!" Yan assured me. "I see... Finish the final preparations; we''re leaving." Yan bowed elegantly and exited the room, leaving me alone with Muck. I quickly lifted him to eye level, eliciting a groan of displeasure from him. "Oh... Who''s that cute little thing? Its you, Muck! I hope you''re ready for our trip!" I said to Muck as I opened his Status screen.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Muck Species: Shroudriguen Life: 10.3 Def: 5.6
Level: 2 Type: Etheral Moss Vit: 136.3 Int: 1.2
Mana: 74.7 Stamina: 54 Dex: 0.3 Wis: 0.9
Talent: Converge Affinity: Life Spr: 1.2 Str: 0.4
[Skills]
{Photosynthesis} - Lv 5 Use sunlight, moisture and nutrients to create MP
{Regrowth} - Lv 2 Regenerates lost parts quickly using Sp.
{Verdant vitality} - Lv 4 If the damage received is less than the points of your [Vitality] it will be ignored.
{Familiar} - Locked As long your creator remains alive, you can be revived indefinitely by him at the cost of MP.
{Mirrored} - Lv 1 When you suffer any type of damage, you can reflect it back to your enemy at the cost of Mp.
{Serenity Eyes} - Lv 1 Enemies who look into your eyes will gain the [Tranquilized], [Pacified] effect
{Creation Bond} - Locked Your soul was created from the soul of your creator, making you eternally linked to him.
{Soul Whisper} - Lv 1 Your close contact with souls allows you to interact with souls.
Muck had become surprisingly powerful. When I first reviewed his status, I nearly had a heart attack, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that Muck was nothing more than a very resilient punching bag. He lacked combat skills, couldnt run away, and had no quick reflexes. His only saving grace was his ability to negate any damage below his [Vitality] status, and to reflect that damage back onto his attacker at the cost of MP. True, his [MP] and [Vitality] had increased significantly, but everything else remained so low that it felt like a cruel joke. However, the most impressive aspect of Muck now were his new skills! {Serenity Eyes} was a fantastic skill, perfect for calming someone we didnt want to engage in conflict. Yet, I found it a bit dangerous to let the target know that Muck was "forcing" them into a state of tranquility. {Soul Whisper} seemed somewhat useless for Muck, but it had its applications. It functioned like my [Spectral Resonance] skill, allowing Muck to perceive The Other Side. However, Muck had little use for it other than occasionally playing with spirits. Curiously, the brown spirits of this place seemed to "hate" Muck, avoiding him at all costs and fleeing whenever he approached. It was strange, but amusing to see Muck chase after those little, farting orbs as if they were mice darting away from a cat. Undoubtedly, the best of all his new skills was {Creation Bond}. This skill established a bridge between us, enabling strong communication. If I wanted Muck to perform a task, I could simply send the request, and he would do his best to fulfill it. Unlike before, I could now assign him more abstract tasks, and Muck would find creative solutions to the problems I posed. For instance, when I asked him to bring me exactly three round stones, the old Muck would have returned with a handful, but this new Muck executed my request flawlessly, with no effort. He could even cast spells now! Unfortunately, he couldnt create them from scratch like I could; he needed a "Manual" of the spell to imitate each step and cast a half-baked version. Fortunately, Muck also had a [Spells] tab, albeit limited to just one spell he could use whenever he wanted. Just in case, I had assigned the [Healing] spell to Mucks spell tab. You never know, right? And I doubted anyone would expect a mossy cat to know a healing spell. Another change I couldnt overlook was the shift in Mucks [Species]. I wasnt sure why this happened, but I suspected that altering the body and soul of a living being affected its fundamental nature in some way. Cradling Muck in my arms, I rose from my throne and prepared to leave the room. Everything here was about to become just a memory. The resources that had built this place would be lost, the structures irretrievable, and worst of all, our entire history would fade into mere fairy tales. The beasts of this forest wouldnt bother to remember the strange creatures inhabiting a peculiar tower in the middle of the plains, and I doubted anyone would believe the kobolds if they claimed, "We were helped by sacred beasts! Fairies sent by God!" As I stepped out of the room, I cast one last glance back, tinged with regret. Change was always difficult; the memories and time I spent in this place would never be forgotten. This was where everything began, shaping us into who we were today. These walls had sheltered us from rain and strong winds, providing a reliable refuge. "Goodbye... And thank you for everything. Im sorry for what I must do... I cant leave any traces behind." This place would soon be set ablaze. Perhaps it was unnecessary, even excessive, to destroy the tower, especially since it would likely kill the tree at the center of the main tower, the "Heart" of our home. But the others were right; if we left behind an "advanced" civilization made of wax, wood, and other natural resourcessomething that shouldnt be "common" in this worldit could invite significant problems. The best course of action was to obliterate everything and leave any curious onlookers to ponder the remnants of our home.
"Alright, is everyone here?" I called out from atop a cloud of soldiers, all armed to the teeth. "Yes, my queen! The entire hive has been evacuated, the resources stored, and everything is ready for the trip!" Yan replied from beside me. Before me stretched a vast cloud of bees. Enormous wooden boxes floated in the air, buoyed by dozens of bees working together. Inside those boxes were unfinished projects, machines, parts, resources, and potions. Accompanying these boxes were palanquins made of wax, wood, and roots, designed to carry the hive members who couldnt fly. The palanquins were arranged by "importance," with members of the communication club positioned closest to meeasier to defendand those from the cooking and entertainment club on the fringes of the massive swarm, the most perilous spots. "Hmm... Very well, light this thing and lets go. I want to reach the river''s end and find a place to rest until sunset," I commanded bluntly. "Sure! Set it on fire!" Yan exclaimed, adding a dramatic flair. Soon, I watched as several ceramic bottles plummeted from the sky. Upon impact, blue flames erupted, prompting the hive to retreat even further. The fire quickly spread through the hive, following a path of fuel, until the entire tower blazed like a massive bonfire. Even from a distance, I could feel the heat radiating from it, and I sensed the hive''s tension; they absolutely despised fire. It was a primal fear ingrained in them, a fear I had unwittingly passed on, shaped by my last memories as a humansuffocating under debris, smoke burning my lungs, and flames melting my flesh like wax. It wasnt an ideal situation, and I still felt a twinge of fear regarding fire, but I couldnt let my past dictate my choices. Fire had its benefitswithout its "discovery," wed still be clobbering each other with sticks and making grunting sounds. Fire was heat, energy, and a powerful tool. Yet, like anything potent, it required careful handling to avoid harm. As my home melted away before my eyes, anxiety churned within me. Was this truly the best choice for us as a family and society? If everything went awry and we had to return, wed have no home left, and wed lost so many resources in the process. I struggled to know if I was making the right decisions; I was only trying to do what I believed was best for my family. We couldnt remain in this wretched place; it was fraught with too many dangers. If I could live in isolation, surrounded by resources and simple creatures, I would be the happiest being alive. We wouldnt have to worry about outsiders encroaching on us or powerful entities meddling in our lives. But life was not a fairytale, and I knew I would never find the "Perfect Place," only the "Least Worst" option. "Come on, everyone, we need to go," I said, gathering everyones attention. "Yes! Hans will lead the way!" Yan declared, signaling to Hans. Hans nodded and took off towards the south, and soon the entire hive followed him, moving as a yellow cloud across the sky. I was flanked by several key members: Yan, Steve, Ken, Radyo, Piper, Emi, Levi, Max, and Jon. They were the "main force" of the hive, the glue holding us together, except for Jon, who served more as a "Chitin Shield" for all of us. I was seated upon a makeshift floor constructed from the backs of several [Royal Guards], [Knights], and [Protectors], stacked to create a shelter for me. Given my size, I resembled a child being carried by a swarm of insects. ''I hope they evolve quickly... This is kind of embarrassing.''
Beneath us stretched a vast expanse of cloudsendless clouds. We were drifting downriver when a few keen [Shepherds] detected potential threats. We decided it was best to retreat to a quieter location. Individually, we might not be worth much as a meal or for XP, but an entire hive on the move? Now that would be a feast of XP and nutrients. We had to stay vigilant, watching everything that stirred along the riverbanks. At one point, a large bird swooped down, intent on snatching a few of us for itself. But as soon as it got close, it was bombarded by a barrage of magic projectiles, rendered lifeless by poison-soaked thorns flung by Zack and his sniper bee squad. While the bird was stunned, Aldy and his group of toxic bees latched onto it, injecting as many paralyzing and hallucinogenic substances as they could muster. The bird plummeted to the ground, and let''s just say the landing wasnt pleasant. Picture a melon dropping from a high buildingno good could come of that. After the incident, the journey resumed with relative calm. Strong winds buffeted us, and we encountered a few pesky insects and small predators trying to snag a piece of us. Those unfortunate attempts only resulted in a boost of XP juice for us. Now, we sought temporary shelter for the night, a safe haven. "Queen Mother! Our scouting team discovered a large crater in the mountain wall! It''s spacious enough for us to rest comfortably!" Yan reported eagerly. "Hmm... Is it safe?" I asked, scrutinizing the images of the location. "It appears so! The crater bears signs of having sheltered various creatures before us! We didnt find any traces of blood or anything that might raise alarm!" Yan exclaimed. No blood meant no recent deaths there, which was a promising sign. "Hmm... All right, lets head down. Send the reconnaissance team ahead to scout the area. If its clear, well settle in." The "Reconnaissance Team" consisted of specialists I had gathered to assess the safety of our path. This group included [Scouts], [Shepherds], [Explorers], [Trackers], and several others of similar expertise, with Zack and Aldy providing additional muscle. The plan was to let them rest during the day and undertake this task under the cover of night. It was a more dangerous job, which is why only elite members participatedthose most knowledgeable in their fields. "Understood! Well secure the area right away!" Yan replied, brimming with excitement. Soon, our cloud of bees began descending, revealing a steep mountain face, almost vertical in its ascent. The walls were adorned with jagged stones, draped in moss and wild plants. Nestled in the cliff was what looked like an entrance, obscured by leaves and vines. I could see a constant flow of bees entering and exiting, some returning with their bodies laden with pollen, while others discarded old leaves, bits of wood, and dirt from the crater. Squeezing into the entrance, I was greeted by a surprisingly cozy interior, illuminated by several worker bees glowing with bioluminescence. The floor was spotless, meticulously cleaned and waxed to create a smooth, inviting surface. Groups of bees buzzed about, some constructing what looked like a bed, while others exchanged nectar with the cooks to prepare rations for the rest of the hive. "Very cozy!" I remarked as I entered. It wasnt particularly spaciousperhaps the size of a one-room studio with a ceiling height of about two metersbut it was more than enough for me and the boys. "Hmf... This place isnt ideal, but I suppose it will do," Ken mused, blending into the bustling crowd. "The accommodations may not be perfect, but well do our best to make it comfortable for you, Mother! Once everyone is inside, well seal the entrance, and the soldiers will stand guard," Hans declared, his tone serious. "Thank you, Hans, but dont overexert yourself. We still have a long journey ahead..." "Don''t worry, Mom! Ill take care of everyone! If any intruder comes near, Ill pop his head like a watermelon!" Trouble boasted, puffing out his chest. "Hehe, sure, sweetheart, but do be careful. We cant underestimate dangerous creatures, and you need to listen to your brother. Hes in charge of all the combat classes until further notice." I cautioned, gently tugging on Trouble''s antenna. "I dont see why I should listen to him! He wont even let me chase a creature just for fun!" Trouble whined childishly. A muscular guy like Trouble throwing a tantrum is certainly one of the greatest challenges of this century. Sometimes, I wonder how someone like him would fit in my other world, but then I rememberthere are eccentric characters everywhere. "No ''buts,'' boy! Obey your brother! I dont want to hear about you or anyone else causing trouble during this trip. Is that clear?" I said, giving Trouble a gentle tug on his antenna. "Ouch! Okay, okay!" Trouble whined in response. Sometimes, I feel like Im managing a circus with these guys. Theres no middle ground here; theyre either extremely formal like Steve and Hans or wildly reckless like Trouble. Ken, I suppose, is a controlled mix of bothneither overly eloquent nor unpleasant, but someone you wouldnt want to chat with for too long. After discussing matters with the boys, I joined them in helping out where I could, making wax and preparing food for our rations. The crates containing our "furniture" were stacked against one wall, while the other side was dominated by the bustling bees. They had crafted a makeshift bed for me, but ultimately, we would all be sleeping close together here. As night fell, it was time to rest. I lay down on the bed prepared for me, surrounded by the hive members clustering together in swarms, occupying every available spaceon the walls, floor, or ceiling of the small crater. It might have seemed uncomfortable to others, but for me, it felt surprisingly cozy. "Uahhhh Goodnight, boys. Tomorrow well set off at sunrise," I called out to the hive. "Good night, Queen Mother!" they chorused in unison. With that, I closed my eyes, comforted by the rhythmic hum of my hive around me, knowing we were safe for now. Chapter 79: Love Me, Fear Me, Hate Me When I woke up, I was completely wrapped in a blanket of bees. They were all arranged over my body, forming a kind of warm cocoon around me. As I shifted and got up from my "bed," I felt the whole hive stirring awake along with mesome of the bees let out little yawns, while others headed to the entrance of the small cave, peeling back the layer of [Hard Wax] that sealed it shut. "Ughhh... Is it already time to keep moving?" Ken grumbled, rousing from his spot in the blanket of bees. "Yes! Everythings ready. We just need to open the entrance and keep going!" chirped a small [Nurse] bee beside Ken. Ken only replied with a deep frown that clearly said, "I didnt ask you," but the [Nurse] wasnt fazed in the slightest, flashing a wide, satisfied grin right back. "Ahhh... I know it''s early, everyone, but weve got to get going," I said, practically dragging myself out of the cave. As soon as the entrance was open, I squeezed through with some difficulty, emerging to find a vast layer of bees on the ground, waiting for me to climb aboard. Without hesitation, I stepped up and settled into the center of their formation. Soon, I could see a long line of bees streaming in and out of the cave, carrying boxes and supplies. A small group of bees approached me with excitement. "Queen Mother! Look at thisit''s amazing! Can we take it with us? Please?" asked a tiny [Explorer], holding up a peculiar flower with leathery, wine-colored petals. Its core looked like that of a flamingo flower, but with a glossy, wet surface covered in a mysterious pink substance.
[Description]
Name: Crimson Aurora Rarity: Rare Quality: Bad
A flower with petals that imitate the appearance of rotten meat, possessing a highly nutritious nectar, its spadix works like a sponge and can store up to 300 ml of its nectar.
"Mom! Mom! Look at this, isnt it incredible?! I found it growing on the remains of a dead animal!" a [Scout] buzzed excitedly, holding up a strange, pointed purple mushroom. It had a delicate, white garland draping from beneath its cap, and its surface was dotted with tiny neon-yellow specks that seemed to glow. I examined it closely, intrigued by its unusual appearance. The contrast of the vivid colors against the deep purple was both eerie and mesmerizing. "Its quite the find," I replied with a smile. "We may want to be cautious with it, thoughsometimes the brightest things hide the sharpest surprises...."
[Description]
Name: Necrotic Fungi Rarity: Uncomun Quality: Fine
The spores of Necrotic Fungi can survive inactively in the bodies of their hosts for weeks. When their victims die of external causes, the Necrotic Fungi transform the corpse of their victim into a cluster of Necrotic Fungi capable of surviving for decades by consuming the same prey. Their taste is terrible and they are known to cause negative effects on the bodies of their predators, facilitating their death.
"Moooomy... Look... T-This... tastes really... good..." a [Collector] murmured drowsily, his words slurring as he held out a small, vibrant yellow, jar-shaped flower. Inside, there was a clear liquid that gave off a faint, sweet aroma, like honey mixed with morning dew. I leaned in, examining the flower with a mix of curiosity and caution. "It smells nice, but be careful with those sips, alright? Sometimes the sweetest things can have a hidden kick," I warned, brushing a hand over his head. He gave a sleepy smile, still savoring the taste.
[Description]
Name: Glory Bells Rarity: Common Quality: Good
A small flower known for its high concentration of nectar commonly used to make [Glory''s Bell Syrup]
All three who had spoken to me froze mid-sentence, slowly turning back, only to find Yan glaring at them with a disapproving scowl. Without delay, they stammered quick goodbyes and scurried off as fast as they could. "Hey, Yan! Stop scaring the kidsthey were just showing me a few things they found interesting." I gave him a light flick on the forehead as he came closer. "Ouch!" Yan winced, rubbing his forehead. "Forgive me, Queen Mother, but their job isnt to waste time with this nonsense. We need to stay on schedule, not get sidetracked by every curiosity." He continued rubbing his forehead, looking slightly annoyed. "Theyre still in the roles they were born into, Yan! Have a little patiencetheyre practically babies. Exploring and discovering things is natural for them. We have enough time before we leave, and as long as they dont put themselves in danger, I dont mind if they look around a little." "Ugh talking to you is like talking to a wall!" Yan huffed, puffing his cheeks in frustration before turning on his heel and storming off. "WHAT!" I didnt give myself time to get angry with him. Just then, I felt the hive signal, indicating it was time to prepare to continue. Closing my eyes, I focused on the hive link, sifting through the information gathered by the reconnaissance team. The news wasnt good. "Damn... well have to be extra careful from here on out," I muttered, biting my nail. What I saw in the scout reports were boats humans, in boats. They seemed like normal people, moving along what appeared to be the beginnings of a settlement. There were rough-hewn roads and simple wooden buildingsa civilization taking root near the river. Without hesitation, I focused deeper into the hive link. In the past, it was like reaching out to a network of individual threads disappearing into darkness, each connecting me to a single member of the hive. But now it felt more like a massive braid, one thick, tangled rope that anchored me to hundreds of bright, pulsing points. I could tell at a glance who each connection represented, a familiarity as intuitive as breathing. I reached for a small golden thread among the lines and tugged gently, making the surroundings fade like smoke. In my mind, the figure of Hansa soldier cloaked in thick chitin armor with a cape and ponytail peeking out from his helmetappeared, hovering above my palm. This mental space was strange and still a bit disorienting. It reminded me of those mental rooms in Stranger Things or projections from X-Mena vast, empty place where I could interact with the hive link as if it were something physical. Normally, the link was just there, an unlisted feature of being the Queen Bee Reincarnated in Another World, with no controls or settings, just raw, instinctive connectivity. As Hanss figure appeared in my hand, I could see him mid-action, hovering calmly while directing some soldiers, completely unaware of my presence. I brought his figure close to my face, positioning his ear near my mouth. "I need to talk." Immediately, Hans froze, then acknowledged the call through the link. After a few words to his team, he flew toward me. Opening my eyes, I saw him approaching in all his majestic glory and realized, with a pang of disappointment, how small he was compared to me now. Once, he was that "powerful, intimidating soldier," but from my perspective, he looked like a $500 action figurejaw-dropping, yes, but so small that he might as well be posed beside a Barbie. "Queen Mother! I answer your call!" Hans declared, kneeling before me. "Hans please evolve quickly," I murmured, trying to shake the image of a child clashing a Barbie doll against a Hans figurine. "I will strive to evolve as fast as possible, Queen Mother!" he replied, utterly serious. "Good, thank you. Sorry for the comment it was justno, never mind." I sighed, regaining focus. "I wanted to ask about those boats and buildings in the scouts'' report. Do you think it''s safe for us to pass by them?" "I believe those boats mark the outer edges of a human settlement, likely rural," Hans explained. "From what weve deduced, there will likely be more humans further downriver, but were confident we can pass over these settlements quietly without drawing attention." "Hmm Are we absolutely certain?" I asked, still uncertain. Hans shooked, his expression resolute as ever before sayin: "No! I can''t guarantee we''ll go unnoticed. The odds aren''t in our favor, but there''s still a chance," Hans said, his voice steady despite the tension in his shoulders as he stayed kneeling. "That''s why I was thinkingonce we hit a high-risk area, Ill create a distraction. It might buy us just enough time. If we''re lucky, it''ll draw their attention long enough for us to slip by." OH? What would the distraction be? The main plan for now is to start a fire. We anticipate that the area will resemble a typical human settlement, primarily constructed from flammable materials and situated close to forests. We will ignite the nearby woodlands, forcing the creatures in those regions to flee toward the human settlements. While the humans are preoccupied with the beasts and the flames, well rain down incendiary potions and ignition aids from above to set their shelters ablaze. Amidst the chaos, we can navigate through the area without major complications! Hans stated bluntly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. You want me to... set them on fire? The idea is horrific! Utterly appalling! I BURNED TO DEATH! I could never put another living being through that torment, not intentionally! And certainly not for such a trivial cause! Hans immediately sensed my disapproval and discomfort with the plan and wasted no time before continuing. The plan endangers the lives of our enemies and beings of little worth to the hive. Its still under consideration, but I believe the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Such extensive destruction would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. Investigations would follow, and Im almost certain they would uncover evidence that could threaten the hives safety, Hans explained respectfully. Upon hearing this, I let out a long sigh of relief. Hans understands me well enough to know I would never endorse this. I may have my flaws, but Im no heartless monster. This plan doesnt sit right with me... Im not even sure we can start a fire of this scale! I protested, trying to change the subject and dismiss the idea. Oh, but we absolutely can! A fire ignites with just a spark, Mother! We may be small, but we are capable of causing far more chaos and destruction than we appear. Together, we form an unyielding wall, an unstoppable sword, a powerful intellect, Hans declared, his deep golden eyes glimmering like twin suns. Uh... Sometimes I become so entranced by their kindness and delicacy that I forget how terrifying they can be. Within the hive, we are a close-knit family who sleeps in each other''s embrace, converses, celebrates, and plays. But to the outside world, we are beastsmonstrosities capable of unimaginable acts. I know the boys would be more than willing to contribute to this fearsome reputation if they deemed it necessary. Anyone not part of the hive is viewed as an adversary, regardless of whether we share the same home, food, hobbies, or even blood. If youre not one of us, youre either prey or a threat. This is what frightens me the most when I contemplate the hive. Ciel was cast out like refuse the moment he was unlinked, and the boys have consistently shown no empathy or compassion for any being outside our ranks. They perceive the beasts as potential preya source of XP and a means to evolve. Humans, kobolds, and any other formidable creatures are seen as mortal threats. Theres no room for alliances; I could force them into a temporary truce, a state of peace where the boys wouldnt exhibit hostility toward outsiders, but I cant make them trust anyone outside the link. Their avoidance of humans is not due to a desire for peace; they avoid them because they think, We cannot kill them! If they could, they would be hunting humans just as they do insects for XP. Thats why I must protect them. The boys are astute enough to understand cause and effect. They know that hunting animals and beasts differs from targeting humans, who can retaliate. As long as we remain small, defenseless creatures, they will never initiate conflict without absolute certainty of victory. But for how long? Every day, the hive expands, we gain XP, achieve new evolutions, and develop new technologies. There will come a time when the boys stop thinking, We shouldnt! and start wondering, Why not? That thought terrifies me. Very well... what about avoiding lands inhabited by humans? I asked Hans. We havent assessed the entire situation yet, but theres a possibility we can reroute through the ocean or discreetly traverse unpopulated areas within human territories! Hans responded swiftly. Hmmm... The ocean feels perilous to me. If something were to occur, we wouldn''t be able to halt... But continuing through human lands poses risks as well. Very well, lets proceed on our current path and evaluate the situation. If it seems safe, well carry on. Yes, Queen Mother! Hans replied, rising and flying away." As our journey resumed, Muck settled comfortably on my lap, purring contentedly and wagging his fern-shaped tail. Around us, Max, Ken, and Steve busied themselves with their respective tasks, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The rhythm of of the almost melodic hum hummed softly around us, while the distant sounds of nature mingling with the occasional laughter from our group For me, this is a rare opportunity to create stronger and more "real" bonds with my children. We are always working or running after this and that, and having a little time to enjoy the beauty of the world around us makes things seem so... simple and beautiful. It makes me forget all my worries and want to focus only on this one special moment. Max was scribbling frantically in the pages of a large book crafted from wood fibers by the production club. The cover, made from a type of vegetable leather, displayed a five-pointed star alongside the title "Grimoire C-37: Magical Energy Generation and Related." This book was one of the many utilized by the magic club to develop theories on abstract magical concepts. Ideas circulated among the members, each person adding their own interpretations and theories until the book reached Max. It was his responsibility to determine what was "theoretically possible," valid, or worthy of experimentation. Max''s approach mirrored mine in some ways, though he often called upon one or two Archivists to serve as a "living grimoire." He preferred the traditional method, favoring a physical book, pen, and paper. In his view, it felt more "magical" to hold a tome filled with writings on the very theory of magic itself, even if the ideas were controversial. Nevertheless, Maxs grimoires needed to be stored within the link and archived by the Archivists, creating extra work for everyone involved. If only Max''s grimoires could cast magic, things would be different. As it stood, they served purely academic purposes, but I found them fascinating. The idea of a book containing concepts and ideas about real magic was captivating! Although, the volumes were so small that I would need a magnifying glass just to decipher the tiny print. Meanwhile, Ken was busying himself with an array of jars and bottles, concocting what appeared to be some sort of medicine or food. I couldnt quite discern what he was creating; he was mixing various herbs, pastes, and ingredients in a mortar, grinding them into a smooth mixture. Then, he combined the paste with liquids from some jars, pouring the resulting blend over a thick cloth and squeezing until a suspiciously colored liquid emerged, which he bottled in small wax jars. Each bore cryptic labels, such as "T. C/S - 12.4," which meant nothing to me. I could have asked him about it, but I preferred to let the boys pursue their hobbies in peace. Ken was usually great with childcare and pain relief, but I had never seen him show much interest in alchemy or herbology. After the "vacation" I had forced him to take, though, it seemed he might have picked up a thing or two about the medical field. Lastly, there was Steve, who looked as unfazed as a statue. Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, he resembled a bee version of the Buddha. I knew he was focused on managing the hive, but it was strange to see him sitting there doing nothing. Bird! shouted a soldier in the formation. My attention snapped to the direction of the call, and I spotted a flock of birds approaching, instantly putting me on edge. We could manage a lone bird well enough, but a whole flock was a different story. While I was too large for them to take down easily, the boys were like popcorn waiting to be devoured. EVERYONE WITH ME NOW! I shouted to the hive. Instantly, the entire cloud of bees began to shift, drawing closer together and engulfing me in a swirling mass that formed a pulsating ball in mid-air. Through the eyes of the soldiers on the outer layer of the swarm, I could see the birds hesitating, clearly intimidated by the strange, larger figure that had suddenly appeared before them. A few of them screeched, keeping a safe distance from our cluster of bees for the moment. Soon, however, the birds regained their courage and began to approach us. As they drew nearer, I activated my skill, [Crystalline Energy Veil], enveloping us in a semi-transparent shield of energy, with small sparkling orbs floating inside. The birds quickly discovered that the veil was not only visually stunning but also dangerous. As they entered the effect zone, the tips of their feathers changed from a dull beige to a vibrant purple, releasing a noxious smoke. In response to this unexpected attack, the birds flared their wings like parachutes and quickly retreated from the skill''s area, a sight that made me smile mockingly for a brief moment. That moment of triumph was short-lived, though. A larger bird emerged from the flock, taking command. It opened its beak, and I felt the air around us shift, as if it were being drawn into the bird''s mouth. I watched in horror as a pale yellow sphere of energy began to form inside. With a swift motion, the bird launched the magical projectile in our direction. The Guardians and Tankers sprang forth from the heart of the swarm, bracing to absorb the attack, but the impact still caused significant damage, igniting a fire of rage within me. I''M GOING TO KILL THOSE BIRDS! HOW DARE THEY HURT MY BABIES?! Irritated, I quickly summoned the LifeGuardians to my position, feeling them crawl through the throngs of hive members until they reached me. Yes, Queen Mother! Jon exclaimed, standing directly before me. Without uttering a word, I activated the skill [Maiden''s Prayer], disregarding the embarrassing gestures required to do so. Small golden marks appeared on all the LifeGuardians. Go! Finish off those foolish birds! I commanded, prompting the hive to part and clear a path between the interior and the exterior of the swarm. Yes, Queen Mother! the LifeGuardians echoed, abandoning their positions to charge toward the birds. A fierce aerial combat ensued. Jon and Hans led the charge, while Aldy, Ral, and Zack held the rear. Wasting no time, Jon hurled himself at the large bird that had unleashed a magical attack, gripping its face tightly before it could react. He activated a skill that intensified his grip, causing his skin to take on a dull, stone-like gray. Following Jon, Hans glide With a swift motion, Hans extended his hand, summoning a black blade that rapidly grew to the size of a spear. He positioned it as if preparing to throw and activated a skill that made his muscles tense. With a powerful throw, the spear cut through the air with a whistling sound, striking another bird in the midst of the flock, sending it spiraling down as it struggled in vain. Witnessing this, the remaining birds began to scatter, attempting to evade the onslaught while their leader floundered in the air, desperately trying to shake Jon off. Soon, a rain of small thorns descended upon the birds, dozens of tiny black spikes piercing their bodies. The birds initially dismissed this attack, believing the thorns too small to pose a threat. Unfortunately for them, they soon learned the thorns were part of a coordinated strike by Zack and Aldy. Aldy infused Zacks thorns with his most potent natural poisons, while Zacks precision ensured the majority of targets were hit, causing several birds to fly erratically before collapsing unconscious to the ground. Realizing most of their group had been eliminated and their leader was in trouble, the remaining birds decided it was time to abandon their meal and flee. However, as they attempted to escape, they were struck by several seeds that erupted into vines, ensnaring them and binding them together. These seeds were a professional version of the [Burst Seed] spell, skillfully directed by Ral from a distance. Unlike my own version, which was imbued with the element of [Life], Ral''s vines were devoid of thorns, resembling ropes that restrained their victims. Ral then invoked a new spell, conjuring a small blue sphere of crackling energy that soon exploded into three arrow-shaped projectiles of magical energy. These projectiles sped through the air, leaving trails of blue light in their wake as they darted toward the birds. Upon reaching their targets, the energy projectiles pierced two of the five birds trapped by the [Burst Seed] spell, creating large entry wounds that belched smoke from the burned flesh. As the two birds ceased flapping their wings and began to struggle, they hindered the flight of their remaining companions, causing the tangle of birds and roots to descend toward the ground. At last, only the great leader bird remained, and all the LifeGuardians were unscathed. Jon clung tightly to the most dangerous target, but after receiving a message from Hans, he began to dig his claws into the bird''s eyes, drawing forth a stream of blood that dripped down his body. The massive bird thrashed and clawed at its face, trying in vain to dislodge Jon''s firm grip, but it was futileJon had become part of the creature itself. Aldy calmly floated over to the bird''s back and landed gracefully. Drawing forth his stinger, he drove it into the birds flesh. In response, the bird thrashed violently, desperately attempting to escape. Yet, before it could gain any ground, thorns struck its chest, knocking the wind from its lungs. Hans swiftly followed up, thrusting one of his spears into the bird''s wing, and Ral unleashed a spell with acidic properties that began to dissolve the bird''s feathers. Completely defeated, the massive bird''s movements slowed, swaying in the air as it descended. It was only then that Jon relinquished his grip, revealing the bird''s ravaged faceits eyes grotesquely pierced, skin marred by deep cuts, and a steady stream of blood pouring from its beak. Hmph! Jon hissed, delivering a powerful punch to the birds face, sending it tumbling earthward, just like the others. As the LifeGuardians returned to the swarm of bees, they were met with applause and cheers, celebrated like great heroes. The hive then rearranged itself, resuming its previous formation as a vast cloud of bees, continuing on its journey. Looking back, I felt nothing but satisfaction. While I generally abhor violence, there are exceptions to every rule. If I must allow someone to be tortured to extract secrets vital for my survival, I wouldnt hesitate. If experiments on animals are necessary, I conduct them without remorse. And if anyone dares to harm my family... I will make then learn what a true monster is. Chapter 80: Raining Blood Our journey continued for some time, with occasional stops to rest or sleep. Along the way, the boys found various plants and curiosities they deemed fascinating. One of the more unusual discoveries was a mushroom shaped like a tiny jar, filled with a strange powder. If someone ventured too close, the mushroom would contract and release the powder in a sudden burst. While harmless, the powder caused relentless itching, like a natural form of itching powder. We also stumbled upon a peculiar fruit resembling a papaya on the outside but with an interior more akin to a fig. In addition, we encountered carnivorous plants attempting to ensnare us with the lure of sweet nectar, hiding their sticky traps beneath. We came across creatures we had never seen before. Among them were writhing green roots that moved on their ownsomething akin to Wappos, but not quite the same. There was also an unusual fusion of an owl and a hawk, which, to our relief, appeared herbivorous, happily feeding on fruit. At night, we discovered firefly-like creatures with termite-like bodies. Their abdomens would inflate and glow, shifting between shades of light green, creating a mesmerizing display in the darkness. Thankfully, being airborne kept us out of reach of the most threatening predators. From above, we spotted strange wolves and massive creatures resembling black hippos and bear hybrids, unmistakably carnivorous as they feasted on freshly hunted prey. Facing them head-on would have been disastrous, but since we could fly, we avoided such dangers altogether. Occasionally, we had to contend with less imposing threats like birds, bats, and other flying nuisances. These encounters, while annoying, posed no real challenge, and we handled them without much trouble. By the third day of our journey, we had progressed without any significant setbacks. Now, we were approaching a human city, and my stomach churned with unease. It wasnt that I held any particular grudge against these humans, but what if they saw me as a threat simply because Im different? Monster, bee, mutantwhatever they might label me, their reactions worried me. I prayed we could pass without incident, but if anyone dared to harm my boys, I would not hesitate. I would destroy anyone or anything that tried. "Queen Mother! Were ready to pass over the human city," one of my royal guards announced. I glanced around and saw the vast swarm of bees surrounding me. Below, the human city came into viewa sprawling metropolis surrounded by circular stone walls with four imposing gates at the cardinal points. Within the walls lay rows of buildings crafted from stone and wood, crowned by a towering castle at the center. Beyond the walls, smaller houses dotted the landscape, interspersed with fields and dirt roads. Carts trundled along the pathways, and tiny figures, likely humans and animals, bustled about in the distance. "Very well," I replied to the guard. "Lets move. I want to be out of here as quickly as possible." The guard nodded and relayed the order. Soon, the hive ascended higher, rising above the city until we were enveloped by the clouds. The plan was simple: stay out of sight, avoid provoking the humans, and ensure we remained beyond their reach. We would pass unnoticed, and this leg of the journey would become nothing more than a fleeting memorythat time we flew over a human city. Above the clouds, the world transformed. The sunlight painted the sky with hues of blue, orange, and pink, casting a serene glow on the endless sea of clouds below. The air was crisp and cool, the wind brisk but in our favor, guiding us forward. "Ah, this is so relaxing," I murmured, sipping nectar from a large, ornately carved cup gifted by the cooks. "Its much more peaceful than I expected," Ken admitted from beside me. "See? Not every path needs to be riddled with conflict," I said with a grin. "Sometimes, taking the peaceful route is just as rewarding. You should enjoy the journey while you canbecause once we reach our destination, well be working day and night to rebuild the hive." Ken gave me a skeptical look. "The hive isnt focused on violence; we just believe in plugging all the holes to prevent surprises." "True," I conceded, "but you all tend to overdo it. Not that I mindits better to be safe than sorrybut you could relax once in a while. Look at this view! Enjoy the quiet moments, because hard work is waiting for us at the end of this journey." "Youre too carefree," Ken muttered. "Were carrying the hives futureyou, to be precise. No one here will rest until youre secure behind seven layers of fortified protection." Before Ken could continue his lecture, something shifted. A sharp, almost electric sensation rippled through the air. We all felt ita surge of strange, potent magic, like a lightning bolt streaking through the sky, heading straight for us. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ENERGY?!" Max yelled, flinging himself off the bee platform as a swarm of magical bees buzzed around him in a frenzy. Different! Strange. Dangerous. Unknown New? Familiar. Menacing. The whispers of the mages and spellcasters around Max created a tense hum as their eyes glowed, fixed on the incoming spike of energy. "IT''S AN ATTACK!" The magic club roared in unison. Without hesitation, they conjured small spheres of crackling blue energy, no bigger than ping-pong balls. The orbs merged midair into a larger, shimmering blue sphere, radiating raw power. It hovered briefly, then dropped like a ripe fruit, streaking through the sky as though teleported. "WAIT! NO" I shouted, trying to intervene, but it was too late. My magical vision activated instinctively, cutting through the cloud cover. There, I saw a towering figure1.70, maybe 1.80 meters tallracing toward us. Beneath her, an odd rod-like object hovered, its tip emitting a blazing torrent of magical energy that burned like dry straw in a fire. She stood poised on it, almost as if surfing through the air. The massive energy sphere reached her position, forcing the figure to veer sharply upward to avoid a direct hit. Breaking through the clouds, a woman emerged. She wore flowing white robes with intricate openings along the shoulders, arms, and chest, adorned with patterns in cobalt blue, gold, and silver. Chains of shimmering gold dangled from her outfit, giving her an almost celestial appearance. She looked to be in her late twenties, her deep blue hair cascading to her waist. Her black, pitch-like pants and leather shoes, inlaid with glittering stones, added an unusual yet striking contrast. A satchel rested on her hip, and scrolls hung neatly on a belt at her waist. But it was the object she rode that captured my attentiona broom, or something akin to one. Its shaft, crafted from a strange white metal, ended in a glowing blue jewel. Instead of bristles, black feathers, likely from some unknown creature, fanned out like a tail. "What are" she began, but her words were cut off as the crackling energy orb from earlier tore through the clouds behind her. Her eyes widened in shock. With a swift motion, she raised her hand and pointed at the incoming sphere. A glowing magic circle appeared before her finger, conjuring a smaller, identical blue orb. She fired her counterattack, but to her astonishment, the larger orb trembled violently, shattering into dozens of dart-like fragments that swarmed her like angry wasps. Damn it! How did they? she hissed, pulling a scroll from her belt. Pouring magic into it, the parchment ignited, transforming into a glowing sphere of energy. It expanded into a protective wave, deflecting the incoming projectiles with ease. Her sharp gaze snapped to me, her expression unreadablea mix of curiosity, irritation, and perhaps a hint of unease. What the hell are you? her eyes seemed to ask. Before she could act further, Hans and the LifeGuardians surged toward her, the magic club trailing behind in a synchronized swarm of glowing bees. The buzzing mass encircled her, spinning faster and faster like a disorienting cyclone. Zack led the first strike, commanding his group to unleash a storm of thorn-like projectiles. As the barrage rained down, the woman pulled a strange metal sphere from her satchela cat toy-like object encasing a glowing jewel. She tossed it upward, and it floated in place, projecting a translucent magical barrier around her. The thorns shattered harmlessly against it. Aldy joined in from above, spewing an acidic substance alongside his group. The woman, quick on her magical broom, dodged with a sharp maneuver, her movements precise and fluid. The magic club rallied into a new formation, spreading apart to reveal Max at their center. He held a shimmering mana bubble brimming with small, vibrating seeds. The members formed a chain, channeling their collective energy into Max to stabilize the spell. His fingertips cracked under the strain, glowing with ominous blue veins beneath his chitin skin. With a final effort, Max hurled the bubble forward like a basketball before collapsing into the arms of his comrades. The bubble floated aimlessly for a moment until a group of Scout and Carrier bees swooped in, snatching it up like a balloon. They carried it swiftly toward the battlefield, releasing it directly above the woman. Ral acted next, casting a [Magic Bullet] to detonate the bubble midair. The seeds burst free, glowing with volatile energy before exploding into a thick cloud of poisonous pollen. The womans confusion was evident as she eyed the seeds. Realizing the danger, she rummaged frantically through her satchel. The pollen cloud grew denser, blinding and choking the air around her. Before she could act further, the battles intensity surged as the combined forces of the hive closed in, their whispers and spells building to a deafening crescendo. "Did it work?" Zack asked to Max. "Uhf-- Uhm... Hmf.. M-It must have worked... I put all the energy of the united magic club into that thing, even if it doesn''t kill her, it should be enough to at least-" Without letting Max finish, several lights and sparks light up inside the pollen cloud, and soon the entire cloud begins to burn rapidly in the sky, like magnesium powder on fire, leaving behind only the figure of the woman with a frown on her face. "Damn monsters!" The woman said through clenched teeth. "Damn it!" Max spat in frustration. I could soon see the woman creating a magic circle in front of her body, a magic circle of orange colors like amber, the magic circle gave me an immediate sense of danger and discomfort that made my blood run cold. ''Everyone get back! This attack is going to be dangerous!'' I yelled to everyone through the link. Soon everyone started to come back and circle me like a large swarm, ready to serve as a meat shield if they couldn''t dodge the attack. Seeing that the imminent attack was on its way, I had no choice but to go on the offensive. "SLUT! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH MY BABIES!!" I yelled at the woman, which made her frown deepen even more in confusion. Soon I created several bubbles of magic around me, then I started filling them with various powerful and potentially dangerous spells like [Tainted Touch], [Flash], [Life Drain], [Paralysis] and everything I could create, then I started forcing the bubbles containing the different magics to merge into one, which made the bubbles start to shake violently as I could see the magic refusing to follow my orders. Not caring much about the will of the magic, I started to literally "Tie" the magics together by force, creating a kind of chain spell that was so unstable that it could explode in my face at any time, but that was exactly what I wanted, something very dangerous to throw in that bitch''s face. No long after, the woman''s magic circle was finally completed, and from there a sort of crackling red star began to form. The star then began to run around us like a missile, heating the air around it, demonstrating its enormous heat. In response, the hive opened as a whole and I threw the bubble of spells in the direction of the projectile that was coming towards us with a quick movement of my hands. As soon as the two forces met, the bubble of magic quickly bursted, creating a huge explosion that generated a menacing-looking purple cloud, but successfully stopping the woman''s spell. Seeing that her attack had been neutralized, the woman let out a "Tsk" in displeasure and began to fly faster with her magic broom, trying to get closer to us. "How do we kill this fucking bitch?!" Ken shouted to Hans. "We need to find a weak point in her and exploit it to get out of this place as quickly as possible," Hans said as he analyzed the woman meticulously. "That''s can''t be a human, righ?! That''s shit is a fucking killing machine! How is it possible that she escaped without a scratch from our combined attack?!" Max said from the side. "And Trevis still thought we could fight a bunch of them!" Ken said. "I told you we needed more levels to fight them! And I guess I was right about that! Look at that thing!" Trevis said pointing to the human on top of a broom flying with us while rummaging through her bag. "All of you, shut up! This is not the time to fight! It''s time to think about how to finish this woman!" I said to everyone. "What about that story about avoiding conflict, and being more friendly?" Ken said a little mockingly. "You want me to grab you by the waist and throw you over there so you can try to have a friendly conversation with her?! The chance to make friends is already over! Now it''s last one standing wins!" I yelled at Ken a little irritated. Of course, i wanted to try the "Hi, how are you? We''re just passing through, can we go this way please?" approach. But then the boys started bombarding her with attacks before I could think about the situation, so now I need to find a way to get rid of this monster. "Wait a minute! The broom!" I shouted to everyone.
"She can''t fly without the broom. All we need to do is destroy it, and the problem''s solved." "Great! Now how do we destroy this thing?! MAX?!" Ken asked, his voice slurred. "Uhm... If its a magical item, we just need to destroy the energy source, or the channel connecting the source to the rest of the structure," Max explained as several [Healers] gathered around him, tending to his hands. "Great. So how do we do that?" Ken pressed. "Someone... would need to dismantle it. Or overload the magical structure with energy until the formations powering the spellor whatever makes the thing flybreak down," Max suggested. "But how are we supposed to" Before we could finish, the woman started casting again. She formed a ball of wind with a light green magic circle and hurled it toward the hive. The spell was fast, and we, flying just over 30 km/h, had no time to dodge. My heart dropped into my stomach for a moment, and then I felt the impactas though wed been slammed by something. Looking outside, I saw that the outer layer of the hives bees had been struck by the spell. The wind ball hit as hard as a human swatting at a bee in mid-air. I felt 21 members of the hive take heavy damage, enough to knock them unconscious. They fell, but the others managed to catch them, keeping them tethered to the swarm.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Damn it! We need the [Guardians] out there now! Get the injured inside!" Ken barked, adopting a more commanding posture. I stood frozen, staring into space, my mind focused solely on the pain flooding through the link. I could feel the fear, the worry, the anger, the sadnesshundreds of voices echoing inside me. And my blood began to boil. My heart hammered in my chest from pure rage, and the noise of everything happening around me started to fade away. I could sense more attacks coming our way, striking my babies, and I saw the world turn blood red. My consciousness began to slip away. And then, everything turned red.
"What the hell are these creatures?" Cecil asked herself. Cecil was now flying her [Arcane Glider] after a cluster of unknown monsters that had been identified by the adventurers'' guild. Normally, they wouldn''t pay attention to monsters flying over the city, after all, 99% of the time they are just weak magical creatures in emigration. But this cluster of monsters caught their attention for a specific reason. Their mana signature. The energy that these things emanated was like a lantern in the middle of the night, emitting a type of strange energy unknown to the guild or to Celestia''s bestiaries. This aroused the curiosity of many people who wanted to try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious creatures, but everyone was afraid of being attacked in the process. After all, creatures capable of emanating so much magical energy volatio in this way are either in a large group or are very powerful. But that didn''t stop Celestia''s bestiaries from rushing to the adventurers'' guild and placing several requests for high rewards for any adventurer bold enough to bring the mysterious creature down. But even those who wanted to accept the request couldn''t do much, after all, Celestia is known for attracting adventurers who are willing to do work for merchants, not adventurers who fight or who don''t even know how or have the means to fly. But for Cecil this wasn''t a problem at all, as a silver-level adventurer, specialized in long and medium-range combat, she invested heavily in having her own [Arcane Glider], which cost her a small fortune, but helps her move around easily and fight safely. So when he saw the reward far above her usual income, Cecil just thought: "Why not? After all, I just need to make the creature fall." And without wasting time, Cecil climbed into her [Arcane Glider] and flew into the sky after the mysterious creature quickly, afraid of it flying away while thinking about everything he could do with the fat payment that was being offered. But before he could even get close, Cecil could soon feel a massive magical attack coming towards him, without thinking much about it she simply dodged the attack without difficulty and followed her path to the surface of the clouds. Arriving there, what she saw left her very confused, it was a girl of about 8 years old, with a strange appearance, as if she were half human and half insect, looking at her with big black eyes and a stoic face. All while floating above a cloud of strange-looking bees, and was surrounded by several other bees carrying boxes, and large unknown objects. ''What the hell is this? A new variant of the [Faey]?'' Cecil wondered in her mind. "What are-" Cecil began, but before she had time, she soon felt an imminent danger coming from below, and soon she could see the sphere of magical energy that she swore she had dodged emerge from between the clouds and rush towards her. ''What the hell?!'' Cecil thought before pointing at the threatening ball of energy and casting a quick [Mana Bullet] spell, but to her surprise before her spell met with the ball of magical energy, the ball began to crackle and tremble before splitting into hundreds of small points of crackling energy that rushed towards Cecil like small meteors. "Damn it! How did they do this-" Cecil spat, a little shocked by the situation, before pulling one of her precious magic scrolls from her bag and pouring her magical energy into it, causing a current of magical energy to appear around Cecil and swallow the hundreds of magical projectiles as if they were nothing. Cecil then turned to the creature/child who hadn''t changed her expression at all, keeping the same stoic and cold expression as if he hadn''t just tried to kill her. Soon Cecil could see small humanoid bees running and swarming around her, which made her immediately tense, if the creatures started to attach themselves to her and attack her, she would have no other option but to retreat. After all, she was at a disadvantage having to fight in the air. To Cecil''s displeasure, several attacks soon followed, with bees sending threatening thorns in her direction, bees throwing acids and poisons at her and small projectiles of concentrated magic, all of which could be easily dodged and contained with a little skill and precious magic scrolls. ''Damn monsters! They already made me spend 2 medium scrolls! I need to at least get one of them so I don''t leave empty-handed.'' Cecil thought as he tried to catch one of the creatures around him alive, but they were fast, slippery and their bites were not at all consistent with their small size. Distracted by the frustration of not being able to grab one of the creatures and retreat, Cecil was completely oblivious to the attack happening right above her. The creatures had created a strange bubble of unconventional magic and thrown it in her direction. The bubble soon burst and several bright blue seeds appeared around Cecil. Cecil, in turn, did not immediately understand what the seeds were, but a quick look assured him that they were anything but conventional seeds, since they were full of chaotic magic that would soon combust. In a split second, Cecil then pulled out one of her most expensive scrolls, without having time to think about the high price he had paid for the scroll and the meals he had skipped to save for the high-level item. The strange seeds soon exploded like grenades, producing a dense lime-green mist of pollen that burned Cecil''s skin upon contact. Gritting her teeth in anger, Cecil finished activating her scroll, which soon created a magical barrier around him and created a small magical explosion, burning the harmful spores and healing Cecil with magic before her magical shield fell. "Damn monsters!" Cecil screamed with hatred in her eyes as he machine-gunned the strange, stoic-faced creature with her sharp gaze. Irritated, Cecil immediately began to activate one of her 4-tab spells, [Inferno Lance], with the idea of ??forcing the creatures down and make them take this fight on the ground. But soon as she activated the casting of her spell she saw the insect girl''s stoic expression change for the first time, taking on a cold and threatening expression as she showed her teeth lined up like saws, making Cecil swallow dryly with the chill in her body. Then, in front of Cecil''s eyes, she saw the girl being surrounded by a ball of bees, completely disappearing into a waiting pool of insects that floated in the air. Before Cecil could understand the meaning of this, her spell had been completed, and without delay, Cecil fired her spell towards the orb of insects that seemed to have no way of defending itself from the attack. To Cecil''s complete shock, the ball of bees quickly dissolved, revealing the insect girl inside again. Looking at her, Cecil could see what seemed to be a soap bubble between her hands. Looking at the bubble, Cecil couldn''t help but look at her with an expression of shock and intrigue. ''Expression magic? How can monsters use expression magic, no- The main question, is how is a monster using expression magic of this level?!'' Cecil thought in her head. Expression magic is not common, it is seen as "archaic" and "inefficient" by the entire magical community, but there is a single factor about expression magic that makes the occasional appearance of users of this type of magic: its volatility. Expression magic is directly linked to the magic user, talented users can create very destructive magic, despite needing much more mana and time to cast their spells. Without letting Cecil be surprised by the little magic show, the insect girl threw the bubble of magic that volatilized towards Cecil''s spell, as soon as the 2 magical phenomena met, the insect girl''s spell burst like a soap bubble and generated a large wave of magical energy compressed in a single location, which combined with Cecil''s fire magic generated a large explosion in the sky that generated a cloud of toxic purple smoke. "Tch!" Cecil hissed as he grabbed onto her [Arcane Glider], and ran forward to approach the ball of bees. ''It''s dangerous to stay here, if these things can use expression magic, then it''s best to retreat for now... But if I can catch even one of them... I can sell it for a good price... DAMN!'' Cecil thought, before flying towards the floating ball of bees while preparing several [WindBreak] spells. Even though she was in great danger, Cecil thought that even if she couldn''t catch the "Big Fish" she might leave empty-handed, so catching one of the strange creatures that looked like a cross between a fairy and a bee would be enough to earn her a gold coin or two, plus if she got close enough to cast spells at close range, the insect girl wouldn''t dare cast truly destructive expression spells. Getting closer, Cecil began to cast several spells on the bee ball, trying to make at least 3 or 4 creatures detach themselves from the ball and fall into her hands, but to her surprise, every time her spell knocked out one of the creatures, the creatures around him would grab onto him and sink him into the floating orb of bees. "Are you serious?! Come on, you idiotic insects!" Cecil shouted irritably as he cast another barrage of spells. Cecil was so focused on taking down one of the insects that she failed to notice the strange activity unfolding within the mass of floating bees. The tiny creatures, once intent on guarding the sphere''s contents, began clutching their heads and emitting guttural grunts as though overwhelmed by some unseen agony. The sphere of insects slowly unraveled, collapsing in a cascade of boxes, bags, and an assortment of strange items plummeting to the ground. It wasnt until Cecil heard the piercing, metallic screech that her instincts screamed danger. The sound was sharp, like nails dragging across steel, and it cut through her ears with a pain that made her wince. She froze, realizing too late that something had gone terribly wrong. The golden bees began to thrash, emitting eerie cries that transitioned into bloodcurdling screams. Their eyes, once a glossy black, now glowed with a malevolent crimson hue, shimmering like cursed rubies. The chaotic ball of bees unraveled further, exposing grotesque, wingless creatures clinging to their airborne brethren. These malformed horrors snapped their jagged mandibles, growling like feral beasts, ready to strike. From deep within the swarm, a figure emergeda shape larger and more ominous than the others. Its presence exuded malice, and its three enormous, glowing golden eyes locked onto Cecil with an intensity that sent a cold shiver racing down her spine. Damn it! Cecil spat, panic overriding her instincts. She pivoted, activating her [Arcane Glider] and hurtling downward at full speed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced back. The swarm was in relentless pursuit, moving faster than seemed possible, gliding effortlessly through the air as if mocking her desperate escape. She broke through the clouds, her city now visible on the horizon, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise grim scenario. But her relief was short-lived. The swarm burst through the cloud cover with a monstrous roara sound so guttural and raw it resonated like a chorus of unearthly beasts. "RAAAAAAWR!" The air itself seemed to shift as black rain began to pour from the swarm. The droplets hissed upon contact with Cecils skin, searing her flesh and releasing acrid plumes of smoke. She bit back a scream, but the pain was relentless, her arms trembling as she gripped the glider. Then came the sounda pulsating, otherworldly vibration that rattled her senses. Her vision blurred, and her thoughts became foggy. She shook her head, struggling to focus, but the damage was already done. Her [Arcane Glider], always so dependable, flickered and stuttered beneath her feet. What?! No, no, no! It was fine a second ago! How Her words were cut short by another deafening roar, this one louder and more primal. She dared a glance upward, only to see a dazzling display of thin, shimmering threads descending like spider silk. They danced in the sunlight, reflecting iridescent patterns that momentarily captivated her. But beauty turned to horror as the threads lashed out, binding her arms, legs, and even her neck with a terrifying precision. Gah! she gasped, struggling against the constriction. The threads yanked her upward with violent force, sending her spinning through the air. Her glider plummeted to the earth below, useless now. Pain flared as the bindings tightened, cutting into her skin and digging deep into her feathers. She twisted and thrashed, but there was no escape. Hoisted like prey, Cecil dangled helplessly before the swarm. The golden-eyed figure loomed closer, its vast presence radiating pure malice. Around it, countless blood-red eyes glared at her, their collective killing intent so suffocating it made breathing feel like an impossible task. ARGHHH! Cecil screamed, her voice raw with terror and pain. It was then that Cecil noticed the horrifying wounds forming where the threads constricted her body, as if her skin had been grated away. Purple smoke rose steadily from the raw injuries, and the unnatural pain made her clench her teeth so tightly her jaw ached. Every breath became a struggle, the agony threatening to consume her entirely. The swarm paid no attention to her suffering. From within the swirling mass of enraged bees, a figure began to emergea being with three glowing golden eyes. As it floated forward, its form became clearer: a humanoid figure, just over 1.50 meters tall, clad in chitinous armor as black and reflective as obsidian. Its torso was slender, almost childlike, resembling that of a young teen. Yet its eerie proportions were anything but innocent. Two thin arms, long and clawed, extended from its torso, each covered in the same glistening black armor. Its legs, delicate yet deadly, ended in blade-like feet, with upward-curving spiked heels that resembled the talons of a predatory bird. On its back, two peculiar wings fluttered furiously. They seemed almost ethereal, formed of radiant, shimmering energy. Though they were disproportionately small for the creatures body, they kept it aloft with unnerving ease, vibrating so rapidly they appeared to blur. The creatures face was otherworldly. Silken white hair cascaded down its back, flowing like liquid moonlight, its strands shifting gently in the air as if animated by an unseen breeze. Atop its head, two small, golden horns jutted forward, framing long, graceful antennae that added to its regal, alien allure. Its face, though far from human, radiated an elegance so captivating it was hard to look away. Three enormous eyes dominated its features, their deep black depths punctuated by golden, cross-shaped pupils and luminous white irises. Two of these eyes were positioned where human eyes might be, while the third sat vertically on its forehead, giving it an unblinking, omniscient gaze. Below them, a delicate nose and full lips, gilded in golden hues, stood out starkly against its jet-black skin, as if the creature itself were an artists masterpiecea blend of beauty and menace. But Cecil had no time to admire or fear its strange majesty. Her wounds screamed with unrelenting pain, forcing her to clench her teeth harder, tears spilling freely from her eyes. N-no, this cant be happening! D-damn it... I-I cant die like this! Cecil hissed through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with desperation. Her mind raced as she considered her dwindling options. There was only one spell that could give her a fighting chanceone so powerful it could destroy both her and her enemies in a single blast. A 4-ring spell. It was the most advanced incantation she had ever mastered, one that carried a slim chance of survival even under ideal conditions. But survival wasnt the goal anymoreescaping this nightmare was. With a shaky breath, Cecil gathered her focus. Her trembling fingers traced the arcane symbols as four luminous magic circles began to materialize in front of her, one nested within the other. The spell pulsed with raw energy, its light illuminating the gloom around her. The pain tearing at her flesh became background noise as she poured every ounce of her will into keeping the spell stable. Sweat streamed down her face, her vision blurring from the strain. But then, the creatures gaze shifted. Its three golden eyes locked onto the glowing circles, and in an instant, the spell began to disintegrate. The intricate runes crumbled like sand, their once-brilliant light fading into nothingness. N-no! H-how?! Cecil gasped, her voice cracking in disbelief. She stared at the empty space where her last hope had vanished. Her heart pounded, her chest tightening with dread as she realized the creature had unraveled her spell with nothing but its gaze. Desperation clawed at her, the enormity of her peril sinking in as the threads tightened further, drawing her closer to the swarm. The creatures previously calm and composed face contorted into a grotesque scowl, its alien elegance replaced by something nightmarish. Slowly, it opened its mouth, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth, lined up like the ridged throat of a leatherback turtle. But the horror didnt stop there. Cracks spiderwebbed across its face, and the surface began to split. With a sickening crunch, its entire face bloomed like a grotesque flower, exposing an interior lined with spiraling layers of teeth. At its core was a dark, endless void, pulsating with a primal, predatory hunger. From this abyss, a fleshy, whip-like tongue emerged, coiling and writhing as if alive. GHAAAAHH!! The creatures roar shattered the air, a deafening cry that sent shockwaves through Cecils skull. Her ears rang painfully, and a high-pitched whine drowned out her thoughts. Droplets of the creatures saliva landed on her skin, sizzling upon contact and searing her flesh with a burning agony. Cecil screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the creatures roar. Before she could react, its clawed hand shot forward, gripping her chin with such force that she thought her jaw might shatter. Immobilized, Cecil could only watch in terror as the creature leaned closer, its horrifying maw retracting into something almost human again. Its tongue, long and serpentine, slithered out and began to drag slowly across her face. Each pass left behind its toxic saliva, the searing pain spreading like wildfire across her skin. The burning sensation was unbearable, like molten fire eating away at her flesh. The creature suddenly recoiled, spitting as if disgusted by her taste. Its golden eyes narrowed in disdain before it opened its maw once more, emitting a guttural, vibrating sound that resembled a bone-rattling growl. Without ceremony, it released the threads binding Cecil, letting her body drop into the void below. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Cecils heart stopped in sheer panic as she realized the gravity of her situation. Without her [Arcane Glider], the fall would kill her. Her mind raced through spells[Slow Fall], [Float], anythingbut the creatures earlier interference left her unable to invoke even the simplest incantation. Helpless, she plummeted, gravity pulling her toward an inevitable end. The wind roared past her ears, a cruel accompaniment to the maelstrom of emotions consuming her. Pain, raw and unrelenting, coursed through her battered body. Fear clawed at her heart as she replayed the horrific image of the creatures face splitting apart. But more than anything, anger surged within hera white-hot fury directed at herself, the adventurers guild, and the damnable bestiaries that had failed to warn her of this nightmare. Damn it all... Cecil whispered hoarsely, her voice lost in the howling wind. She had bet everything on this missiona high-risk, high-reward gamble. The promise of gold had blinded her to the reality of facing the unknown. It was supposed to be worth it, but now, as the ground rushed up to meet her, it seemed like the end of the line. Just another foolish adventurer lured to their doom by the glint of coins. In her final moments of consciousness, Cecil caught one last glimpse of the creature. It darted southward, moving with inhuman speed, its shimmering wings propelling it like a streak of lightning across the sky. It didnt even glance back at her, discarding her like a broken, unneeded toy. The world spun. The pain, the fear, and the anger all blurred together. And as her vision faded, the last memory burned into her mind was that of the creatures horrific face splitting open, revealing its abyssal mawa sight plucked straight from the deepest pits of a nightmare. Then, everything went black. Interlude: Deadly Storm The sky is stained with the deep crimson of blood, the kind that courses through us all. I can feel their pain, the rage that burns like a flameunyielding, unquenchable. They want us dead. They want to see us suffer, to watch the world crumble and burn while were forced to witness it up close. Why? Because they hurt us. Because they inflicted their torment on us. We never asked for this. But it came. It came for us, for our children, for our brothers, for our blood. And now they cry, they scream in agony, but all we feel is fury. I remember something, something haunting. I remember running from something. I remember moving, always moving, southward. Yes, south. Thats where we must go. To our nest. To our brothers. Its a place where we can begin again. Away from them. Away from everyone. Alone. Forever. Safe. Away from those who want to destroy us. Away from everything that brings fear. Far. Far away. But the time... I cant measure it. Days? Weeks? Ive lost count. We travel, always south, pushing onward with no true sense of time. We eat when hunger claws at us, rest when our bodies demand it. But always we move southward. The further we go, the colder the air grows, the more lifeless the sky becomes. The wind chills us to the bone, and our bodies ache. We stop sometimes to warm ourselves, but hunger gnaws at ustheres so little food now. The smell of the land around us is strange. The air smells of life, of forests, but it''s tainted with a rotting stench, death and decay twisting into the fragrance of the earth. Its different here... but in some twisted way, its better than before. But what was before? I try to remember. I know there was a time... a time when I wanted something different. We had plans. Yes, we had something we needed to do. I feel the weight of it. A task? A mission, yes. My mission. To find a place for us, a safe place. A place full of food. A place full of energy. I need it. I know I do. And we must find it. We must keep moving. Days drag on, each one longer than the last, as if time itself has been frozen by the cold. We know what we seeka place full of resources, of life, of space. Energy. I need it. Its vital. I can feel it, this pull, this urgency. We continue our aimless journey, stopping to eat, to sleep, to rest, searching, always searching. But nothing feels right. We find good places, but not the right one. Theres always something missing. It feels like well never find what we need. Then, finally, I catch it. The scent. A fragrance as rich and dense as the forest itself. It''s familiar... yet not. It pulls at something deep inside me, like a forgotten memory clawing its way to the surface. But that doesnt matter now. What matters is that weve found it. Weve found something promising. We fly toward it, the wind rushing past us, our hearts quickening with anticipation. And there it isa large, dark cave, sinking deep into the side of a mountain. In front of it, a cleared area, ripe for farming. The air shimmers with a strange, almost palpable energy. It''s perfect. Weve found our home. But then... I smell them. Humans. The blood in my veins turns to ice. Anger rises in me like a storm, but I force it down. No, theyre not human. Not really. They are something else. Something worse. They crawl along the ground like worms, slithering from carcass to carcass, gnawing at the meat, devouring the remains of life. They reek of death, of rot. Theyre not human. But it doesnt matter. Theyre in the way. This place, this sanctuary, is ours. Weve already decided. This will be our new home. All we need to do now is rid it of the unwanted. The intruders. And we will. We must. I dont care who or what they are. They will die. We will make sure of it.
Inside the cave, a strange, unnatural light illuminated the shadows, pushing deep into the darkness. A brilliant blue flame flickered above a glowing pool of liquid, dripping from a jagged stalactite above. The eerie fire burned without hesitation, feeding on the strange energy of the liquid below. Yet, it wasn''t the flame that commanded the most attentionno, it was the figure standing before it. Draped in an ancient, tattered cloak that swallowed his form, the figure exuded an air of long-forgotten power. One hand gripped a massive, gnarled staff, a grotesque weapon of bone fused together. The staff twisted and contorted, starting from a narrow base and widening into a skullits hollow, open mouth crowned with horns. Inside the skull, a crystal orb pulsed with an unsettling blend of green and blue light, casting an eerie glow on the figure''s surroundings. The figure raised his free hand, sweeping it over the flame. A thin thread of energy began to unravel from the fire, spiraling into the orb. The flame, once vibrant and fierce, shrank, diminishing slowly until it flickered like a dying candle. The figure paused, hand still raised, and severed the flow of energy with a sharp gesture. "Tsk!" The figure clicked his tongue in frustration, his voice rough and guttural. "Useless thing. I can''t believe I killed all those imps for this... worthless earth flame." His tone was filled with disdain, the words spat like venom. Turning on his heel, he began to hobble toward the cave''s exit, his staff tapping against the uneven ground. "No choice now. I''ll stay here. Extract the last of its energy until I recover everything I spent... foolishly." Stepping out into the biting cold, the figure''s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. His creationsghoulsfed on the bodies of the fallen imps, their pale, rotting forms gnawing at anything they could find. A shiver of contempt passed through him as he observed. "Hmm... Seven Ghouls... Four lost to those damnable bugs. How am I supposed to raise a Wendigo at this rate?!" The thought of the Wendigo stirred something within hima primal hunger for power. Wendigos were the ultimate hunters on winter, capable of surviving in the coldest temperatures, their senses so keen they could smell blood miles away. They moved with the silence of death, and their hunger was unquenchable. They were the perfect instruments for his plans. But, at this pace, it seemed impossible to summon one. With a sigh, he pushed forward, his boots crunching in the snow. "This place... it''s a damn prison." he muttered. "At this rate, it''ll take forever to leave and return to Crimson Spine." He removed his hood, revealing the face beneath. His features were like something out of nightmareancient, demonic, with eyes black as void, pierced by piercing yellow pupils that seemed to glow with a distant fire. His skin, as pale as the moon, hung loose with age, covered in thin, white hair like the remnants of forgotten time. His face was sharp, resembling a corpse more than anything human, with fangs jutting from his mouth and long, black nails curling from his fingers. He was tall, towering over most at 1.80 meters, his staff acting as a crutch for his weakened form. As he moved through the camp, he marked certain spots in the snow with the tip of his staff. The end of his staff glowed faintly as he tapped it in the center of each drawing. The markings flared to life with an eerie green light before fading just as quickly. "Hmm... good enough." He spoke the words like they meant nothing. The Ghouls ignored him, their rotting bodies mindlessly shuffling about. He walked toward the fire at the center of the camp, the flames casting an orange glow against the growing darkness. The Ghouls, uninterested in the fire, continued their scavenging. The man didn''t mind the stench of decay in the air. He dug into his cloak, producing a small, leather-bound notebook and a charcoal pencil. "Let''s see... with this, it''s... 324?" He muttered to himself, scratching through another entry in his notebook. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the lines. "Your flesh is weak. Too weak to be of any use. I could harvest the souls... No. They deserve peace." He closed the book and rested it beside him, the chill of the night seeping into his bones, but he felt no need to move closer to the fire. It didn''t concern him. The fire burned brightly, but it didn''t bring warmth to him, not in the way it might have for others. His thoughts wandered, staring into the flames, his hands gripping his staff. The night grew colder, the winds whispering across the snow. The fire crackled in the otherwise still silence, the only sound the occasional sigh from the man, lost in contemplation. The camp was lifeless, save for the Ghouls and the bitter, relentless cold. He longed to leave this place, to return to Crimson Spine, but the energy he''d spent and the task ahead kept him tethered. Suddenly, a shifta disturbance in the air. The temperature dropped even further, the fire flickering unnaturally. A spike of energy, raw and foreign, pricked at his senses, coming from the north. His head snapped up, eyes narrowing. His instincts screamed at him, a growing sense of dread tightening around his chest. He stood, his hand gripping his staff with renewed purpose, his mind racing with possibilities. Something was coming. A storm maybe. Or perhaps, something even worse. "Wha" The man shot to his feet, bone staff gripped tightly in his hands. With a sharp tap against the frozen earth, the staff echoed through the silent, snow-laden air, calling the attention of the ghouls. They stirred and gathered around him, an ever-growing sea of twisted faces and rotten limbs. "What kind of energy is this...? Peculiar... Wood? No... Ether? Intriguing." the man murmured, voice calm yet filled with curiosity. His mind raced through the possibilities, the threads of magic weaving in his thoughts. From the swirling fog, born of snow and darkness, a hulking shape began to emerge. The air thickened with an unnatural weight, and through the haze, the man glimpsed something horrifying: hundreds of eyes, a body perpetually shifting, writhing in deformity. Three larger eyes glowed with a piercing, golden light, blinding in their intensity. "Fascinating." the man whispered, a thrill of admiration threading through his otherwise indifferent tone. The figure moved closer, its shape slowly revealing itself from the mist. The being was not a giant, nor a mass of deformities, as he had first thought. Instead, it was a girlsmall, no more than five feet tall, with hair like woven strands of silk, snow-white and flowing around her. Her body shimmered like blackened obsidian, glistening in the dim light. Three great golden eyes analyzed him with unnerving precision, their gaze as cold and calculating as the winter winds. From her back, insect wingsglowing, vibrating, alive with an unnatural pulseflickered in a blur of motion. But what drew his attention most was not her otherworldly form, nor the intimidating beauty she wore like armor, but the swarm of creatures surrounding her. They were small, no more than the size of a child''s fist, but they moved in an organized frenzyhundreds, perhaps thousands of Faey-like beings, their blood-red eyes gleaming in the dark, each one seemingly tethered to her in a silent, ominous bond. ''A child? What the hell is she doing here? This place... This is no place for someone so small,'' the man thought, unease creeping through him like a cold wind. "Well now... Good night, little girl" The man started, voice low and mocking. But before he could finish, the swarm began to uncoil, flying through the air with an unbearable screeching sound. The insects moved like a storm, darkening the sky above him. The girl remained unmoved, a statue of silence, but even she was not untouched. Her body was cloaked in a writhing coat of insects, their bodies pressed against her like a second skin, yet their buzzing did not stop. It was then that she opened her mouth, releasing a high-pitched sound so shrill it rattled his bones, vibrating deep within his skull. The man grinned, the sound igniting something sinister in him. "Ho ho! Now this is interesting. I''ll love to use your body as high-quality material for my undead." he said, hitting the ground with his staff. The ghouls, drawn by the command, howled in unison and surged forward toward the girl, their movements slow yet relentless. Without a change in expression, the girl raised her arms, her gesture tender, almost innocentas if welcoming a hug. And then, from beneath her nails, strands of almost imperceptible golden threads began to unfurl, spreading outward like the roots of a tree, ensnaring the ghouls in a web of silken magic. They struggled, but the more they fought, the tighter the threads pulled, constricting them in a cocoon of shimmering gold. "Hmm... Expression magic? Fascinating." the man mused aloud, eyeing her with growing intrigue. "But containment magic won''t work on me." He swung his staff, and blue flames flickered in the hollow eyes of the skull that adorned the staffs top. The crystal orb inlaid at its base began to pulse with a soft glow. With a flourish, the man traced a circular motion in the air, and as his staff moved, a ring of blue-green light formed, cutting through the atmosphere. Runes and formulas spiraled inside, weaving themselves into a complex design. The circle tightened, and from its center, an ethereal skull of light materialized, growing until it towered above the man, a specter of raw power. It rushed toward the girl, its jaws snapping at the threads of her magic.Stolen story; please report. The skull shattered the golden threads with a violent crack, tearing them apart with brutal ease. The ethereal skull continued its assault, slamming toward the girl, but as it neared, the light shattered into a cloud of dissipating smoke. The ghouls, undeterred by their failure, continued their charge, driven by their hunger for flesh. But the girl stood there, a blank, unreadable expression etched on her face. As one ghoul reached her, it lunged, claws outstretchedbut before it could strike, it convulsed. A sickening shriek tore through the air as the creature fell, its body writhing in pain. Purple smoke poured from its mouth and eyes, its form desiccating as if the life was drained from it in an instant. Within seconds, it was nothing more than a dried, mummified corpse. The man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Impressive, little girl... What was that? Purification magic? Poison, perhaps? No, undead are immune to poison." he mused aloud, his voice laced with wonder. He struck his staff against the earth again, his ghouls momentarily halted by the demonstration. "You continue to fascinate me." The girl remained silent, her gaze cold and calculating, as though she were studying him, sizing him up like a predator would its prey. The mans attention was drawn upward as he felt something dripping on his clothes. At first, he thought it was rain, but the cold, acidic burn that began to spread across his skin told him otherwise. He spun around, lifting his staff in a swift motion to conjure a protective shielda circle of light hovering above his head, forming a crude umbrella. Above, the swarm of insects was raining down acid, their tiny bodies hurling the caustic liquid with sickening precision. The air grew thick with the stench of decay and burning flesh. Acid magic? No... It''s not magic. Maybe a racial trait? But that earlier spell... Could it be acid magic? If so, we have a problem. The mans voice dropped low, his gaze narrowing as he studied the girl with growing suspicion. Acid magic was an anomalyan unpredictable fusion of several elements. To wield it, one had to be born with affinities for the specific elements that formed it, and then somehow, against all odds, those elements had to merge instead of remaining separate. The chances were slim, and even slimmer for someone to control it without disaster. Most necromancers had no defense against it. The thought sent a chill down his spine. Humph... I think I need to end this soon, he muttered, lips curling into a grimace. Sorry, young lady, but the game ends here. He slammed his staff into the ground, the heavy thud reverberating through the air. The earth beneath his feet shuddered as a massive magic circle unfurled before him. The girls eyes widened. A scream tore from her throat, sharp and high-pitched, filled with raw panic. The sound cut through the heavy silence like a blade, setting the swarm of insects into a frenzy. The air buzzed with their fury, a thousand wings beating in a collective frenzy. What? The man recoiled, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. His gaze shot to the circle of magic he had drawn. The spell, designed to be flawless, was already faltering, its energies pulsing erratically. It was a sixth-tier spellone widely regarded as perfected by the magic community. With his immense mana reserves and decades of experience, there should have been no way it could fail, not so spectacularly. My God... He stumbled back a step, staring at the girl in horror. Youre... youre capable of destabilizing magic? His voice was thick with awe and something darker, a dangerous curiosity. This isnt a dead zone, nor a spell-cancelling field, and I dont know any magic that could cause this... Is this some kind of [Skill]? Damn it, now Im tempted to search your soul for answers. Despite the trembling instability, her spell persisted, unyielding. The girls magic formed a dead zone around hera field of magical instability that dissolved any magic that entered its radius. It was subtle, nearly imperceptible until one tried to cast something. No time limit, no defined usesjust an insidious decay of spells. But even with its potency, it had limitations. This field could block magic up to the third tier, but anyone who wielded spells beyond that would barely be affected by it. The green light began to swirl from the ground, tendrils of toxic energy unfurling from the circle. They hissed and writhed, as if alive. The mans lips curled in concentration, eyes narrowing as the rays sought out their victims. The moment the green energy touched the ghouls and decaying corpses scattered across the battlefield, a sickening sound filled the airflesh sloughing off bone, muscle turning to paste. It wasnt a simple dissolution; it was as if the bodies were being sucked into the magic, consumed by it, leaving nothing but a sticky, revolting goo that dripped and pooled at the edges of the circle. The stench was unbearablesour, rotten, like death itself was spreading through the air. The paste began to churn, flowing like liquid towards the magic circle. The mans voice was steady, but there was a flicker of madness in his eyes as he commanded the magic. Come forth... His spell had begun to take form. From the mess of decayed flesh and blood, the bones twisted and reformed. They clicked and groaned, reassembling into something grotesque. The shapes fused together, raw muscle and sinew knitting the pieces into a horrific approximation of life. The creature that emerged was a patchwork of twisted limbs, its body bloated and disproportionate. It loomed above the man, the stench of rotting meat strong enough to choke. Its eyes were empty sockets, and its mouth opened to release a guttural growla sound that sent vibrations through the very air, as though the creature was ripping through reality itself. GHUAAH! "Humph, what a waste." the man muttered, his voice thick with disdain as he clenched his staff tighter, the wood creaking under his grip. His brows furrowed in irritation, and his weary eyes scanned the battlefield. "Spending so much mana and resources on a [Walking Carrion]... I''ll make sure to make good use of all of you, whatever you are." The abomination, its putrid flesh trembling as it reanimated, lurched forward with a terrifying, disjointed speed. It moved like a puppet on tangled strings, its limbs flailing in unnatural angles, propelled by the raw force of the spell. With an unsettling groan, it charged toward the girl, its bloated body swaying in an almost rhythmic, grotesque dance of decay. She was unfazed. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she rose effortlessly into the air, wings unfurling like a darkened storm cloud. She floated, suspended in the sky, her gaze locked onto the abomination as it charged beneath her. The wind tugged at her hair, making it ripple like the surface of a dark lake. "This won''t work, young lady." the man said, his voice tinged with fatigue but carrying an underlying edge of arrogance. His stance wavered slightly, exhaustion creeping into his limbs as he maintained his hold on his staff. The creature beneath them roared into the sky, its vocal cords shredding the air with a scream of pure agony. But then it began to expand, grotesque bulges swelling from its decomposing form as if its very flesh was being stretched beyond its limits. The body rippled, bloated with the promise of something far worse. With a deafening pop, the creature eruptedits flesh tearing apart in a shower of blood, pus, and rotting fragments, filling the air with the stench of death. From the carnage, new forms began to emergemassive jaws filled with sharp, jagged teeth, eyes that glowed with a sickly yellow light, wings made of shredded skin and jagged bone. The pieces of its body began to reform, coalescing into a new, nightmarish shape. The air itself seemed to shudder as they propelled themselves upward, chasing the girl with unnatural speed, their jaws snapping in unison. She smiled, her lips stretching wide to reveal rows of serrated teeth like saw blades, her eyes gleaming with cold amusement. Without warning, a blizzard erupted from the space around her, a sudden swirl of icy wind and snow, like a vortex of death. The tiny flesh creatures were instantly sucked into the storm. The wind screamed as shards of colored crystalslike fragments of shattered jewelsripped through the air, tearing into the creatures with brutal precision. Each piece of flesh that met the sharp edges of the crystals exploded into a mist of gore, leaving nothing but torn remnants of skin and bone. The man watched the scene unfold, a small smile curling on his lips. "Oh? Really impressive... But I doubt you can keep up that trick for long... As for him..." His voice faltered as his gaze shifted toward the corpse that was beginning to pull itself together again. "He knows a lot of tricks." The undead creature began to fuse itself back together with sickening speed, its broken pieces clicking and grinding like the cogs of a rusted machine. The air trembled as it reformed into a massive, swollen shape, its new form pulsing with malevolent energy. With a loud, guttural cry, it expelled a cloud of sonic pressure that sent shockwaves through the air. The swarm of insects that had been circling the scene scattered in panic, their wings clattering as they darted erratically in all directions. The girls face, previously a mask of cold indifference, now contorted with rage. Her eyes narrowed, the air around her growing heavier as dark cracks began to form across her porcelain skin, like a glass doll being shattered. Without warning, her face split open like a blossoming flowertendrils of black veins spread out from her jaw, and a piercing scream erupted from her throat. It was no ordinary scream; it was a sound so high-pitched and unnerving that it seemed to tear at the fabric of reality itself. Even the man, standing at a distance, winced, a sharp, painful ringing in his ears. "Wow!" the man shouted, covering his ears, his voice tinged with both surprise and amusement. "You''re a box of surprises, aren''t you?" The girl''s scream seemed to shake the very air around her, sending a pulse of energy through the battlefield like an unseen wave. As if the cry were a signal, she finally went on the offensive. With blinding speed, she shot toward the reformed flesh creature, a streak of motion against the dark sky. "Oooh, I wouldn''t do that if I were you, little girl..." The mans voice was filled with an almost condescending pity as he watched her dive toward the abomination. And then, the reason for his warning became clear. The creature began to bubble, its flesh rippling with grotesque boils, like a sickness spreading beneath its skin. These blisters, filled with a viscous, pus-like liquid, expanded rapidly until they burst with a sickening pop, spraying the girls face with a foul, corrosive substance. The liquid hissed as it touched her skin, and the stench of decay and rot filled the air. The mans voice echoed in the girl''s mind. The toxins of the [Walking Carrion] are potent enough to take down even a [White Ogre]. This is the But she did not flinch. Ignoring the liquid that sizzled against her skin, she reached out with her hands, her fingertips crackling with energy. Her hands glowed with an eerie purple aura, streaked with black spots like oil floating on water. The aura began to seep into the creatures flesh, and as it did, the rotting body began to blacken rapidly, like it was being eaten away from the inside. "But how?! Immunity to poisons? Nullification? And what attack is that?" The mans voice carried a mixture of irritation and fascination. His eyes narrowed as he observed the girl through the veil of snow. "It''s expression magic, but no spell Ive ever encountered..." His tone betrayed no urgency, as though he were more curious than threatened. With a flick of his staff, the [Walking Carrion] quivered and split in two. The infected half withered like fruit rotting at impossible speed, sloughing off in blackened chunks that melted into the snow. What remained of the creature recoiled, its mutilated body twisting grotesquely but intact. The mans indifferent gaze lingered only a moment before he turned his attention back to the girl. The faint sound of clapping began to echo through the frostbitten air, mixing with the ominous hum of insects swarming above. The mans lips curled into a faint smile, his earlier irritation dissolving into a look of unsettling delight. His voice was filled with mock admiration, tinged with genuine intrigue. "Extraordinary." he said, his words carrying through the snow like a judge pronouncing a sentence. "That''s all I can say about you, girl. I can feel ityou''re nearly depleted of magic. And yet... somehow, you cast spells effortlessly. Where does the extra energy come from?" He took a measured step forward, his boots crunching against the frost-covered ground. "And that last attack? Surreal. Not even acid could corrode flesh so completely. Youve rendered it utterly useless, and at such speed... Youve left me quite speechless." He bowed his head slightly, an odd show of respect for someone so clearly in control. The girl offered no response. If she heard his words, she gave no indication of understanding themor perhaps, she simply didnt care. Her focus was singular. With an animalistic snarl, she propelled herself through the air, moving with the precision of a predator closing in on its prey. The crimson glow of the insects above intensified, their light cutting through the swirling snow like a blood-red beacon. The man did not flinch. He stood his ground, his expression shifting only slightly as she closed the distance. "Without intelligence? But... youre a humanoid..." His brow furrowed in realization. "Ah. Of course." A grim chuckle escaped him. "I see it now. A [Berserker] effect. How troublesome..." His voice trailed off, his mind already racing ahead. "Tsk, tsk... What to do, what to do..." The girl was mere centimeters away now, her serrated teeth bared and her body surging forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. In a single, fluid motion, the man tapped his staff against the ground. A sharp crack reverberated through the battlefield, and in an instant, the snow and ice erupted with an intense blue light. The glow surged outward, forming a massive arcane circle beneath their feet, the runes etched into its surface pulsing like a heartbeat. From the center of the circle, an enormous spectral figure began to materializea cadaverous woman with hollow, glowing eyes and hair that flowed like threads of shadow in the storm. Her translucent form loomed over the battlefield, her mouth opening wide to release a piercing, otherworldly wail. The sound was unbearable. It cut through the air like a blade, slicing through the hum of the insects. The swarm faltered, their flight patterns growing erratic before the creatures began to drop one by one, their fragile bodies littering the snow like dark confetti. The girl stumbled mid-air, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground. She gasped, her breaths shallow and ragged, but she refused to collapse entirely. Her trembling hands reached out, cradling the insects that had fallen to her side, holding them close as though they were precious treasures. Her defiance burned in her glowing eyes, even as her body succumbed to the spells weight. The man sighed, a mix of satisfaction and reluctant admiration. "Its the end of the line, little girl." he said, raising his staff as the spectral figure loomed behind him, its presence suffocating. "Very few opponents have ever forced me to summon [Spectre Summons: Banshee Lullaby]. Consider that your victory." He approached her slowly, his shadow falling over her crumpled form. Her grip on the fallen insects tightened, even as her strength waned. Her head bowed, her resolve refusing to give way to the beckoning darkness of the spell. "Goodbye." the man said softly. With a calculated swing, he brought the base of his staff down on her head. The blow was decisive, not brutal, but enough to send her into unconsciousness. The spectral banshee faded into nothingness, and the blue glow of the arcane circle dimmed, leaving the battlefield bathed once more in the pale light of the storm. The man stood over her still form, his gaze unreadable. The man then bent down as it seemed he was going to pick up the girl with his hands, but halfway there he hesitated, and retreated squeezing his fingers tight around his staff. "What a waste." he muttered, though it wasnt clear whether he referred to her or himself. Chapter 81: Wake Up CoughCough! W-Where am I?! My voice broke the suffocating silence as I forced my eyes open, my chest heaving as though Id been underwater too long. Panic gripped me, and I scrambled to sit up, every movement stiff and labored. I was back in that placethe one I swore Id never see again. It was familiar, yet there was something... wrong. The air felt heavier, more oppressive, and the sticky substance coating my body reeked of decay. My limbs trembled under the weight of exhaustion, every muscle screaming in protest. Even breathing felt like a battle. D-Damn it! We were moving, and then The memories came rushing back, jagged and incomplete. The human. That human. The one who attacked us. Me. The boys. The boys! My voice cracked as I tried to stand, only to collapse back onto the slick, tar-like ground. Pain lanced through my body, sharp and unrelenting, as though something had wrapped itself around my bones and was squeezing. Where are they?! Damn it! I forced myself to look down, my stomach churning at the sight. My skin was coated in a thick, black liquid, its putrid smell wrapping around me like a shroud. It clung to me, dripping sluggishly onto the ground, and its texturesticky, cold, alivemade my skin crawl. My hands shook as I wiped at it uselessly. Around me stretched the same infinite abyss, a void of endless black. The surface rippled faintly, mimicking the gentle waves of a lake, but there was nothing gentle about this place. This was the pitthe lair of that black tar monstrosity. My heart raced, my breathing shallow as the realization settled over me like a weight. Why the hell am I back here?! The void began to stir. The ripples turned into waves, sloshing against an unseen boundary. It was as if the space itself was alive, reacting to my presence. I froze, dread tightening its grip on my chest, as something floated to the surface of the oily expanse. Shapes began to emergebroken, fragmented things bobbing like debris after a storm. What the hell now? I muttered, dragging myself closer despite my bodys protests. The shapes solidified as they drew nearer, and my stomach twisted. They werent debris. They were pieces. Severed limbs, splintered bones, chunks of flesh torn apart with brutal force. Tufts of fur and strands of matted hair drifted alongside them, tangled in ribbons of skin. The stench was unbearable, a nauseating mix of rot and iron. What... What the fuck is this?! My voice was barely above a whisper, but the void answered with a deep, guttural laugh. Youve made quite a mess, havent you? The voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere, slithering through the darkness like smoke. It was low and mocking, each word dripping with cruel amusement. I gritted my teeth, my pulse pounding in my ears. You." I spat, the word trembling with anger. Its you, isnt it? The sadistic bitch who loves to torment me. Listen here Torment you? the voice interrupted, its tone feigning innocence. Oh no, darling. Im simply... observing. And what a show its been. I dont have time for your games." I growled, forcing myself to my knees. My body screamed in protest, but I didnt care. If youre going to hurt me, just do it already! Hurt you? The voice chuckled, the sound as cold and hollow as the void itself. Wheres the fun in that? Don''t you really understand? I didn''t drag you here, you got in on your own, I am you, and you are me, there is no difference, and no, I want you alive, my dear. Alive and crawling. I want you to suffer. To feel every failure. Every loss. And when you finally breakwhen theres nothing left but a shattered husk of who you used to beIll be here, savoring every second. My fists clenched. Anger burned through the haze of pain and exhaustion, igniting a spark of defiance. Youre not me." I hissed. I dont know what you are, but youre not me. The void roared with laughter, its voice shaking the ground beneath me. Oh, but I am you. I am every fear, every failure, every dark thought youve buried deep inside. You can deny it all you want, but you cant escape me. Ill always be here, watching. Waiting. Before I could respond, a sharp, clear sound cut through the oppressive darkness. The ringing of a bell. It was faint at first, but it grew louder with each chime, piercing the void like a blade. The waves of black tar began to recede, the darkness peeling away like ash in the wind. No! the voice screamed, its tone raw with rage. That insignificant pest wont save you forever! Remember this, Hanaremember me! Because when all is said and done, itll just be the two of us. You, surrounded by the corpses of those you failed, and me, savoring your despair! The world around me disintegrated, the blackness burning away to reveal something new. I blinked against the sudden light, my eyes adjusting to the dim, flickering glow of lanterns. I was in a libraryan ancient, crumbling one. The shelves were warped and splintered with age, their wood dulled and cracked. Books lay scattered across the floor, some open, their pages yellowed and curling with mildew. Moss crept through the cracks in the stone walls, and the air was damp, thick with the earthy scent of decay. It was chaotic, but it was... real. I staggered to my feet, leaning against a shelf for support. This place... My voice was hoarse, barely audible over the sound of my ragged breathing. Its like that library from before... only less destroyed? The silence that followed felt heavy, but for the first time in what felt like hours, I wasnt drowning in the void. I wasnt sure if this was salvation or another trap, but Id fight my way through it. Just like always. Walking through the cluttered space, I noticed a book lying discarded on the floor. Instinctively, I picked it up, brushing off the dust and grime coating its cover. But when I read the title, my breath hitched. The Time Hana Ate Her School Friends Lunch?! What the hell!? Curiosity got the better of me, and I flipped through the pages. It didnt take long to figure it out: these werent just books. They were memoriesmy memories, cataloged and stored in this chaotic library. Except they werent lovingly preserved on shelves or neatly organized. They were tossed around like garbage, strewn across the floor as though they were worthless. I clenched the book tightly, irritation bubbling up. Did the boys do this? I muttered, my voice echoing in the vast emptiness. No, theyre too meticulous for something this sloppy. These must be... worthless memories. The ones they havent processed yet. The boysthe hives information clubwere careful with my memories. They worked tirelessly to extract, cleanse, and categorize everything stored in my mind. Every fragment, no matter how corrupted or trivial, was methodically examined and classified into neat little labels: (Essential), (Important), (Useful), (Meh), and (Whatever). Of course, the last two categories got shoved to the back of the queue, waiting for their turn in the archiveif that ever came. Corrupted memories were the hardest to handle. They were things I technically knew but had forgotten, buried in the vast, disorganized abyss of my brain. My mind held an absurd amount of data, a storage unit crafted by Mother Nature herself, but one Id filled haphazardly over the years. There were treasures hidden within: forgotten knowledge from books on mathematics, science, history, and artconcepts Id learned but discarded because they didnt interest me at the time. Yet, to the hive, even these scraps were priceless. Lost scientific theories, obscure technologies, random formulaseverything could be salvaged and put to use. But as much as theyd dug, theyd only managed to classify 28% of my memories so far. The rest remained a chaotic sea of forgotten passwords, useless trivia, and... apparently, embarrassing childhood moments. And this is what theyre mining through? I sighed, tossing the book aside. No wonder its taking forever. I dusted off my hands and turned my focus to the matter at hand. I need to find a way out of this place... Leaving the cluttered books behind, I wandered aimlessly through the labyrinthine library until I stumbled upon a door. When I opened it, I was greeted by an abandoned corridor, its end shrouded in shadows. With no better option, I stepped inside. The corridor stretched on endlessly, its walls lined with moss and roots, as though nature had reclaimed it over centuries. It reminded me of those apocalyptic anime where overgrown ruins of the past serve as the backdrop for the protagonists struggles. Isnt this supposed to be my mind? I muttered, kicking at a loose stone. Shouldnt I be, like, a goddess here? Instead, I feel like some clueless prisoner. Each door I opened led to something stranger than the last. Some opened onto solid walls, others were too small to crawl through, and some were so enormous I couldnt even reach the doorknob. The entire place was an abstract mess: labyrinths, puzzles, surreal objects, and eerie figures lurking just out of sight. Everything felt familiar yet alien, like an endless dj vu that left me disoriented. After what felt like hours, frustration boiled over. This is impossible! I snapped, throwing open another door. This time, however, instead of another nonsensical room, I was met with the sensation of falling. I twisted midair, looking back to see the door shrinking rapidly above me, receding into the void. Below, a vast floor rushed up to meet me, its surface dark and unyielding. DAMN IT! I screamed, curling into a ball and activating [Crystal Fur]. A translucent sphere surrounded me, shimmering with protective light as I braced for impact. But... nothing happened. Opening my eyes cautiously, I realized I was still falling, yet the ground wasnt getting any closer. It hung in the same unsettling proximity, creating an endless illusion of imminent impact. What the hell is this? I muttered, the sinking realization washing over me: I wasnt falling at all. I was stuck in some cruel, infinite loop, suspended in perpetual descent. I let out a frustrated groan. Great! Stuck in an endless fall. Now what? After what felt like eternity, I tried closing my eyes, willing a solution into existence. Thats how it worked in dreams, right? But no matter how hard I concentrated, nothing changed. The loop continued, unyielding. Eventually, I began to experiment, shifting my position in the air. Thats when I discovered something bizarre: the air itself had substance. Tentatively, I pressed my hand against it, and to my amazement, it held firm. I could stand on it, as though the void had turned solid beneath me. What kind of mental madness is this... I muttered, cautiously testing my footing. Slowly, I began to walk, heading back toward the door I had fallen through. But when I opened it, instead of the familiar hallway, I was met with a grotesque figure. The creature lunged at me without warning, its monstrous form slamming into me with bone-crushing force. I screamed as I tumbled backward, this time truly falling. The ground met me with brutal speed, and pain exploded through my bodya sharp, phantom ache that seemed to radiate from everywhere and nowhere at once. I gasped for air, curling into myself as the echoes of the impact rippled through me. "UGH!" I gasped as I hit the ground, struggling to get up as my senses fought against the overwhelming presence before me. The creature loomeda grotesque, decaying corpse covered in thick, syrupy honey. Its skeletal frame was partially exposed, with chunks of rotted muscle clinging to brittle bones. Stuck within the sweet, oozing syrup were fragmented flowers and crystallized sugar. But what was most unnerving were the bees. They crawled across its decaying body, some trapped in the sticky substance, others moving freely, buzzing faintly as if they were the creatures lifeblood. "Ku- What a disgraceful sight this is" Before I could finish, it lunged. Its skeletal hand, sticky with honey and rot, clamped around my head, forcing me to lock eyes with its hollow, insect-filled sockets. Larvae wriggled within, and centipedes crawled over its partially exposed skull, weaving between patches of rotted flesh. "GHUKGH!" it gurgled, its voice a sickening mixture of guttural growls and a buzzing undertone, like an insect swarm trying to speak.Stolen story; please report. Pain erupted through my body. My limbs felt leaden, drained of strength as if my very essence were being siphoned. It wasnt the sharp, stinging pain of a wound; it was the deep, consuming ache of utter exhaustion. I could barely breathe, let alone fight back. "G-Get off me!" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling. The creature didnt respond with words, only action. Its decaying form pressed closer, the syrupy honey dripping onto my face. The smell hit me firsta sickening mixture of rotting flesh, sweet decay, and metallic blood. Bees swarmed around me, crawling on my skin as I fought the urge to scream. Its face was mere inches from mine now, the decaying jaw creaking as it opened wider. Bloodied honey and fragments of insects oozed from its maw, dripping onto my cheeks and neck. My stomach twisted violently; bile rose in my throat as I clamped my eyes shut. "WAKE UP!" Its scream pierced the air, a monstrous, guttural roar layered with echoes of hundreds of buzzing voices. The sound didnt just hit my ears; it tore through my mind like a jagged blade. The world around me shuddered and twisted, the ground cracking beneath us as its words reverberated through the void. My body convulsed under the sheer force of it. My chest felt like it was being crushed, my limbs frozen in place. "WAKE UP!" it screamed again, louder, angrier. Its grip on me tightened, the honey-soaked fingers sinking into my skin as if trying to merge with me. The pain was unbearable now, but I couldnt look away. The creatures empty sockets glowed faintly, pulsing with an unnatural, flickering light. "ARRGHH!"
"AH!" My eyes snapped open. The world around me was unfamiliar, alien. I was no longer pinned beneath a decaying corpse dripping with honey, nor soaring through the sky with the boys toward a brighter future. Instead, I was sprawled on the cold, unyielding ground. The chill of the cave seeped into my bones, biting at my skin. A faint, eerie green light flickered across the walls, casting long, wavering shadows. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, my limbs too heavy to move, as if bound by invisible chains. "Where are we? BoysBOYS?" Panic clawed at my chest. Through the link, I could sense thembut barely. The connection was weak, like a signal fading in and out. I twisted my head, searching frantically, but the cavern stretched empty in every direction. Where are they!? I willed myself to stand, but my legs betrayed me. They refused to obey, leaving me helpless on the cold, jagged floor. A growl of frustration escaped my lips. "DAMN!" With no other choice, I began to crawl, dragging my battered body across the ground. Sharp rocks bit into my hands and knees, but I couldnt stop. I wouldnt stop. The faint echoes of the link pulled me forward, a lifeline in the darkness. Finally, I saw thema heap of bodies, tangled together like discarded refuse. But I knew better. It wasnt trash. It was them. The hive. "Howhow did this happen?!" I propped myself against the wall and forced my trembling legs to bear my weight. Staggering toward the pile, every step sent fresh waves of agony through my body. But when I reached them, the sight froze my blood. The boys were barely alive. Their faint, flickering life forces clung to existence by the thinnest thread. I knelt among them, brushing trembling hands over their battered forms. "D-Dont worry, Im here. Mommy will take care of you." I summoned my healing abilities, willing the warmth of magic to flow from me. But the attempt failed. My reservesmy MPwere drained, the bottom of a well run dry. "Damn it, not now!" Desperation surged. My only option was to draw MP from the unconscious hive members who still held faint reserves of mana. It was a delicate, painstaking process, and not one I ever wanted to rely on. But I had no choice. "Youll be fine well be fine." I whispered, though the words were more for me than for them. As my healing magic finally activated, I took a moment to assess our surroundings. The cavern was unremarkable, save for the floating green witch flames that clung to the walls, their glow casting an otherworldly light. At the far end of the cave, the darkness deepened into an abyss. On the other side, an old cloth hung loosely over what seemed to be the exit. The fabric shifted in the wind, offering glimpses of the world outsidesnow falling softly under a moonless, starless sky. "Where are we? How did we end up here?" Panic began to creep in as my eyes darted around. There were no supplies. No crates. No livestock. No potions or tools. Everything we had worked so hard to gather was gone. Even Muck. "NO! No! Where is everything?! Muck? My [Mana Node Heart]? Our seeds, potions, rations?!" I clawed at my memory, trying to make sense of it. The last thing I remembered was flying south, searching for better lands for the nest. Wed been attackedby that humanand then nothing. Everything after that was a blur. As the weight of our situation pressed down on me, faint sounds reached my earsthe crunch of footsteps in the snow. My tired, enhanced senses sharpened just enough to register the approach of someone outside. I turned toward the caves exit, my heart pounding. How did we get here? Who brought us here? It was clear the boys hadnt done this. They were too weak to carry me, let alone find shelter. The only answer was someone else. Someone had brought us here. Shit, what now? Are they human? What do I do, what do I do?'' Before I could form a plan, a figure emerged from the cave entrancea hunched old man, nearly bald, draped in a tattered cloak. He leaned heavily on a staff of bones, the skull at its end gleaming in the dim light. At first glance, he seemed human, but the moment I took a closer look, that assumption shattered. His forehead was scarred by broken horns, his skin unnaturally pale, and his eyes glowed an eerie yellow. His teeth and nails were black, as if forged from obsidian. "Well, well, look whos awake. But why crawl into this heap of insects again?" he croaked, his voice hoarse, almost like it hadn''t been used in years. "Uh... Um... Hello?" I stammered, my voice barely rising above a whisper. "... Hello?" The old man repeated after a long pause, his gaze fixed on me in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. ''What a strange feeling. Talking to him is nothing like talking to the hive. Its like Ive forgotten how to talk to someone who isnt a reflection of myself.'' When I speak with the hive, it''s like a conversation without words. They understand me entirely, picking up on the deeper meanings behind my thoughts. I dont need to worry about being clear or careful, because they already know what Im thinking. But with someone like him, its like trying to start a conversation with a complete stranger. The silence hangs thick between us, and it feels like the wrong words will fall out of my mouth at any moment. "You must still be a little confused, young lady. Would you like something to eat?" The old mans voice broke through my thoughts as he shuffled slowly toward the back of the cave. His staff thudded against the ground with each step, the sound echoing off the jagged stone walls. I stood frozen for a long moment, unsure of how to respond, but eventually, the old man returned, this time holding a bowl of what looked like thick meat soup. He supported himself on his staff with one hand, the other offering the bowl to me. "Here, eat, little girl." he said, his voice tinged with something that could have been pityor perhaps mockery. I hesitated, my stomach twisting in knots. I hated meat. Not because it was badon the contrary, it tasted finebut because my new body craved sweet things: juices, smoothies, candy. Meat didnt sit right with me anymore, but in a place like this, I didnt have much of a choice. I bowed my head, accepting the bowl with a faint sigh, and slowly drank its contents, chewing the tough chunks of meat that occasionally slipped into my mouth. The old man watched me intently, sitting across from me on a flat rock, his bone staff resting on the ground between his knees. His yellow eyes never left me, his gaze sharp and unreadable, like a predator sizing up its prey. I finished the last of the soup and set the empty bowl aside, feeling the weight of his stare on me. "Thank you for the food... and your generosity." I said, giving him a small bow. "Hmm... You''re much more polite than I expected." the old man mused, his gaze never wavering. "You made quite a strong impression earlier. But I suppose it''s to be expected. No matter how an individual behaves, when they enter Berserker mode, they all become the same." He said this without a hint of judgment, as if the words meant little more than a passing observation. ''Berserker? Me? How? Why?'' I blinked, trying to make sense of it. "B-Berserker? Me? When? How? Why?" "Ah... Yes, you. About two days ago, I think." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, then added,"As for the how and why... Thats something only you can answer." I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. What the hell is going on here? Me? Berserker? It doesn''t make sense... I never had a skill for it, never even thought I was capable of such a thing. Maybe it was some kind of potion? A curse? No, that''s too simple... Could it have been... her? That damn witch on the broom? Maybe. But its more likely some kind of racial defense system... That makes the most sense. "I... I dont know exactly how. But I think it happened because my children were attacked..." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. The truth, raw and unsettling, had somehow slipped past my defenses. The old mans expression shifted, a flicker of intrigue crossing his face. He leaned forward slightly, eyeing me with renewed interest. "Hmm... Interesting. Let me ask you, young lady, how old are you exactly?" Age? In this world? Four, maybe? But if were talking real age... I must be around thirty-six, thirty-seven... I feel like an old woman already. "Four." I said, holding up my fingers to show him. The old mans eyes glinted, his lips curling into something resembling a smileor a grimace. "Four, huh? In response, the old man looked truly perturbed, his expression a strange mix of confusion, disgust, and indignation. "Four? Does that seem... wrong? You look to be around ten to twelve years old in human years. But I suppose it''s inappropriate to use humans as a metric for you. What exactly are you, young one? One of the [Beastman] variants? Ive never seen or heard of any being like you before." ''What now? Should I tell him the truth? He helped me, but... No, he''s an outsider, a stranger. His intentions are unclear and his presence feels dangerous. He may have the face of a grandfather, but his clothes, appearance, and aura scream "danger." I considered lying. My instincts screamed at me to be cautious. I should lie to protect myself. I cant afford to trust him completely yet. "Y-Yes! I... Im part of a reclusive species of [Beastmen] from the... Elven Forest. I had to flee after my village was attacked by humans." The lie felt clumsy, but it was the best I could manage on the spot. If it were Steve, he could lie effortlessly, his face never betraying him. Yan, too, could spin lies without a second thought. "Humf, little girl..." The old mans tone shifted, and suddenly the very air in the cave seemed to freeze. An overwhelming wave of danger washed over me, so sharp and suffocating it made my bones tremble. My body felt like a hot pan, sizzling with tension. From the darkness, a semi-transparent, ethereal figure materialized above him. It resembled a mummy, its face wrapped in black cloth, its body wrapped in tattered remnants of a cape. Star patterns, moons, and constellations were engraved on the bandages. The figure held a silver scale with a beating heart on one side and eyeballs stacked on the other. In the other hand, it gripped a lantern, which seemed to pulse with agony inside. The light was a sickly green, bathing the cave in an eerie, macabre glow. "Dont lie to me." the old man warned, his voice as cold as ice. His yellow eyes bore into me with a chilling intensity, drilling through my defenses. "I will show no mercy to a liar." A cold wave of fear slammed into me. My heart raced in my chest as I clutched my hands together, feeling a sharp pain gnaw at my chest as if something inside me were trying to break free. The ethereal being''s presence crushed me with its terrifying aura. "I-Im sorry." I stammered, my voice trembling. "Please dont hurt me, I didnt mean to lie. I just... I didnt want to bring harm to us." The old man stared at me, his gaze unwavering. The green light from the figure flickered, then began to dissipate. The ethereal being turned to smoke and was absorbed back into the skull at the tip of his staff with a soft hiss. "Very well." the old man muttered, tapping his staff against the ground. "Thats more acceptable. Now, let me ask again... What are you?" "IIm me?" I faltered, unsure of what he wanted to hear. "If you mean my species... Im a [Feyweaver]. I swear, Im not a threat. I dont want trouble, I just want a safe place for me and my children." "Wait." the old man interrupted, holding up a hand. "A [Feyweaver]? Never heard of that before. Is it some kind of variant of the [Beastmen]?" "N-No... I... I evolved into a [Feyweaver]." My voice wavered as I spoke, the weight of his intense stare pressing down on me. "Evolved?" The old man seemed both fascinated and perplexed. "You were a beast? How is it possible for a beast to look so... humanoid?" "I dont fully understand either." I admitted. "From the moment I was born, until now, Ive evolved... three times." "Hmm..." The old man leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as if trying to piece something together. "So what were you before?" "A [Solitary Honey Bee]." "A bee?" The old man scoffed, his voice filled with disbelief. "You evolved from a bee? How absurd. But... interestingly, my summoning magic tells me youre telling the truth." His expression shifted into one of intrigue. "This is fascinating." "W-What do you mean by that?" I asked, my heart pounding again as the unease in my chest grew. What was this old man really capable of? "Girl, I dont know how you did itor why you managed to do something like that in the first placebut beasts dont evolve into humanoid beings, creating consciousness out of thin air." the old man said, his voice steady but full of disbelief. "Beasts, no matter how much they evolve over time, never stop being beasts. Some species may develop a semblance of consciousness, even learn the languages of other beings, but all creatures that reach that level are considered guardians of their territory and species. You, on the other hand, seem more like a beastmanbeast parts mixed with human ones." The man studied me with renewed curiosity. "Well... I don''t know much about that..." I mumbled, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "I just know that I am like this, and always have been." "Hmm... Very well." he replied, after a thoughtful pause. "You mentioned earlier that you were trying to protect your children. Where are they?" I let out a nervous breath, relieved at the shift in his questions. "They... They''re here." I said, gesturing to the blanket of bees surrounding me. I stroked it gently, watching them hum peacefully around us. The old man blinked in confusion for a moment. His gaze shifted to doubt, then to disbelief. "Are these... beasts your children?" he asked, incredulous. "I thought you were some kind of [Entomancer] or something." "N-no." I stammered, shaking my head. "I didn''t even know that kind of class existed. I... Im kind of the progenitor of my species. They may be different from me, but I gave birth to each and every one of them. They''re my most precious possessions." The old mans eyes widened. "Wait, wait, you gave birth to each and every one of them? There are thousands of these things? I only gathered them out of respect, thinking they were your domesticated beasts! How does that even work?" I paused, uncertain of how to explain, but then I spoke, trying my best. "Well... Im a female. The only one of my speciesat least, as far as I know. The boys here..." I gently caressed the bees surrounding me. "They''re exclusively male. As the only female, Im the only one who can expand our numbers. I may look humanoid, but remember when I said I evolved from a bee? I still have the reproductive capabilities of one." The old man stared at me, rubbing his chin, trying to process the information. "Hmm... confusing. Its weird to think of you as the mother of these insects. Its like a human giving birth to a bird." He looked genuinely puzzled. "Well... complain to Mother Nature?" I said, half joking. "Ha! That was good, young lady." the old man chuckled tiredly, his voice rough. "Really, ''Little Abomination of Nature'' seems like a title that suits you well. I''m actually glad I didnt use you as material for my undead." "U-Undead?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, unease creeping into my tone. The old man slowly rose from his seat, leaning heavily on his staff, his posture slightly hunched but still imposing. With an air of quiet menace, he looked down at me. "Thats right. Sorry for the late introduction, girl. You can call me Morthak, The Corpse Artisan." He gave me a pointed, almost amused look as he surveyed me from the bottom up. ''Now i''am completely screwed.'' Chapter 82: Masters of Magic "A necromancer... Like, the guy who brings the dead back to life?" "No, thats just a myth," Morthak said, his voice carrying a gruff edge. "You cant bring the dead back without terrible consequences. Nature follows a fixed course. Trying to swim against that current? Stupid. Foolish, even." He moved deeper into the cave, his words echoing off the damp stone walls. "What I do is different. I use magic to repurpose corpses, creating servants from the remains. Warriors who once held skills and experience in life are far more valuable as my loyal workers than as rotting bones." I hesitated, feeling a chill creep up my spine. "So youre going to turn me into one of your undead?" He glanced back at me, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. "I considered it, sure. But bringing you back as undead? Wasteful. Not to mention expensive." He shrugged, turning his attention to a bubbling pot at the far end of the cave. "Besides, I may be a necromancer, but even I have principles, alright?" "Expensive? What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as he ladled some soup into a cracked bowl. "Reviving people as undead servants costs far more resources than making traditional undead," he explained, settling back in front of me with his bowl. "Instead of using all that effort on one high-level warrior, I could create three or four solid, mid-level zombies. Theyre simpler, more cost-effective, and just as useful in numbers." He slurped his soup nonchalantly, as if the conversation wasnt deeply unsettling. I tried to focus on anything but the imagery in my mind. "I I dont know much about summoning or necromancy. Im more of a magic caster, I guess?" He raised an eyebrow, pausing mid-slurp. "Yeah, I noticed. And Ive got to admit, its been decades since Ive seen someone as competent with expression magic as you." "E-expression magic?" I stammered, unfamiliar with the term. Morthak froze, lowering his bowl. He stared at me, incredulous, as if Id just claimed not to know what fire was. Wiping his mouth with the tattered sleeve of his cloak, he leaned forward. "Youre serious? You dont know what expression magic is?" "I no. Everything I know, I learned through trial and error. I never had anyone to teach me," I admitted, feeling small under his gaze. "What about your parents? Your people? A guardian?" His voice carried a mix of confusion and frustration. "Everyone learns from someone. Even the most wretched have mentors. Youre telling me you had no one?" I looked away, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. "No one," I murmured. "I was born alone. Abandoned, I think. I hatched in a forest. I had to learn to survivecreate what I needed with nothing but trial and error. The only companions I ever had were the boys." "The boys?" he asked, his tone softening. "My family." I explained. "Without them, I wouldve been completely alone. And, honestly, I probably wouldnt have survived this long." Morthak stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed and set his bowl aside. "Thats a hell of a story, girl. Hatched in a forest, abandoned before you were even born no wonder youre so out of touch with how things work." "Tsk, that''s why I hate having to deal with the living, always causing trouble and making decisions they don''t want to take responsibility for." Morthak said with a frown. "I-I''m sorry?" "Nha~ I wasn''t referring to you girl, but to the trash who abandoned you in the forest, honestly, what kind of bastard does that? Even irrational beasts take care of their young." Morthak said visibly irritated. Soon he straightened up, his tone turning brisk. "Lets see how much catching up you need. First off, do you know where we are?" "I was heading south, trying to find the demon races continent," I said hesitantly. "This place seemed to fit the description. Cold and far away." "Youre in luck then." Morthak said, gesturing around the cave. "Were on the demon continent, in the tundras north of the Kingdom of Mackenfill." "At least I got that much right," I muttered, leaning against the cold stone wall in relief. "Alright, next question. What are the main races in the world?" I hesitated, recalling a kobolds words from years ago. "Humans, Elves, Demon-types, and Beastmen. Thats what Ive heard." "Not bad," he admitted. "There are sub-races, like vampires, werewolves, cyclopes, and giants, but their populations are too small to be called main races." "Werewolves? How are they different from kobolds? Arent they both just" I trailed off, unsure how to phrase it. Morthak burst out laughing. "Oh, never say that to a werewolf! Theyll tear your face off. Werewolves consider themselves superiorcloser to humans, even. Vampires and werewolves can pass as humans, but kobolds? Theyre well, kobolds." He continued, his voice growing more serious. "Now, what about the gods? Do you know the main ones?" "I know the Goddess of the Morning," I said hesitantly, "and maybe the Beastmens god? Something like Astrawoul?" "Decent start," he said. "The main gods are the Goddess of the Morning, Astrawoul, Thalindorion for the elves, and Zerithiel for the demon-types." "Hmm. So each major race has their own god," I said thoughtfully. "Exactly. Now, what do you know about the [System]?" I nodded quickly, feeling more confident. "Its a resource that shows my skills, status, and titles. It helps with leveling up, evolving, and casting magic. But casting through the system is inefficient, so I stick to my own methods." Morthak tilted his head, considering my words. "Efficient or not, the System is a tool. And understanding its vastness is key. Speaking of vastness, whats your knowledge of magic?" I hesitated again. "I know its a phenomenon that uses mana to create effects. Spells can be offensive, defensive, or utilitarian. Magic can be cast in different ways: through the System, common magic, racial magic, pre-recorded spells, and thread magic?" Morthak sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Your knowledge is both impressive and painfully superficial. Let me clarify. Magic isnt a phenomenon. Its a result. You pay mana to get an effect. The way you cast is what varies." He began listing methods off on his fingers. "Expression magic, which you call common, is the most ancient formfueled by emotions and desires. Its slow but devastatingly powerful. Then theres circle magic, which relies on runic inscriptions for quick, efficient results. Circuit magic, used by craftsmen and engineers, creates effects through a series of runic commands. And finally, blood magicwhat you called racial magicdraws on inherited power." I listened in silence, absorbing his words. Despite my initial wariness of him, I couldnt deny his expertise. For the first time in my life, I felt the edges of my world expanding, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. It''s not easy for me to admit this, but I''m quite ignorant about many general knowledge subjects in this world. I''ve always lived in my bubble, inside the tower. We had no reason to seek information that didnt interest us, and speaking with the kobolds was like shooting in the dark. They never seemed certain about anythingjust bits and pieces of scattered knowledge. "There are other types of magic too," Morthak began, "like elemental magic, which, as the name suggests, is based on the elements of nature. Ring magic is derived from elemental magic, but original magic is unique to elementals. They are an ancient and reclusive type of magic, and elementals only appear when they want to. Searching for one on your own is a waste of time. "Then, there''s divine magic and divine arts. While they may seem similar, but they are fundamentally different. Divine magic consists of spells fueled by mana thats been touched by the divine, whereas divine arts are graces directly granted by a god. "Scroll magic falls into the category of pre-recorded magic, which you mentioned earlier. Scrolls are expensive items created by [Scribes] or similar classes. Its rare to find a scroll containing a spell higher than 4 rings, but theyre incredibly useful since they require little mana to activate and work almost instantly." "T-Thank you," I stammered. "This was all very useful. If I may ask... what exactly is ring magic? I understand it in general, but what makes a 2-ring spell different from a 1-ring spell? Of course, I realize a 2-ring spell is stronger, but why?" "Oh, sorry! I forgot youre unfamiliar with the common magic system," Morthak said, scratching his chin. "Its simple. A 1-ring spell is exactly this." He raised his staff and drew a glowing green circle in the air. As the circle completed, runes and glyphs formed inside it, shimmering faintly. The circle then folded inward, collapsing like crumpled paper, and left behind a small ball of blue flames floating in the air. Spectre Summons: [Fire Wisp], he announced. "A basic summoning spell of the first ring. Its also called a first-circle spell or a first-tier spell, depending on the region. Most people, though, just call it a 1-ring spell. These are beginner spellssimple to cast, quick, and low-cost." "And stable," I added, staring at the magic. Its hard to describe, but I could practically see the spell forming, as if understanding its purpose and intentions. It was remarkablesolid, optimized, and flawless, like a perfectly forged tool. "Yes, stable," Morthak confirmed with a nod. "Its good that you noticed. Spells without stability are as useless as a skeleton without joints. They waste mana and endanger your life. Ive lost count of how many idiots died trying to cast spells far beyond their level." "I see," I replied. "And whats the difference at higher levels?" "Ah, let me show you." Morthak drew another circle in the air. This time, after the first ring formed, another larger circle appeared around it, filled with runes and magical symbols. The entire process seemed intricate, but it took no more than two seconds. A spectral eyeball materialized, floating aimlessly around the cave. Spectre Summons: [Spy Eye], Morthak said proudly. "One of my favorite low-level spells. Super useful for spying on enemiesjust watch out for mages. Theyre usually sensitive to magical disturbances." "As you can see," he continued, "the difference between 1-ring and 2-ring spells isnt only visual; its also functional. A 2-ring spell is simply more powerful but also harder to control. It requires more practice and finesse to perfect."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Perfect?" I echoed. "Isnt it just a matter of saving it in the [Spells] tab and letting the system handle the rest?" "Sure, the system helps, Morthak agreed, but its like a repeater for spells. It can only assist with spells youve successfully cast before. If you record an unoptimized spell, youll be stuck with a subpar version. All serious mages know how to cast at least two or three spells without the systems assistance." "Wait," I interrupted, "how many spell slots does a wizard usually have?" "Hmm... A beginner wizard has about three or four," Morthak said, rubbing his temples, "while experienced ones can manage 10 to 14." "What!?" I exclaimed. "I only have one slot! Thats so unfair!" Morthak seemed confused by my statement, remaining silent for a few moments before speaking, What? You have one slot? Then how did you cast all those different spells in the middle of combat, under the effect of [Berserker]? His voice was tinged with genuine curiosity. M-Me? Did I cast spells? Sorry, but I dont remember any of that... Maybe if you describe them, Ill know what they are? Well Morthak hesitated, collecting his thoughts. The first spell was golden threads attached to your nails that sliced through my [Ghouls] like butter. Then there was a spell, or some kind of skill, that purified or melted the undead near you. After that came an acid rain, which I believe is some sort of racial talent or magic. Oh! And not to mention your magic cancellation fieldit really threw me off. There was also that supersonic scream of yours, and your immunity to poisonsIm pretty sure thats a skill. Lastly, that attack of yours that made my [Walking Carrion] give up without a fight. Old man, are you losing your mind? I think youve mistaken me for someone else. In response, Morthak slammed his bone staff against my head with all the strength he could muster, sending a sharp pain through me. I bit my tongue, rubbing the spot where it hurt. "Ouch! You didnt need to do that!" Huh, maybe next time youll think before you speak, he muttered, shaking the staff in my direction. I may be old, but Im not senile. I know exactly what I saw, young lady. Okay, okay! It''s just Im not a fighter, alright? Im a support. My skills and abilities are meant for helping and buffing othersnot for fighting and killing. I only have one offensive skill. The rest are for defense or production. A support? Ha! If you had seen yourself two days ago, I doubt youd still say that. You looked like a magic warrior, casting spells and fighting hand-to-hand. Ugh Well, thinking about it I have no idea what the first spell you described is, but the second one might be [Crystalline Energy Veil]. Its a skill that creates a field around me that deals magic damage to anything that enters its area of effect. That fits your description. The third one is indeed a racial talent, but its exclusive to the [Poisoner] class. The fourth one? Youre making that upif I could negate magic, I wouldve done it by now. As for the scream I know I scream loud, but not to the point of being supersonic. The immunity to poisons? I dont know, maybe I have it and didnt even realize it. And the last attack was probably [Tainted Touch]. Oh? So now youre telling me Im hallucinating? Morthak chuckled darkly. It seems you dont even know the full extent of your own abilities. Yeah That could be it too. I... I dont fight, you know? Im more of a housewife type. Hmph... Thats plausible. When someone enters berserker mode, their survival instincts take over. They can sometimes do things they wouldnt normally be able to. Morthak stroked his chin thoughtfully. So But Morthak raised a finger, his tone turning serious, Berserkers are always identified by one common trait: unbridled madness. They only think about killing their target. But you... You were incredibly rational, almost calculating. You retreated when you felt threatened, and you advanced when the opportunity arosethough you misjudged your opponent. He met my gaze with a knowing expression. Rational and composed? Can you give a clear example of that? Didn''t you just attack without hesitation? Normally, berserkers don''t care about the damage theyll take, their surroundings, or the strength of their enemy. All they care about is killing. But you... You were methodical, almost as if you were weighing every move, every step. Morthaks voice was thoughtful, even admiring. Hmmm... This is new to me. I dont know exactly why it happened, but Thanks again for not killing me. "Meh, my kill list is already long enough, young lady. I may be a [Necromancer], but that doesn''t mean I enjoy killing. I simply prefer the company of the dead." Morthak spoke in a flat tone, almost dismissive. Well, as long as were not the dead, thats fine with me. Hmm, now, if I may ask... I wanted to inquire about something more personal, Morthak said, adjusting his grip on his staff, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Isnt it hard to lie to a man with a magic lie detector? Yeah, but silence is always a way out, right? I had that option?! No, I wouldve forced you to talk. But since its something personal, I wont press you if you dont want to answer. Still, if you could satisfy an old mans curiosity, I would be extremely grateful. Morthak gave me an odd smile. Hmmm Alright. Whats your question? Morthak leaned forward, his voice low but direct. Whats your [affinity]? Oh, my affinity is I froze, mid-sentence. My mind raced, caught in a whirlwind of thoughts. ''Wait... should I tell him? I wondered. What if having an affinity with [Life] is something rare, something he might want to exploit? Would it conflict with his necromantic magic? Could I even become an undead?'' Morthak watched me closely, sensing my hesitation. He let out a sigh and spoke, If you dont want to answer, thats fine. Im genuinely curious, but Im not rude enough to force someone into sharing personal details about themselves. "Wait, is talking about [Affinity] considered intimate?" I asked, a bit uncertain. "Yeah, you could say that. Normally, you share it with teammates or family, but it''s not the kind of thing you tell a stranger on the streetunless you have something rare, like [Ice], [Ink], [Thunder], or [Poison]." "Hmm... Can you explain it a bit better? How rare are affinities? Which ones are the most common, and which are the rarest?" "Girl, you''re not discreet at all," Morthak sighed. "You''re just making me more curious. Are you afraid to tell me your affinity because you dont know if its common?" "M-Maybe?" I stammered. "Ughalright, lets go over it. Affinities aren''t exclusive to any race. Every being in the world can have one. For some species, they develop during growthlike demons, who gain their affinity around age 10 after their [Awakening]. That boosts their mana reserves too. Others are born with affinities, like elves. Some even gain them through items, contracts, or other external sourceslike most humans." "Affinities come in different levels and rarities," Morthak continued. "For example, imagine two people with an affinity for [Fire]. One has a medium affinity, and the other has a small affinity. The second person will have to work much harder to achieve the same level of mastery as the first. Rarity is mostly influenced by family, luck, and ancestors. If your family has a lot of people with an affinity for [Fire], youre more likely to inherit it or something similar." "Sometimes, when families mix, luck shines, a child is born with a rare new affinity. A good example would be the Frostbite family. Their ancestors had affinities like [Air] and [Water], and over time, their descendants gained affinities like [Mist], [Ice], [Storm], and [Rain], which made them famous in the demon lands." "Waitpause! Pause!" I held up my hands on the air. "How can things like [Rain] and [Mist] be affinities? What are you going to do with those? Water plants and create dew?" "Oh, its simple," He said, trying to stay calm. "It might seem strange, but affinities like [Glass] or even abstract ones like [Earthquakes] have their uses. The more derivative the affinity, the less versatile it is, though. For example, [Water] is much more flexible than [Rain], but both have their uses." "A clear example would be Pluvina Frostbite," Morthak said, his tone growing a bit warmer. "She was born with the affinity for [Rain], and her family ignored her in favor of those with more powerful affinities like [Ice] and [Storm]. But Pluvina was exceptionally talentedshe could create rain clouds that acted as elemental soldiers. When she had to fight in the Blood Trial, she won and became one of the main daughters of the Frostbite house." "So, you''re saying its not just about what affinity you''re born with, but how you use it?" I asked, starting to understand. "Exactly," Morthak agreed. "Being born with a strong and unique affinity is always better. But for those without itthose born in the mudit''s all about hard work, climbing to the top. Those born with silver spoons only need to worry about staying there." His face darkened as he spoke. "Great," I muttered, "and hypothetically speaking, what would be the rarest and strangest affinities someones ever had?" Morthak paused, a faraway look in his eyes. "Hmm... The Lord of Desires had an affinity for [Dreams], but he died centuries ago. Lady Demiurge had an affinity for [Ink]she was terrifying. Then theres Cece Mackfellyn, with her impressive affinity for [Gravity]. Ah, and I almost forgot Popyliny and her unique affinity with [Nightmares]." I raised an eyebrow. "And what about more abstract ones, like... Time, space, death, and life?" Morthak chuckled softly. "Ah, those things dont count. Theyre natural laws, not affinities. People talk about things like [Healing], [Ruin], or [Void], but youll never find someone controlling the fabric of time or space. Time is a rule, a line that moves in one direction, never waiting for anyone. Space holds everything, and death is the end of everything, while life is where it all begins." I nodded, while thinking : ''Yeah, I guess I better keep my mouth shut about my affinity.'' After that, Morthak then leaned back, a smirk tugging at his lips. "So, now you''re going to tell me your affinity?" "No!" I crossed my arms defiantly. "I''d rather exercise my right to remain silent." "Meh, how boring." Morthak rolled his eyes. "It''s not that I can''t tell you... It''s just... I think it''s kind of dangerous to talk about affinities with people I dont really know." My voice wavered, but I managed to meet Morthaks gaze. "Good thinking, girl. It might feel tempting to brag about a rare affinity, but broadcasting it to the world is a fool''s move. You dont know whos listening. Some people out there? They''re worse than badtheyre downright monstrous. So listen to yourself for once. Keep your [Status] and everything tied to it under wraps," Morthak said, his deep, hollow eyes piercing into me as if they could see every secret I carried. It felt like his words weighed heavier than they should, pressing against the air around me. "T-thanks for the advice, I guess?" "Mheh, its not really adviceits just common sense. The problem is, youre too green to know better yet." "Hey! I might not be an expert in your so-called common sense, but I know plenty of things that would leave your jaw on the floor!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "Hmmph!" Morthak chuckled, his laughter low and gravelly, like stones shifting under heavy weight. "Sure, sure. Now, where was I? Oh, righttypes of magic. If I remember correctly, thats the ''gross'' of it all. Theres also sorcery, which is different from normal magic, and witchcraft, but I dont specialize in either. Sorcery uses anchorsevents, stars, objectsto cast or sustain its effects. Witchcraft? Thats a whole different beast. Its unique to witches, and their numbers have dwindled, especially after the Morning Churchs crusade wiped most of them out." His voice carried a strange mix of detachment and bitterness, as if recounting history hed long since grown tired of. I stood still, the weight of his words settling over me like a thick, suffocating fog. Magic wasnt just deepit was infinite. A labyrinth of possibilities I hadnt even begun to explore. Id thought I was an expert, but now I realized Id barely scratched the surface. "I thank you, Morthak. I dont even know how to put into words how much this knowledge means to me." Morthak gave a curt nod, his expression softening ever so slightly. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, "Dont mention it." I hesitated, then pushed on. "Sorry to take advantage of your kindness, but could you explain the basics of ring magic? Like forming circuits, inscribing runes, the foundational concepts?" Morthak raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Seriously? Most people find that sort of thing dull. I figured youd be more interested in flashy spells or my summons." I shook my head. "Nah, powerful spells are useless if I cant control them. I need to find my way of using magic, not imitate someone else." For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then he let out a low laugh. "Girl, youre full of surprises. Im glad I didnt kill you when I had the chance. Youve got the enthusiasm of a kid seeing magic for the first time, but the focus of a seasoned scholar. Its interesting." I bit my lip, suppressing a grin. He doesnt know that Im not as young as I seem. My thoughts drifted, the words coming unbidden. Magic isnt just a tool. Its a mountain to climbsteep, unyielding, and filled with narrow, treacherous paths. You stumble, you fall, but you keep moving forward, knowing theres always another peak waiting, bigger and harder than the last. "I love magic," I said aloud, almost to myself. "Its one of the few ways I can help my family survive." Morthaks expression softened, just a fraction. "Hmm. In that case" He stood abruptly, his presence towering. "What?" I asked, startled. "You need someone to teach you. Im not the best teacher, but Im better than nothing. Its been a long time since I had a living disciple. I think I remember how its done. Feed you, make sure you dont die Thats about it, right?" My mouth dropped open. "Waitare you serious? If you can really teach me magic, Id be grateful, but Im not fragile! I can take care of myselfand the boys, too!" I gestured to my companions. "Perfect!" Morthak declared with a grin. "From now on, you can call me master." "What?! Master is too much! How about sir or elder?" I protested. "Nope. Im the master; youre the disciple. Tomorrow, we begin your first lesson. Be ready." With that, he turned and walked out of the cave, vanishing into the snowstorm without another word. "Wait! Youre just leaving? What do you mean, tomorrow? You cant drop that bomb and disappear!" I yelled after him, but the blizzard swallowed my voice. Left alone in the dimly lit cave, surrounded by the flickering glow of magical lights, I let out a frustrated sigh. The boys looked at me, their expressions mirroring my confusion. "Damn What have I gotten myself into?" I muttered, trying to warm myself up more with the help of the boys. Chapter 83: Someone New As soon as I woke up the next day, I found myself in the same cave as before, making the idea that this could just be a bad dream disappear completely. The only difference was that now part of the hive had woken up and was crawling around, mapping every part of the cave. When I opened my eyes, a [Worker] smiled at me and waved before vibrating its abdomen and wings, creating a hissing sound that resonated throughout the cave. Soon, buzzing sounds echoed all around as a small cloud of insects swarmed toward me. "Queen Mother! Finally, you''ve awakened!" several voices said in unison, forming a kind of chorus. "We analyzed the situation and processed your last active memories. We''ve concluded that the ''outsider'' called ''Morthak'' may be correct. You likely entered a state of uncontrolled rage, which triggered the collective rage of the hive." The cloud declared categorically. "Damn... So you already know everything?" I muttered, biting my lip. "This ability of yours to analyze my memories is both useful and unnerving. At least I dont have to explain the situation. Very well, whats the status of our resources and integrity?" I asked, glancing around but avoiding looking directly at my "bee blanket." "The Lifeguardians are doing their best to map the region. They left as soon as the snowstorm calmed downabout seven hours and thirty-four minutes ago. Their signals remain active but are weakened by exhaustion and extreme temperatures. The hive is currently on high alert. Rations have been completely lost, and the Cooking Club is working hard to transform roots, leaves, and tree sap into emergency supplies. The Care Club reports that approximately 60% of the hive is weakened due to prolonged exposure to extreme cold." The cloud explained. "Shit!" I exclaimed, nervously biting my nails. "I can produce food for us with [Create Food], but Ill need all the MP the hive can generate. Focus on recovering members who can efficiently produce MP, and try to find living creatures suitable as ''juice'' for the [Drain Life] spell." I paused, shoving aside the guilt gnawing at me over our dire situation. "Understood! Queen Mother, regarding the MP shortage, we may have found a potential solution. Currently, the Magic Club is analyzing the phenomenon, but its still unclear if we can use it as an energy source." "Report!" "Yes! In the deepest part of the cave, we discovered a blue flame burning above a pool of highly volatile liquid. The liquid drips from a stalactite and feeds this magical flame, which burns in an inexplicable manner." the cloud said. "What? A magic fire that burns endlessly? Is that it?" "Yes! The phenomenon emits dense waves of magical energy and remains active in a mysterious, self-sustaining way. The Magic Club believes it could potentially serve as a ''renewable magical energy source.''" "I see. Lead the way!" I ordered, rising to my feet. As I moved, I noticed that I was no longer wearing my beautiful clothes, only my "natural" body, which looked like a futuristic bodysuitnot obscene but functional, like cosplay of an Overwatch character. As I followed the hive deeper into the cave, I passed various groups at work. Members of the Care Club tended to injured or weakened bees. The Cooking Club crafted strangely colored bars of emergency rations. Sewers worked tirelessly to create blankets and thick fabrics, insulating parts of the cave from the cold. Even the Debate Club was hard at work, silently arguing with their antennaea sight that would have been amusing under different circumstances. The air grew darker as we descended, until a bright blue light emerged in the distance. At the bottom of the cave, I saw it: a neon-blue puddle with a bright blue flame burning peacefully above it. The flame flickered like alcohol set alight, occasionally flaring brighter as drops of liquid dripped into the pool from a stalactite above. Around the anomaly, members of the Magic Club were scattered, talking in hushed tones and examining the area, but keeping a safe distance from the flame. "Alright, what do we have here?" I asked, staring at the phenomenon. Just from looking at it, I could tell how dense and volatile the magical energy was. The liquid seemed to be condensed mana in its purest form, but the flame? I had no ideaperhaps a reaction to the mana evaporating, like dry ice sublimating? Or maybe something else entirely. "Queen Mother! Im glad youre awake!" a [Mage] said, approaching. "Wheres Max?" "Max is currently recovering in the medical wing. His MP reserves were so depleted that he collapsed. Ive been left in charge during his recovery." the [Mage], who introduced himself as Bax, explained. "Understood, Bax. What can you tell me about this phenomenon?" "Not much, my Queen. All we know is that this liquid appears to be highly concentrated, pure mana. Were trying to find ways to convert its volatile energy into a more stable form. However, our [Mages] cant get close without experiencing physical pain." Bax reported. "Physical pain? From just being near it? How does that work?" "We believe the energy waves from the phenomenon are so intense and chaotic that they harm individuals with high MP reserves. Workers with little or no MP can approach it without issue, but those with higher MP describe the sensation as ''burning from the inside out.''" "Alright, let me see what I can do..." Leaving the boys behind, I stepped toward the pool of neon blue liquid. The air around it shimmered faintly, distorting like a heatwave, and as I drew closer, I felt a tightness bloom in my chest. It wasnt painful, but the sensation was unnerving, as though my heart was caught in a vice. My breathing hitched for a moment, the rhythmic thrum of my pulse speeding up in response. The real problem began when I was close enough to touch the anomaly. A tingling sensation raced across my skin, sharp and electric, while the energy inside me seemed to rebel. My mana shifted, drawn to the pool like moths to a flame, pulling against my will. It wasnt just uncomfortableit was primal, like something deep within me recognized the anomaly as a predator and couldnt resist its call. But I wasnt about to lose control. Id spent too many years honing my connection to my magical core to let it slip away now. With effort, I calmed the raging tide within me, forcing my mana to settle. The tingling receded, leaving behind an eerie stillness. "Intense." I muttered under my breath, staring into the glowing pool. "This thing... its attracting mana and... burning it? Why? Whats the purpose of this?" Curiosity gnawed at me as I summoned a [Magic Bubble] to interact with the liquid. The spell hovered momentarily, a fragile sphere of shimmering light, but as soon as it touched the blue flames, it disintegrated. Mana unraveled into raw energy, consumed by the anomaly with a predatory hunger. My frustration flared. A boundless reservoir of power lay before me, yet it was useless without a way to harness it. It felt like standing before a mountain rich in iron, only to lack the tools to extract it. "Hmm..." My fingers tapped rhythmically against my thigh as I considered my options. "Lets try something else." I stepped back, creating some distance, and summoned a [Node] using my [Node Weaver] skill. Between my fingers, a small orb of golden light formed, gradually coalescing into an ethereal being of pure energy. The delicate creature floated before me, waiting for orders. "Consume the flame. Convert its energy." Without hesitation, the [Node] drifted toward the anomaly. As it approached, the serene glow of its form began to flicker, its edges fracturing like glass under strain. My stomach twisted as the [Node] trembled, glitching in and out of stability. Still, it pressed on. Hovering just above the flames, its form twisted violently, a chaotic dance of light and energy. Then, in a brilliant flash, it exploded. I recoiled, shielding my eyes. My heart sank. I thought it had faileduntil I looked again. Where the [Node] once floated, a radiant star of golden light now hung suspended above the pool. The chaotic flames had changed, spiraling slowly around the star as if caught in its gravitational pull. "Holywhat just happened?!" a voice broke through my astonishment. "I... Im not sure." I replied, my eyes fixed on the strange transformation. The star was no longer a simple [Node]. It had become something more, something that defied explanation. As I edged closer, warmth radiated from it, soft and comforting, like standing near a hearth on a bitter winter night. When my hand brushed near its glow, I felt a thin, steady stream of mana flow into me. Relief flooded through my veins, the tension in my chest easing. "Finally." I breathed, a small smile breaking through the tension. "Finally, some good news." The implications were staggering. The [Node] wasnt just a toolit had evolved, reshaping itself to fulfill my command. It wasnt perfect, though. While the star steadily converted the flames into usable mana, the process was painfully slow. "This energy flow... its too weak to sustain us." I admitted aloud. Bax, ever blunt, chimed in. "Mediocre, huh?" "Unfortunately, yes." I said, my voice tinged with frustration. "Its a start, but its not enough to sustain the hive. Well have to make do for now. Hunt, conserve rations, and save mana until we stabilize." The issue with the [Node] isnt that it "generates" a small amount of energyits that it "converts" energy far too slowly. Theres an abundance of mana to work with, but the conversion process itself is frustratingly inefficient, like trying to drain a vast ocean through a narrow straw. I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Great." I muttered under my breath. "This will have to do for now." Turning to Bax, I added, "Keep refining the process. Experiment with anything that might improve the conversion rate. Find a way to speed up the conversion process or improve efficiency. We need this to workno shortcuts, no excuses." "Understood." Bax replied with a sharp nod, already turning back to the anomaly with an air of determination. With that settled, I stepped away, the faint warmth of the [Node] still clinging to my fingertips. The flickering glow of the anomaly cast eerie shadows on the walls as I exited the magic club, my mind already shifting to the hive. "I need to check on the others." I murmured to myself.
"Atchim! - Shit! Can someone remind me how the hell we ended up in this damn frozen hole?!" Ken said irritably as he wrapped himself in a coat made of silk and animal fur. "Reliving the past won''t help us survive now, Ken. We should learn from the past, but not dwell on it. Mistakes were made. We should have thought of a scenario where we could be attacked by humans even while in the air, and thanks to this event we discovered the danger of exposing the queen mother to extreme stress." Jon said as he gnawed on a nutritious bar made with roots and tree sap. "Hmm... Who would have thought, huh!? Everyone''s mom can get so angry that she goes into a rage mode." Matt said casually. "The problem with that is that if something happens to mom, it happens to all of us..." Carl, who was drinking a liquid from a small wooden cup, said. "Should we prioritize building a new nest now? How is the project to build a temporary garden to obtain raw materials going?" Steve asked, as he snuggled into a fluffy blanket. "T-The garden is almost finished. Buck and the g-gardening club will be able to work on it soon." Levi said, huddled inside a thick coat of fur and silk. "Hmm.. We need flowers to produce wax. With wax we can start insulating this entire cave and use magic to increase the temperature inside. Then we can worry about building better facilities and self-sustainability." Steve said with a serious look. In the middle of the conversation, a cold wind suddenly came, lifting the curtains that "covered" the cave exit and throwing a cold wind over everyone it hit. "Ugh... Damn it! Does anyone know if this fucking winter lasts forever?! We''re not biologically made for places with such low temperatures!" Ken shouted angrily. "From what I heard from Ray, it''s only temporary, this place seems to have a full cycle of seasons and unfortunately we''re in the middle of winter." Carl said. I was listening to all this from a distance, just watching through the link, it may seem like a lot of time has passed since our arrival, but in fact it was this morning, but the boys are so efficient and diligent, that in that short space of time they''ve already started a garden project inside the cave, they dug the soil outside the cave - which by the way was an almost impossible task, since the earth was frozen, and brought it inside, the [Gatherers] and [Explorers] found seeds scattered all over the place that they intended to use in the garden, and water could be found anywhere, all they needed was to make some buckets with the help of the [Carpenters]. The debate club also worked hard, they were the ones who drew up this whole "Rebuilding the Nest" plan, the sewing club made dozens of coats, blankets and throws to warm the weakest members of the hive, while the exploration and gathering club worked tirelessly to find any resource that could be used as rations, such as pine cones, sap, roots, and frozen fruits.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The soldiers have a lot on their plate. They patrol the region, searching for creatures that can serve as fuel for our [Life Drain] spell. Its not too difficult for them to find small animals hibernating in the snow or hiding in caves and burrows. Theyre also responsible for bringing meat back to the hive. Now, I know what youre thinkingbees and meat dont exactly go hand in hand. But in times of desperation, even a cow might eat a steak. Weve resorted to using meat to create emergency rations. Of course, this isnt our ideal diet. We thrive on sugar, fiber, and vitamins. Meat? Its digestible, sure, but it wreaks havoc on our stomachs, which is far from pleasant. Still, we cant afford to waste resources, no matter how unorthodox. Even Ive been eating those dreadful emergency rationsbitter-tasting waxy blocks that seem more like punishment than sustenance. All the sugar and sweets I could conjure with [Create Food] were given to the weaker members of the hive, those who suffered the most during the journey and the biting cold. Everyone deemed to be in good condition was forced to endure the bitter blocks. Now, I was waiting for Morthak to return. He said hed be back today, so I was on high alert. Truth be told, I wasnt thrilled about associating with him. I had a long list of reasons why, but the top three would be:
  • Hes a necromancer.
  • He used magic to force me to tell the truth.
  • Hes an outsider.
I know I shouldnt judge him solely on his class or background, but the whole forcing me with magic thing is hard to overlook. Then again, I cant deny that if I had similar magic, Id use it every time I encountered an outsider. Hypocritical? Definitely. I hate him for doing it, but Id do the same in his shoes. It wasnt long before I saw, through the eyes of the soldiers and scouts, a familiar hooded figure approaching the cave. Hmm... Hes here. I stood up from the corner where Id been using [Create Food] and headed toward the caves entrance. Passing the others, I made my way to the doorway, its curtain of old cloth swaying slightly in the cold breeze. Stepping outside, I planted my feet in the snow, the icy winds wrapping around me as I waited. The snowy mist in the distance blurred my view of the surroundings, but I held my ground. After a few moments, a dark figure emerged from the foga man shrouded in an old, tattered hood. His movements were slow and deliberate, as though weighted by age. Step by step, he advanced, his bone staff firmly in hand. The sight of him was more unnerving than I remembered. Watching him now, I realized how lucky I was to have escaped his grasp unscathed. Eventually, Morthak reached me, his face twisting into a slight smile that I couldnt decide was meant to be friendly or menacing. Ho, ho, look what the blizzard dragged in! I must admit, I thought you might flee during the night." Morthak said, stroking his chin with mock amusement. I even considered it." I replied, but there was a blizzard and, well, I dont exactly know how to fly yet. Meh, you couldnt even come up with something like, Id never miss the chance to learn magic from the great Morthak, The Corpse Artisan! he said, puffing himself up with mock grandeur. Yeah, no thanks. Maybe if you were a super handsome magic tower masterbut lets be real. Youre old and a [Necromancer]. Not exactly prestigious material in my eyes, old man Before I could finish, Morthak rapped me on the head with his staff, hard enough that I bit my tongue and tasted blood. Ow! Damn Hmph! Thats what you get for running your mouth! he barked. You should feel honored that Im willing to teach you anything about magic. Do you have any idea how many mages of my caliber exist in all the demon lands? S-Sorry, sir... You just dont look very credible." I said, rubbing the sore spot on my head. Huh! And what does a country girl like you know about prestige, huh? Just know that the mere mention of my name sends chills down the spines of thousands! My legend has been told across these lands, and Are you going to tell me stories or teach me magic? I interrupted. No offense, but Im trying to keep about a thousand mouths fed here. I dont have time for story time. Morthak clicked his tongue in irritation. Tsk, these young people todayso arrogant. So youre saying those presences I felt on my way here were your sons? If thats what they can be called. Yes, that was them. My boys are doing their best to make this place a little more livable. By the way, its winter, right? How long until spring starts? Winter? Spring? What would that be? Morthak asked, his face scrunching in confusion. Ouch. It hit me thenterms like spring and winter were familiar only to me. I had no clue what people in this world called the seasons. Uhm you know, when the snow stops falling and the flowers start to bloom? Ah! You mean the end of the Frost Season? Let me think Hmm. Id say there are one or two full moons left until the Awakening Season begins. About sixty days, if you prefer. Sixty days?! Damn, thats forever! Ugh, what the hell. Meh. Time doesnt matter. With patience, everything comes in due course." Morthak said, his tone almost patronizing. Look, can we continue this inside the cave? My ass is freezing out here! Morthak raised an eyebrow and gave me a disapproving look. Seems like Ill have to teach you more than magic. Honestly, girl, youre cruder than the indulgent ones on the streets. Sorry if Im freezing out here! Some of us feel cold! I shot back, pointing at myself and then at him. And one of us clearly has a low resistance to it! Ha! You came to the demon lands during the height of the Frost Season and now you complain about the cold? What did you expect, girl? Morthak cursed. Look! I had strong suspicions this place would be cold. But I didnt think itd be a frozen hell! And how was I supposed to know it was winter here? When I left my house, the sun was as warm as ever! With that, I spun on my heel and stomped back into the cave. If I was going to have this conversation, at least Id do it somewhere warm. As soon as I stepped into the cave, Morthak followed close behind, muttering in displeasure. His grumbling stopped abruptly when we entered, and he was met by hundreds of insects. They turned toward him in perfect unison, their collective gaze unnerving. After a moment of eerie silence, they began whispering amongst themselves before scattering throughout the cave. Wow What did you do to this place? It doesnt even look like the same cave." Morthak said, his eyes scanning the makeshift hive structures, blankets strewn across the floor, and the small planters carved into the stone. Hmm? Its nothing much." I replied. Were just taking care of the basicsfood, water, resources. After losing all our luggage, we didnt have many options. We just kept moving forward. I sighed, letting the exhaustion seep into my voice. Interesting You really are more fascinating than I expected. And about your luggagedont dwell on it too much. At least you kept your life intact. It might not seem like much, but its already a great achievement." Morthak said, attempting what I assumed was a comforting tone. Man, you have no idea how much stuff I lost." I said with a groan. Rations, experiments, inventions and most importantly, my familiar! Damn, that reminds meI need to organize a search party to recover whatever we can. Shit, I hope Muck didnt fall into the hands of humans Wait, hold on." Morthak interrupted, his brow furrowing. Experiments? Youre an inventor? Uh not exactly? Id call myself curious. I made some devices using root technology and magic, plus a few machines powered by kinetic energy. But whatever. It doesnt matter nowIm back to square one. A beggar without a nail in the coffin! Morthaks eyes gleamed with interest. Hmm intriguing. One day, Id like to see this so-called root technology and these machines of yours firsthand. Do you like machines, old man? I teased. Watch your tongue! Morthak snapped before letting out a grudging chuckle. But to answer your question Id say yes and no. Personally, I dont have much interest in the technology of artisans and inventors, but I have an old friend who loves to talk about his creations in his letters. Thats cool and all." I said, curling up in a silk blanket the hive had made for me, but its not really my passion. I only tinker with that stuff because it helps my family. Now, though, it feels pointless. Ill have to rebuild everything from scratch! Ugh, if I have to create another familiar, I swear Ill lose it. Do you have any idea how hard it was to make Muck? A familiar, you say? Morthak raised an eyebrow. Quite unexpected that you have one. Whys that? Theyre rare. Familiars are usually bound through magical contracts created by a high-level [Tamer], or theyre created using a fragment of their owner. High nobility or experienced spellcasters are typically the only ones who manage to have one. He paused thoughtfully. But dont worry. If your familiars alive, hell find his way back to you, one way or another. How can you be so sure? I asked skeptically. Experience." Morthak replied confidently. Ive known many people with familiars. Their bonds run too deep to be severed by something as trivial as distance. Your familiar will return to you assuming nothing stops him. Hmm I hope youre right." I muttered, pulling the blanket tighter around me. I can still sense him through our connection, but its faint. I cant tell how far away he is just the direction. Curious." Morthak said, tilting his head. You dont seem too upset about losing your familiar. Most people are deeply attached to theirs, but you you seem more concerned about the loss of a valuable possession than a companion. His tone was laced with suspicion. Huh? Really? I said, shrugging. Meh. I guess that might be true. I like Muck and all, but I wouldnt say Im heartbroken over his absence. Id be more upset about losing the resources I poured into him. But hey, I can always make another Muck if I need to. Make? Morthak repeated, his expression shifting to confusion. "Yeah, like, Muck was a golem I created using magic, and after some upgrades, he ended up becoming my familiar by chance." I said casually, watching Morthaks expression. "Wait, wait." Morthak interrupted, raising his hand as if to physically stop the conversation. "Are you telling me that you... created a familiar? Like a puppet or an undead being?" His tone was thick with disbelief. "Uhm yeah?" I shrugged. "I made him when I was researching plant golems. But then he kind of acquired ''life'' and became my familiar. It wasnt exactly planned." Morthak stared at me, his mouth slightly agape. "Thats ridiculous. Youre basically claiming you created life through runic engineering. Do you even realize how absurd that sounds?" "I wouldnt call it ''creating life,''" I replied, brushing off his astonishment. "Mucks not alivenot really. His body is just a modified moss from the forest I lived in, fused with a core I designed. The cores made of crystals, roots, and mana circuits. His ''heart''thats the real Muckis more like an enchanted construct than a living being." Morthak blinked, shaking his head slowly. "Unbelievable. So you''re one of those people." "Those people?" I echoed, narrowing my eyes. "You know." Morthak said with a smirk, "the weird ones who lock themselves away in tiny rooms tinkering with strange experiments, pretending to be gods." "Im not pretending to be a god!" I shot back indignantly. "I just like to give shape to my imagination." He laughed, the sound deep and amused. "You really need to meet my friend. Youd get along famously." Before I could respond, we reached the heart of the hive, a bustling space alive with activity. Bees scurried along the walls, attaching wax, building structures, and tending to various tasks. The organized chaos was normal for me, but for Morthak, it seemed to be a spectacle. He paused, surveying the hive with a mixture of awe and curiosity. "This is unexpected. Ive seen many things, but nothing quite like this." I noticed the way the workers eyed him warily, their movements stiffening whenever his gaze passed over them. "Am I not welcome here?" he asked with a dry chuckle. "Your little ones dont seem to recognize their benefactor." "Boys!" I called out, clapping my hands. "Show some respect! Morthak is the reason were alive. He deserves your gratitude." The hive froze briefly, then returned to its rhythm. The workers began to offer hesitant waves and awkward smiles when Morthak glanced their way. "Sorry about that." I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Theyre not used to outsiders. Honestly, they dont really like anyone who isnt part of the hive." "Noted." Morthak said with a faint smirk. "Its good to know where I stand." We continued deeper into the hive, eventually reaching a rough wooden table fashioned from tusks by the [Carpenters]. I gestured for Morthak to sit as I dropped onto one of the makeshift benches. "Normally, Id offer tea or something civilized, but as you can see, Im currently living in a hole in the ground." I spread my hands apologetically. "Unless you want a nutritious block of meat, sap, and roots with a glass of melted snow, Ive got nothing." Morthak laughed, shaking his head. "Believe it or not, thats far from the worst meal Ive been offered. But Ill passI dont need food anyway." I folded my arms, leaning back. "Since youre here, though, mind if I ask you a few questions? You did grill me earlier, after all." He raised an eyebrow, but his expression softened. "Fair enough." Morthak said thoughtfully. "Then I can" "No." "But you said it was fair!" "Girl, life isnt fair." Morthak interrupted harshly, his voice cutting through my protests like a blade. "I did what I believed was best for myself. I kept you alive because I was curious about what you had to say. Its not my problem if you dont like how I handled the situation." "Ughso youre just going to do whatever you want?" I retorted, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Hm" Morthak tapped his staff against the ground, his expression unreadable. "Lesson number one: the strong do what they want, and the weak they can only accept it." "Just because you defeated me while I wasnt aware of my actions doesnt mean youre stronger than all of us" Before I could finish, the atmosphere around Morthak shifted. A cold, suffocating sensation wrapped around me as green smoke began to swirl around him, forming images of skulls with glowing eyes and severed heads. My blood ran cold, my heart hammering in my chest as a primal fear took hold. My fingertips went numb as I met his gaze. Those demonic yellow eyes stared back, devoid of emotion, piercing straight through me. "You are young and far too weak to understand when to keep your mouth shut and follow orders." Morthak said, his voice dripping with disdain. The deathly aura thickened, pressing down on me like an invisible weight. "I offered to be your mentor because I sympathized with your situation. Consider it a debt I owedto myself. But dont think Ill tolerate your disrespect forever. Your rope is already stretched thin, and its about to snap." "I-I''m sorry!" I stammered, bowing deeply. "I promise I wont say anything to offend you again. Please, dont hurt us!" Morthak stared at me for a long moment, his presence still radiating danger. The buzzing of my bees filled the silence, nervous and on edge, their agitation mirroring my own. Finally, he sighed, his aura dissipating as he returned to his usual decrepit demeanor. "Very well." he said, his tone begrudging. "Heres the deal. Ill teach you the basics of magicenough to give you a solid foundation. After that, our paths will part." "T-Thank you." I managed, relief washing over me. "It might not seem like much to you, but its incredibly generous from where I stand." "Hmph. Well see." He turned abruptly, heading deeper into the cave. "Before we start, theres something I need to check." I followed him, my curiosity piqued. As we walked, I remembered the anomaly at the bottom of the cave. "Morthak, are you here because of the magical anomaly?" He froze mid-step, turning to look at me with a frown. "You approached the Earths Flame?" His voice was sharp, almost accusing. "How could you be so foolish? Getting too close to an unstable formation like that could distort your mana veins beyond repair!" Raising his hand, he conjured a green magic circle in the air. Before I could react, a beam of light shot from the circle and entered my body. A strange tingling sensation spread through me, leaving me disoriented. "What did you just do to me?!" I demanded, panic creeping into my voice. Ignoring my outburst, Morthak studied me with narrowed eyes. His brow furrowed, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Girl do you have any kinship with dragons?" "What? Dragons? Do I look like a dragon to you?" I shot back, incredulous. "No, sir!" "Hmm" He muttered something under his breath before continuing. "Strange. Your magic circuits theyre too perfect." "I dont even know what these ''circuits'' you keep talking about are." I admitted, frustration coloring my tone. Morthak sighed, his exasperation evident. "The circuits are part of the blood circulatory system in magical beings. They work alongside veins and arteries, transporting mana throughout the body." "Wait, so magical energy has its own circulatory system? Thats incredible!" I exclaimed, connecting the dots. "But why would you call mine ''perfect''? Wouldnt ''healthy'' be a more accurate term?" Morthak paused, staring at me as though Id grown a second head. "Do you even realize what youre saying?" he asked, impressed despite himself. "Uh, yeah? Veins and arteries are part of the cardiovascular system. They transport blood, which is kind of the energy source for the body, right? If circuits are like mana veins, then theyd carry magical energy the same way." I paused, musing. "Oh, and the energy source must come from somewherewait, never mind, I think I get it." Morthaks expression shifted from shock to something resembling begrudging admiration. "Girl, if I hadnt confirmed with magic that you were speaking the truth, Id have sworn someone coached you. No child raised in isolation should know this much." I shrugged. "What can I say? Life has taught me, you know? I''ve seen a lot of things out there. Plus, Ive got a knack for putting two and two together." For the first time, a genuine laugh escaped Morthak. "Youre either the most resourceful fool Ive ever met or an outright anomaly of nature. Im not sure which one yet." Chapter 84: Struggle for Air "Magic is more than energy; its a way to make our desires come truea means to distort the fabric of reality and bend it to our will." Morthak said, conjuring a cube of pure magical energy that floated in the air. "This... feels wrong, you know? There are so many limitations, so many rules. You cant put rules on imagination, right?" I asked, gently touching the cube above me. It dissolved into green smoke. "Exactly. Thats because magic, as we know and learn it, was shaped to fit basic conceptstouch, smell, sight, and hearing. Now tell me, can you imagine the true purpose of magic? Why hundreds of thousands of magicians toil every day to perfect themselves on this treacherous path?" Morthak asked. "I dont know... Because they want power? Or maybe because they think magic is cool. I know those were my reasons..." "Haha, not everyone is as simple as you, young lady. Magic, as we know it, began as an attempt to replicate phenomena observed in nature. And the main motivator? War." Morthak said, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face. "H-Huh?" "Its always war. Whether its developing new techniques, discovering new knowledge, or inventing tools, war is the mother of innovation. Magic is no different. Burn with fire, drown with water, crush with earth, and cut with windthis basic principle birthed all modern magic. Magicians werent content with weak, non-lethal spells. They wanted bigger, stronger, deadlier magic to become the ultimate weapons of war." Morthak explained with a grim satisfaction. "Hmm... You really know how to inspire someone, huh?" I muttered. It wasnt surprising, I suppose. History always repeats itself. Whether in my original world or this one, war and death seem to drive progress. After all, people think faster when theres a guillotine hanging over their necks. "So... are you telling me this to say something like, Dont become like them? Or maybe to warn me that This is how things are? You should knowIm a pacifist. I avoid fighting unless its the absolute last resort." "HAHA! A pacifist, huh? Thats rare these days. Do you know why?" "Huh?" "Most pacifists are corpses or idiot princesses locked in towers." Morthak said, his expression darkening. "Heres some advice: There is no honor among the dead." "WhaWhat does that even mean? Are you sure youre still sane?" "Haha! Girl, do you know who created the first 4-ring spell?" Morthak asked, ignoring my question. "How would I know? I didnt even know this kind of magic existed until now!" I snapped. "Exactly. Neither do most people. You know why? Because it doesnt matter. All his work, all his trials and errors, all his researchuseless. Do you know why? Because he was a prisoner of war doing forced labor. Poor bastard, just a magic enthusiast with ideas too big for such a small head. His talent, passion, and fervor for the mysteries of magic were caged like an animal. His achievements were stolen, and his name erased from history. Hethe father of the strongest magic in the worldwas forgotten, swept under the rug." Morthaks tone grew increasingly dramatic. "The strongest magic in the world? So 4-ring magic is the limit?" "No. The current limit is 7 rings." Morthak said lazily. "Then how the hell is he the Father of the strongest magic in the world?!" "Because he wasfor about three or four days. After that, more 4-ring spells were created. Soon, his spell was deemed inefficient and archaic, eventually forgotten. Thats the lesson here: Do you love magic? Good. Its a torturous path, and we always need brave warriors. But rememberyour effort, your inspiration, your achievements and dreams are meaningless if you cant protect yourself. If youre not willing to fight for what youve created, youre destined to be forgotten by the sands of time." Morthaks gaze bore into me, heavy with meaning. "Ugh..." Damn. He basically just told me to mind my own business. I know this whole ''pacifist'' thing is a luxury for more civilized people, but as a former human from the 21st century, I cant see selfishness as a virtue. Technically, I should only care about myself and the boyseverything else is just noise. But... What kind of monster ignores others in pain or hurts them preemptively? Ugh, stop overthinking, Hana. Just imagine if you were attacked... Oh, who am I kidding? I already know the answer. Were more important. Its like when those birds attacked usI didnt feel any sadness for them. In fact, I felt satisfaction when they died. But only because they attacked the boys. Before that? I didnt care about them at all. I guess thats it. We all have a breaking point, dont we? Mine is the boys. Anything and everything that tries to hurt them is my enemy. Theyre my babies, my family, my friends. Theyre all I haveand anyone who tries to take them from me will have to kill me first. "Thinking too much, uhm?" Morthak asked, his voice breaking the silence. "Huh? Oh, I''m sorry... I was just... thinking about what you said." I replied, snapping back to reality. "Hmm." Morthak rubbed his chin. "Girl, you''re too young to understand, but theres no such thing as morality or ''right and wrong.'' There are only people. They kill, reproduce, love, hate, feel fear, hunger, sadness. All of it drives actionsome good, some bad. What you have to do isnt think about how to react. What you really have to do is react. If they hurt you, hurt them back. If they ignore you, ignore them. If they love you, love them back. Its simple. Theres no need to complicate it. The living always complicate everythingits ridiculous." Morthak stared into the distance as though reflecting on something far away. "Did youDid you just read my mind or something?" "Heh. I wish." he chuckled. "Its written all over your face that youre stuck in some kind of moral dilemma. Honestly, Im surprised you have any morals. I always thought monsters just did whatever they had to do to survive." "I... I dont know." I admitted, hugging my shoulders. "Ive made someno, a lot of bad choices to get here. I think... I hurt my cubs because I was selfish and foolish. I... Do you know how it feels to not know what youre doing but still have to keep doing it?" Morthak froze, his expression shifting to something almost... sympathetic. After a pause, he gave a dry, hoarse laugh and leaned on his bone staff. "You know, girl, no one really knows what theyre doing. Some people try to plan things out and convince themselves theyre in control of their lives, but they arent. Do you think that if someone told me three days ago Id be inside a cave with a half-insect girl, surrounded by strange creatures, Id believe them? Life is a bitch. It makes you think everythings okay, that things will get better, that the futures bright. But its not. In a second, everything youve done, everything youve worked for, everything you aregone, like straw in a fire." The air grew colder, the atmosphere tense. Neither of us spoke for what felt like minutes. I dont know if Ive been through enough to claim Ive seen it all, but this feeling... this weight of loss? That, I understand. "...Okay." I finally said, clapping my hands together to break the silence. Morthak glanced at me. "You know, Im not one to talk about this kind of stuff with strangers, but... I dont think youre right, or wrong. How do I even say this?" "Ah." Morthak interrupted. "You need to find whats right for yourself, young lady. Everyone sees the world differently. Some say the glass is half-full, others say its half-empty, and some dont care about the glass at all. Its up to you to decide what you see." "Yeah... I can work with that, I think. Waithold on a minute! Dont go back there!" I grabbed his arm, panic creeping into my voice. "Why not?" Morthak raised a brow, amused. "Theres a magical anomaly back there! Were still analyzing it. Its dangerous to be near, though I managed to stabilize it for now." "Ha! You call the earth flame an ''anomaly''? Girl, its no anomaly. Its a natural phenomenon, just rare." He paused, his tone shifting. "Wait... stabilized? Now that you mention it, I cant feel the aura of energy emanating from the flame. What did you do, girl?" Before I could stop him, Morthak freed himself from my grip and hobbled toward the back of the cave, leaning heavily on his staff. The scene at the caves end was chaotic yet mesmerizing: hundreds of bees buzzed around, roots and wax mingled with mud in a patchwork mess. At the center, a neon-blue puddle shimmered peacefully, while a small, pulsating golden star hovered above it. Morthak ignored the workers and walked through swarms of bees, unflinching despite their threatening hum. His gaze fixed on the ethereal golden light. He extended a finger toward it, curiosity overcoming caution, but the star lashed out with a tiny spark, charring the tip of his finger black. "Argh! Damn it!" "I told you to stay away from that thing, Morthak!" I yelled, rushing to pull him back. "Its too dangerous! We dont even know what it is or what its capable of!" Morthak just stood there, alternating his gaze between the tip of his finger and the star of light that was absorbing the energy from the blue puddle below. "Hahaha... HAHAHA!" Morthak burst out laughing. "Girl." Morthak suddenly said, turning to me. "Do you remember what I told you about magic?" he asked with a slightly macabre look. "Uhm... That it''s dangerous?" "No!" he corrected. "Magic is more than just energy. Magic is a way to make our desires come true, a way to distort the fabric of reality and bend it to our will. Does that jog your memory?" "Yeah? But what does that have to do with" "This!" Morthak said, pointing to the star of light. "It doesn''t exist." He finished. "Huh? How can it not exist if it''s right in front of me, old man?" I asked, intrigued. I always knew he was a little crazy, but honestly... "Girl, I''m telling you, this... this is a type of magic I''ve never seen or felt before. It''s something totally new, something that didn''t exist. Normally, you can tell just by looking at magic what its roots arewhether it''s ring magic, sorcery, or something else. And if you''re experienced enough, you can even tell the element of the magic and try to guess its purpose. But this here..." Morthak said, pointing to the star, "...this is something I''ve never seen in my entire existence. Tell me, how did you create this?" "I think you''re going to be disappointed. It''s the result of a [Skill]; it''s not exactly a spell or anything like that." "A [Skill]? Hmm... Intriguing. If you hadn''t told me, I would never have guessed it''s the result of a skill. It''s... too perfect." Morthak said, not taking his eyes off the star of light. "What do you mean?" "You know, skills aren''t meant to cause permanent effects on the world. At least, I''d say most of them aren''t. Skills help in combat, status, or things like that, but there isn''t a skill that can... for example, create an eternal fireball. Skills have a costeither to use them or to keep them active. But this... this is perfect. It''s like a self-sustaining magic formation that could last for decades, maybe centuries, if left untouched." Morthak said. "Hmm... Thank you? It was quite difficult to create, to tell you the truth."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "What''s its purpose?" "Oh? It''s used to absorb the energy from the pool and convert it into safe energy." "Impressive... A way to refine the chaotic magical energy of the earth flame without having to consume it and assimilate it into your mana pool." Morthak said, his hand on his chin. "What''s that?" "Uhm? Oh, right, I forget that you don''t have that general knowledge. Normally, if someone wants to absorb ''foreign'' energy into their body, they need to consume it and let their mana poolyour personal energy reservoirslowly convert it into safe energy. But not you. You have this little guy here to do that dirty work for you. Damn, do you have any idea how much you could make selling one of these around?" Morthak joked. "Wait, so... So this is the "Flame of the Earth" you were talking about before?? Oh, right, now that I stop to think about it, of course is. Look, I''m sorry for messing with your stuff, it''s just that I really needed the mana." I tried to apologize, bowing respectfully. "Alright, alright." Morthak said, waving his hand. "If you were anyone else, I would have drained you dry to pay for the theft. But you showed me something far more valuable than the energy within that little earth flame." "Look, I don''t know what you''re thinking, but I know as much about this thing as you do, maybe even less. So don''t think I can create more of them." "A disappointment, but understandable. But I think I''ve already figured out what I''m going to take from you as payment for my help." Morthak said, looking at me with a macabre smile. "Wait!? Charge me?! I thought you were helping me out of the goodness of your heart! Come on, man, look at me! I''m living in a hole full of dirt!" "Girl, not even the saints of the church work for free, imagine me. And don''t worry, I don''t want or need material goods. I already have what I want right here... I just need to find a way to contain it." He said, looking at the tip of his blackened finger. "Dude, seriously!? Ugh, at least give me some time, okay? Just so I can produce enough food to feed myself and my family until the end of this... Frost Season." I asked, rubbing my head at the thought of having to create another one of these little guys. It was giving me a headache just thinking about it. "Uhm... Sure. That''ll be a reasonable amount of time for the two of us. I can teach you all the basics, and I can also call in some favors to get something good enough to contain this thing." Morthak said.
15 - Days Later "My queen! Please, listen to me! We all know we need to expand the nest, but expanding outwards is ridiculous! The construction club people are so used to building towers, they can''t see the obvious solution! We need to dig down!" A small [Debater] flew toward me, aided by some workers. "Ridiculous! You can''t seriously be considering this, my queen! We''re not miners, and we don''t have the tools for it! We need new rooms for the nest expansion, not some risky, untested technique!" Another [Debater] countered. "We can use the [Carpenters] as makeshift labor, and with help from the [Workers] and [Soldiers], it should only take a few days to dig a hole, stabilize it, and seal it with wax. Not to mention, towers are too flashy. We need to at least make our home safe! We can build an underground hive, dungeon-style, with secret exits and only one main entrance. It''s not about following the pattern, its about security!" The first [Debater] argued. "Listen here, you" ''Humfhow boring~'' Here I am, sitting on a cold rock, legs crossed, hand on my cheek, almost falling asleep from boredom as I watch my children debate the future of the hive. I know I should take this more seriously, but come on. It''s already the ninth meeting todaywho the hell can sit through this much without showing it?! This has been happening more often than I''d like to admit. Apparently, being a mother/queen/bee is all about mediating discussions, making decisions, and ensuring the harmony of the hive. Honestly, its like the old days. Back when the boys would argue, and to "settle it." theyd come to me and ask me to decide. It was so... annoying. But I cant blame everything on Steve. Not if I really want to be more than just an egg-laying queen. Steve wouldve solved this problem without even needing a physical meeting, but Ive been stuck on it for days. Practice makes perfect, I guess. Too bad I never took it seriously before. "Ugh..." I sighed loudly, making everyone turn to me. "Well do the following: first, well secure the hives living space. If we need to leave the cave, Ill allow constructions, but nothing taller than 3 meters or more than 5 meters away from the cave." My words echoed through the cave. Most of them seemed satisfied, except for a few [Debaters] who looked bitter. ''Hmm... Must be the free will effect of their class that lets them disagree with me... Its funny.'' "...However, as soon as the nest stabilizes, the nurseries are reestablished, and the alchemy club gets its base of operations back, well start an experimental excavation project. Well use everything we canJaspers bombs, Levis tools, whatever works." That seemed to ease things. Everyone appeared satisfied with the decision. "Alright, on to the next topic." I said, rubbing my eyes. "What to do with Morthak." I read from the mental list Emi, my personal secretary, had given me. "Oh, come on, boys, we already know the answer to that: nothing! We cant just kick him out of our lives like that." "Yeah, but hes currently the biggest threat to the hives future! Have you forgotten he almost killed you three times last week?!" one [Debater] protested. "It was training. Very ninja-style, if you ask me! Thanks to his help, were finally learning something really deep about magic and the world we live in!" "I dont know how blasting spells in your face is going to help you, my queen! But it sure as hell wont help you survive!" a [Royal Guard] spoke up. Morthaks training is a little... rough. Like Harry Potters military training. He makes me cast spells, and if I dont do them perfectly or on time, he hits me over the head with that stupid staff or lets the spell backfire in my face. It made me really angry, but... honestly, it worked. Now I have a deeper understanding of the dangers, limits, and scope of raw magic. Morthak promised to teach me ring magic, and thats exactly what he did. I learned a few basic first-tier spells like [Sparkle], [Flame], and [Push]. All useless, weak spells that make magic seem like a toy. [Sparkle] creates a ball of white light as weak as a candle flame. [Flame] just creates sparks, and [Push] is literally just a push forward. And the worst part? I worked my ass off to cast these weak spells. Ring magic is complicatedrunes and more runes, on top of runes, combinations, formulas, and geometric shapes... Its like Im learning advanced calculus, arithmetic, and mythicism all at once. I never had this problem with expression magic. I just had to think and somehow shape my thoughts! But I have to admit, ring magic is cheap. Really cheap. Like, 10 times cheaper. I can keep a first-tier spell active for days for the same cost as casting a spell like [Tainted Touch] at full strength. And apparently, thats a characteristic of expression magicthe stronger the desire, the clearer the mental image, the higher the cost and the results. Morthak also told me that expression magic isnt as popular nowadays because theres a lack of professionals in this field. Ring magic is precise; you cant go wrong if you follow the rules and calculations. But expression magic... Its more like an art. Every user has a unique style, purpose, and will. Using expression magic is like bringing imagination to life, but you cant memorize imagination. After the meeting ended, I walked around the cave. Now, the place feels more like home. The walls are covered in wax, with various constructions stuck to it. There are wooden and wax boxes serving as planters, producing wild flowers. The cave is lit by several [Workers], and hundreds of bees move around, always in a hurry. We did a good job with thermal insulation. The walls are layeredwax, fabric from the sewing club, wax again, wood, and finally, more wax for reinforcement. All thats left is to build a "door" at the entrancebasically a hole with a lidand let the heat accumulate inside our new home. Of course, Id give an arm to have our luggage, my experiments, rations, and Muck back, but... I guess this is better than her being dead. Just thinking about the human who attacked us makes me angry. But you know whats worse? I have no idea what happened to her. I dont remember much, just fragments. The last thing I recall is her charging at us, followed by a sharp, overwhelming pain coursing through the hive link. Then everything went red. When I woke up, I was in this cave, disoriented. One part of me feels a twisted hope that shes dead, but another part aches, praying that shes okay. Killing bugs and animals is one thing, but killing humans I know its foolish, especially after everything I said about "Hit me, and I''ll kill you." but... theres a voice in my head telling me that killing is wrong. Maybe its the last trace of my humanity, or just a voice of conscience trying to keep me from becoming a monster. I dont know. Its strange. Pushing those thoughts aside, I continue through the cave, passing the infirmarywhats become a recovery center now. Its where soldiers and explorers go after their icy expeditions. The nurses arent just tending to wounds anymore; theyre inspecting the bees to determine who can go back out and who needs more time to recover. Steve and his bureaucratic bees are now living in a compact ball of bees anchored to the ground. Theyve lost their office, so now they spend all their time managing the hive through the link. It doesnt look comfortable, but its necessary. With the hive expanding, without their oversight, wed barely get anything done in a day. The magic club, however, is progressing. Located deep within the cave near the earth flame, theyve been working to absorb and store the energy generated by it. So far, their progress is shaky at best, but theres some success. Theyve managed to build a root structure around the mana node, which absorbs energy through its roots and channels it to a small mana battery made from crystalsones I helped create. Its simple, unstable, and inefficient, but it works. The energy doesnt need to be harvested directly from the node, which Im grateful for since I believe that thing could explode any second. Despite the instability, its still a step forward. Thanks to the earth flame, weve been able to feed our babies without needing to drain animals. Are we recovering slowly? Yes. But compared to when I first built the nest, were growing rapidly. With all the knowledge from the first nest stored inside me, were building faster than ever. The real damage was material; we didnt lose anyone or any knowledge. The only loss Im really concerned about is the [Mana Node Heart]a amazing creation I made by accident while trapped inside my own mind. No one knows how I did it, and honestly, I dont either. Mucks situation is different. If I cant find him or if he cant return, Ill have to make another one. The only real loss will be my soul fragmentforever lost. Thats the part that hurts. "Ugh, theres so much to dostabilize the food source, expand the nest, gather resources, build operational facilities. Basically everything." After checking in with the magic club, I head back to the more active part of the cave. I sit down at the makeshift wooden and stone table, reach for some dried animal skins scattered around, and dip my sharp nails into a pungent inkwell. Then, I start sketching circles and runes on the animal skin. A few minutes later, I stop and look at what Ive made: a poorly drawn circle with random runic inscriptions, circuits, and designs Morthak had taught me. "Hmm, good enough, I guess." Without much enthusiasm, I pour my magical energy into the skin. The inked design begins to glow a faint golden light. The skin starts to disintegrate from the edges toward the center, and within seconds, it all crumbles, leaving a tiny ball of light that flickers before fading out like a blown-out candle. "Damn it, another failure. That old idiot! How does he expect me to do this without proper guidance!?" This was an attempt at Enchantment, a process Morthak introduced to me. Its a way to imbue items with spells or effects. The most common form is enchanting scrolls with pre-recorded spells. Morthak gave me some special magic ink, and he told me I could use the skins of magical beasts instead of the usual enchanted paper, which I found fascinating. The catch, though, is I have to hunt the magical creatures to use their leather. On top of that, I need to create functional parchment with the little magic ink I have until Morthak returns. He warned me that if I dont improve, Ill have to reinforce the training. What a pain. Honestly, Im seriously considering taking down Morthak at this point. Who teaches like that? He handed me the ink and just said, Make a functional parchment! He didnt explain the process at all. I dont even know if Im doing it right. Im just trying to write down the magical inscriptions he taught me, hoping theyll work. And speaking of what he taught me Damn. If I werent a bee, with my entire hive supporting me, theres no way I couldve memorized everything Morthak dumped on me. I had to follow his pace because I had over 400 bees working around the clock in my mind, storing, processing, and categorizing all that information. There are hundredsno, thousandsof different magical runes. Some of them differ by just millimeters, and each one has its own function, reaction, and action. Together, they form this complex, strange language of symbols and runes. Its like a mix of Egyptian, Arabic, and Klingon. Those runes I learned about a while ago? Theyre nothing. Just the tip of the iceberg. Now I understand why Morthaks a bit of a crazy old man. Anyone who tries to learn this stuff is bound to go mad! I wanted to be a magical girl, not an academic magical girl! Argh! Why is there no such thing as a free meal!? Damn, even magic has become hard work now I muttered to myself. I could keep researching expression magic or look into this new way of casting magic, but I dont know. I mean, all knowledge is useful, right? Even the silly stuff, the things that no one ever thinks theyll need. The more information you have, the clearer your decisions become. I thought I was an expert in magic just a couple weeks ago. But now, I realize Im really only good at one type of magic when there are so many others out there. Witchcraft magic, elemental magic, divine magic, expression magic, ring magic, blood magic the list goes on. I didnt even know most of them existed. And dont get me started on the new magic I discovered. I say discovered, but Im not sure if its actually new, or if someone else has already figured it out. I was going to ask Morthak about it, but I think Ill keep quiet for now. If he forces me to answer through magic, well, Ill cross that bridge when I get to it. Im not opening up to a guy who calls himself The Corpse Craftsman. I dont dislike Morthak, but I cant say I like him either. Im thankful for his help, but the guys kind of a jerk. I dont mean to judge, but Well, its kind of to be expected from a necromancer, right? I dont know. Hes definitely powerful, and way better at magic than I am. Even though his spells are all ring-based, theyre still way stronger than my expression magic, which, in theory, should be naturally more powerful than ring magic. And then theres the way he smells. Not like rotting flesh, but like a cemetery? Its weird. And he has that haggard, sickly appearance that makes people think hes weak, but hes far from it. Hes got that staff of his too. Man, Id love to have one of those. I spent so long trying to create a magic wand or staff for myself, but every attempt was a failure. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if magic staffs even existed in this world. But Morthak has one. I want to study it up close, figure out how it works, and finally make my own. Queen Mother! Koala attack! A group of soldiers suddenly shouted. What? Another one? Thats the fifth this week! I groaned, shaking my head and snapping back to reality. The koala they were referring to was a half-bear, half-tiger beast that roams these parts. Its got the head of a koala, the body of a sloth, the claws of a tiger, and the tail of a bear. It looks cuteuntil you get a glimpse of its mouth full of jagged teeth, which makes it look like something straight out of a horror movie. These creatures are solitary and about the size of a full-grown horse. Theyre annoying, but theyre also useful for gathering resources. Ugh Activate the Life Guardians, make sure to keep it alive. Well use it for juice to produce more mana. Also, send a notice to the Processing and Sewing Clubtheyll need to process the hide and remove the fur. The meat should be used for pat, and the bones need to be ground up and sent to Jasper. Anything else? Oh, right! Use the expendable organs to lure in more prey. No need to report every single koala attack, okay? Its getting old. Yes, Queen Mother! The soldiers said, saluting before flying off to handle the situation. Hmph. Looks like its koala meat for dinner tonight. Ugh Thank you for your support
Marigold (song not used) - Start Evil If you Want You said it was all in my head, Every thought, every word left unsaid. Whenever I tried to share my truths, You painted me as broken, far from my roots. So no, dont call me crazy, Dont drown me in lies or silence my cries. Dont speak for me; Ive found my voice. This time, Ill make my own choice. - If you break my heart again, Ill never let you gocall me evil, call me cruel. If you want to play pretend, Not with my heart; I wont be your fool. When I curse you and you scream, Call me evilcall me your darkest dream. - Remember when you smiled at me, Sugar-coated lies as sweet as could be? I shouldve listened when my mother said, "Youll end up brokenbetter run instead." But I believed in love, and it made me blind, While you fed on the pieces of my mind. Whenever I stood up to fight, Youd say, Youre prettier when silent, right? You called me crazy to keep me small, But now, my love, Im breaking it all. - If you break my heart again, Ill never let you gocall me evil, call me cruel. If you want to play pretend, Not with my heart; I wont be your fool. When I curse you and you scream, Call me evilcall me your darkest dream. - Your love was poison, sharp as a blade, A game of make-believe, but I wont be played. So remember me well, etch me in your mind Im the storm youll never leave behind. --- How do you like my revenge? Cold, served on a silver tray, Or hot, spread across every word you say? Ill watch your world crumble into the abyss, And thats the price for the love you missed. So call me evil, scream my name, But you lit the fire, you set the flame. If you want to play pretend, Ill be waiting to start it all over again, But dont call me evil when youre to blame Because you made me evil, Evil, evil, evil Marigold (song not used) - End
Marigold (Chapter 62 - Discarded) - Start Aurum - Year 3 {2 Weeks later} "Food production started to increase, the general quality of the food is lower than previous harvests, but it was still approved by the culinary club, the magic club asked to have access to the grinding machines in the industrial zone. But the culinary club is using all of them for nutrient paste production and ingredient processing. Yan reported. "Very well, continue producing food, when we get out of this crisis we can worry about the quality of food, until then we need to establish a safe and constant source, tell the magic club that your request was denied, the cooking club has priority in uses of heavy machinery until further notice." "Very well then, the sewing club has been stopped for some time, they have been making repairs and some items for the production club, but in essence they are completely out of work." Yan said. "That''s a problem... I need to find something for them to do.... Can they help the magic club? As seamstresses they should know better than anyone how to sew magic, they could help the alchemy, artifice and magic club building some new items." "Of course, I will send the command to Zuki." Yan said, writing everything down on a wax clipboard. "The next problem, the beasts coming from deep in the forest have suddenly increased, and seem to be targeting the tower. So far the kobols have been intercepting them, and helping to control the ordes, but some beasts have managed to reach the walls, and cause damage to the tower." Yan said worriedly. "Damn... I''m sure this is the work of that creature I felt in the spiritual world, it feels like I pissed off someone I shouldn''t have messed with." The monster hordes weren''t dangerous, not for the kobolds at least, the monsters that came were small and weak, and with our support they managed to hold their own very well. Now, I would need an entire swarm to shoot down one of these creatures, and many of my children would be injured from this conflict, and we had to be extra careful, because the blood of these beasts was poisonous, I almost lost some soldiers to the poison, if not If it were for [drops of life] I would have to bury my babies for some stupid reason. "These pests, how long do you think the outer wall will last?" "Not much, his blows are powerful, and destructive, the most accepted plan so far is to reinforce the wall with [Metallifolia] like we did with the tower walls." Yan said. In my free time, I would go outside the tower and make the [Metallifolia] that grew between the cracks in the wall spread more and more with the [Wild Growth] spell, this caused the tower made of yellow bricks to have gray roots growing all over the place, it was not beautiful, nor ugly, but it was what kept the tower standing and stable, the root of [Metallifolia] was in a special room, and was very well guarded, the small trees served as the skeleton of the tower, while the wax bricks served as the meat. Now, if we were to use the [Metallifolia] on the outer walls, that would mean that I would have to go there personally to do the work of spreading the branches across the wall, which was really dangerous in the eyes of the hive. "I think we can do that, we will also cover the wall with live moss, and fill it with [Metallifolia] thorns. This way we can increase its resistance to the maximum." "That''s dangerous mom, don''t you think it''s better to wait until Max and the magic club develop a more compact and efficient version of magic wands?" Yan said visibly worried. "Max is on vacation, and to develop a portable magic wand, he would just need to create a smaller and more stable catalyst crystal, they would be wands with fixed spells, but still infinitely better than the "thing" he made." "If you insist on leaving, I will activate the Lifeguardians to serve as your personal guards, and I will call a swarm of squires to serve as your meat shield." Yan said. "Meat shield? Stop the nonsense! I''m not using any meat shield! I have my [Crystal Fur], and I can defend myself if necessary." "Security died of old age! We can''t afford to lose you! If you die, the hive dies with it!" Yan insisted. "Ugh... Fine, but just call Jon and Hans, they''ll be enough to defend me." "I''ll also call in Trouble and Zack as extra backup, and I''ll keep Aldy and Ral on high alert." Yan insisted. "Fine..."
As I repaired the walls of the hive under the protection of several worried and nervous members, I thought again about the kobolds, currently they are growing a lot, and that worries me in a way that is indescribable, but at the same time I feel like I should help them, because they are my anchor with my "human" part. But was I really doing this for a noble reason like "saving the poor", or was I just being stupid? After all, feeding a beast that might one day eat you is the definition of stupidity, but at the same time the kobolds provided substantial help in protecting the hive. The hordes of monsters continued to come, each day larger, at increasingly shorter intervals, I had no way to kill these creatures, my kind is known for our resilience, not for our firepower. Some specific members were "strong", but they alone would not be able to defeat a single one of those mini boars, to do that we needed to weaken them (Something difficult), and then attack them in large groups, and there were always injuries coming out of that. But when we left the work to the kobolds, the task became much easier, we could relax and reap the benefits, while the kobolds were the ones who dealt with the problems. But there is no free lunch in the world. By leaving all the heavy lifting to the kobolds, they were getting stronger every day, and we were getting weaker every day, were we growing in strength and size? Clear. But nothing compared to the kobolds. It filled me with anger, fear, and disgust. Outsiders who didn''t belong to the hive and were close to me were starting to become a threat. Some hive members thought about sending fewer resources, while others suggested that we purposely poison the food, but I didn''t want to do that. Why? The babies. No matter how much my humanity breaks, even if it turns to sand and is blown by the wind, I would never hurt a poor, defenseless baby, or a child. And the kobolds were full of them. Puppies everywhere, if I poisoned the food the first to die would be the weakest children, so I would never be able to sleep at night again. If I provided less food, everyone would probably prioritize the warriors, members who can fight, then the women who keep the village running, and finally the children. I shot myself pretty well in the foot. If I had ignored them a long time ago, they would have been dead a long time ago, but now it was too late for that, I just hate keeping them, I realized that I really can''t force myself to feel something for the kobolds, but the children... I feel my heart burn whenever I think about letting them die. It''s not the kobolds that maintain my "humanity", or what''s left of it, it''s the children, perhaps because I''m a "mother of many", I can''t ignore the suffering of a child in silence. When I see their little bodies wrapped in swaddling clothes and being gently cared for by their parents, I am immediately reminded of my adorable little larvae, the way they are adorable and cuddly, and how fragile and lovable they are. And when I see those little children running around and discovering the world around them, I remember the boys'' first experiences with the world, they are so equal, so curious, and fascinated by everything, and I simply refuse to think about ways to take these children away from their families, I needed to find another way to live with the kobolds. ''I need more XP, I need to evolve more, and faster. If I grow big enough I can guarantee that the kobolds won''t be a threat.'' My crazy plan was basically to become a mystical guardian for the kobolds, like a mountain god or something, but to do that I had to be scary, someone worthy of respect and fear. If I could, I would like the kobolds to be in a situation similar to the Wappos, where they don''t cause me problems, and live in peace and harmony with us. "Mom, this area is already good, let''s go to the south!" One of the guards said. "Oh?" While I was immersed in my intrusive and somewhat psychotic thoughts, I ended up finishing part of the job in altomatic mode, and now the wax walls were full of gnarled gray roots, there were scores of long, menacing thorns protruding from the roots. , and I could see a large group of gardeners arriving with jars full of moss to spread it over the wall, with the intention of creating something resistant and threatening. "Alright, let''s do it." As I prepared to head to the southern region, I felt a chill down my spine and my senses began to flicker like Christmas lights, looking in the direction of the sensation, I saw nothing but a rustle of leaves, and at that moment I knew problems were coming. "Boys! Ready, attack coming northwest!" As soon as my words fell, Hans and Jon stepped in front of me, and a large swarm of bees began to gather around me, forming a large orb of not-at-all-happy bees. Soon from the shadows a kind of hawk appeared, but it didn''t look as intimidating as those big hawks, and it had a curved hook-shaped beak. Its colors were primarily brown and gray, with just a few colorful feathers on the tip of its wings.
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: N/A Species: Quicksilver Hawk Life: 82.4 Def: 7.3
Level: 5 Type: Hawk Vit: 10.3 Int: 1.3
Mana: ----- Stamina: ----- Dex: 15.2 Wis: 1.4
------- Affinity: ----- Spr: 120.4 Str: 42.2
"Damn! He''s strong and dangerous! Everyone on high alert!" The falcon seemed to be very strong by our standards, but the worst of all was that it was a puppy. I could see soft plumage still clinging to its newly acquired feathers, and my sixth sense told me there was something watching in the shadows, probably the creature''s relatives who were teaching it to hunt. And what''s better than a fat, juicy bee that''s nothing more than a bag of XP walking around? ''Shit, shit! Even if we kill this guy, the parents might still come in retaliation, I have to think of something...'' While I was thinking, the little hawk started his attack, throwing himself at us like a bullet, but in the middle of the way a rain of small thorns falls on him, which made him stop in the middle of the way, the thorns were thrown by Zack, and they contained a special little gift from Aldy. Soon the hawk showed signs of being bothered by the poison, but seemed to recover quickly and began to advance towards me with its claws open. Halfway through, Jon threw himself into the path and allowed himself to be grabbed, then he held himself tightly to the hawk''s legs, and activated his skill [Heavy Weight] which allowed him to become heavier at the cost of Sp. Soon the hawk felt Jon''s weight, and began trying to tear him from his paws with his beak, his strength was impressive and frightening, and he opened Jon''s natural armor as if he were someone removing an orange. Jon, who couldn''t do anything about it, just let go of the hawk and fell towards the ground like rotten fruit. Soon I could feel Jon''s pain through the link, and my vision began to turn red and blurry, my cranial bone felt like it would split with rage at any second and the next thing I knew I had let out a guttural scream that I had no idea I could emit. The effects of my scream were immediate, because soon a large cloud with about 90% of the hive exploded from the tower, all the troops that could fight appeared, in the meantime Jon''s group of bombed bees threw themselves on top of the hawk, and they started clinging to him with all their strength, Aldy and his group took advantage of the distraction and started stinging the hawk''s blind spots, and I started running towards poor Jon who was lying on the ground and covered in crimson blood, his once powerful armor it was completely shattered, and I could see its visors scattered by the armor. "JON!" Without wasting time I started to invoke all the healing spells I had available, and to activate my healing skills, slowly I could see Jon''s flesh returning to its place and growing again, but Jon showed no sign of waking up. "Take him to the infirmary! NOW" At my command a small group of guards quickly grabbed Jon by the four arms and ran with him towards the tower, looking up I could see the hawk still fighting with the hive, and without showing signs of falling, the tankers were holding on to its legs and beak, which were its greatest weapons, and Aldy and his group injected more and more venom into the hawk, I could see Hans off to the side waiting for an opportunity to attack along with Trouble, and Ral and his small group of wizards casting spells like [Weakness] and [pain] in the hawk. When I thought we would get the upper hand, the hawk suddenly stopped and seemed to activate a skill, because soon his feathers changed from an earthy brown, to a metallic silver, then he began to struggle and throw all the bees that were blocking him away. . I could see that his eyes were red, and the hawk was panting, probably a result of the poisons and spells, but he showed no signs of falling. "You bastard, you think I''m going to feel sorry for you just because it''s your first hunt?! You hurt my babies for the first, and last time." "You''re not getting out of here alive." As soon as I said that I started sending small mana spirits charged with [Imperiality] which soon hit all the Lifeguardians present, then I activated the 40% bonus and lastly I activated my [Healing Aura] and [Aura Suggestion]. "KILL HIM!" With my command, everyone began to advance furiously towards the hawk, and then I began to hear strange and melancholy music coming from somewhere, and looking up I could see a large group of bards surrounded by swarms of bees, who soon became enraged. eyes red like blood and veins bulging across the body. ''Damn, that''s the song [The Fury of Many], that shit is dangerous.'' With no time to react, the hawk was then swamped by a large tornado of angry bees, the bees then began to grab and bite him, some began to gnaw, and soon my adorable little babies went from gentle vegetarian bees to beasts with thirst for blood and hunger for flesh. The hawk didn''t know how to react when the bees started gnawing at his eyelids, and then eating his eyes, all he could do was throw himself to the ground viciously and rub himself against the ground in an attempt to break away from the carnivorous bees, but the furious cloud of bees didn''t care about the damage caused to their bodies, and as long as they could move they continued to attack, gnawing at the hawk''s feathers, beak and eyes, when the creature opened its mouth. The smallest bees in the group entered his throat and gnawed at him from the inside, and soon the hawk went from hunter to hunted. In a short time its feathers lost their metallic shine and color, and returned to being common feathers, which were soon ripped out by furious bees, its flesh was then attacked, with workers and soldiers tearing off small pieces of its flesh, soon the creature stopped fighting. , and I got a huge wave of XP.
[Warning]
You earned 140 Xp from your bees
I was really relieved that it was over, but my angry bees weren''t done yet, and were now digging through the dead creature''s entire body, hollowing it out and spreading visors and blood all over the place. ''Make them stop!'' ''It does not give! The music already had an effect, they stayed in this enraged state for at least another 5 minutes." Said Steve through the link. A large swarm of angry, bloodthirsty bees on the loose? This is not good at all, the bards'' songs seemed very powerful, but they had terrible side effects, so I banned them from using the skill [The Concert], but my momentary fury made the hive use the "big guns". As soon as the angry bees lost interest, they began to fly away in a large swarm to reveal a bone carcass full of feathers, blood, and piles of flesh that had once been a hawk, and then quickly flew towards me and began to surround me. in a large sphera-shaped tornado, all the bees were covered in blood, and their eyes were red and sombre, nothing like the standard black we had, their once well-groomed and combed manes were now nothing more than a pile of hair disheveled and stained with blood, their nails were covered in pieces of flesh and blood, and many were injured, but did not show the slightest discomfort. My aura and healing skills were still activated, and I could see white smoke emanating from their wounds that slowly disappeared into the smoke, but I didn''t feel good around them. The link between us was numb, and cloudy, as if I had been "drugged", and I couldn''t feel anything coming from them other than very clear waves of pure hatred. "Damn it, back off! There might be more of them around!" The young hawk''s relatives didn''t show up, perhaps because they didn''t want to get involved with us, or because they didn''t think a single chick was worth the risk, I didn''t know that, but apparently we are very dangerous when threatened. "I think we''re not as weak as I thought... But I hated it, I need to strengthen my boys urgently, I can''t make them go through this every time we''re in danger." Marigold (Chapter 62 - Discarded) - End
Marigold (Drafts (Some things were reused)) - Start The dead were buried, and the living continued to live. We healed what we could of the injured, but there were still limits to what we could do, and healing lost limbs was one of those limits, all I could do for them was prioritize drinking [Life Drops] and killing the mushrooms. In recent times we have been helping the werewolves, we took some wax pots full of honey, some mushrooms, saint''s tears and some honey mixed with [Drops of life]. We left everything inside the most accessible tent there was and left. We took this "kit" once a month, and it made the werewolves very happy, the first time we took it they didn''t seem to understand what was happening, but in the second month they were very happy to receive more things. The problem came this month, when the soldiers left Kit in the tent again and then Trevis discovered that they were being followed. It sent a chill down my spine, if the same thing that happened to the fairy happened to the werewolves, then how many bees would have to die to take one of them down? Because of that I made Trevis drive them away and I never let them go back there, I had said I would help them, but I won''t allow them to find my house. Even if it means letting them die. The spell casters had created a spell to create a magical misel, it was too weak and useless for any of us to use, but it became quite popular among the soldiers, as they could use it to distract their victims, or simply cause a little more damage, and spellcasters have finally proven themselves useful by creating a spell that is actually useful. They created a spell that could create wind, with this we were able to increase the efficiency of the mills and further expand our production of materials. I laid so many eggs that I gained another level in [Lay Eggs] and now I only needed 2 to reach the maximum level. This time I chose the [Rancher] and [Alchemist] classes, these classes seemed extremely useful to me, since we would have someone who knows how to take care of animals, and someone to take over the experiments once and for all. Many workers had evolved through pollination, Isaac and Albert too. Most lost the ability to evolve through pollination, but they gained cool classes like [Craftsman], [Builder] [Cleaner] [Organizer] and other more common ones like [cook] [carpenter] and [weaver], it was a surprise that workers they could become classes that I already had unlocked, but everyone seemed happy, and Albert and Isaac had become the very rare [scientists]. These guys gained a hunger for knowledge that even I didn''t have, and they lived locked in the laboratory doing crazy experiments, they had the ability to remember experiments they had already done and skills that increased their precision and mastery in handling dangerous materials, they also had a slight immunity to poisons and a very keen sense of danger. They were responsible for creating things such as shampoos, soaps, olive oil, brown sugar, bread dough, perfumes, skin creams, conditioner, nails, common glue, hand mixer clamps, uniquely shaped gears and chemical mixtures. And now they were working together with the [Artisans] with [Drops of Life] to create god knows what. I had gotten to level 2, and sadly back to level 1 after spending all the . The skill hasn''t evolved yet, but it would happen soon. And my new skill [Cursing] was really interesting, I could apply an effect to something if I paid a mana value and cursed it. The effect could be weak and short-lived, or strong and long-lasting, it just depended on how much mana I used. Another thing was that I had been learning magic from spell casters, and now I had some experience with mana and magic itself. My magical energy was "Living Mana" because it had been "contaminated" by my affinity for life, so even if I could use spells I would have to use that living mana to power that spell. And what''s the problem with that? It''s just that the living mana has its preferences. This mana tried to convert all the spells I activated into a type of healing, but when I focused on feeding a spell with living mana, without "corrupting" the spell, I ended up using about 2x more mana. Now when spell casters gave me scrolls with healing spells, I could activate them with just 1/3 the amount of mana they needed themselves. Another thing was that this mana seemed to not be "harmful". The spellcasters told me that the natural energy of the world was toxic if used in large quantities, but that my mana did not cause any harm to any living creature if used in large quantities. It seemed boring to me, I thought that with live mana I could cause great damage to a living body, but it seemed like live mana was harmless. But the spell casters told me that it was all about "intentions", the natural mana of the world didn''t have any intentions, but the affinities did, so when the mana was "tainted" by the affinities they would acquire "intentions", and the Living mana was naturally passive and non-harmful to the crop. But depending on the wielder''s intention, any mana could be harmful or beneficial to the body. Turns out I couldn''t control this energy, only spell casters could. And all I could do without a skill was "spill" my mana, which was what I was learning now. "It''s not like that, mother... Imagine an energy coming from within your soul, flowing through your body and then exiting through your hands!" Said a spell caster "Really? What kind of instructions are those?!" "I told you that mom wouldn''t understand it like that..." said another spell caster "Then do better!" "With pleasure! Humg Huff... Mom! Imagine that you drank a lot on a Friday night and then went on a roller coaster, then when you were leaving the mountain everything started to come back but you had to hold it back because you were in public, but Instead of coming out of your mouth, imagine coming out of your hands!" Said the spell caster ''What the fuck?! Did he get this thing with one of the beacons? That was personal information, it was a long time ago...'' ''So it''s like vomiting? Like creating honey? It shouldn''t be that difficult...'' "Focus," I told myself, as I struggled to visualize this ''energy'' within me. It was like trying to hold a ray of sunshine in my hands, a task that seemed impossible. But I couldn''t fail. Not when the entire colony depended on me and my skills. With renewed determination, I spread my wings and began to channel the energy that I knew was there. It was like opening a floodgate, letting the surge of power flow freely through me. It was an electrifying sensation, almost like flying. As the energy flowed within me, I could feel its effect on the world around me. Colors became more vivid, sounds clearer, and even the air seemed to vibrate with renewed energy. It was as if I was touching the very essence of life. When I finally stopped, I felt exhausted but also invigorated. And there was a small ball of glowing sparks in my hand, the ball of light glowed in various rainbow colors and pulsed excitedly. "That''s right mom! Congratulations!" A spell caster said excitedly.
[Warning]
You have gained the [Mana manipulation] skill that will evolve up to level 10.
[Skill]
[Mana manipulation] Lv 1 Use your will to command the mana inside your body.
"T-This is incredible, what do I do with this thing?" "I don''t know... Put it here on this rock!" Said a spell caster who presented me with a small stone. Obeying his command, I placed the glow on the small stone and soon all the mana was sucked by the stone, and after a few moments the stone cracked and released some sparks. "Hmmm, how interesting, it seems like the stone has collapsed and the mana has dispersed." Said the spell caster holding the broken stone. "What if we used an empty mana crystal? Couldn''t we store mom''s mana!?" Said a spell caster "It might work! Bring one of them here!" After a while a large crystal was brought before me, I placed my hands on it and tried the same process again, this time everything was much easier, and I managed to pour out a small amount of mana before I felt tired.
[Description]
A mana crystal with [Fire] affinity. Quality: Good
"Damn, it didn''t work, it seems like mom''s mana only converted into fire mana, is that possible?" Said a spell caster. "Hmmm... I don''t know, but I believe it''s a matter of mana decay!" Said another spell caster. "How did this happen?" "My theory is that Mom''s living mana is a combination of several other forms of mana, and that once that mana leaves Mom''s body it begins to decay into simpler forms. That''s why the stone broke and didn''t left no trace of mana, because it reverted back to mana very quickly." Said a spell caster. "But it could also be the issue of affinity, right? Mom is a "Vessel" with life affinity, so all her mana and living mana, but trying to put that mana into other recipients with different affinity only ends up turning that mana into another type of mana." Said another spell caster. "So how do we create a natural container of living mana like this crystal? If this thing can store fire mana, then there must be ways to create containers for specific types of mana." "Boys, I''m physically tired, and your conversation makes me mentally tired... Could I take a break?" "Oops! Of course mom! We''ll discuss this elsewhere, thanks for your help!" "I thank you for the classes." After everyone left I took a nap, and when I woke up I was excited to try new things, the first thing I did was ask for the jar of moss and pour living mana into it. The result was that the moss began to glow for a few moments, before quickly beginning to rot and turning into a pile of stinking mush. "Ugh.. What a stinky thing, but isn''t that good? I can kill other living beings by flooding them with mana? But I think for that I need a lot of mana...." Leaving the workers to get rid of this jar of rotten moss, I ask them to bring a small branch and try to put small amounts of living mana into it. The branch began to slowly grow and take on a darker color, and after a few moments it began to create small pink flower buds.
[Description]
A stick of living wood, it has traces of living mana. Quality: Good
"That''s cool... Can I create a magic wand with this?" "Damn, it didn''t work, it seems like mom''s mana only converted into fire mana, is that possible?" Said a spell caster. "Hmmm... I don''t know, but I believe it''s a matter of mana decay!" Said another spell caster. "How did this happen?" "My theory is that Mom''s living mana is a combination of several other forms of mana, and that once that mana leaves Mom''s body it begins to decay into simpler forms. That''s why the stone broke and didn''t left no trace of mana, because it reverted back to mana very quickly." Said a spell caster. "But it could also be the issue of affinity, right? Mom is a "Vessel" with life affinity, so all her mana and living mana, but trying to put that mana into other recipients with different affinity only ends up turning that mana into another type of mana." Said another spell caster. "So how do we create a natural container of living mana like this crystal? If this thing can store fire mana, then there must be ways to create containers for specific types of mana." "Boys, I''m physically tired, and your conversation makes me mentally tired... Could I take a break?" "Oops! Of course mom! We''ll discuss this elsewhere, thanks for your help!" "I thank you for the classes." After everyone left I took a nap, and when I woke up I was excited to try new things, the first thing I did was ask for the jar of moss and pour living mana into it. The result was that the moss began to glow for a few moments, before quickly beginning to rot and turning into a pile of stinking mush. "Ugh.. What a stinky thing, but isn''t that good? I can kill other living beings by flooding them with mana? But I think for that I need a lot of mana...." Leaving the workers to get rid of this jar of rotten moss, I ask them to bring a small branch and try to put small amounts of living mana into it. The branch began to slowly grow and take on a darker color, and after a few moments it began to create small pink flower buds. "That''s cool... Can I create a magic wand with this?" To answer my question, I asked them to bring me a sliver of a mana stone, and I placed it delicately on the branch and then wrapped the whole thing with silk. I poured [Pipgo de vida] onto the mana stone and continued sending live mana to the stick, with the intention of turning it into a magic wand, since apparently the intention was very important. After a while and spending all my living mana, all I had was a stick of living wood, with a stone tied to the top, I don''t know why it didn''t turn into a wand, but I wasn''t going to give up that easily.
[Description]
Living wand Created by a low-level bee, this magic wand has an affinity with [Life] and is capable of reducing the cost of spells using living mana by 5%. The wand is capable of storing 3 points of living mana to be used later. Quality: Bad
About 3 days later I had managed to create my "wand", it seems that it takes a lot of mana to be able to create magical items, spell casters could create some scrolls because they had dozens of members to inject mana into a scroll, but I needed fuel items with living mana alone. The wand had grown and taken root around the shard of mana stone, the silk that held it all together had taken on a bit of moss and a worn color, a single flower bud at the top of the wand had opened and gave off a small glow. Inside, the wand still looked pretty cool even though it was a pretty shoddy job. I gave the wand to my "wizards" and let them take care of it, in the meantime I had to worry about something else. Werewolves. They were getting close, in the last few days they had sent exploration parties and each day they got closer, they were clearly looking for us, as they must have wanted our "help". "I told you it was a bad idea to help these people, now they''re hunting us!" Hans said angrily. "Can we kill them? Or at least keep them away?" Ken asked. "I think if we swarmed around them we could kill them, but many would need to die, and if we were attacked by a large group we might not be able to scare them away." Trouble said. "So what do we do?" Said my representative Yan "I think the best option is to try and keep them away, we can get some larger creatures to engage with them, and make sure they don''t get too close." Hans said. "Do you think we couldn''t negotiate with them?" Carl said. "Of course! Just like that fairy wanted to negotiate with us!" Ken said. "Let''s try an approach first, if they''re aggressive we''ll go with Hans'' plan, if they''re friendly we''ll try Carl''s plan." I said through Yan. "This is very dangerous..." - Hans. "I guess we''ll never find out if we don''t try, won''t we? If we bury ourselves deep in the forest and say ''everything is dangerous'' then we''ll turn into a bunch of weirdos." Ken said. "It''s better to be a weirdo living a peaceful life, than to live in conflict with other weird species." Rebutted Hans
The last few days have been a bit hectic, we''ve been "probing" the werewolves, and trying to keep them away from the nest, but I must admit that it''s not easy to hide a tower made of wax in the middle of a plain. A few days ago they tried to approach our house, but when they were greeted by a shower of angry bees they moved away, the only thing that stopped my children from swarming around them was that they didn''t seem to want to attack us. They were shouting to the tower in a strange language I''ve never heard before, and they were making gestures with their hands, but I couldn''t tell what they wanted, after a while they set up camp and now they were here, they stayed away, but the Sometimes some members tried to run to the tower. This scared the hell out of me to tell you the truth, one day we were just watching them all standing around and talking, when out of nowhere one of the wolves started to stretch and then started running towards the tower at an incredible speed. If it weren''t for the soldiers who immediately swarmed around him and began to sting him, he would have arrived. The guy didn''t die, but he was wounded so many times that he looked like Stay Puft. Hans didn''t like their presence, nobody did. But keep a low profile, we wouldn''t attack these guys unless they came looking for a fight first. It may seem hypocritical of me, I allowed my soldiers to hunt the weak and massacre them, but I showed my gentle and sweet side to very powerful species, but who wouldn''t do that? It almost seems like I would pick a fight with someone I can''t beat. The wolves stayed in front of our house for days, shouting at us, some threw stones and others just sat looking at the 20 meter tower of wax. I don''t know what they wanted, but they all looked so... Dejected. At first I thought it was just an exploration group, but after a few days it became clear that these few members were all that was left of the werewolves that came here months ago, I felt sorry for them, but if I helped them now, who Can you guarantee me that in the future they won''t try to kill me? I helped them a little and they came after me as if I owed them something, what would they do if I "adopted" them? "This isn''t working... This paint is useless! It just serve to get on my nerves!" Shouted one of the spell casters. For now the development club has been trying to create magical scrolls with the ink we created. But just because we change the ink, doesn''t mean that drawing strange symbols and random words on a sheet of silk will create a magical scroll. This new ink could conduct living mana, serving as a conductor, but much worse than living wood, and with a lot of wasted mana. It was like graphite, by creating a line on paper you could create an "electric" current, but it only served to create a parlor trick. It wasn''t really useful at all. We tried creating circles, pentagrams, runes, Egyptian designs, anything, but nothing worked. The magic ink didn''t seem to have any use, as it couldn''t carry the intent of a spell. ''Intention? Is this what''s missing?'' "Boys, let me try once..." "Um? Of course mom! Bring new paper and a quality brush!" Swore a carpenter. When I picked up the brush I made with bee hair, wrapped around a branch and paper made from silk. I dipped it in paint and began placing small amounts of living mana onto the brush. Soon the ink at the tip of the brush responded to my mana and began to emit small golden lights, without wasting time I tried to write the word "light" in English, while pushing the intention to create light. The end result was a sheet of silk with the word light written in dark gray ink with gold glitter that was slowly fading. ''Failed?'' "Try to put mana into the scroll boys." Following my command a small group of spell casters began pouring their mana into the parchment, soon the tissue paper began to show small tears and after a few seconds tore completely alone. "It failed... Or could it be considered a success? After all, it kind of glowed when we injected mana..." "I don''t think it really glowed, it should just be the remnants of your living mana escaping..." Isaac said. "What the hell! Why is it so hard to create a scroll?!" "I think it''s because we have no real foundation in magic, all we know are theories, and amateur work. If we really want to learn about magic we need time and resources, or a qualified instructor." One of the spell casters said. Learning to use and manipulate magic was not an easy task, even with months of research we barely scratched the surface, our greatest magical achievement is the mana pool, and it''s not that big of a deal. The most powerful magic I could use was a magic capable of causing random illnesses. And our greatest achievement in artifice was Muck, the moss that spent the day sleeping. "Alright, that''s something, keep up the research, one day we''ll discover something really valuable.
Aurum - Year 1 [ 5 Weaks later ] Our little infected Wappo friend started to... Change. The disease was consuming him, but he was not dying. He looked like a zombie or something, but in reality he looked more like a dog infected with the rabies virus. The mushroom, which previously had a healthy appearance and was friendly and peaceful, had now turned into a withered, yellowish mushroom, all wrinkled and trying to attack everything it saw. The creature was becoming increasingly thirsty, it continued drinking large amounts of water and running around the enclosure while making some noises. Casting a plague on these Wappos was quite easy to tell the truth, but it seemed to be because I was stronger than them, I was literally "Attacking targets that can''t defend themselves". Wappos appear to be the base of the food chain, and the only reason they never became extinct was that 2 Wappos alone could create thousands of other Wappos over the course of their lifetime. On our farm they were kept in a controlled manner, fed with organic waste and watered daily. We healed them when they were hurt, and even gave them a little living essensia from time to time. But now we were going through a period of scarce XP, which meant a reduction in the production of [Life Drops] and I was getting really nervous about it. The ''training'' of the soldiers was a long-term project, we created a few other groups with Hans and Trouble''s group, each led by an elite member of the defense club, but even that wasn''t enough. Hans and Trouble were in their 2nd evolution, which made them the hive''s trump card, they were responsible for getting around 40% of the colony''s XP, the rest came from polonization, and from the ranch. But there''s no denying that killing other living creatures provided the most Xp. And this sick Wappo just gave me an idea. If I find a nest of insects or low-level creatures, of which there are as many Wappos, I could infect one of the members of the nest and then have it kill the colony from the inside out. That would give me a lot of XP! For this test I asked the soldiers to go find something I could use, and for the last few days I''ve been working on an ant, an aphid, and some larvae. At this point they were sick and would soon be released back with their groups, if everything went well in a few days I would have a lot of XP served on a platter!
The plan to kill entire groups of insects from the inside didn''t work out as well as I thought... When we released the ant, some soldiers sneakily followed it into the anthill, the ants looked more like ordinary ants but were highly protected by armor and more robust. And when the "spy" we created got close to the anthill, some other ants started to smell it and check it out. Soon the spy was being held by several ants that looked just like him, as he tried to free himself from his brothers'' agar. Before long, other ants gathered on top of him and then ripped his head off. The spy had been discovered, long before he even arrived inside the nest, it seemed that he "Stenched" with disease, and the insects were not stupid enough to ignore the smell of death. The same thing happened with the aphids and the larvae.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The aphid had its body split apart by what appeared to be the mother aphid, the larva was rejected by the other larvae, injured and left to die. The creatures of this world seemed to be able to identify members of their species who were sick, and were quick to eliminate them, so the Trojan horse plan would not work. Not without some adaptations. Over the next 7 days I dedicated myself to creating several contaminated echoes, then I ''bubbled'' them with the help of the spell casters, with the [mana bubble] spell. And I gave these bubbles to the soldiers, the plan was for them to throw these bubbles on several different creatures, and if we were lucky we would get some kills with it.
[Warning]
You killed a [Thorny larva] x 3 using a plague! You gained 46 XP
After a few days of waiting, the first notification finally arrived, the plan had worked, now I was the crazy pest-spreading bitch. "Sweet XP! 46 XP for doing absolutely nothing! Well, I never really did anything for my XP, but now I''m getting whole chunks of XP for doing nothing!" These last few days we have been trying to expand our magical knowledge, I had a lot of time now that egg production has been paused. Research into magic ink revealed that the ink didn''t have much use for us, not with our current level of knowledge. But the paint still gave scientists the idea to create a mana life superfluid. The goal was to create a liquid that could be flooded with living mana and remain stable. And with this idea, the boys ended up creating a liquid similar to petroleum. It was made with mana crystals ground into powder in mills, high quality magical plant resins, living essence, and a little of my "secret ingredient". The result was a pitch-black liquid with a foul smell and suspicious appearance, but when the liquid was energized with mana it began to turn golden and lost its bad smell. Once energized with a lot of mana it became stable and the mana began to decay at an extremely slow speed.
[Description]
You killed a [Thorny larva] x 3 using a plague! You gained 46 XP
The fluid gave me an idea the moment I laid eyes on it, Battery Fluid! We only needed a "container", the solution then was to use the wax alloy, along with new materials provided by carpenters and alchemists. The end result was a wax alloy jar filled with mana fluid, a living wood root that served as the energy conductor, and a lid made of more wax alloy to insulate it all. The result wasn''t pretty, but with this we were able to create our first mana battery that could be transported. Tests showed that it was far from perfect, the wax alloy was not a good insulator, but it was still the best we had. The mana fluid couldn''t store much mana, only 1 point. And it still had an expiration date, after a few days it would start to rot and lose its ability to store energy. The solution was to charge these batteries and bubble them. The boys managed to create 5 of these batteries, and now they were thinking about how to make them more stable. I had asked them to create more living cores. So at least we could create a better version of Muck, maybe even a moss that is capable of providing us with living mana, and doesn''t spend all day sleeping and making messes. Now we are having problems with the kobolds, space problems. In the last few months we have been helping them, providing food, cloths, medicine and things like that. They moved from where they were before, and got closer to the tower, close enough that we could see them on the horizon, but far enough away to be considered respectful. The soldiers didn''t like this "Space Invasion" one bit, but I wouldn''t risk sending a swarm to drive them out, just to find out that these Kobolds could kill us with ease. Until now we maintained a co-status with them, they seemed to be afraid of us, and what we could do, and we were afraid of what they could do. The difference was that we knew we were weak and they were stronger than us individually. While the kobolds seemed to be intimidated by the possibility of us being "Divine Beasts", and our overwhelming numbers. I don''t know how people in this world identify divine beasts, but thanks to the holy goat that it is not through [Beast Contracts], because otherwise this hoax would have already fallen to the ground the day Hilda made the contract with Ciel. Because of this we allowed them to stay there, we tried to ask Hilda to tell them to stay away, but Hilda was determined to get a place close to us for her group, if it were for her the new kobold village would have been built from the cave where she was now living, but we demanded that she get as far away as possible. And what we got was about 5 km away. The kobolds managed to create houses made from scraps of silk, mud and branches, it was quite poorly constructed to be honest, and Levi spent the whole day pointing out the flaws in the construction, but I wasn''t going to build a city for the kobols. All I wanted from them was their knowledge, not adopting a bunch of dogs. But that still didn''t stop the kobolds from approaching, from time to time it was necessary to send a swarm to disperse onlookers, but nothing serious so far. All this proximity was bothering me, but we didn''t have much to do about them, we couldn''t kill them cleanly and clearly, without losses on our side. Expelling them was not possible, not now. If we stopped helping them they might revolt against us, and they were focused on getting closer and closer. They built small wooden pendants which they then painted with yellow paint. And they used them as amulets or something, it seems that we became their guardians or sponsors. I didn''t like this, I already had problems being responsible for my colony, now I needed to take care of kobolds?
Aurum - Year 1 [ 5 Months later ] The last few months were busy, a lot happened, the main one was the stabilization of the kobols, they were kind of imitating us, and started plowing terar, and planting fruits. There were children running happily through the field, and adults watching the perimeter. Hilda became some kind of emisaria or elder. Her abilities shared with Ciel allow her to provide a small amount of healing to her allies, and bonus health in area. Ciel believed he had achieved everything he could extract from Hilda, but he was reluctant to ask for the contract to be annulled. Ciel became very involved with Hilda, the two had similar personalities, but Hilda was more extroverted. Ciel listened to his stories about the world, and how there were many things he had never seen in his life. Ciel was also formally introduced to the kobold village and everyone loved him, he kind of became a popular pet there, he played with the children and most of the time he could be seen tending to small wounds on the kobolds. This made the hive believe even more that Ciel had been "corrupted" and they wanted me to sever the link between us once and for all, but even if I knew how to do that I wouldn''t do it. Ciel was like a son who left home and discovered a whole world outside. He was in awe of everything, and was the only one who really understood what the kobolds were saying. Ciel sort of learned the kobold language through osmosis, while talking to Hilda he learned a few things, but he still wasn''t fluent. And I could only understand Hilda clearly, I wanted to extract this "dictionary" from Ciel, but the link was too damaged for me to be able to access her memories, and even when Ciel tried to send me the translations directly, a lot was lost along the way. , and all I received was broken and useless information. This still didn''t stop Ciel from working hard on a small dictionary, the dictionary was very poor, containing only the literal translation of some popular words. But we still had the main stuff, like "Stop, Friends, Enemies, Death, God, Bees, Attack", we couldn''t create anything really coherent with that, but it was still better than nothing. In recent months research into mana and spells has continued, we haven''t made much progress, but spell casters have managed to create another spell [Bind]. The spell created a pressure of energy around the target, and attempted to force them into place. The spell wasn''t powerful at all and could be easily broken with a little effort, but it was a starting point. The magic club also started to create a book of spells, the book itself couldn''t cast spells, but it contained step by step instructions on how to cast each spell they created and they didn''t want to put it in the [Spells] tab. Other spells created were [Pull], [Mana Wave], [Mana Dart], [Mana Thread], and [Glow]. The most useful spell of all was the [Brightness] spell. The spell could create an intense white light, at a small mana cost. If we could create magic lamps containing this spell we could free workers from the exhausting work of a lamp. We had gone after some [Lumus berris] and managed to find some, but the light only lasted for 2-3 days before needing to be changed. And the light produced by the nuts was not enough to illuminate the entire hive. Then the lighting work continued with the workers. Now I was sitting on a high-quality divan produced by the construction club in conjunction with the sewing club. I was inside a large coliseum made of wax and wood, and I was looking at the fight that would soon begin. A few days ago the coliseum was finished, and the soldiers brought some monsters to serve as "tests" for the young soldiers. The beasts ranged from frogs and lizards, to some insects that looked like praying mantises and small rodents. They were all seriously tied up and contained in cages made from begonia wax and tightly tied branches. The creatures had been seriously drugged with poisons produced by [Poisoners] and [Alchemists], in addition to receiving debuffs from bards and being blinded by headbands. The first challenge started with a group of 5 young soldiers against a small black rat who was blindfolded and ankles tied to make it difficult to move. The mouse didn''t know what was happening and couldn''t find the soldiers, as the screams from the audience of hundreds of bees confused his senses. The group of soldiers then quickly advanced forward, dividing left and right, with the bee that seemed to be the leader moving forward. The soldiers then impaled the rat with small wooden stakes and retreated. The mouse did not like the attack at all and began to attack furiously in all directions, but its restricted movements and obstructed vision made it miss every blow. The soldiers then flew towards him as a team and grabbed his back and began to bite and sting him. In response, the rat then began to roll on the ground and quickly freed itself from the soldiers'' grip. Leaving some soldiers injured and others disoriented, the group soon reformed and charged furiously at the rat, driving their spears into the rat''s legs and paws. The rat then released a quinque and began to spin in a circle to fend off the soldiers, but his leg had already been injured, he was staining the arena floor with increasing amounts of blood. Without wasting time, the soldiers split up again, leaving one member behind to make noise and get the rat''s attention, while the others passed behind and started attacking the rat''s other legs. In response the rat could do nothing but try to grab one of the soldiers, after some furious lunges the rat managed to grab a soldier''s mane and was now trying to take his head off with some difficulty. Without thinking twice, his companions advanced and threw themselves on top of the mouse again, throwing punches and stings all over the rodent''s body, making him give up on the soldier and try to free himself from the bees. But this time the rat was much weaker and disoriented, he had lost a lot of blood, and 3 of his limbs were severely injured. All the rat could do was fall over and crawl across the ground in an attempt to get away from the soldiers. But it didn''t work, as the soldiers just continued their attacks and grabbed their wooden spears, furiously thrusting them into the rat''s eyes and hitting its head. The rodent could do nothing but let out a cry of pain, and try to struggle even more, but none of that helped, soon he was running out of strength and the soldiers began to attack him even more. Soon the end of the fight was decided, the soldiers killed the rat, even with all the disadvantages the rat was still able to almost kill a soldier, and still caused a lot of damage to the soldiers. But the soldiers didn''t seem to care about the wounds, they were too busy basking in the audience''s applause and boasting. Soon a group of Healers arrived and began to heal the soldiers, another group composed of soldiers and workers came and began to take the rat''s body away and clean the arena. After a few moments the soldiers were taken to the infirmary and a new fight was being arranged. ''Gee... These guys really had fun with it, I think it''s true that violence creates entertainment, it became more popular than Radyo''s broadcasts or Bardos'' shows. It was just to teach and educate young soldiers, but it became a form of entertainment.'' Marigold (Chapter 62 - Discarded) - End
Lily''s Tale (Discarded version) - Start Tree Year 2 My blue bird friend left, he made a very beautiful home among my branches, but one day a strange, long, slimy animal paid him a visit, and I never saw Mr. Bird again after that. Things always remain the same, I grow, I create more leaves and more flowers, I spread more roots and I go higher every day, my friends come and go, but they never stay with me. I managed to evolve to level 3 recently, in addition to getting level 2 in [Photosynsis] and [Growth]. I have 3 skill points available, but I don''t know if I want a new skill. My fragrant flowers don''t seem so amazing anymore, they can''t attract more friends to me.
Notice
You reached level 5, you gained 3 skill points.
Notice
Congratulations on reaching level 5!! You have gained 10 bonus skill points!
It felt like some time had passed, but I didn''t even notice. I managed to reach level 5, and now I have 22 skill points. My skills [Root Growth] and [Blooming] reached level 3, and [Floral Fragrance] reached level 2, it didn''t seem to make much of a difference to me. But now seems like the right time to get a new skill.
Notice
Do you want to use 22 skill points to gain a new random skill? Yes / No
''Yes''
Notice
You gained the rare skill: Sticky Sap
Skill
[Sticky Sap] - Lv 1 Use Sp to create sticky sap on the surface of your trunk.
''Cool I think'' Using the skill I could feel that a thin layer of sebum was being formed on my tree trunk, this cost a lot of Sp, so I limited myself to just a small area of my tree trunk.
Notice
You killed a [Desert Fly], you gained 0.02 XP
A small insect had attached itself to the area where I created the sticky sap, and after a few hours of standing in place, the insect was completely swallowed by my sap. I was a little upset that the insect had died, but I liked the Xp. I didn''t get much XP, all I got was about 0.02 per hour as long as the day remained hot. But after that I stopped earning Xp, which irritated me a little. Because of this I started filling my torso with this sticky stuff, and after several days I had a sticky mess of this gunk.
Notice
You killed a [Desert Fly] x 5 , you gained 0.1 XP
The sap seemed to work, the insects landed on me to rest, and ended up never leaving again, the sap wasn''t very powerful, so large insects like the multi-legged insect, or the armored insect were able to escape the sap very easily, but smaller insects would get stuck and end up becoming Xp.
Notice
You reached level 7, you gained 5 skill points.
After level 5, I started to gain more skill points with each level, and some time ago I also discovered that I could use the skill points to level up a skill. A while ago while I was looking at my skills, a screen appeared asking if I wanted to use 5 skill points to raise my [Root Growth] skill to level 8, which I ended up refusing. But now that I have 10 skill points, I want to try to use everything on [Sticky Sap] which was currently at level 2.
Notice
Do you want to use 8 skill points to raise the [Sticky Sap] skill to level 10? Yes / No
''Only 8? Then fine! Yes!!''
Notice
The skill [Sticky Sap] reached level 10 and evolved into the epic skill [Trap Sap].
Skill
[Trap Sap] - Lv 1 Use Sp to create a sap that is not soluble in water and hardens up quickly when touched, the skill can be used on the entire body.
''What a complicated skill... Soluble in water?... You mean it doesn''t melt in water? Why is it important....'' Using the skill, I can see that the cost is much higher than before, and the color of this sap is more yellowish, but it must be a better skill than the previous one.
The new skill is really cool, I can use it on leaves, branches, and roots, anywhere on my body goes! And most importantly, the sap works great for catching some bugs! The sap didn''t seem to stick at first, because the insects came, touched it, licked it, and left. But after a while I always got some XP for killing the insect, and after a few days I was able to see what happened. The insect that was smeared with the sap would begin to move, and soon the sap would harden more and more, becoming stickier, heavier, and soon making the movement of the insects impossible, killing them quickly. I''ve been killing insects for a long time, and I reached level 8, gaining 5 more skill points, giving me a total of 7 skill points. Which now I wanted to useto gain a new skill for me. So that''s what I did.
Notice
Do you want to use 7 skill points to gain a new random skill? Yes / No
''Yes!!''
Notice
You gained the commom skill: Moisture Manipulation
Skill
[Moisture Manipulation] - Lv 1 Manipulates soil moisture levels using Mp to create optimal conditions for plants to growth.
''A skill that consumes Mp?? Cool!! I can''t wait to use it!'' Activating the skill, I can feel my Mp reserves being slowly drained, and I can feel that the area near my roots has started to become slightly more humid, but nothing really impressive. ''It''s something.''
Tree Year 3 Recently I reached level 10, I gained 20 skill points as a bonus, and now I have 30 skill points to use as I wish. In recent times I have been adding more and more water to the land around me, and nothing has happened yet, the land around me seemed dry and desolate like everything else, the difference was that I could feel that below the ground there was soft earth and damp, and even a little mud. I''ve grown a lot in recent times, and I can even see some mountains on the horizon, my branches have grown a lot and I have lots and lots of flowers and leaves to cheer me up. My skills [Root Growth], [Photosynsis] and [Blooming] have reached level 5, and I have achieved level 3 in [Nutrient Absorption]. A skill that I could barely use, I only used it to eat the gifts left by the birds, and the remains of insects left on the ground. Another Mr. Bluebird started using Mr. Bluebird''s house that disappeared some time ago, now I have 2 Mr. Bluebirds who live in this house, 1 lives inside it sitting, and the other stays outside all day long, just bringing things to the bird that sits. I didn''t want the bird gentlemen to go away again, and the big bird that eats the little birds worried me, and the long smooth creature worried me too, so I wanted something that could help the bird gentlemen. That''s why I decided to spend my 30 skill points to try a new skill.
Notice
Do you want to use 30 skill points to gain a new random skill? Yes / No
''Yes!''
Notice
You gained the epic skill: Thorny Darts
Skill
[Thorny Darts] - Lv 1 Use Sp to create a spike that can be thrown quickly from anywhere on your trunk.
''Cool! This looks very useful!'' Testing the skill, I see that it takes a lot of time to create a thorn, and when it is ready, but when it is finally ready I try to throw it away.
Notice
You need to use 1 Sp Point to shoot the thorn, do you want to continue? Yes / No
''What? In addition to spending Sp to do it, do I still need to use it to throw it? It doesn''t seem fair... But it''s okay.'' Accepting the request, the thorn simply flew quickly in the direction it was growing rapidly until I lost sight of it. ''Damn... I spent a lot of Sp for this?'' It was all I could think of at the time. But now I could still use it to protect the Bluebirds.
In the last few days I''ve been creating several thorns all over my trunk, and whenever something I didn''t like came close I threw them. I managed to throw some quills at a big bird and it went away, but I still saw it around here from time to time. I also threw the thorns at larger creatures that tried to climb up my trunk, and that always made them run away. The bluebirds were watching over the smaller birds, and I really enjoyed their company. The bird that stayed at home sang every day to the little birds, while the bird that watched the house looked for food. They ate my berries and the insects they found around, one day I saw the blue bird digging the ground with its feet to dig up an armored insect, it was really cool. My work with [Moisture Manipulation] started to bear fruit, as I could feel that there were dozens of insects moving between my roots, some were gnawing on my roots, which hurt a little, and others were just using them as hiding places, but I could feel little creatures moving among the damp earth.
The little blue birds turned into blue birds! There were 5 bluebirds in the birdhouse and the other 2 bluebirds were gone. I didn''t understand why they left. They had food, and shelter, so why did they abandon me again? But I still had the 5 blue birds. That was until I looked and saw that they began to flap their wings frantically, until the first bird jumped from the house onto a nearby branch. ''Where are you going?'' That was all I could ask myself, but the bird just braced itself a little more and then flew away. Soon one more jumped out of the nest and did the same thing, flying to a branch and then flying away. ''Please, do not go.'' But the birds continued to go, one by one, until the last bluebird was left behind, just chirping as he tried to call someone. ''Stay with me please?'' The blue bird didn''t care, and yet like all the others it jumped onto a branch, fluffed its feathers, ate some fruit, and flew away, perhaps never to return. ''Why do I always end up alone?'' Lily''s Tale (Discarded version) - End
Lily''s Tale (Discarded version ch2) - Start Tree Year 4
Information
Name: ----- Level: 10
Gender: ---- Age: 10 Years
Hp: 64 Sp: 27
Mp: 1.3 Race: Soul Cedar Tree
Attributes
Str: 0.2 Vit: 6.8 Def: 3.6
Dex: 1.4 Spe: 0 Magic: 0.1
Hp Regen: 0.8 MpRegen: 0.01 Luck: 0.2
Skills
Skills Points: 0
[Root Growth] - Lv 7 Use seu Sp para criar raizes
[Nutrient Absorption] - Lv4 Absorva nutrientes de materias decompostas de forma pacifica
[Photosynsis] - Lv 7 Use agua e nutrientes para criar Sp
[Bloom] - Lv 7 Crie flores que podem dar origens a frutos
[Growth] - Lv 4 Use Sp para aumentar seu tamanho
[Floral Fragrance] - Lv 6 Add varied scents to your flowers using Sp
[Trap Sap] - Lv 3 Use Sp to create a sap that is not soluble in water and hardens up quickly when touched, the skill can be used on the entire body.
[Moisture Manipulation] - Lv 4 Manipulates soil moisture levels using Mp to create optimal conditions for plants to growth.
[Thorny Darts] - Lv 3 Use Sp to create a spike that can be thrown quickly from anywhere on your trunk.
Some time had passed, and I managed to improve the level of my skills, but I couldn''t increase my own level, it seems that after level 10, it becomes much more difficult to evolve. Nowadays there is a small region around me that has moist land, with a little grass, completely covered with a red carpet of flowers. The place was very popular with the local animals, I was visited by insects that came after my fruits and shelter, birds that built houses on my branches, and small creatures that ate the fruits from the ground and rested in my shade. I used my thorns to keep creatures that tried to climb my trunk away, and I threw them at large, threatening birds, which made several creatures very comfortable near me. Just eating fruit off the ground, and digging holes near my roots. A few days ago I had a visit from a strange creature that seemed to be fully armored, had a cone nose and small eyes, and as soon as it ate some fruit and rested a little, it started digging a hole near my trunk. The thing now lived in a deep hole it had dug, living between my roots and a long tunnel. Just going out to eat once in a while.
More time had passed, now it was getting dark, and I was seeing some lights on the horizon. After a while these lights got closer and I could see bipedal creatures carrying a bunch of things approaching me. "Damn! Look at that! How did a tree end up growing in this place? Hey Jonny! Do you know what kind of tree that is?" asked one of the bipedal creatures with long hair. The other bipedal being that seemed to be Jonny just looked at me and approached, I felt tempted to throw my quills at him, but he was much bigger than anything that had ever threatened me before. This Jonny guy just looked at me as he ran his hand down my trunk, analyzed my thorns and marveled at my sap. "It seems to me to be an Acer tree, perhaps a desert variant. Because I''ve never seen a tree like that with thorns." Jonny looked at me and then threw his things on the floor. "Let''s sleep here tonight, it looks like a nice place to camp." Said the guy, who was accompanied by the other bipedal being. After a while the beings had set up what looked like a house, made a wheel of stones on the ground, and were smelling my fruits and flowers. "What a pleasant smell! I''ve never smelled anything like it before!" Said the being with long hair. "This is unexpected, normally Acers don''t have flowers of this shape and scent, am I wrong?" Said the other being who had longer ears. "Whatever, if it''s not a maple, the important thing is that it''s pretty, right? Are these fruits edible? They have a pleasant smell!" Said the being with long hair. Jonny took one of the fruits and analyzed it, he seemed very bothered by me, but I was even more bothered. "Yes, I''m sure they are edible, there are several bitten fruits, and even some gnawed seeds here, so the animals from this place must come here all the time to eat." Jonny said. While the big-haired being ate some fruits and kept others, this guy Jonny saw the hole in my roots, went over to him and started looking at him. "Britanny! I think this could be a Tantarus nest!" Said the being with long ears. "Really!?! How lucky! I wonder if there''s a Tantarus in there?! It would be really nice to be able to eat some meat!" "I''ll find out now..." As soon as the long-eared being said that, he took out a small bottle from his things, opened it and threw it into the hole, so I could feel the creature moving inside the hole, and then it ran out from there. It turns out that Jonny didn''t give it the opportunity to run, as he was already waiting for its arrival, and soon as Tantaru put his head out of the hole, he was hit with everything by a wooden club, crushing his head. "YAY! I''m going to light the fire! Today we''re going to eat Tantaru''s meat!! That''s it!!" Said Britanny. At the end of it all, the 2 bipedal beings opened Tantarus with a blade, buried its vices and then stuck it on a branch to cook it over the fire. They ate lots of fruit and meat before finally going to sleep. ''Who are you?'' Lily''s Tale (Discarded version - Ch3) - End
Lily''s Tale (Discarded Chapter) - Start Lotus Year 68 Something bad is happening, something very bad. I can feel it in the air and in the movement of the forest. The animals are hiding, the fish have fled to the bottom of the lake, and I can''t hear the birds singing, I can feel a cold that isn''t here and I feel an indescribable feeling of danger. Soon I can hear a big noise, like people marching or something. And before long I see a large amount of forest beasts running towards me. Before long they begin to trample the surrounding plant life in the lake, knocking down trees and killing everything in their path. Several animals fall into the waters of the lake in the midst of the chaos, which activates the anger of my elementals, but I make them remain silent due to the high number of animals. These animals continue to run, swim, jump, and fly away from the sun, and I can see several animals being trampled in the process. In the midst of all this, the waters of the lake were flooded with dirt and mud, animal blood and waste fell into the water, and large quantities of leaves began to be ripped up. The pain was horrible, so I took the initiative to cut the stems that connected me to the surface and ran to the bottom of the lake. After what seemed like hours, the sound of animals running and movements in the water began to calm down, so I slowly floated to the surface to be faced with a new horde of creatures coming towards me, these creatures had a completely unusual appearance. Being composed of varied animals like the old order, but with animals that were clearly rotten. Pieces of their bodies were missing, and a large amount of black goo came out of their open wounds, their eyes glowed with a witchy green light and wherever they passed the land became a lifeless land. When I saw this, my survival instincts started acting up like crazy, and I knew that this was a problem, a real problem. Everything the black goo touched died within seconds, and plants were no exception. ''Damn it!!! What the hell are these creatures?! What do I do?'' As the army of rotten animals got closer, all I could think about was trying to fight them so I sent my elementals and Earthward''s to fight, soon all the water elementals emerged from the lake and merged into a single elemental with the appearance of a catfish. Then the water elemental began to create dozens of small water bubbles and threw them towards the zombies, the problem was that even when their heads were pierced right in the forehead, the creatures didn''t stop moving. ''What the hell?! What are those things?!'' Soon the black zombies were close, even closer, and my Earthward''s began to turn the ground into quicksand, which worked for a few moments, until the Earthward ran out of mana and had to hide on the ground. The slime creatures didn''t stop, stepping over their allies buried in the ground and continuing their advance towards the lake. Upon seeing this, my water elemental conjured a large water tornado and launched it towards the army of creatures, but all the tornado could do was crush some rotten animals before dissipating. When my elemental was gathering more energy to make another attack, a unicorn-like creature appeared and launched a black beam from its broken horn, then the water elemental simply exploded, turning into water. At that moment, my axolotls bravely ran and tried to kill the black slime creatures, but unfortunately for them, when they bit the creatures, they were the ones who died, becoming part of the army of black slime creatures. ''HELLS!'' Seeing how easily the army of creatures had to kill all my helpers, I ran to the bottom of the lake with what was left of my axolotls and accompanied by Uchiki in tow. Soon I could see the top of the lake being stained with black goo that began to spread into the waters of the lake. As soon as the thing came into contact with the creatures in the lake, they died instantly and then rose again like zombie fish. When it touched my roots, the slime burned my roots and slowly killed everything it touched. Algae, roots, leaves, sponges, stems and flowers. Everything was dying, and I would die too if the goo got to me. ''DAMN IT!! ARGH IT BURNS!'' The feeling in my roots was as if they were slowly being burned and turned into nothing, I tried to purify the toxic substance from the water, but its quantity was astronomical. ''ArHGHAHAGH'' In the midst of despair and pain, I could see a large black smoke reaching me, and the taste of death permeating the water, when I looked to the sides I saw the fearful look of my axolotls and Uchiki, who was desperately trying to escape to some place. I found no place free from death anymore. ''I- NEED- TO RUN AWAY!'' In an act of utter desperation, I begin to create a small bubble of highly concentrated water and then force it into the lake floor. In my next move I cause the water bubble to expand rapidly creating a small explosion of water that creates a hole in the ground. Determined to survive, I cut all my roots and stems, leaving only my core intact and run into the hole where my axolotls and Uchiki were already waiting for me, as soon as I entered the hole I used what I had left of energy and consciousness to make alarge rock from the bottom of the lake fell onto the hole entrace, sealing it completely before the black smoke reached me. As the stone fell into the hole, I could feel my consciousness wavering, and a throbbing pain coming from where my roots once were. Everything was so dark that I couldn''t even see my surroundings, and I could only feel Uchiki hiding among my roots, and my axolotls clinging to me. As the pain increased and my consciousness wavered, I felt increasingly tired and sleepy, and soon I fell asleep even though I didn''t know if I was safe.
Lotus Year 68 When I woke up again, I could feel my HP low, without being able to do much, I tried to create a small lotus flower which soon blossomed to reveal a dim light that illuminated the hole. The first thing I saw was my axolotls and Uchiki clearly in a bad situation, I don''t know how long I slept, but the 2 were clearly starving, as Uchiki had lost a lot of fat, and my axolotls were partially dormant. Using what energy I have, I grow a small amount of algae on my stems, which Uchiki clearly appreciates. My axolotls then eat some too and continue to stay in a state of energy conservation. I lost a lot of things, my lake, my fish, my axolotls and parts of my body. All I managed to save were 3 small axolotls and Uchiki who took up a lot of space. The hole was about 3 meters high and 2 meters wide, so Uchiki could barely move, and I occupied almost 60% of the room. Trying to contact my Earthward''s I feel like only 1 survived, even though they buried themselves in the ground, which makes me think of the chaos that must be out there. Calling my Earthward to my position I can see a small earth lizard placing its head into the water filled hole while still keeping its body within the earth. ''Oh heavens, thank heavens that at least 1 Earthward survived'' As soon as I gave the order to my Earthward he began to excitedly dig the hole, until a small place 5 meters wide and 4 meters high was created, it wasn''t much, but still better than before, but this left my Earthward without mana forcing him to bury himself in the ground. ''Damn it!! I have no MP, no leaves, no roots, and no access to the outside world! How am I going to survive?!?'' The situation was desperate, and I was accompanied by Uchiki and my axolotls, so I couldn''t think of a way to survive it. Using my roots, I drill a little into the earth towards the lake, until I come across a thick layer of black earth polluted with rotten and poisonous energy. ''Damn it!'' The lake is compromised, and I don''t know how long this can last, it could take years or centuries before the lake is habitable again. Looking at my options, I came across [Blossom Rest] the skill would put me in a state of dormancy until everything got better, but to do that I would have to abandon my friends behind. Looking at my axolotls I knew I could always summon more of them, but the thought of leaving them to starve was still very upsetting to me, so if I had to do that, I would kill them. This would be the only way to spare them from a cruel fate of slowly starving to death in a hole. Uchiki was my main problem, he was my survival friend, and I didn''t want to be the person who took his life. After all, he just wanted the same thing as everyone else, to survive. That was the only thing Uchiki ever wanted. ''I''m sorry...'' Without letting myself be shaken, I create 3 small sheets of water that immediately separate the axolotls'' heads from their bodies, killing them instantly, and when I go to do the same thing with Uchiki I see him swimming to the bottom of the hole and creating a small hole, where then Uchiki begins to lay a large amount of eggs covered by a stranger gelly before dying. ''Uchiki...'' This was Uchiki''s choice, upon knowing that she would not survive, she left her next generation behind in my care and gave her life, just like that. With Uchiki''s sacrifice I could use her body as a source of nutrients for weeks, long enough for me to grow more roots and dig deeper into the rocky hard-to-dig soil. Using my water manipulation, I gently take the Uchiki eggs and roll them in a large amount of dirt, then remove all the water from the mud and gently place them inside my tangle of roots, as times get better, the descendants of Uchiki will become the new colonizers of the lake. After everything is ready, I start wrapping some roots in the cup of Uchiki and the axolotls, and absorb their nutrients to keep me alive, then as a last act I create some roots that penetrate the black and polluted earth of the lake. The burning sensation is distressing, but this is the only way to stay informed about the lake''s situation. After everything is ready, I activate my hibernation skill, and I feel myself getting heavier and sleepier, until I can no longer move my body and enter a deep sleep.
Lotus Year 70 When I woke up again, my entire surroundings were dark, and when I created a small lotus flower to serve as a lamp, I could see green waters full of slime, and large amounts of roots growing all over the place, my body felt tired and weak, and I could feel a great lack of nutrients and sunlight. ''Shit... how long was I blacked out?'' Looking closer, I could see a lot of bones scattered across the floor, bones that were probably once Uchiki, when analyzing the eggs that I kept inside me, I could see that the majority were still intact and preserved, although some had broken and dried. Expanding my roots out of the hole towards the lake, I was met with the same burning sensation as before, so I began to use my purification abilities. I could feel it working at certain points, but to my utter dismay the toxins absorbed by the roots were not being processed by my body efficiently, causing my roots to become poisoned black roots. Disconnecting from the roots, I realized that the situation was worse than I thought, so I needed a new plan. Extending another root out of the hole, I create a small water elemental that I can''t see, but I know is there, and I command it. ''Empty the lake, remove all the water.'' Sometimes it is better to destroy everything and redo it later, there is no way to save these waters, the best option is to discard everything and redo everything from scratch. As soon as it received my order the elemental began to move, I could feel it working, but I couldn''t see it. My mana was very low, and my production dropped drastically, so now I can only summon this little water elemental and wait for it to empty the lake. ''Time will heal all wounds.''
Lotus Year 71
Skills
[Roots Whiplash] - Lv 7 Create roots capable of purifying water and absorbing nutrients.
[Celestial Absorption] - Lv MAX Absorb the magical power of celestial bodies through the process of photosynthesis, generating MP and SP.
[Undine''s Embrace] - Lv 5 Use Mp to summon water-type elementals, the result of the summoning will depend on the sacrifice offered and the level of the host.
[Earthward Caller] - Lv 2 Use a catalyst and an Mp sacrifice to summon an Earthward that will follow your orders at the cost of SP.
[Lotus Blessing] - Lv 1 Bestow a blessing upon an allie that ncreased luck and fortune.
[Purified Wellspring] - Lv 2 Use MP and Sp to add magical properties to large amounts of water near you.
[Lily Pad Shield] - Lv 7 Create Lily Pads that can serve as resistant shields, Lily Pads cannot generate energy.
[Solar Beam] - Lv 1 Use a flower to generate a concentrated beam of energy capable of causing massive damage, the solar beam must be charged and its strength is limited by the intensity of sunlight.
[Serenity Blossom] - Lv 8 Use MP and SP to create flowers capable of emitting a hormone that calms and tranquilizes anyone who feels it.
[Toxic Bramble] - Lv 1 Create a small thorn trap that, if activated, will trap its victim with vines of poisonous thorns.
[Aquatic Allies] - Lv 6 Use Mp to summon a variety of aquatic creatures that can serve as your allies.
[Whispering Mist] - Lv 1 Conjures a misty veil that not only obscures vision of the target, but also imitates sounds that have already been heard by you.
[Lotus Light] - Lv MAX Use Mp to create a small light source in lotus flowers.
[Floral Flourish] - Lv MAX Makes plants around you grow faster.
[Pond''s Reflection] - Lv 7 Use Mp to reflect any image, as long you have viewed it before.
[Kelp Keep] - Lv MAX Use Sp to create small amounts of highly nutritious algae.
[Stormcaller] - Lv 3 Use large amounts of Mp to generate rain of intensity equivalent to the value offered.
[Enchanting] - Lv 1 Use large amounts of MP to add a random effect to an item.
[Illusory Reflection] - Lv 5 Use MP to create and maintain a mirror image of your target. The mirror image cannot cause physical damage.
[Mana Manipulation] - Lv MAX Makes your mana control more refined
[Blossom Rest] - Lv 1 Enter a state of hibernation after suffering large amounts of damage. While in this state, the host is immune to all status effects and gradually heals from injuries.
Over the past few years I have been carefully removing water from the lake with my water manipulation skills, and creating more elementals capable of helping me. The work was exhausting and harrowing, but over time I managed to remove a lot of dirty water from the lake. Then the rain came and filled some of the water again, but with each rain the poison concentration dropped more and more, so over time I was able to grow roots outside the hole and see the situation with my own "eyes". What I saw was a lake completely devoid of life and beauty, with large quantities of rotting corpses floating in the water and bones at the bottom of the lake. The water contained disgusting, stinking black slime, and the entire land was black and devoid of life. All I could do was start the treatment, creating more roots that purified the lake water slowly day by day. In a few years I managed to make the water habitable for my leaves, which gave me a greater generation of Mp and gave me a glimpse of the surface world. The place that was once a sanctuary for wildlife was now a dead field full of bisaro fungi that grew all over the place. Dead trees, bizarre plants, and balls of black slime were common throughout the place, and I could see what appeared to be clusters of black mushrooms growing all over the place. ''Disgusting.'' The entire place stank of death and rot, it was possible to see rotting corpses covered in black fungus that grew all over the place, and my lake was no exception. My water elementals used the water from the lake to create their bodies, which caused them to take the form of purple fish with bits of dirt floating inside their bodies. Once they were beautiful water elementals that were so transparent you could see through them but today they are made of a lot of dirty, poisonous water. ''Damn weird mushrooms.''
Lotus Year 74 More time passed, now the water in the lake was much better, I could still taste the poison in the water, and it was a little cloudy, but much better than the rest of the world. The land had to be purified, the stones, the water, and even the bones of the animals killed in the lake, everything was toxic. I had to create large quantities of sponges that within a few days died from poisoning, and needed to be removed from the lake to avoid contaminating the water. This process took all my time, MP and SP. Making me get into a fight against a bunch of black poison. The mushrooms that grew in this place were also frightening, the black mushrooms had the ability to generate more black slime, and they spread all over the place. So my only option was to uproot them and destroy them. I used my skills to summon daily rains that cleaned the ground, but even the rains didn''t do much. People may think that rain "purified" the earth, eliminating all dirt and poison. But in reality the rain just pushed all this poison to the deepest parts of the earth, creating super concentrated poisonous areas. My only option was to continue with this, I could worry about the poison later, now I needed to revitalize the land and purify my lake. Lily''s Tale (Discarded Chapter)
Lily''s Tale (Discarded Chapter) - Start Lotus Year 76 More time has passed, now the lake waters are habitable again, not the ideal situation, but still much better than living in a poisonous lake. The waters still had a cloudy tone and a bad smell, and I could smell high amounts of a substance in the water that I was unable to purify normally, this mysterious substance made the marine life in the lake unsustainable, fish, frogs, insects and anything else. , like algae and plants, nothing grew in the lake other than me. Even though I had to fight these mysterious substances every day, this stuff slowly killed my leaves and ate away at my roots, causing me to have to expend an absurd amount of energy every day to stay alive. The rains and purification helped a lot, but it was still a lot of poison for me to deal with, which made my life difficult. Uchiki''s eggs were drying up and dying, in a few years there will be none left and Uchiki''s legacy will die with them. I tried to create a small lake separate from my lake, a place where Uchiki''s descendants could survive, but the water wasn''t the problem, the land was. The earth is dirty with these black mushrooms and strange mycelium, after a while I realized that it was these strange mushrooms that were producing the mysterious substance that killed everything on earth. My only option was to wait longer, my roots were slowly purifying this strange substance, and as my helpers uprooted and killed the mushrooms in the region it was only a matter of time before the waters became habitable again. ''Please hold on a little longer'' Was all I could say to the pile of clay-rolled eggs inside my body.
Lotus Year 77 I discovered a utility for [Purified Wellspring], the skill is capable of creating magical water, but that''s the minus, the main power of the skill is that I can use any type of water to produce this magical water. This means that it doesn''t matter if I''m using pure water, muddy water, or water full of poison, the result will always be the same, magic water. This was a great discovery, because because of this the purification of the lake began to accelerate, the skill was capable of completely annihilating the mysterious substance that was in the water and leaving behind a glowing magical water. It took me years and years of work, but finally I started to feel that the lake was safe again to support life. So the first thing I did was unfold myself to expose the Uchiki eggs to the world, I took them to the bottom of the lake and gently placed them on top of the earth before using a little water to gently remove the top earth to reveal a few dozen eggs still intact. ''Grow and prosper.'' For my next action, I started creating large amounts of seaweed around the lake, and summoning some small axolotls, soon the lake started to show signs of life again but nothing compared to what it once was. While looking at Uchiki''s legacy I ended up finding a black stone at the bottom of the lake, and after analyzing it I discovered that it was one of my jewels. The jewel had been corrupted by the dark energy that contaminated the lake, and was now black as coal, but I didn''t feel any danger coming from it so I kept it close to me. When searching the lake, I was able to find several of these rocks, as well as of black bones, and what appeared to be several black teeth, were all collected and stored inside a hole at the bottom of the lake.
Lotus Year 79 Life began to prosper again, few descendants of Uchiki survived, but those who made it this far have now become the inhabitants of the lake. In the lake, Uchiki''s children began to grow, only a few members managed to hatch, but these few members would continue Uchiki''s legacy, I granted each of these fish a lotus blessing, and they all now had a small lotus flower. lotus in random places on the body. Each one also demonstrated different abilities in water manipulation, one group used it to swim faster, another to keep the axolotls away, and another group used a kind of shoal effect, creating a small current of water around them that prevented any predators from getting close. Marine life began to grow, and soon some frogs found the lake, and made it their new home, with that the cycle began again, frogs and fish became food for the birds, and the birds attracted other animals. The land around the lake was the only land for miles that supported life, but even so it was rare to see a wild animal. The water in the lake is almost 60% converted into magical water, which attracts a lot of attention, especially at night. The water did not shine during the day, but at night a small light show began, if it was left still the water remained completely transparent, but whenever the log moved with the movement of the fish or the wind, small sources of blue light began to shine. in the lake, generating a light show together with my bright leaves and flowers. I don''t like to draw attention, but I think it''s too late for that, I''m a lotus flower growing in the middle of a lake of crystal clear water, surrounded by undergrowth and animals, and I''m literally the only source of life in the middle of a dead desert full of black goo, so it''s pretty obvious that I''m attracting attention. The only solution to this was to summon a large fog that would hide me, but for that I would need amounts of MP that I can''t afford to spend at the moment, so my only choice was to feign ignorance and continue praying that no one would get to me.
Lotus Year 80 Sometimes I think I was very unlucky, the forest around me had disappeared, and with that my cover disappeared. The results of this were that I could clearly see the horizon of a dead forest, while I was the only living thing here for miles. And now I was having to deal with a group of travelers. The members of this group were wearing an overcoat made of black fabric, and through the undercoat I could see thin, dirty-looking people. When they got close to the lake, all the fish immediately hid, not even letting them catch a glimpse of them, but the travelers paid no attention to this and began to fall on their knees at the edge of the lake and drink the water desperately. I could see some of the hooded figures taking off their hoods to reveal a bunch of women, these women were of varying ages and seemed not to be the same species, as there was a lady with animal features, some humans, a child with rabbit ears, and some people with reptilian characteristics. They all started to leave their things on the ground and started talking to each other, soon I could see a large woman coming to the lake and looking closely at the bottom of it while looking for something. Soon she looked disappointedly at the other women and said something, they were all visibly upset, I think they were looking for food, but unfortunately for them all the fish in the lake were descendants of the biggest sneaky coward I''ve ever seen. The women began to argue among themselves, and looked at me, they then spoke to the wolf lady and then some women took off their coats to enter the lake. They then dived into the lake and headed towards my roots. When they found some potato-like roots, they took a knife from their waist and started cutting everything they could. The pain was a nuisance, but nothing I''ve ever felt worse, and I can understand their reasons, they are clearly hungry, and need something to eat, anything. Soon the women who dived into the lake emerged again carrying a bunch of potato-like roots, which generated great joy among several other women. So they started to make a small improvised camp near the lake, a woman with red hair created a small flame that created a fire pit, and the other women started setting up tents and cooking roots. I could see them taking down my roots and breaking them in half, and to their surprise, inside the roots there were impressive amounts of water that started gushing out as soon as they made a hole in the roots. The girls didn''t mind this, and in fact they were happy, so one girl drank the water from the root and said something to the wolf lady that made everyone happy. Soon they cut several roots and roasted them on the fire, I could see an older girl singing the children to sleep after eating, and the wolf lady taking a large book out of a backpack. Soon the other girls began to get up and draw a large circle with various strange symbols around their camp, then I could see them all gathering in the center of the circle and then the wolf lady cut her palm with a knife that was passed on. Soon all the girls lightly cut their palms and held hands to each other in a circle, then they started to emit a bunch of strange words before the magic circle around them started to glow. Soon their camp was bathed in an invisible veil, which made them all disappear, but looking directly and concentrated in that direction I could see things like cracks in the air and regions trembling. ''An illusion? How do you create that kind of spell?''
As the day dawned, the illusion cast over the camp faded, and soon the women woke up and began discussing their next steps. Soon I could see them doing some kind of vote and starting to work, they started going towards the dead trees in the forest and tried to get everything they could, until a girl found remains of Green''s camp and started exploring it. The camp had already been completely degraded, all that was left were the remains of a small earthen wall, and some stone statues fallen and scattered across the ground. The girl tried her best to find something useful in the middle of the camp but nothing was found. Soon all the women gathered together again and started talking to each other, the children were running the camp while the adults discussed the next course of action. The girls began to argue until one of the women pointed to the lake and said something, then a large girl ran to the lake with a small cracked glass jar, and collected some water. She ran back to the wheel, and handed the water to the wolf lady, the lady then looked directly into the water and was amazed at how the water gave off an ethereal blue glow as she shook the glass. ''Damn, if they try something funny I need to be prepared.'' I started to put my water elementals on alert, and to warm up my water manipulation, but soon I could see that the wolf woman just took some dried herbs from the bag and threw them into the flask, then started shaking it until the The entire liquid turned a deep teal blue. The wolf lady seemed excited about this, so she vigorously walked to the lake and started looking at it. She looked at the lake and then at me, looked at the roots that grew all over the place and leaves that dominated the surface of the lake. And she said something to the girls next to her. ''Was I discovered?'' The girls then began to bring a large book close to the lake, and began to resound a type of incantation, all holding hands while the wolf lady read the book. Soon a large amount of water began to rise to the sky, and rotate intensely until the figure of a woman completely made of water appeared over the lake. After what appeared to be a high-level water elemental appeared, I saw the women panting with fatigue and sweating coldly, while the elemental just looked at them and said something in a strange language. The wolf girl then asked the greater elemental for something, and the girl made of water looked intrigued at the water fountain that was above her. The large water elemental then turned into a stream of water and mixed with the lake, I could feel it searching every inch of the lake until it came across my main body. The elemental then began to get close, but soon several small currents of water formed around it and began to shoot sheets of water. The elemental was very surprised, and just made a gesture with her hand that made all my elementals dissolve into water instantly. ''Damn it! Do you have any idea how much these guys cost?!'' Soon the elemental got very close to me, and then I started to feel scared, she then fired a large blast of water towards me, but as soon as the blast of water touched me it was completely nullified. The elemental was totally intrigued by this, and she created a large bubble of water that spun rapidly, creating a large tornado of water in the lake and then threw it at me with a scowl. But just like the first attack, this one was also completely canceled when it touched my body, causing me no damage whatsoever. The elemental was furious, and began to say something in a strange language, but soon realized that she would not get any response. In response, all she gained was a small beam of light that instantly pierced her body from behind. Annoyed, she turned to see a small lotus flower that was already charging another beam of energy, but before she could make an attack on it the water pressure suddenly increased tremendously, pushing her to the bottom of the lake, soon a current of water furiously began to circulate her body of water and squeeze it in a strong arm, then several other small lotus flowers with small balls of light began to appear around the elemental. Unable to react, the elemental was soon shot by several small beams of light, but even so, its body did not disintegrate into water, so after a few seconds the elemental let out a scream of anger and began to create a large tornado of water inside the body. lake. Soon everything started to spin, as if the entire lake was going down the drain, my body remained firmly in place, completely rooted to the bottom of the lake, but my leaves had already been ripped off and lost by then. The furious elemental then began to create a small bubble of water, Lily''s Tale (Discarded Chapter) - End
PS: Don''t bother sending hearts to this, they are all discarded chapters, and I certainly won''t correct them. Chapter 85: All of Us "Wrong. Do it again." Morthak intoned with icy precision, his voice devoid of warmth. "But" "Again." The single word cut through my protest like a blade, leaving no room for argument. Swallowing my frustration, I clenched my teeth and began anew. With trembling fingers, I traced the circle in the air, my movements deliberate and painstaking. As I worked, my concentration sharpened to a razors edge, willing mana to flow into intricate circuits and runes within the forming spell. The effort clawed at my reserves, leaving me drained. Memorizing runes and circuits had seemed an insurmountable task before, but now? That was childs play compared to the oppressive weight of this exercise. The spell itself resisted completion, as though the universe conspired to stifle it. Or perhaps it wasnt the universeit was him. Morthak, the heartless old tyrant, watched impassively, his skeletal staff clutched in one hand. His aura seeped into the air like a miasma, thick and suffocating. This wasnt ordinary energy; it was a deliberate force, a crushing presence that unraveled my spells at their very core. After what felt like an eternity, the circle finally took shape. It flickered, unstable, as if it might disintegrate at any moment. Then, with a faint hum, the runes blazed to life. The spell collapsed inward, leaving behind a tiny, flickering orb of lightno brighter than a dying ember. "Hmm. Youve managed to produce something." Morthaks voice was an infuriating blend of condescension and mild approval. "A 1st-tier spell. Not remarkable, but given the conditions, Id say... passable." I glared at him, my chest heaving as sweat dripped from my brow. "How do you expect me to cast anything with... with that thing you''re doing to the air?!" "Ha!" Morthaks laughter was dry and brittle, like old parchment crumbling in the wind. "Girl, this ''thing'' is [Negative Field]. A 5th-tier spell designed to suppress low-level mages. Most wouldnt even be able to light a candle within its reach." He slammed his staff against the ground, and the oppressive field around us thickened, pressing against my skin like a leaden blanket. I stared at him, incredulous. "And what good is it to cast spells under this? Why not just teach me to dispel it?" Morthak smirked, his hollow eyes glinting with something like amusement. "Dispel it? Hah! The simplest way to end a spell is to kill the caster. But thats not the point. Training in the [Negative Field] forces you to adapt, to innovate. You dont grow by mastering the easy; you grow by enduring the impossible. You, girl, have the raw talent to overcome this. But talent is nothing without fire forged by struggle." Before I could respond, he struck the ground again. The impact sent a shudder through the earth, and from the soil erupted bones, cloaked in a sickly green mist. They clattered together with an unholy resonance, assembling themselves into humanoid shapes. Soon, a row of skeletal figures stood before me, their empty eye sockets glowing faintly. My heart raced. "What... What is this now?" "A challenge." Morthak replied coldly. "If one of them so much as touches you, you fail and start over. Your task is to destroy thembut only with magic." His tone left no room for negotiation. I staggered back, panic creeping into my voice. "Wait! Im not ready for" His staff struck the ground once more, and the skeletons surged forward with jerky, unnatural movements. The first swung at me, its bony fingers slicing through the air. I barely dodged, tripping over my own feet and crashing to the ground. Pain shot through my palms as they scraped against the dirt. Before I could scramble up, cold, skeletal hands clamped around my ankle, their grip like iron. Morthaks laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. "Ha! Not even thirty seconds! Perhaps I overestimated you." I wrenched my leg free and shot him a glare. "You shameless, miserable old" "Enough." he snapped. "Resetting. Three... two... one..." The skeletons returned to their positions, unnervingly precise. "Nowait! Please!" "Begin."
How long have I been at this? The thought flickered through my mind, bitter and sharp, as the crimson hues of the setting sun bathed the battlefield in an eerie light. My body ached, my movements sluggish as I narrowly dodged the skeletons jagged strike. Its bony fingers swiped through the air, missing by inches. With a strained breath, I cast a simple spell[Rock Throw]. A jagged pebble materialized in my hand, its weight almost laughable, and I hurled it at the skeletons knee. The impact bent the joint grotesquely backward for a brief moment, slowing it just enough to give me hope, but then... snap! It returned to its original state, as if mocking my feeble attempt. Damn it! I cursed aloud, my voice cracking under the weight of my frustration. Theyre skeletons, girl, Morthaks gravelly voice cut through the dusk, rich with condescension. He stood not far away, his ancient staff planted firmly in the dirt, his expression as immovable as stone. No joints to break, no muscles to fatigue, and no stamina to drain. Theyll keep coming as long as my mana holds. Damn it! Damn it! My thoughts spiraled in a storm of panic and despair. That old, wretched tyrant expects me to manage this?! My legs trembled as the skeletons advanced, relentless and unyielding. The most exercise Ive ever done is pacing the hive, and that wasnt even daily! How am I supposed to focus enough to cast anything stronger than this? I A voice interrupted my chaotic thoughts, soft but insistent. Queen Mother... are you alright? We can stop this. Just say the word! Emis presence in the link was like a cool breeze, but even her concern couldnt pierce the haze of fear gripping my chest. I The words caught in my throat. That moment of hesitation cost me dearly. A skeletons jagged blow connected with my side, sending me sprawling to the dirt. Pain exploded through my ribs as Morthaks voice boomed over the chaos. Again! His command was merciless. I curled into myself, knees hugged to my chest, trembling. Tears stung my eyes, mixing with the dirt on my cheeks. I cant do this... Ive never had to endure anything like this. If I defy him, he might hurt the hiveor worse. What do I do? Ho ho ho, whats this? Giving up already? Morthaks cruel laughter grated against my ears, taunting me. Yes! I snapped, my voice shaking with exhaustion. Im done! This is pointlessexhausting! I cant keep going! Pathetic. Morthak sneered, rolling his shoulders. You cant even fend off two low-level skeletons. Do you honestly think youll survive out there? A weakling like you? How have you made it this far? Im not a fighter! I shot back, forcing myself to stand, though my legs wobbled beneath me. Im a support! I help others fight betterI dont fight head-on! What a convenient excuse for failure, he replied with a smirk, his tone dripping with scorn. Even scribes know how to wield a knife in desperation. But you? No technique. No focus. No balance. Youre a disgrace when it comes to survival. His words cut deeper than any blade, but I refused to back down. I dont need to fight! I shouted. Im a creatora thinker! I make tools, spells, weapons! Im not some soldier marching to war! Morthaks grin twisted into something darker. Then let me teach you a lesson in reality. He raised his staff, green smoke curling from its tip like a living serpent. It snaked along the ground, wrapping around the skeletons. The air grew heavier, a sickly-sweet smell of decay invading my senses. The skeletons froze for a moment, their erratic movements replaced by something unnervingly deliberate. They straightened, their hollow eyes glowing faintly as they turned toward me with newfound purpose. What... whats happening? My voice quivered, the words barely audible. Morthak chuckled, low and menacing. New rule: survive. If you wont push yourself, Ill push you. Lets see how far your breaking point truly lies. The skeletons charged. Their attacks were sharper, faster, more coordinated. I stumbled backward, dodging as best I could, but thencrack! A bony fist collided with my jaw. White-hot pain radiated through my skull, blinding me. I hit the ground hard, my head spinning, blood dripping from my nose. Through blurred vision, I saw them closing in, fists raised for another strike. The hives collective rage screamed through the link, their fury like a storm battering my mind. But it was no comfort. Physical pain was unyielding, a reality I couldnt escape. I rolled through the snow to avoid the skeletons, clumsily standing up and struggling to catch my breath. I tried to call out to Morthak, to beg him to stop, but I wasn''t fast enough. The skeletons cornered me again, kicking and punching without mercy. Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, I activated my skill [Crystal Fur], followed by [Spectral Shardage] and [Crystalline Energy Veil]. These skills bought me a moment to think. As soon as the abilities took effect, the skeletons around me began to emit magenta smoke. Their bones seemed to evaporate slowly while small crystals pelted their bodies, causing visible damage. Seeing this, the skeletons retreated, but to my horror, as soon as they left the area of effect, the green smoke surrounding their forms began to heal them. Cracks, dents, and even holes in their bones vanished as if they had never existed. "Damn it, damn it! This isnt training anymoreits just a beating! What does he want from me?! I cant do this. I cant" Ive always been the type to give up easily. If something doesnt work, I stop trying. Sometimes it feels like a sign from the universe, you know? If things dont go your way, maybe its better to just let go. Ive done it beforegave up my basic principles to start a hive, stopped hunting bigger creatures when the risks outweighed the rewards. I even gave up my home, running away when things got hard. I left the kobolds behind, abandoned the place Id spent years building and calling home. I fled like the coward I am. And truthfully? I dont regret it. A living coward is better than a dead hero. But at some point, I stopped trying altogether. When did that happen? Was it when I gave up brewing potions to appease the hive? When I let my people suffer for the sake of others? Or when every idea, invention, and project I tried ended in failure? Im weak. I need someone to protect me. The boys need me, but I dont know if Im strong enough to be there for them. What does that make me? Useless? A quitter? A liar? Or just someone too aware of her limits? My body hurts, my mind is exhausted, and Im so angry! Fear and frustration swirl together in this hollow pit that has taken over my thoughts. I want to give up so badly, but Morthak wont let me. He keeps pushing me with these hellish lessons, ignoring my exhaustion. Its like hes trying to break me completely. What did I do wrong? Why does it always have to be me? Why cant I have one damn moment of peace? "Mom? Are you okay?" The sound of a familiar voicea chorus of themcut through my spiraling thoughts. I looked up and found myself in an empty, endless space. Snow fell from the black void above, but when it touched the ground, it vanished as if it had never existed. My body ached, covered in mud, dirt, and scratches. I was trembling from exhaustion, barely holding myself together. In front of me, floating in the void, was a small ball of golden light, surrounded by whispers. Words echoed softly, overlapping yet distinct: Mom? The voices repeated, growing louder, each one tinged with concern. I struggled to my feet, each movement agonizingly slow, and stepped toward the light. The ground beneath me was a dark, wet surface that rippled like water with every step. It reflected my image back at mea miserable, broken figure. But the sight wasnt entirely real. It felt distant, like it belonged to someone else. As I approached the ball of light, it began to tremble. Thin, golden threads emerged from its surface, reaching out and connecting to me. They spread further, latching onto the void, weaving an intricate web that filled the space with a breathtaking pattern of glowing lines. For the first time that day, I felt at peace. No one was trying to kill me. No one was pushing me to work harder than I could bear. For once, I had nothing to worry about. It might not last long, but I really, really needed to stop. Even if just for a second. Ahaaa~ "Mom? Are you okay? You look so tired. What can we do for you?" The voices spoke in perfect harmony, resonating through the glowing lines around me. As they spoke, the threads lit up, filling the space with a mesmerizing lattice of sparkling light. It was then that I realizedthese threads were a manifestation of the link between me and the boys.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Touching the lines, I could instantly discern who was on the other side. Though thousands of identical threads surrounded me, tangled and intertwined, I could never, ever mistake one for another. "Ah, my boys Thank you. Mommy is just frustrated. Its hard to learn anything from Morthak." "We must expel him! We must hurt him like he hurt you! Nohe deserves to die. They all deserve to die. We failed you" "No!" I interrupted, my voice firm but gentle. "Dont do anything foolish. My children, you are smarter than that. You know when a tree is too big to cut down. We cannot, and will not, touch Morthak. His methods may be brutal, but in his own way, he is just trying to help." "He doesnt do this to help!" The swarms voice boiled over in unison. "He wants our knowledge. He wants our magic. He wants to take you from us!" "No, thats not it." I said, trying to calm their anger. "Hes not doing this for the [Node], or out of curiosity. He was already planning to help before he even knew about us. Hes just strange. Sometimes, I like to think hes a nice guyby the standards of this world, at least." "Hes a monster! An emotionless corpse!" they countered. "Maybe, but were not much better." I admitted. "I just I want to stop. To give up trying. But I cant. He wont let me stop." "The Queen Mother should not be forced into anything!" The swarm''s voices grew louder, more agitated. "He is a direct threat to the hive! We need to kill him, kill him now, no matter the cost!" "No!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "I already said no! I cannot lose you. Any of you. You are my responsibility. No one will die as long as I live!" "But" "THERE ARE NO BUTS!" My scream reverberated through the room of wires, causing the threads to ripple violently before silence fell over everything. "Let me help, then." A familiar voice echoed softly through the link. I turned toward the voice and saw a golden thread, brighter and steadier than the rest. Without a doubt, it was Hans. As always, he came to my aid when I needed him most. "Hans, dear, there is nothing you can do. This is my fightmy training." "No." he replied firmly. "Everyone fights for the Queen. It is our sacred duty and privilege to come when called. I will protect you from any and all pain I can. I am Hans, the first of thousands, the eldest son of the illustrious Queen of the hive. All who dare to harm you will be crushed by meby all of us." "Ha ha Thank you, dear. But what can be done at this point?" "All for one. Thats what we are." another voice chimed in. It was Steve. "Ill tell you what were going to do. Were going to show this walking corpse what happens when you poke a hive." As he spoke, I noticed the threads around me beginning to move. They wrapped around each other, merging into thicker and stronger strands. Soon, they began twisting around my body. My skull felt like it was about to explode. So much information. So many visions. So many experiences. It all surged through me like a tidal wave, overwhelming my mind. I felt the link changingnot in a bad way, but in an entirely new way. The thousands of threads intertwined into a single, thick rope, forging a connection unlike anything I had ever felt. After what seemed like hours, I found myself in a blank void. Around me, the room was white and featureless. I tried to look at myself but saw nothingno body, no form. It was as if I were a disembodied consciousness floating in the emptiness. Slowly, the white void began to shift and change, taking on the shape of a room filled with hundreds of books. They were scattered across the floor, lining ancient shelves that were covered in roots and black thorns. The place seemed full of old furniture, claimed by time. The floor was uneven, with weeds and stones scattered across, puddles forming from leaks in the ceiling. Several broken windows let in the wind, and random objects lay scattered about. But I didnt care about the room. For some reason, I felt like I had something important to do. I stood up and started walking through the strangely familiar space, until I found myself standing before a massive, rustic wooden doorover 10 meters tall and set into stone walls. The door was carved with the image of a woman with short hair holding an orb in her hands, surrounded by hundreds of eyes, roughly etched into the wood. Without needing to do anything, the enormous door opened as I approached. Stepping inside, I found myself in a hall of infinite proportions. The entire space appeared to be a floating island in an endless void, bathed in golden light. Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and a blood-red sun hung, half-hidden, behind them. The floating island seemed to be a garden, with thousands of rainbow-colored clove-like flowers in full bloom. The place was filled with humanoid figures, all identical in shape and size, their blank white forms standing motionless as if waiting for me. I walked across a stone bridge, passing through the garden, and reached the islands center, where several abstract figures stood near a large water mirror. They gazed into it lazily, as if watching something, but I didnt understand what it was. I looked into the water mirror myself and saw Morthak. He was staring directly at me, muttering something before sending his skeletons in our direction. As they drew near, one of the figures by the mirror whispered something. Instantly, my body moved on its own, gracefully evading the slow, clumsy advances of the skeletons as though engaged in a strange, uncoordinated dance. Morthak watched for a moment, a smirk crossing his face as he said, I see, I see, finally, before striking his staff on the ground and summoning two more skeletons. Now, four skeletons surrounded me, trying to grab me. But I danced around them effortlessly, dodging their every move. After a while, I felt it was time to strike back. More voices whispered through the link, and my body began to form a spear from the roots on the battlefield. I used it to trip one of the skeletons, smashing its legs and sending it crashing to the ground. Without wasting time, I drove the spear into its skull, but it didnt stop moving. So, I summoned more roots, growing them from the spear, crushing and pinning the skeleton to the ground. Morthak clapped slowly, clearly impressed, his mischievous smile widening. Then, the remaining skeletons began to change form. One turned into a bone spider, moving with astonishing speed, camouflaging itself in the snow. Another became a bone viper, slithering into the ground and vanishing from sight. The last turned into a bone vulture, its skeletal wings flapping as it soared into the air, with green energy swirling around it. The bone spider leaped toward me with alarming speed, but I was ready. The ground beneath me trembled, and a deep fissure split open. The spider fell into it, struggling to regain its balance. Before it could, two massive earth hands emerged from the sides of the crater and slammed down, burying the spider in the dirt. Before I could celebrate the victory, the bone viper struck, lunging at my ankles. But I was faster. With a quick movement, I dodged the vipers strike and crushed its skull with my root spear. Even with its head shattered, the viper continued to writhe, refusing to die. I conjured a floating bubble of acid and threw it at the creature. The viper melted instantly, its body dissolving into the snow. The bone vulture, still in play, began flinging bone feathers at me. They were sharp, like razors, designed to tear into flesh. HA! Girl, I knew you were something, but this! Now thats what Im talking about. Lets make things a little more difficult, yeah? Morthaks voice rang out, filled with sick amusement. With a slam of his staff, the eye sockets of his staffs skull began to glow with green smoke, and the crystal ball in its jaw pulsed with light. The battlefield was soon filled with guttural, otherworldly whispers. "We already told you, we want to stop." we said. "HAHA! And what did I say before, girl? I''m gonna push you to your breaking point!" Morthak replied playfully, undeterred as his strange spell continued. "It''s no use. You won''t listen to us, and you''ll do whatever you want anyway. Talking is useless." We entered combat stance. "HAHAHA! VERY GOOD! VERY GOOD! It''s been so long since I''ve had this much fun!" Morthak''s macabre laughter filled the air as he raised his staff high and slammed the tip into the ground. Green cracks radiated from Morthak''s staff, spreading across the ground. Soon, the earth split open, forming a massive green crater filled with thick smoke. From the heart of the crater, a spectral figure began to risea giant dried mummy, adorned with countless golden accessories. Crowns, necklaces, belts, rings, earrings, and pendants gleamed in the eerie light. The mummy crawled slowly from its tomb, revealing a macabre figure more than five meters tall. Despite lacking lungs, it took a deep breath, and with it, a high-pitched, guttural cry filled the air. From the ground, bones of every size, shape, and texture began to emerge, cloaked in a swirling green smoke. The bones darted through the air and began to merge with the body of the bone vulture. As the transformation took place, the once small and plain bird grew into a monstrous creaturea massive bird of bone and green smoke. The mummy, now little more than an illusion, faded away, turning into swirling green smoke that flowed toward the vulture. The transformation completed, and green flames ignited in the vultures eyes. A guttural squeak echoed from its throat. "[Specter Summons: The Lord of Sorrow]." Morthak announced with a wicked grin. "HAHAHAHA! One of my favorites! Let''s see how you handle this!" We steeled ourselves, locking our gaze on the bone vulture soaring overhead. We quickly started planning how to destroy the creature. But thenwithout warningit vanished. In an instant, it turned into a blur and disappeared from sight. A primal sense of danger surged through usthe same feeling we had when facing Morthak himself. We forced our body to react instinctively, dodging just as the vulture reappeared. The only thing we felt was a strong gust of air passing by us. As we watched, the vulture, its eyes glowing with fiery light, opened its wings like a parachute. From its wings, a rain of bone feathers began to fall toward us. Reacting quickly, we conjured a bubble of acid, spreading it across the sky to form a wall of super-corrosive liquid. As the feathers hit the liquid, they lost their speed and began to melt away, disintegrating in the acid. Realizing its attack had failed, the vulture opened its beak wide, releasing a barrage of energy skulls that rocketed toward us. A sudden sense of danger gripped us. We jumped aside just in time, narrowly avoiding the skulls. But to our horror, the skulls altered their trajectory and began to chase us. We hit the ground on our knees, placing our hands on the earth. Drawing upon all our magical energy, we channeled it into the soil. As the skulls closed in, they seemed to detonate upon striking the ground, summoning an earth golem with strange proportionsa towering figure with a golden crystal in place of a face. The golem absorbed the energy skulls effortlessly, its massive body protecting us. It then turned toward the vulture and began lumbering forward, its steps slow but determined.
[Notice]
You have learned the spell, [Golem Call], Do you want to add this spell to the [Spells] list?
"Impressive..." Morthak''s slow clap echoed through the air. "Are you a [Summoner]? Or perhaps a [Golemancer]? No matter your answer... Your golems big, sure, but its terribly weak." As the words left his mouth, the bone vulture soared from the sky, its wings folding in as it spiraled downward like a living projectile. The creature descended with terrifying speed, its sharpened talons outstretched, and before the earth golem could even register the danger, the vultures claws tore into its rocky body. It seized the golden crystal embedded in the golem''s face, and in a matter of moments, the golem collapsed into a heap of crumbling dirt. But then, something unexpected happened. The crystal, now gripped by the vultures talons, began to burn the birds claw. With a screech of agony, the vulture let go, flapping wildly, trying to shake off the molten pain searing its limb. Its talon, half-melted, fizzed and bubbled as it hovered in the air, seething with frustration. Morthak raised an eyebrow. "What kind of strange magic is this?" he muttered, a hint of curiosity now creeping into his voice. It became clear, then, what the vultures weakness was: Life Magic. But using it here, especially near an outsider like Morthak, was dangerous. Still, the threat was too real to ignore, too urgent. The dilemma tugged at us, gnawing away at our minds like an invisible predator. As the decision churned inside us, the figures in white surrounding the courtyard began to stir, whispering their disagreements, each voice clashing like a thousand discordant notes. In that moment, we were paralyzed, unable to move until an agreement could be reached. But just as the vulture began its dive again, a reflection in the pool caught our attention, its ripples distorting the image of the predator coming toward us. Instinct took hold. We jerked our body out of the way, stumbling, and the collective realization spread through us, drawing our focus back to the battle. The courtyard seemed to tighten, the air heavy with the tension of a hundred unseen forces. The vulture screeched, its beak splitting the air as it released a barrage of energy skulls, each one hissing with deadly intent. Without thinking, we leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the skulls that rocketed toward us. But the vulture wasnt finished. The skulls swerved mid-flight, their trajectories shifting, now locked onto us, homing in on our every move. Desperation surged through us as we fell to our knees, hands pressed into the earth. Magic pulsed through our veins, and with a roar that resonated in our chest, we flooded the soil with our energy. The skulls hit the ground, detonating in bursts of violent magic. From the dust and chaos, a golemstrange in its proportions, its face a blank golden crystalemerged, towering over us. With ease, it absorbed the incoming barrage, its massive form an unyielding wall. It turned toward the vulture, then began its lumbering march, each step like the rumble of distant thunder. Morthak chuckled from behind us. "Impressive, but not enough. Your golems big, but its weak." The bone vulture screeched again, its wings snapping forward as it dove for the golem. It spun, closing in like a sharp blade. But this time, the golem did not fall. The vultures claws pierced the stone but met an unexpected resistance. A hiss of pain filled the air as the bird recoiled, and its claws, now scorching, released the crystal from their grip. The golem crumbled, scattering into a mound of dirt and rubble. Morthaks smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing as he observed the scene. "Fascinating... What kind of magic is this?" A shadow of realization fell over us: the vulture had stumbled upon something that even it couldnt resist. The crystala vessel for a life-giving forcehad burned it. With that knowledge, we steeled ourselves. Life Magic would be our answer. But there was a catch. It was dangerous to use it too close to Morthak. The weight of the decision lingered, but as the vulture turned toward us, preparing to strike again, we knew there was no other choice. We whispered into the water mirror before us, our fingers dragging through the air. Golden projectiles of magic[Mana Bullets]tore through the air, leaving trails of luminous light in their wake. The vulture disappeared in a flash of green smoke, only to reappear moments later. But it wasnt fast enough. The projectiles turned mid-flight, homing in on their target, and struck the bone vulture square in the back. At first, the damage seemed trivial, but thenlike a creeping sicknessthe moss, fungi, and slime began to consume the vulture. Its wingsonce strong and deadlybecame a twisted mass of roots and decaying growths, slowly being torn from its body. The vulture screamed, a horrified screech that echoed through the courtyard, but it was already too late. It fell to the ground, its body now a grotesque patchwork of fungus and moss, as though it were an ancient tree rotting in a forgotten forest. With trembling wings, it struggled, but the decay was relentless. It flapped weakly, scraping at its back with its beak, tearing itself apart in the process. The green smoke that billowed from its body began to burn brighter, the magic of life that had once poisoned it now fueling its desperate survival. But even as the vulture struggled, we were already upon it. Without a word, we enveloped it in a shimmering [Mana Bubble]. The creature shrieked in futile rage as the bubble pulsed with energy, burning it upon contact. Its talons scraped uselessly at the magic surrounding it, each touch a futile effort. With a deliberate motion, we pressed our hands against the bubble. The magic contracted, drawing in tight, suffocating the vultures struggles. Then, we filled the bubble with [Drops of Life], a magic so potent it caused the vulture to ignite in a fiery green blaze. The creature screamed, a guttural cry muffled by the magic that trapped it. The bubble quivered with the energy of its defiance. Minutes passedtwelve long, agonizing minutesuntil the vulture finally collapsed into a pool of black, oozing liquid, its form nothing more than a stain upon the ground.
[Warning]
You killed a [Bone Vulture], you gained 6530 Xp
We fell to our knees, exhaustion crashing over us like a wave. Every part of us achedour body, our mind, our very soul. We gasped for breath, the weight of the battle pressing down upon us. Then, from the shadows, a slow clap broke the silence. Morthaks smile stretched wide, twisted and macabre, his eyes glinting with a mix of admiration and something darker. "HAHAHA! Now thats a show!" he cackled, his voice ringing with dark amusement. "Now I see how youve survived this long." Interlude: Not so Familiar Within the vast estate, a young girlno more than sevenwandered through the garden, plucking delicate flowers with small, careful hands. She wore an exquisite dress, layered with bows, ribbons, and tiny jewels that caught the afternoon light. A gentle hum escaped her lips, a melody as light as the breeze that rustled the leaves. Beside her, a straw basket sat half-filled with blossoms, their colors vivid against the pale linen lining. A cluster of maids trailed behind her in silent attendance. One balanced a silver tray with neatly folded towels; another held an open parasol, shielding the girl from the suns golden glare. They watched, quiet and dutiful, as their young mistress moved through the garden, plucking petals as if selecting treasures. The flowers are beautiful! Are they, Zizy? Viola asked, holding up a freshly picked bloom with wide-eyed wonder. Yes, my lady. They are lovely, replied Zizy, a maid with caramel-colored hair and fair skin. Her voice was soft, almost distant. The breeze carried the scent of roses and damp earth, mingling with the faint perfume clinging to Violas dress. All was peacefuluntil it wasnt. From the edge of the courtyard, movement stirred. Guards rushed past, their boots striking the cobblestone paths in hurried, purposeful strides. Servants followed, whispering in hushed tones, their eyes darting anxiously toward the mansion. Something was happening. Viola frowned, puffing her cheeks. Poppy, whats going on? The pink-haired maid adjusted her grip on the parasol, violet eyes glinting with uncertainty. I dont know, my lady. How strange. Viola tilted her head, watching the hurried figures. Then, as if making a grand declaration, she straightened her posture. Viola will ask Grandpa. A murmur of unease passed through the maids. One hesitated before stepping forward. M-My lady, its not appropriate to bother the patriarch without an appointment I said Im going to see Grandpa. Violas voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering. She turned on her heel, marching toward the mansion without another glance at the protesting maids. Inside, the halls were a flurry of motion. Peopleservants, guards, even men and women in strange, foreign clothingmoved in chaotic urgency. Viola pushed through the crowd, her small frame bumping against hurried bodies. She asked what was happening, but her questions were brushed aside, met with rushed apologies or vague dismissals. Undeterred, she climbed the grand staircase, her polished shoes tapping against the marble steps. At the end of the corridor stood an imposing wooden double door. Unlike the rest of the house, this area was eerily still. The usual guards were absent. The servants who should have been stationed nearby were nowhere to be seen. Violas fingers curled into small fists. Where is everyone she muttered, stepping closer. She stretched on her tiptoes, reaching for the ornate brass handle. The lock clicked, unmoving. A pout formed on her lips. Without hesitation, she knocked. Grandpa! Its meViola! Open the door! From the other side, muffled voices continued, indifferent to her presence. Frustration crept in. Pressing her ear against the wood, she strained to listen. Words drifted through the thick barrier, fractured yet urgent. mana crystals unknown.... origin could be .....dangerous Ludiwick said willing to..... buy everything an opportunity too risky what.... owner state ..... who touched it wasnt normal magic The conversation sent an unsettling chill down Violas spine. She didnt understand all the words, but something about their hushed intensity made her uneasy. Then My lady! A sharp voice sliced through the moment, yanking Viola from her eavesdropping. She whirled around, heart hammering. An older woman with graying hair and a crisp uniform stood at the end of the hall, eyes narrowed in disapproval. You shouldnt be here, the woman said, striding forward with a firm grip. Before Viola could protest, a strong hand seized her wrist. Come. Ill escort you to your chambers. AhLyanda, Grandpa wont let Viola in! The little girl squirmed, discomfort prickling at her skin. The patriarch is extremely busy, my lady, Lyanda said curtly, her grip unwavering. You mustnt disturb him, nor should you be listening at doors. Her voice dropped, steely and cold. This behavior is unacceptable. Ill be reporting it to the madam. Viola stiffened. Panic flickered in her chest. No! Dont tell Mommy! Shell fight with Viola again! Lyandas expression remained unreadable. My lady, it is my duty to ensure you are raised properly. I cannot ignore this misconduct. No! Please! Violas voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes. Lyanda sighed. The anger softened slightly, replaced by something unreadable. She knelt, pulling a pristine handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped the childs tear-streaked cheeks. My lady, please dont cry. Viola sniffled. How about this, Lyanda proposed, retrieving a small pocket watch. Rest for a bit, and in twenty minutes, Ill prepare your bath. She adjusted the time, the tiny hands clicking into place. After that, Ill bring you a snack, and we can continue working on your embroidery. Viola hesitated. Hic You wont tell Mommy? Lyanda studied her for a long moment. Then, with a sigh, she nodded. I wont. But you must promise meno more sneaking around. Violas tiny pinky shot out. Pinky promise. A small smile touched Lyandas lips as she hooked her pinky around the girls. Pinky promise. No take-backs. I need to go, my lady. Please, behave yourself, Lyanda said, guiding Viola into the room and closing the door with a soft click. Inside, the air was heavy, thick with the weight of unseen things. Viola moved immediately to the window, her small hands pressed against the cold glass, desperate for a glimpse of the world beyond. She squinted, trying to catch sight of what had made the air feel so heavy, so charged with something wrong. But all she could see were peoplemoving swiftly, almost too quickly, as if they were trying to escape something. Then, the gates of the estate creaked open, and a cart began to roll in. The heavy thud of the wheels against the cobblestones echoed in the silence, followed by another, and another. The carts unloaded boxesmundane, ordinary boxes at firstuntil the last cart arrived, pulled by a sagging, exhausted horse. Violas heart skipped a beat. The cart it pulled was enormous, an iron box wrapped in a strange, almost palpable aura. Magic. A shimmering veil of magic encased the box, flickering like heat waves rising from a fire. But it wasnt the magic that made her breath catch in her throatit was the way the very plants around the box began to wither and turn black. Flowers shriveled, leaves curled in on themselves as if the very life was being drained from them. A shiver crawled up Violas spine, terror seeping into her bones. As the cart rolled forward, the horse, already struggling under the weight, suddenly stopped. Its legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground, its once glossy coat now dull, its eyes glazed with a hollow, empty look. The coachman urged the animal forward, but it didnt move. The crowd watched in stunned silence, none daring to approach. Violas pulse raced in her chest, her hands trembling against the windowpane. She had seen enough. A small gasp escaped her lips before she turned away, her body trembling with fear. She leapt onto her bed, wrapping herself tightly in the thick blankets as if hiding from an unseen predator. Minutes passed. The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the sound of a soft knock at the door. A muffled voice called out, but the words didnt reach Violas ears. The door creaked open, and the hurried sound of footsteps filled the room. Violas heart pounded in her chest, and before she could react, the blankets were yanked away. Oh! My lady? Lyandas voice held a note of surprise, though the relief was evident in her tone. What happened? Why are you hiding under the blankets? Viola clung to Lyandas arm, her voice a frightened whisper. Lyanda! Bhua!! The flowers, the horse Did you see it!? That box it killed them all. Lyandas face paled slightly, but she quickly composed herself, her voice soft yet reassuring. What? Oh, goddess I should have closed the curtains. My lady, theres nothing to worry about. The lord of the house is already handling everything. Violas gaze flickered toward the window, but her words tumbled out in a rush. But the horse hehe just fell! Lyandas smile was tight, though her eyes softened as she stroked Violas hair. Oh, that? Dont worry, my lady. The poor thing was just too tired. Its sleeping now, in the wrong place. Its fine, I promise you. Violas tear-filled eyes searched Lyandas face. Y-You promise? In response, Lyanda extended her pinky finger, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. I pinky promise, my lady. Violas fingers intertwined with Lyandas, a fleeting moment of reassurance in the midst of a storm of confusion and fear. Pinky promise, no take-backs! Lyanda nodded, brushing her thumb over the little girls hand before standing up. Ill prepare your bath, my lady. Please stay here and wait. She turned to the windows, pulling the heavy curtains closed. Viola, her mind still reeling from the strange events unfolding outside, slid off the bed. She couldnt shake the feeling that something was still wrong. The sound of footsteps faded as Lyanda moved to the bathroom, but Viola couldnt resist. She crept back to the window, pulling the curtains just enough to peek outside. The scene had changed. Lackeys, moving with dull efficiency, were clearing away the blackened flowers, replacing them with fresh blooms. But something caught her eyea flicker of movement in the garden. Viola leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat, her wide eyes scanning the scene. Nothing. And yet, she couldnt shake the feeling of being watched. Another shift in the garden caught her attention, a shadow moving where it shouldnt. Her breath caught again, and she turned her head to find nothing. But then A cold hand gripped her shoulder, pulling her away from the window. Kyaaa! Viola screamed, her heart leaping into her throat. My lady, please refrain from going near the windows for now, Lyanda said, her tone firm as she fixed the curtains in place with a practiced hand. But why? Viola asked, confused and still shaken. Lyandas expression was unreadable. She didnt answer right away. Instead, she tied the curtains with a strong knot, ensuring they wouldnt be opened again. Because, she said, her voice smooth as silk, the windows havent been cleaned. Being near them could get you dirty, and as the lady of the house, you must preserve your noble image. Dirt doesnt go with nobility. Viola blinked, the explanation not fully sinking in, but before she could ask more, Lyanda was already guiding her toward the bathroom. Come, my lady. Your bath is ready. As Lyanda led her away, Viola couldnt shake the feeling that something was out of place. She had seen something. She was sure of it. Something was moving in the front yard but Lyanda had made sure she couldnt see it. Something or someone.
"...And they lived happily ever after!" Lyanda said softly, sitting at the edge of the bed, her voice a quiet lullaby as she finished reading to Viola. The little girl, already bathed, fed, and played out, nestled into her large bed in soft silk pajamas. Her teddy bear, the one she never went without, lay beside her. The clock struck 7 pmbedtime. Lyandas responsibility was to care for Viola in every way, and tonight, she had already seen to the girls needs, from feeding to teaching, now guiding her into sleep. "Waaa..." Viola yawned, her eyelids heavy, her little body sinking into the softness of the sheets. Lyanda watched her charge for a moment longer, her gaze soft. As Viola''s breathing slowed and softened, Lyanda dimmed the lamps light with a delicate flick of her fingers, and placed the book aside. She leaned down, brushing a stray lock of hair from Violas face, her hand lingering gently on the girls head. "Sweet dreams, my lady." she whispered, before turning, her shoes silent on the cold stone as she left the room. Viola fell asleep almost instantly, the warmth of her bed inviting and comforting in the stillness of the night. The mansion, however, was far from still. Outside the room, the estate buzzed with life, and the winding halls carried the weight of hushed conversations, each one carrying its own quiet urgency. Lyanda made her way through the house, passing the flickering torches and the servants moving quickly in the shadows, until she reached a small, hidden door in the wall. With a swift pull, she disappeared, melting into the night. Hours passed, and the mansion remained alive with unseen activity. The walls hummed with strange movements, the distant sound of people whispering, but all of it muffled and far away to the little girl in her bed. Then, in the dead of night, a sound stirred Viola from her sleep. A tap. Light and soft at first, almost like a whisper against the glass. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her sleepy gaze scanning the room, until the tapping returned, louder this time. "Hello?" Viola called, her voice a thin thread in the dark, but the only reply was the moonlight filtering through the curtains. The shadows cast by the furniture stretched long across the floor. The tapping came againcloser, louderuntil a small shadow darted across the glass. "Kyaa!!" Viola screamed, her heart leaping into her throat. She scrambled from the bed, dragging the blanket with her as she dove under its safety, trembling. For several moments, there was only silence. But then, another sounda soft purrrippled through the night air, followed by the sound of rustling leaves. Viola, heart still racing, peeked out from beneath the blanket, drawn to the sound. She crept toward the window, dragging the blanket with her. Tentatively, she pulled back the edge of the heavy curtain, and her wide eyes landed on something... strange. A small, green creature sat in her window box, digging at the soil. Its fur was thick and bushy, like fresh grass in spring, with dark, gleaming eyes that glinted gold under the pale moon. The tail, long and bushy, curled around its body like a blanket. It moved with an uncanny grace, its delicate paws shifting the soil and nudging the plants. Knock. Knock. The sound came again, this time from the small stones the creature had thrown in its digging frenzy. Violas pulse quickened. "Hey! My flowers, bad boy! Very bad!" She pounded the window with her tiny fists, but the creature didnt flinch. It just stared back at her, its eyes playful, its tail flicking behind it. Then, a small rustlesomething stirred beneath the soil. Viola gasped as a tiny field mouse emerged from the hole the creature had made. The green animal pounced, swiftly catching the mouse in its jaws, and turned to Viola, its eyes glinting with pride. "Oh!! You caught him! How nice!! Good boy, good boy!" Viola clapped her hands in delight, momentarily forgetting her earlier fright. The creature, unbothered by her excitement, jumped from the box, galling in the direction of the ground below. Violas breath caught in her throat, her eyes locked on the creature as it began to move toward the garden, its prize still clutched firmly in its mouth. "No!" Viola gasped. But the creatureno, this strange little beasttwirled in the air with a dancers elegance, landing softly on all four paws, its tail swishing as it disappeared among the flowers and bushes. Violas mouth hung open. The sight was mesmerizing, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. Her eyes sparkled with wonder. "OH!!!" she whispered, her heart still racing from the shock of the moment. She pressed her hands to the glass, watching the mysterious creature disappear into the night. But the magic of the moment was short-lived. A door creaked open behind her. The unmistakable sound of Lyandas voice echoed down the hallway. "My lady?" Lyandas tone was a mix of concern and reprimand. "WhaOh, my lady, what are you doing out of bed? And I told you about getting close to the windows?" Before Viola could respond, Lyanda was pulling back the curtains, and the world outside was revealed. The sight of the flowerstorn and uprootedstunned Lyanda. The small mess in the window box seemed almost trivial in the light of her confusion, but the look in her eyes was sharp, as though something unseen hovered just beneath the surface. "Lyanda! You should have seen him! There was this really cool little animal right here! It had pointy ears with cotton balls inside, thick fur like garden grass, and a long, beautiful tail! You should have seen it catch a valley mouse!" Viola exclaimed, her face lit up with a wide, beaming smile. But to her surprise, Lyanda''s face was anything but pleased. In fact, her expression darkened with what could only be described as terror. Before Viola could say another word, Lyanda swiftly scooped her up in her arms, moving with urgency that made the young girls stomach flip. Her heart raced as Lyanda burst out of the room, her footsteps heavy with panic. The hallway, usually so quiet at this hour, was crowded with hurried servants, their faces filled with confusion, but Lyanda did not stop. "THERE''S A BEAST IN THE ESTATE! IT WAS IN THE YOUNG LADY''S QUARTERS!" Lyanda shouted, her voice ringing out with alarm. At the sound of her words, a deep, almost oppressive silence swept over the mansion. Violas wide eyes darted around, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. The servants'' movements quickened, a few glancing over their shoulders nervously as guards rushed toward Viola''s quarters, their heavy boots echoing on the cold marble floors. "Is the young lady okay?" A well-dressed elderly man, his monocle catching the faint light of the hall, rushed toward them, concern written all over his face as he carefully examined Viola, his hands trembling ever so slightly. "Yes, the beast didnt harm her, but it was near her... facing her." Lyanda explained, her voice tight with fear. Viola, still too startled to understand the full weight of the situation, stared up at Lyanda, her little heart pounding. Why were they acting so strangely? What had really happened? Lyanda''s grip on her tightened as more guards arrived, their presence bringing a sharp edge to the air, the tension palpable. Suddenly, the blaring sound of a bell pierced the air, resonating through the stone walls and carrying a sense of urgency that made Viola flinch. The bell rang loudly, its echo like a signal of impending danger, a stark contrast to the quiet peace of the night they had just been enjoying. Viola opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Lyandas grip on her arm only tightened as she hurried down the hall, a frantic, determined expression in her eyes. Violas curiosity swelled as she felt the weight of the situation press down on her. Something was terribly wrong. The night had only just begun, but it already felt like the quiet before the storm.
"Why can''t Viola leave?" Viola asked the maids standing at the door as she gazed out the window. Unlike the windows in her room, which overlooked the garden, these offered a view of the training groundsa desolate, cold space filled with soldiers and endless drills. It was a sharp contrast to the softness of her usual view. She had been moved here last night after the incident, and though the estate had been combed from top to bottom, no trace of the so-called "monster" was found. Some even started to question the reality of the beast. Were there signs? Yes. But they were few, and the only witness was a little girl whose imagination could have easily played tricks on her. "My lady, your father, Mr. Fleurmont, has ordered that you be protected until the situation is fully resolved." One of the maids said, bowing respectfully. Viola''s response was to puff out her cheeks, her expression sulking. She didn''t want to hear that. She wanted something else entirely. "Viola wants her brother." she said, her voice trembling with unspoken frustration. "M-My lady, the young master is... busy. We cannot disturb him right now." a maid stammered, clearly uncomfortable with the request. "No! No one says anything to Viola!" Viola cried out, her voice sharp, and with one forceful movement, she threw herself to the floor, kicking and throwing a tantrum. "My lady, please!" one of the maids pleaded, attempting to lift her up, but Violas wails only grew louder, unrelenting. Amidst the chaos, the doors swung open without warning. Two figures in uniforms stepped aside, making way for a woman dressed in an elegant green gown. Cream-colored ruffles trimmed the fabric, and stones in shades of emerald adorned the dress, glinting in the light. She had golden blonde hair neatly tied in a bun and makeup that accentuated her sharp features. Her presence demanded attention, and the maids instantly bowed their heads. "Madam!" they greeted in unison, their voices shaking. The woman entered with an air of cold detachment, casting a disdainful glance at the servants before striding toward them with measured steps. With a soft, but chilling voice, she spoke, "Raise your heads." The maids swallowed hard, their bodies stiff, before they slowly lifted their gazes. In the background, Viola continued to sob, but no one seemed to pay her any mind now. As the maids made eye contact with the woman, her hand swung through the air, delivering a sharp slap to both of them. The force of it was so strong it left red marks across their faces, but neither maid dared to flinch. They remained silent, their jaws clenched tight as they bit their tongues to suppress any reaction. "How dare you touch my child with your filthy hands?" The womans voice was cold and venomous. "I should have your hands cut off for such an offense." With a flick of her wrist, she retrieved a delicate handkerchief from her pocket and began wiping her hands as though disgusted by the very thought of touching them. She handed the handkerchief to a nearby servant without sparing the maids another glance. The maids, pale with fear, immediately dropped to the floor, their voices quivering as they begged for forgiveness. "Please, madam! We were only trying to protect the young ladys image. Please forgive us." one cried, her voice cracking. "We made a mistake. Please, forgive us." the other begged, hands clasped tightly in supplication. The woman stared down at them with icy eyes, unblinking. "Leave my presence immediately, if you do not wish me to make good on my threat." she said, her voice devoid of emotion. The maids scrambled to their feet, eyes wide with terror, before fleeing from the room in haste. Turning to her servants, the woman issued her final command. "I want these two cleaning the stables and latrines from now on. Let them know their worth." Her tone was final, and the servants nodded in silent understanding. With a swift movement, the woman walked over to Viola, still curled on the floor, her face blotchy and red from crying. Her dress was wrinkled from the tantrum, and her sobs echoed through the room. The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Viola, get up. Now." she commanded, her tone sharp. Viola sniffled and slowly began to quiet her tears, standing up with a reluctant scowl as she adjusted her dress. The woman eyed her with disdain. "How do you expect to live up to the name of the Fleurmont family with behavior like this?" she sneered. Viola didnt respondher lips quivered, and her eyes welled up with more tears that she struggled to hold back. Her failure to compose herself only seemed to deepen the womans irritation. "Viola, I did not bear you to act like this." the woman said, her frustration mounting. "Get yourself together, immediately. If you dont, I will have no choice but to punish you again for such disgraceful behavior." "Hm... Viola wants her big brother." Viola whispered, her voice trembling as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "Tsk, Viola, I warned you about disturbing Rowan with such trivial nonsense. Youre supposed to be focused on your etiquette lessonsdeveloping hobbies that befit a lady of your station." The woman''s voice was sharp, her tone filled with disdain. "Waaa... Viola doesn''t want to... Viola wants to go out, but no one lets Viola go out." the girl sobbed, the sound of her voice breaking through the silence. Tears streaked down her face, dampening her clothes. "Ugh, why do I even bother?" The woman''s voice dropped to a low growl, frustration bubbling up. "Such a useless child... not only are you a disappointment to me, but you humiliate me in front of the servants. You must be trying to drive me to the edge, to kill me with your constant failures and shame." She took a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she raised her hand. "Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up. When you return, you better be the lady Ive tried to shape you into." The sharp slap echoed through the room, the sound cutting through the thick air. Viola crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll, her cries muffled by the impact. Her body trembled, but it was her heart that felt the true weight of the blow. "And no more crying!" The woman hissed, her voice a venomous whisper. "If I hear another tear, by the morning light, youll wish you hadnt. Understand?" She stood, arms crossed tightly, eyes fixed on the broken form of the child sprawled on the floor. Violas sobs, as painful as they were, began to subside. She slowly lifted her head, the weight of the world bearing down on her. Her hands, shaking with the strain, pushed against the cold floor, and she rose. Her eyes were fixed downward, as though too afraid to meet the gaze of the woman who had given birth to her. Without a word, she scurried out of the room, her footsteps soft but quick, never looking back.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The woman stood still, her gaze following the retreating figure of her daughter. "Tsk." she muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing. "Such a disappointment."
Short After: The small, tear-streaked figure of Viola ran through the garden, her footsteps light and hurried. Normally, at this moment, a maid would be trailing behind her, trying to soothe the girls sobs. Guards would watch with varying expressionssome filled with pity, others with compassion, and some with cold indifference. But today, it was different. Today, the once-bustling estate was eerily quiet, emptyits silence broken only by the sound of Violas soft crying. The house, usually teeming with life, now resembled a graveyard. The only person left in sight was Viola, stumbling deeper into the garden, where she could finally let her tears flow freely without fear of reproach. The garden was beautifulso beautiful it almost felt out of place. Flowers in every shape, size, and color dotted the landscape, creating a kaleidoscope of natures perfection. Lush bushes and trees, trimmed with painstaking care, decorated the space like trophies on display. A path of polished stone wound its way around a marble fountaina pristine angel perched in the center, frozen in time. Metal and wood benches, meticulously cleaned and polished, were scattered across the grounds, each one offering a place of rest. In the background, a small but magnificent hedge labyrinth stood, its twists and turns seemingly endless. Yet none of this beauty reached Viola. To her, it was just another gardenanother prison of perfection. The vibrant colors, the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, and the serenity of the place only deepened her sense of loneliness. This garden, once a place of refuge, was now a cruel reminder of everything she could never have. It was the same miserable garden, the place where she ran every time she needed to cry, far from the scornful eyes of the household. It was such a beautiful garden, and yet it had once again been watered with Viola''s sorrowful tears. She ran through it with practiced ease, her path winding like a spiral etched into her memory. How many times had she come here, trying to escape the harsh words and cold indifference that awaited her back in the house? Too many times to count. Soon, Viola found herself in the labyrinth, darting through the maze of hedges as if she had memorized every corner. Her breath came in shallow gasps, but she pressed on, determined to lose herself in the twisting paths. Within minutes, she reached the heart of the maze, a small sanctuary surrounded by stone benches and flowers in delicate shades of pink. But it was the tree in the center that drew her attention. Its caramel-colored trunk twisted around itself, its golden, tube-like branches swaying gently in the breeze. Pink leaves, soft as cotton, fluttered in the wind. Beneath its boughs, small chains hung, swaying like forgotten relics, as if waiting for a visitor. Viola sat on the swing beneath the tree, her head hanging low as the soft breeze rustled the leaves above her. She swung slowly, gently, trying with all her might to stop the tears that threatened to spill again. The wind whispered, bringing with it the sound of delicate bells attached to the tree, chiming softly in the distance. Viola held the chains tightly, trying to steady herself, but her quiet sobs continued, muffled by the sound of the bells. "Nyaa~" A strange, unexpected sound reached Viola''s ears. Her head snapped up, her eyes scanning the stillness. There, on a stone bench in front of her, lay the creaturethe same furry beast that had appeared at her window, the one that had caused the chaos in the mansion. Its fur was the color of fresh grass, its paws made of dirt and gravel, and its delicate fern-like tail flicked lazily behind it. Had it been there all along, silently watching? Or had her tears summoned it? Viola didnt know, nor did she care. "It''s you!" she exclaimed, quickly wiping her face as though she could hide the evidence of her sadness. "Dont look at Viola!" Her voice wavered with childish defiance as she twisted the swing to turn it away from the creature, her feet scraping against the ground to halt its movement. Viola then took a deep breath, lifting her feet off the ground, and the swing quickly returned to its original motion. "You didnt see anything! Viola wasnt crying!" she said to the creature, though it remained utterly indifferent, its eyes half-closed as it lay on the bench, tail swishing lazily. "This is Violas house! You cant stay here!" Viola declared pompously, puffing out her cheeks in a mock display of authority. Yet the creature paid no attention, simply closing its eyes further and continuing its peaceful rest. Viola''s irritation grew. "You didnt hear Viola!" she muttered, stomping her feet as she swung the chains back and forth, as though trying to make the creature notice her. But the creature remained unfazed, lying on the stone bench with its belly exposed, content in its own quiet world. Sighing in frustration, Viola marched up to the creature, standing right in front of it. She crouched down to meet its gaze, eyes narrowing in curiosity. Her finger slowly reached toward the creatures furry belly. Just as she was about to touch it, the creature shifted, hiding its belly beneath its body and startling Viola into pulling back. But as she saw it merely change position, Violas curiosity won out, and she approached once again, this time gently extending her finger. With shaky hands, she brought her finger closer, almost touching the creature. She stopped for a moment, then quickly poked it, pulling away with a startled gasp. When the creature didnt react, she gained more courage. Slowly, she touched it again, this time longer, feeling the soft, grass-like fur beneath her fingers. The sensation was soothing, comforting even, and a strange warmth spread through her chest. Violas excitement grew as she placed her whole palm on the creatures back. It felt like resting her hand on a soft carpet of grass, and as her fingers traced its fur, the creature emitted a low, pleasant hum. Violas eyes sparkled with wonder as she noticed a faint golden glow on the creatures body. Where her fingers had passed, a trail of tiny golden flowers bloomed, dotting its surface like delicate stars. "Wow! So cute..." Viola breathed, her heart swelling with affection. The sweet, familiar scent of licorice and fennel filled the air, and Violas eyes widened in delight. "Ohh... you smell like sweet herbs..." She continued petting the creature, her hands trembling with joy. In response, the creatures tail wagged happily, a soft, contented sound emanating from it. Violas sadness, for a moment, seemed forgotten, replaced by the warmth of the creatures presence. She continued to stroke it, her smile widening with each gentle touch, as the garden, still and silent around her, watched over the girl who had for a fleeting moment found peace. "Your tail is so pretty." Viola whispered, her finger reaching out to gently touch the creatures tail. As soon as her fingertip brushed against the leaves, they contracted and curled shut, drawing a delighted giggle from Viola. "Hehe, you''re so cute... Hey, do you want to be Viola''s friend?" she asked eagerly, her eyes wide with hope. "Viola can bring you cake, cookies, cupcakes, and lots of candies that Liyanda gives Viola!" But the creature remained silent, its gaze fixed on the ground. Violas face fell, and her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Don''t you want to be Violas friend?" Viola asked, her voice quivering with the weight of her disappointment. The creature, however, made no response. But then, to Viola''s surprise, the creature rose from its place, its movements fluid and graceful. It jumped to the ground and began rubbing itself against Viola''s legs, its soft tail curling around her ankle. Violas heart swelled with joy. "So you want to be friends with Viola!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up as she scooped the creature up, hugging it like a stuffed bear. The weight of the creature, however, was too much for her small frame. With a huff, she let go, and the creature calmly fell back to the ground, as though the fall had been nothing more than a gentle nudge. It then walked toward one of the plant walls, its fluffy tail swaying behind it. Violas brow furrowed in curiosity. "Where are you going? Do you want to play with Viola? We can play Fairy Tag, Wizards Command, Quest for the Lost Relic. If you want, Viola also knows how to play Knight''s Gambit." she called after it, a bright smile on her face. But the creature continued on its path, seemingly indifferent to her words. When the creature reached the plant wall, something unexpected happened. The branches of the hedge began snapping and parting, as if moved by an unseen force, creating a path through the thick greenery. Violas eyes widened in awe. "Youre a magician!" Viola gasped, her smile stretching wider. The creature, undeterred, continued moving forward through the hole it had created. Viola quickly followed, ducking under the low branches to squeeze through. As soon as she passed, the branches twisted and closed again, sealing the path behind her as if it had never been there. Viola blinked in shock, her gaze darting back toward the newly formed hole, but when she turned around, all she could see was a path of flowers, their golden hues glowing faintly in the dim light. Her excitement surged as she skipped down the new path, the flowers parting as she moved forward, until she arrived at a place in the maze she had never seen before. In the center of the small clearing stood a wooden stump, weathered by time, with delicate flowers and butterflies scattered across the ground. The creature was perched atop the stump, sitting on its hind legs with a calm, almost regal air. Several butterflies rested on its back, yet it seemed oblivious to their presence. Viola was both bewildered and fascinated. She had wandered this maze countless times, yet this place was entirely new. The walls of hedges closed in around her, trapping her in this hidden corner. The only entrance was the hole through which her magical companion had led her, and that was now closing behind her, like all the others. "VIOLA!?" a voice called from far away, a familiar, angry tone that made Violas heart sink. She froze, realizing with a shock that she had been in the garden far too long. "No, mommy is going to fight with Viola again! Waaa!" She began to cry again, her sobs coming quickly, but then, just as suddenly, she stopped. She noticed the creature looking at her with mischievous eyes, its playful expression almost mocking her distress. Viola wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself as she approached the creature, kneeling down in front of it. "Viola needs to go out." she said softly, her voice small. "Can you do magic for Viola?" she asked innocently, her eyes wide with hope. The creature did not react, its eyes flicking up to her face with a faint glint of mischief, but it remained still. Viola, determined to make it respond, reached out a hand toward the creatures soft, grass-like fur. But just as her fingers brushed the air above it, the creatures eyes twitched, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged. Violas breath caught in her throat as the creatures sharp fangs sank into her wrist. "WAAAAHA!" she cried out in shock and pain, her voice echoing through the maze. The sharp sting of the bite sent a wave of panic through her chest, her mind reeling as she tried to pull away. The sound of distant screams filled the air, but Viola couldnt make sense of the words. She struggled against the creatures grip, but in an instant, the creature released her wrist. It stepped back, its playful demeanor restored, and sat back down on the stump, as if nothing had happened. Viola stumbled backward, clutching her arm to her chest, her heart racing with fear. The creature looked at her innocently, its eyes bright and wide, as if it had never done anything wrong. Viola, though trembling, watched it carefully, her eyes narrowed with confusion and hurt. It was the same creature that had been so gentle with her, the one she had hoped would be her friend. But now, she wasnt so sure. "Why? Arent you Violas friend?" Violas voice trembled as she stared down at her arm, eyes wide with disbelief. Her gaze locked onto the four small puncture wounds that formed a small square on her skin. They were nothing more than tiny marks, but Violas confusion quickly turned to horror when she saw the blooddark and viscousbegin to swirl, turning into a misty purple smoke. Viola gasped, her breath catching in her throat. The searing pain that followed was unbearable, as if her very veins were being torn apart. "AHH!" She screamed in agony, clutching her arm tighter, but the pain only intensified, a cruel wave of torment that seemed to ripple beneath her skin, twisting and writhing like something alive. The skin around the wounds burned, and an icy chill spread outward from the marks, causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end. Something stirred inside her, something... unnatural. She could feel ita pulsing, shifting presence beneath her flesh that made her stomach churn with terror. Tears poured down her face as she collapsed to the ground, her body trembling from the pain. Her vision blurred, the world around her spinning. The sharp sounds of her gasps were drowned out by the distant cries of others, screams that felt foreign and distant. She heard a faint, strange "Hissss!" in the backgroundan ominous sound that slithered through the air, filling her with dread. Through her blurred vision, an armored figure appeared, its form towering over her, obscured by the haze of pain and smoke. Viola couldn''t make sense of ither mind was too clouded with the agony that consumed her. The figure seemed distant, too far away to reach. The voices around her became muffled, as if someone had pressed her ears underwater, but the pain remained, a constant, torturous force that clawed at her insides. Her arm felt as if it were being torn apart, each fiber of muscle and bone screaming in protest as the strange force moved beneath her skin. Viola could barely think, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She tried to scream again, but the words caught in her throat, leaving her gasping for breath as tears flowed freely from her eyes. And then, in the haze of her suffering, Violas vision shifted once more. She saw figures kneeling around her, faces blurred and indistinct, their voices filled with frantic urgency. But it was all distant, as if she were trapped in a nightmare, unable to break free from the unbearable grip of pain that held her tightly.
Notification
Muck, the familiar of: {%????%=@????:????-??????.???}, Used: {Shroudriguen''s Riddle} on you.
Blessing''s
-={Shroudriguen''s Riddle}=- Target: Viola Fleurmont Effect: Hallucinations, Pain, Nightmares. Status: Sowing - 1%
The other Day. Viola''s eyes fluttered open, the remnants of the previous day''s horrors clouding her thoughts like a storm she couldn''t escape. Her trembling arm reached out, desperately groping the empty space next to her bed in search of the bell that should have called her servants. But it was gone. She gripped the empty air, her heart sinking further into the depths of uncertainty. Her breath hitched in her throat as she repeated the search, but the bell was nowhere to be found. "Ugh... WAAAAA! Lyanda!! WAAA!" Viola''s voice cracked, her desperation turning her cries into shrill pleas, but no one came. A minute passed, then five, then ten, stretching into an unbearable silence. Time seemed to slither away, each second pulling her deeper into the void of isolation. Her eyes were swollen from endless tears, her face a raw mask of fear and sorrow. She dragged herself from the bed, her limbs heavy as if made of lead, each movement painful, like the weight of her despair was tethered to her body. As her gaze fell to her arm, the wound she expected to finda cruel reminder of the nightwas missing. Her skin was pristine, unmarred, not a single mark of the torment she had endured. A breath of relief escaped her lips, but the tightness in her chest refused to loosen. It was as if the pain still lingered, but in a way she couldnt place. It was more than the absence of the woundit was the crushing weight of dread that pressed down on her, making her feel like something was terribly wrong. Pushing forward with effort that seemed to drain her very soul, Viola crawled out of the room, using the walls for support. Her feet shuffled clumsily against the polished floor, a soft rasping sound beneath her every movement. Yet the moment she reached the door, everything changed. The air grew thick, heavy with an unsettling presence. Roots, thick and green, were sprouting everywhere, curling up from the cracks in the floor and creeping over the walls. The windows were completely overtaken by vines and roots, blocking out the faintest hint of light. A sickly green hue bathed the hallway, distorting the familiar with an unnatural twist. Viola''s heart raced, panic clawing at her chest. She gasped for breath, but the air felt too dense, like it was choking her, suffocating her. She ranher feet stumbling over the uneven ground, her hands pressing against the walls for stability. But the halls were deserted. No one answered her screams. No one came to save her. Her cries echoed back to her, bouncing off the empty walls like cruel whispers. She was alone. Completely alone. As she turned a corner, she skidded to a halt. There, on the floor, lay a heap of roots, a grotesque mass of twisted green. At first glance, it seemed like just another patch of overgrown flora, but upon closer inspection, Viola saw something disturbing. Faded, torn clothesan old shirt and pantslay among the tangled roots, but they were no longer clothes. They were part of the mass now, roots pouring from the fabric like a sickening infestation, as though a person had been devoured by the very earth itself. Viola''s stomach lurched, and she hurried on, desperate to find someoneanyone. She stumbled into her grandfather''s room, the door creaking ominously as she opened it. The room was dark, except for the flickering glow of a fire. Purple flames danced in the hearth, consuming twisted, gnarled wood that crackled with an eerie, distorted sound. The air was thick with a faint, distorted scream, echoing from the flames as if the fire itself was alive with agony. There, in the shadows, sat a figure in a leather armchair, sipping from a glass of blood-red wine. He rocked back and forth, the creak of the chair sounding like the slow march of impending doom. "Grandpa? What''s going on? Viola is scared!!" Viola whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper, barely daring to disturb the ominous quiet of the room. But the figure in the chair did not respond in the way she expected. The voice that came from the figure was cold, unfamiliar, and dissonant. "There''s nothing to be afraid of, Viola. After all, we are friends. Aren''t we?" Viola''s breath caught in her throat. "Y-You... You are..." "We haven''t been formally introduced." the voice continued, smooth as silk, but tainted with something far darker. The figure in the chair stood, and in a single, fluid movement, it turned toward her. Viola gasped, her body freezing as her eyes met the creature standing before her. It was toweringeasily over three meters tall. Its limbs were grotesque and stretched out of proportion, and its face was a horrific, twisted mockery of wood and bone. Two bright, glowing golden eyes gleamed from a hollow face, and atop its head sat massive, tangled elk antlers, covered in thick moss adorned with golden flowers. It took only two steps before it was standing right in front of Viola, looming over her like a nightmare made flesh. "KYAAAAAAAA!" Viola screamed, her voice full of terror, but the creature merely tilted its head, its golden eyes studying her curiously. "You don''t have to be afraid of me." it said, its voice almost playful, as though it hadnt noticed the depth of the fear that gripped Violas heart. Its outstretched hand moved toward her, but the sight of it only caused Viola to cower further, her body curling into a ball on the floor. "Uhm... What''s wrong? Why are you afraid of me?" the creature asked, its voice more confused than malicious. There was a soft crackling sound, like dry twigs snapping, but Viola didn''t dare look up. Then, something touched hersomething small and soft, making her flinch in horror. A sweet, innocent voice broke the tension. "Please don''t be afraid of me." Viola''s heart raced as she slowly looked up, her tear-filled eyes locking with the small creature before her. A tiny boy, no older than five or six, stood before her. His mossy hair clung to his dirt-brown skin, his eyes wide with curiosity and innocence. His goat-like eyes were mesmerizingdeep golden pupils that seemed to pierce through the terror Viola felt. He had small, delicate horns emerging from his head, and his attire was strangely quaint, like something from another time. "Hello... I''m Muck, you''re Viola. We''re friends, right?" he said, pointing to himself and then to Viola, as if trying to reassure her. "Y-Muck?" Viola stammered, her voice shaky. "Yes! My master gave me that name. You''re Viola, aren''t you? Why are you crying?" Muck asked, tilting his head in confusion. Viola, her thoughts scattered like fallen leaves, wiped away her tears as she forced herself to speak. "You scared me... I dont like it here..." "Oh... Sorry... I don''t really know how this works... It''s hard to do something I don''t know how to do." Muck''s voice was tinged with an innocent sadness. Then, as if trying to change the subject, he brightened. "Do you like flowers?" Y-Yes? I think... Viola stammered, her voice trembling with fear. Muck closed his eyes, and as he did, the world around them began to warp and melt. The room dissolved into an eerie transformation, and the macabre office faded away, giving birth to an endless field of golden flowers. The blooms reached the boys waist, swaying gently beneath a blood-red sky. Did you like it? Muck asked, his voice thick with sleep as he let out a long sigh. Oh... Viola gasped, her eyes wide in surprise. She slowly stood, mesmerized by the new world around her. Its so beautiful! But... why is the sky red? It... scares me. Viola spoke softly, her voice barely a whisper, as if the sight itself made her heart race. The sky is red where I come from. The little boys voice was distant, as if he were already drifting away. He lay back in the field, the flowers bending gently under his small weight, and stretched out like he was sinking into a mattress made of petals. Viola watched him for a long moment, an unsettling chill crawling over her skin. She reached down to smell one of the flowers, but there was no fragrance. Confused, she plucked one from the ground, and the petals withered instantly, turning into dry, brittle strands of straw. Why dont they have a smell? Violas voice was barely audible, her brow furrowing in confusion. Hmmm... I dont know how to make them smell... Its hard... Mucks voice trailed off sleepily, his words a distant murmur as his eyelids fluttered closed. Hey! Viola suddenly snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. Now that I remember! You bit me! Why did you do that? Do you know how much that hurt? She marched toward the boy, fury rising in her chest. Without thinking, she kicked his arm, her foot connecting with a soft thud. Ouch... Sorry... I just wanted to... talk to you... I... Im so... lonely... Mucks words barely made sense before his eyes fluttered shut and his small body went limp. In an instant, the entire field began to wither, the once-vibrant flowers curling into themselves, the blood-red sky cracking like a shattered mirror. The earth trembled beneath her feet as the world itself seemed to fracture, reality splintering into a thousand jagged pieces. And then Viola woke up. Violas eyes snapped open. She was no longer in the field, no longer surrounded by strange, dying flowers. She was back in a bed, the cool sheets pressed against her skin. Her heart raced as she struggled to sit up, confusion clouding her mind. The sterile scent of the room filled her noseclean, but somehow suffocating. She could see a handful of servants surrounding her, their faces twisted with concern, but their eyes never met hers. Her mother and father stood at the edge of the bed, their expressions cold and unreadable. The young lady has opened her eyes! A female voice called from the corner of the room. Oh! For the morning light, Viola! Her mothers voice was heavy with emotion as she rushed to her side. But before her hand could touch Violas arm, another hand shot out and seized her wrist, pulling her back. Violas heart lurched as the sharp tug sent a wave of tension through her body. How dare you! her mother screamed, jerking her arm against the grip. Let me goshes my daughter! Dont touch her. The mans voice was calm, detached. He stepped forward, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light. His tanned skin contrasted sharply with the pallor of Violas. I dont know what illness afflicts her, and it could be a plague, or a curse. By touching her, you risk catching whatever she has. Violas mother recoiled, her face flushed with both fear and fury. Then what are you doing standing there? Heal her, immediately! The mans gaze remained unwavering as he took a step back. His eyes then shifted to a tall figure standing silently at the foot of the bed. This man was broader in stature, with sharp green eyes and brown hair that seemed untouched by time or emotion. His presence was almost oppressive, his serious expression giving nothing away. Isabel, leave him alone, the man said calmly, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the room. Isabel let out a small, frustrated groan, but complied, retreating to a stool by the wall. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on Viola, as if the girls very existence was a puzzle that couldnt be solved. Whats wrong with her? the man at the foot of the bed asked, his tone as cold as his expression. Poison? No... The other man beside Viola shook his head slowly, his face full of deep concern. Its something different... It feels like a curse, but theres no evil presence. It could be a plague, but if not even the goddesss light can cure her, then... His words trailed off, and he fell silent, the weight of his statement hanging heavy in the air. What?! Isabel gasped, standing up abruptly. How dare you say that? Its my daughter lying there! Isabel, please dont start. The man at the foot of the bed sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. Dont start? Dont start?! Isabels voice cracked with rage. She stormed in front of him, her hand slapping his cheek with a sharp crack. Without missing a beat, she slapped him again. This is your fault, Gretel! You knew there was something out there, but instead of protecting your family, you spent all your time quarreling with the goddess knows who about Another slap rang out, but this time, the man didnt react, his eyes dark with the quiet sorrow of someone who had long since ceased to care. Sigh. Gretel let out a heavy, resigned breath, his voice colder than the stone walls around them. There are bigger things than Viola happening right now, Isabel. Its unfortunate, yes, what happened to her, but if you had made sure she followed my one orderto stay inside the mansionmaybe our daughter wouldnt be in this sorry state. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldnt have a mysterious beast wandering within the gates of Fleurmont County right now. His words cut through the tension in the room like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. Isabels gaze burned with a fury that could have set the room alight. Her teeth were clenched so tightly she feared they might crack under the pressure. How dare you! she screamed, her voice cracking with the force of her anger. You mean to say that your ineptitude as a father and protector of this family is my fault?! Viola lay in her bed, her heart heavy with sadness. She could barely process the words being thrown around her. Her parents voices echoed in her head, a constant reminder of the rift that had grown between them, between her and them. The anger, the frustrationit all felt so distant. What was it like to be loved by them? Viola wondered, but the answer never came. The weight of her parents fighting made her chest tighten, as though the air itself were thickening. Im just so tired, she thought, but there was no rest to be found here. She didnt even know when the last time was she felt joy when they were all together. It felt like a lifetime ago. Hmmm... The man beside Viola spoke, his voice low and contemplative. He turned his gaze away from the still-arguing relatives to look at the wilted plants in the room. I think your problem might not be... medical. Isabels voice snapped through the air, sharp as glass. What? Her tone was harsh, a challenge laced in the word. The man turned slowly, holding a small pot with a once-healthy ornamental plant. Now, it was nothing more than a pile of brittle, yellowed leaves. The life had drained from it, as though it had never known color, never known strength. As he glanced around the room, his eyes met the dying plants scattered throughoutthe flowers in vases, the small trees, all fading into decay, a grotesque parody of life. What is this? Gretels voice held a flicker of curiosity now, a shift in his demeanor. Hard to say, the man replied with indifference, as though it were a puzzle with no immediate answer. Im not a wizard. He shrugged, but then, almost as if he had remembered something, added, Look for a wizard. Whatever it is, its of magical origin. Gretel leaned in, his face now serious, a glimmer of urgency creeping into his voice. In your opinion, as a professional, what could it be? I already told you, Im no wizard, the man repeated, then paused, his brow furrowing. But from experience... it could be several things. Magic reflux, or irradiationor... He stopped, the words hanging heavy in the air, as though he feared the next one would be too much to bear. What? Gretel pressed, his voice low but intense, like a whisper before a storm. The mans expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. Awakening. Sometimes, the creatures bite might have done something to her magic circuits, disturbed them... She could have awakened. What?! Isabels voice was almost a scream. Awakening? At this age? She still has at least eight years before shes even close to awakening! Yes, thats why I told you to call a wizard. The mans voice was heavy, regret hanging in his tone. If it really is Awakening... Im sorry, but she wont survive this process at such a young age. His words seemed to hang in the air, a cruel truth that cut deeper than any wound. He turned and left without another word. Wha Isabels mouth hung open, but no words came. She was speechless. What was happening to her daughter? Her gaze turned to Gretel, frantic. Gretel!? Do something! Her voice cracked, torn between anger and fear. Humf, Gretel muttered, dismissing his wife with a flick of his wrist. Call Asmand here. The door to the room creaked open, and a tall, elderly man entered, his presence commanding the space despite his age. Asmands posture was strong, almost youthful, and behind him, two lackeys followed, carrying various items. Asmand bowed deeply to the most important figures in the room, his movements precise. Mr. and Mrs. Fleurmont, it is a pleasure to serve you. Asmand, Gretel said, his voice composed but urgent, The Templar said that Viola may be suffering from Awakening. Can you check? Of course, sir. Asmands voice was steady, without hesitation. He walked toward Violas bedside, pulling up a stool to sit next to her. He took her small arm in his hands, frowning deeply as he examined the four deep, blackened marks on her wrist. They were unlike any injury hed ever seenclear signs of something unnatural. If the Templars cure couldnt remove them, then whatever had caused these marks was far more dangerous than anyone had expected. Asmand closed his eyes and concentrated, his fingers gently pressing against Violas wrist, his brow furrowing as he sought to understand what had happened. Five minutes passed in complete silence, only the faint rustling of the sheets and the sound of a needle falling to the floor breaking the stillness. Finally, Asmand opened his eyes, and his gaze met Violas with a deep, sorrowful regret. Yes, he said softly. It is indeed Awakening. His voice was tinged with something darker, something colder. The young ladys magic nucleus is slowly forming inside her heart. It is highly unlikely she will survive this process... Not at her age. His words were final, the weight of them pressing down on everyone in the room. But what if she survives? Gretels voice was cold, calculatedlike he was weighing the value of life in the same way one might measure the weight of gold. Asmand paused, his mind seemingly drifting through the possibilities, each one darker than the last. "Hmm." he murmured. She would be the youngest in decades, perhaps centuries, to develop her core at such a young age. Her body may not be fully developed yet, but that would give her core the time it needs to adapt, to merge perfectly with her body. She could become one of the most powerful mages of her generation. His words were blunt, delivered with the detachment of a man who had long ago accepted the futility of hope. But my lord She wont make it. Her body is too tired, too weak. The process has barely begun, and the most challenging stages are still to come. Viola will never last through it... The most merciful option now would be to end her suffering HOW DARE YOU?! Isabels scream was like a whip, cutting through the tension in the room. She grabbed a vase filled with wilted flowers, throwing it at Asmand with such force that the fragile porcelain shattered against the wall, sending shards and water spraying in all directions. But Isabel didnt seem to care. Her fury burned hot, and there was no room for reason. How dare you tell us to kill our own daughter!? Your job is to help her, not to spew nonsense! She looked around, eyes wild, searching for something else to throw. But before she could act, Gretels hand shot out, grabbing her wrists and stopping her. "Isabel, stop right now!" Gretels voice was harsh, authoritative, and cold. He turned to Asmand, his gaze hardening like stone. "What does it take to make her survive the Awakening process?" Asmands expression darkened, his eyes not meeting Gretels. My lord... Theres nothing anyone can do. Her body is giving up. You cant save her, not with potions, not with healing acolytes... It wont work. Even if you try those crazy, expensive methods, her core will develop wrong. It will atrophy, her magic will be crippled, and shell live a life in painher potential wasted. Asmands words landed like stones in the room, each one more damning than the last. Gretels jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Tsk... Well leave her until tomorrow. If theres no improvement by then, well take action." He sighed deeply, as though the weight of his decisions were too much to bear. "Gretel?! How could you!?" Isabels voice cracked, her anger a raw, aching thing. "Are you just giving up on our daughter?!" Gretels patience seemed to snap. "Give me patience, Isabel. Youre only thinking about how Violas death will affect you." His voice was sharp now, biting. "Can you, for once, stop and be a decent mother to her? At least while shes still breathing?" "HA!" Isabels laugh was bitter, dripping with venom. "Look who''s talkingthe man who doesnt even know who Viola is! Dont think no one noticed. You only showed a sliver of interest in her once you realized she might become something extraordinary. Now that your little fantasy has crumbled, you go back to treating her like trash." Viola lay there, motionless, her eyes wide open. It felt like an eternity, as though time itself had frozen in the oppressive stillness. Her parents argued, screamed, ragedyet she couldnt feel anything. Her body felt numb, distant. The words washed over her like water against stone, but none of it mattered. They spoke as if she were already dead. Maybe she was. Maybe she had died a long time ago, before the monsters bite, before the Awakening process began to tear through her. The thought of it was suffocating. ''Theyre so ugly'' Viola thought, her mind a quiet whisper amidst the chaos. Her eyes studied themher parentsdressed in their fine clothes, smelling of expensive perfumes and oils, exuding power and elegance with every step they took. But no matter how much they tried to cover it up, their true faces, their hearts, were grotesque. There was no amount of gold in the world that could hide the rot that festered inside them. Viola had once admired themespecially her mother. She had longed to be like her: beautiful, poised, perfect. But now, after seeing the way her mother spoke, the way she acted, the venomous words that dripped from her lips like poison, Viola could no longer see the woman she had once adored. She was just... dirty. And that thought crushed her. Lyanda always said that dirt doesnt belong with nobility, Viola reflected bitterly. But the truth was that theyher parents, the people she had once wished to emulatewere all as dirty, as disgusting, as anything she had ever seen. They were nothing but empty vessels filled with poison, wrapped in layers of fine silks. Chapter 86: The Price of Tomorrow Within the vast estate, a young girlno more than sevenwandered through the garden, plucking delicate flowers with small, careful hands. She wore an exquisite dress, layered with bows, ribbons, and tiny jewels that caught the afternoon light. A gentle hum escaped her lips, a melody as light as the breeze that rustled the leaves. Beside her, a straw basket sat half-filled with blossoms, their colors vivid against the pale linen lining. A cluster of maids trailed behind her in silent attendance. One balanced a silver tray with neatly folded towels; another held an open parasol, shielding the girl from the suns golden glare. They watched, quiet and dutiful, as their young mistress moved through the garden, plucking petals as if selecting treasures. The flowers are beautiful! Are they, Zizy? Viola asked, holding up a freshly picked bloom with wide-eyed wonder. Yes, my lady. They are lovely, replied Zizy, a maid with caramel-colored hair and fair skin. Her voice was soft, almost distant. The breeze carried the scent of roses and damp earth, mingling with the faint perfume clinging to Violas dress. All was peacefuluntil it wasnt. From the edge of the courtyard, movement stirred. Guards rushed past, their boots striking the cobblestone paths in hurried, purposeful strides. Servants followed, whispering in hushed tones, their eyes darting anxiously toward the mansion. Something was happening. Viola frowned, puffing her cheeks. Poppy, whats going on? The pink-haired maid adjusted her grip on the parasol, violet eyes glinting with uncertainty. I dont know, my lady. How strange. Viola tilted her head, watching the hurried figures. Then, as if making a grand declaration, she straightened her posture. Viola will ask Grandpa. A murmur of unease passed through the maids. One hesitated before stepping forward. M-My lady, its not appropriate to bother the patriarch without an appointment I said Im going to see Grandpa. Violas voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering. She turned on her heel, marching toward the mansion without another glance at the protesting maids. Inside, the halls were a flurry of motion. Peopleservants, guards, even men and women in strange, foreign clothingmoved in chaotic urgency. Viola pushed through the crowd, her small frame bumping against hurried bodies. She asked what was happening, but her questions were brushed aside, met with rushed apologies or vague dismissals. Undeterred, she climbed the grand staircase, her polished shoes tapping against the marble steps. At the end of the corridor stood an imposing wooden double door. Unlike the rest of the house, this area was eerily still. The usual guards were absent. The servants who should have been stationed nearby were nowhere to be seen. Violas fingers curled into small fists. Where is everyone she muttered, stepping closer. She stretched on her tiptoes, reaching for the ornate brass handle. The lock clicked, unmoving. A pout formed on her lips. Without hesitation, she knocked. Grandpa! Its meViola! Open the door! From the other side, muffled voices continued, indifferent to her presence. Frustration crept in. Pressing her ear against the wood, she strained to listen. Words drifted through the thick barrier, fractured yet urgent. mana crystals unknown.... origin could be .....dangerous Ludiwick said willing to..... buy everything an opportunity too risky what.... owner state ..... who touched it wasnt normal magic The conversation sent an unsettling chill down Violas spine. She didnt understand all the words, but something about their hushed intensity made her uneasy. Then My lady! A sharp voice sliced through the moment, yanking Viola from her eavesdropping. She whirled around, heart hammering. An older woman with graying hair and a crisp uniform stood at the end of the hall, eyes narrowed in disapproval. You shouldnt be here, the woman said, striding forward with a firm grip. Before Viola could protest, a strong hand seized her wrist. Come. Ill escort you to your chambers. AhLyanda, Grandpa wont let Viola in! The little girl squirmed, discomfort prickling at her skin. The patriarch is extremely busy, my lady, Lyanda said curtly, her grip unwavering. You mustnt disturb him, nor should you be listening at doors. Her voice dropped, steely and cold. This behavior is unacceptable. Ill be reporting it to the madam. Viola stiffened. Panic flickered in her chest. No! Dont tell Mommy! Shell fight with Viola again! Lyandas expression remained unreadable. My lady, it is my duty to ensure you are raised properly. I cannot ignore this misconduct. No! Please! Violas voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes. Lyanda sighed. The anger softened slightly, replaced by something unreadable. She knelt, pulling a pristine handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped the childs tear-streaked cheeks. My lady, please dont cry. Viola sniffled. How about this, Lyanda proposed, retrieving a small pocket watch. Rest for a bit, and in twenty minutes, Ill prepare your bath. She adjusted the time, the tiny hands clicking into place. After that, Ill bring you a snack, and we can continue working on your embroidery. Viola hesitated. Hic You wont tell Mommy? Lyanda studied her for a long moment. Then, with a sigh, she nodded. I wont. But you must promise meno more sneaking around. Violas tiny pinky shot out. Pinky promise. A small smile touched Lyandas lips as she hooked her pinky around the girls. Pinky promise. No take-backs. I need to go, my lady. Please, behave yourself, Lyanda said, guiding Viola into the room and closing the door with a soft click. Inside, the air was heavy, thick with the weight of unseen things. Viola moved immediately to the window, her small hands pressed against the cold glass, desperate for a glimpse of the world beyond. She squinted, trying to catch sight of what had made the air feel so heavy, so charged with something wrong. But all she could see were peoplemoving swiftly, almost too quickly, as if they were trying to escape something. Then, the gates of the estate creaked open, and a cart began to roll in. The heavy thud of the wheels against the cobblestones echoed in the silence, followed by another, and another. The carts unloaded boxesmundane, ordinary boxes at firstuntil the last cart arrived, pulled by a sagging, exhausted horse. Violas heart skipped a beat. The cart it pulled was enormous, an iron box wrapped in a strange, almost palpable aura. Magic. A shimmering veil of magic encased the box, flickering like heat waves rising from a fire. But it wasnt the magic that made her breath catch in her throatit was the way the very plants around the box began to wither and turn black. Flowers shriveled, leaves curled in on themselves as if the very life was being drained from them. A shiver crawled up Violas spine, terror seeping into her bones. As the cart rolled forward, the horse, already struggling under the weight, suddenly stopped. Its legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground, its once glossy coat now dull, its eyes glazed with a hollow, empty look. The coachman urged the animal forward, but it didnt move. The crowd watched in stunned silence, none daring to approach. Violas pulse raced in her chest, her hands trembling against the windowpane. She had seen enough. A small gasp escaped her lips before she turned away, her body trembling with fear. She leapt onto her bed, wrapping herself tightly in the thick blankets as if hiding from an unseen predator. Minutes passed. The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the sound of a soft knock at the door. A muffled voice called out, but the words didnt reach Violas ears. The door creaked open, and the hurried sound of footsteps filled the room. Violas heart pounded in her chest, and before she could react, the blankets were yanked away. Oh! My lady? Lyandas voice held a note of surprise, though the relief was evident in her tone. What happened? Why are you hiding under the blankets? Viola clung to Lyandas arm, her voice a frightened whisper. Lyanda! Bhua!! The flowers, the calavo Did you see it!? That box it killed them all. Lyandas face paled slightly, but she quickly composed herself, her voice soft yet reassuring. What? Oh, goddess I should have closed the curtains. My lady, theres nothing to worry about. The lord of the house is already handling everything. Violas gaze flickered toward the window, but her words tumbled out in a rush. But the horse hehe just fell! Lyandas smile was tight, though her eyes softened as she stroked Violas hair. Oh, that? Dont worry, my lady. The poor thing was just too tired. Its sleeping now, in the wrong place. Its fine, I promise you. Violas tear-filled eyes searched Lyandas face. Y-You promise? In response, Lyanda extended her pinky finger, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. I pinky promise, my lady. Violas fingers intertwined with Lyandas, a fleeting moment of reassurance in the midst of a storm of confusion and fear. Pinky promise, no take-backs! Lyanda nodded, brushing her thumb over the little girls hand before standing up. Ill prepare your bath, my lady. Please stay here and wait. She turned to the windows, pulling the heavy curtains closed. Viola, her mind still reeling from the strange events unfolding outside, slid off the bed. She couldnt shake the feeling that something was still wrong. The sound of footsteps faded as Lyanda moved to the bathroom, but Viola couldnt resist. She crept back to the window, pulling the curtains just enough to peek outside. The scene had changed. Lackeys, moving with dull efficiency, were clearing away the blackened flowers, replacing them with fresh blooms. But something caught her eyea flicker of movement in the garden. Viola leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat, her wide eyes scanning the scene. Nothing. And yet, she couldnt shake the feeling of being watched. Another shift in the garden caught her attention, a shadow moving where it shouldnt. Her breath caught again, and she turned her head to find nothing. But then A cold hand gripped her shoulder, pulling her away from the window. Kyaaa! Viola screamed, her heart leaping into her throat. My lady, please refrain from going near the windows for now, Lyanda said, her tone firm as she fixed the curtains in place with a practiced hand. But why? Viola asked, confused and still shaken. Lyandas expression was unreadable. She didnt answer right away. Instead, she tied the curtains with a strong knot, ensuring they wouldnt be opened again. Because, she said, her voice smooth as silk, the windows havent been cleaned. Being near them could get you dirty, and as the lady of the house, you must preserve your noble image. Dirt doesnt go with nobility. Viola blinked, the explanation not fully sinking in, but before she could ask more, Lyanda was already guiding her toward the bathroom. Come, my lady. Your bath is ready. As Lyanda led her away, Viola couldnt shake the feeling that something was out of place. She had seen something. She was sure of it. Something was moving in the front yard but Lyanda had made sure she couldnt see it. Something or someone.
"...And they lived happily ever after!" Lyanda said softly, sitting at the edge of the bed, her voice a quiet lullaby as she finished reading to Viola. The little girl, already bathed, fed, and played out, nestled into her large bed in soft silk pajamas. Her teddy bear, the one she never went without, lay beside her. The clock struck 7 pmbedtime. Lyandas responsibility was to care for Viola in every way, and tonight, she had already seen to the girls needs, from feeding to teaching, now guiding her into sleep. "Waaa..." Viola yawned, her eyelids heavy, her little body sinking into the softness of the sheets. Lyanda watched her charge for a moment longer, her gaze soft. As Viola''s breathing slowed and softened, Lyanda dimmed the lamps light with a delicate flick of her fingers, and placed the book aside. She leaned down, brushing a stray lock of hair from Violas face, her hand lingering gently on the girls head. "Sweet dreams, my lady." she whispered, before turning, her shoes silent on the cold stone as she left the room. Viola fell asleep almost instantly, the warmth of her bed inviting and comforting in the stillness of the night. The mansion, however, was far from still. Outside the room, the estate buzzed with life, and the winding halls carried the weight of hushed conversations, each one carrying its own quiet urgency. Lyanda made her way through the house, passing the flickering torches and the servants moving quickly in the shadows, until she reached a small, hidden door in the wall. With a swift pull, she disappeared, melting into the night. Hours passed, and the mansion remained alive with unseen activity. The walls hummed with strange movements, the distant sound of people whispering, but all of it muffled and far away to the little girl in her bed. Then, in the dead of night, a sound stirred Viola from her sleep. A tap. Light and soft at first, almost like a whisper against the glass. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her sleepy gaze scanning the room, until the tapping returned, louder this time. "Hello?" Viola called, her voice a thin thread in the dark, but the only reply was the moonlight filtering through the curtains. The shadows cast by the furniture stretched long across the floor. The tapping came againcloser, louderuntil a small shadow darted across the glass. "Kyaa!!" Viola screamed, her heart leaping into her throat. She scrambled from the bed, dragging the blanket with her as she dove under its safety, trembling. For several moments, there was only silence. But then, another sounda soft purrrippled through the night air, followed by the sound of rustling leaves. Viola, heart still racing, peeked out from beneath the blanket, drawn to the sound. She crept toward the window, dragging the blanket with her. Tentatively, she pulled back the edge of the heavy curtain, and her wide eyes landed on something... strange. A small, green creature sat in her window box, digging at the soil. Its fur was thick and bushy, like fresh grass in spring, with dark, gleaming eyes that glinted gold under the pale moon. The tail, long and bushy, curled around its body like a blanket. It moved with an uncanny grace, its delicate paws shifting the soil and nudging the plants. Knock. Knock. The sound came again, this time from the small stones the creature had thrown in its digging frenzy. Violas pulse quickened. "Hey! My flowers, bad boy! Very bad!" She pounded the window with her tiny fists, but the creature didnt flinch. It just stared back at her, its eyes playful, its tail flicking behind it. Then, a small rustlesomething stirred beneath the soil. Viola gasped as a tiny field mouse emerged from the hole the creature had made. The green animal pounced, swiftly catching the mouse in its jaws, and turned to Viola, its eyes glinting with pride. "Oh!! You caught him! How nice!! Good boy, good boy!" Viola clapped her hands in delight, momentarily forgetting her earlier fright. The creature, unbothered by her excitement, jumped from the box, galling in the direction of the ground below. Violas breath caught in her throat, her eyes locked on the creature as it began to move toward the garden, its prize still clutched firmly in its mouth. "No!" Viola gasped. But the creatureno, this strange little beasttwirled in the air with a dancers elegance, landing softly on all four paws, its tail swishing as it disappeared among the flowers and bushes. Violas mouth hung open. The sight was mesmerizing, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. Her eyes sparkled with wonder. "OH!!!" she whispered, her heart still racing from the shock of the moment. She pressed her hands to the glass, watching the mysterious creature disappear into the night. But the magic of the moment was short-lived. A door creaked open behind her. The unmistakable sound of Lyandas voice echoed down the hallway. "My lady?" Lyandas tone was a mix of concern and reprimand. "WhaOh, my lady, what are you doing out of bed? And I told you about getting close to the windows?" Before Viola could respond, Lyanda was pulling back the curtains, and the world outside was revealed. The sight of the flowerstorn and uprootedstunned Lyanda. The small mess in the window box seemed almost trivial in the light of her confusion, but the look in her eyes was sharp, as though something unseen hovered just beneath the surface. "Lyanda! You should have seen him! There was this really cool little animal right here! It had pointy ears with cotton balls inside, thick fur like garden grass, and a long, beautiful tail! You should have seen it catch a valley mouse!" Viola exclaimed, her face lit up with a wide, beaming smile. But to her surprise, Lyanda''s face was anything but pleased. In fact, her expression darkened with what could only be described as terror. Before Viola could say another word, Lyanda swiftly scooped her up in her arms, moving with urgency that made the young girls stomach flip. Her heart raced as Lyanda burst out of the room, her footsteps heavy with panic. The hallway, usually so quiet at this hour, was crowded with hurried servants, their faces filled with confusion, but Lyanda did not stop. "THERE''S A BEAST IN THE ESTATE! IT WAS IN THE YOUNG LADY''S QUARTERS!" Lyanda shouted, her voice ringing out with alarm. At the sound of her words, a deep, almost oppressive silence swept over the mansion. Violas wide eyes darted around, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. The servants'' movements quickened, a few glancing over their shoulders nervously as guards rushed toward Viola''s quarters, their heavy boots echoing on the cold marble floors. "Is the young lady okay?" A well-dressed elderly man, his monocle catching the faint light of the hall, rushed toward them, concern written all over his face as he carefully examined Viola, his hands trembling ever so slightly. "Yes, the beast didnt harm her, but it was near her... facing her." Lyanda explained, her voice tight with fear. Viola, still too startled to understand the full weight of the situation, stared up at Lyanda, her little heart pounding. Why were they acting so strangely? What had really happened? Lyanda''s grip on her tightened as more guards arrived, their presence bringing a sharp edge to the air, the tension palpable. Suddenly, the blaring sound of a bell pierced the air, resonating through the stone walls and carrying a sense of urgency that made Viola flinch. The bell rang loudly, its echo like a signal of impending danger, a stark contrast to the quiet peace of the night they had just been enjoying. Viola opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Lyandas grip on her arm only tightened as she hurried down the hall, a frantic, determined expression in her eyes. Violas curiosity swelled as she felt the weight of the situation press down on her. Something was terribly wrong. The night had only just begun, but it already felt like the quiet before the storm.
"Why can''t Viola leave?" Viola asked the maids standing at the door as she gazed out the window. Unlike the windows in her room, which overlooked the garden, these offered a view of the training groundsa desolate, cold space filled with soldiers and endless drills. It was a sharp contrast to the softness of her usual view. She had been moved here last night after the incident, and though the estate had been combed from top to bottom, no trace of the so-called "monster" was found. Some even started to question the reality of the beast. Were there signs? Yes. But they were few, and the only witness was a little girl whose imagination could have easily played tricks on her. "My lady, your father, Mr. Fleurmont, has ordered that you be protected until the situation is fully resolved." One of the maids said, bowing respectfully. Viola''s response was to puff out her cheeks, her expression sulking. She didn''t want to hear that. She wanted something else entirely. "Viola wants her brother." she said, her voice trembling with unspoken frustration. "M-My lady, the young master is... busy. We cannot disturb him right now." a maid stammered, clearly uncomfortable with the request. "No! No one says anything to Viola!" Viola cried out, her voice sharp, and with one forceful movement, she threw herself to the floor, kicking and throwing a tantrum. "My lady, please!" one of the maids pleaded, attempting to lift her up, but Violas wails only grew louder, unrelenting. Amidst the chaos, the doors swung open without warning. Two figures in uniforms stepped aside, making way for a woman dressed in an elegant green gown. Cream-colored ruffles trimmed the fabric, and stones in shades of emerald adorned the dress, glinting in the light. She had golden blonde hair neatly tied in a bun and makeup that accentuated her sharp features. Her presence demanded attention, and the maids instantly bowed their heads. "Madam!" they greeted in unison, their voices shaking. The woman entered with an air of cold detachment, casting a disdainful glance at the servants before striding toward them with measured steps. With a soft, but chilling voice, she spoke, "Raise your heads." The maids swallowed hard, their bodies stiff, before they slowly lifted their gazes. In the background, Viola continued to sob, but no one seemed to pay her any mind now. As the maids made eye contact with the woman, her hand swung through the air, delivering a sharp slap to both of them. The force of it was so strong it left red marks across their faces, but neither maid dared to flinch. They remained silent, their jaws clenched tight as they bit their tongues to suppress any reaction. "How dare you touch my child with your filthy hands?" The womans voice was cold and venomous. "I should have your hands cut off for such an offense." With a flick of her wrist, she retrieved a delicate handkerchief from her pocket and began wiping her hands as though disgusted by the very thought of touching them. She handed the handkerchief to a nearby servant without sparing the maids another glance. The maids, pale with fear, immediately dropped to the floor, their voices quivering as they begged for forgiveness. "Please, madam! We were only trying to protect the young ladys image. Please forgive us." one cried, her voice cracking. "We made a mistake. Please, forgive us." the other begged, hands clasped tightly in supplication. The woman stared down at them with icy eyes, unblinking. "Leave my presence immediately, if you do not wish me to make good on my threat." she said, her voice devoid of emotion. The maids scrambled to their feet, eyes wide with terror, before fleeing from the room in haste. Turning to her servants, the woman issued her final command. "I want these two cleaning the stables and latrines from now on. Let them know their worth." Her tone was final, and the servants nodded in silent understanding. With a swift movement, the woman walked over to Viola, still curled on the floor, her face blotchy and red from crying. Her dress was wrinkled from the tantrum, and her sobs echoed through the room. The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Viola, get up. Now." she commanded, her tone sharp. Viola sniffled and slowly began to quiet her tears, standing up with a reluctant scowl as she adjusted her dress. The woman eyed her with disdain. "How do you expect to live up to the name of the Fleurmont family with behavior like this?" she sneered. Viola didnt respondher lips quivered, and her eyes welled up with more tears that she struggled to hold back. Her failure to compose herself only seemed to deepen the womans irritation. "Viola, I did not bear you to act like this." the woman said, her frustration mounting. "Get yourself together, immediately. If you dont, I will have no choice but to punish you again for such disgraceful behavior." "Hm... Viola wants her big brother." Viola whispered, her voice trembling as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "Tsk, Viola, I warned you about disturbing Rowan with such trivial nonsense. Youre supposed to be focused on your etiquette lessonsdeveloping hobbies that befit a lady of your station." The woman''s voice was sharp, her tone filled with disdain. "Waaa... Viola doesn''t want to... Viola wants to go out, but no one lets Viola go out." the girl sobbed, the sound of her voice breaking through the silence. Tears streaked down her face, dampening her clothes. "Ugh, why do I even bother?" The woman''s voice dropped to a low growl, frustration bubbling up. "Such a useless child... not only are you a disappointment to me, but you humiliate me in front of the servants. You must be trying to drive me to the edge, to kill me with your constant failures and shame." She took a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she raised her hand. "Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up. When you return, you better be the lady Ive tried to shape you into." The sharp slap echoed through the room, the sound cutting through the thick air. Viola crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll, her cries muffled by the impact. Her body trembled, but it was her heart that felt the true weight of the blow. "And no more crying!" The woman hissed, her voice a venomous whisper. "If I hear another tear, by the morning light, youll wish you hadnt. Understand?" She stood, arms crossed tightly, eyes fixed on the broken form of the child sprawled on the floor. Violas sobs, as painful as they were, began to subside. She slowly lifted her head, the weight of the world bearing down on her. Her hands, shaking with the strain, pushed against the cold floor, and she rose. Her eyes were fixed downward, as though too afraid to meet the gaze of the woman who had given birth to her. Without a word, she scurried out of the room, her footsteps soft but quick, never looking back.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The woman stood still, her gaze following the retreating figure of her daughter. "Tsk." she muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing. "Such a disappointment."
Short After: The small, tear-streaked figure of Viola ran through the garden, her footsteps light and hurried. Normally, at this moment, a maid would be trailing behind her, trying to soothe the girls sobs. Guards would watch with varying expressionssome filled with pity, others with compassion, and some with cold indifference. But today, it was different. Today, the once-bustling estate was eerily quiet, emptyits silence broken only by the sound of Violas soft crying. The house, usually teeming with life, now resembled a graveyard. The only person left in sight was Viola, stumbling deeper into the garden, where she could finally let her tears flow freely without fear of reproach. The garden was beautifulso beautiful it almost felt out of place. Flowers in every shape, size, and color dotted the landscape, creating a kaleidoscope of natures perfection. Lush bushes and trees, trimmed with painstaking care, decorated the space like trophies on display. A path of polished stone wound its way around a marble fountaina pristine angel perched in the center, frozen in time. Metal and wood benches, meticulously cleaned and polished, were scattered across the grounds, each one offering a place of rest. In the background, a small but magnificent hedge labyrinth stood, its twists and turns seemingly endless. Yet none of this beauty reached Viola. To her, it was just another gardenanother prison of perfection. The vibrant colors, the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, and the serenity of the place only deepened her sense of loneliness. This garden, once a place of refuge, was now a cruel reminder of everything she could never have. It was the same miserable garden, the place where she ran every time she needed to cry, far from the scornful eyes of the household. It was such a beautiful garden, and yet it had once again been watered with Viola''s sorrowful tears. She ran through it with practiced ease, her path winding like a spiral etched into her memory. How many times had she come here, trying to escape the harsh words and cold indifference that awaited her back in the house? Too many times to count. Soon, Viola found herself in the labyrinth, darting through the maze of hedges as if she had memorized every corner. Her breath came in shallow gasps, but she pressed on, determined to lose herself in the twisting paths. Within minutes, she reached the heart of the maze, a small sanctuary surrounded by stone benches and flowers in delicate shades of pink. But it was the tree in the center that drew her attention. Its caramel-colored trunk twisted around itself, its golden, tube-like branches swaying gently in the breeze. Pink leaves, soft as cotton, fluttered in the wind. Beneath its boughs, small chains hung, swaying like forgotten relics, as if waiting for a visitor. Viola sat on the swing beneath the tree, her head hanging low as the soft breeze rustled the leaves above her. She swung slowly, gently, trying with all her might to stop the tears that threatened to spill again. The wind whispered, bringing with it the sound of delicate bells attached to the tree, chiming softly in the distance. Viola held the chains tightly, trying to steady herself, but her quiet sobs continued, muffled by the sound of the bells. "Nyaa~" A strange, unexpected sound reached Viola''s ears. Her head snapped up, her eyes scanning the stillness. There, on a stone bench in front of her, lay the creaturethe same furry beast that had appeared at her window, the one that had caused the chaos in the mansion. Its fur was the color of fresh grass, its paws made of dirt and gravel, and its delicate fern-like tail flicked lazily behind it. Had it been there all along, silently watching? Or had her tears summoned it? Viola didnt know, nor did she care. "It''s you!" she exclaimed, quickly wiping her face as though she could hide the evidence of her sadness. "Dont look at Viola!" Her voice wavered with childish defiance as she twisted the swing to turn it away from the creature, her feet scraping against the ground to halt its movement. Viola then took a deep breath, lifting her feet off the ground, and the swing quickly returned to its original motion. "You didnt see anything! Viola wasnt crying!" she said to the creature, though it remained utterly indifferent, its eyes half-closed as it lay on the bench, tail swishing lazily. "This is Violas house! You cant stay here!" Viola declared pompously, puffing out her cheeks in a mock display of authority. Yet the creature paid no attention, simply closing its eyes further and continuing its peaceful rest. Viola''s irritation grew. "You didnt hear Viola!" she muttered, stomping her feet as she swung the chains back and forth, as though trying to make the creature notice her. But the creature remained unfazed, lying on the stone bench with its belly exposed, content in its own quiet world. Sighing in frustration, Viola marched up to the creature, standing right in front of it. She crouched down to meet its gaze, eyes narrowing in curiosity. Her finger slowly reached toward the creatures furry belly. Just as she was about to touch it, the creature shifted, hiding its belly beneath its body and startling Viola into pulling back. But as she saw it merely change position, Violas curiosity won out, and she approached once again, this time gently extending her finger. With shaky hands, she brought her finger closer, almost touching the creature. She stopped for a moment, then quickly poked it, pulling away with a startled gasp. When the creature didnt react, she gained more courage. Slowly, she touched it again, this time longer, feeling the soft, grass-like fur beneath her fingers. The sensation was soothing, comforting even, and a strange warmth spread through her chest. Violas excitement grew as she placed her whole palm on the creatures back. It felt like resting her hand on a soft carpet of grass, and as her fingers traced its fur, the creature emitted a low, pleasant hum. Violas eyes sparkled with wonder as she noticed a faint golden glow on the creatures body. Where her fingers had passed, a trail of tiny golden flowers bloomed, dotting its surface like delicate stars. "Wow! So cute..." Viola breathed, her heart swelling with affection. The sweet, familiar scent of licorice and fennel filled the air, and Violas eyes widened in delight. "Ohh... you smell like sweet herbs..." She continued petting the creature, her hands trembling with joy. In response, the creatures tail wagged happily, a soft, contented sound emanating from it. Violas sadness, for a moment, seemed forgotten, replaced by the warmth of the creatures presence. She continued to stroke it, her smile widening with each gentle touch, as the garden, still and silent around her, watched over the girl who had for a fleeting moment found peace. "Your tail is so pretty." Viola whispered, her finger reaching out to gently touch the creatures tail. As soon as her fingertip brushed against the leaves, they contracted and curled shut, drawing a delighted giggle from Viola. "Hehe, you''re so cute... Hey, do you want to be Viola''s friend?" she asked eagerly, her eyes wide with hope. "Viola can bring you cake, cookies, cupcakes, and lots of candies that Liyanda gives Viola!" But the creature remained silent, its gaze fixed on the ground. Violas face fell, and her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Don''t you want to be Violas friend?" Viola asked, her voice quivering with the weight of her disappointment. The creature, however, made no response. But then, to Viola''s surprise, the creature rose from its place, its movements fluid and graceful. It jumped to the ground and began rubbing itself against Viola''s legs, its soft tail curling around her ankle. Violas heart swelled with joy. "So you want to be friends with Viola!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up as she scooped the creature up, hugging it like a stuffed bear. The weight of the creature, however, was too much for her small frame. With a huff, she let go, and the creature calmly fell back to the ground, as though the fall had been nothing more than a gentle nudge. It then walked toward one of the plant walls, its fluffy tail swaying behind it. Violas brow furrowed in curiosity. "Where are you going? Do you want to play with Viola? We can play Fairy Tag, Wizards Command, Quest for the Lost Relic. If you want, Viola also knows how to play Knight''s Gambit." she called after it, a bright smile on her face. But the creature continued on its path, seemingly indifferent to her words. When the creature reached the plant wall, something unexpected happened. The branches of the hedge began snapping and parting, as if moved by an unseen force, creating a path through the thick greenery. Violas eyes widened in awe. "Youre a magician!" Viola gasped, her smile stretching wider. The creature, undeterred, continued moving forward through the hole it had created. Viola quickly followed, ducking under the low branches to squeeze through. As soon as she passed, the branches twisted and closed again, sealing the path behind her as if it had never been there. Viola blinked in shock, her gaze darting back toward the newly formed hole, but when she turned around, all she could see was a path of flowers, their golden hues glowing faintly in the dim light. Her excitement surged as she skipped down the new path, the flowers parting as she moved forward, until she arrived at a place in the maze she had never seen before. In the center of the small clearing stood a wooden stump, weathered by time, with delicate flowers and butterflies scattered across the ground. The creature was perched atop the stump, sitting on its hind legs with a calm, almost regal air. Several butterflies rested on its back, yet it seemed oblivious to their presence. Viola was both bewildered and fascinated. She had wandered this maze countless times, yet this place was entirely new. The walls of hedges closed in around her, trapping her in this hidden corner. The only entrance was the hole through which her magical companion had led her, and that was now closing behind her, like all the others. "VIOLA!?" a voice called from far away, a familiar, angry tone that made Violas heart sink. She froze, realizing with a shock that she had been in the garden far too long. "No, mommy is going to fight with Viola again! Waaa!" She began to cry again, her sobs coming quickly, but then, just as suddenly, she stopped. She noticed the creature looking at her with mischievous eyes, its playful expression almost mocking her distress. Viola wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself as she approached the creature, kneeling down in front of it. "Viola needs to go out." she said softly, her voice small. "Can you do magic for Viola?" she asked innocently, her eyes wide with hope. The creature did not react, its eyes flicking up to her face with a faint glint of mischief, but it remained still. Viola, determined to make it respond, reached out a hand toward the creatures soft, grass-like fur. But just as her fingers brushed the air above it, the creatures eyes twitched, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged. Violas breath caught in her throat as the creatures sharp fangs sank into her wrist. "WAAAAHA!" she cried out in shock and pain, her voice echoing through the maze. The sharp sting of the bite sent a wave of panic through her chest, her mind reeling as she tried to pull away. The sound of distant screams filled the air, but Viola couldnt make sense of the words. She struggled against the creatures grip, but in an instant, the creature released her wrist. It stepped back, its playful demeanor restored, and sat back down on the stump, as if nothing had happened. Viola stumbled backward, clutching her arm to her chest, her heart racing with fear. The creature looked at her innocently, its eyes bright and wide, as if it had never done anything wrong. Viola, though trembling, watched it carefully, her eyes narrowed with confusion and hurt. It was the same creature that had been so gentle with her, the one she had hoped would be her friend. But now, she wasnt so sure. "Why? Arent you Violas friend?" Violas voice trembled as she stared down at her arm, eyes wide with disbelief. Her gaze locked onto the four small puncture wounds that formed a small square on her skin. They were nothing more than tiny marks, but Violas confusion quickly turned to horror when she saw the blooddark and viscousbegin to swirl, turning into a misty purple smoke. Viola gasped, her breath catching in her throat. The searing pain that followed was unbearable, as if her very veins were being torn apart. "AHH!" She screamed in agony, clutching her arm tighter, but the pain only intensified, a cruel wave of torment that seemed to ripple beneath her skin, twisting and writhing like something alive. The skin around the wounds burned, and an icy chill spread outward from the marks, causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end. Something stirred inside her, something... unnatural. She could feel ita pulsing, shifting presence beneath her flesh that made her stomach churn with terror. Tears poured down her face as she collapsed to the ground, her body trembling from the pain. Her vision blurred, the world around her spinning. The sharp sounds of her gasps were drowned out by the distant cries of others, screams that felt foreign and distant. She heard a faint, strange "Hissss!" in the backgroundan ominous sound that slithered through the air, filling her with dread. Through her blurred vision, an armored figure appeared, its form towering over her, obscured by the haze of pain and smoke. Viola couldn''t make sense of ither mind was too clouded with the agony that consumed her. The figure seemed distant, too far away to reach. The voices around her became muffled, as if someone had pressed her ears underwater, but the pain remained, a constant, torturous force that clawed at her insides. Her arm felt as if it were being torn apart, each fiber of muscle and bone screaming in protest as the strange force moved beneath her skin. Viola could barely think, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She tried to scream again, but the words caught in her throat, leaving her gasping for breath as tears flowed freely from her eyes. And then, in the haze of her suffering, Violas vision shifted once more. She saw figures kneeling around her, faces blurred and indistinct, their voices filled with frantic urgency. But it was all distant, as if she were trapped in a nightmare, unable to break free from the unbearable grip of pain that held her tightly.
Notification
Muck, the familiar of: {%????%=@????:????-??????.???}, Used: {Shroudriguen''s Riddle} on you.
Blessing''s
-={Shroudriguen''s Riddle}=- Target: Viola Fleurmont Effect: Hallucinations, Pain, Nightmares. Status: Sowing - 1%
The other Day. Viola''s eyes fluttered open, the remnants of the previous day''s horrors clouding her thoughts like a storm she couldn''t escape. Her trembling arm reached out, desperately groping the empty space next to her bed in search of the bell that should have called her servants. But it was gone. She gripped the empty air, her heart sinking further into the depths of uncertainty. Her breath hitched in her throat as she repeated the search, but the bell was nowhere to be found. "Ugh... WAAAAA! Lyandaa!! WAAA!" Viola''s voice cracked, her desperation turning her cries into shrill pleas, but no one came. A minute passed, then five, then ten, stretching into an unbearable silence. Time seemed to slither away, each second pulling her deeper into the void of isolation. Her eyes were swollen from endless tears, her face a raw mask of fear and sorrow. She dragged herself from the bed, her limbs heavy as if made of lead, each movement painful, like the weight of her despair was tethered to her body. As her gaze fell to her arm, the wound she expected to finda cruel reminder of the nightwas missing. Her skin was pristine, unmarred, not a single mark of the torment she had endured. A breath of relief escaped her lips, but the tightness in her chest refused to loosen. It was as if the pain still lingered, but in a way she couldnt place. It was more than the absence of the woundit was the crushing weight of dread that pressed down on her, making her feel like something was terribly wrong. Pushing forward with effort that seemed to drain her very soul, Viola crawled out of the room, using the walls for support. Her feet shuffled clumsily against the polished floor, a soft rasping sound beneath her every movement. Yet the moment she reached the door, everything changed. The air grew thick, heavy with an unsettling presence. Roots, thick and green, were sprouting everywhere, curling up from the cracks in the floor and creeping over the walls. The windows were completely overtaken by vines and roots, blocking out the faintest hint of light. A sickly green hue bathed the hallway, distorting the familiar with an unnatural twist. Viola''s heart raced, panic clawing at her chest. She gasped for breath, but the air felt too dense, like it was choking her, suffocating her. She ranher feet stumbling over the uneven ground, her hands pressing against the walls for stability. But the halls were deserted. No one answered her screams. No one came to save her. Her cries echoed back to her, bouncing off the empty walls like cruel whispers. She was alone. Completely alone. As she turned a corner, she skidded to a halt. There, on the floor, lay a heap of roots, a grotesque mass of twisted green. At first glance, it seemed like just another patch of overgrown flora, but upon closer inspection, Viola saw something disturbing. Faded, torn clothesan old shirt and pantslay among the tangled roots, but they were no longer clothes. They were part of the mass now, roots pouring from the fabric like a sickening infestation, as though a person had been devoured by the very earth itself. Viola''s stomach lurched, and she hurried on, desperate to find someoneanyone. She stumbled into her grandfather''s room, the door creaking ominously as she opened it. The room was dark, except for the flickering glow of a fire. Purple flames danced in the hearth, consuming twisted, gnarled wood that crackled with an eerie, distorted sound. The air was thick with a faint, distorted scream, echoing from the flames as if the fire itself was alive with agony. There, in the shadows, sat a figure in a leather armchair, sipping from a glass of blood-red wine. He rocked back and forth, the creak of the chair sounding like the slow march of impending doom. "Grandpa? What''s going on? Viola is scared!!" Viola whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper, barely daring to disturb the ominous quiet of the room. But the figure in the chair did not respond in the way she expected. The voice that came from the figure was cold, unfamiliar, and dissonant. "There''s nothing to be afraid of, Viola. After all, we are friends. Aren''t we?" Viola''s breath caught in her throat. "Y-You... You are..." "We haven''t been formally introduced." the voice continued, smooth as silk, but tainted with something far darker. The figure in the chair stood, and in a single, fluid movement, it turned toward her. Viola gasped, her body freezing as her eyes met the creature standing before her. It was toweringeasily over three meters tall. Its limbs were grotesque and stretched out of proportion, and its face was a horrific, twisted mockery of wood and bone. Two bright, glowing golden eyes gleamed from a hollow face, and atop its head sat massive, tangled elk antlers, covered in thick moss adorned with golden flowers. It took only two steps before it was standing right in front of Viola, looming over her like a nightmare made flesh. "KYAAAAAAAA!" Viola screamed, her voice full of terror, but the creature merely tilted its head, its golden eyes studying her curiously. "You don''t have to be afraid of me." it said, its voice almost playful, as though it hadnt noticed the depth of the fear that gripped Violas heart. Its outstretched hand moved toward her, but the sight of it only caused Viola to cower further, her body curling into a ball on the floor. "Uhm... What''s wrong? Why are you afraid of me?" the creature asked, its voice more confused than malicious. There was a soft crackling sound, like dry twigs snapping, but Viola didn''t dare look up. Then, something touched hersomething small and soft, making her flinch in horror. A sweet, innocent voice broke the tension. "Please don''t be afraid of me." Viola''s heart raced as she slowly looked up, her tear-filled eyes locking with the small creature before her. A tiny boy, no older than five or six, stood before her. His mossy hair clung to his dirt-brown skin, his eyes wide with curiosity and innocence. His goat-like eyes were mesmerizingdeep golden pupils that seemed to pierce through the terror Viola felt. He had small, delicate horns emerging from his head, and his attire was strangely quaint, like something from another time. "Hello... I''m Muck, you''re Viola. We''re friends, right?" he said, pointing to himself and then to Viola, as if trying to reassure her. "Y-Muck?" Viola stammered, her voice shaky. "Yes! My master gave me that name. You''re Viola, aren''t you? Why are you crying?" Muck asked, tilting his head in confusion. Viola, her thoughts scattered like fallen leaves, wiped away her tears as she forced herself to speak. "You scared me... I dont like it here..." "Oh... Sorry... I don''t really know how this works... It''s hard to do something I don''t know how to do." Muck''s voice was tinged with an innocent sadness. Then, as if trying to change the subject, he brightened. "Do you like flowers?" Y-Yes? I think... Viola stammered, her voice trembling with fear. Muck closed his eyes, and as he did, the world around them began to warp and melt. The room dissolved into an eerie transformation, and the macabre office faded away, giving birth to an endless field of golden flowers. The blooms reached the boys waist, swaying gently beneath a blood-red sky. Did you like it? Muck asked, his voice thick with sleep as he let out a long sigh. Oh... Viola gasped, her eyes wide in surprise. She slowly stood, mesmerized by the new world around her. Its so beautiful! But... why is the sky red? It... scares me. Viola spoke softly, her voice barely a whisper, as if the sight itself made her heart race. The sky is red where I come from. The little boys voice was distant, as if he were already drifting away. He lay back in the field, the flowers bending gently under his small weight, and stretched out like he was sinking into a mattress made of petals. Viola watched him for a long moment, an unsettling chill crawling over her skin. She reached down to smell one of the flowers, but there was no fragrance. Confused, she plucked one from the ground, and the petals withered instantly, turning into dry, brittle strands of straw. Why dont they have a smell? Violas voice was barely audible, her brow furrowing in confusion. Hmmm... I dont know how to make them smell... Its hard... Mucks voice trailed off sleepily, his words a distant murmur as his eyelids fluttered closed. Hey! Viola suddenly snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. Now that I remember! You bit me! Why did you do that? Do you know how much that hurt? She marched toward the boy, fury rising in her chest. Without thinking, she kicked his arm, her foot connecting with a soft thud. Ouch... Sorry... I just wanted to... talk to you... I... Im so... lonely... Mucks words barely made sense before his eyes fluttered shut and his small body went limp. In an instant, the entire field began to wither, the once-vibrant flowers curling into themselves, the blood-red sky cracking like a shattered mirror. The earth trembled beneath her feet as the world itself seemed to fracture, reality splintering into a thousand jagged pieces. And then Viola woke up. Violas eyes snapped open. She was no longer in the field, no longer surrounded by strange, dying flowers. She was back in a bed, the cool sheets pressed against her skin. Her heart raced as she struggled to sit up, confusion clouding her mind. The sterile scent of the room filled her noseclean, but somehow suffocating. She could see a handful of servants surrounding her, their faces twisted with concern, but their eyes never met hers. Her mother and father stood at the edge of the bed, their expressions cold and unreadable. The young lady has opened her eyes! A female voice called from the corner of the room. Oh! For the morning light, Viola! Her mothers voice was heavy with emotion as she rushed to her side. But before her hand could touch Violas arm, another hand shot out and seized her wrist, pulling her back. Violas heart lurched as the sharp tug sent a wave of tension through her body. How dare you! her mother screamed, jerking her arm against the grip. Let me goshes my daughter! Dont touch her. The mans voice was calm, detached. He stepped forward, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light. His tanned skin contrasted sharply with the pallor of Violas. I dont know what illness afflicts her, and it could be a plague, or a curse. By touching her, you risk catching whatever she has. Violas mother recoiled, her face flushed with both fear and fury. Then what are you doing standing there? Heal her, immediately! The mans gaze remained unwavering as he took a step back. His eyes then shifted to a tall figure standing silently at the foot of the bed. This man was broader in stature, with sharp green eyes and brown hair that seemed untouched by time or emotion. His presence was almost oppressive, his serious expression giving nothing away. Isabel, leave him alone, the man said calmly, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the room. Isabel let out a small, frustrated groan, but complied, retreating to a stool by the wall. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on Viola, as if the girls very existence was a puzzle that couldnt be solved. Whats wrong with her? the man at the foot of the bed asked, his tone as cold as his expression. Poison? No... The other man beside Viola shook his head slowly, his face full of deep concern. Its something different... It feels like a curse, but theres no evil presence. It could be a plague, but if not even the goddesss light can cure her, then... His words trailed off, and he fell silent, the weight of his statement hanging heavy in the air. What?! Isabel gasped, standing up abruptly. How dare you say that? Its my daughter lying there! Isabel, please dont start. The man at the foot of the bed sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. Dont start? Dont start?! Isabels voice cracked with rage. She stormed in front of him, her hand slapping his cheek with a sharp crack. Without missing a beat, she slapped him again. This is your fault, Gretel! You knew there was something out there, but instead of protecting your family, you spent all your time quarreling with the goddess knows who about Another slap rang out, but this time, the man didnt react, his eyes dark with the quiet sorrow of someone who had long since ceased to care. Sigh. Gretel let out a heavy, resigned breath, his voice colder than the stone walls around them. There are bigger things than Viola happening right now, Isabel. Its unfortunate, yes, what happened to her, but if you had made sure she followed my one orderto stay inside the mansionmaybe our daughter wouldnt be in this sorry state. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldnt have a mysterious beast wandering within the gates of Fleurmont County right now. His words cut through the tension in the room like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. Isabels gaze burned with a fury that could have set the room alight. Her teeth were clenched so tightly she feared they might crack under the pressure. How dare you! she screamed, her voice cracking with the force of her anger. You mean to say that your ineptitude as a father and protector of this family is my fault?! Viola lay in her bed, her heart heavy with sadness. She could barely process the words being thrown around her. Her parents voices echoed in her head, a constant reminder of the rift that had grown between them, between her and them. The anger, the frustrationit all felt so distant. What was it like to be loved by them? Viola wondered, but the answer never came. The weight of her parents fighting made her chest tighten, as though the air itself were thickening. Im just so tired, she thought, but there was no rest to be found here. She didnt even know when the last time was she felt joy when they were all together. It felt like a lifetime ago. Hmmm... The man beside Viola spoke, his voice low and contemplative. He turned his gaze away from the still-arguing relatives to look at the wilted plants in the room. I think your problem might not be... medical. Isabels voice snapped through the air, sharp as glass. What? Her tone was harsh, a challenge laced in the word. The man turned slowly, holding a small pot with a once-healthy ornamental plant. Now, it was nothing more than a pile of brittle, yellowed leaves. The life had drained from it, as though it had never known color, never known strength. As he glanced around the room, his eyes met the dying plants scattered throughoutthe flowers in vases, the small trees, all fading into decay, a grotesque parody of life. What is this? Gretels voice held a flicker of curiosity now, a shift in his demeanor. Hard to say, the man replied with indifference, as though it were a puzzle with no immediate answer. Im not a wizard. He shrugged, but then, almost as if he had remembered something, added, Look for a wizard. Whatever it is, its of magical origin. Gretel leaned in, his face now serious, a glimmer of urgency creeping into his voice. In your opinion, as a professional, what could it be? I already told you, Im no wizard, the man repeated, then paused, his brow furrowing. But from experience... it could be several things. Magic reflux, or irradiationor... He stopped, the words hanging heavy in the air, as though he feared the next one would be too much to bear. What? Gretel pressed, his voice low but intense, like a whisper before a storm. The mans expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. Awakening. Sometimes, the creatures bite might have done something to her magic circuits, disturbed them... She could have awakened. What?! Isabels voice was almost a scream. Awakening? At this age? She still has at least eight years before shes even close to awakening! Yes, thats why I told you to call a wizard. The mans voice was heavy, regret hanging in his tone. If it really is Awakening... Im sorry, but she wont survive this process at such a young age. His words seemed to hang in the air, a cruel truth that cut deeper than any wound. He turned and left without another word. Wha Isabels mouth hung open, but no words came. She was speechless. What was happening to her daughter? Her gaze turned to Gretel, frantic. Gretel!? Do something! Her voice cracked, torn between anger and fear. Humf, Gretel muttered, dismissing his wife with a flick of his wrist. Call Asmand here. The door to the room creaked open, and a tall, elderly man entered, his presence commanding the space despite his age. Asmands posture was strong, almost youthful, and behind him, two lackeys followed, carrying various items. Asmand bowed deeply to the most important figures in the room, his movements precise. Mr. and Mrs. Fleurmont, it is a pleasure to serve you. Asmand, Gretel said, his voice composed but urgent, The Templar said that Viola may be suffering from Awakening. Can you check? Of course, sir. Asmands voice was steady, without hesitation. He walked toward Violas bedside, pulling up a stool to sit next to her. He took her small arm in his hands, frowning deeply as he examined the four deep, blackened marks on her wrist. They were unlike any injury hed ever seenclear signs of something unnatural. If the Templars cure couldnt remove them, then whatever had caused these marks was far more dangerous than anyone had expected. Asmand closed his eyes and concentrated, his fingers gently pressing against Violas wrist, his brow furrowing as he sought to understand what had happened. Five minutes passed in complete silence, only the faint rustling of the sheets and the sound of a needle falling to the floor breaking the stillness. Finally, Asmand opened his eyes, and his gaze met Violas with a deep, sorrowful regret. Yes, he said softly. It is indeed Awakening. His voice was tinged with something darker, something colder. The young ladys magic nucleus is slowly forming inside her heart. It is highly unlikely she will survive this process... Not at her age. His words were final, the weight of them pressing down on everyone in the room. But what if she survives? Gretels voice was cold, calculatedlike he was weighing the value of life in the same way one might measure the weight of gold. Asmand paused, his mind seemingly drifting through the possibilities, each one darker than the last. "Hmm." he murmured. She would be the youngest in decades, perhaps centuries, to develop her core at such a young age. Her body may not be fully developed yet, but that would give her core the time it needs to adapt, to merge perfectly with her body. She could become one of the most powerful mages of her generation. His words were blunt, delivered with the detachment of a man who had long ago accepted the futility of hope. But my lord She wont make it. Her body is too tired, too weak. The process has barely begun, and the most challenging stages are still to come. Viola will never last through it... The most merciful option now would be to end her suffering HOW DARE YOU?! Isabels scream was like a whip, cutting through the tension in the room. She grabbed a vase filled with wilted flowers, throwing it at Asmand with such force that the fragile porcelain shattered against the wall, sending shards and water spraying in all directions. But Isabel didnt seem to care. Her fury burned hot, and there was no room for reason. How dare you tell us to kill our own daughter!? Your job is to help her, not to spew nonsense! She looked around, eyes wild, searching for something else to throw. But before she could act, Gretels hand shot out, grabbing her wrists and stopping her. "Isabel, stop right now!" Gretels voice was harsh, authoritative, and cold. He turned to Asmand, his gaze hardening like stone. "What does it take to make her survive the Awakening process?" Asmands expression darkened, his eyes not meeting Gretels. My lord... Theres nothing anyone can do. Her body is giving up. You cant save her, not with potions, not with healing acolytes... It wont work. Even if you try those crazy, expensive methods, her core will develop wrong. It will atrophy, her magic will be crippled, and shell live a life in painher potential wasted. Asmands words landed like stones in the room, each one more damning than the last. Gretels jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Tsk... Well leave her until tomorrow. If theres no improvement by then, well take action." He sighed deeply, as though the weight of his decisions were too much to bear. "Gretel?! How could you!?" Isabels voice cracked, her anger a raw, aching thing. "Are you just giving up on our daughter?!" Gretels patience seemed to snap. "Give me patience, Isabel. Youre only thinking about how Violas death will affect you." His voice was sharp now, biting. "Can you, for once, stop and be a decent mother to her? At least while shes still breathing?" "HA!" Isabels laugh was bitter, dripping with venom. "Look who''s talkingthe man who doesnt even know who Viola is! Dont think no one noticed. You only showed a sliver of interest in her once you realized she might become something extraordinary. Now that your little fantasy has crumbled, you go back to treating her like trash." Viola lay there, motionless, her eyes wide open. It felt like an eternity, as though time itself had frozen in the oppressive stillness. Her parents argued, screamed, ragedyet she couldnt feel anything. Her body felt numb, distant. The words washed over her like water against stone, but none of it mattered. They spoke as if she were already dead. Maybe she was. Maybe she had died a long time ago, before the monsters bite, before the Awakening process began to tear through her. The thought of it was suffocating. ''Theyre so ugly'' Viola thought, her mind a quiet whisper amidst the chaos. Her eyes studied themher parentsdressed in their fine clothes, smelling of expensive perfumes and oils, exuding power and elegance with every step they took. But no matter how much they tried to cover it up, their true faces, their hearts, were grotesque. There was no amount of gold in the world that could hide the rot that festered inside them. Viola had once admired themespecially her mother. She had longed to be like her: beautiful, poised, perfect. But now, after seeing the way her mother spoke, the way she acted, the venomous words that dripped from her lips like poison, Viola could no longer see the woman she had once adored. She was just... dirty. And that thought crushed her. Lyandaa always said that dirt doesnt belong with nobility, Viola reflected bitterly. But the truth was that theyher parents, the people she had once wished to emulatewere all as dirty, as disgusting, as anything she had ever seen. They were nothing but empty vessels filled with poison, wrapped in layers of fine silks. Chapter 87: Dancing under light Its been two days since Kens evolution. The once-sour nurse with a sharp tongue has transformed into... some kind of bizarre chrysalis? Im no stranger to these metamorphoses; Ive seen my fair share of cocoons since arriving in this twisted world. But Kens? Its something else entirely. His chrysalis resembles a chaotic collage of paper fragmentsreds, pinks, and whites overlapped in jagged, cross-shaped patterns. Its like someone sculpted a grotesque pi?ata in Kens likeness, and it just hangs there, unmoving. Watching it is unsettling. I cant help but remember the chrysalises from my old worlddelicate, natural, and straightforward, like the ones butterflies used. This? This monstrosity is a screaming reminder that Im in a damn isekai. And if you think Kens chrysalis is bizarre, youve clearly never laid eyes on Hanss. Where Kens is eerie in its fragility, Hanss is brutal, almost violent. His chrysalis glints with metallic tones of gold and silver, bristling with sharp spines. Beneath its chitinous armor, a prismatic light shifts and writhes as if alive, giving the whole structure an unholy, pulsating glow. And then theres the cleanup. Evolution doesnt come cleanly here. When Ken and Hans popped into their chrysalises, they left behind empty shellstwisted, hollow husks of chitin soaked in a sour-smelling slime. Nightmare fuel, thats what it is. The process of disposing of these shells is a whole ordeal. You cant just leave them lying around unless you want to attract pests, so out they go. Except its winter now, and hauling them through the snow is pure misery. Jasper, always the practical one, suggested grinding the shells into powder for fertilizer. Watching those husks, once living parts of my allies, get pulverized into dust was... disturbing. Still, its better than letting them rot and having to smell that stench every day. Then theres Morthaks gift. After a grueling effort involving me and several mages, we managed to seal it inside a [Mana Bubble]. Now Im tasked with preserving the thinga pulsing, grotesque organusing [Life Drops]. The drops put it in some kind of suspended animation, keeping it from dying but not quite alive either. Its unsettling. A heart, ripped from its body, shouldnt still be beating after ten minutes. Yet this one? It pounds away like its defying reality itself. Goodbye common sense, I guess. I wish I could just ask Morthak what the hell this thing is. But, true to form, hes vanished again, off to some godforsaken corner of this world to do whatever it is he does. Thats his wayshowing up, teaching me something, leaving me with cryptic tasks, then disappearing. Its infuriating. And yet... I dont hate him. Despite everythingthe threats, the training that felt more like torture, the endless barrage of taskstheres something about him that doesnt feel entirely evil. Hes ruthless, sure, but hes also taught me more about magic in a few days than I couldve learned in decades on my own. His methods are brutal, but they work. Thanks to him, Ive reached a point where I can cast 2nd-level spells. Its nothing impressive by this worlds standards, but he keeps insisting Im some kind of magic genius. The truth? My hive gives me an edge. While most wizards spend years memorizing spells and perfecting techniques, I dont need to. My hives collective mind lets me absorb knowledge instantly. With over a hundred minds dedicated to magic research, I dont have to worry about creativitywe brainstorm solutions together. But theres one flaw: experience. The hive can theorize endlessly, but until I cast a spell myself, its all just conjecture. Every new spell, every sensation, every experiment feeds our collective knowledge, but its always my hands on the line. Take ring magic, for example. Its so alien to us that were drowning in questions. Where do the runes come from? Why are they magical? Are there other kinds of runes we havent discovered yet? Can we merge two magic circles into one? And what are the limits of that? The more we dig, the more we realize how little we know. Morthak thrives on these questions. The more twisted and complicated they are, the more excited he seems. Its maddening but effective. Through his guidance, Ive started to refine my spells. Before, I could barely manage a simple destructive burst. Now, I understand its all about intensityyour willpower, your intent, and what youre willing to sacrifice. Magic, Ive learned, isnt just about knowledge or skill. Its about conviction. Thanks to this, I was able to improve my spells and make them more complete. Before, they were just disorderly bursts of energy and desire, producing unstable and dangerous results for both the target and myself. With my new knowledge, I intend to review my entire list of expression spells and refine them as much as possible. Now, I had a far less pleasant taskfulfilling a promise to someone I love. Unfortunately, it was something I really didnt want to do. I sat at the wooden table, one of the only pieces of furniture in the cave. Around me were several [Nurses] and [Healers], all focused on the strange chrysalis resting on the table. It resembled a colorful pi?ata, trembling faintly every so often. Ahhh... lets get this over with, I muttered, sighing heavily. In response, everyone around me nodded and moved closer. Several [Healers] began to hover over the table, placing their small hands gently on Ken''s chrysalis. Very well. Im going to inject [Mana of Life] into Kens chrysalis. As soon as I start, I want you to heal him, even if you dont sense anything wrong. Understood? Yes, Queen Mother! the [Healers] answered in unison. As I stared at Kens chrysalis, my stomach churned with nervousness. The sight of the trembling shell made my resolve falter, but when I glanced at the worried faces of the [Nurses] and [Healers], it reminded me that I couldnt back down. I had made a promise. Damn it! Lets go, I said, steeling myself. I touched my fingernail to the chrysalis, which was about 40 centimeters long. Guiding the [Mana of Life] within me, I began to infuse it into Kens chrysalis, ensuring the mana carried only one simple intention: to help him. I couldve tried shaping the mana into something more specific, but I had to admit my limitations. Energy manipulation and shaping intentions werent my strong suits yet. At first, everything seemed fine. The chrysalis trembled faintly as more mana flowed in. I had injected around 3 to 4 mana points, and the [Healers] worked smoothly, their golden light bathing the chrysalis. For a moment, I allowed myself to feel hopeful. But then, as I reached 10 mana points, Kens chrysalis began to vibrate violently. Ouch! Hes in pain! Help me calm him down, brothers! one of the [Healers] shouted, their voice panicked. The world seemed to slow down. Everything had been fine just seconds ago, but now something was going horribly wrong. The [Healers] desperately poured their healing light into the chrysalis, but the pain radiating from Ken through the link didnt subside. The surface of the chrysalis bulged grotesquely, as though something inside was thrashing against it. The [Healers] looked to me with fear and uncertainty, silently pleading for guidance. My blood ran cold as I placed my hands on the chrysalis, channeling my strongest healing spells. But it was like trying to plug a leaking dam without knowing where the cracks were. I couldnt identify the problem. Damn it! I growled, desperation clawing at me. I shifted focus, trying to draw the [Mana of Life] back out of Kens body, hoping to stabilize him. But as I probed deeper, another problem emerged: I couldnt see Kens natural mana. Without that, I was blindly fumbling in the dark. Kens pain intensified, rippling through the link like a tidal wave. The hive itself grew alert, sensing his distress. His signal within the link weakened, each moment bringing him closer to the brink. My chest tightened in panic. No! I shouted, slamming my hands harder against the chrysalis. Frustrated and overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, forcing myself to think of a solution. Anything. If only I could see Kens magic clearly, I might be able to help him. Activating my magical vision, I strained to focus on the faint blue cloud of mana within Ken. But it wasnt enough. I needed something strongersomething beyond a mere skill. Desperation took over as I began to force my mind into creating a spell. A sharp pain shot through my head, my vision blurring under the strain. Yet I pressed on. Slowly, the image of the faint blue cloud distorted, taking on a new form. In its place, a crackling blue orb of energy appeared before me. It surged with raw, untamed power, flickering and twisting as though alive. The small ball of energy appeared to be composed of delicate blue lines, intricately wrapping around themselves to form what looked like a ball of yarn. These threads extended into countless channels spreading throughout Kens body. Around the core of this magical energy, a chaotic tangle of disorganized strands wove a web of disorder, further complicating the scene. I reached out instinctively, only to find that my hands were no longer the familiar ones I knew. Instead, they appeared as two crackling, golden shapes, pulsing with energy. As I moved, the golden strands followed my gestures, as if dancing in response to my commands. Focusing intently, I began manipulating the golden threads, attempting to extract the unruly strands of life energy from Kens core. However, the tangled mess resisted my efforts, making any removal impossible. Changing tactics, I decided to guide the golden threads gently through the chaos, weaving them into the core and slowly unraveling the knots. One by one, the disordered strands began to align, settling smoothly over Kens core. Gradually, the chaotic tangle diminished, giving way to harmony. The core, once pulsating blue, began shifting to shades of pink, until its color unified into a soft, radiant glow. When the process was complete, my vision flickered, and an intense headache struck me, pulling me back to reality. As my surroundings came back into focus, I found myself surrounded by [Healers], their faces painted with worry. I ignored their gazes, turning my attention to Ken. His chrysalis lay still, but through our link, I could sense that he was alive and stable. Relief washed over me as I saw his cocoon trembling slightly. The brittle leaves clinging to his form began peeling away, falling to the ground like discarded fragments of the past. In their place, vibrant new leaves emerged, their hues a mix of pink, red, and white, each adorned with intricate cross-like patterns. Horn-like protrusions shaped like a "+" began sprouting from his chrysalis, completing the transformation. A strange, yet familiar, energy radiated from Ken''s cocoonan aura that felt comforting yet alien at the same time. "What happened to Ken, Queen Mother?" one of the [Healers] asked, their voice trembling. "I-I don''t know." I replied, my own voice unsteady. "I managed to stabilize him, but I have no idea what this is. All I know is that I fixed the problem from before." "Is he okay?" a [Nurse] asked, their concern evident. "Yes I think so. There doesnt seem to be anything wrong with him now. Hes just different." Kens change wasnt just physicalhis very essence felt altered. His mana, once familiar and distinct, had transformed into something new. Whether this change was a blessing or a curse, I couldnt say. But he was alive. "Ah... I can''t believe I did that." I muttered, a mix of exhaustion and relief settling over me.
About three days have passed, and during that time, nothing particularly noteworthy has occurred. Weve expanded further, and weve even started producing a modest amount of honey. Its nowhere near our previous production levels, but its a start. In these days, both Kens and Hans chrysalises have undergone noticeable changes. Hans chrysalis has grown from roughly 50 cm to 70 cm in length. Its once-silver color has darkened into a shade resembling iron or some strange alloy, with a peculiar texture. The surface is now covered in micro-spines, making it challenging for the [nurses] to handle. Kens chrysalis, however, has grown exponentially. Its gone from 40 cm to a staggering 90 cm in length in just a few days. What once looked like a pi?ata with silly horns has transformed into something even stranger. The layers of leaves covering his chrysalis now resemble silky fur, salmon-pink in color with scattered yellow dots. His two horns, still retaining their + shape, have grown slightly larger. Moreover, Kens chrysalis has been twisting frequentlya sign, according to the [nurses], that he may soon emerge. This development worries me. Logically, Hans should evolve first since he entered his chrysalis stage earlier. But it seems the injection of [life mana] into Ken has drastically accelerated his growth. Whether this is good or bad news remains to be seen. Ive also been reflecting on the "last-minute spell" I used to save Ken. Born out of desperation, it was far from perfect, but thats the essence of expression magiccreating something new in the heat of an emotional and purposeful moment. The problem is that spells born of such turmoil often come with flaws. First, the system designated the spell as [Null-Tab#3]. Its an ominous name, and while spell names are largely cosmetic, encountering something so impersonal is unsettling. Second, the spell itself is a double-edged sword. It grants me the ability to see the "essence of magic"the very source of all magical energy within a living being. I can even sense the magic within objects and other sources, though my interaction with those is limited. However, the cost of this ability is staggering. The spell consumes mana at an alarming rate, like dry straw in a wildfire. It also causes overwhelming mental exhaustion. And worst of all, its anything but discreet. My children said I look like some kind of glowing-eyed demon when I use it, which is less than ideal. Ive been working to refine and reshape the spell, but its proving difficult. Changing the fundamental nature of an existing spell is like trying to reinvent a square or redefine a color as something its not. I can optimize its efficiency and try to balance the cost-benefit ratio, but altering its core essence feels almost impossible. "Ugh Me and my cockroach soul." I muttered to myself irritably while jotting down notes for the Nameless Spell and brainstorming ideas for other spells. "I couldve gone into engineering or invention, but noooo, I had to get tangled up with magic, didnt I?" Just as I was deep in thought, a [Royal Knight] approached me briskly. "Queen Mother! Morthak has been sighted within the perimeter of the hive! He will arrive in five minutes!" "Oh? The old man is back? Finally, I can make use of his wisdom!" Wasting no time, I headed to the cave entrance, accompanied by my delegation. Soon, I spotted Morthaks figure approaching across the frozen field. The snowstorms had finally subsided, and the weather had begun to warma clear sign that winters frozen grip was loosening. It wasnt perfect weather yet, but next year wed be far better prepared for this icy hell. Upon seeing Morthak, I waved to him. When he saw me, he simply nodded in response. Soon, he arrived at the cave, carrying a leather bag tied with ropes, the contents of which were anyones guess. "Hello, MorthSir. You''ve been away for quite a while this time, havent you?" "Ha! I needed to take care of some things in Red Spine and gather materials for your next lesson. I also ran into... some old ''friends'' there." Morthak said casually. "Hmm. Welcome back, I guess. You know, I understand that you told me you werent the best teacher in the world, but seriously? You beat me to exhaustion, disappear to god-knows-where, and leave behind a note with one word and the heart of... something?" I crossed my arms indignantly, glaring at him. Id known from the start that Morthak wouldnt be the ideal mentor, but honestly, he was pushing it. If I were teaching someone, I wouldnt treat them like a stray dog I found on the street. Then again, from his perspective, maybe thats how I seemed. "You complain too much, girl. In my time, training was much harsher. As for Yvern''s heart, I gave it to you as a reward for your exceptional performance." Morthak walked into the cave without hesitation, eyeing the modifications and upgrades wed made in his absence. "Dont give me that old-timer talk. Youre merciless! Ugh... Just tell me, what is this heart of Yvern even for?" "It depends on the user." Morthak replied, placing the bag hed been carrying aside and stretching. "It can be used to craft high-level elixirs, as a source of ether, for magic-engineering, or as a quick supply of magical energy. In your case, I gave it to you to help with your ''lack of mana'' problem." "Are you serious?! How am I supposed to filter magical energy from something thatoh, I dont knowhas like 80% pure poison mixed in?" "Ah, I assumed you had an [Affinity] for something like [Acid] or [Poison]. I thought the heart of an adult Yverne would be useful to you. If youd told me what your affinities actually were, Id have prepared something more suitable. Regardless, you could always use one of those ''light stars'' of yours to filter the heart''s energy." Morthak said matter-of-factly.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Look, I dont even know if its safe to create another [Node]. Even if I did, is this thing renewable? Its a severed heart! How is it still beating like it was just ripped from someones chest?" "Ha! Thats one of the peculiarities of the dragon family. They have incredible vitality. Even after death, their hearts can keep beating for one to two years. The energy within, however, is finiteand as youve noticed, heavily corrupted by impurities." Morthak explained. "Alright, but why give it to me in the first place? Why not a magic stone oroh, I dont knowa bag of food?" "First, you told me you could ''fend for yourself,'' so Im focusing on teaching you the arcane world and general knowledge instead of babysitting. Second, I gave you the heart because it was something I already had ''in my pocket.''" "What do you mean, ''in your pocket''? Who carries something that big around in their pocket?" "Oh, its nothing special. Its a level 7 spell called [Pocket Dimension], created ages ago by the illustrious Ellie Zefrian. It allows the caster to create a portable space, its size proportional to their power." Morthak said, waving his staff to open a crack in the air. The tear looked like it had ripped the fabric of reality itself. "Holy crap! Is this like... an inventory?" "A what?" Morthak asked, puzzled. "Nothing! This is incredible! This alone makes learning magic worthwhile. Is it just a utility spell, or can it be used offensively?" "Hmm... That depends on the user. Since its a [Space] spell, its extremely costly for those without an affinity for [Space], which is quite rare. That said, Ive heard of mages using [Pocket Dimension] to seal powerful entities or even collapse the dimension to deal massive damage. However, those are unconventional uses and far from its primary purpose." Morthak said with a shrug. "Oh! Nice... but why did you have Yvern''s heart inside your pocket like that?" "Well..." Morthak began, scratching his chin. "A few months ago, during my journey, I happened to encounter a rather dull Yverne. Not that Yvernes are particularly intelligent to begin with, but this one was exceptionally stupid. It failed to realize why no other beasts dared approach me. Long story short, it didnt last long. After harvesting all the valuable resources from its body, I transformed it into a high-level undead Yverne. It served as one of my strongest and most notable minionsuntil I had the misfortune of crossing paths with some envoys from the Church of the Morning. I emerged victorious, of course, but the battle cost me all my high-level minions. Since then, Ive been wandering, gathering corpses for new minions... and then I found you." "Ugh... So, you''re saying that a necromancer''s strength depends on their summons?" "Err... something like that." Morthak admitted. "As a necromancer, my true talent lies in crafting powerful minions and enhancing them during combat. The more corpses I gather for my army, the stronger I become. But going on a mindless rampage to build an indestructible army isnt exactly smart." "I cant believe Im asking this, but why not? Isnt it just a matter of collecting ''materials''?" "Ha! If only it were that simple. Creating undead requires mana, and I also have to manage negative karma. Not to mention, I cant cause too much of a commotion, or Ill attract unwanted attention. Not everyone is as... ''understanding'' toward necromancers as you are, girl. Even among my own kinddemon-types''dark'' classes like mine are often frowned upon. To them, its less about what you achieve with power and more about the methods used to obtain it." "Hmm, I think I get it. I wont say youre some victim of society, but youre like... Sorry for the comparisona vulture. You benefit from the deaths of others. Its not exactly noble, but its still better than going on a killing spree without any thought for the consequences, I guess?" "Hmm, an apt comparison." Morthak mused. "To be honest, most necromancers dont even get along with each other. Some are outright maniacs, committing genocides in villages or cities without a second thought for the negative karma theyre racking up. That kind of recklessness has given our craft a terrible reputation. The decline of necromancers largely stems from us allowing a handful of lunatics to prosper. They left behind grimoires and necromicons filled with sensationalist nonsense, warping the new generation of necromancers." "Whats this ''negative karma'' thing you keep mentioning?" I asked, glancing at Morthak as he settled into a chair. "Ah, karma is one of the systems functions. Its essentially a scoring system that determines the ''good guys'' and the ''bad guys.'' There are bonuses for having positive or negative karma, as well as debuffs for both. But in practical terms, it works like this: beings with positive karma naturally see those with negative karma as enemies, and vice versa." "Hmm, it seems quite simple." "Oh, you''re quite mistaken, young lady." Morthak said with a light laugh. "The karma system is much deeper and more complex than it appears on the surface. Karma can influence things like luck, talents, and even destiny." "What?! Explain that properly!" "Uhm... It''s a bit difficult to explain in simple terms unless you have the ability or tools to determine your own karma. Lets just say both sides of the coin come with their own pros and cons. Entities with negative karma tend to be naturally stronger and more dangerous. But they are also often untrustworthy, perverse, and downright wicked. On the other hand, beings with positive karma are usually... Shall we say, naive? They trust others easily, have ridiculous luck, are honorable, and blah blah blah... Theyre like cockroachesannoyingly hard to kill." Morthak said with a smirk. "That doesnt sound like much." "Eh, theres not much you can actively do about karma. Its more like an extra piece of information that explains why certain things happen in your life." Morthak said, shrugging. "Um... Like giving meaning to the unexplainable?" "Thats one way to put it." "I like it. Does it have any practical use beyond being a moral guide?" "Yeah." Morthak said nonchalantly. "Certain spells and magical arts can only be learned or used by having the appropriate level of karma." "What?! Thats insane!" "Hmm? Not really. Its just a way to prevent people with ''evil'' tendencies from using ''righteous'' spells and arts like [Sanctuary Field] or [Dawns Balm], and likewise, ''righteous'' folks cant wield spells considered ''evil,'' like [Withering Curse] or [Calls from the Deep]. No big deal." "It sounds really special to me! Wait... Does that mean people with ''neutral'' karma can use both types of magic without restrictions? Are there drawbacks to using spells from either karma branch? What are the effects of these spells?" "Ho ho, lively girl, arent you?" Morthak chuckled. "Dont overthink it. If you ever come across someone who can use spells, arts, and skills tied to [Karma], the best advice I can give you in your current state is simple: accept death. Individuals who can fully harness the power of karma are... High-level. The elite of the elite." "Uhm... Okay, thats... unsettling. But its good to know it exists. Still, it feels contradictory, doesnt it? Everyone is subject to the karma system, but only high-level beings can use it to their advantage?" "Peculiarities of the system, young lady." Morthak said with a wave of his hand. "Not everyone has the same privileges. And honestly, karma isnt that important at lower levels. To accumulate enough karmagood or badto make a real difference takes... years. Decades, even. Its a long-term game of building a reputation." "Can you even use that kind of magic? You said you were famous and well-known, right?" "Well, youve got a sharp eye, young lady. Yes, I do have one or two tricks up my sleeve that draw on my negative karma as a catalyst. But Im not proud of how I obtained them." Morthak muttered, his voice quieting as he seemed to retreat into distant memories, a faint sigh escaping his lips. "Thats so cool! Couldnt you show me?!" "No, absolutely not." Morthak waved his hand firmly, cutting off the request. "Oh, come on! At least tell me what they do! It doesnt cost anything, does it?!" Morthak frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing. "I said I have tricks up my sleeve, girl, but would I reveal something that important to you?" "Ugh, come on! Its not like you need to use it against me to defeat me. Im your pupil, your disciple, your studentwhatever you want to call it! Dont you want to impress a young girl who''s so enthusiastic about magic?!" "No. Get lost." Morthaks voice was cold and unyielding, dismissing her with a sharp wave. "AH! Come on, Morthak! Ive never asked you for anything before. You said you were going to teach me magic, and after all that hellish and meaningless training, you wont even show me one trick?!" Morthaks frown deepened, his jaw tightening. "Your treat is the valuable lessons and knowledge Ive given you for freevaluable things like Yverns heart, which would be enough to make any real disciple fall to their knees in gratitude. You should be grateful for what youve already been given, not pestering me for something more." "But this is different! This is a whole new magic system! Of course, Id want to see it! Come on, just give me a basic description, will you?" Morthaks frown remained, but he let out a low, contemplative grunt. "I have a spell one that can reach into the soul of my target. Thats all Im saying on the matter." "Oh! That sounds incredible! Like, can you obliterate someones soul? Take control of it? Or something like that? Wait do you mess with peoples souls on a regular basis?" Morthaks dark eyes sharpened, his tone growing colder. "Of course not! Disturbing the souls of the dead is taboo among necromancers. Sure, there are those bastards wholl break taboos for their own gain, but messing with souls isnt something amateurs should even think about. One wrong move, and youll be haunted for the rest of your days by the souls of the dead. Mark my wordsyoull never escape from that kind of curse." "And why would that be bad? Cant you just hire an exorcist or something? That exists, right?" Morthaks lips curled slightly in disdain, the weight of his words sinking into the air between them. "Exorcists can rid you of restless spirits but they cant undo the damage done to your soul. Once youve crossed that line, youre markedforever. Those who dabble with souls dont get second chances. They become puppets of the dead, tormented by every lingering spirit they disturb. Its not something you can just brush off. Souls must make their way back to the primordial cauldron of life, re-enter the eternal cycle of life and death. Interrupting that path is simply wrong. If souls don''t find their way to the afterlife, they become evil spirits, and evil spirits... Well, they are evil." Morthak warned. Ouch... Ive never encountered an evil spirit or anything like that before. People die all the time out thereits not possible that one or two dont slip through the path to the afterlife and end up as evil spirits. So, how come Ive never seen one? Morthak turned to face me, his expression calm but with a hint of something dark lingering beneath his gaze. His voice carried an air of quiet authority as if he were unveiling ancient knowledge. Simple. There are several classes of peoplepriests, shamans, even ancient ritualistscapable of banishing evil spirits. Theyve developed methods to prevent the birth of such spirits altogether. For example, the act of burial itself is a powerful, ancient ritual. Its meant to guide the dead safely into the afterlife. When the living take the time to say their goodbyes, it helps the deceased complete their journey cleanly and peacefully. I frowned, still not entirely convinced. Rituals? Ive heard of those, but it doesnt seem like something that could actually... stop evil spirits from forming. Seems like wishful thinking. Morthak let out a low, amused chuckle. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But its far more than that. Rituals performed by priests or shamans serve as a spiritual compass, helping the dead navigate through the realms. And there are beingsThanacariswhose sole purpose is to watch over, control, or even eliminate spirits during their journey back to the primordial cauldron. I blinked. Thanacaris? What... what are they? Morthaks tone shifted slightly, as if narrating an old tale. Theyre ancient guardiansbeings of immense power and dedication. They ensure that the spirits return to the source, cleansed of any lingering darkness. I hesitated, still unsure how to process it all. H-How do you know all this? Morthak raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching into a sly smirk. Seriously, girl? Morthak, the Corpse Craftsman? Necromancer? Doesnt that sound any alarms? Death is literally my field of expertise. I rolled my eyes. Oh, sure, no need to rub it in my face. Morthak chuckled at my reaction. It was a bit obvious, wasnt it? As a necromancer, Ive delved deep into the countless rituals and traditions tied to death. Some of these practices are fascinatinglike the elves of the southern mountains, who, once a year, hold a grand feast to remember and honor their dead. Others, though... well, theyre... strange, to say the least. I shivered slightly, his words painting unsettling images in my mind. Ugh, there are crazy people for everything, it seems. Morthaks expression grew thoughtful. Its not about madness; its about tradition. It may seem bizarre to outsiders, but for them, its common. Over the years, Ive come to realize that, no matter the culture, no matter the people, they all share the same purposeremembering those who have passed. And thats what fascinates me most. His voice softened as he spoke, his words dripping with something close to reverence. Each people, each village, town, and society, they carry out their traditions differently. But in the end, their reasons are the same. I furrowed my brow, intrigued despite myself. Uhm... Geez, are you, like... an anthropologist or something? Morthak blinked, confused. An-anthro-po-lo-gist? What would that be? I sighed, struggling to find a simpler way to explain. You know? Someone who studies, works, or explores society in a scientific way... someone who researches people and their cultures? A slow realization dawned on Morthak, a hint of genuine curiosity flickering in his eyes. Oh... Ive never heard that word before. But... the meaning is pleasant to me. Yes, I do have a deep interest in discovering new thingsespecially when it relates to the culture and history of a new people. I smiled slightly, impressed despite myself. Thats cool! How many different societies have you been to? I dont really like the idea of meeting new people like you, but I understand the value of it. Morthak leaned back slightly, his gaze distant, as if lost in memory. Oh, its been countless years. Ive studied practically every known speciessentient and non-sentientwhove walked this earth. Thats why you intrigue me so much. Youre unlike anything Ive ever seen before. I blinked. Wow! You really know, like, every being that exists?! My voice wavered, disbelief and awe mixing in equal measure. Of course not. Ive met almost everyone out there. Theres always something new to discover. Youre a clear example of that. Morthaks tone was matter-of-fact, as though he were accustomed to encounters like mine. As a necromancer, there was a time when I needed to study the different species that existed in the world. I wanted to gather more information about the beings I could use for my experiments. But I ended up finding the whole thing fascinatingfar more interesting than I ever expected. Ive met people from the most remote peoples of the frozen mountains, to the notorious vampires. Ive walked through human cities, encountered every type of beastman there isfairies, pixies, even a wind elemental, Morthak added with a self-satisfied smirk. Wow! Thats really cool! Which one do you think is the most interesting species youve ever met? Morthaks eyes gleamed, his expression turning contemplative, as if carefully weighing his words. Well, I would say its yours now. Your species is simply extraordinary. You look like a strange mixpixies, humans, insects, dragons, and demons? Its bizarre, but at the same time, deeply fascinating. Youve got something no one else has. His words made me frown, my brow knitting together. Wait, what do you mean by that? Morthak leaned back slightly, his dark, piercing eyes narrowing as he began to explain. Apart from you, though, Id say vampires are the most interesting. Theyre a reclusive, powerful speciesrelatively new, too. I tilted my head, confused. New? What do you mean? Morthaks lips curled into a slight smirk. Well, do you know how new species are born in the world? No? I answered cautiously, unsure where this was going. Its simple. A being evolves to the point where it develops unique traits that have never been seen before. Then, it reproduces, creating a new species. Its straightforward, really. I frowned, a perplexed expression forming on my face. What?! But that would mean thered be hundreds of new species every day! Animals, beasts, or people leveling up Morthak chuckled, shaking his head slowly. Theoretically, yes. But in reality, its much more complicated. First, beasts cant do this. Beasts might acquire unique affinities, powers, or abilities, which can lead to variantslike the case of pixies, which can take different forms, shapes, and even control different elements. But beings like humans or demons, they need two things to create entirely new species. I leaned forward slightly, curious now. Two things? Yes. The first is a bloodline. Bloodlines can only be formed in two ways: one, by consuming the magical core of a beast that already possesses it, or two, by inheriting it from ones relatives. And even in the latter case, the bloodline must be refined to the point where physical changes are noticeable. I frowned deeper, trying to keep up with his explanation. Okay and the second factor? The second is simpler. Its all about reaching the highest levels. When you level up, your body is purified, refinedimproved. And if you do everything right, if the conditions are perfect... a new, entirely unique species emerges. I blinked, processing this strange information. Thats pretty strange. A little, maybe. But its not always a success. Some people just end up becoming a variant of their original speciesbeasts, for instance, that gain unique abilities or strange powers. Vampires are rare because it requires both factors to align perfectly. Very, very rare. I rubbed my temple, feeling overwhelmed. So, how were vampires born? Morthak sighed, sitting back slightly, his expression darkening. Its a long story "But to summarize... In the primordial times, there was an ambitious human being named Cain Bathory. He served as one of the seven knights of the Goddess of the Morning, known for his insatiable hunger for power and enormous ambition. Whispered among the people, he was feared and called The Hungry Onea figure that brought despair to those who crossed his path. His shadow loomed like a harbinger of death, leaving behind only unease and dread wherever he tread. But one fateful day, the Goddess of the Morning summoned her seven knights and gave them a task: to retrieve the corpse of the infamous Tenebris Sanctus, a beast of unparalleled power, whose reach spread misery and death across the land with its strange and otherworldly mastery over blood." I listened intently, as though a child clinging to his grandfathers tales by a flickering firelight. Morthaks voice had shiftedgrown more somber, laden with weight. There was no escaping the gravity of this tale; it seemed everyone in this world knew its end. "What the Goddess of the Morning did not foresee, however, was Cains betrayal. He succeeded in slaying the beast, but instead of delivering its remains as commanded, Cain seized the creatures magical core for himself. And as he consumed it, something inside him awokea force darker than his ambition, far beyond his understanding. No longer just Cain Bathory, the mortal manhe rose as Cain Bathory, the Father of the Vampires." "But Cain''s betrayal didnt end there. Enraged by his audacity, the Goddess of the Morning received even more tragic newsCain had transformed his fellow knights into the first vampires, becoming what history would call the Six Vampire Lords. Only two of them remain alive today, the others lost to the tides of time." "Enraged and humiliated, the Goddess of the Morning unleashed a curse upon Cain and all vampiresher punishment eternal. The light of truth itself would burn them, leaving their bodies to smolder in perpetual agony. The gates to the afterlife slammed shut, barring their souls from peace. From that moment on, vampires would burn under sunlightyet they could never truly die unless their souls were obliterated completely, reduced to nothingness." Morthak chuckled slightly, as if it were a matter of small amusement. His eyes glimmered in the dim light, reflecting the centuries of stories held within him. Wow Thats something, I guess. So vampires are evil Not necessarily. Morthaks voice was calm, yet edged with something darker beneath the surface. Theres always two sides to the same coin. What do you mean? Theres another version to the storyone told from the vampires perspective. Cain wasnt driven by greed. He freed his friends and loved ones from the chains of the Goddess of the Morning. The goddess, refusing to accept defeat, cursed the vampires in retaliation, forcing them to hide from the light and live in the shadows. I frowned, unsure which version felt truer. But what is the truth? Morthak paused, his gaze piercing. Well, it doesnt really matter. To the world, the human version is the truth. And maybe it is. But the story? Its told by those who win the war. The vampires, once scattered and few in number, have always been powerful, but they were easy prey. The Goddess of the Mornings armies hunted them relentlessly. Those few vampires unable to withstand the burning truth of her light they were hunted down, one by one, until nothing but ashes remained. And after countless wars and battles, a new enemy emergedthe demon lord. The humans could retreat to their sanctuaries, safe beneath the wings of their goddess. But the vampires? They had no one but Cain to shield them from the horrors that came next. Cain faced the demon lord, but he failed to defeat him. In the end, Cain himself was left in a deep slumber, lost to the world. Morthaks voice trailed off, and the air grew heavier. The tale hung between usan uneasy silence stretching long enough to weigh on my thoughts. But what of the demon lord? I asked. Morthak sighed, a low, mournful sound. The demon lord remains a mystery. Everyone knows he still lives, but no one knows where. The dark corruption seeps into this world, and no one knows how to stop it. I swallowed, uneasy at the growing tension. I Ive heard of it. I need to ask you something Sorry if this sounds offensive, but Are the demon-kind on the demon lords side? As soon as my question left my lips, the already cold air seemed to grow colder, suffocating. Morthaks eyes locked onto minedeep and serious, a storm of emotions churning within them. The silence between us thickened, heavy with dread. It seemed I had struck a nerve. For a long moment, Morthak said nothingjust stared, unblinking. And then, with measured voice, he began to speak. The one who crawls through the stars Chapter 88: Burdens of the Mighty "A detestable, revolting creaturean affront to Mother Nature herself, driven by an insatiable hunger for chaos and destruction. Being compared to such a thing feels like an insult to my very existence... but I can see why some might think it." Morthak said, his voice low and grim, a shadow darkening his brow. "I''m sorry... I didnt mean it like that. Its just... the names dont exactly help, you know?" "Yeah, I know." Morthak replied, his tone softening slightly. "For those who refuse to dig deeper, its easy to lump everything into the same box. To them, calling the Demon Lord one of us seems logicaljust as some might compare a homunculus to a human. But despite the surface resemblance, their essences are worlds apart. The Demon Lord is... an enigma. He didnt rise from some natural order, nor from the abyss of our kind. He simply appearedripping through reality as if it were paper, draining the world of life like a parasite with no end to its hunger. He exists for one reason: to obliterate." Morthak''s words hung in the air, thick with an unspoken weight, like the lingering scent of decay after a storm. "But why... why is he so hard to kill?" the girl asked, her voice trembling. "Is he really that powerful? What about the human heroes?" Morthak let out a bitter laugh, sharp as a blade. "Calling him ''hard to kill'' is putting it mildly. The Demon Lord is a force of nature, not a creature to be destroyed. His body regenerates faster than the strongest spells can harm him. His destructive power is beyond anything in this world, and his cruelty is... primal. He corrupts everything he touches, spreading death like a disease. The so-called ''heroes'' couldnt even scratch him. Most of them died without ever realizing what they were up against. The only one who survived was Delfera man too clever for his own kind." My brow furrowed. "But... what even are the heroes? Where do they come from? Why call them heroes if theyre so weak?" "The heroes." Morthak said, leaning forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper."Were the Goddess of Mornings desperate gamble. She thought she could imbue mortals with divine energyturn them into demi-gods strong enough to challenge the Demon Lord. But there was a catch: she couldnt risk empowering beings who might defy her. So, she designed them as disposable weapons. Even in death, she hoped their energy would poison the Demon Lord." He paused, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. "But reality has a way of humbling gods. The heroes fell like leaves of a tree useless sacrifices whose only purpose was to fuel the Demon Lords strength. The Goddess, of course, couldnt admit her failure. She spun tales of bravery and triumph, claiming her ''heroes'' had died valiantly in a battle that crippled the Demon Lord. And when Cain, the Father of Vampires, fought the Demon Lord and forced his physical form to dissipate, she took credit for that too." "But if the Demon Lords still alive, doesnt that make her lie pointless?" "Not at all." Morthak said with a grim chuckle. "History is written by those who hold power. The Goddess of Morning may be a liar and a manipulator, but to her followers, shes the embodiment of truth. To them, she is salvation." "I dont think I like her very much. Every time I hear her name, its tied to something horrible." Morthak shrugged. "Youre in demon-kind lands, girl. Of course youll hear only curses in her name. If you want to hear her praises, go find a human. Though judging by your tone, I doubt youd enjoy the conversation." I shivered, memories of my last encounter with a human flashing through my head. "No thanks." I muttered. "The last time didnt exactly go well." "Enough chatter." Morthak said abruptly, sitting down at the heavy wooden table. His sharp, piercing gaze locked onto hers. "Bring me your work. Its time for judgment." I hesitated, glaring at him. "Just remember, I had to figure this out without someone actually teaching me the proper way." He smirked, unbothered by my indignation. "Thats the point. Before I guide you, I need to see what youre capable of on your own. Trial and error separates the ones with talent from the ones wasting my time." Grinding my teeth, I gestured to the guards. One brought over a leather-bound scroll. I handed it to Morthak, who unrolled it lazily. His sharp eyes scanned the contents. "Hmm... unusual." he murmured, stroking his chin. "Youve created a scroll that channels first-tier magic impressive for someone at your level. The spell itself seems... stable. A rare choice, favoring precision over raw power. Tell me, whats its purpose?" I hesitated, suddenly self-conscious. "Its called Crystal Rose. It creates a magical flowera rose made of energy. Its stable enough to touch, even hold. Sure, its not destructive, but... its beautiful." Morthak raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Beautiful, yes. Useful? Debatable. But Ill give you thisits unique. Unorthodox thinking like this could serve you well, so long as you dont let pride get in the way of growth." My chest swelled with a mix of pride and defiance. "I worked hard on it! You cant deny that much." Morthak nodded, setting the scroll down. "Youve proven youre no ordinary novice. But this is only the beginning. Show me you can turn that creativity into something the world will fears. No wonder, everyone can create magic shows that are beautiful to the eye but useless in battle, but only the most dedicated and professional magicians are capable of creating new destructive spells that will be remembered." Morthaks gaze darkened as he carefully channeled energy into the leather parchment. Tendrils of shimmering light seeped from his fingers, wrapping around the scroll like a living entity. The parchment quivered before disintegrating into glowing motes that coalesced into a ball of soft, ethereal light. Slowly, with delicate precision, the light deformed under Morthaks touch, twisting and hardening until it crystallized into a flawless rose made entirely of magical energy. Morthak studied the creation with open curiosity, running his fingers over its smooth, luminous petals. He gave the rose a gentle squeeze, testing its durability, before setting it reverently on the table. "Youve created... a permanent effect spell? Thats beyond impressive, girl. The energy is crystallized and stabilized so flawlessly that it will remain untouched for centuries if kept in this form." He leaned in closer, his dark eyes glittering. "But the detail... the form itself... How did you manage to craft something so intricate? This level of specificity would take hundreds of hours to perfect." I couldnt stop the smirk from creeping across my face. "Humf! Dont sound so shocked, old man. When I set my mind to something, no one can stop me." I crossed my arms and lifted my chin proudly. "To be honest, this project taught me a lot. I figured out I can create very specific effects using ring magicsomething thats nearly impossible with expression magic. By grouping the formulas and runes just right, I realized I could create almost anything. The possibilities are endless! Though, if Im being honest, the sheer number of letters, runes, and combinations nearly drove me insane. Otherwise, Id experiment more." Morthak threw back his head and let out a booming laugh. "HAHA! Im not even surprised anymore. At this point, I shouldve known you were the real deal. Alright, girl. Lets move on to the real lessons now." My eyes lit up. "Seriously? What are you going to teach me?" "A true challenge." Morthak said, rising from his seat and clasping his hands behind his back. His voice took on a grim tone, underscored by a faint, foreboding smile. "Ill teach you a type of magic thats both common and feared in these lands: curses and blessings." I blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, curses and... blessings? You can cast blessings?" "Of course I can! Just because Im a necromancer doesnt mean I cant bestow blessings. Mine are... unconventional, but no less effective." He gave a sly grin. "I only have a few blessings up my sleeve, but curses? Oh, Ive mastered countless ways to ruin my enemiesquick curses for the heat of battle, generational curses that haunt bloodlines for centuries. Ill teach you how to craft them all." I swallowed hard, his macabre smile sending a chill down my spine. "I-Is this safe?" "Safe?" He chuckled, tapping his staff on the stone floor. "Of course! What could possibly go wrong when cursing someone?" "That was sarcasm, right? Please tell me that was sarcasm." I muttered, my stomach knotting. He shrugged. "Naturally, there are risks. For example, if your target wields a counter-curse artifact or possesses innate resistance, your curse could rebound on you. But such cases are rare. For the most part, the better the caster, the harder it is to undo their work." His voice dropped, tinged with admiration. "Take Magiscula, the Lady of Curses. Her mastery of curse magic was legendary. She could kill with just a drop of her blood or a single strand of hair. Her curses were unbreakablevicious and utterly merciless." I stared at him, wide-eyed. "Are you telling me someone could actually kill with just a drop of blood? Thats insane!" Morthak rolled his eyes. "Dont be ridiculous. Magiscula was... exceptional. A monster in her own right. For the rest of us, curses take preparationrituals, precision, and power. You wont be killing anyone with a sneeze." Still, the idea sent a shiver down my spine. "It sounds... powerful. But isnt it... evil? I mean, theyre curses." He snorted. "Evil is just a matter of perspective. If the Goddess of Morning curses someone, her followers call it divine punishment. If a witch does the same, its labeled as wickedness. The truth? A curse is a tool, just like a knife. It can be used to defend or destroy. The choice is yours." I mulled it over, frowning. "I guess that makes sense... but I cant think of a way to use curses that doesnt feel... wrong." "Then lets start there." Morthaks voice turned ominous as he raised his staff. The skull at the top of it began to glow, its hollow eyes blazing with an eerie green light. Wisps of sickly smoke curled from the orb beneath the skull, slithering across the floor like serpents before reaching me. I gasped as the smoke coiled around my limbs and seeped into my skin. A cold, unnatural sensation spread through me, sharp as icy needles, yet oddly invigorating. My vision dimmed momentarily, and I felt a strange weight settle in my chest, like a tether binding me to something unseen.
[Warning]
You have been cursed
[Effects]
[Curse of Binding] - 04:59
You cursed me?! Its not a big deal, just a weakened minor curse. Stop being so dramatic. Morthak dismissed my outrage with a wave of his hand. This particular curse is called [Curse of Binding]. It simply allows me to know where you are at all times. Thats unsettling. But why was I cursed so easily? Its about intensity. Small, weak curses like this are simple to attach to someone. I could curse an entire village with it for a short time if I wanted to. But when it comes to larger, more dangerous curses, its an entirely different story. Stronger curses require an anchorsomething to bind the curse to the target. They can also be purified if the targets soul is strong enough or if they carry a blessing from an entity with purification powers. Morthaks tone was almost clinical as he explained. Hm. I see. For more powerful curses, you need fuel. It could be mana, souls, negative emotions, blood, or even sacrifices." Morthak continued. Each fuel type shapes the curse differently. For instance, blood curses can jump generations without losing potency, though they require large amounts of blood to cast. Curses born of negative feelings deteriorate the victims body while eroding the casters mental state. And the most dangerous of allsoul cursesare forbidden for good reason. They tear apart souls to fuel their devastating effects, often angering death itself. My eyes widened. That sounds horrifying. Morthak smirked. It is. But remember, curses arent inherently evil. Like a knife, their morality depends on how theyre used. A goddesss curse is seen as righteous punishment, while a witchs curse is branded wicked. Perspective, girl. I hesitated. Even so, I cant imagine a way to use them that doesnt feel wrong. Then let me show you." Morthak said, his voice low and ominous. He tapped his staff against the ground. A green mist unfurled from the orb atop his staff, snaking toward me and slipping into my chest. You cursed me again?! Relax." he said with a grin. Pay attention. This will help you understand the true nature of curses. It might scare you, but I wont harm you. Wait, what Before I could finish, the cave around me dissolved into a black void filled with swirling green smoke. Morthaks glowing yellow eyes floated before me, then vanished. Whats happening?! The ground beneath me trembled violently. Skeletal hands burst through the floor, clawing at the air. I stumbled back, dodging their grasp, only for the ground to erupt again. This time, a massive fissure split open, and a grotesque figure rose from the depths. It was a woman, or what was left of one. Her decayed body was draped in a tattered satin gown, blackened with age and filth. Her tangled, raven-black hair swept the ground, and she held a bouquet of dead, rotting roses. Her face was nothing but a skeletal mask, hollow sockets staring directly at me. She extended a bony hand toward me, as if to help me up. Against my better judgment, I reached out. Her icy grip tightened around my hand. HAHAHAHA! Forever. Now, it will be forever!!! She screamed, her voice a rasping mockery of laughter. Ribbons of darkness unraveled from her decaying body, wrapping around our hands and binding us together. The skeletal hands clawed more frantically at the ground, and I pulled with all my strength to break free. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Damn it! Morthak! Whats happening?! Just as panic consumed me, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I blinked, and the void dissolved. I was back on the cave floor, breathing hard, with Morthak glaring down at me. Youve got zero survival instincts, dont you? Youre lucky I knew what I was doing. Otherwise, youd be cursed for real right now." he said, clicking his tongue. What the hell was that thing?! A curse." he said casually, settling into his chair. But it was completely different from before! Of course it was. That was a high-level cursea combination of magic and specter conjuration." Morthak explained. What you saw was a [Pale Lady], an undead specter born from the combined hatred of women who died before their wedding day. Theyre rare and dangerous, usually hunted down by Thanacaris. This one, however, was so powerful I bound her to me. Shes a weapon now, and Im her anchor in the physical world. Thats horrifying." I muttered. Morthak chuckled. Specters like her are consumed by vengeance. Their existence is short and bitter. Once they fulfill their purpose, they simply fade away. But while theyre here, theyre a force to be reckoned with. So, why are you keeping a cursed Corpse Bride around? "Because I managed to convince her to come with me. It may not seem like it, but specters have consciousness. Most of them are very... eccentric, but if you remember that the reason for their ''birth'' is a strong emotion felt by dozens or hundreds of people, you end up discovering that specters, despite being vengeful and even cruel creatures, are highly emotional. For example, the [Pale Lady] despises any kind of party or celebration. They are also usually very polite, versed in noble etiquette, and absolutely loathe displays of affection in their presence." Morthak said. "But why would you take something like that for yourself?" "As I said, shes useful. I offer her a space within my soul so that she doesnt weaken, and in exchange, I can use her cursed powers. Thanks to her, I can cast spells outside my main branch and invoke high-level curses without resorting to soul-costing methods or blood rituals." Morthak explained. "T-That thing you mentioned earlier about specters being able to curse people...?" "Yes! Being cursed by a specter is one of the worst curses a person can endure. Specters arent just magical constructs designed to harm; theyre sentient entities with a singular purpose: to ruin their victims life. Witches often use specters to curse their enemies. In fact, theres a legend about the Lady of Curses, Magiscula, who was rumored to have created specters as her cursed minions." Morthak said, a gleam of admiration in his eyes. "T-That sounds... terrifying." "Oh, you can be certain of that. Specters are rare and transient, but when one is born, trouble inevitably follows. Before I found the [Pale Lady], she was on the brink of ''death.'' but not before she attacked a castle in the beastman lands. She cursed everyone insidestaff and guests alike. Their hearts were literally split in half inside their bodies by her curse. No one survived." I swallowed hard. "Thats horrible." "It gets worse. The castle owners son... he had a reputation for being seen with company very occasionally, if you catch my drift. I found him mutilated and twisted in his chambers, his face scratched beyond recognition by her nails. The walls of his room were covered with the word ''Forever.'' scrawled in blood over every surface. And his soul? Consumed by the [Pale Lady], becoming part of her essence." "So those hands I saw earlier...?" "Her favorites." Morthak said nonchalantly. "Thats why specters cant remain in the world for long. They drag souls with them, and when they ''die.'' the souls theyve consumed return to the primordial cauldron. While theyre cruel, specters arent truly violating the natural order." I frowned. "Are you serious?" "Ha ha! I know it may sound strange, but consider this: specters are born from the collective agony of many people. Their wrath is rarely undeserved. If someone attracts a specters attention enough to become its anchor or target, theyve undoubtedly done something terrible." Morthak explained. "For example, Ive never had problems with specters, ghosts, or spirits coming after me for revenge. Even when I take lives, its in self-defense or necessity, and I always honor the dead with a prayer." "So you''re saying I need a specter to cast high-level curses?" "Not necessarily. Its just the easiest way to access that kind of power. But dont take it lightlyoffering a place in your soul to a specter is incredibly dangerous. Its like giving your enemy a blade and baring your chest." I shuddered, recalling the [Pale Ladys] haunting presence. "Still, its... fascinating. It would be amazing to curse people like that, but also terrifying." "Good. Fear is healthy. Now lets move on to your next question." "Right. Whats the difference between specters and spirits? Oh, and is the [Pale Lady] the only specter you have up your sleeve? You mentioned summoning others..." Morthak laughed. "Good questions. Specters are accumulated emotions given form, while spirits are natural beingschildren of the world, so to speak." ''Children of the world? I thought. That sounds oddly familiar... almost like my title, {World''s Child}.'' "And to answer your second questionno, the [Pale Lady] is not my only specter. I have several, each for a different purpose. For example, the [Keeper of Truths]. I could use it to curse someone, and their bones would break every time they lied. But I prefer to channel its innate powers in a controlled way, using it to detect lies without harming anyone." "Jeez... Are you sure you''re not ''Morthak, Master of Specters'' instead of ''Morthak, Corps Artisan?''" Morthak cackled. "Ha! Thats a good one, girl. But specters are just tools to me, nothing more. My true talent lies in crafting minions. Believe me, if you think my collection of specters is unsettling, you dont want to see what I can do with a horde of [Putrid Abominations]." "No thanks." I said hastily. "Very well. Now that you know about curses and their dangers, its time for some practical learning. Ill teach you how to create one yourself." Morthak said, rummaging through his bag. He retrieved a handful of bones, a vial of crimson liquid, and straw figurines. "Whats all this?" I asked, leaning closer. "Curse-crafting for beginners." Morthak replied with a sly grin. "Pay attention. First of all, you need to choose the price you want to pay." "I''ll use mana, of course" I said, sitting at the table with Morthak. "The safe way. Its the best option for an amateur like you." Morthak said with a light laugh. "Now, theres another basic rule in the art of curses that I must tell you. Its more of a warning than a rule, but basically, you can only curse something that has a soul to be cursed. So curses are useless against golems, undead, puppets, or any similar creatures." Morthak explained. Oh, good to know, I guess. So that means its impossible to curse a place? Everyone said the fallen forest was cursed. "Oh, good observation. It''s not possible to curse the land, but it is possible to cast a plague on it. Plagues are similar but different from curses. To sum it up, plagues are diseases caused by magic." Morthak summarized. "So theres a plague in the fallen forest?" "Yes and no. The place is full of cursed creatures, which caused the land to be contaminated with a powerful plague over time. But, to sum it up yes, there is a set of plagues in those lands. Not even I was stupid enough to delve too deep into the territories of the forest lords. I only got to meet Bhat-Bhatthe Lord of Midnight, a very interesting creature to tell the truth. He came to ask me if I could kill him." Morthak said with a light laugh. "Did I hear that right?" "Hehe, yes. Poor cursed creature. The Lord of Midnight was cursed with a [Recurring Nightmare], a powerful entity straight from the realm of endless chaos. It gave Bhat-Bhat the power to cause lucid nightmares to his victims, trapping them eternally in an endless nightmare. But he himself cannot escape these same nightmares. The miserable creature hasnt slept for centuries in terror of what he may find in his thoughts." Morthak said with a light, macabre laugh. "Is that funny to you?" I asked with a little apprehension. Feeling pleasure in the suffering of another is disturbing. "Haha! You can say that. The bastard is one of the ancient kings who defied the heavens. They committed atrocities and broke the worst taboos you can imagine in their eternal search for power. Their thirst was so great that they dared to defy the divine, and for that, they paid the price. In addition to losing their formstransformed into beasts that reflected their true naturesthey were cursed with immortality. Each carried a curse created by the gods specifically to torment them for all eternity." Morthak said with a laugh. "How do you know that?" "Bhat-Bhat told me. It could be a lie for sure, but he seemed sincere at the time. His eyes carried misery and sadness. His only motivation to continue was to find a way to end his life. He thought I was ''worthy enough.'' and I thought: ''Why not try?'' But in the end, I only ended up having the worst nightmare of my life. Ugh, my stomach twists just thinking about it." Morthak said. "I When I lived there, I did something with the forest spirits, and I felt something looking right at me from the depths of the forest. Do you think it could have been this Bhat-Bhat guy?" I asked, a little wary. "Spirits? So you know how to handle spirits? Well, to answer your question unlikely. Bhat-Bhat wouldn''t bother to ''protect his territory'' or much less care about someone messing with the forest spirits. It must be one of the other cursed kings." Morthak shrugged. "Which one?" "I don''t know, girl. I only met Bhat-Bhat. The others aren''t that friendly." Morthak said. "Argh Damn. At least I got out of there before something went terribly wrong." "Alright, girl, stop with the intrusive thoughts. Pay attention here." Morthak snapped his fingers, drawing my attention back to the table. "First, we''ll need a living creature to serve as your rat lab." Morthak said, rummaging through his bag again. He pulled out a small creature that looked like a jet-black snake with red eyes. The extraordinary thing about the small snake was that it had two heads and scales with metallic textures. "This [Iron Viper] will serve very well for this purpose." Morthak said, placing the snake on the table. "Poor thing! Why do something like this to it?!" I said, picking up the small cage containing the snake, which was confined uncomfortably. "Come on, don''t give me all that girly sensitivity. I saw at least a dozen animal skins hanging around the cave when I entered!" Morthak said, pulling the cage back. "It''s different. They looked for a fight first, and they weren''t as cute as this little guy here! Look at his facetheirs? Seriously? How dare you curse a cute little creature like that?!" I said, pulling the cage back to me. "Argh Girls, always the same regardless of species. So what do you suggest? You wont be able to curse one of my undead. Or maybe you want to use one of your ''Children'' as rat labs?" Morthak teased. "How dare you! I would never do such a thing to my babies! Hmmph! Do you want to know what were going to do? I''ll show you what you get after giving birth to over 1,000 children BOYS!" As soon as I screamed, Morthak covered his ears in discomfort. Soon, a loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the cave. In a few seconds, a dense cloud of bees appeared floating in the air. "We have answered the Queen Mother''s call." the cloud of assorted bees responded in unison. "Bring me one of those ''Cockroach Mole Rats'' you found a while back. Bring enough to serve as test subjects. And also take this little guy away, give him something to eat and a comfortable place to rest." I told the boys handind the cage with the snake. "Right away!" The cloud said, retreating as quickly as it had arrived after getting the cage. Morthak just looked at me with a What the hell? look before asking."What in the world would a ''Cockroach Mole Rat'' be?" Morthak asked with doubt written all over his face. "I don''t know. It''s a weird creature we found a while back. It has a face similar to a molewith a long nose full of tentacles, small eyes, and ears too. It has the body and legs of a rata slender body that ends in a long, segmented tail. It has four limbs, with the front paws having claws and the back ones looking like shovels. And it''s also pretty hard to kill. The thing resists concussion blows, survives high doses of poison, and can survive for hours without its head. Hence the name ''Cockroach Mole Rat.'' or Rackromole if you prefer." I said simply. "You mean [Burmmers]? Theyre common little creatures in these regions. Pests, reallythey eat the roots of plants and reproduce quickly. But where the hell did you get the name Rackmoles? You sure are creative." Morthak said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Burmmers? That name sounds weird to me. I prefer Rackromole! It makes much more sense." I said simply, folding my arms. "But where did you even get that from? Whats a cockroach? Damn, I think living isolated from the world did you more harm than I first thought." Morthaks voice held a hint of amusement mixed with genuine curiosity. "Hey!" I can understand Morthak. To him, I must seem like Im just making up meaningless names, but to me, they make perfect sense. The hive sees the similarities I mentioned clearly. But to natives of this world, describing a common cockroach is probably like trying to describe a dragon to someone from my original world. Soon, the boys arrived, carrying a very ugly and strange creatureone that was struggling fiercely against the sticky substance binding its limbs. This glue-like substance was created by a unique class of soldiers called Hunters. They can produce a glue that works like the ones made by [Carpenters], but it doesnt withstand heat and has a short shelf life, making it useful only in situations like this. Its nothing specialjust a tool used by some unusual classes within the hive. Most of these ''unusual'' classes dont possess powers that make a grand impact. They do their work, but nothing flashy. Occasionally, a ''special'' class emerges, and two things can happen. Either theyre assigned to a group and trainedlike Steve, Ken, Hans, and Maxor they become ''attached''to existing groups where their new skills fit perfectlylike Carl, Jon, Aldy, or Keb. I always remember Carl. He was peculiar. A glutton. He liked to eat, and that caused him trouble. For the hive, eating wasnt considered workit was just survival. Yet, Carl found joy in it. He ended up responsible for managing foodevaluating, grading, and improving it. Over time, he became somewhat of a legend within the hive. He had a knack for turning ordinary ingredients into something new. And his powersturning nutrients into something more potentwere remarkable. As soon as the [Burmmer] landed on the table, Morthak studied the creature curiously. The cloud of insects hovering above us bowed slightly before retreating to another part of the cave. "Interesting little creatures, your Children. Theyre mysterious. They always run from me when I try to talk to them. Remind me of the Faery." Morthak muttered, his eyes never leaving the trapped creature. "So using an [Iron Snake] as a test subject is cruel, but using a [Burmmer] isnt? Because its life is worth less than the snakes? Is it just for looks?" Morthaks voice dripped with sarcasm. "Ugh, stop with the moralizing, okay? Ive got enough problems without worrying about this. Im not against killing or experimenting on living creatures. Ive used plenty of [Wappos] for experimentsnever felt an ounce of remorse. Fed them, took care of them, gave them a safe place to live. But when they multiplied, I used them for everythingfrom food for livestock to test subjects. They were theoretically walking fungi. I know that doesnt make it better... But its something." I admitted, shrugging. "I see. So, suppose..." Morthak gestured at the [Burmmer]. "If someone created an entire city full of humansone where life is prosperous, where people live without fear, all under the watchful eye of their Guardiando you think that Guardian would have the right to take as many humans as they wanted for personal use? As food, for physical relief, or ingredients? Morthaks voice carried a mocking edge, his crooked smile curling at the corners. "Whatof course not! Humans are sentient. They have enough consciousness to understand whats happening to them. [Wappos] are different. Even if theyre face-to-face with someone about to slice them open, they wont react because they dont have the consciousness to grasp concepts like danger or death. I responded, my voice firm, trying to distinguish between what I could accept and what was entirely wrong. "Hmm So, the problem is consciousness. So if this Guardian used magic to make all humans stupid like cattle, would that be acceptable?" Morthak chuckled, his voice like gravel scraping against stone. "Nono! I I dont know, okay?! I just know there are lines that shouldnt be crossed, decisions you cant just turn your back on and walk away from." I said, my frustration boiling over. "Hmm. Good enough, I guess. Youre a good kidstill a little weird for a kid, but a good kid overall." Morthak said, tapping his finger on the table thoughtfully. "Ive given birth to over a thousand babies, Im the queen of my people, so dont call me child, please." I said, irritation creeping into my voice. Damn, I know to this world Im green, but mentally, Im forty years old. "Thats what bothers me the most about your species. But it makes sense, given your insect parts. Multiplying must be the main trait of your kind. Just be careful with that." Morthak warned. "Why?" I asked, wary. "If youre only four years old and already have over a thousand offspring, this could escalate quickly over the next five to ten years. You dont seem like someone planning something stupid, so I doubt therell be any issues as long as you keep a low profile. But people are afraid of what they dont understand. Always have been. Always will be. As a necromancer, I know this better than most. If people become afraid of you, three things happen: they either try to destroy you, they capture you and study you like a rat, or you give them a real reason to be afraid." Morthaks eyes burned into me, his tone heavy. "What do you mean?" I asked, shivering under his gaze. "You know, people tend to fear me. But thats not necessarily a bad thing. Fear ensures that theyll be respectful, even if its for the wrong reasons. If you dont want to become prey, you need to live as a predator. Remember this, girlthe only truth in this world is that the strong consume the weak, and the weak are left with uncertainty." Morthak told me, his voice unwavering. It carries a bitter tastethe knowledge that one day, everything could be ripped away simply because someone didnt like me. Us. Its intimidating. I understand the value in Morthaks words. I dont like the idea of playing by the rules of Undertalekill or be killed. But this world? Its fucked up beyond belief. Even when we lived peacefully in a field of flowers, problems kept creeping up one after the other until we were forced to fleeflee in fear of the uncertain. The question now is was that the last time wed run? Or just the first? My future and that of the boys is uncertain. We could have died at Morthaks hands if he wasnt a guy cool. We could have died to that human, or anything else. I hate this. I hate the idea of losing my babies because I didnt try hard enough. I need moremuch more. More knowledge, more weapons, more ideas, more inventions, more people. I need everythingeverything. "...Thanks for the warning." I muttered, placing my hands on the table. "Now teach me everything you caneverything youre willing to give me." I said, locking eyes with Morthak, who gave a slight, knowing smile. "Hehe, motivated, huh? Youll need it if you want to get through this. Curses are just the beginning. The next steps will be basic alchemy, protection magic, energy manipulation, blood magic, and soul magic." Morthak said, his grin widening. I know you cant learn anything good from someone like Morthaksomeone described as a vulture. But all power is power, even if its not useful to me. I dont care. My babies can use anything Morthaks willing to teach them. And Im willing to learn everything I can get my hands on. Chapter 89: Exponential Growth Morthak''s lesson began swiftly and without preamble. He laid out his materials with meticulous care, arranging them on the table as if each placement held some arcane significance. At its center was a magic circle, its intricate lines and symbols a mix of the familiar and the alien. The "ink" used to draw it glistened with a deep, dark crimson that could easily be mistaken for blood. Its not actual blood, Morthak said, as if sensing my unspoken thoughts. Just a product made of blood. The room smelled faintly of iron, damp earth, and something acrid, almost singed. The dim light of the lanterns cast flickering shadows across the walls, amplifying the ominous atmosphere. "Now, let us begin. The first step in cursing someone is binding them to a medium," Morthak said, his deep, gravelly voice reverberating in the confined space. "A medium can be an object, a person, or even a spirit. It serves as the bridge between you and your target. But I know your kindyoure going to ask, What if you curse someone directly? Am I wrong?" I bit back a grin. He knew me too well. The answer is simple: its out of your league. His tone turned cold, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Direct curses come with direct risks. A mistake, and you pay the price. Using a medium introduces layers of separation. Sure, it weakens the curse, slows it, even distorts itbut if something goes wrong, its the medium that suffers, not you." The weight of his words hung in the air, and I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. "I see," I said carefully. "So, there are advantages to casting a curse directly? Beyond just making it... cleaner?" Morthak nodded, his expression unreadable. "Of course. A direct curse is more powerful because it can carry more fuel. But greater power comes with greater complexity. Every magical phenomenoncurse, spell, ritualoperates on three principles: intensity, stability, and form. They must exist in perfect balance, or the magic collapses under its own weight." "Harmony," I murmured, half to myself. The concept was starting to click. "So, its like balancing a stack of plates. Too much weight on one side, and the whole thing falls apart." Morthak gave a rare grunt of approval. "Exactly. A spell thats too stable burns too little fuel to be effective. One that burns too much fuel becomes a ticking time bomb. And spells with highly specific effects often trade stability for precision. Its all about balance." I nodded, trying to absorb his words. It reminded me of one of those character creation menus in gamesbuff one stat, and others had to take a hit. Every choice had consequences. "Enough theory," Morthak said abruptly. He reached for the [Burmmer], a small, wretched creature that squirmed and whimpered in his grasp. Its pitiful cries echoed faintly, like the squeal of rusted hinges. Without hesitation, he pricked it with a slender needle, drawing a single droplet of blood. The creature let out a choked squeak, its tiny frame trembling. "There are many ways to bind someone to a medium. Blood is the simplest and most effectivefresh is best. Hair, nails, saliva, even feces will work, but their potency decreases with time." Morthak said, then he pricked his own finger with the bloody needle, before sticking the needle into the straw doll. "You need some of your own blood to perform the ritual, just a drop is enough to create the bridge, although there are some idiots out there dedicated enough to slit their own wrists to create the connection. For the next step, youll need a sacrifice to activate the link. Dont mistake that for meaning something alivethough living sacrifices create stronger, more stable bonds. In most cases, pure magical energy suffices." He picked up several small bones, their surfaces etched with faint runes. "Today, well use [Bicorn] bones." As he placed the bones inside the straw doll, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier. It pressed against my chest, making it harder to breathe. My pulse quickened. "Now, activate the link," Morthak said, his voice low and commanding. He touched the circle with two fingers, and instantly, it began to glow with a sinister, blood-red light. The air filled with the acrid stench of burning flesh as the doll trembled and began to emit thin tendrils of black and silver smoke. The [Burmmer] let out a sharp, high-pitched wail, thrashing violently in the corner. My stomach churned at the sight. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the light faded. The room fell silent. Its done, Morthak said flatly. "Are you sure? It looked like it... failed," I said hesitantly, the words barely leaving my lips before he moved. Without warning, Morthak slammed his fist into the straw doll, crushing it entirely. At that exact moment, the [Burmmer] let out an ear-splitting shriek before collapsing into a bloody pulp. Its broken body lay sprawled on the table, viscera and blood splattering everywhere. "Are you serious, Morthak?!" I snapped, brushing off the gore that had splattered onto me. "Why not just stab it or something? Look at this mess!" "You doubted me," he said simply. "I proved my point. Now its your turn to show me if you were paying attention." With a snap of his fingers, the scattered bits of flesh and blood began to writhe. My breath caught as they crept back toward the table, pooling together into a grotesque mound. It pulsed and gurgled, the sickly wet sound echoing in my ears. Slowly, the mass reformed into the shape of a [Burmmer], though this one was twisted and malformedits eyes sunken, its limbs distorted. It let out a pitiful, broken cry that sent a chill through my soul. "Now," Morthak said, his tone as cold as the grave. "Your turn." "Problem solved. Now you dont have to worry about the mess," Morthak said, his voice calm and detached as his hand gently stroked the grotesque creature hed just resurrected. Its bulging eyes stared in opposite directions, its swollen, patchy skin glistening with some unidentifiable fluid. Ugh Thanks for the reminder that youre a necromancer, I muttered, recoiling as the abomination let out a wet, gurgling sound. The smell hit me nexta putrid mix of rot and sulfur, sharp enough to make my stomach churn. There was no sugarcoating it: this thing was an affront to nature, a hideous creation that both looked and smelled like death itself. At least Morthaks skeletons were clean. Stop whining. Its your turn. He reached into his worn leather satchel and pulled out another straw doll, a needle, shards of bone, and a set of tools so sharp and wickedly curved they looked like they belonged to a torturer. Only thing missing now is your guinea pig, Morthak added with a wry grin. I grimaced as the boyssilent as shadowsmaterialized from the gloom, carrying another caged [Burmmer]. The pitiful creature squirmed in its confines, letting out a series of shrill, desperate squeaks. The speed at which the boys worked didnt go unnoticed by Morthak, who raised an eyebrow but didnt ask any questions. For that, I was grateful. Ah, the price of wisdom, I muttered under my breath as I drew the magic circle where the previous one had been. Each stroke of the "ink" felt heavier than the last, and the air seemed to thicken with an unseen tension. After a few painstaking minutes, the circle was complete, its lines crisp and symmetrical. I held up the straw doll and needle, my hands trembling ever so slightly as I glanced at the caged [Burmmer]. Its small, quivering body seemed to sense its impending fate. "Lets get this over with," I said quietly, steeling myself. The [Burmmer] flinched and let out a pained squeal as I pricked its leathery skin with the needle. Its blood oozed thick and dark, staining my fingers before I drove the needle my own finger, I poke it lightly while gritting my teeth, before taking the needle to the straw doll and sticking it into it. Following Morthaks steps as precisely as I could recall, I began pressing the bone fragments into the dolls fragile body. The sensation of the brittle pieces grinding against each other set my teeth on edge, but I forced myself to focus, stepping back to ensure everything was in place. I glanced at Morthak for reassurance, but his expression gave nothing away. He simply stood there, arms crossed, watching me with unsettling detachment. The unspoken message was clear: this was my trial. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I placed my hands over the magic circle and began channeling my energy into it. The act felt alien, like trying to grasp something intangible. Warmth spread through my palms, followed by a faint, tingling vibration that traveled up my arms. It was both comforting and unnerving, like walking along the edge of a cliff blindfolded. I could feel the magic responding to me, but there was an ever-present sense of danger, as though the slightest misstep would send me plummeting into the unknown. The circle began to glow with a deep, ominous red, its light reflecting off the damp walls of the cave. For a moment, I felt a flicker of prideit was working. But then, the glow faltered, flickering like a candle in the wind. "This is" Morthak started, but his voice was cut off as the magic circle erupted with bursts of golden energy. The crimson light was swallowed by the gold, which crackled like a thunderstorm contained within the circles boundaries. The needle embedded in the doll began to emit a thick, purple smoke, its acrid stench filling the air. I stumbled back, my heart pounding as the straw doll started glowing from within, its seams straining against the energy surging inside it. The [Burmmer] let out a blood-curdling wail, its small body thrashing wildly against its cage. Bright purple burns appeared across its flesh, spreading like fire as its screams grew louder. The sound was unlike anything Id ever heardraw, primal, and deeply unnatural. Before I could react, the straw doll burst into vibrant purple flames. The fire consumed it slowly, each ember burning with an otherworldly intensity. The [Burmmer] ignited in tandem, its flesh charring as the same flames crawled across its body. Its guttural screams echoed through the cave, reverberating off the walls and clawing at my sanity. The stench of burning flesh and sulfur was overpowering, making my eyes water and my stomach churn. And then it was over. The flames died out, leaving behind only ash and the sickening remains of charred flesh. The cave fell silent, save for the faint dripping of water from somewhere in the shadows. I stared at the mess on the table, my hands shaking as I tried to process what Id just done. The [Burmmer]its pain, its deathit all felt disturbingly vivid, like a stain that wouldnt wash away. Morthak, for the first time since Id met him, looked genuinely surprised. His dark eyes narrowed, a spark of curiosity flickering within them. What happened? I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. That, Morthak said slowly, his tone equal parts awe and suspicion, is a very good question.
Ken is emergingits happening right now. I was in curses class with Morthak when the notification from my nurses came through. It was about Kens whereabouts, but more urgently, it was about what happened to [Bummer]. Morthak, never one to mince words, was quick to blame me. He claimed it was entirely my fault, saying Id likely contaminated the spell with negative emotionsbad feelings, stray thoughts, or some subconscious malice I wasnt even aware of. He went a step further, theorizing that my [Affinity] might have interfered with the result. Whatever the case, Morthak dismissed my guilt with a halfhearted compliment, calling the mishap impressive for an amateur. I still feel bad about [Bummer], reduced to ash and charcoal, his form consumed by that cursed flame as though he were some heretic burned at the stake. But I cant deny the thrill of it either. The power I feltthe raw, unrestrained potentialwas intoxicating. If I could burn my enemies from a distance like that, with just a few drops of blood and some focus, it could be a game changer. That thought gnawed at me as I left the lesson early, driven not by ambition but by fear. Fear for Ken. Fear that my recklessness had caused some horrible consequence. But also pride. Pride that the experiment, for all its flaws, had worked. Morthak stayed behind, muttering about the next class. I doubt he fully understood what I meant when I bolted out of the room, yelling, One of my babies is emerging! I need to go now! But there was no time to explain. I had to see this with my own eyes. Even if I wasnt needed, even if I couldnt do anything but watch, I needed to be there. Kens chrysalis loomed in the center of the chamber, half my size and pulsing like a living heart. Its strange, furred surface glistened under the dim light, the texture reminding me of some grotesque pi?ata made by an artist with no grasp of normality. I could feel the anticipation buzzing in the air, a hum that resonated through the hive. My children gathered in a tight circle, their eyes fixed on Kens cocoon, their tiny movements synchronized like an orchestra awaiting the first note. "So what exactly am I looking at right now?" a familiar, gravelly voice interrupted from behind. Morthak?! I turned to see him striding into the chamber, his face a mask of both curiosity and thinly veiled judgment. I got bored, he admitted with a shrug, and I saw several of your children making their way here. I decided to follow them. But I wasnt expecting this. His eyes flicked to Kens chrysalis, and for once, even Morthak seemed uncertain. Its an evolution, I said simply, brushing past his confusion. Ken started evolving a few days ago. When one of us evolves, we go through a process of metamorphosis. Ah, I see. Fascinating. Morthaks tone carried an air of reluctant respect. I suspected as much, but I didnt anticipate this. Your species method of evolution is peculiar. Why? I asked, turning back to Ken. Beasts usually undergo metamorphosis, not humanoids. Its rare. I like metamorphosis, I replied absentmindedly, my attention locked on Kens chrysalis. The only downside is how vulnerable we are during it. Not that its a problem for the hive, but still My voice trailed off as the chrysalis began to tremble violently. A crack appeared on its surface, splitting open with a sound like dry bark snapping in a storm. From the fissure, a thick, pink goo began to ooze, glittering like molten gemstones. The hive collectively stepped back, their instincts telling them to maintain a safe distance. All except Morthak, who leaned in closeran error hed soon regret. A delicate black hand punched through the chrysalis, its smooth, chitinous surface catching the light like polished onyx. The rest of the shell began to crack and collapse, spilling the viscous pink substance everywhere. Morthak recoiled as a glob of it splattered onto his robes, the glitter sticking to him like stubborn sap. What the hell! he hissed, frantically trying to scrape it off. Dont get it in your mouth! I shouted, barely sparing him a glance. My focus remained on Ken, whose form was now partially visible beneath the sticky layer of goo. Something about this emergence felt different. The mucus was excessive, more than Id ever seen before, and its texture was unsettlingly alien. The nurses moved in, responding to my unspoken command. They swarmed Ken, their tongues working quickly to remove the pink substance. It was an efficient, albeit grotesque process. The mucus wasnt harmfulquite the opposite, it was packed with nutrientsbut that didnt make it any less disturbing to watch. As the goo was cleared away, Kens new form began to emerge. He looked fragile. His body was smaller than mine, his frame delicate, almost childlike. His black and yellow chitin plates gleamed faintly, but they were thinner, less dense. Pink freckles dotted his segmented body, standing out like scattered stars. His face bore strange markings, like faint tattoos etched by some unseen hand. The most striking change, though, was his hair. Short, straight, and shockingly pink, it framed his face in soft strands. He even had eyebrows now, matching the vivid hue of his hair. If I didnt know better, I might have mistaken him for a girlhis delicate features and petite frame made him look like something out of a dream. But his eyes his eyes were the most arresting of all. As Ken slowly opened them, I felt a chill run down my spine. They werent like mine, insectoid and alien. They were human, with sclera, irises, and pupils. But his pupils were shaped like stark white crosses, and his irises glowed a deep, almost hypnotic pink, bordering on red. For a moment, the room was silent, the air heavy with awe and trepidation. Ken blinked, his eyes locking onto mine, and in that instant, I realized that whatever had emerged from that chrysalis was no longer the same Ken I once knew. "Ken? Are you alright, dear?" I asked, stepping closer to him, my voice laced with concern. "Ugh... Hungry..." was all Ken managed to croak, his voice raw, drained of its usual energy. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I nodded, though the urgency in my chest gnawed at me. "Of course, bring the rations we prepared for Ken," I called to the soldiers, trying to suppress the anxiety crawling under my skin. We didnt have much food left, but I had prepared an obscene amount of ration bars for the immediate aftermath of Kens transformation. Both Ken and Hans would need to eat far more than usual after evolving; their appetites would be insatiable. The bars were made of meat, fat, and rootshardly gourmet, but theyd suffice. The only thing that mattered was survival. The soldiers returned quickly, unloading the thick, brick-like food bars onto the ground before Ken. He didnt hesitate, immediately tearing into them with a hunger that bordered on savagery. The sour, bitter taste seemed irrelevant to him as he devoured them, his movements almost frantic. After a few moments, only two or three bars remained, abandoned like empty shells beside Kens exhausted form. "Ugh What a horrible taste..." Ken muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his face a mask of disgust as he tried to push himself up with the help of the beehive, his body trembling as if it wasnt quite his own. "Ken, dear," I continued, my voice barely a whisper, "How are you feeling? Any pain? Any strange sensations? Do you remember everything? Whats happening inside you right now?" My mind raced with questions, my eyes scanning his delicate form, searching for any signs of distress. His eyes were still wide, too bright, and unsettlingly human. Was that a good sign? Was he truly alright? Ken looked at me for a long moment, his gaze unfocused, almost lost. It felt as though he wasnt really here, not in the way he used to be. He was somewhere else, far away, his mind caught between worlds. "I... I don''t know," Ken said quietly, his voice small, his hands trembling as he steadied himself against the hive. His lips parted as if he wanted to say more but couldnt find the words. The transformation had altered him in ways I still didnt fully understand. And then, just as quickly, he straightened up, shaking off my concerns with an air of quiet defiance. His body was still foreign, even to him. But there was something in his eyessomething unsettlingly distant, almost too aware. "Dont worry," Ken said, his voice stronger now, but still tinged with something unsettling. "Ill be fine. Just... need more food."
[Status]
[Information] Attributes
Name: Ken Species: FeyWeaver Life: 42.6 Def: 21.6
Level: 1 Class: Nurturer Vit: 22.5 Int: 32.5
Sex: Male Stamina: 120 Dex: 5.4 Wis: 16.2
Mana: 22.5 Affinity: Heal Spr: 8.6 Str: 2.4
Talent: Growth
[Skills] - 12
NEW - {Stock Production} Lv 1 Create a highly nutritious base food substance, capable of accelerating the growth of whoever consumes it by 200%, the broth is highly harmful to any creature that is not of the [Larva] type
NEW - {Nest Call} Lv 1 Emit a scream capable of inflicting the [Enraged] effect on nearby allies, allies affected by [Nest Call] gain 20% bonus XP gain and 15% reduction to all kind of damage.
NEW - {Controlled Hatred} Lv 1 Choose a target, the selected target will suffer from one of: [Rage], [Madness], [Panic] or [Paranoia] while in your presence.
NEW - {Tit for Tat} Lv 1 Choose an ally, any damage dealt to that ally during: (5s) will be converted to magic damage and rebounded back to the inflictor.
NEW - {Porcelain Mask} Lv 1 You are able to perfectly control your facial expressions as you wish.
NEW - {Tight Command} Lv 1 Choose an ally, impose a task on them, uncompleted tasks grant negative status effects.
NEW - {Friggen''s Eyes} Lv 1 It makes you able to accurately assess any type of physical harm to those you love.
NEW - {Judgment of Many} Lv 1 On Activation: Allies in the area of ??effect instantly regenerate 20% of their maximum health, while enemies suffer a loss of 20% of their total HP over the course of 5 minutes.
NEW - {Intertwined} Lv 1 Sacrifice your life energy to heal or buff your target, affected targets gain a [Affinity] of the same branch of you temporarily.
NEW - {Unexpected Care} Lv 1 Choose a target: Allies affected by the skill recover 15% of their total health and have all negative effects removed, enemies affected by the skill recover 10% of their total health and gain a negative effect from: [Bleeding], [Paralysis], [Blindness] or [Silence].
NEW - {Lineage Empowerment} Lv 1 Use mana to permanently buff a [Larva] type monster, the buffs are stackable.
NEW - {Bestow of Royalty} Lv 1 Grants the ability to create [Royal Jelly] capable of creating royal troops.
[Traits] - 6
NEW - {Royal Touch} - Unique Your very essence was tainted by the hive queen''s interference, changing it permanently. +10% All status.
NEW - {Hateful Love} - Uncommon You are unable to show affection in a healthy way. - 10% Wis -2 Hp
NEW - {Sharp Gaze} - Common Your gaze is capable of penetrating through others to the point of making them uncomfortable. +2 Wis +2 Dex
[Titles] - 3
NEW - {Loved by Many Hated by More} - Epic You have achieved the feat of making those around you love and hate you at the same time, maybe that is a good thing, maybe. +5% Hp regen and +10% speed.
{I Care} - uncommon You really, really care. +5% Hp and 10% Mp Regen
{Bathed Over the Source} - Unique You have managed (once again) to bathe in the primordial source of your essence, something that few have ever managed to do. +10% all Status - (Stack: 2)
"Wow. Kens definitely not the strongest, but these skills? They''re... mind-blowing. I dont think even I have anything this impressive." Defense, production, combatand healing! That''s my boy! I was terrified something would go wrong, but I guess the only price I paid was the nervous tension gnawing at me, which will probably turn into ulcers later on. Oh, and Kenthe new Ken, born from a pi?ata full of pink jelly. "Ken, how are you?" "Huh?" Ken yawned, looking in my direction with sleepy eyes. Now that he was cleaned up, I noticed something odd about him. For starters, Ken''s antennae had hair... Well, I don''t know what to call it exactly. It looked like a moths antennae, delicate and wispy. His wings, too, had changedstill insect-like, but now more like butterfly wings. Soft pinks, with intricate, almost iridescent patterns, and golden highlights that shimmered when he moved. He had two small horns above his ears, giving him a look reminiscent of Penny from The Amazing World of Gumball. But it wasn''t just that. His teeth were pristine white, not like mine, which are still a bit... jagged. And where my nails should have been, there were sharp, claw-like tips, but Ken? Barely anything that could be called nails. Honestly... Ken now looked like a more delicate version of me. It was as if he''d been "Embarbized," if such a thing was even possible. "Uhm... Ken? Are you okay, my dear? Do you feel any pain, anything strange? Is there anything... wrong with your body?" I asked, inspecting him closely. Despite everything, our connection as mother and offspring remained strong. He was physically different, yes, but mentally? He was still the same Ken, at least thats what I hoped. Sometimes, I wonder if this mental link is more than just a lifeline. If I were an idiot beast, incapable of recognizing faces or distinguishing between allies and enemies, the link would be a gift. But Ken? Hes changed so much, we might not even belong to the same species anymore. It''s like Im the queen of the weird insects, and Ken is the butterfly princess of the glitter kingdom. "Uhm... Im... fine, I guess?" Ken muttered, inspecting his new form. "ButWHY AM I PINK?" He yelped, suddenly alert, scanning his body in alarm. A male nurse standing nearby flinched as Kenno, his bodytook control, using the nurse as a vessel to see himself. "What thewhat happened to my body?!" the nurse cried out as Ken pinched his own cheeks through the male nurses hands. "I look like a cupcake at a princess partyor worse, a pig in a tutu!" Ken jumped back into his own body, his face scrunching up in frustration. "Why pink? Why not, like... blue or something cool?" he grumbled. "Good to see that only your appearance has changed," I said with a sigh, gesturing to his body. "You''ve definitely... changed. A lot. But I guess thats part of the deal, right? Our little ''experiment'' worked, but the cost... well, it seems a bit exaggerated." "Oh? So it really worked!" Ken exclaimed, eyes wide as he seemed to inspect his new powers. "Wow! I got so many cool skills and even some new titles! Hell, I even got an affinity!" His voice hit a high pitch, his arms thrown up in excitement. "Yeah, looks like we hit the jackpot with that bet. And it''s likely your affinitys tied to minesame branch of power, probably why you got something like [Heal]. Not sure if its good or bad yet, but I think its one of those cases Morthak warned us about..." I said, watching Ken struggle to adjust to his new body. He wobbled, trying to find his footing, his wings fluttering awkwardly behind him. "Wow... You mean that whole thing about specific [Affinities]?" Ken muttered, stumbling as he looked down at his feet. He wiggled his toes playfully, almost childlike, before attempting another step, nurses rushing around him in concern. "Exactly," I said, watching him curiously. "Specific affinities can be limiting. Im pretty sure, about 99% sure, that [Heal] is a variation of the [Life] affinity, or at least closely related. Which means you probably can do most of what I canjust with a focus on healing, instead of... well, explosive seeds and curses." Ken''s face lit up. "Meh, Im cool with that. Healing''s useful, but what really excites me are the other skills. {Bestow of Royalty}, {Lineage Empowerment}, {Stock Production}they sound amazing! Especially {Bestow of Royalty}. What does it mean to create royal troops? Are they new types of troops, or just better versions of what we already have? I mean, royal troops? What can they do that normal ones can''t? Im practically vibrating with excitement!" Kens grinmore distinct now that he looked almost humanwas... unsettling. Normally, his expressions were unreadable, but now? It sent a shiver down my spine. "Do you want to use skills? Great. Then start with [Porcelain Mask], because if I have to see you grinning like some kind of pervert every time you talk about creating new troops, I swear, Ill have to make you wear a real maskfull time." I pinched Ken''s cheek, my irritation growing. "Ouch! Ohsorry! I still dont know how to control this new body. Its... weird. Now I only have two arms and two legs. My wings are still here, but Im too big to glide through the cave, and the floor is too uneven for my bare feet," Ken complained, a note of frustration in his voice as I watched several nurses rush forward, offering him cloth shoes. "Why don''t we focus on those ridiculously impressive skills of yours?" I continued, trying to steer the conversation away from his very unsettling smile. "Skills like {Controlled Hatred}, {Tit for Tat}, {Judgment of Many}, {Intertwined}, or {Unexpected Care}those are something else. Seriously. Why dont I get skills like that? Is it because of my class?" "Hehe! Jealous of me, huh?" Ken''s grin widened, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Skills come from hard work and repetition. You heal, cast spells, and make gadgets all day, then sleep, and repeat. Your skills are... well, ingenious. Me? Ive spent years cultivating my skills through hard work, sour looks, and" He paused dramatically, "poorly processed anger!" "Ugh..." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Honestly, Im not sure you can expect much from someone with a skill like {Controlled Hatred}. People with that kind of power usually have a few screws loose, Ken." "Hey! Its a skill to stun enemies!" Ken puffed out his cheeks, clearly offended. "Your skill says ''target,'' not ''enemy''." I scoffed, crossing my arms. "You could use it on anyone, friend or foe. And if we go by your philosophy of ''fake it until you make it,'' you''ve definitely given your fair share of evil looks to allies." Ken huffed in annoyance. "Humph, I dont need to listen to this crap. If I punish my underlings for their mistakes, its because I want them to improve. Unlike Levis engineers, who get away with mistakes every time, my crew? Were known for discipline and competence!" His tone was snobbish as he grabbed a towel the nurses had brought and wrapped it around himself. I couldnt help but smirk. "Look at this brat, trying to piss me off. Last time I checked, letting you and the rest of your inner circle run wild put us in a military tower surrounded by a camp that could have been in a period film about concentration camps." "OUCH! Ouch!" Ken protested, squirming under my grip as I pinched his cheek. "We were doing what was best for us, okay?! You can say whatever you want, but that tower was safe! The only way in was through the north and south gates, both well-guarded. The place wasnt perfect, sure, but it worked!" I released his chubby cheek with a resigned sigh. "I get it. Sure, at some point, over a thousand [Feyweavers] wouldve fit inside that tower. But even if we expanded, wed still be cramped. Eventually, it wouldve turned into a royal building right in the middle of a forest. Not exactly the most discreet setup, dont you think?" Ken leaned back against the cave wall with a long sigh, looking somewhat defeated. "Ugh... as you used to say, ''Trouble for us in the future.'' But... I get your point, Mom. I didnt mean it was a bad idea to retreat, but... sometimes, I miss our old place. You know? Our house. I miss the living room, the nursery. I miss the cafeteria, the ''shops,'' the perks like the massages and bubble baths... I even miss the drama club performances and all the time-wasting parties." His voice held a note of nostalgia, and for a moment, I could feel the weight of his longing. He sat there, his new form still strange to me, but his eyesthose were the same. I crouched down in front of him, my heart aching for the home we had lost. "I know, dear. I miss it too. But I promise, this is just temporary. Well be back there soon. Bubble baths, sweets whenever you want, party rooms, gamesmore games, more parties, more food, more people. Well get back to that, Ken. Just give me a little more time. First, we need to secure the hive and wait out this freezing hell. Then we can start rebuilding." Kens expression softened as he looked up at me, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah... I guess youre right." I felt like a mother trying to comfort her son whod just moved to a new cityexcept, in my case, imagine multiplying the number of children by a thousand, replacing the "new city" with a move from nowhere to I dont know where, and then throw in the complication of losing all our cargo during the journeyand ending up in the middle of winter. "I know, Mom. I know its childish to worry about things that already happened, and we should focus more on whats coming... But sometimes, I think things couldve been different," Ken said, wrapping himself tighter in the silk blanket that clung to his now unfamiliar form. "Uhhm... Ken, you have no idea," I said, settling down beside him. My voice dropped to something softer, more resigned. "Thinking about ''doing things differently'' or wondering how it could have beenthose are constant thoughts in my head. Until not too long ago, Id say that was about 90% of my day. But you know what I learned?" I looked at him, waiting for his gaze to meet mine. "What?" he asked, his curiosity genuine, pulling him further into the conversation. "I learned that the world doesnt give a damn if Im having an existential crisis," I said, my tone bitter but laced with experience. "It doesnt stop, doesnt pause. It just keeps throwing more and more bombs your way. I was lucky, Ken. I had you all to hold the fort for me until I ''got better.''" "So... Should I stop complaining?" Ken asked, doubt flickering in his voice. "Pff, no. You have me," I said, my voice firm, as I reached over to give him a comforting pat on the back. "All of us, to talk to whenever you need. Im the mother here, Ken. Im the one who holds the fort for you, not the other way around. What Im trying to say is... its okay not to be okay. Its okay to feel bad. Hell, its better if you feel bad, you know? Id much rather you scream, curse, and throw all your anger at the world than watch you bottle it up until you explode from mental exhaustion one random day." Ken huffed, dismissing my words with a grunt. "This whole psychological problem thing is for weak-minded people." "Hey!" I snapped, my eyes narrowing. "Ive got my own set of psychological issues, okay? I wouldnt call them problems, exactly, but they''ve sure caused me problems. So... by extension..." I trailed off, thinking about the times my own pessimism had been fueled by the [Concerned Player]. "Uh-huh..." Ken smirked. "You know, a lot of the hive worked under the theory that you were crazy. But I always defended you, said you were just eccentric." "Whaugh!" I groaned, half-laughing, half-exasperated. "You cant really blame them, can you? Ive managed to irritate Hans enough that he yells at me. I guess that does make me a little crazy sometimes." Ken chuckled lightly. "Well, in that case, Ive had my fair share of Hans yelling at me too. I guess were on the same level," he said, trying to lighten the mood by sharing his own misfortune with the grumpy engineer. "Yeah, look at us," I said with a wry smile. "Two [Feyweavers]the highest-ranking members of our speciesand we have no idea what were doing." I threw my arm around him in a half-hearted side hug, feeling the weight of our shared confusion. "Speak for yourself," Ken replied, pulling away from the hug with an exaggerated stretch. "Ive always known exactly what to do, how and why. Im an example in my field of action. Ive created generations and generations of new members for the hive." He puffed his chest out, clearly proud. "Sure, rub your competence in my face," I said, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my smile. "Just to make something clear, youve only got so much recognition because of my eggs. So, I deserve at least 50% of the credit for your so-called ''fame.''" "What?" Ken scoffed. "Did you by any chance clean, feed, trim, and repair the larvae or breeding units? Because I have! Hundreds of them. With these fourtwohands!" He held them up dramatically, showing me his hands with a mock frown. "I heard you just shouted commands and hatched a few larvae here and there," I teased, a grin tugging at my lips. "What" "Am I interrupting something?" A deep voice interrupted, smooth and calm. We both turned to see Morthak leaning on his staff, approaching us slowly. He had cleaned his clothes and seemed... intrigued by Kens new form. "Whos the little girl?" Morthak asked, eyeing Ken with mild curiosity. "How come?!" Ken screamed, his voice cracking with frustration. Chapter 90: Roots "You called me ''Girl''?! Do I look like a girl to you?" Ken snapped, irritation flaring in his voice as he stood and hastily wrapped himself in the towel that had been handed to him. Morthak merely arched an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. He let his gaze drift lazily up and down Kens form before resting his chin on one hand, as if genuinely considering the question. "Well... yes? Not in a million years would I mistake you for a boy. Your kind has peculiar offspring." Ken let out a low, guttural growl, his narrowed eyes practically machine-gunning Morthak with silent contempt. Honestly, I didnt quite get why he was so offended. He really did look like a waifu straight out of some overindulgent fantasy. Hell, he even had that bizarre habit of prancing around in skimpy nurse outfits, the kind that left little to the imaginationlike something out of Skullgirls. How could someone like that be upset about being mistaken for a girl? Maybe it was the hives fault. Inside the nest, it didnt matter how effeminate Ken looked or how he dressed. No one would ever mistake him for female because everyone was connected through the link. There was no room for misinterpretation. Perhaps Morthak''s mistake hit a nerve precisely because it was something Ken had never had to deal with beforesomething so "obvious" to an hive member but completely alien for a outsider. "Hrrrr... yes, they are adorable children," I said, stepping between them, my voice deliberately soft. "He needs to rest. Poor thing just evolved and is utterly exhausted." I offered Morthak a polite, almost sickly sweet smile. I didnt like this. Morthak seeing Ken evolve was dangerous. I liked Morthak, sure, and we had a... "good" relationship, but that didnt mean I trusted him. We werent friends. We werent family. We werent even acquaintances in the normal sense. I wasnt sure how easily people in this world handed out trust, but I knew I couldnt afford to be careless. Maybe it was the hive''s instinct, but something about Morthak lurking around, sticking his nose into things that didnt concern him, made my skin crawl. Letting him witness Kens evolution was a mistake. A big one. What could he do with that knowledge? Would he try to use it against us? What if he hurt one of my babies? The thought made my claws twitch involuntarily. I wanted to kill himgods, I wanted to rip his throat out just to be safebut lets be real. Kill Morthak? I couldn''t so much as scratch him. If he turned on us, wed be dead before I could even scream. A sudden shift in the hives atmosphere made the air thick. A low hum vibrated through the walls, a chorus of chittering whispers, the clicking of mandibles, the restless movement of countless unseen eyes watching from the shadows. Morthak picked up on it instantly. "Hmm... is there a problem?" His voice was casual, but there was an edge beneath it. His gaze flicked around, sharp, observant. "I dont seem to be welcome." His eyes met mine, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. What do I say? If he decides were a threat, thats it. Were done. Should I apologize? No. I cant afford to be weak. I need to draw a line before he gets any deeper into our world. "...Morthak, please. Leave." The words left my lips slightly unsteady, but I held my ground, forcing myself to meet his stare. "Oh?" Amusement flickered in his expression. "And why should I?" "This... this is personal. Its important to usimportant to me. I appreciate your help, and your... kindness, but youre not welcome here right now." My voice hardened as I spoke. I had to be firm. I had to make him understand. Morthak studied me for a long, uncomfortable moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a small, considering hum, he nodded. "Very well. Ill be waiting for you to return to our lessons." "What?! Seriously? Just like that?" "Hmm? Yes. Ive already told youI respect other cultures. If this were something that affected me, I would refuse, but this?" He gestured vaguely toward Ken. "This is just... curiosity." He leaned slightly to the side, peering at Ken over my shoulder. "Your kind is certainly unusual. Strange, even. But at least you''re not like the Barthart people from the southern fire mountains. They used to drug visitors and sacrifice them in elaborate rituals, believing they could steal their strength." His lips curled into something that wasnt quite a smile. "Compared to that, you and your... children are simply peculiar." "Hey!" Morthak chuckled. "I dont claim to understand you. But if I were given the chance, Id love to dissect that ''little boy'' of yours to see whats under his skin." His tone was far too casual for the words hed just spoken. "Alas, Im not willing to make an enemy of someone as... extraordinary as you over a momentary curiosity." "Ugh. You couldve stopped at ''I dont understand you.''" He laughed, a deep, amused rumble. "Have a good... whatever this is." Then, just like that, he left. I stared after him, momentarily dumbfounded. I hadnt expected him to listen to me. Id thought he would brush off my request, maybe even challenge it. But nohed actually respected it. For someone so terrifying, he was disturbingly reasonable. "Phew. Glad that worked out," I muttered, turning back to Ken and the nurses. "Alright, listen up. Ken needs to rest. But now that youve evolved, youre going to need a job. Youll be supervising the ward until the nurseries reopen." Ken frowned. "Hmm... okay, I guess I can live with that. Itll be nice to see if those idiots ruined everything I built." He stepped away from the pool of viscous pink liquid, his footprints leaving a slick, sticky trail. The nurses and the cleanup crew swarmed in immediately, their mandibles clicking in satisfaction as they began to clean. By eating the mess. I grimaced. "Ugh... this is really weird. It looks like melted gum. Or syrup. But... damn. Its still technically amniotic fluid." The workers chattered happily, their jaws snapping as they lapped it up. Whatever it tasted like, they clearly enjoyed it. But no matter how nutritious it was, I couldnt bring myself to eat it. There were some things even I wouldnt do.
"Sorry for the delay. I was taking care of some things with my children," I said, settling into the seat across from Morthak once more. "And also... thank you for respecting our customs and privacy." My voice lowered as I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgment. Morthak regarded me in silence before letting out a soft "Hmph." Then, without a word, he reached into his bag and tossed something onto the table. The moment it landed, the smell of charred flesh hit me, acrid and unmistakable. My eyes fell on the blackened corpse of the Burmmer, its insides split open, as if something had torn through it with unsettling precision. "Ughwhat do you want with that thing?" I asked, recoiling slightly from the sight. "Do you even understand what you''ve done?" Morthak''s tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp, unwavering. "Huh?" My mind scrambled for an answer, but nothing stood out. "No...?" Morthak exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "Curses dont cause destruction like this. Not a curse cast by someone as untrained as you, at least. Which leaves me with three plausible explanations." He held up three fingers, tapping them down one by one. "First: Youre not as green as you pretend to be, though that seems unlikely. Second: Youre some kind of idiot savant, a natural who stumbles into power without realizing it. Or third, and by far the most likely" he leaned forward slightly, the weight of his gaze pressing into me"you have a bloodline that makes you naturally attuned to cursecraft." I blinked. "...A what?" Morthak rubbed his chin, then gestured toward the corpse. "Certain beings have blood infused with raw magic, making it a potent ingredient for curses, elixirs, and enchantments. Basilisk blood, for example, can be used to create a hex that turns a victim''s veins to dust, or a poison so virulent it kills on contact. Your blood seems to carry an effect of annihilationutter destruction." He nudged the Burmmer''s corpse with the tip of his claw. "Those flames you conjured werent ordinary. They erased." I felt my stomach twist. "Wait, waitso youre saying it was my blood that did this? That sounds... excessive." "There''s a simple way to find out," Morthak said, already reaching into his satchel. He pulled out a small pan, glass vials, and several cloth pouches, placing them neatly on the table. Then, with a practiced motion, he traced a glowing sigil in the air. Cracks splintered through the space before him, and from that unnatural rift, several ornate vials materialized, drifting down to rest beside the rest of his tools. "Ill make a blood reagent. Itll reveal the purity and nature of your lineage." He uncorked a few vials, pouring their contents into the pan. A thick, tar-like substance formed, releasing a rancid stench, like burning oil mixed with something even fouler. The acrid fumes stung my nostrils. Morthak barely reacted. He simply retrieved a wickedly sharp knife from his belt and extended a hand toward me. "Give me your hand." I instinctively recoiled. "Are you insane? I dont even know if what you''re saying is true, and I sure as hell dont trust you with my blood." Morthak sighed dramatically. "Do you have any idea how many people would kill for a natural affinity like this? Depending on the strength of your bloodline, a single vial could sell for a fortune." I narrowed my eyes. "Are you trying to sell me, you damn old man?!" "Oh, stop being so melodramatic. A few drops of blood wont kill you," Morthak said dismissively. "Besides, I still need to assess its actual potential." I frowned. "Potential? What do you mean?" "Some bloodlines are too unstable for standard use. Their magic is volatile, impossible to control, and any attempt to harness it could backfire. One mistake, and the blood itself could revolt against the caster. If yours turns out to be one of those... well, Id rather not be anywhere near you when you try to use it." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. A shiver ran down my spine. I wasnt sure if he was trying to warn me or scare me, but either way, it worked. I hesitated, staring at the knife glinting in his hand. "Ugh... do you really need a knife?" "Stop stalling. Give me your hand." Morthak''s voice was flat, but there was a glint of impatience in his eyes. I hesitated for a moment before slowly extending my arm. The second my palm was within reach, he movedswift, precise. The blade pierced my chitin with a sickening crack, and a sharp, searing pain shot up my arm. "Ah!" I hissed, instinctively jerking my hand, but Morthak held it steady. My blood dripped into the pan below, thick and dark, curling into the inky black liquid like veins of molten gold. For a fleeting moment, the entire mixture shimmeredvivid and radiantbefore the golden hue faded, leaving behind a deep, blood-red substance. Morthak remained silent, watching with intense curiosity. His expression darkened, unreadable. "W-What just happened?" I asked, my pulse still pounding from the pain. Instead of answering, Morthak reached for an empty vial, dipped it into the pan, andwithout hesitationdrank the liquid in one swift motion. "Morthak?!" I choked. "Are you insane?!" A sharp cough racked his body. His face contorted as green smoke curled from his lips, and suddenly, black, rotting wounds began to bloom across his skin, festering like something diseasedonly to vanish the next instant, as if they had never been there. Morthak exhaled, patting his chest as though shaking off a bad drink. "Damn," he muttered with a raspy chuckle. "That was strong." "Yeah, no shit! What the hell were you thinking?!" "Evaluation," he said, waving the empty vial like it explained everything. "And I must say, your blood is... fascinating." My stomach twisted. "What do you mean?" Morthak rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming with that unnerving, academic interestlike I was an experiment under a lens. "Im no expert in blood magic, but I know enough to recognize something unnatural when I see it. Normally, a creature''s blood carries distinct magical traits tied to its naturepredictable, logical. A basilisks blood, for example, naturally imbues potions with poison or petrification effects. But your blood?" He gestured at the now-settled liquid in the pan. "It''s a contradiction. A seamless blend of conflicting abilities, working in perfect harmony. It shouldn''t make sensebut it does." I frowned. "I still dont get it. Youre saying my blood has powers?" "Not just powers." He tapped the vial against the table. "It''s a paradox. I tasted extreme toxicity, enough to kill an ordinary man, yet it had an equally potent regenerative effect. A self-destructive cycledecay and restoration, happening simultaneously. It carries a massive amount of mana, but also a counter-magic effect, as if rejecting its own energy. I felt paralysis, sleep, and pain poisons trigger in my body the moment I ingested itbut they were immediately nullified by the same source." He laughed, shaking his head. "Its absurd." A cold feeling crawled up my spine. "So... what? You''re saying I''m some kind of mistake?" Morthak tilted his head. "Hmm. Maybe, maybe not. But if someone handed me a sample of this blood without context, Id swear it belonged to a chimera. Not a normal, singular being." My breath hitched. "A chimera?" "Think about it. Chimeras are cobbled together from different creaturesstitched abominations. Normally, merging incompatible traits creates instability, which is why most chimeras are failures. But you?" He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. "You''re like a perfect chimera. Your body doesn''t just contain multiple opposing traitsit chooses when to use them, how to balance them. As if nature itself crafted you with meticulous care." There was something unnervingly reverent in his tone. I shouldve felt complimented. Instead, all I felt was dread. "Are you saying that I''m a chimera?" I asked warily. "Like, one of those grotesque patchwork beasts?" Morthak scoffed. "Don''t put words in my mouth. I said you RESEMBLE a chimerabut only in the way your blood behaves. Physically, you look like any otherwell, almost any othercreature." I exhaled, tension loosening slightly. "Still I''ve never noticed anything special about my blood. Is there any way to actually control these innate powers youre talking about?" "Not surprising," Morthak mused. "Your blood doesnt seem to carry a singular, defined power like a typical bloodline. Its more like a survival mechanism. Something screaming I am not prey to anything foolish enough to consume you." He let out a dry chuckle. "As for learning to use it, thats easy. Youd need to study blood magic or start experimenting with potions and elixirs to see what works." I wrinkled my nose. "Ugh. Blood magic. I know its just another form of magic, but it still sounds" "Wicked?" Morthak finished for me. "A common misconception. Blood magic is often used by vampires and demons, so people assume its evil. But the magic itself? Its just a tool. No one needs to die for it to work. Most practitioners sacrifice their own blood to extend their mana reserves or enhance their spells. The problem is, most humans and similar beings cant handle the loss. A few blood spells, and they pass out from anemia." I raised an eyebrow. "So its like trading blood for magic?" "Precisely. Blood can be used to strengthen yourself, empower others, or fuel rituals. Its effectiveness increases when the blood comes from a creature with a powerful lineage or unique properties. For instance" Morthaks voice lowered slightly, almost reverent. "Cain himself. He can forge weapons, armor, even soldiers from his own blood. He can drain the life from weak creatures without lifting a finger. If there has ever been a master of blood magic, it is him." "Oh! Could you teach me something about that?" I asked, considering the possibility of using blood magic. "I''m sorry, but I know basically nothing about blood magic. All I know are some elixirs and basic potions," Morthak said. "Are you serious? Someone as high-level as you doesnt know anything about blood magic or the like?!" I asked incredulously. "Hey! I''m a necromancer. Blood magic is useless to me," Morthak said. "How?" "Well, I dont have blood, you know? As a necromancer, our biggest weakness is receiving fatal blows before we can summon our minions, so there are rituals and the like to make our bodies ''resistant to death,''" Morthak said simply with a laugh. "Some methods are better than others, of course. Most necromancers just choose zombification, but I opted for a safer alternative." "S-So you''re kind of a corpse? I know you look like one, but I never imagined you were actually one." "Well, you could say yes, but I prefer the term ''Walker.'' My body is just a way to preserve my integrity without me actually running any real risk of death," Morthak explained. "What do you mean?" "Oh, girl, I can''t go around spilling my own secrets, but let''s just say that I dont fear death," Morthak said with a smile, making me gulp. "Ugh... another bizarre thing I''ve encountered..." I muttered to myself. "Ugh... Its so weird... I dont know how to say this. It just... it kind of seems wrong, you know? Something like a super evil villain who ''wanted to overcome death'' would do," I said to Morthak, who gave a light laugh. "Well, maybe I am an evil villain. We really dont know much about each other to say for sure what the other is, do we?" Morthak said with a slight smile. "Maybe I just showed you my best face, and I''m someone evil and cruel," he added, his laugh dark. "Ugh... You dont seem like that to me. To me, you look like a grumpy grandpa with a huge backstory he doesnt want to tell anyone," I said to Morthak. "Haha! Well, to me, you''re a naive little princess playing house with her ''dolls,''" Morthak said acidly. "A kid who has no idea what she''s doing or why she does what she does." "Hey! I''m trying my best here, okay?" I snapped. I knew I wasnt a professional at keeping all of us alive, but I had managed to get a satisfactory result so far. "Huh? You call ''this'' doing your best?" Morthak scoffed, gesturing around us, showcasing the damp and cold cave, with wax stuck to its surface and bees flying here and there. "If this is what you call doing your best, then you''re a lazy idiot." "Ugh... What do you know? You dont know us, you dont know anything about what we did to get here!" I snapped, my irritation flaring. "Haha! I really dont know, but I know one thing: You are not a leader. You are a maiden who needs protection, like noble girls surrounded by fortresses full of walls and guards just waiting for a suitor to take them to other fortresses protected by walls and guards. You dont know how to fight, you dont know how to do what it takes to survive. You are... talented, but very, very ignorant and ''innocent.'' You seem to survive only with the help of your instincts and your ''children,''" Morthak said coldly. I could only listen to him talk. At some points, he seemed right about us, but what was really the problem with being a ''princess in the tower''? I wasn''t fighting to become a super strong and badass warriorI wanted to be what my children needed me to be: a queen. Someone who could take care of the hive and make it prosper. But was I really on the right path? There was a difference between a participating queen and a Queen. I wasnt someone who liked to impose my will on others or force them to do things they didnt want to do. I just wanted us all to be happy and safeI didnt want to create some kind of crazy bee monarchy. "Morthak, you dont know anything about us or how we function. Between me and my children, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of them who are much stronger than me. And thats normal for us, because we function differently than you might be used to," I said to Morthak, irritation creeping into my voice. "PffYou don''t even know your own potential," Morthak said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You want a comparison? Fine. Comparing you to your children, in terms of raw talent, is like comparing a dying ember to a roaring pyre that lights up the night. You have the power to be something far stronger than you are now. That''s why you caught my attention. But you lack ambition, the will to rise beyond what you are. Youre so... soft." He paused, a dark grin tugging at his lips. "Ive traveled to tribes, herds, packs of monsters, and all sorts of creatures across the world. Do you know what they all had in common? Despite their different shapes, sizes, genders, and attitudes, they all had one thing a leader. Someone who could alter the mood just by being in the room. Someone who made my senses go on high alert. But you? You dont even seem like a leader. You dont even seem like the mother of these creatures. Youre nothing more than a trophy. A beautiful, adorable trophy, locked away, hidden, and protected by those who truly know ''what theyre doing.''" Morthak''s piercing eyes were fixed on me. "What do you think you''re doing?" "Ugh," I muttered, looking away, my chest tightening. He laughed, deep and mocking. "See? No claws. You know, as I was nearing the cave earlier, my senses went on edge. I could feel something was lurking, so I looked back. What do I see? A tiny insect, surrounded by a swarm of others. One of yours. Alone, it was nothing. Weak, pitiful. But the way it looked at me? The aura it gave off? The killing intent that wrapped around it like an iron vice? That was different. It made me respect it, in a way. But you? I dont feel that from you. No weight. No presence. I dont respect you, or your requests." He paused again, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "But today, things were different. When I stood there, watching your offspring ''evolve,'' you looked me dead in the eyes and told me to leave. For the first time, I felt itthe pressure you can radiate. And then, I regretted the talent youve wasted." I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. My mind spun in circles, desperately searching for something to say. "I..." My voice faltered. Am I really like this? The question gnawed at me, tearing through the fragile confidence I had carefully built. All my life, Id believed I was worthy of respect. The hive had always treated me with a mixture of fear and admiration, but what did that mean, really? Their respect was born from fear, not true reverence. What did it matter if I held sway over those who couldnt challenge me? It didnt matter to someone like Morthak. His judgment was different. I never thought I was weak. Id always considered myself friendly, even kind. But if Morthak, someone common in this world, could look into my eyes and see nothing but weakness, then it had to be true, didnt it? In my old life, Id have been seen as introverted, maybe shy. But I wasnt in my old world. This was a place where weakness could be fatal, where kindness could get you killed. So, what should I do? Should I be cold and ruthless like Hans? He commanded respect without saying a word, a figure of authority whose presence alone made others quake. Was that the answer? To be like him? To force others into submission with nothing more than a glance? I didnt want to be that way. I didnt want my children to fear me. I wanted to be gentle with them, to guide them without instilling fear. Id only ever done it twiceonce when I had to put the newborns in their place, and again when I silenced the whisperers. But even then, Id done it reluctantly, a necessary evil. Still when I imposed my will, things changed. I had never had to deal with an uprising from the newborns, nor did I fear a whisperer spilling secrets when I used my authority to make the hive follow my wishes. Maybe I hadnt been as weak as I thought. But I didnt want to be feared. Not like that. And yet, I couldnt let others walk all over me. I couldnt let them walk all over my children. Maybe if I were more imposing, if I had a stronger presence, perhaps that human wouldnt have attacked us, and we wouldnt have needed to leave Aurum. Maybe if I had more backbone, more attitude, things wouldve been different. Maybe I was doing more harm than good, trying to be someone I wasnt in this new world. Things had changed the culture, the people, the norms. Everything was different. I wasnt human anymore. And yet, I kept trying to apply human standards to a place that was nothing like Earth. I found myself disgusted by things my children did, horrified by their cruelty, but when I looked at them, I wasnt human anymore. I was something else. The rules were different here. The people were different. I was different. I guess I just hadnt been able to shallow it. Chapter 91: Piece of Me "I''m nervous. Do you think he''ll be as... delicate as Ken?" I muttered, gnawing at my nails as I glanced at the nurses around me. "I don''t think you need to worry about that, Queen Mother. Hans will probably be covered in his armorlike always," one of them reassured me. "I don''t know... maybe he''ll take after mom? You know, tough skin but not full armor?" another chimed in. "I''d kinda like to see him without it for once. Sure, the armor makes him look cool, but it also makes him feel... distant," someone else added. "Nonsense! Hans'' armor is his signature! Just like Trouble''s muscles or Jon''s shields!" a nurse scoffed. "Guys, shut up! Lookhe''s emerging!" I cut them off, pointing at the convulsing chrysalis. Hans was finally evolving. It had taken longer than Ken, but at least it was happening. Unlike Ken''s transformationwhere I had infused him with life manaHans had undergone this change entirely on his own. His chrysalis was huge, far bigger than Kens, which made me wonder just how large he would be once he emerged. And honestly, this whole debate about whether he''d have full-body armor or not? Redundant. But still valid. The truth wasI had never actually seen Hans'' face. When he was just a [Solitary Honey Bee], he looked like every other soldier-class member of his kind. After his first evolution, his face had been hidden beneath a helmet-like structure. So really, we''d never seen what was underneath. But I had an image in my heada deep, commanding voice, an air of nobility, that older-brother presence. In my mind, Hans was the kind of guy who could be the male lead in a shoujo manga. As creaturespeople, insects, monsters, fairieswhatever we were, our species never really changed much in terms of physical appearance. But now? Now that I''d been forcibly evolved into a [Feyweaver], my features had changed. I had a form, a beauty that was tangible and almost revered. Ken had proved that [Feyweavers] werent just strong but striking. So I couldn''t help but wonderwhat the hell would Hans look like? A sharp crack split through the air. I held my breath as fractures spread across the surface of his chrysalis. Thick, yellow goo oozed from the cracksunlike Kens, which had been a strange, glowing pink. The shell convulsed, then stilled, leaving me uneasy. Was something wrong? Then, suddenly, a jagged, armored hand burst through. Bronze. Sharp. The fingers gleamed like blades, and beneath the knuckles, I could see something darkera black exoskeleton beneath the armor, giving the eerie illusion of armor layered on top of armor. Then, with sheer, monstrous strength, he ripped through the chrysalis as if it were nothing but damp paper. Shredded pieces of hardened shell rained onto the ground, splattering yellow slime in all directions. And thenhe rose. A giant. Two meters tall, encased from head to toe in metallic plating that gleamed like polished bronze. He looked like a living weapon, his helmet sculpted into the form of a bees head. From the back of his skull, a long, thick ponytailpure white, slick with slimehung past his shoulders. Hans was massive, his body built with powerful, thick limbs that radiated sheer strength. His plated arms flexed as he shifted, the heavy armor moving seamlessly with him. Then, as his glowing golden eyes locked onto mine, he took a step forward. A second step. His shadow loomed over me, making the size difference between us crystal clear. Then, without warning, he dropped to one knee. The impact was like a hammer striking the ground, sending up a thin layer of dust. Gasps rippled through the room as nurses exchanged looks of awe and disbelief. "Queen Mother," Hans said, his deep voice reverberating through the space. "I salute you." The nurses immediately swarmed him, climbing onto his enormous form, wiping away the yellow residue, whispering about how incredible he looked. "Hans?! You''re huge!" I blurted out, still reeling from the sight of him. I was used to being the big one around here. I was the titan compared to my little ones. But seeing Hanswho once fit in the palm of my handstanding there, towering over me like some kind of armored warlord? It was genuinely unsettling. How did this even make sense?! How does a creature the size of a teddy bear grow into a walking tank in a week?! "I thank you for the compliment, Queen Mother," he said, bowing his head slightly. "With this form, I will protect you and our family with all my strength." "It wasnt exactly a compliment, but... whatever." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You must be starving, right? We brought plenty of rations for you." I gestured toward the pile of food stacked beside him. "Sorry, though. No sweets or honey. You''ll have to make do with emergency ration blocksweve got plenty." "I understand, Queen Mother. The most nutritious food should go to those who need it most. I will be satisfied with what has been provided to me." He stood and strode toward the mountain of food, his sheer presence making me uneasy. Compared to the pile, Hans was still bigger. A gnawing worry settled in my gutwould it be enough? There was a time when food wasnt an issue, but now? It was a constant struggle. Sure, we had stockpiled emergency rations thanks to the cooking club, but our bodies werent built for normal food. Meat, vegetablesthey just made us sick. We needed sugar. Pure energy. Hans picked up a food block between his fingersit looked tiny in his grip, like a mere cereal bar. Then, without hesitation, he swallowed it whole. Then another. Then a handful, devouring them with a hunger that made my skin crawl. ''Damn... he''s starving.'' I swallowed hard. This was going to be a problem. I needed to check his statusfast.
[Information] Attributes
Name: Hans Species: FeyWeaver Life: 122.2 Def: 171.8
Level: 1 Class: Shield Destroyer Vit: 62.5 Int: 97.5
Sex: Male Stamina: 120 Dex: 34.4 Wis: 106.1
Mana: 52.5 Affinity: ---- Spr: 42.1 Str: 240.4
[Skills] - 12
NEW - {Battle Cry} Lv 1 When activated: Allies within a field of: 32 units. Receives the effect: [Battle Inspiration] - Bonus of: 20% on: All statuses; Lasts: 1h
NEW - {Armored Muscle Arsenal.} Lv 1 While active: Cover your body with natural armor instantly at the cost of MP and gain a 10% bonus to the [Strength] stat for the skill''s duration.
NEW - {High Perception Field} Lv 1 While active: Enemies within the skill''s area of ??effect receive the effect: [Exposure] - Disables any and all skills of the type: [Sneaky].
NEW - {Provoked Duel} Lv 1 On Activation: Choose a Target - Chosen target is forced to fight you.
NEW - {Relentless Charge} Lv 1 Quickly dash to freight in a rapid charge gaining the [Immute] effect - Any and all types of damage are temporarily negated. During the skill''s effect.
NEW - {Chivalrous Language} Lv 1 Makes lying harder.
NEW - {Champion''s Pride.} Lv 1 Upon defeating an opponent, gain a +1% Increase to: (All stats) for 5 minutes. This effect can stack up to: (10 times), with each instance having its own duration.
NEW - {Chivalrous Blow} Lv 1 Deliver a strike that removes the targets active shields and negates all buff''s. However, for the next 30 seconds, the next hit you take will have 50% of its damage bypass shields and ignore one of your buffs.
NEW - {Wall Breaker} Lv 1 Your next attack ignores and destroys shields, barriers, and similar defenses. However, if the attack misses or is blocked, you become [Paralyzed]] for 10 seconds.
NEW - {Field Commander} Lv 1 Select an ally: Target gains a permanent bonus to XP gain; mental connection with party members; unique abilities and joint evolutions.
NEW - {Unshakable Presence} Lv 1 Passive: Allies in your presence find it natural to follow, and listen to you without question / Enemies are easily intimidated by you.
NEW - {Call of the Crown} Lv 1 For each nearby ally with the [Noble] trait below 30% max HP, gain a 5% bonus to all stats to a maximun of 100%. The bonus increases based on the HP level of nearby allies; allies with full health do not affect the count.
NEW - {Noble Posture} Lv 1 Improve your knowledge of noble customs.
[Traits] - 6
NEW - {Thirst for greatness} - Epic Your hunger and desire for power is insatiable, you seek true power, the kind of power that cannot be given, borrowed or bought. Only conquered. Immune to [Charm]-type effects
NEW - {Nobility Blood} - Rare You carry the weight of your lineage in your veins, acclaimed and loved by those who share your own blood, you are the one who has received the honor of being called noble. +10% Luck
NEW - {Empowered} - Uncommon You know what you want, why you want it, and what you need to do to get it. + 10% Wis
NEW - {Symbol} - Rare You are a symbol of authority and commitment to those around you. + 10% Int +5 Dex
[Titles] - 3
NEW - {The first of Many} - Unique You were the first being created by the progenitor of your species, you have seen, heard and done many things along the way, you are one of the oldest pillars of your society, the only one worthy of your title. +{10% x level/2} All status.
{Big Brother} - Uncommon Your brothers admire you and see you as an example, you are a good brother. +15% Hp
Seeing Hans''s stats, I couldn''t help but rub my eyes, wondering if I was seeing things. No matter how many times I looked, it still didn''t make any sense. Hans was ridiculously strong. Like, absurdly strong. Well... at least by hive standards. Compared to Morthak, he probably wouldnt be able to do much more than give him a light scratch, but stillonce again, Hans had proven himself the strongest member of the hive. "Holy shiny capybara... What the hell are these skills? Damn... 240.4 strength points?! Thats insane! Is that normal for the [Soldier] class? If so, we need to speed up the evolution of more soldiers... No, waitwe need to survive until spring first. We need food. But... wow, just... wow." I muttered, staring at the numbers in disbelief while Hans remained focused on his meal. Around him, several nurses and bees buzzed around, climbing on his massive frame like he was some kind of playground, giggling and flitting around as they admired him. The whole scene was strangeimagine a towering, intimidating soldier sitting in the middle of a feast while tiny golden, fairy-like creatures used him as a jungle gym. But Hans didnt seem bothered at all. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying it, occasionally breaking his rations into smaller pieces and handing them to the nurses who hovered around him. "Humph. Well, at least you evolved, Hans. With you here, I feel a little more secure about our defenses. If things go well, in a few weeks we can start a full revitalization plan and finally get back on track." I said, but Hans only gave a vague hum of acknowledgment before returning to his food. Normally, he''d be listening attentively, but the poor guy was probably starving. Evolution must''ve drained all his energy straight into those ridiculous muscles. "Ah... its a shame we wont get to see your face at the end of all this, but Im still happy with your evolution, Hans." I added, watching him curiously. Hans paused mid-bite, glancing at me with a confused hum before swallowing. "What do you mean, see my face?" "Oh, it''s nothing major. Just that no ones ever really seen your face. I think the last time was back when you were just a [Solitary Honey Bee], and even then, only a few members of the inner circle were ''lucky'' enough to see you without a helmet or armor." I explained. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It wasnt a big dealwithin the hive, appearance wasnt something we placed much value on. It only mattered in two ways: distinguishing between individuals and attracting a mate. But we didnt procreate in the traditional sense, and we had no trouble recognizing each other. The hives link system functioned like a mental ID, allowing us to instinctively identify each other at all times. There was never any risk of mistaking Ken for someone else, even after his drastic evolution. The moment you connected to the link, you could feel who someone was. It was usefulessential, evenbut it also had its drawbacks. Take Ciel, for example. To me, he was my son, an ally beyond question. But to the hive, he was an outsider, an unknown entity unworthy of trust. Even though he shared our blood, his connection to the link was so damaged and weak that the hive couldn''t register him as part of us. To them, he was a threat. Technically, I could fix this. I just had to verify his identity and grant him full access to the hive. But things were never that simple. This mental ID system wasnt something you used once or twice a dayit was constant. Every moment, every interaction, every action required verification. Want to eat? Verify your identity. Want to enter a chamber? Verify your identity. Want to work? Verify your identity. It was as effortless as exchanging glances, a process so ingrained that we never even noticed it. But for Ciel, who lacked that connection, every attempt at verification failed. And no matter how much I insisted that he was safe, the hive simply couldnt accept him. It was like trying to implant a foreign organ into a body and expecting the immune system not to reject it. Orders and reassurances wouldnt change the fact that, at the core of their instincts, Ciel was an outsider. "Really? Hmm... I never noticed." Hans muttered, frowning slightly. "Its okay, honey~ I just wanted to know if theres candy under the blanket." I teased with a small grin. Hans tilted his head. "Hmm. If I look nice, would that make you happy, Queen Mother?" "Oh?" I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... yeah? I mean, Im not exactly obsessed with eye candy, but I wouldnt say being surrounded by a bunch of handsome, muscular guyswho, lets not forget, are also my sonsis at the top of my priorities." I smirked slightly, joking as I crossed my arms. Honestly, it was probably better that Hans kept himself covered. It made things easier for me. "That reminds me, I really need to have a talk with Zuki about making clothes or uniforms. You have your armor to keep you covered, but I doubt everyone will be like that. Sooner or later, were going to need proper clothes to make sure nothing that shouldnt see the light of day ends up being exposed." I muttered, already dreading the logistics of that particular problem. Hans just stared at me, clearly not getting it. Good. Id rather he not think too hard about it.
I wake up groggily, finding myself in a dark hallway. Metal lockers, their doors wrenched open by creeping roots, line the walls. Grass and puddles of water spread across the cracked floor, and the ceiling is littered with broken, lifeless lights. Ahead, a long corridor stretches toward a set of double doors, the kind youd see in a high school. Colored lights flicker from the other side, and faint music drifts through the cracks. What? Ugh... Is this another one of those stupid nightmares? I mutter, pushing myself off the cold, damp floor. I move forward slowly, each step accompanied by the muffled beat of lively high school music. As I reach the doors, I push them open hesitantly, revealing a bizarre dance hall. Balloonssome fully deflated, others still clinging stubbornly to the ceilingdecorate the room. The air is thick with the remnants of a celebration long abandoned. Half-eaten food litters the tables, forgotten in the rush to leave. Yet, despite the eerie emptiness, music plays on, filling the air with an unsettling cheerfulness. That girl is vicious, shes vicious, got venom in her kisses The lyrics weave through the scene. Then, I see her. In the middle of the dance floor, facing away from me, a lone figure sways to the rhythm. Even without seeing her face, I know who she is. My human selfdancing alone, moving with a strangely reserved enthusiasm. Ugh... Hey! You freak, stop copying my appearanceuh, ex-appearanceand start explaining yourself! I shout over the music, but she doesnt react. And I love how she devours me, just might make her my Mrs. Annoyed, I stride toward her and grab her shoulder. The moment she turns, a chill races down my spine. Her milky, lifeless eyes stare back at me. Her lips are cracked and tinged blue, her skin pale and waxy like an old corpse. Her fingernailswhats left of themare jagged and incomplete. But what unnerves me most is the knife buried deep in her throat, surrounded by thick, black blood that seeps down her neck and drips onto the floor. Oh? Look who decided to join the party. She grins, unfazed, her body swaying to the music. Come dance with me? She extends a hand, her dead eyes locked onto mine. Shes a little bit twisted, little bit wild What do you want? I cross my arms, forcing myself to keep my composure. Are you here to haunt my dreams now? Or rather, nightmares? She doesnt seem fazed by my hostility. Instead, she pulls her hand back, that same unsettling smile fixed on her decayed face. Still dancing, she lets out a soft chuckle. You know, your head is so empty sometimes I feel alone in here. She tilts her head playfully, joints cracking as she twirls. But didnt I tell you before? I dont come to you. You come to me. So if you want to blame someone for being here, blame yourself. After all, you are a professional when it comes to self-pity, arent you? She giggles. Oh! Why dont you take advantage of this moment? Start whining about how life is hard, about how youre trying your best? Maybe lie to yourself a little and say youre doing the right thing? Or close your eyes and tell yourself everything will be okay in the end? Haha! Youre always so predictable. Little bit sadistic, little bit loud The sound I avert my eyes, clenching my fists. Ughmaybe youre right. I exhale sharply. I think Im out of escape routes. Hahaha! She throws her head back, twirling again. You never had a way out, Hana! Like a rat on a wheelno matter how hard you run, you never go anywhere. Youre too stupid, too cowardly to break this cycle of self-pity and temporary redemption. You dont have what it takes. Youre not a leader, not someone meant to be on top. The world is made of wolves and lambs, and you? Youre a lamb. A poor, lost, pathetic little lamb. Her feet splash in the black liquid pooling beneath her, but she doesnt seem to care. The darkness spreads across the floor, creeping toward me as she dances. Little bit ruthless, little bit raw The song continues, an eerie backdrop to her venomous words. I inhale deeply, forcing myself to stay calm. Uff, any reason for the change of scenery? I ask, trying to shift the conversation away from her mockery. She slows, tilting her head. Oh? So you noticed? A wicked grin spreads across her lips. Do you like the new decor? Youre not the only one evolving around here, honey. Youre not the only one who can learn a new trick or two. She takes a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. Do you remember that special day? The day of your graduation? A surge of unease washes over me as she begins to tap dance, her feet moving effortlessly despite the tar-like sludge beneath her. She twirls gracefully, her arms outstretched like a ballerina lost in a twisted performance. The music swells, the haunting lyrics echoing through the abandoned dance hall. ''It was a fun day, wasnt it?'' She mocks. "No, it wasn''t," I said, interrupting her. That day wasn''t a good one for meit should have been happy and celebratory, but instead, everything fell apart. My father had recently passed away, I had a huge fight with my friends, I broke up with my boyfriend, and I even got arrested for driving without a license while slightly over the legal alcohol limit. That day was horrible, not just because of all that, but because I saw my mother''s face as she bailed me out of jailstill grieving for my father and now burdened with my recklessness. ''Chewing me up and spitting me out, Piece of my heart inside her mouth, Killing me slowly, I don''t care, If she goes to hell, please save me a chair...'' The music continued. "Hahaha! I love that day. Its a perfect reminder of just how irresponsible and unreliable you can be," she said, laughing. She stopped her vigorous dancing momentarily, only to sway and twirl playfully in front of me, looking directly at me with that cadaverous grin. "You abandoned your friends, disappointed your mother, and even your dead father, whose body hadn''t even cooled yet." "Shut up!" I snapped, grabbing a piece of debris from the floor and throwing it at her. It struck her forehead, opening a small hole from which black slime began to ooze, but she didnt even flinch. "Hahaha! So easy, so obvious. You''re so predictable. It''s laughably simple to push your buttons. You cant handle hearing things you dont like. Your words are sharp, but where has that ever gotten you? Friends? Family? Success? No, people hated being around you, and you never tried to change that. Your own family either ignores you or is dead. And you? You wasted everything you had saved for a ''bright future'' on someone who was dying, strapped to a bed. You were nobody before, Hana. And now you think you can be something? Let me remind younothing comes from nothing." She spun again, arms outstretched, her cadaverous hair flowing eerily around her, as if dancing in a breeze only she could feel. ''And I love the way you hate me, You love to drive me crazy, Why do I do this to myself, It''s bad for my health...'' "Do we really need to do this?" I asked, exhaling sharply. "Do you have to drag me down every time we meet? Youre me, arent you? Tearing me down just means tearing yourself down. Why not help me instead of being dead weight?" She stopped dancing. For the first time, she stood still. Her expression twisted into a mockery of contemplation before a smile spread across her faceone that mightve been cute if not for the ghastly state of her flesh. Then, with a laugh, she started moving again, twirling as if nothing had happened. "HAHAHA! Youre a joke! Why would I help you? Youre the last person Id ever lift a finger for. Even if you begged on your knees, I wouldnt spare you a second of mercy. You deserve the most miserable, shameful death imaginable. You know Im right." The music slowed, shifting into something somber, a ballroom dance melody for an audience long since vanished. "We both know you shouldnt even exist in the first place. Youre like a glitched-out object that refuses to be deleted, a mistake that just wont disappear. Maybe youre not even the real Hana. Maybe youre just some pathetic entity that got her memories by some cruel joke of fate." "Who cares?" I said, shrugging, forcing myself to remain calm. "Maybe I am a mistake. But you know what? Some mistakes are so good, they end up becoming canon. And as for me being the real HanaI have a title and everything proving I was brought here. But even if I werent, what difference does it make? Its not like I can tell people I used to be human. Id sound insane. So if you think you can shake me with that revelation, youre wasting your breath." Her smile faltered, twisting into something bitter. "Ha! Look at you, trying to act superior. Pathetic. Do you really think that little facade will hold up? Fine. Lets cut deeper, then. How about we talk about how many times you''ve nearly killed your own children? What, ten times so far? And counting? Always finding new ways to endanger themyour poor, devoted children who worship you." The stage lights flickered, illuminating a grotesque scene. A metal-jointed doll, shaped like my [Feywear] form, stood center stage. In its hand, a bloody knife. Around it, lifeless figuresHans, Ken, Carl, Levi, Emiscattered in a pool of crimson. "Stop it!" I demanded, my voice shaking. But she just smiled and kept dancing. "Or how you''re just a spineless coward with no will of your own. You let those kids crawl into your head, take over your body, and do whatever they pleased. Honestly, it''s only a matter of time before they figure out you''re more useful locked awaytrapped in a room, trapped inside your own mindforever reduced to nothing but a pathetic little mannequin, dangling on their strings." She spoke with a grin, the wooden stick in her hand spinning to the grinding sound of gears. The stage before me shifted, and there it wasan articulated doll, an eerie mimicry of my form. But now its limbs were bound in golden threads, tangled like a marionette. Above it, shadowy figures pulled at the strings, their laughter sharp, shrill, and mocking as the puppet jerked and twitched in clumsy, unnatural movements. "You bit!" I started, but bit my tongue, forcing myself to stay in control. "HAHAHA!" She cackled, eyes gleaming with cruel delight. The gears groaned again, the stage turning with a jarring screech. A new scene emerged. A faceless crowd of mannequins, their hollow eyes hidden behind masks, stood in eerie unison. They gripped torches, pitchforks, and rusted spears, their stiff bodies pulsing with an almost living rage. And therestanding before themwas the same puppet, my puppet, just staring at the impending doom before it. "How about we talk about how you''re going to get everyone killed? You''ve already been attacked once. And it''ll happen again. Next time, you won''t be so lucky. And when the humans see what you''ve becomeoh, they''ll be furious. Hungry for blood. One by one, they''ll hunt your children down, gut them, burn them alive, until there''s nothing left but charred bones and the stench of death in the air." As she spoke, the figures moved in eerie synchronization, closing in on the puppet. They tore at it, ripping fabric and wood apart, burning its fragile limbs. The thing screamed, a raw, guttural wailtoo real. Too human. "STOP!" I flinched, turning away, my stomach twisting. It''s all true. Every word. Dangers lurk in every shadow, waiting for a single mistake. One wrong move, and I could bring everything crashing down. I have to do more. Be better. Faster. Stronger. "HAHAHA! Whats wrong? Cant handle the truth?" she sneered. I exhaled sharply, forcing my mind to focus. Since the moment I took on this cursed mantle as queen of the hive, I''ve had only one purposeprotect my family. I have to make this work. I can''t lose anyone. I wont. No matter how much I claw and fight, something always comes creeping through the cracks, trying to drag me back to the start. And then there''s her. This parasite. This leech clinging to me, poisoning my every thought. I dont just have to surviveI have to endure her, this weight pulling me under. I wish she would just "JUST DISAPPEAR!" I screamed, pressing my hands over my eyes, my body curling in on itself. The sound of a strangled, inhuman shriek tore through the spacethen, silence. I opened my eyes slowly. And I was standing in the middle of a street. Not just any street. Earth. Somehow, impossibly, I was back on Earth. I looked down at myself, my stomach twisting into a tight knot. My handsstill inhuman. My bodystill Feyweaver. The realization sent a cold shiver through me. "Damn it! What now? I need to get back to the boys!" Panic clawed at my throat as I scanned my surroundings. A magazine stand sat across the street, faded newspapers flapping slightly in the breeze. Maybe I could figure out what was going on. I hesitated before crossing, my pulse hammering. How would people react to me like this? Maybe I could pass as some kind of cosplayerif I was lucky. But as I approached the stand, my unease deepened. There was no one there. Just the silent stacks of newspapers and magazines. I rifled through them, my breath catching as I saw the date. 2002. "What the hell" I whispered. This wasnt right. This wasnt possible. I left the stand behind, moving on autopilot, my feet pulling me down streets that felt too familiar. A strange, creeping dj vu slithered down my spine. I wasnt just anywhere. I was home. A small supermarket stood ahead. I pushed the door open, a bell chiming overhead. But the moment I stepped inside, dread gripped me. The front of the store looked normal enoughdim fluorescent lights flickering above racks of snacks and dusty shelves. But the back? The entire back half of the store was consumed by writhing black goo. It slithered up the walls, tendrils stretching and pulsing, swallowing shelves whole. Everything it touched melted into more of itself, feeding the endless hunger of the void. "Whaoh, that bitch. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WHAT IS THIS NOW?!" I yelled at the ceiling, rage and fear twisting together in my chest. This wasnt real. It had to be another one of her sick games. I stumbled backward, then turned and ran, fleeing down the streets, my breath coming in short gasps. It wasnt until I reached a particular intersection that my steps faltered. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might shatter my ribs. I knew this street. I knew it too well. My eyes trailed up to the street sign, dread and longing tangling in my stomach. I took off running. At the end of the street stood a yellow house, framed by a white fence. A beautiful lawn stretched in front of it, a single tree standing tall with a wooden swing swaying gently in the breeze. Toys lay scattered in the grass, long abandoned but untouched by time. Roses bloomed along the sidewalk, their scent drifting through the air. "No way" I walked forward, my bare feet pressing against the cool stone path. The sensation sent a wave of bittersweet nostalgia crashing over me. My mother had planted those flowers. My father had built that swing. I could almost hear their voices in the wind. A rare, aching smile pulled at my lips. I hadnt let myself think about this place in so long. It was easier to pretend it was gone than to remember what I had lost. ThenI saw it. The front door. The porch light was on. And from inside the house came the sound of voices, of laughterof life. My breath hitched. My hands trembled. "Could it be?" My voice barely came out, choked with something I couldnt name. I push the door open with some difficultybeing this small again doesnt help. As soon as I step inside, the gloomy, hollow atmosphere dissolves, replaced by something warm and painfully familiar. The narrow hallway greets me first, lined with a wooden coat rack sagging under the weight of jackets and hats that rest undisturbed. Across from it, a shoe rack holds my fathers boots, my mothers shoes, and my old slippers, neatly arranged as if waiting for their owners to return. The walls are cluttered with framed photos of us, mingled with my mothers tacky decorationslittle ceramic owls, inspirational quotes in cursive, dried flowers pressed under glass. A scent drifts from the kitchensomething rich, something home. The distant murmur of a TV filters through from the living room. Hana? You done playing already, sweetheart? The voice freezes me mid-step. My chest tightens, breath catches. Slowly, as if afraid Ill break the illusion, I follow the sound, passing the threshold into the kitchen. Its the same. Every detail is carved into my memory, unchanged by time. The old fridge, its surface covered in stickers and held-together Polaroids, a shopping list scribbled on a notepad stuck to the door with a fruit magnet. The wooden dining table, its seats padded with cushions because, in my mothers words, Nobody should suffer a sore butt while eating. Music hums from a small radio on the countersome classic rock station. And then there she is. My mother. She sways in front of the stove, wooden spoon in hand, quietly mouthing the lyrics. Her curly, light brown hair bounces as she moves, and the steam from the pots fogs up her oversized glasses. I stand there, breathless, watching her as if shell vanish the second I blink. Mom The word barely escapes my lips, little more than a breath of disbelief. She doesnt react. I step closer and reach out, tugging the fabric of her jeans like I used to when I was small. Thats when I noticemy hands. Small, soft. Human. I look down, and my stomach twists. My Feyweaver body is gone. Im a child again. Oh? she hums, still focused on the stove. Whats wrong, honey? Mommys almost done with dinner. Did you get tired of playing? M-Mom. My voice wavers as my fingers clutch at her tighter. She pauses. Then, reaching over, she shuts off the radio, then the stove, before crouching to my level. Her hands frame my face, warm and steady, her touch so heartbreakingly familiar it nearly breaks me. Whats wrong, sweetheart? she murmurs, searching my face. Did something happen? I cant stop myself. I throw my arms around her, burying my face into her shoulder. A sob wracks through me, then another, and another. Mom Im sorry. I should have tried harder. I should have done better. I should have saved you. Her arms wrap around me, gentle but firm, rubbing soothing circles on my back. Honey, youre scaring me. What are you talking about? I failed you, I choke out. I failed Dad. I failed everyone. I lost everything trying to keep you here, and it still wasnt enough. Im so sorry, Mom. She hushes me softly, rocking me as though Im still that little girl who scraped her knees on the pavement. Oh, my love whatever happened, its okay. Everythings going to be okay. I cling to her, eyes squeezed shut, afraid that if I let go, this moment will disappear forever. Her warmth, her voice, the steady rise and fall of her breathits all so real. But I know better. I know this cant be real. And yet, I dont care. I hold onto her, letting her murmur reassurances, until the world shifts. When I open my eyes, the kitchen is gone. Im not in my childhood home anymore. Im lying in a dark cavern, the quiet hum of sleeping bees filling the space around me. Their soft, warm bodies press against mine, forming a protective nest. My hand trembles as I lift it to my face, fingertips brushing against the fresh trail of tears. I wipe them away, slowly untangling myself from the swarm. Grabbing a silk blanket from nearby, I wrap it around myself and step toward the caves entrance. The outside world greets me with a sky so blue it looks painted. Snowflakes drift lazily through the air, blanketing the ground in delicate, glistening white. The storms have ended. Winter is fading. Spring is near. Queen Mother? The voice pulls me from my thoughts. I turn to find Hans standing at the entrance, his golden eyes focused on me. Even with his helmet obscuring most of his face, I can feel his concern through our link. Hello, dear, I say, forcing a smile. How are you feeling? Im fine. He steps closer. But I sensed a disturbance in the link coming from you. I wanted to check if you were alright. ''Damn it. Is it too much to ask for a little privacy?'' I wave a dismissive hand. Oh, sweetie, dont worry about it. I was just thinking about the past, about the future what needs to be done. We need to start planting crops, setting up defenses, building walls, maybe even digging a ditch. Patrols need to be increased, scouting parties sent out. And dont even get me started on constructionrooms, machinery, research, experimentsugh, the list is endless. Hans listens in silence, standing beside me as we watch the snow fall. After a moment, he speaks. Mom? I glance at him. Yeah? Youre doing a good job. Thank you. I blink, caught off guard. Huh? W-What? Where did that come from? I know you worry about us. About the future. About everything. He shifts slightly. If Im being honest, I didnt think you could be a proper queen. I scoff, laughing lightly. Gee, thanks. But, he continues, ignoring my remark, you proved me wrong. Youre not just our queenyoure our mother. You always face your fears head-on so we dont have to. Even when you think the worst, you never let it show. You make us feel safe. You make us feel loved. His voice softens. I know you dont think youre a good queen. Or a good mother. But I do. Im grateful to serve you. To have you. A lump forms in my throat. Damn it, Hans. I stare at the falling snow, blinking back the heat in my eyes. I know Im not perfect. I know Ive made mistakes. But Im trying. Im trying so damn hard to keep everyone alive, to keep us together. And hearing those wordsfrom him, of all peoplemeans more than I can say. Its worth more than I could have ever asked for. Chapter 92: Past Pieces "You seem distracted young lady, I see I failed to make this appealing to you." Morthak said to me, catching my attention. Looking at him, I see him stirring some vials and mixing some contents together to form a new substance, currently he was giving me a basic alchemy lesson, but honestly I''ve had my share of mixing strange things to produce a strange result. Sure, Morthak''s ingredients don''t seem to be limited to things you''d find in a forest, but it''s still basically the same thing, just the results are different. Add to the fact that I need to plan a lot of things with the hive, and mediate a few problems here and there, this alchemy lesson from Morthak really ended up going to the back of my mind, I know I should value what I''m taught, but honestly? I didn''t even need to be here, I could let some members of the hive, specifically Jasper, take this class in my place, and then I would just need to download the content of the class from his brain to mine. Jasper would also get more out of this class, but it doesn''t seem "appropriate" to underestimate Morthak''s help. It would be like leaving a cell phone recording a class with the pretense of watching it later, in theory it works, but in reality it is incredibly rude and clueless, and I can be many things, but I am educated and I am a person who has a very sharp social sense, I know very well when I am embarrassing myself in front of strangers. "Sorry Morthak, it''s just that... I don''t know how to say this politely, this class would be better. Like, you''re just teaching factors like temperature, pouring pace, thickness, quantity, intensity and blah blah blah. I know I don''t look like much, but at least I already know that." I said, twirling my finger in my hair in an embarrassed way. "Oh? So you think you''re ready to move on to the intermediate level? Very well, let''s see how far this "knowledge" of yours goes." Morthak said with a macabre smile, creating a crack in the air with his magic staff and pulling out a very beautiful glass bottle with a purple substance inside from inside the crack. Morthak then just throws the glass on the ground without any hesitation, the glass breaks and spreads across the ground, and its purple contents stain the cave floor, I barely had time to ask what the hell he was doing, before the unknown liquid began to bubble and swell. In front of my eyes, the liquid grew and twisted, increasing in size exponentially until it reached an impressive height of 3 meters, distorted features and limb-like protrusions like arms and legs began to form on the creature''s body, a macabre and gurgling cry soon reached my ears accompanied by the sour smell of sulfur and metal. "What the hell is this creature?!" I asked Morthak. "An [Abomination] - Alchemical creatures created through the use of magic and science. This one in particular is a [Cadaveric Abomination] - A mix between the undead and a common abomination. Unlike common abominations, this one is not only poisonous but can multiply at the cost of flesh and mana." Morthak said patting the creature''s grotesque and slimy body. "T-This thing was created with alchemy?! Didn''t you say it was impossible to "build" life?" I asked incredulously but at the same time impressed, if this is only the intermediate level of alchemy, what does the master level and above have hidden? "Ha! Calling this thing a living being is a joke." Morthak said pointing to the still and groaning creature. "They are more like golems, but without a core. Abominations are usually temporary, lasting only a few minutes, or hours depending on the ingredients used and the purpose of their creation, some use them as tools, others as test dummies, or as reconnaissance units. Whatever the choice, abominations are an art considered "old-fashioned", nowadays it is all about golems, and autonomats, but back in my days abominations were the most popular alchemical beings you could find." Morthak said with a bit of nostalgia. "So... Basically this thing is Outdated?" I said, and for some reason the glow of the abomination seemed to have faded a little. Morthak looked quite offended, glaring at me with a disapproving scowl before turning to his creature and slapping the creature''s slimy back. "Today''s kids just don''t, jezz- This "Thing" here is the ancestor of modern golems! Back in a time when things were less complicated, this little guy here may not last as long as today''s golems and dolls, but it''s pretty tough to knock down and can be easily customized according to the knowledge and ingredients used by its creator." Morthak said. "So... This thing is made of corpses?" I asked, a little perturbed by the idea. "Of course not! Don''t be silly, it''s made with a solution of melted [Emerald Dragon] bones - to give its structure greater resistance. Rotten flesh and tallow from a [Mountain Orc] - treated with alchemy to result in better adhesion and stability. And a reasonable amount of Spinal Fluid from a [Sea Banshe] - to serve as the basis for its powers." Morthak said as if listing a shopping list. "UGh- How can you say such disgusting things with such a calm face?! Seriously? Melted bones, tallow, rotten flesh and banshe juice?! Is this professional alchemy or a damn macabre cake recipe?" I retorted. "Hey! You can question my methods, but not my results. This little guy''s batch has helped me out in some pretty nasty situations. The combination of bones, flesh, and tallow gave him a tough, tough physical structure. Despite his muddy body, if hit with major impacts, his body quickly solidifies. Because I used the "Banshe Juice" along with some other ingredients I had on hand, this one developed a sinister ability to cause the [Madness] and [Delirium] effects, in addition to being able to cause direct damage to the target''s soul - A pretty deadly combination, to tell the truth." Morthak said. "What?! Isn''t this thing super dangerous then!?" I said, startled, already getting up from my chair. "Well, sure. But only for you, for me the effects it causes are insignificant." Morthak said with a smile. "Hmm... Honestly, this is way cooler than mixing herbs and liquids, I didn''t know alchemy was so... How to say this? Malleable?" He said to Morthak. "Yeah, I''m not an expert in alchemy, but I have an acquaintance in BackBone who does one thing or another for me from time to time, we exchange letters from time to time where he details me about the crazy and strange experiments he conducts, most of the time it''s just an excuse to ask me for something, but some of his creations are quite peculiar to say the least." Morthak said, sticking his hand into the spatial crack again and pulling out a beautiful teapot-shaped jar with a gold-decorated neck with a green symbol that seemed to imitate a 4-leaf clover. "According to this friend of mine." Morthak said, waving the jar containing a deep green liquid in front of his eyes. "This here is a jar of liquid luck." Morthak said, placing the jar on the table. "Liquid luck?! Can you increase your luck with a potion?" I said, impressed. I know this world is kind of a "game world" and things that are "too absurd to exist" are common here, but I still get impressed whenever I come across such crap. "Well, according to my friend, yes it is." But according to the system, it isn''t, take a look." He said, pointing to the bottle with his hand.
[Description]
[Luck Potion] - Legendary A?????? ??????m???????y???????s???????t????????e??????r???????i?????????o?????u???????s??????? ???????????p?????????o??????t?????i???????o????????n?????? ?????????m??????????a??????d????????e??? ????b?????y?????????? ???????t???????h??????????e???? ????????S????????i??????????l????????v??????????e??????r???????? ????????T?????o????????w???????????e???????r??????''????s??????? ??????P?????????o?????t???????i?????????o???????n????????s???????? ???????M????????a?????????s???????t???????e????r????,?????????? ????????i???????t??????s?????????? ????????s??????????w????????i???????r????l????i????????n???????g????????,???????? ?????i?????r?????i?????????d?????????e???????s???????c?????????e????????n???????????t????? ???????g???????r??????e???e????n???????? ??????????l?????????i????????q??????????u??????i????????d????????? ??????n???????e?????v????????e????????r???????? ??????s??????e???????t?????????t???l??????e????????s???????,??????? ????????s?????h???????i?????????f?????????t????????i??????n???g???????? ?????????b?????e????????t????w??????????e?????e??????n????????? ???????h???????u?????e??????s??????? ?????????w??????i????????t???????h?????????? ?????e???v????????e????????r????????y??????? ??????????t????????i???????????l???????t????????? ????????o?????f???????? ?????????t?????h????????e??????? ?????b????????o?????t????????t??????????l?????e????????.??????????? ?????????S?????????w?????????e???????e??????t???????,?????? ?????????b?????i????t?????t??????e????????r?????,?????? ?????????s????a????????l?????t???????????y??? ?????o??????????r???? ??????s???????o???????????u??????r??????,????????? ????????i????????t??????s????? ????????f???????????l?????a??????v??????o?????r??????? ?????????s?????????e?????????e????????m?????????s???? ?????t????o??????? ????v????????a?????r????????y????????? ???????f???????r???????o???????m???? ??????t??????????a????s????????t?????????e??????? ???????t?????o????????? ?????????t???????a???????????s?????????t?????e?????,???? ???????i???t?????????? ?????????w???????a???s??????? ???????c??????r?????e?????a?????t????????e?????????d??????? ????????w????i????????t???????????h?????????? ????t???????h??????e??????? ???????p???????u??????????r??????p???????o???s?????e????????? ????????o????????f?????? ???????b???????r????????e?????a??????k?????????i????n????????g??????? ???????t???????h???e???? ???r????????u????????l????????e??????s?????? ????????o????f???? ??????t???????h??????e??????? ?????????n????????a????????t?????????u???????r?????a?????l?????? ??????????f??????l????????o????w????????? ?????????o?????????f??????? ????????t??????h???????????e??????? ?????w?????????o???????r????l???????d??????????,??????? ????i????t??????? ???i??????s??????? ?????i???????????m????????p??????o??????s????????s???????i???????b????l???????e???????? ?????????t???????o??????? ????????s???????a???????y??????? ?????????f??????????o????r????????? ???s???????u??????r?????e????????? ?????????w??????????h?????e?????t?????h???????e????????r???? ??????i??????t???????? ?????a???????c?????????t?????u????????a??????????l???l??????y????????? ?????w?????o??????r???????????k?????s?????? ?????o???r???????? ????????n????????o??????t??????????.????????? (+100 %Any: {l;s;u;n}%)
"Ugh- A bugged item? And here I thought I was a unique case." I said, a little impressed to find something else with a bugged description besides me. "Uhm? Bugged item? What would that be?" Morthak asked me. "Uh? Well... You know, broken items like that? I''ve come across a few... things with a similar description." I said to Morthak. "Really? Impressive, and here I thought this would make your hair stand on end." Morthak said with a laugh as he took the potion and put it away. "It''s not easy to find people who know about the existence of renegade items." Morthak said. "Renegade items? Is that a thing?" I asked, a little confused by the term. "Yes. This refers to creations that are not recognized by the system. Normally, all created items have a detailed description of their uses and effects. However, creations rejected by the system do not have these "privileges". Some even say that these items are even an affront to the Gods. Due to superstitions, many unique and interesting items have been destroyed over the years by the church." Morthak said. "So... You don''t believe in this thing about rejected items?" I asked. "Well, it''s not a question of whether I believe in it or not. They exist, that''s obvious. But I don''t believe that they are "mistakes of the world", but rather items that should not exist in this world." Morthak explained. "You know, like items that break the natural rules of the world, or common sense. Things that are too dangerous to exist in the world, so the system tries to erase them, tries to make them useless, so that we can''t escape the limitations imposed by the system. It almost always manages to destroy all these renegade items, but every now and then, something slips through." Morthak said. "But... Without the help of the system." I said. "There''s no way to know how to use these items, and since most of them are unique, using them recklessly in an attempt to discover their purpose is irrational, so most of them end up in treasures or collections of eccentric people." Morthak said. "Wow, but what about entities? Beasts or people? Aren''t there people with broken descriptions?" I asked a little nervous about the answer. He seemed to realize something, but didn''t say anything, just thought for a bit before speaking: "Hmm. Not that I know of, demons of the abyss have "confusing" descriptions but they are not "broken", I think the closest thing to a person with a broken description that I''ve ever encountered was Bhat-Bhat - His description had a lot of symbols and strange letters, but it could also just be that it was written in a dead language." Morthak explained. "What about the Gods? Do they even have a description?" I asked. "I''ve never seen one to tell you." He said with a smile. Come to think of it, I''ve never tried to analyze Morthak, could I?..
[Blocked]
''What the hell?! Not even his name? I can''t see anything about him at all? Damn, what''s the level difference between us? Is there another factor that''s preventing me from seeing his status? Is it an item? Ability? Or Effect?'' "Ho ho ho look at that~ Trying to analyze me? You know that''s not very polite of you." Morthak said with a light laugh. "Huh? C-Can you tell I tried to analyze you?" I asked nervously, I didn''t even know it was possible to feel someone analyzing you. "Yes, as you level up, ensuring your privacy becomes more of a life or death factor than a personal preference, so there are several ways to counteract the analysis." Morthak said. "Ugh- So you mean you''ve already analyzed me? Have you by any chance-" "Hey hey hey! I''m a gentleman, okay? I wouldn''t go around analyzing little girls left and right, but in your case... Yes, I analyzed you when we first met, but all I got was an unexpected lock screen." Morthak said with a light laugh. "Lock screen? What does that mean?" I asked, oblivious to the situation. "Oh? You had no idea yourself? There''s something protecting your [Status] from curious people like me, that''s why I pressured you a little to share some information with me, and that''s also why I found you so intriguing. And if I''m being completely honest... I think the reason I didn''t kill you instantly when we met was also because of that, I was afraid of angering a mysterious entity powerful enough to block my [Analyze]." Morthak explained with a deep laugh. "Is this serious?!" I said with a bit of fear. I have a slight idea of ??who this "mysterious higher entity" "protecting" me might be, if I were to go the obvious way it would be that "Elyxia" - The thing that made me evolve into FeyWeaver. Whatever the reasons behind her "kindness" are, I don''t know if I''m comfortable with it, she messed with my choices, she messed with my body, my mind and even gave me a damn personalized [Title] that reminds me of her existence every time I look at that shit. But looking at it from another perspective, don''t look a gift horse in the mouth, right? Whatever the reason she''s helping me, so far she''s only brought me benefits, I''m a little worried about the possibility that one day she''ll come and charge me for all this help with a ridiculous interest, but I guess that''s a problem for the future me? It''s not like I can deny the "gifts", return the XP she gave me and undo the evolution. It''s already water under the bridge, all I can do is hope that this doesn''t cause me too many problems in the future. "Would you believe me if I told you that there''s a crazy entity I don''t know protecting me?" I asked Morthak boldly. He paused for a moment before giving a light laugh and looking down. "Hehe! I don''t think so, but considering you''re the one talking this crazy stuff then I''d be willing to believe it." He said. "Sometimes I think you''re too chill." I said frowning at him, the more I talk to Morthak the less the impression of an evil necromancer he carries has on me, if anything he seems more like a grumpy grandpa who likes to teach children things and tell stories. "Hmm. Well, at this point in life I can say that I have come across many strange, bizarre and even disturbing situations, one of the things I have learned during this time is that if you dig too deep you may end up finding gold or bones, some situations in life are better enjoyed when you give up digging too deep and just enjoy what is on the surface." He said. "Ugh. You and your necromancer analogies, I don''t get it at all." I said. "Ahh... I''m just saying that those who ask too many questions eventually get to the root of everything, the problem is that some secrets are better buried and hidden from the eyes of the world, you don''t know much about me, and I don''t know much about you, we get along well as master and apprentice, I enjoy studying and observing your species. And you seem to enjoy the moments when we talk in a relaxed manner." He said. "Of course, we both know this is just a formality, I don''t trust you and you don''t trust me, but that doesn''t matter, because our relationship isn''t deep enough to need something like mutual trust, we''re both satisfied with where we are in relation to each other, we don''t need to dig any deeper than that, just enjoy it until we''re satisfied." Morthak explained. "Uhm... You say that like we''re in some kind of relationship," I muttered, raising a brow at him. Morthak let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Well, in a way, we are. It''s a master-apprentice relationship. Do I care about you? Sure. But it''s more out of curiositywhat you might be capable of if you''re properly guided, sharpened. But dont get the wrong idea. I dont care enough to make you an official apprenticedragging you along on my journeys, introducing you to my acquaintances, bringing you into my world. That requires a different kind of investment." "Oh. Well... thanks for your honesty, I guess," I said dryly, folding my arms. "But I do appreciate everything youve taught me. Honestly, Ive learned more in five weeks under you than I did in four years on my own. And if Im being completely honest... even if you did offer, Id probably turn it down. No offense, but necromancy isnt exactlyhow do I put this?appealing to me." "Heh. No need to tiptoe around it," Morthak smirked. "Necromancy, like most arts, depends more on raw talent than willpower. People love to think they can use it to bring back their loved ones, but they never stop to understand what it actually is. So they throw themselves down the path of the necromancer, only to end up as third-rate fools, stumbling through half-baked rituals and spreading crude, grotesque failures everywhere. Centuries of incompetence and botched arts have dragged necromancys name through the dirt. Once upon a time, we were as respected as Pyromancers or Floromancers, but now? People see us as deranged villains, obsessed with death and blood." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh. Just say you''re a victim of society and save yourself the speech." Before I could blink, a sharp crack rang through the air, followed by a white-hot pain on the top of my head. I yelped, stumbling back and clutching my skull. "Ow! What the hell?!" Morthak loomed over me, his gnarled staff still raised from the strike. His expression was that of an irritated schoolteacher scolding a particularly dense student. "Hmph! Shameless brat. Has no one ever taught you to respect your elders?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "You''re lucky I''m a benevolent master. Otherwise, Id have ripped out that insolent tongue of yours and put it in a jar for display!" I glared at him, rubbing my sore scalp. "Sadistic and dramatic. What a combo."
A few days passed, and in the meantime Morthak did something with the sparkling blue pool at the bottom of the cave. I would say he "ate" part of the flame for himself. Which, in my opinion, was already quite unpleasant, because we depend a lot on that source of MP to survive the winter. And after that, he left again. He has this thing about coming and going whenever he wants. Well, it''s not like I can stop him from leaving in any way, or have any reason to want him to stay here, but whenever he leaves, I know that when he comes back, he''ll have a bunch of crazy tools to teach me something new. He also left me with a task: to create a magic capable of creating a... Perfect Cube? And he also told me to create something with alchemy that, in his words: "Worthy of my attention." Morthak has this kind of "lazy" teaching style, maybe it''s because I''m not an "official student", or maybe he''s just disorganized, but I still manage to learn from him, although even that is only because I have about 1000 brains to process all the information Morthak throws at me, and I have access to a memory archive that I can rewatch later if necessary. Without these "advantages" it would be very difficult to learn from Morthak in the usual way, he talks a lot, very quickly, gives unique explanations and doesn''t like to have to repeat himself more than once or twice. He also expects you to absorb what he threw at you in a short time, and use what was taught to "achieve the objective." It''s very... Sloppy in my opinion, it''s like teaching someone how to build a house through a live class, and the moment the class ends you expect the student to replicate the teacher''s work with mastery. It simply doesn''t work like that, even with the help of the hive, it''s difficult to completely "Mimic" Morthak''s actions, especially when those actions involve mana, control and intensity. For example, to write spells on magic paper, you need a special ink and a special brush, after that you need to inscribe a millimetrically perfect magic circle with meticulously ordered and placed runes while you pump mana into the ink through the brush in a constant and fluid rhythm. But guess what? Just because you know the steps to make a house, doesn''t mean you know how to build a house! It takes a lot of experience, a lot of practice and a lot of trial and error to perfect this technique, as a hive is very simple for us to absorb, analyze and classify knowledge, but things that require real experience, such as fighting, crafts and precision work, can be described as our "ultimate social weakness." We can improve techniques over time of course, but the problem lies in the... beginning and half way, I would say? Take the work of creating breeding units for larvae, for example, a long time ago there was only one "correct" way to do it, but then Simus looked at it and thought "We can do better!", and so he started experimenting with new shapes, sizes and waxes, until he came up with a prototype that was best used. But even getting to this prototype was difficult for the hive, because even a simple and mundane action like creating a better breeding unit turned into a huge debate between the builders and the nurses, where both sides worked for a long time until they found the "most appropriate version" that we use today. It seems like I''m complaining about something good, doesn''t it? The hive worked collectively until they came up with a solution that was more efficient and better to deal with the problem, but now think about this situation happening every day, all the time, literally all the time. This is kind of the reason behind the hive always being working even when it seems like there''s not much to be done, because seriously? We need food, water, and shelter, we shouldn''t need to work 24 hours a day to get things like that, I can''t forget about the materials for experiments and exploration, but even that didn''t impact the hive much, what always caused the greatest "wear and tear" of the hive was the search for perfection. A new method for creating honey? Great! Let''s polish it to perfection! A new recipe for cupcakes? Amazing!! I''ll make millions of them until they''re perfect! A prototype for a magic wand?! I''ll only rest when I''ve created the most perfect magic wand in the world! This is the kind of madness that exists within the hive, they''re crazy about efficiency and improvements, always wanting to do better, bigger things. I don''t know if this is inherited from me, since I don''t consider myself an ambitious person, or if it''s something in my "bee side". If I had to bet, I''d put everything I have into the latter, but again, it''s not exactly a "problem", I think it''s one of those cases where you fail on the side of excess. "Theoretically" if I monitor the boys well enough so they don''t overwork themselves, things will be in an acceptable balance of efficiency vs. rest. Because if you let them take care of themselves... Well, the last time that happened I ended up living in a military tower surrounded by a booby-trapped desert. "Huh. Now, what the hell did Morthak mean by a "Perfect Cube"?" I thought as I rummaged through a leather bag left on the table by Morthak, inside I found some bottles with labels, jars and rolled-up cloths, and a dirty, crumpled paper. I pick up the paper and unfold it only to find a note left by Morthak. -"Tasks: Use what you have been taught to create a perfect cube spell on a magic scroll, the following criteria must be met: (The spell must be made of pure magical energy, able to trap the target within itself, must be resistant to destabilization and mana decay, must be malleable and controllable, must withstand a minimum weight of 100KG.) Use the materials at your disposal to create a potion, tonic, elixir or alchemical concoction that is worthy of my attention." "What the hell is this note Morthak?" Sometimes I think he does shit like this on purpose. "Trap the target inside itself? Resistant to destabilization and decay?! How am I going to stop a spell from decaying over time?! I would need to create magical bonds stable enough to resist the passage of time like I did with the [Crystal Rose], but if I do that the spell won''t be malleable and adjustable... Damn it?!" There are some limitations when creating magic, one of the main and most "Immutable" of them is: Mana decay. No matter what you do, how much you try or how you try, things created with pure mana are destined to "Decay" until they become pure mana again, this is exceptionally true for spells. If a spell takes too long to cast, the mana starts to decay halfway through, so you end up spending mana and not being able to cast the spell. This is more true for expression magic than for ring magic, since in the case of ring magic the runes add more stability to the mana, giving you extra time to make the "magic happen", but this also depends a lot on the spell used. Attack spells are usually not very stable because they burn a lot of mana and have low "flow", because their goal is to cause damage, not to be long-lasting or stable. Take the example of a spell like [Mana Bullet]: the purpose of the spell is to create a fast projectile - form. That is just stable enough to travel a short distance - Flow. To hit your enemy and cause damage - strength. At a low cost, soon as [Mana Bullet] is cast, it disappears after about 3 or 5 seconds, just long enough to pierce your target. Now the spell [Sparkle] for example is not made to cause damage, it was created with the intention of serving as a source of light, so it needed to be stable enough to remain active with ease, and at the same time have a low mana consumption intensity so as not to wear out the caster, this resulted in a spell that is capable of remaining active for a long time at a low mana cost, but is so tenuous that its form - which is the spell itself - is so weak that it is only capable of creating an effect like light. And this brings me back to the idea of ??a spell that is at the same time "stable", "malleable" and "fluid.", something permanent. But I already created a "permanent" spell before, right? My [Crystal Flower] spell - A beautiful spell that objectively has no "purpose". And why did I succeed on that, you may ask me? Simple, the [Crystal Flower] spell is capable of creating matter with solidified mana, but even if it is solidified mana, it does not mean that it is "resistant" or "forever lasting". The flower is as fragile as a glass flower, its cost can be considered moderate due to the high complexity of its magic circuit, it will also decay at some point, just not so fast as usual, and let''s face it, it is just a beautiful spell, I can''t use it for anything other than putting on a magic show. The servile spell is more to teach me that creating a spell that is "permanent" requires complexity and a high mana cost, but this completely sacrifices its usefulness. If only I could use this type of spell to create blades made entirely of magic, the story would be different, but everything created only with magic is highly "brittle". Magic is like pure gold, it is beautiful, coveted and has a high value, but when pure it is good for nothing other than keeping it in a chest. You need to mix it with something to give it usefulness, the same thing goes for magic, pure magic is too wild to be tamed, it has its own will, desires and intentions, no matter how much you try to keep it stable, if magic wants to decay, it will decay and there is nothing that can be done. Not to mention that magic, whether it is expression magic or ring magic, needs "harmony" - a perfect balance between all the factors that make it up. Basically it means that you can''t have everything, a spell can be good, cheap, or fast, but not all three at once. The most that can be done is to try to balance the spell''s factors, which is why Morthak''s request seems absurd. A spell that is "tangible" enough to trap something inside is already difficult to create. Of course, I can always "cheat" by using plants or something else, but Morthak wants pure energy spells, which in itself already eliminates all spells that use magic to manipulate elements of nature, and leaves only pure energy spells - Something I am very bad at. As if that weren''t enough, he also wants the spell to be stable enough not to decay quickly, and even to withstand a high weight? That old man must have gone senile for good, and to put the final nail in the coffin, the old man also wants the spell to be malleable?! That is absurd. Basically, he wants a spell that has everything, when "You can''t have everything." I can even create a spell that is stable and tangible, but at the same time supports more than 100 kg? That''s too much for me. "[Mana Bubble] seems to be the right path, it''s a spell made purely of energy, which can store something inside and is still tangible, but its form lacks majesty and stability." I thought about the possibility. "Damn it, Morthak, is that even possible? If it is, at least you could have given me some tips on how to create something like that." It seems impossible, it seems way out of my league, like, seriously? I can''t create a damn root mannequin that moves in a "Normal" way, I can''t even create expression spells that are truly powerful. I just set foot in this new field of "Ring Magic" and Morthak already threw me into the crocodile pit. ''But even so... How? How do I create this? Morthak may be many things, but he''s not the type to waste my time with something useless. If he told me to create something like that, then it must be possible. But how do I do it? I would first need to create a section of runes dedicated to giving the magic a shape so that I can later stabilize it to the point of solidification. But what shape? Morthak said I needed to create a "perfect cube", so equilateral squares are the answer?'' I thought as I sat at the table and began to write down some ideas on a sheet of yellowed paper left behind by Morthak. "To create a spell like that I would need to condense all the mana at once... Or provide a constant flow of my mana during the spell''s activation? If I condense all the mana at once I can create a more permanent spell, but without solving the problem of the natural stabilization of mana that tends to decay quickly worrying about it would be pointless..." I thought biting the tip of my finger as I forced my brain to work. "To prevent mana from decaying I would need to contain it inside a container, but I can only use pure magic to create this spell, so how do I stabilize the mana without letting it decay too quickly? Hmm... I could crystallize it like I did with the [Crystal Flower], but then the spell wouldn''t comply with all the rules, can I use runes? Maybe if I use some stabilization runes... No, that''s just plugging a hole with paper. If I fill the spell with stabilization runes there won''t be any left for materialization and condensation." Magic is so, so hard. It''s like a damn advanced calculus class only in a completely different language than yours, and with concepts you''ve never heard of before. Ring magic is for nerds, there I said it. I''ve always used magic in a more intuitive way. In other words: Expression magic. It''s very "situational" but it depends a lot on visualization and concentration, but at least I felt more magical and less academic when I used only expression magic. But I can''t just "throw away" ring magic, and focus on expression magic, first of all Morthak uses ring magic, not expression magic, so he can''t teach me anything about expression magic besides some superficial advice. Secondly, I simply can''t miss the chance to absorb all this knowledge, for me it may be "useless", but for the hive? Holy crap, it''s really useful. Max and Bax for example, love everything about magic, it doesn''t matter if it''s algebra disguised as magic, or "real magic", the two of them even got to the point of creating a small collection of leather scrolls with various magic circles that they created over time. And Max has even started to create a grimoire that actually works, just infuse one of the pages of the book with magic and "poof" cheap and fast magic. They are also wriggling around in a magic lab, where they plan to experiment with the magic runes we know about, and the ones we don''t. I drew a bunch of random runes in the past, trying to make something work, but it turned out that it wouldn''t work anyway, because without the magic ink and magic brush to create the runes on parchment, the runes become obsolete. They have all sorts of conceptual ideas in their heads, like creating armor with protective runes, weapons enchanted with rune magic, and some kind of crazy project about creating a golem out of magic runes. It turns out that to create that kind of thing they would need to spend hours and hours writing lines and lines and lines of dozens, if not hundreds, of runes and complex codes capable of generating a specific effect. For me it''s boring, but for the boys it''s like a fun day at the playground. Go figure, I don''t know how the hell these kids came out of me, they''re so smart and dedicated.
"Would you like some refreshment, my queen?" Asked a soldier carrying a wooden cup with a semi-transparent sweet-smelling liquid inside. "Oh? Sure~ Why not?" He said, taking the refreshment and taking a sip of it. It''s not much, it''s just water, nectar from some flowers and a little dissolved honey. Of course, it''s not a nectar and honey shake that we used to drink back when we were "rich", but it''s still quite tasty compared to emergency ration blocks. Now we were in one of the few moments of "fun" in the hive. Normally everyone is always working, even classes like the [Bards] who should be entertainment classes work as a kind of support inside the cave, playing little melodies that calm the tired minds of everyone in the hive in a controlled manner. It''s not much, but according to Steve it''s better than leaving them standing around doing nothing. So I decided it was time to take a break from work for a bit, we still have a ton of stuff to do, and I admit I''ve been procrastinating a bit on my "homework", but I felt like we needed this time to relax a bit, the hive barely has any outlets for the accumulated stress, and now that we''re in this shitty situation the little fun they could have has all gone down the drain, so I organized a little party for all of us. It''s nothing grand, or well planned - Consider it the equivalent of buying a cake on the way home from work and having a small party at home. All we did was make some slightly better and different food, and set up a place for the [Bards], [Actors], [Singers], [Jokers] and [Conductors] to do what they do best: Entertain. The hive has an "artistic" side that I don''t get much exposure to, but it''s surprisingly well developed. I was honestly shocked by the variety of evolutions we have for [Bards], each evolution seems to focus on a different aspect of art, but even so, the individuals perform different styles from each other. To explain better, it would be something like this: Two [Singers] but one of them has a more "rock" style while the other more "Pop", even though the 2 are from the same class, their personalities, styles and tastes change a lot due to the style they perform. They have similar skills too, but some differ a little depending on the style they "play". For example, my rock style [Singer] has a skill called [Amped Up] - A skill that buffs nearby troops according to the volume of the music played by him. While my pop music [Singer] has a skill called [Music Fever] - A skill capable of capturing the attention of those who listen to his song. These are small variations, but they are still very... Unique, I would say? When I look at the [Bards] and their evolutions I can''t help but be reminded once again how this is a fantasy and gaming world, where even something like music can be used in battles. Some cases are actually more artistic and "supportive" than others, but in general they are skills that would be very useful in a fight, the example I can give is a small group of [Dancers] who learned to dance ballet. I don''t know where the hell they got that from - Because I myself have never done ballet or been interested in it. But looking at their movements and the way they "dance" I think I have an idea. Their style seems to have varied from anime/manga who integrated ballet and athleticism into their works as forms of "martial arts" or "way of using the body as a weapon", because despite the gracefulness they use to dance, they are also very, very good at dodging blows and using their legs to launch continuous kicks and attacks. It''s not very useful to tell the truth, and not very "good", because our insect bodies are not exactly built for ballet dancing - the wings and stiff joints really get in the way of all the movement. And it''s pretty easy to beat a dancer in a "serious fight" because the soldiers just fly and leave the dancers totally displaced, but they don''t care much about that, they like the dance for its "beauty", not for its lethality. They have some interesting skills like [Perfect Balance] - a skill that enhances their senses to a point where it''s very, very difficult to knock them down on the ground. [Acrobatic Flexibility] - a skill that makes the ligaments in their bodies more malleable, allowing them to do some really cool tricks, but in return it makes them more vulnerable too. The same thing is true for the class of [Actors] who are kind of just people who are very good at assuming different personalities, and telling lies and stories in a very convincing way. Steve even admitted that they could be useful in diplomatic work, but in general they dedicate themselves to plays and soap operas. It''s funny to tell the truth, because everyone except me is male, so stories that need female characters are filled with males in drag. For some reason they take this very seriously, and depending on the act they want to do the work can be more "pigish" to add comedy, or more professional, to the point of being ridiculously good. But because this happens inside the hive, it''s just cool for us, like a family joke, because to outside eyes a bee with a dress, wig and makeup must look nothing but weird, especially since their features are very "insect-like" so it really does look a little cheesy, but they have fun, so what could be the problem with that? A small group of singers, musicians and performers takes the improvised stage accompanied by a [Maestro], everyone goes to their positions before my lovely [Maestro] takes a baton from inside his silk hair, he taps it lightly on a wooden pillar in front of him, drawing the attention of his group. Everyone is paying attention to the stage, guided by their [Maestro] soon the group begins to perform a small melody using their own bodies to produce some unique sounds that I thought could only be obtained through instruments, such as the sound of violas, pianos and violins. A small choir of [Vocalists] begins to sing a catchy melody, the music begins to take shape quickly, and in a few minutes I felt like I was at a live music concert. The music played seemed like a mix between Runaway - Aurora and something that I could not distinguish but had a more "old" tone like classical music from the 80''s time. Their voices were incredible, to the point that they managed to hook me in a way I didn''t think was possible. I''ve never been a person truly attracted to the art of music or any kind of art other than Bl and Gl, but this is... Beautiful. To the point that it makes me regret not having paid attention to it sooner. The music continued to play, the tones rising and falling as a captivating and extraordinary melody was created to perfection, the hive seemed happy with the result - No, maybe I''m happy with the result and that''s being reflected in the hive? I don''t know exactly the answer, but I don''t think I really care to think about it right now, I just know that I liked what I heard. "Enjoying the performance, Queen Mother?" Asked a small [Worker] next to me. He was smiling widely, carrying a small wooden plate containing some snacks and looking at me with big, friendly and kind eyes. "Oh? Yes, dear, it''s lovely. I think we really needed this, I like these moments." I said to him, rubbing his cheek gently with one of my fingers, drawing a small, happy laugh from him. "I loved the party, Mom! It''s always nice to be able to spend some time with the whole family! It''s rare that we get to party with everyone in the presence of the Queen Mother!" The little worker said before stuffing a small candy into his mouth and flying away gracefully while waving his hand at me. I could only wave back without being able to say anything to him, "Family"? I know we''ve always been a family, but... I think this is the first time it''s really hit me, I''ve always seen us more as a responsibility that I needed to carry and protect at all costs, but... Family? I looked around me, everyone seemed happy, laughing, talking and even playing some games happily, it made me feel a small, cozy warmth inside me that I hadn''t felt in a long, long time. Maybe it''s childish of me, and I don''t know exactly how to explain this feeling, but it''s like I... Belong. It''s strange, but when I was human I only felt good around very few people, one of them were my parents, and the rest were a few friends that I could count on the palm of one hand, the first ones... Well, dead, and the others were lost over time, after that I never felt part of anything, even on rare occasions when I was called to do something, I felt more like a figure who was only there out of courtesy, someone called to give volume I guess. But here and now, I feel welcome, I feel... Received. My children want me here, they need me here, not only because I''m the queen and I need to shit eggs for the hive, but because they want ME to be here just for being me, they created this for me, I asked for a party and they made it with big smiles on their faces, diligently at every step. I think that''s the meaning of family [author] Hey guys, just letting you know that the frequency of the story will be decreasing a bit. I have no intention of dropping any of my stories, but with work, college, family and the challenges of living alone, I end up having no options other than to slow down the pace, especially because I need to prioritize post on Patreon. I''m not a very organized person, as you may have noticed by now, so I can''t give you a correct schedule. But I''m going to do something like: For every 3 chapters I post on Patreon, I''ll release one to the public. [/author] [author] For more chapters, visit my Patreon and help continue this story. [/author]