Belissar held his breath as he confirmed a second purchase.
Extra room feature choice purchased. One room feature choice now available.
Please select a room feature:
- Spike Trap (Rarity: Common, Type: Trap)
- Firebomb (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Fire, Trap)
- Random Resource Mineral (Rarity: Common, Type: Resource, Variable)
Belissar exhaled his breath, letting the tension flow from his body. Finally, finally the DP shop had given him a room feature that wasn¡¯t a common! He had been starting to wonder if the DP shop just couldn¡¯t give him anything better, so it was nice to confirm that wasn¡¯t the case. He had just been extremely unlucky!
Somehow, that didn¡¯t make Belissar feel better despite getting what he wanted, so he stopped that line of thought and began reading out the choices.
Spike Trap
- Type: Trap
- Mana Upkeep: 1
- Description: A spike held within a surface under tension. Springs out to impale target when triggered.
Well, this one was quite simple. But that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be useful, for this one was a direct way to attack shades. Most of his traps either didn¡¯t directly harm shades, like the Sticky Honey Traps or the gravilion flowers he still didn¡¯t understand the use of, or else were passive like the Pit Traps and Thorny Roses. Using a Spike Trap instead of a Sticky Honey Trap would turn a given trap from debilitating to deadly¡assuming the spike was fast enough to hit a shade and strong enough to pierce it.
On the other hand, it was a one mana common option, so Belissar guessed it wouldn¡¯t be all that impressive. At least, probably not compared to the next option.
Firebomb
- Type: Fire, Trap
- Mana Upkeep: 5 (3 if fuel provided)
- Description: A container filled with flammable material (oil by default). Explodes and ignites on contact, covering the area with burning fuel. Fuel may be provided and may change behavior depending on type.
Belissar nodded. Well, that was certainly an option. Indeed, it took his original plan of coating shades with honey and kindling and then setting them on fire to the next level, wrapping it all up in an explosive container that could be placed anywhere and would ignite itself. So, not only could they make his Pit Traps deadlier, they could forgo the need for the Pit Traps in the first place.
The only downsides were that the indiscriminate explosion meant the bees would need to keep their distance from any such traps, or the flames that resulted. They did have some fire resistance, though, especially the burning bees, so even that might not be a major issue. Worst came to worst, he could just place the bombs in the Lava Field.
It was worth considering, at the very least.
Random Resource Mineral
- Type: Resource, Variable
- Mana Upkeep: Variable
- Description: Unlocks a random resource mineral type for use in matching features and rooms.
Belissar rubbed his chin. The description sounded like it¡¯d give him another option for Basic Resource Mineral nodes? That was certainly helpful¡though he might have preferred a resource plant as so far his bees hadn¡¯t interacted with the mineral nodes save the salt one. It would help the karnuq, though, and could provide another resource to trade with the sigmaka.
As usual, he turned to the others and asked them what they thought. Most of the bees had little opinion on this set of options, though the Third of the Sixth was curious about the firebombs and the digging queen showed some interest in the minerals. Belissar made a note of that before glancing at Chief Rohsuak. To his surprise, he found her rubbing her chin.
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¡°I think¡it would be possible for us to build something like this firebomb.¡±
Belissar jumped at that.
¡°Wait, really?¡±
Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded, continuing to rub her chin.
¡°I vaguely recall we use to do so back before we became nomads. We lacked the resources to attempt such things on our travels but that¡¯s no longer the case. You¡¯re already growing flame radish, which we can use to ignite it. We¡¯d have to look into suitable fuels but Juosiutik can probably figure something out with your mana honey. And we¡¯ve confirmed the sigmaka have clay we can trade for, so we can use that to make a shell.¡±
She then made a knowing grin.
¡°Getting it to explode on command might be more difficult but we¡¯ve both experienced Juosiutik¡¯s¡more dramatic experiments, so I suspect we could figure something out.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms while rubbing his own chin.
¡°Huh. If that¡¯s the case¡should we try for another mineral?¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled at him.
¡°It¡¯s up to you, Sacred Den Master. More resources is always appreciated, and spike traps can be quite deadly to the unaware. Additionally, it will take us time to make a working firebomb, and our first attempts will likely be far shoddier than what the Sacred Den will make.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin a bit and then nodded.
¡°I think¡that¡¯s fine. We have the Lava Field and the mini-volcano so¡I think the mineral is better.¡±
Chief Rohsuak inclined her head while the bees all danced a salute.
¡°As you say, Sacred Den Master.¡±
Random Resource Mineral selected.
Alum is now available!
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Looks like we got alum. Um, I heard it¡¯s valuable¡and maybe used for dying or something? I don¡¯t know much beyond that.¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head as well.
¡°I know it as a valuable commodity, but I am personally unaware of its use. I will ask my people.¡±
Belissar ended up shrugging.
¡°Maybe the sigmaka will like it. Let¡¯s try one more, then?¡±
Chief Rohsuak inclined her head again while the bees saluted, so Belissar bought one more choice. This time, he was at peace. He had already gotten an uncommon option this time, so he¡¯d be satisfied even if the next choice was all commons.
Extra room feature choice purchased. One room feature choice now available.
Please select a room feature:
- Rare Random Resource Plant (Rarity: Rare, Type: Resource, Variable)
- River (Rarity: Common, Type: Water)
- Treasure Chest (Rarity: Common, Type: Resource)
Belissar¡¯s jaw dropped. A rare option?! From the DP shop, which previously gave nothing but commons?! And a rare plant at that?! It took all of Belissar¡¯s self-control not to select the option then and there. First of all, it was a plant. Plants meant flowers for the bees to gather from. Second of all, it was rare! It was rare for him to receive rare options, especially from the DP store! And a rare plant, with the potential of rare flowers? How could he pass that up? Not to mention, rare flowers might open the door to fulfilling the God of Flower¡¯s mission!
Belissar convinced himself to at least read out the options for the bees and Chief Rohsuak first, if only to see their reaction. He watched the bees intently as he slowly read out the description.
Rare Random Resource Plant
- Type: Resource, Variable
- Mana Upkeep: Variable
- Description: Unlocks a random resource plant type for use in matching features and rooms. Type selected will be of rarity rare or better.
He smiled as he watched the queens start to fidget and dance around.
¡°Rare plant?¡±
¡°New flower?¡±
¡°Rare flower?¡±
Which was just about his reaction too. He at least forced himself to glance over at Chief Rohsuak. She just made an amused smile and shrugged.
¡°It seems to me a decision has been made.¡±
Belissar shook his head then turned back to the bees and smiled.
¡°Rare flower?¡±
All of them began zipping about at once.
¡°Rare flower!¡±
Belissar chuckled as he made the choice.
Rare Random Resource Plant selected.
Soaring Beeblossom is now available!
Belissar saw all he needed to know he had made the right choice. But, of course, he read out the description, for who wouldn¡¯t want to know more about beeblossom?
Soaring Beeblossom
- Type: Air, Nature
- Mana Upkeep: 10 per node, 5 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A flowering plant that has taken to the skies. Large, fluttering petals catch and strengthen the wind, enabling this flower to soar upon the breeze and join its pollinators in the air.
Belissar smiled as the bees burst out into dancing.
¡°Amazing, incredible!¡±
And indeed, it was. A flower named for bees that could also fly, if he was reading the description right. That sounded very much perfect for his Tower. He immediately moved to make a patch¡
Current Applications: Flower Meadow, Lava Field, Fairy Grove
Belissar tilted his head at that. So, he couldn¡¯t put this flower in the Apiary or the Orchard¡but could put it in the Lava Field of all places? That¡seemed very strange indeed. He shrugged, though, and proceed to place one in the Flower Meadow, right where he, Chief Rohsuak, and the Queens were gathered.
A small patch of the ground began to glow. The nearby flowers began to sway as a gust of wind began blowing up and out of the patch. A group of white and pink flowers sprouted and bloomed¡and then the entire patch lifted up out of the ground and soared into the air. The petals of the flowers fluttered, appearing like a cloud of butterflies as the flowers soared up and up. Higher and higher, until the gust cut off. The flowers continued to flutter and occasionally glow, each time they did a slight breeze blew out and across the ground. The tangle of flowers began to bob up and down in the air as the gust below picked up again, the wind of the patch below cutting in and out to keep the flowers aloft.
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak both simply watched with wide eyes as the bees danced about. An amazing and incredible flower indeed.
POBee 141.1 - A Bee-posterous Proposal
The King, having filled his domain with new and incredible wonders, called the meeting to an end and retired to his chambers. The karnuq representative left as well. The First of the Fifth considered including her but decided to hold off. She had not yet secured the cooperation of the other queens, so it was not yet time.
The First of the Fifth thus began to dance before the rest of the queens dispersed. Fortunately, they were all investigating the King¡¯s newest flower, and so still concentrated together.
¡°Have proposal, can meet now?¡±
The queens danced the affirmative and returned as one to the Memorial. The Conduit remained as well, watching over their meeting. The Firstborn danced first.
¡°What¡¯s First of Fifth¡¯s proposal?¡±
The First of the Fifth didn¡¯t hesitate before beginning the dance that could change everything.
¡°Shortcuts mean all hives close, all flowers close now. All hives can gather from all flowers if want. Queens and gardeners should gather and coordinate foraging. Ensure maximum honey production, cross-pollination for all flowers, and avoid competition.¡±
The First of the Fifth then paused. Now was the moment she hesitated, for she knew that she asked a lot. To take additional time out of the queens and gardeners¡¯ busy days to meet was already a sacrifice. To pool resources, for each individual hive to surrender its claim to its local flowers? That was unthinkable. But the First of the Fifth knew, too, that the King loved all bees to an unthinkable degree. So, she felt that it was acceptable, nay, appropriate even, for the King¡¯s bees to take unthinkable measures. That all may grow together as the King desired. So, she prepared herself. She recalled all the arguments and reasoning she had thought up before this moment, and moved to convince all of the other queens, many of which she had held in contempt, that this idea was¡
¡°Ok!¡±
The First of the Fifth froze and stared at the Fourth of the Seventh.
¡°¡what?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh repeated her dance.
¡°Ok!¡±
The First of the Fifth stood completely still. The Fourth of the Seventh¡agreed? Just like that? Well, this was the queen that freely gave of her honey to the First of the Fifth¡¯s daughter, and then joined their hives together, so perhaps she was unusual from the start. Still, having one supporting queen was certainly beneficial. It should hopefully make it easier for her to convince the others. So, she turned to the Firstborn, who surely would be the toughest one to¡
She found the Firstborn already dancing.
¡°I agree, is good idea! Hive of hives should forage as one.¡±
Now the First of the Fifth truly froze, her mind going blank. In all of her predicted outcomes of this talk, not in a single one did she imagine the Firstborn agreeing with her. So, accordingly, she had no idea how to respond to this situation. The Firstborn, the oldest among them, the one who led the King¡¯s army, just agreed to give up all her authority over the Flower Meadow¡¯s resources? Agreed to spend her time on meetings which could have been used raising or training more soldiers? All for an idea proposed by the First of the Fifth, who had done all in her power to usurp the Firstborn? The First of the Fifth did not know how to react.
But, well, time spent in shock was time wasted, so the First of the Fifth¡¯s mind resumed soon enough. If the Firstborn was convinced, the Flower Meadow would surely follow. Indeed, the other queens of the Flower Meadow were dancing their support. Which meant, all she had to do was convince the remaining queens. The bumblebee queens were¡currently running rapidly in a circle around the gathering of queens. Well, she expected as much from them. And that just left¡the Third of the Sixth, newly appointed queen over the Lava Field, and then the rest of the Apiary queens.
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The Second of the Sixth danced first.
¡°Yes, am willing. As long as flowers shared fairly.¡±
The rest of the Apiary queens followed suit, and the Third of the Sixth had no objections as well. The First of the Fifth was once again stunned into silence.
All of the queens¡agreed? Just like that? Without her giving even a single one of her arguments or reasons? She¡had known the Firstborn talked about an idea of a hive of hives. She had not known that all the other queens committed to the idea to this degree. She found herself at a loss. Had she been¡the only queen to think differently?
But while the First of the Fifth was pondering her entire life¡¯s efforts one more, the conversation carried forward. The First of the Second from the Flower Meadow danced next.
¡°Need a queen to coordinate. Nominate First of the Fifth.¡±
The Firstborn danced the affirmative.
¡°Is good idea. First of the Fifth well organized, good at honey production.¡±
The First of the Fifth snapped out of her haze and spun around, unable to comprehend the proceedings. She, too, knew that it would best to have an overall coordinator. She also believed herself to be the most suitable queen for the job. One look at the Flower Meadow queens¡¯ honey production methods would convince anyone of that, and the King himself had already ordered her to organize foraging and specialization for the Apiary. But, even so, she had not planned to take up the task, nor to nominate herself for it. She knew that she had misperceived the King¡¯s will early on in her life, and her machinations during that time had surely earned her many enemies. She knew that if she were to take on the task, the others would resist. Therefore, for the sake of convincing the other queens, she had planned to nominate another.
So, the last thing she expected was to be nominated by the Flower Meadow queens. The Fourth of the Seventh agreed as well, though perhaps that was to be expected given how closely she worked with the First of the Fifth¡¯s own offspring.
The First of the Fifth turned to the Apiary queens. The Flower Meadow queens had lived far away and had authority over flower patches of their own. They, perhaps, would not have understood fully what the First of the Fifth had been like before. But not so with the Apiary queens. These were the queens that had been fully suppressed by her in the past. Would they now willingly allow her a position of such authority? They had agreed to her management of the Apiary, but that had been a direct order from the King and facilitated by the Conduit. This was a voluntary decision under no such compulsion. The First of the Fifth awaited their objections, which she would accept and step down.
The Second of the Sixth crawled up to her and stood face to face, her antennae twitching and her wings buzzing. She then slowly began to dance.
¡°I¡agree. Think First of the Fifth will do well.¡±
The First of the Fifth buzzed her wings and began spinning about. She frantically rushed the Second of the Sixth, exchanging mana and pheromones directly through her antennae.
¡°Really? Second of the Sixth is sure? I¡I hoarded flowers, King¡¯s attention before! Might do again!¡±
The Second of the Sixth stood firm under the assault and danced the affirmative.
¡°First of the Fifth did, have not forgotten. But First of the Fifth has changed. Helping bees now, gave up flowers. As long as continue, is fine.¡±
She then turned to the Conduit.
¡°Conduit can watch, ensure flowers shared?¡±
The Conduit zipped about.
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
The Second of the Sixth turned to face the First of the Fifth once more.
¡°Then is ok. First of the Fifth wants all bees to grow now, right?¡±
The First of the Fifth trembled, but slowly began to dance.
¡°Yes. Want all of King¡¯s bees to grow, will make King happy. Want¡hive of hives to grow.¡±
The Second of the Sixth danced a confirmation at that and then slowly backed away. One by one, the Apiary queens each danced their assent. The Conduit herself then landed nearby.
¡°Then, decided! Bees gather to discuss foraging! First of the Fifth will coordinate! All bees work together for King!¡±
Every single bee present danced a salute at the Conduit¡¯s words. The First of the Fifth then fell still once more, her mind still catching up to this turn of events. The Second of the Sixth still stood before her and danced.
¡°Keep up changes, ok? Have not forgotten but will work with as long as First of the Fifth helps us grow.¡±
She then flew off. The Firstborn crawled up to her next.
¡°Great idea, First of the Fifth! Will help hive of hives grow! Know you¡¯ll help a lot, really good at making honey!¡±
The First of the Fifth barely managed a thanks dance. At that point, she fell to the ground as a heavy weight collided with her. The bumblebee queens had charged her down and were now crawling over her, grooming her as best they could. The Conduit danced happily about.
¡°Bees trust First of the Fifth now! First of Fifth should work hard to help them!¡±
The First of the Fifth slowly managed to extract herself from the bumblebee queen pile and stood before the Conduit. Her mind finally began to work again and she danced a salute.
¡°I will. Will not let bees or King down.¡±
Chapter 142 - An Overdue Bee-view
The next day, Belissar received a special report from Niobee during breakfast.
¡°Oh, the bees are going to coordinate gathering?¡±
Niobee danced the affirmative.
¡°Yes! First of the Fifth says with shortcuts, all bees can gather from all flowers now, so going to work together!¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded.
¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±
Indeed, Belissar had some vague ideas about that sort of thing when he set up the shortcut, but to think his bees had already come together and worked it out. They really were the best.
Belissar then crossed his arms and hummed. If the bees were going to be coordinating to that degree, then he should decide how he was going to support them. Previously, he had just gone and made one of every flower type in every room that held bees, so that all bees would have access to all flowers. He had already stopped doing that after speaking with the First of the Fifth about specializing certain hives and then sharing honey, and it seemed that shortcuts would take that idea to the next level. Now, all the bees could share a single patch of flowers no matter where in the Tower it was located¡and the gardeners could help spread those flowers if more of them were necessary.
Belissar nodded and then turned to Niobee.
¡°Once they¡¯ve met and figured out their gathering, they should let me know what they think about the flower numbers. Um, specifically, if we need more of a certain flower type I can make more patches. But if we have too many of certain type, I could also remove some patches and get some mana back to use for others. So, um¡¡±
Belissar paused to think for a second.
¡°¡yeah, let me know once they know how many of each type of flower patch they need.¡±
Niobee danced the salute.
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
Belissar nodded at that. While he didn¡¯t want to remove any flowers, it would be silly to spend mana on flowers the bees didn¡¯t need now that they were going to share all of them. Reclaiming some of the redundant patches, if any, could allow him to afford more of the expensive types, like the new soaring beeblossom.
Speaking of which, Belissar had initially planned to create two more soaring beeblossom patches. One would go in the bumblebee meadow for the bumblebee and Apiary queens. The second would go in the Lava Field¡mostly because Belissar was curious as to why he could put them in the Lava Field. But now, he decided to wait until the queens met and reported before making anymore. The bumblebees and Apiary hives could now reach the battle meadow¡¯s flowers as easily as their own. And as for his curiosity¡well, he could always ask the gardeners to spread the soaring beeblossom to the Lava Field and so avoid spending mana just to sate his curiosity. All he needed was a bit of patience.
So, after receiving the rest of the reports for the day, Belissar put aside the beeblossoms and focused on the other two features. He created two alum patches, one for the karnuq and one for the bees. He had no idea if either party could actually use them, but they were fairly cheap at three mana each so it wasn¡¯t a major concern if no one could figure out what to do with them for now.
Following that, he placed a bunch of beeswax candles in two of the three Dirt Tunnel rooms, the one on the karnuq¡¯s floor and the one on the Apiary floor. Hopefully, that would make it easier for the bees and the karnuq to gather the materials, plants, and mushrooms within. He did place a few in the first floor Dirt Tunnels, which he decided to tentatively call the battle tunnels. He lined them on the final tunnel leading to the battle meadow, so the bees could see any shades about to exit. He also asked Niobee to ask the bees to start providing wax, normal wax to the Apiary floor¡¯s tunnels, and then wax from the specialized bee queens for the battle tunnels. Just to see what, if anything, different types of wax would do.
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He considered whether or not to ask the bees to provide wax for the karnuq¡¯s tunnels¡but figured he could ask the karnuq to do it themselves now that they had regular access to honeycomb. In fact, he could work that into beekeeping lessons on the various uses of beeswax. He nodded as he made his decision, maybe one day the bees would take over if they moved into the karnuq¡¯s beehouse, but for now the karnuq would help maintain that feature themselves.
With the new features addressed, Belissar set out about the rest of his day, excited to hear what his bees would come up with.
The First of the Fifth was spinning about in circles. She was surrounded on all sides by gardeners and communers, with her own daughters and communers dancing about to try and help out.
In preparation for her task, the First of the Fifth decided first to compile reports from the gardeners. She could not efficiently allocate flowers to foragers unless she knew the status of those flowers, after all. So, she had requested all the hives with gardeners send reports on the flowers they had visited, so she could compile them all into an overall picture of the King¡¯s domain.
As it turned out, the reports were staggering. The King had recreated an entire flower ecosystem for each of the rooms that had been settled by hives, owing to a time when each hive treated its own resources as separate from the others. There were, therefore, a vast number of flowers to report on¡and with them, a vast number of issues and opportunities to address.
The mana flowers were, as a rule, overworked, receiving entirely too much attention from the hives. On the other hand, most of the mundane flowers had been neglected to various degrees. Cloudberries and sweetvetch had produced a special honey type especially suited for winter, but then had been neglected as unnecessary since the King¡¯s realm maintained a constant climate. The floating flowers the King had planted in the ponds had been written off and ignored after they were found to possess no special compounds. The flowers the King and Fourth of the Seventh used to weave stems together had not received any cross-pollination since the only visitors were harvesting entire plants rather than nectar and pollen and hadn¡¯t been visiting any other flowers on the way there. The mushrooms and plants in the Dirt Tunnels besides the Ground mana flowers had also gone neglected as most of the bees had trouble foraging in the darkness and the digging beehive had only recently hit its stride. There was a vine and a mushroom both with noticeable mana density, neither of which had never been foraged, even! Additionally, there was a mushroom the dangerous one had stated possessed a deadly poison; a fact confirmed by the Conduit herself! As for the Orchard, the trees there had been receiving some visits, but the gardeners indicated they needed far more cross-pollination before they¡¯d show results like seen in the mundane flowers. And then there was the question of the flowers in the karnuq hives, which the gardeners pointed out had seen few to no visits by bees whatsoever. Their status as of now was entirely unknown but was assumed to be neglected as a result.
Additionally, only her hive had been focused on cross-pollination in the first place. The Flower Meadow queens had been too focused to spare the effort, while the Orchard queens only had mana flowers and the apple trees and so hadn¡¯t seen any results. As for the Apiary, she herself had actively prevented the other queens from gathering from what she had considered her flowers, preventing any sort of cross-pollination efforts by anyone other than her. Even now that she was no longer doing so, the Apiary¡¯s focus on specializing queens meant she still hadn¡¯t introduced cross-pollination methods to the Apiary as a whole. As a result of all these things, the gardeners now reported that the rate of cross-pollination was far lower than it could have been.
This¡was entirely intolerable to the First of the Fifth. The narrow focus of the hive of hives and her own misguided perceptions had combined to produce the worst result she could possibly imagine: staggering inefficiency. Countless opportunities had been overlooked, vast resources had gone unutilized, and favored flowers had been pushed beyond their limits.
The First of the Fifth decided this would change. She decided that this must change. If it did not, honey production would drop across the board for all hives while the quality of the honey served at the King¡¯s table would diminish. And that could not be allowed, no matter the cost. So, the First of the Fifth received the reports with renewed fervor. The King and the hive of hives both had asked her to manage foraging for maximum efficiency. And this she would do; whatever efforts were required of her to see it done.
POBee 142.1 - Ominous Bee-haviour
The Fourth of the Seventh flew across the forest, coming to a rest on top of a large tree branch. Her workers and soldiers gathered around her, along with two communers. One of the communers was her own, but not the other. The other was squat, with thicker carapace, legs, and mandibles and a brown color to her hair, for she was from the digging hive.
And this was not their first time working together, either. Previously, the King had asked the Fourth of the Seventh to help map out the sigmaka¡¯s territory. The digging queen raised a pair of communers, sending one with the karnuq as the newcomers escorted them through the tunnels below, while the other traveled with the Fourth of the Seventh. As a result, the Fourth of the Seventh and her scouts were able to follow along and figure out where the tunnels below matched up with the surface, at least up to where the sigmaka tunnels went underneath the Hunger. Her hive then marked out those borders, apparently scouting and foraging for nectar was fine, but building hives was forbidden in that area.
That made sense to her. Her instincts told her that nearby hives could try to rob her own, to which her bees would respond with violence. But apparently King and the sigmaka didn¡¯t want to hurt each other, so it made sense to keep a bit of distance and avoid that sort of thing. Well, the hive of hives also didn¡¯t do that to each other, but maybe newcomers living in the Beyond still did. She didn¡¯t know but trusted that the King had it figured it out!
What she did know is that the King had asked her to scout out the surface above the sigmaka¡¯s lands, which she was happy to do! So, she and her scout hive flew to the center of the area, then the scouts began to spread out in every direction while the Fourth of the Seventh coordinated via communer. She watched through dozens of eyes as they passed between trees and over bushes, taking note of any flowers or anything out of the ordinary.
So far, it was more of the same. The sigmaka area was on the southwestern side of the King¡¯s Tower. The ruins she built her mini-hive, on the other hand, were located to the northwest, with the entrance to underground in between them both. From the initial flyover, the Fourth of the Seventh felt the mana concentration in the area was slightly lower than in the north side, and they had not identified any additional ruins. Her scouts found and sampled additional flowers, but none that they had not found elsewhere in the Beyond.
The digging communer helped point out where the tunnels below came close to the surface, and so where entrances might be constructed. The scouts marked out these areas as well, flying around them extensively to fix them in their memories. They found at least one tunnel, a small hole with signs that some sort of animal had gone in and out.
The Fourth of the Seventh beat her wings as she danced about. She wondered what sort of creature had arrived from underground. The hole seemed too small for a sigmaka or karnuq, and whoever had made it had clearly not stuck around. She assigned one of the scouts to remain nearby and keep an eye out for if they returned.
Additionally, this discovery meant that the Fourth of the Seventh would need to keep up the scouting patrols, not just here but all across the Beyond. Living things other than the karnuq and the bees were starting to arrive and discover the refuge the King had purified. Soon, the bees would not be alone out here. And the Fourth of the Seventh intended to know when they located new neighbors! Or predators to be stung. That was also possible, perhaps even likely. But that¡¯d be fine, then the Fourth of the Seventh could try hunting like the karnuq apparently did!
As the day wore on, the scouts continued to make their way through the forest floor. At this point, some of them diverted up towards the canopy, scouting out the view from above, searching for flowers from the trees, and looking out to see if any flying creatures had located the purified area. Some of them approached the border with the Hunger, taking care not to stray too close. The Fourth of the Seventh watched through their eyes, having them stay to observe the enemy for a moment.
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It was a writhing mass of black mist with rainbow undertones, so densely packed that it became like a sea, held back by the invisible power of the King¡¯s Tower. The border wasn¡¯t clearly delineated, the Hunger constantly pushed and flowed into the purified zone, only to fade and disperse the further inside it got. And this motion was not limited to the border. The Fourth of the Seventh had one of her scouts fly high, even above the trees, to look out across the Hunger. It twisted and writhed, with waves moving across its surface and colliding into one another. Tendrils and wisps and columns all rose and fell from the surface up towards the sky, as if reaching for the lights above. Through the constant motion, the Fourth of the Seventh almost thought she could distinguish shapes at time. One wave almost seemed to hold the head of one of the invaders she had seen before it collided into another and dispersed. Sometimes the shifting colors of the Hunger seemed to form into red eyes for but a moment before they melted back into the black. And sometimes the tendrils and wisps rising into the air curled into what seemed like wings or legs or other such things.
She instinctively recoiled, even though she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off of it. She felt as if she was being watched by a predator, a monster sniffing about the walls of her hive, heedless to the threats of her guards. She could imagine the monsters that invaded her home forming out of the constant motion and charging across the Beyond. She buzzed her wings.
The hive of hives would not allow that to happen, the Fourth of the Seventh included. And to think there was an entire hive of King-like beings living deep underneath it all, without the protection of the King or his Tower or the Queen of All Bees, where at any moment the Hunger could pour in and attack. The Fourth of the Seventh couldn¡¯t imagine such a thing.
But, ultimately, anything she thought she saw melted back into the mist before fully forming. The Hunger was in motion and trying its best, but it couldn¡¯t reach her here. For all the fear she felt, the power of the King¡¯s Tower was stronger. The very mana that flowed within her held the monsters at bay. And so, it would, so long as the hive of hives continued to protect their home.
So, even if one of those tendrils formed into something, she wouldn¡¯t worry. Even that one that looked like a pair of wings. Even as that pair of wings began to flap. Even as a form broke off from the column of mist it was attached to and began to fly, not dispersing apart as normal.
The Fourth of the Seventh paused, then began to brush her eyes and antennae. She had just been about to sound the alarm, her workers and soldiers were already buzzing around her and telling her to return to the King¡¯s Tower. But¡the shade didn¡¯t approach them. Indeed, it was flying away from them, towards other flying shades beginning to form. These, too, flew away from the purified zone, towards a couple more black dots hanging in the sky in the distance.
¡°Queen¡need go! Dangerous!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh danced her affirmative and took off. But as she started to fly back, she danced out some commands as well.
¡°Keep an eye on. Hunger¡doing something different. Need to see, report to King.¡±
Her workers saluted and the communer relayed the order to the scouts. The scouts all began to fly up above the canopy, keeping their eyes on the flying shades as best they could from this distance. The black dots they were headed to began to grow a bit larger even as the flying shades grew smaller. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mind raced even as she flew back towards the safety of home. What was the Hunger doing? Why would the shades fly away from the King¡¯s realm, which they were so intent on destroying? Were they gathering together for an attack? Was the Hunger about to swarm and escort a new queen somewhere? Did the Hunger even have queens?
Her questions only grew as the dots grew closer and the shades approached them. Her scouts started to see little flashes of light appear around the dots. That¡was strange. As far as her workers had seen, the Hunger didn¡¯t make lights like that. Even the lightning and fire the invading shades had produced didn¡¯t light up the area like normal lightning and fire did.
It was only as she reached the gates of the King¡¯s Tower that she started getting some answers. The dots flew close enough that they stopped being dots. Her scouts could see some sort of tiny winged creatures flying through the air, sending out flashes of light towards the flying shades that approached them.
She froze right at the entrance, much to the chagrin of her workers.
¡°Something¡under attack?¡±
Side Story 142.2 - Arrival
Belissar was just walking towards the karnuq for lessons when he felt a frantic pull on his mana. His Tower sight shifted to find the Fourth of the Seventh dancing frantically at the Tower entrance.
¡°King! See something flying over Hunger! Getting attacked by shades!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he spoke through the Tower mana.
¡°Niobee, get the army ready! Chief Rohsuak, there¡¯s an emergency! We could use you and the hunters!¡±
Both of them replied and set about to fulfill his commands. Belissar then paused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to still his beating heart.
He was reacting before thinking. Chief Rohsuak had pointed out that, while responding decisively to an emergency was important, as a leader he should stop and think about the situation as a whole as soon as circumstances allowed. The Tower itself was not under attack, nor was anyone he knew. He looked through the eyes of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s scouts and found the battle still far away, over the Hunger, so not anywhere they could intervene just yet.
He took another deep breath and opened his eyes. He had time to think. So, some sort of flying creatures were headed this way and currently under attack by the Hunger. Since shades had formed, the army needed to get ready to respond, that much was clear. But¡what should he do about the flying creatures? They could be wild animals that would turn hostile if they saw him, they could be injured and in need of assistance, or maybe they were even intelligent? They were bear people and skunk people so why not bird people? Point was, he didn¡¯t know who they were or how they would react if the bee army joined the battle.
So, he reached out.
¡°Chief Rohsuak.¡±
¡°I¡¯m at your command, Sacred Den Master. May I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±
He nodded even though she couldn¡¯t see him.
¡°Something is flying over the Hunger. They¡¯re currently under attack by shades and headed this way. I¡¯d like to talk about how to address the situation before they arrive.¡±
Her voice came through, with no hint of amusement or mirth this time.
¡°I understand. Let¡¯s quickly consider some possible scenarios then.¡±
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak then started discussing what to do depending on who exactly the newcomers were and how they might act, and how they might best deal with the shades in those scenarios. Belissar could only hope they¡¯d figure it out before the battle arrived¡
Niobee landed in the Orchard, right before the shortcut to the Tower¡¯s entrance. The Second First of the First had already arrived and was discussing the situation with the Fourth of the Seventh and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter. All around them, soldier bees were flying in from the shortcuts and assembling into their formations. The three queens all stopped and saluted to Niobee as she arrived.
¡°Conduit, army gathering. Will be ready to move soon, whenever King commands.¡±
Niobee brushed the antennae of the Second First of the First.
¡°Good, thanks!¡±
She then turned to the Fourth of the Seventh.
¡°Can look through scouts? Want to see.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Niobee could always get glimpses of what was going on, but for this she was going to look more forcefully, so she thought she¡¯d ask. The Fourth of the Seventh happily agreed, though, so Niobee gathered up her mana and started to dance. It took a bit more effort since her target was outside of the Tower, but Niobee pushed it through until she could fully see everything the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s scouts could.
She watched as the flying creatures approached. She didn¡¯t know what they were, but there was something about them that seemed¡familiar. As they flew closer, she started to see that they weren¡¯t alone. There were little figures on their backs.
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¡°More humans, or human like things. Will probably talk to King.¡±
The Second First of the First danced about.
¡°Like karnuq, sigmaka? Should help then?¡±
Niobee danced the affirmative.
¡°King will probably want to. Will help, but keep eye out. Don¡¯t let hurt King if¡¡±
But then Niobee froze mid-dance. The three queens glanced at one another before the Second First of the First stepped forward and touched Niobee¡¯s antennae.
¡°Conduit? Is something¡¡±
Then Niobee suddenly leapt into the air, buzzing her wings as loud as she could as she extended her stinger. She began to zip about, spreading attack pheromones as she started to dance.
¡°They¡¯re here! Bad humans who hurt King!¡±
¡°My lord! Get down!¡±
Ruckanos threw himself flat against his saddle, clinging on for dear life. Another wyvern flew just above him, its scales catching and tearing the edges of his cloak. Its rider, the captain of his guard, drove a lance right into a shade flying in towards Ruckanos¡¯s flank, dispersing the monster. Neither Ruckanos nor his captain had anytime to comment on the exchange, however, as their wyverns peeled away and spun about to gain distance from one another, just as another pair of bird shades began to dive towards them. The captain hefted his lance once more while Ruckanos tried to chant a spell through chattering teeth.
Of course, now, of all times, the Hunger had decided to strike, right when the group was at their most exhausted. The trip from the latest purified zone had been the longest yet, a flight over the largest unbroken sea of the Hunger they had encountered. The captain had wanted to turn back, even, for they were forced to pass the point where they could no longer return. But Ruckanos had pressed on. The gods had laid out this specific path for them so Ruckanos believed they would find something before their strength was spent.
And now, just when they had spotted a purified zone and his faith had been vindicated, the Hunger struck. It was inevitable, really. People claimed that wyverns flying so high in the sky that the air froze would keep them safe from the Hunger, but there was no such thing as safe when it came to the Hunger. Wyverns flying so high they were barely visible from the ground had been attacked when sparrows flying barely above the Hunger¡¯s surface had not. There was no discernable rhyme or reason to when or how the Hunger would attack. So, the longer one spent near the Hunger, the more certain they would eventually be attacked, no matter the precautions. It had been a miracle they had not been attacked yet on their long journey. Ruckanos had hoped their guiding god would keep it that way.
But now, just before the finish, they would face their greatest challenge yet, when all of them were exhausted and spent. It showed nearly immediately. The lancers had been slow to form up and had thus allowed some of the shades to infiltrate their formation and attack the mages. One of the mages fired off a quick lightning bolt at an approaching shade, but it absorbed the attack with no apparent effect and tore the mage to shreds. It then unleashed a wave of black lightning that sent the mage¡¯s mount hurtling to the ground¡along with one of the lancers who had belatedly moved in to assist. Within moments, they had lost two of their number, and now Ruckanos himself was under assault.
The captain glanced around and grabbed a horn tied to his belt, blowing it to grab everyone¡¯s attention. He then pointed his lance towards the one clear spot in the distance.
¡°Breakthrough and make for the Tower! And no lightning, they¡¯re immune!¡±
His guards may have been exhausted, but they were well-trained and quickly reacted to the command. The captain took the lead, his lance glowing with mana, and the others formed up around him. They aimed their lances forward and then drove all of their wyverns ahead at full speed. The mages followed along, flinging fireballs and gusts of wind to cover the flanks, while those specialized in lightning began casting support spells instead, boosting the speed of the group. Ruckanos and the augur tried to keep their wyverns in the center.
A group of shades rushed in front of the group and together released a huge surge of black lightning, but Ruckanos¡¯s mages countered with lighting of their own. The captain then smashed right through the surge, his lance wrapping up the lightning around it as he thrust it forward. The mana coating his lance pushed forward, piercing through a shade before the tip of his lance even made contact with it. The other lancers followed suit, though did not fare so well. One was wrapped in lightning by a shade still pierced on his lance. His wyvern stayed aloft, but his speed slowed to a crawl and he was quickly left behind. Ruckanos resisted the urge to look behind as he heard the man scream.
But his sacrifice would not be in vain. The formation had pushed through the flock of shades, and the powerful wings of the wyverns propelled them forward. The shades fell behind, while ahead of them lay the bright green of a purified forest.
His hair tingled as a bolt of black lightning shot passed him, but Ruckanos spurred his wyvern onward. The green grew in his vision even as he saw flickers of black in the corners of his eyes. Below them, the Hunger writhed and more shades joined the fray. A massive tendril of pure Hunger suddenly lashed up from below and the formation scattered. One of the mages made a wrong turn, screaming as the tendril of black mist engulfed him and his mount.
At this point, Ruckanos no longer paid any attention to anything happening around him. His sweat froze as he dug into the sides of his wyvern, channeling as much mana as he could stuff into the reigns. Anything he could to force the beast to move even a little bit faster. His eyes were locked upon the green ahead, the zone of safety just barely out of reach.
And then, finally, his vision turned green and blue. He was surrounded by trees below and clear skies above. He panted heavily and gulped. He turned around, shivering as he imagined what he might see. His eyes widened.
All around him, men fell into the saddles of wyverns as exhausted as they, landing right on the trees. The Hunger remained in the back, held back by the power of the gods. The bird shades gave up their pursuit, diving down and melting back into the Hunger.
Ruckanos took a deep breath.
They had made it.
Chapter 143 - Belissars Bee-cision
Ruckanos was leaning across his saddle, holding his head. Behind him, the augur sat on another wyvern, currently fiddling with some ritual or another. The captain was in the midst of a rollcall, checking on the men. He finished up and flew his wyvern over to Ruckanos, a firm and neutral expression on his face.
¡°My lord, we lost five hands with their wyverns and all supplies. An additional four are wounded, one seriously enough that he will not be able to fight before recovering.¡±
Ruckanos groaned and clutched his head tighter. They had made it but¡their force was already pitifully small and lacking in Tower Guards with full blessings. The captain was about the only one, Ruckanos had not committed to any god prior to gaining a Tower of his own. The rest of his guards had also not been allowed the opportunity until then. If they continued to take losses like this on the journey, Ruckanos might find himself facing his lost Tower and its thief all alone.
But then, he heard a voice behind him.
¡°We¡¯re¡here.¡±
He and the captain both turned to look at the augur.
¡°What did you say?¡±
The augur¡¯s eyes were open wide.
¡°I¡¯ve checked our current position against the charted path. The last flight was longer than expected so¡we have arrived at our destination.¡±
Ruckanos stared at him for a moment before he started to grin.
¡°Captain, prepare the men for an assault.¡±
The captain furrowed his brow.
¡°My lord, is that wise? We did not have the strength for a Tower subjugation even when we started this mission. Now, with our casualties¡¡±
Ruckanos shrugged.
¡°That was the point. You know as well as I that none of us were meant to return. But the situation is different now. We have been led here by one of the gods themselves, to a Tower we know is young and led by someone entirely unworthy. It¡¯s a miracle the Tower still exists, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it still lacked a patron. For what other purpose would we have been led here then to cast the unworthy aside and replace them with a proper Tower Lord?¡±
The augur frowned.
¡°I¡would be cautious about assuming the will of the gods, my lord. But¡I suppose they were unusually direct with their assistance this time. Still, perhaps I should make another offering?¡±
The captain nodded.
¡°That would also give the men a chance to rest, my lord, and allow us to scout the situation. If we are to prepare for an assault, the men will need to be in their best shape. ¡°
Ruckanos heaved a massive sigh.
¡°Very well. Let us have a short rest, then, but do not dither about, captain. We should not keep the gods waiting.¡±
***
Belissar paused for a moment. He had gathered with Chief Rohsuak and the karnuq hunters now and they were all walking towards the Orchard and its shortcuts.
¡°Ok, looks like there are people on the back of the wyverns¡so it will probably be a diplomatic situation then? I guess then one of your people should go with the bees?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°Understood. Metsaitti will lead our hunters along with the bee army.¡±
The group passed into the Orchard¡and Belissar¡¯s eyes went wide. The air was filled with loud buzzing. The bees were all zipping about, no longer in tight formations but in a swarm flying every which way¡with stingers extended.
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¡°What¡¯s got them so¡¡±
But then, Belissar saw it through the eyes of a scout bee. The face of one of the riders as he landed within the purified area. The karnuq eyed the swarming bees with concern as Chief Rohsuak turned to Belissar.
¡°Sacred Den Master, what is the matter?¡±
But he barely heard her speak. He barely had a thought in his mind at all; he didn¡¯t even notice the shades call off their pursuit. Instead, he began to tremble.
It was him. He was here. Belissar smelt smoke, saw flickering flames, and felt a sharp pain in his back. His heart pounded and his head felt light. He¡
Then, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Chief Rohsuak looking at him with worry.
¡°Sacred Den Master, are you alright? What¡¯s going on?¡±
Belissar continued trembled but gulped.
¡°It¡¯s¡him. H-Humans, the Tower Lords. And¡i-it¡¯s the Tower Lord¡¯s son. The one who burned down my village and nearly killed me.¡±
The bees buzzing intensified further. Belissar felt more than saw Niobee land on his head. She crawled over him, buzzing her wings and brushing him with her antennae.
¡°King¡¯s enemy! Niobee¡¯s enemy! Bees will sting! Protect King!¡±
Chief Rohsuak patted his shoulder again and he glanced over. He felt heat begin to emanate from her body, while Metsaitti and the karnuq hefted their spears.
¡°We are with you as well, Sacred Den Master. If this man is your enemy, just say the word and we will strike him down.¡±
Belissar watched her for a moment as Niobee continued to crawl over him, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That¡¯s right, he wasn¡¯t a helpless peasant living on his own anymore. The bees and the karnuq both stood at his side. So, he tried to turn his thoughts away from fire and smoke and pain and towards the people around him.
He thought of Niobee and all of her efforts to save, guide, and protect him. How she brought him here, led him to the Tower¡¯s core, and didn¡¯t hesitate to throw herself in harm¡¯s way on his behalf.
He thought of the bees and all the times they had shared together. The Flower Meadow queens and their resolute courage, facing terrifying shades time after time again without hesitation or complaint. The Apiary queens and their restless work, giving him more honey than he knew what to do with. The Orchard queens and their joy when he built them a home. The worker bees swarming over new mana flowers, the soldier bees training day in and day out to guard the Tower, Beero and the others training magic when their wings failed them, and the bumblebees happily zipping about. He thought of all they had built together.
And he thought of all they had lost. The first group of queens who had perished due to his own mistakes. The soldiers who had died facing the a wolf-shade for the first time, when the soldier army was still learning how to fight. The soldiers who had sacrificed themselves to keep two shades in a pit long enough for Belissar to burn them. Those who had died trying to hold back the first bird-shade. Beero and the other wounded who had lost their wings, yet still strove to do nothing more but return to the fight. The drones who gave their lives to bring the new hives to life.
He thought of the karnuq, the first people to treat him well since his parents and the old beekeeper. He thought of his lessons with Chief Rohsuak and Juosiutik. He thought of the hunters who once challenged his Tower every day. He thought of Noiggakuq, sneaking in at night to deliver flowers. He thought of Metsaitti facing down a shade in the forest, of Chief Rohsuak burning the turtle shade that repelled his bees. He thought of Muuraqi helping him build stone beehouses, while the soldier bees helped the karnuq build houses of their own. He thought of Juosiutik¡¯s passionate conversation with the First of the Fifth. He thought of the karnuq children playing with a bumblebee soldier.
He opened his eyes and glared out into the air, clenching his fists until they shook.
No.
The Tower Lords were not taking another home from him. They would not take all that he and the bees and the karnuq had built, all that they had fought and died for. So, if the Tower Lords had come here to burn and kill once more, they would not find the quivering peasant from before. Nor would they find a Tower Lord, but a Tower Keeper, blessed by two of the gods and accompanied by his countless friends and allies.
Belissar slowly unclenched his hand to reach up and brush Niobee. He glanced at Chief Rohsuak and gave her a nod. Then he turned and looked up at his bees, swarming about him. They began to slow down as they noticed his attention.
He felt his heart catch but a moment at the thought of what was to come, of the bees that would be put in harm¡¯s way. But this time, he put it aside. The bees were more than ready to defend their home, whatever the cost. It was what they longed to do. Niobee seemed ready to go out and attack even if he didn¡¯t give the order. He didn¡¯t blame her after their last encounter with the man approaching.
And the Tower Lords would not give him a choice regardless. Even if they did not come in force, they thought of people like the karnuq as subhuman monsters. They thought that the gods hated the sight of peasants even stepping foot inside a Tower, much less taking charge of one. They would not leave him be.
And this time, he could do more than run. He could stop the burning of his home. He could stand up to a Tower Lord¡¯s son. He could fight back.
He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.
¡°Everyone, prepare for battle.¡±
Chapter 144 - It Is Your Desti-Bee
Belissar looked up at the swarming bee army and frowned.
¡°Niobee, could you help me calm them down?¡±
Niobee flew unsteadily in response.
¡°Calm down? Not going to go sting now?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°We will, but let¡¯s see what they do first. If they come here¡no point in wasting all those traps, right?¡±
Niobee¡¯s dance resumed speed.
¡°Ok!¡±
With that, she zipped off into the sky, touching antennae with the queens to cool down the attack pheromones. The queens slowly brought the soldier bees back under control, having them cease their swarming and gather into formation instead. Belissar turned his attention back to the incoming humans. They were resting up and passing around some food at the moment. Belissar was a bit tempted to send the army now but decided against it. The wyverns were big and had flown in at quite the speed, reminding Belissar of the big bird shades. In fact, they had outrun those very bird shades on their way here, if the shades attacking them were the same type.
That being the case, Belissar didn¡¯t want to fight them out in the open where they could outrun the bees and dive through them. He wanted to first see them restricted by the Dirt Tunnels and the traps within.
He rubbed his chin at that. He thought, and thought, and thought some more.
He made his choice and moved the rooms of the First Floor around. He placed the Flower Meadow just after the Dirt Tunnels, so that it would be the first thing the humans encountered when leaving.
The more he thought about it, the more he was concerned that about the wyvern¡¯s speed in the open air. He did not want to give them a chance to get flying and build up speed. Having them exit out into the Lava Field and its mini volcano might stop them before they even reached the bee army¡but what if it didn¡¯t? What if they just flew over the lava and evaded the boulders? If that occurred, then having them exit into a room without the bee army just gave them a chance to take off and get airborne.
If, on the other hand, they had to exit the tunnels directly into the waiting stingers of the bee army? Then, like the bird shades before them, they¡¯d be surrounded by bees before they had the chance to move.
Belissar nodded, making his final decision. He went on to let the bees and the karnuq know what the plan was.
He could only hope it would be enough¡
Ruckanos sighed as his wyvern finally began to beat its wings and rise into the air. The men were¡lacking in enthusiasm. They had been silent as they rested and they were silent now as they climbed their mounts, their heads hanging low.
Well, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t understand. His body, too, felt heavy under the sheer fatigue of their previous journey, surely unprepared for the task at hand. But what a task it would be! They had been led here by the gods themselves! Surely the men could show at least a little spirit on behalf of the gods, couldn¡¯t they? Sure, the gods remained silent during the augur''s offering this time, but surely the lack of news meant their mission hadn''t changed?
But there was nothing for it, so Ruckanos said nothing as the group took off and made for the center of the purified zone. Surely, they would warm up once the mission got started. And even if they did not¡Ruckanos would let nothing stand between him and his destiny.
Soon, they arrived. Ruckanos frowned. They found the Tower without issue and indeed it was young¡but it was not as he expected. The Tower now rose four stories into the air¡and had golden banners. The symbol, a bee landing upon a flower, was not one he recognized, but he understood what the symbol itself entailed.
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This Tower had been blessed by a patron god.
He turned his head as the wyverns landed in the clearing before the Tower, glancing back at the old man behind their formation.
¡°Augur, which god is this?¡±
The augur furrowed his brow.
¡°I¡have no memory of this symbol. It was not one recorded in the archives.¡±
Ruckanos narrowed his eyes.
¡°That¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The augur shook his head.
¡°The gods are beyond the ken of us mortal men, and though it is rare, new ones have been discovered over time. Though, if I were to hazard a guess¡that color is the same as the divinations. I believe the patron of this Tower was the one who guided us here.¡±
Ruckanos crossed his arms at that, rubbing his chin. The god who led them here¡was the patron of this Tower? But¡why would they do such a thing? Ruckanos had expected the gods to be displeased with whoever was desecrating this Tower¡but then why would they have given it their blessing? Did they change their mind? Did they give the unworthy would-be lord a chance only to find them as poor a master as feared?
But how could that be true? Not only had the Tower survived but had risen to four floors already. It was hardly months old at this stage, so that should not have been possible. It normally took weeks for a Tower to gather the mana reserves for an expansion, much less four. If Ruckanos didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d have said this Tower Lord was doing impossibly well for himself.
And deep within his heart crept the tiniest of doubts that perhaps he was not intended to take charge of this Tower.
But that couldn¡¯t be, could it? Whoever was in charge of this place could not have prepared beforehand like he had. They¡¯d have stumbled about, not understanding a thing that they did. It must have been a sheer accident, or perhaps excessive intervention by the gods, that the Tower even survived this long. Perhaps the patron was clearing the way for him, intervening to keep his Tower intact, nay, growing even, for the day that he arrived to claim it.
He held tight to that hope as he strode forward.
¡°Captain, prepare to march.¡±
The captain frowned.
¡°Commander¡¡±
Ruckanos just turned to stare at him, raising an eyebrow. The captain sighed and then saluted.
¡°It shall be done.¡±
The captain sent a scout inside while arranging the rest of them into formation, while the augur carved a ritual formation into the dirt below. He placed a lightly glowing crystal carved with numerous runes in the center, touching a specific one. The crystal¡¯s light turned green before it melted into the ritual, which itself pulsed with green light.
The signal that they had found a Tower. Ruckanos had a brief thought to stop the augur, to let the Conclave remain unaware of his success, but he decided against it. Let the Conclave come, it would take them ages to reach this far into the wild. He¡¯d have long resolved any mistakes he had made by the time they arrived, if they ever did.
He turned his attention back to the Tower, just as the scout reported that the initial entrance area was clear. The captain turned to face him and he nodded. The captain took one deep breath, and then gave the command.
¡°Move out.¡±
And with that, Ruckanos marched to his destiny.
In the back of their formation, a wounded rider frowned as he opened up his bag, just before the captain gave the command. He looked down and saw the queen bee exit her hive once again. He bent down to whisper to her.
¡°Last stop, little one. We¡¯re going into that Tower and I fear none of us will come out. You need to leave now or you¡¯ll die too.¡±
The queen bee stared up at him, with those big eyes that felt like they pierced into his soul. Then¡she began to crawl up out of the bag. She climbed to the top and began to stretch her wings. For a brief moment, the man¡¯s heart lifted. Maybe, just maybe, she had understood him?
She paused though, upon seeing their surroundings, including the Tower. She stared at the Tower for a minute, and then crawled back down into the bag. The man sighed and his shoulders drooped.
¡°Move out.¡±
But it was too late. The command was given, and they were heading to their doom. He looked up at the Tower and its banners. His eyes widened a bit as he looked once again at the pattern there.
A bee landing on a flower.
He glanced back down towards his bag and then up to the banner. Maybe, just maybe, this Tower wouldn¡¯t be so bad for his little friends? If at least one of them could survive this¡
He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment.
¡°Please, whichever god is watching over this place¡take mercy on the little one. She and her children did not choose to come here. They don¡¯t deserve to share our fate.¡±
And then it was over. He looked up and steeled his heart, wrapping his reigns around his good arm. With his other arm wounded in the latest fight, it¡¯d be up to his wyvern to do most of the job, but he still intended to do his duty as best he could. He doubted he could change his fate or that of his charge at this stage, and after all they had done they deserved whatever came. He hoped to change the fate of his little friends, but he had already done all that he could.
All that was left now was to see it through, whatever may come.
Staring forward as he did, he did not notice the queen¡¯s eyes glow with golden light as one of the banners fluttered¡
Interlude 144.1 - Peer Bee-view
The queen heard the water man¡¯s voice and crawled out. She understood the voice as some attempt at communication, though how it carried any meaning she couldn¡¯t say. It certainly was no elegant dance.
But she did understand that when he directed the sounds towards her that they either had arrived at a safe spot, or else were about to leave one. Since they had been flying beforehand, it had to be the former, so she crawled out to take stock of their surroundings.
She froze immediately when she saw the world beyond. Before them was a mighty mountain of stone, covered with golden banners. Banners that she had never seen, but still recognized somewhere deep within her.
This place belonged to the Queen of All Bees.
Which meant she had arrived at her destination. She stood still, awaiting instruction. While her preference would be to fly out and sting her enemies, she knew that the Queen of All Bees must have brought her here for a reason. She would not reveal herself until she knew why.
A moment later, she was surrounded by a bright light, and then found herself before the Queen of All Bees once again. She danced her salute dance and then the Queen of All Bees replied with a single step.
¡°Wait.¡±
She saluted once again and then found herself back in the world. The Queen of All Bees had spoken. She had arrived, but the time was not ripe yet. So, instead, she crawled back inside her hive at the bottom of the bag and began to quietly awaken her children.
The time was not ripe yet, but she knew that the moment soon approached. She intended to be ready. For once it arrived, she would have her revenge.
Once the captain gave the all clear, Ruckanos guided his wyvern to step inside the Tower. He found himself inside a subterranean tunnel, made entirely of dirt. He scoffed at the sight.
No entrance hall. No guards or servants to receive visitors. No adornments to honor the gods. Look, the shrine of the patron god was left sitting in the dirt, for the gods¡¯ sake! The Tower was clearly in the hands of some feral barbarian. He¡¯d imagine even the mindless peasants would know better than this!
He dismounted his wyvern for a moment and strode over to the shrine. It was a strange thing, with a giant bee in place of any sort of man, but it was not Ruckanos¡¯s place to judge the gods. Indeed, what greater honor would there be but to introduce a new god to the Conclave? So, instead, he smiled and bowed his head.
¡°You¡¯ve suffered much, haven¡¯t you? But fear not, your chosen Tower Lord is here now, and I shall set things right as you have commanded.¡±
The shrine did not respond but they rarely did. Ruckanos knew the gods would not bother with his words alone, so he intended to prove himself via his deeds. So, he turned to remount his wyvern¡
Only to find that his men had all dismounted theirs. The captain pointed to the tunnel ahead.
¡°I¡¯d recommend we proceed on foot, commander. These tunnels are too cramped for the wyverns. We¡¯ll have to lead them through ourselves.¡±
Ruckanos held back a sigh as the men fixed light crystals to their helmets, shining beams of light down the dark tunnels. They then drew their blades and proceeded ahead of Ruckanos and the mages.
They had hardly begun their march when they came to a stop. The captain stepped forward and poked the ground with his sword. A large section of the ground vanished to reveal a hole. Ruckanos raised an eyebrow.
Pit Traps, huh? A waste of a feature choice, and a lazy one at that. Servants and monsters could dig something like that easily enough. Concealing it was another matter but little more difficult in the grand scheme of things. Pit traps were, therefore, something that could be employed en masse with only the barest amount of effort. To waste one of the precious boons of the gods and the Tower¡¯s limited mana on such a thing¡well, Ruckanos was once again reassured why he had been brought here.
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One of the mages stepped forward, carving a spell circle into the dirt just before the pit. Then, after a quick chant, the ground itself extended across the pit and hardened, forming a bridge across. Ruckanos¡¯s men strode across as easily as walking on the ground. The wyverns, on the other hand, were long enough to crawl over the pit with little assistance.
If this was all the Tower currently had to offer, Ruckanos questioned how it had survived this long in the first place.
They continued onward until once again the captain halted them. He glanced around a bit before taking a step and waving his sword out ahead of him.
A moment later, a stream of golden liquid poured down from the roof. When it hit the ground, it did not spread out in a pool, but clung together in a viscous blob. One of the vanguard tilted his head.
¡°Is that¡honey? I guess that would explain the bee decorations but¡as a trap?¡±
Ruckanos raised an eyebrow, but the captain narrowed his eyes as he inclined his head so that his light shone across the honey. Ruckanos caught a glimpse of purple in the otherwise golden mass.
¡°Stickier than normal and probably poisoned. Easy enough to avoid but you¡¯re in for a bad time if you get drenched. Stay alert.¡±
Ruckanos shook his head as he carefully stepped over the mass. The idea itself wasn¡¯t terrible. A sticky spray to restrict mobility combined with a poison, an effective if basic combination. But the execution¡the execution was atrociously sloppy. The trap had been placed too soon after the last, when the group was still on guard. And it had been placed by itself in an otherwise empty tunnel. No additional traps or even decorations to distract attention, no follow-up traps that struck if the first was disarmed, not even an ambush prepared to take advantage of the split attention. It was as if the traps had been placed entirely randomly, without any thought as to their use. His tutors would have had aneurysms had he presented such a setup.
More and more, he felt he was dealing with a feral beast rather than an intelligent being.
What followed was an excruciatingly boring journey. The twisting tunnels were filled with nothing but dirt and the occasional, easily avoided trap. No monsters or defenders accosted them, no servants came to greet them. No new traps appeared, nor did the two they had seen appear in any new patterns. They encountered some remnants as all who entered in a Tower did, but these were swiftly dealt with. And, of course, there were no rest zones to manage and contain them.
This Tower was strictly amateur in every possible way, it seemed. Even the maze itself featured no particularly novel layout, as if the master had just left it as it first appeared. Which Ruckanos suspected they probably had.
This caused Ruckanos to frown, because something didn¡¯t add up. How had such an amateurish Tower managed to survive, much less grow as quickly as it had? If the imposter Tower Lord was this incompetent at basic floor layout, then someone else must be responsible. He, of course, believed that the patron god was preparing the way for his arrival but he also did not delude himself into believing that the gods would intervene so directly as to defend the Tower personally from its own purifications.
That left one answer: the imposter had been exceedingly lucky with their choice of starting monster and acquired something that could cover for their incompetence.
Which brought up the most important question of all¡where were all the monsters? They had traveled nearly an entire room and had not encountered a single living thing. If this were a normal Tower with a competent lord Ruckanos would have assumed the Tower Lord had intentionally placed a cramped, winding maze to buy time, allowing them to observe any incoming threats and prepare for them accordingly. But he had already established that this imposter was nowhere near that competent¡so why hadn¡¯t they thrown their monsters into the fray from the very start? Unless the patron god had again intervened to clear the way for the rightful Tower Lord?
¡°Halt.¡±
Just then, the captain¡¯s voice cut through his wandering thoughts. He looked up ahead¡and saw a dim light coming from around the corner. He smiled. Finally! The way out¡or at least some civilization. The color of the light and the way it flickered was more indicative of a fire of some sort, maybe a torch?
The captain silently motioned to two of his men and then the three of them crept forward together. But then, the captain sniffed, and then jumped back, pulling the two men along with him. He gave a hushed but frantic whisper.
¡°Wind!¡±
The mages pushed forward one of their number, who tried to pull off a chant as he formed a spell circle right in the air with his own mana. The spell was sloppy, his hands shook, and his voice wavered, but he managed to pull it off. A gust of wind blew down the tunnel and around the corner, and the light suddenly cut out. The captain then motioned to the two men.
¡°Check them for poison. There was a strange smell on the air.¡±
The captain crept forward quietly and glimpsed around the corner before making his way back.
¡°Wax candles of some sort, probably the source of the smell. Beyond that is the exit to an open field.¡±
Ruckanos frowned. So, some sort of candle that spread poison via smoke? Again, not a bad concept¡but the execution was all off. Letting the light flicker past the tunnel so they¡¯d clearly notice something had changed? Moreover, why hadn¡¯t the imposter placed candles throughout the tunnels so they wouldn¡¯t suspect anything wrong? He shook his head.
Well, at least it was over. A new room was just ahead, this one wide open. Ruckanos doubted they¡¯d find anything interesting there, but at least they¡¯d pass through it quickly¡
Interlude 144.2 - The Field of Battle
The group rearranged their formation and began their march down the hallway. Ruckanos saw nothing but a sunlit field of flowers beyond the end of the tunnel. Had this been a normal Tower, he might have thought it suspicious, or possibly a rest zone. With this Tower¡he guessed the imposter just put a random field of flowers haphazardly, wasting an entire room choice on what was likely a useless decoration of a room.
But then, the captain stopped. Ruckanos only heard a light buzzing noise before the captain shouted.
¡°Brace!¡±
The lead guards raised their shields just as five bees flew down in front of the entrance, larger than any bee Ruckanos had ever seen, as large as his hand even. They did not make their way inside the tunnels, but hovered in place and swung their abdomens forward. A cone of liquid shot from each bee.
Thanks to the captain¡¯s quick reaction, most of the liquid splashed against the guards¡¯ metal shields. However, some flew past and landed on one of the guard¡¯s face. For a moment, he just dabbed at his face.
And then he started screaming. The captain motioned and the other guards pulled him off the line to the few mages who knew a bit of healing magic. One of the mages managed to retaliate with a quick fireball but the bees flew away from the entrance long before it arrived. As soon as the danger had passed, the bees returned and launched another spray. One guard lifted his shield high to protect his face and got his legs drenched. He lasted a moment longer before the poison sunk into his clothes, and then he started screaming too.
The captain motioned forward.
¡°Move out!¡±
The guards began a brisk march forward while the mages tried to cover them. The bee monsters were too quick and too far away, but the spells at least bought them some time.
¡°Halt!¡±
The captain suddenly called out but one guard, focused on the bees ahead, didn¡¯t catch the command and stumbled into a Pit Trap. He fell with a shout¡and then Ruckanos heard one of those honey traps activate.
Really? The imposter put a honey trap at the bottom of the pit? Why?
The guards could do nothing but wait and endure the toxic sprays as two of the mages formed another bridge across the pit¡two because one got caught by the sprays mid-spell.
Once it finally finished, the captain pointed his sword forward.
¡°Charge!¡±
The men rushed forward before they lost their nerve. Ruckanos ran with confidence, pushing the mages around him to do the same. They had been surprised, for sure, and had taken shocking casualties from a mere handful of bees. But what was any of that before the will of the gods? A couple of bee monsters would not stop him from grasping his destiny¡
Then, Ruckanos and the mages stepped out of the tunnel and into a flower field. Ruckanos was hit with a wall of sound, a cacophony of buzzing noises that nearly drowned out the captain¡¯s shouts. His eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped as he saw the sight beyond.
He knew now how this incompetent imposter had survived. He knew now who or what had carried the imposter through.
Because all around him, in the skies and on the ground, in every direction, was a countless number of bees.
¡°Fall back!¡±
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The captain¡¯s shout shocked Ruckanos out of his haze. He was about to object when a guard grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. The captain and the front guards slowly walked backwards with their shields up, warding off a group of bees that dove down on them. The captain¡¯s sword flashed and three of the monsters fell, but the other guards could not strike quickly enough to counter. Still, they managed to pull back into the tunnels.
¡°Captain, what are you doing?¡±
The captain didn¡¯t even look at him, keeping his eyes on the tunnel ahead.
¡°Commander, retreat is our only option here. The Tower Lord is already hostile and we do not have the numbers to push through. We will not survive if we push forward. I am not sure we can even safely retreat if they push the issue.¡±
Ruckanos scowled.
¡°Retreat is not an option, captain.¡±
The front guards had to lift their shields to block another spray.
¡°And what would you have us do, Commander? We die if we push forward.¡±
¡°We die if we leave, too! Do you think help is coming for us, commander? Do you think we¡¯re going to find supplies and safe haven here? Do you think the Conclave will simply let us go even if we survive until they arrive? No, captain, our only options here are victory or death. The gods led us here, so there must be a way!¡±
The captain grimaced while Ruckanos glanced around.
¡°Why not the wyverns?¡±
The captain shook his head.
¡°The skies are full of them, they¡¯ll never get aloft.¡±
Ruckanos rubbed his chin.
¡°What about the mages? We cast a grand fireball to punch a hole and then fly through.¡±
¡°That¡¡±
The captain paused.
¡°¡they clearly avoid danger so¡it might actually work. If we can get the wyverns out of these tunnels and airborne.¡±
For a brief moment he turned and looked Ruckanos in the eye.
¡°We¡¯re going to take casualties, though, and we¡¯ll have an angry bee army on our tail. If we do this, we will not be able to retreat. There will be no going back.¡±
Ruckanos narrowed his gaze.
¡°There never was.¡±
The captain nodded and began to bark his orders.
¡°You four, and you two mages, with me. Everyone else, saddle up and prepare your mounts as best you can. You will not have long.¡±
On the captain¡¯s orders, one of the mages on the ground created a powerful gust of wind down the tunnel. The toxic spraying bees showed up once more but were blown off course when they tried to approach the entrance. Ruckanos and the others tried to climb onto their wyverns as best they could. He had to lay flat to avoid bumping his head on the roof of the tunnel, but he managed to strap in as securely as possible.
The captain then nodded and gave the order. He and the frontline guards with him rushed forward with their shields up while the two mages followed. The guards held their shields to ward off another dive attempt by the bees while the mages quickly cast their spell. A sphere of winds wrapped around the tunnel entrance, warding off the bees. The spraying ones attacked again but the toxic spray was blown away before it landed.
The wyverns then crawled out one by one, digging their claws into the dirt to push through the wind. The wyvern-mounted mages then assembled around Ruckanos. They all lifted their hands and spoke as one.
¡°God of Fire, hear our plea. Let your fires rage and light our path. Let our enemies burn in the blaze of your inferno, let nothing remain but ash and smoke.¡±
A magic circle of red light formed in the air above all of them. A massive ball of fire began to form in the air, flickering in the heavy winds around them. The captain nodded at the two mages with him and they dropped their wind spell. The bees began to dive immediately but they were too late. A grand fireball had formed and now shot into the sky. Sweat dripped down Ruckanos¡¯s face from the heat, even at this distance, but he smiled as the fireball soared.
He grasped the reigns and dug into his saddle. In but a moment, the fireball would explode and the sky would turn from black and yellow to red and orange. They would have but a moment then to fly while the fire dissipated.
But, once they did, Ruckanos doubted bees of this size could keep pace with a wyvern in flight. They would push past this army and move to confront the imposter directly. He knew that whatever the odds, the gods willed his victory. It would work. He knew it would work.
Then, victory would be¡
At that moment, they heard a growling noise, like the grunts of a bear. A small but bright blue ball of fire flew out of nowhere and slammed right into the grand fireball, sinking within it. For a moment, Ruckanos thought he had imagined it.
And then the fireball exploded. A curtain of blue extended out across the sky and engulfed the red flames, redirecting them to the sides¡or down. Ruckanos ducked as tongues of fire fell from the sky. One of the mages was caught, screaming as he and his wyvern burst into flames.
Ruckanos¡¯s eyes widened. Further across the field, he saw a group of bestial subhumans approaching, their leader wrapped in bright flames. While above, the bees buzzed angrily. And there were no longer flames nor winds to stop them.
Chapter 145 - Desti-Bee Fulfilled
Belissar grit his teeth as he glanced at the three fallen bees but he tore his eyes away. He knew deep down they were unlikely to win without casualties, but he still had hoped to do so. Unfortunately, the Tower Guard were indeed not to be trifled with.
Worse still was that the humans did not fight like the Hunger did. The shades of the Hunger were relentless. Sure, they might try to bypass a fight when they could, but they always continued moving forward at any cost. Not so with humans, apparently. These ones fell back into the tunnels the moment they saw the bee army¡and between the Tower Guard captain¡¯s sword and the mages¡¯ wind and fireballs Belissar didn¡¯t feel safe letting the bees pursue them into the tight corridor.
Luckily, though, they just said their plan out loud where Belissar could hear it, so he knew they planned to press forward. He frowned at that, but relayed their intentions to the Flower Meadow queens and Chief Rohsuak. He then turned to the karnuq. They were all standing in the Orchard, right before the wall of shortcuts.
¡°Could you help us out? It looks like they¡¯re going to use some big fire spell to try and push through?¡±
Chief Rohsuak made a predatory grin.
¡°Oh, are they, now? Worry not, Sacred Den Master. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±
She began laughing as she began to munch on mana honeycomb. Belissar kept rubbing his chin, though.
¡°Also, that Tower Guard captain at the front seems pretty strong, fast enough to hit my bees midflight. Any ideas on how to deal with him?¡±
Chief Rohsuak just smiled and turned to Metsaitti. He sighed and began to roll his shoulders. Then he straightened up and struck his spear into the ground.
¡°I¡¯ll handle him, Sacred Den Master. Could you separate him from the rest?¡±
Belissar nodded and then the karnuq ran through one of the shortcuts, emerging right next to the entrance of the battle meadow. And just in the nick of time, the humans were in the midst of casting their spell. The fireball was massive¡though its red colors seemed somewhat dim compared to Chief Rohsuak¡¯s own spells.
They seemed especially dim as Chief Rohsuak burst into flames and cast a spell of her own. Her fireball was tiny compared to that of the humans, but it burned far brighter. And when it exploded, it wrapped around the other spell and held it down. The bees hovered just over the surface of the flames, but none of them were hurt. Belissar released a sigh of relief.
But the battle had only begun. The Tower Guard captain began barking out orders immediately, but Metsaitti grabbed a spear from one of the other hunters and lobbed it at the man¡¯s head. The captain was forced to block with his shield as Metsaitti rushed forward with own spear, the other karnuq hunters by his side. The other Tower Guards tried to form up around their captain¡but as they pointed their shields down towards the karnuq squads of soldier bees began diving them from above. Some were stung right in the face and neck and fell to the ground. Others dove to the ground to avoid the bees, but fell out of the line as a result. Metsaitti¡¯s spear clashed with the captain¡¯s sword and the captain was forced to give ground, separating from the rest of the humans.
And with the spell dealt with and the captain occupied, the bee army began their assault on the remaining humans. Some of the mages formed spells to attack the incoming bees. Smaller fireballs shot into the sky but the bees evaded them. A gust of wind began blowing the soldier bee squads back¡but then a bumblebee soldier took the lead and pushed through, with soldier bee squads following in its wake. One of the mages hit the bumblebee with a fireball but she pressed on, not slowing down in the slightest even with her hairs smoking. The bumblebee crashed into one of the mages, knocking him right off his saddle as the soldier bees began attacking the wyvern. The wyvern roared and snapped at them, spinning around to try and knock them away with its tail. Instead, it struck the wyvern next to it, knocking it and its rider over.
A few of the wyverns began to take to the air but the bees were already upon them. Soldier bees began to sting the wyverns¡¯ wings and land on their bodies en masse, pulling them to the ground as they were covered in chitin and angry stingers. Two wyverns managed to break free and begin rising into the sky, only for a shadow to fall over their eyes. Black forms fell from the sky and slammed into the wyverns¡¯ head and bodies, driving them back into the ground. The lancer bees could apparently pierce through wyvern scales without issue.
In the meantime, Metsaitti continued to duel the captain. Metsaitti thrust quickly, pulling back his spear with ease whenever the captain parried him. But the captain¡¯s sword and shield were equally quick and Metsaitti didn¡¯t manage any blows. Indeed, the captain even began to push forward, forcing Metsaitti to step back and keep him at range. Metsaitti grunted and began to stir his mana, coating his spear as he thrust. But the captain did the same with his sword and shield and caught the blow as easily as any other. He knocked the spear away with a swing of his shield and stepped in with his sword. Metsaitti¡¯s eyes widened and he was forced to block with the shaft of his spear, having no time to pull the tip back into place. The captain then smashed his shield into Metsaitti¡¯s side and kicked his abdomen as the karnuq bent forward.
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But Metsaitti was not alone.
¡°Metsaitti, duck!¡±
Metsaitti let the captain¡¯s kick knock him to the ground at Belissar¡¯s mental call. As he did, a bright yellow light passed overhead. Beero and the other wounded soldiers had hidden among the flowers as they conducted their dance, and now their lightning sting struck right over the karnuq.
The captain barely had time to bring up his shield, just managing to avoid being impaled by the ephemeral stinger. But the stinger melted away as the lightning composing it jumped into the captain¡¯s shield and then into his body. He grunted and trembled as the lightning coursed through him.
Metsaitti didn¡¯t miss that chance.
He grabbed his spear and scrambled to his feet, pressing the attack. The captain¡¯s mana then burst as he stopped holding back, forming thick coatings around his sword and shield. He thrust forward before Metsaitti arrived and forced the karnuq to the side as a spear from mana extended out from his sword. He began to twist to follow up with a slash, but then a squad of sprayers attacked him from above and behind. He barely managed to block the spray but grunted as stray drops showered over him. He had no time to think about it, though, as he had to block Metsaitti¡¯s spear once again. He could see another one of those lightning spells forming in the field beyond, but Metsaitti kept him fighting. He tried another shield bash. Metsaitti dodged it this time, but the captain used the opportunity to turn and run in the direction of the magic circle¡only for a squad of soldier bees to dive him from above. He managed to avoid being stung but one of them collided with his helmet, knocking him off course.
And, coincidentally, right into one of the Pit Traps strewn around the Flower Meadow that Beero and the others were using for cover.
He fell with a crash and was coated by the Sticky Honey Trap below. The Apiary soldiers, hovering above the battle in wait, began to dive even before he rose to his feet. He raised his shield up as he saw something diving down towards him¡only for a small sliver of radish to bounce harmlessly off his shield.
At least until it hit the honey.
The wounded guard stood in the tunnels with his wyvern. He turned to the augur next to him, the two of them having been left behind on the death charge. The guard shrugged.
¡°I guess this is it.¡±
The augur sighed, letting the weight of his age pull his shoulders down.
¡°I suppose it is.¡±
The guard drew his sword with his one good arm, preparing for the end. But just then, he saw a flash of golden light from his bag. He turned to look.
¡°Hm? Is that you, little¡¡±
Before he finished, a swarm of bees exploded out of the top of his bag and filled the tunnel.
The queen heard fires roaring and humans shouting and the buzzing of wings. Before she could react, though, she found herself once again before the Queen of All Bees. But this time, the Queen of All Bees did not dance herself. In front of her flew four queens with all of their hives. The four queens extended their stingers and sounded the attack, and all four hives flew forward.
The queen needed no encouragement as she returned to the world. She immediate spread as many attack pheromones as she could. Her hive burst out of the bag in a raging swarm and flew down the tunnel. She ignored the two humans behind her in honor of the one who had carried her here and instead flew forward.
And there, she saw him. One of the evil humans, the one who had stood tall above the rest on top of a mighty steed. The one who led the others on that fateful day. He, or maybe she, must be their queen!
So, this queen knew exactly what to do.
As she flew forward, her vision shifted one more. She felt, rather than saw, the four queens with the Queen of All Bees, as if they were flying with her. A surge of mana pulsed out from her and filled her workers, driving them to fly faster than they ever had before.
The visions faded just as her hive burst out of the tunnel¡
Ruckanos fell off his wyvern as a truly massive bee collided into him. He rolled along the ground, groaning as he tried to rise to his feet. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.
All around him, wyverns roared and men screamed as they drowned in a sea of black and yellow and angry buzzing. A subhuman and the bee monsters worked together and drove the captain into a pit¡that subsequently burst into flames. Someone, somewhere, was casting magic and flinging bee stingers made of lightning at anyone managing to stand. Bees with stingers the size and shape of lances dove from the sky like ballistae bolts and pierced right through scale and armor alike.
Ruckanos found himself subconsciously backing up. He began to tremble.
What¡was going on? What was happening? Were¡were they losing?
¡°No¡how is this possible? The gods¡the gods led me here themselves! They want me to win! I¡¯m supposed to win!¡±
But then he cried out as a jolt of pain shot through the back of his neck. He turned around¡to find a swarm of angry bees emerging from the tunnel behind him. He screamed as he vanished beneath angry, buzzing stingers.
Chapter 146 - Family Bee-union
The queen landed on her hated enemy as her hive stung him. She stirred up her mana and stung him with all she had. Then she did it again. And again. And again and again and again until he stirred no longer. Most of her remaining workers were spent on the task but she had no regrets. Her purpose had been achieved.
She danced upon her fallen foe.
¡°That was for worker! And Hive-Builder!¡±
Then, and only then, did she take stock of the situation. Unfortunately, she had spent most of her hive on that one enemy, so she wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do about the¡
She found herself staring at a swarm of bees. A swarm of bees beyond anything she had seen, save in her visions of the Queen of All Bees. Even the smallest of the bees were larger than her, larger than any bee she had ever seen. The largest of them¡were comparable in size to hive predators or even the humans.
And now she found herself in their territory. With only a handful of workers of her own. She began to slowly crawl backwards when one of them began flying right towards her. She braced for the worst but then the big bee stopped right in front of her¡and began to dance.
¡°Queen mother?¡±
The queen was confused at first¡until the bee¡¯s mana touched hers. The moment it did, she knew, and she began to fly.
¡°WORKER!¡±
¡°Queen mother!¡±
She flew to her worker and began to crawl all over her.
¡°Worker! It¡¯s you! Found you!¡±
¡°Queen mother! How get here?¡±
¡°Queen of All Bees helped! Told come with evil humans, so did!¡±
Her worker then stopped.
¡°Right, need to sting the rest. Hang on.¡±
Her worker began to beat her powerful wings. The queen took a moment to look around her. The rest of the evil humans¡were no more, slain by a hive more powerful than she could have possibly imagined.
The only humans remaining were the two waiting in the tunnels. The queen began to dance on her worker¡¯s back.
¡°Ah¡that one, not evil. Helped get here, gave water.¡±
Her worker stopped.
¡°Really?¡±
The queen confirmed. Her worker hung in the air for a moment. The other bees had begun following her, but stopped as she did.
¡°Hang on, need to ask King.¡±
The queen paused at the unfamiliar dance.
¡°King, what that?¡±
Her worker began to zip around in the air.
¡°King is best king! Leads hive of hives!¡±
The queen was now thoroughly confused. The dances held meaning, but none she had ever encountered. But as she slowly parsed the meaning¡her wings began to buzz.
¡°King¡is like queen? Worker¡¯s¡queen?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Her worker¡had been taken by a new queen? A new hive?
The queen began extending her stinger.
¡°Who?! Who took worker?! Show me!¡±
A short while later, the queen was frozen solid.
¡°This is¡?¡±
He was here. The Hive-Builder lived as well!
Her worker danced as she contemplated the sight before her.
¡°Queen mother! Niobee¡¯s old queen!¡±
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The Hive-Builder¡¯s eyes grew wide, and then he broke out into a wide grin.
¡°Then that means¡you were one of my old bees?!¡±
The queen¡¯s mind was barely working at this stage, but she believed the Hive-Builder was asking if she had lived in one of his hives¡so she danced the affirmative. The Hive-Builder then held out his hand. Mana stirred and twisted and grew so dense it turned visible¡before turning into glistening honey pooling in his hand.
¡°Here, come on! I¡¯m so glad to see you!¡±
Instinct took over where conscious thought failed, and she climbed onto his hand to begin drinking the honey. It was sweeter than anything she had ever tasted. She barely noticed as she was lifted into the air.
But¡the evil humans were dead, both her worker and the Hive-Builder were back, and now she had the sweetest honey before her. For the first time since her home burned, all was right in the world.
Belissar was giddy and nearly skipping. One of his queen bees was here! He had worried they all had died when the village was set on fire, but they had survived! And not only survived, but came all the way here! He needed to build her a hive right away and¡
¡°Um, Sacred Den Master?¡±
He turned to find Chief Rohsuak with a complicated look on her face.
¡°Yes?¡±
She pointed towards the Dirt Tunnel.
¡°What would you like us to do about them?¡±
Belissar tilted his head before looking down the tunnel¡and seeing the two men and wyvern pairs still standing there staring at the soldier bees hovering before them.
¡°Ah¡right, them. Um, Niobee, you said the queen said they aren¡¯t evil, or something?¡±
Niobee danced the affirmative.
¡°Queen mother said helped her, gave water on trip here!¡±
Belissar frowned. On the one hand¡those were men who traveled with the Tower Lord¡¯s son. He guessed they would have been part of the group that burned his village¡and they had attacked his Tower. His heart twisted in his chest as he remembered the bees that had fallen once more.
But¡apparently at least one of them had helped this queen arrive here. He had saved one of Belissar¡¯s bees and helped them reunite. Did that make up for everything else they had done, today and before?
Belissar furrowed his brow before sighing. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t decide right now. And he didn¡¯t really want to think about humans any more.
But there was nothing for it, so he stepped forward. The two mens¡¯ eyes widened. The younger one bowed his head.
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
The man looked up and sighed.
¡°Awaiting execution, sir.¡±
Belissar turned to the queen in his hand. He pointed towards the young man.
¡°Is that the one? The one who helped you?¡±
She danced the affirmative. Belissar nodded.
¡°In that case¡I won¡¯t kill you.¡±
The man¡¯s head shot up.
¡°Wait, what?¡±
¡°I said I won¡¯t kill you. You helped the bees survive.¡±
The man¡¯s eyes widened and quivered.
¡°That¡¯s¡are you sure?! I¡I recognize you. You were one of the villagers, right? The village we burned.¡±
Belissar froze.
¡°You¡remember me?¡±
The man¡¯s head and shoulder fell.
¡°I¡remember them all. I see you all every night. I don¡¯t deserve to live.¡±
Belissar tilted his head. The man¡felt bad? About burning the village? Belissar¡had no idea what to make of that. His chest burned and his head spun as he thought of that day¡so he focused instead of the bee lapping up honey in his hand.
¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to think about that. You saved the bees, so you get to live. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±
The man frowned.
¡°You¡¯re just going to let us go? We¡¯ll have to report to the Tower Lords, you know?¡±
Belissar froze.
¡°That¡¯s¡a good point.¡±
He furrowed his brow and grunted for a moment. Chief Rohsuak stepped forward.
¡°If you wish to spare him, Sacred Den Master, we could take him into custody for you?¡±
Belissar¡¯s face lightened.
¡°Ah, thanks. Let¡¯s go with that then.¡±
Belissar turned to face the man.
¡°How about I imprison you, then?¡±
The young man hung his head.
¡°¡as you wish.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°Of course. And the other?¡±
Belissar turned to look at the old man. He said nothing, just hung his head low and stared at the dirt with unfocused eyes. Belissar shrugged.
¡°¡might as well? Um, unless he causes any trouble.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and motioned to the karnuq. Metsaitti and the others approached the two men. The wyverns growled at them but the young man turned and calmed them down, leading them out of the cave. Belissar asked the bees to assist, so the soldier bee army surrounded the two men and wyverns as the karnuq led them out.
Belissar heaved a sigh. What a day it had been. He glanced down and found a corpse at his feet. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this was one the Tower Lord¡¯s son.
He gulped, and found his body began to shake. His stomach churned and he began to sweat. Now that he had time to think, he had really done it. By his command, the bees had ended a fellow human life. Several of them.
He took a deep breath and looked up, then shook his head. Fellow humans who had not hesitated to invade his home. Fellow humans who had not hesitated to burn his old home and kill both him and all the other villagers. Belissar wasn¡¯t close to any of them but that didn¡¯t mean he enjoyed watching everyone he had ever known put to the sword. If anyone deserved this fate, it was the men at his feet. He would not grieve their demise.
He just wished he hadn¡¯t had to lose bees to do it.
But more than any of that were the implications of this day. The Tower Lords had found him. They had arrived in force and acted as Belissar feared.
And his bees, with the help of the karnuq, had overcome them. The same group that burned his village had come to kill and destroy once more¡and instead had met their fate. The bee army defeated them as it had an invading shade. The karnuq had stood by his side and struck down the humans that wanted to kill him.
They could do it. They had done it. They had beaten the Tower Guard. They had defeated a Tower Lord¡¯s own son. They had stopped him from burning their homes.
Belissar gripped his free hand into a fist. Niobee landed on his head and tapped out a dance.
¡°King ok?¡±
He slowly nodded.
¡°¡we have a lot to do now but¡yes. I think I will be. Let¡¯s just make sure they can¡¯t hurt the bees anymore.¡±
¡°We will! King is best king! Bees will sting all intruders!¡±
Niobee began dancing on his head. Belissar felt a smile grow on his face, and his heart untwisted just a tad.
Chapter 147 - To Bee Remembered
Belissar wanted nothing more than to take Niobee¡¯s old queen, show her around, and then build her a nice beehouse¡but there was a lot to do to clean up the battle. The most important of which was¡to address the casualties.
The three soldiers felled by the lead Tower Guard were only the beginning. With how many opponents they faced and how coordinated the enemy way, the soldiers couldn¡¯t keep up the perfect evasion and rotation they relied on. Soldiers were caught by stray swords and spears, or the wild swings of the wyverns¡¯ tails and claws. Fireballs and lighting bolts and blades of wind cut though their formations when not blocked by the bumblebee soldiers. The bumblebee soldiers themselves had all survived but had taken good hits in the process.
The Second of the Sixth led her medicinal hive as they swarmed across the field, with the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s soldiers helping them carry trays of medicinal mana honey. The injured were assembled and fed honey as the medicinal bees injected healing compound directly into their wounds. Those who had lost wings were already being welcomed by Beero and her team.
And, those who could not be saved were gathered together for Belissar to carry to the Memorial.
As for Belissar himself¡
His face fell as the worker bees curled up in his hand. To his horror, he realized that the bees that had stung the Tower Lord¡¯s son were mundane honeybees, likely from the old queen¡¯s hive. And that meant¡they were subject to the normal rules of honeybees¡including the loss of their stingers when they attacked larger foes. Belissar did his very best to help them with mana and medicinal honey¡but these were normal bees. They possessed no mana of their own, so providing them with more didn¡¯t help much. And the medicinal honey was not enough to handle that level of damage.
His shoulders drooped as he let out a sigh, then began to gather the fallen bees to carry with the others. There was nothing else he could do for them¡save for this. He swore he would give their queen a wonderful home, so that their sacrifice would not have been in vain. The bees died, but the hive endured. Such was the way of things outside of his Tower.
But within his Tower, he had a say in how things went. And he would do his utmost to make this sort of sacrifice a relic of the past for all bees who dwelt here.
So came his next order of business. Now that the injured had been stabilized and the dead accounted for, Belissar made his way over to Chief Rohsuak and the karnuq. They were currently gathering the dead humans and wyverns and laying them out. They removed the saddles and packs from the wyverns, as well as any packs or weapons from the humans, and laid it all by the respective corpse.
¡°Hello¡Sacred Den Master.¡±
Chief Rohsuak was breathing heavily but still managed to give a salute. Belissar nodded at her and then turned to Metsaitti, who was coordinating the karnuq¡¯s efforts.
¡°I¡¯m¡guessing we have to deal with all this?¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°What would you like us to do, Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t in the mood for his usual questioning. Honestly, he didn¡¯t care what he was supposed to do with these bodies. He just wanted them dealt with and gone.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll try to absorb them, unless you had plans?¡±
Metsaitti just gave a salute.
¡°As you will, Sacred Den Master.¡±
Belissar gave a grunt and stepped forward.
Absorb lesser wyvern corpse? Samples: 0/3
Belissar waved a hand to confirm instead of speaking.
Sufficient samples gathered. Lesser Wyvern Spawner is now available!
Belissar sighed. Well, he guessed that was something. A spawner for a new monster. A non-bee monster that would likely be prohibitively expensive even if he wanted them around. Right now, he didn¡¯t really, even if he could afford them.
Place Lesser Wyvern Spawner? Upkeep: 150 mana (300 due to Blessing of Bees)
But he definitely couldn¡¯t, so he wasn¡¯t even going to waste time thinking about that.
And then¡he turned to look at the human corpses and frowned. He really didn¡¯t want to do this, to be honest. But at this point, he didn¡¯t care. These men had burned his home and come to burn another. They had killed his bees. He would do anything he needed to prevent that from ever happening again.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
So, he took a step forward and lifted his hand.
And then titled his head. Nothing happened. No messages appeared, no offers to absorb the corpses. He even bent down and touched one of them, but the Tower still didn¡¯t respond. Belissar shrugged.
Well, he didn¡¯t really want to absorb or summon people, to be honest. So, if the Tower didn¡¯t want to either, he didn¡¯t mind.
¡°Ok, got what I needed. You can do¡whatever you want with the rest.¡±
Metsaitti blinked.
¡°What of their possessions, Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar shrugged again.
¡°I guess let me know if you find anything especially useful and share anything that would help the bees. Otherwise, you can have it.¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°Thank you for your generosity, Sacred Den Master. And¡what of the bodies? The ones that resemble¡us.¡±
Belissar sighed.
¡°How do you normally get rid of bodies? Of¡enemies, I guess.¡±
Metsaitti¡¯s expression softened. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Belissar¡¯s shoulder. Belissar looked up at the tall karnuq man, the weight of the hand heavy and warm on his shoulder.
¡°We did not always have the luxury to decide. But when we did¡we burned them as we would any other. We always felt that the flames of the God of Fire were preferable to the Hunger¡¯s corruption.¡±
Chief Rohsuak stepped forward at that point.
¡°If I may¡our rites were developed in our time serving a Sacred Den of Fire. Perhaps it would be best if you came up with something related to the God of Bees?¡±
Belissar frowned and rubbed his chin.
¡°¡I¡¯m not sure what dead bodies have to do with bees, though?¡±
Chief Rohsuak thought for a second before turning to look down the field, in the direction of the Bee Barracks.
¡°Why not bury them beneath the ground, to nourish the flowers?¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow¡but then his face loosened. Not only was burial the norm back home¡but the idea of nourishing the ground, and turning all this death into new flowers to support new bees. He nodded.
¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Um¡if I remember, those flowers by the Memorial like death, right? Maybe we should bury them under there.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded. Metsaitti stepped back and saluted.
¡°As you will, Sacred Den Master.¡±
Belissar nodded back.
¡°Right.¡±
And then walked off. Now, all that was left to do was to gather the fallen and arrange for the memorial service. Belissar¡¯s eyes moistened.
But his heart felt just a little less heavy.
The queen was sitting on her worker¡¯s back as her worker hovered around the Hive-Builder. What few of her other workers remained hovered around her, buzzing nervously at all the bees from other hives around them. The much larger bees all of which held more mana than even her worker used to¡though her worker had grown dramatically since they had been separated. The queen herself stuck close to her worker, for there was absolutely zero chance she could contend with even one of these mighty hives.
And she stood completely still as she watched those mighty bees, those magical giants she couldn¡¯t imagined existed in this world, as they saluted and deferred to her worker. Her worker would dance commands and then the giants would set off to obey.
The queen was utterly confused. Why would these monstrous hives follow a single worker who lacked a queen, much less a hive? Unless her worker had joined one of their hives¡but then why wasn¡¯t her worker working along with them?
It was confusing, but it seemed for the moment that as long as she stayed close to her worker, she would not be attacked as a robbing intruder. She turned her attention, instead, to the Hive-Builder. And as she watched him, she could not help but tap a dance on her worker¡¯s back.
¡°Worker, what Hive-Builder doing?¡±
¡°Gathering bees! Will carry to Memorial!¡±
The queen was even more confused. None of those words made sense to her. And why would the Hive-Builder carry fallen workers? They had died in an excellent location, far away from any hives that she could see where the risk of disease and decay spreading would be minimal. So why would the Hive-Builder move them?
Her confusion only grew as the Hive-Builder carried the fallen bees, from her hive as well as the native ones, to what she recognized as one of his hives, surrounded by stone pillars. And then he put them inside?!
¡°Worker! What Hive-Builder doing?! Dead bees will cause disease! Should carry away from hive, not back inside!¡±
Her worker, however, showed no signs of concern.
¡°No bees live in that hive, is for dead.¡±
That did not answer the queen¡¯s questions.
¡°A hive¡without bees? For dead?¡±
Her worker confirmed.
¡°King honors bees that died for hive of hives.¡±
The queen¡¯s dance steps grew ever more unsteady.
¡°Honor? What that?¡±
Her worker hovered in place for a moment before beginning her reply.
¡°King¡loves bees. Doesn¡¯t like when bees die. Likes to thank bees when they do.¡±
The queen¡didn¡¯t understand. But her worker said no more, and she was too confused to figure out what else to ask. So, she simply watched from her worker¡¯s back. She watched as the bear-humans carried and buried the evil humans in the ground near the beehouse, while the King gently placed each fallen bee inside the house.
The King then bowed his head, with water running down his face.
¡°Thank you, for your sacrifice. Thanks to you all, we stopped the Tower Lords. We did not let them burn our home. I will not forget you.¡±
The queen¡¯s mind went blank as she saw the stone pillars begin to move. The images of bees carved into their side began to move and dance. They told her of bees that had flown into battle. They told her of entire hives that had perished stopping monsters she couldn¡¯t comprehend. Of bees who had thrown themselves into pits of fire to ensure their hives¡¯ enemies perished. Of bees stuck down by beak and lightning from birds that could wield the very elements.
And then, the most surprising of all.
The carved bee images turned to her. They began a dance of gratitude.
¡°Outsider queen¡¯s hive, three thousand one hundred and twenty-six worker bees. Gave their lives ensuring the enemy leader¡¯s demise.¡±
They¡were thanking¡her? They counted every one of her workers who had stung the evil human queen?
The queen had no idea how to respond. And while her mind attempted to work, her worker began to dance. A slow, graceful dance, one that the queen had never seen before. All around her, the monstrous giants began to dance as well, following her worker¡¯s steps.
She didn¡¯t know what was happening. But somehow, she felt something stir within her torso as she contemplated these things. It seemed her worker and the Hive-Builder had changed greatly in their time apart.
POBee 147.1 - Meeting the Hive of Hives
The Firstborn flew above the Memorial, her wings beating strong and steady. This battle had been one of their most costly yet in absolute losses, yet the Firstborn¡¯s mind stayed calm. Nay, she held herself high, having to keep her wings in check lest they carry her higher and away from the proceedings.
Because today, they had won a victory of victories.
Today, they had faced King-like beings that the Conduit named humans, as if the King¡¯s glorious form could be expressed with a single word. But apparently, he was not the only being to share that form, and the others were nothing like him. According to the Conduit, these humans were enemies. They had destroyed an entire hive of humans the King dwelt in, burned the King¡¯s home, and scattered his hives. They mortally wounded the King himself in the process. He had only survived because the Conduit rushed to his side as the God of All Bees pulled her away to create this realm.
In that, they were as bad as the Hunger. Worse, even, for they had apparently caused more devastation and come closer to killing the King than even the disaster that befell the First Dynasty of the First Spawner. The power required to do such a thing to the King¡was unfathomable. And yet, it had happened. The Firstborn saw herself as the King trembled, brought to great trepidation upon learning these humans approached his lands. He feared them more than the monstrous shades that hounded him so.
And then the army had laid them low. More and larger enemies than they had ever faced, working together in a manner the Firstborn thought limited to her army. They held claws of cold metal and commanded the very elements through magic on par with the karnuq. They rode on beasts that dwarfed even the largest flying shades and launched fire and lightning and wind as if they had all the powers of all the shades put together.
And yet, it was the King¡¯s army that emerged victorious in the end. They had triumphed over a foe that eclipsed the disaster of the First Dynasty, that had done worse to the King than any intruder he had faced since. They brought an end to an evil that plagued the King¡¯s very heart and that drove the Conduit to uncontainable wrath.
Today was a day the queens of the Flower Meadow could truly be proud of. No¡a day that the hive of hives could truly be proud of, for they hadn¡¯t done it alone. The bumblebee soldiers had taken the blows her soldiers could not. The supplies from the Apiary had made the army what it was today. Beero and the wounded soldiers¡¯ ceaseless efforts gave the hive of hives magical attacks of their own and defeated a foe faster than any bee.
And then there were the karnuq. If the Firstborn had any remaining misgivings about those outsiders, they were truly resolved. The karnuq had stood by their side, fought their foes, and struck down the King¡¯s enemies. The blazing karnuq had spared entire formations of soldiers, the mighty karnuq had fought the enemy no soldier bee could, and the rest of their hunters drew the enemies¡¯ attention so that the bees could aim their dives in peace. The Firstborn could now include the karnuq in the hive of hives without hesitation.
The Firstborn finished her thoughts as the memorial dance came to a close. She gave one final thanks and farewell to her soldiers that made today possible. Just then, she heard a loud clap as the King requested their attention. She gave him her full attention.
For speaking of outsiders, the bee clinging to the Conduit¡¯s back had not gone unnoticed. Nor had the Firstborn failed to notice that one of the evil humans was brought down not by her armies, but by worker bees from a hive she did not recognize. So, she watched with interest as the King called them forward¡
The queen¡¯s mind was still processing all that occurred when the dance came to a close. She suddenly jumped as she heard a loud clap. The Hive-Builder clapped his hands and all eyes turned to him.
¡°Hi everyone, could I have your attention? There¡¯s someone I need to introduce.¡±
The Hive-Builder held out one of his hands. Her worker flew over and landed on the hand, carrying her along.
¡°This is one of my queens from before! She¡¯s Niobee¡¯s mom, too, and she made it all the way here!¡±
A murmur of buzzing wings sounded throughout the field. The queen¡was confused one more. The Hive-Builder¡was presenting her to his new queens? Wouldn¡¯t they just attack her as an intruding rival?
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A massive queen came flying up to her, one many times her size and as large as her worker. The queen shrunk back, trying to hide within her worker¡¯s fuzz. Fortunately, the giant queen stopped before her worker. She then began to dance.
¡°Hello! I am the First Queen of the Second Dynasty of the First Spawner, the first of her line. Honored to meet Conduit¡¯s queen mother!¡±
The queen froze. This giant of a queen who could squash her with a single leg¡was¡greeting her? An intruding rival queen? Why would she do that?
And who or what was a Conduit?
But before she could voice any of her questions, a second giant flew in, no smaller than the first.
¡°Hello, I am the First Queen of the First Dynasty of the Fifth Spawner, the first of her line. It is an honor to meet the Conduit¡¯s queen mother. I welcome you on behalf of the hive of hives and the King.¡±
And then another.
¡°Hello! Am the Fourth Queen of the First Dynasty of the Seventh Spawner! Is nice to meet you!¡±
One by one, more giants came to dance before her, giving her greetings she didn¡¯t understand instead of impaling her with their massive stingers. Eventually she couldn¡¯t help but tap a dance out with a single leg, hoping no one but her worker would notice.
¡°Worker, what¡¯s going on? What are rival queens saying? Why aren¡¯t stinging?¡±
Her worker somehow responded while staying still, her mana shifting about and touching the queen¡¯s own in ways reminiscent of a dance. She, again, had no idea what was happening, but could somehow understand her worker¡¯s intent.
¡°Is hive of hives! Instead of fighting, all of King¡¯s queens work together! Build one big hive made of many! Queen mother is Niobee¡¯s queen mother and King introduced, so all queens will welcome!¡±
¡°I-I see, um, who is Niobee?¡±
¡°Niobee is Niobee¡¯s name! King gave!¡±
¡°N-Name? What that?¡±
¡°What King calls!¡±
Somehow, each answer the queen received only raised more and more questions.
The First of the Fifth¡¯s mind went blank as she comprehended the King¡¯s words.
The Conduit¡¯s¡queen mother?
She was vaguely aware the Conduit had existed before the King¡¯s realm did, in a time before she was the Conduit and before the King was the King. A time where the King was but one of many in a hive of humans, and the least of them. A fantastical tale she had trouble believing. How could the King be anything but king? With all his wisdom and grace and power and love? How could anyone treat him as anything but king? The Conduit as well! The Conduit was an existence beyond mere bees. She was connected to the Tower and the King and the Queen of All Bees in ways the First of the Fifth couldn¡¯t fathom. The rival she couldn¡¯t overcome back when she was jealous and scheming, a power she still couldn¡¯t comprehend even after acknowledging her position. Sure, the Conduit could claim she was a normal bee before, a mere worker even, but the First of the Fifth just couldn¡¯t see how that was possible.
And yet, here, today, was conclusive proof of these things. An army of humans had assaulted their home as the Conduit said they had before, requiring sacrifice from the bee army and the intervention of the karnuq to stop. And now a bee stood before them that they were told was the Conduit¡¯s queen mother. A small, tiny runt of a queen with scarcely a hint of mana that was currently trying to hide from their gaze. The First of the Fifth might even believe it if someone told her this wasn¡¯t a monster bee, much less an existence that gave birth to the Conduit!
And yet, the King had stated just that, so it must be true. The Conduit truly was born from¡a mundane honeybee of all things. And though the queen before them barely had any mana at all, if the First of the Fifth focused really, really hard, she found bits and traces. Bits and traces that matched the Conduit¡¯s signature. Not exactly, for the Conduit¡¯s mana was fundamentally tied to that of the King¡¯s realm itself, but close enough to clearly establish a familial connection.
The First of the Fifth was paralyzed as she considered the implications of all these things¡until a shadow passed in front of her eyes. The Firstborn moved to greet the new queen that the King himself had introduced to them. With that, the First of the Fifth shook herself out of her haze and flew forward as well, dancing her greeting.
She would decide how she felt about the Conduit¡¯s queen mother showing up as a mere honeybee later. For now¡the King was introducing a queen he claimed into the hive of hives. It was clear that the King and the Conduit both cared for this queen¡and so the First of the Fifth would care for her as well. Such was the way of the King¡¯s hive of hives.
She resolved herself as the rest of the queens greeted the Conduit¡¯s queen mother one by one. She would take care of this queen and show her the respect and love she deserved.
She just¡had to figure out how to do so. How exactly should she approach this queen? As the Conduit¡¯s queen mother, an existence that would naturally deserve immense respect and deference? As a small queen barely beyond a normal honeybee, who was clearly intimidated by the monster bees all around her? Should she offer her assistance beyond that of any other queen or would that be an insult to one who had raised a bee like the Conduit?
But as the First of the Fifth pondered, another queen shot ahead of her with no hesitation at all.
¡°Wow, you¡¯re from the Beyond?! Conduit¡¯s queen mother?! Amazing, incredible! Can tell me about the Beyond?! What was Conduit and King like then?! How got here, where came from?! Where Conduit and King came from?!¡±
Ah, maybe she should start by addressing the Fourth of the Seventh.
POBee 147.2 - A Bee-utiful Day in the Neighborhood
Eventually, the memorial and subsequent celebrations came to a close. Belissar couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit better as he had watched the bees dance around and slurp up honey. Apparently, they were more happy to have won the battle than they were to have lost any of their own. Belissar couldn¡¯t remain sad himself in the face of that, if for no other reason than that he didn¡¯t want to ruin their celebration.
Afterwards, there was much to do and think about, but Belissar felt drained, so he decided to call it and head to bed. He woke up the next morning to find Niobee waiting for him as usual¡with her queen still clinging to her back. She began her usual salute dance as she saw him.
¡°Good morning Niobee. Did your queen stay with you last night?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Belissar frowned. He may have been drained by the events of yesterday, but there was no excuse to have left a queen without a place to stay. He needed to rectify that immediately.
He was about to ask Niobee to speak with the queen for him when he paused. He tilted his head and then his eyes widened as he realized¡he had already spoken to the queen and she had responded. He focused in more closely on her and found that she now had a bit of mana flowing through her.
It seemed she was not just a normal honeybee any more.
In any case, that was convenient, since it meant he could speak with her directly.
¡°Hi there, hope you slept well. Sorry I didn¡¯t prepare any place for you to stay. I¡¯ll show you around and build you a home¡um, if you want to stay here with us, that is.¡±
The queen stirred on Niobee¡¯s back and looked up at him for a moment. She then slowly began to dance.
¡°Hive-Builder will¡build new hive? For me?¡±
Belissar saw something appear before his eyes but ignored it to focus on the queen. He gave her a warm smile.
¡°Of course!¡±
The queen paused for a moment before her wings buzzed and she took off, zipping around in an aerial dance.
¡°Yes! Please! Will make Hive-Builder lots of honey!¡±
Belissar laughed and smiled as the queen zipped around him. And then finally took a glance at the messages trying to get his attention.
His jaw dropped once he saw why.
Accept offer of allegiance?
New mission received: Accept the Oracle of Bees into your dungeon.
You have gained 1,273 sworn defenders.
Unnamed bee, the Oracle of Bees, has become your sworn defender!
Mission: Accept The Oracle of Bees Into Your Dungeon completed!
Reward: One Bee-type Perk Choice
¡°Ora¡cle?¡±
Belissar stared at the bee zipping around him, his eyes as wide as they could go. Oracles. For once, that was a term he knew. Mrs. Imkomos, the old beekeeper, had told them all about them, for it had been her lifelong dream to one day speak with one.
And that was because oracles could hear directly from the gods.
As such, they were afforded a place of great honor by the Tower Lords¡and protection. Such people rarely, if ever, interacted with the peasantry, though, so Mrs. Imkomos¡¯s dream remained just that to the day of her death. At this point, Belissar wondered if that was the choice of the oracles themselves or if the Tower Lords had secluded them away.
But now¡an oracle was here. One of his old bees, even, who herself was descended from the hives Mrs. Imkomos had raised before him. So¡not only was he speaking to an oracle now, he and Mrs. Imkomos had even helped raise one. His eyes moistened but a smile grew on his face.
¡°I guess I can fulfill your dream now, at least¡¡±
He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.
¡°So, um, I hear you¡¯re an oracle?¡±
The queen paused her dance and flew before him.
¡°Oracle? What that?¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Oh¡um¡have you spoken to any gods? The God of Bees in particular.¡±
The queen picked up speed.
¡°Yes! Queen of All Bees told not to sting evil humans! Told to follow and come here, then sting!¡±
Belissar blinked several times at that news¡and then broke out into a massive smiled as his heart began to pound in his chest. The God of Bees had appointed an oracle and sent down visions from above¡so that one of his old queens could reunite with him? He didn¡¯t think he could feel even more grateful to her than he already did, but he was just proven wrong.
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¡°I¡¯m glad you did¡well, um¡¡±
Belissar thought for a moment about what he should do with this news before shrugging. Even Mrs. Imkomos didn¡¯t know exactly what oracles did or how the Tower Lords treated them. Belissar therefore had no idea what, if anything, he should do differently now that he knew the queen was the Oracle of Bees.
So, he decided to treat her first as a bee.
¡°¡shall I show you around the Tower? You can pick a spot that looks nice to you and I¡¯ll build you a home.¡±
¡°Yes! Please! Hive-Builder is best hive builder!¡±
Belissar chuckled at that. It seemed the Oracle of Bees was, in fact, also a bee after all.
The queen zipped around as her worker and the Hive-Builder led her out of the Hive-Builder¡¯s nest. The Hive-Builder was not only keeping her, he was going to build a hive for her again! She had not thought he would do so, not after seeing all the mighty and giant queens he had replaced her and her former rivals with. How could she possibly compete with the magical giants? How could her hive produce honey on par with one that could sustain bees of that size? How could she drive them from any flower they wished to monopolize? How could she stop bees larger than any hornet from robbing her hive?
Apparently, though, the Hive-Builder did not mind that she was tiny and weak. He was giving her a hive all the same. Once again, he would check her hive and help remove the sick and the parasites. Once again, he¡¯d line her hive with warm furs to keep out the winter chill. Once again, he¡¯d provide them with extra provisions to ensure they could last until spring.
And he was even going to let her decide where the hive should go!
¡°This is the Apiary! The bees here mostly focus on making honey, so there are plenty of flowers!¡±
The queen spun about, taking in the room before her. As the Hive-Builder said, flowers spread out across the room, including flowers she had never seen before. There were entire patches of flowers that were glowing with a soft blue light. The queen¡¯s eyes locked onto them, she felt them drawing her in. She subconsciously began drifting towards them¡
And then she heard the buzzing.
She snapped out of her haze to see once of the giant queens from yesterday fly towards the. She quickly retreated to her worker¡¯s back, telling what few workers still accompanied her to stand down and avoid confrontation.
The giant queen stopped midair, though, and began saluting to the Hive-Builder.
¡°You remember the First of the Fifth, right? She¡¯s pretty much in charge of the Apiary, so she¡¯ll help you if we set up here!¡±
The First of the Fifth danced to confirm as much while the queen shrank as much as she could. She looked beyond the First of the Fifth to see gigantic structures in the distance. She would have thought they were human hives, if not for the clouds of bees flying in and out of them, absolutely covering the glowing flowers that her drawn her in.
This room¡appeared to be occupied.
The Hive-Builder led her to another room. A field of flowers even larger than the Apiary spread out before her. There were a handful of beehouses in sight, but no bees came and went from them.
¡°This is the bumblebee Flower Meadow. They actually prefer ground nesting, so there are a couple of beehouses you could use if you want.¡±
The queen spread her wings and was about to go fly and inspect one when a shadow passed overhead. She began buzzing as something slammed into the Hive-Builder. She nearly activated her attack pheromones but her worker¡¯s mana calmed her down.
¡°Is fine! Look!¡±
The queen looked with horror as several massive bees crawled all over the Hive-Builder. She thought he was under attack¡but on closer look she saw the bees were grooming him instead. The Hive-Builder responded by grooming the bees, both parties rubbing their legs all over each other¡¯s hair.
¡°I¡¯m happy to see you all too! This is Niobee¡¯s old queen! We¡¯re showing her around.¡±
The queen dropped down as flat as she could on her worker¡¯s back as one of the giants flew over. She remained as still as she could as antenna larger than her entire body began to sweep over her.
This room, too, was completely occupied.
The queen looked up at the rows upon rows of flowering trees covering the sky above her¡but she was not deceived. She knew, at this point, that where there were flowers, there were bees. The only question was what kind of bees she would find here.
¡°This is where the Fourth of the Seventh lives!¡±
The queen froze, and began to tremble as she remembered the giant queen that had accosted her last night, heedless to her terror as she danced overhead. She dove into her worker¡¯s hair and tried to hide as best she could.
¡°King! And new queen!¡±
But she was too late.
The queen could scarcely move as she clung to her worker¡¯s back with all her might. She had seen an army of bees no hornet could contend with. She had seen a wasteland of ash and fire¡that a magical queen was happily building a hive in. She saw tunnels where no light shined, and yet, there too another queen had already claimed a territory.
She was beginning to think she¡¯d have no choice but to beg one of the magical queens to take mercy upon her. Clearly, there was no room for a tiny, weak queen like herself to claim a territory of her own.
¡°Well, that¡¯s everything. Any place you liked?¡±
The queen didn¡¯t know how to respond. There were plenty of places she liked, but none that had not been claimed.
¡°King, not everything? More rooms?¡±
The Hive-Builder rubbed his chin at her worker¡¯s question.
¡°Well, there¡¯s the Fairy Grove but we¡¯re still checking if it¡¯s safe. I guess there¡¯s also the karnuq rooms? Um, would you like to see the room the karnuq live?¡±
The queen just managed to move her legs enough to eke out a question.
¡°Queen mother asks what karnuq are! Karnuq are bear humans!¡¯
The queen took a moment to ponder. The bear humans? They frightened her too¡but they also appeared deferential to the Hive-Builder. So, if she tried to think of them as just a type of human, who were treating the Hive-Builder like their queen, then they didn¡¯t seem that bad. She slowly danced her reply, moving her whole body so the Hive-Builder could see.
¡°Can check.¡±
The Hive-Builder nodded and led her to another room. The queen glanced every which way as the Hive-Builder showed her about. She saw an occasional worker, but few foragers and no queens. So, a place the monster hives were scouting, but hadn¡¯t claimed just yet?
¡°I was just adding beehouses here, so I guess you could move into this one if you¡¯d like.¡±
The queen looked at the hive before her, then slowly danced a question.
¡°No other bees here?¡±
The Hive-Builder shook his head.
¡°We just decided to move bees here recently, so none just yet.¡±
The queen immediately beat her wings and soared into the air, landing on the empty hive.
¡°Here! Will move here! No other queens moving here, right?!¡±
The Hive-Builder crossed his arms.
¡°Well, no, not yet. I guess that would work if you like it here?¡±
The queen danced the confirmation with all her might.
¡°Yes! Here!¡±
The Hive-Builder nodded.
¡°Got it. Go ahead and check it out, I¡¯ll let the karnuq know you¡¯re moving in here. Um, try not to sting them, ok?¡±
The queen saluted with all her might and then dove into the empty hive, taking shelter within its thick and mighty walls.
Safe! She was finally safe! A place she could grow her hive where they wouldn¡¯t be immediately squashed by magical giants! She guessed there were the bear humans living nearby but that was fine, she had lived near humans her entire life after all. Much better them than rival queens who could crush her at will.
It was only later that she noticed the beehouse, despite being empty, was already full of honey. As well as the massive currents of mana flowing through its walls¡
Chapter 148 - Gather Your Bee-solve
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s eyes went wider than Belissar had ever seen them. Her jaw even dropped.
¡°The Oracle of Bees? And you said she¡¯s moving into the hive in our village?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I know, I can barely believe it either. But, well, I guess she is the God of Bees, so maybe it makes sense?¡±
Chief Rohsuak blinked, and then smiled.
¡°Ah, I guess that is true. In any case, we are truly honored to have her dwell here. I will ensure she is treated with the respect and hospitality she deserves as the representative of our patron.¡±
Belissar nodded again.
¡°Thanks. Um, you may want to be careful around her hive for now. She¡¯s clearly not just a normal bee anymore, but her workers still seem normal, so they might try to sting you if provoked. You might need to hold off on gathering honey from that beehouse for now.¡±
Chief Rohsuak saluted.
¡°Understood, I¡¯ll let the clan know to give her some space.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Thank you, sorry for suddenly deciding this without asking.¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°It is your right as Sacred Den Master. And we are honored that you would trust us with an oracle¡¯s safety.¡±
Belissar smiled for a moment before his face turned grim.
¡°And that brings us to the other thing. Could you come and meet with the me and the queens? Maybe bring Metsaitti or whoever else you think might help.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and then tilted her head.
¡°Of course¡but may I ask what the meeting is for? That will inform who I would bring.¡±
Belissar jumped a bit.
¡°Oh, right.¡±
And then he looked out into the distance, narrowing his eyes.
¡°The Tower Lords have found us. We beat back one attack¡but there could be more in the future. I wanted to discuss what we should do to prepare in case they come again.¡±
Chief Rohsuak narrowed her eyes as she nodded.
¡°Understood, I was hoping to speak with you on that as well. We will be there, Sacred Den Master.¡±
Belissar nodded back, then turned to leave. Niobee had already gone off to gather the queens at this point. He took a deep breath before walking towards the nearest shortcut as well.
Belissar stood by the Orchard¡¯s Shrine of Bees, watching as queens from all across the Tower flew in from the shortcuts. Even Niobee¡¯s queen mother was here, clinging to Niobee¡¯s back as she seemed to enjoy doing. Chief Rohsuak arrived with Metsaitti and several other karnuq, including Juosiutik. Bees and karnuq both gathered around and saluted to him. He took a deep breath.
¡°Thank you for coming, everyone. Sorry to interrupt your work, but I¡¯d like to take a break from the purifications today so let¡¯s have the meeting now.¡±
He looked over his bees, smiling as his gaze fell on the Second First of the First and the other battle meadow queens.
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¡°First of all, thank you all for fighting yesterday. Thanks to you, we defeated a Tower Lord, or his son at the least. I didn¡¯t think that was possible, but thanks to you all, it was.¡±
The Second First of the First and the battle meadow queens began rapid salute dances. The karnuq saluted as well as Belissar thanked them in turn. He then took a deep breath, furrowing his brow.
¡°However¡I don¡¯t think it¡¯s over. The Tower Lords¡¡±
He looked over at the karnuq, his face twisting as he realized what he was about to say. He gulped¡but it had to be said. His Tower defenders needed to know what was coming.
¡°¡they think of beastkin as subhumans cursed by the gods. They also think that peasants like myself defile Towers with our mere presence. So¡I don¡¯t think they¡¯re just going to leave us alone now that they know where we are. Now that we killed one of their sons.¡±
Some of the karnuq scowled, while the bees began to buzz their wings. Metsaitti narrowed his eyes and gripped his spear. Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded.
¡°Well, I understand why you were worried about finding people like yourself, then. And you are indeed correct that we should prepare for the worst. Did you have something in mind, Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded, beginning to pace about.
¡°We¡¯ll keep up with the usual methods. More flowers, more bees, and more purifications. We should definitely expand whenever possible. We might need to increase the pace of that¡¡±
Belissar frowned as the battle meadow queens saluted. He knew that, ultimately, he was the one holding back the pace. His mana had outpaced the expansion purifications, so he could begin another right away if he wished. The reason he didn¡¯t was his desire to ensure they were completely, fully prepared, so that they could keep bee casualties to the absolute minimum.
But if they were willing to accept a few casualties here and there, they could conduct expansions earlier than he normally did. And he knew that the queens and the soldiers themselves were absolutely willing to accept those casualties. He was the only one who wasn¡¯t.
It was something he needed to think about, and sooner rather than later now that he knew the Tower Lords could reach him.
However, he had another idea in mind for right now. He turned to face the karnuq.
¡°However¡this time I¡¯m also thinking that we should try to work on your blessings. Back when I was just a peasant, I heard stories about the Tower Guard¡the personal soldiers of the Tower Lords. They were said to be invincible. Bandits, witches, or even incursions, it didn¡¯t matter. When the Tower Guard showed up, every situation was handled.¡±
He sighed and shook his head.
¡°Well, I also know that the Tower Lords lied about the gods hating peasants and beastkin, so I wasn¡¯t sure how much of those stories were true. But after seeing what that captain did, how strong he was¡I¡¯m worried the Tower Guard parts might be true after all. So¡I think we need some Tower Guards of our own.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded along.
¡°I agree. Our hunters and champions have been static for far too long.¡±
She turned to face the other karnuq.
¡°The Sacred Den Master has been gracious enough to invite us into his home, with full access to the shrines of the gods. It is high time that we begin to grow once more.¡±
She gave a pointed look to Metsaitti.
¡°And I don¡¯t just mean the young and inexperienced.¡±
He gave a sheepish nod as she turned back to Belissar.
¡°With that in mind, may I make two requests, Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°What do you need?¡±
Chief Rohsuak held up her hand and created a small wisp of fire that danced around her fingers.
¡°Would you be willing to share some of the Third of the Sixth¡¯s Fire mana honey with us? I believe that with her help and with the God of Fire¡¯s presence in your Sacred Den that it would be possible to raise new champions of fire among our clan.¡±
She made a wry grin.
¡°Someone to carry the torch whose bones don¡¯t ache like mine.¡±
Belissar turned to the Third of the Sixth.
¡°What do you think¡oh, she¡¯s already dancing yes. You sure you have enough reserves, you need to keep growing you know?¡±
But the Third of the Sixth just kept up her rapid salute dance. Belissar chuckled.
¡°We recently evolved a new burning queen as well, so that should be fine. Um¡you aren¡¯t all going to go with fire, right?¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled and shook her head.
¡°No, we will be sure to give the God of Bees her due as well. And that is my second request.¡±
Her face turned serious.
¡°I would like for our hunters to begin training with your bees, and perhaps learn from them. Additionally, I would like to request that your bees allow us to participate more directly in your purifications. At least to fight along their side, and maybe even to handle the shades on our own from time to time. I believe that the God of Bees will approve of our hunters learning to fight like your bees and directly defending her Sacred Den.¡±
Belissar turned to the Second First of the First.
¡°What do you say? Would you be willing to fight with the karnuq, and maybe let them fight on their own some time?¡±
The Second First of the First gave an immediate salute.
¡°Brave warriors, helped defend hive of hives. Part of hive of hives. Honored to fight with.¡±
Chief Rohsuak glanced at Metsaitti. The hunter blinked, then nodded and gave a salute of his own.
¡°I am honored you think of us so. We would also be honored to fight and train at your side.¡±
Belissar nodded as bee and karnuq saluted one another.
¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll appreciate the help with the purifications as well. Next, there¡¯s something we can do right now to strengthen the Tower.¡±
Belissar began to grin as all eyes turned to him.
¡°The God of Bees gave us a reward. We have another perk to decide.¡±
Chapter 149 - Deserved Bee-inforcement
Without delay, Belissar opened the reward.
Please select a perk:
- Bee-Type Speed Boost (Small) (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Bee Breeder (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Swarming Soldiers (Rarity: Uncommon)
His eyes widened. All uncommons this time? That was a god¡¯s reward, no doubt. After just a second staring at the list without a single common, Belissar started to read out the descriptions.
Bee-Type Speed Boost (Small)
- All Bee-type monsters receive a small boost to speed
- May affect Bee-type rooms and features where relevant
¡°Huh.¡±
Belissar scratched his chin. He hadn¡¯t realized that the stat boost perks also affected rooms and features. Though, he wasn¡¯t precisely sure how. Would moving faster apply to beehouses or the Apiary?
He shrugged though. Even putting that factor aside, making all of his bees a bit faster was powerful enough in and of itself. The battle meadow queens certainly agreed giving that they were all fidgeting about. The Fourth of the Seventh had no such hesitation and was zipping about, putting a smile on Belissar¡¯s face.
He moved on to the next perk.
Bee Breeder
- Small increase to the rate monster bee queens produce offspring
A repeat offering and another one that was simple but powerful. Belissar would never say no to more bees, that would aid in every aspect of his Tower. More workers to forage and scout, more soldiers to fight, more gardeners to help his flower bloom, and more communers to keep track of them all. But, most importantly and unlike the first time he saw this perk, Belissar now knew that the monster bee queens could raise new queens and new hives. A small increase in the number of bees born could become massive when it meant multiplying the number of hives.
Though, the perk did mention monster bee queens, specially. Would it also apply to the bumble bee queens? The perk wouldn¡¯t reach as far as the speed boost if not, though it was still worth considering. The First of the Fifth appeared to do so as she began cleaning her antennae over and over. The battle meadow queens as well, resumed their fidgeting. He guessed they might be torn between the two perks.
Belissar guessed that the last perk was not going to help with that.
Swarming Soldiers
- Monster bee soldiers gain a small boost to speed and strength and a minor boost to all other stats when ten or more gather together. Effects increase with numbers up to a current maximum of thirty.
- Slight boost to monster bee soldier coordination
- Applies to soldier variations but not to soldier evolutions
All the battle meadow queens froze, and then flew closer as Belissar read the description. He made an amused smile as each word drew them in more and more. He guessed he knew which one they preferred.
Indeed, the perk was powerful. It boosted all of a soldier bee¡¯s stats with the biggest boost to their speed and strength, helping them hit hard and fast. And the current size of the soldier bee army was such that it would always remain active, so for Belissar¡¯s soldiers it was a straight increase to their power.
It was also useful in that it made soldiers, the most common defender of Belissar¡¯s Tower, stronger and more capable. Lancers were powerful but few in number. Sprayers introduced a new element to the army but also couldn¡¯t fight well up close. At the end of the day, it was the soldiers who were holding the line. Boosting their power would help the majority of the army stay relevant against whatever new kinds of shades the Hunger threw at them¡or whatever new kinds of enemies arrived to assault them.
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Additionally, the perk mentioned variations and evolutions. Belissar rubbed his chin at that. If he had to guess¡it probably wouldn¡¯t affect sprayers or lancers, then? What exactly would count as a variation? Did that mean it could affect the bumblebee soldiers, maybe?
If it did¡the big bumblebee soldiers getting a boost to their strength could be a sight to see. Depending on if the perk affected them at all and if it did if it counted them along with the monster bee soldiers or if it counted them separately. There weren¡¯t ten bumblebee soldiers yet, after all, as they needed significantly more honey than their smaller counterparts.
So, that was the choice. Faster bees, more bees, or boost soldiers specifically in every way. Before deciding, Belissar turned to his bees and the karnuq.
¡°What do you think?¡±
The battle meadow queens conferred and saluted to one another, then the Second First of the First flew forward.
¡°Think¡soldier one best. Hive of hives is strongest when working together, good to make soldiers stronger when together.¡±
The First of the Fifth paused and quickly began dancing to the Apiary queens. A moment later, she made her dance to Belissar.
¡°Lots of jobs to do now, lots of flowers to gather. More bees would help, if King decides!¡±
Meanwhile, the Fourth of the Seventh was still zipping around.
¡°All of them! Any! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Belissar chuckled as he turned to the karnuq. Most of them were staring blankly or furrowing their brow. Chief Rohsuak made a wry smile and shrugged while Metsaitti rubbed his chin. He slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with Belissar.
¡°All of them have their use but¡Sacred Den Master, from what I have seen, you prefer to minimize casualties, correct?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
Metsaitti crossed his arms as he nodded.
¡°In that case, it may be wiser to strengthen your army than to expand it. Though, I speak only as a warrior, so I cannot tell you which will make your Sacred Den strongest overall.¡±
Belissar nodded and hummed to himself. Metsaitti had a point. A general speed boost would make it easier for his bees to dodge attacks. A boost to every stat for soldiers would correspondingly help in every way, making it easier to dodge attacks, easier to survive getting hit, and easier to defeat the enemy before they attacked in the first place. Bee Breeder, on the other hand, gave him more bees, but didn¡¯t make the individual bees any more resilient. It could be useful for overwhelming the enemy and absorbing casualties¡but only if Belissar was willing to take casualties in the first place. More powerful bees also meant he could tackle more purifications and expansions, acquiring more floors and choices in the process.
Though, Metsaitti did say he was thinking as a warrior. If Belissar tried not to think like a warrior¡that would be thinking more like the First of the Fifth than the battle meadow queens? More bees not only meant more soldiers, but more workers and gardeners as well. More workers and gardeners would mean more honey. More honey would in turn mean even more bees. And not just more soldiers, more honey could allow the army to evolve more sprayers and lancers or could let the bumblebee queens raise more of their larger soldiers.
Bee breeders would also help regarding new bees and flowers. More workers and gardeners would boost cross-pollination, meaning more and new kinds of flowers as well and faster spreading flowers. And bee breeders would directly help new queens set up their hives, with implications when new types of bees arose. For example, the Tower Guard had marched right through the Dirt Tunnels unopposed because the regular soldier bee army couldn¡¯t fight there either. If, however, the digging queen had expanded their hives and accumulated a decent batch of soldiers, Belissar could have attacked the Tower Guard while the wyverns were unable to fly at all. Or if the burning queen had an army of her own, then he could have considered fighting in the Lava Field and letting the mini-volcano do some of the work for the bees.
Belissar frowned. This time, he wanted all the options and so had a hard time deciding which. Did he want to make the bee army stronger directly? Or did he want to focus on aspects of his Tower besides fighting? And how should he pick when one would help the other as well?
He felt Niobee land on his head.
¡°King ok?¡±
Belissar glanced up at her and smiled. Indeed, there was one other bee who hadn¡¯t spoken yet.
¡°What do you think, Niobee?¡±
¡°Whatever King chooses!¡±
He chuckled at that.
¡°And if you were choosing?¡±
Niobee paused and her dancing slowed.
¡°If¡Niobee chose?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Please, I¡¯d like to know what you think.¡±
Niobee fell still. Then, slowly, she started to tap out unsteady steps.
¡°If Niobee chose¡Niobee wants stronger bees. Need to sting enemies without losing bees. Won¡¯t let anyone hurt King again.¡±
Belissar¡¯s mouth curled up a bit. Niobee¡had a bit of an aggressive streak, didn¡¯t she? He reached up and brushed her back.
¡°And I won¡¯t let anyone hurt the bees.¡±
Belissar made his choice.
Swarming Soldiers selected.
He decided that the brave soldier bees deserved the boost. Time after time again they risked and sometimes gave their lives to protect him and all the other bees behind them. He would not forget them or all that they had done, even if lancers could pierce their foes, sprayers could attack at a distance, or the karnuq could hold the line in their place.
He would reward them for their sacrifice, and in the process make them stronger and more capable of handling whatever else came their way.
He closed his eyes and turned his Tower sight to all the soldier bees in the dungeon. The battle meadow soldier bee army training for its next battle. The construction squad helping the karnuq build a roof. The Apiary soldiers standing guard by the room to the core. Beero and the others demonstrating their dance to their new members.
He stirred up his mana and sent it towards them.
¡°Thank you, for protecting our home.¡±
Every single soldier bee in the Tower paused¡and then burst out into rapid salute dances.
Chapter 150 - Woe Bee to the Vanquished
Belissar just watched the soldiers throughout the Tower with his tower sight, smiling as he did. He didn¡¯t know if he had made the best choice, but it certainly felt like the right one. He returned his sight to normal.
¡°Ok¡I think that¡¯s all for now. Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±
Most of the queens saluted, but then the First of the Fifth crawled forward.
¡°King¡First of the Eighth has a question. Can ask?¡±
Belissar broke out into a wide smile as he nodded.
¡°Of course. You all can always ask me anything!¡±
The First of the Fifth did a quick ¡°King is best king!¡± dance before catching herself and dancing towards another queen, one with purple stripes. The Apiary¡¯s maddening queen, the First of the Eighth apparently, flew forward and performed a salute dance, then launched into her question.
¡°King¡workers found human alive in pit when filling honey trap. What should we do? Should sting?¡±
Belissar froze.
¡°What?¡±
He zoomed with his tower sight to the Dirt Tunnels and quickly found the problem. There, in the final pit trap in the Dirt Tunnels¡¯ exit corridor, was one of the Tower guards, coated in maddening honey with the remnants of a dirt bridge scattered around him. He frowned as he rubbed his chin. There was a lot going on in the fight but he guessed he vaguely recalled someone falling into a Pit Trap on the initial charge?
Well, he guessed no one else recalled either since the bees didn¡¯t set it on fire. He was about to give the command on reflex, but the words caught in his throat.
The man was groaning. He appeared to be trying to speak but his face wasn¡¯t moving. The rest of his body stayed still, save for the occasional twitch of a finger. His eyes were somewhat unfocused but began to quiver any time a bee approached.
Belissar crossed his arms. This man, while one of the Tower Guards, was no longer a threat. He had most likely, and still was, paralyzed from being drenched in maddening honey. He couldn¡¯t even move.
He was one of the Tower Guards, one of the men who burned his home and slaughtered his village. He had come along with the Tower Lord¡¯s son to attack Belissar¡¯s new home, resulting in the deaths of many bees. And yet¡now that he was lying completely helpless at the bottom of a pit, Belissar hesitated to give the order to just end the man¡¯s life. Not when he had an alternative method of dealing with him.
He heaved a sigh and turned to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°¡would you be able to handle a third prisoner?¡±
Chief Rohsuak saluted.
¡°Of course, Sacred Den Master.¡±
Belissar nodded at her.
¡°Thanks.¡±
And then he turned back to the bees.
¡°Let¡¯s get him out of the pit, then, and take him to the karnuq. Oh, um, don¡¯t kill him, unless he starts moving and attacks or something.¡±
The bees saluted.
¡°Sacred Den Master, I do have a question on that topic.¡±
Belissar turned to Chief Rohsuak and nodded for her to continue.
¡°Do you have any plans regarding these prisoners? In particular, we are not able to speak with them, so we may need your assistance depending on what you wish to do with them.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°You¡can¡¯t speak with them? Why? Are they refusing to talk?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
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¡°No, we simply do not understand each other¡¯s language.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°But¡then how are you speaking with me? I speak the same language as them.¡±
Chief Rohsuak made a light smile as she shook her head.
¡°That is because you are a Sacred Den Master.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Oh, that makes sense. Guess it¡¯s just another Tower power.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled.
¡°Indeed.¡±
Then Belissar crossed his arms once more. What should he do with the prisoners? He honestly had no idea. What did one do with prisoners anyways? He had obviously never had a prisoner of his own. The village didn¡¯t have any either as far as he was aware, anyone who had done something wrong would normally have to pay a fine to the injured party and the village chief. If they had done something exceptionally bad, they¡¯d be exiled or handed over to the Tower Guard. In either case, they were never heard from again, so Belissar had no idea what became of them.
And even if he had, he did not want to follow the Tower Lord¡¯s example if he could manage it.
¡°Hm¡to be honest, I can¡¯t really think of anything right now, what do your people do with prisoners?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shrugged.
¡°During our sojourn, we didn¡¯t take prisoners.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°I see. In that case, I guess just keep them from causing trouble? Ah, and keep them alive. As for the language thing¡well, I guess I should talk to them now. I do have some questions regarding the Tower Lords. Um, if there¡¯s anything you need to say to or ask them, I can say that as well while I¡¯m there?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded with a salute.
¡°Thank you, Sacred Den Master. That should suffice for now.¡±
He let out another sigh.
¡°Well, I guess we better get to it.¡±
Belissar stood by the pit in the Dirt Tunnels and relit the beeswax candles¡though not the ones made with wax from the maddening bees. He watched as two bumblebee soldiers descended into the pit. Numerous maddening workers crawled over the man, lapping up the maddening honey still stuck to him. The man¡¯s eyes were shaking and he was whimpering¡whimpering that only grew as the giant bumblebees descended upon him. But he still couldn¡¯t move or do anything, so they landed and wrapped their legs around him without issue.
As one, the two bumblebee soldiers lifted the man out of the pit. Belissar smiled and nodded at them.
¡°Great work everyone. Let¡¯s take him over.¡±
The worker bees saluted. The bumblebees couldn¡¯t zip around while holding the man, but they did buzz their wings.
Belissar led the group to the karnuq settlement. Once there, the karnuq dressed up Belissar in the same getup he wore to meet with the sigmaka, and then Metsaitti directed him to the side of the room. There, a ring of karnuq hunters stood at guard while the karnuq villagers assembled a large stone structure. The two wyverns were off to the side with ropes lashed all around them and soldier bees buzzing overhead.
Metsaitti led Belissar to a smaller, more normal sized stone structure to the side of the one under construction. Well, it was only small in comparison, it was still karnuq-sized so large by Belissar¡¯s standards. Two karnuq hunters at the front of the building along with Juosiutik and a karnuq woman Belissar didn¡¯t recognize, and the Second of the Sixth with a group of medicinal workers. The hunters opened up the door as Metsaitti approached. Metsaitti stepped in, then Belissar followed him with the bumblebee pair and his usual soldier bee guards, and then Juosiutik, the woman, and the Second of the Sixth came last. The room was empty save for three bed rolls, and the other two humans. The bumblebees gently placed the man down on one of the bed rolls, then flew off so Juosiutik, the woman, and the Second of the Sixth could have a look.
Belissar rubbed the two bumblebee soldiers¡¯ fuzz, and then turned his attention to the other two men while he waited. The old man was sitting and leaning against the wall, his eyes unfocused. The young man had stirred as they entered, however, and was watching with wide eyes.
¡°Is he¡?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°We found him in one of the pits. He¡¯s alive.¡±
The young man slowly nodded. At first he moved to sit back down, but paused as Belissar remained. He slowly straightened himself.
¡°Do you wish to speak with us, Tower Lord, sir?¡±
Belissar scowled.
¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±
Even Belissar was surprised at how he spat the words out. Niobee, who was sitting on his head, and the soldier bees began to buzz their wings in response. The young man took a step back with his hands held up and bowed his head.
¡°I apologize.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°It¡¯s¡look, I¡¯m not fond of the Tower Lords. Not anymore. Call me Tower Keeper, or Sacred Den Master, or any other name for it. Just not Tower Lord.¡±
The young man¡¯s face fell and he nodded.
¡°I understand, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar sighed once more.
¡°Ok¡then, I have questions for you.¡±
The young man slowly nodded.
¡°I figured. What do you wish to know, Tower Keeper?¡±
Belissar narrowed his eyes.
¡°I need to know how you got here. How did you find me, how far did you travel and from what direction? And how soon can we expect more of you?¡±
The young man turned his gaze down to the ground and let his shoulders droop.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t expect any of us.¡±
Belissar paused at that.
¡°What? What do you mean?¡±
The young man took a deep breath.
¡°We weren¡¯t intended to survive. After what happened in your village, the lord of Starami Tower was really upset. I heard the Conclave got involved too. We were sent out as the first wave with an intentionally small force. We were supposed to die. So¡I don¡¯t think any of them care about following us.¡±
Belissar was processing this when Metsaitti suddenly grunted.
¡°Sacred Den Master, the man in the back flinched. I think he knows something.¡±
Belissar turned his gaze to the old man, who had tried to go back to leaning against the wall. But his eyes were focused now, and he was averting his gaze.
¡°You there. What do you know?¡±
Chapter 151 - Interpreting the Prophe-Bee
The man¡¯s eyes twitched and glanced every which way. But then¡he stopped, looked Belissar in the eye, and then turned his gaze down with a heavy sigh.
¡°¡it matters not. My life is over, I will not end it with yet another failure. Kill me if you must.¡±
Belissar glared at the man but he refused to raise his head anymore. Belissar turned to the young man.
¡°Who is he, by the way? Why did you bring an old man like that with you?¡±
The young man rubbed his chin.
¡°He¡¯s an augur. I don¡¯t fully get it but they¡¯re supposed to divine the will of the gods, especially regarding Towers? I¡¯m not sure how but he was the one who figured out where to go. Our¡commander claimed a god spoke to the augur and told us where to go.¡±
Belissar blinked at that.
¡°A¡god led you here?¡±
Belissar frowned. If the gods were getting involved¡then the situation could be worse than he thought. He had thought the Tower Lords had lied about the gods disproving of peasants and beastkin after he was blessed by the God of Bees¡but now a god had led the Tower Lords straight to him? Now that he thought about it, it was true that the gods were not a united monolith. They were individuals, unique and separate from one another. They could be different, and they could even be at odds with one another.
So¡perhaps the God of Bees and the God of Fire didn¡¯t care too much about him and the karnuq controlling a Tower¡but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t a god who did.
Belissar narrowed his eyes at the augur.
¡°Which god did you speak with? And what did they say?¡±
But the augur did not respond any further. Belissar continued glaring at him for a while¡but then he paused. And then Belissar started to laugh. The augur glanced up at him, but Belissar ignored him now.
¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. If you don¡¯t want to tell us, we¡¯ll just ask the gods ourselves.¡±
Belissar nodded to Niobee and she flew out of the prison. It didn¡¯t take her long to reach the karnuq settlement proper, and the beehouse there. Her queen mother stepped out of the hive as she approached.
¡°Worker!¡±
¡°Queen mother!¡±
The two crawled over each other a bit before Niobee began to dance.
¡°King has a question for Queen of All Bees! Evil humans said a god sent them to King, wants to know which one and why!¡±
The queen paused for a moment before beginning an unsteady dance.
¡°¡not sure. Queen of All Bees talks to me, not sure how to ask¡¡±
But then she froze and her eyes began to glow with golden light. A moment later the glow faded and she began to dance quickly.
¡°Queen of All Bees said she did! Wanted to help me find worker and Hive-Builder! Amazing! Incredible! Queen of All Bees best queen of all bees!¡±
Niobee joined her in the celebratory dance.
Back in the prison, Belissar had a massive grin on his face. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, to the point that everyone in the room was staring at him. He hardly even noticed. He bowed his head on the spot.
¡°Truly, thank you. I can¡¯t thank you enough for this.¡±
He took a deep breath, letting his joy and gratitude wash over him as he exhaled it with a smile. Only then did he notice everyone staring at him. Metsaitti tilted his head.
¡°Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar turned to him, a smile still on his face.
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¡°We asked the oracle and the God of Bees responded. There¡¯s no problem after all, she¡¯s the one who sent them. She wanted to help the oracle get here.¡±
The augur froze, his eyes going wide.
¡°Ora¡cle? That¡that must be a lie. There were no oracles with us. Unless¡no, the three of us are the only ones left and it¡¯s not any of us. There¡¯s no one else it could be.¡±
Belissar shrugged. Well, the augur didn¡¯t seem helpful and he already knew which god he had spoken to, so instead of responding to him Belissar turned to the young man.
¡°Ok, you said we shouldn¡¯t expect the Tower Lords to show up again. Are you sure about that?¡±
The young man jumped at being addressed but began to rub his chin.
¡°Um, fairly sure. We travelled a long way and skipped over several Towers on the way. We barely made the last leg of the journey, it was about as far as the wyverns could fly in one go. If we hadn¡¯t found your Tower, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to turn back. So, even if anyone cared where we went, it would take them a long time to follow us, I think. I¡¯m not sure how they¡¯d make the last leg either. Our captain wanted to turn around, but our commander ordered us onward because he believed the gods were leading us¡which I guess was actually true? It would have been a suicidal decision if he hadn¡¯t been right, I guess.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms and rubbed his chin.
¡°So, we should have time. Since you¡¯re not reporting back, maybe they¡¯ll think you died.¡±
The young man furrowed his brow.
¡°That¡¯s¡the augur over there did something before we entered the Tower. A magic ritual of some sort. I think it¡¯s supposed to let the Tower Lords know we arrived at a Tower, or something?¡±
Belissar turned to glare at the augur again. The augur glared at the young man in turn, but said nothing. Belissar instead sent a message to the Fourth of the Seventh.
¡°Hi, Fourth of the Seventh? Can you scout the area around the Tower? We¡¯re looking for some sort of magic ritual or formation or something. It looks like¡¡±
Belissar paused and turned to the young man.
¡°Um, do you know what it looked like?¡±
The young man frowned.
¡°I didn¡¯t get a great look¡but it was carved into the dirt? I think it was glowing green at one point.¡±
Belissar nodded and relayed as much to the Fourth of the Seventh.
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
He watched as the Fourth of the Seventh began to organize a scouting party and sighed.
So¡the Tower Lords might know where his Tower was after all. But at the same time¡they were apparently quite far away, with several other Towers between them and a long, unbroken stretch of the Hunger at the end. Likewise, this particular party had not been expected to survive. So, there was no guarantee the Tower Lords would follow them even if they had passed a message back. Even if they did, they would not arrive immediately.
So, they would have some time to prepare. But they would need to prepare, for it was still possible the Tower Lords would follow this party¡¯s path one day. Belissar nodded to himself.
The young man seemed to have shared as much as he knew, and the augur still refused to speak. The most urgent questions were answered in any case and Belissar knew enough to guide his immediate actions.
And that meant it was time to ask what he really wanted to know.
¡°Thank you. Now, let me ask you something important.¡±
The young man gulped as Belissar focused in on him.
¡°Tell me about the bees, and how you brought them with you.¡±
The young man froze, and then tilted his head.
¡°Um, the bees, Tower Keeper sir?¡±
Belissar nodded, holding his intense gaze. The young man gulped.
¡°Um, ok. I found them at the bottom of my pack at one of the rest points. I¡¯m not sure how they got there¡but they didn¡¯t sting me when I found the hive. I¡¡± The young man¡¯s face fell. ¡°¡I didn¡¯t want to hurt anything else at that point, so I figured I¡¯d let them be. I thought they¡¯d sting me when we took off again or when I needed something from the pack, but they stayed surprisingly docile¡¡±
As the young man spoke, the augur slowly turned his gaze to them.
¡°Bees? What bees¡¡±
His eyes began to go wide as the young man continued his tale.
¡°There¡was a hive of bees traveling with us?¡±
And then¡the color of the god who set their path, the banners of the Tower, and the defenders that had struck Ruckanos down all flickered in the augur¡¯s mind¡along with the Tower Lord¡¯s claim that there was an oracle¡
The augur¡¯s face began to pale.
But Belissar wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. He began to subconsciously smile as the young man described their journey.
¡°And then I wondered how they were getting water, so I figured I¡¯d share a bit. I tried to get them to leave at that point since we had found a nice purified zone, but they refused to budge. At first I thought it was that they considered the pack their home¡but it sounds like there was something else going on?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yes. The queen is intelligent and can speak with the God of Bees. She was trying to make it here.¡±
The young man blinked, staring blankly into space.
¡°I¡see?¡±
Belissar chuckled and smiled at him.
¡°She was also one of the queens from my bees in the village.¡±
The young man¡¯s eyes went wide and quivered.
¡°¡the one we burned?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°So¡thank you, for taking care of her and helping us reunite. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to kill you now. So, um, let me know if you need anything. I can¡¯t let you go but¡I¡¯ll take care of you like you took care of her.¡±
The young man didn¡¯t respond. Belissar wait for a bit, then shrugged and turned to leave. He turned to Metsaitti.
¡°Make sure the young man is comfortable. Um, let me know if you need me to speak with him or something. The others¡well, we¡¯ll see when the other guy wakes up. The old guy can just¡stay here, I guess.¡±
Metsaitti saluted.
¡°As you command.¡±
And with a nod to Metsaitti, Belissar left. Leaving the two humans lost in their thoughts.
POG 151.1 - Will of the Bee-vine
The Fourth of the Seventh zipped about, but one of her scout communers stopped her.
¡°Queen, over here!¡±
She spun about and sped at the communer¡¯s dance until she saw it. Several of her scouts hovered over a patch of dirt just before the Tower. Grooves had been carved in a large, circular pattern. The pattern occasionally pulsed with a soft green light that was easy to miss amongst the grass and flowers.
The Fourth of the Seventh danced happily about.
¡°Great work, everyone! Will tell King we found it!¡±
But just as she was about to relay it to the King, the pattern shifted. The soft green light turned into a bright red. The Fourth of the Seventh reacted immediately.
¡°Get back!¡±
At her command her workers immediately flew away from the pattern. The Fourth of the Seventh did likewise, knowing that the workers wouldn¡¯t evacuate before her. A moment later, the pattern pulses with a light too bright to see.
And then it fell silent and glowed no more.
Belissar frowned as the Fourth of the Seventh reported. They had found the magic formation, but then it did¡something. Turned red, flashed, and then went dead. Now it was little more than grooves in the dirt, with not even a hint of mana circulating within it.
It had probably completed whatever it had been intended to do.
Belissar sighed. He had a bad feeling about it but what could he do? Neither he nor the bees had any idea what any of the grooves meant, if anything. He¡¯d have the karnuq look at it too but even if they knew what the formation was for, it seemed too late to do anything about it. He guessed he should assume that the Tower Lords knew where he was.
He could only hope that the journey would be as long and difficult for them as the young Tower Guard said. At the very least, no bees had been hurt by the formation, so at least it hadn¡¯t been dangerous. He wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d have done if more bees had been hurt by this whole affair.
His mind wandered as he picked up a jar of mead and a tray each of every kind of honey he had stored. So, the God of Bees herself had sent the Tower Lord¡¯s son here to help one of his queens find her way back to him¡as the Oracle of Bees now, no less. He couldn¡¯t be happier or more grateful to be reunited with one of his queens, as well as to hear directly from his patron the God of Bees.
And yet¡he had to wonder as to all of her purposes. Because in doing so, the Tower Lords were now aware of his existence and location. The man she had sent had led an assault on his Tower that claimed many bee lives. As many bee lives as some of the worst of the shades, even, excepting the very first purification he hadn¡¯t prepared for.
Did the God of Bees want the Tower Lords to know he was here? Did she think he was ready to face them? Did she have another purpose in mind he couldn¡¯t see? And why did she allow the Tower Lord¡¯s son to attack the Tower in the first place? Couldn¡¯t she have told them to stop?
But he shook his head as he arrived at the Shrine of Bees. He placed everything he was carrying in the wax chest, knelt before the shrine, and looked up at the statue of the God of Bees with a smile on his face.
¡°Thank you, for everything. Thank you for returning one of my queens to me. Thank for bringing her safely, and for all your guidance and support.¡±
All of those questions still paled in comparison to the joy he felt at being reunited with Niobee¡¯s queen. And if the Tower Lords came as a result of it, he¡¯d just have to trust in his bees and the karnuq to handle it. He¡¯d face as many Tower Lords as he had to if it were for the sake of his bees.
As he spoke, the Shrine of Bees began to glow¡
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A group of monster bee soldiers and honeybee workers hatched out of wax cells on the floor of the Hive of All Bees. They glanced around and buzzed their wings, spinning around in confusion. But as they did, four hives of bees flew towards them, led by four queens. The soldiers prepared to fly at first¡until they recognized the mana of the queens. In addition to their own, individual mana, the queens each held an identical mana within them, a mana that each of the soldiers shared as well.
One of the queens landed and began to dance.
¡°Hello! Am First Queen of the First Dynasty of the First Spawner of the First Bee Dungeon, the first of her line. Welcome to Hive of All Bees, fellow bees of the First Bee Dungeon. Thank you for protecting our home.¡±
Elsewhere, the Queen of All Bees watched as the queens greeted the incoming bees. Normally, she let bees who arrived sort out their own place and role, as was normal for bees to do. In this case, though, the newly arrived bees deserved a bit of extra consideration.
That Niobee¡¯s former queen had grown enough in mana and awareness to provide the Queen of All Bees a second hook into the word was a pleasant miscalculation. That said queen¡¯s new awareness and the loss of Niobee had caused her to lead her hive towards starvation was not. The Queen of All Bees had thus done all that she could to ensure the queen¡¯s survival. Fortunately, there was a group of humans that just so happened to be looking for her dungeon, so it had worked out. She had no doubt her favored dungeon master would welcome her new follower with open arms, even if they hadn¡¯t already been acquainted. That her dungeon master and conduit would both be overjoyed to reunite with the queen pleased her as well.
Unfortunately, the humans that carried the queen were hive-burners and enemies of her dungeon master and conduit alike. And establishing her first ever oracle in order to speak directly to the queen had burned through most of her accumulated authority, not to mention answering the humans¡¯ divination. The offering they had made didn¡¯t even come close to paying back the authority spent, but she had no other choice.
It was unfortunate as well that the human empire would become aware of her dungeon¡¯s location if this plan succeeded, given that she had little influence among them, but they were far enough away that she felt it was worth the risk. With how difficult the journey had been for the group that carried her oracle, she knew that an army had no hope of making the trip anytime soon. Time during which her favored dungeon would only continue to grow, which she would encourage with all the authority she could muster.
Of course, that meant she did not have the authority available to answer the humans when they had actually arrived at her dungeon. And even if she did, she cared little for their fate. They had already burned hives and assaulted her favored dungeon master. They may have carried her new oracle through a long and dangerous path, but if they chose to repeat their crimes against bees, in the dungeon that bore her symbol no less, then they deserved whatever fate befell them. She left it to her favored dungeon master to decide, the strength of his hive more than sufficient to hand them either grace or justice as they deserved.
Still, she could not help but feel some responsibility for the casualties that resulted. Part of her was amused that her favored dungeon master got so worked up over a handful of workers or soldiers, those who purpose it was to spend their lives for the hive. But in the end, her dungeon master¡¯s grief on behalf of bees struck right at her very core. How could she not resonate with one who cared so deeply for even the least of the bees? How could she not be moved by one who spared no effort to preserve every bee that he could, and who did all that he could to honor those he could not save?
¡°Belissar best dungeon master!¡±
She had to calm herself from her spontaneous dance before resuming her train of thought.
She would, therefore, not spare any effort to ensure that those bees he had not saved were taken care of as he would have wished.
But in the end, the prize had been worth the cost. She now had an oracle to call her own, safely housed within her favored dungeon master¡¯s halls. She could now make known her will directly to the world at a fraction of the cost in authority. Her ability to assign missions and offer blessings would expand dramatically as well and extend beyond her dungeon shrines. And most of all, now that she could interact more directly with the people of the world, her name would grow among them. One day she, too, would be able to act beyond the reach of her few direct hooks.
And so, those who had made it happen would be rewarded. The one human who had acted kindly towards bees on their trip would not be forgotten; his key role in carrying her oracle safely would be acknowledged. And then, of course, her favored dungeon master. While she could not reward him directly for the defeat of his fellow humans, she could at least reward him for taking in the oracle. In fact, that oracle only grew because of the worker that became the Queen of All Bees¡¯ conduit, and both of those only survived because Belissar took care of both while they were still mundane bees. She intended to see him grow, both to ensure his, the conduit¡¯s, and the oracle¡¯s future safety. And simply because he deserved it.
Now, all she needed was to gather some more authority so she could make it¡
Just then, something pulled her attention. She watched as the offerings and gratitude came pouring in, her favored dungeon master once again filling her coffers¡and tugging on her heart.
This time, she didn¡¯t resist the dance.
¡°Belissar best dungeon master! Belissar best follower!¡±
Chapter 152 - An Insolent Bee-quest
The Shrine of Bees flashed, leaving a message before Belissar¡¯s eyes.
New mission received: Receive an oracle from the Oracle of Bees
Belissar blinked and then smiled. That was one he could do right away! He made his way over to the karnuq settlement and to the beehouse there. He watched as worker bees flew in and out of the hive to the nearby flowers. The hive was relatively small at this point, but with his tower sight he could confirm the queen had started laying more eggs, so it should recover. Well, if all else failed he¡¯d ask the First of the Fifth to lend a hand, she took good care of her fellow queens.
He slowed down as he got near the hive, wondering how or even if he should approach. The workers were normal honeybees last he checked so they might grow defensive of their home. He lacked the thick clothing he used beforehand, and absolutely did not want any of the hive¡¯s few remaining workers to sacrifice themselves stinging him. But then he remembered that the queen was his sworn defender now, and he could talk to her whenever he wished.
¡°Hello, queen? Is now a good time to talk?¡±
Within the hive, the queen stopped what she was doing and crawled towards the entrance of the beehouse, then took off flying. She flew straight towards him and then began to zip around.
¡°Hive-Builder! New hive is amazing, incredible! Builds comb by itself, makes honey by itself!¡±
Belissar¡¯s face broke out into a wide grin.
¡°I¡¯m glad you like it!¡±
Before he could say anymore, though, the queen¡¯s eyes began to glow with golden light. Once the glow faded, she started a slightly unsteady dance.
¡°Queen of All Bees says Belissar best dungeon master! What¡¯s a Belissar?¡±
Belissar, however, did not respond. His eyes slowly widened as he processed the message, then his smile grew as large as it could as his entire torso grew warm.
¡°¡thank you. I think you¡¯re the best god too!¡±
Mission: Receive an oracle from the Oracle of Bees completed!
Reward: + 100 DP
The God of Bees¡thought he was the best dungeon master? How was that possible? Was he truly doing a better job than all of the Tower Lords? Or was she just encouraging him?
In either case, he truly was thankful to his patron. He would just have to keep doing his best for her and for her his bees.
The Tower mostly rested and reorganized for the rest of the day, with plans made for the karnuq hunters to join the purifications and the bee army training the next day. The next morning, Belissar received a message from Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Sacred Den Master, would you be willing to help us speak with the prisoners again? We intend to move the surviving wyverns to the new enclosure and could use the young one¡¯s help pacifying them.¡±
Belissar nodded as he sent his reply.
¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±
Not long after that, Belissar arrived at the prison once more. The augur still sat against the back wall of the room, muttering to himself under his breath, while the young man stood as he entered.
¡°Tower Keeper, sir. Did you have more questions?¡±
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Belissar shook his head.
¡°We¡¯re going to move the wyverns to a big structure. We should be able to loosen some of their restraints, but we can¡¯t if they¡¯ll act violent. Could you¡help us keep them calm?¡±
The young man blinked but then slowly nodded.
¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ll help with that.¡±
Belissar nodded and left the room. Two karnuq hunters stepped in and escorted the young man out.
A little while after they left, the augur stopped muttering. He looked up and then glanced around. He couldn¡¯t see any of the beastkin either in the room or looking in through any of the openings. He knew that Tower Lords could, of course, see anything within their Tower whenever they pleased¡but if the Tower Lord was currently working with the traitor, then¡
This could be his only chance.
He hunched over and began to draw in the dirt of the floor. He did not notice the bee hidden on the roof, who now began a frantic dance.
Belissar was watching and translating as the young man rubbed one of the wyvern¡¯s heads when Niobee suddenly began buzzing loudly at his side.
¡°Niobee? What is it?¡±
She flew before him, extending her stinger.
¡°King! Evil human doing something!¡±
His eyes widened. The young man in front of him clearly wasn¡¯t and the injured one still hadn¡¯t fully awakened so¡
¡°You mean the old man?!¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Belissar¡¯s soldier bee escorts were already soaring towards the prison. Metsaitti gave Niobee his attention the moment she started to buzz and now barked a command.
¡°To the prison!¡±
Belissar stood for a moment before running after the bees and karnuq. He switched to his tower sight and found the old man drawing something in the dirt.
¡°Careful, I think he¡¯s making another formation or something!¡±
The bees flew in through some windows at the top of the structure, while Metsaitti rushed forward and kicked open the door. He stepped forward and thrust his spear forward as the soldier bees flew in from the sides. The augur gasped and scrambled to his feet, leaning flat against the back wall as Metsaitti¡¯s spear stopped just shy of his neck. Belissar signaled to the soldier bees not to attack, so they also stopped before stinging. Instead, they hovered menacingly around the augur¡¯s head, their stingers pointed towards him.
Belissar stepped inside the room a moment later and glared at the man.
¡°What were you doing?¡±
The augur gulped¡and then his face fell. He hung his head and his shoulders as he heaved a long sigh.
¡°I¡suppose I should tell you. I¡was attempting to contact the gods.¡±
Belissar narrowed his eyes at the man.
¡°The gods? Not the Tower Lords?¡±
The augur slowly shook his head.
¡°I¡understand you cannot trust me but¡we were sent here by a god, only to perish nearly to a man. You now claim an oracle came with us. I¡I spent my entire life attempting to discern the will and movements of the gods. My entire family has devoted generations to the task, and yet the message I received was the most direct communication any one in my family¡¯s entire history had ever received. For it to have ended in complete disaster¡makes no sense. Escorting an oracle would explain it but why here? Why to an unknown Tower filled with sub-humans¡¡±
Belissar snarled.
¡°Don¡¯t call them that.¡±
The augur gulped and slowly nodded.
¡°...I understand. To an unknown Tower filled with beastkin, on a journey fraught with peril that could have easily ended all of us. Why weren¡¯t we told of such an important passenger, or of the purpose of our journey? I¡I must know the truth of the matter. Even if I must perish. My life has little meaning anyways.¡±
The augur took a deep breath and raised his head, looking Belissar in the eye. He then bowed his head.
¡°Please¡Tower Lord¡allow me to visit the Shrine of your patron. Please allow me to ask one final question. You may kill me if you must, but I must know the truth.¡±
Belissar frowned and crossed his arms.
¡°First of all, don''t call me that, it''s Tower Keeper. And then...why? I mean¡why should I? You¡¯re the one who attacked. You won¡¯t answer any of my questions either. And now you¡¯re trying to do something in secret.¡±
Belissar felt a fire grow in his chest and he snarled.
¡°And thanks to you, my bees died, so, you know what? I don¡¯t really care what you want. If a god sent you here, then why did you attack her Tower?! Why did you attack us?!¡±
The augur¡¯s shoulders fell.
¡°That¡¯s¡we though the god was helping us correct our failure¡but then¡the god who sent us matched the banners of the Tower¡and we still attacked. By the gods, what have we done?¡±
The augur¡¯s knees gave out and he slowly slid down the wall. Tears began to fill his eyes. Belissar continued scowling but then he noticed the bees buzzing. He saw Niobee preparing to charge.
¡°King¡¯s enemy! Bees sting!¡±
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°Hold on, everyone.¡±
He glared at the man on the ground¡the old man curled up at his feet. Some of the heat drained from his chest. His own eyes began to tear up at the thought of all the bees who had perished. His own shoulders drooped. He turned around.
¡°Whatever you were doing, don¡¯t do it again. Don¡¯t you dare do anything more.¡±
As he began to leave, he heard a raspy, stuttering voice.
¡°Tower...Keeper¡I¡I will tell you everything. A-Anything you wish to know. Just¡please tell your patron that¡I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Belissar froze, a storm raging in his chest. He slowly turned around and glared at the augur. The augur lifted his head, tears streaming down his face.
Belissar slowly opened his mouth.
"...you are going to tell us everything."
Chapter 153 - The Conclaves Bee-haviour
Belissar crossed his arms and glared at the man. Metsaitti pulled his spear back slightly, but kept it pointed forward, while the bees continued to buzz around in the air.
¡°Ok, first question. What exactly was that magic formation outside the Tower?¡±
The augur slowly nodded.
¡°It¡was our means of communicating with the Conclave. We activate the signal formation upon discovering a rogue Tower.¡±
Then his eyes widened slightly and he sighed.
¡°I¡apologize, Tower Keeper, but it is already too late. The formation requires the constant addition of mana to maintain. If it goes twenty-four hours without maintenance, it will send out a final pulse. The Conclave will assume that you are hostile and we are dead¡they will arrive in force next time.¡±
Belissar narrowed his eyes.
¡°And how soon will they come?¡±
The augur¡¯s face relaxed ever so slightly.
¡°Ah¡in that, the traitor¡or other prisoner, I suppose, was correct as far as I¡¯m aware. I am no expert on Tower conquests, but I agree that our journey was long and fraught with peril. We passed several Towers on the way that the Conclave will want to deal with first, and I am not sure how an army would make the final stretch.¡±
Belissar nodded, but before he could relax the augur gulped and continued.
¡°...there is another angle you must consider, however. The Conclave is looking for your Tower specifically. If yours was but a normal Tower, the journey would likely be too far for this Grand Subjugation. But it is not, so the Conclave will not give up so easily. It may take a while, but they will come for you eventually.¡±
Belissar growled at that.
¡°Why? What makes my Tower so special?¡±
The augur¡¯s face fell and he sighed once more.
¡°¡that is our fault. We were supposed to bind your Tower and ensure it remained where the Conclave could monitor it, but we failed. The very purpose of the Conclave and the augurs alike is to ensure that no Tower is misused, and for the first time that I have ever heard of we failed. If the Tower was born beyond the reach of the Conclave then we would have had no choice but to accept it as the will of the gods, but for yours it was no one¡¯s fault but our own. It was imperative that your Tower was found. We¡assumed that such was the will of the gods and that we could not fail in our mission to them.¡±
Belissar glared at him for a moment before scoffing.
¡°¡from what I¡¯ve seen, the Tower Lords were wrong about the gods in general. They don¡¯t care at all about peasants or beastkin or any of that. I doubt they cared about your mission at all¡±
The augur frowned.
¡°¡you were one of the villagers, correct? I could see why you would think that given the circumstances but¡it¡¯s a bit more complicated.¡±
Belissar felt heat stir in his chest again but he stopped himself, managing to spit out a word instead.
¡°Explain.¡±
The augur took a deep breath.
¡°It¡is true that the Conclave has exaggerated the gods¡¯ views towards the common folk and the beastkin. But, to understand why, you must know the goal of the Conclave. The truth is that¡the Hunger is no natural disaster.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Yes, yes, the gods sent it to punish the wicked kings of old or something like that. That¡¯s one of the first things in the doctrine.¡±
The augur shook his head.
¡°No, the Hunger was our fault.¡±
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Belissar froze solid, his mind coming to a screeching halt.
¡°¡what?¡±
The augur¡¯s face turned grave.
¡°I do not know if it was a direct result of something the kings of old did, or if it truly was a response by the gods to their actions. The High-Council has specifically restricted the details so that no one may even think of repeating the past. But I do know that it was ultimately something that humanity did that specifically triggered the crisis. Not just a general sense of displeasure with the kings of old, but one single event.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. No words came out of his mouth as the augur continued.
¡°The Conclave¡¯s primary task, therefore, is to prevent humanity from repeating a blunder of that scale. And in that, Towers are a matter of grave concern. As you have no doubt learned by now, Towers offer great power to their masters. You have the power to reshape the world within to your liking, to create matter and life out of pure mana, and to escape the very limits of humanity, while those you allow inside your Tower have the opportunity to earn blessings and grow beyond mortal men. But power corrupts and so the Conclave was deeply concerned as the number of Towers grew beyond the original members of the High-Council. It was agreed to limit entry to the Towers to those with proven faith and loyalty, while the Tower Lords themselves agreed to restrict their own powers, lest that power corrupt humanity and lead us to defy the gods once again.¡±
The augur paused for another breath before looking up at Belissar.
¡°That is why it is unacceptable for us to have lost a Tower, where the Conclave cannot reach it and where a rogue Tower Lord might grow arrogant with the powers it offers.¡±
Belissar frowned as he considered this.
¡°But¡did the gods actually say any of this to you?¡±
The augur paused this time. His face began to drain of color.
¡°¡in truth, I do not know. Only the High-Council knows for sure exactly what has been said in the past. Most oracles, divinations, and missions to the Tower Lords that were recorded and available to all augurs were much more limited in scope. I¡I never wondered before, but if your patron has sent an oracle from the safety of the Conclave to your Tower in the wilderness¡then your patron, at least, cannot disprove of your existence.¡±
Belissar thought of his patron¡and couldn¡¯t help a small smile as a bit of joy broke through the storm raging in his chest. He whispered to himself.
¡°Well, that much I don¡¯t need you to tell me.¡±
He took a deep breath and glanced around at the bees hovering above¡and at Metsaitti, who remained completely focused on the augur. Belissar frowned once more.
¡°Ok¡but what about the beastkin? You didn¡¯t mention that.¡±
The augur slowly nodded.
¡°Right. The¡beastkin were once the soldiers of the kings of old. They remained loyal to those kings even after the Hunger struck. They then defied and opposed the High-Council, all the way to this day. They, above all others, cannot be trusted with the powers offered by a Tower.¡±
The augur then frowned.
¡°Though¡if they are loyal to you¡and dwelling within the Tower of an oracle¡then perhaps the situation has changed.¡±
Belissar¡¯s face scrunched up a bit.
¡°Metsaitti, you hear anything about serving kings of old or fighting Tower Lords?¡±
Metsaitti slowly shook his head, though kept his eyes on the augur.
¡°Our people¡¯s tales don¡¯t go past our service to our previous Sacred Den Master. I don¡¯t know what is meant by kings of old, but I¡¯m guessing your referring to more people such as yourself?¡±
Belissar paused and glanced at the augur.
¡°The wicked kings of old were supposed to be human, right?¡±
The augur nodded. Metsaitti shook his head again.
¡°In that case, we had never met any peoples such as yourself before you, Sacred Den Master, much less served them. If we ever had in the past, then it must have been a long time ago.¡±
Belissar nodded, and then began to rub his chin. So, the kings of old did something that, one way or another, resulted in the Hunger, and the Tower Lords were trying to prevent anyone from repeating it by misusing a Tower or a gods¡¯ blessing? And the beastkin apparently helped the kings of old?
He frowned. He didn¡¯t see why that meant lying to peasants, letting them die of plagues, and then burning down their villages. That didn¡¯t seem like a good use of a Tower¡¯s powers in Belissar¡¯s opinion. And what did it matter what the beastkin once did if the karnuq couldn¡¯t even remember such a time?
He was growing angry once more but he shook his head. It didn¡¯t really matter to him why the Tower Lords did what they did. The gods apparently hadn¡¯t specifically commanded it, and Belissar knew he had at least two of their approval at this point. The karnuq, too, weren¡¯t serving any wicked king of old that Belissar could see and had been far better people to him than most humans ever were.
In the end, this all changed nothing. Belissar was going to build a Tower full of happy bees that the God of Bees could be proud of. If the Tower Lords thought that was a misuse of the Tower¡¯s power, then they could take it up with the gods. And if they came here in force once more, Belissar would not let them take all that the bees had built.
Besides, even the augur was now questioning the things he was explaining. Belissar stared at him as the old man curled up and began to mutter to himself once again. Well, the augur had answered his questions¡and he had been sent here by the God of Bees. He took a deep breath.
¡°Niobee.¡±
Niobee paused waving her stinger around to dance happily before him.
¡°Yes, King!¡±
He looked at her and smiled.
¡°Could you go ask your queen mother if the God of Bees wants to say anything to this guy?¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The augur froze and looked up at Belissar, his eyes growing wider by the second. Belissar frowned but shrugged.
¡°Let¡¯s see what the gods have to say about all this. If they want to speak with you, then I won¡¯t stop them.¡±
The augur¡¯s eyes began to moisten, and he bowed his head low.
¡°Thank you¡Tower Keeper.¡±
Chapter 154 - Receive the Prophe-Bee!
A short while later, one of the bee monsters returned, carrying a more normal sized bee on her back while several more honeybees buzzed around them. The augur watched as they hovered before the Tower Lord¡or Tower Keeper, as he preferred to be called. And a wise man does not defy a Tower Lord if he can help it.
¡°Thanks for coming. So, the God of Bees wants to say something after all?¡±
The bees flew about in seemingly random patterns and circles as far as the augur was concerned. But the Tower Keeper derived meaning from them, one of their many gifts from the gods. The Tower Keeper nodded and stepped to the side.
¡°He¡¯s over here.¡±
The augur watched as the small bee lifted off of her larger counterpart¡¯s back and flew towards him, accompanied by the rest of the honeybees. So, this was the oracle that had traveled with them? Part of him wondered how a bee who couldn¡¯t speak with any tongue of man could be an oracle but the augur knew better than to question it. He had had the privilege of speaking with oracles in the past, as well as speaking with others who had as well, so he knew that oracles came in all shapes and sizes. A talking tree, a pool of water that imparted visions, even a pile of bones that formed words when dropped. If the God of Bees, as it were, chose a bee as their oracle, then that was their right. So, the augur rose to his feet to greet that oracle.
It did make him curious as to how he would receive the response. The Tower Keeper could translate for the bee, it seemed, but an oracle should be able to pass the will of a god directly. Besides, the augur himself had failed to understand the intentions of this god even after receiving a direct message. He did not wish to hear another filtered through the Tower Keeper.
He bowed his head toward the bee.
¡°I¡¯m honored to speak with you, Oracle of Bees.¡±
The bees buzzed. The augur waited for a bit, then cleared his throat.
¡°God of Bees, I am sorry. I am sorry that I misread your intentions and allowed my liege to assault one of your Towers. And I am sorry I come before you with nothing to offer but my apologies. But¡if you are willing to consider an unworthy one such as myself¡please, respond to my plea, and I swear I shall do all in my power to see your will fulfilled.¡±
The bees continued buzzing, so the augur took a deep breath and carried on.
¡°¡what was your intention in sending us here?¡±
He looked up and watched the Oracle of Bees. At first, she did not respond, just kept hovering and buzzing about as bees do. But, just as the augur began to furrow his brow, her eyes lit up. The augur¡¯s eyes widened as the bee queen glowed with a golden-yellow light¡the exact same light he had seen during his divination at the start of their trip.
The Oracle of Bees began to fly in circles and patterns once more. Her workers landed on the ground and began to crawl about. The augur watched them intently¡and soon his eyes widened once more. The bees¡were leaving wax on the ground. Wax in the shape of letters.
¡°Help tower, help oracle.¡±
The augur took a deep breath. So, it was true. Ruckanos had gotten it all wrong and led them into disaster with his delusions of grandeur. But the augur was no better. He knew better, and yet had not acted to stop the foolish boy. Indeed, if anything, he bore ultimate responsibility. Was it not the duty of the augurs to guide the Tower Lords to their destinies? What it not his duty to divine the will and movements of the gods so that the Conclave could respond? But he had not convinced the boy who was not yet a Tower Lord, and so the group intended to escort an oracle to her intended home had instead invaded with force.
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The augur bowed his head.
¡°I understand. I will see it done.¡±
The bees left one more word on the ground.
¡°Good.¡±
The augur took another deep breath. He could not help but glance at the beastkin still ready to stab him at a moment¡¯s notice. Here was a Tower Lord without the Conclave¡¯s guidance, who had no training or instruction on how to fulfill his task. Who was specifically defying what doctrine he would have known as a simple peasant, seeing as how he had welcomed the beastkin in.
And yet¡it didn¡¯t matter. Oracles were afforded special privileges and protection, the voices of the very gods who granted humanity their Towers. None but the High Council could defy them, and most of the High Council never would. If a god, unknown or not, had sent their oracle to this Tower specifically, through trial and tribulation, all for the sake of helping it? The augur could not and would not defy them, no matter what the keeper of this Tower was doing with his powers.
So he had already sworn. And so he would do.
The augur turned and bowed his head towards Belissar.
¡°Tower Keeper, the will of the God of Bees was to help your Tower. So, I, Sehfitis, swear I will do all that I can to help you.¡±
Accept offer of allegiance?
Belissar raised an eyebrow. He¡had not expected this turn of events. This guy who worked for the Tower Lords and refused to speak with them¡now wanted to be his sworn defender? What, really? Just what did the God of Bees say to him?!
Well, Belissar had watched Niobee¡¯s queen mother dance instructions to her workers and could read the wax messages with his tower sight so he already knew¡but that alone had been enough to convince the guy? And now he wanted to join the Tower, just like that? After all he had done?
Belissar¡¯s eyes narrowed¡but then he sighed. So, what was he going to do? If he rejected the guy¡would he just keep him here forever? Toss him out of the Tower and just hope he didn¡¯t contact the Tower Lords? Execute the old man on the spot? This was a matter of prisoners and gods and oaths, not something Belissar had much experience handling. But handle it he must, for it was the business of Tower Lords, which he was no matter what other name he chose to call himself by.
He didn¡¯t know how the Tower Lords treated prisoners wanting to join them and he didn¡¯t want to know. The karnuq, on the other hand, didn¡¯t take prisoners. And he wasn¡¯t close enough to the sigmaka to ask them. It was up to him to decide what to do.
Or was it? Belissar turned to the one other group in the room.
¡°Hey Niobee, do bees ever take prisoners?¡±
Niobee zipped over to him at his address.
¡°Prisoners? What that?¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Um, maybe¡bees from other hives?¡±
Niobee flew about unsteadily.
¡°Intruders?¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°Um, kind of. They were intruders but now they aren¡¯t fighting.¡±
Niobee buzzed her wings.
¡°Push intruders out, sting if have to! But¡other bees but not intruders¡¡±
Niobee swayed in the air for a bit before starting to dance.
¡°Ah, had one worker from other hive try to follow. Lost hive, looking for new one. Worked hard, so bees let into hive. Joined hive.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and then he smiled.
¡°I see. Thanks, Niobee.¡±
Niobee zipped about happily as Belissar turned back to the old man.
¡°Sehfitis, was it?¡±
Sehfitis nodded.
¡°Yes, Tower Keeper?¡±
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°I¡¯ll let you help, then.¡±
Sehfitis blinked and then started to smile, but Belissar then narrowed his eyes and glared at the man.
¡°But hurt my bees, or the karnuq, or try to contact the Tower Lords, or anything like that, and we¡¯re done. Got it.¡±
Sehfitis nodded.
¡°Of course, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar brought up the sworn defender description one more time.
Sworn Defender: An outsider who has sworn to defend a dungeon. Bound not to harm the core or the dungeon master, and to defend it from existential threats. Immediately gains a minor blessing from the dungeon¡¯s patron and may interact with dungeon mana. Remnants will not spawn around a sworn defender unless they specifically intend to be challenged. Do not cost mana to upkeep, but mana may improve the bond with a given sworn defender, unlocking additional interactions with dungeon mana.
He still didn¡¯t trust the guy. But the God of Bees had spoken to him and he was making an offer of allegiance. Supposedly, he would not be able to harm the dungeon or Belissar afterwards. Belissar could only hope that extended to the bees as well.
If it didn¡¯t¡well, he¡¯d let the bees do what they did to intruders.
¡°In that case¡I accept your offer.¡±
You have gained 1 sworn defender.
Belissar could only hope this would help him protect his bees.
Chapter 155 - A Bee-utiful Name
Ok, so Sehfitis the augur was now his sworn defender. That was nice and all, but now that this affair was handled there were some wyverns Belissar and the karnuq needed to deal with. So, Belissar just gave Sehfitis as serious a look as he could muster.
¡°Stay here for now, and don¡¯t do anything again. I¡¯ll be back when I have time.¡±
Sehfitis bowed his head.
¡°As you will, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar gave one last glance to the man before turning and leaving. Once he left the room, Metsaitti followed.
¡°It seems it went well, Sacred Den Master? Should we continue guarding him?¡±
Belissar paused.
¡°Oh, right, you couldn¡¯t understand most of that, right?¡±
Metsaitti shook his head.
¡°Not until the end, after he became one of yours.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Ah, right.¡±
Then he rubbed his chin.
¡°¡yeah, I think we should keep an eye on him for now. I¡¯m¡still not sure about him, even with the oath and all that.¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°I understand.¡±
Metsaitti gave orders to the karnuq hunters at the door, and then he and Belissar made his way over to the larger building next door. There, they found the wyverns now with their mouths and limbs free, though still with ropes tied to their harnesses and the walls. The young human was calming them down. He turned and bowed his head.
¡°Ah, Tower Keeper, sir. We were just finishing up here. Thank you for preparing a space for them.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened a bit.
¡°Ah¡um, you¡¯re welcome? You¡managed to get them inside all right? I thought you couldn¡¯t speak with the karnuq.¡±
The young man and the karnuq hunters with him both shook their heads.
¡°We couldn¡¯t but¡we managed to work it out somehow.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I see. Oh, um, what¡¯s your name, by the way?¡±
¡°Hirkolos, sir.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°I¡¯m Belissar. So, Hirkolos¡do you want to join the Tower?¡±
Hirkolos froze.
¡°Um, sir?¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°Your augur friend just swore himself to the Tower. Figured if I let him, then I should let you too. You cooperated and helped the bees, after all. It would let you speak with the karnuq, too.¡±
Hirkolos stared out into space.
¡°The augur did? How did that happen? ¡please forgive me for saying this, sir, but it¡¯s hard to imagine an augur joining a Tower with¡beastkin.¡±
¡°Spoke with the Oracle of Bees, apparently that convinced him.¡±
Hirkolos blinked at that.
¡°Huh.¡±
Belissar shrugged again.
¡°So, how about you?¡±
Hirkolos focused back on him¡and then began to frown. Eventually, he hung his head.
¡°I¡don¡¯t know, sir. I¡¯m just¡confused.¡±
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Belissar didn¡¯t know how to respond to that so didn¡¯t. While he tried to figure out how to respond, Hirkolos continued.
¡°You see¡when I was chosen to train as a future Tower Guard, we all thought it was a great honor. I was going to be a hero, to fight against the Hunger and the subhumans and witches and anyone else who threatened us. I was going to keep my home safe and serve the gods both, right? But then¡my very first mission was to burn down your village.¡±
Belissar narrowed his eyes as unpleasant memories came back unbidden. Hirkolos looked off to the side.
¡°¡is that really what the Tower Guard are like? How are we supposed to protect villages by burning them down? And if that¡¯s what we do, then just what exactly were we fighting for? Was that really the will of the gods?¡±
Belissar growled and shook his head.
¡°No. The Tower Lords lied about a lot of things.¡±
Hirkolos slowly nodded.
¡°That must be true if even an augur is having second thoughts now.¡±
Then he hung his head again.
¡°But¡I¡¯m sorry, Tower Keeper, sir. But I can¡¯t join your Tower Guard. Not again, not after¡that.¡±
Belissar narrowed his eyes.
¡°I¡¯m not going to be another Tower Lord. My Tower Guard¡¯s going to be different.¡±
Hirkolos slowly nodded.
¡°I¡believe you. But¡I just don¡¯t know what I should do, anymore. I¡¯m sorry, Tower Keeper, sir. I can¡¯t swear to anyone, not right now.¡±
He closed his eyes and bowed his head.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. Take my life, if you must.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°I¡¯m not going to do that, I already told you. Look¡I¡¯m not going to be like them, alright? So, just¡do what you want, and let me know if you want to join. I just¡if that guy wanted to join, I wanted to let you if you wanted to, since you helped the bees. If you don¡¯t¡then that¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll try to take care of you anyways.¡±
Hirkolos slowly lifted his head and nodded.
¡°As you will, Tower Keeper, sir.¡±
Belissar heaved a sigh as he turned away. Talking to these humans was proving¡exhausting and bringing up a lot of memories Belissar would prefer to forget. But now, it was finally over¡sort of. Now that the augur had sworn to help, Belissar probably should talk with him and figure out what exactly he could do. He knew vaguely that augurs were supposed to divine the will of the gods¡but this one had apparently had some trouble with that? Besides, the God of Bees hadn¡¯t had any trouble making her will known to Belissar thus far, and he certainly didn¡¯t trust someone from the Tower Lords to take up that job. Which left a big question of what augurs actually did and how this one could help his Tower.
Belissar didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t think of anything in particular, so he decided he would handle that later. After all, right now he had thought of something far more important to do. Something in line with the very will of the gods themselves. He turned to Niobee, and the oracle queen on her back, and gave them both of smile.
¡°Shall we check on your hive?¡±
The oracle queen paused, and then began to dance rapidly.
¡°Yes! Hive-builder check hive!¡±
Belissar chuckled at that and then turned to Metsaitti.
¡°Could you let Chief Rohsuak know to gather everyone who wanted to learn beekeeping? It¡¯s a good opportunity to show them what I do with an occupied hive.¡±
Metsaitti saluted.
¡°Right away, Sacred Den Master. Or¡should I call you Tower Keeper?¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°Either or, as long as you don¡¯t call me Tower Lord it¡¯s fine.¡±
Metsaitti nodded and set off. Belissar then did his best to push Tower Lords out of his mind and focus on his bees. He made his way to the oracle queen¡¯s hive¡and then looked at her.
¡°Niobee¡your mom doesn¡¯t have a name, right?¡±
Niobee danced the negative.
¡°No name! Not from spawner, either.¡±
Belissar turned his gaze to the queen herself.
¡°Would you like one, a name?¡±
The queen danced unsteadily.
¡°Name is¡what Hive-Builder calls worker? Worker has one?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yes, I call her Niobee.¡±
The queen¡¯s antennae twitched about.
¡°Why?¡±
Belissar opened his mouth, but then paused.
¡°Um¡because she¡¯s my friend?¡±
¡°Friend, what that?¡±
Belissar had to rub his chin for a bit at that one.
¡°Um¡it¡¯s because I like her and want to distinguish her from other bees, so I gave her a name I can call her.¡±
¡°But can call worker worker already?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°There¡¯s other workers, though, right? So, I gave her a name that other workers don¡¯t have. That way¡she knows when I¡¯m talking to her and not another worker¡or something?¡±
The queen stood still at that for a long while before slowly starting a dance.
¡°I¡see. Worker is special, so not just worker. Niobee is name for special worker?¡±
Belissar nodded. He thought that was right?
¡°And you¡¯re a special queen, since you¡¯re Niobee¡¯s mom. So, do you want a name, too?¡±
The queen stood still for a moment before breaking out into a quick dance.
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar let out a sigh and then chuckled.
¡°Got it. How about we call you¡¡±
He paused. He now realized that in his efforts to explain what exactly a name was in the first place that he hadn¡¯t given any thought as to what Niobee¡¯s mom¡¯s name should actually be.
¡°Um¡let¡¯s see¡¡±
The queen danced.
¡°Um let¡¯s see is name?¡±
Belissar blinked and then quickly shook his head.
¡°Ah, no, I was still trying to think about what your name should be. It, um, generally is a unique word that doesn¡¯t refer to something else¡sometimes.¡±
The queen just looked confused again so Belissar decided to just think of a name instead of trying to explain. What should he call Niobee¡¯s mom, who was also the Oracle of Bees?¡±
¡°How about¡Velebee?¡±
Smashing together part of a famous oracle¡¯s name and Niobee was¡pretty much in line with Belissar¡¯s naming thus far.
¡°Velebee?¡±
The queen danced around once with unsteady steps and then stopped. A moment later, her eyes burst into golden yellow light that flooded the area, forcing Belissar to shield his eyes. When the light died down, he found the queen bee dancing about rapidly.
¡°Queen of All Bees says she likes!¡±
Belissar smiled at that. Niobee began dancing around as well.
¡°Niobee likes too! King is best king! King¡¯s names best names!¡±
Belissar chuckled and was about to respond when¡
You have performed a service for the God of Bees: Naming the Oracle of Bees.
Reward: +500 DP!
Oh, it seemed the God of Bees really liked it.
POBear 155.1 - Bear Your Fangs!
Belissar noticed his karnuq students approaching.
¡°Velebee, would you mind if I let the karnuq watch when I check your hive? I¡¯m teaching them how to take care of bees.¡±
Velebee stopped zipping about for a moment, but quickly resumed.
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar then thought of something.
¡°Ah, is it possible to keep your workers from stinging us during the lesson?¡±
¡°Can! Will tell not to sting.¡±
Belissar smiled at her.
¡°Thanks, Velebee!¡±
Soon, the beekeeping students arrived and began to murmur amongst themselves at the sight of the bees. Belissar gave them a smile.
¡°Hello, everyone. As you can see, someone¡¯s moved into the hive. This is Velebee, queen of the hive and the Oracle of Bees.¡±
The murmuring only grew at that. Velebee danced a greeting and then flew back into her hive to keep her workers calm.
¡°Right, then¡let me show you how I approach an occupied hive and check the brood for health¡¡±
The karnuq with Belissar were not the only ones preparing for a lesson, however. Metsaitti led a group of karnuq hunters towards the end of the karnuq¡¯s Flower Meadow, with a soldier bee flying ahead of them. They came to a stop just before the short cuts the Sacred Den Master had made. Metsaitti turned to face the rest of the karnuq. Twenty karnuq hunters faced him back, almost their full number save for those guarding the captive humans and wyverns.
¡°Is everyone ready?¡±
The karnuq all focused on him and saluted. Metsaitti nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go and fight for the Sacred Den.¡±
Metsaitti nodded to the soldier bee and she flew into one of the shortcuts. The karnuq stepped through after her¡and stopped, gazing about with wide eyes. Even Metsaitti paused to take in the sight.
They came out of a wall full of short cuts. All around them, bees from all over the Sacred Den buzzed and zipped about, flying in and out of the shortcuts. Clouds of worker bees flew with big balls of pollen stuck to their legs, soldier bees held entire trays of honey with ropes and flew them across the Sacred Den, and gardener bees directed squads of foragers while carrying seeds in their legs. A small grove stood in front of the entrances; worker bees flew down from the trees to dance with the bees passing through the shortcuts. Metsaitti heard one of hunters speak behind him.
¡°So, this is the real Sacred Den.¡±
Metsaitti turned around and nodded.
¡°Yes, the Sacred Den Master now trusts us enough to let us see the den proper. Let¡¯s fulfill that trust.¡±
The hunters nodded back to him, while the soldier bee buzzed.
¡°Why stop?¡±
Metsaitti chuckled at that.
¡°We¡¯re just impressed by the Sacred Den, but we¡¯re ready now. Lead the way.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The soldier bee led them through one of the shortcuts and they arrived out into the Flower Meadow where the Sacred Den¡¯s armies gave battle. Once again, they saw black and yellow chitin spread out across the sky as the soldier bee army flew above them.
One of the queens arrived before them.
¡°Hello, am the Second First of the First, called Firstborn.¡±
Metsaitti saluted.
¡°Metsaitti, thank you for having us.¡±
The Firstborn zipped about as she replied.
¡°Honored to fight with.¡±
She then danced a command and a small bee flew towards Metsaitti. She appeared as a worker at first glance, until Metsaitti noticed the fluffy antennae and the slight glow to her body.
¡°This is communer, communicates directly with queen. Will give commands, hear messages.¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°She should stay with me, then.¡±
The communer flew over and landed on Metsaitti¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Do you have a place you want us?¡±
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The Firstborn danced a confirmation.
¡°Yes, come.¡±
The Firstborn led the karnuq towards the bee army. There, they saw the soldiers arranged in squads up in the sky, moving around seemingly at random but always staying with their squads. The squads took turns diving down towards the ground, where a bumblebee soldier stood. The bumblebee soldier beat her wings and leapt out of the way of one squad, then lifted her abdomen. The soldiers squads scattered as a sprayer crawled out of the bumblebee¡¯s fuzz and sent a cone of toxins towards the attackers.
¡°Practicing, bumblebee soldier acts as shade. Karnuq practice too?¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°We¡¯ll watch a few rounds and then jump in.¡±
The Firstborn danced a salute and then flew off. Metsaitti gathered the hunters into a line so they could all see.
¡°Watch closely, everyone. We¡¯ll need to coordinate with them from now on.¡±
The hunters saluted and focused on the practice fight. Metsaitti settled in to watch as well. As he had seen before, the bees relied on hit and run tactics, rotating their soldiers in and out of the fight. They kept the enemy off balance with continuous attacks, ensuring that another squad was diving in as the first retreated.
Metsaitti rubbed his chin. The karnuq were used to fighting in the enclosed spaces of the Underway where there was little room to maneuver. Some of the older hunters like himself still knew how to stay light on their feet, but the younger among them tended to stay immobile and face the enemy head on. That had its place¡but if they were going to be fighting in a wide-open field like this from now on, it might do well to start taking advantage of the extra space.
Eventually, the bee on Metsaitti¡¯s shoulder started to glow and her mana touched his. He could somehow see her dance even without looking at her.
¡°Queen asks if karnuq squad wants turn?¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°Yes. You four, with me.¡±
Metsaitti and some of the older hunters took their turn using some practice spears. Metsaitti didn¡¯t bother adjusting their formation or tactics this time, wanting to see how it would hold up. So, they rushed forward as a tight group, thrusting a wall of spears towards the bumblebee. The bumblebee buzzed its wings and flew to the side, out of the way of the spears. Metsaitti shouted but, as he feared, their formation was too tight and they weren¡¯t used to wheeling around on the fly. The bumblebee turned and slammed into the hunter on the left side, knocking him back into the hunter next to him. As they tumbled, their spears waved around, colliding into the spears of the hunters still standing. Metsaitti himself was at the right side of the formation and so couldn¡¯t intervene with the others in the way.
The bumblebee soldier was about to pounce on them when a squad of soldier bees dove down from above. Metsaitti shouted.
¡°Back!¡±
The hunters scrambled to their feet as best they could and rushed back with no semblance of coordination. They looked to the ground as Metsaitti lead them back to the rest. Metsaitti then pointed to the next four.
¡°You bunch are up next.¡±
Metsaitti thus led the hunters squad by squad, each of which got knocked over by a bumblebee. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and chuckle. The karnuq might be experts in the Underway, but they had a lot to learn.
Finally, the youngest group went, consisting of Tyhgak¡¯s group plus Noigakkuq. This bunch spread out like they would against shades, the two spear wielders standing forward and to either side to give the archers clear shots. The archers opened up with a volley, forcing the bumblebee to dodge immediately. The two spear wielders advanced forward in the meantime, aiming for the bumblebee¡¯s intended landing spot. The sprayer crawled out at that point.
Which is when Noigakkuq struck.
The small karnuq suddenly appeared behind the bumblebee, charging forward with her spear. She managed a hit on the bumblebee¡¯s abdomen. The bumblebee buzzed its wings and the sprayer stopped its attack.
¡°Back!¡±
At Metsaitti¡¯s shout, the group backed off, just as another squad of soldiers dove in. Metsaitti smiled as the group walked back.
¡°Well done.¡±
And indeed it was. The youngest and least experienced among them had performed the best. That was largely because they had learned to fight in this very meadow and against the types of enemy the bumblebee soldier was simulating, but that was little comfort to the embarrassed older hunters. Metsaitti had no doubt the rest of the hunters would work hard to adapt now.
As the day wore on, the Firstborn flew over to the karnuq once again.
¡°King said to let karnuq fight but¡is ok? Karnuq had trouble in training.¡±
Metsaitti shook his head with a smile as the hunters all hung their heads.
¡°We¡¯re just a little out of our depth in this field. We¡¯ll fight in the Dirt Tunnels and fall back if it¡¯s too much for us.¡±
The Firstborn saluted. Metsaitti turned to the hunters groaning on the ground and selected the oldest nine.
¡°Let¡¯s show the bees how we normally fight. Get ready.¡±
The hunters steeled their faces and grabbed their spears. Shortly thereafter, Chief Rohsuak and the Sacred Den Master arrived for the purification. At Metsaitti¡¯s request, the Sacred Den Master moved the Lava Field away, connecting the Dirt Tunnels directly to the Flower Meadow. Metsaitti and the other nine hunters stood in the final hallway with the Flower Meadow to their backs.
¡°Here we go.¡±
They shivered as they felt a chill on the edge of their mana after the Sacred Den Master¡¯s message. They knew immediately that the Hunger had arrived.
¡°Looks like it¡¯s the fast ones, be careful!¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°Brace spears and brace yourselves.¡±
The hunters nodded and assembled into a tight formation of two rows, digging into the dirt as they held their spears forward. And then they waited, sweat dripping down their faces as they imagined the foe to come. After what felt like an eternity, they felt a chill growing on their skin, and knew that the Hunger approached.
Two cat shades appeared, zipping down the hall. The monsters snarled as they saw the karnuq arranged before them.
¡°Hold!¡±
Metsaitti shouted to steel up the hunters¡¯ nerve, not that it was needed. Nervous though they may be, these were the veteran hunters who had faced many a danger on their journey, and not one took a step back. The two cat shades spread their insect like wings as they rushed down the hall at blistering speed.
¡°Brace!¡±
Just as Metsaitti shouted, a gust of wind surged down the hall, trying to blow the karnuq away. But the karnuq were far heavier than the average soldier bee, and had their feet firmly planted in the dirt. The karnuq in the second row pushed against the backs of the first, helping them to stay in place. They gritted their teeth and their muscles bulged, but the karnuq held.
And, most importantly, held their spears pointed forward. Immediately after sending the gust of wind, the cat shades accelerated. Most of the hunters couldn¡¯t even track the shades as they rushed forward.
But it didn¡¯t matter, for their spears filled the hallway. The two cat shades impaled themselves on the spears. One right in the mouth, bringing it to an immediate halt. One took a glancing blow to the shoulder, slowing it enough that Metsaitti turned and pierced its head before it could go any further.
Back by the Bee Barracks, the Firstborn buzzed about. The soldier bee army had brought down many a foe before¡but this was the first time that an invader had been physically stopped in their tracks by raw strength. And in the Dirt Tunnels no less, where bee army would struggle to maneuver. The karnuq would make a valuable addition to the hive of hives indeed¡
Side Story 155.2 - The High Council
General Rippotis let out a hum as he rubbed his beard. Before him stood a woven basket, placed upside down with a small hole at the bottom.
¡°So the bees like to live in these¡skeps?¡±
He looked up at several women in thick clothes standing before him. One of them nodded.
¡°Yes, High Councilor.¡±
He shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s general.¡±
The woman jumped and immediately bowed her entire body.
¡°M-My apologies!¡±
General Rippotis just raised his hand.
¡°It¡¯s fine. You aren¡¯t from around here so I did not expect you to know. But, back to the bees¡how then do you retrieve the honey?¡±
The first woman held her tongue after being corrected, so another spoke up instead.
¡°We use fire, sulfur if possible, to smoke the bees out, then break apart the hive¡General, sir.¡±
General Rippotis frowned.
¡°That would kill them, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
The woman nodded.
¡°Yes, generally.¡±
General Rippotis crossed his arms and hummed again. The women glanced at once another.
¡°G-General, is there a problem?¡±
He nodded.
¡°There is. It is important for my purpose that the bees survive, and that they are happy. Neither of those things will be true if we kill them.¡±
One of the women titled her head.
¡°Happy, General?¡±
He nodded.
¡°Yes.¡±
Worst came to worst, he could just make the skeps and then just not gather from them, but that felt quite passive for a mission from the gods. The women glanced at one another once again. But before any of them could speak, a soldier marched into the room and saluted.
¡°General, you have message from the High Council.¡±
General Rippotis nodded.
¡°Leave it on my desk, I¡¯ll get to it.¡±
The soldier shook his head.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but it appears to be a priority summon. The entire High Council is gathering.¡±
General Rippotis took a deep breath, and then shook his head.
¡°Very well, prepare my mount.¡±
The soldier saluted one more.
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
General Rippotis took one more look at the skep and then nodded. Perhaps a short break would be for the best. He turned to the gathered apiarists.
¡°I must depart for now, we will resume when I return. If you can think of a way to preserve the hives in that time, I would be most grateful.¡±
With that, he set off, leaving the apiarists exchanging hushed whispers to each other.
General Rippotis flew over the mountains on the back of a red dragon, arriving at the tallest peak. A tower shone there, the light at its peak a second sun during the day and a bright star in the night. White banners draped down the sides adorned with a bright yellow star. General Rippotis made a small smile. It had been a while since he last visited.
The Tower had several platforms opening out to the air on its sides. General Rippotis landed on one of these and dismounted. Before he even climbed down, he saw a woman approach, dressed in simple white robes and a golden tiara. A woman who barely seemed three decades old, though the wisdom in her eyes hinted at a considerably longer life. She gave him a warm smile.
¡°General Rippotis, thank you for coming.¡±
General Rippotis returned her smile even as he shook his head.
¡°No thanks are necessary, Oracle Heigiosa. Even were it not my duty, I would always come should you call.¡±
Her smile grew slightly as she shook her head in turn.
¡°And that is why I shall always thank you.¡±
The two walked along in companionable silence, both their subordinates giving the pair room. General Rippotis basked in her company for as long as he would permit himself before breaking the silence.
¡°So, what is this about?¡±
Heigiosa frowned.
¡°Apparently, the lost one has been found.¡±
General Rippotis raised an eyebrow.
¡°The Tower we missed?¡±
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Heigiosa slowly nodded. General Rippotis frowned.
¡°How? It¡¯s impossible to find where they go afterwards, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Heigiosa nodded again.
¡°That is what we are gathering to find out. But I trust that Starami wouldn¡¯t have come before us again if he were not confident.¡±
General Rippotis narrowed his eyes.
¡°I would assume not. And neither would Konilias permit him to do so.¡±
Heigiosa shook her head.
¡°I¡suppose he would not. He¡¯s been most cross about this affair. I tried to tell him that in the end the gods will take care of their Towers, but he would not hear it.¡±
General Rippotis raised an eyebrow at her.
¡°And? Did the gods say anything to you?¡±
She shook her head.
¡°Nothing as of yet.¡±
Then she smiled.
¡°But¡I can see that they are at work. It is most fortunate you remained behind this time.¡±
He rubbed the back of his head.
¡°Yes, well, I suppose you¡¯re not wrong. I received a mission right before I set off, from a new god if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±
Heigiosa froze and stopped walking.
¡°A¡new¡god?¡±
General Rippotis made an amused grin even as he preemptively lifted his hands.
¡°I was planning to tell you after I completed the mission¡but since I am here now, I will tell you everything. After the meeting, perhaps?¡±
Heigiosa stared intently at him and nodded.
¡°I will hold you to that.¡±
He gave her a salute.
¡°As you command.¡±
Shortly thereafter, General Rippotis and High Councilor Heigiosa made their way to the chamber of the High Council, smiles no longer on their faces. The room was simple, made of rough and common stone. Up on the walls near the roof were carved statues of all of the known gods, below that were no further adornments. The room itself held only a single round table with ten seats, seven of which were currently occupied with the rest of the High Council. The pair took their seats, bringing all nine members of the High Council together. High Councilor Heigiosa nodded to each member and then turned to the door.
¡°Enter.¡±
At her command, the doors opened up and in strolled Lord Starami, the Tower Lord who had been on everyone¡¯s mind lately. He was tense and nearly scowling, but he held his head high as he stepped forward.
¡°Starami, Tower Lord of Starami Tower and Lord of the Conclave. I thank the High Council for having me today.¡±
High Councilor Heigiosa nodded and then motioned to the last remaining chair.
¡°Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.¡±
Lord Starami did so. High Councilor Heigiosa gave him a chance to get settled before speaking again.
¡°Now, I am told that you have news to share?¡±
Lord Starami nodded.
¡°I have found the missing Tower.¡±
General Rippotis raised an eyebrow.
¡°I assume you have some evidence for that claim?¡±
Lord Starami nodded.
¡°I sent off my son as agreed upon by the Conclave. Before he left, however, he returned to the site of the Tower¡¯s birth and had the augur accompanying him perform a divination. To my surprise, he received a response.¡±
High Councilor Heigiosa narrowed her eyes.
¡°You are certain of this?¡±
Lord Starami nodded.
¡°I personally observed it through the monster monitoring his departure. I would stake my life on it.¡±
The High Councilor to the left of Heigiosa, High Councilor Konilias, scowled.
¡°Good, for you do just that if it turns out you are mistaken, Starami.¡±
The High Councilors glanced at one another until Heigiosa returned her gaze to Lord Starami.
¡°Please, continue.¡±
Lord Starami nodded and did so.
¡°The augur apparently received a set of direction that would lead them far, far away from the Conclave¡¯s territory. I was therefore not surprised that we did not hear from them by the time the rest of the first wave reported in. But then, just the other day, we received word from my son that a Tower had been located. Far, far away, in the location the directions would have led him to.¡±
The High Council fell silent at this. High Councilor Konilias frowned.
¡°The evidence seems quite circumstantial.¡±
High Councilor Heigiosa shook her head.
¡°Normally, I would agree. But¡¡±
She turned to glance at General Rippotis.
¡°It seems clear to me that the gods are at work here.¡±
High Councilor Konilias narrowed his eyes.
¡°What exactly does she mean?¡±
General Rippotis shrugged.
¡°I received a mission from the gods that delayed my departure for the Grand Subjugation, possibly from a previously unknown god. It seemed unrelated to this matter but¡the timing is highly coincidental.¡±
High Councilor Konilias grunted.
¡°Hm, I had wondered why you had not run off again.¡±
High Councilor Heigiosa turned to look at the other members of the High Council.
¡°I have not received any specific instructions myself, however. Has anyone besides General Rippotis heard from any of the Oracles, or received any unusual missions from the gods?¡±
The High Councilors turned thoughtful, but one by one they shook their heads. High Councilor Heigiosa rubbed her chin.
¡°So, it is up to us to decipher their will. Still, given the circumstances, I feel that something important is going on here. We should not leave this matter be.¡±
One of the other High Councilors, a fashionably dressed woman, tilted her head.
¡°Could it be that they are helping us locate the lost tower?¡±
Another High Councilor, a man in simple robes like Heigiosa¡¯s, shook his head.
¡°Not every Tower is placed within our reach. If the gods saw fit to keep one from us, they would not feel the need to help us find it.¡±
The woman councilor frowned.
¡°But¡they did not keep it from us? We failed to bind one that was, did we not? That¡¯s a failure of our entire mandate, is it not?¡±
She gave a pointed look to the Lord Starami, who managed to keep his face expressionless. Lord Konilias cleared his throat.
¡°In any case, whether the gods have spoken or not we have already decided upon a Grand Subjugation. Is there any reason why we should not advance in the direction of this Tower?¡±
A man in armor next to General Rippotis saluted.
¡°Just say the word and I will lead my army forth.¡±
But Lord Konilias glanced at another High Councilor, a fashionably dressed man. The man cleared his throat.
¡°Lord Starami was the one responsible for this affair, and I was the one responsible for him. He shall lead the mission to seek the gods¡¯ will, and I shall arrange the campaign necessary for him to do so.¡±
The well-dressed man and the armored man locked eyes. High Councilor Heigiosa glanced at General Rippotis, but he just shook his head. She turned to Lord Starami.
¡°What of your son? He has already arrived at the location, has he passed back any further messages?¡±
Lord Starami frowned.
¡°My son¡is likely dead. The failsafe broke the signal a day after we received it.¡±
High Councilor Heigiosa frowned.
¡°That is most concerning.¡±
She closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a sigh.
¡°Very well. High Councilor Stadvolous shall arrange for the Grand Subjugation to move in the direction indicated. However, please take care if and when you approach the location in question. The will of the gods is not always obvious and it would not do for us to move hastily, particularly considering that our first arrival there has not ended well. In that vein, please provide us with regular updates on your progress. In the meantime, we all should pay extra attention to the oracles and to any missions we receive from the gods.¡±
Lord Starami bowed his head.
¡°As the High Council wishes.¡±
After the meeting, General Rippotis and High Councilor Heigiosa walked together once more. High Councilor Heigiosa¡¯s face was scrunched up, causing General Rippotis to frown as well.
¡°Something troubles you?¡±
Heigiosa sighed.
¡°It is unusual for the gods to get involved this directly. Even we have never received such a specific location, even back when the fate of the world was at stake, so I feel this must be a matter of great importance to them. And yet, they have not spoken to us or to any of their oracles on the matter.¡±
General Rippotis¡¯s frown grew.
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
The two stood in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Heigiosa shook her head.
¡°The only thing I can think of is the mission you received. Please, General, approach it with all the care and determination you always display. I fear it may be more important than we realize.¡±
He saluted to her.
¡°I would do so were it not important at all. We owe the gods as much.¡±
Heigiosa nodded.
¡°We do indeed. If I may ask and if you are permitted to share¡what is your current mission? And who is this new god that issued it?¡±
General Rippotis could not help but make a bemused smile.
¡°Well¡it¡¯s bees.¡±
Heigiosa paused and blinked a few times before tilting her head.
¡°Bees?¡±
General Rippotis nodded.
¡°Bees.¡±
POBee 155.3 - Experimental Bee-sults
Belissar watched as the karnuq hunters took turns at the Shrine of Bees. The shrine glowed bright for each one and Belissar noticed the hunters¡¯ mana grow stronger. It seemed that this indeed was the way forward for the karnuq to receive blessings, which in turn would progress one of his longest-running missions.
He considered how else he might help them. He recalled Chief Rohsuak and Juosiutik both mention that mana-infused food, like his bees¡¯ mana honey, would promote the growth of mana in those who ate it. Maybe he should start giving the karnuq more honey?
On the other hand, they would naturally gain access to more as he taught them beekeeping and invited hunters who fought in purifications to the post-battle celebrations, so perhaps things were fine as they were now. In any case, it was time for the celebration, so Belissar put those thoughts to the side and started to bring out the honey these hunters had earned.
It would turn out, however, that the karnuq were not the only ones growing¡
A worker covered in small, glowing specks of mana flower pollen landed on a water lotus, careful not to fall into the water. After drinking some nectar and flying off, the center of the lotus began to glow faintly¡
A gardener landed on the flax flower, dusting her legs to brush off the glowing pollen. The workers didn¡¯t like to visit this one. It produced less nectar than other flowers, its nectar had no particular features of note, its pollen was heavy and hard to carry, and its delicate petals that couldn¡¯t support much weight made nectar collection difficult.
So, the gardener took it upon herself to see that these flowers were properly cross-pollinated, allowing the workers to focus on more productive flowers. She brushed her antennae up and down the stem of the flower, mingling her mana into the trace amounts flowing through the mundane plant. If her observations were accurate¡the flowers were nearly ready to produce seeds. She¡¯d find out in the next day or two if her efforts would be rewarded¡
In the Dirt Tunnels of the Fourth Floor, a digging worker flew through pitch-black tunnels. She could send out small pulses of mana through the air to identify her immediate surroundings, and landed at regular intervals to send longer ranged pulses through the ground. As such, she had no issue navigating without her sight.
And then, finally, she found her target. Vines growing along the floor of the tunnels, melding into the darkness to hide from sight. But practically shining bright to her mana pulses given the density of their own mana¡especially within their flowers. She landed on the closest flower and found it gushing with nectar for its first ever visitor.
She drank as deeply as she could, then packed as much pollen into her pollen baskets as she could fly with, and then began the trip back to her hive. Leaving packs of mana-infused pheromones on the ground at regular intervals so that her sisters could fly straight here in the future¡
A digging gardener led a soldier bee into the Dirt Tunnels, releasing pheromones and mana so the soldier could follow her into the dark. She would have done the job herself, but this one required a soldier¡¯s size, so she had to slowly guide the bigger bee through the darkness.
But, eventually, they arrived at their destination. A light began to glow in the tunnel ahead and the soldier picked up speed, now able to see where they were flying. And revealing the flower clutched in her legs, still slightly glowing.
It had taken much, much convincing to persuade the queen to allow this. To expend an entire mana flower? Unthinkable. But the gardener had remained firm in her conviction. The queen sent other gardeners to check as well and all of them agreed with her assessment. The gardener had pointed out that some of the mana flowers from the King¡¯s patches would regrow overnight as well, and so the queen had finally relented.
And so, the soldier bee carried the mana flower to their destination. At the gardener¡¯s direction, the soldier laid the flower down in the dirt, right next to a glowing mushroom camp.
The gardener had spent days poring all over this mushroom. She concluded that, frankly, there was no normal method by which they could cross-pollinate it. Mushrooms just didn¡¯t produce pollen or seeds the way flowers did, so the very idea of pollination was alien to them. In the end, it turned out that mushrooms were a different kind of life from plants, too different to pollinate one another.
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But the queen had ordered her to uncover the secrets of the mushrooms, and so she did. And in her endless attempts to analyze them and find some form of pollination, she discovered an alternative. Mushrooms were, ultimately, a form of scavenger. So¡what if she planted the spores of the mushrooms in the body of another plant? A plant like the mana flower? She felt that if there was any way to cross-pollinate the mushrooms, this was it.
Only time would tell if she was right.
Pollen from a cloudberry flower melted into the glow of a mana flower of the First Floor Flower Meadow. A light blue, nearly white speck of light lifted from the mana flower and began to drift on the wind. It floated aimlessly, never approaching the ground, and a faint mist began to condense around it.
Until a gardener bee flew up to it. Her antennae glowed slightly as she brushed them through the mist. She danced and reached for the mana of the communers linking her back to the hive.
¡°New seed. Room too warm. Looking for cold.¡±
Then she waited, hovering by the light as it shifted about¡though at a distance as she felt a chill spreading through her chitin. Eventually, the mana link to the hive began to grow and she felt the communer dance on the other side.
¡°No cold place. Orchard gardeners say new room might work.¡±
¡°Ok, will take there.¡±
The gardener steeled herself and approached the seed once more, shivering as she passed through the mist. She wrapped her legs in a loose cage around the glowing light, holding it with mana rather than chitin. She then flew off, the light pulled along by her mana as she made her way to the shortcuts. She passed through and arrived in the orchard. A worker from the Orchard hives flew up to her immediately.
¡°Where going?¡±
She danced as best as she could while keeping hold of the seed.
¡°Fairy Grove. New seed.¡±
¡°Ok! This way!¡±
The gardener followed the worker to the Fairy Grove¡¯s entrance. A gardener from the Orchard hives flew over as they approached.
¡°New seed? What kind?¡±
¡°From mana flower, wants cold. Feels cold.¡±
The Flower Meadow gardener couldn¡¯t help but shiver as she danced.
¡°Ok, this way!¡±
The Orchard gardener took over from the worker and led the Flower Meadow gardener inside, and then the two gardeners flew through the Fairy Grove. The grove was¡weird. The colors of the trees and the flowers seemed to shift ever so slightly, telling the gardener to turn to stay on course. The leaves above rustled and swayed and somehow made it seem like the sun¡¯s rays were coming from different directions, throwing off her orientation. Even the tiny-lightnings everywhere tried to pull her in different directions. The mana of the Tower, however, still flowed through this place, and it told her to keep flying straight. And that is what the Orchard gardener did, so the Flower Meadow gardener did so as well.
Eventually, they arrived near a nexus of rapidly shifting mana.
¡°Here!¡±
The Flower Meadow gardener didn¡¯t need the Orchard gardener to tell her so. The seed in her legs began to vibrate as it resonated with the mana concentrating in the air. The temperature of the area was still too high but the rapidly shifting mana ahead of her contained occasional flashes of light-blue and white that matched the seed¡¯s own glow. Her instincts felt it should be sufficient to make up for the unsuitable environment.
So, she simply let go of the seed. The seed agreed with her assessment as it drifted down, passing into the dirt near the nexus. The Flower Meadow gardener landed and brushed her antennae against the soil, buzzing her wings as her mana felt the seed begin to take root.
¡°Works! Thanks!¡±
The Orchard gardener acknowledged her and then the two flew off. There was plenty to do before the seed grew¡
The First of the Fifth received the reports on the progress of cross-pollination efforts in the brood chamber of her hive¡or rather, a brood chamber. This was technically not hers but her Third Daughter¡¯s, but she insisted on being here today. Because today¡they would learn if the dangerous karnuq¡¯s methods had any merit.
Because if they did, it was critical that the bees begin to adopt the new methods. Evil beings that dared claim kinship with the King had come to invade and the King said more were on the way. The karnuq as well were taking a great role within the Tower, taking on duties that belonged to the hive of hives. The Firstborn even considered them part of the hive of hives outright. So, if the bees wished to protect the King from beings of similar scale to his own, as well as to keep up with the karnuq, they needed to grow.
So, in addition to redoubling the cross-pollination efforts across the entire Tower, the First of the Fifth had instructed her Third Daughter to begin trialing methods inspired by conversations with the dangerous karnuq. Mixing the nectars was proving to dilute them too much to raise new brood and they had yet to determine a countermeasure. The dangerous karnuq could address this by just increasing the amount of ingredients, but that method proved difficult for the amount of nectar in a single brood cell. They were working on concentrating the combined honey by putting it through multiple rounds of mixing and evaporation, but that method would take too much time and effort to apply en masse even if it worked.
But then, the First of the Fifth had an idea to bypass the issue entirely¡because bees ate pollen as well as honey, especially when first growing. Up until now, she had been raising her brood on honey and pollen from the same plants in an attempt to reinforce their properties. But, what if she tried to mix and match the honey and pollen? Then she could raise a larva on two different but undiluted ingredients. Well, it might work, or it might end up providing insufficient amounts of the compounds within to affect the growth of the larva, so the same issue might still apply. There was only one way to find out.
The First of the Fifth and her daughter both stood completely still as they watched the covered cell begin to bulge, and the nursery bees move to open it up¡
Chapter 156 - Who Will Bee Chosen?
The next day, the bees told Belissar the First of the Fifth had reports to make during his morning briefing, so he moved over to her Bee Apartment first. He smiled as he saw the queen waiting for him at the entrance, along with one of her daughters and a worker.
¡°Hi there, First of the Fifth. I heard you wanted to show me something?¡±
She danced happily and then brushed antennae with her daughter. The smaller queen stepped forward carefully.
¡°H-Hello, King. Am First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter.¡±
Belissar gave her a nod and a smile.
¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡±
Her dance picked up speed and she nearly tripped.
¡°N-Nice to meet! Have new bee!¡±
The worker with them flew forward. At first, Belissar though she looked like another medicinal worker¡but on closer inspection, her color was a bit greener than normal. Belissar checked what the Tower had to say.
Antidote Monster Bee Worker
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Antidote Shot, Poison Sting, Brood Offspring, Brood Tender
Description: A monster bee worker raised on the nectar of healing herbs and the pollen of snakebane. It produces healing compounds specialized in neutralizing toxins and its stinger is optimized to deploy them. These changes make it poor, though not entirely incapable, at combat, though its venom is more potent than the base medicinal bee worker''s.
Belissar¡¯s smile grew.
¡°Excellent work, new bees are going to help out a lot.¡±
The Third Daughter and her worker broke out into a happy dance. The First of the Fifth then slowly stepped forward.
¡°King¡have request.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Sure, what is it?¡±
The First of the Fifth paused for a moment before beginning her next dance.
¡°Want¡to give honey to karnuq, the dangerous one. Dangerous one helped figure out way to raise new bees, want to help in return.¡±
Belissar tilted his head. A dangerous karnuq¡who helped figure out how to raise new bees? That had something to do with honey, he thought, so he figured there was only one karnuq who fit.
¡°By dangerous one do you mean Juosiutik?¡±
He shook his head. Ultimately, it didn¡¯t matter which karnuq she was referring to.
¡°In any case, that¡¯s fine. You can give honey to the karnuq whenever you like.¡±
The First of the Fifth stood still for a moment before breaking out into a rapid dance.
¡°King best king!¡±
Belissar just chuckled as usual.
After that, Belissar set off for his task for the day, and made his way to the Lava Field. It turned out that the First of the Fifth was not the only bee preparing to make a deliver to the karnuq today. As discussed in the meeting, the Third of the Sixth had now prepared trays of Fire mana honey and was ready to deliver them.
They ran into a slight issue, however, in removing the honey trays from the Lava Field. The Third of the Sixth had not yet raised any soldiers, while the new burning queen from the Flower Meadow was still converting her hive over to burning types, so there were no burning soldiers available to carry the trays. Even if there were, the linen ropes made by the Orchard bees started to smoke on contact with a tray full of Fire mana honey, so the bees¡¯ normal method of carrying trays wouldn¡¯t work.
Belissar headed over to assist, seeing as he seemed to be immune from the Lava Field¡¯s heat. He hoped that, maybe, he might just be able to carry the honey safely as well. Well, if it worked he wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to carrying trays made of stone all the way to the karnuq, but at least they had the shortcuts now to help with that.
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He arrived to find the Third of the Sixth waiting for him and gave her a smile.
¡°Hello. Thank you for giving up your honey like this.¡±
¡°All honey King¡¯s honey!¡±
Belissar wanted to object but knew it was pointless, so thought of something else.
¡°¡and I want all of you to enjoy the honey too. So, thanks for making it, and making enough for other to enjoy.¡±
The Third of the Sixth¡¯s happy dance picked up speed. When it finally came to an end, she led him inside the alcove where she built her hive. Belissar could see the air in the alcove distorting from the sheer heat within, but the burning bees didn¡¯t mind in the slightest. Belissar himself just thought it was quite toasty as he stepped inside and moved to the entrance of her hive. As per usual, he saw three glowing slabs on the rock door in front of her hive. He tapped one and the stone tray slid out, holding a tray of bright red honey held in red-orange wax. The air seemed to glow and distort around the honey as the temperature somehow rose even more.
Belissar gingerly touched the edges of the stone tray with his fingers and let out the breath he was holding. It was warm¡but it didn¡¯t burn him, so he¡¯d be able to carry them after all. He gripped the edges of the tray as best he could and prepared to lift. Now, all he had to do was handle the weight of the stone trays all the way to the karnuq¡
Belissar blinked as he lifted the tray in one go¡and held it without any strain. He tilted his head. Were the stone trays¡always this light? He distinctly remembered the one Muuraqi first made being much heavier. Maybe the Tower was helping since this one was generated by the beehouse feature?
Well, in any case, it was convenient, so Belissar put it out of his mind, stacked three trays on top of each other, and then carried them through the shortcut he placed by the Third of the Sixth¡¯s hive. It did not cross his mind that the Tower¡¯s assistant only applied to initially gathering the resources and did not make them any lighter once removed from the Tower feature¡
Chief Rohsuak stood before a stone table. Six trays of delicious, delectable honey were spread out before her, but she kept her eyes up and away from them. She instead focused on the entire clan gathered on the other side of the table, most of whose eyes were focused completely on the honey. She took a deep breath while everyone was distracted, steeling herself to do what must be done.
¡°First of all, let us thank Tower Keeper Belissar for his generosity.¡±
She had discussed it with the clan heads and they had decided to begin using the name the Tower Keeper had decided for himself. He wished to break with the Tower Lords he knew, while the karnuq wanted to forge a different relationship than they had with the Sacred Den Masters they had known, so it was appropriate on both ends. Since the whole clan had gathered now, it was a good time to make the change.
Though, that was not the reason they were gathered.
¡°Metsaitti, Paloiku, step forward.¡±
All eyes turned to the two hunters. Chief Rohsuak looked at the man and the woman, the oldest of the active hunters remaining.
¡°You, as the hunters who once braved the Sacred Den of Fire and received blessings from the Shrine of Fire, may each take one of the fire trays, if you are willing. You must consume the entire thing as quickly as possible, preferably in one sitting. Do not begin until I am ready and present.¡±
She locked eyes with each of them.
¡°You must steel yourselves for this, for it will not be pleasant. I have spoken with the Tower Keeper and he has described what happened to the bees that consume this honey. Fire mana will spread within you and attempt to burn every inch of your body from the inside out. I shall also burn you from the outside at the same time. You must not only endure this, you must allow it, so that you may be changed from the ground up. You must embrace the flames even as they burn you down to your core. Only then may the God of Fire approve of you. Are you willing and prepared for this trial?¡±
The two hunters both held her gaze and spoke in turn.
¡°I am.¡±
¡°I am.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded. She then pointed to the third tray of fire honey.
¡°The third tray shall be for the collective use of the clan. Juosiutik will take a quarter section of it to assess and determine its uses. Further allocations shall be decided by Leijaliuk.¡±
The honey herbalist and the quartermaster both nodded their heads, Juosiutik trying and failing not to look too excited. To be honest, Chief Rohsuak should have been the one with authority over the rest of the fire honey¡but she did not trust herself. This was the delicious, delectable, and powerful mana honey, only now attributed with the same flames that stirred within her. It was only the need to raise new champions that kept her from sampling some as it was.
And then, finally, the last two. The Tower Keeper had offered them three more trays of honey for the sake of raising champions, hoping that it would encourage some of the karnuq to accept blessings from the God of Bees. A fair concern, since if Metsaitti passed the coming trial then both the chief and the lead hunter of the clan would be blessed by the God of Fire.
¡°The Tower Keeper would offer these to those who are willing to devote themselves fully to his patron, the God of Bees. The patron of our home, the one we shall rely upon most going forward. Who among you is willing to commit to her now?¡±
¡°I am.¡±
Chief Rohsuak made a slight smile as Noigakkuq stepped forward. Well, the girl was already committed to the God of Bees with a unique blessing no less, so she expected this much. Chief Rohsuak nodded and motioned to one of the trays, one full of purple honey.
¡°Be warned, this one is toxic. We have learned that at least one of the invaders survived a full day drenched in it, so most likely not lethal, but you will be ingesting it directly. Do not attempt to do so without informing us.¡±
¡°I will too.¡±
Chief Rohsuak turned to the next speaker and made a smile. Tyhgak had stepped forward.
¡°Are you certain? You are still young and have many options open? To commit now will mean to decline all other paths, including that of Fire.¡±
Tyhgak nodded, his gaze not wavering.
¡°I want to follow our Sacred¡um, Tower Keeper?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and pointed to the unattributed mana honeycomb.
¡°So be it. Tyhgak, you shall take this tray.¡±
After two trays had been claimed, a bunch of the karnuq all volunteered at once for the remaining one. Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she watched Juosiutik jump, the girl realizing she had missed her chance poring over the fire tray. But well, the Chief had other plans for this last tray.
¡°Laaniasiu, step forward.¡±
All eyes shifted to the karnuq man, the clan''s doctor.
¡°This is medicinal mana honey, with healing properties. If you accept this, I want you to use it on yourself and not on your craft.¡±
Laaniasiu nodded.
¡°I will, Chief.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and then turned to the rest of the clan, milling about and looking down at their feet.
¡°Don¡¯t worry if you were not chosen today. This is our home now, we are here to stay. If you missed your chance today, then renew your efforts and seek your opportunity tomorrow. The Tower Keeper and his bees continue to grow and continue to make more and more honey. Let us grow with them.¡±
And so, five karnuq received full trays of mana-packed honey. Chief Rohsuak couldn¡¯t wait to see what would result¡
Chapter 157 - Burn, Ba-Bee Burn
Metsaitti stood before the shrine, specifically the God of Fire¡¯s brazier. He knelt before it and placed the hide and butchered meat of a wolf-mole within, then broke off a small chunk of the fire honey and tossed that on top of the rest. The burning honey immediately caught fire, causing the flame to flare up and consume the meat and hide. Even the fireproof wax began to melt in the heat of the divine blaze. Metsaitti bowed his head.
¡°Let your fire come down upon me and find me worthy.¡±
The fire flared out, singing his face slightly. With that, Metsaitti rose. He walked up the slight incline back towards the karnuq settlement, carrying the tray of burning honey in his hands, ignoring the heat building in his palms. Chief Rohsuak was standing in front of a newly erected structure made purely of stone, with several holes arranged around bottom of the walls and a large one in the center of the roof, while much of the rest of the clan gathered around it. Even the Tower Keeper and his ever-present bee companions stood off to the side, observing the proceedings. Fire began to spill out from the chief¡¯s mana, wrapping around her body and lifting her hair. Smoke drifted out of her mouth.
¡°Are you ready to walk through fire and smoke, to embrace the God of Fire with your very flesh?¡±
Metsaitti held her gaze.
¡°I am.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and stepped to the side.
¡°Then enter, and let your trial begin.¡±
Metsaitti nodded. He stepped inside and then disrobed, handing his clothes to a karnuq waiting outside the door. Then, he took the tray of honey and stepped into the center of the room. He knelt down and took a deep breath.
Then he began to consume the honeycomb as quickly as he could. Immediately, pain surged through his mouth, blocking out even the delicious taste of the honey. His tongue was numb after the first few bites, his throat burned as the honey slowly made its way to his stomach. Even from the very start, fire mana lashed out from the honey, spreading beyond his mouth and throat to his head and his neck.
Soon, tears and sweat mingled together, stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. His entire torso was on fire as the fire mana passed through his chest and his stomach. His hands trembled as he felt his skin and fur scorching, but still he forced them to lift more honey to his mouth. He was barely shy of halfway through the flames.
He was lifting the tray once more with his trembling arms when the honey hit his stomach proper and a new wave of fire mana surged through his being. He gasped as the mana raced through his body, feeling as though every inch was set a blaze. From the tip of his head down to the end of his toes the fire raged.
He tried to endure it. He vaguely remembered the chief¡¯s words and tried to embrace it. But that only caused the pain to increase by an order of magnitude. Metsaitti was out of his depth. He had been to the Sacred Den of Fire and prayed before the Shrine of Fire, yes. But back then he had been neither particularly zealous nor strong. His blessing was a generic one, with no particular connection to fire besides the shrine where it was granted. He, therefore, had no particular affinity for, or resistance to, fire. In this trial, he was no stronger than any other.
He collapsed to the ground as the fire rampaged through his body unchecked.
Niobee watched as the King gasped.
¡°That¡doesn¡¯t seem good. S-Shouldn¡¯t Chief Rohsuak do something about now?¡±
The karnuq¡¯s queen didn¡¯t move, however, though she was frowning and grinding her teeth. Niobee turned her own sight to the karnuq in the building. He was trying to absorb the fire like the Third of the Sixth once did, but he was not curled up inside a sealed cell where he could allow his body to break down and rebuild himself, nor within a hive where his sisters and children¡¯s mana would flow around him. No, he was trying to do this alone, without changing his form at all. The Third of the Sixth had barely managed to pull it off, adapting to the fire mana just slightly faster than it could burn her. Niobee¡¯s judgement was that¡the karnuq had little chance of doing the same.
So, she helped. She started to dance and shift the mana of the Tower, directing it towards the faltering karnuq. It wrapped around him; it showed his mana how to adapt like the Third of the Sixth had. It encouraged him to let go of his form and allow the mana to act in ways other than burning him alive. It supported him in lieu of a hive. The King valued this karnuq, and the karnuq had fought well in defense of the hive of hives. Niobee would not allow him to fall.
But, unlike with the Third of the Sixth, it was not enough. The karnuq still could not let go of his form like a bee in a cell could. He was still trying to fight alone, and not accepting the mana of a hive. And¡he was not a bee. He did not fit the mana of the Tower as well as the bees and so Niobee could not offer the same level of support. Most notably, the property of the Tower¡¯s mana to help bees resist fire did not apply to the karnuq.
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Niobee tried to make up the difference by directing even more of the Tower¡¯s mana in support¡but then she ran into a problem. She had bent the natural flows of the Tower¡¯s mana as far as they would go. To direct any more would take a more intentional effort. It would require effort. It would require permission.
It would require the King.
Belissar ground his teeth and wrung his hands. He watched with Tower sight¡and it was not going well. Metsaitti appeared to be suffering¡maybe even dying. And yet, Chief Rohsuak was not moving to respond. He saw her clench her fist, trembling ever so slightly. He heard her whisper to herself.
¡°Come on, Metsaitti. Please¡¡±
Belissar was about to ask her what was going on when Niobee suddenly began a frantic dance to his side.
¡°King! Want to help karnuq?! Need King¡¯s permission!¡±
Belissar blinked as he turned to Niobee. He noticed, then, the flows of the Towers mana surging through Niobee and towards the hut, as well as a message from the Tower starting to appear before his eyes. But he shook his head before he got too confused or overwhelmed. Time was of the essence.
¡°Yes! If we can help him, then let¡¯s help! However we can!¡±
¡°Ok, will!¡±
The flow of mana through Niobee exploded and grew several times in size, pouring down into the hut and the karnuq within. Belissar could only help that whatever Niobee was trying would work¡
Metsaitti ground his teeth and tried desperately to regain control over his body. But every time he did, a new wave of pain surged through him and drove all thoughts out of his mind. He knew there was a reason so few karnuq had ever been blessed to the level the chief was, but even he was not prepared for this level of pain.
But, just as the pain nearly knocked him unconscious, a small beacon of light broke through his perception. He just managed to notice the words appearing in sight, trying to grab his attention.
Accept improved dungeon bond?
Metsaitti didn¡¯t have the presence of mind to consider the meaning of the words. All he knew was that someone was reaching out to him¡and so he grabbed onto the lifeline.
Another stream of mana began to pour into him, this one yellow and buzzing though with hints of fire as well. It healed and soothed his burning body. It wrapped around the flames and his own mana and brought them together. It brought images to his mind.
He saw his exterior body melt down and rearrange around his interior structure before rebuilding his body piece by piece. That¡frightened him far more than burning to death. But then he saw something else. Images of an injured bee with lightning surging through and burning her body. He watched as she endured the lightning, then adapted to it, then harnessed it for herself until it became a part of her own body.
He decided to try that one.
He no longer tried to resist the flames, or grab hold of them. Instead, he tried to flare his mana along with the fire as the bee had done with the lightning. The mana pouring into him attempted to assist with this, guiding him like a karnuq parent holding the hand of a cub walking for the first time. When the next surge of pain came, he surged his mana with it. He gritted he teeth again as he nearly loss consciousness, but the mana held him in the present. Bit by bit, his mana harmonized with the flames, following their burning path through his body.
And then, he moved his mana¡and the flames moved with them. Just a bit, just a tad. He couldn¡¯t control the flames¡but, ever so slightly, he could guide them. Move them away from a part of his body in great pain to one already numbed. Or even out of his body entirely.
He chose not to do this. To survive was not the point of this. So, instead, he concentrated the flames where they hurt less, just enough for him to think and act once more.
And then he began to eat the rest of the honey.
Pain surged through his mouth and throat and stomach once more, but this time he was ready for it. He flared his mana along with it and guided it across his body, spreading it out so that his entire body could share the pain. He even found that he could move some of the fire outside of his body temporarily before pulling it back inside, allowing him to push it aside whenever the big waves of pain came so that it never overwhelmed him entirely.
Outside, Chief Rohsuak stopped clenching her fist. She blinked, and then she slowly began to smile.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Keep it up.¡±
She then stepped over and knelt by one of the holes at the bottom of the hut. She took a deep breath.
Then she burst into flames¡and sent them pouring into the hole.
Flames filled the room and surrounded Metsaitti, scorching his skin and hair. But he found he could treat these flames no differently from the ones inside his body. Rather than letting them burn him, he pulled them inside of himself, into the fires already rampaging within, before pushing them out again, letting the fire flowing out of him shield him from the fire all around him.
It still hurt worse than anything Metsaitti had every experienced¡but he could handle it. No, more than handle it. He started to be able to direct the flames, to control what part of his body he emitted it from. And once he did, he started to feel¡wrong. It was wrong to just burst the flames out in all direction.
He restricted the flames inside his body and searched for where it felt best. He concentrated the flames on his back, by his shoulders, and began emitting the fires there. The flames shout out from his shoulders and down his back before being pulled back within him. But that felt wrong too. Rather than surging them out and pulling them back in, he started to curve the flames, so they flowed out in one direction. They flowed out, and then they flowed back in, forming a complete circuit.
And once they did, the flow began to stabilize and take shape. The fire stopped surging at random points, settling down into a steady blaze. He finally started to feel¡right again.
He nodded and then looked down to take another bite of the honeycomb¡only to find an empty stone tray.
Which meant¡he had done it.
Chapter 158 - Bee-porting the News
Eventually, the sound of flames and grunting stopped, leaving silence hanging on the air. All the karnuq held their breath and kept their eyes fixed on the hut. And then¡finally, they heard a knock at the door. One of the karnuq cracked the door open and handed Metsaitti his clothes.
A moment later, Metsaitti stepped out the door, a bit singed in places but no worse for wear overall. Chief Rohsuak exhaled her breath and smiled, holding up her hand to stop the karnuq from swarming him.
¡°So¡how did it go? Do we have a new champion of fire?¡±
Metsaitti rubbed the back of his head.
¡°Well, not exactly¡¡±
Flames burst from Metsaitti¡¯s body and concentrated at the back of his shoulders. They curled down and around before heading back into his body. Chief Rohsuak raised an amused eyebrow while all the other karnuq watched with wide eyes.
Metsaitti now appeared to have a set of bee wings forged from flames. He made a sheepish smile.
¡°I¡had some help.¡±
Belissar, too, exhaled his breath as he confirmed that Metsaitti survived. He turned to Niobee and smiled.
¡°Thank you for helping him, Niobee. Really, what would I do without you?¡±
¡°King is best king! Workers¡¯ job to help!¡±
Belissar chuckled and held out his hand. Niobee landed on it and he began to brush her back, causing her to lightly buzz her wings.
¡°Still, I appreciate all that work you do.¡±
With that, Belissar finally turned to acknowledge the messages from the Tower.
Offer to improve dungeon bond with sworn defender Metsaitti?
Offer accepted, dungeon bond improved.
Sworn defender Metsaitti now has limited access to dungeon mana. Sworn defender will now be sustained by mana and restored to optimal condition where possible. Sworn defender gains increased resistance to hazardous dungeon features.
Sword defender Metsaitti now requires 5 mana upkeep.
Belissar rubbed his chin. So that¡¯s what had happened, and why Niobee had needed his permission. Now that he focused on it, he could feel a stronger mana link to Metsaitti, about on par with the daughter queens. He looked closely and saw some of the wrinkles and gray furs Metsaitti had starting to fade.
He apparently was also spending mana on Metsaitti now, but Belissar considered him well worth the price. This was the man who took on the Tower Guard captain, saving countless soldier bees from death. What was a bit of mana to keep him around?
And, as it turned out, an improved dungeon bond was not the only thing Metsaitti gained¡
A sworn defender¡¯s blessing has been upgraded into a combination blessing by two of your patrons.
Gained 10 DP.
If Belissar was reading this correctly¡not only had Metsaitti passed his trial and gained a new blessing, but apparently both the God of Bees and God of Fire had worked to bless him. The God of Fire was obvious but he wondered how the God of Bees had gotten involved? He glanced at Niobee. Maybe because she had helped?
In any case, it made Belissar happy that the two gods had gotten to work together on this¡as well as the fact that one of the strongest karnuq had grown even stronger.
After Metsaitti¡¯s ordeal, the clan decided to hold off on any more attempts for the day, and so dispersed back to their own tasks¡including Juosiutik. She nearly skipped back to her hut as she carried a piece of honeycomb in a ceramic jar. It had been wonderful reviewing all her old recipes with her new powers and new sources of ingredients¡but that was only the beginning. Her blessing title was honey herbalist, so she knew that her path lay in unlocking the potential of the ingredient none of her ancestors had every worked with before. Not even her mother.
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And now, she had access to one of the new kinds of honey, one that was not and could not have been made by any mundane bees. A magical honey with overtly mystical properties. The potions she could potentially brew with something like that would go beyond just slightly more potent medicine. This was where she would truly begin to explore her blessing.
But that exploration would have to wait just a bit, as Juosiutik came to stop just before her house. Hovering outside her door were bees¡and not just the usual communer that allowed connected her with the First of the Fifth and her Third Daughter. No, this time the communer was accompanied by another worker and several of the soldier bees¡who were holding an entire tray of bluish-green honey. Juosiutik walked forward in a daze, barely remembering to speak.
¡°Hello. Um, what¡¯s going on?¡±
The communer immediately responded with a dance.
¡°Queen mother reports method was a success. Wishes to thank dangerous one for assistance.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Wait, do you mean the potion honey or the potion bees? And which recipe did you use?¡±
The communer danced and the worker bee accompanying her flew in front of Juosiutik. Juosiutik could tell they were one of the rumored medicinal bees¡or so she thought.
¡°Potion bees. Used pollen from other plant instead of mixing nectars, worker grew up with compounds from both.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at the worker bee, trying to remember every detail about it.
¡°And which plants did you use?!¡±
¡°Healing herbs and snakebane.¡±
Juosiutik grinned.
¡°So¡some sort of antidote bee? One who could make some kind of antidote honey from any flower¡¯s nectar?¡±
The communer danced the confirmation.
¡°That¡¯s amazing. Oh, I¡¯ll have to tell Noigakkuq before she starts drinking the poison honey, if we can mass produce antidote potion now we can make sure she¡¯ll survive no matter what happens.¡±
But before Juosiutik could run off, the communer flew before her.
¡°Queen wants to give reward now.¡±
Juosiutik paused, and then slowly turned her head. Her eyes slowly widened further and further as she looked over the soldiers¡and their cargo.
¡°Wait¡that means¡that tray of honey?¡±
¡°Queen is giving.¡±
¡°To¡me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Juosiutik slowly turned to the communer and then bowed her head.
¡°This¡is¡incredible!¡±
Before jumping up again and starting to run around the tray.
¡°This is the healing herb honey, right?! This is amazing, there are so many recipes I could try to integrate this into. This¡this is going to revolutionize the clan¡¯s medicine once I figure it out!¡±
She spun around to face the communer once more.
¡°You¡¯ve no idea how much this is going to help! Please, let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to thank you!¡±
¡°Queen mother says already have. Will be trying to raise more bees, though. Wants to know if have more recipe ideas.¡±
Juosiutik made a grin as wide as her entire face.
¡°Oh, I have plenty! So¡if I understand this correctly, the baby bees eat pollen as well as honey and that¡¯s how you got around the dilution issue. Let me see what my mom¡¯s notes say about pollen¡¡±
Beero completed yet another comb pattern made of lightning, willing the spell to complete. The comb flashed, and then a small chunk of propolis with tiny-lightnings zipping over it plopped onto the ground.
The wounded soldiers had the stinger spell down at this point, and the first generation of them were now teaching their newest comrades the steps. But Beero knew they had a long way to go. They had but one spell. The karnuq queen appeared capable of manipulating fire at will, while the invaders had used many different types of spells in their assault.
Beero, thus, was working on expanding their repertoire and figuring out new ways to use their lightning. The King had created wax and propolis before, so that was what Beero tried next.
It¡wasn¡¯t going as well. Wax and propolis did not come to her as easily as stinging foes, so even when she completed the right pattern it didn¡¯t always trigger properly. And even when it did trigger¡this was the result. A bit of propolis or wax that would drop useless on the ground. And unlike the King¡¯s version, the wax and propolis she made with mana would vanish a short time later. As it was, Beero couldn¡¯t see a way to use this in either battle or work.
But she would find a way, as she had before, no matter how much time or work it took.
At this point, the wounded soldiers were all running low on mana, so they stopped their practice to have a meal¡as well as meet with a new addition to the Memorial bees. The only one among their number who was not wounded at all¡a communer assigned to them by the Firstborn herself. Now that they had proven themselves a potent combat asset, Beero¡¯s queen mother wanted the ability to speak with them at anytime¡and vice versa.
Beero happily buzzed both her remaining wings and her lightning replacements. Every time she saw the communer was a reminder that they had once again found their place in the hive of hives. So, she stepped forward as the wounded soldiers gathered and began to drink the honeycomb that had been left for them.
¡°Any news from hive of hives?¡±
The communer danced the affirmative.
¡°Gardeners say new flowers will soon bloom. First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter has raised new bee type. Karnuq got fire wings.¡±
Beero stumbled.
¡°R-Repeat last one.¡±
¡°Karnuq got fire wings.¡±
Beero spread out her wings and pointed the lightning pair towards the communer as she danced.
¡°Wings¡made of fire? Like this one, but with fire?¡±
The communer danced a quick mana-dance and waited a bit before replying.
¡°Yes, scouts confirm.¡±
Beero froze solid as her mind raced. Their method of mana manipulation worked¡on things other than lightning?
POG 158.1 - Fier-Bee Cooperation
The world was on fire. Every corner of it was filled with fires of every size and color, catching, blazing, sputtering out, and then catching again. The entire sky was a burning sun, the air was filled with smoke, the ground formed of smoldering charcoal, the seas made of burning oil. Hammers wrapped in fire struck melting anvils as forges behind them blazed. Hearths flickered with calmer reds as the scent of warm meals mixed in with the smoke.
And in the midst of it all, a man made of fire poked at a truly massive bonfire, stirring up the burning wood to improve the flow of air and help the fire grow. All the while, his eyes blazed, watching over every fire that had drawn his gaze.
The God of Fire smiled as he watched his favorite champion holding trays of honey packed with fire mana. It had been a joy to see her in good form once again, showing all these humans and bees what a real fire looked like. And fire honey! From bees that eagerly embraced the flames and happily settled by a volcano! Now, that was a good idea he hadn¡¯t considered before. He was very much looking forward to tasting mead made from that honey. Bee¡¯s little dungeon was just full of surprises.
And well worth the investment, it seemed. His favorite champion was now going to raise him some more. She had started some grand fires in her time, but it was true she getting older as the mortals did. And indeed, all fires must come to an end, the hotter they burned the faster they ate through their fuel. But then their embers could be used to fan a new flame and the cycle would continue. The God of Fire was curious to see what new flames his champion would start¡
He frowned as she announced the two hunters she had chosen. He remembered them, vaguely, if he dug deep down. Not that gods could forget, per se, but the pair hadn¡¯t really drawn his attention much at the time. They had visited one of his dungeons as children just becoming adults. The girl he hadn¡¯t considered, she had been too young and unaccomplished for a full blessing by the time of her last visit. The boy¡well, he had some skill, but that was it. He lacked the passion, the blazing heat of a roaring flame, or even the dim but steady glow of a smoldering ember. He was calm, cool, and calculating. All the things that fire was not. And he himself had but a passing devotion to the God of Fire, driven more by his proximity to the God of Fire¡¯s dungeon than any particular loyalty.
So, the God of Fire had passed him some of the generic blessings all gods had access to and had gone along with his day. Something involving spears, he didn¡¯t care to recall. He accepted the boys¡¯ offerings and rewarded him as his deeds deserved, but he did not spare him any special interest.
And now the boy, grown into a man, was attempting to embrace the flames. The God of Fire crossed his arms and let out a breath of smoke. He wasn¡¯t so sure about this plan, it seemed his champion was letting her concerns as a leader outweigh her personal encounters with his blessing. Embracing the flames in the manner that his champion had in her youth took a special mindset. Not everyone loved fire as she did. And the thing about fire was that, well, it wanted to burn. It was not so picky about what. Someone setting themselves ablaze was a nice bit of commitment to fire, but for those who did not love the flames it was as likely to kill them as bless them.
Honestly, his champion should focus more on the little bee that inspired this whole trial attempt. Now that was a girl with blazing passion!
The hunter, on the other hand? The God of Fire gave him about fifty-fifty odds. Maybe less, seeing as he was set in his ways and had walked another path for a while. In this case, his strength and experience would make the trial more difficult rather than less, and the fact that they were earned in a dungeon of Fire had no bearing here. For someone like that, it was generally better to try and act in the service of fire¡by burning something other than themselves.
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But that was the hunter¡¯s choice to make and the God of Fire was not one for carefully calculated probabilities. The God of Fire would acknowledge his resolve, and so would not hold back. The man would be subjected to the flames. If he managed to embrace them, he would be tempered and molded by them. If not, he would simply burn in his own folly.
And so, it began. As the God of Fire expected, the man began to burn. He simply did not have the love of fire necessary to embrace the burn, or the raw power necessary to simply force his way through. The God of Fire shrugged. He felt for his champion, seeing as this was one of her people, but that was the risk they both decided to take. He¡¯d at least put in a good word for the guy at the Hall of Judgement. The manner of the man¡¯s death would give the God of Fire a solid claim if he wanted, though he didn¡¯t think the man who failed to embrace the flames would want to join him in the afterlife¡
Then, the God of Fire paused, his flames flickering as he blinked his eyes. The man was receiving help.
At first, the God of Fire shook his head. One could not pass a self-imposed trial seeking the blessing of a god with external help. It might allow the guy to survive, but it would not gain him any profit for the ordeal¡
At least, until the God of Fire felt the power of another stirring. He raised an eyebrow.
¡°Bee?¡±
On closer look, it was the conduit bee that was assisting the man, attempting to support his mana as monster bees naturally did within their hive. The God of Bees was then supporting that effort, inserting her power where the God of Fire withdrew his and tying them together. He may not have approved of mid-trial assistance¡but apparently she did.
The God of Fire raised an eyebrow¡but he decided to allow it. The God of Bees was within her rights to intervene, seeing as he had been raising a champion of his own within her dungeon. It was generally polite to ask first¡but it was also polite to ask the primary patron before the trial began in the first place, and he didn¡¯t much care about either.
And so, the man passed the trial with the assistance of a hive. He could not receive a full blessing from the God of Fire for he had not fully embraced the flames, but by collaborating with the bees he earned the blessing of another. A champion that belonged to both of them. A hunter who would burn like fire and sting like a bee. The God of Fire could get behind that idea.
Though, there was the matter of Bee jumping into a trial of Fire and making a joint-blessing without deciding it ahead of time. Again, it was her right in this case, but some gods got a bit uppity about that sort of thing. The God of Fire didn¡¯t much care, if something burned in the end, that was all that mattered. Still, he figured he should probably talk to Bee on the matter of champions and whatnot. She hadn¡¯t had much authority before this so there might be a lot she wasn¡¯t aware of, and while the God of Fire wasn¡¯t one for rules he also wouldn¡¯t just let her do whatever she wanted with his power. Or rather, he would, but he also wouldn¡¯t stop it from exploding in her face if she wasn¡¯t careful. And he wasn¡¯t the only god that might want to interact with Bee and her dungeon going forward, many of whom were less permissive than he was.
He decided that he should show her some consideration, seeing as this was her first dungeon and all. He let out a sigh of smoke and shook his head. It wasn¡¯t often that he was the one telling other gods the norms and etiquette and all that other stuff he was more likely to burn through than remember. But it was not as if he had never nurtured another up-and-coming god before. Besides, he¡¯d admit he was growing curious about Bee¡¯s little dungeon and so did not want to see it fail, particularly by Bee accidentally crossing a god more uptight than himself. Young flames like these needed to be tended and shielded from the wind so that they could catch fully. The God of Fire would not see these ones snuffed out before they had a chance to burn bright.
Not until he got his mead, at the very least.
So, the God of Fire prepared to move to Bee¡¯s domain. Fire burned bright around him and swirled before him, opening up a path amidst the blaze. He could see through to the golden world of wax and honey before him. He was about to step inside¡
And then he saw the God of Bees, wrapped up in flowers. Unable to move as she lapped up nectar from the closest one.
¡°Now. Bee. Please tell me why you made your first joint champion with that God of Fire instead of me. You didn¡¯t even call me when you blessed the potion girl! I know she was your first one but she would¡¯ve been perfect for us!¡±
The God of Fire slowly withdrew his view. It appeared¡he was too late.
And there were some fires even he wouldn¡¯t stoke.
Chapter 159 - Scare-Bee Situations
Belissar was walking over to talk with Chief Rohsuak when a message passed before his eyes.
New mission received!
Mission prerequisites not fulfilled. Mission details will be unlocked once prerequisites fulfilled.
Prerequisites remaining:
- Complete mission: Spawn or evolve one Flower attribute monster with the help of bees.
- Complete mission: Earn the blessing of a new secondary patron.
Belissar tilted his head at that. A mission¡but that wouldn¡¯t show up until he completed another mission? He shrugged, there wasn¡¯t much he could do if he didn¡¯t actually know what the mission was.
¡°Got it, I¡¯ll try to fulfill that as soon as I can.¡±
The only thing he knew was that if the God of Bees asked him to do something, he¡¯d do his best to make it happen. Once he knew what it was he was supposed to do, that was.
Since he did not at present, he resumed his prior task and walked over to Chief Rohsuak, who immediately began bowing her head.
¡°You have my deepest gratitude for your assistance, Tower Keeper Belissar. Had it not been for you, we would have lost Metsaitti due to my misjudgment. Thank you for saving his life.¡±
Belissar figured he should probably say something.
¡°Um, you¡¯re welcome? But, um, Metsaitti¡¯s important to me too, so of course I wanted to help. We, um, didn¡¯t interfere too much with the ritual, did we?¡±
Chief Rohsuak sighed.
¡°For the God of Fire, yes, you did. But apparently the God of Bees stepped in to make up the difference and combined their blessings, so it worked out in this case. And even if you had caused the ritual to fail¡that would have been preferable to losing Metsaitti. You made the right call, Tower Keeper. It was I who failed.¡±
Chief Rohsuak frowned deeply.
¡°I should have known Metsaitti was not as suited for fire as I was. I suppose I allowed my reliance on him as our best hunter to cloud my judgement as a disciple of Fire.¡±
She then shook her head and smiled.
¡°But thanks to you, it worked out. And I do look forward to seeing what the blessing of the flame stinger can do.¡±
Belissar nodded. He was curious as well. But above that, he was also worried. He furrowed his brow.
¡°So, um, what about the others?¡±
Chief Rohsuak sighed again.
¡°We¡¯re rethinking things with Paloiku. I think a lot of hunters wanted to embrace fire not for the love of the flames or devotion to the God of Fire, but out of respect for me. I will ensure that the next hunter to brave the fire is truly prepared to do so.¡±
Belissar could only slowly nod.
¡°What about the others? I gave you a poisonous tray, you know?!¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled lightly and shook her head.
¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the other three trays, Tower Keeper. None of them are planning as dramatic a process as Metsaitti¡or rather, I won¡¯t let Noigakkuq attempt such a thing regardless of if she wants to or not. In any case, Noigakkuq already has a full blessing from the God of Bees, so she will use the honey only to further develop her abilities. For Tyhgak and Laaniasiu, we don¡¯t know any specific trials for the God of Bees, so the plan is to have them gradually consume the honey for the sake of boosting their mana.¡±
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Belissar was about to nod when he paused. He didn¡¯t know much about trials of the gods and was about to say as much¡but then he realized there was someone who might. Two someones, even.
¡°What about asking Velebee? Maybe the God of Bees could tell you herself? And, um, I¡¯m not sure about this one but the augur did swear to help us. I guess we could ask him if he knows anything about the Tower Guard?¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Ah. That¡¯s¡I must apologize again, Tower Keeper. It seems I am too used to acting on my own. Asking the oracle is the first thing we should have done. As for the augur, as you call him¡as he is sworn to your Tower it should be fine to ask him what he knows. I¡¯d caution against taking anything at face value, as he appears to have much different ideas on how a Tower should run than yourself and every gods¡¯ trial preferences are different from what I understand, but we could use the general example to inform further efforts.¡±
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak made their way to Velebee¡¯s hive. After a happy greeting from the queen, Chief Rohsuak stepped forward, carrying a jug of the aphid honeydew from the sigmaka and placing it before the hive.
¡°Honored Oracle of Bees, I hope you find this to your liking. If you are willing, I wish to ask a question of the God of Bees you represent.¡±
Velebee told one of her workers to check the jug¡though she hardly needed to. Her workers had already smelt the sweet scent coming from the jug and were starting to investigate on their own. Velebee then replied with an unsteady dance.
¡°Ok?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded and bowed her head.
¡°God of Bees, patron of our home. We wish to know how we may honor you, how we may embody you in our own flesh, and how we may spread your influence. If you have any guidance on the trials and challenges we must face, we would be most honored to hear from you.¡±
Velebee¡¯s eyes began to glow and then she started to dance quickly.
¡°Queen of All Bees says work!¡±
Chief Rohsuak looked up and blinked.
¡°Work?¡±
Velebee danced the confirmation.
¡°Yes! Work for hive!¡±
Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin, then her eyes began to widen.
¡°Ah¡Juosiutik got her blessing when she finished processing her potion. Noigakkuq got hers by gathering and offering flowers. Muuraqi got his by building beehouses, correct?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±
She cracked a small smile.
¡°I see. It seems the God of Bees prefers a more practical devotion to grand rituals. Very well, we will simply do our best to be useful.¡±
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak then made their way over to the prisoners. He found Hirkolos and Sehfitis tending to the wyverns. Hirkolos was teaching the karnuq how to care for the creatures while Sehfitis was translating. Sehfitis turned and bowed his head as Belissar approached.
¡°Tower Keeper, how may I assist you?¡±
Belissar nodded at Hirkolos too before replying.
¡°We wanted to know more about the Tower Guard. How they train and how they get their blessings.¡±
Sehfitis rubbed his chin.
¡°Ah, I see. I must warn you I am not a Tower Lord nor a Tower Guard, so I can only speak broadly on that matter. Each Tower Lord is different in any case, not to mention the differences in their patrons. In a general sense, however, it goes something like this. When a man is selected as a potential Tower Guard, he undergoes strict training to prepare for the challenges ahead. Physical fitness and combat drills are a must, of course, but he additionally must train his mind and spirit too. He must learn devotion to the gods and the Conclave¡¯s mission.¡±
Belissar turned to Hirkolos.
¡°Is that right?¡±
Hirkolos frowned but nodded.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s about what I went through. I was still just a recruit, though, so I never got any further than that before we were sent off.¡±
Sehfitis nodded.
¡°That was intentional. This young man was selected not for an existing Tower Lord¡¯s guard, but to form the core of a new Tower Guard. It is traditional that a potential Tower Lord is accompanied by recruits, supervised by a single Tower Guard from their sponsoring Tower Lord, so that their Tower Guard may grow alongside them.¡±
But Belissar froze. Because as his mind processed what the two men told him, he caught onto a very important implication.
¡°Wait¡you all¡weren¡¯t Tower Guards?¡±
Both of them shook their heads. Hirkolos spoke up.
¡°Only the captain was a true Tower Guard. The rest of us were just recruits.¡±
Belissar¡¯s head spun.
¡°So¡all the Tower Guards¡are like the captain?¡±
Sehfitis rubbed his chin.
¡°Hm, the captain was a bit above average, but yes, broadly speaking.¡±
Belissar began to tremble.
¡°A-And¡how many Tower Guards are there?¡±
Sehfitis tilted his head.
¡°Overall, or for a single Tower Lord? Well, overall, I could not say, and, again, each Tower Lord is different. I do believe, though, that the Lord of Starami Tower, the one who sent us, maintains a standing army of about ten thousand Tower Guards. Well, he is a well-accomplished lord who¡¯s been at it for a couple of centuries¡¡±
But Belissar was no longer listening as he stumbled back. Ten¡thousand? Ten thousand warriors on par with the captain that outfought Metsaitti and brought down multiple soldier bees with a single swing? He hadn¡¯t exactly counted them, but he was pretty sure he didn¡¯t have even close to that many soldier bees, while none of the other karnuq hunters matched Metsaitti in skill.
And that was just one Tower Lord. There was an entire Conclave of them. He slowly turned his head to Chief Rohsuak, who was frowning as well.
¡°Um, we may need to pick up the pace.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded grimly.
¡°I agree.¡±
Chapter 160 - Dont Bee Someone Else
Belissar turned to the two humans and narrowed his eyes.
¡°So¡how do the Tower Lords train Tower Guards, especially that many¡¡±
The augur tilted his head.
¡°Well, I suppose this may be a surprise for you, but the method is fairly simple. Once a recruit has been sufficiently trained in both mind and body, they are permitted entry into the Tower, where they challenge themselves against the monsters spawned within, as well as face their first battles with the Hunger in the forms the Tower permits.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Wait¡they fight the Tower monsters? The ones from the spawners we make?¡±
The augur gave Belissar a funny look as he nodded.
¡°Yes, of course. Such has always been the case, even before the Conclave codified Tower management methods. Humans challenge themselves to earn blessings and rewards from the gods, then fight to defend the gods¡¯ Towers in turn.¡±
Belissar¡¯s face fell and he made a dark expression.
¡°And¡they kill the monsters?¡±
The augur nodded.
¡°Of course, we believe that is why they respawn, after all. And the monsters attempt to kill them in turn. The challenge must be real to be acknowledged by the gods. A true life or death struggle produces the strongest champions.¡±
Belissar stared blankly.
¡°I¡see¡¡±
A short while later, Belissar and Chief Rohsuak exited the prison. Belissar walked forward without a destination, rubbing his chin as he stared at the ground. Chief Rohsuak followed along, letting him think for a bit before she spoke.
¡°Tower Keeper, you have thoughts?¡±
Belissar sighed and hung his head.
¡°I¡I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t let you kill the bees¡or have the bees kill you.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°I don¡¯t believe you should, either.¡±
Belissar grimaced.
¡°But then¡what are we going to do? You heard him, we need real challenges to raise real Tower Guards. How are we going to match ten thousand Tower Guards if we don¡¯t have the bees and hunters fight for real?¡±
Belissar started as he felt a heavy paw land on his shoulder. He looked up and towards Chief Rohsuak, who looked him closely in the eye.
¡°I don¡¯t believe that to be the only path, Tower Keeper Belissar. And I do not believe that to be the path suited for you or for our patron. I have seen more than one Sacred Den before and I have seen different relationships between the masters and the people who live around them. Every god and every Sacred Den is different. We do not even call them the same thing.¡±
Her expression softened as she gave him a smile.
¡°In your case¡the God of Bees had already declared the method she wishes us to use. She did not ask us to fight and prove ourselves against your bees. She asked us to work for the bees. The exact thing you have always done.¡±
Belissar watched for a moment before sighing once more.
¡°But then¡what do we do? We have to do something, right? We¡¯ve only gotten¡three of you blessed, right? And only one of those fights, right? That¡¯s¡a lot less than ten thousand.¡±
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Chief Rohsuak made an amused smile.
¡°Four now, if we count Metsaitti¡¯s blessing as new. But yes, we will need to pick up the pace.¡±
She then turned serious and tapped Belissar¡¯s chest with her finger.
¡°I say, though, that we must think of methods that suit you and the Tower that you have built. You had none of these Tower Guards at all when you first established your Tower. You had no sworn defenders as you expanded your Tower higher. You had no trained soldiers at all when you came to our aid and took down a shade we could not. The God of Bees herself has entrusted you with her oracle. Trust in yourself, Sacred Den Master. The God of Bees and all of us already do.¡±
Belissar stood, staring at her for a moment. His eyes widened a bit. He felt a spike of fear shoot through his chest¡but also a warm feeling rising throughout it all. He flushed a bit and looked away before it grew too much to handle.
¡°I¡see. And, um, thanks for your trust. I, um, hope I can live up to it?¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled warmly at him.
¡°You already have.¡±
To distract himself from any further feelings, Belissar started to think about the problem. So, if he wasn¡¯t going to have the bees and karnuq fight, how was he going to pick up the pace? And how was he going to give the karnuq real challenges, ones that fit the God of Bees¡¯ preferences as well?
Belissar suddenly blinked.
¡°Huh¡I think I have some ideas, actually.¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s smile grew as Belissar turned to face her.
¡°What would you say to learning some real beekeeping?¡±
Belissar held another lesson on beehouse construction with the karnuq and then separated. For the next day or so, he¡¯d leave the karnuq to build some beehouses of their own before enacting the next stage of that plan. That would also give him some time to address some additional ideas.
Because a plan to grow his Towers had to include the bees.
He met with the First of the Fifth as well as a communer from her First Daughter. Not only was the First of the Fifth the one managing the growth and production of the hives, her first daughter was the queen managing the Orchard for the most part. And with the Orchard now being the nexus of all the shortcuts, the queens there could easily pass info to and from all the rest of the Tower. Belissar could, therefore, speak to the entire Tower through these two without having to interrupt all of the queens¡¯ work.
The First of the Fifth happily greeted him as always. The communer did so as well, though her steps were a bit more hesitant. Belissar smiled and nodded at them both before launching into it.
¡°I have some ideas on ways we can grow faster. Some of them are risky, some might not be possible at all. I want your twos¡¯ honest opinion on if these are possible.¡±
He tried to look at them as seriously as he could manage.
¡°I also want you to tell me if these are going to interrupt anything the bees are already doing. I need to know what we¡¯ll spend to get them done.¡±
The two bees saluted to him, then stared up at him, awaiting his words. Belissar held back a sigh. He wasn¡¯t sure if that had gotten through to them, or if they¡¯d still happily drop everything to pursue his ideas. But there was no getting around it if he wanted to ask them directly about his ideas.
¡°First, what do you think about raising hives in the Fairy Grove?¡±
The First of the Fifth motioned to the communer, who began to relay her own queen¡¯s reply.
¡°Queen mother says is great idea. Lots of mana, will have lots of good flowers.¡±
Belissar nodded. He was still a bit worried about the Fairy Grove and how little they understood it. But he also knew that it was indeed full of magical power and conducive to flower growth, so it was time to take the leap. He may not have been willing to set his bees and the karnuq against each other, but he also knew that he needed to be willing to risk the bees a bit more than he was doing. Letting them settle the Fairy Grove before they fully understood it seemed like a good place to start. For all its unknown potential dangers, it was still a part of his Tower.
¡°Got it. Are there any queens who would prefer to move there or should I raise new queens¡¡±
Belissar had hardly finished when the communer suddenly burst out into a rapid dance.
¡°Queen says can handle! Daughters want to move!¡±
Belissar could only hope she was honest about that, and not just saying so to fulfill his request. Though, from how rapidly and happily the communer was dancing, he had a feeling she was telling the truth after all. Even if not, her sheer enthusiasm was enough to persuade Belissar.
¡°Got it, let¡¯s do that then. Next, I¡¯d like to hear about the status of the Tower overall. Which rooms need more flowers, which rooms have enough flowers, if any rooms could use more bees. Anything you think we could do to help the Tower grow faster.¡±
The First of the Fifth paused before launching into a rapid, barely intelligible dance, punctuated with ¡°King best king!¡± dances at random points. Belissar held back a chuckle as he tried to focus in on the report.
Belissar was not the only one discussing new ideas, however. At that very moment, Beero was dancing before one of the communers.
¡°Really? Will?¡±
The communer glowed a bit before replying.
¡°Third of the Sixth said of course! Will! Has plenty of honey now!¡±
Beero launched into the most rapid gratitude dance she could perform, repeating it until the communer told her the Third of the Sixth needed to get back to work. With her help, Beero and her comrades could try something new¡and see if there was a new path to assisting the hive of hives.
POBee 160.1 - A Beeros Trial
As Belissar spoke with the First of the Fifth, Niobee suddenly flew before him.
¡°King! Beero doing something dangerous again. Should go?¡±
Belissar nearly started walking towards the battle meadow shortcut before he caught himself. His face scrunched up and he crossed his arms. Eventually, he took a deep breath.
¡°¡no, I¡¯ll stay here. Let the Second of the Sixth know to go and wait on standby. You should go and help her if she needs it, if you need my permission like with Metsaitti then you have it.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar took another deep breath as Niobee flew off and resisted the urge to check in on Beero with his tower sight. He had just resolved to let the bees take more risks in the name of growth, so he could not go running off in a panic every time one was in danger. In this case, Beero and the wounded bees had taken risks before¡and came out of it stronger than ever. If they were doing it again, then he had to allow it. It was exactly what his Tower needed right now.
He decided to trust in Beero to pull through as she already had. He decided to trust in the Second of the Sixth to take care of her should it turn out badly. And he decided to trust in Niobee to render any assistance they needed and to call him if they needed his help specifically.
He would trust his bees as they trusted him.
So, he did his absolute best to focus on the First of the Fifth¡¯s report and put the risky situation out of his mind.
He didn¡¯t do very well, but he did try.
Beero stood before the stack of bright red honeycomb lying before the Memorial. The other wounded soldiers crowded around her. None of them could go any further of this, the heat emanating from the honeycomb enough to surpass their tolerance should they step any closer. This was honey made from the nectar of a fire mana flower, further processed by burning bees raised with fire mana honey themselves in the Lava Field where Fire mana flowed through the very ground and air. This was the honey that nearly brought down the mighty karnuq soldier before the Conduit and the King himself intervened.
It would be battle simply to approach the honey.
Beero stilled herself and took a step forward. Then another. And another. She kept crawling even as the heat burned her chitin armor. Her wings buzzed, involuntarily trying to spread cool air and counteract the heat, her lightning wings crackling as her mana began to surge through her.
But she kept going.
Perhaps it would have been wiser to let one of the others do this. Some of the newest wounded soldiers hadn¡¯t taken up the lightning yet and Beero didn¡¯t know if the lightning would play well with fire. Additionally, one of the Flower Meadow queens had also become a burning queen like the Third of the Sixth and was raising burning soldiers who would have Fire mana from the get go. Beero could simply leave fire to them, maybe even welcome them into the Memorial squads if any of those soldiers were injured in future battles.
But that wasn¡¯t Beero. She was no queen, carefully considering the future of the hive as a whole. She was no King, deciding the course of every hive all at once. She was no Conduit, who could see all that dwelt within the Tower like a communer connecting every hive.
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She was a soldier. Her job was to charge into danger to protect the hive, and now the hive of hives. So that is what she did.
She pushed right up to the honey, stuck her proboscis in, and began to drink.
She immediately felt her insides begin to burn as the fire tried to set her ablaze. She tried to pull it into the stream of lightning surging through her, but the fire and the lightning collided. The fire bounced off the lightning and spread through her body instead, burning her further. Soon, pain flared in every corner of her body.
But, well, Beero was used to it. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had felt this way. And she was not alone, either. Previously, she had to drink mana honey directly from the King¡¯s hand. But now, the Conduit had grown as well. Beero could feel as the mana of the Tower turned towards her, boosting her reserves and easing her pain.
So, Beero set aside the pain and got to work. As with the black lightning before, she tried to draw the fire into the flows of her mana and make it her own. She stopped the beating of her wings and instead began vibrating her whole body, trying to generate as much heat of her own as she could. Once again, she failed. The lightning and the fire repelled each other, preventing the fire from being drawn into her mana. It seemed she was already full with lightning.
It was then that Beero had a simple thought that had somehow never occurred to her before. What if¡she tried to turn the lightning off?
She had never considered it. The lightning had been made a part of her. If she let go of it, she thought it would overwhelm her once again. But¡that was the black lightning. The lightning that had long since faded. All the lightning coursing through her now was generated by her own body and mana. It obeyed her in other ways. Why not this one?
And deep down, she was not a lightning bee. She knew because the Fourth of the Eight had become a shocking monster bee queen, now raising actual shocking bees born with lightning. Beero was still a normal soldier bee, just with lightning in her.
So, for the first time ever, she tried to turn off the lightning. And to her surprise, it shut off, just like that. Her mana stopped producing lightning. It took a second or two for the remaining lightning to fade, but just like that she was back to a normal monster bee soldier.
Or not. Her mana continued to flow at an accelerated pace, looping outside of her body where her missing wings would have been. And now¡it was once again regular mana. Regular mana that was open.
Once again, she tried to draw the fire into the mana. And this time, it took. The fire began to stream into the flows of her mana and follow along with it. She siphoned it out of the various corners of her body to strengthen the stream, which became a blazing river of fire surging along the path of her mana. And as it blazed and flowed, her mana began to wrap around and infiltrate into it, as it had done with the black lightning before. This time, it was far easier. Fire from honey did not fight her the way lightning from the shade did. And more than that, her mana was more powerful than it had been back then, and her skill at manipulating it was far greater.
Bit by bit, the fire began to become hers. Before long, her missing wings began to reappear, now made of blazing fire instead of crackling lightning. Her new fire mana now spread throughout her body, stopping all remaining fires from burning her. It flooded through her proboscis, allowing her to take in more of the fire mana honey without further harm. It wrapped around her body, protecting her from the heat scorching her chitin.
She had done it. She had brought fire into her body as she had with lightning¡and changed her mana from one to the other. She withdrew her proboscis and stepped away from the honey. Her comrades crowded around her, dancing countless questions, but she stopped them, and asked them to take some distance.
Her idea had been a success but there was still one last thing she wanted to test. As she stepped out of the blaze, she commanded the fire to fade as she had with the lightning. As with the lightning, the fire quickly cut off.
Then, she commanded the lightning to return. She needed to know if she still had it within her, or if the fire had replaced it entirely.
At first, nothing happened. The lightning had been with her for so long that she could barely imagine being without it. And since it had been forced on her by an enemy, she wasn¡¯t certain how to bring it back. She tried rubbing her legs against her hairs and beating her wings to generate tiny-lightnings, hoping they would help.
And they did. The moment she felt a tiny lightning, she instantly remembered the feeling of lightning surging through her body. Her mana leapt to respond to her command.
A moment later, her lightning wings returned.
And then a flash of light filled her vision and everything went dark.
POBee 160.2 - Beeros Home
Belissar fidgeted about as the First of the Fifth concluded her report. He may have¡missed a few details here and there, but the general picture was that things were going well. The bees had reached begun foraging from all of the plants in the dungeon and were starting to produce several new types of honey as a result, while the gardeners believed some new Cross-Pollination results were just beyond the horizon. The one room that needed anything was the Fairy Grove and its lack of bees, but Belissar had already arranged to some bees to move there.
His bees could and would grow well with the rooms and flowers they already had, it seemed. If he wished to promote their growth even further, he would need to introduce new elements into the equation.
It was then that Niobee called for him.
¡°King! Look!¡±
Belissar spun his head as he shifted to his Tower sight and zoomed towards the Memorial. He found a glowing ball of light so bright he wouldn¡¯t have been able to look at it directly with his own eyes. Niobee and the wounded soldiers gathered around it. Beero was nowhere in sight.
¡°Niobee?! What¡¯s happening?! Where¡¯s Beero?!¡±
¡°There!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. Beero was¡in the middle of that light? But just as fear began to clutch at his heart, the light exploded outward. Thanks to his Tower sight, Belissar was the first to see what had occurred.
A bee stood where the light had been, her body still glowing with a gradually fading light. She was a bit smaller than the normal soldiers, though still much larger than the workers. Her chitin was sleek and seemed to shine in the light¡until the light completely faded and revealed that small pulses of light occasionally came from the chitin itself. Her antennae had grown fuzzy with many smaller hairs branching off of it, much like a communer¡¯s. Two pairs of shimmering wings extended from her back, colorful lights occasionally pulsing through them as well.
A monster has evolved!
Monster Bee Battlecaster is now available!
Belissar¡¯s jaw dropped as he focused on the bee.
Monster Bee Battlecaster
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average
Magic: Below Average
Defense: Minor
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Average
Notable Skills: Dance Casting, Basic Elemental Conversion, Group Cast, Mana Poison Sting, Death Blow, Brood Offspring
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier
Description: This monster bee soldier has learned to manipulate its mana externally as well as to convert its attributes, the two foundational skills of magic, and so is able to learn and cast spells. While its mana reserves and spells are not that impressive individually, it has an innate ability to group cast with other Bee-type monsters, making it exceedingly dangerous in numbers. Evolved from a soldier, this bee is particularly focused on combat-related spells and retains some of its previous physical capabilities as well. In addition to existing monster bee soldiers evolving, monster bee soldiers may now be raised as battlecasters, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
Belissar opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally managing to send a message out.
¡°Beero? Is that you?¡±
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For Beero, the light faded almost as soon as it came. She instinctively knew she had evolved, so she immediately set about exploring her new body. She found, for the most part, her body had not changed that dramatically. She was a little smaller, her chitin was sleeker, and her antennae were fuzzier, but she was all in all still a soldier bee.
On the outside, that was.
Inside, the river of mana flowing through her had become a roaring torrent. Moreover, that torrent now touched every part of her. Previously, the mana flows were restricted to specific parts of her body, and both the mana and her body itself would resist if she tried to make it go elsewhere. Now¡the mana flowed through every corner of her body like nectar from a flower. Every inch of her body was a smooth channel allowing mana to pass through without any friction. The mana itself obeyed her command as naturally as her legs, flowing wherever she willed. It went down to the tip of her stinger, then up to each of her legs, then through her head to her antennae, and then back to her wings¡
Beero froze completely. The mana was flowing through her¡wings?
Not¡empty air?
She tilted her head back as high as it would go so her big eyes could glance behind her¡and she saw it. Two pairs of wings, lightly glowing as her mana concentrated within them. She tried to beat them. Both pairs responded, letting her feel a light breeze on both sides of her chitin.
She slowly, gingerly, extended her wings out, one pair on each side of her body. She slowly began to beat them, a low buzz beginning to sound as she gradually picked up speed. She barely remembered to breathe.
Then¡slowly¡gradually¡she began to lift off of the ground. She nearly froze as she felt all of her legs leave the ground and the weight of the world tug on her once more.
She¡was flying. For the first time since she had lost her wings, she was flying on her own power once more.
And then she felt the King¡¯s gaze on her once more. Her antennae swayed as the Tower¡¯s mana swirled around her, allowing her to feel the currents like she never could before. She could feel his intent approach her before it even arrived.
¡°Beero? Is that you?¡±
She immediately began a confirmation and salute dance¡which quickly turned into a rapid flight as she realized she could once again dance in the air. She zipped about, beating her wings as fast they could go as she once again felt the rush of the wind against her chitin. Her wings lit up as her mana surged through them, boosting her far beyond what it had done before. She flew and she looped and she dove and climbed again. For a brief moment, all thoughts left her mind.
She could fly again! She had wings again!
She flew until she grew exhausted and landed by the Memorial once again. The other wounded soldiers crowded around her and she answered each of their questions. Then, each and every one of them rushed to resume their magic practice. Once again, she had shown them that there was a way back.
Once she had recovered a bit, she beat her wings and took to the skies once more. She could have done this next part via communer, but she wanted to do this herself. So she lifted into the sky and flew straight towards the Bee Barracks. The soldier bees guarding the entrance started to block as a bee they had never seen approached, but Beero sent her mana forward, carrying both her mana signature and her pheromones. The guards relaxed once they realized she was one of theirs.
And so, she flew right into the Bee Barracks, taking it in for the first time. Rows upon rows of trays filled with honey and countless worker bees going about their business. Brood tenders taking care of the young, workers beating their wings to process the honey, new bees breaking out of their cells. For a brief moment, she paused and took in the sight.
Once again, she sent up a mental dance to her sisters who had gone to join the Hive of All Bees. She was home. And she was once more ready to take up their place in defense of the hive.
She broke out of her thoughts and zipped through the hive, searching until she found the workers whose mana and pheromones matched her own. It proved surprisingly difficult, the mana and pheromones of mana different hives blended together in this place. She could even see drones twisting the mana of the hives together, intentionally promoting this effect. She had no time to question it, though, for all of her thoughts centered on her task.
Until, finally, she found her. She landed before the largest queen of them all. The oldest of the living, the Firstborn.
Her queen.
¡°Queen mother!¡±
Her queen paused her work as Beero landed in front of her and began to dance.
¡°Got better! Have wings again! Can join hive again!¡±
Her queen stood still only for a moment before beginning to dance as well.
¡°Amazing! Incredible!¡±
The two danced happily for a bit and Beero crawled over her queen. Now, all was well in the world.
But her queen had other ideas.
¡°Is great! But need to go back to Memorial, ok?¡±
Beero froze.
¡°Queen mother¡doesn¡¯t want in hive?¡±
Her queen gently brushed Beero¡¯s antennae.
¡°No, want. But Memorial needs guard. Other soldiers need help, need to evolve and get back wings. Hive of hives needs wounded soldiers¡¯ lightning stings. Beero helped in ways no other soldier can, has more important job now.¡±
Beero paused to consider this, thoughts of her still wounded comrades coming to mind. Her queen continued.
¡°Beero still part of hive. Still was without wings too. All bees part of hive of hives, all bees work for King.¡±
Beero slowly began a salute dance. Her queen began to groom her hairs.
¡°Beero can come to hive whenever she wants, though!¡±
Beero paused, and then began to dance rapidly once more.
¡°Ok! Will! Queen is best queen!¡±
Her queen stopped her, however.
¡°No, is hive of hives. All queens best queens. King who built is best king. And Beero is best Beero.¡±
Beero spent a bit longer getting reacquainted with her old hive. And then, she left, flying back to the Memorial. Her home. Perhaps not the home she remembered, but the one that she and her comrades had built.
Her queen was right. Her comrades needed her. The hive of hives needed her. And her fallen sisters in the Memorial should not be left alone.
She had found a way back where none existed. And now she would show others the way, even as she blazed new paths.
For she was, and always had been, a soldier of the hive of hives.
Chapter 161 - Momentous Bee-cisions
¡°King! Everything ok?! King ok?! Hive of hives ok?!¡±
Belissar snapped out of his daze thanks to the First of the Fifth flying frantically before his face. He shook his head and then quickly gave her a smile.
¡°Everything¡¯s fine! Better than fine, actually. Beero evolved and we have a new type of bee now. I¡¯m going to go check on her, if that¡¯s ok?¡±
The First of the Fifth slowed down.
¡°New bee? Amazing, incredible! King can do whatever King chooses!¡±
Belissar chuckled and reached up to let her land in his hand.
¡°Thank you for your report, and your work. It really helps.¡±
He laughed a bit as the First of the Fifth¡¯s near unintelligible happy dance tickled his hand.
Afterwards, Belissar made his way to the Memorial. He smiled as he found Beero just returning from the Bee Barracks. His heart swelled as he watched her zip about in the air.
¡°Hi Beero, congratulations on evolving and on getting your wings back. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±
Beero responded by zipping circles around him, more reminiscent of the bumblebees than of any waggle dance. Belissar laughed while he waited for her to calm down a bit.
¡°Now then, I had a question. Do you think the other wounded bees could evolve like you?¡±
Beero turned to face the other bees. Her antennae swayed about and Belissar could see mana swirling in response. He waited while she did her thing, until eventually she started to dance.
¡°Oldest squad can. Newest squads need more mana, can¡¯t for now. Soldiers without lightning can¡¯t until get lightning, get mana, learn dance.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Got it. We¡¯ll get you some mana more mana honey, and anything else you think might help. Let¡¯s try to get the oldest squad evolved.¡±
Beero immediately resumed zipping about.
¡°Ok! Will! King is best king!¡±
Belissar smiled a bit, but it was a little strained this time. Because this time, it wasn¡¯t only for the wounded soldiers¡¯ sake that he was going to help them grow¡
Belissar frowned. He was standing next to Chief Rohsuak by the Bee Barracks for the day¡¯s purification. This time, they were facing a pack of four small wolf-shades.
¡°It¡¯s the wolf shades. They¡¯re slower than the cats, but their tails and fangs are pretty dangerous. And they can breathe out some sort of Hunger-mist. We probably need to pull the hunters back, they won¡¯t be able to dodge the breath in the tunnels.¡±
Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin.
¡°How dangerous is the Hunger-mist?¡±
Belissar grimaced as he forced himself to review unpleasant memories.
¡°It kills worker bees instantly. Soldier bees can survive it but can barely move afterwards.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°In that case, it should be fine. I¡¯ll let Metsaitti know what to expect, but I believe they should still face this foe.¡±
Belissar¡¯s frown grew but Chief Rohsuak just smiled at him.
¡°We¡¯re a bit more durable than the soldier bees. And as a Tower¡¯s sworn defenders, we¡¯ll have a bit more resilience to the Hunger than normal. We can take a hit, and a good knock will be good for them.¡±
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Belissar wasn¡¯t sure about that but decided Chief Rohsuak should know her hunters best, so they proceeded as normal. The wolf-shades made their way through the tunnels¡slowly, as they fell into the pits here and there. The other shades would help the victim out of the pit each time, though the effects of the maddening honey began to tell over time. Eventually, four intoxicated wolf-shades stumbled into the final hallway where the karnuq were waiting. Metsaitti swung his hand forward.
¡°Loose!¡±
Belissar blinked as the karnuq filled the four shades with arrows. Somehow, he had forgotten that was an option. The wolf-shades never got close. Chief Rohsuak shook her head and sighed.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait until next time for the knock.¡±
Belissar silently nodded.
After the celebration, Belissar gathered the bees and Chief Rohsuak once more. He invited Metsaitti and Beero to participate as well. He took a deep breath as all eyes waited on him.
¡°As you can see, Beero has evolved into a new kind of soldier bee. She also says her original squad should be able to evolve soon as well.¡±
He turned to the First of the Fifth.
¡°Could you coordinate with her to provide them with any additional honey they might need? I¡¯d like to get them evolved as soon as possible. Second of the Sixth too, they¡¯ll need you on standby in case anything goes wrong.¡±
Both the First of the Fifth and the Second of the Sixth danced immediate salute dances. Belissar nodded, though this time without a smile. He took another deep breath.
¡°Ok, good. Because once we have a squad of battlecasters, we¡¯re going to try another expansion.¡±
This is what Belissar had resolved. The karnuq were now risking themselves in purifications to grow and working hard to learn beekeeping. The Orchard queens would now brave the Fairy Grove, while Beero and Metsaitti both challenged the fire honey to gain new powers. Belissar could not, therefore, hold off on the expansions any longer. His Tower needed to keep growing, and he needed to accept the risks¡and possible sacrifices¡required to do so. He shouldn¡¯t try to shield his bees from the Hunger if the Tower Lords would just crush them all later.
Beero¡¯s evolution was the final push. A squad of battlecasters that could both fly and cast spells was too good to pass up if they could get one quickly¡and would be a very good card to have against a new shade. So, once Beero¡¯s first squad followed after her, they¡¯d go for it. Between the battlecasters, the karnuq, and Metsaitti¡¯s new powers, they should have enough to handle something new.
Hopefully.
Beero immediately danced a salute, with the bee queens following along. Metsaitti saluted as well in karnuq fashion.
¡°We¡¯re ready to fight, Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smirked.
¡°Indeed. Metsaitti here¡¯s really excited to try his new powers, so please let him fight if you have the chance.¡±
Metsaitti flushed and looked away as Chief Rohsuak giggled. Belissar even allowed himself to smile slightly. He could only hope it would go that well¡
The Firstborn flew forward as the King finished the meeting for the night. She wouldn¡¯t be long, they had much to do to prepare for the King¡¯s new battle, but her task was important.
¡°Have proposal for hive of hives. Memorial bees should be considered as new hive, special hive. Beero should be considered as queen. Hive of hives should give honey, workers, soldiers. Beero should join in queen meetings.¡±
Beero froze and turned to stare at her as she finished her dance. This was why she had not taken Beero back into her hive. Because, ultimately, Beero was too important. It was she who discovered how bees could use magic, and so brought an entirely new dimension to the soldier bee army. It was she who discovered how wounded bees could still fight. It was she who had found not one but now two evolutions that both occurred without special flowers. The first being when the magic honey she made helped the Fourth of the Eight to become a shocking monster bee queen. And now, when she herself had become an entirely new type of soldier bee, and created a way for wounded soldiers to heal themselves in the process. The King himself was set to launch a new expansion all off the back of Beero¡¯s achievements.
Beero was no mere soldier bee at this point, and the bees she led now had their own unique place in the hive of hives. The Firstborn felt it was now time to acknowledge what had already been true for a while, especially now that the wounded soldiers would start regaining their wings and might otherwise try to disperse back to their original hives. For Beero had already formed them into a new hive, not out of queens and drones and brood, but out of the sheer will of the soldiers to protect the hive of hives no matter the cost.
A more fitting guardian for the Memorial the Firstborn could not imagine. Nor a more fitting bee to call her equal, if not her superior.
The First of the Fifth responded first.
¡°King already invited Beero to meeting of queens. Already considers important, gave name like Conduit and Oracle. Bees should too.¡±
Beero spun about as the other queens began to agree as well. She began a bunch of unintelligible and uncoordinated, though vaguely negative steps. But the Firstborn landed by her and brushed their antennae together.
¡°Beero has done well. Keep protecting hive of hives as already have.¡±
Beero looked at her for a moment before slowly beginning a salute.
¡°As queen mother commands. Will work hard.¡±
The Firstborn, though, danced the negative.
¡°No, as Beero decides, and as King commands.¡±
The Firstborn stepped back and danced to the First of the Fifth. The two danced between each other before the First of the Fifth finally conceded and took the lead.
¡°Beero already named by King, so will call Beero. But will also have title of First Queen of the Memorial, the first of her line, in case Memorial gets more queens. All agree?¡±
All the queens agreed. Beero could only stand still, fighting back the urge to salute as a soldier should.
And so, the queens of the hive of hives welcomed the First Queen of the Memorial, the first of her line, the queen who was not a queen into their ranks.
POBee 161.1 - An Incon-Bee-vable Hive
The next day, Belissar found himself surrounded by beehouses. He walked through them, rubbing his chin. He looked through each and every one, pulling out a tray from each. They were all different shapes and sizes, mostly all rough around the edges. But still, Belissar nodded. He turned to face the karnuq beekeepers¡¯ class, all of them staring at him silently.
He gave them a smile.
¡°This should do, at least as far as I¡¯m concerned. The true test will be if the bees like them. Are you ready for that?¡±
The karnuq all saluted.
¡°Yes, Tower Keeper!¡±
Belissar nodded in approval.
¡°Good, then I¡¯ll go get the first one.¡±
With that, Belissar departed from the karnuq village and walked over to an inhabited corner of their Flower Meadow. Once there, he placed a new monster bee queen spawner. He waited while the tree with a beehive built itself, and then a new monster bee queen crawled out of the hive. She shook herself off and began looking around, freezing once she turned towards him. She then took off into the air and began a salute dance before him. Belissar smiled.
¡°Hello, and welcome to the Tower. This one would be the ninth spawner so¡First of the Ninth?¡±
He turned to Niobee for the latter question and she danced the confirmation.
¡°Yes! First Queen of First Dynasty of Ninth Spawner!¡±
Belissar nodded before turning back to the new queen.
¡°First of the Ninth, I have a special request for you.¡±
The First of the Ninth flew a single salute dance and then gave him her full attention.
¡°Over that way, you¡¯ll find the karnuq settlement, and a bunch of beehouses they tried to make. I¡¯d like you to look them over and, if you like any of them, to make your hive in the best one. I¡¯ll upgrade it into a Tower feature once you decide. But, if none of them are to your liking, then let me know and I¡¯ll have them make some more.¡±
The First of the Ninth quickly saluted. Belissar smiled and continued.
¡°Also¡I¡¯d like you and your hive to act mostly like normal bees towards the karnuq. Make sure you don¡¯t kill any of them, but your workers can sting them if they do something you don¡¯t like.¡±
She saluted once more. This was Belissar¡¯s plan to help the karnuq learn beekeeping as the God of Bees wished. The augur had mentioned that true challenge was important when raising Tower Guards, but beekeeping had been entirely too easy now that Belissar had magical monster bees he could talk to directly. So, for those karnuq learning beekeeping, Belissar decided to give them a more realistic experience. Within reason, he didn¡¯t want any tragedies occurring between bee and karnuq, but he also wanted them to experience beekeeping when the bees weren¡¯t magically cooperative.
So, the first step would be if they could make beehouses that a bee queen would choose to settle in. Belissar was about to send the First of the Ninth off when Niobee began to dance.
¡°King! Should introduce to Velebee?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened just a bit.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good idea. Right, let¡¯s introduce you to the queen already living here, and then you can check out the beehouses. Alright?¡±
The new queen saluted once more. Belissar set off with her in tow¡
Velebee watched as new workers crawled out of their cells, brushing antennae with the older workers watching over them.
At first, she had thought she¡¯d have to hold off on raising more brood until what workers she had left could forage enough honey¡and winter was fast approaching, so she thought she might have to wait until spring. But it turned out the Hive-Builder had grown far more than she had anticipated. His hives were no longer simple fortresses, they were magic. She was more than little surprised when her workers reported she already had honey stockpiles by the end of the first day. On closer observation, she found the hive itself was spontaneously filling empty cells by some magical means.
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And then, the next day, she arrived.
Her second day in this hive, Velebee had found herself cowering as a hit squad of gigantic soldier bees flew over her hive. She knew it had been too good to be true, this room was not beyond the reach of the giants after all. And would they allow her, but a humble honeybee, to take possession of a magical hive such as this one?
She knew she wouldn¡¯t have, had their positions been reversed.
So it was to her great surprise that, as she trembled, a queen landed before her, and ordered her soldiers to drop a full tray of honey right in front of her hive. The queen said something about hives of hives or something like that, Velebee had been too frightened to pay much attention.
And then the queen had left, leaving the honey behind and Velebee thoroughly confused. What sort of queen just¡left their honey outside a rival¡¯s home? She had sent out workers to check it out¡and they had not been ambushed by angry defenders. She simply couldn¡¯t comprehend what that ¡°First of the Fifth¡¯s¡± intentions were.
And then she found out that the honey was magical, stocked to the brim with mana like the honey her Niobee had once made. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, this honey had more mana than even Niobee¡¯s did.
Velebee had spent the rest of the day in anguish. If she hadn¡¯t been mistaken, honey like this would have allowed her to raise a full generation of Niobees and push her hive to heights she never could have imagined before. And yet¡was it a trap? Why exactly had that First of the Fifth just left her honey here? Did the First of the Fifth intend to accuse her of robbing and wipe out her hive? But then¡why wouldn¡¯t she have just wiped them out to start with?
Well, while Velebee had been pondering her workers had been working and since she hadn¡¯t told them otherwise they moved the new honey into the hive, leaving Velebee despairing as to what would happen next.
And then the First of the Fifth had returned the day after¡and left another tray of magical honey in front of her hive.
Velebee had thought long on this and spoken with her Niobee on the matter, for she simply couldn¡¯t comprehend what was going on. Niobee had explained, then, what was meant by ¡°hive of hives.¡± All the bees here belonged to the Hive Builder and all worked on his behalf. Therefore, they considered all bees that belonged to the Hive Builder as one hive, and acted as such.
That didn¡¯t seem possible to Velebee. The queens that lived in the Hive-Builder¡¯s hives before had shown no particular inclination to cooperate with one another, Velebee included. How was it possible that these bees had put aside their innate rivalry?
And yet, here she was, not being stung to death by mystical giants. And now, Velebee was watching as new workers crawled out of their cells, raised not on the work of her brood but on honey freely given to her by hives that should have been her rivals and her doom. Workers that possessed the spark of mana within them, new Niobees to take care of her hive while her Niobee took care of the Hive-Builder and all his hives.
This hive of hives thing was inconceivable¡but if it was real then maybe it wasn¡¯t a bad thing.
¡°Hello, Velebee?¡±
Velebee dropped everything, though, as she heard the Hive-Builder¡¯s voice calling her name. She flew out to find the Hive-Builder and her Niobee once more. She danced happily with her favored worker, before rushing to greet the Hive-Builder and thank him for the magical hive he had granted her.
¡°You¡¯re welcome, I¡¯m glad you like it. Also, there¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to introduce to you.¡±
Velebee then realized that the Hive-Builder and her Niobee weren¡¯t alone. There, flying alongside them, was another queen. Not a giant this time, this queen was barely larger than Velebee herself. But the queen was packed full of mana just like all the others, so Velebee had no illusions as to her identity. This was one of the magical giants, maybe a young one who had yet to grow.
¡°This is the First of the Ninth, she¡¯ll be living near the karnuq with you.¡±
Velebee froze. The magical giants¡were moving in? This place wouldn¡¯t be hers after all? Her hive wouldn¡¯t be safe here either? Had that been the reason? Had the First of the Fifth been fattening her hive up so that a new giant could devour them?
While her mind was racing, the Hive-Builder turned to her Niobee.
¡°Niobee, normally the oldest queen is in charge of a given room, do I have that right?¡±
¡°Oldest and most developed hive!¡±
The Hive-Builder nodded.
¡°Got it. In that case, First of the Ninth, this is Velebee. One of my queens from before the Tower, Oracle of the God of Bees, and Niobee¡¯s mom. She¡¯s been living here a few days now, and I guess will be the main queen for this room if you have any issues.¡±
Velebee recoiled as the young giant flew before her and then started to dance. No doubt a smug declaration of her hives demise¡
Velebee froze. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken¡the giant was¡saluting to her? The young giant repeated her salute dance several times so Velebee could not be mistaken. Her Niobee then landed by her and began brushing her antennae.
¡°Queen mother ok?¡±
¡°Niobee, magic giant not eating hive?¡±
¡°No!¡±
¡°Magic giant¡saluting?¡±
¡°Yes! King said! Queen mother in charge of room, other bees will follow!¡±
Velebee barely managed to move her antennae.
¡°Magic giant¡following¡me?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Velebee stared at the young queen that would one day dwarf her, who instead of stinging her to death was repeatedly saluting. She looked at the Hive-Builder, who could now build magical hives that made their own honey. She considered the First of the Fifth just handing her magical honey for seemingly no reason.
This hive of hives thing just got more and more inconceivable. But more and more¡she was feeling that maybe it was real, and the bees here really weren¡¯t competing with one another. And if that were true¡then maybe the giants wouldn¡¯t be so frightening after all¡
Side Story 161.2 - A Bee-carious Quest
The light of the sun filtered down the canopy of a warm forest. The canopies of the trees, the shrubs and the bushes, and the ground itself were all covered in flowers of every shape, size, and color. The air was filled with the singing of birds and the buzzing of bees. Bees, butterflies, and pollinators of every sort flew from flower to flower.
In the midst of it all, Tarwantrad stood before a beehouse, carefully carved from the finest wood with flower designs adorning the walls. She smiled as she removed the roof and gently lifted one of the trays, watching the bees crawl all over the honeycomb and each other. She took her time looking over each brood cell she could find. Her smile grew as the queen flew out and danced a salute to her.
¡°You are enjoying the new home?¡±
The queen danced her confirmation. Tarwantrad and the queen then flared their mana slightly, moving the worker bees out of the path of the tray so that Tarwantrad could gently return it to its place.
Belissar¡¯s Beehouse. That was a human name, if Tarwantrad wasn¡¯t mistaken, and that had made her deeply suspicious at first. Tarwantrad hadn¡¯t met one personally, but all the lore and the histories agreed that humans were wasteful, arrogant, and shortsighted, and had no respect or affection for the world around them. What sort of human would have ever taken the time and attention to make their bees happy?
But apparently this beehouse was approved by the God of Bees, so Tarwantrad gave it a chance. The results were¡surprising. The trays were a neat and well-designed feature, allowing her to observe the inside of the hive without disrupting or destroying its structure. They had been carefully spaced from one another at the exact distance that the bees wouldn¡¯t fill the gaps with either propolis or wax, allowing her to continue moving them and allowing air and bees to move through the hive with ease. Well, that would be a disadvantage during cold weather but worked well in the heat, and Tarwantrad could see spaces that could be stuffed with furs, cloths, or other linings to insulate if necessary.
For a human¡¯s work, it wasn¡¯t bad. The precise spacing of the trays told of close observations and continuous adjustments that must have taken a long time to work out, a kind of care and patient effort she would not have expected from someone so mortal. And more, the trays could be removed without damaging the rest of the hive, thus allowing a beekeeper to gather honey without destroying the hive completely. Tarwantrad did not gather much honey from her bees herself, but she could appreciate the desire to do so while keeping the harm to the bees at a minimum.
Most of all, the bees seemed to like them. As did the God of Bees, enough to name this feature for a human. So, if there was ever a human she would have liked to meet, it would have been this Belissar, should they still live.
Tarwantrad wrapped up her work on this hive and started preparing to tend to the flowers all around when she was suddenly interrupted.
New mission received: Find and visit the first Bee dungeon
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°There¡¯s¡a bee dungeon?¡±
She had to go and see this, even if she hadn¡¯t been granted a mission from her patron to do so. She shouted across her dungeon as only a dungeon master could.
¡°Nolarling, I¡¯m going out! You¡¯re in charge until I get back!¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
With her dungeon safely in the hands of her assistant, Tarwantrad raced to the nearest shortcut, her mind racing even faster than her body. Her stride slowed down, however, as she almost immediately ran into an issue.
Where, exactly, should she begin searching for the bee dungeon?
She knew with complete certainty that no bee dungeon existed in the lands of the fair peoples, at least none who participated in the Calwaskon Compact, if for no other reason that she would not forgive anyone who knew of such a thing and had not informed her. No dungeon was kept secret among the Compact to begin with, she should have met any such dungeon master herself at the dungeon fair if nothing else.
So, that would mean she would need to venture into the dark lands beyond the realm of the fair. She knew not if anything even remained out there besides the Hunger, so she had no idea where to begin her search. She would have to confer with the loremasters, or perhaps the wardens?
Tarwantrad was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she nearly collided with someone trying to enter her dungeon. She jumped back and apologized, then looked at the woman who she nearly collided with. Another woman like herself, dressed in colorful garments adorned with flowers, and a crown of flowers in her hair.
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¡°Oh, hello Almablom, are you here to visit my gardens again?¡±
Almablom shook her head with an amused grin.
¡°No, actually, I¡¯m here to see you.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°Me? Not that I¡¯m not happy to see you but I was just about to run out.¡±
Almablom smirked at her.
¡°For your mission?¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°How did you know?¡±
Almablom¡¯s face took on a serious expression.
¡°Because I have received an oracle from the God of Flowers specifically for you. She has given met a set of directions for you, as well as a warning. You are not to seek the aid of any other dungeon master on your quest, particularly from your fire friend.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°Urubran? Well, I suppose he would not be as excited about this as I.¡±
She shook her head and then grinned.
¡°In any case, thank you, Almablom. Now I know exactly where to go.¡±
Almablom leaned in.
¡°If you¡¯re really grateful, tell me what the mission is! This is the most specific and direct oracle I¡¯ve ever received! The most specific and direct one I think anyone has ever received, ever! You have to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±
Tarwantrad grinned at her.
¡°I¡¯m going to find the bees.¡±
¡°Give up your quest now.¡±
Tarwantrad stepped back as if slapped as the loremaster glared at her. She and Almablom stood in dry hall, every inch of wall or free space occupied by shelves filled with books and scrolls. The loremaster appeared as a man as young and fair as either of them, but with a piercing gaze that held more knowledge and memories than they would ever obtain. That gaze was now turned to her with all the force the loremaster could bring to bear, on that would brook no argument as the loremaster rose to his full height and towered over her.
And yet, Tarwantrad regained herself and stepped forward, glaring back at the loremaster.
¡°I will not. And why should I?¡±
The loremaster continued to glare down at her.
¡°That path is entirely too dangerous and filled with evil. It is folly to attempt and I will not see you throw away your life. We cannot afford it.¡±
Tarwantrad gritted her teeth.
¡°And how do you know? You have not even checked the map!¡±
The loremaster slowly shook his head.
¡°Because, young dungeon master, I do not need to. I know the path you have described; I have walked it before in the days before your birth. The directions you have given me would lead you inside the old borders of the fallen human kingdoms, the first lands to fall to the Hunger. I doubt anything could still survive there. And I would fear greatly anything that did.¡±
Tarwantrade clenched her hands into fists down at her sides.
¡°Still, I cannot give up. This is a mission from my patron, loremaster. There is a dungeon there I must find.¡±
The loremaster didn¡¯t flinch.
¡°And? Who would take you there, dungeon master? What army could push back the endless tides of the Hunger that bar your path? Even if you could find one how would you convince them to go and die for your cause? Or do you intend to go yourself? Do you hope to sneak past the all-consuming corruption that infects every stone and twig along your route? No, young dungeon master, this is not the inside of your patron¡¯s domain, where the very air is full of her power. Where every monster and animal and tree and the very ground itself obeys your command. It will not go as you wish. And if you go, you will be torn to shreds, and we will be down a dungeon master even as our wards weaken by the day. You shall do no such thing.¡±
Almablom frowned and spoke up as Tarwantrad and the loremaster continued to glare at each other.
¡°Loremaster, that may be true, but I can confirm that these directions were given to Tarwantrad directly by the God of Flowers. Surely that bears consideration?¡±
The loremaster turned his gaze to her.
¡°Yes, young oracle, you can confirm the God of Flowers has a significant interest in this matter. But you should know as well as I that the gods have their own agendas, and do not always take our circumstances into consideration when pursuing them. It is, therefore, up to us to consider those circumstances and decide if and when a task is feasible. In this case, it is clearly not, unless the God of Flowers has told you something I know not?¡±
Almablom wilted under his gaze.
¡°She¡has not.¡±
The loremaster waved them off.
¡°Then go and think on this matter no further. If you must, consider how you may change our circumstances to make it possible. The first of which would be to strengthen the faltering defenses of the Compact. That should be your primary concern in any case, dungeon master. No other task takes priority.¡±
Tarwantrad glared at him once more but left without another word. Then she paused, and turned, heading towards another shelf. Almablom raised an eyebrow.
¡°So, what are you going to do now, Tarwantrad?¡±
Tarwantrad shrugged as she pulled a scroll from the shelf.
¡°As the loremaster said. Consider our circumstances.¡±
Almablom frowned.
¡°I mean, I¡¯d like to fulfill our god¡¯s request as much as you but you heard the man. He might be old and cranky, but he¡¯s not wrong. If this dungeon of yours is anywhere near the fallen human kingdoms, then there¡¯d be a lot of Hunger to get through.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°And I do not intend to.¡±
Almablom raised an eyebrow.
¡°But you don¡¯t intend to quit?¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head and then made a small smile.
¡°The God of Flowers may not have considered our circumstances first and foremost, but you and I both agree that she very much wants this quest fulfilled. If that is the case, surely there must be a way within our grasp. I do not think she would give us directions as specific as she did if they were impossible for us to use.¡±
Almablom glanced around at the shelves.
¡°And you think the answer is here?¡±
Tarwantrad shrugged once more and narrowed her eyes as she opened up a scroll.
¡°Whether it is or not, I intend to leave no stone unturned. I will find the bees, if it is within my power to do so.¡±
And so, Tarwantrad began to review the ancient lore of her people, searching for a way to travel a path long and fraught with peril¡
Chapter 162 - Aspiring to Bee
After greeting Velebee, Belissar walked over to the new beehouses the karnuq had built, with all his beekeeping students fidgeting about. He nodded at them.
¡°Ok, let¡¯s see how you did.¡±
He sent a silent command over to the First of the Ninth. She flew into the area, flying above the beehouses. She crawled inside a few of them, spending about a minute inside each one before flying to the next. She crawled into one final one, spending a minute inside¡and then another, and another. The karnuq all held their breath, waiting for her to exit, but she did not.
Belissar walked over to one of them and gave her a smile.
¡°Congratulations, it seems she likes your beehouse.¡±
The karnuq in question grinned and pumped her fists into the air. The other karnuq congratulated her as best they could, though Belissar could tell their smiles were a bit strained.
¡°Don¡¯t worry if she didn¡¯t pick yours today, everyone. Another queen will be born tomorrow, so you¡¯ll have another chance. Try to improve your houses as best you can until then.¡±
The other karnuq nodded and then each moved to begin reworking their beehouses. Meanwhile, Belissar upgraded the First of the Ninth¡¯s home to an official beehouse feature, nodding towards the new karnuq beekeeper.
¡°Let¡¯s give her some time to get her hive up and running, and then I¡¯ll show you how to care for the hive¡and collect the honey.¡±
The new beekeeper grinned and nodded at that. Belissar smiled back as he watched the First of the Ninth drink up some of the magically generated honey and begin to lay her first worker eggs. A new bee queen had found a home, and a karnuq had taken the most important step towards becoming at true beekeeper. He couldn¡¯t wait to let Chief Rohsuak know of the success¡once she returned from her own mission that day.
Chief Rohsuak marched through the Underway, escorted by Metsaitti, Leijaliuk, a group of hunters, and a couple of digging worker bees. The Tower Keeper informed her that soldiers of that variety were now available, but Chief Rohsuak declined to bring them along. It would not do to let the sigmaka learn of all their tricks.
Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she watched Metsaitti glance around far more than usual, his grip on his spear tightening and loosening repeatedly. Ah, she remembered the days when she had just received a new blessing...and wanted nothing more than to test it out.
Unfortunately for him, the group encountered no threats by the time they reached the rotcap field. A group of sigmaka were waiting at the edge of it and came to greet them, Second Queen Berbiya at their head. The sigmaka woman smiled but it seemed a little strained to the chief.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you. I must admit, we were growing a bit anxious when we didn¡¯t hear from you. I was under the impression you wished to conduct the first trade earlier than this?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°I apologize for that. We have been distracted recently, with the attack on the Tower and all.¡±
Second Queen Berbiya raised an eyebrow.
¡°You were attacked? You and the Sacred Den both?¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled.
¡°Just a scouting party, and it was defeated with minimal trouble.¡±
Then she dropped her smile as she looked the Second Queen in the eye.
¡°However, they represent a much larger empire controlling many Sacred Dens, and we have been warned they will return in force one day. You had best inform your king and make preparations as you can, they are apparently not fond of beastkin.¡±
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Second Queen Berbiya frowned at that, but Chief Rohsuak returned to smiling.
¡°Well, that is outside of our present business. Shall we proceed with the trade?¡±
Clay absorbed.
Sufficient samples gathered. Clay is now available.
Rotcap absorbed.
Sufficient samples gathered. Rotcap is now available.
Belissar tried to absorb some of the honeydew and silk the sigmaka offered, but the Tower didn¡¯t offer to absorb either. He guessed for the honeydew he would need the aphids rather than the product? As for silk¡he wasn¡¯t sure how that was made, but maybe it was an animal product as well?
¡°Is that it?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°The first trade was a small affair, but I believe they will expand their selection in the future.¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°It¡¯s fine, clay is helpful enough, right? Not sure what to do with the rotcap, though.¡±
She gave him a smile.
¡°If you placed it in the first floor Dirt Tunnels, it would be most displeasing to any uninvited guests.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°I guess, but would that work on a shade?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°Most likely not, but shades are not the only threat we¡¯re worried about.¡±
Belissar could only nod at that.
¡°True. Well, did they say anything about the Tower Lords? Maybe sending challengers or something?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°Nothing yet.¡±
Belissar sighed.
¡°Got it. Well, let me know if they do.¡±
Chief Rohsuak gave him a salute.
¡°Of course, Tower Keeper.¡±
They had agreed it would be best to inform the sigmaka about the threat of the Tower Lords. Belissar had hoped the sigmaka might help, even just sending challengers to try and grow stronger on their own would speed up his Tower¡¯s growth. But Chief Rohsuak had convinced him only to inform them of the threat at first so that they could gauge the sigmaka¡¯s reaction to the news.
That felt like a waste of time to Belissar in a situation where time could be of the essence, but Chief Rohsuak pointed out they couldn¡¯t appear too worried. The sigmaka needed to believe that Belissar himself believed he could win, or else they would either flee or possibly even try to ally with the Tower Lords. Belissar didn¡¯t like all that, but this sort of thing was why he wanted Chief Rohsuak¡¯s help with all this to begin with, so he followed her lead as far as diplomacy was concerned.
Instead, he focused on what he could do. He added some clay deposits to the karnuq floor¡¯s Dirt Tunnels, then returned home to the Apiary farmhouse. He took out a tray of healing herb honey, took a deep breath, and then began to feast upon it.
He had been training his magic on a daily basis, but still was limited to just making honey, wax, propolis, or mana stingers. Nothing that Beero and her wounded soldiers couldn¡¯t do, certainly nothing on the level of Chief Rohsuak. And he now knew from Beero and Metsaitti¡¯s experiences that there was far more to this magic than he had found so far.
So, it was time he took a stab at it himself. Both Beero and Metsaitti grew by eating burning mana honey, so would he. Well, not burning mana honey specifically, since the Third of the Sixth had already donated a lot of her production recently. However, he generally only ate the regular mana honey for his meals, so he had plenty more types to try with.
After seeing Metsaitti nearly burn to death, though, he decided to take it slow and try the medicinal mana honey first. Surely this one wouldn¡¯t result in a painful, fiery death¡he hoped.
He felt the honey as it passed down, his throat tingling from the medicinal compounds within. He could feel as well the mana of the honey pass into his body, searching for wounds and illnesses to address. Instead, though, he tried to do what Beero had said she did. He pushed his own mana to wrap around the mana spreading from the honey and join its flow.
At first the mana just collided and pushed the medicinal mana away, causing it to dissipate. He frowned, but did not attempt the same thing again. Instead, he thought to Beero and Metsaitti¡¯s experiences¡and realized there was one thing he was missing.
¡°Hey, Niobee, could you help me with this mana? I¡¯m trying to do what Beero did.¡±
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
Niobee happily landed on his head and began dancing around, directing the Tower¡¯s mana into Belissar¡¯s body. He felt the mana reach for his own and the medicinal honey¡¯s, guiding them together. He closed his eyes and tried to let them. Of course, how could he try to learn bee magic without the help of bees?
He was reminded of something Chief Rohsuak once told him, that to grow in his magic he should reflect upon the nature of his blessing. So, as Niobee tried to assist, he thought about bees. He imagined his mana not like a flow of water, but as a swarm of little bees, each one lapping up some of the medicinal mana like honey and then carrying it where the hive needed it to go. He imagined them flying it outside of his body and storing it in a honeycomb of mana out in the air.
He opened his eyes to find that honeycomb above his hand, dripping bluish-green medicinal honey made from pure mana.
¡°King did it! King is best king!¡±
He grinned as he reached up to brush Niobee.
¡°We did it. You and I, working together, as any good hive should.¡±
Chapter 163 - Bee-suming Expansion
Belissar practiced his magic until it was time for the next purification. There were two small bird shades this time, but karnuq archers took down one in the tunnels and the bee army surrounded and dealt with the other when it reached the Flower Meadow.
The next morning Belissar practiced his magic again, seeing if he could replicate the healing herb honey without actually drinking said honey. It took him a couple of tries but eventually he got it right. Now, he¡¯d be much more helpful when trying to save wounded bees.
It still wouldn¡¯t help much in battle, but it was a step in the right direction. More than one right step, even, as Belissar felt that imagining his mana as a swarm of bees just¡fit better, for lack of a more descriptive explanation. Like that was the right way to grow further in his magic.
After that, Belissar popped over to the karnuq floor to greet the newest queen. He introduced the newly born Second of the Ninth to Velebee, gave the new queen her instructions, and then headed over to the budding karnuq Apiary. The aspiring beekeepers all watched the Second of the Ninth intently as she examined their latest work, while Belissar took the one successful beekeeper over to the First of the Ninth¡¯s hive.
¡°Regular bees normally need a few days to start hatching, but monster bees do so overnight, so we should be able to check the hive now.¡±
The karnuq¡¯s eyes sparkled as they walked over to the hive, noting worker bees already conducting their orientation flights to memorize the way home. Belissar lifted the roof and pulled out one of the trays.
¡°Here, you can see some of the brood cells. We mostly let the bees do their thing, but there are some things you should take note of. Look closely for any signs of parasites or intruders, or for eggs that seem too small for their cells. Or if you see them building a bigger cell outside of the normal comb, that normally means their raising a new queen and getting ready to split¡¡±
Belissar had taught all the aspiring beekeepers this before, but reviewed with the new beekeeper now that she had a hive of her own. He then instructed her to wait a few days before attempting to gather honey. Well, technically the beehive feature was making honey on its own that she could have taken, but Belissar felt it better to let the bees use that honey to kickstart the growth of the hive.
He heard another karnuq cheer as the Second of the Ninth chose her home. He congratulated the new beekeeper and promised to teach him everything he taught the first once his hive raised its first workers. He then wrapped up the lesson with some feedback for the beehouses that weren¡¯t chosen, and went on his way.
Now, he made his way down the Memorial, where Beero, Niobee, and the Second of the Sixth were working to evolve more battlecasters. He found one squad waiting by the burning honey while one of their number imitated Beero¡¯s feat, while the newer wounded soldiers were all drinking from a tray of regular mana honey or practicing the lightning stinger spell.
Belissar was about to greet them when one of the soldiers began drinking burning honey. He stayed silent and watched as Beero led the soldier through the process, while Niobee directed the Tower¡¯s mana to assist and the Second of the Sixth kept an eye on the soldier¡¯s health. The soldier¡¯s lightning wing faded away, and was slowly replaced by fire. Then the fire faded and was slowly replaced by lightning once more, at which point the soldier was wrapped in a cocoon of light. She emerged as a fully formed battlecaster a moment later and promptly took off into the sky, zipping across the air on her restored wings as Beero had.
Belissar smiled and slowly withdrew without drawing their attention. He had come to see how things were going, and now he had his answer. Three battlecasters had already evolved, so Beero seemed to have the process figured out. It seemed they¡¯d have a full battlecaster squad soon enough.
And indeed, before the day was over, Beero was leading a squad of battlecasters as they danced together in the air. They formed a lightning stinger that shot down from the sky, striking the ground like a true thunderbolt.
Which meant that tomorrow, Belissar would attempt another expansion.
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The next day, after greeting the new Third of the Ninth, everyone went to gather in the battle meadow. Belissar moved the Lava Field in between the Dirt Tunnels and Flower Meadow, and then looked over the forces they had assembled.
The bee army was gathered once again, their formations and movements growing ever more complex. Bumblebee soldiers hovered at the front of soldier bee formations, ready to lead the way. Lancers hung high above the army, positioned so that the sun would blind anyone looking for them. Beero and her battlecaster squad waited at the center of the army, ready to dance at a moment¡¯s notice.
Additionally, two new squads were ready to join the fray. A squad of bright red burning soldiers mingled into the formation, the first soldiers of the Lava Field hives. On the ground was a squad of squat, brown soldiers with especially thick mandibles. The first digging soldier squad dug down into the ground, burrowing under the surface with their abdomens angled upward.
Soon, the bee army would extend its reach into the Dirt Tunnels and the Lava Field. For today, the bees had decided to keep the new soldiers with the main army since there were only a few of each. But even still, the burning soldiers added a new kind of venom to the mix, while the digging soldiers could present a nasty surprise to anyone who only looked up.
Finally was Metsaitti leading the karnuq hunters, with Chief Rohsuak on standby next to Belissar. The karnuq stood ready to face a shade directly should the situation call for it.
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°Everyone ready?¡±
The bees all saluted as one, while Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti gave him a nod.
Attempt expansion purification? Estimated purification strength: small+.
Expansion purification attempt commencing.
Belissar did his best to ignore the chill of the Hunger and focused all his attention on the gate. If the shade was one better handled in the Dirt Tunnels, he¡¯d have to move the Lava Field out of the way quickly.
At first, Belissar furrowed his brow. Every time before this, the expansion shade had been dramatically different from all who came before it. But not this time. This time, the shade was familiar from the start, as yet another salamander began to take shape and crawl across the ground.
At least until its back began to form. This time, the salamander was no smooth and moist amphibian, nor was it wrapped in flames as before. This time, it was covered from head to tail in short, needle-like spines. The end of its tail flattened like a spade, and the spines grew especially dense on the flat surface.
Expansion purification begun. Remaining hostiles: 1
¡°Salamander, but covered in spikes!¡±
The bees saluted while Metsaitti nodded. The Flower Meadow queens, Metsaitti, and the karnuq hunters began discussing what the shade might be and how best to deal with it.
In the meantime, the spiky salamander made its way through the Dirt Tunnels, dealing with the Pit Traps much as the earlier salamander had before. When it encountered the first Sticky Honey Trap, it jumped back right as the trap triggered, then crawled up onto the walls to avoid the honey on the ground. With no other different threats, the salamander thus traversed the room without injury.
In the final tunnel, the salamander growled and shook its head. Smoke filled the tunnel from the beeswax candles, newly restocked with wax from the maddening bees. The salamander then took off at speed, rushing through the hallway as quickly as it could. It reached the Lava Field, seemingly without much effect from the smoke.
Belissar frowned. It seemed he might need to add more candles, or else a way to slow down a shade, if he wanted them to do much. But, well, the humans had dealt with them with ease, so Belissar hadn¡¯t counted on them for this purification.
And just like that, the salamander had cleared the Dirt Tunnels. It was now faced with the smoke, ash, and fire of the Lava Field.
Which, predictably, didn¡¯t appear to discourage it in the slightest. It began crawling forward without any sort of hesitation, making its way to the first lava river. It dove right in and swam across it with ease. It seemed different form or not, this salamander was as resilient to heat as the last.
Perhaps the mini-volcano would have something to say about that, though. Belissar held his breath as the mini-volcano launched its first boulder into the sky. The shade paused and glanced upwards, growling as it saw the flaming boulder streak down towards it.
And then it took off sprinting, moving at surprising speed, wiggling its body back and forth as salamanders did. The first boulder missed, crashing into the ground.
The mini-volcano fired a second.
This one missed as well, landing into one of the lava rivers.
The third nearly hit the mark, spraying the salamander with burning pebbles. It growled, but it was just far enough that the debris didn¡¯t do much damage, and the flames didn¡¯t affect it at all.
It began changing its course anytime the volcano fired, weaving back and forth. The volcano got a few more near-misses, but no direct hits were scored. Fortunately, the salamander traveled as straight a path as it could while maintaining its evasion, so it did not stray close to the burning hives on the edge of the room.
Unfortunately, that meant that it arrived at the room¡¯s exit before the volcano managed to strike it directly.
And just like that, the Tower¡¯s traps had been defeated. It would once again come down to its defenders to put a stop to this shade¡
Chapter 164 - How to Find Victor-Bee?
The salamander burst into the Flower Meadow. It growled as it saw the bee army flying in the air above it but the bees were already in motion. A squad of sprayers had already moved into position and launched their spray.
The salamander moved as well. It swung its tail up over its body. There was a hissing noise, like steam from the spout of a kettle, and then the spines on its tail shot out from its body.
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
The sprayers got off their own attack but did not expect to be countered at the same time. And the spines flew much faster than the breath attacks of previous shades. The entire sprayer squad was showered in spines and fell from the sky.
¡°No! Get out of range!¡±
The bees reacted even before Belissar shouted, taking further distance and beginning random evasive maneuvers. The salamander¡¯s tail spines regrew quickly and it launched another attack up at the bees, forcing them away. A second squad of sprayers moved in to attack once it did but its spines regrew before they reached their own range. They were forced to break off the attack and evade.
The karnuq prepared to bar the shade¡¯s path as the bees pulled back but the shade didn¡¯t attempt to make a run for it. Instead, it continued growling and flinging spines at the bees up above. Apparently, this one intended to fight.
The queens in the Bee Barracks danced to one another about the situation.
¡°Send soldiers?¡±
¡°Too many spines, can¡¯t get close.¡±
¡°Bumblebees?¡±
¡°Too big and not fast enough, will get hit.¡±
¡°Lancers?¡±
¡°Can try!¡±
With that, the queens relayed the command and the lancers prepared to dive. Once they had begun, the bee army opened up paths in the sky for them to pass through.
But the shade noticed and flung spines towards the change in the formation. One lancer took a spine to the abdomen, which managed to pierce through her chitin and knock her out of her dive. The others took evasive action, which pulled them off course. The dive had failed.
The queens¡¯ dance turned frantic until one of them came up with another idea.
The sprayers made another run. As expected, the shade turned and attacked them, driving them away. But a second sprayer squad attacked at the same time from the other direction. The toxic spray hit the shade¡¯s tail. It hissed and spun around, but the second squad had already pulled back. With an effective tactic established, the bee army began its assault in earnest. Sprayer squads rotated in and out in groups, at least two squads moving to attack simultaneously with each run.
The karnuq moved to join in as the queens relayed the situation to Metsaitti. They stopped at a distance from the shade and the karnuq archers took aim. At Metsaitti¡¯s command, they loosed a volley of arrows. Most of the arrows were deflected by the wall of spines on the shade¡¯s back, but one or two found their mark. The shade roared as toxic sprays and arrows pummeled it from all sides.
And yet, Belissar frowned.
¡°Be careful everyone, it will probably do something else¡¡±
Even as he spoke, the shade curled up, pulling in its legs and wrapping its tail around its body so that spines poked out in every direction. It took a deep breath and began to puff up. Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Look out!¡±
Karnuq hunters with shields rushed in front of the archers and the bees began taking more distance at Belissar¡¯s cry. A moment later, spines burst out from the shade in every direction. A handful of bees were hit, but the spines spread out the further they travelled so the bees were able to evade the worst of it.
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The karnuq were not so lucky. Unable to take more distance, they were hit by a heavy concentration of spines. The shields prevented any hits to the face or vitals¡but did not cover the entire body of a large karnuq. Many hunters cried out as spines lodged into their arms and legs. Metsaitti had the uninjured hunters and the archers grab those that fell to the ground and pull them away.
Belissar clenched his teeth together. The bees attempted a counterattack while the shade lacked spines, but with the distance they had taken the shade regrew its defenses before they arrived in range. This wasn¡¯t working. They had gotten some hits in but this shade was bigger than the usual. It would take some time before the sprays impacted its ability to fight. And while the bees had mostly dodged the mass spine attack, it hadn¡¯t been perfect. A few bees would likely be hit every time it happened. And worse, the karnuq were now largely out of the fight, with many of their frontline warriors injured.
They needed a way to hit harder and faster. And fortunately, they had the means to do so.
Before Belissar himself could say anything, Beero and her battlecaster squad had moved up to the front formations of the bee army. A squad of sprayers began their attack run to try and draw the shade¡¯s attention, while the battlecasters began their dance.
But the shade paused its attack the moment Beero and the others began dancing. It whirled to face the growing mana concentration in the air and redirected its attack towards them. It took some toxins from the sprayers as a result, but the battlecasters were forced to break off their dance and evade.
They tried several more times, including multiple sprayer squads in the attack, but each time the shade prioritized the battlecasters. The sprayers just weren¡¯t enough of a threat to pull the shade¡¯s attention. And there was only one squad of battlecasters.
The queens, however, came up with a solution, albeit a risky one. The uninjured lancers had reset their position back in the sky and were waiting the order to dive again. The queen in command gave it and they began their attack. The bee army once again opened up a path for them. The shade turned to face it.
At the same time, Beero¡¯s squad flew forward and began their dance once again. The shade hesitated for a moment as it felt the mana gathering behind it. It tried to curl up and prepare an omni-directional attack once more¡
And then a digging soldier burrowed beneath it stung her stinger up into the shade¡¯s unprotected belly. The shade roared, jumped up, and thrashed about before remembering the approaching threats. It quickly lobbed its tail spines at the lancers and forced them to break off, before spinning around, puffing up a bit, and firing off its body spines as quickly as it could.
It had not had as much time to breath and lacked some spines on its tail, so the spines were neither as fast or numerous as before. Still, Beero and her battlecasters were not that far away, so the attack was still enough to threaten them. The cast would fail once more.
If not for the bumblebees, that was.
Three bumblebee soldiers, including the one that had carried Beero around before, dropped from the sky and hovered just in front of Beero and her casters. Spines dug into their chitin, but did not pass through their big bodies. No spine managed to reach Beero or the casters.
And so they completed their dance and a stinger of lightning struck down on the shade. It screeched as lightning coursed through its body, sending it writhing across the ground.
The rest of the bees did not miss that chance. The digging soldier squad immediately popped from the ground and began stinging the shade from beneath. Soldiers swarmed over it from above and began to sting its smooth body before its spines regrew. One of the lancers had pulled up out of the dive and regained a bit of height, so she resumed her dive from her current position.
She couldn¡¯t build up all that much speed, and so couldn¡¯t sting with a full-force dive. But the salamander was nowhere near as tough as a turtle shade, without its spines its hide couldn¡¯t resist even point-blank stings from a soldier.
It had no chance against a half-height dive from a lancer. And she drove her stinger right down on top of its head.
The shade fell to the ground, and moved no further as it faded away.
Expansion successful.
Reward: Floor limit increased to 5. Receive one perk choice, and two random reward choices.
Belissar exhaled his breath. They managed to take it down in the end.
But then he surveyed the field and frowned. The karnuq were performing first aid on their wounded hunters, quickly wrapping bandages around bleeding wounds as the shade¡¯s spines faded into mist. An entire squad of sprayers lay on the ground, what few still survived now with tattered wings. More sprayers and soldiers fell scattered across the ground, while three bumblebee soldiers and one of the lancers waited in pain for the medicinal bees to arrive.
And this was only the first of what would have to be many expansions. Belissar closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and then began running towards the front, stirring up his mana to produce medicinal honey. Such thoughts could wait. For now, there were many wounded to tend to¡
Chapter 165 - The Kings Sorcer-Bee
Belissar grimaced as he arrived at the scene. The Second of the Sixth¡¯s medicinal workers were swarming over the field, injecting healing compounds with their stingers, feeding healing honey to the wounded, and patching over bleeding injuries with wax and propolis. But¡hers was but one hive, and there were many wounded to tend to.
The karnuq and the bumblebees presented a particular problem, in that they were much, much larger than the usual bees, and had each taken many wounds. They were, therefore, taking a lot of medicinal workers to tend. Even the Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive was stretched thin.
Belissar did what he could, making medicinal honey with his magic to help feed the wounded, but he was just one man. He could only feed one wounded at a time even though he could make enough honey for more.
And in the meantime, he could see wounded bees across the ground, slowly moving tattered wings as they waited their turn.
He clenched his jaw. If only he could help them. If only he had a better way of getting them the honey. Even as a human many times the size of a bee, he was a drop in the bucket compared to a hive.
As he thought, his mana stirred, feeling as if a swarm of bees flew and crawled within his veins. The mana swarm rushed towards his hands where he was trying to make some more honey, another honeycomb pattern forming out of mana in the air above his palm.
But this time, honey did not drip out of the combs. He felt the mana swarm surge from his body into the comb. Belissar tilted his head as he observed the comb. For a moment, he clenched his jaw tighter. And now, of all times, his spell was failing. He could not even contribute what little he should be capable of.
But then he paused. One of the cells on the honeycomb pattern began to bulge. Belissar¡¯s eyes opened wide.
A translucent bee made of blueish-green mana crawled out of the honeycomb pattern. She spread her wings and flew off with a buzz, landing by the nearest wounded bee. She dripped a small pool of medicinal honey by the bee¡¯s mouth, then flew to its injury and stung a thin medicinal stinger in. She turned back into glowing light that flowed into the injury.
And she wasn¡¯t alone. One by one, more translucent mana bees crawled out of Belissar¡¯s spell. Slowly, he made a slight smile and nodded.
¡°Please, heal them all.¡±
The spell-bees reacted immediately, flying off to wounded bees and karnuq alike. Belissar kept up the flow of mana as long as he could, until his head pounded and his vision spun. He was vaguely aware of Niobee landing on his back and channeling more mana into him, and he channeled that mana towards the spell as well.
The last thing he remembered was swaying as Juosiutik and Metsaitti ran towards him.
Belissar slowly came to, finding himself lying among the flowers. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti were looking down at him with concern, while he could feel many, many bees crawling all over him, including Niobee and the Second of the Sixth.
¡°King! You¡¯re awake!¡±
¡°Ah, yes. What happened?¡±
Belissar tried to lean up but a winced as a piercing pain shot through his head. Metsaitti held his back, supporting him until the pain faded. Chief Rohsuak let out a sigh.
¡°You overdrew your mana with your new spell, Tower Keeper. An autonomous spell that seeks out multiple targets is quite demanding.¡±
She shook her head.
¡°Well, I¡¯m living proof that overdrawing your mana won¡¯t kill you, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend doing it often. It is not a pleasant experience.¡±
Belissar frowned as he held his head.
¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±
Then his eyes shot open and began to quiver.
¡°Wait, then what about the wounded?!¡±
Metsaitti held him back from jumping up. Chief Rohsuak gave him a smile.
¡°All tended to. Thanks to you, all the wounded were stabilized until the healers and medicinal bees could get to them. We have suffered no further losses today.¡±
Belissar exhaled his breath and laid back against the flowers. If all the wounded had made it, then it was worth whatever pain he was feeling now. He smiled slightly as he felt the Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive poured over him, while Niobee kept frantically dancing on top of him. He reached up to brush her.
¡°I¡¯m ok. Um, just need a minute to rest?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded at that.
¡°A day I would say, but yes. Do not use your mana for the rest of it.¡±
Belissar nodded and slowly stood up, wincing slightly. Every inch of his body ached, not enough to prevent him from moving but complaining whenever he did.
¡°Got it, I¡¯ll rest once we¡¯re done here.¡±
Chief Rohsuak held her tongue as Belissar walked over to the nearest fallen bee, gathering her in his arms. She turned to Metsaitti and nodded. They, too, began to gather the fallen, with the rest of the uninjured karnuq joining them one by one.
Belissar led the bees and karnuq in a memorial for the fallen, and then the Apiary bees supplied honey trays for the victory celebration. This time, the karnuq contributed as well. Smoked wyvern and wolf-mole meat joined with plentiful fruits, berries, mushrooms, and cave potatoes into an impressive spread, made all the better by the overflowing mana honey to spread and dip across it all. Belissar watched the karnuq sing and dance with the bees flying all around them and smiled. He looked forward to the day he had enough mead to share with them.
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They decided, however, to take it easy for the night, so Belissar retired as the celebrations wore on. It was not until the morning, after greeting the new Third of the Ninth and getting her settled, that Belissar gathered the queens, Chief Rohsuak, and Metsaitti by the Memorial.
They had fought the battle, honored those who sacrificed to achieve it, and then celebrated the victory. Now¡now it was finally time to see the fruits of their labors. Belissar brought up the messages from the Tower he had been too fatigued to review last night¡
Expansion successful.
Reward: Floor limit increased to 5. Receive one perk choice, and two random reward choices.
Please select a reward:
- Uncommon Room Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- Rare Monster Choice (At least one rare or better option)
- Rare Room Feature Choice (At least one rare or better option)
Please select a reward:
- Uncommon Room Feature Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- Uncommon Room Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- +150 max mana
Belissar glanced around at the bees and karnuq alike.
¡°Does anyone have any ideas or preferences on which choices we should take?¡±
Neither bee nor karnuq spoke up at this stage and Belissar nodded. He had already decided what to do, if no one had any objections. The Tower had plenty of flowers and mushrooms the bees were just starting to forage from, and the gardeners had their work cut out for them ensuring all those plants were cross-pollinated and their seeds spread. So, Belissar felt that this time he wanted more rooms and more bees. The choices lined up nicely for that.
Rare Monster Choice selected.
Please select a monster:
- Lumber Bee (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee, Nature)
- Monster Bee Honeypot (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Dancer (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
As usual, Belissar began to read the options aloud for the others.
Lumber Bee
Vitality: Average
Strength: Average
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Below Average+
Resistance: Minor
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Wood Cut
Spawner Upkeep: 20
Description: A monster carpenter bee evolution. The Lumber Bee¡¯s larger size allows it to not only bore into trees, but to bite through branches or small trunks entirely. Its sharp and powerful mandibles can also bite through living things that stray too close to the nest. May evolve from monster carpenter bees if available, females may lay monster carpenter bee eggs.
The carpenter bees had returned, and with a vengeance. These bees were on par with the bumblebee soldiers in sheer size, possibly bigger. They had thick mandibles with sharp edges to hack and saw through entire tree trunks, which would make them incredibly useful both in and outside of battle. And that part at the end¡it seemed like Belissar might get access to the original monster carpenter bees if he selected the lumber bees as well?
It was a solid option all around. Though, to his knowledge carpenter bees only gathered in small groups if anything, and the option lacked the brood mother or brood offspring skill. They probably couldn¡¯t form hives like the other bees could, and likewise his existing hives wouldn¡¯t be able to raise lumber bees themselves.
A point worth considering compared to the next option.
Monster Bee Honeypot
Vitality: Below Average
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Minor
Magic: Below Average
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Processing, Storage, Brood Offspring
Description: A monster bee worker variant specialized in honey production and storage. It trades its stinger for a specialized abdomen that can hold and process an impressive amount of honey at once, or wax and propolis as required. Note that its unwieldy shape and lack of a stinger make it unsuited for foraging or battle, and it thus can only be raised by prosperous monster bee hives. They will, however, improve both the quantity and quality of honey, wax, and propolis produced by their hive as all of their mana and body are committed to their singular task.
At first, Belissar wasn¡¯t sure about this one. Between the results of the latest purification and the strength of the Tower Lords he would have to face one day, Belissar would really have preferred a more combat-oriented option this time. These monster bee honeypots were anything but.
Still, he shouldn¡¯t discount the impact of more and better honey. Honey was ultimately the limiting factor in the soldier bee army¡¯s size, as well as the number of evolved bees they could raise. Didn¡¯t the battlecaster description specifically state that it would cost a hive more resources to raise? Not to mention that more honey could help more karnuq receive blessings as well, allowing him to raise his own Tower Guard. If better quality honey also improved mana content, then that might also mean they could raise new types of bees more easily with new honey types. The First of the Fifth had informed him that they had to reach a certain level of mana density for a given honey type before they could raise or evolve a queen with it.
So, honeypot bees wouldn¡¯t add any new options to his Tower in and of themselves, but they would improve and speed up all of the efforts his bees were currently undertaking. And that made them a powerful choice.
But would they be more powerful than the last option?
Monster Bee Dancer
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Below Average
Defense: Minimal+
Resistance: Minor
Special: Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Death Blow, Brood Offspring, Hive Dance
Evolves From: Monster Bee Communer, Monster Bee Worker
Description: Monster bees, by nature of the quantity of magical creatures gathered in one area, produce an ambient mana that links them together. Communers can tap into this mana to expand this link. Monster bee dancers take this a step further, adjusting the mana itself to affect the rest of the hive in turn. Their dances resound through the hive¡¯s mana, boosting the other bees in various ways depending on the dance. While they are not incapable of combat, they are not specialized in it and are most effective when kept from harm.
In addition to evolving from existing communers, new monster bee workers may be raised as dancers, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
This one was¡interesting. Belissar wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to make of that description at first. Apparently the dancers could affect the mana of the hive¡and strengthen the other bees?
At that moment, he glanced over at Niobee. She, apparently, could move the Tower¡¯s mana around by dancing, redirecting it to help other bees with their tasks¡or even him and the karnuq. Perhaps the monster bee dancers would do something like that? Would they make all the bees better at their various jobs? Would they be able to help other bees evolve like Niobee had with Beero? Would they be able to help the karnuq as well, as with Metsaitti?
If so, that could be a powerful option indeed.
Which meant that now, Belissar had to choose which of these options his Tower needed most¡
Chapter 166 - A Choice of Bees
Belissar glanced over at the bees, intending to ask their opinion. He found the First of the Fifth had landed on the ground. Her body was trembling, she kept beating her wings and twitching her antennae while starting and stopping the first steps of a dance. She paused when she noticed him watching her, and then began to dance with slow, deliberate steps.
¡°Honey?¡±
The other Apiary bees all burst into motion at this, zipping about as they danced their agreement. Belissar chuckled as he turned to the queens of the other floors. The Second First of the First danced a confirmation dance as well, continuing on with a bit more detail than the First of the Fifth managed.
¡°Bee army depends on Apiary¡¯s honey. Want to help.¡±
Belissar nodded to acknowledge her resolve as Beero and the other battle meadow queens danced their agreement. Meanwhile, the Third of the Sixth had joined the Apiary queens in zipping about.
¡°More honey! Can give more fire honey!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh¡was also zipping about in a happy dance. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter danced a more subdued confirmation¡though only subdued in comparison. She still danced about quite rapidly.
The bumblebees just started rapidly circling the group after the monster bees began their dance.
Belissar glanced over at Velebee before remembering he hadn¡¯t actually explained to her what was going on here. Fortunately, Niobee was already doing so, dancing along with Velebee. Niobee flew back over to Belissar a moment later.
¡°King! Queen mother says more honey is good!¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Thanks, Niobee!¡±
He then glanced over at Chief Rohsuak. She chuckled as she watched the bees zip about.
¡°Well, I do want to say that the dancers are probably stronger than you think. A good support blessing should not be underestimated. But it appears the rest of your council is decided, and I cannot disagree. Honey is central to everything the bees do, correct? It would also then be central to the God of Bees. There will be no loss focusing on that.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Got it, thanks for the advice.¡±
He then looked up at everyone with a grin.
¡°Well, sounds like honeypots are a good idea. How about we check out the other choices before we make the final decision?¡±
¡°Ok! Whatever King chooses!¡±
The bees all danced a salute as one. Belissar smiled and laughed again as he opened the next choice. This time, he was aiming for a new room to go with the new floor.
Uncommon Room Choice selected.
Please select a room:
-Apothecary¡¯s Hut (Rarity: Rare, Type: Nature, Resource, Crafting)
- Swamp (Rarity: Common, Type: Nature, Water, Field)
- Large Lake (Rarity: Common, Type: Water, Field)
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. A rare option from an uncommon choice? He couldn¡¯t help his anticipation as he focused on it.
Apothecary¡¯s Hut
Type: Nature, Resource, Crafting
Innate Features: Apothecary¡¯s Lab, Herb Garden
Mana upkeep: 20
Description: An apothecary¡¯s hut set in a small forest. Comes with all the equipment necessary to craft potions, poisons, or anything an apothecary can concoct. The room can focus the dungeon¡¯s mana during the process to improve results, or to allow for new recipes. It also comes with a garden well suited to growing potion components, including more exotic herbs that may have stricter growing requirements otherwise. Small size and the focus of the mana make it unsuited for growing foodstuffs in anything beyond individual quantity.
Not particularly suited for monsters, though the mystical nature of the garden and the craft can lead to unexpected results.
Well, this room had some obvious uses¡and an obvious user. Belissar glanced over to find Chief Rohsuak staring at him with an unusually serious gaze.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar, I feel I must warn you. If you do not end up selecting this room, do not ever mention it was an option to Juosiutik.¡±
Belissar gulped as he nodded. He could only imagine Juosiutik¡¯s reaction to the room¡especially if he didn¡¯t select it.
As for the others, Swamp was a repeat option and a fairly straightforward one, though as before Belissar thought it might be a good defensive option. A shade could get stuck in the mud while the bees flew circles around it. Additionally, the trees and plant life of a swamp would provide cover for the bees should they face more shades like the spiky salamander. The human mages as well.
In fact, the more he thought about it, the more Belissar thought it would be a good idea to have some sort of wooded area as part of the defense. Right now, the bees only had the wide open Flower Meadow and Lava Field where there was no cover, or the cramped Dirt Tunnels where they couldn¡¯t use their flight as well.
Though, he could always move the Fairy Grove or Orchard to the front if necessary, or even make another of either if he didn¡¯t want to risk the bees living there. Additionally, both forests and swamps appeared as common options, so if he didn¡¯t necessarily have to pick on this time. His DP was currently sitting at¡
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DP: 3095
Oh. He already had enough for another room choice. So, yes. Chances were he didn¡¯t need to use this choice if all he wanted was more trees.
And that left the last option.
Large Lake
Type: Water, Field
Innate Features: None
Mana upkeep: 5
Description: A large freshwater lake that will occupy the majority of or all of the room. A perfect environment for freshwater aquatic monsters and a significant challenge for terrestrial intruders.
It was quite simple. Just a room full of water, though from the looks of it he might be able to add some banks or small islands if he wished. But simple though it may be, it could be quite useful. He immediately thought of the fire salamander shade, would that shade have been able to swim? The last two shades were specifically protected against fire, in fact, so maybe putting a big body of water in front of them could trip the Hunger up for a purification or two. Would the Hunger be able to come up with something that could swim in both lava and water? He wasn¡¯t sure. And there was one glaring flaw in that plan.
The bees couldn¡¯t swim either.
Unless he got some sort of water bee? The First of the Fifth did report that the water lilies would likely cross-pollinate soon, so that might actually be possible fairly soon. Still, the bees were only now raising soldiers to fight in the Dirt Tunnels and Lava Field. Did he want to add yet another room the Hunger could walk, or maybe swim, through uncontested?
He turned to the bees again. The First of the Fifth danced first once more.
¡°Apothecary Hut¡helps dangerous one?¡±
The edge of Belissar¡¯s mouth curled up at the bees¡¯ nickname for Juosiutik. He saw Chief Rohsuak try not to grin. Metsaitti blinked for a second before stifling a laugh of his own.
¡°Yes, very much so.¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s dance picked up speed.
¡°Dangerous one helped raise new bees. Should help if can.¡±
Belissar nodded at that. Juosiutik had provided many new flowers and mushrooms for the Tower, helped the bees raise a new type, and was the first karnuq blessed by the God of Bees as well. He felt helping her with her craft could definitely be a good idea.
He only hesitated because if he selected both monster bee honeypots and the apothecary¡¯s hut, then he¡¯d be devoting both the new room and new monster choice to options that wouldn¡¯t help directly in battle¡just after a shade has caused numerous casualties. He would probably need to spend his DP on a more battle related choice in that case. Even if he was trying to pick up the pace, he didn¡¯t want the bees or the karnuq to face the next new shade type without at least some reinforcements.
Though, maybe more and better honey and whatever potions Juosiutik could brew with this room might provide solutions for that he wasn¡¯t anticipating?
In any case, there was at least one more choice to go through before making the final decision.
Please select a perk:
- Armored Lancers (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Fire Duration Boost (Minor) (Rarity: Common)
- Bee Hybridization (Rarity: Uncommon)
The very first perk had the Second First of the First and the battle meadow queens perking up. Belissar himself smiled as he opened it up. It sound like exactly what they needed.
Armored Lancers
Description: Lancer type bees grow thicker, tougher, and harder chitin for a boost in defense, especially when diving. May slightly reduce agility.
And it was. Had the lancers had the defense to just brush off the latest shade¡¯s spines, they could have ended the fight with their first dive. A straightforward and powerful boost.
Belissar was tempted to take it immediately but continued reading the rest for the sake of thoroughness.
Fire Duration Boost (Minor)
Description: A minor boost to the duration of fires past what their fuel supply would indicate.
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but shrug. Fire was great and all but he hadn¡¯t run into a situation where a fire went out before it finished burning a shade, so this one just didn¡¯t seem that necessary. He could see Chief Rohsuak smiling knowingly at him, so he supposed he may not realize what the ultimate benefits this sort of perk could provide.
Still, this was a bee tower with some fire, not a fire tower with some bees, so Belissar moved onto the last one.
Bee Hybridization
Description: Improves the rate of bee hybridization, both when mating and when raising new bee types within a hive. Slightly decreases the resources and time required for queens to raise bees of a different variety than their own. Slightly decreases the resources and time required for queens to raise evolved bees.
Belissar fell silent. He thought that armored lancers was the clear winner of this bunch¡until he read this perk. One of the main draws of honeypots was that they¡¯d help the bees raise new types. This perk would do so even more directly. And then there was the ¡°when mating¡± part. Did that mean that new queens could change if they mated with drones from a different type of hive?
But the biggest surprise, the one that made this perk a possible match for armored lancers was the last part. Decreasing the resources and time for queens to raise evolved bees¡which would mean both lancers and battlecasters. If the soldier bee army had two squads of lancers, couldn¡¯t they have just had them dive from different directions, so that if one was forced away the other could still land? Or what if Beero had two squads of battlecasters? Well, the shade did have that all-directions attack¡but what if they had the second squad of battlecasters or lancers waiting to attack right after that, before its spines regrew? That also could have ended the fight far more quickly¡and without requiring the lancers to survive a hit head-on.
Additionally, weren¡¯t communers and gardeners also evolved? Sprayers too, right? So, while armored lancers would make one type of bee better at their job, this perk would allow for more of every type of bee. It would help with everything.
This would be a harder choice than he thought. He furrowed his brow as he rubbed his chin for a bit before checking with the bees on their thoughts.
Belissar glanced over and found the First of the Fifth once again fidgeting and beating her wings. He couldn¡¯t help a light laugh. He had a feeling he knew what her opinion was. Surprisingly, the Second First of the First and the battle meadow queens had fallen silent this time. He had expected them to push for the lancers but apparently they were as conflicted as he was?
Meanwhile, Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin, nodded to herself, and then spoke up.
¡°Tower Keeper, forgive me for interrupting but¡I wish to inform you that if you are concerned specifically about the protection of your defenders that we have some ideas on that front. With the clay you¡¯ve made for us, we are planning to expand our metallurgy efforts in earnest¡and while we have not discussed it yet, I plan to devote the clan¡¯s efforts to improving our armor after the latest battle. I just wanted to inform you so you can take our plans into account with your own.¡±
Belissar tilted his head but nodded.
¡°Oh, ok. Got it¡¡±
At first, he wasn¡¯t sure why Chief Rohsuak had brought that up now¡but it took only a moment of thought to realize the answer. The karnuq would improve their armor¡and begin forging metal as well. If the karnuq had been outfitted with metal armor, then the hunters likely would not have been incapacitated by the shade¡¯s spine attack. They could have held the shade¡¯s attention and attacked it in earnest.
Or¡an armored karnuq with a metal shield could be the one to block the spines while Beero and her squad finished their cast.
So, if he was going to get armored karnuq¡maybe he didn¡¯t need armored lancers right this moment? And in that case, maybe it would be better to focus all the choices on new bee types, with options that would help all the bees?
Belissar nodded again, this time with a smile.
¡°I see, thank you for letting me know.¡±
Chief Rohsuak inclined her head.
¡°Of course, Tower Keeper.¡±
And with that, Belissar made his choice. He already knew what the bees desired. He already knew what the God of Bees desired. He already knew what he desired. All he needed to know was that he was not dooming his bees to unnecessary death by doing so¡and with the karnuq¡¯s help, he wouldn¡¯t. There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
Monster Bee Honeypot now available. Monster bee queens may now spawn monster bee honeypots.
Apothecary¡¯s Hut is now available.
Bee Hybridization is now available.
He couldn¡¯t wait to see the bees that would grow from all this.
Chapter 167 - To Bee, or to Bee, Which Shall it Bee?
¡°AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! KING IS BEST KING!¡±
The First of the Fifth immediately began zipping around Belissar at maximum speed once he announced the choices. The rest of the monster bee queens soon followed suit, while the bumblebee queens tackled him and began grooming him all over. Belissar laughed and petted the bumblebees in response.
¡°I¡¯m glad you all like it.¡±
He heard Chief Rohsuak chuckle to the side.
¡°They aren¡¯t the only one. I suspect Juosiutik will have much the same reaction once she¡¯s informed.¡±
Belissar smiled at that.
A moment later, he furrowed his brow.
¡°Ah, actually, there¡¯s one more choice to make before you go, everyone.¡±
It took another moment for the bees to calm down, but soon all of them gave Belissar their full attention. He had nearly forgotten but he had the DP for another choice and realized it would be best to make that choice now.
At first, Belissar thought it¡¯d be best to buy a new room. The Swamp had got him thinking and at this point he really wanted a room where his bees could both fly and have cover. But he realized that there was no need to purchase a new room for specifically that purpose. He could simply place a new Orchard or a new Fairy Grove to achieve that same effect. Indeed, it might be smarter to use a Fairy Grove rather than a new type of room so that any malicious effects the fairy circles might have could be turned on the shades.
There were still reasons to buy more rooms. Even with an Apothecary and another Orchard or Fairy Grove, the new fifth floor would have a room slot open. And then there was the lake idea of adding a room that would challenge the Hunger in a different manner than the Lava Field and force it to adapt to wildly different conditions. But still, there was no specific and urgent need for another room, at least not pressing enough to grab one without considering the other options.
Additionally, Bee Hybridization promised not only to speed up the birth of new bee types his bees already planned to raise, it promised to unlock even more new bees when existing bees mated with one another. And that meant that unlocking more bees would have a compounding effect.
On the other hand, mating only really applied to queens and drones, and so far the only variations on those had come from flowers rather than monster choices¡although, Belissar now recalled that he had options for new queen types. So, perhaps there was as much argument for a new monster as for a new room.
And when in doubt, Belissar asked the bees.
¡°So, we can either get a new room, a new bee, or more room features. What do you all think we should get?¡±
The First of the Fifth was not vibrating in place this time, and let the others dance first this time. The bees were mostly split between new bees and new room features, most of them didn¡¯t seem to consider new rooms in this case. Chief Rohsuak indicated the karnuq didn¡¯t have any pressing needs their current resources couldn¡¯t cover, so Belissar decided to go with a new bee.
Extra monster choice purchased. One monster choice now available.
Please select a monster:
- Monster Digger Bee (Rarity: Common, Type: Bee, Ground)
- Monster Giant Resin Bee (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee, Nature)
- Monster Carpenter Bee (Rarity: Common, Type: Bee, Nature)
Belissar frowned just a bit before shaking his head. No bee queens, and if he wasn¡¯t mistaken no monster bee types period this time. But, well, he was trying to build a Tower for all bees, and the bumblebees had certainly proved themselves useful. He would not discount any bee without giving it a look.
Though, monster digger bees only took a brief look to discount in the end. He already had digging monster bees, a monster bee type that could do the same thing as digger bees in larger hives. Maybe digger bees had something to them that would set them apart in time, but in the short term they wouldn¡¯t provide anything his Tower didn¡¯t already have.
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Which meant it was time to review the only new choice of this batch:
Monster Giant Resin Bee
Vitality: Average
Strength: Average
Speed: Below Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Average
Resistance: Minor
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Resin Ball, Bite
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A giant resin bee, the largest of mundane bees, that has gathered enough mana to become something more. Its size, already impressive for bees, has been unlocked by mana to unknown heights. When threatened, the resin balls it gathers for its nest may be thrown.
Note that it nests in burrows and tunnels bored into trees but is not capable of boring on its own. May require a wood-boring species to nest and reproduce, as well as trees large enough to match its size.
This one was certainly a monster of a bee. A black bee with massive, almost beetle-like jaws with a white stripe on its back. The bee would apparently be born the size of a soldier bee and would only grow from there, matching or eclipsing even the bumblebee soldiers. Its jaws could be used for lifting, or apparently throwing, while its stinger started approaching lancer territory by sheer size alone.
And yet, this bee had some notable downsides. It apparently couldn¡¯t construct its own nests without assistance¡and Belissar had neither a wood-boring bee nor any trees he thought would be large enough to house these things when fully grown. If he went with this option he¡¯d likely be limited the ones born from the spawners for the foreseeable future, unless they were willing to nest in underground tunnels instead.
And that left carpenter bees. Which¡might just be a very solid choice in the end. He knew now from the previous monster choice that carpenter bees could evolve into lumber bees. He wasn¡¯t sure if they could do so without him selecting a choice¡but Beero had just gone from a soldier to a battlecaster on her own so perhaps it was possible. And if it was, Bee Hybridization might be able to help with that.
Even if not, just having a bee capable of cutting through wood would be useful in and of itself. The soldier bee army already had squads helping the karnuq out with construction, if there were bees who could cut the wood then the bees might be capable of building wooden structures all on their own. And perhaps, if the option appeared again, they¡¯d be able to prepare burrows for the giant resin bees.
Well, the choice wasn¡¯t perfect. Belissar had really been hoping for a combat option to help the bee army with future purifications. Neither the digger bees nor the carpenter bees could do that unless they evolved into some new kind of bee. The giant resin bees might be able to by sheer size alone, but his Tower as it was couldn¡¯t really support them, and he wasn¡¯t sure the amount born from the spawners would provide enough of an impact.
He turned the question to the others but since none of these were monster bee types the queens didn¡¯t really have much of an opinion. The Second First of the First was slightly curious about the giant resin bees and the carpenter bees but didn¡¯t express a strong preference. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti, on the other hand, both deferred to Belissar in matters of bees, so it was up to him to make a decision.
He took a deep breath as he made his choice.
Monster Carpenter Bee spawner now available.
In the end, both giant resin bees and carpenter bees were useful, though not in the way he wanted for this choice. So the choice came down to this: he realized he couldn¡¯t make those giant resin bees happy with the resources available to his Tower. And if they weren¡¯t happy, neither he nor the God of Bees would be happy. So he went with the bee he knew he could provide for.
¡°Thank you, everyone, that¡¯s it for today. I¡¯ll see you for the purification later.¡±
The queens saluted and dispersed for the day, as well as Metsaitti. Niobee hung around as usual while Chief Rohsuak remained to help with placing the new room. Belissar moved the Apiary and the rooms on its floor up to the fifth floor, keeping them by the core, and then placed an Apothecary¡¯s Hut, this time on the empty slot of the Orchard floor, on the far side from the shortcut wall and the Fairy Grove. He, ah, didn¡¯t think Juosiutik¡¯s work and the Fairy Grove would mix particularly well.
Then, he linked up the new Apothecary¡¯s Hut to the karnuq floor¡¯s Flower Meadow. He tried moving the shortcut entrance away from the walls so it would be more convenient for the karnuq. He found that not only could he move the entrance onto the ground, but when he reached one of the karnuq structures the shortcut entrance could jump onto the walls.
He then had a thought and quickly sent a word to Juosiutik.
¡°Hey, Juosiutik, sorry to interrupt but I want to place a shortcut to a new room in your house. Could Chief Rohsuak and I come over to figure out where exactly to put it.¡±
¡°Tower Keeper! Yes, of course! Whatever you need!¡±
Belissar nodded at that and blinked away the new rooms in his vision for a moment before turning to Chief Rohsuak. He made a grin at her.
¡°I figure we should ask Juosiutik where we should put the door to her new room. We probably shouldn¡¯t keep her waiting.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled back and shook her head.
¡°No, we should not.¡±
Chapter 168 - How to Bee Normal?
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak made their way over to the karnuq¡¯s settlement¡at least until they heard a scream. The two ran over to find the first karnuq beekeeper running from a swarm of angry monster bees. They weren¡¯t stinging her, but they were diving and buzzing as loud as they could. Belissar exchanged a concerned look with Chief Rohsuak.
¡°¡I don¡¯t want to keep Juosiutik waiting, but I need to handle that.¡±
Chief Rohsuak just nodded silently.
¡°I¡¯ll go inform Juosiutik.¡±
Belissar ran over, waving his hands.
¡°Hey, over here!¡±
The beekeeper ran to him. The bees stopped once they saw him, starting a salute dance. Belissar let out a sigh and then turned to the beekeeper.
¡°What happened? What did you do?¡±
Her face scrunched up as she frowned.
¡°Nothing! I was just going to check on the hive like you showed me, Tower Keeper, sir, but they started attacking before I even got close?¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow at that and then turned to the bees.
¡°Is that true?¡±
The workers began to dance.
¡°Drove away intruder!¡±
He couldn¡¯t get much more out of the workers, but fortunately Niobee had already flown to the hive in question, and now returned with the First of the Ninth. Belissar gave Niobee a nod of thanks before turning his attention to the queen.
¡°Could you explain what happened here? Why did your hive attack?¡±
The First of the Ninth gave a salute.
¡°Like King said! Acted like normal, drove away intruders!¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Did she do anything to the hive?¡±
The First of the Ninth enthusiastically danced the negative.
¡°No! Didn¡¯t let get close!¡±
Belissar frowned and crossed his arms. Normal bees could act aggressively, of course, and Belissar had his fair share of stings back at his old apiary, but he still felt this was abnormal. He normally didn¡¯t get swarmed by the bees, just stung by a guard bee or two¡save during honey collection but he¡¯d resort to smoking when he did that. Both the karnuq beekeeper and the First of the Ninth confirmed that the karnuq had only approached the hive.
Belissar was going to ask the First of the Ninth for more detail, but Niobee was already dancing with her and brushing her antennae, so he left it to her while considering thing himself.
His eyes widened as it hit him. He had told the First of the Ninth to act like normal bees. He had meant normal, mundane honeybees¡but maybe the First of the Ninth didn¡¯t interpret it that way. Maybe she thought he meant act like normal monster bees. After all, she was born a monster bee, so why would she know anything about her mundane ancestors? Why would she act like a honeybee?
As Belissar furrowed his brow, Niobee flew back to him.
¡°King! First of the Ninth said acted like normal monster bee! Doesn¡¯t know how regular bee acts.¡±
Belissar let out a sigh. Well, that confirmed it. This would be a problem, huh.
He tilted his head. Or would it?
¡°Come with me. Niobee, could you bring the Second and Third of the Ninth too?¡±
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¡°Ok!¡±
He turned back to the karnuq beekeeper as the bees saluted to him.
¡°Sorry about that, I¡¯ll have a talk with them. I¡¯ll let you know once it¡¯s safe.¡±
She slowly nodded and gave him a karnuq salute.
¡°As you say, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar then took the First of the Ninth over to Velebee¡¯s hive, while Niobee brought the other two queens.
¡°Hive-Builder! Niobee! Happy to see!¡±
He smiled at her.
¡°Happy to see you, too. Um, I have a request, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±
Velebee¡¯s dance grew a little unsteady.
¡°Request? Hive builder has work, for me?¡±
Belissar nodded. Velebee¡¯s dance once again picked up speed.
¡°Ok! Will do!¡±
He smiled again.
¡°Thanks Velebee. Could you teach these queens how to act like normal bees.¡±
Velebee again stumbled.
¡°Teach magic giants¡to act like normal bees? Why?¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Well¡they¡¯re a bit too aggressive towards beekeepers. Could you teach them how regular bees act around, well, people like me?¡±
Niobee flew over and explained further. After a bit, Velebee danced a quick salute.
¡°Ok! Can!¡±
Belissar grinned and thanked her, then left her with the other queens. He let out a sigh. Well, hopefully that would take care of things. He¡¯d have to observe tomorrow to see if they got it right.
Magic giants, huh? It was easy to forget but these were monster bees. Sure, Belissar found them even easier to work with given he could just talk to them directly, but it was true they were no normal bees. Even normal bees didn¡¯t just let people take their honey at will, what would a hive with a soldier bee army do to a beekeeper who couldn¡¯t communicate with them? King Ratuatapi even mentioned that his people had tried, and failed, to raise monster bees in the past.
He may have given the karnuq a harder challenge than he thought. Well, hopefully Velebee would be able to instruct the queens back to normal honeybee levels of aggression, otherwise he might have to rethink this plan.
In any case, he had kept Juosiutik waiting long enough.
He arrived at Juosiutik¡¯s house to find the girl and Chief Rohsuak both sitting at a table. Juosiutik¡¯s arms were crossed, she kept glancing around, and her leg was bouncing fast enough to rattle the table. Her eyes lit up as Belissar entered the room.
¡°There you are, Tower Keeper!¡±
She nearly shot up but Chief Rohsuak gave her a look, so she slowly, intentionally, rose to her feet and gave a salute.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, Tower Keeper, sir.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we get to it?¡±
¡°Yes! What kind of room is it, Sacred Den Master?! Is it an Apiary?! Or a new environment suited for new kinds of plants?!¡±
Chief Rohsuak just sighed and shook her head as Juosiutik lunged forward, running right up to Belissar. Belissar¡expected this, so he just chuckled.
¡°None of those, actually. It¡¯s an Apothecary¡¯s Hut.¡±
Juosiutik went completely still and silent for a moment.
¡°An¡Apothecary¡¯s¡Hut?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°It comes with a bunch of tools for potion-making, and is supposed to use the Tower¡¯s mana to help you make stuff. It also comes with a garden that¡¯s apparently supposed to grow difficult things more easily? Well, we¡¯ll have to see¡um, are you alright?¡±
Juosiutik had begun swaying about.
¡°An apothecary¡made by a Sacred Den¡that¡¯s¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak walked over, grabbed Juosiutik¡¯s hand, and led the girl back to a chair before she collapsed. She again shook her head and chuckled.
¡°Suffice to say, she is most grateful for this, Tower Keeper.¡±
It took a bit of time for Juosiutik to speak coherently again, but Chief Rohsuak helped him place the door to the new room. She was most interested in the idea of shortcuts placed on buildings, though she didn¡¯t make any requests at this time. Belissar and Chief Rohsuak then led a dazed Juosiutik through the new shortcut.
They came out into a hut made of stone and wood in different sections. There was a room with cauldrons ranging from tiny to massive all arranged around several fire pits. Another room was lined with tables covered in mortars and pestles and all sorts of containers and contraptions Belissar had never seen before. Some of the tables had geometric patterns carved into them as well, most in circular shapes. There were also storage shelves and barrels, along with a cellar, racks for drying, and even a separate smoking hut. Outside there was an empty garden with some small, pre-plowed furrows, poles and trellises for vines, planter beds, pots, and other empty places where plants could be grown. There were two ponds and even two small caves lined with soil. One was completely dark, while the other had a small hole in the roof to let in sunlight but felt surprisingly cold inside.
Juosiutik had to sit down several times, including now.
¡°Am¡am I in heaven? This is the God of Alchemy¡¯s home, right?¡±
Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she shook her head.
¡°I assure you, Juosiutik, you are still very much alive.¡±
Belissar nodded and then motioned about.
¡°I can change a few things if you like but, um, I don¡¯t really know what most of this stuff is for. So, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like me to change, please let me know.¡±
Juosiutik reached out and laid her hand on the wall of the hut.
¡°No, this is perfect, Tower Keeper. I wouldn¡¯t change a thing¡¡±
Then her eyes widened a bit.
¡°Ah, actually, there is one thing. Would it be possible to make a shortcut to the Third Daughter¡¯s hive? Ah, that is, the First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter. We¡¯ve been working together, so I¡¯d love to be able to show her my ingredients and potions directly.¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but smile. Juosiutik¡¯s only request¡was to give the bees easy access?
¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to.¡±
Chapter 169 - How to Bee Queen?
Belissar did as Juosiutik asked and created a shortcut between the Apothecary¡¯s Hut and the Apiary, as close to the First of the Fifth¡¯s Bee Apartment as he could manage. He thought briefly about trying to place said shortcut in the apartment itself but decided against it. This was Juosiutik, the dangerous one herself, that they were talking about so having a direct connection between her workspace and a hive full of mana honey might be¡unwise.
He stepped through the shortcut and went over to greet the First of the Fifth, informing her of the new room and shortcut¡as well as his next course of business.
¡°I¡¯m also going to place a carpenter bee spawner now. It¡¯ll be in the Orchard, though, so maybe the Fourth of the Seventh or one of the hives there can take care of them?¡±
The First of the Fifth immediately launched into her response.
¡°First Daughter is there! Will take care of.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Sounds good, thank you. Great work taking care of everyone, I appreciate that.¡±
He left the First of the Fifth to her resulting happy dance and made his way down to the Orchard. He quickly let the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter know what was going on, but turned out she had been informed by the time he arrived and was prepared to assist, so Belissar was able to get right to it.
He, Niobee, and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter moved a bit further away from the Grove and the shortcut wall, though still on the same side of the Orchard, and brought up the spawner. This one appeared as a dead tree trunk with multiple holes bored into it. As soon as he placed it, a fuzzy carpenter bee crawled out of one of the holes, looking much like a bumblebee save for her smooth abdomen. She flew up to him, hovering before him, and he gave her a smile.
¡°Welcome to the Bee Tower. I¡¯m Belissar, this is Niobee and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter. You can ask any of us if you need anything.¡±
The carpenter bee buzzed her wings and zipped around at that.
¡°For now, just do your thing. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter can help, too.¡±
Belissar then moved to make a home for the new bee. He knew carpenter bees preferred to bore holes into wood, so he went with the bee nest feature rather than a beehouse. He tried to see if he could place it on the nearest apple tree.
It didn¡¯t work, this time. Belissar frowned. Maybe they¡¯d have to bore some holes into it first before he could make it into a bee nest?
He glanced over at the carpenter bee but she had already begun foraging from the nearest tree. He decided to wait until she made her own home, then he¡¯d see if he could upgrade it into a bee nest. If not, he¡¯d have to figure something else out¡
While Belissar pondered homes for carpenter bees, he decided to check in on the wounded bees. Once he arrived, he paused and just watched silently for a bit, for he saw a most interesting sight.
Bees of all sorts were swarming over the Memorial.
The wounded bees were all there, of course, both the newly injured from the recent purification and all those who had been there from before. The Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive he expected, the medicinal bees flying from wounded to wounded to monitor their recovery and apply stings and honey as necessary.
What he didn¡¯t expect were the countless worker bees following their queens and assembling into groups, all in front of Beero. Belissar spoke softly as not to interrupt.
¡°Hey, Niobee, do you know what¡¯s going on there?¡±
Niobee did, as he expected.
¡°Queens decided Beero is queen of Memorial, Memorial bees are new hive! New hive needs workers, but Beero can¡¯t lay, so hive of hives is giving!¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°I¡see?¡±
Well, not really. Beero had gotten promoted, somehow, but also still wasn¡¯t a queen? And apparently the wounded bees were making their own hive at the Memorial?
¡°Huh. Well, if they¡¯re making a hive¡I guess they¡¯re going to live here, now? They¡¯ll probably need a house then.¡±
¡°Wounded bees already live here!¡±
Belissar froze solid, his eyes widening in slow motion as he took in Niobee¡¯s dance.
¡°The wounded bees¡have been living here? Outside?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
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Belissar began to tremble. He knew that Beero and the wounded bees hung around the Memorial most of the time. But¡he had assumed that they returned home to sleep and stuff. Apparently though, that assumption was wrong. In fact, now that he thought about it, how would the flightless bees even return home? Did he think they just crawled the whole way back each day?
And that meant that¡the wounded bees¡the bees who had given the most to protect the Tower¡had been living outside all of this time.
Belissar spun right around and began marching out of the room.
¡°Niobee, we¡¯re building a home for Beero and her new hive. I¡¯m going to go arrange some supplies. Can you let Beero know and ask her what sort of home she wants? We have Beehouses, Bee Nests, the Bee Barracks, and the Bee Apartment. This one should be special, though, so if she has any ideas on what we can do differently I want to know.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Niobee flew off as Belissar marched straight towards his lumber stockpiles. He would not rest until Beero had the home she deserved.
The indomitable Beero, the soldier who let neither lightning, shade, nor crippling injury stop her from protecting the hive of hives, was currently panicking. She paced about in frantic circles while buzzing her regrown wings as more and more workers assembled before her, waiting for instructions. Her instructions.
She had no idea what was happening. Or, rather, she knew what was happening on a factual level. The other queens had declared her one of them and the bees gathered at the Memorial as a separate hive, but were aware that Beero couldn¡¯t exactly raise workers of her own. So, they were donating workers that would sustain Beero¡¯s hive. That much she understood.
But this was all too much for her. Just days earlier she was nothing but a soldier. She attacked intruders and obeyed her queen. That was it. All of her deeds and achievements had been nothing more but an extension of those duties, adaptations for her crippling circumstances. Nothing she was, had, or had done, though, prepared her to be queen. She knew nothing about raising brood, commanding children, organizing workers, building hives, or producing honey. She had no idea what to do.
Even if she had, these were workers from another hive. The queens had donated communers but Beero couldn¡¯t even use them. She had no link to them, mana or otherwise, and could not issue them commands save by manual dance. And even if she was connected to them¡she was a soldier. Her only interactions with the link between the hive was to receive orders from her queen. She had no idea how to reach out to another member of her hive, or how to send commands through that link.
She was going to waste these workers. She would waste their efforts, and the generosity of the queens who had donated them to her. This was a job she was not suited or prepare for, and she had no idea how to even start. And she had to figure it out quickly. Already there were countless workers milling about in confusion and unease, waiting for her to issue orders she didn¡¯t know, all while more and more of them continued to arrive and add to the confusion. Her hive had not even formed and already was becoming a disaster.
And then yet another queen arrived to add to the chaos.
¡°Hi! Brought workers!¡±
The Queen of All Bees had not taken mercy on her, it seemed. The Fourth of the Seventh had come. The courageous queen who now led the scouting of the Beyond in-person, a feat not even the Flower Meadow queens had attempted. The queen who had pioneered countless innovations in hive management, a true master pushing the envelope of organization. This was the queen that had arrived at the moment of Beero¡¯s greatest failure, when her inability to issue even the simplest of commands was squandering the efforts of countless workers.
¡°Brought first communer and drone too! Will help!¡±
Beero was too ashamed to even reply. So, she was busy trying to curl up and hide from view when the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone crawled up to her and began brushing her antennae.
A shock passed through the mana to every corner of Beero¡¯s body. She leapt up and stared at the drone. His mana was brushing against her own and¡trying to pull it in? Well, she had no idea what he was trying to do, but she was not going to object to anything the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive wanted to do. It wasn¡¯t like she had any better ideas.
She watched as he pulled her mana and twisted it with his own. For a moment, all thoughts of the disaster unfolding before her stopped. With her new body and senses, she could see and feel mana in a way she never had before. She could see the mana of communers and workers from other hives bouncing off her own. She could see the drone somehow pierce through this natural resistance, enticing her mana to work with his of its own accord.
She was fascinated as he pulled her mana and walked towards the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer, then began to pull on her mana as well. He twisted the three strands of mana together, manipulating them at a level she had never imagined possible.
Until¡she could hear it. She could feel it. She stared in awe as her mana linked with the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer. The first communer began to dance and spread her mana out towards the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers¡and Beero could feel them. She could feel them all, each worker hovering about.
Was this¡was this how a queen felt her hive?
The first communer danced a salute.
¡°Workers connected, waiting for Beero¡¯s orders.¡±
Beero was pulled from her revelry as she recalled her predictment. It took all her courage and will, but she could not help but speak the truth. Surely, the Fourth of the Seventh had seen through her anyways.
¡°¡don¡¯t have any. Don¡¯t know how to build hive, command workers.¡±
As she feared, the Fourth of the Seventh appeared prepared for that, and now passed her judgement.
¡°That¡¯s ok! First communer will help! Takes care of hive for me, can help!¡±
The first communer danced her confirmation.
¡°Yes. Queen likes to leave, so workers figured out how to work on their own. Will teach how if Beero needs help.¡±
Beero crawled up to the first communer and brushed their antennae together.
¡°Really? Can? Can teach how to be queen?!¡±
The first communer hesistated at that, but the Fourth of the Seventh replied in her place.
¡°Can! First communer is best communer! Like queen!¡±
The first communer then slowly danced her confirmation.
¡°Queen commands, so will do.¡±
Beero nearly collapsed from the relief. Even as she recovered, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer gathered donated communers from all the other hives and the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone then linked her mana to theirs. The first communer then went on to suggest commands to her, which Beero relayed to the gathered workers. Slowly, surely, the workers stopped milling about and began their assigned tasks, foraging for the first honey and building the first combs needed for a hive.
This¡this was going to work! As long as these two were here, Beero could do it after all! She wouldn¡¯t waste the queens¡¯ generosity! She wouldn¡¯t fail her queen mother¡¯s expectations! She could build a hive after all! Beero slowly began to grow more sure of herself¡
At least until the Conduit arrived and told her the King himself wanted her opinion on a magical palace, after which Beero began panicking once more¡
Chapter 170 - How to Bee?
Belissar spent the rest of the day gathering materials and working on the Memorial hive. Upon Beero¡¯s request, he would build a second Bee Barracks like the first, positioned just before the Memorial. The Bee Barracks would be largely as the first, but Beero and Belissar did come up with some new ideas.
The karnuq helped him carry lumber and stone to the battle meadow. At first, Belissar wasn¡¯t going to bother then seeing as they had wounded to take care of, but when he went to ask them for material Chief Rohsuak insisted. There were plenty of karnuq who hadn¡¯t participated in the battle, such as Muuraqi, and Chief Rohsuak reminded Belissar that working for the bees like this was precisely what the God of Bees wanted as her trial.
The karnuq quickly brought over the necessary materials. Muuraqi¡¯s mana could cut through stone like a hot knife through butter, or stick separate pieces together like they had been solid from the beginning, so with his help the new barracks took shape rather quickly. The soldier bee army also flew over to help once they saw what was happening, dramatically speeding up work on the roof. By the end of the day, Belissar hadn¡¯t finished all the frames, but the basic structure was already complete.
Belissar was thus able to implement the new ideas. First, Belissar made the roof flat, with an entrance and a ramp directly up to it, so that the wounded soldier bees would have a place to perform their magic dances. Beero specifically requested platforms for them, and so he obliged. Belissar also placed a stone parapet around the edges of the roof to help shield the bees from spines, breaths, or any other long-range attacks a shade might come up with. His hope was that, should a shade reach this barracks, the wounded soldiers could rain spells down on it without exposing themselves to danger, even if they couldn¡¯t fly.
Belissar¡¯s own idea was to place a shortcut directly within the Bee Barracks, now that he knew he could. He linked this one to the Bee Apartment the Second of the Sixth lived in, so that her medicinal bees could fly directly to Beero¡¯s hive when they wanted to check on the wounded. Both Beero and the Second of the Sixth enthusiastically approved of the plan when he proposed it, and even now he could see medicinal bees exploring the new structure.
Now all he had to do was finish up the trays and convert the structure into a proper Bee Barracks feature and the Memorial hive would be complete. To Belissar¡¯s chagrin, though, the time for the purification arrived before he finished. Still, the wounded bees now had a roof over their head, so Belissar could tolerate finishing up tomorrow.
Because like it or not, his Tower needed to grow, lest there be far more wounded next time¡
Metsaitti stood alone in one of the larger caverns within the Dirt Tunnels. With the casualties in the bee army and most of the karnuq¡¯s veteran hunters wounded, Tower Keeper Belissar had considered skipping today¡¯s purification. Metsaitti had stopped him by volunteering to face this one personally.
It would be good for him, both to fulfill his duty to the Tower and to face challenges on behalf of his patron gods. But, well, if pressed Metsaitti just might admit that he was also excited to use his new blessing in battle. He had explored his new abilities since the trial, but he would not be able to take their full measure until he had used them to slay an opponent in a true battle.
And, so long as the incoming shade wasn¡¯t one of the fireproof ones, today would be the day.
¡°Looks like it¡¯s the wolf shades again. Do you need help?¡±
Metsaitti shook his head at the Tower Keeper¡¯s question.
¡°No, I can handle that.¡±
¡°Ok. Just be careful.¡±
Metsaitti nodded and then took his stance, facing the tunnel ahead. He stirred up his mana as he felt the chill of the Hunger creeping ahead, his shoulders bursting into flames that took the shape of bee wings.
The tunnel ahead was just a corner that opened right into the cavern, so the shades entered the room the moment they came in sight. Metsaitti kicked off the ground before he even saw them. His wings flared up, beating and sending tongues of flame flickering behind him. He had learned, sadly, that the wings were more of a focus for his mana than a physical limb, and so he had not been able to achieve flight so far. But he did discover that it was possible to boost his speed at the very least, and so he dashed forward faster than he ever had.
The first shade growled and began to run into the room but Metsaitti was already thrusting his spear forward. He was still out of range of his physical spear, but his mana coated his weapon and thrust forward as well. Instead of the usual spear of mana, his mana formed into a bee stinger made of flames.
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It pierced right into the shade¡¯s side. The shade let out a yelp.
A moment later, it burst into flames. Metsaitti grinned, baring all his teeth. Yes, he enjoyed this blessing indeed.
Metsaitti handled the shades with little issue, his experience and new blessing making short work of them. Belissar grabbed some more mana as usual. That put him over a hundred available, but he planned to make some big purchases the next day so it wouldn¡¯t go to waste.
The next day came and Belissar got up bright and early, ready to finish Beero¡¯s barracks. But just before that, he had a few people to check on. He needed to greet the new carpenter bee that would spawn, and he wanted to check on the karnuq bees to see how Velebee¡¯s instruction was going.
So, first, he stepped out into the Orchard and walked over to the carpenter spawner, ready to greet a new¡
¡squad of bees? Or several, even?
Belissar blinked as a bunch of carpenter bees all hovered before him, led by the one from yesterday. As far as he knew, the first carpenter bee hadn¡¯t even attempted to bore any tunnels yesterday, just going to sleep right on top of a flower. So, he had no idea how it would have been possible for her to raise children by now.
Or¡did she? Belissar took a closer look at the spawner.
Monster Carpenter Bee Spawner
Monsters: Monster Carpenter Bee
Cooldown: 34 minutes/1 hour 12 minutes
Current Monsters Spawned: 20/80
Oh, so the carpenter bee spawner had a much higher limit and much lower cooldown than the monster bee queen spawners did. That made sense, now that he thought about it.
It also made it a bit more urgent for him to come up with an idea for a carpenter bee home. There were now twenty carpenter bees sleeping outdoors! Though, from what he¡¯d seen in the wild, that wasn¡¯t particularly uncommon for them.
He thought about as he left the carpenter bees to carpenter bee business, and made his way over to the karnuq. Time to see if the monster bees could learn honeybee business¡
Paisijik lumbered forward towards her hive, eyeing the bees at they flew in and out. She was currently wrapped in her winter gear, with a heavy fur coat around her body, fur pants tucked into tightly strapped boots, and a scarf and fur hat covering her face. She was sweating up a storm, but these were the thickest garments she possessed, with as few gaps as possible, as the Tower Keeper had recommended. So, she bore with it, ignoring the heat as best she could as she lugged a small jar towards the beehive.
Yesterday had been¡humbling. The Tower Keeper made it look so easy, and she could understand the bees¡¯ own language, so she assumed it¡¯d be the same. She¡¯d just walk up, say hi to the bees, and do as the Tower Keeper her taught her.
Then the bees attacked.
She supposed if it was going to be that easy that the Tower Keeper wouldn¡¯t have bothered with the lessons. She tried talking to the bees but they seemed to ignore her. And so, she had no choice but to run off.
But that would not deter her today.
She stepped forward cautiously, keeping an eye on the bees, waiting for the moment they began to react to her. As she stepped within ten karnuq paces of the hive, the bees began to turn towards her and buzz. She slowed down, very gently taking her next step.
The bees had frightened her yesterday. She had heard what they could do, how they swarmed over shades that even the hunters couldn¡¯t handle. She thought she was dead when they swarmed around her, buzzing from every side. But they had not stung her, mostly just charging at and headbutting her. In hindsight, she realized she wasn¡¯t truly in danger.
But that didn¡¯t mean that they liked her or tolerated her presence. And until they did, she would not succeed.
So, she reached back into her own memories, of stories her parents had told her. They had been herders, once, before their exile. Most of their herd was lost when they were kicked from their home, the rest did not last long on the sojourn. Her family had thus been at a loss, unable to put any of their skills or craft to work. They were little more than laborers, unable to truly contribute to the clan.
That would change now, if she had anything to say about it.
Her family had certainly never interacted with bees, much less monster bees, but Paisijik believed that they were animals deep down. And if they were, then some of what her family knew of animals should apply. Paisijik thus decided to approach today by following the most basic rules of domestication there were.
She took a few steps forward. The buzzing grew louder and some of the bees began to take off from the hive, slowly hovering towards her. A few began dives towards her direction from a distance. She took that as her cue to stop. She knelt to the ground, place the jar down, and opened the lid.
Wild animals mostly considered other beings as either threats or food. If she didn¡¯t want to be considered a threat, she needed them to associate her with food. So, with the Chief¡¯s permission, she brought a jar of honeydew.
The bees around the hive continued to buzz at her, but some of the foragers coming and going sniffed the honeydew. One of them drifted towards her direction, hovering out of range as it watched her. She remained still.
The forager slowly hovered forward until eventually it landed on the lid of the jar. It crouched down and extended its little tongue into the sweet liquid. It lapped up the liquid for a full minute before it buzzed its wings and flew back to the hive. Paisijik smiled, and resisted the urge to move.
A few minutes later, more foragers flew out of the hive and began to drink from the honeydew. Paisijik remained completely still until the jar was empty.
Then, she slowly stood up and backed away until the bees stopped buzzing at her.
She would stay patient, and take this slowly, until the bees recognized her as a provider instead of a threat. And then¡then she would be the first karnuq to learn the Tower Keeper¡¯s own craft¡while reviving her parents¡¯ own.
POBee 170.1 - Bee a Honey, Bee a Defender
Belissar nodded in approval as he watched the first karnuq beekeeper feed the bees and back off. Velebee¡¯s lessons seemed to have worked, the First of the Ninth had been wary but not overly aggressive. Though, he wasn¡¯t sure if that was due to Velebee¡¯s teachings or the more cautious approach by the beekeeper, but either way she seemed to have a plan and it seemed to be working.
Satisfied he wouldn¡¯t need to intervene, he moved to finish up Beero¡¯s barracks.
The First of the Fifth watched the first honeypots as they crawled out of their cells. They were roughly the size of a newly born queen, with large abdomens to match, though their abdomens featured several depressions ringed by large hairs. They didn¡¯t cost quite as much as a soldier, but closer to that than to a worker. It was a notable expense, though one she could manage. And since she had workers on full-time honey processing, her hive already had suitable candidates for the evolution. She had been able to start evolving them immediately.
And now came the moment of truth. The First of the Fifth would not pass up any opportunity to improve her honey quality, but she still had her apprehensions. She was introducing an entirely new factor into her well-tuned processes, even giving up some of her most skilled and experienced workers to do so. Would these new bees fit into her process, or would she need to rework the entire method to accommodate them? If so, would it be worth disrupting her entire production line, especially at a time when the soldier bee army needed to replenish losses and new bees had joined the hive of hives?
Her eyes were glued to the honeypots as they crawled out of the nursery and towards the honey production lines. They were slower compared to before, unused to their greater size, which only increased the First of the Fifth¡¯s worries, but they made it. They took up positions right in the intake lines, where the foragers would drop off the nectar and pollen. A moment later, foragers were passing them resources.
The First of the Fifth was taken aback as she felt the honeypots¡¯ mana stir. She watched as the honeypots began the process of bubbling¡but not solely with their mandibles. No, bubbles of nectar began to form in the depressions on the honeypots¡¯ abdomens, held in place by their specialized hairs. They began to vibrate their bodies as well, increasing their own temperature to the precise level the First of the Fifth preferred for evaporation.
Then, the bubbles shrunk down as the honeypots pulled the nectar back inside¡and formed again in another row of depressions after some time digesting. The First of the Fifth buzzed her wings. The honeypots could apparently perform multiple rounds of digestion, bubbling, and evaporation within their own bodies, a process that normally required several bees for each bit of honey. And, with each stage of the process, the mana density of the nectar grew as the honeypots¡¯ own mana constantly circulated through it.
When it was done, she watched as the honeypots pooled the completed product in a cup of chitin where their stingers would normally be. Regular workers could lap up the honey with ease, and then transport it to the cells for to either raise brood, refill the long-term stores, or prepare deliveries for other hives.
Before any workers did, the First of the Fifth crawled to the nearest honeypot and sampled the honey herself. Her workers knew to wait for her to test the honey, only once she had determined its quality would she decide where it would go, and only then would they resume their work.
She dipped her proboscis into the honey¡and immediately began buzzing her wings. The honey¡was perfectly up to her standards. The viscosity and sugar content were at precisely the levels she desired, the honey perfectly digested and evaporated. The honeypots had lost none of their expertise for their evolution.
But that was not why her wings buzzed now. This honey brimmed with mana in excess of any honey she had tasted before. Long had the First of the Fifth determined the precise limit of how much honey her workers could infuse into each particular type of nectar. Even if she had all her workers line up and process a bit of nectar far beyond necessity, with each bee pushing all her mana into the mix, eventually the nectar would be filled. Any additional mana at that stage either failed to infused, pushed some of the existing mana out, or caused the honey to breakdown entirely. So, the First of the Fifth had determined the ideal point where additional mana infusing was no longer worth the effort and set that exact number of workers for each of her production lines. They subsequently improved the mana-density of their honey by foraging nectar from innately higher mana-density flowers.
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The honeypots had just blown that paradigm apart. Not only had a single honeypot infused the nectar past the density where diminishing returns set in, she had managed to infuse this nectar with more mana than its previously determined maximum limit, in a far more stable manner. The First of the Fifth immediately turned her attention on the honeypot, checking its mana reserves. To her shock, the honeypot was absolutely fine, having expended but a fraction of her mana. The circulation method the honeypot was using was naturally infusing the nectar overtime as the honeypot conducted multiple processing cycles on her own, resulting in far less wasted mana for the honeypot.
All the eyes of all the honeypots and workers were fixed on her, the hive becoming unusually silent as they awaited her verdict, but she did not give the dance just yet. Instead, she crawled over to another honeypot, one who had joined a production line for a flower that not yet been cross-pollinated with mana flowers. She gave it a taste.
She stumbled back as she analyzed the mana density of the resulting honey¡and its implications. It took her a moment before she remembered to dance.
¡°King quality, queen grade mana. One of every three honeypot lines for King until enough for daily tray, others for new nectars. All surplus to evolving honeypots.¡±
The First of the Fifth staggered back towards the nursery as her children all saluted and rushed back to work. Because if her calculations were correct¡the honeypots could produce enough mana-dense honey for queen evolutions far sooner than she had planned.
Which meant that she had a lot of work to do, and a great opportunity to bring the King¡¯s plans to fruition that much sooner¡
A gardener buzzed her wings as she landed on her target flower. She was a child of the First of the Fourth, one of the queens of the Flower Meadow and leaders of the soldier bee army. And she¡had been born too early.
Her queen mother felt there was no higher calling nor greater joy than to defend the hive of hives. But she, unfortunately, had been born in the days when her queen was still young, and so she had been born a worker. She was simply too small and weak to join the fight. Oh, how she wished she had been born a soldier, so that she may join her queen in the grand battles and so fulfill her queen¡¯s greatest desires.
But she was not. She intended to do the next best thing and worked as hard as she could to make as much honey as possible. If she could not be a soldier, than she would work to raise and support them!
This, too, failed. Try as she might, there was a limit to how much a honey a single worker could make. Worst, her queen¡¯s workers even as a whole could not produce enough honey to raise the number of soldiers the queen wanted. And once the Apiary queens began donating their endlessly flowing honey¡well, the worker¡¯s efforts became a literal drop in the ocean.
But hope sprang anew. The King saw fit to grant workers evolutions. She had become a gardener, hoping her new size and insights would enable her to expand her honey production to unforeseen levels. Maybe even enough that she could support soldiers for her queen without the assistance of other hives!
This, too, was a failure. Her new insights not only did not produce more honey, they warned her that the Flower Meadow¡¯s mana flowers were overworked. The Flower Meadow hives had to cut back their own honey production to ensure a healthy supply in the future. She was not only not doing more, she was doing less than before her evolution.
So, what then, could she do? How could she contribute to her queen¡¯s great mission? How could she, a mere gardener, help to defend the hive of hives?
She had focused her attention on a certain set of flowers, flowers not particularly popular among the foragers. These flowers had spines like stingers, hardened by mana past what one might expect from a flower stem. The gardener thought that maybe they might improve the strength and penetration of soldier stingers¡but the nectar of the flowers was as mundane as any other. This, too, was a failure.
At least until the karnuq joined the battle. Her queen¡¯s communers enabled all the bees of the First of the Fourth¡¯s hive to watch the daily battles, ensuring each of them could at least remain aware of their hive¡¯s contributions to the grand mission. And so, she watched as the mighty intruders impaled themselves on a wall of giant spines held by the karnuq.
It was then that she had an idea. She imagined a hive covered in spiny flower stems, stabbing any intruder like a second army of bees. She thought it but a dream at first, just another fantasy¡but her new instincts whispered to her that this was not the case. That these flowers held greater potential than had been realized.
So, she got to work. She gathered as much pollen from every different type of flower she could access, and brought them all to her thorny charges. The flowers as they were wouldn¡¯t be much help, but she knew that flowers could change and grow if cross-pollinated.
And finally, today, she found new seeds amidst the flowers. Seeds with a slight glow to them.
She plucked one of the seeds, wrapping it in her legs, and set off towards the site of the battlefield. She could only hope that this would be the idea that would not fail. That her only hope of defending the hive of hives as a mere worker type would not fail¡
Chapter 171 - Bee-morse and Gratitude
Belissar watched with his Tower sight as Metsaitti spoke to the man leaning against the wall. The third surviving soldier had finally come to and grown cognizant enough to speak, so Metsaitti was now interrogating him with Sehfitis¡¯s help. Belissar didn¡¯t actually have anything he wanted to ask the guy himself, having heard what he wanted from Sehfitis and Hirkolos, but Chief Rohsuak had come up with a good idea. They were having Sehfitis translate for Metsaitti while Belissar was watching in from afar. That way, Belissar could catch any mistranslations, and they could determine how reliable Sehfitis was.
Well, in the end, the third soldier was also just a recruit like Hirkolos, and not particularly cooperative, so they didn¡¯t learn much of note. Sehfitis¡¯s translations were accurate enough, though with how little the soldier spoke that wasn¡¯t saying much. According to Chief Rohsuak, they¡¯d have to keep an eye on him.
Ultimately, though, it was Hirkolos who acted differently.
Belissar made his way over to the prison¡or human house, since Sehfitis and Hirkolos were only kind of prisoners? The place the humans, other than himself, stayed. Hirkolos was waiting for him.
¡°Hi, I heard you have a request for me?¡±
Hirkolos nodded.
¡°Yes, if you are willing to consider something from me.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Of course I am, I said that, right?¡±
Hirkolos slowly nodded and then took a deep breath.
¡°Tower Keeper¡if you are willing¡could you tell me what happened to the little bee?¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°She¡¯s living right over there. We visited her¡oh, you weren¡¯t there for that, huh. Um, do you want to visit her?¡±
Hirkolos¡¯s eyes widened a bit.
¡°Can I?¡±
Belissar nodded his head.
¡°Of course, come on.¡±
Belissar lead Hirkolos over the Velebee¡¯s hive. Velebee flew out to greet them, dancing before Hirkolos¡¯s face. The man blinked, and then smiled.
¡°Hello, little bee. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well.¡±
Velebee zipped around for a bit before Belissar remembered they couldn¡¯t understand each other.
¡°This is Velebee, she¡¯s happy to see you as well. She¡¯s thanking you for carrying her here safely.¡±
Hirkolos shook his head.
¡°It was nothing, at least, nothing compared to what we¡¯ve done.¡±
Velebee then turned to Belissar and performed an asking dance. Belissar nodded at her and she zipped back to her beehouse. A moment later, one of the trays popped out and slid in front of the beehouse. Hirkolos blinked again, while Belissar smiled at him.
¡°She wants to thank you for the water and provisions you shared. She¡¯d like you to take some of her honey.¡±
Hirkolos started and quickly shook his head.
¡°No, no, I couldn¡¯t. She needs it, doesn¡¯t she? And I¡don¡¯t deserve something like that.¡±
Belissar frowned and rubbed his chin. He had no idea how to address this situation. So, he decided to just speak honestly.
¡°Hirkolos, you should take it. Um, it¡¯s like¡you helped Velebee get here, right? Without you, she wouldn¡¯t have made it, and wouldn¡¯t be able to make honey now. She probably won¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t want to take it. It¡¯ll make her happy if you do.¡±
Hirkolos turned and looked at Belissar, his eyes quivering slightly. Eventually, though, he took a deep breath, turned to Velebee, and gave her a bow.
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¡°My thanks, Velebee. I¡¯ll treasure your gift.¡±
Belissar relayed as much and Velebee danced happily about. Hirkolos slowly picked up the tray with a complicated expression. Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Um, I¡¯m teaching the karnuq beekeeping, and Velebee¡¯s been helping out. Would you like to join the lessons?¡±
Hirkolos¡¯s face lit up for a brief moment before he frowned.
¡°I¡don¡¯t think¡¡±
Belissar nearly frowned. Fortunately, though, he was starting to gain some experience rewording his questions from his interactions with his bees, so he tried another angle. Hirkolos¡apparently felt bad about the whole burning villages down thing, and so didn¡¯t want any favors. Mrs. Imkomos had always told Belissar that if he felt bad about something, he should work to fix it, so he went with that.
¡°You see¡the monster bees don¡¯t really know how to act like normal bees, so Velebee¡¯s been teaching them. You¡¯re a human who helped out Velebee before and got her not to sting you, so maybe you could help her teach the others?¡±
Hirkolos turned thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head.
¡°I couldn¡¯t compare to you, Tower Keeper, sir.¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°It¡¯s more¡you know Velebee, and she likes having you around. Plus, I can¡¯t actually stay with the karnuq¡¯s beekeepers all day, as much as I¡¯d like to.¡±
Hirkolos turned thoughtful again, remaining silent long enough that Belissar was about to interject when he finally replied. He very slowly began to nod.
¡°¡very well. If you and Velebee think I¡¯ll help¡then I¡¯ll do what I can. It¡¯s¡the least I could do.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Here that, Velebee, Hirkolos here is going to help you.¡±
Velebee flew out of her hive and began another happy dance. Even Hirkolos made a small smile at that.
Belissar gulped once more. He was sitting on the floor of the Apiary¡¯s farmhouse, staring at the purple honeycomb tray lying before him, with a small jar to his side. Niobee and the Second of the Sixth buzzed around him.
¡°King ok?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded.
¡°Fine, just¡need a moment first.¡±
Belissar had rested long enough and his mana was fully restored. Both Chief Rohsuak and the Second of the Sixth had cleared him to use his mana again. He had formed a medicinal spell-bee, just one this time, and had her fly around until she faded away. It seemed his feat after the expansion was not a fluke, he could now form his mana into spell-bees at will.
The implications of this spell were not lost on him. If he learned to form them with a type of mana other than medicinal, it would make for a potent attack. A swarm of spell-bees that he could form at will, that could fly in and attack a dangerous shade so that the living bees wouldn¡¯t have to. They could distract a shade and absorb the dangerous attacks, giving the living bees a chance to attack with impunity. Or, if their mana-powered stings were strong enough, maybe they could take down a shade entirely, meaning the living bees wouldn¡¯t have to risk themselves at all.
This was an opportunity Belissar could not delay seizing. So, his number one priority now was to learn how to make honey types other than medicinal. And that meant¡intentionally eating the poisonous maddening honey sitting in front of him.
He double checked his preparations. The third soldier had ultimately recovered despite being bathed in the honey and left for a day. Though he hadn¡¯t ingested much of it directly, it was at least proof that the honey wasn¡¯t lethal in surprisingly large doses. He had acquired a jar of antidote potion from Juosiutik, made specifically to deal with maddening honey should the worse come to pass. Niobee was ready to help him with mana channeling, and the Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive was on standby if he needed medical treatment. Juosiutik herself could come to the Apiary through the Apothecary¡¯s Hut shortcut and could bring the other karnuq as well if he needed healing beyond her expertise. He was even sitting on the floor so that he could lie down after eating the honey, ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t fall and hurt himself if the honey affected his balance.
He had made every preparation he possibly could. There was nothing left to do but to gather his courage and begin.
¡°Whew, ok¡here we go.¡±
With one final gulp, Belissar scooped up a tiny bit of the honey and gently placed it in his mouth.
He furrowed his brow. The honey¡didn¡¯t taste like honey. It was bitter instead of sweet, and made his tongue tingle. He quickly gulped it down and then lay back, waiting to see how that small amount affected him.
And waited. And waited. And waited¡
There was¡a slight tingling in his throat? Maybe? Or it could just be his throat drying out, he wasn¡¯t sure. One thing was clear, though: that wasn¡¯t enough. Whether or not he could feel it affect his body aside, he could not feel the mana from that honey interact with his own. And that meant he wouldn¡¯t learn how to replicate it from that small amount alone.
Belissar sighed and slowly sat back up. He took a much larger scoop this time and gulped it down.
This one he could feel. The mana almost immediately began seeping into his body, causing his entire jaw to tingle. The taste faded as his tongue and throat went numb. His vision started to sway a bit.
And his mana reacted, rushing towards his mouth and throat. He could feel it wrap around the foreign mana, trying to contain it and prevent any further effect upon his body.
He commanded it to stop. He imagine a swarm of mana once again drinking the honey, and carrying it to his hand. Niobee landed on his head and began to dance as well, assisting his efforts with the Tower¡¯s mana. Molding his mana to be more like herself, more like a bee.
A moment later, a honeycomb of purple light formed above his hand and purple honey dripped from it. Belissar smiled, but his work wasn¡¯t done yet. Now he imagined the mana bees drinking the honey and taking on its color. He imagined the toxic honey concentrating in their stingers before they flew out to sting shades and Tower guards and whatever else might threaten his bees.
One of the cells of the honeycomb bulged, and then once again a spell-bee crawled out of it. This one purple in color, with a barbed stinger dripping with purple honey.
And now, Belissar allowed himself to smile fully. The next time someone or something came for his bees, he¡¯d have a surprise of his own.
Schedule Update: No Chapters 10/3 or 10/4
Hi everyone,
Going to take the rest of this week off. Sorry, fatigue seems to be catching up with me, might of pushed a bit hard recently trying to wrap up editing for Terminate the Other World and all. Been a while since I took a break in hindsight, haha.
I feel the wisest and most efficient thing to do is take off now, and try to avoid suddenly taking a whole week off later on. Sorry for the short notice and the egregious lack of bees!
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
I might be just a silly non-bee after all, oh no.
Thanks again for all your support and patience.
Anyways!
Is this the wise decision? Can anyone survive the egregious lack of bees this week? Is the author just a silly non-bee after all? Tune in next time, to find out!
Chapter 172 - Growth and Bee-volution
A couple of days passed. After handling maddening honey with no major ill-effects, Belissar tried every honey he had access to. Burning honey was the spiciest thing he had ever eaten but it hadn¡¯t burned him like it had Metsaitti, so he managed to create burning spell-bees as well, along with sedating spell-bees and ground spell-bees that could ¡°fly¡± through the ground. The Fourth of the Eighth even gave him a tray of shocking honey, which created all sorts of wonderful static shocks in his mouth. But he came out of it with yellow lightning spell-bees zipping around, ready to zap an intruder like Beero¡¯s lightning stings.
And Belissar was not the only one growing over those days¡
***
Chief Rohsuak watched as Metsaitti took a stance with a spare spear, one formed from the bones of an Underway animal. In front of him, another hunter hoisted a new creation, a huge vaguely rectangular slab of iron. It was crude, uneven, and rough around the edges, little more than a mostly flat hunk of metal with a handle looped through two holes drilled through it.
Toivenaq, the karnuq smith who once tried to offer his grandfather¡¯s work at the Shrine of Bees, winced as he saw his handiwork on the field. Chief Rohsuak shook her head, then patted the boy on the shoulder and gave him a smile.
¡°It is only your first attempt, you will grow with time. For now, watch and see what you have accomplished already.¡±
The boy nodded, though she could tell her words hadn¡¯t gotten through. She let out a quiet sigh, for it couldn¡¯t be helped. Toivenaq¡¯s family had been among those they had lost and since they couldn¡¯t do much blacksmithing on the move, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to fully learn his parents¡¯ craft. A story far too common for the karnuq.
So, he was starting from scratch. Chief Rohsuak had lent a hand, helping fire the bricks needed to construct the forge and then starting and modulating the fire as necessary for these first attempts. While she would normally prefer for the karnuq not to depend on her powers, the situation was somewhat urgent. The latest battle had proven that the karnuq¡¯s arms and armor were no longer sufficient for their needs. A nomadic hunter carrying all their possessions on their back had strict restrictions as to the weight and size of their gear, and could simply run away from any threat they weren¡¯t equipped to handle. The sworn defender of a Tower, on the other hand, could not turn from the fight.
So, she volunteered to help this time and rush new armor into production. Well, it was all Toivenaq could do in such a short time to just process the ore into something of an iron slab. Now, it was time to see if that would be enough.
Metsaitti lunged forward and thrust his spear. The tip struck the iron with a clang¡and bounced off. The bone chipped. The iron did not.
Chief Rohsuak gave Toivenaq another smile.
¡°See? It may not be what you wished to make, but a slab of iron is still quite the improvement over our current shields. It is what we need, and will suffice while you hone your craft.¡±
Toivenaq gave another slow nod, but this time she could see a spark light in his eyes. He would be fine.
And if his work panned out, so would the hunters when the next big purification came around¡
***
The First of the Fifth stood on top of one of her trays, looking down at her hive working below. Rows upon rows of honey production lines stood before the gaps between the trays, workers blowing bubbles as the foragers brought them more nectar and pollen. But now, now there was a substantial gap in the rows, where single honeypots took the place of entire production lines, blowing multiple bubbles on their abdomens all at once.
Overall honey production was already up by nearly thirty percent compared to previously, with no drop in quality. In fact, quality had steadily risen across the board, and the First of the Fifth was now delivering King-quality honey to the other hives as her supplies had outgrown the King¡¯s daily tribute. More and more honeypots evolved each day as well, by the end of the week she¡¯d see a fifty percent increase, while honeypots would start to fill in the mixed-nectar lines from the cross-pollinating foragers.
She looked out towards the output section, where her Second Daughter was prepping deliveries for the other hives. Workers tied the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s harnesses to soldiers so that they could carry entire trays at once if necessary. Today, though, they were carrying smaller loads, each lifting a smaller chunk of honeycomb. Yet, their deliveries were no less precious¡and would be far more impactful.
Honey from a cross-pollinated water lily. A new flax flower cross-pollinated for the first time. Honey from a vine that grew in dark tunnels that blinded whoever drank it. A honey-equivalent made from the juice of a mushroom that glowed bright, grown from a rotting mana flower.
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Thanks to the honeypots, she had enough mana-dense honey from each for a queen to evolve. She had met with the hive of hives and the King, together they had determined which of the queens would undertake evolutions. Her Second Daughter now sent out her soldiers to deliver the honey to the chosen queens. With any luck, the hive of hives would have a new round of queens to mass produce the new honey types¡and the bees that would result.
Satisfied that all was well on that front, the First of the Fifth flew over to her experimental zone. There, she turned her attention to four special cells, isolated from the others.
One was from some sort of cold flower that had sprouted in the Fairy Grove. The First of the Fifth already knew this honey could be used to raise new bee types, as evidenced by the workers with frosty mist condensing around their wings who were now filling more cells with the honey. Like with the burning honey, this honey lowered the temperature of the overall hive, and she had just about reached the amount where anymore would have detrimental effects on the whole. Still, the Third of the Sixth had successfully evolved with burning honey, so there was no reason another queen couldn''t do the same with this one.
The hive of hives had chosen not to for a simple reason: after evolving, the Third of the Sixth found the temperature of the Apiary uncomfortable, and only flourished after moving to the new Lava Field. The cold flower could apparently sprout and bloom in the Fairy Grove, but the room as a whole stayed at a similar climate to the Apiary and Flower Meadow. As such, there was currently no place in the King''s realm that would suit the bees that evolved on this honey. Until such a place appeared or was created by the King, no queen would commit her whole hive to this evolution. So, for now, the First of the Fifth would keep the honey from this flower for use in other experiments.
A trickier one was from the Underworld Phlox. The mana it gave off was¡uncomfortable. It made her feel cold in a way even the cold mana flower had not, like the very life was being sucked from her bodies. The medicinal workers she had tending the brood also confirmed that it was bad for the health of the brood, and so insisted it be isolated away from the nurseries. The First of the Fifth was currently at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. Her instincts warned her that it would be dangerous for a queen to submerge herself in the amount required for an evolution. That, along with the brood tenders¡¯ warnings, prevented her from trying to lay an egg in it. She would not sacrifice a potential queen¡¯s life on such a risky experiment until she knew more about what she was dealing with.
The other two were more familiar. There was one cell filled to the brim with honey from the gravilion flower, with numerous gravity workers clinging to the edges of the cell and beating their wings. Their wings glowed with purple mana, causing the air to distort around them in the opposite direction to the distortions caused by the honey itself, preventing it from affecting the hive around it. The other cell oozed and pulsed as the slime flower honey within moved with almost a mind of its own. A slime of honey surrounded the cell in turn, with several slime bee workers combining their bodies to contain the cell and keep its honey in motion. The honey had a concerning tendency to try and condense down into some sort of core if it were not kept from doing so.
Neither of these honeys felt as dangerous as that of the Underworld Phlox, but each came with their own unique challenges. Challenges that required numerous workers of their own type to deal with, and that grew more difficult to handle as the amount of honey in one place increased. Even the First of the Fifth hadn¡¯t felt confident in gathering queen evolving amount of the honey until the honeypots were able to increase the average mana-density and so decrease the amount of honey necessary.
As such, the hive of hives decided not to give this honey to any of the existing queens. The First of the Fifth crawled over first to the honey cell. She laid an egg directly into the body of one of the slime workers, who carried the egg into the cell. The slime workers then slowed down the circulation ever so slightly, allowing it to condense on the egg at just the right level not to harm it. The First of the Fifth then made her way to the gravity cell, her gravity workers doing their best to the mitigate the gravitational fields pulling her this way and that. She managed to resist the increasing pull on her body long enough to lay an egg in the center, which the gravity workers then worked to ensure would not be crushed or torn apart.
The hive of hives agreed that it would best to raise new queens directly on these honeys, so that they would be born with the characteristics necessary to handle them right from the start.
The First of the Fifth took one final look at the Underworld Flox cell before returning to her business. She¡¯d find a way to use that honey, but not today. The hive of hives would be welcoming plenty of new queens soon enough.
***
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s second daughter buzzed and spun in circles. Her new hive was finally completed, and now she was able to move into the new room. It wasn¡¯t the Beyond like her queen mother, but she knew her hive wasn¡¯t big enough for that yet. Her other queen mother had made sure she knew that, and that she needed to raise a big and strong hive before she could scout beyond the Realm of the King.
But that was ok! The King¡¯s Realm had plenty to explore even within its halls. Like this room, the Fairy Grove! It was a room that wanted to be explored but also didn¡¯t! It pulled and drew bees deeper inside, but never wanted them to go where they wanted to go. It wanted them to loop and turn and end up in new corners they hadn¡¯t seen before.
It was amazing! Every time her workers came back they had new stories for her about a new part of the room they hadn¡¯t even intended to visit! They came back with nectar from a different flower than they had wanted to gather from, the room leading to them to a different one of the many flowers the gardeners had planted with each foraging trip.
And now, she was living here! She would have so many stories to share with her queen mother the next time she returned. She knew it!
So, for now, it was time to go to work, and make sure her hive grew as big and strong as her other queen mother taught her! She began to lay her eggs as quickly as possible, hoping to finish up before the next round of foragers returned so she could listen to their reports in detail. As such, she didn¡¯t notice the wave of multi-colored mana drifting through her hive, and wrapping around some of the newly laid eggs¡
POBear 172.1 - Bear-Bee Careful Communication
Paisijik walked forward at a steady pace, holding a bowl with both hands. All eyes were on her, the other karnuq beekeepers ceased all their work to watch her. Two of the human prisoners were here, and even the Tower Keeper came to watch.
By now she had discarded most of her winter gear, with only a lighter fur coat draped loosely around her. Not only was the gear painfully unsuited for the Tower¡¯s climate, but Paisijik also believed it to be unnecessary. If she had done this right, the bees wouldn¡¯t sting her¡at least not enough to threaten her life. If she was wrong, then she did not believe the gear would save her if the hive truly intended her harm. And if it did¡she¡¯d prefer to be able to run away as quickly as possible.
Besides, the bees seemed to react slightly less aggressively to the furless humans than they did to her. At first she thought that was limited to the Tower Keeper, but it also seemed to apply to the others as well to some degree. So, she tried removing some of the gear and showing some of her less-furred parts¡and found that the bees allowed her closer. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that, but that didn¡¯t stop her from taking maximum advantage of it.
She lifted the bowl as the bees began to hover around her. The human prisoner had revealed that the bees also appreciated simple water. That had been much appreciated advice, as she didn¡¯t think she could convince to Chief to hand over honeydew on a daily basis. Paisijik had experimented a bit and found water mixed with a bit of either honeydew or sweet fruit juices worked nearly as well as pure honeydew. The bees also appreciated blocks of salt; she had carried one along with the bowl last time. Today, though, she needed her hands free.
She smiled as the bees began to land on her bowl and lap up the liquid.
¡°Hello, little bees. Working hard today?¡±
The bees mostly ignored her but at least one or two of the workers flying in the air seemed to react to her voice. She had been speaking aloud every time she fed them in hopes that they might form a positive association to the sound. Anything she could try to do to set them at ease.
She walked right up to the hive and opened the roof of the beehouse. She had moved a bit closer each day when feeding the bees. Two days ago, she had finally reached the hive. Yesterday, she had attempted to open the hive and check on the brood as the Tower Keeper taught her. The guards had nearly attacked her again, but since she had not harmed the brood and provided the guards with generous honeydew helpings to boot, they had ultimately allowed it.
Today would be the moment of truth. To find out just how far the bees would tolerate her. To see if they could truly develop a symbiotic relationship.
Paisijik gently removed one of the trays, one of three that was currently glowing slightly. As she did, she flared her mana and spoke up.
¡°Hi there, First of the Ninth. Do you mind if I take one of these?¡±
She didn¡¯t actually see the queen at the moment, but knew the First of the Ninth would hear her voice. Additionally, she had been feeding her mana into the bees¡¯ food each and every day. The guard bees calmed down a bit as they felt her mana, while some of the worker bees began to land on her, likely searching for food. She had tied a few flowers to her clothes so that they¡¯d find something when they did.
The hive buzzed but did not react as she pulled out the tray. She examined it closely and found that there were no brood waiting within, as the Tower Keeper had said would be the case.
She then fought the urge to take a deep breath, instead trying to act as she usually did. She gently replaced the roof of the beehouse¡without returning the tray. And then¡she began to slowly back away, leaving her bowl behind. The guard bees watched her warily, but did not react. The workers mostly focused on the bowl.
And so, Paisijik was allowed to back up. Her heart began to pound with each step she took from the hive. Her body filled with adrenaline, ready to toss the tray and sprint away if the hive decided to respond. Every step she had to stop herself from breaking out into a run, or a shout.
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Until, finally, she had reached the rest of the karnuq and humans. With a full tray of honey in her hand.
She glanced down at it, her eyes widening as she realized what she had done. Her face curled into a massive grin as she let out the shout she had been holding in.
¡°I did it!¡±
And so, Paisijik became the first karnuq to harvest honeycomb from a hive.
Her day was not done yet, however. After a round of joyous if not so subtly jealous congratulations from her fellow students, Paisijik broke her tray into half, and then one of the halves into thirds. She gathered them up and walked over to the Tower Keeper, bowing her head before him.
¡°Tower Keeper, sir, thank you for teaching me!¡±
He smiled and shook his head.
¡°No, you did well on your own. Even I didn¡¯t think of feeding them like that, it was a good idea.¡±
She beamed at his praise, not least of all because that was the method she devised from her family¡¯s old expertise, but shook her head in turn.
¡°Thank you, but you still taught me most of it! Please, accept this! I want you to have some of my first harvest!¡±
The Tower Keeper nodded with a smile and took the sixth of the tray she held out to him.
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±
She smiled back and then made her way over to one of the other humans.
¡°You there, human, thank you for your help. Please, accept this!¡±
She held out another sixth. The young human¡¯s eyes widened as the older one translated, then held his hands up and began shaking his head. He spoke to the old man who relayed his words back to her.
¡°He says he cannot, for it is his duty to help after participating in the attack on the Tower.¡±
Paisijik frowned.
¡°I see¡¡±
Then she forced the sixth of a tray into his hands, letting go so that he was forced to catch it. She gave him an intent gaze.
¡°Indeed, debts should be paid. But if the Tower Keeper has allowed you here, then I assume he has claimed the debt of blood we are owed. So, I still intend to pay mine.¡±
The young man panicked but calmed down a bit as the older human relayed her words. The young man hung his head, and then slowly nodded.
¡°He says thank you.¡±
Paisijik nodded back and then made her to the last person she had to thank. She walked across the flower meadow with the rest of the tray until she came to the exit and stood before the Shrine of Bees. She placed the half tray into the wax chest and bowed her head.
¡°Thank you, God of Bees. Thank you for this Tower to push back the Hunger. Thank you for allowing us to make our home here. Thank you for my teacher, your Tower Keeper, and for the bees now living in my beehouse. Please, accept this offering and my gratitude. If not for you, your Tower, your Tower Keeper, and your bees, I would not have been able to reclaim my ancestors¡¯ craft.¡±
Paisijik opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the wax chest flash. She rose to her feet, and then, finally, took a bite out of the last sixth of the honeycomb left to her. Her very first bite of the honeycomb made by her very own beehive.
It tasted sweet indeed.
And then the entire Shrine of Bees lit up like the sun and engulfed her in light. When she came to, she stood frozen in place, her eyes trembling as her heart pounded.
The God of Bees offers you her full blessing. If you wish to accept, please select one of the following blessings:
- Blessing of the Rancher
- Blessing of the Monster Tamer
- Blessing of the Druid
- Blessing of the Beekeeper
Paisijik fell to her knees. Few of her ancestors had ever had the opportunity to challenge for a god¡¯s blessing. Fewer still, if any at all, had actually received one. And now¡now she had been found worthy.
She could have a god¡¯s blessing on her ancestors¡¯ ancient craft in tending flocks and herds. Not only would this allow her to reclaim the craft that had been lost, but potentially to surpass her ancestors¡¯ greatest accomplishments.
Or she could learn to tame monsters. The wolf-moles that popped out of the ground, the cave panthers stalking in the darkness, the flame worms that could set a tunnel ablaze. All of the predators and horrors that had stalked the clan on its journey could be hers to command against their enemies.
She could even become a druid and take her first step onto the path of magic. To command the forces of nature and the will of the world, if the legends and rumors of such beings were true. The karnuq never had druids of their own that she could recall, but they told stories of such blessings amongst their enemies.
Or¡she could lean into the power of the god who ruled the Tower she now called home, and fully embrace the new craft taught to her by the Tower Keeper.
But whatever she chose to do, Paisijik knew her efforts had been rewarded. Her future, and her family¡¯s future with it, had never been brighter.
Chapter 173 - Bee-vine Favor
Belissar watched with a smile as Paisijik handed out her honeycomb and then offered the remaining half of the tray to the God of Bees. He was only slightly surprised this time when the Shrine lit up. What work would the God of Bees approve of more than beekeeping, after all?
A challenger has been fully blessed.
Gained 20 DP.
A challenger has selected a blessing unique to your patron.
Gained additional 10 DP.
His smile grew, for he had a feeling he knew what sort of blessing Paisijik had selected.
Only then, did he see the words that caused his jaw to drop.
Mission: Teach the karnuq the art of beekeeping completed!
Reward: One flask of ambrosia
Belissar gaped at the message for a while. He jumped when Niobee landed on him to ensure he could feel her dance.
¡°King ok?¡±
Belissar gulped.
¡°I¡I don¡¯t know. If¡this is what I think it is¡then¡¡±
He stumbled over to the chest and gently lifted the lid with trembling hands. There, sitting innocuously at the bottom, was a simple, unadorned wooden flask, sealed by beeswax and propolis. Belissar slowly reach down for it, flinching back just before touching it.
Even as a Tower Keeper blessed by two gods, even though he knew much of the doctrine on the gods he was raised with was wrong, still he hesitated to touch the flask. How could he not? In the tales Mrs. Imkomos told him, those of ancient heroes and great deeds from a time before the hunger or even the kings of old, ambrosia was nothing less than the ultimate treasure. The food of the gods themselves, said to heal any ailment or injury. Said to grant long, or even eternal, life to the mortals lucky enough to taste it. Rumor among the peasantry had it that the Tower Lords were gifted with ambrosia and that this was the reason for their long life, though as many others claimed such a thing did not and could not exist.
This¡this was something even Mrs. Imkomos wasn¡¯t certain actually existed. Only that, whether as metaphor or reality, ambrosia represented one of the most precious gifts a god could offer to a mortal who had found their favor.
And now Belissar had a flask of it.
He gulped and gathered his courage, then touched the flask. After he was not struck down by divine retribution, he wrapped his fingers around the flask and gingerly lifted it out of the chest. He held it in front of his face with both hands, staring at it.
He very gently uncorked the cap and glanced inside, angling it so the light of the sun would illuminate the insides. His eyes widened. He blinked and looked again. He blinked, rubbed his eyes to ensure nothing obscured his sight, and then looked again. He looked once more with his Tower sight. There, sitting in the flask, was a viscous golden liquid¡and one that, surprisingly, he recognized. Ambrosia, the legendary food of the gods¡was a type of honey? A honey more golden and flowing more smoothly than any he had ever seen before, with a shine and a subtle glow that made it appear more as solid gold, but still honey without any doubt.
Belissar slowly looked up at the statue of the God of Bees. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his pounding heart. Frighteningly legendary treasure or not, this was first and foremost a gift from his patron, a reward for the task she had set him to. If she thought this was an appropriate reward, who was he to object?
So, he simply bowed his head.
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll treasure it.¡±
Belissar immediately store the flask in the core room, leaning right on the core¡¯s pedestal itself. He may have accepted that he was now the owner of a divine treasure from myth and legend, but that didn¡¯t mean he had any idea of what to actually do with it. Should he drink it himself, as a perfectly healthy and young Tower Keeper? Spread it out among the bees, though the size of the flask meant they couldn¡¯t possibly all have a taste? Share it with the karnuq¡or one karnuq, as the amount he had would allow? Save it in case someone got an injury or illness they couldn¡¯t heal? The supposed powers of ambrosia were so far and away from anything he had ever dealt with that he couldn¡¯t even begin to decide what an appropriate use of it would be.
So, he didn¡¯t. He placed it in the most secure part of his Tower and left it there, for now. He¡¯d try to remember the stories Mrs. Imkomos has told him in more detail; now that he knew ambrosia was true perhaps there was some truth to the legends too. But later, when he felt slightly less overwhelmed by situations of mythical proportions he now found himself in.
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He took a deep breath, and set out to handle slightly less divine parts of his day¡or so he intended.
Because just then, the Tower flooded his vision with more messages. Belissar¡¯s mind, still recovering from receiving ambrosia, just went blank and refused to process anything more.
The First of the Fourth¡¯s gardener made her way over to the front of the Flower Meadow, near the wooden platform the hive of the fallen used to reach the sky. It was far enough from the actual battlefield that her experiments wouldn¡¯t get in the way of the daily purifications, but close enough that a success could assist in battle.
If she had any successes, that was.
She had been at it for a few days and now there were several thorny stems just starting to grow into bushes around the platform. She had filled the original rose flowers with pollen, taken the seed that resulted, and then planted them over here. She then had come here each day and stuffed the sprouts with as much of her mana as she could, boosting their growth as fast as she could without harming their health. The flowers had grown and bloomed quickly, allowing her to see the results of her labors.
But none of them had proven suitable for her goals. Oh, the flowers had changed, that much was a success. A cross with mana flowers had boosted the plant¡¯s overall mana density and strengthened its thorns. It had grown more popular with the foragers than its original parent, but that was it. It was still just a small flower with some small, if surprisingly sharp, thorns. Nothing that could stop a shade like the karnuq and the wall of long spines they carried. A shade could simply walk around it, or step, jump, or fly over it, or use fire, lightning, or dark mist to destroy it. It would not contribute anything to the battle but a minor inconvenience.
So, she had tried other combinations. The poisonous herbs gave thorns dripping with purple sap. A ground mana flower hardened the stems and thorns until they were like rock. The flame radish, in exchange for nearly burning her legs trying to carry heated pollen, resulted in thorns hot to the touch.
But, in the end, they were all still just roses with small flowers. None of them could stop a shade. None of them could fulfill her desire to defend the hive of hives alongside her queen.
So, she had branched out. She had tried pollen from every flower she could get her legs on. From mundane and medicinal flowers from the most exotic flowers in the furthest corners of the King¡¯s Realm, ones she had to ask the gardeners of the other hives to help her gather. Medicinal herbs just made the thorns thinner and weaker. Seeds pollinated by cloudberries and underworld phlox just failed to germinate at all, their mana informing her that the Flower Meadow simply wasn¡¯t suitable.
Still, none of them had worked. By the time she approached the gardeners of the Apiary for assistance, she had grown desperate. It seemed that this idea, too, would be a failure. That there would truly be no way for her to contribute anything of note to the hive of hives¡¯ defenses. That there would be no way for her to participate in her queen¡¯s grand mission.
So, she had done something she wasn¡¯t supposed to. The other gardeners had directed her to the most exotic flowers in the Apiary: the slime flower with its viscous sap. She had to recruit the assistance of a slime worker from the First of the Fifth to even approach this one, unable to locate any pollen that she could recognize. The worker had gathered a glob of slime a bit more solid than the rest that she insisted was some kind of pollen. The gardener had had her doubts but who was she to refuse at this point?
So, against her better judgement, she had jabbed her legs into the gooey mass and flown it back through the King¡¯s Realm, until she arrived back at her roses. Then, she had flown over a scattered mess of multi-colored dust, her attempt to make a pollen bag out of every different kind of pollen she could gather. It hadn¡¯t worked, the pollen from different sources refused to stick together and the whole thing fell apart at the slightest breeze. Her instincts had even warned her that this was a bad idea, that it would turn out poorly even if she could get all the pollen together.
She hadn¡¯t cared, so she went and smashed the gooey mass over the pollen, turning the whole thing into a slimy, grungy mess as the different colors blended together within the slime. Then she had stuffed the whole thing into the nearest mana rose and flown off to sleep.
In something of a surprise, that flower had actually produced a seed. She had planted the seed and stuffed it with as much mana as she could make. That had been the last idea she had, so she wished with all that she was that something would result. That the Queen of All Bees would guide her to a way to defend the hive of hives.
Today, she would check on that seed. Her wings slowed as she grew closer to the bush. Every instinct she had as a gardener told her that mixing the pollens like that, especially with the slimy one, should have ended badly. If the seed failed the germinate, then¡well, she didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do then. Maybe go volunteer to serve the hive of the fallen, the hive made of only bees that had truly fought to defend the hive of hives. If they would take a failure such as herself¡
She had to force herself to fly past the other roses so she could see the spot she had planted the seed. Her wings buzzed and she nearly dropped to the ground. The seed had, at least, managed to sprout and germinate.
Which meant that now was the next moment of truth. She couldn¡¯t even force herself to fly again, this time crawling across the ground until she stood before the little shoot. It was a tiny thing, smaller than her with naught but two little leaves on top of its miniature stem. She stopped moving her abdomen to draw in air as she gingerly extended her mana towards the plant, intending to find out what exactly it was¡
And then, the shoot twitched.
She felt its mana slam into her own, and nearly stepped back from shock. A gardener¡¯s mana could connect with that of a plant, feeding her information on its current state. But never before had a plant moved its own mana towards hers. Not with the mana flowers, or even the slimy flower. The mana of plants normally barely reacted to her presence.
This plant was all but stuffing its mana into hers. It was not letting her analyze its condition. It was telling her what it felt. It was thirsty, and it wanted more water. And its reaction was not limited to mana. Its stem bent as far as the tiny stem could, its two little leaves waving vaguely in her direction.
And as her mind shook at these revelations, her own mana returned with its own report, telling her the general characteristics of the plant along with its current state. As she processed the information, her wings began to buzz.
This one¡might not be a failure after all. Which meant that¡maybe, just maybe, neither was she.
Chapter 174 - Flower Bee-wards
The gardener quickly put extraneous thoughts aside and focused. Now that she had a flower that might suit her purposes, she needed to ensure it grew healthy and strong. The plant was requesting additional water and her own mana agreed with that assessment. Now she needed to figure out the best way to bring it more.
But as she pondered, the shoot itself began to move. It dug itself out of the ground, revealing a bulbous, slight glowing section at the very bottom of the stem. Its roots slithered out from the ground and began to writhe and grasp like particularly uncoordinated legs. The plant continued to wave its leaves in her direction.
Well, if the plant could remove itself from the ground, then the task was simple. The gardener wrapped the plant in her legs and took off. The plant¡¯s leaves and roots began writhing about as they rose into the air, but her grip on it was firm. Eventually it wrapped its little roots around her legs as best it could as she flew them both towards the nearest pond.
Belissar¡¯s mind finally caught up enough for him to begin acknowledging the messages in his face.
A new monster has been born!
Venomous Slime Rose is now available!
Venomous Slime Rose
Vitality: Below Average
Strength: Below Average
Speed: Minor
Magic: Below Average
Defense: Minor
Resistance: Minor
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Vine Whip, Venomous Thorns, Aqua Regeneration, Fluid Absorption
Spawner Upkeep: 5 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: This rose has a bonded slime core mixing its slime with its sap, granting it mobility, intention, and an improved ability to absorb fluids. It aggressively seeks out fluids to fuel its growth and will defend itself with its thorn-tipped vines. It is surprisingly difficult to kill, as any part of its body sans its core may be regrown so long as it has access to sufficient fluids or nutrients.
This variant also fills its thorns with a dangerous toxin on account of the eclectic mix of pollen from hazardous species it was raised on.
Belissar glanced around a bit with his Tower sight before realizing he honestly had no idea where to look. The thorny rose he planted by the Bee Barracks still appeared the same, so the bees must have planted this one somewhere else.
¡°Hey Niobee, looks like one of the gardeners raised a monster flower of some kind? Could you check and find out which one and where they are?¡±
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
Belissar took a deep breath as Niobee flew off to dance with the other bees. He was certainly curious about the new monster and wanted to see it for himself. He also wanted to confirm it was a Tower monster and so not dangerous to the bees and the karnuq. But all of that would have to wait, for the new monster notification was only the first of the messages.
Mission: Spawn or evolve one Flower attribute monster with the help of bees completed!
Reward: One Flower-type room feature choice.
The God of Flowers offers a minor blessing.
A non-patron god, the God of Flowers, offers her blessing! The God of Flowers will be added to the Shrine in some rooms. Accept?
That monster was apparently sufficient for the God of Flower¡¯s mission, who now also wanted to become his patron. That choice¡was quite straightforward and even eased Belissar¡¯s overwhelmed mind a bit. The God of Flowers was a perfect patron for a Tower full of bees and Belissar already knew the God of Bees approved, so he had no reason to hesitate.
Minor Blessing of Flowers applied.
Effects:
- Flower-related options slightly more frequent.
- Some special flower-related options are unlocked and may now appear
- Flower monster upgrades and evolutions are now slightly cheaper and easier to unlock
- Slight boost to the growth of flowers and Flower-type monsters
As before, a wave of mana passed through him and the Tower. His vision brightened with a cascade of colors and a sweet scent lingered on the air. He tried to focus on where the mana concentrated¡but found that, this time, it had concentrated in multiple places. Shrines in not just one but several of his rooms had changed.
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In all three Flower Meadows, both Orchards, the Fairy Grove, and the new Apothecary¡¯s Hut, a giant flower sprouted from the ground by the statue of the God of Bees, blooming to reveal colorful chests in each of their centers.
Mission: Earn the blessing of a new secondary patron completed!
Reward: One cross-perk choice!
As with the God of Fire, the God of Bees approved of this development. Belissar couldn¡¯t help but grin and rub his hands together as he thought of a cross-perk between the God of Bees and the God of Flowers. Flowers were critical to his Tower, just how many of their advances had been off the back of mana flowers and cross-pollination? He greatly anticipated seeing what perks would result when the God of Bees and God of Flowers combined their powers.
But before he could check the choices, he still had one last set of messages to review.
Mission prerequisites fulfilled! Mission offer unlocked.
The God of Flowers wishes to offer you a quest. Accept?
Belissar nodded. Of course he would accept quests from such a crucial god.
New mission received: Help one monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers.
Belissar nodded and started rubbing his chin. Help someone get blessed by the God of Flowers, huh? His first thought was Juosiutik given how much she worked with flowers, but she had already been blessed by the God of Bees. Though, Metsaitti had apparently received some kind of joint blessing from the God of Bees and the God of Fire, could something like that work.
But then, Belissar¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked over the mission once more. Tower monsters¡could be blessed by the gods? He hadn¡¯t known that was option. But if it was¡the Third of the Sixth¡¯s evolution method apparently inspired Metsaitti¡¯s trial, which in turn inspired Beero¡¯s own attempt. His bees were already putting themselves through something like the God of Fire¡¯s trial¡so wouldn¡¯t they be able to take on another? If they could handle the God of Fire¡¯s trial, surely they could take on one from the God of Flowers, a god they were far more suited for in the first place.
On the other hand, neither Beero nor the Third of the Sixth had received a blessing for their own evolutions, so maybe it worked differently for monsters. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure, and Chief Rohsuak didn¡¯t know much about the inner workings of Towers. Maybe Sehfitis might? Belissar would have to ask him again.
But either way, Belissar was going to try. A bee blessed by the God of Flowers¡now that would be something to see.
Belissar spent the rest of the day fidgeting, far too distracted to focus on anything else. He resisted the urge to gather the queens immediately, waiting for the day¡¯s purification. He at least was able to check up on the new monster once Niobee had finished checking with the queens and figured out which gardener was responsible.
The new monster currently looked just like a normal rose shoot save for a slightly glowing bulb in its stem. What was not normal was that the gardener bee carried it to the battle meadow¡¯s pond¡and then the shoot crawled on its own to the water¡¯s edge before plunging its roots inside. The shoot swelled before Belissar¡¯s eyes, growing twice its size in a few minutes before withdrawing its roots.
He had to wait for it to grow a bit more before he could decide how it would fit into his Tower, but it would be one to keep an eye on, that was for sure.
He barely paid attention to the day¡¯s purification as, of course, it was another turtle shade of all things. He tapped his foot repeatedly as they waited for the turtle to slowly, ponderously, slothfully crawl its way to the nearest pit trap and fall inside. He all but tossed the purification reward message aside with scarcely a look, just taking the mana so he could move on.
And then, finally, after as short a celebration as he felt comfortable with, Belissar gathered the queens and the karnuq leaders. He grinned as he watched them.
¡°We have a new patron god, and some rewards from her to decide on.¡±
Metsaitti¡¯s eyes widened while Chief Rohsuak smiled, and the bees began a celebratory dance. Belissar chuckled as finally, finally, he opened up the rewards.
Select a room feature:
- Bee Balm (Rarity: Common, Type: Flower, Bee, Resource)
-Bursting Death Camus (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Flower, Poison, Trap)
- Clover (Rarity: Common, Type: Nature, Flower)
It took a great deal of self-control not to select the option with bee in the name, but Belissar figured he should at least read the descriptions.
Bee Balm
- Type: Flower, Bee
- Mana Upkeep: 1 per node, 0 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A flowering plant beloved by pollinators. Its bright colors and strong production of sugar-rich nectar attracts attention, particularly from bees. It has some minor medicinal and culinary uses as well.
The description did not assist with his self-control. A flower that was specifically good for bees, that produced a lot of sugar-rich nectar? Belissar had just invested in honeypots to boost honey production, this flower could apparently assist with that at practically zero cost. The First of the Fifth was already starting to fly in circles.
Only by the promise of an uncommon option did Belissar move on to the next one.
Bursting Death Camus
- Type: Flower, Poison, Trap
- Mana Upkeep: 10 per node, 5 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: Every part of this flower is poisonous, from its leaves and its stems to its seeds and flowers, filled with a highly-stable toxin that is not easily degraded. Even pollinators beware as even the flower¡¯s nectar and pollen are toxic, and only specialized toxin-resistant species can forage from it.
This particular variant has been evolved by mana and will release a cloud of toxic pollen when disturbed, making it a dangerous trap within seemingly innocuous flower patches.
Belissar frowned and crossed his arms. More traps were good, necessary even. A deadly, toxic flower would fit well within his Tower. But¡apparently this flower was toxic even to pollinators, such as his bees. That alone gave him pause, for what was the point of a flower his bees couldn¡¯t forage from?
Still, a poisonous flower such as this could very improve the battle meadow¡¯s defenses. And the description didn¡¯t say that no pollinators could forage from it, so maybe there was a type of bee that could? They could gather from the poisonous herbs without issue, and the First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter had recently raised an antidote bee. If they could utilize this flower, he imagined the bees raised on it would be quite useful for the bee army. Worst came to worst, even if the bees couldn¡¯t use this flower, Juosiutik probably could. Though, she did already have access to the death cap mushrooms, so perhaps that was redundant.
It was something to think about. For now, there was one more option to check, though this one seemed quite mundane.
Clover
- Type: Nature, Flower
- Mana Upkeep: 1 per node, 0 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A short-lived flowering plant that grows freely. Edible as is and a good source of nectar for pollinators, but its main benefit is that it improves soil quality, boosting the growth of other nearby plants.
And it was¡but that didn¡¯t mean he could discard it. The humble clover wouldn¡¯t poison shades and probably wouldn¡¯t result in new monster bee types¡but apparently it improved soil quality. Boosting the growth of other plants, now that was a benefit worth considering.
Belissar rubbed his chin. He thought this choice would be easy¡but apparently it would not.
And he hadn¡¯t even checked the cross-perk yet.
Chapter 175 - Flower-Bee Choices
Belissar decided to first check out the cross-perks before making the final decision. He grinned as he opened the reward.
Select a cross-perk (Bee/Flower):
- Bee-caller Pheromones
- Symbiotic Foraging
- Empowering Pollination
Belissar nearly giggled from how giddy he felt. Even from just the names alone, he had a good feeling about these.
Bee-caller Pheromones
- When damaged, flowers and Flower-type features and monsters release pheromones. Pheromones may stick to the damaging entity.
- Affected bees and Bee-type features and monsters are drawn to the damaged flower and targets marked by the pheromone.
- Affected bees and Bee-type features and monsters receive a boost to strength and speed and will attack marked targets more aggressively
Belissar rubbed his chin as he considered this one. So, his bees would grow stronger if a shade or invader damaged a flower? If that applied to regular flowers too, then this perk would automatically trigger the moment anything stepped into the Flower Meadow, so it would be a constant boost to the strength and speed of the bee army.
However, Belissar hesitated due to that last part. The bees acting more aggressively might be a downside rather than a benefit. He thought of the moment he and the bees realized the Tower Lord¡¯s son had found them. Belissar had found the bee army swarming as Niobee danced angrily. In that moment, the precise and trained formations of the bee army had broken down and they reverted to their base instincts¡the exact kind of instincts which led the first hives to disaster. Is that what would happen to his bees when they smelled these aggression-boosting pheromones. If so, then these pheromones might lead to more bee casualties rather than less, depending on if the boost in strength and speed could make up for the bee army abandoning its carefully honed methods.
Additionally, there was a question of how exactly the perk worked. Would Belissar have any say in when the flowers released the pheromones, or would it be any time a flower was damaged? Would the pheromones affect him or the karnuq? What about a visiting sigmaka? Would they be attacked if they stepped on a flower, making the Flower Meadows completely off-limits to everyone? Would Juosiutik be attacked if she picked a flower for her potions?
The perk just felt like a risky one to Belissar, so he moved on to the next.
Symbiotic Foraging
- When a bee forages from a flower, they exchange mana with each other.
- Bees and flowers affected may gain temporary boosts or traits from each other, if applicable.
- Bees and flowers may adapt to one another if repeatedly foraged. If Cross-Pollination is available, boosts the rate of cross-pollination and new seeds may receive traits from the pollinating bee. If Bee Hybridizing is available, boost the rate of pollen and nectar based evolutions.
Well, that was certainly a curious perk. Belissar wasn¡¯t too sure what the first two parts would do, but the last one made things a bit clearer. So, this perk would assist with Cross-Pollination and raising new bees both? That alone made it a tempting choice indeed. And then there was the part about adapting to one another. He knew the bees had a hard time gathering from the flame radish and fire mana flowers until they evolved burning workers, maybe this perk would have let normal workers adapt earlier? There was also that part about new seeds receiving traits from the bees¡could the shocking queen make some sort of lightning mana flower? If this perk did everything he thought it might, the possibilities could be staggering.
If that was the case, was the second part about temporary boosts or traits something like a temporary evolution? Could regular bees temporarily become maddening or medicinal bees by foraging from those flowers? Or was that too great of a change?
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Whatever the case, this perk definitely had his attention¡and that of his bees as well, if the way they were hovering closer was any indication. The next option certainly had steep competition.
Empowering Pollination
- Bees and Bee-type monsters and features imbue flowers with mana while foraging
- Affected flowers and Flower-type monsters and features receive a boost to stats and capabilities, depending on the flower and bee types in question and the amount of mana imbued.
- Affected flowers and Flower-type monsters and features receive a boost to their growth
- Boosts the rate of pollination and seed formation. If Cross-Pollination is available, boosts the rate of Cross-Pollination.
Belissar tilted his head. At first glance, this one seemed similar to the last one. On closer inspection, he noted that this one was more focused on the flowers themselves. It didn¡¯t affect the bees, but it would also help the flowers grow more quickly, both by growing the existing flower and by spreading more seeds.
On the one hand, he¡¯d prefer something that affected his bees a bit more directly¡but flowers did. More flowers growing more quickly meant more honey and pollen to raise more bees. Faster Cross-Pollination gave him some of the effects of the previous perk, as new flowers also meant new bees.
And as far as boosting flowers went, his bees had just raised a new flower monster, so who knew what its capabilities might be if they spread and strengthened it? He also had the thorny roses and the gravilion flower which could also benefit from a boost. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure since they hadn¡¯t actually come into contact with a shade yet, but more options were always helpful. Additionally, there was that option for the bursting death camus, a flower-based trap that seemed easier to utilize than the roses or the still mysterious gravilion. If the bees could forage from it, that was. In fact, in that case, the second option might be better since it might let the bees adapt to the poison.
Belissar took the opinions of the bees, this time asking each queen one by one for her opinion. The battle meadow queens were split between Bee-caller Pheromones and Symbiotic Foraging, mainly depending on if they were excited for the strength and speed boost or if they shared his reservations about the increased aggression. The Third of the Sixth and the other Lava Field queen seemed not to have such reservations and so preferred the first. Beero was mainly curious about Symbiotic Foraging and how it might impact a bee¡¯s mana.
The Fourth of the Seventh liked all of them. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and the other Orchard and Fairy Grove queens preferred Symbiotic Foraging. The Apiary queens were somewhat split between the latter two, debating amongst each other if it was better to grow more flowers or to change the bees themselves. The bumblebees and the carpenter bees just zipped around in circles, but zipped a bit faster for the latter two.
He checked with the karnuq. Chief Rohsuak shook her head and chuckled.
¡°Well, as usual, you are more informed for these decisions than we are, Tower Keeper Belissar, but I will say this. Any improvement in the amount or types of plants available will benefit our people as well, and Juosiutik would be well pleased.¡±
Belissar nodded and made his first choice.
Symbiotic Foraging selected.
In the end, more bees preferred this choice than either of the others and Belissar himself agreed. The benefits it offered both his bees and the flowers were too good to pass up, especially in light of the earlier choices of honeypots and Bee Hybridization. Symbiotic Foraging made both of them better, made his whole Tower better.
He then crossed his arms and began to hum. The next choice was not as simple, as there was ample case for either of the three. Bee Balm offered more nectar for more honey, further boosting the benefit of honeypots, but didn¡¯t offer much new in and of itself. Still, it had the word bee in the name, so it couldn¡¯t be a loss. Bursting Death Camus would strengthen their defenses on its own and offered more potent toxins. It was a choice that could open up new options for bee evolutions and Cross-Pollination¡if the bees could forage from it. Symbiotic Foraging might help with that but what if the poison was so deadly no bee could survive long enough to adapt? And then there was the humble clover, which did little by itself or for the bees, but that would improve every other flower in the Tower. More flowers of every type meant more bees, and it meant faster growth for new flower types should they arise. Speaking of which, maybe it could help the newly sprouted flower monster as well?
Belissar grunted and furrowed his brow, pacing a bit. He thought about his bees and what they desired. He thought about the Tower and all the rooms it had. He thought about the different flowers they had available. He thought about the karnuq and what they could do. He thought about the battles they had fought, and were soon to fight. He considered the God of Flowers and the God of Bees. Finally, he made his decision.
Bee Balm selected. Bee Balm is now available!
Symbiotic Foraging would see his bees and his flowers working together to become stronger together. He decided, then, that a flower made for bees would be the best choice. Bursting Death Camus was tempting, but it was a flower that might poison the bees. It was a flower that would operate on its own. If he just wanted stronger poisons, then perhaps either the bees or Juosiutik could do something with the death caps, or maybe the Enhanced Toxins perk might show up again. If he wanted a flower that could attack, well, his bees had already raised a monster flower on their own. As for clovers, he could always buy more flower nodes if the flowers weren¡¯t growing fast enough.
Bee Balm, on the other hand, was a flower that would make his bees happy, and ensure they had the honey needed to grow as they wished, especially if it could be cross-pollinated. It worked with everything he had chosen recently and worked towards the future he ultimately desired.
And, most of all, it helped the bees grow faster¡which is ultimately what they needed most. He didn¡¯t think one uncommon poisonous flower would be enough to stop a ten-thousand stronger Tower Guard army, and didn¡¯t know if it would stop even a single powerful shade. At the end of the day, it would probably be up to his bees to do that.
The least he could do was ensure they were happy and well-fed.
The bees burst into their usual happy dances as Belissar announced the new choices. He could only hope he had chosen as wisely as they believed.
POBee 175.1 - Hive of Healing
The Second of the Sixth buzzed her wings as her workers reported to her. She stood in the midst of her Bee Apartment, filled to the brim not with yellow but bluish green as medicinal workers filled medicinal honeycombs with medicinal honey. One wall, however, had turned yellow with bits of color here and there as it displayed the interior of Beero¡¯s growing Memorial Hive. Her workers flew in from the other hive to report now the status of their charges.
Yet another display of the King¡¯s might, and his love for all bees. After her transformation, the Second of the Sixth had the opportunity to watch the King firsthand. She watched him build palaces for brand new bees by his own hands. She herself had been showered in flowers and shelters galore. And when battles came and bees were injured, she found him right there at her side. Her new instincts informed her how to care for and heal bees. The King had done so with no instincts or transformations at all.
It had been seeing the King watching with concern as she tended to the wounded, and then participating in the healing himself, that taught the Second of the Sixth the King¡¯s true character. And that was why she had accepted the First of the Fifth¡¯s own transformation, one of perspective rather than chitin. She realized the First of the Fifth must have also deciphered the nature of the King and thus pivoted herself to follow suit.
The Second of the Sixth could only be grateful to her. Because now, thanks to her transformation via a flower offered to her freely, the Second of the Sixth could truly match the heart of the King. Every aspect of her hive, from their inborn instincts to the designs of their bodies to the honey and wax they produced, was geared towards taking care of bees. For a while, the Second of the Sixth had basked in contentment, knowing she had found a place within the hive of hives that the King would value greatly. She was the one who could assuage his fears and grief when the soldier bees fulfilled their duty.
But no longer.
The Second of the Sixth relaxed, letting her proboscis unwind and her antennae droop. The workers reported back positively, the wounded bees were predicted to make full recoveries shortly. Sans those who had lost wings or limbs, but those had already been gathered to the hive of the fallen and were training in Beero¡¯s methods even now.
Which meant the risk the Second of the Sixth had taken wouldn¡¯t come back to sting her after all. She dismissed the workers back to their duties before taking off and flying to a newly built section of her hive. There, new children were just crawling out of their cells.
Children as large as herself.
This latest battle had both shaken and enlightened the Second of the Sixth. Shaken, for her hive had proven inadequate to their task for the first time since her transformation. The sheer numbers of wounded, plus the size of the bumblebees, lancers, and the karnuq, had stretched her hive to its limit. To her shame, the King himself had been forced to intercede personally and injured himself in the process. No bee, whether the Firstborn when a shade bypassed her army, the First of the Fifth when she had completely misread the King, or even the fallen First Dynasty of the First Spawner that had perished to a bee, had allowed the King to be injured by their failures. She would never forget that she had been the first.
Enlightening, though, for the karnuq had shown her a way forward. Their sheer size meant that the medicines they prepared were equally great in quantity. Additionally, she watched as the karnuq warriors evacuated their wounded mid-battle, pulling them away from the fight so that they could be tended immediately.
And so, the Second of the Sixth had begun to raise soldiers. The first of the medicinal soldiers crawled out of her cell, as bluish green as the rest of her hive. Her stinger was a needle like thing resembling the hair on a bumblebee¡¯s back. It was as long as the stingers of the regular soldiers, yet no thicker than the stingers of her medicinal workers, and so could be applied to any bee of any size despite its growth. Beyond that, she appeared as a regular soldier, with the tough chitin, powerful wings, and solid limbs of a bee intended to fly into danger. She had not thought soldier bees had any particular value to her hive¡¯s mission, but she had since been dissuaded of that notion.
With this, the Second of the Sixth had bees that could tend to larger allies far more efficiently than the swarm of workers previously required. Additionally, the soldiers¡¯ greater strength meant they would be able to pick up wounded bees and carry them to safety, while their greater size and protection would allow them to do so even as a battle raged. She could tend to wounded bees right away, before their wounds grew critical, and handle the casualties as they came to stagger the work for her hive.
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Additionally, one of the soldiers crawled out of her cell with no stinger at all, having been raised as a sprayer. The Second of the Sixth had realized how complacent she had been, and so had resolved to leave no flower un-foraged. She thought that soldiers, who couldn¡¯t produce honey and were intended for fighting, had no place in a hive of healing, yet it was the lack of soldiers that spread her hive thin and led the King to injury. In fact, no queen had raised any medicinal bees besides workers, as they had valued the medicinal workers¡¯ ability to tend the brood above all for the limited medicinal honey they had available.
The Second of the Sixth was not so limited in her medicinal honey stockpiles, and as the medicinal queen she felt it was her duty to push the limits of what medicinal bees could do. So, now, she would correct her mistake and raise medicinal bees of every type that she could. Soldier bees to carry the wounded. Gardener bees and the new honeypots to boost their honey production. Communers to coordinate her hives¡¯ efforts.
And, yes, sprayers and lancers that she wasn¡¯t sure would even help. And, once the wounded were healed and her stockpiles recovered, perhaps she would even try to train a battlecaster. Her hive had direct contact with Beero¡¯s now, and she had seen what the King¡¯s magic had achieved, so it should be possible.
Above all, though, the Second of the Sixth resolved that she would pursue absolutely every avenue she could, expend every effort she could. She would never again rest on her laurels until she had found the very limit of what a medicinal hive could do. She would never again let any wounded bee fall into danger by inaction.
And she would never again let the King come to harm.
Meanwhile, another queen prepared to send her bees into harm. The Fourth of the Seventh danced around her mini-hive in the Beyond, a communer by her side. Not her first communer, who was currently helping Beero organize her new hive, but that was fine! All of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communers were great!
The communer was currently dancing.
¡°Scouts ready?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh watched through the communer link as her scouts out in the Beyond danced their salutes, scattered around their target.
¡°Soldiers ready?¡±
A squad of soldiers gathered together and saluted, ready to intervene at a moment¡¯s notice.
The communer turned to the Fourth of the Seventh.
¡°Queen, ok to start?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh nearly took off as she quickly danced her reply.
¡°Yes! Start!¡±
The communer relayed the command and her bees in the Beyond began flying to their target. With the latest expansion, the borders of the Hunger had been pushed back and no longer came up to that ruined stone hive. There was no longer any reason why the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive could not scout the ruins. So, today, they were sending in the scouts to see if they could find anything useful¡and to see if the ruins were safe. The soldiers were on standby in case they weren¡¯t.
The Fourth of the Seventh continued dancing about as she watched through her scouts¡¯ eyes. They approached the ruins from every direction and angle, antennae twitching as they tried to pick up any scents or mana. Indeed, the ambient mana density rose as they approached and entered the old hive. Nowhere near the King¡¯s realm, of course, but higher than they had found in the Beyond thus far.
The workers followed the mana where it concentrated on the walls of the ruined hive. It seemed to have been arranged in patterns of some sort, though wear and tear had long broken them down. They did, however, remind the Fourth of the Seventh of that pattern the King asked her to find after the battle with the King-shaped enemies. The Fourth of the Seventh stopped dancing for a moment.
¡°Tell them to be careful, might be enemies.¡±
If there were enemies, the Fourth of the Seventh was going to find them and report to the King as quickly as she could. She would find any more patterns before they could do anything this time. She would not let them attack her home again.
But her resolve was unnecessary, for her scouts found no living things within the ruined hives. They had a scare when they found a King-shaped thing, but on closer inspection it wasn¡¯t moving and was made of rusted metal instead of living flesh, so they recalled the soldier team. Other than that, they found various curiosities. Pieces of wood arranged like the one in the King¡¯s home where he seemed to rest and eat. Weirdly built hive trays made of wood that held thin animal skins and wood. They had weird patterns on them but none of them held mana so the Fourth of the Seventh left them, for now. A room with some shiny rocks, another room with patterns all over the ground and walls and the faint hum of mana. Nothing particularly noteworthy. They thought they found some flowers, but it turned out to be some twisted stems like the ones the King wore that were stained in a way that looked like flowers.
¡°Queen, found something!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh raced her attention to the worker indicated by the communer. The worker had found a room attached to a small courtyard. The room was filled with dried plants, while new plants grew in the courtyard beyond. The worker had even detected mana in a few of them.
At first, she was worried it was more stained stems, but the worker started visiting the flowers and confirmed they were alive. The Fourth of the Seventh couldn¡¯t help but break out into a happy dance. She knew scouting these ruins had mostly been to indulge her own curiosity, but they had found something that would help the hive of hives after all.
Chapter 176 - Bee-utiful Colors
The next day, Fourth of the Seventh zipped back through the King¡¯s realm, leading soldier bees laden with plants of different kinds. She passed right through the shortcut by the entrance to emerge directly into her home room, making a quick turn to head towards the Orchard. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and her communer were already waiting for her.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh!¡±
¡°First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter!¡±
The two queens met in the air and brushed antennae before the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter led them back to their joint hive in the Orchard. Once landed, the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter began grooming her. The Fourth of the Seventh returned the favor as her communer saluted.
¡°Queen mother, happy to see.¡±
¡°Happy to see communer too! How is hive?¡±
The communer stepped forward until she could brush the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s antennae before resuming her dance.
¡°Excellent. King has granted new bee options.¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter paused her grooming to join the report dance.
¡°Yes! Reorienting honey production around new bee type as queen mother suggested!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh spun around.
¡°Amazing, incredible! King is best king!¡±
Before they could continue, however, the communer¡¯s fuzzy antennae began to glow and twitch.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s Second Daughter approaching, wants to meet.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh took off once more, with her communer and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter following. Her flight sped up as she saw her second daughter approach at the head of a shimmering rainbow.
¡°Hi, Second Daughter! How doing?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh again hovered close enough to brush antennae with her daughter, at least until her daughter started zipping about once more.
¡°Queen mother! Look!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh looked and found the shimmering rainbow was actually a swarm of worker bees, each of a different color and with a different feel to her mana. Some were regular colors but different shapes, such as one that was as fuzzy as a bumblebee or another that was sleek and lean with only a bit a hair. She was still partially connected to them all and could tell they were all part of one hive.
¡°Wow! Second Daughter raised all?¡±
Her Second Daughter continued zipping about rapidly.
¡°Moved to Fairy Grove! Fairy Grove evolved new workers!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh couldn¡¯t help zipping about at that.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Want to see room!¡±
¡°Can show hive! This way!¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer were left hovering in place as the Fourth of the Seventh followed her daughter into the Fairy Grove, flanked by the shimmering rainbow swarm. They glanced at one another.
¡°Queen leader¡need to report to King?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter slowly danced her agreement.
¡°Yes, definitely. Also have plants Fourth of the Seventh brought. Should remind?¡±
The first communer thought for a moment.
¡°Queen mother probably forgot. Should give to King while queen mother explores Fairy Grove.¡±
¡°Agreed, is just like her.¡±
The pair joined in an affectionate confirmation dance at that.
Sufficient samples gathered. Mint is now available.
Sufficient samples gathered. Rosemary is now available.
Sufficient samples gathered. Garlic is now available.
Sufficient samples gathered. Oregano is now available.
Belissar smiled at the soldiers bees led by the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and one of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communers.
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¡°This amazing, great work. And tell the Fourth of the Seventh great work for me as well.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh had apparently found another set of ruins and the remnants of a herb garden within. Mint had all but taken over the garden, but a nearby pantry had enough of the other plants stored for Belissar to absorb. He didn¡¯t expect any new bees or defense from this haul, but both he and the karnuq would greatly appreciate the extra flavors.
Besides, there was one other plant he now held in his hands.
Alfalfa
- Type: Nature, Flower
- Mana Upkeep: 3 per node, 1 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A long-lived flowering plant with deep roots. It is tough and resilient, and can even regrow from roots alone. Its ability to accumulate nutrients and nature mana make it both a highly nutritional crop for the animals that eat it and a beneficial companion to other plants as it improves soil fertility.
What drew Belissar most was that the alfalfa could apparently improve soil fertility, and so help other plants grow. If he and the bees planted this around the Tower, they could see improved flower growth across the board, which would speed up cross-pollination as well.
He¡¯d also ask Juosiutik to go over the haul. There were some seeds and plants the bees hadn¡¯t found enough of for him to absorb, but maybe Juosiutik could grow them in the Apothecary¡¯s Hut should they prove useful. Additionally, he planned to ask Chief Rohsuak if the karnuq could send someone to check out the ruins for anything they might be able to use as well. He knew his bees were a bit focused on flowers in their scouting.
Now, with the plants taken care of, it was time for Belissar to address the other piece of news the Orchard hive had informed him of. He took a deep breath before sending his Tower sight towards the Fairy Grove. He focused on the shimmering, buzzing rainbow zipping around the Fourth of the Seventh and her daughter until he was looking at a single, bright-red bee.
Chromatic Monster Bee Worker (Fire)
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal+
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Burning Poison Sting, Heat Resistance, Sacrificial Strike, Brood Offspring
Description: A monster bee worker raised within a chaotic mix of multiple mana types. Develops random mutations and evolutions depending on the balance of mana types, but still fits into a diverse hive. This one is a worker attuned to Fire type mana, which it uses to help warm the hive.
Belissar rubbed his chin as he read over the description. So, the Fairy Grove would indeed mutate bees raised there after all, though not in the manner he expected. Despite this bee seeming largely similar to the burning monster bees living in the Lava Field, it was still considered a different type entirely. He guessed it had something to do with the bee just being one of many variations within its hive, rather than the entire hive converting to one type, but he didn¡¯t know for sure.
What he did know was this: the Fairy Grove was now proven as safe for bees. Entire hives had moved there and though the workers often seemed to get lost, they always found their way back to their hives. New bees had been born and raised right within the mysterious power of the fairy circles and had adapted without an issue. The Fairy Grove was clearly affecting them, but not in a way that had caused them harm so far.
It was time to take more advantage of it. Belissar double checked his mana as an idea brewed in his head.
Mana: 215/1090
There was no issue whatsoever. He had been selecting mana over and over from the daily purification rewards and had plenty to spare. Now, it was time to make use of the currently empty fifth floor.
His Tower was currently arranged with the first floor holding a Dirt Tunnels, the Flower Meadow with the Bee Barracks and Memorial that he called the battle meadow, and the Lava Field. The second floor held the Orchard he had started calling the shortcut room, the Fairy Grove, and the Apothecary¡¯s Hut which was placed off to the side. The third floor held the karnuq and the Flower Meadow, Dirt Tunnels, and Orchard he had created for their use. The fourth floor was the apiary floor with the Apiary, a Dirt Tunnels focused more on providing for bees, and the bumblebees¡¯ Flower Meadow.
He now moved the empty fifth floor in between the first and second floors. He moved the battle meadow and the Lava Field to the new second floor with the battle meadow placed first. Then, in the two empty spots on the first floor, he added a new Fairy Grove and a new Lava Field.
As he had considered after the last purification, he wanted a room full of trees that the bees could both fly through and use for cover. A Fairy Grove seemed like the best choice for that since its mysterious powers might also lend themselves to the defense. Yet, the last purification had also had Belissar worried. Most of the shades previously had made a beeline for the room¡¯s exit, trying to rush past his bee army to presumably hunt down the core. The last shade had not done so, but had instead stopped once it encountered the bee army to attack them. It had targeted the bees, not the exit. So, what was to say there wouldn¡¯t be more shades that did that? What was to say there wouldn¡¯t be a shade who intentionally tried to hunt down hives?
Belissar had allowed the bees to set up hives in rooms designed for defense up until now since they could be kept relatively safe if placed out of the way. He was no longer certain that would be sufficient, nor was it necessary now that shortcuts would allow bees living anywhere in the Tower to fly to the defense rooms at a moment¡¯s notice. As such, he decided he needed a second Fairy Grove: one for defense, and one for the bees to settle in. He decided to do the same for the Lava Field as well, moving the existing one behind the battle meadow and creating a new one the bees could use to fight.
The battle meadow would now be the first, and hopefully only, room the shades encountered that held beehives. The two Bee Barracks there were designed for defense and the hives that lived there took pride in defending the Tower, so Belissar decided to leave them as the last-ditch defense. All rooms before that would be empty of hives, places where the bees could fight without worrying about a shade stumbling upon their homes. Places that could be filled with traps and made entirely inhospitable to an invader. All rooms after that would be devoted to the growth of bees, to make the best environments possible to keep them happy.
As such, Belissar picked up the mini-volcano in the original Lava Field. He had moved monster bee queen spawners between rooms before, so he hoped it work for all features. He was correct and able to move the mini-volcano from the original Lava Field to the new battle Lava Field without issue. The Third of the Sixth wouldn¡¯t have boulders raining down on her home any longer.
Now, the first floor held a Dirt Tunnels, a Lava Field, and a Fairy Grove all of which were empty of beehives. The battle meadow came on the floor immediately after that, ready to hold the line against any shade that made it thus far. All rooms that came after were now dedicated to his bees, and the sworn defenders that would help him protect them.
And now that he had no bees there to worry about, it was time to review the first floor¡¯s defenses.
Chapter 177 - Bee-vious Traps
Belissar first met with Chief Rohsuak. He informed her about the new plants and asked for Juosiutik¡¯s help with the rest, and then requested that the karnuq send someone to check out the ruins. Chief Rohsuak agreed and Belissar went ahead and added new flower nodes for the new herbs in both the karnuq¡¯s Flower Meadow and in the Apiary. He also enabled alfalfa spawning in the Apiary and each of the Flower Meadows, Orchards, and Fairy Groves in the Tower to start boosting soil fertility, requesting that the gardener bees check them out.
After that, he and Chief Rohsuak made their way over to the humans to consult with Sehfitis. The old man lowered his head as Belissar approached.
¡°Greetings, Tower Keeper, how may I serve you?¡±
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°I wanted to know if you knew anything about how the Tower Lords arrange traps and defenses.¡±
His chest began to heat at the thought of following the Tower Lords methods, but he did his best to stay calm. The last few purifications as well as the humans¡¯ attack had clearly demonstrated his traps were falling behind. Yes, the smaller shades from the daily purifications could fall into pits or get dowsed by sticky honey traps on occasion, but the big expansion shades he was most worried about ignored them at this point. He was considering if it was even worth the mana to keep the ones he had, much less to buy any more.
But he also knew that he knew very little about how Towers were run, and it was all too likely that he was missing something. While he was specifically not going to follow the Tower Lords¡¯ example in most cases, trap usage was one area he could stomach it.
He turned to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°If you or the karnuq have any advice about traps and defenses, I¡¯d like to hear it as well.¡±
Both the human and the karnuq nodded at him and began to think. Sehfitis rubbed his beard.
¡°I am not privy to the specific details of Tower arrangement, Tower Keeper, but I did overhear the late Ruckanos as he¡evaluated your Tower compared to his lessons. He noted that your traps are largely placed one by one so that it was easy to address them. He also noted the lack of monsters attacking around the traps.¡±
Belissar frowned but nodded. He tried to push away any thoughts of the Tower Lord¡¯s son and focus on the words. Chief Rohsuak gave him a hand by speaking up.
¡°I would agree, Tower Keeper. Sacred Dens I encountered in the past often used multi-layered traps to surprise otherwise wary challengers. Monster and traps working together are also deadlier than either would be separately. Recall Metsaitti¡¯s fight with the Tower Guard, where Metsaitti and your bees managed to push him into a Pit Trap.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as he nodded. That was a good point, the Pit Traps the humans had so easily bypassed in the Dirt Tunnels had claimed two of their numbers once they were distracted by the bees as well, including the Tower Guard who was otherwise giving them serious trouble. Even his very use of the Pit Traps had required the bees¡¯ help to drive the shade into the trap. Perhaps it was not that his traps were falling behind, but that he was not using them correctly?
¡°So¡multi-layered traps?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°Set one trap, then set the next to trigger if the first is bypassed or disabled. For example, if you place one of your Sticky Honey Traps to spray up and over a Pit Trap, you might catch someone trying to jump over it.¡±
Belissar listened intently as Chief Rohsuak and Sehfitis offered some different ideas on how to improve his traps. As they suggested, he rearranged some of the Sticky Honey Traps in the Dirt Tunnels to spray over the Pit Traps and moved some of the beeswax candles to the first Pit Trap Tunnel. He spread a few more across the Dirt Tunnels that specifically would not use poisonous wax on Sehfitis¡¯s suggestion, in order to make it harder for anyone to realize they were dangerous.
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In the battle meadow, Belissar moved one of the Pit Traps directly in front of the wooden platform placed about a third of the way into the room so that anyone rushing the platform might fall into the pit. One of the gardeners had apparently planted a bunch of thorny roses there as well, so that anyone trying to jump over the pit might land in the thorns. He also moved the gravilion flower over there as well, figuring that maybe it might make someone heavier unexpectedly and drop them into the pit.
Then, he placed a few pit traps and sticky honey traps in the new battle Fairy Grove, where he hoped the bushes and whatever mysterious effects the Fairy Grove might have would distract intruders from the traps. He asked Niobee to ask the gardeners to plant some roses and gravilion flowers there if they could.
Finally, he placed some shortcuts throughout the three battle rooms on the first floor, three per room, so that the bee army could flying in and out to attack intruders trying to navigate the rooms.
Mana: 118/1090
And just like that, nearly half of his mana was gone. But if it would strengthen his Tower¡¯s defenses without putting more bees at risk, it would be a price well paid. Belissar would just have to wait and see how the new set-up would handle the shades.
Belissar watched as a new shade formed once more, and his heart sank to his stomach.
¡°Be careful, everyone. It¡¯s another spiny shade.¡±
A spiky salamander appeared, smaller than the one from the expansion but still covered in those deadly spines. Chief Rohsuak gave him a pat on his shoulder.
¡°Not to worry, Tower Keeper. This time we are prepared.¡±
Belissar gave her a nod and then turned his attention to the karnuq hunters waiting at the front of the battle meadow. This time, they huge slabs of iron rather than the smaller wooden shields. Chief Rohsuak assured him they could block a spear thrust from Metsaitti, and so should protect the karnuq from a spiny salamander attack. He already asked Beero and her battlecaster squad to wait with them.
Belissar took a deep breath and tried to calm his fears as the salamander began its assault. It crawled down the first tunnel until it arrived at the first Pit Trap. It clung onto the side of the walls and crawled over it.
Belissar frowned. He had placed a Sticky Honey Trap on a small rock on the far side of the Pit, angled to spray up and over it. But it was aimed at the center of the pit for foes either jumping or flying over the pit. The salamander on the side of the walls didn¡¯t manage to trigger it, and wouldn¡¯t have been sprayed even if had.
The corrupting trail of Hunger left by the salamander disabled those two traps, so Belissar instead adjusted the next one along the path to the exit. He placed the Sticky Honey Trap over this pit on the side walls to spray over the pit horizontally. He then waited for the salamander to arrive.
The salamander once again tried to crawl on the side of the wall¡and crawled right over the nozzle of the Sticky Honey Trap. The honey trap sprayed its cone of honey directly into the belly of the salamander, knocking it off the wall with a screech. The salamander fell back first down into the pit. The spines on its back pierced into the ground, causing it to flail about helplessly as its own defenses held it in place.
Belissar let out the breath he was holding.
¡°It¡¯s caught in the second Pit Trap, everyone.¡±
Belissar was about to send Beero and her battlecasters to handle the shade when he stopped. He rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow for a moment before looking up, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fist.
¡°Digging squad, come with me. I want to try something.¡±
The growing number of digging soldiers flew around Belissar as he made his way to one of the shortcuts leading to the Dirt Tunnels. He walked to the Pit Trap in question, remaining at a safe distance from it, before stirring up his mana.
He cupped both of his hands together out in front of him. A honeycomb appeared over them, and then spell bees burst out of the cells of the comb.
¡°Kill it.¡±
At Belissar¡¯s command, the spell bees flew towards the pit and filled the tunnel with angry buzzing. They dove stingers first down into the pit, the salamander screeching as the bees stung their ethereal stingers into its exposed belly. As each spell bee made contact with the shade, its body morphed into a larger stinger that jabbed deeper into the shade, continuing to pump harmful mana until it was spent.
The salamander thrashed and whipped its tail about, sending spines into the walls of the pit, but it could not free itself while coated in sticky honey, nor could it get an angle to attack the spell bees swarming into the pit. It let out a final cry and dispersed just as Belissar began to feel dizzy.
All hostiles defeated. Purification successful.
Belissar placed a hand on the tunnel wall to steady himself, but gripped his other hand into a fist as he smiled. He had just brought down a shade with his own magic.
Chapter 178 - Innovative Bee-signs
The next day, Belissar made his way over to shortcut Orchard, carrying a peculiar beehouse he made after observing the carpenter bees for a bit. He set it down by the monster carpenter bee spawner, right amidst the apple trees. Rather than a box filled with trays, this one was just a solid block of wood with legs. Belissar had drilled a bunch of holes into the block, most about the size of the carpenter bees but he made some larger by varying degrees in case the carpenter bees grew. Since he saw the carpenter bees branching their tunnels with his Tower sight, he made sure to leave enough space between the holes for side tunnels.
Curious carpenter bees hovered around him as he placed the block down. He motioned them to the box.
¡°What do you think?¡±
One of the carpenter bees flew over to the block and stuck her head into one of the holes. She pulled it out, spun around, and then backed into the tunnel, her head barely poking out. Belissar smiled as other carpenter bees began to check out the house and still others just zipped around him in rapid circles.
¡°Glad you like it, but it¡¯s not done yet.¡±
Belissar didn¡¯t recall ever hearing of carpenter bees making honey so he tried to turn the carpenter home into a bee nest rather than a beehouse feature.
Compatible feature detected. Upgrade Bee Nest to Belissar¡¯s Nest Block? Cost: 5 DP
Belissar smiled and saw no reason to refuse. The carpenter bee home glowed slightly as mana settled into its walls.
Belissar¡¯s Nest Block
- Type: Bee, Monster Nest
- Mana Upkeep: 2 per nest (1 due to Blessing of Bees)
- Description: A beehouse for bee types that prefer small burrows and tunnels. Boosts the growth and happiness of any bees living inside of it. Eusocial bees and bees that make communal nests gain an additional boost to coordination.
Belissar nodded in satisfaction as more and more of the carpenter bees landed on the Nest Block, exploring the different tunnels. He even saw some of them start to gather up around one of the larger holes. It seemed his experimental carpenter bee home was a resounding success.
The carpenter bees weren¡¯t the only ones getting a new structure today, however. Belissar led Muuraqi and a team of karnuq and soldier bees to the Apiary. From there, Muuraqi took over and guided the team in assembling the stone, while burning worker bees from the Lava Field hives provided wax and propolis as necessary. Once the small structure was assembled, the karnuq brought in clay jars and set them down around the room.
Now that the Lava Field hives were established enough to produce excess burning honey, Belissar was taking a crack at making mead for the God of Fire. He quickly ran into the same problem that had plagued his bees, however. Gathering any quantity of the burning honey together began to dramatically increase the surrounding temperatures, a dangerous proposition given that the Apiary farmhouse was made of wood, filled with flammable mana honey, and surrounded by vegetation. So, Belissar had asked the karnuq for help setting up a fireproof storage room where he could safely keep burning honey and any mead he might manage to make from it.
Once they were done, he handed them trays of mana honey, then got to work filling some of the jars with water and burning honey.
He then hopped over to the Apiary farmhouse to check on the rest of the mead. The bees kept giving him honey on a daily basis, so he had started pouring the excess stockpiles into mead making. He nearly had ten jars of the mana honey mead ready to send to the God of Bees at this point and had also started to branch out. He had a jar with mana honey and a few of the cloudberries mixed in for taste. Additionally, he had one jar of medicinal honey¡and one jar of maddening honey. At first, he was loathe to use up any medicinal honey in case of mass injuries, but with the continued growth of the Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive and his own ability to make medicinal spell-bees, he finally convinced himself it was ok to use some of the ever-growing stack of medicinal honey trays that were starting to pile up.
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As for the maddening honey, well, Belissar didn¡¯t truly know what he was doing there. However, he had confirmed that maddening honey was not permanently harmful to ingest in small quantities. He still wasn¡¯t sure drinking mead made from it would be a good idea, but figured turning it into an alcoholic beverage might improve its intoxicating effects. He might end up with a stronger poison rather than a drink, but it wouldn¡¯t be a loss either way. Besides, what else was he going to do with all the excess maddening honey?
He then paused and tilted his head.
¡°Huh, I wonder what kind of mead the God of Flowers likes?¡±
He had a quest to send mead to his other two patrons, so he couldn¡¯t help but think of his third.
The God of Flowers wishes to offer you a quest. Accept?
Apparently, she appreciated the consideration. Belissar nodded to accept.
New mission received: Make and offer meads made of honey sourced from five different flower types.
Belissar smiled and nodded. Well, that answered that.
¡°Got it. Well, that¡¯s four, so we¡¯ll need at least one more, huh. Ah, how about the digging hives honey?¡±
He hummed to himself as he set about prepping another jar of mead with the dense and earthy honey from the Ground mana flowers.
Meanwhile, the Firstborn was currently zipping between trees. She wanted to buzz her wings and surge ahead, but she forced herself to hold her pace to that of the colorful worker ahead of her.
She reminded herself once again that the bee army had not failed this time. Thanks to Beero and the bumblebees, they had managed to bring down the latest invader, though at a heavier cost than she had wanted. There was no shame in the hive of hives¡¯ latest victory. And though the King had gone and ended an invader by his own magic yesterday, she knew that this was not indicative of his trust in them. The Conduit had made sure she understood the King¡¯s intentions, that he was simply working to grow his magic and testing what it could do.
She knew that in her head, but her heart could not help but buzz at the thought that the King might one day enter the battle. But she tried to set her sight forward. Instead of despairing over potential failures, she resolved to build up the army as much as she could.
The King, in his wisdom and grace, had granted the opportunity to do just that. He had rearranged the realm and placed a brand-new room in the defensive zone, a room where the bee army could do battle. He stated this new Fairy Grove was to provide cover for the bee army, so that they could approach a shade like the previous one without taking spines. The Firstborn¡¯s heart had soared at this, for it was proof that the King still considered them as his first line of defense. That he was continuing to make ways for them to defeat his enemies. So, the battle meadow queens had immediately begun training in the room, intending to adapt their tactics to the new environment.
It had gone utterly horribly. The room seemed to encourage mistakes. Soldier squads got mixed up and turned around. They ended up flying in directions they didn¡¯t intend, scattering when they meant to gather, or piling up when they meant to disperse. Soldiers collided when their dives rounded a tree and ended up putting them in each others¡¯ way. The queens and communers had tried to resolve the situation¡only for their minds to suffer the same fate. Each soldier seemed to be seeing a slightly different view even while looking at the same places, which meant the queens and communers¡¯ minds were filled with hundreds of conflicting images that made it impossible to determine what was actually happening. The soldier bee army¡¯s organized formations had collapsed into a chaotic swarm going ever which way.
So, they had brought in the experts. The children of the Fourth of the Seventh and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter who had moved to the other Fairy Grove lent their workers and taught the queens what they had learned of their home. They taught them how to ignore their sight and other senses and instead follow the flows of mana. Their workers led soldier squads through the room, their bright colors standing out and allowing the soldiers to easily keep track of them. The Firstborn and her fellow queens had joined the training as well so that they, too, would come to understand this room.
Little by little, they grew more accustomed to the room. The soldier bee squads grew more sure of themselves as the Fairy Grove workers directed their dives and dodges. The Firstborn and her fellow queens began to cut through their own confusion, a picture of the room as view through mana taking shape in their mind. Beero took to this with ease and did her best to pass on her mana senses as well.
Once again, the hive of hives proved capable where an individual hive could not. The Firstborn no longer had any doubt that when an intruder came to this room, the bee army would be ready to face them.
Chapter 179 - Bee Studious
Tyhgak shuffled his feet, pacing back and forth. He peeked across the camp. Noigakkuq was sitting on a log bench and holding her tray of maddening honey. He took a step forward, then shook his head and turned back. As he did, he heard a sigh.
¡°Could you stop? That¡¯s getting annoying.¡±
He jumped and then slowly turned around to find Noigakkuq glaring at him.
¡°Well? If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, stop pacing around like that. It¡¯s distracting.¡±
Tyhgak gulped and nodded.
¡°Right. Ok.¡±
He shuffled forward, averting her gaze. Noigakkuq rolled her eyes and then glared at him again.
¡°Out with it, Tyhgak.¡±
He took a deep breath.
¡°Right. Um, ok. Um¡could you help me?¡±
Noigakkuq leaned back and blinked.
¡°Um, what?¡±
Tyhgak stammered but pressed on.
¡°Could you teach me how to do that bee-stab thing? I¡¯ve eaten the honey and got some mana but I can¡¯t figure out what to do next. I¡¯m trying to be more¡bee-like, I guess? But I don¡¯t really know how.¡±
Noigakkuq nodded. She frowned and crossed her arms.
¡°I see. Why not ask Metsaitti, though? He can do the bee-stab thing, as you call it.¡±
Tyhgak quickly shook his head.
¡°I want to learn from you!¡±
He flushed as Noigakkuq blinked again.
¡°Um, you see, what I¡¯m trying to say is¡uh¡Metsaitti already knew how to stab things, right? You were the one who learned how to bee-stab from scratch. You went and got the God of Bees¡¯ blessing all on your own, so I figured you know about it best. That and you went into the tunnels and found mana flowers all on your own and that was really brave and impressive of you and so I just thought¡¡±
Tyhgak trailed off as he started running out of words. Noigakkuq stared at him for a moment before she made a smug smile. She puffed out her chest and lifted her head high.
¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, then I can show you what I do.¡±
Tyghak grinned.
¡°Really?¡±
Noigakkuq nodded.
¡°Come on, let me put this away and then we¡¯ll get started.¡±
Tyghak nodded as quickly as he could and then rushed to go grab his spear.
Metsaitti and Chief Rohsuak returned from the ruins, accompanied by some hunters and the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers. Chief Rohsuak held a book in her hands while Metsaitti and a hunter carried a suit of armor. Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Well, it looks like you found something after all.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled.
¡°That we did, Tower Keeper. It seems to be the ruins of an old fortress. We didn¡¯t find much but we did find this intact armor, as well as a library. I would like to hand this armor over to our smith as an example.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Sounds good, it looks kind of rusty?¡±
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Chief Rohsuak nodded back.
¡°That is what I thought as well, but perhaps it could serve as a bit of inspiration. As for the library¡can you read this?¡±
She handed him the book. Belissar looked over the words on the cover, then frowned and shook his head.
¡°It seems a bit familiar but no, I cannot. Maybe we can ask Sehfitis?¡±
Chief Rohsuak tilted her head.
¡°I thought you and he speak the same language?¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°We do but¡I was just a peasant in a small village. I was lucky enough Mrs. Imkomos knew how to reach and taught me, but I wouldn¡¯t say I know very much. Sehfitis might know something more than me.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded at that and the two made their way over to the humans, explaining the situation. Sehfitis nodded and took the book. He looked over the cover but a moment before his eyes grew wide.
¡°Where¡where did you say you found this again?¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Um, the ruins nearby? Like we just told you?¡±
Sehfitis looked up at Belissar with an intent gaze.
¡°And was this the only book you found, or were there others? Did they all use this script?¡±
Chief Rohsuak was the one who answered.
¡°We found a library and all the items we checked used the same script as best we could tell.¡±
Sehfitis slowly turned his gaze back towards the book, his eyes going as wide as they could.
¡°By the gods¡¡±
Belissar glanced at Chief Rohsuak, then turned back to Sehfitis and furrowed his brow.
¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡±
Sehfitis took a deep breath, his eyes still locked on the book.
¡°This, Tower Keeper, is the old language. The script used by the wicked kings of old when they still ruled the land, an archaic form of our own that fell out of use after the Hunger appeared.¡±
He slowly lifted his eyes once more, his gaze still intent as he locked eyes with Belissar.
¡°If you found a library full of them in an old ruin¡then it is possible that you have just found a remnant of the ancient kingdom. Unless you have stumbled upon some sort of collector¡¯s home, we might be standing within the borders of that old kingdom.¡±
Belissar gulped at Sehfitis¡¯s gaze.
¡°Um, and that¡¯s important?¡±
Sehfitis slowly nodded.
¡°Yes. It means we could be standing near the place where the Hunger first appeared.¡±
That got Belissar and Chief Rohsuak¡¯s attention.
Sehfitis then relaxed a bit.
¡°Well, that¡¯s if the ruins are indeed from the old kingdom, and if we are close to the old capital. The old kingdom covered much of the known world at the time if what spotty records we have are to be believed, so we could be quite far away and still within its borders.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°Is there any way to find out?¡±
Sehfitis rubbed his chin for a moment and then sighed.
¡°I am not sure. Archaeology was not my area of expertise, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms. He thought for a moment before he shrugged. At the end of the day, he knew very little about the ancient kingdom, so he didn¡¯t really understand if it was important or not. Being near the place the Hunger appeared sounded scary, but the Hunger was everywhere these days, so Belissar didn¡¯t know if it was any more dangerous than being anywhere else. Even if it was, it didn¡¯t ultimately change what he needed to do: grow his Tower and his bees as best he could to ensure they could handle whatever came their way. The ancient history of some crumbling ruins didn¡¯t seem all that relevant to said goal.
¡°No matter, I guess. Can you read that?¡±
Sehfitis again rubbed his chin and frowned.
¡°I have studied the ancient script, but only for theological purposes, so I am by no means fluent, and I no longer have access to the dictionaries and references I usually use for such things. I might be able to decipher some of it, particularly if I can cross-reference different works, but it will take me some time, I¡¯m afraid. You said there were more?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°A small library, mostly scrolls.¡±
Sehfitis nodded back.
¡°That could suffice, if I have your permission to take on this task, Tower Keeper?¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°Might as well. Let us know if you find anything important.¡±
Sehfitis bowed his head.
¡°Of course.¡±
After that, Belissar returned to the Apiary to practice his magic. Sehfitis could handle the dusty old ruins and ancient tomes, so he figured he¡¯d best spend his time working on his own area of expertise. He began to stir up his mana and began to form a honeycomb in the air, this one much larger than before.
His spell bees had worked, but he noticed it took a lot of time and a lot of mana for them to deal noticeable damage to a shade. If he wanted to use this magic against a shade that wasn¡¯t already trapped and helpless at the bottom of a pit, it¡¯d be best if he had something a bit larger.
So, he was trying to see if he could make a spell soldier bee. He imagined the bee swarm of his mana flying to the honeycomb and gathering together there.
His first attempt just came out as bunch of spell bees, more than his usual spell but no larger than before. He asked them to disperse, to his surprise, they ended up crawling back into the spell honeycomb before he felt a bit of mana flow back into his hands. That was curious.
But it wasn¡¯t what Belissar wanted so he tried again. This time, he tried to imagine his mana forming a larger clump and becoming a soldier bee within his body. He imagined that soldier bee crawling to his hand before flying out to sting the enemy. He thought of soldier bees who had sacrificed themselves in the jaws of shades, or in the flames of a burning pit trap. He thought of Beero leaping from the Memorial onto the back of a shade. He tried to impress his mana with the will of the soldier bees to protect the hive.
Another honeycomb appeared, this one formed of much larger cells. A big bee crawled out of it, formed of glowing yellow light like the rest. Bright plates of mana formed armored chitin while its stinger extended out.
A spell soldier bee took off from his hand and hovered about with its abdomen curled and its stinger extended, searching for a target.
Belissar grinned until his vision started to spin again.
Chapter 180 - Un-Bee-table Defenses
Belissar watched as the denizens of his Tower prepared themselves for another fight. The burning soldiers gathered by the shortcut to the new Lava Field, the soldier bee army assembled in the sky of the battle meadow. Beero and her battlecasters practiced their dances while bumblebees helped the wounded soldiers to their platforms. The Second of the Sixth arrived early this time, leading the first medicinal soldiers Belissar had ever seen. They hung around at the rear of the soldier bee army rather than integrating into it. The karnuq arrived as well, setting their new shields down in a wall of iron before the battle meadow¡¯s entrance.
With everything ready, Belissar triggered the daily purification.
Just a minute or two later, a bird shade tried to hop over a pit, got doused by the Sticky Honey Trap aimed over it, and fell down inside. Belissar shrugged.
¡°Fell into a pit again, everyone.¡±
The bees danced among themselves and this time it was the burning soldier squad that flew into the Dirt Tunnels with the digging soldiers leading the way. The burning hives had been growing all the while and raising more and more soldiers, including a sprayer. The sprayer stopped just before the pit and unleashed her Fire mana-imbued toxic spray.
The entire pit burst into flames as the Fire mana toxins contacted the mana rich honey. And just like that, the purification was over.
After the usual celebration, Belissar gathered with the queens and karnuq leaders once again. He had more than enough DP for another shop purchase. Beyond that, however, they had started gathering after every daily purification even when he didn¡¯t have a purchase to make, just so that everyone could touch base and have a chance to speak.
¡°How¡¯s everyone doing? Anything we should talk about?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded to Belissar¡¯s surprise. Once he finished jumping, he nodded to her.
¡°Thank you, Tower Keeper. At this point, it seems that your defenses are tight enough that the daily shades are unable to get through. This is a good thing, but it does mean that our hunters have no opportunity to fight against any opponents save the most dangerous.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°So, should I weaken the traps? That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°No, as I said it is good that the shades assaulting your Tower cannot get past the door. Instead, I would like to ask if our hunters could resume challenging.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he nodded.
¡°Oh, those mini-shades, right? Um, sure, if you can get them to spawn again.¡±
At this point, the Second First of the First began to dance.
¡°Would like to train with karnuq, too, help fight intruders.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Sure, if that¡¯s fine?¡±
He turned his gaze to Chief Rohsuak and she nodded back with a smile.
¡°We would be honored.¡±
The Second First of the First then flew over to her.
¡°Should train with bee army in Fairy Grove first. Hard to move, easy to get lost. Should figure out before fight enemies.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded with a serious expression. Belissar began to rub his chin.
¡°What about the Lava Field? Is it even possible for you to fight there?¡±
Chief Rohsuak chuckled.
¡°Well, for Metsaitti and myself it would be no issue. For the others, they would need a full blessing first and foremost. Noigakkuq probably could handle it, though she would not enjoy the experience.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I see.¡±
Chief Rohsuak, Metsaitti, and the battle meadow queens then discussed a few details before Belissar moved things along.
¡°Ok, if no one else has anything, we have enough DP for more shop purchases now. Does anyone have any ideas of what to buy?¡±
This time, no one had any pressing needs that had not already been discussed. The First of the Fifth and the Apiary bees were still evolving honeypots and working on the flowers they already had, the bee army was adapting to fighting in the Fairy Grove, and the karnuq were figuring out metalworking and pottery. So, while there were the usual opinions of ¡°more flowers, more bees,¡± no one had any specific requests or recommendations. It feel to Belissar to decide.
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So, Belissar went with his fallback of when in doubt, choose bees. He never did acquire a battle-oriented option with the last two choices, come to think of it.
Extra monster choice purchased. One monster choice now available.
Please select a monster:
- Monster Leafcutter Bee (Rarity: Common, Type: Bee, Nature)
- Monster Bee Archer (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Captain (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee)
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but grin. Not just one but two uncommons this time, both battle-oriented from the names. Still, for thoroughness sake he¡¯d look over the common as well. More than once the rarer sounding choice hadn¡¯t actually been the one they ended up picking.
Monster Leafcutter Bee
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal+
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Bite
Spawner Upkeep: 1
Description: A leafcutter bee that has accumulated enough Nature mana to become something more. Its sharp leafcutting mandibles can deliver painful, if small, bites in addition to its stings.
Another non-hive bee like the carpenters, from what Belissar could tell. This one was also about the same size as the monster bees. He did know from the existence of lumber bees that non-hive bees like this could have their own evolutions, but it would take time and effort to grow them to that point assuming this species even had a follow-up evolution. So, Belissar thought it best to consider this bee as it was. Maybe cutting leaves would let them help the karnuq with harvesting, but it was clear they weren¡¯t going to fight on the frontlines anytime soon. Their small size and presumably smaller numbers would prevent that.
Much unlike the other options.
Monster Bee Archer
Vitality: Minimal+
Strength: Minor+
Speed: Average+
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal+
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Small
Notable Skills: Stinger Shot, Death Blow, Chitin Growth, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Sprayer
Description: This monster bee sprayer has reverted back to a stinger, with a twist. It uses a combination of powerful muscles and volatile chemicals to launch a detachable stinger from its body, allowing it to sting from afar. It is capable of regrowing its stingers unlike regular bees and has the ability to regrow damage to its chitin as a side effect.
In addition to existing monster bee sprayers evolving, a few monster bee soldiers may be born as archers, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
Now this was a solid choice for battle. The monster bee archer was even larger than the soldier bees, though it was closer to them than the lancers. It had an enlarged abdomen compared to its head and torso terminating in a straight and narrow stinger that reminded Belissar of the spiky salamander¡¯s spines. Beyond that, it had larger wings than usual and its chitin was a bit thicker than the sprayers relative to its size.
Belissar didn¡¯t even need to imagine its use. This bee would let them fight like the spiky salamander had, bombarding a foe with stingers from afar. Whereas the sprayers only doused a foe with poison, archers would stab right into them, dealing physical damage as well as delivering their poison inside the enemy¡¯s body. The next step along the route opened by sprayers.
The last choice was a repeat that had appeared a few times now, the monster bee captains. Belissar wasn¡¯t entirely sure how necessary they would be, however, given that the queens didn¡¯t seem to have an issue coordinating their hives with the help of communers. Well, the description did say they would also buff soldier bees, so maybe they¡¯d make the whole army stronger? That could be powerful as soldier bees were still the most numerous in the army by far, but would it outweigh the ability to sting foes from a distance?
Belissar once again turned the question over to the others. The battle meadow queens were having an intense dance off with one another when they noticed Belissar¡¯s attention. They had one final round of dances before the Second First of the First flew back towards him.
¡°Archers, captains, both good! Archers strong, captains help coordinate.¡±
Belissar nodded at that, though the opinion merely matched his own and so didn¡¯t necessarily help him decide. He turned to the Fourth of the Seventh and the First of the Fifth. The Fourth of the Seventh was just zipping around happily and saying ¡°both!¡± so he chuckled and focused on the First of the Fifth.
¡°Firstborn should decide, both bees good for army.¡±
Belissar tilted his head. Firstborn? That was first time he had heard that name so it took him a moment to realize she was talking about the Second First of the First. That made sense though, he guessed she was the firstborn¡of the living queens, at least.
That thought depressed him¡and just so happened to tilt the decision in a clear direction.
Monster Bee Archer now available. Monster Bee Sprayers may now evolve into Monster Bee Archers. Some Monster Bee Soldiers will now spawn as Monster Bee Archers.
The archer was an evolution on the sprayer and so presumably stronger overall. Its stats indicated it was stronger than a baseline soldier was well. Moreover, it could attack at a distance without putting itself as much in harms way. Even if he made the soldiers stronger via captains, they still had to fly in close. If they ended up facing more spiky enemies like the turtle and spiky salamander shades, then they needed more options for attacking at range. The archer would help on that count while also boosting the overall strength the bee army could bring to bear, and as an evolution of the sprayer would benefit from the new perks and honeypots Belissar had recently chosen. He figured it would do more for the bee army than captains would at this point¡and might just let them avoid casualties next time.
And any choice that could keep his bees that much safer was a good one.
Chapter 181 - Bee the Light
¡°King! First of the Fifth says new bees ready!¡±
The next day, Belissar smiled as he finished his breakfast and the morning reports. He nodded to Niobee.
¡°Great, we¡¯ll head over right away.¡±
Belissar wasted no time walking to the First of the Fifth¡¯s Bee Apartment. He found the aforementioned queen waiting for him, hovering in front of a row of other queens. He gave them a smile.
¡°Good morning, everyone. You have something to show me?¡±
The First of the Fifth saluted and then motioned to one of the queens.
¡°This, Second of the Seventh. Evolved from glowing mushrooms.¡±
Belissar greeted the new queen, holding out his hand. She hovered in place until Niobee flew over and brushed her antennae, then she gingerly landed on his hand. One of the original Apiary queens, she was larger than his hand, but managed to find her footing. Belissar looked over her more closely. She still had her yellow hair, but her black chitin had turned into a bright white reflecting the light of the sun. The reflection was bright enough that Belissar had trouble making out her exact body shape. Her wings also shimmered in the sun, causing flashes of light to appear every time they fluttered.
Shining Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Flash, Poison Sting, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Description: A monster bee raised or evolved on Light attribute mana honey. Able to absorb light to replenish and empower their mana, they can gather Light mana to their wings and create flashes to blind or confuse. This one is a queen that lays shining variant offspring by default.
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he held the bee in his hand a bit more reverently. The God of Light was the very first to bless humanity with a Tower, turning her oracle Heigiosa into the very first Tower Lord. The patron of the saintess who saved humanity herself¡if the doctrine was to be believed. Regardless, the God of Light was one of the most common patrons for the Tower Lord, and some theologians theorized she had a hand in every Tower given the glowing spheres on their tops and the fact that the Tower¡¯s power took the appearance of light. It was also believed that the God of Light¡¯s power, therefore, was one of the best to repel the Hunger.
That was what Mrs. Imkomos believed, in any case. Belissar no longer knew how much of the Tower Lord¡¯s doctrine he believed, so he couldn¡¯t comment on the stories of now High Councilor Heigiosa, but he did know the blessings and power of the gods were very much real. The Tower Lords had only lied about who the gods would choose to bless, so perhaps the theories about the God of Light could be true as well. And if they were¡a bee channeling the God of Light¡¯s attribute could be a powerful tool against the Hunger indeed.
Eventually, though, Belissar realized he had gone silent for a bit too long and the bees were watching him nervously. He put aside thoughts on light and gods and smiled down at the bee in his hand, brushing her back. The God of Light and her powers didn¡¯t ultimately change what he should do: make sure that this bee had everything she needed to be happy and grow well. And on that count, he had an idea.
¡°Light, huh? Is there anyway we can change your beehouse to help? Maybe make the windows bigger so more light gets in?¡±
The Second of the Seventh looked up at him for a moment before breaking out into a happy dance.
¡°More light, great! Amazing! Incredible! King is best king!¡±
Belissar smiled as he noted that, light attribute or no, the Second of the Seventh was still one of his bees.
And she was only the first of the bees the First of the Fifth wanted to show him today.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°This, First of the Sixth¡¯s First Daughter. Evolved from tunnel vine.¡±
The next bee was pitch black. It was hard to make out details on her body as the entire thing appeared as a black silhouette, absorbing whatever light touched it. She seemed to shrink on herself even as she landed on his hand.
Blinding Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Blinding Sting, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Description: A monster bee raised or evolved on Dark attribute mana honey. Adapted for life without light, their senses allow them to navigate without sight. Their venom is imbued with Dark attribute mana and can temporarily blind foes. This one is a queen that lays blinding variant offspring by default.
Belissar thought for a second before cupping his other hand over the queen. She was a counterpart to the shining queen, filled with Dark mana, so he wondered if she was uncomfortable out in the sun. His guess was proven accurate as the queen immediately perked up in the shadow of his hand.
¡°Hm, how about we move your home into the Dirt Tunnels, out of the sun?¡±
She reacted with the same happy dance as her counterpart.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! King is best king!¡±
Belissar chuckled. Light or dark, his bees were still his bees.
The next bee, the Third of the Eighth, was blue and sleek. Her feet were wider and flatter than normal, while her hairs appeared a bit oily.
Swimming Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Swim, Poison Sting, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Description: A monster bee raised or evolved on Water attribute mana honey. Adapted for aquatic environments, this bee is capable of swimming and diving to forage from aquatic plants. This one is a queen that lays swimming variant offspring by default.
¡°So, we should put your hive near one of the ponds¡or in it? Do you want to be near or in the water?¡±
¡°Near!¡±
Belissar nodded and smiled.
¡°Got it, then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±
Another ¡°Amazing! Incredible!¡± dance later and Belissar turned to the second to last bee. The last two were smaller than the others, clearly newly born.
¡°This is my Fifth Daughter. Born from gravity honey!¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow as a small, dark purple queen flew to his hand. Her wings took on a purple glow as she beat them and she seemed to float through the air, gliding smoothly rather than swaying about. His hand tingled as she landed on him, feeling slightly heavier one moment, then lighter the next, with the sensation changing every few moments.
He thought to himself for a moment before shrugging and giving her a wry smile.
¡°So¡I don¡¯t know much about gravity. Please, tell me, what sort of hive would be best for you?¡±
The little queen stood completely still for a moment before starting to dance.
¡°Is ok! King¡¯s hives best hives¡¡±
The First of the Fifth then flew forward and paused, looking at him. Belissar nodded at her and she also landed on his arm, brushing antennae with her young daughter for about a minute. She did a salute dance to Belissar and took off again, leaving her daughter alone on his hand. Her daughter slowly began a different dance.
¡°Hive¡should be stuck to ground. Might float away.¡±
Belissar nodded and smiled at her.
¡°Got it, maybe we could build one in the ground like the ones for the digging hives?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Fifth Daughter looked at him for a moment before busting out into an incredibly rapid dance, causing his hand to tingle as her glowing wings beat randomly.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! King is best king!¡±
Belissar could only laugh until the First of the Fifth retrieved her and introduced the final queen. Or, rather, the final hive.
¡°This is Sixth Daughter. Raised on slime honey. Hive is¡weird.¡±
Instead of a bee, Belissar was looking at a slime made of golden honey, currently a bit bigger than his head. The First of the Fifth¡¯s Sixth Daughter was swimming around the center of the slime while other slime worker bees swarmed in a small, glowing ball around her. Some of them swam out to the edge of the big slime and broke free, a smaller ball of slime condensing around their legs as they flew off to forage.
Belissar tilted his head as he considered how to let the slime bee land on him. He walked over and tried to pick up the slime, but his hands sunk into the sticky mass. He thought for a moment before shrugging and pushing on of his hands into the slime. The slime opened up to let him in, and then the First of the Fifth¡¯s Sixth Daughter swam to his hand and rested on his palm, dancing about happily. Belissar smiled at her.
¡°So¡is this your hive?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Belissar hummed. A beehive made of slime, where the whole hive apparently moved as one. That was¡pretty amazing, as far as he was concerned. It did beg the question, though, of how he would build a home for them, or if they even needed one.
¡°Hm, so¡what sort of beehouse would you want?¡±
Fortunately, this queen wasn¡¯t as shy.
¡°King¡¯s palaces amazing, incredible! Just need water!¡±
Belissar nodded. Well, he didn¡¯t know much about slimes, so he could only take her word that a regular beehouse was what she needed.
¡°Got it, we¡¯ll make you one by one of the ponds, then.¡±
Belissar waited until the ¡°Amazing! Incredible!¡± dance concluded before withdrawing his hand¡that the Second of the Sixth had apparently left a small pool of honey in. He chuckled at that before turning to the First of the Fifth.
¡°Great work, all of you. This is really going to help us.¡±
Belissar made a wide grin as all the bees joined in an ¡°King best king!¡± dance, from the shining bee flashing in the light of the sun, to the slime bee hive bouncing around as the bees within danced together.
POBee 181.1 - Inter-Bee Exchange
The First of the Fifth was ecstatic. So ecstatic, in fact, that she spent the rest of the morning zipping about in a celebratory dance. How could she not be? She had helped other queens find their specialties and fulfilled the will of the King, who praised them all for the effort.
All good things must come to an end, however, and the work must continue, so eventually she came to a stop. She had to take a moment to recover before proceeding on her next task, but proceed she must. She sent word through two of her communers to inform two of her fellow queens that the time had come.
She made her way over to large, open-air cavern where the Dirt Tunnels connected to the Apiary, where the Apiary Bees could gain access to Ground mana flowers along with subterranean plants and mushrooms. The first digging queen, the Fourth of the Fifth, was already waiting alongside a much smaller digging queen and a digging drone. The other queen she awaited came flying in through the shortcut to the Dirt Tunnels on the wall of the cavern, instantly raising the temperature of the cavern.
The Third of the Sixth had arrived, with a small burning queen and burning drone of her own.
The First of the Fifth needed not give any commands for the two queens to get to work, exchanging their drones and queens. The King had granted them his power at the same time he offered them the powerful honeypots. His power assisted in the evolution of bees, helping the latest generation of evolved queens take on the aspects of special honeys, as well as speeding up the evolution of workers and soldiers into their various advanced forms. But the First of the Fifth knew that the King¡¯s latest boon was not limited to those applications. Indeed, they had not yet attempted the application the boon was focused on most.
That changed today as the new princess bees and drones embarked on their mating flight. The King¡¯s boon promised new bees should different types of bees mate. The queens had spoken and the First of the Fifth had proposed a test with the Fourth of the Fifth and the Third of the Sixth. These two queens, evolved from the Fire mana flower and the Ground mana flower, had the most distinct differences and most distinct mana of all the queens with established hives, so she felt that this pairing, if any, would show them what the latest boon could achieve.
The Fourth of the Fifth¡¯s and Third of the Sixth¡¯s daughters returned, now full queens. The First of the Fifth examined them closely. Their mana had shifted, twisted together with the drones¡¯ to become something different. It condensed in their torsos, forming a mass that seemed ready to explode.
In fact, the two young queens began dancing frantically to their queens. The mothers responded and the two daughters zipped off back to their respective mothers¡¯ hives. The Third of the Sixth then began a report dance to her.
¡°Daughter said need to evolve again, letting her evolve in hive.¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s antennae perked up at that.
¡°Ok. Let know when hatches. And let Conduit know more drones sacrificed so King can honor.¡±
The Third of the Sixth and Fourth of the Fifth both saluted and then all three queens returned to their hives. The First of the Fifth swayed in a happy dance as she flew.
She¡¯d have to wait for the two new queens to finish evolving to know the full results¡but that in itself spoke of grand success. Soon, she¡¯d have two new queen types to introduce to the King.
And the possibility of many, many more to come.
The Third Queen of the First Dynasty of the Third Spawner, the first of her line, arrived at her destination. She greeted the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s worker as she exited the shortcut before making her way into the Orchard. She headed not for the grove where the hives of the Orchard watched over the room, nor to the mystical Fairy Grove where the children of the Fourth of the Seventh and First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter honed their pathfinding. No, she headed through the trees of the Orchard, where a modest but still numerous nest of bees waited.
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The Third of the Third had deviated from many of her fellow Flower Meadow queens in the latest round of evolutions. Most of the other Flower Meadow queens, led by the Firstborn herself, had rushed to evolve the newest archers, or more of the previous lancers. The Third of the Third, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable doing so. The Firstborn and the others had long pushed their hives past the point of sustainability to build their mighty army, relying entirely on the donations from the Apiary to keep themselves going. The Third of the Third¡¯s hive wasn¡¯t even as prosperous as theirs, and she simply could not overcome her instincts blaring at her to expand her honey production before she even thought about raising a larger soldier type. So, rather than evolving her soldiers, she evolved her workers and raised a handful of honeypots. Their improved ability to process and imbue honey with mana allowed her workers to diversify their foraging away from the overworked mana flowers while still producing as much if not more honey per nectar gathered as before.
Well, it was nowhere near what the Apiary queens could do, but nonetheless she had managed to produce a respectable honey surplus, enough at least to maintain her current soldier numbers. She could even start raising a lancer or archer with only minimal assistance from the Apiary bees if she desired, though her contributions to the army would still be far less than her fellow queens unless she put herself into a serious honey debt. She had thus been at a loss at how she could contribute significantly to the bee army while still maintaining a sustainable honey production. It had seemed like, in the end, she could only choose one or the other.
It was then, however, that she came up with a different idea. Something else she could do with her honey surplus. Something that, out of all the Flower Meadow queens, only she could do because of that surplus.
And that had led her here, to the carpenter bee nest.
She and her escort of workers and soldiers hovered over the magical palace the King had built for the new bees. There, she waited patiently until the new bees noticed her. The largest of their number headed her way, with several of the others noticing her and then following suit. The large carpenter bee didn¡¯t dance, though she did bob up and down slightly once before staring at the Third of the Third.
The Third of the Third gave her own greeting dance and launched into her business.
¡°Have proposal. Need wood cut. Can give honey in exchange.¡±
The carpenter bee continued to stare at her. The Third of the Third was just wondering if the other bee had understood her when the carpenter bobbed a few times and then zipped about. She then danced to her workers who began flying to the nearby carpenter bees, passing along the honey they had stored in their crops. Each carpenter bee they fed then began to follow them along.
Soon, the Third of the Third had a small swarm of carpenter bees following her workers. She, in turn, led them back to her home in the Flower Meadow. She led them to a large stack of wood, tribute from the karnuq left here by the king.
Her workers landed on various points of one piece of wood. She wasn¡¯t sure if the carpenters would fully understand their dances, so the workers guided the carpenters one by one. The carpenters seemed to understand well enough, placed their mandibles on the surface, and began to vibrate and sheer off the wood.
Meanwhile, a few squads of soldiers stood nearby, mostly her own. The soldiers who had been assisting the karnuq build their hives.
This was the idea she had come up with. The construction squad had been taught how to lift wood and assemble structures, but had no way of processing the wood without the karnuq or the King. The karnuq were the King¡¯s to command, and the Third of the Third would never ask the King for help with a job of her own. But the carpenter bees? The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s communer network reported on the newest bees, noting their ability to bore straight through solid wood.
With their help, the construction squad could begin assembling wooden structures all on their own, without the assistance or the direction of either the King or the karnuq. They could assemble more of those platforms for the hive of the fallen to cast their magic stingers from, or expand the line of sharp stakes the King had placed in front of the Bee Barracks. They could begin preparing for a battle before it happened.
And in exchange, they could provide their mana rich honey to the carpenter bees. The carpenter bees, strangely, did not seem to store or produce honey, each one spending most of their day drinking from flowers as individuals. The Third of the Third could eliminate their need to do so, allowing them to work for the hive of hives in the way that only they could.
And so, cooperation began between the Bee Barracks and the carpenter bees.
Chapter 182 - Dont Bee Lost!
Noigakkuq frowned. She sniffed out of habit before hissing and clutching her nose. A bright green bee buzzed around her but she shook her head.
She was currently surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers. On the surface, she stood in a perfectly peaceful and idyllic forest. There weren¡¯t even any game trails, tracks, or decaying remains that would hint at deadly predators. She was at no risk of bodily harm.
And yet, Noigakkuq was in a worse position than she had ever found herself, in her opinion. Because, as she had no choice but to admit, she was lost. The karnuq hunters were currently training in the Tower Keeper¡¯s new defense rooms on both the Tower Keeper and Chief Rohsuak¡¯s insistence. Once they had learned how to traverse and fight in the forest and the lava flats, they would be permitted to challenge the Tower once again, and earn additional favor in the sight of their patron gods. Noigakkuq was very much vindicated to be included among the hunters this time, as an equal participant. So, she was all too eager to start challenging and to grow even stronger than she already had.
As such, she had volunteered to screen the body of the hunters, intent on using her innate mana sniffing to speed up the process. After all, this was a mere forest. She could understand the lava fields, but a forest wasn¡¯t dangerous because of the trees. As long as there were no predators here, it shouldn¡¯t have taken the karnuq any time at all to acclimate. So, she ignored the bees buzzing around her and set off into the brush.
She very quickly learned how wrong she had been, the very first moment she took a sniff. She had been immediately blindsided by a dozen overwhelming scents all at once, and only then did she realize that this forest was absolutely drenched in mana. Worse still, the mana was not all ubiquitous like it was in the rot cap field, every time she sniffed here she was subjected to countless different, seemingly random scents all mixing together into an explosion that assaulted her senses.
Her mana sniffing, the one power she had to her name for most of her life, was entirely useless in this forest. Forget keeping track of the karnuq and locating incoming enemies, every sniff left her incapacitated for a moment.
She clenched her teeth before turning back to return to the group. She walked¡and she walked¡and she walked¡and she walked. Until now, when she realized that, somehow, in the handful of moments between leaving the group and taking her first sniff of the air, that she had lost contact with them entirely.
And now, she had no idea where she was.
¡°There you are.¡±
Noigakkuq spun around. Her heart leapt in relief before she scowled.
¡°Go away, Tyhgak. I don¡¯t need your help.¡±
He tilted his head.
¡°Really? The bees said you were lost.¡±
She growled.
¡°I said I¡¯m fine! I can find my back, no help required!¡±
Tyhgak took a step back.
¡°Uh, really? The bees said¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care what the bees said! I know exactly where I am!¡±
Tyhgak gulped.
¡°Right¡well, could you lead the way back, then? We need you back with the group.¡±
Noigakkuq let out an exasperated sigh.
¡°Why? For my useless nose? Don¡¯t patronize me, Tyhgak.¡±
But Tyhgak shook his head.
¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Metsaitti wants you back because you and him are the only two blessed by the God of Bees. We apparently need to work with the bees to travel and fight in this room, so he was hoping you could help.¡±
Noigakkuq paused at that. She slowly glanced at the bee that had been buzzing around her this whole time. Her face fell as she glanced back down at her hand, stirring up the mana flowing through her.
Right. She had been blessed by the God of Bees. She even had a unique blessing from that god. The power she had acquired had been granted to her by the God of Bees¡for service to the Tower and the bees within.
And here she had gone, ignoring that power while treating the bees like the patronizing members of the clan. She slowly looked back up at the bee, dancing about in the air.
¡°Karnuq know where going?¡±
She took a deep breath before speaking in a tiny voice, barely a whisper.
¡°¡no. Could you¡show me where the others are?¡±
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The bee began zipping about.
¡°Can! This way!¡±
The bee not only began flying off in the complete opposite direction Noigakkuq had been heading, she also began to glow slightly, releasing a bit of pheromones. Noigakkuq¡¯s eyes widened as a familiar scent graced her nose, smelling of honey and the power that now flowed through her veins. As long as she didn¡¯t take any big whiffs, it was enough that she could follow even through the powerful scents surrounding her.
She hung her head once more.
¡°¡let¡¯s go.¡±
Tyhgak tilted his head but nodded and followed along. Noigakkuq sighed again. Tyhgak didn¡¯t deserve her ire. He had acknowledged her power and accomplishments, after all. In retrospect, he had always treated her more sincerely than the others¡if only because he wasn¡¯t smart enough to act insincerely. She very quietly whispered to him.
¡°¡sorry. And thanks for coming for me.¡±
If he heard her, he didn¡¯t react.
And so, the bees began to teach the karnuq how to fight in the Fairy Grove, a process that took much longer than any of the karnuq expected.
Belissar spent the rest of the day making beehouses for the new queens. For the shining bee house he left the roof open so that the sun could shine down on the hive directly, while placing the house away from any of the bee apartments or trees that might block the sun. It was slightly uncomfortable for Belissar to leave the hive exposed, but the weather was always pleasant in the Apiary so he put his discomfort aside. If anything did happen, he could always add a roof later.
The blinding queen and gravity queen both got subterranean beehouses once Belissar enlisted Muuraqi and the karnuq¡¯s help for stone doors. The gravity queen had hers built into the open cavern, while the blinding queen¡¯s was built in a dark tunnel near the shadow vines she evolved from.
Both the slime bee and the swimming bee got regular beehouses placed by the Apiary¡¯s Pond, as close as they could get to the edge while still remaining on solid ground. Belissar wasn¡¯t at all confident about the slime bee¡¯s home, but the slime queen happily stuffed her slime hive inside the wooden box, the slime now filling in the gaps between the frames. Belissar could only shrug, if she was happy then that was enough.
The day passed. Belissar held a small memorial after the day¡¯s purification; no bees had been hurt in the actual fight but apparently some of the queens had raised new children and some drones had sacrificed themselves accordingly. The next day, Niobee once again led Belissar to the First of the Fifth¡¯s Bee Apartment, where he found the Third of the Sixth and the Fourth of the Fifth, the first burning and digging queens respectively.
Along with two smaller queens he didn¡¯t recognize.
¡°Good morning, you have something to show me again?¡±
The First of the Fifth confirmed with a happy dance before dancing to the other two queens. The Third of the Sixth flew forward first.
¡°King! Raised new daughter, mated with Fourth of the Fifth¡¯s drone. Evolved into something else!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened slightly.
¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡±
To be honest, he had somewhat forgotten about that aspect of the Bee Hybridizing perk. He had mostly selected it for its ability to speed up worker and soldier evolutions, and had expected most of the new evolutions to come from new honey types as they had before. And now, he had a new queen flying towards his hand who had not evolved from a special honey at all.
The new queen had a dark grey body with a few red highlights. Specks of grey dust seemed to waft off of her each time she beat her wings. Both she and the specks were warm to the touch.
Ash Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal+
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Burning Poison Sting, Ash Spreading, Heat Resistance, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Description: A burning monster bee modified by Ground type mana. In addition to the usual burning monster bee abilities, this bee generates hot ash that spreads whenever it flies. Swarms of ash bees can create ash clouds that can burn, blind, and suffocate enemies. The ash can also provide a nutritious fertilizer in areas the bees forage, as well as strengthening the wax they produce. This one is a queen that lays ash variant offspring by default.
Belissar grinned. A new bee that could operate in the Lava Fields, that had a new type of attack no other bee did, and that apparently could help fertilize soil? A valuable addition to the Tower indeed.
¡°What sort of beehouse would you like? And would you prefer to live in the Lava Field or one of the other rooms?¡±
The ash bee took a bit of time to respond, but eventually managed a hesitant dance.
¡°Want to live by queen mother, hive like hers.¡±
Well, that was easy enough. Belissar confirmed as much and the queen returned to her mother so that the next one could take her turn on his palm. She was squat and had the large mandibles of the digging bees, though there were red streaks on her mandibles and head.
Thermal Mining Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal+
Strength: Minimal+
Speed: Below Average+
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal+
Resistance: Minimal+
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Thermal Mining, Poison Sting, Heat Resistance, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Description: A digging monster bee modified by Fire type mana. In addition to the usual digging monster bee abilities, this bee heats up and vibrates its mandibles to soften and dig through materials, allowing it to easily dig through much tougher materials than the regular digging bees. As small parts of the material may be melted or broken off in this process, it has some ability to gather these materials and incorporate them into its wax to build surprisingly tough hives. This ability may also be used in combat, though it takes time and may not have as much impact on armor as on raw materials. This bee is a queen that lays thermal mining variant offspring by default.
Belissar tilted his head. Did heating up rocks make them easier to dig through? Apparently so, if this bee was anything to go by. Well, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to make use of that, but the description said it could be used against shades, so he looked forward to seeing what these bees could do.
To seeing what all the new bees could do, in fact.
Chapter 183 - A Fair-Bee Odd Occurance
Noigakkuq sheepishly stepped out of the tree line as her guide bee led her into a small clearing. Metsaitti had gathered the karnuq there. A brightly colored swarm of worker bees spread out, with at least one bee hovering around each of the karnuq, while squads of soldier bees formed up overhead. One of the soldier queens conferred with Metsaitti, relaying the bee army¡¯s own experiences in this confusing room. He paused his conversation as he caught sight of her.
¡°Ah, there you are, Noigakkuq. Come, I was just speaking to the Firstborn here on how we should approach this room. We could use your insight.¡±
Noigakkuq¡¯s face fell.
¡°Do you really?¡±
Metsaitti frowned.
¡°Look at me, Noigakkuq.¡±
He waited until she lifted her head before continuing.
¡°Tyhgak should have said it, but in case he forgot to mention it, you and I are the only ones to have received combat blessings from the God of Bees. Mine, however, is a hybrid blessing with the God of Fire, and I spent years with the blessing of the lancer before that. You have a pure and unique blessing from the God of Bees and all of your training and techniques stem from it. We¡¯re exploring new territory here, so your skills are the only lead we have for how humanoids can learn bee style combat.¡±
He gave her a stern look.
¡°So, we need you here, teaching the rest of us what you have discovered, and figuring out how we can better coordinate with our fellow defenders in the sky. You have already proved yourself and we cannot afford for you to run off in an attempt to do more. You are part of the hunters now, and I expect you to cooperate as a good hunter should. Understand?¡±
Noigakkuq could only nod slowly.
¡°¡I got it.¡±
Metsaitti¡¯s gaze soften.
¡°Good. Now then, come and listen to the Firstborn here. Her army has already suffered at the hands of this room, so we had better learn from her how to avoid that.¡±
Noigakkuq nodded and took a step forward¡before she suddenly clutched at her nose and screamed.
¡°Noigakkuq! What happened?!¡±
She forced her words out as she plugged her nose and her eyes teared up.
¡°Too many¡smells. Tons of mana, something happening.¡±
Metsaitti grabbed his spear and turned to the Firstborn, only to find the bees already buzzing and zipping about. The Firstborn was dancing and trying to restore order, with one of the color workers zipping about in front of her. He instead turned to his own hunters, all of which were glancing about and preparing to fight in response to their bee guides¡¯ sudden outburst.
Whatever was happening, the bees were already starting to prepare. He had better ensure the karnuq did likewise¡
Belissar was speaking with Chief Rohsuak and Muuraqi on making new homes for the latest additions to the hive of hives when he suddenly stumbled. He nearly lost his footing but managed to catch him. He clearly didn¡¯t do so with grace, as both the karnuq were looking at him with concern.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar, are you alright?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he shook his head.
¡°I don¡¯t know. The Tower just got hit with a huge spike of mana.¡±
Muuraqi¡¯s eyes widened while Chief Rohsuak¡¯s narrowed. The chief straightened herself.
¡°Are we under attack? Should I recall the hunters?¡±
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Belissar frowned.
¡°No¡they¡¯re already there. It¡¯s not the Hunger, though, so I¡¯m not sure how we should respond.¡±
The mana spike did not send a chill down his spine as the Hunger always did, so he knew this wasn¡¯t a sudden purification. Moreover, the mana spike was centered on a particular location and not the entrance. No, the mana in the newest Fairy Grove had kicked up into a whirlwind. Gales rustled the leaves of the trees, the ground seemed to tremble, the trees swayed their branches and churned the ground with their routes. Mana began to swirl like a tornado around one of the fairy circles before blasting out in waves that shook the room.
It seemed the Fairy Groves may not be safe after all.
The Firstborn and the soldier bee army, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s Second Daughter and her hive of chromatic bees, and Metsaitti and the karnuq hunters were all already there for a training session. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure, though, whether he should have them head to the circle in question or retreat out of the room. Was the Fairy Grove about to spawn monsters? Start a purification? Explode? Curse everyone within? Belissar had no idea, all he knew about fairy circles were from fairy tales and his bees¡¯ own experiences, so how could he possibly determine what was happening¡
Unknown entity attempting connection with room: 1F Fairy Grove. Permit?
Well, he should have guessed the Tower would know, at the very least. The power of the gods was not as ignorant as he¡nor as helpless. Apparently, he could just reject the connection and solve the problem¡hopefully.
He was about to do just that when a bee zipped in front of him.
¡°Hivebuilder! Queen of All Bees has message!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as Velebee flew before him and began to dance. He took a glance at the Tower¡¯s question still hanging in the air before shaking his head. A message from his patron took priority.
¡°Got it, what did she say?¡±
¡°Queen of All Bees says Hivebuild should let.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Should let? Is that it?¡±
Velebee¡¯s dance slowed a bit.
¡°Yes, is all.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Got it, thank Velebee.¡±
He rubbed his chin for a second. Well, vague message aside, under the circumstances he couldn¡¯t help but assume the God of Bees was referring to the connection message. He didn¡¯t know what else she could mean. If that was the case¡he should¡allow this random connection tearing up one of the Fairy Groves?
Belissar gulped. But he took a deep breath and steeled himself. The God of Bees hadn¡¯t led him astray thus far, so if she went as far as sending him an oracle on this, he decided he would trust her. It wasn¡¯t like he knew what was going on, so he wasn¡¯t going to reject the opinion of a god that did.
He turned to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Something is trying to connect to the Tower through the new Fairy Grove. The God of Bees apparently wants us to let it in. I¡¯m going to ask the bee army to gather there and then head there myself before we do. Would you mind coming along, and with your hunters too?¡±
Chief Rohsuak immediately saluted.
¡°As you say, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar relayed the orders to the Firstborn and then made his way to the Fairy Grove. He winced as he stepped inside, the swirling mana made his skin prickle. He confirmed it wasn¡¯t actually hurting him or his bees before pressing onward. One of the chromatic bees met with him and guided him to the site in question.
The soldier bees and karnuq had already gathered around the fairy circle in question, this one in the center of a small clearing. The bees and karnuq hung at the edge of the tree line, partly for cover and partly because that was as close as was safe. The mana surged and condensed in the center of the fairy circle at regular intervals before new spikes of mana struck it and caused it to disperse through the room. Whenever it did, the clearing became chaos. Grass randomly grew and wilted, trees buckled and swayed. The air spun and whirled, the ground churned and groaned. Sparks of light and flame appeared and vanished alongside short spurts of rain and hail, shadows danced along the ground.
Belissar gulped as he joined Metsaitti, the Firstborn, and the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s Second Daughter. All three of them saluted once they saw him.
¡°King!¡±
¡°Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar nodded at them and then turned towards the fairy circle. His heart pounded as he beheld the sheer chaos in the clearing. The thing trying to connect was causing all this¡and he was about to let it into his Tower? He would not have considered such a thing had the God of Bees not directly told him he should.
So, instead of shutting it down and fleeing as all wisdom and instinct told him he should, he took a deep breath.
¡°I¡¯m going to permit it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so everyone be ready.¡±
Both karnuq and bee saluted and informed their charges. The soldier bee formations hovered in the air, sprayers lining the clearing while lancers positioned themselves high in the sky and directly above. Karnuq gripped their spears, hoisted their shields, and nocked their bows. The Firstborn danced and Metsaitti nodded at him.
Belissar took one last breath, deep and along, before he looked to the message.
Unknown entity attempting connection with room: 1F Fairy Grove. Permit?
Belissar forced himself to nod.
¡°Yes, permit.¡±
The clearing burst into an even greater surge of mana, the chaotic phenomena intensifying. Leaves and flowers ripped off the nearest trees in powerful gusts of wind before circling towards the center of the clearing, twisting and twirling their way around hail and sparks of flame. They began to spin in a circle above the center of the fairy ring. Once they aligned in a full circle, the mana began to reverse, the circle of leaves and petals sucking it in. There was one last burst of mana and all the chaotic phenomena began to die down, leaving the fairy circle as it originally was.
Save for the circle of leaves and petals still flying in a rotating circle through the air¡
Chapter 184 - Connection Bee-stablished
The circle of leaves and petals began to accelerate, spinning faster and faster. A gust of wind picked up even more leaves and petals and began spinning around the original circle. It picked up more and more leaves, until the entire circle was hidden from view in a whirlwind of green with streaks of color.
Then, in a single moment, a gust of wind dispersed the shield of leaves. Belissar shielded his eyes from the sudden gust, blocking his own view for moment. When he opened his eyes and lowered his arms, he found that the fairy circle was no longer vacant. In the center now stood a flower. A flower that came up to Belissar¡¯s thighs¡and standing on its roots. Its roots and branches were arranged like the limbs of a person and its stem bulged in the center¡and held a pair of big eyes blinking curiously. Its ¡°head¡± was topped with a giant flower with bright red leaves, giving it the appearance of a tiny person with a wide-brimmed hat.
It glanced around every which way before noticing the bees hovering all around it. It smiled, with its eyes since it appeared to lack a mouth, and waved at the bees, then jumped back into the center of the circle. The leaves picked up around it once more before anyone could respond and then it was gone.
Belissar blinked as the bees danced around him.
¡°King! What that? What do?¡±
Belissar was about to respond with his signature ¡°um¡± when the leaves began to pick up once more. He swallowed his words and focused on the circle.
¡°Looks like it¡¯s coming back. It didn¡¯t seem hostile, but everyone get ready, just in case.¡±
The bees performed their salute dance and assembled back into formation as the leaves sped up once again. This time, Belissar was ready as they dispersed, and so kept his eyes on the center.
And then his jaw fell as low as it could go. In the center of the circle now stood the most beautiful woman Belissar had ever seen. Her skin was tanned as one who spent most of their time outdoors, yet had not a single blemish Belissar could find. Her hair was a shining blond that glimmered in the sun with some sort of silvery highlights. It was woven into braids with dozens of colorful flowers all along it, and her head was topped by a small crown of flowers. She wore a simple green gardener¡¯s dress and a brown apron, yet wore it with all the grace of a queen in her finest robes. Every movement she made was as smooth and graceful as flowing water. She seemed light and ephemeral, as if a sudden breeze would blow her away, yet at the same time had a presence that commanded his attention, like a mountain looming overhead.
She had her eyes closed and took a deep breath. She slowly exhaled it as she opened her eyes. Belissar felt as if her eyes pierced into his very soul, holding wisdom and knowledge the likes of which he couldn¡¯t fathom, that belied her seemingly young appearance. She slowly smiled, a sight that seemed to brighten her very surroundings like the sun and spoke with a voice more melodic and soothing than any bard¡¯s song.
¡°It worked! I made it!¡±
She glanced every which way until her gaze fell upon the soldier bee formations hovering in the air. Her eyes went wide and began to tremble. Her mouth fell open and then she¡smiled as wide as she could.
¡°Is this¡is this the bee dungeon?! Did I really get it on the first try?!¡±
Belissar stared until he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Chief Rohsuak clear her throat.
¡°Tower Keeper, how would you like us to respond?¡±
Belissar flushed as he realized he had been staring silently. He shook his head and used his Tower sight to take stock of the situation. He then noticed the ambient mana in the Fairy Grove appeared to naturally wrap around the newcomer¡as well as her pointed ears. This¡this was no human, nor even a beastkin. This was something else entirely.
However, the God of Bees had asked him to let her in, so there could be only one response.
¡°Let¡¯s greet her.¡±
Belissar stepped forward, trying not to flush as he beheld her face once more. He tried focusing on the mana wrapping around her instead, watching it twist and curve as it contacted her own, preventing the fairy circle from growing chaotic again as a side effect. Chief Rohsuak and the karnuq hunters fell in behind him, Niobee stood guard on his head, and the soldier bees took up their usual spots in the air just above him.
¡°Hello. And¡yes, I think. This is a Tower of the Gods devoted to the God of Bees, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±
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The woman turned her gaze to them as Belissar and company stepped into the clearing. She gave them a warm smile.
¡°Amazing. You must be the dungeon master, or perhaps their servants? My name is Tarwantrad, dungeon master of the God of Flowers and the Calwaskon Compact. Forgive me for stepping into your dungeon without an invitation, I mean you no harm.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Well, I sort of did? The Tower asked me whether to let you in, and the God of Bees said it was a good idea. In any case, yes, I¡¯m the Tower Keeper, and my name is Belissar. Nice to meet¡¡±
Belissar swallowed the rest of his words with a gulp as Tarwantrad suddenly narrowed her eyes at him and took a step forward.
¡°Belissar?! As in¡Belissar¡¯s Beehouse Belissar?¡±
Belissar blinked before he heard the buzzing and quickly waved down Niobee and soldier bees.
¡°Ah, um, yes, I think? You mean the room feature, right?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded repeatedly with all her might.
¡°Ah, then yes, that¡¯s me.¡±
Tarwantrad broke out into a massive smile, her eyes sparkling like stars in the night sky.
¡°Amazing! I wanted to meet you but I had no idea you were still alive, being mortal and all! But, of course you would be a dungeon master too, that makes perfect sense! I can¡¯t believe you figured out how to make homes that the bees like so much! Tell me, how did you come up with the idea? How did you figure out they would make their combs perfectly straight within the trays? How did you figure out how to keep them from building combs between the trays? Did you have any plans for winter in mind, they seem a bit too ventilated for that. I assumed you lined them with some sort of insulation when that came, but it could be that you were from a warmer climate?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes were spinning at the sudden barrage of melodic words.
¡°That¡¯s, um, uh¡¡±
Tarwantrad suddenly blinked and then took a step back, flushing.
¡°Oh! Sorry, it¡¯s a bad habit of mind to ramble. I apologize, it¡¯s just¡I¡¯m so excited to actually meet you. The Belissar, the dungeon master who developed beehouses approved by the God of Bees. The first bee dungeon master anyone in the Calwaskon Compact has ever heard of, whether in recent memory or ancient lore! I still can¡¯t believe I never knew there was a God of Bees until now, you¡¯ll have to tell me all about her!¡±
Belissar blinked as he tried to catch up with the conversation. He managed to understand enough of it though to finally come up with a response.
¡°So, um, I take it you like bees?¡±
Tarwantrad smiled and nodded repeatedly.
¡°I love bees! I love all plant life and flowers especially and suffice to say that flowers would not exist as they do were it not for pollinators such as bees. They are my precious partners, my fellow gardeners.¡±
Belissar returned her smile as his chest grew warm. He reached up and brushed Niobee¡¯s back.
¡°Mine as well. I owe them everything, even my very life.¡±
He managed to meet her gaze, any embarrassment or hesitation forgotten.
¡°If you¡¯re a friend of bees, then you¡¯re a friend of mine, and welcome here.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed at that. Belissar was about to lead her in when he heard Chief Rohsuak in his head.
¡°Tower Keeper, I apologize for interrupting. But, before we welcome your new friend, perhaps you should ask how she arrived in your Tower¡and why? Even if she doesn¡¯t not mean us harm, we should still find out why exactly she has come here.¡±
Belissar frowned but nodded. He supposed that much was fair.
¡°Um, could I ask how exactly you got here? And right into the center of one of my rooms.¡±
Tarwantrad jolted a bit.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good question. Indeed, I have forgotten that my arrival was rude indeed, and it would not do for you to invite a stranger into your dungeon. Please forgive me.¡±
She inclined her head before she continued.
¡°I have come because I received a mission from my patron, the God of Flowers, to find and visit the Bee Dungeon, a mission which I have just fulfilled. I have not received any further missions or instructions and so had no further goal, save to see a dungeon dedicated to the God of Bees and to hopefully have a friendly exchange with its master.¡±
She then took on a serious expression.
¡°As for the method of my arrival, your dungeon is located far, far away from the Calwaskon Compact, even had we not cut off the land of the fair from the mortal realms, and deep in the midst of the Hunger. There was no normal method by which I could reach your dungeon, and no army capable of pushing back the corruption in the way. I reached deep into the lore of my people for a solution, and found the nexus doors, a method by which the fair peoples once traveled unseen across the world. My people have not used such a method ever since the Hunger appeared, but if there was any method to reach you, that was it. I had no idea if it would work, however, and the nexus doors were not known to cooperate even with the fair peoples. I sought only to test the method to see if I could use it at all, it is but happy coincidence, or perhaps the will of our patrons, that my first attempt reached your dungeon.¡±
She then rubbed her chin and glanced around.
¡°I am not certain why, though, now that I look around, the mana in this room is curious. It resembles the land of the fair, though it appears to be quite untamed. You seem to have placed a nexus here as well, may I ask what¡¡±
At that moment, the leaves swirled once more and the flower monster from before appeared again. This time frantically tugging on Tarwantrad¡¯s dress with its leaf arms. Tarwantrad¡¯s face paled.
¡°Ah, um. There, uh, might be a problem. I am sorry, Tower Keeper Belissar, but I must depart immediately. I¡am not certain I will be able to return, but if I am, would you allow me to visit once more?¡±
Belissar blinked at the sudden change in topic but slowly nodded.
¡°Yes, as I said, a friend of bees is welcome here.¡±
She gave him a warm smile before her face fell once more.
¡°I truly hope that I will be able to return. May your flowers bloom bright, Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
And with that, she stepped back and the leaves hid her. And so, the woman vanished as suddenly as she had arrived, leaving Belissar and the karnuq staring blankly at the fairy circle.
Side Story 184.1 - The Terms of the Compact
Tarwantrad stepped back out into her own dungeon. She stood in the center of a circular nexus of her own made of glowing flowers. Her circle was placed in the center of a colorful forest, with flowers covering the ground, the bushes, and the short trees placed all around her. Mana swirled through the air and through each and every plant, flowing in such a way that it concentrated on the nexus. Some of the plants were moving about, blending in with their stationary cousins as they surrounded the nexus on all sides. Almablom stood staring at the nexus as well, tapping her foot on the ground. She raised an eyebrow once she saw Tarwantrad.
¡°Well? I assume since you¡¯re alive that you didn¡¯t just walk into the middle of the Hunger.¡±
Tarwantrad grinned at her.
¡°Mission accomplished, we found it.¡±
Almablom blinked, then smiled wide.
¡°Truly? Then the risk we took paid off.¡±
A moment later, she tilted her head.
¡°But in that case, why have you returned so quickly? I would have thought you would want to speak with the dungeon master in question.¡±
Tarwantrad paled.
¡°You are correct but¡the loremaster has come to my dungeon.¡±
Almablom stared at her for a moment before her eyes went wide.
¡°Tarwantrad¡you did inform him you were removing one of his scrolls, right? You did ask for permission before building a nexus door, right? The most forbidden of forbidden things we¡¯re not supposed to do? One that was specifically mentioned in the founding Compact itself?¡±
Tarwantrad just averted her gaze.
¡°I¡did not wish to fail before we even tried, simply because we were told no. You too! You didn¡¯t bother to ask me if I asked, you know!¡±
Almablom sharply exhaled her breath.
¡°Well, yes. Because I didn¡¯t even imagine you would possibly attempt this without asking. I just assumed that was so unthinkable you wouldn¡¯t have thought of doing it, even for a mission from the gods. What were you thinking, Tarwantrad?!¡±
Tarwantrad just hung her head.
A moment later, Tarwantrad made her way down to the welcoming garden at the entrance to her dungeon. The loremaster stood there with a stern expression, flanked by two of the guards. Tarwantrad gulped but made her way forward. She opened her mouth to greet him but the loremaster cut her off.
¡°All knowledge in the house of lore is open to all who seek to learn, nothing there is forbidden. There is but one restriction. Do you know what that is, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad?¡±
Tarwantrad fought off another gulp.
¡°Yes, Loremaster Anyadre.¡±
He continued staring at her.
¡°And what is it?¡±
Tarwantrad tried not to look away under his withering gaze.
¡°¡don¡¯t remove anything from the house without permission.¡±
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
¡°Well¡?¡±
She reached into the pocket of her apron and produced a scroll, sheepishly holding it out to him. Loremaster Anyadre accepted the scroll and inspected it closely from every angle. He then unrolled it, scrolling through quickly to ensure nothing was out of place. He turned to her and frowned.
¡°Everything appears to be in order. Under normal circumstances, as this is your first ever infraction, I would let you off with a warning.¡±
He narrowed his eyes on her once again.
¡°However, I fear these are not normal circumstances, are they? I cannot help but think of our last conversation, after which you committed your first ever infraction of the house of lore¡¯s most important rule. So, tell me, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad, what precisely were you doing with a scroll on nexuses? That you would intentionally take a scroll from the house of lore without informing the loremaster to achieve?¡±
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Tarwantrad flinched as Loremaster Anyadre glared at her. She considered lying but thought better of it. The loremaster had many centuries of experience on her and an uncanny ability to know things that he shouldn¡¯t. Given what he already knew, she had little confidence she could keep the truth from him.
¡°I¡built a nexus.¡±
Loremaster Anyadre, however, did not relent.
¡°And what precisely did you need a nexus for?¡±
Tarwantrad shrank on herself.
¡°To open¡a nexus door.¡±
Even the two guards stared at her with wide eyes at her admission. Loremaster Anyadre went deathly silent, staring at her with a disconcertingly neutral expression on his face. He spoke carefully in a near whisper.
¡°By all that is fair, what possessed you to do such a thing?¡±
Tarwantrad averted her gaze.
¡°I thought that¡if it was in my dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t be as big a deal¡¡±
Loremaster Anyadre took a deep breath and then motioned to the guards.
¡°Of all the dungeon masters I have met over my many years, you may very well be the most reckless¡and that is giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming this was not done out of malicious intent. Dungeon Master Tarwantrad, your actions have put the entire Calwaskon Compact at risk, threatening all of our lives and everything we have managed to preserve. You will take me to this door and dismantle it under my supervision. Then, you will be arrested and tried for treason. Do you understand?¡±
Tarwantrad just hung her head.
But as the guards moved to flank her, suddenly the doors of her dungeon slammed open. Another group of armored guards marched into the room, led by an armored woman with what appeared as a black bruise coloring the side of her face. The woman¡¯s voice boomed through the garden.
¡°Where is the dungeon master?¡±
Loremaster Anyadre stepped forward.
¡°Wardmaster Varilold, just in time. Right over here. I was just taking her into custody.¡±
Wardmaster Varilold pushed past the loremaster without responding and marched right up to Tarwantrad.
¡°You, what did you do?¡±
Tarwantrad shrunk on herself once more, but no longer had any reason to hide anything.
¡°I¡built a nexus, and a nexus door.¡±
Wardmaster Varilold narrowed her eyes.
¡°How did you do it? And why hasn¡¯t the Hunger flooded over all of us?¡±
Tarwantrad gulped.
¡°I, um, built it in my dungeon, hoping the dungeon¡¯s purifying powers would prevent that. It seems to have worked, as it led not to the Hunger but to another dungeon.¡±
The wardmaster adopted a thoughtful expression and rubbed her chin.
¡°A dungeon? One in the Compact or¡¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°No, according to the instructions I received by the Oracle of Flowers, the destination dungeon is located back in the mortal realms, in the ruins of the old human kingdom.¡±
The wardmaster¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Of course¡how did we miss that?¡±
Loremaster Anyadre stepped forward with a frown.
¡°Wardmaster, may I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±
She began pacing as she replied.
¡°Just now, a flood of mana reinvigorated the wards, restoring them to levels of strength we¡¯ve not seen in decades. A flood of mana originating from this very dungeon.¡±
The loremaster¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°The nexus door.¡±
Wardmaster Varilold nodded.
¡°We knew from the start that cutting off the land of the fair and the mortal realms would have consequences for the flow of mana, but we had no choice after the nexus road was corrupted. If this dungeon master, however, has managed to reopen the road without letting in the Hunger¡we may have just found the solution.¡±
Loremaster Anyadre gasped for the first time Tarwantrad could remember.
¡°Of course¡if the two doors are both located in dungeons, then perhaps the power of the gods would shield the path from the Hunger. We only received the dungeons after we had shut down the nexus doors and forbade their use, so we never checked how the dungeons would affect them¡¡±
The wardmaster ignored the loremaster¡¯s mumbling, snapped to attention, and stared down Tarwantrad once more.
¡°Dungeon Master¡?¡±
¡°Tarwantrad, Wardmaster.¡±
¡°Dungeon Master Tarwantrad, we will investigate the door you¡¯ve opened in full and assign several wardens to watch it until we can confirm the connection is safe. Will you be willing to prepare a residence for them in your dungeon?¡±
Tarwantrad was taken aback but managed to nod.
¡°Ah, yes, of course. That is¡if I¡¯m not to be tried for treason?¡±
Wardmaster Varilold snorted.
¡°Of course not. This is now a matter that concerns the very survival of the Compact, nothing else takes priority. We can address any crimes you may have committed later. Right now, we need you to keep that door open at all costs. And that¡¯s an order.¡±
Tarwantrad led the wardmaster and her wardens to the door in question. Wardmaster Varilold wasted no time in getting to work, setting up some temporary wards around the door while planning out a more permanent arrangement. She queried Tarwantrad heavily on the dungeon¡¯s defenses in the area, then barked at the wardens to keep watch while she marched back out of the dungeon to gather more wardens and supplies.
Loremaster Anyadre watched in silence until the wardmaster finished her work for the moment. He then stepped forward.
¡°Dungeon Master Tarwantrad.¡±
Tarwantrad turned to face him, still uncomfortable under his gaze even though she wasn¡¯t being arrested for treason anymore.
¡°Yes, Loremaster?¡±
His eyes narrowed.
¡°What you did was utterly reckless, displaying a complete disregard for the lives of everyone in the Compact. That it proved incidentally helpful does not change this, for I know this was not your intended outcome, as indicated by the deceptive manner you went about it. So, whether or not it has worked out, I fully expect you to never attempt something such as this without informing us again. You understand this, correct?¡±
Her face fell but she nodded.
¡°Yes, Loremaster.¡±
He nodded back at her.
¡°Good.¡±
And then he bowed his head to her.
¡°Because intended or not, your actions may have just reversed the future of the Compact and saved us all. And for that, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.¡±
Tarwantrad blinked, completely unable to process the loremaster¡¯s sudden shift in tone. All she thought was¡her little trip to the bee dungeon was turning out to be a far larger affair than she had ever imagined it to be.
Chapter 185 - Bee Wary
Tarwantrad grew some trees, bushes, and vines into a simple barracks that blended with the forest for the wardens. She ordered her monsters and assistants to provide furnishings and supplies while the wardens continued to monitor the nexus. Soon, Wardmaster Varilold returned with more wardens carrying crates and barrels filled with all the supplies necessary for powerful and lasting wards. The wardmaster got to work as soon as she arrived, having already spoken with Tarwantrad on how the wards would interact with her dungeon. Tarwantrad, however, still had something to discuss with her.
¡°Wardmaster, there is one more thing I need to discuss with you.¡±
Tarwantrad waited for the woman to nod at her, without bothering to look up from the ward formation she was inscribing right in the middle of a patch of flowers.
¡°I wish to pass through the door and speak with the dungeon master on the other side. He seems friendly, but we had only just met when the loremaster summoned me back. If we wish to keep the door open, we will need to ensure the other side is in agreement.¡±
The wardmaster just waved her off.
¡°Yes, I agree, you don¡¯t need to convince me girl. Go ahead and figure it out. We¡¯ll likely need to bring the master into the Compact eventually anyways.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°Thank you, wardmaster. I¡¯ll head over there right away. Please inform one of my monsters if you need me.¡±
The wardmaster grunted and continued focusing on her work. Tarwantrad walked off with a smile, humming a light tune as she made for the nexus door.
Back in the bee dungeon itself, just after Tarwantrad left, the reaction was one of confusion. All the bees and karnuq turned to watch Belissar and Chief Rohsuak. Belissar himself could only rub his chin.
¡°So¡that was some kind of fairy, right?¡±
Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded.
¡°To the best of my knowledge, I would agree. She was neither human nor beastkin, and the mana of the room responded to her in ways it does not to any of us, not even you its Tower Keeper.¡±
Chief Rohsuak then frowned.
¡°I must caution you, Tower Keeper. Friendly or not, please take care with your interactions with her should she return. What little my people know of the fair folk is not encouraging, and they are especially known for deception and trickery. I¡¯ll admit, though, that our knowledge is little more than bedtime stories and what few hints of their existence we happened upon during our journey.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Same goes for me. Though, Tarwantrad didn¡¯t seem so bad, and the God of Bees approves of her, apparently. What about you, Niobee? What do you think?¡±
Niobee danced right atop his head.
¡°Outsiders dangerous! If hurt King, will sting! If don¡¯t hurt King and bring flowers, is ok.¡±
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak both chuckled and nodded at that.
¡°Perhaps we are overthinking it, Tower Keeper. Niobee¡¯s approach may well work.¡±
Belissar smiled and brushed Niobee¡¯s back.
¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to see when she returns¡if she returns.¡±
The when quickly became if as an hour passed and no one came through the door. At that point, Belissar dispersed most of the bees and karnuq with a small handful staying behind to guard the fairy circle in question. With no idea how long it would take, Belissar and Chief Rohsuak decided to do what they could. First, they took a trip over to Sehfitis to see if the Tower Lords had any additional insight into their mysterious visitor.
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Sehfitis¡¯s jaw dropped when they explained the situation to him, following by him narrowing his eyes.
¡°Tower Keeper, I must ask. You are certain of this? You are certain she is fey?¡±
Belissar gulped at Sehfitis¡¯s tone but nodded his head.
¡°As certain as I can be. She had this¡otherworldly, um, aura, or something like that? And pointy ears.¡±
Chief Rohsuak chimed in.
¡°I agree with the Tower Keeper¡¯s assessment. Additionally, the mana of the room that the Tower itself labels a fairy room reacts to her in a way it does not with anyone else¡and in a more cooperative manner than we have seen thus far.¡±
Sehfitis nearly stumbled as he took a step back.
¡°By the gods. Tower Keeper, the situation is serious indeed. Knowledge of the fey is heavily restricted, but we do know they did very much exist. The kings of old had dealings with them, friendly and hostile both. And yet, for all the arcane knowledge of the ancient kingdom and armies of humans and beastkin they had at their disposal, the fey were neither conquered or dominated. Individual kings that dealt with them often came to ruin, regardless of whether the interaction was positive or violent. And¡¡±
Sehfitis glanced around, as if looking for anyone eavesdropping as his voice dropped to a whisper.
¡°This is but rumor, as any documents pertaining to it are known only to the High Council. But there are whispers that it was some knowledge of the fey, or one of the fey themselves, that led the old kingdom to its downfall. We had thought the fey wiped out by the Hunger for whatever role they may have played in it, but apparently not. So, take great care, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°I see¡but this one was approved by the God of Bees?¡±
Sehfitis rubbed his chin before shaking his head.
¡°Perhaps so. All I can say is¡take care as well when deciphering the will of the gods. My late charge¡¯s fate is a testament to what happens if you assume too much.¡±
Belissar grimaced at that. That whole set of affairs still left a sour taste in his mouth, so he tried not to think about it. He departed from Sehfitis and Chief Rohsuak as well, taking a bit of a walk to think about the situation. Eventually, he passed by the karnuq¡¯s beehouses once more, where he saw Paisijik looking over the First of the Ninth¡¯s hive. His chest slowly unknotted and he began to smile as he watched the karnuq and the bees get along.
He didn¡¯t want to assume the will of the gods, that was for sure. But, in this case, he felt he understood the God of Bees¡¯ intentions here. Tarwantrad may be some sort of tricky, dangerous fairy of some kind, but her love of bees had not seemed faked in the short interaction he had with her. She apparently knew of his beehouse feature, which meant that she had acquired that feature for her own Tower.
Additionally, he didn¡¯t know how much he trusted Sehfitis or the knowledge the augur had access to. After all, the karnuq had not turned out to be the violent, bestial monsters Tower Keeper doctrine had pinned them as, nor were they the loyal servants of the wicked kings of old as even Sehfitis¡¯s greater knowledge indicated. So, Belissar decided that, fey or no, he would try to form his own opinion of Tarwantrad, should she return. The God of Bees wanted him to invite her to his Tower and he did not believe the God of Bees would do so if Tarwantrad would bring him to ruin.
¡°King, leaves moving again!¡±
And he had decided just in time as a communer watching over the Fairy Grove reached out to him. Belissar steeled himself and then made his way over to find out just how true or not the legends of the fairies were.
He returned to find Tarwantrad standing in the circle once more. She still appeared as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but this time he was more prepared for it so he was not as stunned. He still couldn¡¯t help but flush a bit as she saw him and beamed.
¡°Belissar! I¡¯m so glad to see you again!¡±
He could not help but return a smile.
¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too, Tarwantrad. Did everything work out with whatever drew you away? It seemed¡urgent.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded and adopted a serious expression.
¡°Indeed, and we have a request for you as well. The Calwaskon Compact would like for us to keep this nexus door open indefinitely in both of our dungeons, as our future may very well depend on it. I know it is a lot to ask when we¡¯ve only just met, I can promise you though that if you are willing to do so the entire Calwaskon Compact would be incredibly grateful. I will also offer my support and friendship as a fellow dungeon master.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°That¡¯s¡¡±
He nearly agreed of out habit, but his past forays into diplomacy as well as his recent conversations on the fey made him hesitate. Once he thought about it, he definitely didn¡¯t want to commit to anything just like that, especially where the supposedly tricky and dangerous fey were concerned. Leaving a door open to his dungeon could also be dangerous, though he supposed if he moved the Fairy Grove to be the first room it would be no different than the normal entrance.
In any case, unlike the situation with the sigmaka, Tarwantrad did not seem ready to attack him at a moment¡¯s notice, so he had a bit more time to think before he responded. He decided that before he agreed to anything, he needed more information about who he was dealing with, and what exactly they were asking him to do.
¡°I have some questions. First, what is the Calwaskon Compact?¡±
Chapter 186 - Please, Wont You Bee My Neighbor?
¡°The Calwaskon Compact is an agreement between all the fair peoples and dungeon masters to work for the common good so long as we are threatened by the Hunger. You can think of it as the governing body of the land of the fair.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Fair peoples? Land of the fair.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened a bit.
¡°Ah, that is, all peoples blessed by the innate touch of mana and a deeper connection to the world, and the land we are from. A land separate from but connected to the rest of the world.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s face fell a bit as she saw Belissar¡¯s confusion continue to grow.
¡°The point is¡my people need your help. We need to keep this nexus door open to power the wards we use to keep the Hunger out of the land of the fair. It¡¯s only just been decided, but I am sure we will make it worth your while to do so. For right now, I can offer you some assistance as a fellow dungeon master.¡±
Belissar slowly nodded. He still didn¡¯t know what exactly was meant by fair peoples or land of the fair, though he could guess that meant fairies and their home. The whole connection to mana and the world and a separate but connected land business was beyond him. He could, however, understand the desire to keep the Hunger out. He had no idea how keeping this ¡°nexus gate¡± or whatever it was open helped with powering wards, whatever those were, so all he could do was take Tarwantrad¡¯s word for it that it would help.
What he did understand was that Tarwantrad and her people wanted to make a deal for this, and he saw no specific reason why he shouldn¡¯t. There was the general wariness of people he didn¡¯t know plus the vague implication of doom that might result from dealing with the fey, but the God of Bees¡¯ hand in this gave him confidence to proceed unless Tarwantrad gave him a reason to doubt her.
Which meant what he needed to know was what they were offering.
¡°I see. I have¡two questions. First, are there going to be any rules on people coming and going from the door? Are your people going to want to come through whenever or can I decide who to let in? What about my bees and defenders crossing to the other side?¡±
He winced as he realized he was starting to ramble a bit.
¡°Sorry, guess I had more than two questions. But the second big one is what sort of assistance can you offer?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°Your questions are perfectly reasonable. As for the first set, as far as we know we only need the door open and it is not necessary for anyone to cross over in either direction. Since the door leads between yours and my dungeons, you and I can come up with our own arrangement on who is allowed to either side.¡±
Her face then scrunched up.
¡°As for the Compact¡that could get complicated now that I think of it.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°How so?¡±
Tarwantrad glanced around at Belissar and the karnuq, then took a deep breath.
¡°So, please don¡¯t take offense, but the issue is that you are human, with an army of those hybrids your people made. The fair peoples have not had positive interactions with humans in the past, and none of our records speak kindly of your people.¡±
She quickly waved her hands about.
¡°Ah, but this is not regarding you personally! I know just from the care you took in making your beehouses that you are not any sort of destructive brute crushing everything in your path! It¡¯s just that¡others in the Compact may not realize that, so I cannot say for certain if they will be willing to let you visit our lands. I can allow you in my own dungeon, but beyond that will take approval from the Compact. They definitely want the door open and definitely will work with you to keep it that way, but any more than that I cannot say.¡±
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Belissar opened his mouth to object on that description of humans before thinking back to his treatment at the hands of the Tower Lords, or even his fellow villagers. Or the Tower Lord¡¯s son behaviour when he arrived at Belissar¡¯s Tower. He slowly closed his mouth.
¡°That¡¯s¡well, we can talk about that later. I don¡¯t need to visit the Compact as long as the Compact leaves me alone in exchange.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s face fell.
¡°I¡understand, that is only fair. But...would you be willing to allow me personally more visits in the future, even if you want to keep the rest of the Compact out?¡±
Belissar thought for a moment before slowly nodding.
¡°You said we can work that out between our dungeons, right?¡±
Tarwantrad quickly smiled and nodded.
¡°Yes! We should! I think you and I could really help each other¡¯s dungeons! You see, I am a disciple of the God of Flowers, and you are one of the God of Bees!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Ah¡yes, I could see how that could help. I just got a minor blessing from the God of Flowers, actually.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°And I recently got one from the God of Bees, with the help of your beehouses even! I think our gods are already working together, so we should too! In fact¡¡±
Tarwantrad reached into one of the pockets on her apron and removed a small pouch.
¡°This is a gift I wished to offer to you as a token of friendship between our dungeons. They are the seeds of the moon lily, a type of lily I have personally cultivated. They glow softly in the moonlight. Not only are they beautiful in the night, they also provide an easy place for bees that couldn¡¯t return home before nightfall to rest, as they can be easily located even in the dark.¡±
Belissar could only smile at that as he took the pouch.
¡°Thank you, I¡¯m sure the bees will enjoy them.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded and smiled warmly.
¡°I know those who dwell in my dungeon do, so I hope yours will as well. And that, Belissar, is what I can do best for you. I am well-learned in the art of caring for flowering plants, both in wild settings and in guided cultivation. And as a dungeon master, my knowledge extends beyond beauty, as I¡¯m sure you well know. Should you agree to keep the nexus door open until the Compact negotiates with you, I will offer you one of my more potent children. A monster or trap to help keep your dungeon safe, or perhaps one with helpful properties to support the defenses you already possess, whatever you would desire most.¡±
She then looked up at the soldier bees hovering overhead.
¡°I hope, too, that this will only be the beginning of our friendship. I do not know how it is for you humans but the dungeon masters of the Compact work together to support one another, exchanging knowledge, products, and even defenders to strengthen one another. I think you and I especially would benefit from what each other¡¯s dungeons have to offer. And, even if you are not invited to the Compact right away, I can connect you to the community of dungeon masters if you wish to exchange with others as well.¡±
She turned back to him and smiled.
¡°So, Belissar, master of the bee dungeon, would you be willing to work with me as one dungeon master with another? And to consider the offer of the Compact when they have decided how to treat with you?¡±
Belissar was still processing all of her words when she made her request. There was a lot to consider, from the existence of some kind of fey nation that apparently didn¡¯t like humans all that much, to the idea that Tower Keepers¡or dungeon masters, as Tarwantrad called them¡apparently had some sort of community? Well, the Tower Lords also had the Conclave and the High Council, so that much wasn¡¯t surprising in retrospect.
But as he thought more about it, Belissar began to nod. Tarwantrad was not exaggerating when she said she could really help him. Flowers were the most important element in his Tower after bees, or perhaps even alongside bees, for the two could not function without the other. Someone who could offer him more flowers? Who had specialized their entire dungeon in flowers? Belissar would offer much to have access to such a dungeon, and Tarwantrad was asking little.
And a friendly exchange between them, even working together? The cross-perks between the God of Bees and the God of Flowers had been exceptionally well-suited for his Tower. He couldn¡¯t help but think that cooperating with a flower Tower could have similarly impressive results.
But there was one thing Tarwantrad offered that Belissar realized he desperately wanted. How many times in the past had he made mistakes because he didn¡¯t know what the Tower could do, or how it functioned? How many times had he wished for someone to teach him what to do? Right here, he had a fellow Tower Keeper who was not one of the Tower Lords, or even one of the Sacred Den Masters that Chief Rohsuak had not spoken kindly of. One who had come in friendship, offered gifts, and cared for bees.
He had everything to gain from this deal and could not see any reason why he shouldn¡¯t accept. So, he gave her a smile.
¡°I would be happy to.¡±
Tarwantrad made the brightest smile he had seen yet.
Chapter 187 - Bee Astonished!
¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you tell me about your dungeon? What sort of rooms do you have, and what sort of flowers? And what sort of bees? Especially the bees! I¡¯ve not seen bees like these ones before! They appear to be a monster variant of honeybee, specialized for combat, perhaps, based on the chitin and stingers. Fascinating! Oh, I¡¯m getting carried away, aren¡¯t I? Of course, you only need show me as much of your dungeon as you are comfortable with, I do not mean to intrude.¡±
Tarwantrad had apparently been holding back until confirming he¡¯d keep the door open, and now she unleashed a flood of questions. Belissar blinked as he raced to keep up.
¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Yeah, these are monster bee soldiers, raised by the hive to protect the Tower, or dungeon?¡±
Tarwantrad shrugged.
¡°Each people has their own name for them. The Compact took to calling them dungeons as a common name the dungeons themselves use, but please feel free to use whatever name is most familiar to you.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°I see. It¡¯s just¡there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about dungeons. I was just a peasant beekeeper before this.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°Yes, I too spent a few decades on various pursuits before taking up a dungeon, but I think that¡¯s not what you¡¯re saying? Did your people not intend for you to take up their defense?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°No, they definitely did not. They tried to kill me to keep from it and tried again to take it away from me.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s face darkened.
¡°That¡¯s horrifying. Are humans truly that shortsighted and violent? I had thought the records and legends to be exaggerating.¡±
Belissar¡¯s face scrunched up.
¡°Well¡not all of us, but a lot of us, from what I¡¯ve seen. I¡¯m just glad my Tower moved far away from them, so at least I¡¯ll have some time to prepare for the next attempt.¡±
Tarwantrad gave him a worried look and took a deep breath.
¡°All the more reason for us to work together then, and make sure your dungeon is well defended. Please, tell me how I can help you, Belissar.¡±
Belissar blinked at her, uncertain of what to say. She¡wanted to help him? Just like that? The karnuq didn¡¯t volunteer help for the Tower until they became his sworn defenders. Even Mrs. Imkomos had him help out with her apiary in exchange for feeding and housing him. He guessed he was leaving the door open in exchange, though. She did say something about that being really important for her people, so in that vein it made sense she¡¯d also want to help keep his Tower around.
Having reassured himself that she did have a reason to want to help, Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Hm, honestly, any kind of flowers will help. The bees evolve themselves based off of special flowers¡¡±
Tarwantrad suddenly leaned forward.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but did you say your bees evolve based on the flowers? As in, they drink nectar and suddenly change?!¡±
Belissar blinked again at the interruption before slowly nodding.
¡°Ah, yes. Well, it takes a little more than that. They have to process the nectar into special kinds of honey, then either raise new bees in it or go back into a cell and evolve with it. And, uh, it can get difficult with certain honey types. I know the Third of the Sixth struggled a bit with the fire honey¡¡±
Tarwantrad leaned in even further, her eyes now fixed in an intense stare on him.
¡°They make honeys unique enough to fuel an evolution? They made fire honey? I¡¯m guessing that means some sort of honey filled with Fire attribute mana?¡±
Belissar gulped.
¡°Um, yes?¡±
Tarwantrad suddenly began rubbing her chin and muttering to herself.
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¡°I¡see. Maybe that explains why Urubran got the mission first. Fire attribute honey¡¡±
Belissar glanced about, taking a bit of comfort in the bees starting to hover closer to him.
¡°Is that not normal? Well, I guess even more not normal than Towers already are.¡±
Tarwantrad turned an intense gaze back to him once more and shook her head.
¡°No, it is not. I don¡¯t harvest much honey from my honeybees, and my dungeon relies more on other bee species in the first place. From what I¡¯ve seen, though, my honeybees do produce unique types of honey when they gather from magical plants, but nothing like what you¡¯re describing. Nothing with enough mana to change their fundamental nature. In fact, my honeybees tend to prefer mundane flowers that bloom in greater quantities, and avoid those with especially exotic magical properties. Anything that could produce a Fire mana-imbued honey would probably have warded them off.¡±
Belissar stared blankly for a second.
¡°Oh. Well¡maybe it¡¯s because I started with monster bee queens? Now that I think about it, they were making mana honey from the start, even before they found mana flowers.¡±
Tarwantrad rubbed her chin again and nodded.
¡°Ah, that could explain it. If your bees were already touched by mana, then they¡¯d be more receptive to it in general. I would guess that having the God of Bees as your patron is also having a significant influence here.¡±
Belissar thought about his blessing and the Tower stepped in to help. He focused in on a specific line.
Blessing of Bees
- Bee monster upgrades and evolutions are now cheaper and easier to unlock
He nodded back to Tarwantrad.
¡°Yes, it says the blessing of bees makes it easier for bee monsters to evolve.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded, then spent a few minutes in silence before snapping up to look at him again.
¡°I see. Am I correct in assuming your dungeon is centered around bees as its main defenders, with flowers as a supporting feature to feed them and drive their evolutions?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°Got it. In that case, I can definitely help you. Would you mind telling me what sort of flowers you have and what kind of bees have resulted?¡±
For a brief moment, Belissar considered how much of his Tower he should share about before shrugging it off. He was already trusting Tarwantrad with an open door to his Tower at this point and she apparently wanted to help him fight off the Tower Lords. The more he shared about his flowers and bees, the more useful the flower she would give him would be.
Besides, the way her eyes lit up whenever he described his bees made him want to share more about them.
¡°Well, we started with normal flowers like dandelions and lilies, but then my bees found some mana flowers. Those are their favorite, I think monster bees need mana in their honey so they prefer plants that have it in their nectar. I got some kind of healing herbs, poisonous flowers, and flax from a basic resource plant feature.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded along.
¡°A good way to get started if you don¡¯t have access to a decent variety, though I have better results with those I raise myself.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin for a second.
¡°That¡¯s true for us too, with the cross-pollination and all.¡±
Tarwantrad turned her gaze to him once again, leaning so far forward the bees began to buzz.
¡°Did you say, cross-pollination? As in, you¡¯ve raised new cultivars by your bees cross-pollinating them. Your mana-filled monster bees foraging from mana flowers?¡±
Belissar took a step back out of reflex.
¡°Y-Yes? I, uh, got a perk for it and my bees have been using it to raise new flower types. Mostly mana-filled versions of the special normal flowers, like the healing herbs. Oh, that¡¯s also how we got fire mana flowers, come to think of it. They cross-pollinated the mana flowers with flame radish.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes went as wide as they would go. She then shut them close, clasped her hands in front of her, and took a deep breath, exhaling it very slowly. She opened her eyes again to once again stare intently at Belissar, causing him to take yet another step back. She winced when she saw that and her face softened.
¡°Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you. I was overwhelmed by the sheer possibilities of what you¡¯ve described to me. Mana-touched bees that can evolve based on the characteristics of the plants they forage from, and who can in turn raise new types of plants by cross-pollinating them.¡±
Her gaze turned intent once again, though she made sure to smile this time, and did not lean forward.
¡°Belissar, after the first flower I offer you, we must arrange an exchange. What your bees could do for my dungeon and what your bees could do for yours with my flowers¡I think there is no limit for either of our dungeons¡¯ growth were we to cooperate.¡±
Belissar, however, frowned.
¡°I¡can definitely see the potential. But, it sounds like you¡¯re saying we should trade monsters?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded. Belissar glanced up at Niobee and the bees all around him before continuing.
¡°I¡would have to think about that. I wouldn¡¯t want to make any of my bees move out of their home. I know they¡¯d do it if I asked, so I¡¯d have to figure how to find out if any of them would be willing¡¡±
Belissar hung his head for a second before taking a glance at Tarwantrad. To his surprise, she was smiling warmly at him.
¡°You truly love your bees, don¡¯t you? Were it not for your own admission otherwise, I would assume you to be one of the fair peoples for that depth of care.¡±
She looked him in the eye, drawing in his own gaze.
¡°I fully agree with your intentions, so please, take as much time as you need to speak with your bees. However, I will swear to you this. I will do all that is within my power to ensure that any bees that move from your dungeon to mine will be happy and well-cared for, and I will show you the arrangements I make for them so that you may be reassured. I hope that you will do the same for any flowers I offer you.¡±
Belissar held eye contact for a moment before slowly beginning to nod. Maybe, just maybe, he might be ok with sending his bees with this person. And if he was, well, Tarwantrad already said it herself. The potential for cooperation between a Tower of bees and a Tower of flowers was endless.
Chapter 188 - Environmental Sustaina-Bee-lity
Seeing as they continued getting distracted by all the wonders of Belissar¡¯s Tower, Tarwantrad asked Belissar to just give her a quick overview of the flower types he had available. Tarwantrad kept silent, nodding along. She crossed her arms and hummed to herself as Belissar recited everything he could remember, with Niobee and the bees reminding him of the rest.
¡°Gravilions, huh? A gravity flower, now that¡¯s a curiosity indeed. I will have to trade you for those as well. But let¡¯s put that aside for now, so you have at least one representative for ground, wind, fire, water, light, dark, and cold. You have some varieties of poisons and medicines available. If you cross the quickblossom and the alfalfa with mana flowers, that should give you sources of lightning and nature. Death and flowers work better together than you might think, though I could see difficulties for a honey-based evolution through that mana type. If that¡¯s the case¡¡±
Belissar watched in silence as Tarwantrad considered, waiting until she spoke again.
¡°I see three options I could offer you for the first boon. I could offer you a flower with a type of mana you don¡¯t yet have access to expand your options further. Alternatively, I could offer you an additional features of types you already have but that would enhance one of your ecosystems with additional diversity. Doing so could reinforce and strengthen one of your existing mana types, producing healthier and stronger flowers of the varieties that absorb it. Finally, I could offer you one of my flower monsters or traps if you are concerned with your defenses.¡±
She gave him a smile.
¡°I¡¯ll admit, I am curious to see how your bees¡¯ cross-pollination abilities might affect various flower monsters. I¡¯m sure, though, that we will get to that if we make trades in the future.¡±
Belissar smiled back before crossing his arms.
¡°Do you mind if I take a minute? I like to consult with the bees, especially when choosing flowers.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s smile only grew.
¡°Of course, take all the time you need.¡±
Belissar nodded and glanced up at Niobee. She was already dancing, sending out mana through the Tower.
¡°King! Told queens! Will reply to you!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Thanks, Niobee.¡±
He turned his Tower sight throughout the Tower, noting the queens stirring and beginning to dance within their hives. He had been about to walk back to their usual meeting spot at the Memorial, but doing so would leave Tarwantrad hanging on her own, while bringing the queens here would require them to traverse the confusing Fairy Grove¡and also expose them to Tarwantrad and the fairy circle she traveled through. Belissar thought she was trustworthy but understood that it would be a big risk for the bees to expose their queens to a stranger¡not to mention that he had no idea who else might be on the other side, like that Compact Tarwantrad mentioned. Fortunately, Niobee appeared to have already considered that, so the queens were sending their replies directly to him through the Tower¡¯s bond.
After the usual volley of ¡°whatever King chooses,¡± the queens began to share their preferences. The Firstborn and most of the battle meadow bees liked the idea of new mana types. The First of the Fourth mentioned she had a gardener tending to their resident monster flower, and that she was curious about the potential of such plants. The First of the Fifth, somewhat to Belissar¡¯s surprise, expressed interest in the idea of reinforcing existing ecosystems, citing that stronger mana would improve honey quality and thus the number and health of bees they could raise, especially the evolved types. The Third of the Sixth seconded this specifically for the Lava Field, which was still mostly barren as far as plant life was concerned.
Belissar took all this into account as he considered what would benefit his Tower and the bees within the most.
¡°So, you said something about enhancing the, um, ecosystem, was it? Could you explain more about that? Is that like crop rotation?¡±
Tarwantrad glanced toward him with a smile as he spoke to her once more.
¡°Indeed it is. Different plants, even of similar types, can fill different niches. Some, like the alfalfa you mention, are in turn necessary for other plants to grow healthy and strong. They also affect the mana around them or even each other¡¯s mana, and can create complex interweaves.¡±
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Belissar slowly nodded as he tried to process that.
¡°And, that¡¯s necessary for a Tower? I¡¯ve noticed that my plants grew apparently without water or rain at first.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded with a serious expression.
¡°Yes, it is. A dungeon can substitute any lacking physical needs with mana, but this does have a cost. It will always keep any organisms from spawners or features in functioning condition, but if you want them at their best you need to provide for them. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed as much with your bees?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°Good. It is much the same for plants, or anything else. The less work you make the mana do, the more of it is available for other things. Additionally, the interactions of the mana I mentioned can strengthen the dungeon as a whole, enhancing spells, promoting growth and evolution, and other such effects.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I see. In that case¡could you offer something to help with that?¡±
Tarwantrad smiled once more.
¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to. Please, give me just a moment.¡±
Tarwantrad returned to her dungeon for a bit before returning with a large pouch. She opened it up to reveal a bag full of grains¡and manure, based on the smell.
¡°You said you had poisonous subterranean mushrooms, but nothing that grows above ground, correct?¡±
Belissar nodded and Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°Then this will help tremendously. This substrate is full of the mycelium of the greenwood mushroom.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Um, mycelium?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°You can think of it as the roots of mushrooms, it¡¯s what they grow from. This bag is full of it, so if you mixed this into a patch of soil you¡¯d seem mushrooms grow there soon enough.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°I¡see. And that helps the flower¡ecosystem?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded repeatedly.
¡°It doesn¡¯t just help, it¡¯s the foundation of it all! I¡¯ve found that nearly every plant I¡¯ve raised has fungi mycelium wrapped around or even penetrating through their roots, exchanging nutrients and mana that the other cannot obtain otherwise. There are some flowers that won¡¯t even grow if there are no fungi present in the soil, unless you try and make up the difference with a ridiculous amount of mana. This particular mushroom grows specifically in environments brimming with Nature mana and is exceptional at working with plants. I promise you, spread this to your flowers and you will see them bloom brighter than ever before.¡±
Belissar nodded and took the bag.
¡°Got it. Should I absorb it, or just use it as is?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°Absorb what you need to make more, anything left over you can use as is.¡±
Belissar did so.
Sufficient samples gathered. Greenwood Mushroom is now available.
Current applications: Flower Meadow, Apiary, Orchard, Fairy Grove, Dirt Tunnels, Apothecary''s Hut
Greenwood Mushroom
- Type: Mushroom, Nature, Resource
- Mana Upkeep: 5 per node, 3 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A mushroom in symbiosis with plants that has gathered enough Nature mana to become something more. Not only does this mushroom transfer nutrients, but it also gathers mana and feeds it to its connected plants so that they may generate more Nature mana for it to use in turn. Boosts the growth and mana of all plants. If two or more plants are connected to the same greenwood mushroom mycelium, they may exchange mana with each other as well. The caps are edible and abundant in Nature mana.
Belissar smiled.
¡°The Tower agrees with you. Looks like this will help a lot. Thank you, Tarwantrad.¡±
She smiled back.
¡°I¡¯m happy to help! Between these mushrooms below and your bees above, your flowers are going to be beyond healthy and happy.¡±
At that point, however, the flower monster from before walked out of the fairy circle once again, tugging at Tarwantrad¡¯s dress. She sighed.
¡°Well, this has been wonderful, but it seems I must depart once again. Would you mind if I return to visit again, hopefully soon?¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°You¡¯re welcome anytime.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed at him.
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll return as soon as I am able! And, I¡¯ll probably need to discuss it with the Wardmaster first, but hopefully I can show you my dungeon soon as well.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I¡¯d love to see it.¡±
She gave him another smile at that.
¡°Take care, Belissar, and may your flowers bloom bold and bright.¡±
And with that, she walked back into the circle and vanished in another swirl of leaves. For once, Belissar was actually looking forward to her return. But first, he had work to do. He glanced up at Niobee on his head.
¡°Shall we see what these mushrooms do?¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Tarwantrad returned to find Wardmaster Varilold waiting for her, the nexus now surrounded by faint shimmering, the only sign of the powerful wards all around it. The wardmaster gave her a nod.
¡°There you are. I trust you and the other dungeon master have come to an agreement?¡±
Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°That we have. He will keep the door open, at least until the Compact negotiates a more formal arrangement.¡±
The wardmaster spun around and began marching.
¡°Good. Come along, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad. The Compact will now discuss that very topic. I will convince them of the necessity. You must tell us about this dungeon master, and how we should approach him.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded and fell into step with the wardmaster, her smile dropping. She had found the bee dungeon and made contact with its master. Now, she just had to convince the Compact to treat with a human, and treat with him well¡
POBee 188.1 - Can Bee Build It?
Belissar had a quick chat with Niobee and Chief Rohsuak about their impressions of Tarwantrad. He felt quite positive about her, for once, but he wanted to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything. Chief Rohsuak agreed that Tarwantrad had been perfectly friendly and it seemed beneficial to forge a positive relationship with her, though advised him to treat any conversations with the Compact the same as the ones with the sigmaka. Even further deals with Tarwantrad personally needed to be considered carefully.
Niobee¡¯s perception was simpler. Tarwantrad hadn¡¯t hurt him and had offered them mushrooms, so it was acceptable to continue talking with her. The bees would continue to watch her closely, but they did so with everyone. They still escorted Belissar even when he spoke with the karnuq, much less someone outside of the Tower.
In any case, Belissar had a few adjustments to make as a result of the talk with Tarwantrad. He went ahead and enabled the new mushrooms in every applicable room and had Niobee inform the queens and gardeners of the change. Then, he was about to move the battle Fairy Grove to be the first room of the dungeon when he paused. On the one hand, he wanted to put it there as long as the nexus door or whatever Tarwantrad had called it stayed open, just in case it turned out the Compact wasn¡¯t as friendly as Tarwantrad had been. On the other hand, he realized that might leave the door vulnerable to shades, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it would close permanently if a shade corrupted the area. He didn¡¯t want to break the deal by accident.
After a few moments of thought, Belissar decided to compromise. He put the battle Fairy Grove second, right after the Dirt Tunnels but before the Lava Field. Hopefully that would give them enough time to either deal with a shade before it reached the nexus door, or to respond to an attack by the Compact before it reached the battle meadow. The Dirt Tunnels would also buy time to rearrange the rooms in case of a big emergency purification.
After that, both the bee army and the karnuq posted sentries to keep an eye on the door, and then everyone returned back to their business. Impending negotiations with the fey or not, the work went on.
Speaking of ongoing work, the Third of the Third found that her chosen task was far more complicated than she had ever imagined. Her original cooperation with the carpenters bees had gone well, that much was fine. The carpenters, while they could not perform the dance language her hive could, could still follow instructions and process wood into whatever shapes and sizes she desired.
It was then she hit the first unexpected problem: what exactly was she going to build? There was no way she could ever match the magical palaces built by the King, so she wouldn¡¯t even try to build one of those. The karnuq, as well, had their own methods, and had taken to using stone rather than wood. They had mostly completed their hives as well, and did not require as much assistance from the bee army.
She found her answer examining the defense layers of the Bee Barracks. The King had arranged for a wall of sharp stakes that would ward off larger predators. The Third of the Third then noticed that the King had also planted some thorny roses that had wrapped around the nearest stake, creating an additional layer of spikes to deter anything that could squeeze in between the larger stakes on top of providing more flowers to forage from.
Her scouts had then reported that one of the Flower Meadow gardeners had planted an entire patch of those roses near the wooden platform towards the front of the room, and had cross-pollinated the roses with many other flowers types to create mana-imbued thorns with novel effects. That had gotten her attention, and an idea had coalesced in her mind. If she added a line of stakes through that patch, the roses the garden had grown would wrap around them, forming a veritable wall of mana-imbued thorns. That wall would block the approach to the wooden platform as well, further protecting members of the fallen hive who had not yet regained their wings. She could join efforts with the hive of hives in a way that would improve the fighting power of the bee army.
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Her decision was made, and she had the carpenters begin forming sharp stakes for the construction squads to carry. It was then that she had run into the second issue.
Stakes were really heavy. The construction squad had lifted heavy things before, but mostly in the form of flat planks of wood. The stakes the King had used were formed of entire logs, practically entire trees minus their roots and branches. Soldiers bees could lift them in sufficient numbers, but that would require drafting far more soldiers into the construction squads. The Third of the Third could not justify doing so, especially not when the army needed to train in the confusing room, as well as guard against the latest newcomer.
She found her answer in the bumblebees. The bumblebee soldiers, being far, far larger than the usual soldier, severely cut down on the number of soldiers needed to carry a stake. Just a handful or even one of them was enough as long as they worked with the construction squads. And drawing them away from the army wasn¡¯t that big an issue. The bumblebees, lacking the same level of coordination or even language as the monster bees, required a tighter hand to fight alongside the army, which took the form of a soldier or worker bee sitting on their back to relay commands. So, when fighting in the confusing room, they could just put one of the chromatic workers on the bumblebee soldier¡¯s back to guide them. For the bumblebees, it was no different than fighting with the soldier bee army anywhere else, so they could get away with a bit less training.
So, the Third of the Third managed to get sharpened stakes without asking the King, and managed to get those stakes to the construction site with an acceptable allocation of labor. Then, she ran into the third problem. The stakes would not remain upright, but fall to the ground whenever they tried to place them. A closer inspection of the original stakes revealed that they were partially buried underground.
And so, once again, the Third of the Third had to go and coordinate with yet another set of bees. This time, she spoke with the digging queen, the Fourth of the Fifth, and managed to recruit a squad of her digging soldiers. At this point, her little project was drawing entirely too many resources from the hive of hives. If she ran into a fourth issue, she was prepared to call the entire thing off.
So, she came to watch personally and paced about as she watched the digging soldier squad clear out a hole of dirt, vibrating their thick mandibles to break up the soil while their legs and Ground mana moved it out of the way. They made good time, and had quickly made a hole roughly the diameter of the stake.
The Third of the Third stopped pacing and gave the next order. Her workers wrapped weaved stems from the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive around the stake and around the soldiers, including two bumblebees. The air hummed as the two bumblebees beat their wings and took off, the smaller soldiers following along. The stake slowly rose into the air, then began to tilt upward as one of the bumblebees stopped and hovered in place while the other continued to rise.
Then, slowly, surely, they began to move the stake forward. The Third of the Third locked her eyes onto it, forgetting even to move her abdomen to keep the air flowing through her trachea. One of her communers stood by the hole in the ground, helping the bees overhead align the stake on the center of the hole before they slowly lowered it down. Eventually, the stake stopped moving as it hit the bottom of the hole.
And then came the moment of truth. The bumblebees and soldiers hovered closer to the stake, allowing the weaved stems to go slack. The Third of the Third began to buzz her wings as the stake seemed to sway¡but then it stopped. A tiny bit of adjustment and it remained still. It remained upright, pointing its sharp point into the sky.
The Third of the Third broke out into a happy dance. The effort had succeeded, this project would pay off after all.
The digging bees began to push dirt into the hole and send some Ground mana down through it, packing its walls a bit more densely together to hold the stake in place. The workers began to remove the weaves from the stake so they could prepped for the next one. And the Third of the Third¡¯s mind began to race.
She had borrowed bees from the hive of hives for this experiment, but now that the concept was proven she needed to arrange a permanent allocation. She would have to trade honey with the Fourth of the Fifth so she could raise a digging soldier squad of her own, as well as work out donations for the bumblebees to make up for using their soldiers long term. She also needed to ask the Fourth of the Seventh, or her partner the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, if they could teach her hive how to weave the stems together as well. All of that would take time, negotiations, and expanded honey production.
But once she had it all arranged¡she could then improve the hive of hives defenses, replicating the work of the King himself. And that was an effort worth pursuing.
Side Story 188.2 - Compact Deli-Bee-rations
Tarwantrad sat at a large table, carved directly from the trunk of a formerly massive tree. The table was left where the tree once grew, surrounded by a small grove of trees barely taller than her that itself grew in a clearing between the giant fellows of the trunk table. The top of the table was covered in swirling, curved letters, the original terms of the Calwaskon Compact carved directly into its surface and occasionally glowing with a soft, green light.
The rest of her surroundings could be described as anything but soft.
All around her, men and women of many different shapes and sizes argued and shouted over one another. Tarwantrad had been brought before the signatories of the Compact and relayed what had occurred. The representatives had already been in an uproar over the opening of a nexus door by the time she reported on Belissar himself. Once it was revealed that a human reigned on the other side of the door, all hell broke loose.
Forgemaster Ughlarer, the short and broad representative of the black elves, scowled as he crossed his arms.
¡°Close the door immediately. There¡¯s no dealing with those reckless fools. They must not be allowed to find us.¡±
Henilett, the pixie representative standing on the table itself due to her small size, narrowed her eyes with a predatory grin.
¡°There¡¯s no need to be so frightened, Ughlarer. That very recklessness makes them all too easy to¡persuade. I¡¯m sure we could come to an arrangement that is beneficial for the Compact.¡±
Deludelig, the pale representative of the dusk elves, barely revealed her eyes between the black hair hanging over her face as she spoke in a raspy voice.
¡°Or we could just kill him.¡±
Tarwantrad clenched her fists. Belissar had been nothing but friendly to her, and the Compact¡¯s first reaction was to deceive him? Or kill him, after Tarwantrad convinced him to assist them? She had apparently underestimated just how poorly the elders of the Compact thought of humans.
She had held her tongue till now, seeing as she was surrounded by those who had centuries of experience and wisdom on her. But if this was how they were going to react¡she would not stand for it. She prepared to rise to her feet and join the shouting.
Only for a quiet, yet firm voice to somehow cut through all the noise.
¡°Are you done?¡±
All voices went silent and all eyes turned to Wardmaster Varilold.
¡°Yes, the humans survived the Hunger, somehow, because of course they did. And yes, humans apparently have access to dungeons as well as us, which they are no doubt using for stupid and dangerous ends. Yes, it is all very shocking and concerning. But we at this table are not children, so now that you have all had the chance to vent your fear, let¡¯s get to business. You all know as well as I that humans are not known for their patience. Dungeon Master Tarwantrad has bought us some time, but we had best decide on a more formal arrangement before the other dungeon master grows suspicious of our intent.¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer¡¯s scowl grew.
¡°Wardmaster, surely you are not suggesting we deal with a human, much less leave the door to the Compact wide open to them?¡±
The wardmaster turned and met the glare of the forgemaster without hesitation.
¡°No, forgemaster, I am not suggesting. I am informing. And if the signatories cannot gather themselves from blind panic, then I shall command.¡±
The forgemaster narrowed his eyes.
¡°And what authority do you have to command us in a matter such as this?¡±
Wardmaster Varilold just waved her hand towards the table, causing the terms of the Compact to light up once more.
¡°This authority. This matter concerns the wards and the very survival of the Compact, which you would have known if you had paid attention rather than squawking like a flock of seagulls fighting over scraps.¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer growled.
¡°Don¡¯t snap at me, Wardmaster! I know what you said! Opening a nexus door between two dungeons can apparently bypass the Hunger and reinvigorate the land of the fair. But that does not mean we need to use a door that leads directly to a human dungeon master!¡±
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Wardmaster Varilold gave him a stern look.
¡°On the contrary, it absolutely does. Loremaster Anyadre, explain how nexus doors work, since apparently the signatories have forgotten.¡±
The loremaster sighed. Forgemaster Ughlarer glared at him but he shook his head.
¡°The nexus doors lead where they will. Sometimes they take the desire of the opener into account, often they do not. You can open the door and step onto the road, but where it goes no one knows. So long as this door remains open, we know where it leads. If it is closed from either end, there¡¯s no telling where or even if it will open again.¡±
The forgemaster scoffed.
¡°We know that! That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying! Why don¡¯t we just close it and reopen it to somewhere else?¡±
Loremaster Anyadre shook his head again.
¡°Because there¡¯s no telling where it will open to next. Dungeon Master Tarwantrad was fortunate enough to open a door to a dungeon located in the realm of mortals whose master is not innately hostile. The next door might open to dungeon in the land of the fair that would not help our situation, or a dungeon master in the realm of mortals who is not willing to work with us. Or it may open directly to the Hunger and doom us all, for which reason the doors were closed and forbidden to be opened again. This time it managed not to connect to one of the corrupted nexus gates, but if it does next time¡¡±
The loremaster gave Tarwantrad a sideways glance while Wardmaster Varilold took over.
¡°And that, signatories of the Compact, is exactly why I, in my authority as the master of the wards, am informing you that we must keep this door open. We know that this one works and has not resulted in our immediate doom. Attempting to open a new door risks the destruction of the entire Compact and I am not willing to bet our very survival upon luck favoring us twice.¡±
The forgemaster continued glaring but fell silent. Wardmaster Varilold turned a stern gaze to each of the signatories in turn, but none voiced any further opposition. She nodded.
¡°Then, now that we all understand our situation, we must decide how we will keep the door open. And before anyone says anything, consider that the other party, whatever else he may be, is a dungeon master, and the nexus in question appears to be a feature in one of his rooms. I am, therefore, vetoing all violent or forceful methods. The risk that he would be able to close the door on his end if we end up at odds is too great to bet our survival on, not when other methods appear to be viable.¡±
She turned and nodded towards Tarwantrad, and the rest of the table¡¯s occupants did as well. Henilett grinned at her.
¡°Well then, don¡¯t be coy, Dungeon Master. You¡¯ve made a deal with this human already. Tell us about him.¡±
Tarwantrad took a deep breath and did her best not to glare at the signatories. She instead considered what she should say. She was under no illusions that she could convince the Compact to act in anything but its own best interest. Even with the wardmaster forcing them to negotiate with Belissar, the signatories would certainly try to get the best deal that they could for the Compact, with no consideration given to the dungeon master¡¯s own well-being. She hadn¡¯t interacted much with Belissar, but from what little she had he seemed like an earnest and kind-hearted individual. One who the signatories of the Compact would probably dance circles about and exploit for all he was worth.
She would not let that happen to the master of the bee dungeon.
¡°As a Dungeon Master in good standing, I nominate the master of the bee dungeon as an associate of the Circle of Dungeons.¡±
The table erupted into furor once more until Wardmaster Varilold forced them to calm down once more. Tarwantrad did her best to ignore them and focused on one person in particular. Dungeon Master Nenavann, one of the original signatories of the Compact and the founder of the Circle of Dungeons, a tan elf dressed in blue robes adorned with seashells and pearls. He rubbed his chin as he gazed at her.
¡°The Circle of Dungeons is indeed open to all dungeon masters that would treat well with one another and their fellow persons, I cannot say that a human should not be permitted to at least be considered. Yet, I cannot in good faith allow a human to associate with us without first addressing the concerns of my fellow signatories, which I must admit that I share. Humanity has a troubled history that has brought ruin to the world, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad. You have only interacted with this one briefly, so can you say, with full certainty, that he will not bring ruin upon us like the rest of his kind? That he will not betray the Compact to his kin, even if his own intentions are benign?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded immediately and met his gaze.
¡°I can. And for the second point, he is at odds with his former peoples, to the point of blows. I believe that if we treat well with him, he would instead place his trust with us. As he already has, by opening his doors to me and leaving them open even as we decide our own intentions.¡±
He stared at her a moment longer and she continued to meet his eyes. After an intense staring match, the other dungeon master nodded.
¡°Very well. It appears that, first and foremost, this is now a matter between dungeon masters and the duty of the Circle, so long as the wardmaster agrees to let us take the lead on this?¡±
Wardmaster Varilold nodded.
¡°I have no issue with that, so long as the door remains open whatever the results.¡±
Dungeon Master Nenavann looked across the rest of the table. Loremaster Anyadre looked to Forgemaster Ughlarer.
¡°This could work. It has not been done before since there has never been the opportunity, but there is no necessity for a member of the Circle to also be a member of the Compact. If we leave the association as one between dungeon masters, it would not be necessary for the Compact to treat with him directly until such time as we have taken his measure.¡±
The forgemaster scowled and then huffed.
¡°The wardmaster is leaving us little choice. If it must be done, then at least keep a dungeon between the humans and the Compact, on the Circle¡¯s heads be the consequences.¡±
Henilett let out a disappointed ¡°aw,¡± while the rest of the signatories slowly began to nod. Dungeon Master Nenavann nodded grimly.
¡°Very well. Then let us hope that this human cares about beings other than himself, for the sake of us all.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled at that.
¡°I think you will find that is not an issue at all.¡±
Chapter 189 - Bee the Circle?
Belissar was walking back through the battle meadow, preparing for the daily purification when he paused and blinked. There, sticking out of a patch of flowers in front of the wooden platform he made for Beero and the wounded bees, was a sharpened stake. A sharpened stake he certainly did not remember placing.
He was about to ask Niobee if the bees had seen anything when he heard the loud and deep hum of a bumblebee soldier¡¯s wings. He turned to look and found two bumblebees and a few squads of soldiers working together to carry a big, sharpened stake through the air. A squad of digging soldiers flew ahead, landed on the ground, and began to dig a hole. The soldiers and bumble bees carried the stake overhead, spun it around so the tip pointed up, and then placed it down into the hole.
Belissar slowly began to smile.
¡°Wow, so the bees can build stuff on their own now. That¡¯s amazing. Niobee, could you remind me later to ask if they need anything? We could also check with the karnuq if they want stone or clay or anything.¡±
¡°Ok, will!¡±
For now, though, Belissar just walked forward and praised the bees for their hard work. The construction ceased for a round of happy dances, and to make way for the daily purification.
The purification was handled without issue and Belissar turned in for the night.
The next day, Tarwantrad returned early in the morning and Belissar went to greet her, accompanied by Chief Rohsuak, Metsaitti, and some karnuq hunters in addition to Niobee and his usual soldier bee escort. Tarwantrad smiled as she saw him.
¡°Hello Belissar, I¡¯m happy to see you again.¡±
Belissar made a small smile himself.
¡°Hello Tarwantrad, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±
She smiled at him for a moment longer before her smile dropped and she sighed.
¡°So, I am here to relay to you the Compact¡¯s decision, as well as to negotiate further with you.¡±
Belissar matched his expression to her serious tone as he nodded.
¡°Ah, got it. So¡what¡¯s going to happen?¡±
Tarwantrad heaved an exasperated sigh.
¡°So¡I may have underestimated how afraid the Compact would be of meeting humans again. As of yet, they have not decided what to do, only that they do not wish you to visit for now. I am sorry, Belissar.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess. As long as they don¡¯t expect to come here. They aren¡¯t going to attack or anything, right?¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°The wardmaster has forbidden it on her authority as defender of the Compact, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Fortunately, we have also determined a way forward without waiting, as you are a dungeon master as well as a human.¡±
She gave him a smile.
¡°It is my honor to recommend you for the Circle of Dungeon Masters. The Circle is the community of dungeon masters I alluded to beforehand. We agree to follow a code of conduct for a dungeon masters, mostly regarding how we use our powers to treat those outside our dungeons, and to support one another with friendly exchanges. If you were to join, we could arrange additional exchanges, not just between you and I but with the other members of the circle as well.¡±
Her face fell a bit.
¡°Additionally, should you become a member of the Circle, it would reassure the rest of the Compact as to your intentions. And if worst came to pass, the Compact cannot move against a member of the Circle without the Circle¡¯s approval, so we would ensure that nothing occurs you would find unpleasant.¡±
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Belissar frowned. It seemed that the Compact were not all as friendly as Tarwantrad. Her last little bit, rather than reassuring Belissar, made him wonder if unpleasant occurrences were indeed a possibility, especially if he didn¡¯t agree to join this circle business. It sounded like the Tower Lord¡¯s Conclave, come to think of it, though he didn¡¯t actually know how the Conclave worked so he couldn¡¯t really say exactly how similar they were. But that did make him hesitate. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
¡°So¡what would I need to do to join this circle? And, what sort of rules do you have?¡±
Tarwantrad took it in stride and didn¡¯t react to his tone.
¡°Members of the Circle must agree to treat other beings with respect. We have great power as dungeon as dungeon masters, we must not use these powers to coerce or dominate over others. We must treat those around us as equals.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°So, um, you don¡¯t lie to keep peasants out of your Towers and take their food as tribute? Or burn down their villages to keep them away from new Towers? And call it all the will of the gods?¡±
Tarwantrad froze for a moment before her face twisted in horror and rage.
¡°What? No! Of course, not!¡±
Tarwantrad paused for another moment before she turned her own glare to him.
¡°Is that¡is that what human dungeon masters do?¡±
Belissar nodded. Tarwantrad scowled before suddenly blinking. She slowly turned her gaze back to Belissar, her eyes beginning to tremble.
¡°Is that¡what you were taught to do, Belissar?¡±
Now it was Belissar¡¯s turn to scowl as he shook his head with all his might.
¡°I¡¯m not going to be like the Tower Lords.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s face slowly untwisted and she smiled at him once more.
¡°Good. I can assure you, the Circle of Dungeon Masters was founded precisely to prevent the sort of thing you¡¯re describing.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
¡°Ok, then, what would I need to do?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°A pair of dungeon masters from the Circle would arrive to interview and tour a bit of your dungeon. They would swear to their patrons not to harm you or your dungeon in the process, so you need not be concerned about them, though you would need to swear not to harm them in turn for the duration of the visit. Once they are satisfied that your methods are compatible with the ideals of the Circle, you would be invited as an associate.¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°I see. Could I have a moment to think about it?¡±
Tarwantrad gave him another smile.
¡°Of course, take your time.¡±
Belissar nodded back and then stepped away with Niobee, Chief Rohsuak, and Metsaitti. Niobee filled in the queens through one of the communers as well.
¡°So, what do you think?¡±
Chief Rohsuak hummed as she rubbed her chin, adopting a serious expression.
¡°I¡am tentatively in favor, Tower Keeper. I am wary of the fairies and their supposed ability to manipulate¡but if this one has not outright lied to us then apparently they need us? And more than we need them, which should make them agreeable, and they could be a powerful ally for us if we could work something out. It will depend on the exact rules this Circle follows and if they will interfere with your existing arrangements, both with us and the sigmaka.¡±
Metsaitti crossed his arms.
¡°We also need to be able to defend ourselves. Treating others with respect is fine, but they need to be aware that your Tower is isolated and surrounded by the Hunger and potentially hostile tribes¡not to mention the humans and the other Sacred Den Masters we might encounter. If their rules don¡¯t account for that, then it would be dangerous for us to follow them to the letter.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°What about letting them look around the Tower?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°It¡¯s risky, letting them see your defenses. The oaths they swear may mitigate that risk, but it would depend on the exact wording. It would be wise to insist that they do not use or reveal any information gained on this tour.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I see. And what do you all think?¡±
He directed his question through his Tower voice as he had come to call it, sending it to each of his queens. He waited for the usual flurry of ¡°whatever King chooses!¡± to die down, at which point some of the queens began to share their own thoughts.
The Firstborn replied first.
¡°Bee army will keep hive of hives safe.¡±
Belissar smiled, even though she wouldn¡¯t see it.
¡°I know you will.¡±
¡°New people, new places, new flowers? Want to see!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh danced happily about before the First of the Fifth cut in.
¡°No one should tell King what do. But if offer new flowers, can consider. King knows best.¡±
Niobee repeated her dance from earlier on his head.
¡°If hurt King, will sting. If bring new flowers, is fine.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Got it, I think I¡¯ve decided, then.¡±
He walked back over to Tarwantrad.
¡°So¡I¡¯m not opposed, but we might have to discuss some of the rules and the oaths. I don¡¯t want them to use anything they see on this tour against my Tower. And we¡¯ll have to discuss the exact rules to make sure I can protect my Tower, we¡¯ve been attacked before and had another close call. But, as long as that¡¯s fine, then I¡¯d be fine with this tour thing.¡±
Tarwantrad, though, beamed even at his guarded reply.
¡°Excellent, I will let them know you are willing.¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how to reply. He could only hope that the incoming dungeon masters would be as friendly as Tarwantrad.
Chapter 190 - Bee-valuation
Tarwantrad bid him farewell and set off to speak with whoever it was on the other end. A few hours passed and it was close to midday when Tarwantrad finally returned, with two others in tow.
Now standing in Belissar¡¯s Tower were the two most beautiful men he had ever seen. He didn¡¯t know it was even possible for men to be beautiful like that, but there they were, the mana of the Fairy Grove wrapping around them as it had with Tarwantrad. Fortunately, he was a bit more prepared for it after meeting her so he managed not to gape at them. One of them was dressed in blue robes adorned with seashells and pearls and had a stern expression. He had even tanner skin than Tarwantrad with golden hair woven into a single braid. The other had lighter skin and black hair, and was dressed in a tunic, jacket, and pants dyed in various and bright shades of yellow, orange, and red. He also had a bird of prey with bright red feathers on his left shoulder, glancing about.
The man in blue robes stepped forward first.
¡°I, Dungeon Master Nenavann, swear before my patron the God of Water. I will do no harm to this dungeon, its master, or its residents so long as they do not intend to do me harm. I will use no knowledge gained here today against them, nor repeat it for others to do so.¡±
The man in colorful clothes was next.
¡°I, Dungeon Master Urubran, swear before my patron the God of Fire¡¡±
Belissar was about to speak as he finished, but then Tarwantrad stepped forward.
¡°I, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad, swear before my patron the God of Flowers¡¡±
He blinked in surprise as he realized he hadn¡¯t considered that Tarwantrad should probably swear the oath as well. She gave him a wink, and then he shook his head and said his part.
¡°I, Tower Keeper Belissar, swear before my patron the God of Bees not to do harm to these visitors, nor allow any in my dungeon to do so, for the duration of their visit, so long as they do not intend harm to me, my dungeon, or any of its residents.¡±
The mana of the Fairy Grove fell still and grew heavy, clinging to the four dungeon masters for a moment before it returned to normal. Nenavann nodded.
¡°Thank you for having us today, Tower Keeper. I don¡¯t wish to keep you, so I will attempt to be brief. I hope you will not take offense?¡±
Belissar shook his head. Nenavann then narrowed his eyes and glanced behind Belissar at Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti.
¡°Well, then, first of all, may I ask your intentions in creating more hybrids?¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Hybrids? I mean, there are the new bees?¡±
Chief Rohsuak stepped forward and shook her head.
¡°I believe he means us, Tower Keeper. May I?¡±
Belissar nodded and she stepped past him to face Nenavann directly.
¡°I am Chief Rohsuak, chief of the karnuq, disciple of the God of Fire, and sworn defender of Tower Keeper Belissar. My people and I were not created by Tower Keeper Belissar, nor by any other that we have any record or memory of. We journeyed long and far after being exiled from our home; the Tower Keeper was kind enough to take us in and let us build a new one in his lands.¡±
She then narrowed her eyes, slight sparks dancing within them.
¡°And I will not allow our presence here to throw our Tower Keeper¡¯s character into question, as seems to be implied.¡±
Nenavann held her gaze for a moment before sighing.
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¡°¡very well. I apologize if I have caused offense, but you are not the first of your people I have seen working with humans before. For now, I shall accept your words that your relationship is different than those in my memory. Tower Keeper, would you show us your domain?¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine, just¡¡±
He took a second to think about what he was feeling, as something about this exchange bothered him. Once his thoughts crystalized, he scowled.
¡°Please don¡¯t insult the karnuq. They¡¯re people, not subhumans or hybrids or whatever else.¡±
He still hadn¡¯t caught up entirely to what Nenavann was saying, but what he did understand reminded him of the Tower Lord¡¯s doctrine. And if this Circle was like the Tower Lords, he wanted nothing to do with them.
Nenavann took a step back, blinking like he had just been slapped.
¡°That¡¯s¡¡±
He furrowed his brow and then slowly heaved a deep sigh. He looked up and then bowed his head toward Chief Rohsuak.
¡°You are right. I apologize for my implications about your people and your relationship with the Tower Keeper here.¡±
Chief Rohsuak remained silent and turned to look at Belissar. Belissar frowned. It seemed she leaving the response to him¡especially since she smiled as he realized that. Belissar frowned and crossed his arms.
¡°First question, then. Does the Circle have any rules against people like the karnuq?¡±
Nenavann visibly winced at that and hung his head.
¡°No, nothing of the sort. It is our core tenant that all life has value and is worthy of respect.¡±
Belissar watched him for a moment before glancing at the others. He was still debating whether he should just stop things here, but decided to continue on given his earlier interactions with Tarwantrad.
¡°¡ok, let¡¯s continue then. Just¡don¡¯t insult the karnuq again, please.¡±
Nenavann nodded and adopted a thoughtful expression. Tarwantrad gave Belissar a smile and a nod, while Urubran was looking at Chief Rohsuak with a smile of his own. Belissar sighed and then turned to lead the group further in.
The tour of the Fairy Grove went quickly, since Belissar didn¡¯t have much in this room to begin with. He then led them into the first floor Flower Meadow. Tarwantrad had informed him that it was not necessary to show them every single part of his Tower, just a solid representation of it. As such, he moved the Lava Field out of the way, hoping to keep at least some of his defenses under wraps, and went right to the battle meadow. The dungeon masters looked up at the soldier bee army in the sky and the flowers across the field. Urubran turned to Tarwantrad with a smirk.
¡°I think I know why you wanted to nominate this dungeon for the circle.¡±
She rolled her eyes.
¡°Says the one who can¡¯t keep his eyes off the fire lady.¡±
Nenavann, for his part, walked along in silence, keeping the same thoughtful expression as he glanced around the dungeon. Belissar frowned, for Tarwantrad had told him there were going to be a bunch of questions. Yet, Nenavann had not spoken since the beginning, and Urubran seemed content just to observe.
Eventually, they came to the end of the Flower Meadow, where the two Bee Barracks and the Memorial stood. Nenavann came to a stop right in front of the Memorial, and finally broke his silence.
¡°Tower Keeper¡what is this?¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the Memorial, and saw strange, curved symbols appearing by each of the entries.
¡°The Memorial, where we bury the bees that gave their lives.¡±
Nenavann¡¯s eyes widened slightly.
¡°So¡this Queen 1, Dynasty 1, Spawner 1 is referring to¡a bee monster spawned by your dungeon? You built a memorial for them¡and list each that have fallen?¡±
Belissar nodded his head with a solemn expression.
¡°She was the first, and she died because of my mistakes. Most of them did.¡±
He felt Niobee immediately begin to stir, ready to object, so he quickly reached up to brush her back.
¡°I know, though, that they don¡¯t regret it, and that they want to protect the Tower. So, I just try to do the best I can and remember those that sacrificed to defend us.¡±
Nenavann frowned and took a deep breath.
¡°I have seen enough.¡±
He turned to Belissar, a frown still on his face. And then he bowed his head.
¡°I must apologize to you, Tower Keeper Belissar. I have let my past experiences with your people blind me and assumed that you were someone you are clearly not. I have not treated you, nor your sworn defenders, with the respect that the Circle seeks to promote.¡±
Belissar, having trained with Chief Rohsuak not to say so many ¡°ums,¡± instead responded to this turn of events by silently staring at the man.
¡°It is abundantly clear that you hold respect and deep affection for beings other than yourself, you who would cherish even your own monsters so. With that in mind, it would be my honor to invite you into the Circle and the community of dungeon masters, if you are willing to associate with us.¡±
Belissar¡¯s mind churned as he attempted to catch up with this turn of events. He glanced around as per his habit. Chief Rohsuak simply smiled at him while the bees just hovered in between him and the visitors. Tarwantrad and Urubran both were smiling at him. He took a deep breath and considered how to respond.
¡°Ok¡first, tell me more about the Circle and its rules and stuff. I know the general gist, but I think we need to discuss all the details.¡±
Apparently, they approved of his Tower. He just needed to be sure that he approved of this Circle¡
Chapter 191 - Bee-liminary Agreement
Nenavann went through and explained the Circle¡¯s rules one by one. Most of them boiled down to prohibitions on using dungeon monsters to kill or enslave people, or on causing trouble for other dungeon masters, much to Belissar¡¯s relief. The individual rules were largely case by case prohibitions on specific methods.
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Dungeon¡subjugation? What does that mean?¡±
Nenavann adopted a slight frown.
¡°As you well know, a dungeon master can be tightly bound by swearing an oath before their patron god. It is therefore possible for a dungeon master for force another to become their servant, or even relinquish control of their dungeon, by persuading them to swear an oath to that effect.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Ah. That seems¡bad. Glad it¡¯s banned¡¡±
Nenavann nodded at that. Soon, they finished reviewing the specific terms of the Circle, at which point Belissar brought up his and the karnuq¡¯s reservations. They told Nenavann about their circumstances and the need to defend themselves. Nenavann nodded along with a thoughtful expression.
¡°Ah, that is reasonable concern. None of the rest of us have dungeons outside of the land of the fair, and we¡¯ve not had any visitors since the Hunger corrupted the nexus road, so it is true we have not considered outsiders acting as hostile as the ones you¡¯ve encountered.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°Indeed, the Tower Keeper hopes to maintain cordial diplomatic relations with our neighbors, but not all the peoples we encountered on our journey here will be amenable to such things. If they approach the Tower, it might be necessary for the Tower Keeper to subdue them, or else to exert authority over the area purified by his Tower. Would you count that as a violation of the Circle¡¯s code?¡±
Nenavann thought for a minute or two, before shaking his head.
¡°No, we should not. I would like to come up with some modifications to the code to account for those contingencies so as not to ignore it outright, but so long as you stick to the spirit of the Circle we¡¯ll do our best to be flexible and sympathetic to your circumstances.¡±
He turned and glanced at Tarwantrad before nodding.
¡°Indeed, you will naturally remain in close contact with at least one of our members given the direct connection that now exists between your dungeons. Just, consult with her and keep her appraised of incidents as best you can, and she can tell you what might be crossing the line.¡±
Eventually, the group finished up their explanations, questions, and clarifications on the Circle¡¯s terms, and the considerations necessary for Belissar¡¯s circumstances. At this point, Chief Rohsuak gave Belissar a wink and he nodded before turning to Nenavann.
¡°Ok¡so, we¡¯ve talked about what I need to do to join the Circle. So¡what will the Circle do for my Tower?¡±
Tarwantrad and Urubran smiled in the background while Nenavann nodded.
¡°A fair question. The boons of membership are not as clearly defined as the code, but that is because the primary benefit is community. Members of the Circle welcome one another and have opportunities to interact, this in turn leads to relationships that may result in exchanges of knowledge, products, or even dungeon monsters. We don¡¯t obligate our members to participate, however, so what exact benefits are gained from this depend on what relationships you form with your fellow dungeon masters. One more specific benefit is the right to call for assistance: any member of the Circle who finds themselves unable to deal with a purification or emergency may request the Circle''s aid. Within reason, the Circle will not perform your duties as a dungeon master for you, but we also will not let our members fall.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
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¡°I see. And¡what of the Compact? I was informed they would be grateful for my assistance, but it sounds like that may no longer be the case?¡±
At that, Nenavann¡¯s face fell.
¡°That¡¯s¡¡±
Nenavann sighed.
¡°I am sorry, Tower Keeper. My peers in the Compact have made unfortunate assumptions based on the fact you are a human, as I once did, and are currently gripped with fear as to what you or your people are capable of. It will take them time to accept and deal with you, though I promise I shall do all in my power to convince them of your true character.¡±
Tarwantrad crossed her arms and huffed.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar, by keeping the nexus door open, is reversing the fortunes of the Compact. Don¡¯t you think that might be worth something, something beyond just the community we offer to every dungeon master? Something beyond not faulting him for his mere existence when his generosity and trust are enabling ours?¡±
Nenavann winced.
¡°That¡is fair.¡±
Nenavann rubbed his chin for a bit.
¡°I think it reasonable that the Circle offers additional assistance to shore up a new member who finds themselves in significantly more dangerous circumstances than the rest of us. As such, I will ask each member of the circle to bestow upon you a boon from their dungeons. I myself will offer you three, one as a member of the Circle, one as an apology for my prejudice and the offense I have caused, and the last as an initial reward on behalf of the Compact. As for a more formal arrangement regarding the nexus door and any benefits offered in return, I say we will demand that of the Compact, and I will do all in my power to expedite the discussions regarding it.¡±
He quickly gave them all a smile when Tarwantrad huffed again.
¡°Not because I don¡¯t believe we should offer Tower Keeper Belissar more, and soon, but because I believe it is important that the Compact comes to treat with him directly, which means it is necessary to leave the issue at least partially unresolved to motivate them. We wouldn¡¯t want the Compact to think they are off the hook just because the Circle is taking the lead.¡±
Tarwantrad huffed again but slowly nodded. Nenavann then turned to Belissar and inclined his head.
¡°Is that acceptable to you, Tower Keeper Belissar? I apologize for the complications and the obstinance we are showing when it is us begging your help. I will do my utmost to see this resolved, and that you are rewarded for the inconvenience as well as your service.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms and hummed.
¡°For now. But, as long as this agreement is just with the Circle, no one from the Compact is allowed on my side either, ok? I don¡¯t want to leave a door open to people I don¡¯t know I can trust.¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°That is fair. Thank you for your patience and understanding, Tower Keeper.¡±
He made a self-deprecating smile.
¡°It is humbling that you have shown more grace than we have in all of this.¡±
Nenavann then drew himself up and adopted a serious expression.
¡°I, Dungeon Master Nenavann, have observed Tower Keeper Belissar and found no contradictions with the code of the Circle. I approve of his association with the Circle.¡±
He then turned to Urubran, who just shrugged with a smile.
¡°You think I¡¯m going to object? Tarwantrad here would strangle me.¡±
He chuckled as Tarwantrad glared daggers at him before straightening himself as well.
¡°I, Dungeon Master Urubran, have observed Tower Keeper Belissar and found no contradictions with the code of the Circle. I approve of his association with the Circle.¡±
Nenavann then turned to Belissar.
¡°Are you willing to associate with us, Tower Keeper Belissar? To keep to the code of the Circle and use your powers to protect, rather than to destroy or dominate? To work together with your fellow dungeon masters for the good of all and to come to our aid in our moments of need, as we shall do for yours?¡±
Belissar fell silent for a moment, glancing about with his tower sight. Chief Rohsuak simply smiled at him with that ¡°I want you to decide yourself¡± look, even though he wasn¡¯t facing her. Tarwantrad was fidgeting about as she waited for his response.
As for his bees¡Niobee was sitting atop his head as she had come to do often, keeping her eyes on the three fairies ahead. The soldier bees hovered by his side, getting as close as they could to placing themselves between the two groups without blocking his view. His eyes turned back to Tarwantrad and the flowers she wore. He could see some of his worker bees hovering nearby, curious about the new flowers.
He honestly was having trouble keeping up with all of this. Something like the Compact was scared of him for some reason? This guy from the Circle, Nenavann, was kind of rude at first but suddenly got all apologetic after seeing the Memorial? He was saying something about rewarding him for keeping the door open but not rewarding him so that the Compact would have to? It was all very confusing, and that was before considering that these were supposedly tricky fey.
So, Belissar just put all that aside and focused on himself and his Tower. The Circle wasn¡¯t really asking him to do anything he wasn¡¯t already, save keeping the door open. In exchange, they were offering him a chance to learn from their dungeon masters¡as well as to receive boons from their dungeons. And, in Tarwantrad¡¯s case at the very least, that meant more flowers for his bees.
And that was all Belissar needed to know.
¡°I am, so long as you don¡¯t hurt my bees.¡±
And so, the Compact¡¯s Circle of Dungeon Masters welcomed a human into their ranks, for the very first time.
Chapter 192 - A Sincere Apolo-Bee
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°So, the tour is over, then?¡±
Nenavann hung his head with a pained expression.
¡°To be honest, we normally don¡¯t require a tour in the first place. We were just¡incredulous that a human could act in accordance with the Circle¡¯s code and wanted to see your operations for ourselves.¡±
Tarwantrad rolled her eyes.
¡°You could have just believed me. The wardmaster did.¡±
Nenavann sighed but did not object.
¡°I¡apologize for our excessive caution towards you, Tower Keeper Belissar. But rest assured, now that we have confirmed you are fit for the Circle, there is no need for us to see the rest of your dungeon. Please, show us as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. It could better inform what sort of boons and assistance we can offer you, but that is between you and your fellow dungeon masters. You only need share as much as you wish.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms as he considered that.
¡°Will the Circle tell the Compact about things I show you?¡±
Nenavann shook his head.
¡°Not if you ask us not to. The privacy of a dungeon is well-respected, so long as the master fulfills their duties to the Compact¡none of which would apply to you given that you are not a member of the Compact, come to think of it.¡±
Belissar thought for a bit, furrowing his brow. The Compact didn¡¯t seem to trust him, so he couldn¡¯t trust them in turn. He wasn¡¯t so sure about Nenavann either, given their initial interactions, though the man seemed apologetic at this point. Overall¡something rubbed him the wrong way. The Compact was supposedly relying on him keeping the door open, but not only didn¡¯t want to give him anything in exchange, but were also treating him with suspicion?
The more he thought about it, the more this situation reminded him of a particular village that never hesitated to inform him he was unwanted even as they took his mead.
Nenavann, at least, was going to offer him something for his Tower as an apology, but that didn¡¯t mean Belissar trusted him just yet. Even that seemed to have been because Tarwantrad called him out. He gave her a glance. Honestly, it was mostly his interactions with Tarwantrad and her own affection for bees and flowers that kept him cooperating at this point.
Which actually gave him an idea. Belissar pointed towards her with his head.
¡°What if I show Tarwantrad around? Could she tell you what sort of boons would work then? I can trust her, I think.¡±
Nenavann rubbed his chin.
¡°It is up to her if she would take on that additional duty.¡±
Belissar glanced back at Tarwantrad and found her beaming.
¡°It would be my pleasure and honor!¡±
Nenavann nodded, making a complicated expression but with the hint of a smile.
¡°Very well then. Dungeon Master Tarwantrad shall be the main point of contact between you and the rest of the Circle then and will assist the other dungeon masters in choosing appropriate boons for you. I will take my leave and allow her to take over, unless you have further questions for me specifically?¡±
Belissar did not and shook his head. Nenavann reached into his robes.
¡°In that case, I shall make my report to the Compact as soon as possible and correct the faulty assumptions we have made about you. Before I go, though, it would behoove me to at least offer you my apology.¡±
He pulled out his hand and held a small box of wood. He gently opened it to reveal a few small seeds, causing Tarwantrad and Urubran to both gasp. He picked one between his fingers before closing and stowing the box once more, then held out the seed to Belissar. Belissar held out his hand in turn and Nenavann placed the seed in the center of his palm. He looked into Belissar¡¯s eyes, his own trembling slightly.
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¡°Plant this where you wish to see nature bloom. Tend to her by hand, nourish her with your mana, and she shall do the same for your dungeon and every green thing that you grow. Please, care for her as you care for your bees.¡±
He turned and left without another word, leaving Belissar blinking. He turned a questioning gaze to Tarwantrad, finding her staring wide-eyed at Nenavann¡¯s back. It took her a while before she began to speak.
¡°¡it is said that when the Hunger reached the Great Forest, the Lady of the Woods, the greatest druid among all the fair, refused to evacuate, and fought until the last tree of the forest fell. She¡was also Dungeon Master Nenavann¡¯s wife. Before her end, she entrusted him with as many seeds of the forest as she could, and these he has spread to the land of the fair and to the members of the Circle. But there was one kind of seed he has refused to share with anyone, until now.¡±
She slowly turned to stare at the seed in Belissar¡¯s hand, then looked up at him.
¡°There is no greater apology that he could have offered, nor any greater sign of trust. So long as that seed grows in your dungeon, Dungeon Master Nenavann will stop at nothing to protect it.¡±
Belissar slowly turned his gaze down to the tiny, innocuous seed in his hand. He trembled slightly as he wondered what sort of seed he had been entrusted with. The seed was about the size and shape of an apple seed, though it was green with an occasional shine. On closer inspection, Belissar realized it wasn¡¯t an ordinary seed, but rather a small seed-shaped gem. He had to swap to his tower sight to really see the details on it, as well as the glowing mana held within. The seed became a bright star to his eyes, glowing even brighter than the swirling masses within the fairy circles.
As he tried to get a closer look, the Tower decided to help.
Heart of the Forest
Description: The combined memories, mana, and spirit of an entire forest, condensed down into seeds by Erynmor, the Lady of the Woods. The hope of a forest reborn and a world regrown made manifest.
Belissar¡¯s trembling grew. He still didn¡¯t fully understand what he was looking at, but he could tell it was something special. The Tower didn¡¯t even offer to absorb it, nor did it mention anything about mana costs or types. It sounded like this seed could regrow an entire forest? The forest that Nenavann¡¯s wife supposedly died protecting?
Belissar was even more confused as to what to think of Nenavann. What he did know was that this was a very special seed indeed.
¡°Um, could you give me a moment? I want to put this somewhere safe.¡±
Tarwantrad and Urubran both just nodded repeatedly as hard as they could.
Belissar headed to the core room and placed the seed there, for now. He asked the First of the Fifth to have the gardeners take a look at it before returning to the two remaining dungeon masters.
¡°So¡I guess we¡¯re working together now?¡±
Tarwantrad made a huge grin.
¡°Yes!¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but smile in turn.
¡°And¡if I show you the Tower to help you pick boons, you promise you¡¯ll keep what you see secret?¡±
Tarwantrad adopted a serious expression and nodded.
¡°Absolutely. I have already sworn an oath before my patron for what I see today, and I swear a longer one if it will reassure you. I promise, Belissar, whatever you share with me, I will use only to your benefit. And I will not let anyone harm you or your Tower, especially not the Compact. I will close the door myself before I allow that to occur.¡±
Urubran raised an eyebrow as he smirked.
¡°And doom us all? Didn¡¯t take you for casual treason, Tarwantrad.¡±
She narrowed her eyes.
¡°If the Compact betrays Belissar after all this, then we deserve whatever fate befalls us.¡±
Urubran raised up his hands.
¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I agree with you on that.¡±
Belissar turned to the other dungeon master, who had been quiet for most of the trip until now. Urubran caught his gaze and gave Belissar a nod.
¡°Do you wish for me to depart as well, Tower Keeper Belissar? I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯d prefer to speak with Tarwantrad alone for now.¡±
Belissar glanced at Tarwantrad. She gave him a smile.
¡°Urubran is a friend and I trust him. You can as well.¡±
For some reason, she had a flash of irritation across her face before she continued.
¡°Also, his patron is the God of Fire, so he might be able to share some insight if you have Fire-type monsters, rooms, features, or defenders. Like the fire honey you mentioned, or your sworn defender¡?¡±
She glanced at Chief Rohsuak, who gave her a smile and a nod. Urubran¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Did you say fire honey?¡±
Belissar slowly began to nod.
¡°I see. Well, if you trust him, Tarwantrad, then it¡¯s fine.¡±
Urubran gave him a grin.
¡°Thanks, Tower Keeper Belissar. I look forward to seeing what you¡¯ve come up with. But¡first you might want to tell Tarwantrad what exactly that building over there is.¡±
Belissar found Tarwantrad bouncing about as she stared at the Bee Barracks with a huge grin. He glanced around and found the Firstborn had flown out to watch the outsiders with the bee army.
¡°Do you mind if I show them your home?¡±
The Firstborn gave him a salute dance.
¡°If King trusts, we trust.¡±
Tarwantrad paused, her eyes going wide as she followed Belissar¡¯s gaze.
¡°They call you their king? That¡¯s¡¡±
Tarwantrad wiggled about and squealed.
¡°That¡¯s just so adorable!¡±
Neither Belissar nor the Firstborn were certain how to respond. He ended up glancing at Urubran, who just shrugged with a wry smile.
¡°Get used to that. If your whole dungeon is filled with bees, she¡¯s going to do that a lot.¡±
Side Story 192.1 - The Heart of the Forest
Back in Belissar¡¯s core room, the small flask of ambrosia lay resting against the core pedestal. On the top of this flask lay a tiny, green, seed-like gem. Belissar had placed the Heart of the Forest there so that it would be easy to find, given its tiny size and the lack of furniture in the room.
A slight pulse of light moved through the ambrosia¡and illuminated the Heart of the Forest for a brief moment. A tiny, nearly invisible root began to stretch out from the seed-like gem, squeezing its way past the seals of the flask.
It remained there for a few minutes until gardeners sent by the First of the Fifth flew into the room, by which point the root had receded, and all had seemingly returned to normal.
Nenavann closed his eyes, allowing the tears to fall down his cheek as he made his way back out of Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon. He paused for a moment, allowing his emotions to express themselves fully before he made any attempt to gather himself. The Hunger had claimed much over the years, from all who had survived it. Thus why no one was ready to forgive the people who had unleashed it.
But his tears were not purely from sorrow today. When Erynmor had entrusted him with her heart, she had made him promise that he would not hide them solely within the land of the fair. She made him promise that he would plant the hearts of her forest across the mortal realm, that if the Hunger was ever pushed back the forests she loved would again cover the world. The one he had planted in his dungeon was thus the only one that had been used so far. The rest all waited for the day he could find worthy caretakers back in the world that Erynmor loved.
Centuries had passed and that day only ever seemed further and further away. Not only had the Compact failed to push the Hunger back, they had failed to even keep it out. The Hunger pushed ever more on the gates of the land of the fair, and with each passing day their wards weakened.
Until now, when they had made contact with a dungeon master in the mortal realm. Not only had the connection between his dungeon and Tarwantrad¡¯s reinvigorated the wards, his mere existence was proof that the mortal realm was not lost yet. And, for Nenavann, he was an opportunity to start making good on his promise to Erynmor.
Nenavann had observed Belissar¡¯s dungeon with more than mere eyes. He watched the flows of mana as only an elder of the fair folk could, those who lived and breathed it for many mortal lifetimes. He saw traps and features and patches of flowers placed haphazardly and without consideration, their mana clashing with one another. He knew from a glance that this Belissar was no master, placing each and every feature with purpose.
But he had seen something that caught his gaze. The two fortified beehouses he had seen and the Memorial itself had all the telltale signs of it, for one who knew to look. The way the mana flowed within them, the story and the history that it told all whispered to Nenavann¡¯s ears.
Those features were handmade.
Sure, it was possible to create resources and features purely out of mana, using only magic, and the dungeons themselves were designed to do just that. But the true masters of the fair folk knew that everything had a price in the end. The mana remembered, it knew what had been and what it had been used for. Something done manually and reinforced with mana would bear a different quality to one that had been solely conjured. A subtle difference hardly noticeable for everyday use, but one that could mean everything for a craft aiming for a true masterpiece, or for two peak warriors locked in an otherwise equally matched fight.
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And Belissar, a mortal human known for their impatience, had taken the time to craft homes and graves for his bee monsters by hand. Those features had clearly been transformed beyond recognition by the divine powers of the dungeon, but they still bore the touch of his hand, and the intent with which he had made them.
That had been when Nenavann knew he had found a worthy caretaker for one of the hearts of the forest. For an impatient human with the powers of a dungeon master to do such a thing spoke of love, deep and enduring. The kind of love that drove Erynmor to hold her ground. The kind that drove her to create the hearts and leave them with him.
In an ironic twist of fate, it was one of the humans who had doomed them all who now bore the most promise of restoring the forest to the mortal realm.
And that is what Nenavann had come to realize, once he let go of his fear and his hatred and looked at this dungeon master with clear eyes. Belissar and the connection between his and Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeons represented more than even the last lifeline of the Compact. It represented the chance for a new beginning. A chance for the Compact not merely to endure, but to expand. Not merely to hold the Hunger away but to take back some of what had been lost. All through the hands of a human who used his powers to care for, rather than destroy, that which was around him.
Nenavann gathered himself, wiped his face, and dried his eyes. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but his shoulders felt lighter than they had in an age. What this dungeon master represented was hope. Hope for the Compact, hope for the fair folk, hope for the humans, hope for the world itself.
Nenavann would not let that hope die. He and the Compact had already nearly extinguished that hope by blaming Belissar for the sins of his ancestors, before they had even bothered to meet him. Now, Nenavann would do all that he must to keep the connection Tarwantrad had forged alive.
His heart demanded no less.
A forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, covering the landscape for miles in all directions. It climbed up mountains, transitioning from deciduous trees to hardy pines to twisted, shrub-like trees that took centuries to grow. It marched right into lakes and swamps and oceans, with mangroves growing right out of the water. Gigantic trees rivaled the mountains as they reached for the skies, while tiny trees made tiny forests in small caverns and tunnels.
In the center of it all was a tree larger than any other, a tree that was a forest unto itself. Trees dug their roots into its branches and grew along them, forming canopies in the gaps between its own. Its roots were like a redwood forest, mighty trunks rising into the sky around which the smaller bushes grew. Entire ecosystems of animals were born, lived, and died within each part of its body.
That tree began to creak and groan. Two knots in its bark began to move and open, revealing eyes of pure amber. The eyes blinked a few times as a larger knot opened below, revealing a mouth as the giant tree yawned.
¡°Well, then, let¡¯s see what woke me up.¡±
The tree spread her awareness through the forest making up her being, each tree connected to the other in a web that encompassed the entire realm. The tree quickly, for a tree, found that which caused her to stir.
¡°Bee has a dungeon now? Good for her, Flower will be pleased as well. I wonder who her first master is¡¡±
But something cause the tree to trail off. Then, she began to giggle, causing the canopy of the forests to rustle. Soon, she broke out into full blown laughter, making her trunk and branches tremble and the ground itself rumble.
¡°Oh, that is great. That¡¯s going to be amazing. I must tell Erynmor, she will be most pleased.¡±
The ground¡¯s rumbling grew as the giant tree began to stir. Her roots pulled themselves out of the ground, assembling themselves into legs. Her lower branches began to twist together into arms as her face grew out of the bark around her eyes and mouth. Soon, a giant made of trees and forests stood tall above the realm. She stretched herself out, first to the left, then to the right.
¡°Well, I know Flower doesn¡¯t like to share much, but she¡¯ll have to make some room. She doesn¡¯t think she can keep Bee all to herself, now does she?¡±
She made a grin full of teeth made from white bark.
¡°For if my guess is correct, even she won¡¯t be able to deny me this. But I¡¯ll give her a little more time to herself. After all, a flower is here today and gone the next. The forest, though, is patient, and always endures.¡±
And so, the God of Trees and Forests rose from her long slumber, her eyes fixed upon one particular dungeon.
Chapter 193 - Meet the Bees
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes sparkled as she took in the interior of the Bee Barracks.
¡°Incredible, so there are different types of soldier? That one lacks a stinger, is it for another purpose? That big one¡looks like it would be good at charging, or likely diving if it can still fly. And¡if I¡¯m seeing this correct, there is more than one queen and hive in this home?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yeah, all of the queens in this room live here.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes went even wider.
¡°Amazing¡did you command them so? It was my impression that individual hives treat each other as rivals?¡±
The Firstborn was the one who answered.
¡°Is hive of hives! All bees serve King, all hives King¡¯s hives, so all hives work together!¡±
Tarwantrad blinked.
¡°You did this¡on your own? To help your king?¡±
The Firstborn danced a salute dance. Tarwantrad glanced at Belissar with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡±
Belissar fidgeted, unsure of how to respond to this turn of events.
¡°This is¡the Hive of the Fallen, you say?¡±
Beero danced her confirmation and Tarwantrad rubbed her chin.
¡°How does it work? I don¡¯t feel any Death attribute mana, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not that?¡±
Beero danced the negative.
¡°Queens bring wounded soldiers here! Teach how change mana to tiny lightning or fire. Once learn both and grow mana, can evolve and get wings back.¡±
Tarwantrad took a step back.
¡°You¡¯re saying¡the bees save their wounded instead of exiling them and then train them in magic until they evolve?¡±
Beero danced her confirmation. Tarwantrad clasped at her chest and hunched over.
¡°That¡¯s¡that¡¯s¡that¡¯s just too precious!¡±
This time, it was Urubran who was glancing about with sparkling eyes.
¡°You made a Lava Field? You have the God of Fire as a secondary patron?!¡±
Belissar nodded. Urubran took a step forward and took a deep breath of the hot air filled with sulfurous smoke. He let out a contended sigh, even as Tarwantrad covered her nose.
¡°And this fits with your bee theme? Wait, is this where the fire honey is made?!¡±
Belissar took a step back from the intensity in Urubran¡¯s gaze, but managed to nod.
¡°Um, yes, over this way¡¡±
Urubran grinned wildly as he ran towards the lava river where the Third of the Sixth¡¯s hive gathered from flame radish and Fire mana flowers.
¡°Fire bees. You have fire bees! This is amazing, I didn¡¯t know that was even possible! We must arrange a trade, or you must tell me how you acquired them! Was it one of the choices the dungeon offered, or did you evolve them yourself?¡±
¡°I¡uh¡evolved them? Or, more like, they evolved themselves.¡±
Urubran rushed over as close to the flowers as he could without alarming the bees, smoke drifting out of his nostrils as he examined the burning bees more closely. Tarwantrad rolled her eyes with a wry smile.
¡°Better get used to that. If you have more fire-related stuff in your dungeon, he¡¯s going to do that a lot.¡±
¡°Hi! What doing? Where come from? What are? Like King? Look like King, but mana different! And have flowers! Can try?¡±
Tarwantrad blinked as the Fourth of the Seventh zipped around her and then smiled.
¡°Exploring Belissar¡¯s Tower! I came from the Land of the Fair, I am one of the green elves. I am not of your king¡¯s species, though I suppose in comparison to bees I am far closer to him than not. And yes, please help yourself! Now, what sort of bee are you? What do you do for the hive of hives and your king?¡±
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The Fourth of the Seventh did a happy dance before landing on Tarwantrad and drinking from one of the flowers she had woven in her hair.
¡°Am queen! Explore Beyond, scout for new flowers and enemies! Came from Beyond?¡±
Tarwantrad blinked.
¡°I did come from beyond your king¡¯s tower, but I traveled through a nexus door so I did not come from your immediate surroundings. A queen that explores? How curious, then who raises your children and takes care of your hive?¡±
¡°Communer and First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter!¡±
Said communer and First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, along with Belissar, Urubran, and Chief Rohsuak, could only glance back and forth at the rapid exchange between Tarwantrad and the Fourth of the Seventh. But they certainly seemed to be getting along, so Belissar and Urubran just shrugged and left them to it.
¡°Ah, so it¡¯s called a Fairy Grove in your tongue?¡±
Belissar nodded before wincing. He recalled that the Tower Lords'' name for the karnuq...wasn''t the most polite, and so had no idea if the same was true for his guests.
¡°Ah¡do you mind be called fairies? That¡¯s the only name I knew for your people but if it¡¯s offensive¡¡±
Tarwantrad waved her hand.
¡°Not that I am aware of, though I suppose it has been a while since our peoples have interacted.¡±
Urubran shrugged.
¡°Not the worst name I could think of. We call those from the land of the fair the fair folk, I can see where the name came from.¡±
Belissar slowly nodded and exhaled his breath.
¡°Ok, I¡¯m guessing then that you would call this room something else?¡±
Urubran shrugged again and glanced at Tarwantrad, who rubbed her chin.
¡°For the room in general, we would only call it a grove, since any grove in the land of the fair would have the same mana flows. The number of nexuses is abnormal, however, so perhaps this would qualify as a nexus hub? I¡¯ve not studied nexuses in great detail, save to open the door that led to your tower.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms. Apparently, even the fairies didn¡¯t know everything about fairy circles? Or maybe just these two.
¡°I see, any advice on the room? Anything I should watch out for?¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°Nexuses are said to have a mind of their own, but these are clearly formed by your tower, and acknowledge you as their master. You may get unexpected results if you attempt to control them, or harness their power haphazardly, but so long as you are careful they should not harm you, or your towers¡¯ residents.¡±
Urubran made a slight smirk as he tilted his head, barely moving out of the way of a branch that just so happened to fall towards him.
¡°Visitors of all sorts, on the other hand, would do well to be cautious.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded at that and paused for a second.
¡°I will read up more on nexuses and let you know if I learn anything more.¡±
Belissar gave her a nod.
¡°Thanks, that¡¯d be much appreciated. I¡¯m still worried I don¡¯t understand this room.¡±
Urubran shrugged and smiled.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tower Keeper Belissar. From what I¡¯ve heard of nexuses, no one truly does. It¡¯s only those that think they do that get into trouble.¡±
¡°This floor is where the karnuq live.¡±
Belissar glanced at Chief Rohsuak, who had her usual smile.
¡°We are your sworn defenders, Tower Keeper. We will welcome your guests to the best of our hospitality. Shall we prepare them a meal?¡±
Belissar started and turned to the two elves.
¡°Ah, are you two hungry?¡±
Urubran chuckled.
¡°Depends, will there be fire honey?¡±
Tarwantrad smacked the back of his head lightly.
¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Urubran! You need not concern yourself with us, Belissar. We do not mean to intrude upon your sworn defenders¡¯ homes.¡±
Belissar, however, noted Chief Rohsuak¡¯s eyes sparkle at the mention of fire honey. He quickly used his tower sight to check their reserves.
¡°Ah, actually, that can be arranged. Niobee, could you ask the Third of the Sixth to deliver some fire honey to the karnuq? Ah, maybe ask the First of the Fifth for some regular mana honey too.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
He turned back to the two elves.
¡°It¡might take some time for that so should we finish the tour while they cook?¡±
Urubran grinned while Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°That would be wonderful, Belissar. We thank you for your hospitality, it is truly gracious of you to welcome us like this.¡±
Belissar fidgeted again.
¡°Uh¡you¡¯re welcome?¡±
Urubran shared a look with Chief Rohsuak, sparks lighting up in both their eyes.
¡°Oh, we will be. We will be.¡±
While the karnuq prepared, Belissar brought the two to the Apiary floor¡and found all of the queens and hives assembled into an army of workers, all in neat and organized formations. The First of the Fifth flew at their helm and led them in a synchronized salute dance.
¡°This is the First of the Fifth. She¡kind of runs a lot of a the Tower, come to think of it. She manages the honey supplies, the flower allocation, and figures out how to raise new bees.¡±
Tarwantrad rushed up to her.
¡°So, you¡¯re the one evolving the bees based on the flower nectars?¡±
The First of the Fifth seemed unsure of how to respond, so Belissar gave her a reassuring nod.
¡°All queens work together for King. Try to keep track of flowers, though, and help queens.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°Amazing, your bees have developed a truly cooperative culture! You must tell me all about your flowers and the bee types you¡¯ve raised!¡±
The First of the Fifth looked to Belissar and he nodded once again. The First of the Fifth saluted and then began to introduce the Apiary bees.
¡°This Second of the Sixth, evolved from medicinal flowers.¡±
Tarwantrad hopped in place.
¡°Medicinal bees? That¡¯s incredible! Is that why your stingers are so thin? Do you fill your venom sacs with a more medically oriented compound?!¡±
¡°This Third of the Eighth, evolved from water lotus.¡±
Tarwantrad squealed slightly.
¡°Look at this! Look at your legs, look at that chitin! You must be an aquatic bee!¡±
The Third of the Eighth kept her distance but danced a hesitant confirmation.
¡°Amazing! I¡¯ll have to let Nenavann know, if you have aquatic bees there¡¯s so much he could offer¡¡±
¡°This Fourth of the Fifth, evolved from digging flowers.¡±
Tarwantrad squealed not so slightly.
¡°You must specialize in subterranean plants! Or do you gather from fungi instead? Do you prefer burrowing tunnels to making comb?¡±
The Fourth of the Fifth buzzed her wings as Tarwantrad leaned over her, but was calmed down by Niobee and the First of the Fifth.
¡°This is Sixth Daughter, evolved from slime flower.¡±
Tarwantrad squealed quite loudly.
¡°Slime bees? SLIME BEES?! That¡¯s¡this is¡¡±
Urubran chuckled as Tarwantrad descended into incoherence.
¡°Perhaps it would be a good time to take a break for a meal?¡±
Belissar just slowly nodded.
¡°Ah, yes. Probably.¡±
But as they turned to gather Tarwantrad, the First of the Fifth introduce another bee.
¡°This Fourth of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, evolved from Third of the Sixth¡¯s drone. Mines with heat.¡±
Urubran came to an immediate halt.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you just say that bee mines with heat?¡±
Belissar ended up having to gather both elves before they could head back to the karnuq settlement.
Chapter 194 - Will We Bee Friends?
Belissar eventually managed to get the two elves back to the karnuq floor, at least until they arrived at the karnuq¡¯s beehouses.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s Velebee¡¯s hive. She¡¯s the Oracle of Bees.¡±
Tarwantrad came to a halt. Belissar turned around and saw her blinking repeatedly.
¡°Belissar, you have the Oracle of Bees in your tower?¡±
Belissar nodded. Tarwantrad took a deep breath.
¡°I would love to speak with her sometime.¡±
Belissar nodded again.
¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call her over. The bees will be joining the banquet in any case.¡±
Tarwantrad made a warm smile at that, while Urubran chuckled.
Tarwantrad was in heaven. The God of Bees had thanked her personally for helping out Belissar. She had gotten to see bees of varieties she had never even imagined. Now she was surrounded everywhere by happy bees, flying between seemingly endless trays of honeycomb laid out for them. Some were even landing on the flowers she had on her person. She had a full plate of food in her hand. It was relatively simple fair, but generously seasoned with several varieties of rich mana honey. A meal no member of the Compact would have declined.
Urubran was walking over. He had spent most of the banquet in animated discussions with the karnuq chief and her warriors but had noticed her growing fatigued from the day and so wrapped it up. He took a seat next to her, after Belissar had stepped away for the moment, leaving the two elves to themselves. Save for all the bees around them, but Tarwantrad didn¡¯t truly mind if they overheard. She may not have wanted to have the next conversation in front of Belissar¡¯s face, but didn¡¯t mind if it got back to him. So, she gave Urubran a nod, though she kept her eyes on one of the big, fluffy bumblebee soldiers who, despite the name, was currently acting as a playground for children. How she wanted nothing more than to rush over and fluff the big bee as they did.
Unfortunately, though, she wanted to speak with Urubran right away.
¡°So, what do you think?¡±
Urubran took another bite of his Fire honey roasted meat, letting out a contented sigh filled with smoke before answering.
¡°I think this is some of the best seasoned food I¡¯ve ever had.¡±
Tarwantrad rolled her eyes.
¡°The levels of spice you prefer are classified as a poisoning.¡±
Urubran shrugged.
¡°Only for the weak.¡±
He took another bite before answering the real question.
¡°And that means we¡¯ll have to work hard to protect it. Belissar was no trained dungeon master, that much is clear. From the way he carries himself to the arrangement of his rooms, it is obvious he has had little training in either the martial or mystical arts. I would say the bees are running the show rather than him.¡±
Tarwantrad frowned but did not object, so Urubran continued.
¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing, though. A monster-led dungeon can work as well as any other. Belissar has clearly focused his efforts on maximizing his bees¡¯ potential as best he knows how and at that he has done splendidly. It does mean, though, that you will have to take that into account when recommending boons or trades. He needs options that his bees can work with, rather than to diversify his dungeon. Though, having the karnuq sworn as his defenders does give a little more leeway. They could make use of things that a pure dungeon master might not.¡±
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Tarwantrad gripped her mug hard.
¡°I don¡¯t want this dungeon to fall, Urubran. How often do you see a dungeon master that invites his monsters to a celebration like this, even among the fair?¡±
Urubran nodded.
¡°We won¡¯t. If nothing else, the very fate of the Compact depends on it. I think, though, that¡¯s not the only thing you¡¯re worried about?¡±
Tarwantrad took a deep breath as she glanced up at the bees flying about.
¡°¡I don¡¯t want him to have to change, though I fear that he may need to. I love how much he cares for his bees, but he goes as far as to prevent nature from taking its course, and only begrudgingly allows his defenders to fulfill their purpose. Can he truly defend his dungeon and retain that mindset? Is it even possible?¡±
Urubran shrugged.
¡°I can''t say. But I will say this: he has survived out here, with no Compact or Circle to support him, so he¡¯s clearly doing something right. And those karnuq¡they are not a soft people from what little they¡¯ve told me so far. And yet, Belissar has earned their trust, to the point that they would bind their fate to his.¡±
She slowly turned to look at him and he gave her as reassuring a nod as he could.
¡°It is true, that there is a lot Belissar doesn¡¯t seem to know. It is true that his compassion for his own defenders may stray into excessive. But as I said, this doesn¡¯t mean his dungeon is bad. Only that it is different from those that we know. He may need to grow, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to try and uproot the current foundation of his dungeon either.¡±
Urubran gave her a smirk.
¡°After all, the way that we, the Circle, or even the Compact does things is not necessarily the right or only way. You, the girl who has saved the Compact by breaking one of its strictest rules, should probably know that by now.¡±
Tarwantrad flushed and looked away.
¡°They never said we couldn¡¯t open a nexus door inside a dungeon!¡±
Urubran just chuckled.
After the banquet, Belissar and Chief Rohsuak escorted the pair back to the nexus door. Tarwantrad gave him a bright smile.
¡°Thank you so much for showing us around, Belissar. Your tower is truly amazing. I must show you around mine in turn.¡±
Belissar found himself returning her smile.
¡°I¡¯d like that, and the bees would too. I can¡¯t imagine what sort of flowers you must have.¡±
Her smile grew at that and she gave a nod to Niobee as well.
¡°I hope they will be to both your likings.¡±
She then adopted a more serious expression, though still kept a smile.
¡°In any case, I will speak with the rest of the Circle and return with the boons as soon as I am able. Urubran and Nenavann should have theirs ready quickly, but it might take a bit more time for me to speak with the others.¡±
She glanced at Urubran and he just smiled.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure I can think of something you¡¯ll enjoy, Tower Keeper Belissar. Let me know when you¡¯re ready to trade more of that Fire honey, too.¡±
Belissar gave him a nod before turning back to Tarwantrad.
¡°Sounds good, you¡¯re welcome anytime, Tarwantrad.¡±
She beamed at that. The two elves waved at him one last time before stepping back through the nexus door. Belissar took a deep breath, letting it out with a smile.
¡°King ok?¡±
He smiled up at Niobee and brushed her back.
¡°Yes. That was¡it actually felt good, showing them around. I¡don¡¯t really know how I feel, but it feels good.¡±
Niobee danced about.
¡°If King feels good, then good!¡±
Chief Rohsuak chuckled.
¡°Friendship can be a wonderful thing, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar froze and blinked repeatedly. Friendship? Is¡that was this was? The only friend he had ever had before was Niobee.
But having Tarwantrad and Urubran as his friends¡didn¡¯t sound so bad.
He slowly nodded.
¡°It seems so.¡±
He smiled at that thought, humming as he walked back for the night. It was only halfway back through the Tower when he paused. He realized¡he had ended up showing the two elves the entire Tower, hadn¡¯t he? He had somehow forgotten that he was supposed to keep the Lava Field under wraps at least.
He rubbed his chin as he considered¡was that a problem? He trusted Tarwantrad and she trusted Urubran, so he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d use it against him or anything. On the other hand, though, she had thought the Compact would be grateful to him and it turned out that they weren¡¯t, so at the very least Tarwantrad didn¡¯t know everything about her own people. So, should he have really revealed everything about his Tower to her?
He found he had a hard time imagining Tarwantrad doing anything bad with that knowledge, but it still might be good to have something no one in the Compact knew about. And since he had gone and shown Tarwantrad everything he had so far, the only solution was to do as he needed to anyways, and keep growing his Tower and his bees. The stronger they all were, the less they¡¯d have to worry about the Compact¡or the Tower Lords, for that matter. Hopefully, Tarwantrad herself would help them do just that.
But even with those concerns, Belissar found himself looking forward to Tarwantrad¡¯s next visit, as well as one day to see what her own tower looked like. What sort of flowers would a tower blessed by the God of Flowers hold? What sort of bees could evolve from the nectar of those flowers? Belissar couldn¡¯t help but hope that one day, he¡¯d be able to find out.
Chapter 195 - A Fier-Bee Gift
Belissar awoke the next day ready to get to work. The various negotiations with Tarwantrad, the Compact, and the Circle had taken up much of his time and attention recently, but it was time to refocus. The karnuq were ready to make a concerted effort at challenging and earning the blessings of the gods while the bees were working ever diligently to improve every aspect of his Tower. His Tower now had multiple motivations to grow: to fend off the Tower Lords should they return, to encourage both the sigmaka and Compact to remain cooperative, to develop more options he could trade with Tarwantrad and the Circle, and, not least of all, to continue fighting off the Hunger. He had multiple missions from the gods still waiting for him to complete as well. All in all, there was much to do, and it was time to put aside all this diplomacy and work.
At least, that was the plan until he saw Urubran step out of the nexus door and wave.
¡°Hi Belissar, just here to drop off my boon for you. Don¡¯t feel the need to welcome me or anything.¡±
Thanks to that heads up, Belissar decided not to disturb Chief Rohsuak and made his way to speak with Urubran with just Niobee and his usual bee compliment. Urubran gave him a smile as he approached.
¡°Hi Belissar, nice to see you again.¡±
Belissar made a small smile himself. Urubran had been friendly as well and seemed to get along with the karnuq, so Belissar found he didn¡¯t mind seeing him either.
¡°Hi Urubran, nice to see you.¡±
Urubran grinned. Belissar now noticed he was holding a metal box of some sort as he moved to open the lid.
¡°Here, take a look. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to like them.¡±
A wave of heat slammed into Belissar¡¯s face as Urubran opened the lid, followed by a strong acrid scent. He resisted the urge to back up and hold his nose, forcing himself to peer into the box. He found a bunch of lotus flowers with bright red petals and black stems and roots. Urubran chuckled.
¡°Nice, aren¡¯t they? Tarwantrad bred them for me. She¡¯d have a fancy name for them but I just call them lava lotus. As the name suggests, they grow in molten lava, perfect for your Lava Field. Their nectar is as hot as the lava they drink and they release acidic fumes into the air. Their roots, if you can get into the lava to actually retrieve them, are packed to the brim with fire mana and volcanic compounds. Superb if you have fire, poison, and acid resistance, you can dilute them down though if you don¡¯t. Or use them in alchemy, should be plenty you can do with that. And if you get enough of them in one place, they can even cause acid rain, though you¡¯d need a source of moisture in the room for that to occur.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened at that. Acid rain? That sounded¡bad.
¡°Are they dangerous?¡±
Urubran made a full grin showing off his teeth.
¡°Yes, yes they are, at least if you let them grow unchecked. Most of the karnuq and your bees should be careful around them. I¡¯m pretty sure your burning bees will be fine, though, seeing as they already live around lava rivers and volcanic fumes. You have to let me know if and when they make honey from these. Chief Rohsuak should be able to handle the fire aspects, though she might need to be careful about the poison and acid. Otherwise, they¡¯d be great to put in a room that might get some uninvited guests, if you catch my meaning.¡±
Urubran had brought enough for Belissar to absorb, so he nodded and did so.
Lava Lotus
- Type: Fire, Nature, Poison, Trap, Resource
- Mana Upkeep: 20 per node, 10 to enable in compatible rooms
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
- Description: A flower that thrives on extreme heat. It draws nutrients and energy directly from molten rock and geothermal activity, releasing volcanic fumes as a byproduct. Enough of them in one area will fill the air with toxic and acidic compounds. Potent fire mana imbues every part of the plant for those who can brave the lava to harvest them.
Belissar smiled and gave Urubran a nod.
¡°Thank you, Urubran. These look like they¡¯ll be helpful and I¡¯m sure the Third of the Sixth will love them.¡±
Urubran grinned again.
¡°Just let me know when she makes honey with them, I¡¯m sure we can come up with a great trade. The burning bees too, if any of them want to come and see what life in a Fire dungeon is like. I have plenty of flora and fauna that could bring your Laval Fields to life.¡±
Belissar frowned a bit at that, but Urubran just gave him a smile before he could decide what to say.
¡°I know, you really like your bees, so no pressure. I¡¯d invite you to see the dungeon and where they might want to live, but we may need to get you an invite to the Compact first. Just think about it, and we can discuss it when you can come and see my dungeon. Chief Rohsuak and any of the karnuq who wish to see a Fire dungeon are invited as well once that happens.¡±
Belissar just gave him a slow nod, which Urubran returned.
¡°Well, that¡¯s all for today. I¡¯ll get out of your hair now, just let Tarwantrad know if you want to meet with me. Or when the Third of the Sixth makes lava honey!¡±
With that, Urubran took his leave. Belissar took a deep breath. Trading with the various dungeon masters of the Circle would be an excellent idea for his Tower, no doubt. And yet¡Belissar could not say he was comfortable sending any of his bees away, even with Tarwantrad or Urubran.
He pondered it for a bit. He recalled how regular honeybees swarmed every year if he let them, splitting their hives in half to go off and find new homes. He took another deep breath. Now that he thought of it¡letting his bees go off to new lands was normal bee behaviour. So that, like bees fighting and dying to protect their hives, might be something that he just had to get used to. He didn¡¯t like the idea, but he also didn¡¯t like the idea of holding his bees back solely because of his own discomfort.
Besides, it¡¯s not like all of his bees would leave him. He reached up and brushed Niobee, sitting on his head as she had taken to do most of the time. She buzzed and danced happily. He took comfort knowing that she¡¯d always be there, and not even death would keep her away.
Perhaps, then, he could handle it. He could always ask the queens to raise new daughters to send off. While the bees currently kept their daughters in their own hives, he did know that the First of the Fifth had sent her first daughter off to make her own hive, and eventually to move to a new room entirely. It seemed the monster bees did originally have the usual swarming behaviour, so perhaps they wouldn¡¯t be bothered by such a thing.
Well, he¡¯d have to figure out a way to find out what they thought of it. For now, though, there was work to be done and a new flower to plant. And that was what all this effort had ultimately been about.
¡°Niobee, I¡¯m going to plant the new flower in the battle Lava Field. It might be dangerous, so could you let the Third of the Sixth know? We¡¯ll test it there before adding them to her room.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar made his way to the first floor Lava Field and wasted no time placing a lava lotus node. As Urubran and the Tower description claimed, the node could only be placed in or right on the banks of the lava rivers themselves. Belissar placed the node along the first river from the room¡¯s entrance. Flat, black leaves spread out across the surface of the river, then black stems began to rise up before blooming into bright red flowers. They almost blended into the color of the lava itself, save for their solid yellow centers.
A few minutes after Belissar had placed them, he saw faint smoke drifting up from the leaves of the node, and could detect an acrid tang in the air. Shortly after, Niobee arrived with one of the Third of the Sixth¡¯s workers.
¡°Niobee, could you check it? And be careful, it¡¯s already starting to release poison.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Niobee, brave as ever, flew right into the faint smoke and landed on one of the flowers. She immediately began dancing about and quickly took off.
¡°Is hot! Too hot for normal bees! Burning bees ok!¡±
Belissar looked at her with concern.
¡°You didn¡¯t get burned, did you?¡±
Niobee danced the negative.
¡°Didn¡¯t! Mana protected!¡±
Belissar nodded at that. It seemed the same sort of protection the Tower offered him worked for Niobee as well, thankfully. Still, he held out his hand and created some medicinal honey for her. Even if she wasn¡¯t hurt, he figured it¡¯d be nice to let her have something tasty to drink.
As Niobee landed on his arm and began to lap up the honey in his hand, he nodded at the worker. The worker flew forward, passing through the smoke seemingly without harm, and landed on the flower. She spent a few moments drinking its nectar before buzzing her wings and dancing rapidly. She zipped up into the air, flying in rapid circles.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Need to tell queen!¡±
Belissar blinked before smiling. It seemed these flowers would work for the burning bees after all. He may have that honey Urubran wanted sooner than he thought.
And that had him looking forward to the next boons to arrive too¡
Chapter 196 - A Forest to Bee
With one new flower now planted, Belissar had no excuse not to address the second. He took a deep breath, steeled his heart, and then made his way to the core room with Niobee, the First of the Fifth, and some gardeners. He walked to the pedestal in the center and crouched down where he left the flask of ambrosia, picking up the Heart of the Forest from the top of the flask.
He blinked as he looked down at the seed in his hand.
¡°Was this glowing before?¡±
The seed appeared to have a soft glow of mixed gold and green light. Niobee danced with the other bees before replying.
¡°Didn¡¯t see when King left here! First of the Fifth and gardeners say was glowing when they saw!¡±
Belissar blinked again.
¡°Huh.¡±
He ended up shrugging. He had no idea what, if anything, it meant for the seed to glow. It was clearly already a special, magical thing he didn¡¯t understand. But since it had been glowing when the gardeners arrived, he figured they¡¯d have warned him if it was anything dangerous.
He turned to them now.
¡°So, what do you think? Any ideas where we should plant this?¡±
The gardeners zipped about.
¡°Flower Meadow!¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°A Flower Meadow? Why there?¡±
He would¡¯ve thought some related to forests would do better in a Fairy Grove or an Orchard¡though he caught himself before he mentioned them. He didn¡¯t want the bees to think he already had an idea in mind, though he did want to hear their reasoning. His heart clenched when he saw the gardeners slow down at the question, but he forced himself to wait for their reply.
¡°Seed¡wants space. Wants to grow own trees.¡±
Belissar gave them a big smile and nodded.
¡°Got it, that makes sense. We¡¯ll plant it in a Flower Meadow then. Thank you, gardeners, great work.¡±
His heart relaxed as the gardeners resumed their zipping about.
¡°Anything else we should know about this seed? Anything it will need to grow well?¡±
Several gardeners began different dances all at once.
¡°Water!¡±
¡°Honey!¡±
¡°Mana!¡±
Belissar tilted his head, for one of those things was not like the others. Water and mana he understood¡but honey? A seed¡wanted honey?
But he shrugged once more. Who was he to say that a magical heart of the forest didn¡¯t drink honey? If that¡¯s what his gardeners said, then that is what he would do.
¡°Got it. Thank you all for your help, you as well, First of the Fifth.¡±
Belissar then paused for a second as he watched the First of the Fifth and the gardeners break out into happy dances. He had just been thinking about how he might reward the First of the Fifth for all he asked her to do when his eyes landed on the ambrosia flask. And then, he had an idea. A ridiculous, terrifying, and possibly blasphemous idea. But one that refused to leave his mind.
He gulped, trembling as he reached for the flask. It felt slightly lighter than last time, but he hardly noticed as his thoughts raced. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart pounding in his chest. It¡should be fine, right? This came from the God of Bees, so surely it wasn¡¯t too blasphemous to offer it to bees, right? He himself couldn¡¯t think of any better possible use for it, so he just had to hope the God of Bees agreed with him¡or at least would tolerate him if he was wrong.
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Hoping he wasn¡¯t about to offend his own patron, he waved to the First of the Fifth, who instantly ceased her dance and flew up to him.
¡°So, you¡¯re good at analyzing honey types, right? Seeing if they can be used to evolve bees, right?¡±
The First of the Fifth danced the affirmative.
¡°Know good honey. Other queens work to evolve, but can help them decide which honey to use.¡±
Belissar nodded and took another deep breath. He slowly opened the flask and carefully, ever so carefully, dripped a single drop onto the palm of his hand. He held it out for the First of the Fifth. The golden dropped began to sparkle in the light of the core.
¡°This¡is honey from the God of Bees, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±
All dances in the room immediately ceased and the buzzing of wings dropped to the absolute minimum necessary to remain airborne.
¡°Could you¡check this?¡±
The First of the Fifth trembled but slowly began to wobble forward. She gently landed on his hand, crawling one step at a time towards the drop. She slowly unfolded her proboscis and gingerly extended her tongue to take one, single, small lap from the drop.
And then she immediately began to dance as rapidly as she could. The steps were unintelligible but Belissar could tell she was happy. After a few minutes she suddenly came to a halt, before beginning a solemn dance.
¡°Amazing. Incredible. Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey best honey. Want to make honey as good for King, but can¡¯t.¡±
Belissar gave her a smile.
¡°Your honey is amazing. So¡we can¡¯t use this honey?¡±
The First of the Fifth danced one round of a happy dance and then stood still for a bit before replying.
¡°If bees drink now, can make stronger, help evolve. But bees can¡¯t evolve to make. Not strong enough, not enough mana, and missing¡something. Not sure what.¡±
Her antennae and wings drooped.
¡°Sorry. Not good enough for King¡¡±
Belissar placed down the flask and used that hand to brush her while shaking his head.
¡°You¡¯re more than good enough, all of you. Here, why don¡¯t you drink the rest of that drop? You¡¯ve done great. Here, you too, Niobe.¡±
The First of the Fifth and Niobee immediately began to object but Belissar remained firm even as he poured out another drop. Eventually, the two bees conceded and lapped up the ambrosia drops, immediately taking off and zipping through the air. Most of their dance was unintelligible again, but this time he caught some ¡°King best king!¡± moves in between. He chuckled and smiled at the bees.
¡°Then, shall we find a place to plant a new seed?¡±
All the bees saluted as one.
Belissar made his way to his first potential planting location for the Heart of the Forest. He smiled as he was tackled by a bunch of fuzzy bumblebee queens, rubbing their fur as they climbed all over him.
¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too.¡±
Once the bumblebee queens had calmed down, Niobee flew over and conferred with them. It took only a second before the bumblebee queens took off and began zipping circles around him at maximum speed. Belissar was, therefore, not surprised when Niobee gave the verdict.
¡°Bumblebees say yes! Excited for new home!¡±
Belissar made a wry smile. Well, he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced the bumblebees hadn¡¯t just agreed since he was asking, but he also didn¡¯t expect them to object. It was the reason he had come here first, after all.
There were three existing Flower Meadows in the Tower that he could plant the Heart of the Forest in, with one empty room slot if he needed to make a fourth. He figured, both from the Tower¡¯s description and the gardeners¡¯ analysis, that the Heart of the Forest would begin turning its surroundings into, well, a forest, so he had to take that into account when choosing where to plant it.
He ruled out the battle meadow since it would place the Heart of the Forest in harm¡¯s way, after Nenavann had specifically asked him to take care of it. Additionally, he wanted to keep the battle meadow¡¯s skies open for the bee army to fly through without obstructions. They already had the battle Fairy Grove if they needed a forest to fight in, so converting the battle meadow into a forest didn¡¯t seem like a good idea. Though, Belissar would have to consider whether the second Fairy Grove could remain a battle room now that he had to keep the nexus door there open¡
But that was something to consider for later. Besides the battle meadow were the karnuq and bumblebee meadows. Of those, he felt it would be disruptive to the karnuq to turn their home room into a forest. It was, at least, something he would have to speak to Chief Rohsuak about before trying. He¡¯d have asked if he needed to¡but he figured he had a better option available.
Regular bumblebees lived in forests to begin with, so Belissar guessed that the bumblebees wouldn¡¯t particularly mind if a bunch of trees grew in their room. And since the implication was that the Heart of the Forest would make plants around it grow better, Belissar hoped its presence would prove beneficial to any bees around it.
Well, judging by the speed and number of laps the bumblebee queens were flying around him, they at least seemed to be excited by the idea. So, Belissar put aside his contingency plans and smiled.
¡°Thank you. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy your new neighbor.¡±
The bumblebee queens continued zipping about as Belissar got to work. Since Nenavann had asked him to take care of this seed, as if it was a person, Belissar decided to do this by hand. He took a shovel the karnuq had given him and dug a small hole in the center of the room, to the depth recommended by the gardeners. He mixed up the soil as best he could and then use his magic to create a small pool of mana honey at the bottom, figuring that could help with both the mana and honey requirement. Then he placed the seed into the soil, just above the honey pool, before carefully covering the hole back up. He created a Pond and placed it nearby to ensure access to water.
¡°There you go, hope you like your new home. Grow big and strong and make lots of flowers, ok?¡±
Belissar thought he saw a bit of a glow through the soil as he finished up.
POBee 196.1 - Royal Bee-solve
The First of the Fifth was silent as she returned to her hive, giving commands to her workers by habit alone. She could not help but admit that this recent turn of events had left her shaken.
The taste of the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey had been, well, divine. There was no other way to put it. And the First of the Fifth knew that she could not compare her own honey to that, for what bee could compare with the Queen of All Bees? She could only take pride that the Queen of All Bees had judged her King worthy of receiving the divine honey itself.
What had shaken her was the realization of just how deep the quality of honey could go, and how little of it she had fathomed. She had grown content with her current production, believing it fit for the King, when she had barely scratched the surface of what was possible. She had grown complacent, taking the King¡¯s love and favor for granted since she had learned he loved all bees. She had been content to stop growing, thinking she had reached the peak and had nothing more to do than to help others climb to what little heights she had managed to reach.
Oh how wrong she had been.
What shook her about the ambrosia was not how much better it had been than her own honey. What shook her was that her instincts whisper that it was possible to approach those heights. Yes, there was something fundamental missing that would prevent any bee from pulling it off, no matter how much they grew. But her instincts told her, that in addition to whatever that fundamental quality was, that she was simply too weak to even consider evolving with divine honey.
And that made her realize just how far the queens of the King had to go, for none of them had managed to grow in recent times. They had their one growth spurt that enabled soldier spawning, and then not one of them had changed since. What queens had evolved had merely taken on specialized types of mana and adapted to specific environments, but none of them had fundamentally changed what they were.
Compare this to the other types of bees. Workers could evolve into communers, gardeners, and honeypots. Soldiers could evolve into sprayers, lancers, battlecasters, or archers. Even the drones had found a role far beyond what their original purpose, and the First of the Fifth wondered if even they might one day evolve.
But not the queens. Not the bees with the most important, most foundational role in any hive. All of them, from the valiant warriors of the Flower Meadow, to the innovators of the Orchard, to the honeymakers of the Apiary, had managed to grow past their initial limits. In that regard, Beero, the queen who was not a queen, might actually be the most deserving of the title among them. She, at least, had earned her authority by her own achievements in exceeding her limits.
This would change. This had to change, so the First of the Fifth resolved. The hive of hives could not be held back by its own queens. They could not be content to remain the only bees that never changed. It was their obligation to put in at least as much work as their own workers and soldiers.
Only then could they truly begin to travel down the path of honey and find where its true depths lay. Only then could they be queens worthy of their King. Only then could they repay him for the love and favor he already lavished upon them.
The First of the Fifth thanked the Queen of All Bees for showing her the depths of her ignorance, and for blessing the King¡¯s table with the honey she had failed to provide. And then she got to work, for she had much to do.
First of which was a call to all the queens of the hive of hives. This would be an effort they all must undertake¡
The Firstborn left the meeting trembling. How could she have missed this? How could she have been so blind? How was it that the queens were the only bees in the hive of hives who had not grown?
The Flower Meadow queens gathered in the barracks, standing in a buzzing circle as each of them stewed in their thoughts. They had gathered to determine how they would pursue growth as queens, for they knew that they would need to find much different methods than the First of the Fifth and the Apiary queens. Their honey production could not compare to the Apiary queens current levels, so if the Apiary queens had not changed yet by those methods how could they hope to? No, they had a different role in the hive of hives, and so their growth must be equally different.
The question was¡what should they do? In fact, what was their role in the hive of hives? At first, the Firstborn thought it was to defend the hive of hives, but that was the role of their soldiers. What was their role as the queens of the hives that defended, and how should they grow in it? To command the soldier bee armies¡but was that enough? Could simply telling the soldiers how to fight, sitting safe within their hives thanks to the communers, truly result in any growth?
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Beero, the bee who had grown without even receiving a form from the King, had faced many difficulties and dangers before she had changed. How could the queens do the same?
The Firstborn was stumped, as well as all the others. But she had learned from her earlier failures. So, instead of despairing as to her lack of ability, she turned to the hive of hives. She considered what everyone else had done. And she did not limit her thoughts solely to her fellow bees.
She slowly began to dance.
¡°What about¡karnuq?¡±
Each queen buzzed as her movement caught their eyes. The First of the Fourth buzzed her wings again.
¡°What about karnuq?¡±
The Firstborn wasn¡¯t sure of her steps, having to find each one as it came as she worked out the idea in her mind at the same time.
¡°Karnuq¡all have same form, don¡¯t change. But¡managed to grow anyways. Fighting one both leads and fights, acts like both queen and soldier, and managed to grow. Maybe can ask how?¡±
Silence hung over the queens as each considered this. The First of the Second slowly began her dance.
¡°Could try? Don¡¯t have better idea.¡±
The First of the Fourth danced her agreement.
¡°Better than doing nothing. But ask karnuq queen too! Hasn¡¯t grown like fighting one, but both leads and fights and is strong!¡±
One by one, all the queens agreed, if only for lack of better ideas. The Firstborn began beating her wings and lifting into the air.
¡°Ok, will find fighting one and karnuq queen and ask.¡±
Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin while Metsaitti crossed his arms. She frowned a bit as she looked at the Firstborn hovering before them.
¡°I see. First, I must caution you that Tower monsters, to my knowledge, grow very differently than we do. You grow more based on what you are, while we grow based more on what we do. Our methods may not be suited to you, nor yours to us, so please be careful if you try to emulate us. It¡¯s important not to try and be something you are not.¡±
The Firstborn danced a salute. Chief Rohsuak gave her a minute to absorb the warning before continuing.
¡°That said, I can certainly share with you how we grow. In general, there are three ways to grow. First is to grow the basic abilities of our bodies. This is general done through physical training, but can also involve expanding our mana reserves through use and through consumption of mana-rich foods and potions. The latter method must be matched with physical training, though, lest we consume more than our bodies can currently handle.¡±
She nodded at Metsaitti and he began to spin his spear, working through several drills.
¡°The second way is to hone our craft through study and practice. The exact method differs on what the craft is, a warrior will train very differently from a mason or alchemist.¡±
Chief Rohsuak then sighed and held out her hand, creating a ball of flame.
¡°These two methods are the most important, for they lay the foundations. But there is no doubt that they are slow. The fastest method of growth, by far, is to receive and grow the blessing of a god. Such a thing accelerates the realization of a person¡¯s potential, as well as changing that person¡¯s nature to align more closely with the chosen blessing. This method, as you may have seen through us, depends on earning the favor of a god. How you do that changes from person to person and from god to god. Juosiutik did it by rediscovering a tricky potion recipe of her mothers, and then offering the first batch to the God of Bees. Noigakkuq did so by braving the dangers of the Underway to claim a prize to offer instead. Muuraqi didn¡¯t make a physical offering but instead by assisting the Tower Keeper in building new beehouses, a feat and a service in line with the God of Bees¡¯ desires. Metsaitti did not make offerings at all but instead by undergrowing a Trial of Fire in order to align his nature with fire and to prove his devotion to the God of Fire¡¯s domain.¡±
She nodded at Metsaitti and he took over.
¡°Though, I failed the Trial of Fire, but was helped by Niobee and the God of Bees instead, aligning with a combination of both gods¡¯ domains. What the Chief is trying to say is that you can¡¯t just repeat something that we did. Whatever you do needs to both match who you are, the kind of blessing you want, and the god you hope to be blessed by. And, as a point that might matter for you, you need to pull whatever feat off yourself.¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°I would take that with a grain of salt. You, as a queen of bees, naturally work with your hive, so I¡¯d believe the need for solo efforts might be different. And we don¡¯t know if a Tower monster such as yourself can even earn blessings such as this. But Metsaitti is right in that you must personally be involved in a feat for it to be considered. Additionally, you must be willing to grant your devotion to the god who gives the blessing. Someone who just wants power alone will find it difficult.¡±
The Firstborn saluted and thanked the two karnuq for her words. She and the Flower Meadow queens would have a long discussion on these things, and what they might mean for the growth of the queens¡
As for the Fourth of the Seventh¡she immediately flew out of the meeting with the First of the Fifth the moment the conversation was over.
¡°Ok! Will go scout new things! Will go follow the flower one into leaf door!¡±
Her communer and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter zipped after her.
¡°Queen mother, no!¡±
What followed was a frantic race to the Fairy Grove and a long conversation that was only resolved when the communer asked the Conduit and she confirmed the king didn¡¯t want anyone going through the door just yet.
POBee 196.2 - Bee-havioural Challenges
The Firstborn finished her pondering as she laid another egg. The karnuq told of her of many things and the blessings of the gods. The Firstborn was not so sure about that after some consideration. Initially, she thought it would be a given that she would grant her devotion to the Queen of All Bees¡but was that the case? She was innately a member of the Hive of All Bees as all bees were, but her first loyalty was to the King and his hive of hives. If she were forced to declare her allegiance, would it be to anyone other than the King? Would the Queen of All Bees approve of a bee who followed a hive other than their own, even hers?
The Firstborn could not answer those questions. But the blessings of the gods was not the only thing the karnuq spoke of. The Firstborn decided to focus on one particular aspect of the fighting one¡¯s advice and in doing so found she knew what to do next.
She turned to the nearest communer and sent her decree through her hive.
¡°Will train with soldiers now. One day, will fight with.¡±
Her hive¡¯s reaction was immediate.
¡°Queen mother, no!¡±
All of her nearby workers began to swarm over her, forming a protective ball that also served to restrict her movements. The soldiers on guard at the barracks entrance flew inside and lent their bulk to the pile. Even her daughter queens ceased their own hive management and crawled over, antennae flicking and wings buzzing in concern.
The Firstborn remained still and allowed them to express their refusal. Monster bee hives were normally ruled by their queens, but her authority was not absolute. If her children felt her life was in danger or the very existence of the hive was at risk, their instincts would take over. She could guide those instincts but to refuse them outright would be difficult, to say the least.
And that is exactly what she needed to do now.
She waited for her hive to calm down, remaining still. The workers began to slow down, resting on top of her for a moment. They slowly began to drift away from the ball, watching her every move as they did so. She continued to stand in place. The workers took distance as they grew reassured she was not about to fly away and into danger. Soon, the last worker let go of her and gave her enough room to dance.
¡°King decided to save Beero when crippled instead of leaving to die, as normal. Now, hive of the fallen is critical to safety of hive of hives.¡±
Her children buzzed again when she started to move but calmed down when they realized she was dancing.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh decided to save drone instead of exiling. Now, drones crucial to tie hive of hives together.¡±
The communers danced their agreement with that.
¡°First of the Fifth gave us honey. Could not have built big army if rival queen didn¡¯t decide to help instead of fight.¡±
The Firstborn noted her workers and gardeners antennae droop at that. She walked over to them, brushing their antennae and spreading soothing pheromones.
¡°Hives of the First Dynasty fell using normal swarms. Third Queen of the First Dynasty of the First Spawner tried something different. Bee army uses her tactics to succeed.¡±
The soldiers could only dance a salute at that. The Firstborn spun, looking at each of her children in turn before she continued.
¡°Hive of hives does not act normal. Cannot act normal. Cannot defend hive of hives with normal method.¡±
One of her workers began to dance.
¡°But¡doesn¡¯t mean queen needs to fight!¡±
A wave of agreement dances passed through her hive, but the Firstborn was firm in her reply.
¡°Does. Queens lead hives. Fourth of the Seventh explores Beyond herself. First of the Fifth tastes honey and changes processing method herself. Second of the Sixth heals wounded herself.¡±
She looked at each of them once more.
¡°Only Flower Meadow queens don¡¯t. Hive can¡¯t protect hive of hives if queen won¡¯t.¡±
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Silence hung in the air as not a bee stirred. Eventually, one of the soldiers started a hesitant dance.
¡°But¡if queen dies, hive dies.¡±
The Firstborn, though, immediately denied that.
¡°In normal hive, maybe. But we are hive of hives. If wounded, will join hive of fallen. If fall, daughters can take place. Even in normal hive, workers can raise new queen if first queen cannot do job.¡±
She then did a direction dance, causing her workers to turn and look around them, to the other hives filling the barracks.
¡°And even if hive falls, hive of hives will endure. As long as protect King and Tower, true hive will never die. So, must protect, no matter what.¡±
Her hive stood still once more, with the occasional buzzing of wings. Her workers and soldiers stirred, though none of them performed a full dance. The Firstborn said no more, standing still as she let them consider her dance.
She knew what they would decide. They were her children and she was their queen. She knew them as they knew her. They would have to war against the strongest instincts they possessed¡but they were the defenders of the hive of hives. They were those who faced invaders that could destroy entire hives in an instant. They flew into the jaws of death without hesitation. There was no danger nor terror that would hold them back.
And so, the Firstborn was not at all surprised when one of the soldiers danced the slowest, most hesitant salute dance she had ever seen. One by one, her workers, soldiers, and daughter queens began to join in, until her entire hive saluted as one. The soldiers then began to dance.
¡°Ok¡but will protect queen. Queen must listen, stay as safe as possible.¡±
The Firstborn danced her own salute, even as her antennae began to twitch. Now that they had agreed, she would follow any stipulations they gave. After all, she was asking the most difficult challenge she could of her children, to risk that which they wanted to protect most for the sake of the hive of hives, and they were rising to the challenge.
She could not be prouder of them.
Tyhgak and his friends joined the rest of the karnuq hunters as they gathered at the entrance of the Tower, led by Chief Rohsuak and with a small swarm of bees buzzing overhead. They stood in the very first cavern of the first Dirt Tunnels, right next to the gate to the outside world and the first Shrine of Bees that stood there. Chief Rohsuak turned and faced them, straightening to her full height. She frowned at them, her eyes glowing softly like the embers of a fire.
¡°Who among you will challenge the Tower? Who among you will face the enemies of the world, to be found worthy in the sight of the gods? Who among you will risk life and limb to defend our home and its keeper?¡±
The karnuq hunters all shouted and saluted together. The bees danced a salute dance as well. Chief Rohsuak nodded grimly.
¡°Then face your Tower as a challenger must, and may the gods find you worthy.¡±
She stepped aside and the first group gathered. Tyhgak and his squad, now including Noigakkuq, stepped forward first. They checked their weapons and supplies, took deep breathes, and nodded at one another, as well as the squad of bees that would follow them. They steeled themselves as they peered into the tunnels ahead, faintly illuminated by flickering beeswax candles.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Tyhgak could swear he felt something in the air shift as he spoke and took a step forward. It was as if the air solidified, now resisting his steps instead of flowing freely. He felt as if something was watching him, and felt a slight chill go down his spine. His expression grew grim.
He could feel it in his core. This was no longer their home. This was like the Underway, where danger lurked in every corner and predators stalked their steps.
He stayed light on his feet as the group crept forward. Noigakkuq frowned.
¡°Wait, trap ahead.¡±
Tyhgak nodded and poked the ground. The seemingly solid ground vanished, revealing a pit. Confirming that the Tower¡¯s defenses would now activate against them.
Like the Sticky Honey Trap that began to spray from the other side of the pit.
Fortunately, Tyhgak had stayed on his toes and so was able to leap back before he was drenched in the purple maddening honey. Equally fortunately, the group had come prepared for a pit trap this time. Once the honey trap stopped, he and his fellow spearwoman gave Noigakkuq a boost to leap across the pit. She was able to secure a rope that the others could use to cross.
And just like that, the first group of karnuq hunters resumed challenging the Tower, with more following after each had some time to proceed. As for the first, Tyhgak kept his eyes moving and his spear close. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti had heavily impressed upon them all that, even though the Tower Keeper did not intend to hurt them, the danger would be very real. The Tower Keeper couldn¡¯t stop them from falling into a pit.
And the shades that appeared to fight them would show them no mercy.
Tyhgak leapt back as a small wolf shade pounced at his former position. The karnuq originally trained to hold their ground but Tyhgak was trying something new. He had watched the bees as they fought and trained, observed as they flew in, struck quickly, and flew out before a shade could retaliate.
So, he tried to float and fly about like a bee, dodging and weaving out of the way of attacks. And then, when the shade¡¯s momentum came to a halt, he moved to sting.
He thrust his spear forward, trying to wrap it with his mana like Noigakkuq had described. The spear plunged into the shade, but Tyhgak didn¡¯t waste any time celebrating. He pulled his spear out from the shade as quickly as he could, leaping back before it could retaliate as a soldier bee squad would.
For the briefest of moments, he thought he saw his mana stay behind, still stabbed into the shade, but he had no time to look again. Already he was moving into his next attack, intending to keep up a constant rotation of dodges and stabs.
Just like the soldier bee army would.
One by one, the shades fell to the young karnuq hunters, and they made their way through the Dirt Tunnels¡
Chapter 197 - Bee Deadlier?
Tyhgak¡¯s squad finally saw the light at the end of the tunnels. He had the urge to race forward, but Noigakkuq grabbed his shoulder and pointed. One final pit trap later, and they finally made it. They stepped out into the Fairy Grove to find the Tower Keeper waiting, smiling at them.
¡°Good job, everyone.¡±
Tyhgak smiled and the team began to cheer. Since everyone was still getting used to the Fairy Grove, this was the end of their challenge today¡and that meant it was time to claim their rewards. Their cheers that only grew as the Tower Keeper handed them a quarter tray of mana honeycomb each. Today was a good day indeed.
After thanking the Tower Keeper, they stepped over to the Shrine of Bees at the start of the Fairy Grove, which now also had a second, wooden chest wrapped in flowering vines, apparently. Tyhgak broke off a piece of his honeycomb and placed it in the original wax chest, then knelt before the statue.
But as he began to thank the God of Bees, the statue and chest suddenly glowed with blinding light.
The God of Bees offers you her full blessing. If you wish to accept, please select one of the following blessings:
- Blessing of the Hunter
- Blessing of the Spear Fighter
- Blessing of the Guardian
- Blessing of the Bee Soldier
Tyhgak made his choice immediately, grinning as he felt mana surge through his body. He got this blessing trying to fight more like the bees, so there was no question which one he wanted. He jumped up and spun around.
¡°The God of Bees gave me a blessing!¡±
He ran forward and hugged Noigakkuq, spinning her around as she squeaked in surprise.
Belissar spent most of the day waiting for squads of karnuq hunters to make their way through the Dirt Tunnels and rewarding them for their efforts¡ and occasionally rescuing a squad or two that got into trouble. Not all of them managed to avoid the traps and one of the hunters even sprained their ankle from a bad landing. Belissar thought he was lucky, a fall of that height might have broken a human¡¯s leg, but he supposed the karnuq were both larger and tougher. Besides that, though, everyone made through with some gashes at worst, or a bit loopy in the case of those drenched with mad honey.
Belissar was glad, though it did again throw into focus the low impact his traps were having. That the karnuq could consistency make it through the Dirt Tunnels with minimal injuries was as concerning as it was relieving. The only thing he had changed compared to normal was swapping the candles over to normal wax so the karnuq wouldn¡¯t get poisoned by the air, so their experience roughly matched any invaders. He could only hope that said change, plus maybe some digging soldiers for ambushes, might make things a bit tougher for any enemies.
Belissar furrowed his brow and groaned, then heaved a sigh. He went and filled his last empty room slot with a third Fairy Grove and swapped it with the one holding the nexus door. He moved the nexus door room to the second floor, behind the battle meadow, while moving the third Fairy Grove to the first floor, just after the initial Dirt Tunnels. He didn¡¯t want the Compact to be able to bypass his defenses¡but he couldn¡¯t count on holding a shade in the Dirt Tunnels, especially if an unexpected emergency purification hit. If that happened, a shade might appear and pass through the nexus door or close it entirely. If he wanted to stay in contact with the Circle and the Compact, he had no choice but keep the nexus door behind his defenses.
He decided to trust that Tarwantrad would keep the Compact from attacking him¡and that the boons from the Circle would hopefully be worth that risk. He thought about trying to move the nexus door to the Fairy Grove by the Orchard¡but he didn¡¯t want to risk moving it, as he didn¡¯t know if that would affect the door or not. And, well, if the Compact did end up attacking him, he didn¡¯t want them to arrive in a room that some of his bees made their homes in. So, here he was, with three separate Fairy Groves, the most expensive rooms he could make. One for his bees to fight in, one for them to live in, and one to hold the door.
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Fortunately, the karnuq¡¯s challenges brought good news as well. Tyghak had gotten a full blessing, giving them another battle-focused Tower Guard, and Chief Rohsuak was optimistic that several others were close. Not only that, but it brought him closer to completing one of his long-standing missions to help ten of the karnuq receive blessings. His Tower would certainly be getting a boost from the karnuq¡¯s efforts, as well as the boons from the Circle.
Belissar grinned. He had received word, too, that the bees were progressing as well. Once he wrapped up things with the karnuq, he made his way over to the Apiary to see what the First of the Fifth had come up with this time.
He found her waiting outside of her Bee Apartment with two new types of worker bees. He smiled as she saluted to him and then introduced them.
The first bee was multi-colored, a light green on her top half and a light blue on the bottom. Her wings were larger than normal, while her body was thinner. She seemed like she would blow away with the slightest breeze.
Well, from her description, that might have been the point.
Breeze Monster Bee Worker
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average+
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Breeze, Sacrificial Strike, Brood Offspring
Description: A monster bee worker raised on honey infused with Air attribute mana. Exceptional at catching and riding the wind, it can fly further and faster than its counterparts. It is even capable of generating light breezes on its own to boost its flight when the air is calm. Prefers to make hives in elevated locations.
Belissar grinned as he held out his hand for the new worker to crawl into. He made a bit of honey for her as she danced about happily, almost flying off his hands as her wings nearly caught the air from that movement alone.
¡°Was this one from the soaring beeblossom?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
He saw the First of the Fifth twitch a bit, as if she was about to continue a dance but stopped.
¡°What is it?¡±
The First of the Fifth froze as he spoke. Belissar tried to give her as kind a smile as he could.
¡°You can tell me anything. If you have something to say, I¡¯d love to hear it.¡±
The First of the Fifth stared at him for a moment before slowly resuming her dance.
¡°Had¡idea. Think would be good to give honey to Orchard bees, let one of Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s daughters evolve. Already live in high place, bees that fly far good for scouting.¡±
Belissar grinned as he nodded.
¡°That sounds perfect, great idea.¡±
The First of the Fifth froze again, then broke out into a happy dance after about a minute. It took a bit before she introduced the next bee.
¡°KING IS BEST KING! This bee from bad taste mushroom.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow at that before remembering he had Niobee test a mushroom that tasted bad to her. A mushroom¡that Juosiutik had warned him was extremely dangerous.
He trembled only slightly as he looked over the bee. The bee was mostly pale white and black, with a slightly yellow tinge to the white spots.
Toxic Monster Bee Worker
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Deadly Poison Sting, Sacrificial Strike, Poison Resistance, Brood Offspring
Description: A monster bee worker raised on honey infused with deadly, mana-imbued toxins. Its very mana takes on a poisonous quality, to say nothing of its potent mixture of bee venom and other toxins. Just a few stings from a worker are dangerous to the average human, and even its honey and wax are toxic. Its mana and adaptations grant it a natural resistance to toxins of all sorts that can allow it to forage from sources other bees cannot, though all of its products will retain whatever toxins were present in the source in addition to receiving the bee¡¯s own.
Belissar trembled a bit more than slightly after he finished reading the description. However, no matter how deadly she was, she was still a bee. One of his bees. So, he swallowed his fear and reached out his hand for the deadly bee as he had done for all others.
The deadly bee crawled into his hand and happily danced about. Belissar stopped trembling and smiled. It seemed no matter how deadly she was, the worker was still a bee after all. He created a bit of honey for her and smiled as she lapped it up.
¡°This one is going to powerful, I think.¡±
Fears aside, a bit of extra lethality was exactly what his Tower needed. Not only did this worker possess an extra deadly sting, she would apparently imbue her honey and wax with the same lethal toxins. She could really up the danger of his Sticky Honey Traps and possibly the beeswax candles too.
The First of the Fifth danced her confirmation.
¡°Wanted to give to Flower Meadow, but honey and wax dangerous. Needs own hive. Whichever queen evolves can¡¯t live with others.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Got it. I¡¯ll make a new beehouse for whoever does it. Will it be dangerous to evolve?¡±
¡°Yes, but have antidote bee, so can help if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±
Belissar smiled once more.
¡°Got it. Let me know when a queen wants to evolve with this, I¡¯ll do what I can to help. Great work with these.¡±
He chuckled as the First of the Fifth descended into happy dances once more, now joined by the breeze and toxic workers.
Chapter 198 - Bee-musing Concepts
The day¡¯s purification went on without a hitch, and Belissar picked up some more mana to start making up for all his recent expenditures. His DP income had also grown a bit now that the karnuq hunters resumed challenging, and he¡¯d have enough for yet another choice in a couple of days¡though, he might need more mana before then to implement everything. Even with the new purification he was down to fifty available, to the point that he declined to make any more lava lotus nodes. He¡¯d have to rely on the gardeners for those, given that more boons from the Circle were incoming.
And indeed, the next morning Tarwantrad returned once again, accompanied by Nenavann, who was holding a chest that seemed to be adorned with some sort of colorful rocks that had almost branch-like shapes, as well as smooth, perfectly round white gems. Tarwantrad beamed as he approached them¡and to his surprise, Nenavann also gave him a smile and a nod.
¡°Belissar! Nice to see you again! I spoke with Nenavann, since he saw a bit of your dungeon, he¡¯s ready now to give you his boons.¡±
Nenavann nodded to confirm.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you well, Tower Keeper Belissar. I¡hope all is well with the heart?¡±
Belissar nodded even as Nenavann¡¯s expression turned worried.
¡°We planted it just yesterday. It hasn¡¯t been long but the gardener bees tell me it¡¯s already doing well.¡±
Nenavann smiled warmly at that.
¡°Thank you, Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
Tarwantrad, however, had gone completely rigid, her eyes widening as far as they could go.
¡°Belissar¡did you say there are¡gardener bees?¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Yes? Ah, did we miss those on the tour?¡±
Tarwantrad began to tremble.
¡°Yes. We did. I certainly would have remembered such a wonder.¡±
Her gaze turned intense enough that Belissar gulped.
¡°You must introduce me to them after this.¡±
Belissar quickly nodded while Nenavann chuckled.
¡°Your Tower will indeed be a great home for the heart. Let us make sure of it.¡±
Nenavann opened the chest and presented it to Belissar. Inside was a pile of moist, blue-colored rocks, as well as a bundle of thin plants topped with bunches of small, white flowers. Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Is that¡hemlock?¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°Close. This is vapor hemlock, a notably more dangerous cultivar of the mundane water hemlock. It aerosolizes its toxins and will unleash them in a burst of mist if damaged. If you grow enough of them, they will create a fog that will slowly poison anything that walks within.¡±
Belissar gulped.
¡°That sounds dangerous.¡±
Nenavann nodded with a serious expression.
¡°It is. The karnuq, especially, should take care. I have, however, observed bees pollinating them, so I do believe your bee monsters should be fine¡and perhaps might benefit from the presence of such a flower. I do intend it mainly for your defense, however, particularly if you acquire a more Water-aligned room.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°Not at the moment.¡±
Nenavann gave him a smile.
¡°Then these might help.¡±
He motioned to the rocks.
¡°These are water stones, per common parlance. When exposed to mana, they grant it a Water attribute and so begin to spontaneously produce water.¡±
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Belissar¡¯s eyes widened a bit as he nodded along.
¡°Ah, that could be useful.¡±
Nenavann¡¯s smile grew.
¡°Indeed, the fair folk make great use of them in our daily lives and I suspect the karnuq will do the same. That, however, is only the surface of their value for dungeon masters such as you or I. The conversion of mana to a specific attribute will impact anything of a mystical nature in the rock¡¯s surroundings¡such as mana flowers or monsters with a tendency to evolve. Going further, a dungeon master could even use such a method to acquire new rooms.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes went as wide as they could go.
¡°We¡can acquire rooms? Without choices?¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°Tarwantrad tells me you have had a feature named after you, correct? So, I assume you are aware that you can acquire features by more manual efforts?¡±
Belissar nodded, so Nenavann continued.
¡°The same goes for rooms, though greater efforts are required as you might expect. If you intentionally change a room through features, manual efforts, and grand feats, you may one day shift its fundamental nature to something other than originally intended. If that occurs, then the dungeon will respond and shift its own efforts to match the room¡¯s new nature.¡±
He motioned to the water stones.
¡°As an example, the amount of water a water stone can produce depends on the concentration of mana flowing through it. Were you to leave a sufficient quantity of water stones near a particularly powerful source of mana, say next to or directly under a large patch of mana-producing plants, they would produce a vast amount of water indefinitely. That could result in an entire room flooding.¡±
Belissar slowly began to nod.
¡°So¡I could use these to make a lake?¡±
Nenavann smiled.
¡°A lake, a marsh, or something similar. Place them instead in an elevated location with a channel and you might make a river. I am told you have access to salt as well? Place some salt nodes in the water and you could make marine environments as well.¡±
Belissar blinked at that.
¡°Salt¡in the water? What exactly is a marine environment?¡±
Now it was Nenavann¡¯s turn to blink.
¡°¡you are not familiar with saltwater? The seas and the oceans are made from it¡¡±
Belissar continued blinking.
¡°Seas? You mean like a sea of Hunger? And oceans...what are those?¡±
Nenavann¡¯s jaw dropped.
¡°You¡haven¡¯t heard of the ocean? Or of the sea, in its original meaning?¡±
Belissar wanted to shrink under Nenavann¡¯s gaze but that wouldn¡¯t exactly help him figure out what a sea or ocean was, so he could only nod.
Nenavann swayed on his feet, his face twisting in astonishment and horror.
¡°He¡hasn¡¯t heard of the sea¡¡±
Belissar gulped. Was¡was this some sort of crucial dungeon master thing he was missing? He glanced over at Tarwantrad, praying she could help.
Tarwantrad gave him a sympathetic smile and then patted Nenavann on the shoulder.
¡°Belissar told me he was but a humble beekeeper for most of his life. He had few opportunities to leave his abode.¡±
Nenavann heaved a sigh.
¡°It is not that. It¡¯s just¡how much of the world has been lost to the Hunger that even the existence of oceans is unknown now?¡±
All three of them grew solemn and silent at that.
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°So¡there are massive lakes deeper than mountains and wider than entire continents?¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°And¡they¡¯re filled with saltwater that we can¡¯t even drink?¡±
Nenavann nodded again. Belissar stared into the air and blinked.
¡°Huh. That¡¯s¡strange.¡±
Nenavann sighed softly.
¡°I¡suppose it would seem so, to one who was unaware of their existence. Tower Keeper Belissar, you must come to visit my dungeon once we have worked things out with the Compact. It will be far easier for you to understand if you can see the wonders of the ocean with your own eyes. For now¡simply understand that if you place salt nodes within a body of water, it will create a different environment from one made of freshwater. Different plants and animals¡and monsters, too, will prefer one over the other, so it will be a simple way to diversify if you manage to unlock Water-based rooms. If you intend to do so, please feel free to ask for me anytime. I would be more than happy to share my knowledge regarding all things aquatic.¡±
Belissar just nodded slowly at that, still trying to process the idea of more water than he ever knew existed all sitting in one place. Nenavann sighed once more.
¡°In any case, I have taken much of your time today, and Tarwantrad is still waiting to meet your gardener bees. Please let me know if you acquire any sort of aquatic room, I can help you populate any that you may encounter. I would love to see any aquatic bees you may raise one day, and I would as well to show you all the different forms a Water room can take.¡±
Belissar found himself smiling at that.
¡°Got it. Thank you for the help, Dungeon Master Nenavann.¡±
Nenavann shook his head.
¡°No, it is I who must thank you, Tower Keeper Belissar. This is but a small gesture compared to what you have done for us.¡±
They said their farewells and then Nenavann took his leave. Tarwantrad, however, remained behind, staring at Belissar with an intent gaze.
¡°Belissar¡¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help a chuckle.
¡°Would you like to meet the gardeners?¡±
¡°YES!¡±
Tarwantrad squealed as some of the gardeners hovered in front of her.
¡°Look at you! That proboscis can reach into practically any flower, no matter how deep! The extra hairs so you can pick up extra pollen for the plants! Those big, fuzzy antennae¡is that for picking up scents to find the plants?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Scents and mana, apparently. They connect with the mana of plants to learn how the plants are doing and what they need.¡±
Tarwantrad staggered back, swaying about. Belissar frowned.
¡°Are you ok?¡±
Tarwantrad stared blankly for a moment before suddenly snapping to attention, her gaze boring holes into Belissar once more.
¡°Belissar, would you be willing to arrange a trade? I intended to wait until we got you your boons from the Circle¡but I need these bees in my dungeon. Preferably right now.¡±
Chapter 199 - Flower-Bee Exchange
Belissar slowly nodded his head, causing Tarwantrad to break out into a bright smile and hop around a bit. He had already made peace with potentially sending some of his bees abroad and a trade with a Flower specialized dungeon would certainly benefit his Tower.
¡°I do still need to check with the bees to see whose willing to send a daughter¡ah, I was thinking of asking them to raise a new queen to send, is that all right? It might take more time.¡±
Tarwantrad stopped hopping long enough to nod.
¡°Absolutely, that¡¯s one of the main ways we trade monsters in the first place.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms and hummed.
¡°Actually, how do you trade monsters, come to think of it?¡±
Tarwantrad calmed herself down.
¡°That¡¯s a fair question. We normally have two different methods to do so. One, like you¡¯ve already suggested, is to breed our monsters the natural way, and then to trade some of the children.¡±
She frowned slightly.
¡°The other¡be aware that I am only letting you know for information¡¯s sake and will never ask this of you¡is to trade fallen corpses or harvested plants or something along those lines. That allows the other dungeon master to absorb the remains and create new spawners for themselves.¡±
Belissar immediately scowled at that but Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°That¡¯s more common for features and some more mundane fauna, to be honest, as creating new spawners outright isn¡¯t always ideal if they are not compatible with the dungeon¡¯s primary patron. As for us specifically, I will never ask you to do such a thing. I know that you care deeply for your bees and treat the bodies of their fallen with respect.¡±
Tarwantrad looked him in the eye at that. Belissar held her gaze until his anger began to subside and then he nodded.
¡°I see¡and thanks.¡±
He then furrowed his brow.
¡°Hm¡how does it work with evolutions? Gardeners don¡¯t reproduce themselves, they evolve from workers that the queens raise.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°Ah. That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? A monster that is traded only comes as they are. Any evolution options from the dungeon are lost, unless the individual monster earns it themselves or else the other dungeon gains access to it. In the case of bees¡so, the workers have their own evolutions independent of the overall hive species?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yeah, my spawner is for the queens, they could lay workers, drones, and queens from the start but the other types were from monster choices. Ah, except the battlecasters, Beero figured that one out herself.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°And how does that work with the different types of hives you¡¯ve shown me? The ones based off different flower types?¡±
Belissar hummed a bit.
¡°Well, the bees kind of figured all those out themselves. From what I¡¯ve seen, the honey based evolutions change the entire hive. It¡¯s like¡all the queens can raise soldiers after I unlocked that option, and a queen that evolved with maddening honey can raise maddening soldiers.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Ah, so there are two independent evolutions? One that applies specific attributes and adaptations from their diet, and then more structural evolutions for different types of bee castes within the hive? I see¡so, if I understand this correctly¡we could probably trade the queens that have evolved from honey and their hives would retain those adaptations but would likely lose access to the specialized bee types you¡¯ve chosen from dungeon rewards. Though, if a queen has already been laying some of those types directly, perhaps she would be able to continue doing so? Hm¡¡±
She thought for a moment before turning to Belissar with a frown.
¡°Belissar, if you¡¯re comfortable with it, would you mind sharing more details about the gardeners? Their description, how they evolve, and any perks you have that are relevant to their function?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Sure.¡±
Monster Bee Gardener
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Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minimal+
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Sacrificial Strike, Tend Plants, Enhanced Pollination, Brood Offspring
Evolves from: Monster Bee Worker
Description: A monster bee worker that has come to specialize in foraging. Most bees assist plants as a side-effect, but these bees take it further. Monster bee gardeners directly boost the growth of plants they visit, exchanging mana and tending to the health of the plant. In doing so, they boost the growth and health of all plants, including plant features and plant monsters. They also increase the rate and impact of cross-pollination between different plants. In exchange for all this, they also gather more nectar per visit, and the nectar they gather has higher mana-density, boosting their hive¡¯s honey production.
Belissar read out the description for her.
¡°As for perks¡Cross-Pollination and Gardener Planting are the main two. Cross-Pollination is what lets the bees grow new flowers, while Gardener Planting lets the gardeners plant new flowers directly. I also have Symbiotic Foraging, a cross-perk from the God of Bees and God of Flowers, that helps with both cross-pollination and bee evolutions. There are some others, like some Bee-type boosts to stuff like vitality and speed.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded along, her eyes sparkling with every additional facet of the gardeners he explained. She was smiling even as she rubbed her chin.
¡°I see. Actually, I already have Cross-Pollination myself, it¡¯s a must for plant-focused dungeons. Gardener Planting probably won¡¯t show up until I have access to gardeners. As for the gardeners¡perhaps if I fed the bees Nature attribute nectar and taught some of the workers how to tend for plants, I could unlock it? Or¡¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s smile grew and she began to giggle.
¡°I have an idea. Belissar¡what do you say to this? Why don¡¯t you send some of your bees to forage in my dungeon? That way, my flowers can benefit from your gardeners and perks immediately, while your gardeners can bring back pollen and seeds from my flowers to plant in your Tower? I would still love to arrange a trade for my own monster bee hive, but I think we could benefit from a recurring exchange without a formal trade.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Ah. So, I could send some bees right away, since they could keep their hive here?¡±
He frowned a moment later, though.
¡°Is that safe? From what I¡¯ve seen, Tower traps and monsters don¡¯t hurt each other, but that doesn¡¯t apply for guests, right?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°You are correct. Additionally, I have some carnivorous plant species that even pollinators must take care around, as well as some insectivorous predators. I do aim for balanced ecosystems, but that could make it dangerous for visiting bees to wander. What we could do is set up some flower nurseries where we could keep some samples of our dungeons¡¯ offerings, and then let the bees fly back and forth?¡±
Belissar blinked and then began to smile.
¡°That sounds great. I actually have an apothecary room that grows small amounts of lots of different plants, I¡¯ll have to ask Juosiutik but maybe that could work? Ah, Juosiutik is the karnuq potion-maker who works there.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°That would be wonderful, I would love to speak with her some time as well. Very well, I shall prepare a nursery where your bees can forage safely in my dungeon. Do you still want to arrange a trade for a queen as well? I would love to do so eventually, but with this plan we could wait.¡±
Belissar thought for a second.
¡°How about I ask to see if any queens are ready to raise or send their daughters, and then we can make the trade?¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s smile managed to grow even brighter.
¡°Wonderful. May I ask if there¡¯s anything specific you would want in exchange?¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°Flowers, mostly.¡±
Tarwantrad rubbed her chin.
¡°Of course¡but if your bees are to come and forage, they should be bringing back pollen and seeds already. I would feel as if I am cheating you to offer you something your bees will bring back themselves¡how about missions from the gods? Any I could help you with, seeing as you allowing me here fulfilled one for me?¡±
Belissar double checked his ongoing missions.
Current Missions: Help ten challengers receive full blessings, Offer ten jars of mead to the Shrine of Bees, Make and offer mead from Fire-attribute honey, Help one monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers, Make and offer meads made of honey sourced from five different flower types
¡°Oh, yes, actually. One of my missions is to help a monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers, could you help with that?¡±
Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°I most certainly could.¡±
She thought to herself for a moment.
¡°For the God of Flowers, the best form of devotion is to raise flowers, as you might have expected. Though, cross-pollination is likely insufficient, as it is merely a byproduct of foraging and generally not done for the sake of the flower itself. It would need to be a more intentional and involved effort, and the monster or defender in question would need to specifically devote themselves to the God of Flowers.¡±
Belissar began to hum as he considered that, but then Niobee began dancing on his head.
¡°King! First of the Fourth¡¯s gardener raised flower monster!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Oh yeah, she did, didn¡¯t she?¡±
He turned and saw Tarwantrad with a questioning gaze.
¡°Ah, the God of Flowers asked me to raise a flower monster with the help of bees to receive her blessing. One of my gardeners managed to raise one, a Venomous Slime Rose. Niobee told me the effort was pretty intentional.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled and nodded.
¡°That sounds like it might work as far as the effort is concerned. The only question would be is that bee willing to devote to the God of Flowers, and to dedicate her achievement in the God of Flowers name? If not, you may need to find another who will repeat a similar feat in such a manner.¡±
Belissar nodded back and looked up at Niobee.
¡°Could you check with the gardener? And if not, see if there¡¯s any gardeners who might be interested in the God of Flowers?¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar smiled as Niobee took off. More karnuq were receiving blessings by the day. He had numerous jars of mead fermenting each day, including ones from different types of flowers. Now, with Tarwantrad¡¯s advice, he was making progress on each of the missions he had from the gods.
He was starting to get excited at what the near future would hold.
Chapter 200 - Bee-view the Bee-fences
Belissar smiled at Tarwantrad.
¡°Thanks for your help. Looks like we might be able to complete some of those missions sooner rather than later.¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°I did nothing but alert you to what your bees had already achieved. And we have not yet decided what to trade, but I think I have an idea. As far as bee species are concerned, I have seen monster versions of honeybees, bumblebees, and carpenter bees in your tower. Are there any others?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°No, all the others are evolutions of those three.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded and made a confident grin.
¡°In that case, would you like some of mine? I have some species you don¡¯t have represented yet.¡±
Belissar¡¯s mind crashed. Tarwantrad¡had more bees? Bees he didn¡¯t have? His jaw opened and closed a couple of times as he stared blankly until his mind resumed. Once it did, he had to wonder why he was so surprised. He knew Tarwantrad was surprised and excited to see his bees, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have any of her own.
He then realized he had been staring blankly and in silence for a bit, so he flushed and nodded his head repeatedly and as quickly as he could.
¡°Yes! I would love that!¡±
Tarwantrad covered her mouth and giggled.
¡°I thought you might. Let me know when you have a queen ready to move, I will prepare my bees as well. Ah, I am also open to the same offer for your bumblebees, carpenter bees, and any other bee species we may gain access to, if any of them should like to move.¡±
Belissar nodded and leaned forward towards her.
¡°Sounds good. So¡what sort of bees do you have?¡±
Tarwantrad giggled again, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
¡°You will have to wait and see. I would like to show them to you as you have shown me yours. How about once we have prepared the flower nurseries for each other?¡±
Belissar groaned but slowly nodded. He guessed he¡¯d have to get on that sooner rather than later.
Tarwantrad asked for permission to leave a flower monster by the nexus door in Belissar¡¯s Tower so that he could contact her if needed. Belissar agreed and Tarwantrad departed soon after that, leaving Belissar to deal with Nenavann¡¯s boons. He checked them in more detail.
Vapor Hemlock
- Type: Water, Nature, Poison, Trap
- Mana Upkeep: 15 per node, 7 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A poisonous flowering plant with exceptional thirst. Water moves through it and out its leaves as a fast enough rate to condense into mist, while damage to the plant will release the large quantities of water flowing there. It mixes its innate poison into both the water and mist, creating a highly dangerous environment for the unprepared. Requires a significant source of water in its environment to grow.
Water Stone
- Type: Water, Resource
- Mana Upkeep: 10 per node
- Description: A mineral attuned to the Water attribute. It will attempt to convert any mana passing through it into Water mana, though the efficiency and outcome of this process may depend on the initial attribute of the mana in question. Produces water as a side effect, depending on the amount of mana converted. Note that it generates no mana on its own and will remain inert if no mana passes through it.
Belissar crossed his arms and hummed to himself, thinking on where to place these new features. For the vapor hemlock, his first thought was the battle meadow or the battle Fairy Grove, next to one of the Ponds. However, that would prevent the karnuq from fighting in those areas, possibly his bees as well. Nenavann predicted that the bees could survive the hemlock¡¯s poison but Belissar wasn¡¯t going to trust that before Niobee tested it. It might prove detrimental to his defenses if it prevented his defenders from fighting in their usual spots.
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As for the water stones, the karnuq¡¯s Dirt Tunnels was an obvious choice, as he figured the karnuq would appreciate additional sources of water. Maybe they could do something with the stones¡¯ affect on mana as well? In any case, he¡¯d coordinate with Chief Rohsuak to place a node for them to use as they saw fit.
Beyond that, though it got trickier. Most of his bees hadn¡¯t interacted with the mineral nodes he had placed in the Apiary floor¡¯s Dirt Tunnels, though the thermal mining bees seemed like they would as they got going. So, maybe the thermal mining bees might make use of water stones, or maybe none of the bees would have any use for them. Beyond that, though, was a bigger issue. All of his bees¡¯ hives released a lot of mana into their surroundings, thanks to all of the mana honey and magical bees within. Additionally, all of them had lots of mana flowers nearby. So, if he placed a water stone node close to any of his beehives¡it would probably end up flooding the area.
That would eventually be desirable to try and acquire new rooms but would absolutely not be in any of his current rooms. As of now, there was no room he wished to flood. The bees¡¯ and karnuq¡¯s homes were out of the question. Even the empty battle rooms were no good, as he didn¡¯t want to interfere with the bees¡¯ or the karnuq¡¯s ability to fight there.
As he thought about it, the potential dangers of both these features led him to a single conclusion: he needed more room slots. If he could build a new room, he could try to fill it with water stones and vapor hemlock without worry, adding a new layer of defense unlike any he currently had, as well as creating a new environment that either the swimming or toxic bees might be suited for. Additionally, more boons were incoming and he didn¡¯t know what sort of flowers Tarwantrad might have available. He may quickly find himself needing even more rooms in the very near future.
Which meant that¡it was time for another expansion.
Belissar took stock of his defenses. His Dirt Tunnels trap layout was slightly improved, though he didn¡¯t expect it to stop an expansion shade. The digging queens, however, had managed to raise enough squads of digging soldiers to deploy on their own. They weren¡¯t numerous enough to stop a shade themselves, but they could potentially ambush or harass a shade while it was distracted by the traps.
The battle Fairy Grove had no innate defenses besides whatever mysterious effects its fairy circles might have, but the soldier bee army had trained there enough to fight. That might give them the chance to attack a shade while the trees and the confusing effects of the room gave them cover.
The battle Lava Field was much as it was before, though now that the Third of Sixth¡¯s hive was safely in a second Lava Field he could let shades into the room with confidence. Like the digging queens, the burning queens had raised enough soldiers now that they could fight. Perhaps they would be able to slow a shade down and increase the chances for the mini-volcano¡¯s boulders to strike. There was the Lava Lotus node there too, though likely not in sufficient numbers yet to make a difference.
As for the battle meadow, the bees were assembling a new palisade complete with a bunch of cross-pollinated thorn rose bushes. It was not complete yet, but it did provide an additional obstacle for one of his wooden platforms, in case they needed the wounded soldiers to pitch in.
But, as always, the battle meadow¡¯s strength came down to its defenders rather than its features. The soldier bee army continued to train and grow. The Flower Meadow queens had raised a new lancer squad and an archer or two, while Beero had managed to assemble a second battlecaster squad. The bumblebees had grown even larger, now coming up to Belissar¡¯s stomach.
The karnuq had not been idle, either. Tyhgak had received a blessing while Metsaitti and Noigakkuq continued to train with theirs. The karnuq had begun refining their blacksmithing as well, the iron shields they had now were noticeably less lumpy than previously. But ultimately, it was neither of those that surprised Belissar the most.
Belissar was in the karnuq village, reviewing the state of the karnuq hunters with Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti in preparation for the expansion, when he heard a shout.
¡°Tower Keeper!¡±
He turned to find Juosiutik walking briskly towards them, twitching as if she wanted to run but keeping to her pace. She held a round pot in one hand and a jar in the other, holding both very carefully and with gloves.
¡°Hi Juosiutik, did you need something?¡±
Juosiutik smiled and shook her head.
¡°No, I have something for you instead.¡±
She knelt down and gingerly placed her cargo on the ground. She motioned to the jar.
¡°Deathcap poison, thickened with mana honey. If I¡¯m correct, it should be extremely toxic, not to mention imbued with mana. Should be thick and sticky enough to coat our spears and arrows with, but the hunters need to be really, REALLY careful. I¡¯ve been working with the bees on antidotes but we haven¡¯t tested them, and with how toxic this is we might not have time to apply one even if they work.¡±
She gave Metsaitti a pointed look at that and he nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure the hunters are absolutely aware of the danger.¡±
She stared at him a moment longer before motioning to the other pot. Belissar now noted that there were slices of fire radish wrapped around it.
¡°Well, this is really simple. Just a pot full of mana honey and some fire radish, as you see. Throw it, it breaks, mana honey covers the fire radish and¡well, you¡¯ve seen what happens.¡±
She sighed.
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m trying to figure out something better.¡±
Belissar shook his head and smiled.
¡°No, I think this will work great. Thank you, Juosiutik. You¡¯ve been busy.¡±
She looked up and met his gaze with a serious expression.
¡°You, your Tower, your bees, and your patron god have given us everything, Tower Keeper. Given me everything. I¡¯ll make sure to protect it.¡±
Belissar eventually gave her a nod.
¡°We will.¡±
Chapter 201 - Bee-t Fire with Fire
Belissar informed Tarwantrad¡¯s monster that he was planning an expansion purification. Tarwantrad sent word asking him to be careful and informing him that she would prepare her forces to intervene if he needed assistance. Belissar thanked her and promised to let her know if he needed help.
Soon after, Belissar stood by the wall of shortcuts in the Orchard. He held a spear made from wyvern bone and fangs while he wore leather and fur that had been trimmed down to fit him. Well, if he intended to join the fight he planned to do so with his spell-bees, but Chief Rohsuak had insisted he be no less armed and armored than any of their hunters. Belissar had seen no reason to refuse.
Chief Rohsuak stood beside him with an emergency supply of mana honeycomb. Metsaitti and the karnuq hunters stood there as well, ready to deploy wherever they were needed. A handful of the top hunters had jars of deathcap poison to tip their weapons in.
The digging bee soldiers and burning bee soldiers were waiting in the Dirt Tunnels and Lava Field respectively. Most of the remaining soldier bee army assembled in their usual formations in the battle meadow, but one formation now waited in the trees of the battle Fairy Grove, accompanied by chromatic workers.
All the defenders were ready, all preparations had been made. It was time to begin.
Attempt expansion purification? Estimated purification strength: small+
Belissar took a deep breath.
¡°Here we go.¡±
Once again the Hunger assaulted the Tower and once again the Tower pushed it back. Belissar ignored the battle of chill and warmth raging through his mana and focused his tower senses on the entrance. Scout workers from the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive also waited there as well, taking advantage of the shortcuts to give the bees their own glimpse of the enemy.
This time, he heard a high-pitched snarl instead of the usual growls. The shade was shorter than usual, coming up to about his waist. At first he thought it was a kind of wolf-shade but its ears and snout were sharper, reminding him more of a fox the closer he looked. The shade had three glowing red eyes, two in the normal spots and one in the center of its forehead. It had eight legs arranged in four pairs, each tipped with vicious claws, and its whole body was wrapped in a coat of black flames instead of fur. It had two tails made of fire, the flickering flames making a shape similar to a fox¡¯s bushy tail.
Instead of the usual roar, it made a low growl and crouched down against the growl. The scout bees took a look and then hastily retreated through the shortcut.
And then it took off.
The shade wasn¡¯t quite as fast as the cat shades had been but it was closer than not, racing through the Dirt Tunnels. It came upon the first Pit Trap and leapt over it without slowing down. The Sticky Honey Trap Belissar set up to prevent that very outcome triggered, but the fox¡¯s flames surged and burned it a path straight through the viscous spray.
Belissar frowned.
¡°It¡¯s fast and covered in fire. It¡¯s like¡a combination of the cat shades and the salamander. Doesn¡¯t have any spikes though, maybe it¡¯s going to try and run right through?¡±
Bees and karnuq both saluted as Belissar relayed as much information as he could about the shade. The shade approached the next Pit Trap, with a squad of digging soldiers hiding in the ground right before it. They attempted to thrust their stingers up from the dirt and hopefully cause the shade to stumble into the pit.
They missed. The shade didn¡¯t have to slow down to jump over the pits and was gone by the time the bees broke the surface.
Another squad tried again at the next pit, stabbing earlier than normal as they felt the ground heat up. They managed a sting on one of the fox¡¯s paws but received burned abdomens for their efforts. The fox growled as it rushed past and began concentrating its fire on its feet.
The fox shook the stung paw before resuming running, but with the rest of its feet didn¡¯t slow down by a noticeable amount. It hadn¡¯t stumbled enough to fall into the pit.
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°Fourth of the Fifth, pull back your soldiers. Have them wait by the entrance.¡±
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If the shade wouldn¡¯t fall into the pits, it wasn¡¯t worth injuring all the digging soldiers just to deal a sting here or there. Not in the middle Dirt Tunnels, where most of the other bees couldn¡¯t follow up.
However, Belissar had defenders who could.
He turned to Metsaitti who was already saluting. The karnuq hunters rushed into a shortcut leading them to entrance of the Dirt Tunnels and set up their formation, with Metsaitti at the helm. To Belissar¡¯s surprise, Chief Rohsuak went with them, munching on the mana honey. She gave him a wink before she stepped through the door.
¡°Let me know when it¡¯s close.¡±
Belissar just nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure what she was planning to do, given that this was a fast-moving fire shade, but he figured she knew. He began stirring up his mana as he waited by the shortcut, just in case.
Digging bees flew in and out of the short cuts to join the karnuq and quickly dug into the tunnel ahead of them. The karnuq set up a wall of metal shields and bone spears, now tipped in deadly poison. Chief Rohsuak waited at the rear, her mana heating up but not igniting just yet. The soldier bee army sent some help as well, the archers and one of Beero¡¯s battlecaster squads joined the karnuq¡¯s formation, hovering overhead.
The shade rushed through the Dirt Tunnels, though it had to explore each twist and turn before it found the way forward, giving the defenders time to set up. Pit Traps opened up and Sticky Honey Traps shot their sprays but nothing caught the fast and burning fox. Beeswax candles filled the tunnels with maddening smoke, but if the fox was affected it didn¡¯t show it.
But the Dirt Tunnels were not endless and with no effective means of harming the fox, soon it approached the end.
¡°Here it comes! It¡¯s in the last tunnel before the corner ahead of you!¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded as Belissar called out. Her mana flared and burst into flames all around her. A ball of fire appeared between her hands once more, this one burning with warm red and yellow light.
¡°Oh God of Fire, let the heat of your hearth warm our hearts and keep chill and hunger at bay. Let the light of your fire guard the night and ward off all who stalk in the dark.¡±
Belissar blinked as Chief Rohsuak let the fireball fly, long before the shade approached the corner and came into view. He jumped when the fireball landed in the middle of the karnuq¡¯s own formation. But before he could exclaim, he watched the fire spread out and wrap around each of the karnuq warriors, seeming not to burn them given their lack of reaction. The fire even extended up to wrap around the archers and battlecasters hovering overhead. They buzzed at first but calmed down immediately, seeming no worse for wear despite being coated in flames.
Belissar was still staring and blinking when the fox shade rounded the corner and came into view. It growled at the sight of the karnuq ahead but did not slow down. Its flames flowed into its tails which puffed up as it ran, and soon it swung them forward. Two balls of black flame roared down the tunnel and slammed into the karnuq shieldwall.
It did nothing. The red and yellow flames flared up as their black counterparts collided into them and warred against one another, but the karnuq warriors within were completely unharmed.
The shade growled against and its tails puffed up once more. This time, they twisted together until they appeared as one giant tail of flame before swinging forward to lob a mighty fireball. The tunnels seemed to dim even further as the pure black flames consumed the very lights of the candles in their path.
The red and yellow flames flared up as the fireball crashed into them, exploding into a curtain of black that covered the entire tunnel. Chief Rohsuak¡¯s flames rose to meet them, burning as bright as they could. The air roared as light and dark infernos warred against one another.
Then suddenly, the light went out. Chief Rohsuak¡¯s flames burned out and vanished, coating the defenders no longer.
But they had done their job and the black flames petered out as well, leaving nothing but a few scorch marks on the shields of the karnuq. And now, the shade was in range.
The archers, karnuq and bee both, immediately opened fire. Arrows and stingers filled the tunnels, leaving no room to dodge. The shade growled and tried to coat itself in black flames, but the physical projectiles were not so easily burned as liquid sprays. The shade yelped as arrows and stingers lodged into its body.
And its relentless rush had come to a halt, the arrows killing its momentum. Metsaitti did not miss that chance. Bee wings of fire appeared on his back and beat jets of flame behind him, pushing him forward as he thrust his spear. The shade, slowed to a halt and unable to dodge, unleashed a small cone of flame from its mouth. Metsaitti¡¯s burning bee wings swung forward and wrapped around him in response.
The shade had used much of its flame already, so Metsaitti burst through the cone only slightly singed, and thrust his spear right into the shade¡¯s head. The burning fox collapsed to the ground.
Belissar was still staring and blinking as the shade dispersed.
All hostiles defeated. Expansion successful.
Reward: Floor limit increased to 6. Receive one perk choice, and two random reward choices.
¡°That¡was easy?¡±
Belissar¡¯s Tower once again glowed as bright as the sun and sent out yet another wave of purifying light. The Hunger screeched and burned but could do nothing against the tide of divine power crashing against it. Some tendrils of the Hunger began to move away from the burning light as it surged forward, piling up the Hunger at the edge of the purifying wave and slowing its momentum as the density of corruption grew, until the purifying wave had spent its strength and Tower and Hunger came to an equilibrium once more.
The piled-up Hunger then fell and spread now that it was no longer under pressure. And since it could not spread back in the direction of the Tower, it surged out, a ripple in the Hunger forming a little wave of its own.
A ripple that grew a bit larger and wave that traveled a bit further each time the Tower¡¯s purification zone grew¡
Chapter 202 - A Trustworth-Bee Ally?
With no deaths and only a handful of wounded soldiers to deal with, the cleanup was handled swiftly. The Second of the Sixth looked over the digging soldiers with burned abdomens, fortunately, the Fire-Resistant Bees perk had done its job and they were all expected to make full recoveries. To Belissar¡¯s surprise, some of them looked disappointed at the news, at least one of them turned their gaze to Beero and her battlecaster squad.
But Belissar himself could not be happier with the situation and hummed a tune to himself as he moved to grab some of his honey supplies for the celebration. He was halfway back to the battle meadow when he felt a strong source of foreign mana enter the Tower. He immediately sent his gaze towards the source.
Tarwantrad had burst through the nexus door. She appeared to be wearing a bush covering her entire body with leaves and flowers, though he caught glimpses of leather and metal armor hiding underneath. She held a staff that still had its branches, complete with leaves and blooming flowers. A gigantic flower had begun to crawl through the nexus door using its roots as legs.
¡°Belissar! Are you alright?! Tell me you¡¯re alright!¡±
Ah, he hadn¡¯t told Tarwantrad they won yet, had he? Belissar made his way over to the nexus door¡¯s Fairy Grove, waving as soon as Tarwantrad came into view. She rushed over to him.
¡°Oh, thank the gods! We didn¡¯t hear from you after you started the purification so I feared the worst.¡±
Belissar blinked a bit.
¡°Oh¡um, sorry? I didn¡¯t realize you were waiting. But yes, we won.¡±
Tarwantrad nearly dropped her staff as the tension drained from her body.
¡°Thank the gods.¡±
She turned and swung her staff and the flower monster began returning through the door once more. She turned back to him and shook her head.
¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that, Belissar! But I am truly glad to hear you¡¯re well, and that you were victorious.¡±
Belissar took a moment to respond. Tarwantrad¡¯s reaction to this situation puzzled him somewhat. But, well, it was true that she said she would be ready to provide help and then he forgot to tell her everything was fine. He rubbed the back of his head.
¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯ll try to keep you informed, next time.¡±
Belissar then rubbed his chin for a moment before nodding.
¡°Would you like to join the victory celebration?¡±
Though she hadn¡¯t fought, Tarwantrad had apparently been ready to come to his aid, and had armed and prepared her monsters for that purpose. Belissar figured that he should include her in the celebrations as he did everyone he helped defend the Tower.
Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°Are you certain? That is for your defenders, is it not?¡±
Belissar nodded and pointed to her staff.
¡°You would have joined them if we got in trouble, right?¡±
Tarwantrad slowly nodded, and then broke out into a wide smile.
¡°I suppose that is true. Very well, I would love to attend.¡±
Tarwantrad had her monsters fetch a bottle of flower wine, much to the cheers of the karnuq. Belissar was shocked into silence for a bit, having not realize that such a thing was possible. Seeing the karnuq¡¯s joy, however, he resolved to expand his mead production, as his currently fermenting batch was reserved for the gods.
Tarwantrad also removed her bush, which was apparently grown into a cloak, revealing her armor of silvery metal and dyed green fabrics. She passed some of her mana into it and made the flowers bloom and overflow with nectar for Belissar¡¯s bees. That, alone, earned Tarwantrad an invite to all subsequent celebrations from Belissar.
But soon, the celebrations came to a close as the karnuq staggered off back to their homes, while Belissar gathered with the karnuq leaders and bee queens to review the battle and the rewards. Tarwantrad glanced around, her eyes lighting up as she observed the situation.
¡°Ah, you are going to discuss the purification rewards now? In that case, shall I take my leave? I do not wish to intrude.¡±
Belissar was about to thank her for that when he paused, a question passing through his mind. Did he want Tarwantrad to leave before having this discussion? On the one hand, he had initially resolved to keep some things under wraps from the Compact, including her, after accidentally showing her the entire Tower. One point of the expansion was to acquire new options that they were unaware of, so the initial plan would require Tarwantrad to leave.
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On the other hand, Tarwantrad had just rushed to his aid before she even knew whether he was in danger or not, ready to risk her life and her monsters¡¯ lives to help him. She, at least, had his Tower¡¯s best interest at heart. That was why he had invited her to the celebration, wasn¡¯t it? So, perhaps she could be trusted to hear the rewards?
Belissar considered it. As he thought more about it, he realized Tarwantrad¡¯s presence could really help him. She was an experienced and presumably trained dungeon master who ran a dungeon in an entirely different way than the Tower Lords, sworn not to use her powers the way they did and that Belissar now hated. She could answer all of the countless questions Belissar wished he could have asked in the past and provide the kind of insight that no one in his Tower possessed. And as the one arranging his boons from the Circle, she could let him know if he was picking something one of their dungeon masters could provide instead.
So, did the potential benefits of bringing her into the loop outweigh the risks of letting a member of the Compact know everything new he was adding into the Tower?
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as realized his own answer was yes, at least if it was Tarwantrad. Beyond all the ways she had enthusiastically helped the Tower, she had even offered to swear an oath in the name of her patron god to keep things confidential if Belissar was truly concerned. He might just be able to trust her.
¡°Ah, could you give me a moment?¡±
But he was not the only one in the Tower, so he turned to Niobee and Chief Rohsuak.
¡°What do you think?¡±
Niobee immediately started dancing.
¡°Whatever King chooses!¡±
Belissar chuckled and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Really? You aren¡¯t worried we¡¯ll have to sting Tarwantrad?¡±
Niobee hovered in place for a moment before starting a slower dance.
¡°Sting anyone who hurts King. Flower one didn¡¯t hurt King, didn¡¯t make King feel bad, so don¡¯t need to sting. If King trusts, then bees trust.¡±
He found Chief Rohsuak rubbing her chin.
¡°Hm. There are great risks to trusting a foreign Sacred Den Master, but from what we have seen Tarwantrad has been perfectly agreeable. She is helping to develop the Tower and is even prepared to fight on our behalf. She also possesses experience that we do not and could inform your choices in a way that I cannot. I cannot say I am comfortable revealing everything to her, but it is also true that we could benefit greatly from her knowledge. As this concerns Tower matters you and she are more familiar with, I leave it to your judgement how much you wish to trust her, Tower Keeper.¡±
She made a self-deprecating smile.
¡°My gut instinct is not to trust anyone too far, but my people have benefited much from our decision to trust you completely, so I cannot tell you which may be better.¡±
Belissar nodded, crossed his arms, and hummed to himself. It did not take him long to decide.
He turned back to Tarwantrad.
¡°Would you mind if we consulted you on our next choices? If you¡¯re willing to keep them secret from the Compact, that is. Ah, and if you don¡¯t need to return to your dungeon now.¡±
Tarwantrad made a bright smile.
¡°It would be my pleasure! And of course, I have already promised to use my knowledge of your tower solely for your benefit. I shall not reveal the choices you have made unless you wish me to.¡±
Belissar returned her smile.
¡°Thanks. In that case, we all meet together over by the Memorial.¡±
Tarwantrad happily skipped over to join the assembled queens and karnuq leaders, glancing around and smiling as she took in each of the bees hovering around her. Belissar turned his attention to his bees, and especially to Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti.
¡°Thanks everyone, we did a great job today. Thanks especially to you two and your hunters, we had no losses as a result. But we know the Hunger won¡¯t stay the same, so let¡¯s keep growing the Tower.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled as both karnuq and all the bees saluted. Belissar smiled back and checked the rewards.
Please select a reward:
- Uncommon Monster Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- Uncommon Room Feature Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- +150 max mana
Please select a reward:
- +1 Room Slot
- Rare Room Feature Choice (At least one rare or better option)
- Uncommon Room Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
Belissar knew almost immediately what he wanted to pick, but as usual he turned the question to the bees first.
¡°Anyone have any ideas what the Tower needs?¡±
Amidst the usual ¡°more bees, more flowers¡± dances, the Firstborn and the First of the Fifth both remained strangely still. They looked to one another and both danced a confirmation dance. They approached him together and danced as one.
¡°Stronger queens.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow at that.
¡°Stronger queens? You all are doing great.¡±
The Firstborn danced to the First of the Fifth and so the Apiary queen replied.
¡°Queens only bees not evolving. Can¡¯t stay same while children grow.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow for a bit before slowly nodding along.
¡°I see. So, you want to get stronger, is what you¡¯re saying?¡±
Both queens danced the confirmation, and all the rest joined the dance as well. Belissar nodded.
¡°Got it. Let¡¯s see if we can get anything to help with that.¡±
As usual, that set off a wave of happy ¡°King is best king!¡± dances, to Belissar¡¯s amusement. He turned his attention to the karnuq and Tarwantrad.
¡°So, I was thinking a monster choice and a room slot. We¡¯re already pressed for room slots and they¡¯re expensive in the DP store, so I figure we¡¯d best make room now rather than take even more rooms, especially now that we know we can unlock some ourselves. And, since the Circle is giving mostly flowers and room feature sort of stuff at this point, I think getting new bee types is the better option.¡±
He glanced at Tarwantrad at that and she nodded.
¡°It is not that we cannot offer monsters, but I, Urubran, and Nenavann felt that offering boons that can support your bees would be most beneficial to you. I could, however, request otherwise from the other members of the Circle if you do wish to diversify your monsters.¡±
She then gave him a knowing grin and wink.
¡°You are not wrong, however, that more flowers are incoming. Regardless of what the rest of the Circle offers for their boons, you will certainly gain access to more once we set up our exchange nurseries, so your reasoning is sound.¡±
Belissar nodded in thanks and checked with his defenders. The bees obviously had no issue with his plans, and the karnuq had no objections either. He did hesitate to give up a rare room feature, but hoped that all he had and would receive from Tarwantrad and the Circle would make up for it. He really, desperately needed those room slots.
And so, he made his choice before he could change his mind, and selected the uncommon monster choice and the +1 room slot.
Now all that was left to do was to see what sort of monsters and perks they would have to choose from¡
Chapter 203 - A New Kind of Bee
Tarwantrad bounced in place, staring at him with sparkling eyes as Belissar announced he had taken the monster choice. Belissar smiled and wasted no time checking the options.
Please select a monster:
- Beeswax Golem (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee, Construct)
- Monster Leafcutter Bee (Rarity: Common, Type: Bee, Nature)
- Butcher Bee Queen (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but grin. An uncommon and a rare, one of which was a queen! This looked like it¡¯d be a good one already. Tarwantrad seemed to agree, given how her bouncing sped up.
Beeswax Golem
Vitality: Below Average
Strength: Average
Speed: Below Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Below Average
Resistance: Below Average
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Construct, Brood Carrier, Internal Storage
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A golem formed from beeswax. While its material makes it weaker and less resilient than more traditional golems, it is also correspondingly lighter and faster. Its honeycomb interior allows it to carry Bee-type monsters and honey protected within itself, which may be deployed for various effects with clever design.
As a construct, its exact attributes and skills may be altered depending on design and materials used. Spawners can be provided with compatible materials to produce different variants. If wax producing Bee-type monsters are available, they will be able to construct Beeswax Golems.
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as he read over the description. For the first time, he was offered a Bee-type monster that wasn¡¯t a bee. The Tower¡¯s preview in his mind showed him what appeared as a humanoid sculpture made of beeswax that could move on its own or as directed by its creator. It was dotted with holes across its body that bees could fly in and out of, and he caught glimpses of glistening honeycomb within.
¡°Golems, huh?¡±
He frowned for a moment. He didn¡¯t have a high opinion of golems, monstrosities built by mad mages that were said to go on rampages at the slightest provocation. But then he remembered that was just what the Tower Lords had told him and probably mostly lies. Neither Chief Rohsuak nor Tarwantrad seemed to be particularly disturbed by the idea so he was thinking golems were probably much safer than he had been led to believe.
¡°Either of you know anything about golems?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shrugged.
¡°Only how to destroy them. They¡¯re tough and strong but inflexible, so once you have a handle on them they aren¡¯t hard to outmaneuver.¡±
She glanced around and smirked.
¡°That is, if they aren¡¯t being supported by an army of flying monsters, though.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°I am told as much regarding facing them as an opponent. As a dungeon defender, construct type monsters are a good way to make use of surplus resources, particularly for dungeons led by or home to expert crafters. Some of the Circle masters make heavy use of them for that reason.¡±
Then she grinned as she glanced towards the queens.
¡°It sounds as if you have plenty of both resources and crafters for this particular construct.¡±
Belissar tried to keep his expression neutral as he looked to see how his bees were responding, though a small smile broke out on his face regardless. He saw the Apiary bees dancing about. The First of the Fifth noticed his attention and directed her dance to him.
¡°Make wax alive? Make fight for king?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded.
¡°I think so.¡±
The Apiary bees¡¯ dances intensified at that. Belissar found himself nodding along as they discussed what this could possibly mean among themselves. Right now, he only used beeswax in the candles, so they had quite the abundance of the material. A greater surplus than honey, even. Those stockpiles could become a powerful resource for the tower if they could be converted into additional defenders. It would also enable the Apiary hives to directly contribute to the bee army.
And the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. A key feature was that these were constructs, not living creatures. They could be repaired if destroyed or replaced as necessary¡and so they could take blows that the bees and the karnuq could not. They would provide Belissar¡¯s Tower with a defender that he wouldn¡¯t mind placing in harm¡¯s way and so would reduce the risk to both the bees and the karnuq.
That made them appealing indeed. But they were but the first option offered, so Belissar moved on.
Monster Leafcutter Bee
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal+
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Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Bite
Spawner Upkeep: 1
Description: A leafcutter bee that has accumulated enough Nature mana to become something more. Its sharp mandibles can give painful bites along with its stings. Its habit of creating nests with Nature-mana imbued leaves can increase the Nature-mana density of an area.
Belissar rubbed his chin. Another common bee monster that lacked brood mother or brood offspring, so would be separate from the monster bee hives, like the carpenter bees. This one didn¡¯t seem to have an obvious use for battle or crafting like the carpenter bees did, so he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. There was that part about increasing Nature mana, though, so perhaps that would be impactful somehow?
He was about to ask about it when he saw Tarwantrad smirking.
¡°Let¡¯s just say I recommend you hold off on this one for now, Belissar.¡±
Belissar nodded. He probably wouldn¡¯t have chosen it anyways, unless it had turned out that Nature mana thing was particularly important. None of his bees were particularly interested since it wouldn¡¯t interact with their own hives¡save the Fourth of the Seventh who seemed to dance happily whenever he read any option. In any case, he decided to trust Tarwantrad and moved on to the final choice.
Another queen.
Butcher Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Bite, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A vulture bee that has accumulated enough mana to become something more. No longer content with scavenging the dead, this bee¡¯s sharp mandibles shred through living flesh to gather sustenance for the hive. A swarm can pick a body clean in minutes¡whether dead or alive. This one is a queen, and capable of building a hive of butcher bees.
Another queen that put the monster in monster bee. Belissar pursed his lips. So¡there were apparently bees that ate meat, even before becoming monsters judging by the description. These were what happened when said bees became monster bees.
Well, frightening though they may be, Belissar did not doubt they could strengthen the Tower¡¯s defenses, particularly as they were a type of queen. Even the workers had scary-looking mandibles specifically for cutting into flesh, so Belissar could only imagine what a butcher bee soldier might look like. Since the bumblebees had raised soldiers, he knew at least that option should apply to these as well, though he wasn¡¯t sure about the others as the bumblebees hadn¡¯t raised any other variants just yet.
Of course, like the bloodsucking bees he had once seen, there was the all important question of how he would feed meat-eating bees. The karnuq were hunting in the Underway on occasion to supplement their diet, but otherwise the Tower had no innate supplies of meat. Unless he sent the butcher bees out to hunt? Would that prove sufficient?
¡°Belissar, are you concerned about the food supply?¡±
He was brought out of his thoughts by Tarwantrad¡¯s question.
¡°Forgive me for assuming but I did not recall seeing any animals besides bees during the tour.¡±
He nodded.
¡°You¡¯re right, the karnuq hunt the Underway a bit but I don¡¯t know if that would be enough to feed entire carnivorous hives¡¡±
She smiled at him.
¡°In that case, please be aware that we can assist with that. If you decide to choose these bees and need a food source, let me know and I¡¯ll arrange an appropriate boon for you. Ah, to be clear, that goes for the other choice as well. As I mentioned, there are Circle masters with an interest in constructs who would likely want to take a look at those golems, so if you select those they may have boons and knowledge that would go well with them.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Thanks, that helps a lot.¡±
Indeed, it did. If Tarwantrad and the Circle could provide a food supply, then he could consider the butcher bees as a real option. The only question was, then, which of the options would help his Tower most?
Before deciding, however, there was one final choice to consider. Belissar brought up the perk choice.
Please select a perk:
- Enhanced Toxins (Rarity: Common)
- Hardened Wax (Rarity: Common)
- Alluring Honey (Rarity: Uncommon)
Belissar pursed his lips again. All repeat options, this time, and all fairly straightforward, though he read the descriptions for Tarwantrad and any queens that weren¡¯t there the last time he saw them. In addition¡they had new monsters and features to go along with them this time. Hardened Wax, for example, didn¡¯t have much use previously besides strengthening the hives¡which no shade would reach unless the Tower¡¯s defenses had already been defeated. Now, though, there was an obvious benefit if he selected the beeswax golem, as he imagined said perk would make them tougher.
Enhanced toxins had even more to recommend it. Not only did all his bees have their stingers, his Tower had recently received several new sources of poison. Juosiutik was now producing deathcap poison for the karnuq hunters, a new type of especially venomous bee had evolved from said deathcaps, and the flowers from Urubran and Nenavann released toxic smoke and mist respectively. Plus, said feat would potentially make his Sticky Honey Traps and the Beeswax Candles more effective as well. Now that he thought about it, almost every defense he had would be improved by this perk.
Belissar turned it over to the others as he thought.
¡°What do you think?¡±
The Firstborn replied first.
¡°Enhanced Toxins¡help all bees fight?¡±
Belissar nodded and she saluted. She danced no more but Belissar could tell she was interested from the way her legs kept twitching.
Belissar glanced to the Apiary queens and found them having another dance off. He was a bit surprised at how many of them liked Enhanced Toxins, given their earlier interest in the wax golems. In the end, the First of the Fifth simply saluted.
¡°Whatever King decides!¡±
Well, this time she had danced that after in-depth consideration by the queens, so Belissar could only nod and accept it. He turned to Chief Rohsuak, who had her expected ¡°you pick¡± smile. She did shrug and speak up this time, however.
¡°You know which one Juosiutik would like. She¡¯d probably be interested in the wax golems too, if just to store more honey.¡±
Belissar made an amused smile at that. Finally, he turned to Tarwantrad.
¡°Any advice?¡±
Tarwantrad furrowed her brow for a bit.
¡°In the end each dungeon is unique so please consider your own circumstances first and foremost. That said, your and my dungeon both make heavy use of toxins in our defense, so that perk would maximize the benefits you would receive from our exchanges. I would select that one, were I in your position.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I was thinking that too. Thanks for the advice.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled at him. Then, Belissar made his choices.
Beeswax golem spawner is now available. Wax producing Bee-type monsters may now construct beeswax golems.
Enhanced Toxins selected.
A new queen type was tempting now that he knew he could feed them, but that would just add another type of hive to the Tower. Beeswax golems, on the other hand, added an entirely different type of defender, as well as another method by which all of his existing hives could fight. It felt to him like the more impactful option, and the one his bees were more interested in to boot. Plus, a defender that Belissar could put in harm''s way in place of the bees or the karnuq was not one he could give up.
He considered Hardened Wax to go with them, but Enhanced Toxins was just too good to pass up this time. Tarwantrad¡¯s recommendation was the final assurance he needed that he was making the right choice. Besides, even if Enhanced Toxins wouldn¡¯t help the golems, he figured they wouldn¡¯t be hurt by poison either, so he could use them to fight around the Vapor Hemlock or beeswax candles.
He smiled as all the bees broke out into happy dances¡and then blinked as Tarwantrad did as well.
¡°Your bees are going to build golems! That¡¯s¡that¡¯s¡that¡¯s going to be adorable! You must let me know when they start!¡±
Belissar smiled again. He was looking forward to that one, too.
Side Story 203.1 - The Best Laid Plans of Non-Bees
With the victory celebrated and the choices made, the time came for everyone to depart for the night. Belissar turned to Tarwantrad after dismissing the queens back to their hives.
¡°So¡I should inform you about purifications, huh? Both when we start and when we finish?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded with a serious expression.
¡°Indeed. If you are willing to have me there, I would even join you for the purifications. I will not let your tower fall.¡±
Belissar blinked at that for a moment before tilting his head as a question came to his mind.
¡°What about the daily purifications?¡±
Tarwantrad stiffened.
¡°¡daily purifications? As in¡you face a purification like this¡every day?¡±
Belissar waved his hands as he shook his head.
¡°Ah, no, not one like this. One of the smaller ones, you know, the ones the Tower makes us do once a week but that we can do early? We do one of those every day, they aren¡¯t as dangerous since they¡¯re smaller and don¡¯t send anything new at us that I¡¯ve seen.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s expression remained stiff.
¡°I¡see. Belissar, if I may ask, how long has it been, then, since you¡¯ve become a Tower Keeper?¡±
Belissar paused, tilting his head once more.
¡°Huh, I¡¯m not sure, actually. I haven¡¯t really been keeping track. It¡¯s definitely been longer than a month, maybe a couple? The seasons don¡¯t change in the Tower so it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±
Belissar blinked as he found Tarwantrad gaping at him. He was trying to think of what more to say when she closed her mouth and flattened her expression.
¡°I see. In any case, no, I don¡¯t think it will be necessary for you to inform me about the daily purifications if you have been handling them without issue thus far. Do inform me about any larger ones, however, or even if one of the daily ones causes you concern. I will help you however I can, Belissar, and if need be the Circle will as well. Do not forget that our people¡¯s future depends on your tower¡¯s survival.¡±
Belissar blinked once again before slowly nodding.
¡°Got it. I¡¯ll let you know if anything happens. And¡uh¡thanks, Tarwantrad. I appreciate the help.¡±
Her face softened back into a smile at that.
Tarwantrad walked through one of her gardens under the night sky. She furrowed her brow and rubbed her chin, muttering to herself. She hardly paid attention to where she walked but roots and vines seemed to move themselves out of her way.
Belissar had proved far different from what she first assumed from the tour. Many of her and Urubran¡¯s takes on his dungeon had just been proven wrong, or else inaccurate in magnitude. The most concerning of which was the sheer danger Belissar faced.
Daily purifications. Daily. Belissar¡¯s dungeon was purifying so much Hunger that it could manifest a purification every single day. The dungeons of the Circle did so once a month, if that. They channeled their power through the Compact¡¯s wards to protect the entire land of the fair, and yet did not face that level of assault outside of emergency situations. Tarwantrad trembled when she thought of what those situations might translate to for Belissar¡¯s dungeon. And all that on top of not only being rejected, but actively attacked by his own people.
And yet, Belissar had survived. Not only that, his dungeon was far younger than Tarwantrad had assumed, and yet had still survived. That, along with his handling of the dungeon¡¯s purification rewards, painted him in a different light from her first impressions. His achievements grew far greater and his flaws much lesser in light of the far shorter time frame in which they had occurred.
Additionally, the council he had held afterwards revealed that the dungeon was not as monster-led as Tarwantrad and Urubran assumed. Belissar had been clearly in command, the bees hung on his every word while the karnuq deferred to him in dungeon matters. He had done his utmost to listen to all the defenders of his dungeon and take their opinions into account, yet he had clearly been the one making the decisions in the end, and setting forth the direction the dungeon would take. She had wondered whether the efforts the bees were making had been them taking matters into their own hands, but now it seemed they were striving to achieve Belissar¡¯s vision with their own efforts. Belissar was simply not micromanaging them at that level, giving them room to grow on their own.
Tarwantrad wasn¡¯t sure whether to be worried or relieved. Belissar faced far greater danger than she had assumed and she could not help but fear what may befall his dungeon in the future. Yet, Belissar turned out to be a more capable leader than she had feared and had achieved much in the face of adversity greater than any master of the Circle could imagine.
That gave Tarwantrad hope. Hope that not only would Belissar be able to adapt and survive, but that he wouldn¡¯t need to change who he was to do so. That he could remain the man who built Belissar¡¯s Beehouse while leading a dungeon strong enough to endure what the Hunger and the world would throw at it.
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She stopped pacing about, her expression loosening even as she clenched her fist. She nodded to herself.
And from now on, he wouldn¡¯t have to do it alone. Not if she had anything to say about it.
Second Queen Berbiya resisted the urge to rub her temples.
¡°We have been over this, Penaseconza. We cannot reach out to the Sacred Den Master¡¯s enemies because they are innately hostile to our people.¡±
Third Queen Penaseconza scoffed.
¡°So we have been told, solely by the servants of the Sacred Den Master. Hardly a credible source in this matter.¡±
Second Queen Berbiya held her retort. Letting herself get drawn into yet another heated argument would cause this day to end as many before it, with raised tempers and zero progress towards an actual decision. Instead, she let the third queen smirk all she liked while she herself organized her thoughts. Indeed, if she thought clearly, Third Queen Penaseconza had a point. The only thing they knew about the supposed invaders was what Chief Rohsuak had told them, and she would be clearly biased about the enemies of the Sacred Den.
So, why then did Berbiya feel the way she did on the matter? And how precisely should she convince the others of her opinion.
Penaseconza frowned.
¡°Hello? Berbiya? Don¡¯t tell me the obvious truth has shocked you into silence?¡±
Berbiya spared her a glance before looking around to make eye contact with her fellow queens.
¡°No, you are right.¡±
The sheer shock on Penaseconza¡¯s face was almost worth that admission on its own. But Berbiya had bigger things on her mind, like the future of her people.
¡°It is true that we know nothing of these supposed attackers and cannot trust what the Sacred Den has to say on the matter. I will admit as much. But it does not matter.¡±
Penaseconza frowned, but Berbiya turned to the First Queen instead. The First Queen held her gaze for a moment before motioning for her to continue.
¡°Our isolation is broken now, whether we like it or not. We cannot afford to remain uninvolved any longer, even if we attempt to hide ourselves the Sacred Den Master knows of our existence. If and when these attackers return for the Sacred Den Master, we will have to make a choice.¡±
Penaseconza crossed her arms.
¡°Does it? What does their fight have to do with us?¡±
Berbiya now gave the third queen her attention.
¡°Because, even assuming Chief Rohsuak lied about their opinion of beastkin, they are at odds with the Sacred Den Master with whom we have an agreement. Once their hostilities resume and both sides are aware of us, both sides will want us to take a side, will attempt to force us to do so, and will fault us if we do not. Should one side prevail over the other while we remain on the sidelines, they will then turn their attention to us and it will not be favorable. Or worse, what if the attackers attempt to use our territory for their assault? If we did nothing to prevent it, that would break our agreement with the Sacred Den Master, who would thus be free to do as he pleases with us should he survive. Or what if the attackers prevail and take our lack of support for tacit allegiance to the Sacred Den Master? We must make a choice, lest it be made for us. And the earlier we make that choice, the better prepared we can be for the consequences, and opportunities, that may result.¡±
Penaseconza fell silent. The First Queen furrowed her brow.
¡°So, if another assault occurs we could be committed to one side or another regardless of our intentions.¡±
Berbiya nodded. The First Queen rubbed her chin before letting out a sigh.
¡°Second Queen Berbiya is correct. If we will be committed regardless of what we do or don¡¯t do, then isolating ourselves from a conflict is no longer an option. Our best course of action is to decide whose side we will take, prepare ourselves for that eventuality, and do our utmost to ensure our chosen side¡¯s victory. The question then is¡whose side should we take?¡±
A Tower rose in the middle of the smoldering, charred remains of a forest, surrounded by tents on the ground and flying reptiles in the air. Deep within, in its very core, Lord Starami stood, clad in dragonscale armor. His similarly clad Tower Guard stood at attention, surrounding one very despondent man kneeling on the ground. Lord Starami ignored him as he passed through a newly built shortcut straight to the exit.
He made his way to his tent, pausing for barely an instant at the sight inside. He managed to control his expression as he made his way into the tent, greeting the unexpected guest sitting on his throne.
¡°High Councilor Stadvolous. I did not expect to see you out here.¡±
The high councilor scoffed.
¡°Of course you didn¡¯t, Starami. The movements of the High Council are not yours to know.¡±
Starami held his expression.
¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±
Stadvolous waved his hand as he took another sip of Starami¡¯s dwindling mead supply. His only consolation was that Stadvolous paused after the sip.
¡°Huh, this is unexpectedly high quality. It even bears the hints of mana. Where did you acquire such a drink?¡±
Starami¡¯s expression darkened.
¡°From the village that fool burned.¡±
Stadvolous shook his head.
¡°So yet another egregious failure on your part. I will have to make do with what remains, then.¡±
Stadvolous then sneered as he placed the cup on a side table.
¡°But I am sure you grow tired of the reminders of your current position. So, rejoice, Starami. Circumstances are such that you have the opportunity to redeem yourself in our sight and bring such things to an end.¡±
Starami narrowed his eyes but nodded.
¡°Go on.¡±
Stadvolous steepled his fingers.
¡°Your failure nearly cost us everything. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you what the sudden inspection of your affairs by the High Council meant for our designs, or the lengths we went to prevent such an outcome? Even now, the High Council¡¯s gaze is fixed upon you.¡±
Starami frowned and nodded silently. Stadvolous then slowly rose to his feet with a smile.
¡°But therein lies your opportunity. We have confirmed the High Council¡¯s gaze is fixed entirely upon you at present.¡±
Starami raised an eyebrow slightly. Internally, however, the dots began to connect in his mind. High Councilor Heigiosa spent all her time chasing the gods above, while High Councilor Rippotis thought of nothing but war. He was now leading a war that the gods themselves had directly intervened in. It was a miracle neither high councilor had insisted on leading the effort themselves.
¡°I see. So, you wish for me to keep their attention?¡±
Stadvolous smirked.
¡°I am glad you still possess some wit about you. Indeed, you have made good time thus far. It would be suspicious for you to linger now and we need updates for them to hear, so you cannot slow your pace. That does mean, however, that you will reach the edge of the rogue Towers you have scouted before we are ready. You must find a way past the sea of the Hunger by the time you do, so that you can continue to make active reports to the High Council past that point. And if you manage to arrive at your destination after all, you must ensure the situation becomes as complicated and drawn out as possible.¡±
Stadvolous¡¯s smile turned slimy.
¡°If you manage to survive and if you manage to hold their attention long enough, then perhaps you might still be of use to us, enough even to justify our efforts in keeping you around. So do try not to disappoint me again, Starami.¡±
Starami narrowed his eyes as Stadvolous took yet another drink of his mead.
¡°As the High Council commands.¡±
Stadvolous gave him another smirk at that.
Chapter 204 - Dangerous Bee-velopments?
The next day, Belissar started his newest routine of checking on the Heart of the Forest, watering it from the nearby pond and creating some mana honey to feed it. It hadn¡¯t sprouted just yet, but the gardeners hovered overhead assured him it was growing well.
After that, he set to the task of reviewing his rooms and floors. He now had a brand new floor to deal with, as well as an additional room slot for each of his floors. He figured he¡¯d check the whole set up in case he wanted to rearrange anything.
The first floor held the Dirt Tunnels, Fairy Grove, and Lava Field that were meant for fighting. The second floor started with the battle meadow, then held the Lava Field where the burning bees lived and the Fairy Grove with the nexus door to Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon. The third floor was the Orchard room with all of the shortcuts, as well as the Fairy Grove where the chromatic bees lived and the Apothecary¡¯s Hut for lack of any better spot to put it. The fourth floor was the karnuq¡¯s, with a Flower Meadow, Orchard, and Dirt Tunnels holding all the resources they needed. The fifth floor held the Apiary, a Dirt Tunnels for the digging bees and subterranean resources, and the bumblebee¡¯s Flower Meadow where the Heart of the Forest was planted. The new sixth floor was currently empty.
The first thing he did was move the Apiary floor up to the sixth floor so that it would remain by the core room, as he and the bees preferred. He left the empty floor as the fifth for now, not entirely sure what he¡¯d use it for just yet.
He then considered moving the battle meadow back to the first floor and the Apothecary¡¯s Hut to the karnuq¡¯s floor, but decided against both. For the former, he realized he liked the battle meadow¡¯s place on the second floor, as the last line of defense for the Tower, and would rather keep the first floor room slot open for addition defense-oriented rooms. For the Apothecary¡¯s Hut, the only person who needed access to it was Juosiutik and she had a shortcut right in her home. Leaving a slot open on the karnuq floor, as well, would be useful in case he acquired rooms with new resources they might want.
In the end, Belissar shrugged and left the rooms mostly as they were. With the shortcuts, all the rooms were accessible to one another so it didn¡¯t matter all that much where in the Tower they were, save for those meant for defense.
With that settled, it was time to consider new rooms. He placed a new Flower Meadow in the empty second floor slot, then lowered the elevation in the center of the room as much as he could while raising it around the edges. It was, not quite a crater, but there was at least a slight depression in the center of the room, creating downward slopes from all the edges.
Then, in one of the corners of the room, he placed a pond with a lotus flower node at its center, a water stone node along its edge, and a mana flower node nearly on top of the water stones. He noted the mana from the mana flowers start to turn a darker blue whenever it drifted near the water stones, and water began to condense on the surface of the node almost immediately.
Belissar nodded. With any luck, the room would flood soon and then maybe he¡¯d have a Lake or something similar. With how many fire shades the Hunger was making recently, a room like that could prove useful indeed.
He held off on vapor hemlock for now, as he wanted to see what sort of room would result first and if it would be better for defense or resources. He reached up to brush Niobee on his head.
¡°Could you let the bees know about the new room? They should wait for it to flood before trying to build hives here, but they can definitely visit the flowers. Nenavann said the water stones might affect the flowers, so maybe they¡¯d find something new.¡±
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¡°Ok!¡±
On that point, Belissar finished up the room with a shortcut to the Orchard, which Niobee flew through right away. Belissar himself made his way to the karnuq floor to speak with Chief Rohsuak and Juosiutik, meeting them in Juosiutik¡¯s home. She now had a simple table in the center which they could sit at. Chief Rohsuak gave him a smile as Juosiutik brewed them a simple drink with herbs and honey.
¡°So, Tower Keeper Belissar, how may we help you?¡±
Belissar thanked Juosiutik as she handed him a mug as well.
¡°Have I told you two about the deal with Tarwantrad?¡±
Both of them shook their heads.
¡°Well, we¡¯re going to set up nurseries for the different flower types we have in our towers, then let the bees fly between them. We¡¯re hoping the gardeners will cross-pollinate and plant the different flowers so that we can each get some of what the other has.¡±
Juosiutik looked a bit confused, so Chief Rohsuak interjected.
¡°She¡¯s the fairy from the banquet we recently held. The one dressed in flowers.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Ah, I remember seeing her! I wanted to ask her if she was a gardener or potion-maker of some sort, but¡¡±
Juosiutik glanced away with a slight flush.
¡°I, ah, know I can get excited and I didn¡¯t want to upset a fairy¡¡±
Belissar let out a hum.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about potions, but I think yes on the gardener. Kind of, I think. She¡¯s a Tower Keeper like me but blessed by the God of Flowers instead, so she definitely raises a lot of flowers. She said she wants to speak with you sometime, actually.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes widened with each word Belissar spoke.
¡°A fairy Tower Keeper¡blessed by the God of Flowers? Who¡¯s going to share her flowers with us? We¡¯re going to get fey flowers?¡±
Juosiutik began breathing heavily, twitching and taking a step towards Belissar before catching herself. Belissar hesitated a second but continued with a nod.
¡°Yes, I wanted to ask if you¡¯d be ok using your Apothecary¡¯s Hut as the nursery¡¡±
Belissar didn¡¯t finish before Juosiutik marched forward and slammed both her hands on the table, staring at him intently.
¡°YES!¡±
Belissar blinked for a moment before chuckling with a smile.
¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll let her know. Ah, I¡¯ll need to ask the gardener bees to plant whatever flowers are in the Tower that you might not have there¡¡±
Belissar was about to ask her if she was fine with that but assumed her intent stare and heavy breathing meant she was.
¡°¡so I¡¯ll, um, ask them to coordinate with you on where you might want each kind of flower?¡±
Juosiutik nodded repeatedly as fast as she could.
¡°Yes, please, do that.¡±
Belissar smiled. He figured Juosiutik wouldn¡¯t have a problem with this, but he also didn¡¯t know enough about potion making to know if putting all the flowers in the hut¡¯s garden and then cross-pollinating them might mess with something she was doing. It was fortunate she agreed, however, as his available mana reserves had dwindled quite rapidly. He currently didn¡¯t even have enough mana for a second Apothecary¡¯s Hut if she had refused.
But since she was more than happy to accommodate those plans, he could use what mana he had left for other purposes. He turned to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Thanks Juosiutik. Next, I¡¯d like to make a water stone node for the karnuq. Could you let me know a good place to put it? It will start making water if it¡¯s exposed to mana, so you probably want to keep it somewhere without any if you don¡¯t want the area to get wet.¡±
Chief Rohsuak made a huge grin, even as Juosiutik froze and then stared intently at him once more.
¡°My thanks, Tower Keeper Belissar. There should be plenty of suitable spots in the Dirt Tunnels, shall I guide you to one now?¡±
Belissar nodded and the three made their way over, Juosiutik grilling him for as much detail on the water stones as possible along the way. Apparently, a theoretically endless source of water and Water mana had major implications for potion making on top of all the obvious benefits of water on demand for daily life. Chief Rohsuak herself seemed to have a spring in her step even as she tried to calm Juosiutik down. She gathered Muuraqi and the karnuq miners along the way, so that they could immediately begin gathering the stones as soon as Belissar placed the node.
With that finished, Belissar¡¯s mana was just barely above the single digits. Despite now having abundant room slots, there wasn¡¯t much more he could do until they finished some more purifications. So, Belissar set that task aside and turned to another.
It was time to talk to a certain gardener about her achievements in the name of flowers.
POBee 204.1 - Bee Devoted?
The First of the Fourth¡¯s gardener landed by her moving flower as she usually did. The flower had grown well in the water and mana rich environment, which the gardener had supplemented with mana of her own. It was now bigger than her, or even a soldier bee, and too large for her to carry on her own. Fortunately, it was perfectly happy in its present environment. It reacted to her presence, reaching out its vine branches to wrap around her before she even landed and guiding her to its newly bloomed flower. It was careful to keep her out of the way of its thorns, so she allowed herself to be caught and carried, dancing happily as she realized the flower had begun to produce pollen and nectar. Not only could the hive of hives now begin to forage nectar from her flower, she could start cross-pollinating it to see if she could raise more of them.
Soon, the hive of hives might have a wall of moving flowers who could wrap up invaders with their vines. And they wouldn¡¯t be as careful about the thorns as this one was with her.
She couldn¡¯t help another happy dance, which the flower responded to by wiggling its stem and branches.
It was then that one of her fellow workers came zipping in.
¡°Gardener! Queen mother needs you come home! King asking for you!¡±
The gardener froze completely as she attempted to comprehend the dance she had just witnessed.
The gardener swayed about as she was carried back to the barracks. The flower had refused to let go of her, so she had instead convinced it to walk back with her. This had the unfortunate effect of giving her plenty of time to work herself into a frenzy, pacing about and buzzing her wings.
But she couldn¡¯t help it. By the Queen of All Bees, the King had asked for her! The Conduit had checked up with her and thanked her for raising the new flower, so she knew she had done something important. But for the King to ask not for a queen but a specific worker¡that was something else. To the gardener¡¯s knowledge, the only non-queens the King specifically acknowledged was Beero, queen of the fallen, and the Conduit herself.
The Pond wasn¡¯t that far from the barracks, though, so she still hadn¡¯t accepted the situation when they arrived. Her queen mother greeted her first and led her to where the King himself stood, smiling as bright as the sun. The gardener could not help but tremble.
¡°Hi there, thanks for coming. That¡¯s the flower you raised, right?¡±
The gardener barely managed a salute dance, and the King¡¯s smile grew.
¡°That¡¯s perfect, actually.¡±
The King then fell silent, leaving the gardener to tremble as she wondered what exactly was perfect. After a seemingly endless moment, the King turned towards her once more.
¡°What do you know about gods?¡±
Gods? What did she know about gods? What could she, a mere worker bee, possible know about gods? But the King had commanded and so she danced what little she did.
¡°Queen of All Bees leads Hive of All Bees.¡±
The King nodded, clearly already knowing such obvious information.
¡°How about the God of Flowers?¡±
The gardener froze. There was¡a God of Flowers? A¡Queen of All Flowers? Her mind went blank, but she still managed respond to the King¡¯s command.
¡°Didn¡¯t know.¡±
The King thought to himself once again, no doubt considering countless unknowable thoughts the likes of which she could never imagine. At this point, the Conduit got involved as well, flying over to the King and dancing before him. The gardener tried not to look, for any dance between the King and the Conduit was far beyond her. She did, however, catch glimpses. Something about requests and being honored?
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The King seemed to have made some sort of decision and nodded to the Conduit. He then turned to her with an intense gaze that bore into her very soul.
¡°Raising a flower as you have is something the God of Flowers approves of. Would you be willing to devote your achievement and yourself to the God of Flowers?¡±
The gardener¡¯s mind fell truly silent. These were matters of the King and the gods and she couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap her mind around them. She knew the King was requesting something of her and she longed to fulfill it. Yet, knowing herself, her limitations and her failures, she could not bring herself to salute until she knew what exactly he was asking.
At that point, the Conduit flew over to her and began to brush her antennae, spreading soothing pheromones across her. She trembled at the Conduit¡¯s attention but at least her mind starting working again. The Conduit then began to dance.
¡°King asking if want to join Queen of All Flowers¡¯ hive, work for Queen of All Flowers!¡±
The gardener now understood the request but was still equally confused.
¡°But¡part of hive of hives. Have to leave hive of hives? King¡¯s hives? Queen mother¡¯s hive?¡±
The Conduit, however, danced the negative.
¡°Part of both! Work for Queen of All Flowers, then Queen of All Flowers helps gardener work for hive of hives! Like how hive of hives is part of Hive of All Bees!¡±
The gardener slowly danced an acknowledgement as she started to comprehend. That made sense. She was part of her queen mother¡¯s hive and worked for her, but was also part of the hive of hives and worked for the King, so also working for the Hive of All Flowers seemed reasonable. She had but one other question, though.
¡°But¡why me? Other bees better?¡±
The Conduit tapped on the flower she was resting on.
¡°Not! Gardener raised new flower, moving flower! Flower one says Queen of All Flowers likes!¡±
The gardener wasn¡¯t sure about that but she did realize something. She knew now, at least vaguely, what the King was asking of her. And if the Queen of All Flowers liked raising flowers¡well that was one task she had not failed in. She looked down at the flower below, still holding her in its vines. It wiggled about, opening up its flower to show her its nectar and pollen.
Indeed, this was the one deed of her life that she felt no shame about. So¡whether or not she was the best bee for this task, she at the very least that she could make a reasonable effort. And as long as she had a reasonable chance of success, no bee would deny the King.
She danced a salute.
¡°As King commands, will do best.¡±
The Conduit danced happily while the King smiled at her. Even her queen mother danced.
¡°Proud of gardener! Fight for King!¡±
The gardener could not help but break out into a happy salute dance at that.
The King led the gardener and her flower to the Shrine of All Bees, and pointed out the giant flower with a container in its center.
¡°This is the God of Flowers¡¯ part of the shrine. From what we know, you should offer something to the chest, then pray to the God of Flowers and offer to devote yourself to her. The offering should be something you did yourself, and preferably related to your achievement.¡±
The gardener danced her acknowledgement. Something she had done herself, related to her achievement? Well, there was only one thing that fit that. She looked down at the flower still holding her and danced to ask if she could have some of its pollen and nectar?
The flower responded by rubbing her into its center, coating her in pollen. She scrambled to her feet and began packing the pollen into her pollen baskets until she had a full pair of pollen pants, as much as she could carry. She then extended her proboscis down and drank deeply of the nectar, filling up her honey crop.
At this point, the flower released her and she took off into the air, flying towards the giant flower. She caught sight of the Queen of All Bees¡¯ statue and slowly came to a halt.
Was she abandoning the Hive of All Bees to join the Hive of All Flowers? She hadn¡¯t thought about it before, the Hive of All Bees was a given for a bee so it hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind.
But the Queen of All Bees¡¯ statue began to glow faintly with warm light, shining behind the gardener. She turned back to see the King and Conduit watching her, as well as her flower. Her flower swayed about unsteadily as she paused and hovered in place. She fixed her gaze on her flower, recalling the efforts it took to raise it and how she felt when it had bloomed and begun to move.
She turned back to her destination and flew forward without any further hesitation. She deposited as much of the pollen on her body she could scrape off, followed by the contents of her honey crop. She flew out of the container and landed elsewhere on the flower, beginning to dance.
¡°Queen of All Flowers, want to join Hive of All Flowers. Will work hard for Queen of All Flowers, please help protect hive of hives, queen mother¡¯s hive, and flower.¡±
She had barely completed the final step of her dance when the giant flower suddenly burst into blinding light.
Chapter 205 - Bee-vine Blessing
The light faded and condensed into the form of a bee made of purple light that danced before the gardener¡¯s eyes.
The Queen of All Flowers invites you to the Hive of All Flowers. If you wish to accept, please select one of the following blessings:
- Blessing of the Gardener
- Blessing of the Druid
- Blessing of the Herbalist
- Blessing of the Floral Druid
Once again, the gardener¡¯s mind went blank.
Belissar smiled even as he shielded his eyes from the flash of light. In his experience, that was generally a good sign. However, the light faded¡and nothing happened. The gardener stood completely still on the flower.
Belissar¡¯s smile dropped as a minute went by without any movement from the gardener.
¡°Is everything alright?¡±
As soon as he spoke, the gardener buzzed her wings. She then spun around and zipped into the air.
¡°King! Queen of All Flowers asked to join Hive of All Flowers! Have to pick something called blessing! What that?¡±
Belissar blinked for a moment before smiling. He lifted his hand and motioned for the gardener to land on it. It took some prompting and encouragement from Niobee but eventually the gardener did.
¡°That meant it worked. The God of Flowers is offering you some of her power, you get to choose what.¡±
The gardener froze for a second before slowly tapping out a dance.
¡°Queen of All Flowers¡offering power?¡±
Belissar nodded, thinking to himself how to explain it.
¡°You know Chief Rohsuak, when she makes fire? That¡¯s from the God of Fire. Oh, and this is from the God of Bees!¡±
Belissar held up his other hand and created a spell-bee. The gardener stared at it for a moment before bursting out into a rapid dance.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Queen of All Flowers offering?!¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded. The gardener did a happy dance.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Can fight for hive of hives now!¡±
Then she came to a sudden halt.
¡°Which one should pick?¡±
Belissar considered trying to get her to pick herself¡but that probably wouldn¡¯t work. He had tried when proposing she try for the blessing in the first place, but Niobee had advised him otherwise. She explained that workers and soldiers weren¡¯t as independent as the queens, they were generally more beholden to their instincts and relied on their queens to command them in any unusual situations. Even Beero had ultimately just been trying to fulfill her regular duties as a soldier bee. So, the gardener not only wouldn¡¯t mind being commanded by Belissar in this instance but would prefer it since she had no context for these sorts of decisions.
¡°What choices are there?¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow as she danced out the choices. The problem being¡he didn¡¯t have much context for this sort of thing either. Gardener and Herbalist were simple enough, but druids weren¡¯t anything he had real knowledge of. He vaguely recalled mention of them as some sort of evil forest wizard according to the Tower Lords. He suddenly very much wished he had asked Tarwantrad before doing this.
But, well, he didn¡¯t want to make the God of Flowers wait. He had no idea how long they had to pick the blessing, after all, so he just sent a mental question to Chief Rohsuak. Apparently, ¡°forest wizard¡± was fairly accurate as far as the karnuq were aware. Druids were some sort of magic user that focused on nature. Turning into beasts, growing and commanding plants, causing storms and groundquakes, that sort of thing. In that case, floral druid was probably one specializing in some sort of flower magic?
He began to sweat as the gardener looked up to him, waiting for him to advise her, so he just said whatever came to mind.
¡°Well, you said you want to fight, right? Druid apparently does magic, like Beero I think, but more nature related. Floral Druid sounds like its from the God of Flowers personally, and more flower magic, so that might be a good choice?¡±
Belissar tried to keep his voice steady and avoid wincing as he gave his uninformed opinion on a matter no less important than the blessing of a god. Unfortunately for him, he was speaking to a bee, to whom his word was law.
¡°Ok!¡±
She immediately saluted and then both her and the giant flower flashed with light. Words streamed before Belissar¡¯s eyes immediately after.
Mission: Help one monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers completed!
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Reward: One cross-perk choice!
Belissar made a helpless smile as he shrugged. Well, he certainly hoped the gardener had picked a blessing suitable for her. Either way, though, her efforts had been acknowledged by the God of Flowers, so it would hopefully be a good thing either way.
Belissar then rubbed his chin. It was a bit strange just to call her ¡°gardener¡± when she had gone and raised a new monster and been blessed by the God of Flowers, completing two missions from the god for him.
¡°How would you like a name?¡±
The gardener immediately froze once again. Fortunately for Belissar, Niobee began to respond in her place.
¡°King! Gardener wants! Surprised King is offering!¡±
Belissar smiled and shook his head.
¡°She shouldn¡¯t be. She¡¯s done some amazing things.¡±
The gardener tried to start dancing but tripped. Meanwhile, Belissar began to think.
Flowbee? He shook his head. Just jamming flower and bee together was a bit much, even for him. He figured he should at least try to think of a better name.
¡°How about¡Frelis?¡±
The gardener froze until Niobee began brushing her antennae, then began to dance slowly and carefully.
¡°I¡¯m¡Frelis? Have name? Like Beero?¡±
Belissar smiled gently at her and nodded.
A moment later, Frelis broke out into an extremely rapid and entirely incoherent dance. Belissar couldn¡¯t make out any steps, but he could tell she was happy at least, so he just chuckled and smiled. The flower Frelis had raised began wiggling about as well, while the First of the Fourth saluted Belissar.
Eventually, Frelis grew tired from her rapid dance. So tired, in fact, that she returned to the Bee Barracks in the middle of the day to rest. Belissar was a bit concerned at that but Niobee assured him she should be fine.
Belissar passed the good news along to Tarwantrad and thanked her for her advice regarding the God of Flowers. Afterwards, he headed back to the new flower meadow with Muuraqi. The karnuq offered him some of their water stones, but Belissar refused since he could gather some from the other node he had placed. The karnuq had then insisted to assist him with the gathering when he asked for mining tools, and he had accepted the help.
Soon, Belissar made his way back to his farmhouse with a new water stone and several jars. He channeled his mana through the water stone to fill the jars before mixing them with honey. He hoped that would result in enough mead to begin sharing with the karnuq and Tarwantrad, once he had finished offering the earlier batch to the gods.
After that came the daily purification, just a couple of bird shades that couldn¡¯t make it past a wall of karnuq and sprayers in the Dirt Tunnels. Belissar ignored the other choices and chose the mana straight away. He invited Tarwantrad to join them for the celebration and the perk choice, which she happily agreed to.
And so, once again, Belissar, the queens, the karnuq, and Tarwantrad gathered together. Belissar wasted no time getting right into it.
Select a cross-perk (Bee/Flower):
- Nourishing Nectar
- Empowering Pollination
- Bee-caller Pheromones
Nourishing Nectar
- Bee-type monsters receive a slight boost to all stats after drinking nectar
- Nectar possesses greater nutrient and mana density and can be processed into honey with greater efficiency
- Honey is more likely to retain special properties from nectar
Belissar didn¡¯t even have to look to know the First of the Fifth and the Apiary bees were dancing as he read out the description of that perk.
Empowering Pollination and Bee-caller Pheromones were both repeats, though he read them out for those who weren¡¯t here last time. He still wasn¡¯t sold on Bee-caller Pheromones due to the increased aggression, but Empowering Pollination was worth reconsidering. After all, Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes sparkled as he read about it, and he could guess why. Between the new flower monsters and the defensive flowers Urubran and Nenavann both gave his Tower, the perk would be far more useful to him now than when he had last seen it. He also wondered what the newly blessed Frelis might think of it, but she was still resting back home unfortunately.
Belissar rubbed his chin. He had been certain he was going to pick Nourishing Nectar over the repeats after reading its description, but Empowering Pollination was worth considering in light of his deal with Tarwantrad. If his bees were visiting her dungeon and foraging from her flowers, then wouldn¡¯t this perk empower them? The boost to cross-pollination and flower growth would help both of them raise new flowers from each other¡¯s. The boost to flower stats would also grow ever more useful for his tower too as he acquired more flowers, and potentially flower monsters, from Tarwantrad.
He glanced over at her. Since this was a perk that could affect her as well, he felt he needed to at least check with her before deciding.
¡°Empowering Pollination would help you too, right?
Tarwantrad, however, shook her head with a smile.
¡°It would be amazing for me, but it is something I would wish for my own dungeon. Its effects would be somewhat muted if limited to our nurseries. I appreciate you thinking of me, but this is choice that should be made for your dungeon first and foremost. A benefit for me is less important than your safety.¡±
Tarwantrad then rubbed her chin.
¡°If you want my opinion as a fellow dungeon master, this perk is better suited to my dungeon, where flowers are the focus and pollinators act as support. You could certainly benefit from it, especially if you expand your flower options, but it ultimately targets supporting features for you.¡±
Belissar nodded along. He then turned to the bees¡and smirked slightly as he saw all of the Apiary bees fidgeting.
No, he couldn¡¯t resist them in the end.
Nourishing Nectar selected.
Well, it wasn¡¯t only the Apiary bees¡¯ longing gazes. Tarwantrad¡¯s words about focused and supporting features struck a chord with him. Bees were the focus of his dungeon and nourishing nectar boosted the honey production on which they relied. More efficient honey production meant more bees, more queens and hives, and more evolved bees, all of which would substantially boost his tower where it counted most. Unless there was an urgent need for another perk, one that boosted honey was always worth taking.
And, well, he¡¯d admit that he greatly enjoyed the cloud of zipping Apiary bees dancing about him as he announced the decision.
POBee 205.1 - Bee-volving Efforts
The First of the Fourth zipped about in happy dances, giving in to her ecstasy. Her soldiers and even her workers paused their training and labor to join her as they all danced around a capped cell.
Named. Frelis, one of her workers, was named by the King! The King considered one of her workers¡¯ achievements on par with the likes of Beero, queen of the fallen, or Velebee, who danced with the Queen of All Bees. Maybe even in the same dance as Niobee, the Conduit herself!
Not even the mightiest of the spawner queens or their kin had managed to achieve such an honor. Neither the Firstborn who built the army, the Fourth of the Seventh who paved the way for the hive of hives, nor the First of the Fifth who fed half the hives and the King.
And yet, it was one of her workers who had managed to do it, and to receive the blessing of the Queen of All Flowers to boot.
The First of the Fourth finally finished her celebration dance and zipped out of the hive. This was a grand moment but she could not rest on her laurels. She had to put in as much effort as her Frelis had. She had heard the Firstborn was figuring out a way to do just that, and she wouldn¡¯t miss it.
The Firstborn¡¯s training had not gone as well as she had hoped. Oh, she had learned how to dive and evade well enough, but ultimately she was held back by her body. She wasn¡¯t, and would likely never be, as fast or agile as her soldiers. Her dives were slower and weaker, while her evasion was sluggish in comparison. She had done enough that she might be able to participate in a fight, but not enough to contribute anything meaningful to it. There was no point in risking herself just to add a single substandard soldier to the army.
So, she had considered what she could do that her soldiers couldn¡¯t. The one advantage she held over them that might be relevant for combat was her superior mana. Her mana reserves were larger and denser than theirs, and she had superior control over it as well. She needed as much to fulfill her job as both mother and leader of a hive of monster bees. She pondered now if these advantages could be useful on the battlefield.
One obvious answer was Beero and her magic dances. But, in addition to the Firstborn not having joined the hive of the fallen, that was the battlecaster¡¯s area of expertise. Beero had specifically evolved for those dances and so the Firstborn wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be any better at it. Additionally, those dances took time and focus. The Firstborn wanted to remain cognizant of the fight so she could continue commanding the army at the same time, so could not dedicate as much time or focus as the hive of the fallen could.
Fortunately, the Firstborn had seen another application of mana on the battlefield, one that seemed to require far less time and focus. So, once again, she approached the karnuq. Particularly where the fighting one and one of the others were practicing, making stingers of fire and mana that flew off their weapons and collided into each other.
It was natural for a monster bee to concentrate mana into her stinger and Beero had already made stingers of mana, so the Firstborn had high hopes that the karnuq could teach her their similar technique¡
The Firstborn, of course, was not the only queen looking for new ways to push the envelope. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter was pacing about while the joint hives¡¯ workers prepared a large cell. Her partner queen had even returned to the hive and was overseeing the effort personally. The First Daughter wanted to break out into a happy dance at the chance to manage the hive together in person, but her concern for her partner queen took precedence.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh, sure about this?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh was as bold and confident as ever, but for once the First Daughter felt compelled to make sure her partner queen was making the right choice.
¡°But¡queen mother said best for main queen of hive not to evolve with honey. Can¡¯t make other kinds of honey, all children become new bee type so can¡¯t raise others.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh, however, lost none of her enthusiasm as she replied.
¡°Is fine! First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter is main queen!¡±
The First Daughter¡¯s mind went blank for a moment before she began to dance her objections.
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¡°No! Fourth of the Seventh is main queen! Leads hive, leads new efforts! Saved hive, saved children!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh stepped over and began brushing her antennae.
¡°First Daughter takes care of hive, raises daughters, directs workers! Better queen! Let me go scout! Couldn¡¯t have made hive without! Both can be main queen?¡±
The First Daughter wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, though her feet seemed to carry her in a happy dance without instruction.
¡°Besides, new honey lets bees fly farther, faster! Beyond bigger now, and can scout flower one¡¯s hive soon! Evolving will let scout more and come back more!¡±
The moment the First Daughter processed that dance she began dancing her agreement.
¡°Got it. Is good idea. Fourth of the Seventh should evolve, right away.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
And so, the Fourth of the Seventh crawled into the cell and curled up. The first of the room queens to attempt to evolve off of honey¡
Beero¡wasn¡¯t sure what to think. All of the other queens were practically swarming in their efforts to do something new¡and had specifically listed her achievements as inspiration. But while Beero was proud of her efforts and her evolution, she still did not consider herself a true equal to those queens, so she didn¡¯t know what to think of them trying to emulate her.
After all, she still couldn¡¯t do the job of queen as they could. She couldn¡¯t lay eggs, and she couldn¡¯t even keep track of her hive without the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone blending the mana together. So, even though her hive was organized enough that the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer had returned to her home, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone was still here, always by her side so that she could perceive the workers donated to her.
But Beero was a soldier of action, not a ponderer. So, rather than sit around trying to figure out what to think of the situation, she decided to act however she could. The queens were trying to emulate her, so she decided to try and emulate them in turn. She had no idea where to start on laying eggs¡but she just might on the mana-related duties of a queen.
So, she turned to the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone.
¡°Can teach how blend mana?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone paused, and slowly began to salute.
¡°Can try.¡±
If she managed to pull that off, she¡¯d be able to contact the rest of her hive directly. That ability might even improve her joint casting with her fellow battlecasters, so it was nectar and pollen with one trip. Additionally, it would allow the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone to return to his home.
The thought of the drone not being there, constantly wrapping her mana with his, made her feel weird, as if one of her wings was missing again. But she had work to do so she ignored it and focused on the drone as he tried to explain what he was doing with the mana¡
The First of the Fifth paced back and forth a few more times before drooping her antennae. She drew herself up, and with a final swish of her abdomen to draw breath, began her dance.
¡°Third Daughter should coordinate with gardeners and dangerous one to manage flowers, prepare for cross-pollination with flower one. Second Daughter and Fourth Daughter, coordinate on wax golems. Second Daughter need to keep up honey deliveries, so Fourth Daughter should build first. Give first few to Second Daughter so can use for deliveries and start building own. Fifth Daughter need to expand honey production since Fourth Daughter will make more wax instead.¡±
All of her children that shared her hive danced their salutes and set off on their assigned tasks. The First of the Fifth resisted the urge to buzz her wings. Once again, she had found herself with just too much to do.
The flower one, an existence apparently on par with the King and part of the Hive of All Flowers, had offered her flowers for foraging¡and cross-pollination. That was an opportunity the First of the Fifth could not possibly ignore, especially not after the King commanded the gardeners to fill out the danger one¡¯s work room with every flower the King¡¯s realm had available.
On top of that, there was the latest boon from the King, one that was revolutionary for the Apiary bees. They could now form moving hives out of wax, shaped in the image of the King. The Apiary hives¡¯ workers could now use their ability to create honeycomb to supply warriors to the soldier bee army, joining the fight more directly than they ever had before. Not only that, hives that could move themselves were absolutely perfect for delivering honey to all the hives that needed her assistance, which would free up her Second Daughter¡¯s hive to focus on other tasks. She could absolutely not delay the construction of those hives.
On top of that was the continued need to supply honey to the other hives so they could raise soldiers and all their evolutions, and so that more queens could continue to evolve. Not to mention new flower types, new cross-pollinations, and the newly unlocked area of bee hybridization all of which needed to be explored and categorized.
There were simply too many urgent, potentially revolutionary tasks for the First of the Fifth to address all of them personally. She had no choice but to leave some of them to her daughters if she wanted them completed in a timely manner. And, ultimately, she had an additional task that she would leave to no other.
With all of the other opportunities delegated, the First of the Fifth turned her attention to the entrance of the hive, and took a position as part of one of the honey processing lines. She could not get the taste of the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey out of her mind. She could not stop imagining all of the possibilities that lay waiting in the art of honey. She had to resume experimentation on her honey producing methods.
She had the honeypots, who could imbue more mana into honey than she thought possible. The King had recently modified all the flowers in his realm to produce higher quality nectar. She had the memory of the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey and a spark of its mana remaining in her from even that tiny sip. She believed¡no, she knew that it was possible for her hive to make a better honey than it currently was.
She would not rest until she figured out how. The King¡¯s table deserved no less.
And so, the First of the Fifth got to work.
Chapter 206 - Blessed Bee the Contrite
Hirkolos walked over to the karnuq apiary. One of the karnuq, Paisijik, smiled and waved him over once she saw him. He returned her smile and joined her as she checked on her hive.
The bees had buzzed at him at first but a flash of mana from Paisijik had apparently calmed them down. He could thus now stand and watch as she checked the brood, smiling as he watched the worker bees crawl about and continue their tasks even as Paisijik lifted their comb. Paisijik finished up and then gathered the daily tray from the hive, breaking off a piece for him.
He tried to refuse, but as usual she just shoved the piece into his hands and went about with her day.
Hirkolos¡¯s gaze followed her to the rest of the karnuq village. There, he saw the supposedly vicious beastkin assembling a village not unlike his home. He saw them work and chat and walk about with smiles on their faces. He saw one of those giant bumblebees that tanked fireballs and knocked soldiers right off their mounts playing with laughing children, tickling them as one climbed on top of it. He saw those soldier bees that stung soldiers and wyverns to death now working together to lift a beam of wood on top of the roof of a home.
One Tower Lord took the honorable Tower Guard and set them to pillage and burn villages. Another took vicious beastkin and monsters and used them to build a happy one.
He thought of what might happen if the two should meet again.
He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
The next day, Belissar found himself without any urgent tasks, so started to catch up on some previous ideas. He asked for the Third of the Third and brought her over to the karnuq. There, he put her in contact with Chief Rohsuak and Muuraqi, asking them to provide any construction materials she needed for her projects, in exchange for her help coordinating bee assistance for the karnuq¡¯s own.
Just as he was leaving, though, he heard someone call his name.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar?¡±
Belissar turned around to find Hirkolos slowly approaching him.
¡°Hi Hirkolos. Do you need something?¡±
Hirkolos shook his head and then slowly knelt and bowed his head.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar, would you accept me into your Tower?¡±
Accept offer of allegiance?
Belissar blinked in surprise for a moment before breaking out into a smile.
¡°Definitely.¡±
You have gained 1 sworn defender.
Hirkolos took another deep breath and kept his head bowed.
¡°Thank you, Tower Keeper Belissar. I swear I will protect the Tower that you¡¯ve built, and the home you¡¯ve made for your people.¡±
Belissar gave him a nod before realizing that Hirkolos was still looking down and couldn¡¯t actually see it.
¡°¡thank you.¡±
Unsure of what else to say, Belissar decided to just extend a hand. Hirkolos glanced at it for a moment before clasping it. He let Belissar pull him to his feet and nodded, his resolve clear in his intense expression.
Belissar was still trying to figure out how to respond when he caught sight of the karnuq apiary nearby and smiled.
¡°How would you like to meet the bees, now that you can talk to them? I¡¯m sure Velebee would love to speak with you.¡±
Hirkolos blinked before his eyes widened.
¡°I¡can talk to bees now?¡±
Belissar just grinned and motioned for him to follow. The two made their way over to Velebee¡¯s hive, the queen immediately climbing out to greet them.
¡°Hive-Builder! What need?¡±
Hirkolos¡¯s eyes trembled.
¡°I¡I can understand her¡¡±
Velebee turned to him and then started zipping about.
¡°Nice one can dance now!¡±
Hirkolos gaped, opening and closing his mouth several times without speaking as Velebee spun about in the air. Belissar chuckled¡at least until Velebee started glowing.
¡°Queen of All Bees says nice one should pray at shrine!¡±
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Belissar blinked and then turned to Hirkolos, about to suggest they head over. He found Hirkolos trembling, the young man falling to his knees.
¡°I¡I¡received a mission from the gods?¡±
Belissar blinked yet again. Well, that was new.
¡°I¡see. Well, we better not keep her waiting. What do you need to do?¡±
Hirkolos gulped.
¡°Just¡pray at the Shrine of Bees? It can¡¯t be that simple¡right?¡±
Belissar thought back to his own missions before chuckling.
¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±
After giving Hirkolos a moment to gather himself, Belissar led him to the room¡¯s Shrine of Bees. Hirkolos bowed before the shrine as Belissar gave him some room. The man had barely spoken a word when the shrine lit up like the sun.
Belissar had already moved to shield his eyes, as he had somewhat expected this. The God of Bees had, several times, given him missions to pray at the shrine in order to hand him a reward. As for Hirkolos, the man had protected Velebee¡¯s hive from both shades and the rest of the humans on a long and perilous journey. In Belissar¡¯s opinion, he definitely deserved some appreciation for that.
A challenger has been fully blessed.
Gained 20 DP.
As expected, the God of Bees shared that opinion. Hirkolos trembled as he knelt before the shrine.
¡°This is¡I¡I don¡¯t deserve this¡¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you do. If it weren¡¯t for you, Velebee wouldn¡¯t have made it here. That was the entire reason the God of Bees even sent you this way, you know?¡±
Hirkolos didn¡¯t turn around or respond, but Belissar saw him slowly begin to nod.
A challenger has selected a blessing unique to your patron.
Gained additional 10 DP.
Hirkolos slowly rose to his feet and turned around. He had a frown on his face but firmed his expression as he began to salute.
¡°I see. I¡don¡¯t know know if I agree, but I promise as your Tower Guard and as a Bee-fender, that I will use this power to protect. As I always should have done.¡±
Belissar found himself silently nodding along. He and Hirkolos agreed on one thing. This is what the Tower Guard should have been.
Tyhgak leapt forward, thrusting out his spear. A full stinger made of mana wrapped around the tip and shot forward with a buzz, stabbing into the small shade ahead. A second shade pounced at him but he stayed light on his feet. Bee wings of mana formed on his back and boosted his speed as he dodged the blow, already moving out of the way so his fellow spearwoman could step in and strike. Just like the soldier bee squads did it, he thought with a grin.
The spearwoman sighed.
¡°You¡¯re real lucky, aren¡¯t you, Tyhgak? We¡¯ve both been challenging for just as long, so why are you the only one with a blessing?¡±
Tyhgak shrugged.
¡°Well, I was lucky Noigakkuq agreed to teach me about hers, Kypinnik. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get yours soon too!¡±
Kypinnik huffed. One of the archers rolled his eyes.
¡°And¡have you thought that maybe us three might also want some help with getting blessings?¡±
Tyhgak blinked a couple of times.
¡°Oh¡did you?¡±
Kypinnik smacked her face while the archers glanced at each other. The other archer shrugged her shoulders. Noigakkuq kept herself busy sniffing for more shades.
¡°He¡¯s always been an idiot.¡±
The first archer sighed.
¡°True. Ok, Tyhgak, let me spell it out for you. Can you show the rest of us how you¡¯re doing all that?¡±
Tyhgak gulped under his team¡¯s withering glares.
¡°Oh, um, sure? I, uh, just tried to be more like the bees?¡±
Kypinnik stared at him with half-lidded eyes.
¡°Details, Tyhgak. More like the bees how?¡±
The second archer slipped away.
¡°I¡¯m asking Noigakkuq. If she could teach this idiot, she can teach anyone.¡±
And so, the rest of Tyhgak¡¯s team started forming their mana into stingers as well. And since, like Tyhgak, they had also already received numerous partial blessings from their earlier challenges, it did not take them long. All would be forgiven when they prayed at the shrine later that day.
Toivenaq fidgeted as he stood before the Shrine of Bees, averting his gaze from the eyes of the bee statue.
¡°Are¡you sure I should be here?¡±
Chief Rohsuak raised one of her eyebrows.
¡°We¡¯ve spoken about this, Toivenaq. I cannot answer that question for you. Only you know if you are ready to devote yourself to a patron, and if your efforts were sincere. Only you can decide if you are satisfied with your work.¡±
Her expression softened as Toivenaq frowned.
¡°I will say, however, that the shields you have made can block a strike from Metsaitti or a shade, so there is no question as to their usefulness. Likewise, those shields are now in use defending the patron god¡¯s tower, and allowed us to face a shade in place of the bees. From an outside perspective, you have done well. Only you can say, though, whether that is enough for you. All I ask is that you commit to whatever decision you make.¡±
Toivenaq slowly nodded and looked at the shield in his hands. It was not a particularly elegant piece of work. He had gotten it thinner and easier to handle than the thick slabs of his first attempts, and managed to get it mostly straight. It still wasn¡¯t a match even for those aged antiques they found in the nearby ruins, but he could honestly say it was the best thing he could make right now.
However, he couldn¡¯t help but remember his first visit to the Tower, when he tried to offer one of his grandfather¡¯s knives. He had barely had the chance to hold a hammer, so he thought nothing he could make would suffice. Likewise, he had been a poor hunter, brought on the hunts only due to the desperate needs of the clan. He knew he could not compare to the others, either in terms of the quarry they could offer or the challenges they could overcome. He had thought that he had to do something, and that hopefully the god would bless him with the skills he needed.
He had been foolish, and now he could not help fear that he had permanently offended their patron god. He had done what he could to make himself useful, but he had abandoned all thoughts of ever receiving a blessing. He was merely grateful he was allowed to live within the tower and benefit from its abundance, so tried to make the most of it.
Chief Rohsuak had other ideas however, and had pointed out that it was the god¡¯s decision who to forgive and who to hold in contempt. Toivenaq was now willing to work on her behalf, to thank this god whose generosity enabled him to take up his ancestors¡¯ craft instead of stumbling about trying to hunt. The only concern was whether the god would even tolerate his presence¡but as the chief said that was her choice, not his.
So, he took a deep breath. All he could do now was submit to the god¡¯s judgment.
He opened the chest and placed the shield within, then knelt before the shrine. He bowed his head, not daring to look up at the statue.
¡°Oh, God of Bees. Please forgive me for my earlier insult, I did not mean to offend you. I¡¯ve brought you something I made myself this time, I hope that what I¡¯ve made has helped you and your tower. I promise, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to defend your tower, whether or not you can forgive me. I just¡wanted to offer you something I made. Please, accept this offering, and my apology.¡±
Toivenaq gasped as he was hit with a flash of light bright enough to make its way through his close eyelids.
The tenth person illuminated at the Shrine of Bees, in fact.
Chapter 207 - New Friend-Bees?
Belissar froze and stood still as a flood of challenger blessed messages filled his vision. A quick glance with his tower sight showed him the Tyhgak¡¯s squad all cheering and playing around with mana wrapping around spears and arrows, while that one karnuq smith was kneeling before the Shrine of Bees with tears in his eyes.
¡°Huh.¡±
Belissar tilted his head. With Hirkolos also receiving his own blessing, five people had received blessings today. Just enough to reach a goal Belissar had largely forgotten about.
Mission: Help ten challengers receive full blessings completed!
Reward: Rare Bee-type monster choice
Belissar slowly began to smile. He scarcely stopped himself from opening the choice then and there. Only his desire to share the choice with his bees and advisers held him back, he couldn¡¯t help but look forward to their reactions. Tarwantrad would be ecstatic.
However, such things would have to wait, and not only for the convenience of the post-purification celebrations. At that moment, Belissar received an urgent message from the karnuq and bees watching the border with the sigmaka¡
¡°You wish to form an alliance?¡±
Second Queen Berbiya nodded in response to Chief Rohsuak¡¯s question. The two were sitting a table set up just beyond the rot cap field, with Fourth Queen Pezuya and Metsaitti sitting next to their charges, and a soldier bee standing on the table itself.
¡°We have considered your warnings about the invader that assaulted your Sacred Den. King Ratuatapi has decided he cannot stand idly by while you, our neighbors, are threatened. We are willing to lend you our aid should those invaders return.¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled.
¡°No doubt the Tower Keeper will be pleased to hear it. And you hope the we will reciprocate?¡±
Second Queen Berbiya made a small smile as well.
¡°Indeed. King Ratuatapi hopes that we both will stand together against anyone seeking to threaten us. He also hopes that his warriors will be permitted to challenge your Sacred Den.¡±
Chief Rohsuak glanced over at Fourth Queen Pezuya.
¡°I will have to confirm with the Tower Keeper, but I believe he will be agreeable to that, provided your warriors make sure not to harm any of the tower¡¯s residents.¡±
Fourth Queen Pezuya scrunched up her face but nodded in the end.
¡°We will do as the Tower Keeper wishes.¡±
Chief Rohsuak and Second Queen Berbiya then discussed some further details before breaking to report to their respective authorities.
Belissar nodded repeatedly with a smile as Chief Rohsuak reported.
¡°That¡¯s great!¡±
Belissar paused his nodding, however, as Chief Rohsuak furrowed her brow.
¡°¡that¡¯s good, right? Is something the matter?¡±
Chief Rohsuak sighed and shook her head.
¡°No, you are right, this is a good development overall. I¡don¡¯t wish to damper your spirits, Tower Keeper, but I do feel I must warn you that a leader must consider every offer from all aspects, even if a good one.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Chief Rohsuak crossed her arms.
¡°In this case, the sigmaka are offering to help you with your enemies, but in return they want you to help with theirs. Are you willing to send your forces to fight enemies that haven¡¯t attacked your tower yet?¡±
Belissar was about to respond when he paused and started to imagine that sort of situation.
¡°Maybe? Hm¡¡±
The sigmaka¡well, he didn¡¯t really know the sigmaka all that well when it came down to it. Besides their initial talks, Belissar hadn¡¯t interacted much with them. If they ended up fighting another group that Belissar didn¡¯t know, was he willing to send the bees and the karnuq into danger to help?
¡°Hm, could we just agree to help each other if the Tower Lords attack? Maybe the Hunger, but not people we don¡¯t know?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s possible. It will depend on if the sigmaka are willing to agree to a limited arrangement, but I will relay your preferences to them.¡±
Belissar let out a sigh. Dealing with the sigmaka was always so complicated. Still, it was great that they were willing to help against the Tower Lords. Complicated situation or not, he couldn¡¯t help a small smile. Perhaps his Tower wouldn¡¯t have to face ten thousand Tower Guards on its own after all.
As the sigmaka walked home, Second Queen Berbiya glanced at Fourth Queen Pezuya. The fourth queen rolled her eyes.
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¡°Out with it, Berbiya, you clearly want to ask me something.¡±
Berbiya decided to take that opportunity.
¡°Why did you support me on this?¡±
Pezuya huffed.
¡°Besides the chance to put Penaseconza in her place, you mean?¡±
Now it was Berbiya¡¯s turn to roll her eyes.
¡°You don¡¯t like me any better than you do her. I wouldn¡¯t expect you, of all people, to want to ally with the Sacred Den you wanted to attack, not even for that purpose.¡±
Pezuya let out a deep, exasperated sigh.
¡°It¡¯s my job, Berbiya, to protect our king and our people by eliminating anything that threatens them. I thought to eliminate a potential threat while we still had the opportunity to do so, but we discovered it too late. The Sacred Den was already too powerful for us to deal with, not unless all our people took up arms and paid a price in blood we cannot afford.¡±
Pezuya stopped and turned to look Berbiya in the eye.
¡°So if an invader arrives who can threaten the Sacred Den? We will have absolutely no hope of resisting someone that powerful. They will then be able to do anything they want to us.¡±
She let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.
¡°At least this way, we¡¯ll have the chance to train some of our warriors, so that maybe we might have some ability to protect ourselves. And make ourselves even more dependent on the goodwill of a Sacred Den master, but what choice do we have? As it is, I cannot defend us even against the threats we know, much less any greater ones that might appear.¡±
Berbiya did not respond at first, letting Pezuya¡¯s words hang in the air.
¡°Perhaps¡if all goes well, you will not have to do so alone.¡±
Pezuya scoffed, but did not object. The two walked the rest of the way home in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
Since Chief Rohsuak wouldn¡¯t meet the sigmaka again today, Belissar put them out of his mind. Not that he could focus on much else besides the choice lingering at the edge of his perception. He hardly paid attention to the daily purification, and barely managed to wait through the celebration.
But now, finally, he was gathered with the queens and the karnuq. Tarwantrad had regretfully declined to join them as she had a prior commitment, but strongly requested Belissar let her know about the new bees as soon as possible.
Tarwantrad or no, though, Belissar smiled as he glanced around.
¡°We have a reward from the God of Bees, everyone.¡±
The bees broke out into happy dances while Metsaitti¡¯s and even Chief Rohsuak¡¯s eyes widened a bit. Belissar finally got to open the reward.
Please select a monster:
- Monster Bee Dancer (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Berserker (Rarity: Epic, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Assassin (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
Belissar smiled at the sight of all rare options and even an epic¡until he realized he could only pick one of them. He took a deep breath as he launched in to them.
Monster Bee Dancer was a repeat but he was glad to see it again. He still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they did, but a bee type that made all other bees better could be a solid choice. Depending on what the other two were, that was.
Monster Bee Berserker
Vitality: Average
Strength: Below Average
Speed: Average
Magic: Small
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Death Blow, Swarm Rage, Fatal Regeneration, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier and evolutions
Description: A monster bee soldier evolution. This bee shows no mercy or restraint to enemies of the hive. Upon taking damage or seeing a fellow member of hive take damage, the bee will launch into a rage that will only end when the offender has perished, boosting its strength and the potency of its venom.
Should this bee suffer fatal damage before the enemy has fallen, it will expend everything it has to ensure the enemy¡¯s demise. The bee will burn all its mana and lifeforce powering an immense regeneration that will keep it temporarily active after death and restore missing body parts even from complete destruction. It will use this regeneration to repeatedly sting and rip itself apart, leaving as many stingers to continue pumping venom into its foe as its mana can regenerate. Every blow conducted during this rampage will become a death blow.
Belissar pursed his lips as he looked over the preview. The berserker was a bit larger than a lancer, but where the lancer was sleek and focused the berserker was bulky and thorny. Its chitin was jagged and angular, with sharp edges and points all over its body. Its stinger was heavily barbed with wicked hooks, made specifically to get caught in a foe. It also had huge, serrated mandibles and even its legs had sharp claws. This was bee made for battle.
On the one hand, this was also a bee made to die. It took a bee¡¯s fatal sting to a new level and would only show its true power in its final moments. But on the other hand, what a power that was. This was without a doubt the most powerful individual bee monster Belissar had seen thus far.
It was powerful enough that Belissar felt compelled to consider it even despite its self-fatal tendencies. This could be a powerful defender for his tower, and in the case where such a powerful defender was required, bees would likely die if he didn¡¯t have something like the berserkers. If he could steel himself to raise berserkers, every berserker that fell might save many more of their sisters if they took an invader with them.
Still, Belissar did not like the idea of bees born to die, or encouraging them to do so. He could not help but pause.
Well, he had one more option to consider first.
Monster Bee Assassin
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Small
Speed: Average+
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Concentrate Poison, Analyze Weakness, Death Blow, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier
Description: A monster bee soldier evolution. This bee aims for maximum damage with a single sting. It carefully observes its prey with mana-imbued sight, seeking out weak points and blind spots. Once it has determined an ideal location to sting, it concentrates its venom, heightening its potency beyond other soldier types, so that even a single sting may prove deadly. Its stinger is also capable of stabbing deep to strike at vital points within, or puncturing holes through defenses that cannot be fully avoided.
It avoids open confrontation if at all possible as it is quite fragile, though its speed and innate death blow mean it can still be dangerous even if caught.
Belissar crossed his arms as he looked over the assassin. It was actually a bit smaller than a normal soldier, with darker and duller coloring that didn¡¯t stand out as much. It had an enlarged abdomen for its size with a long and thin stinger, almost like a cross between a lancer¡¯s and a medicinal bee¡¯s. It had unusually large eyes as well that seemed to glow faintly with mana. It, perhaps, didn¡¯t paint as intimidating a picture as a lancer or archer, much less a berserker.
But perhaps that was the point? Apparently, they were supposed to try and attack enemies from a blindspot with a deadly poison. That would go along nicely with the Enhanced Toxins perk he had just taken, not to mention the new toxic bees. A toxic assassin that could concentrate its already deadly venom that was then enhanced by the perk sounded extremely dangerous indeed.
So, the question was¡which of these powerful options would be best for his Tower?
Belissar took a deep breath¡
Chapter 208 - The Kings Bee-solve
Belissar put his internal conflict aside. First and foremost, he had to see what everyone else thought of the options first. As usual, he turned the question to the bees.
The First of the Fifth conferred with the Apiary bees, but they had few dances this time.
¡°Dancers might help with hive? Bees sound good for army, should ask Firstborn!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh was apparently in the middle of evolving, so the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter spoke for the Apiary.
¡°Dancers are communer evolution? Could help scouts!¡±
Belissar nodded to acknowledge them and then turned to the battle meadow queens. Today, it was their turn to have an intense dance-off as they debated the merits of the three options. The Firstborn, however, noticed Belissar¡¯s attention on them and tried to summarize the viewpoints.
¡°All bees good. Dancers help existing bees. Berserkers make soldier army stronger, make sure bees don¡¯t die without fight. Assassins good for ambushes, find way around defense. Makes one sting dangerous if bees can¡¯t sting more.¡±
The first digging queen, the Fourth of the Fifth, also flew forward to dance this time.
¡°Assassins good for tunnels, digging bees! Can sting from underground!¡±
Meanwhile, the Third of the Sixth, the burning queen, flew circles in the direction of Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Karnuq queen is berserker? Want to be like!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he turned to the karnuq.
¡°That¡¯s a good point, you were a blazing berserker, right, Chief Rohsuak? Do you know anything about berserkers?¡±
Metsaitti grinned. Chief Rohsuak rolled her eyes with a chuckle.
¡°A berserker believes that the best defense is a good offense. They devote everything to ferocious, all-out attacks meant to overwhelm the enemy, and so minimize the need for defense. They¡¯re excellent when you¡¯re ready to commit to the enemy¡¯s defeat and don¡¯t plan to stop attacking until either you or the enemy is spent.¡±
She then rubbed her chin and turned to the Third of the Sixth.
¡°Please note, though, that for me Blazing Berserker was just a nickname for the aggressive style I used in my youth. A monster with berserker in the name will be far more intense. If all you wish is for bees to imitate my powers, I can assist with that without a dedicated species. So, I would say if you choose the berserkers, choose them for their ferocity, strength, and contempt of death, not because of my title.¡±
Belissar nodded at that. If he recalled, the Third of the Sixth was supposed to work with Chief Rohsuak previously. She had been busy, though, setting up her hive, especially after Belissar created the Lava Field for her, while Chief Rohsuak had to both help the karnuq set up and deal with the sigmaka. It sounded like it was time to revisit that idea now, though.
Still, that left Belissar with a difficult choice, as there were bees that preferred each of the three options. First things first, though, Belissar needed to stop running away.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And then, he resolved to pick berserkers if he determined they were the best option. His dislike of that option was purely personal, and he knew it didn¡¯t make sense. He had soldier bees that were apparently disappointed not to be injured enough to join the hive of the fallen. He had the Memorial which specifically buffed bees about to die, a feature he received from the God of Bees herself. Even Tarwantrad, who seemed to love bees as much as he, apparently had bee predators in her own dungeon.
He could not avoid bee death forever and might even increase it if he was excessive in his attempts to do so. Even a mundane beekeeper had to be comfortable with bee death. He saw dead bees all the time, he had to help clear out the dead when disaster struck a hive, and Mrs. Imkomos even taught him to personally euthanize an old queen when necessary, so that the hive could raise a new one and remain healthy. He was ever grateful his monster bees seemed far more resilient and he still intended to minimize sacrifice wherever possible. But still, he could not decline an option as powerful as this solely because of his own desire to avoid bee casualties.
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So, he steeled himself, and then attempted to look at these choices with as objective an eye as he could manage, to pick the one that would be best for his Tower as a whole, regardless of how he felt about it. He imagined each one being raised by the hives, working and training with the hives and the karnuq each day, and fighting both shades and Tower Guards. He imagined different types that the different queens might raise, and how they would fight in different rooms. How they would work on their own and how they would work with the rest of the bee army, the karnuq, and the flowers he had and would receive.
He made his choice.
Monster Bee Assassin now available! Monster Bee Soldiers may now evolve into Monster Bee Assassins!
When he thought about the Tower as a whole, he felt that assassins fit into it better than berserkers. An issue with the Dirt Tunnels was that, until recently, there weren¡¯t enough digging soldiers to fight effectively on their own where the rest of the soldier bee army couldn¡¯t support them. The shades were allowed to pass through the entire room before any of his defenders intervened, because they couldn¡¯t do enough to justify the danger. Even recently, the digging soldiers had only managed to distract the enemy.
But if they had assassins?
A single assassin sting was dangerous. If the digging hives raised even a single assassin, they might take out a shade or a Tower Guard with a single sting to the foot. The battle could end in the Tower¡¯s first room.
That then applied to every room in the Tower. A single chromatic assassin, or an assassin led by a chromatic bee, could stalk the Fairy Grove and sting an invader while they were confused. A burning assassin could use the distraction of smoke, ash, lava, and flaming boulders from the mini-volcano to sting in the Lava Field. And if he managed to make a water room with the vapor hemlock? Then assassin bees could hide in the already poisonous mist.
There was the question, too, of assassin bees concentrating the venom of different bee types. How would toxic, maddening, or sedating assassins work? Would a burning assassin¡¯s venom burn even hotter, or a shocking assassin¡¯s turn into lightning? A question made all the more intriguing by the thought of what flowers he might receive from the Circle.
Likewise, assassins could easily fit in with the rest of his Tower¡¯s defenders. They could join the soldier bee army with ease, slotting right into the soldier bee squad rotations, or hiding like the digging soldiers did against the spiky salamander. They could hide amongst the karnuq to sting alongside the karnuq¡¯s spears. They might even be able to hide inside the new wax golems according to the golems¡¯ description.
And then there was the whole mana-sight finding weaknesses. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how that worked¡but couldn¡¯t they tell the other bees what they saw? In fact, couldn¡¯t the queens see whatever they saw thanks to the communers? If that¡¯s how it worked¡then the assassins could also make the whole army more effective by telling the other bees where to sting.
In contrast, the dancers made everything better, but Belissar still wasn¡¯t sure how much better. He wondered if he was missing something, but he felt he couldn¡¯t justify gambling on that vague description when the other two options were so powerful. This was a rare choice he received for completing a mission from the God of Bees, he had to make the most of it.
Then what about berserkers? There was no doubt they were powerful and the raw power they brought would serve the soldier bee army well. But, what Chief Rohsuak said stuck out in his mind. Berserkers were to be employed when he was ready to commit to the enemy¡¯s defeat, to have the bees start a ferocious assault that would not end until the enemy was defeated. When he tried to imagine what that would mean for a purification¡he guessed that meant he wouldn¡¯t deploy berserkers until the last second. They would have to watch the shade and let either the other bees, the karnuq, or the new wax golems probe it to determine what sort of defenses and special attacks it had. Only once they were confident in bringing the enemy down could he deploy the berserkers, lest he send them something like the mass breath, lightning, or spine attacks previous shades had demonstrated.
Well, he guessed he could also send the berserkers in first, since their death rampage would let them survive any special attacks long enough to deal damage back along with revealing what the enemy could do. But that would mean guaranteeing the death of powerful, evolved bees before he knew if they were truly needed or not. New resolutions or not, that was more sacrifice than Belissar could bring himself to make.
So, berserkers would mostly be an option of last resort, when Belissar was either confident in defeating the enemy, or if the enemy was too strong for anything else. The bee army or the karnuq would still have to face the enemy on their own before then, whereas assassins gave opportunities to defeat invaders before the battle got to that stage at all.
Besides, his Tower had golems, bumblebees, and shield-bearing karnuq when they needed bulk; had lancers, archers, battlecasters, and Chief Rohsuak when they needed power; and had the Memorial¡¯s buff and bees¡¯ death blow skills when sacrifice was unavoidable. The berserkers were powerful indeed¡but the bee army already had greater potential for sacrificial rampages than Belissar was employing.
And, ultimately, even if Belissar would do what he had to in an emergency, he still intended to do all he could to prevent a battle from ever reaching that point.
So, Belissar made his choice, still somewhat uncertain if he had let his emotions get the best of him or not, but at least convinced he had considered the options. The bees, at least, had no such doubts.
¡°Amazing, incredible, King is best king!¡±
The Fourth of the Fifth immediately began a happy dance, soon joined by the Third of the Sixth and then the rest of the queens. Belissar chuckled and allowed himself to smile. Whether or not he had made the right choice, he¡¯d just have to make the best of it, and ensure his decisions went as well as the bees believed.
POBee 208.1 - Bee-hold the Queen!
As Belissar, the karnuq, and the bees all tucked in for the night, the flowers all across the Tower swayed in the calm nighttime breeze. The alfalfa Belissar had planted glowed with a faint green light as they condensed and processed all the sunlight and mana they had absorbed that day, passing it down into their roots. Mana and nutrients seeped out into the ground, enriching all of the nearby soil before being consumed by hungry seeds planted nearby.
Some of the nutrients and mana also seeped into the greenwood mushroom mycelium entwined with the alfalfa¡¯s roots. Pulses of green light surged underneath the surface of the soil as the mycelium claimed its meal¡and then passed the remainder to other roots it had reached.
Seeds sprouted, shoots grew, flowers budded and prepared to bloom as the levels of Nature mana rose within the soil. Purple and golden mana drifted through the air and condensed into the flowers that had bloomed, which began to drip nectar that shimmered in the moonlight.
And in the bumblebee meadow, in the midst of all this mana passing through the soil, a single shoot with two leaves broke through the dirt. The mana that passed through its roots, stem, and leaves took on a slightly golden hint to its green color before passing back into the soil below¡
The First of the Fifth stood completely still as she attempted to comprehend the sight in front of her.
¡°How?¡±
Her ever diligent workers answered her rhetorical question.
¡°More flowers! Flowers gave more nectar! Nectar has more mana!¡±
The First of the Fifth knew that thanks to her communers but thanked the worker for the report nonetheless. It seemed that the King¡¯s plans had come to fruition and were now revealed to her. The gardeners had been diligently planting more and more of each kind of flower. Then the King had added new kinds of flowers: the alfalfa that made all others grow better as well as the bee balm which naturally produced more and better nectar. Then he added the mushrooms the flower one gave him, which were spreading the alfalfa¡¯s effects throughout the rooms, nourishing existing flowers while causing all the newly planted seeds to sprout and bloom far faster than predicted. And now, he had applied the combined powers of the Queen of All Bees and Queen of All Flowers so that each and every flower produced more, more nutritious, and more mana-dense nectar than ever before.
The foragers had returned from their first trip of the day in record time, laden with enough nectar for an entire day¡¯s worth of honey. When the First of the Fifth then factored in the better nutrition of the nectar and the honeypot bees¡¯ processing abilities, the resulting prediction for today¡¯s honey yield was staggering.
They could bring the newest queens up to functional hives all in one go, give the Flower Meadow queens more than enough mana to fuel all the new evolutions the King had granted them, make another attempt at raising hybridized princesses, and still have more than enough to devote workers to making wax golems.
And still have more than enough after all that for her to conduct her experiments in the art of honey making.
The First of the Fifth snapped out of her fugue and immediately began dancing to the nearest communer. Today would be a busy day indeed.
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter barely registered her queen mother¡¯s communer dancing nearby. Yes, she had vaguely noticed a massive increase in honey production this morning, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. She and the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communer were currently pacing in front of a massive capped cell. The brood tenders assured her it would be soon and she could feel the occupant¡¯s mana within, but still she could not help but worry.
Then, a tiny crack formed on the cap. The First Daughter and the communer immediately rushed over to help open the cap.
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Finally, the Fourth of the Seventh stuck her head out of the cell and climbed out, her evolution safely completed. The First Daughter and the communer both crawled all over the Fourth of the Seventh before she had even completely emerged. They knew all had been going well, but after the Third of the Sixth¡¯s evolving experience they couldn¡¯t help but worry. Now, finally, they knew the Fourth of the Seventh was ok.
It was only then that First Daughter realized she had crawled on top of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s torso¡which was now large enough to hold even her form with ease. She now took a good look at her fellow queen.
The Fourth of the Seventh was now the size of a lancer. The First Daughter buzzed her wings in surprise. None of the other queens who evolved off of special honey types had changed size, so this was unusual. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s wings had grown even larger than her body and wider as well, the First Daughter felt a slight breeze whenever the wings so much as twitched. Her eyes were equally massive, and her antennae had grown long as well, now as fuzzy as the communer¡¯s. The First Daughter saw the air distort from the dense mana pouring off those antennae.
But all of that could wait. The important thing was, the Fourth of the Seventh was back, and fully evolved. The First Daughter gave herself to a happy dance, brushing against those big fuzzy antennae with her own. The Fourth of the Seventh soon began to dance as well, carrying the First Daughter around on her back.
Belissar was just getting his morning started when the Tower began to prompt him.
A monster has evolved!
Nomadic Monster Bee Queen is now available!
Belissar blinked.
¡°Huh?¡±
Nomadic Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Small
Strength: Minor
Speed: Above Average
Magic: Small
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Small
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Brood Mother, Store Eggs, Generate Wind, Command Remote Offspring
Spawner Upkeep: 40 (20 with Blessing of Bees)
Evolves From: Monster Bee Queen
Description: An evolved Air attributed monster bee queen that ranges wide and far to manage multiple hives simultaneously. A large wingspan and command of the wind enable fast, far, and efficient flight, while highly sensitive antennae can sense and respond to her offspring¡¯s mana from astounding distances. The queen¡¯s body is optimized for a nomadic lifestyle, including superior vision to scan her surroundings, a larger size for better endurance, and the ability to store eggs to lay all at once whenever she visits one of her hives.
As an evolved monster bee queen, the nomadic monster bee queen also has a superior ability to raise evolved bee types and can lay monster bee types in her evolution lineage in addition to nomadic monster bees.
Belissar¡¯s confusion lasted only a moment, as he remembered the Fourth of the Seventh was busy evolving. A quick check with his tower sight confirmed she was the one who had evolved¡and unlocked the first new queen type that came with its own spawner.
He smiled and sent her his congratulations, earning a ¡°King best king!¡± dance from the happy queen. Then¡he went about his day as previously planned.
The new queen was great, and the Tower seemed to imply it was a step up from the other queen types that had evolved thus far, but Belissar didn¡¯t feel the need for a new spawner just yet. These queens were specialized in traveling, scouting, and managing multiple hives, and so far, only the Fourth of the Seventh was doing such things. The spawner was just a bit too expensive, and there was always a chance the Fourth of the Seventh could either raise new nomadic queens herself or help existing queens evolve if more were needed.
But now that he knew there were more advanced versions of the queens, he¡¯d certainly be on the lookout for anymore.
At that moment, every queen in the Tower paused, most notably the First of the Fifth. Her First Daughter had been unusually distracted, and slow in responding despite the sheer magnitude of the opportunities unlocked by the boosted honey production. The First of the Fifth was about to check in on her when a wave of mana blew through the Tower like a gust of wind. The drones in her hive twisted the mana with her own, revealing it carried a message along with it.
¡°Hi! Can hear?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mana was now perceptible all the way in the Apiary, passing through the shortcut there. Her First Daughter soon began to spread a confirmation through the Orchard¡¯s communer exchange.
The Fourth of the Seventh had evolved. And not as the Second of the Sixth or Third of the Sixth or Fourth of the Eighth had, merely taking on an attribute from honey. No, the Fourth of the Seventh had become a new kind of queen, as different from the rest of them as a lancer was from a soldier, or a gardener from a worker. She was the first to achieve what they were all striving for.
For the second time that morning, the First of the Fifth received news that changed everything.
POBee 208.2 - A Bee-con of Progress
¡°Hi, can hear?¡±
The Firstborn swayed midair and loss control of her mana. Instead, she focused on the wave of mana that had just hit her, very much like that of a communer¡¯s. So, once her drones had deciphered the message, she had them respond.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh?¡±
A moment later, another surge of mana hit her.
¡°Wow, can hear Firstborn! Amazing, incredible!¡±
The Firstborn could not help but join the Fourth of the Seventh in a celebratory dance. She instinctively understood what the power of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mana she felt implied, much less the fact that the Fourth of the Seventh could now send her mana all the way through the shortcuts without the aid of a communer. The Fourth of the Seventh had evolved. Truly a cause for celebration, a great victory for the hive of hives and one of her fellow queens.
When she had finished dancing, the Firstborn took a moment to groom her antennae as she organized her thoughts. It was no surprise that the Fourth of the Seventh had been the first to succeed, the Firstborn had expected it would be either her or the First of the Fifth. And it was well-deserved, who else had innovated new ways of running and organizing hives? Who else had determined how to make the hive of hives a practical reality? What other queen would dare to scout the Beyond personally, exposing themselves to the dangers beyond the King¡¯s realm?
The Firstborn finished her grooming and took off once more. As before, she began to concentrate her mana not within her stinger, but around the exterior of it, as the karnuq had explained to her.
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s evolution was proof that she was on the right path. It demonstrated that a queen could indeed evolve by going beyond her instinctual role, changing to fit the desired focus of her hive. So, the Firstborn threw herself back into her training with no further doubts. All she needed to do now was fly forward as boldly as the Fourth of the Seventh and join her children in the task she set before them.
Only for yet another set of news to reach her mana, this time from the Bee Barracks itself.
Frelis awoke and crawled out of her cell, shaking her body and her wings. She began to groom herself but paused as soon as she caught sight of her leg.
She had changed color. Her chitin was now a combination of bright purples and pinks.
Then she continued her grooming. New color or not, she had work to do. She had slept for far longer than she had intended.
She quickly greeted her queen mother before setting out. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been in the cell, so she needed to check on her charge.
She quickly arrived at the pond and her flower began waving its vines towards her before she even landed. The moment she touched one of the vines, a surge of mana leapt into her body. Part of it belonged to the flower itself, but part of it was¡something different. A purple-pinkish mana different from any she had ever felt, save once.
The blessing of the Queen of All Flowers.
She found she could not only hear the flower telling her what it needed, she could feel the flower, in a similar manner to how she felt her queen mother or her sisters. And her mana could now reply¡and more. Her mana flowed into the flower and remained there. New instincts whispered and she began to dance. The mana danced with her and intertwined with the flower¡¯s. The flower grew before her eyes as her mana began to nourish it directly.
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The flower responded by wrapping its vines around her and wiggling about. As it did, tiny little vines began to grow across Frelis¡¯s body, intertwining with her hairs and legs. Soon, tiny little flowers began to bloom across her body.
It seemed she truly had joined the Hive of All Flowers.
The Third of the Sixth pushed her wings as hard as she could as she flew towards her destination. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s message shook her to the core. A queen had evolved!
Had it been the Firstborn or the First of the Fifth who had done so, the Third of the Sixth might have been tempted to excuse it. They were older queens who benefited from the King¡¯s gifts from the very start. It would only be natural if they had evolved before she.
But instead, it had been the Fourth of the Seventh. A queen even younger than she, who also had not received one of the King¡¯s magical palaces until later in life. The Third of the Sixth thus had no excuse. She had promised to give her utmost for the King, to use the magical palace and the fiery room he had given her to their full extent. And yet, here she was, content with having evolved once with burning honey, but in truth little different than any other queen. The Fourth of the Seventh had just proven that they were capable of far more.
And then she had learned of Frelis, one who had earned the favor of the Queen of All Flowers and a name from the King. Frelis was not even another queen, but one of the gardeners, and yet she had done what no other bee had yet.
The Third of the Sixth would not fall behind again.
And so, she flew to one of the lava rivers in the room. There, sitting on a rock in the center of the river, was the karnuq queen herself. She had her eyes closed and a smiled on her face as she inhaled deeply, taking in the burning air all around her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the Third of the Sixth.
¡°Are you ready to begin?¡±
The Third of the Sixth immediately danced her salute. She had remembered, recently, that she had only taken the first step on the path of fire. After evolving with the burning honey, fire no longer scorched her. She could handle truly immense temperatures that no other bee could, she could drink the hottest nectar with ease, and she could fly right through flames without harm. Her very blood and mana ran hot.
But she did not breathe fire. She did not command the flames. She did not have fire running through her veins or her mana.
The karnuq queen did. And had received blessings from the Queen of All Fire to boot.
And now she would teach the Third of the Sixth how she did it.
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s soldier danced about happily, as did every one of her sisters. Their queen mother had evolved! She was now the biggest queen any of them had ever seen and could talk them all from anywhere! It was amazing, incredible!
The soldier did have to wonder, though, what this meant for her. She looked down at the stems she had been weaving together. She was her queen mother¡¯s first soldier, and still worked on the task she had been born to do. She picked the flax flowers, processed and dried them as the King had done, and then wove them into vines the hive of hives could use to carry things. Her queen mother had personally instructed her in this task at first.
But her queen mother had only grown, along with her ambitions. She not only uncovered the wonders of the King¡¯s realm, but now flew through the Beyond. She had set up a second hive, a feat no other queen had accomplished. And now, she had evolved to fly further and faster than ever before, to set up her own hive of hives until her children flew to every corner of the Beyond.
The soldier¡¯s heart swelled and her wings buzzed at the thought. But then, she had to wonder¡should she continue on her original task? Her task didn¡¯t seem particularly relevant to conquering the Beyond and she was a soldier. Shouldn¡¯t she abandon these stems to go escort her queen mother?
She was a bit worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to change jobs well. She hadn¡¯t trained to fight like the soldiers of the Flower Meadow queens, nor had she spent much time flying far and fast. She wasn¡¯t sure she could keep up with her queen mother anymore, and wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to protect her from the dangers of the Beyond.
It was then that she felt her queen mother¡¯s mana jumping from sister to sister, until eventually it focused on her.
¡°Wow, soldier is good at weaving stems! Amazing, incredible! Can make stem pollen baskets, like karnuq?¡±
And just like that, all of the soldier¡¯s doubts vanished. She immediately saluted her queen mother and began asking the communer to put her in contact with the scouts. Her queen mother not only wished for her to continue her task, but had assigned a new goal for her. Now, the only thought on her mind was to complete it.
She did not notice some of her queen mother¡¯s mana remaining in her body, soaking and absorbing into her own as she devoted herself to the task assigned by her queen¡
POBee 208.3 - I Bee-lieve I can Fly!
The Fourth of the Seventh danced about happily. She was big now! Big enough to carry both her first communer and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter on her back, like the Conduit carried her queen mother Velebee! It was amazing, incredible!
She wanted to carry them outside and show them the mini-hive, but she knew they both needed to stay with the main hive. Maybe once their daughters grew up a bit more! For now, though the Fourth of the Seventh decided to take care of the hive before she left again.
It ended up being really easy! She was big now, but the worker eggs were still small, so she could lay a ton of them! She could lay as many right now as she would have if she just stayed in the main hive all the time! So that¡¯s what she did! It was a bit hard to fit in between the trays now, but by beating her wings she could wrap the eggs with wind and they would just glide to their cells. It was amazing!
She quickly filled up all the cells set aside for brood, and then kept going¡and going. She then felt her communer rapidly dancing on her back.
¡°Queen mother, what doing?! Too many eggs, hive can¡¯t feed, can¡¯t tend!¡±
The First Daughter, amazingly nice queen that she was, started to volunteer to take care of the eggs but the Fourth of the Seventh danced first.
¡°Is ok! Can tell eggs to sleep now! Won¡¯t hatch until communer tells to!¡±
Her communer stumbled.
¡°Huh? But¡will starve if don¡¯t give honey?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh danced the negative once more.
¡°Is fine! Eggs tough now, filled with mana! Don¡¯t eat much if sleeping, so will be fine until hive is ready!¡±
The communer stilled at that. Eventually, the First Daughter replied for her.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh is amazing!¡±
The communer slowly danced her agreement. The Fourth of the Seventh thought they were the amazing ones and danced as much.
She also went to some larger cells, filling them with big eggs jam packed with mana. Her communer was worried again but it was ok! The Fourth of the Seventh had lots of mana now, so she could fill the big eggs up so they wouldn¡¯t eat as much honey. Which was good, because the King had showed them a new kind of bee! One with big eyes that would be good for scouting! The Fourth of the Seventh couldn¡¯t wait to see them!
In record time, she had filled her main hive with as many eggs as her communer would ever need, so she still had time to go scout! Well, none of her workers or soldiers had evolved yet, so she promised her communer she wouldn¡¯t go too far today, but she had to go and see what her new wings could do! Once she had gathered her escorts, she took off!
Her mana wrapped around her wings, creating an updraft of wind as she began to beat them, soaring through the air with a roaring buzz!
¡°Queen mother, wait! Escorts can¡¯t keep up!¡±
And then promptly spun around to find her soldiers and scout workers struggling to follow after her. She slowed down, but kept up the beating of her wings, angling them to beat towards her escorts. The wind blew out from her wings and then wrapped around her workers and soldiers, pushing them forward.
She danced about in the air as they caught up. Her new wings were amazing!
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They made their way through the shortcuts to the Tower¡¯s entrance and soon reached the Beyond. The Fourth of the Seventh buzzed her wings as she flew through the entrance. Despite her bigger antennae and mana, she still couldn¡¯t feel her main hive very well once she moved out into the Beyond. She could still feel her connection to them, but her mana struggled to move past the gate. Well, they had a communer always hovering right outside the entrance to pass messages to either side, and in an emergency she could talk to the King or the Conduit by reaching out to the Tower¡¯s mana, so it was fine for now! The Fourth of the Seventh then landed on the ground and turned to face her escorts.
¡°Going to fly high now! Not sure if workers, soldiers can keep up. But big now! Can climb on back and I carry!¡±
The workers and soldiers looked at once another before one danced.
¡°Queen is queen. Will try.¡±
The worker in question landed on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s back and clung on. The other workers soon followed. The soldiers hesitated for a bit but eventually climbed on as well.
Once they were all secure, the Fourth of the Seventh began to beat her wings as fast as she could. A gust of wind wrapped around her and propelled her up into the sky. She felt her workers and soldiers tighten their grip so she tried to make the wind wrap around her. Luckily, the wind listened, and only blew against her wings instead of her torso! Her children could hold on easily now, so the Fourth of the Seventh turned her attention back to flying.
In an instant, they passed the top of the Tower and the trees all around them. The Fourth of the Seventh then spread out her wings and turned. Her big wings caught the wind and spun her about at record speeds before she twisted the wind in the way she wanted to go. She swooped and dove, she looped and twirled. She could fly faster than the soldiers now! She could even fly faster than the flying invaders! She spun about in a huge happy dance, her loops bigger than the Tower! It was amazing, incredible!
Soon, though, she could feel her children tighten their grip once more, so she slowed down and stopped looping. She turned her attention to her original purpose. Now that she was high above even the trees and the King¡¯s realm, she tested her big eyes.
She could see¡everything.
If she let her gaze wander she could see a vast landscape all around her. She could see the trees stretching out to the south and east of the Tower. The north cleared out to plains and meadows with a river winding through it, and she could see more of the ruins of hives built by humans or karnuq or something like them here and there. The west began to rise, the flat land around the tower becoming hills. She could see all the way to where the King¡¯s power fought against the Hunger!
If she focused her sight, she could see with amazing detail. Colorful flowers caught her eyes and she found that even from here she could make out the colors of their petals. If she looked at the trees she could see their leaves and branches! The trees to the east started to grow bigger than the ones close to the tower! If she looked at the plains she could see more stones placed on the ground in straight lines, and walls made of fallen trees, like the ones the King, the karnuq, and now the Third of the Third liked to build, dividing the plains up into squares!
She wanted to soar over the trees and the plains and investigate all these things, but she turned and began to descend instead. She had promised her communer to wait for her escorts to evolve first, so she wouldn¡¯t start the scouting just yet. Instead, she glided down to the first set of ruins and checked on the mini-hive there. She considered laying eggs there, a new part of her instincts wanting to turn the mini-hive into a true hive, but she did not. At the end of the day, she still wanted all of her children to hatch in the warm mana of the King¡¯s realm before they braved the Beyond. So, after confirming all the bees she left there were fine, receiving their reports, and brushing up against them all, she made her way back to the Tower.
To explore all the new parts of the Beyond the King had purified, she needed her escorts to evolve, so it was time to bring them home! Maybe she would help the soldiers weave stems again while she waited, it had been a while since she did that herself!
Belissar smiled to himself as he watched Frelis and the Fourth of the Seventh both explore their new powers. Frelis seemed to have evolved, though the Tower didn¡¯t inform him of any new bee types, so perhaps a god¡¯s blessing worked differently than regular evolutions?
However, Belissar suddenly stiffened as he compared Frelis and the Fourth of the Seventh. He realized something. Something very important.
The Fourth of the Seventh had unlocked a new evolution. A feat previously matched by only one other bee: Beero.
So, Belissar turned to Niobee.
¡°Hey, Niobee.¡±
¡°Yes, King?¡±
He hummed to himself.
¡°Do you think the Fourth of the Seventh would like a name?¡±
Chapter 209 - Bee Honored
Belissar rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow, humming to himself. Niobee had told him that any bee, including the queens, would absolutely love a name from him, considering it a great honor. A sign of his favor, that the bee in question was special to him.
And that gave him pause. When he had named Beero, Velebee, and Frelis, it had mostly been because he had nothing else to call them. It was true that they were special and he wanted to keep track of them, he guessed, but he hadn¡¯t really been thinking about it as an honor or anything. However, he had now realized that it was a much bigger deal to the bees than he had anticipated¡and especially when it came to the queens.
There was no doubt that the Fourth of the Seventh was special to him and deserved any such honor. The thing was, though, that he already had something to call her, so giving her a name would in fact be purely an honor. And¡was she the only queen who deserved such a thing? The Firstborn and all the flower meadow queens risked their lives and the lives of their children to protect the Tower. The First of the Fifth worked without ceasing to provide enough honey for all the hives. The Third of the Sixth dunked herself in the same fire honey that had nearly killed Metsaitti to try and evolve. The Second of the Sixth saved the lives of many bees and even some of the karnuq.
So on and so forth. Each and every one of the queens gave their all for his sake and the sake of his Tower. He wanted to do something to celebrate the Fourth of the Seventh and her big achievement, but he did not want any of the other queens to feel any lesser. So, if he was going to name one, he really should name them all.
¡°Niobee¡can you hold off on asking the queens about names? I¡don¡¯t want any of the other queens to feel like they aren¡¯t special to me.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar made a wry smile at Niobee¡¯s cheerful dance. He¡might be overthinking it. Maybe they¡¯d all just be happy like she was. But for now¡the Fourth of the Seventh worked fine as a name, one the bees had naturally chosen for themselves.
Still, he wanted to do something for the Fourth of the Seventh, so he made his way over to the Orchard hives. The Orchard queens, including the Fourth of the Seventh, zipped around him once he arrived. He smiled. He held out his hand¡only to quickly realize he need both as the now giant Fourth of the Seventh tried to land. He ended up grabbing her sides with both his hands to hold her up.
¡°Congratulations on your evolution!¡±
She responded by happily wiggling about in his hands, trying to perform a dance. Once she realized she couldn¡¯t, her antennae glowed and her mana sent her intent right to him.
¡°Thanks! King is best king!¡±
Belissar¡¯s smiled grew wide. He let go of her so she could dance, then brushed her head with one of his hands.
¡°Anything I can do for you? Maybe¡need any adjustments to your hive for your evolution?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh paused¡then burst out into a rapid dance.
¡°King already did! Can make moving hives now! Can bring hives with! Amazing, incredible! King is best king!¡±
Belissar blinked as he tried to decipher what she meant by moving hives.
¡°Oh! Do you mean the wax golems?¡±
¡°Yes! Those! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded. That made sense. The golems could apparently carry honeycomb and bees, so they could work as mobile hives, couldn¡¯t they? And what better hive for a queen evolved specifically to travel than a hive that could travel with her?
¡°In that case, could I help you build one? I should be able to make some wax with my magic¡¡±
He didn¡¯t finish as the Fourth of the Seventh immediately began zipping around him as fast as she could go, creating a small whirlwind gusting around him. Her mana shouted to him.
¡°AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! KING IS BEST KING!¡±
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Well, it seemed she was a definitely a fan of that idea.
Belissar spoke with the Fourth of the Seventh¡or, rather, spoke with her communer and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter while the Fourth of the Seventh continued flying happy laps around them all, on the details of the project. The First Daughter pointed out that the base wax golem now in her instincts probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the Fourth of the Seventh, but held hope that using specialized wax might alter its characteristics. In particular, the Fourth of the Seventh had evolved from the honey from the soaring beeblossom, the same that evolved other bees into breeze bees, so she theorized that breeze bee wax might be the key. The Fourth of the Seventh could apparently lay breeze bee eggs in addition to nomadic ones, and had already done so, so they would just need to wait for those to hatch to test the theory.
Belissar agreed to check in with them once those bees hatched and told them he would try to eat some of the soaring beeblossom honey to ensure he could make the appropriate wax with his spells, earning another ¡°King is best king!¡± dance from all three of the bees. He laughed to himself as he walked away, now satisfied with his planned reward for the Fourth of the Seventh.
He was just thinking of what to do next when Tarwantrad stepped through the nexus door¡and she was not alone. Standing next to her was a pale elf¡or so Belissar thought given her pointed ears. The elf¡¯s skin was sheer white, in contrast to her black dress and dark grey hair. Her eyes were gray and unfocused, with white pupils barely distinguishable from her gray irises. And while she was as beautiful as the other elves, for some reason Belissar felt a chill through his body as he observed her.
He figured that she was probably another member of the Circle here to drop off boons, though, so he put aside whatever feelings he may have had and made his way over to the nexus door. Tarwantrad smiled and waved at him once she caught sight of him, and Belissar returned the gesture.
¡°Hi Belissar! I¡¯m sorry I missed your latest choice, you must tell me what the options were and what you selected!¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Sure.¡±
He glanced over at the other person, but Tarwantrad spoke before he could ask.
¡°Before that, though, I must introduce you. This is Hesfalle, a fellow dungeon master of the circle.¡±
Hesfalle lifted one of her hands, waving once.
¡°Hi.¡±
Her voice was soft and a bit raspy. Belissar waved back once.
¡°Hi, I¡¯m Belissar, nice to meet you.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled at the exchange.
¡°Hesfalle¡¯s patron is the God of Death, so I figured she could help with the underworld phlox?¡±
Belissar had a brief moment of panic at the mention of the God of Death, thinking back to when he first arrived at the Tower and thought he had died. He quickly overcame it though, recalling that all of that was just his misunderstanding. He could now definitively state that Niobee was not, in fact, the God of Death.
He brought his mind back on topic.
¡°Ah, yes. The bees told me they were having trouble with the honey from that flower¡seems it¡¯s dangerous?¡±
Hesfalle hummed slightly.
¡°Death¡honey? So, it¡¯s true. Could you show me the flowers and the honey?¡±
Belissar paused and glanced at Tarwantrad. She nodded with a warm smile.
¡°Hesfalle here is a friend and we¡¯ve helped each other¡¯s dungeons immensely. You can trust her.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Got it. In that case, follow me.¡±
Belissar led the pair to the Memorial in the battle meadow. Hesfalle followed along, eyes still unfocused and fixed on the path in front of her until they arrived. As they approached the Memorial, she suddenly started glancing around. Belissar tilted his head as she began to wander around, occasionally stooping to touch the ground, but Tarwantrad didn¡¯t seem to be bothered so he just let the strange elf do¡whatever it was she was doing.
After circling around the Memorial, Hesfalle walked back over to them.
¡°Tarwantrad told me this is a memorial for the fallen bees, right?¡±
Belissar nodded and Hesfalle made a tiny smile.
¡°Good idea. It¡¯s concentrating the Death mana along with the lingering feelings of the fallen, purifying them both.¡±
She inhaled deeply.
¡°It¡¯s quite refreshing. I do see the problem with the honey thing, though. Tarwantrad said your bees make attributed honey from different flowers and then evolve in it?¡±
Belissar confirmed as much and Hesfalle waved to the flowers around the Memorial.
¡°These won¡¯t work for that. The effect the memorial is having on the Death mana means it has a mind of its own. It only wants to be used for specific purposes.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°So, the bees can¡¯t use it?¡±
Hesfalle shook her head.
¡°Death mana will be tough to use in that manner in general. I would not recommend trying it with this particular Death mana especially¡but that is not a bad thing. I think you should just keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing with this place and the mana here will do what it¡¯s supposed to¡but I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me to tell you that.¡±
Belissar looked over to the memorial, looking over the words and the dancing bee carvings before whispering to himself.
¡°No, I guess not.¡±
Hesfalle and Tarwantrad both stayed silent, letting Belissar have a moment with the memorial. Hesfalle stepped forward without a word, walking to the beehouse in the center. She held out her hand and a faint white light began to glow. A pure white flower, from petals to stem, materialized in her hand, and she gently placed it at the entrance to the beehouse.
Belissar began to smile even as he wiped the tears growing in his eyes.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Hesfalle nodded at him with a small smile of her own, then stepped back to let him gather himself.
It took him a moment or two.
Chapter 210 - Deaths Bee-ciple
Once Belissar had a chance to gather himself, he returned to Tarwantrad and Hesfalle. He crossed his arms and frowned.
¡°So¡you said the bees can¡¯t evolve with Death mana?¡±
Hesfalle shook her head.
¡°Not with this Death mana and the method described. Trying to raise a newborn in a pool of concentrated Death mana when they aren¡¯t already adapted to it would be challenging. Same goes for trying to evolve an adult all in one go. Generally speaking, living creatures that take on the Death attribute normally do so by gradually adapting to it.¡±
She shrugged.
¡°Or you could go with the undead method, but that would require you not to place the corpses in the memorial if you wanted to do it with bees.¡±
Belissar grimaced.
¡°No, any of them that fall deserve to be honored.¡±
Hesfalle nodded.
¡°In that case, you need to create a Death attributed environment for a gradual acclimation. I¡¯d recommend that for your dungeon even if you weren¡¯t trying to evolve Death bees. Death is good for Nature.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Really?¡±
It was Tarwantrad who answered this time.
¡°Yes, plants and animals that die and decay nourish the soil below, allowing new life to bloom stronger than ever. Flowers, especially, have a strong relationship with Death. Flowers grow, bloom, and then die quickly once their role is fulfilled. Their quick life cycle brings constant transitions between Nature and Death.¡±
Belissar blinked a few times and then crossed his arms.
¡°I see¡so, then, how do we make a Death environment?¡±
Hesfalle immediately responded.
¡°With death.¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure what else he expected, but Hesfalle wasn¡¯t finished so he just kept listening.
¡°From what I¡¯ve seen and what Tarwantrad tells me, there¡¯s not much death in your dungeon. Just the purification casualties for the bees and then whatever plants you harvest?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded along.
¡°Yes, and the drones that mate with the queens.¡±
Hesfalle made a sad smile.
¡°That should make them more suitable to Death but wouldn¡¯t be enough to concentrate Death mana. Definitely not enough to offset all of the life in your dungeon.¡±
Hesfalle placed a finger on her chin as she hummed to herself for a moment.
¡°Since bee deaths besides drones are off the table, you¡¯ll need another way to cause more death. Here¡¯s my recommendation: acquire a simple prey species, like rabbits. Fill a room with them, a meadow like this one would work, and then have your bees or your other residents hunt them. Don¡¯t just hunt what they need, hunt some excess and gather the corpses together in a single area. Dump any bones or anything you don¡¯t use there, plant debris helps as well. Plant mana flowers in the area, and once the blood begins to soak the soil plant the underworld phlox there as well. If you have any scavengers, whether mushrooms or animals, add those too, along with any dangerous plant species. Toxic flowers would work nicely. It¡¯d be a good idea to implement a seasonal cycle in that room, or occasionally add some hazardous weather.¡±
She pointed at the bees all around as she took a breath.
¡°Have an unattributed hive settle there while you start this process. They should partially acclimate as the environment begins to change, so they should be able to make use of the underworld phlox that will eventually grow there, and will probably be able to evolve at that point.¡±
Belissar frowned.
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¡°Won¡¯t that be dangerous for the bees?¡±
To his surprise, and horror, Hesfalle nodded immediately.
¡°Working with Death mana always is. The hive in question will almost certainly suffer casualties while acclimating. They must be willing to accept death if they wish to embrace it. To take on the Death attribute¡sometimes you must die before you can be born.¡±
Belissar grimaced. Hesfalle¡¯s expression softened.
¡°Death is a sad thing, but as a disciple of the God of Death, I believe it is not the end but another beginning, for both those who pass and those who remain. From death, new life can be born. Those that fall in this process will not give their lives in vain.¡±
Belissar gave her a quiet nod. He took a deep breath and let it out with a slow sigh. All this talk of death made his heart pound and his head spin, both at the thought of the bees that could be lost, and all the bees¡and others¡that were already gone. He knew, though, that the bees would not hesitate to face the danger and would not be deterred by the casualties. He recalled his resolution with the berserkers and clung onto it. As the Tower Keeper, he could not reject a new option for his Tower solely based on how it made him feel. Hesfalle was doing her best to help him and the bees and Tarwantrad trusted her. So, he did his best to change his focus, dwelling on the practical side of things. How could he make this process go more smoothly¡and perhaps safely?
¡°Hm¡if we need to hunt, would it help if I got some sort of carnivorous bee?¡±
Hesfalle¡¯s eyes widened slightly.
¡°There are¡carnivorous bees?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I think so. I had a monster variant offered recently, butcher bees.¡±
He glanced at Tarwantrad since she had been there. She smiled at them both.
¡°Evolved from a species called vulture bees, no less. Originally scavenge corpses, evolved to hunt the living.¡±
Hesfalle¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Let me know if you get those. They would definitely be suited for the Death attribute and would be perfect for the hunting process, so you should definitely consider them if you see them again.¡±
Belissar fidgeted a bit, only slightly worried about how excited Hesfalle became at the idea of bees that butcher living things alive.
¡°I-I¡¯ll do that. So¡I need rabbits, huh?¡±
Hesfalle shrugged.
¡°Or any prey species. Rabbits would just be convenient since you already have meadows and they breed quickly. Tarwantrad can give you some.¡±
The two found Tarwantrad scowling and muttering.
¡°Entirely too quickly. Belissar, make sure you¡¯re ready to hunt those monsters down, lest a horde of them strip your flower fields bare.¡±
Hesfalle smirked lightly.
¡°I warned you to hunt them aggressively, even if they seemed cute.¡±
Tarwantrad turned away with a huff. Belissar just glanced between the two. He guessed something had happened in Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon? Well, the karnuq were good at hunting, so hopefully they could handle it.
Before he could figure out how to respond, though, Hesfalle turned back to him.
¡°So, do you wish to attempt this?¡±
Belissar took one more deep breath before meeting Hesfalle¡¯s eyes.
¡°Yes.¡±
Hesfalle smiled and reached into a pouch at her side.
¡°You can get the rabbits from Tarwantrad, so I¡¯ll give you these instead.¡±
She took out two small rods, both carved from bone, embellished with a bunch of curved engravings, and topped with gems. One held a black gem, the other a purple one.
¡°If you concentrate Death mana and corpses in one place without something like your memorial, there is an inevitable risk of wild undead forming. Some of them might bind to the dungeon automatically, but those that are too simple won¡¯t be able to, while those that are too complex might resist. These will help.¡±
She held out the rod with the purple gem.
¡°This one can bind a wild undead to you, letting you take command of it. Should work on the simple ones so you can use them.¡±
She moved to the one with the black gem.
¡°This one holds a spell of decay and will disrupt Death mana as well. You can use it against the living, but it is most powerful against the undead. It should stop anything complex enough to resist the dungeon binding.¡±
Belissar felt increasingly uncertain about this plan but managed to reach out and take the rods. Undead were not something he wanted in his Tower. Though¡the Tower Lords had lied about gods and towers and beastkin and potions and magic and fairies and golems. Maybe they had lied about the undead as well?
¡°So¡undead. I heard they¡¯re mindless monsters that hate the living. That¡¯s wrong, right?¡±
Hesfalle shrugged.
¡°An oversimplification but mostly true, at least regarding wild undead. It¡¯s less hate and more that if they¡¯re too simple and unbound they won¡¯t have many instincts beyond increasing their numbers, which requires more corpses.¡±
Belissar¡¯s face fell. So, the Tower Lords told the truth for once¡
¡°And¡it¡¯s not a problem for them to spawn in the tower?¡±
Hesfalle shook her head.
¡°That depends on how you deal with them. If you properly respect the danger and prepare thoroughly, you can not only prevent harm but even benefit from their presence.¡±
Belissar slowly nodded, though he kept frowning.
¡°So¡I should have defenses prepared for these undead? Both for the bees in the room and for the rest of the Tower?¡±
Hesfalle replied immediately.
¡°Yes.¡±
Belissar was about to have second thoughts on this whole idea when Hesfalle waved towards Tarwantrad.
¡°Either of us can help you with that, though. There are plants and monsters that specifically consume the undead and we both have some. We can discuss those once undead begin spawning. Those wands will take care of the first few you¡¯ll encounter.¡±
Belissar looked down at the rods in his hand.
¡°I see. Then¡how do I use them?¡±
Hesfalle tilted her head for a moment but answered soon enough.
¡°Point the gems at the target and channel your mana through them. Controlling undead is normally a complex topic, but for us dungeon masters it should be easy enough. Not much different than running our dungeons.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath. He guessed he was committed now, so he¡¯d just have to hope that the rods and the two dungeon masters would help him handle it. And hope that this whole dangerous affair would benefit the bees in the end¡
Chapter 211 - Bee-lieve in Yourself
Hesfalle took her leave shortly after, letting Belissar know she was willing to answer any questions and help out once he got started with the Death room. Tarwantrad stuck around for some further discussions. First, she asked about the choice he had made, so he told her about dancers, berserkers, and assassins, much to her glee. Belissar then explained which choice he had made and why. When he finished, he frowned and crossed his arms, staring down at the ground.
¡°I wanted to ask you, do you think I made the right choice? I think assassins fit better and they don¡¯t have to die, but berserkers were so powerful. I can¡¯t help but feel I made a mistake skipping them¡¡±
Tarwantrad gave him a sympathetic smile.
¡°The thing is, Belissar, no one can truly say. Each dungeon is unique, and the Hunger will always change its approach. What is right for one dungeon may be wrong for another, what is right for one purification may struggle with the next. If you want my opinion¡it sounds like you carefully considered what would fit into your tower¡¯s strengths. The assassins should serve you well, all you need do is make the most of them.¡±
Belissar let out a deep breath and then smiled.
¡°Thank you. It¡¯s just¡it¡¯s hard making these choices sometimes. I was never supposed to be Tower keeper after all, so I never really feel like I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±
Tarwantrad shrugged with a self-deprecating smile.
¡°I feel that way too even with all the training and preparation I had.¡±
She then locked eyes with him.
¡°But you, Belissar, have done more than many of us in a much shorter time while starting with far less. You should be proud of what you and your bees have accomplished, and you should trust in yourself and them.¡±
Belissar flushed and looked away. He definitely felt uncomfortable¡but not unpleasantly so.
¡°¡Thanks¡¡±
Tarwantrad just quietly smiled at him until he gathered himself.
¡°If I could share a lesson the Circle imparted to me, do consider the dancers to be as powerful as the other choices next time. Supporting options like that often seem vague and less directly useful, but they are more powerful than most new dungeon masters realize.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Ah, I was wondering about that. I was having trouble imagining how they were considered the same as assassins and berserkers¡¡±
Tarwantrad giggled.
¡°Most of us do, at first. But consider that since dancers work by making other bees better, not only do they improve every bee you have, they will continue to improve every bee you will receive going forward.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. Tarwantrad giggled once more¡before frowning.
¡°The other thing to consider is¡the Hunger always adapts. Always. No one monster, no matter how powerful, can stop it alone. You were right to consider the choice in the context of the rest of your tower, because ultimately all of our rooms and features and monsters must work together to continue overcoming the Hunger. Supporting choices that make the rest stronger are especially useful in that regard.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes began to quiver lightly.
¡°So¡did I make a mistake after all?¡±
Tarwantrad immediately shook her head.
¡°No, nothing of the sort. Belissar, you are already considering how your bees work together with each other and the rest of the Tower, and I think assassins were a wonderful choice. I only tell you this so that you¡¯ll have all the information you need to trust in yourself for future decisions as well.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath and forced himself to nod. The decision was made now, all he could do was make the best of it and try to do better next time. Tarwantrad did say he was doing a good job so far, so he tried to believe it. He thought that was more the bees¡¯ efforts than his own, but at least he finally had someone to ask about this now.
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And, ultimately, he did believe the bees would do great things with the assassins, so he decided to trust in them to make the most of whatever options he gave them, as they always had.
Belissar rubbed the back of his head.
¡°Thanks, Tarwantrad. So, about the new room¡it seems I need some rabbits?¡±
Tarwantrad gave him a smile.
¡°That¡¯s no problem. I have more than enough¡too many¡¡±
Tarwantrad stared off into the distance. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure he should interrupt her but did want to proceed with the conversation.
¡°Right¡is there anything you would like for those?¡±
Tarwantrad shook herself and refocused on Belissar.
¡°No, that¡¯s fine. As I said, I have as many rabbits as I could ever want. They have been more of a¡necessary evil than a boon for a plant-based dungeon such as mine. I cannot bring myself to charge you for unleashing them upon you.¡±
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
¡°Are they really that bad?¡±
Tarwantrad shuddered.
¡°In my plant-based dungeon that had no natural predators for them when I started spawning them? Yes. Yes, they were.¡±
She shivered once more before locking eyes on Belissar with a grim expression.
¡°Once you spawn them, Belissar, make sure you hunt them aggressively, or your bees will suddenly find themselves without flowers.
Belissar gulped. He knew rabbits were a pest if they got into the fields or the gardens, but to hear that they could strip a magical Tower bare? Maybe rabbits were more dangerous than he thought.
¡°Still, you¡¯re doing something for my Tower¡how about a tray of honey? I also have a lot of those saved up.¡±
Tarwantrad made a bright smile.
¡°That sounds wonderful. Very well, I¡¯ll accept your gratitude¡so long as you promise me you will be careful with the rabbits. I would hate to have starved your hives¡¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°I will. The karnuq have lots of hunters, and if they start eating too many flowers, I¡¯ll ask the bee army to deal with them.¡±
Tarwantrad took a deep breath.
¡°Ok, that should be enough. In that case, I will bring you some later this evening, after your daily purification?¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°That would be great, thank you.¡±
Tarwantrad shivered once more.
¡°Don¡¯t thank me until you¡¯ve confirmed you can protect your flowers¡¡±
Hesfalle had ended up jogging Belissar¡¯s mind on something he had long forgotten. Her recommendation to implement a seasonal cycle when making a Death room reminded him that he could upgrade rooms, and features within them, using DP. He had only ever checked room upgrades for the Flower Meadow, so who knew what else he could do with all the rooms he had access to now? Additionally, he hadn¡¯t upgraded any of the beehives besides changing the Bee Barrack¡¯s material to stone; now that most of the hives had consolidated into either barracks or apartments it would be worth considering how he could assist their growth. On top of that, there were all the traps and resource nodes he hadn¡¯t checked at all.
On the flip side, though, he had just gotten enough DP for another monster choice today, and very much wanted to acquire butcher bees or something similar if at all possible. Not only would they have an easier time acclimating to the Death room, they¡¯d also give him an easy answer to Tarwantrad¡¯s warnings regarding the rabbits, so he¡¯d really prefer to have them before he got started on that. There was also no guarantee he actually would get butcher bees with any given choice, so he didn¡¯t know how many it would take. So, he decided he would purchase another monster choice tonight, and asked Niobee to have the bees remind him about checking all the upgrades later on.
Belissar managed to acquire some soaring beeblossom honey from the First of the Fifth, and spend the rest of the day trying to replicate it. There wasn¡¯t a full tray for him to consume, so it took him a bit to get it right based on that small sample. Eventually, though, he managed to reproduce the honey with his spells. He worked a bit on the wax, but he had never actually seen wax made by breeze or nomadic bees so didn¡¯t know if he had gotten close or not. He had switched to working on making breeze spell-bees when time came for the daily purification.
A small fox shade appeared, but its small size proved fatal when confronted with a Pit Trap with a covering Sticky Honey Trap, after which Beero and a battlecaster squad rained lightning on it while it was trapped.
Tarwantrad returned with a brace of rabbit corpses, explaining that for his purposes it would be best to have a spawner so he could hunt them as aggressively as he liked¡or needed. Belissar handed her a tray of mana honey and then absorbed the rabbits.
Sufficient samples gathered. Rabbit is now available!
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Rabbit¡not rabbit spawner?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°Rabbits are a purely non-magical species and are not as naturally intelligent as most monsters or fair folk¡oh, and humans and beastkin too. We find that dungeons treat them more like a resource than a monster. You should be able to find them as an option for relevant rooms.¡±
Belissar went ahead and focused on the Flower Meadow options.
Manage Fauna? Available Types:
- Rabbit (Mana Upkeep: 5)
Belissar rubbed his chin.
¡°Huh. Is there some sort of basic resource animals then, or something?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°Basic animal dens, which like the resource nodes will spawn the chosen fauna at regular intervals.¡±
She stared off into the distance.
¡°¡it keeps spawns them regardless of whether the room has the ability to support additional numbers, in fact, whether you want it to or not. I¡would recommend just enabling them in the room at first. Let the tower help you manage their numbers until you are certain you can handle them¡¡±
Belissar decided that perhaps it might be best to let Tarwantrad join the victory celebration for now.
Chapter 212 - Dont Bee-veal Your Bee-sires!
Once the celebrations concluded, Belissar gathered his council. He told them of Hesfalle¡¯s recommendations and the incoming rabbits. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti appeared quite excited about the rabbits.
¡°We also have enough DP for another shop purchase. Is there anything the Tower urgently needs?¡±
The karnuq shook their heads while the bees danced the negative, so Belissar continued.
¡°In that case, let¡¯s buy another monster choice. Hesfalle recommended carnivorous bees to help with the Death room, so hopefully we can get some of those.¡±
The bees all saluted at that, so Belissar pressed forward. Tarwantrad¡¯s expression waved for a moment, but Belissar was already navigating the DP shop and so didn¡¯t notice.
Extra monster choice purchased. One monster choice now available.
Please select a monster:
- Monster Bee Captain (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee)
- Monster Mason Bee (Rarity: Common, Type: Bee, Ground)
- Monster Bee Burster (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Bee)
Belissar¡¯s expression gradually fell as he read the choices. All repeats¡and not a carnivorous bee in sight. He heaved a sigh.
¡°Guess we¡¯re not getting it this time.¡±
Tarwantrad sighed herself and shook her head.
¡°It¡¯s just a superstition but¡if I happen to really want an option it never seems to appear. Especially if I saw it earlier and didn¡¯t pick it¡¡±
Belissar thought for a moment before nodding along. He recalled how many times he saw Dirt Tunnels and Digger Bees¡until he needed them.
He shook his head. Like it or not, no carnivorous bees were on the table today and any new bees were helpful, so he proceeded to read the choices. They were all repeats, but he hadn¡¯t seen them for a bit while several people present never heard them at all, so he went over them in depth.
Monster Bee Captain
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minor
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Death Blow, Brood Offspring, Brood Commander
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier
Description: A monster bee soldier specialized in command. More intelligent than normal and able to command and buff squads of soldier bees. Not much stronger than a normal soldier, but a key part in improving the sophistication and coordination of the hive. In addition to existing monster bee soldiers evolving, a few monster bee soldiers may be born as captains.
Belissar rubbed his chin. Previously, he had declined monster bee captains because commanding and boosting the soldier bees seemed less impactful than acquiring new options. But now¡the Tower had just received a bunch of new options from reward choices, Circle master boons, and the bees¡¯ own efforts, and would receive even more in the near future. Not to mention Tarwantrad¡¯s advice on support options hung fresh in his mind. Now might be an excellent time to pick up captains and see how they impacted the hives¡
Monster Mason Bee
Vitality: Minimal+
Strength: Minimal+
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
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Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Mud Pack
Spawner Upkeep: 1
Description: A mason bee that has accumulated enough Ground mana to become something more. Capable of forming mud and other chewable materials into basic structures.
Belissar crossed his arms and hummed. Monster mason bees also had more to recommend them this time. He had acquired clay and could now use water stones and ponds to turn dirt into mud, so the mason bees would have plenty of material to work with. From the name he wondered if they could work with stone, which he also now had access to, though the description mentioned they had to be able to chew the materials. Even if not, with the Third of the Third organizing her hive, digging monster bees, bumblebees, and carpenter bees into a construction team, mason bees might prove useful to her. Plus, the existence of lumber bees that evolved from carpenters might imply that mason bees would also have an evolution.
And, as with the captains, now would be an excellent time to acquire a new kind of bee that wouldn¡¯t directly contribute to the army.
Monster Bee Burster
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Death Burst, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier, Monster Bee Sprayer
Description: This monster bee sprayer variant¡¯s venom has grown so caustic and volatile that it cannot be contained. The monster bee burster holds its venom ingredients in separate glands, only to be mixed at the moment of attack. Once it does so, it soon explodes, subjecting its surroundings to a powerful blast that showers the area in toxins.
Belissar¡¯s face still cramped reading this one. Resolutions to accept necessary casualties or not, he still really didn¡¯t like this option. Even berserkers didn¡¯t necessarily have to die to fight, they were at their most powerful when they did but they could hypothetically contribute to a battle as just a more powerful soldier. Bursters, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even have any other attack skills besides Death Burst.
Well, it was the only direct combat option this time¡right after he had selected a direct combat option. Belissar all but ruled that one out but he wanted to get his bees¡¯ honest opinions on the choices, so he held his tongue for now.
¡°What do you all think?¡±
The Firstborn danced for the battle meadow queens, save the Third of the Third.
¡°Captains help coordinate, help with bigger army.¡±
The Third of the Third, meanwhile, danced as he expected.
¡°Masons build things? Use mud to build?¡±
Belissar nodded at her. He then tried to keep his expression neutral as he asked the necessary question.
¡°And bursters?¡±
The Third of the Third turned to the Firstborn, who danced for them both.
¡°Evolve bee for one attack. Could, but expensive. Hard to train.¡±
Belissar wanted to sigh in relief but held it in. If the bees didn¡¯t care for the option, he could rule it out without any guilt or hesitation.
The Third of the Sixth agreed with the Firstborn¡¯s assessment, while the First of the Fifth pointed out that captains might help them organize honey deliveries since soldiers were responsible for that task. The Orchard bees didn¡¯t have much opinion besides the Fourth of the Seventh zipping around and calling all the options amazing.
The karnuq likewise weren¡¯t particularly opinionated on this choice, which left Tarwantrad. Tarwantrad gave him a wink.
¡°I¡¯d recommend holding off on mason bees for now. Otherwise¡¡±
Her face turned complicated.
¡°I do actually make use of flowers similar to bursters so I can vouch for their effectiveness but¡with bees¡I can plant some of those in the nursery if that would help?¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°It would, actually.¡±
Chief Rohsuak interjected as well.
¡°Juosiutik is also working on her firepots as an additional alternative, Tower Keeper.¡±
Belissar¡¯s smile grew.
¡°Good, then safe to say we rule out that one?¡±
Tarwantrad and Chief Rohsuak nodded while the bees danced a salute. At that point, Belissar had made his decision. Between the bees¡¯ own preferences and his recent conversations with Tarwantrad, it wasn¡¯t difficult to pick.
¡°Let¡¯s go with captains, then? Sounds like they¡¯re a good choice to help out what we already have.¡±
Monster Bee Captains are now available. Monster Soldier Bees may now evolve into Monster Bee Captains. Some Monster Bee Soldiers will now spawn as Monster Bee Captains.
The bees erupted into their usual flurry of ¡°Amazing, incredible!¡± and ¡°King best king!¡± dances¡drawing Tarwantrad into the celebration as well. Belissar and the karnuq laughed and smiled along.
When they all had calmed down, they discussed some future plans. Since they hadn¡¯t gotten a carnivorous bee this time, Belissar decided to hold off on setting up the Death room just yet, since he wanted the bees there to start acclimating from the very beginning. Additionally, his DP income from the karnuq meant it would only take a few days for another choice.
Tarwantrad quietly lost focus for a bit when she heard that.
But the discussions went on even without her. Belissar decided to wait on upgrades and save his DP for monster choices until he got a suitable bee. His batch of mead for the gods was nearly done as well, so maybe the God of Bees would give him another rare monster choice. The karnuq and Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard Belissar was making mead.
With evening turning to night and the immediate course of action decided, the group called it there and dispersed.
First thing the next morning, Belissar checked on the mead jars. He took a sip out of one of the mana honey jars¡and smiled.
It was ready. More than ready, even without any variation in the recipe, it was the best mead he had ever tasted. Even a sip filled his body with warmth thanks to the mana concentrated within it.
He checked the others as well. The healing herb mead was a tad bitter but had a refreshing aftertaste. The maddening mead was tart¡though Belissar wasn¡¯t sure as he washed it down with antidote honey. He knew it was safe for him to eat maddening honey¡but he didn¡¯t want to get too intoxicated at the very start of the day.
The same went for sedating, it¡¯s taste more subdued in the first place. The mead from the digging bees¡¯ honey, on the other hand, had an earthy taste and felt heavy in his stomach.
And then, finally, Belissar checked on the burning honey mead¡
He frowned. The jar was still filled with diluted honey.
Chapter 213 - Bee-vine Troubleshooting
Belissar paced around the room, humming and groaning to himself. He had checked, double checked, and then triple checked the burning honey mead jar, but he couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary compared to the others. By all accounts it should have worked.
What really drove him mad was that it hadn¡¯t failed in any of the normal ways. The mead hadn¡¯t gone bad or gotten contaminated or over-fermented or anything like that. It had failed to ferment at all. That was extremely rare, limited to only a few cases. Once where he filled a jar with barely any honey and a ton of water and a second time where he tried to ferment it during winter. But he had made sure he had a good ratio of honey to water and the temperature of the Tower never¡
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. The temperature. If the temperature going too low could stop mead from fermenting, maybe the temperature going too high could do so as well. The burning honey itself generated enough heat to kill a person if they ate too much of it. The bees themselves, magical monster bees even, couldn¡¯t make too much of it without threatening their own hives. It took burning bees evolved off the honey and the fireproof wax they made to make and store in any noticeable quantity.
Belissar groaned and held his head. If that was the problem¡then what was he supposed to do? The point was to make mead from the burning honey, so he couldn¡¯t not use it, and he wasn¡¯t sure if diluting it with other honey types would count. The jar itself didn¡¯t seem to be an issue as it had survived the heat without a problem. The only other ingredient in this mix was the water¡was there a problem with the water?
He then tilted his head. Maybe¡there was? Burning honey required wax made by burning bees to store¡so maybe burning honey needed some sort of¡fire water to ferment into mead? Maybe the lava? That was basically fire water¡
Belissar shrugged and grabbed an empty jar. It was worth a shot. He headed over to the nearest Lava Field, walking over to one of the lava rivers. He bent down and carefully scooped some of the lava into the jar. The jar seemed to hold it. Belissar smiled.
Until the jar began to melt.
Belissar frowned and furrowed his brow. Ok, apparently the lava could melt pottery. In that case, how could he actually hold and store the lava? Not to mention that if the lava was hot enough to melt pottery¡how could it ever be safe for anyone to ever drink?
¡besides him, who was somehow protected from the heat by Tower magic, he guessed.
Belissar crossed his arms. Maybe lava wasn¡¯t the answer. Was there another way to try and get some sort of fire water? Out of curiosity, he began checking the room features he could place in the Lava Field¡and almost immediately froze.
Apparently, he could place a Pond in the Lava Field.
He had no idea how or why a pond full of water was allowed to be placed in the barren, molten landscape, but he didn¡¯t question it. He went ahead and placed the pond in a relatively clear stretch of rock a bit further away from any of the lava rivers. A depression formed in the rock and filled with water, which immediately began to steam.
Pond modified into Hot Spring due to environment.
Hot Spring is now available!
Belissar stood there blinking for a few moments. He got a new feature, just from placing a Pond in the Lava Field? He had no idea why, so he took a closer look at the steamy water in front of him.
Hot Spring
Mana Upkeep: 10 (5 due to compatible environment)
Description: A body of water heated by nearby geothermal activity. The warm temperature, mineral content, and abundant mana promote healing and health for those who ingest or soak in it. Chemical content can be adjusted to become harmful instead. Can be upgraded into a steam geyser.
Belissar shrugged. He didn¡¯t understand most of that, so he figured he¡¯d ask Chief Rohsuak about it later. Or maybe Urubran or Nenavann might know something? In any case, maybe naturally hot water would work for the burning mead, so Belissar left to acquire another jar. He could only hope so, otherwise he¡¯d have to try and find a way to store lava¡
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While Belissar felt bad for the God of Fire, the new mead attempt wouldn¡¯t be ready for over a week even if the hot spring water worked. He didn¡¯t want to make the God of Bees or God of Flowers wait that long, so he went ahead and took the mead he had to the bumblebee meadow shrine, the closest room where the God of Flowers had a chest as well.
First, he placed ten jars into the God of Bees¡¯s wax chest. They shouldn¡¯t have fit¡but somehow, they did. Belissar didn¡¯t question it as he had already bowed his head after placing the jars.
¡°Thank you, for everything. None of this would have been possible without you, I can¡¯t thank you enough that I can make mead again, much less the best mead I¡¯ve ever tasted. I hope you enjoy this, and please let me know if there¡¯s anything else you¡¯d like.¡±
Belissar had barely spoken the last word when the shrine lit up so brightly it pierced through his closed eyelids.
Mission: Offer ten jars of mead to the Shrine of Bees completed!
Reward: Rare Bee-type monster choice
Belissar grinned as wide as he could and laughed as well. The reward was exactly what he had been hoping to get. The God of Bees really took good care of him.
He thanked her for the reward for a bit, but then the light of the shrine faded. Belissar took that as his cue to move on, so he repeated the process with the flower chest, bowing once he had placed the five jars of different mead types within.
¡°Thank you as well, God of Flowers. My bees couldn¡¯t do what they do if it wasn¡¯t for your flowers. Please, accept this offering, and let me know if there¡¯s anything else you desire.¡±
The flower chest lit up as brightly as the Shrine of Bees had.
Mission: Make and offer meads made of honey sourced from five different flower types completed!
Reward: Flower-type perk choice
Additional reward granted for: Completing mission before God of Fire¡¯s mission!
Reward: Minor Blessing of Flowers strengthened to Small Blessing of Flowers
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he froze solid. The additional reward was entirely unexpected¡and not in an entirely good fashion. He was aware that not all of the gods got along with one another, so he couldn¡¯t say he was comfortable with the implications of that particular reward. The last thing he wanted was to offend any of the gods, much less one of the three blessing his Tower.
In the end, Belissar just thanked the God of Flowers for her rewards while resolving to figure out the burning mead situation as quickly as he could. He could only pray that none of the gods would be offended when all he wanted to do was thank them for their help.
There was nothing else he could do about it now, except maybe ask Chief Rohsuak and Tarwantrad for advice later. Tarwantrad was friends with Urubran as well, so he hoped that meant the God of Fire and God of Flowers weren¡¯t completely at odds¡
At the post-daily purification victory celebration, Tarwantrad and Chief Rohsuak both crossed their arms with thoughtful expressions. Belissar had pulled them to the side and explained the situation. Chief Rohsuak shook her head with a sigh.
¡°I apologize, Tower Keeper, but I know little of the God of Flowers. I cannot say anything regarding my patron¡¯s relationship with her.¡±
Belissar turned to Tarwantrad with hope, and perhaps a little desperation, in his eyes. Tarwantrad tilted her head.
¡°It is a surprise to me as well. The God of Flowers and the God of Fire were not at odds as far as I, or Urubran for that matter, were aware. I wouldn¡¯t have thought they were particularly close or anything, but the God of Flowers has never gone as far as to have me compete with Urubran¡except for¡¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes slowly widened.
¡°¡except for when I received the mission to find your dungeon, at which point I was informed specifically not to involve Urubran¡¡±
All three of them frowned at that. Silence hung over them for a good minute before Belissar whispered.
¡°What should I do?¡±
Tarwantrad took a deep breath.
¡°I will consult with Almablom¡that is, the Oracle of Flowers¡as well as the Circle and the Compact¡¯s loremaster. Perhaps you should consult the Oracle of Bees as well? For now, I would recommend you do not delay on fulfilling the God of Fire¡¯s request. The gods should not interfere with a dungeon master solely because of the reward of another, but only so long as you did not intentionally seek it out.¡±
Belissar gulped but nodded. In his panic, he had forgotten he could¡¯ve asked the God of Bees through Velebee, so he turned to Niobee. She had already flown off to retreat her queen mother. He turned back to Tarwantrad while they waited for Velebee to fly over.
¡°And¡the rewards?¡±
Tarwantrad gave him a confident smile¡though her face still seemed a little strained.
¡°It¡should be fine. You had no knowledge of this beforehand, so the God of Fire should not take offense to you making using of the reward now. It is a passive blessing in any case¡¡±
Niobee returned with Velebee after that, so everyone immediately turned to her.
¡°Hi Velebee¡um, could you ask the God of Bees if something is going on between the God of Flowers and the God of Fire?¡±
Velebee almost immediately began to glow and dance.
¡°Is!¡±
Belissar fell back a step, his face paling and his knees starting to buckle. Tarwantrad and even Chief Rohsuak paled along with him. However, Velebee continued glowing and then followed up with another dance.
¡°Queen of All Bees says handled!¡±
Belissar, Tarwantrad, and Chief Rohsuak all explosively exhaled their breath at that. Belissar¡¯s legs gave out entirely and he didn¡¯t bother resisting falling to his backside.
Now that he was no longer at risk of immediate smiting, he could only wonder¡just what was going on between the gods?!
POG 213.1 - Bee-vine Drama
The God of Fire let out yet another sigh. His flame body had gone dim and cool, like a smoldering ember, while a cloud of heavy smoke hung around him. He tried to stoke himself with other thoughts. The Blazing Berserker herself had taken on an apprentice in the art of fire¡though there was the slight complication of said apprentice being a dungeon monster created by Bee. He supposed there¡¯d have to be some negotiations that Bee would no doubt exploit again. Though, Urubran would likely benefit from anything he offered Bee¡¯s dungeon now that her master had joined the Circle, so it wouldn¡¯t be a complete loss.
And yet, even one of his favorite champion passing on her love of fire could not distract him for long. He could not help but think of the delicious mead that Bee and Flower were no doubt drinking¡that he wasn¡¯t. He sighed again. Now, he knew it wasn¡¯t Belissar¡¯s fault. The boy was only educated by his adoptive beekeeper who herself had only learned to read due to her interest in various theological texts, so his knowledge base was understandably limited. So, it was natural he wouldn¡¯t have realized that burning honey would kill off any normal yeast.
But did he really have to wait until after all the other meads were ready before checking?! Fire let out a third cloud of smoke. Well, at least the boy had gotten a hot spring¡that Fire may or may not have ensured contained heat-resistant yeast. He just had to be patient and try to distract himself¡
Just then, a spot of green broke through the ashes coating the ground of his domain. Shoots grew and twisted together before starting to bloom into flowers. They took the shape of a woman¡holding two bottles in each of her hands with an infuriating grin on her face.
¡°Heyyy Fire! Hey, check this out! It¡¯s mead! Mead made from the nectar of flowers, imbued with mana and sincere feelings of gratitude!¡±
Fire¡¯s body began to burn a bit hotter as he crossed his arms.
¡°Yes, Flower. I can see that.¡±
She lifted her bottle.
¡°Then let¡¯s make a toast¡¡±
Her smile grew into a sneer.
¡°Oh wait, you can¡¯t! And why¡¯s that? Because Bee¡¯s dungeon master completed my mission and not yours! Because he knows which god he should¡¡±
A roar rang out through the room as all the flames leapt high into the air. Blinding flashes of light appeared in all directions and the sky turned dark with ash and smoke. The God of Fire grew several times larger as his body changed shades, settling on a bright blue as he snarled.
¡°Do NOT provoke me, Flower! You forget who you are speaking to!¡±
Flower snapped out of her revelry. Her smile dropped and her eyes widened as the flowers comprising her body began to wilt in the heat. Fire didn¡¯t care.
¡°I understand you are protective of your relationship with Bee and hurt that she let me into her first dungeon before you. I respected your relationship with her in recognition of that fact and because you indeed went out of your way to support her like I had not. But I did so as a favor to you and you had best remember that. If your intention is to disrespect me then I will accept your challenge and remind you just who it is you compete with!¡±
He let the weight of his accumulated authority suffuse his realm. Flower hunched over as her surroundings pressured her very being and started to tremble. But the God of Fire¡¯s patience was truly at an end.
Until he heard the buzzing. Burning bees began to fly out of the flames and gather into a swarm ball. A moment later, they dispersed, revealing the God of Bees. Fire¡¯s body crackled.
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¡°Do not interfere, Bee, lest you wish to suffer my wrath as well.¡±
Bee remained in between them, though, and began to dance.
¡°Sorry, is my fault.¡±
Fire grew even larger and brighter.
¡°You want to take credit for disrespecting me so?¡±
Fire let his authority weigh upon Bee as well. She collapsed to the floor, but did not flee. Fire shrunk by just the tiniest amount as he narrowed his eyes.
¡°There are consequences for such poor judgement. Are you prepared to pay them, Bee?¡±
Bee couldn¡¯t dance so she had one of her surrounding burning bees do it for her.
¡°Will.¡±
Fire took a deep breath, his whole body flaring up, before letting out a deep cloud of smoke. He glared at Flower one more time and she winced. He turned his attention back to Bee.
¡°I am taking the Third of the Sixth as a new champion, and not a joint one. She fights in my name now, and the glory earned by her hive is mine. You are to give Belissar a mission to that effect. Should the Third of the Sixth decline my blessing you will instruct Belissar to raise me three champions instead, at least one of which must be one of your bees. I will add my shrine to all Fire attributed rooms in his Tower as Flower has already done for her domain and you shall not discourage any karnuq or challenger from offering to me. Do you understand?¡±
Bee¡¯s wings buzzed but she instructed her worker to dance.
¡°Understand.¡±
Fire let out another puff of smoke and shrank somewhat. He lightened the pressure on the pair, allowing Bee to stand once more. He eyed them both sternly.
¡°In that case, I shall forgive Flower for this indiscretion, but it will not happen again. Neither of you shall encourage Belissar to disregard me. You are fortunate that this situation was unintentional on his part, and that he has shown the appropriate concern for even an accidental offense. Flower, you will now offer Belissar a mission to complete my quest, with rewards on par with the bonus you gave him for yours. It is shameful that a mortal with so little knowledge such as he has shown much greater sense than you.¡±
He waited for Flower to give him a shaky nod then swung his hand, causing a firestorm to swirl around them.
¡°Now begone! It will be dangerous for either of you to be in my presence until this matter is resolved!¡±
Fire let out yet another sigh as the pair vanished. And then promptly began searching for something to set ablaze.
He really could have used a drink about then¡
Bee and Flower appeared in Bee¡¯s realm, smoke wisping off their bodies from Fire¡¯s final display. Flower collapsed to her knees, covering her face with one of her elbows. Bee flew over to her and resisted her instincts to drink from the flowers. She did not need the powers of a gardener to understand her flower was in pain. She tapped a dance on Flower¡¯s back.
¡°Sorry.¡±
Flower jolted at her touch¡and then began to sob. Only the Queen of All Bee¡¯s power kept the bees present from trying to drink the nectar streaming down her face.
¡°Bee¡do you even like me? I gave you my authority and my nectar, I made all these beautiful flowers just to attract your attention.¡±
Bee began to gently groom Flower, rubbing the hairs of her legs to spread the pollen stuck to them around the different flowers.
¡°Love.¡±
Flower dropped her arm and turned to face Bee, glaring at her.
¡°Then why¡why did you invite the God of Fire and not me?!¡±
Bee paused her grooming to dance.
¡°Didn¡¯t.¡±
Flower¡¯s face twisted into a snarl.
¡°Didn¡¯t? Didn¡¯t?¡±
Bee didn¡¯t pause in her dance.
¡°Didn¡¯t. Was building on own. God of Fire invited self, saw dungeon because champion of fire moved in.¡±
Flower¡¯s face fell and her head and shoulders slumped forward.
¡°But why¡didn¡¯t you invite me?¡±
Bee once again resumed grooming Flower.
¡°Got dungeon, got excited. Wanted to make own dungeon first. Flower always helped, gave lots. Didn¡¯t want to take more from Flower, not until could help too.¡±
Flower shook her head.
¡°That¡¯s dumb¡I don¡¯t care about any of that¡¡±
Bee buzzed her wings and her antennae drooped.
¡°Sorry. Was silly.¡±
Bee sent her power out to the bees and several of them began to land on Flower. Soldier bees, sprayers, lancers, communers¡and gardeners. They began to tend to the wilted flowers under the gardeners¡¯ instructions.
¡°But now have dungeon, can make bees in world, can offer to dungeons. Now bees can help flowers like Flower helped me. Will send new bees to Flower¡¯s dungeons now.¡±
Flower slowly looked up, staring at Bee with wide eyes.
¡°So, you don¡¯t¡dislike me?¡±
Bee immediately danced the negative.
¡°Don¡¯t! Flower is best flower!¡±
Flower¡¯s eyes dripped nectar once more and she jumped on Bee, wrapping her in a hug.
¡°I love you, Bee. I love you so much. Please, don¡¯t forget me for Fire or anyone else.¡±
Bee resumed grooming her.
¡°Won¡¯t.¡±
Bee and Flower stayed there for a long while as the bees began to drink up Flower¡¯s tears.
Chapter 214 - Bee Committed!
Belissar, Tarwantrad, and Chief Rohsuak were all sitting around as the celebration wore on. Belissar nervously picked at his food, eating just enough that the bees wouldn¡¯t stop to check on him. He was trying to enjoy the taste of the honey, but he could not help his worry. The God of Bees said it was handled and he trusted her but he still really wished he knew what was going on. He¡¯d probably remain anxious until Tarwantrad could speak with the Oracle of Flowers and hear from one of the directly involved parties¡
Suddenly, a wave of hot mana surged through his Tower, and a wave of messages surged across his vision.
New mission received: Help one bee queen receive a full blessing from the God of Fire
New mission received: Share a monster bee queen with a dungeon patronized by the God of Flowers
The God of Flowers wishes to offer you a quest. Accept?
Belissar blinked repeatedly. He glanced over at Tarwantrad and found she had stiffened and was gaping at the air.
¡°Um¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak looked at him with concern.
¡°Tower Keeper? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that was the power of the God of Fire, was it not? Has something occurred?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded. He glanced throughout his Tower and found the God of Fire¡¯s braziers now present in both Lava Fields.
¡°The gods have done¡something. I just got new missions from the God of Bees relating to the God of Fire and God of Flowers. The God of Flowers also wants to offer me a quest¡but¡¡±
Belissar hesitated, given that it was a reward from the God of Flowers that had triggered this whole affair. What if she wanted him to do something that would antagonize the God of Fire? Fortunately, Velebee was riding on Niobee¡¯s back as she always did at the queen meetings, and immediately began to glow.
¡°Hive-Builder! Queen of All Bees says accept mission from Queen of All Flowers!¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow. If the God of Bees was asking he was going to accept¡but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t worried.
¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll do as the God of Bees ask, but¡if she¡¯ll have mercy on me¡could I ask a question first?¡±
¡°Queen of All Bees says can!¡±
Belissar bowed his head.
¡°Thank you. Will this mission¡upset the God of Fire?¡±
Velebee immediately danced the negative.
¡°Queen of All Bees says won¡¯t!¡±
Belissar let out a sigh and then smiled.
¡°Thank you. And thank you Velebee.¡±
He reached out and gently brushed Velebee¡¯s back with a finger, then accepted the mission.
New mission received: Complete the God of Fire¡¯s mead mission as soon as possible.
Belissar slowly let out another sigh, letting all the tension drain from his body. He took another deep breath before he looked up at Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Ok, I think it¡¯s settled. The God of Flowers just tasked me with completing the God of Fire¡¯s mission, so I think they made up?¡±
Chief Rohsuak didn¡¯t hide her own smile as she let out a deep sigh of her own.
¡°That is a sincere relief.¡±
Belissar could only nod at that before turning to Tarwantrad.
¡°Did you hear from the gods too?¡±
Tarwantrad snapped out of her stare to look at Belissar. She slowly began to smile.
¡°Yes, yes I did. The God of Flowers wishes for me to support you¡as does the God of Bees.¡±
Belissar beamed as warmth filled his chest. The God of Bees really did take good care of him, he¡¯d have to thank her again. He resolved to ensure she had a steady supply of mead offerings from now on.
Since the situation with the gods was seemingly resolved, Belissar was able to walk into the post-celebration meeting with confidence. He had a big smile on his face as the bee queens assembled and saluted. While the possibility of a god fight had been incredibly stressful¡there was no doubt that Belissar had profited greatly today.
¡°So, we have a lot to discuss tonight. First of all, the God of Flowers upgraded her blessing. Here are the new effects.¡±
Small Blessing of Flowers
Effects:
- Flower-related options appear with a small increase in frequency.
- Additional special flower-related options are unlocked and may now appear
- Flower monster upgrades and evolutions have a small deduction in resource cost and unlock difficulty
- Small boost to the growth of flowers and Flower-type monsters
- Slight boost to the stats of Flower-type features and monsters
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The bees immediately began swarming in ¡°Amazing, incredible!¡± dances. Belissar chuckled and waited for them to calm down, but he certainly agreed. Every effect of the God of Flower¡¯s blessing had upgraded from slight to small, while a new effect had appeared that made flowers stronger. A timely blessing given his Tower had just started raising monster flowers¡and that was before they began cross-pollinating with Tarwantrad¡¯s Flower dungeon.
But that was only the beginning of their decisions for tonight. Belissar continued once the bees had finished their dance.
¡°Next, we have another rare Bee choice from the God of Bees herself.¡±
Belissar nearly trembled in anticipation as he opened the reward. He had high hopes for this one¡
Please select a monster:
- Monster Reed Bee (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Knight (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
- Butcher Bee Queen (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
Belissar made a wide grin, and even laughed as soon as he saw the glowing option. The God of Bees had delivered and provided exactly the bee type he was hoping for. He knew immediately what to pick.
But then¡he looked at the other options. He knew he shouldn¡¯t look, given what he had to do this time, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He was curious. He assumed Tarwantrad was as well given the way she was leaning towards him. So¡he went ahead and read out the descriptions.
Monster Reed Bee
Vitality: Minimal+
Strength: Minimal+
Speed: Average+
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Minimal+
Resistance: Minimal+
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Adaptive Nesting, Brood Coordination
Spawner Upkeep: 15 (8 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A reed bee that has accumulated enough mana to become something more. More individually capable than monster bees, they can act independently, form small communal nests, or gather into eusocial hives as environmental resources permit. Forming burrows in plants, preferably fern trees, they raise their young in one communal chamber where the larvae compete for food. The strongest of the young are therefore more capable and likely to evolve than their siblings as they grow, though at the expense of the weaker.
Individual monster reed bees are generally more capable than their monster bee counterparts, though they do not produce honey or wax. While as a casteless species they cannot raised evolved monster bee types, adult reed bees may evolve into available bee types as suits the individual.
This one had Belissar tilting his head. They weren¡¯t a brood species like the monster bees or monster bumblebees, but also weren¡¯t a completely separate species like the carpenters. They didn¡¯t produce wax or honey, but were apparently stronger¡and apparently competed as larvae? Belissar wasn¡¯t sure what to make it all. Maybe they were better for battle or something?
The bees were more subdued about a new species as usual, though he could see the battle meadow queens discussing the same ideas he had been thinking of. He turned to Tarwantrad to see if she knew of this bee type. He found her staring with sparkling eyes.
¡°Amazing, I¡¯ve never heard of this species before! I¡¯ll have to check if there¡¯s any mention of it in the house of lore¡¡±
Well, apparently Tarwantrad didn¡¯t have an answer for him this time, and definitely didn¡¯t have access to the species herself if she hadn¡¯t even heard of it. But Belissar wasn¡¯t really evaluating the choice, so he didn¡¯t find it a priority to fully understand what it did this time. He¡¯d definitely be interested if Tarwantrad did learn anything more about it, though. In any case, he moved on to the next option.
Monster Bee Knight
Vitality: Below Average
Strength: Small+
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Small+
Resistance: Minor+
Special: Minimal+
Notable Skills: Poison Thrust, Death Blow, Harden Chitin, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier, Monster Bee Lancer
Spawner Upkeep: 40 (20 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A monster bee lancer evolution. This lancer is no longer content with purely hit and run attacks, and so has evolved to stay in the fight. Tougher chitin, larger size, and greater vitality allow it to take blows other bees cannot, while strengthened muscles allow for powerful thrusts even from up close. These characteristics also make it no less capable at the powerful dives its ancestors utilize, though its heavier body does take more time to move.
Belissar furrowed his brow. He regretted reading this one, because now he wanted it. He really wanted it. An even bigger lancer with tough, heavy chitin plates? One specifically built for durability while still retaining the powerful stingers of the lancers¡that they could even use up close? These bees would be perfect to both shore up the bee army¡¯s defenses while also improving its ability to fight back¡
That the battle meadow queens immediately ceased all discussion on the reed bees and were now buzzing their wings and spinning about in circles did not help.
But, with a great effort of will, Belissar tore his eyes away from the description and the beautiful preview the Tower tempted him with. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly unleashing it in a dramatic sigh.
¡°I¡¯m sorry everyone but¡we need the butcher bees for the Death room.¡±
In an effort to distract himself from what he was giving up, he read out the butcher bee description.
Butcher Bee Queen
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Minor
Notable Skills: Bite, Brood Mother, Command Offspring
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A vulture bee that has accumulated enough mana to become something more. No longer content with scavenging the dead, this bee¡¯s sharp mandibles shred through living flesh to gather sustenance for the hive. A swarm can pick a body clean in minutes¡whether dead or alive. This one is a queen, and capable of building a hive of butcher bees.
The effort worked¡partially. Belissar groaned. He shouldn¡¯t have read the monster bee knight description. He really wanted them, and had it not been for recent circumstances probably would have chosen them.
But¡he needed butcher bees to deal with the rabbits and get a Death room going, lest he let Hesfalle¡¯s advice and boons all go to waste. The alternative was to let his regular monster bees face the dangers of Death mana and suffer the casualties that would result, rather than the bees built for killing and scavenging. Not only that, the God of Bees had gone out of her way to give him this option specifically. If he did not choose it now, who knew how long it would take before it showed up again? He hadn¡¯t seen bloodsucking bee queens or stingless bee queens ever since passing them up.
He reminded himself of all the God of Bees had done for him, and quickly made his choice before he could change his mind.
Butcher Bee Queens are now available!
He turned to the battle meadow queens and was about to apologize, only to find the Firstborn dancing.
¡°Amazing, incredible! Will make hive of hives stronger!¡±
He could only make a helpless smile and gave her a nod. That was Tarwantrad had told him, right? The point wasn¡¯t how great an option was, but how it fit into the Tower and what they did with it. He had made his choice, now they just had to make the best of it.
Chapter 215 - Blooming Bee-cisions
Now that the choice of bee monsters was settled, Belissar quickly moved on to the next one before he could regret his decisions.
Please select a perk:
- Concentrated Nectar (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Rapid Bloom (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Enhanced Seed Dispersal (Rarity: Uncommon)
Belissar smiled. Just from the names, he had high hopes for some of these perks.
Concentrated Nectar
- Small increase to nectar nutrients and mana content
- Small increase to potency of all compounds produced by flowers, including alchemical reagents and toxins
- Small increase in nectar attractiveness to pollinators
The First of the Fifth immediately began fidgeting, much to Belissar¡¯s amusement. He gave her a warm smile.
¡°Sounds like this would be good for honey, huh?¡±
She immediately burst into a flying dance.
¡°Yes! Would! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Belissar chuckled. The flower perks were starting off strong. Not only was this perk perfect for honey-making, it would also improve toxic flowers¡several of which Belissar had recently received. It helped the bees and flowers both.
There were still two more perks to review, though, so Belissar set it aside for now.
Rapid Bloom
- Small increase in flowering plant growth rate
- Small increase in flower growth and bloom speed
- Small decrease in requirements for plants to flower
Belissar was about to gloss over this one, as unlike the first it didn¡¯t directly impact the bees. But he realized that was an error as he thought over it again. After all, this perk meant more flowers, more quickly. More flowers meant more nectar, so it was indeed helpful to the bees. Not to mention it would directly assist the gardeners in spreading his existing flowers around¡as well as any new ones he received from the Circle or Tarwantrad¡¯s flower nursery. It would also help with cross-pollination and acquiring even more types of flowers. In that regard, this one had as much to recommend it as the first. It just depended on if they preferred better nectar from existing flowers, or more flowers overall in terms of both numbers and diversity.
He turned and found the Apiary bees dancing off with one another on those very priorities. The First of the Fifth was stumbling about in circles.
¡°Better nectar¡could concentrate and improve mana density¡but¡more flowers¡new nectar types¡could experiment and cross-pollinate for better nectar¡¡±
Belissar smiled as he shrugged. Guess he¡¯d have to give them a bit more time to decide which one they liked more. That is, assuming the last one didn¡¯t end up supplanting them both¡
Enhanced Seed Dispersal
- Small increase to effectiveness of all seed dispersal methods. Flying seeds fly further, sticky seeds stick longer, etc.
- Small increase to likelihood seeds will land in a suitable location and germinate. Small increase to seeds¡¯ ability to adjust course towards suitable locations. Seeds that do not actively move may gain a small ability to do so.
- Features and monsters that use seeds for other purposes also receive small increases in effectiveness to those purposes.
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Belissar took a moment to think about this one before making any judgements. In the end, though, he shook his head. The benefits of this one weren¡¯t as clear to him. Seed dispersal was nice for more flowers, but he already had the gardeners to spread the seeds to ideal locations. There wasn¡¯t much need for the seeds to do so themselves.
That left the last part about seeds being used for other purposes. However, Belissar just wasn¡¯t sure what those other purposes were. He assumed that Flower monsters or maybe Flower traps could probably do something with the seeds, like how Sticky Honey Traps used honey as a weapon, but he didn¡¯t currently have any such monsters or features. The Venomous Slime Rose seemed to be focused more on thorny vines.
He turned to look at Tarwantrad.
¡°Any advice? Are there any flowers that use seeds for other purposes, or something?¡±
Tarwantrad giggled and nodded.
¡°Oh, yes there are. There are seeds that heal, there are seeds that harm. Some flowers launch seeds as projectiles. Some plant the seeds on the enemy to spread roots right into their bodies. Some seeds explode, others grow larger than you would expect.¡±
She then turned thoughtful and rubbed her chin.
¡°For you, however¡I did not recall seeing any flowers that do such things. Perhaps the gravity flowers could do so one day from your description of them? Otherwise, this would be a perk for the future, should you expand your flower-based defenses. I might have recommended it were you a new Flower dungeon, but since you already have well-established Bee defenses and those gardeners, one of the other two would probably be more useful to you. As for them¡I think they both have a strong case for your tower, so it would come down to you and your defenders¡¯ preferences.¡±
Belissar thanked her and smiled. The Flower expert apparently agreed with his own assessment, so there was no reason to doubt. He turned to the bees.
¡°So, which do you all prefer? More flowers, or better nectar and poison?¡±
The Apiary¡¯s dance off intensified, while even the battle meadow queens started to dance among themselves. The Firstborn then danced a single question to the First of the Fourth.
¡°How about Frelis? Blessed by Queen of All Flowers, so should know flowers. What think?¡±
The First of the Fourth danced a salute and sent word with her mana. Since the Bee Barracks was nearby, it didn¡¯t take long for Frelis to arrive. All the queens ceased dancing and turned to her as the First of the Fourth explained the situation. Frelis wilted under the attention and stumbled over her dance.
¡°Think¡flowers growing well. Say Nature mana rising. Will grow lots, gardeners help. Better nectar makes flowers stronger. More gardeners to help¡¡±
She then drooped as all the queens remained still, watching her.
Until Beero broke the silence by flying over and brushing Frelis¡¯s antennae. With the spell broken, the First of the Fifth began to dance out her thoughts.
¡°Honey production already growing. If nectar grows even better¡will have amazing amount of honey. Will be able to raise lots of gardeners, as many as need. Will be able to raise more queens, evolve more bees. Maybe even¡evolve queens?¡±
All the queens turned to the Fourth of the Seventh, who was circling around the group while calling all the options amazing and incredible. The First of the Fifth and the Firstborn turned to look to one another and saluted as one before turning to Belissar.
¡°Agree with Frelis!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°So do I. Thank you all.¡±
Concentrated Nectar selected.
With the choices handled, Belissar dismissed most of the queens. He did, however, keep the room leader queens to discuss the new missions from the gods.
¡°So, we have two new missions from the God of Bees. First, she wants a monster bee queen to join Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon.¡±
Tarwantrad began to make high-pitched noises while Belissar glanced at the First of the Fifth.
¡°Are any queens ready to raise daughters that they would be willing to send to a new dungeon? They¡would lose contact with us, I think, but Tarwantrad will take good care of them.¡±
Tarwantrad rushed up and nodded as rapidly as she could.
¡°Yes! I promise! I will bring you my own bees and many flowers too!¡±
The First of the Fifth saluted immediately.
¡°As King commands! Will raise new queens right away! Claim new flowers for hive of hives!¡±
Belissar stood there blinking for a second. He had thought it would take some convincing, but the First of the Fifth was more enthusiastic about the idea than he expected. Well, if the bees didn¡¯t complain, neither would he. As much as he was worried about sending bees away, he knew he could trust Tarwantrad to take care of them, and the God of Bees herself wished for this. There was no longer any reason to delay.
And that brought him to the next order of business.
¡°Thank you, First of the Fifth. Next, the God of Bees wants a bee queen to be blessed by the God of Fire¡¡±
He was about to turn and ask the Third of the Sixth, given that she was already training in fire stuff with Chief Rohsuak, but he found her already dancing to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Queen of All Fire¡karnuq queen follows?¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled and nodded.
¡°Yes.¡±
The Third of the Sixth then turned to Belissar.
¡°King and Queen of All Bees want bee to join Hive of All Fire?¡±
Belissar slowly nodded.
¡°Yes¡¡±
He was going to clarify that only if the bee in question wanted to do so, but the Third of the Sixth began dancing first.
¡°I can?¡±
Belissar paused for a second but smiled once he processed the question.
¡°Of course. I¡¯d be grateful if you did.¡±
The Third of the Sixth immediately began zipping about, heating up the area.
¡°Ok! Will!¡±
She then began zipping around Chief Rohsuak.
¡°Can teach how to join Hive of All Fire?!¡±
Chief Rohsuak chuckled before letting sparks light in her eyes.
¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but grin. He had been a bit worried about asking the Third of the Sixth to do this¡but she clearly wanted it herself. Now that he knew that, Belissar would be happy to help her achieve it.
It had been a long day of surprises and worries, but it had all worked out in the end. And his Tower and his bees would be all the better for it¡
POBee 215.1 - Assem-Bee-ling Mobile Hives
The next day, Belissar began to set up the Death room Hesfalle had described. He made a new Flower Meadow on the karnuq floor connecting to door near the stairs to the other floors. He place a mana flower node and a basic poisonous herb node, then enabled rabbits in the room.
And after that¡he was done.
For now, at least. He didn¡¯t want to spawn the butcher bees until there were enough rabbits to feed them. Likewise, underworld phlox required death mana to even start growing, so he couldn¡¯t plant those until they started hunting rabbits. Hesfalle did recommend adding poisonous plants¡but besides the poisonous herbs none of the rest really fit. Subterranean deathcap were, well, subterranean, while the lava lotus needed lava, so neither of them were available. Vaporous hemlock could be planted if he added a pond¡but Belissar was wary of filling the air with toxic mist. The karnuq and bees were supposed to hunt here, after all.
So, Belissar was done until the rabbits reached sufficient numbers to sustain butcher bee hives. He wondered how long that would take¡
As Belissar went about his day, he noticed something peculiar. Worker bees constantly landed all over him, crawling over all parts of his body. They buzzed and hummed and occasionally bumped into and danced with one another. Belissar greatly enjoyed this, so he didn¡¯t question it, content to watch the bees buzzing around him and occasionally offer them some magic honey.
The workers in question then went to report the nearest communer¡
Back in the First of the Fifth¡¯s bee apartment, the First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter¡¯s antennae twitched as she felt a communer¡¯s mana flow towards her. She spun about until she found the spot with the strongest mana flow to ensure she didn¡¯t miss a single step of the communer¡¯s mana dance. Once she had received the report in full, she began dancing and spreading her own mana.
¡°Leg too short, waist too wide. Bring closer!¡±
Before her, a buzzing cloud of workers shifted in response to her dance, piecing together bits of wax that they fused with their mana, cutting and trimming as instructed. Propolis sealed the gaps and reinforced potential weakpoints. Gardeners brought in as much pollen and resin as they could gather, which the honeypots converted to huge globs of mana-imbued wax and propolis for the workers to use. Communers and drones monitored the effort, the drones using their big eyes to identify inconsistencies with the desired measurements and the communers relaying the corrections.
Nearly her entire hive was at work here. Thanks to the recent boom in honey production, her queen mother had instructed her to focus all available efforts on this task, and the Fourth Daughter intended to do just that.
For what greater task could there be than building a hive in the image of the King?
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter was not the only queen working at this task, however. The First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter may not have lived in her queen mother¡¯s hive, but her queen mother had taught her all that she knew. She built her hive with all of the diligence and excellence her queen mother expected of herself and all her children.
Though, she could not use any of the precise methods her queen mother had taught her, for her hive was¡different.
All of her hive¡¯s honey, rather than sitting neatly in organized cells, globbed together and flowed around her in a viscous mass. She had tried to separate and organize it at first, but she could only ever do so temporarily, all the honey mixing back together the moment she stopped paying attention to it. She had tried to separate the honeys entirely, but any that lost contact with the mass she swam in lost density and melted into pure liquid. The one thing her queen mother hated worse than mixing the honeys was wasting them, so she had quickly given up on that idea.
It had been a dark time as she had been forced to mix the honeys, but her queen mother had reassured her. The whole point of her birth had been to discover a new kind of bee and a new kind of hive, so her queen mother had not wished for her to rigidly adhere to the traditional methods. No, her queen mother had advised her to experiment and find her own ways of doing things, ones that were compatible with her unique characteristics.
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Even as she reminisced, a huge glob of honey slime came sliding into her palace. A soldier propelled the entire mass forward while honeypots floated within, processing nectar into honey slime on the spot. Their work was already finished by the time the glob reconnected with her hive slime, seamlessly combining their masses.
She had found that since her bees¡¯ honey was their hive and they liked to carry both with them that she could move her honeypots around without any loss in production time. This had solved the issue with her workers moving more slowly than others, as they could move the nectar delivery point right to the flowers.
Still, all that had only made up for their disadvantages compared to the other queens. The Seventh Daughter was still trying to figure out if her unique characteristics provided any advantage. Slower bees that had to carry their honey with them, honey that couldn¡¯t be separated from the hive without rapidly diluting, and an inability to organize different nectars were all heavy prices to pay, and she had yet to find any particular advantage worth all those constraints. Sure, she could move honey around as easily as commanding her children, but her queen mother could already move honey faster than her by just having a soldier carry the honeycomb. She could apparently fill parts of all of the honey with her venom, but maddening and the new toxic bees did the same without any special effort. She could increase her honey slime production by converting water into slime to mix with the honey, but extra diluted honey was not particularly appealing to her.
So far, nothing she could do seemed to justify all she had given up.
But she was nothing if not persistent, and she had something new to try. The King had granted them new knowledge to experiment with and so the Seventh Daughter set out to see if her hive could use it. It seemed to involve making wax structures. She paused and pondered for a moment. Her hive could make wax, but she hadn¡¯t seen much of a point. Her children could grow directly within the honey slime and grew better that way, she couldn¡¯t store the honey slime in cells, and she already had the King¡¯s magical palace for protection from the elements.
Now though, she had a reason to try. She sent out a surge of her mana and the honey slime responded. The entire mass began to shape itself according to her thoughts. That, she supposed, was one of the few advantages she had. The honey slime itself acted as her own legs and wings, she could command it and any of her children within the main mass even more easily than her fellow queens could command their own hives. Within moments, the entire hive had reshaped itself according to the pattern in her mind.
Then, she commanded it to make wax. The other layer of the honey slime began to harden while compounds within the mass shifted about. The honey slime itself turned into completed wax and so the shape of the wax golem was completed in an instant.
The Seventh Daughter froze at this, staring at the completed wax structure for a moment. Having not attempted any wax structures after the first few honeycomb, she hadn¡¯t realized she could do this. The ability to complete an entire hive in an instant, without any effort needed from her workers? That was powerful indeed¡or would be, if she had any need for honeycomb. But it was a solid advantage, and for that, she was deeply grateful.
Her work was not done, however, so she refocused. The knowledge from the King stated that the creation of the hive¡¯s form was only the first and easiest step. The difficult part would be to imbue the creation with mana and to form a self-sustaining core that would both maintain the hive¡¯s structure and allow it to move. So, she stretched out her mana¡
¡and found that the wax was completely full of mana. It was still connected to her honey slime hive and her mana still flowed through it. She paused. Did this count as sufficient? She wasn¡¯t sure, the knowledge implied the process should have required her workers to imbue mana bit by bit. But, well, the knowledge also implied the workers should have built the hive bit by bit and she had been able to do it all at once, so maybe it was fine?
In any case, the state of the wax seemed to match the end result the knowledge described, so she decided to attempt the final step. Forming the core that made the hive into a golem was the trickiest part, according to the knowledge. Why, it required a queen to learn how to treat mere wax as if it were one of her children¡
The wax moved.
The Seventh Daughter floated in place, completely still for a moment. She gently told the wax to move again.
The wax lifted its arm.
¡was she doing something wrong? This wasn¡¯t hard at all, not anything like the knowledge implied. It was no different from moving her own honey slime.
She wasn¡¯t sure but she followed the instincts granted to her by the knowledge. She told the honey slime to condense into a core that she embedded into the wax, which it did immediately, then she withdrew her honey slime from the golem entirely. She stretched out her mana and told the golem to move again.
The golem sat up as she commanded.
She¡had done it? Just like that?
She stared at the golem for a while before her wings began to beat and swish the honey slime around her. She¡had done it. By all metrics she knew, she had made a functional wax golem¡in mere moments, and with none of the difficulties the knowledge warned her of.
Which meant¡maybe she had an advantage after all.
Chapter 216 - A Bog-Bee Development
Belissar stood just past the doorway to what used to be a flower meadow. Mud and pools of water dotted the room. Dead grass and flowers floated on top of the water along with lotus flowers, blending in with what plants remained in the soil and obscuring the depth of the puddles. A particularly large pool stood in the center of the room, also covered in the floating remains of flowers. The water stones had apparently done their job, he could still see bubbling He took another look at the message that brought him here.
A room is about to shift natures.
Bog is now available.
Change Flower Meadow (2F) to Bog? Please reduce Water-attribute mana and features to restore room to original nature.
Belissar made a light smile. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly the lake he imagined, but this worked too. He went ahead and confirmed the change.
The entire room began to glow and Belissar could see the Tower¡¯s mana flood the room. He could see it wrap around places where green and blue mana crashed and swirled, smoothing them out and blending them together. He could see the dead flowers sink down and melt into the dirt while new ones began to grow.
He was so caught up in the sight that he didn¡¯t notice the light die down at first. A few moments later, he rubbed his eyes and took in the new room.
The shape of the room was as before, a large pool of water in the center where he had made a depression, surrounded by shallower pools and muddy ground. The dandelions and the lilies had receded to a mere handful, heather and mosses taking their place on the limited dry ground with the occasional mana flower that didn¡¯t seem bothered by all the water. The water was covered by lotus flowers and water lilies. Belissar¡¯s face scrunched up as he smelled a scent like rotten eggs.
He decided to distract himself with the room¡¯s description.
Bog
Type: Water, Nature, Field
Mana upkeep: 5
Description: An open waterlogged area with poor drainage and low nutrient water sources. The ideal environment for carnivorous plant features and monsters. Suited for many Nature or Water attribute monsters, especially amphibious types, though the low oxygen-content of the water precludes solely water-breathing creatures. As with all wetland rooms, the soft and moist terrain slows down any land movement.
Belissar tilted his head. Carnivorous plants? A water room that apparently couldn¡¯t have water-breathing creatures, because of something called oxygen? He guessed he had more questions for Tarwantrad and Nenavann now.
In any case, though, he knew that bogs were not particularly pleasant to walk through and hoped the Hunger would find it the same. And since it wouldn¡¯t be for him or the karnuq, he went ahead and added a vaporous hemlock node, pleased to find it discounted. Now he had a bog that would be filled with poisonous mist. A truly unpleasant place for any human.
But this room was not for humans or karnuq, so he turned to Niobee.
¡°Hey Niobee, could you let the queens know the new room is ready? We¡¯ll need to check if the hemlock would hurt them or not, but once we do, they should let me know if any of them want to move into the room.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar hung around the room, waiting for the bees. Soon, he saw worker bees begin to fly in from the shortcut, buzzing about and landing on the flowers as they explored the room. He saw one of the swimming bee workers fly in, spin about in rapid circles, and then dive down into the water. She shot up out from the surface back into the air, then repeated the process several times before checking the flowers too. She rushed back out of the room, flying at maximum speed through the shortcut.
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Belissar smiled. He had a feeling the swimming bees might like the room¡
Then, he saw something that brought his thoughts to a halt.
Walking into the room was man made of wax. A fully completed wax golem.
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter loved the mobile hive. A big problem for her hive had been speed, or lack thereof. If the slime bees wanted to fly, they had to limit themselves to small glob of slime honey that they could carry, which both felt deeply uncomfortable and limited what they could actually do with it. Likewise, their honey crops were smaller than other bees since they were intended to process additional nectar directly within the honey slime, so the worker bees either had to cut their foraging short or else resign themselves to gathering too much honey slime to fly home. The speed of the honey slime body moving along the ground, left a lot to be desired.
But no longer. The new mobile hive could walk at the speed of the King, using its massive King-size to its advantage. The Seventh¡¯s Daughter honey slime easily poured into the cavity within the hive and then off it went. The mobile hive was still slower than a bee could fly, but that was less of an issue since it could also carry a huge chunk of the slime hive with it!
Especially after her honey slime had shrunk dramatically. Forming the mobile hive had been quite expensive in both honey slime and mana, but she believed it would pay for itself soon. The ability to carry all of her foragers and honeypots directly to the flower fields at the speed of the King would dramatically improve their gathering efficiency.
But before she could put that to the test, the mobile hive proved its worth in unforeseen circumstances. The Conduit reached out to each and every one of the queens, informing them that the King had built an entirely new land for the hive of hives. Each of the queens was invited to send their scouts and analyze the suitability of the land for their hives.
The Seventh Daughter initially resigned herself to being the last one to scout the room, as her slime workers would likely arrive after the others were well into their scouting. But then, she realized she could just send the mobile hive. It would be the last to arrive but not by nearly as much of a margin. And then she realized¡she could ride in the mobile hive and see the room herself. She could join the Fourth of the Seventh as the only queens to see the room personally, but with no disruption of her own duties.
So, that is exactly what she did.
The mobile hive stepped out into the room. She saw the King and had the mobile hive wave to him as she had seen the King and karnuq do. The King smiled and waved back to her.
She spent the next few minutes in a happy dance that made her honey slime wiggle about. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell her queen mother!
Eventually, though, she calmed down and set about to her original purpose and scouted out the new land. With the mobile hive in direct contact with her honey slime, she could treat it as part of her slime hive and view the world through its senses¡
Her honey slime condensed a bit as she beheld the room. This room¡was perfect. She sent one of her workers out in a ball of honey slime. The worker dropped into the water with a plop and sunk down to the bottom, protected by her honey slime all around her. She landed on the soil at the bottom and began absorbing it, rapidly growing in size.
As the Seventh Daughter could feel through the mobile hive¡¯s feet, the water and soil here was all full of dead, slowly decaying plants. The absolutely ideal combination to process into slime: waterlogged nutrients with everything required save nectar, which could easily be acquired from all the flowers growing or even floating about. Her worker at the bottom extended a tendril up to a lotus flower on the surface and proved the point, simultaneously drinking nectar from the flower and absorbing water and nutrients from the bottom to produce completed honey slime all in one go. No need to drag her slime from flower fields to the pond and back again.
Before she knew it, the Seventh Daughter was spinning about, causing the mobile hive connected to her to run around in a figure eight pattern. She nearly dispensed her entire hive to start foraging from the room right then and there. Only the need to acquire the hive of hives¡¯ permission stopped her.
She had the mobile hive rush over to where the Conduit hovered¡or as fast as it could move through the soft, wet, uneven ground. She was about to ask the Conduit when, to her shock, the King addressed her.
¡°You like the room?¡±
After her mind resumed from the shock of hearing the King¡¯s voice, the Seventh Daughter tried to respond. The mobile hive¡¯s foot got caught in spot of mud that was a lot softer then it looked. Not wanting to make the King wait, the Seventh Daughter rushed out of the mobile hive and began dancing herself.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! King is best king!¡±
The King chuckled and his smile lit up like the sun.
¡°Then, would you like to move here after we test the poison mist?¡±
The Seventh Daughter froze. The King¡was granting her permission to move here? To this perfect room he had built?
She began to tremble, sending ripples through her honey slime. A moment later she burst out into as rapid a dance as she could, causing her honey slime to wobble back and forth and send bits and pieces flying off here and there.
¡°YES! WOULD! KING IS BEST KING!¡±
This day couldn¡¯t get any better.
Chapter 217 - Dont Bee Alarmed!
In the end, the slime queen, swimming queen, and a newly evolved toxic queen wanted to move to the bog. The slime queen and swimming queen both loved the terrain itself, while the toxic queen grew interested once they began testing the vaporous hemlock. Belissar moved the swimming and slime beehouses to the bog and built a new one for the toxic queen near the hemlock, making the legs extra long to keep the structure dry.
Belissar smiled as he watched swimming bees dive in and out of the water while slime bees crawled along the bottom. His cooperation with the Circle was paying off after all, and this was only the beginning. With all the new bees, flowers, and rooms on the horizon, his Tower¡¯s growth was about to explode. And with the karnuq receiving blessings, the Circle promising aid, and Chief Rohsuak negotiating an alliance with the sigmaka, his bees would soon have all the help they needed. He was feeling better and better about his chances when the Tower Lords finally returned. Yes, it was all going¡
Warning! Corruption levels surging! Emergency purification required!
Belissar had no time to act shocked, however, so he shouted across the Tower.
¡°Everyone, the Hunger is incoming! Get ready to fight!¡±
Belissar himself rushed to the mustering point by the Orchard¡¯s wall of shortcuts. He clenched his teeth as he ran. This purification came at the worst possible time. Captains and Assassins were on the horizon but the bees hadn¡¯t raised any just yet. There was all of one wax golem ready. He had only just made the bog and the bees hadn¡¯t had the chance to spread the vaporous hemlock beyond the single node he placed. The Death room had barely been started.
And, worst of all¡Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti weren¡¯t in the Tower.
Because Belissar had wanted to limit the scope of the alliance, Chief Rohsuak and Second Queen Berbiya had to spread out their negotiations over several days. They each needed time to report the others¡¯ proposals to Belissar and King Ratuatapi before they could continue the discussion, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. And, unfortunately, Chief Rohsuak was in one of those talks at this very moment, with Metsaitti as her escort.
So, there would be no big fireball this time if the incoming shade was more than the bee army could handle. Belissar would just have to hope that the preparations they had made would be enough.
At the very least, the bees were ready. The soldier bee army immediately ceased its training and assembled together. Two squads of lancers, a full squad of archers, and two squads of Beero¡¯s battlecasters flew in their center. Paloiku, another one of the hunters, assembled the karnuq in Metsaitti¡¯s place. They may not have had their chief or their best warrior, but they were still an impressive sight with the big metal shields Toivenaq had made, and they now had a full team of hunters with blessings including Tyhgak and Noigakkuq. Hirkolos arrived as well and gave Belissar a resolute nod.
And just in time as the Hunger began to coalesce in the first floor Dirt Tunnels. Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
Emergency purification begun. Remaining hostiles: 1.
A huge boar stepped out of the mist, growling as it stamped its hooves into the dirt. But unlike the one before, this one was coated with flames. The monster let out a roar before charging down the tunnel it could barely fit through. It barreled over the first pit trap with its size, relying on its bulk to push through the Sticky Honey Trap without slowing down. The flames slowly burned away the honey clinging to it.
The boar picked up impressive speed for a creature of its bulk as it barreled down the tunnels. The first digging soldier bee squad ambush failed as they misjudged the timing. The second attacked when the boar crashed into a corner and came to a halt. They grabbed onto its sides and began stinging, but were forced to let go as the boar slammed its body into one of the walls. They got some stings in, but the boar had not slown down in the slightest by the time it reached the end of the Dirt Tunnels.
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Belissar grimaced. This was exactly the situation he wanted assassins for¡but they weren¡¯t ready. They would have to make do. Pailoku hoisted her spear and saluted.
¡°We will stop it, Tower Keeper. We can gather up at the tunnel exit.¡±
But Belissar frowned and eventually shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s as big as the one you fought before. Won¡¯t it just toss you aside? You had to dodge the one before, right?¡±
Pailoku frowned.
¡°That¡¯s¡true, but that¡¯s the best place for us to stop it. If we don¡¯t fight there, it¡¯ll get out into the open¡¡±
Belissar shook his head again.
¡°If it does, the bees can attack it.¡±
Pailoku looked unsatisfied but she slowly saluted.
¡°As you command, Tower Keeper.¡±
And so, the boar burst out of the Dirt Tunnels¡¯ exit hallway unopposed, emerging out onto the Lava Fields. The soldiers of the burning hives set upon it immediately, undeterred by its flames. The boar squealed and charged across the fields, undeterred by the bees in turn. The burning hives had a reasonable soldier force but hadn¡¯t yet evolved lancers or archers. They got some stings in, but the boar again ignored them and soon was charging at speeds the bees couldn¡¯t keep up with. Boulders from the mini-volcano crashed down around it. One nearly struck, landing right by the monster¡¯s left. It staggered to the right but kept up its charge.
The boar was soon through, remaining at top speed as it charged into the first floor¡¯s Fairy Grove. The first test of the room¡¯s capabilities.
At first, the room didn¡¯t seem to slow the boar down at all. It charged forward straight into the brush, trampling bushes, knocking over trees, and leaving black flames on every plant it touched. But as it did, a gust of wind began to blow through the grove. A tree seemed to shift to the right, knocking against the boar¡¯s side and pushing it slight to the left. The ground shifted; a slight depression drew the boar further in that direction. Roots knocked against the monster¡¯s right hooves, forcing them to shift left as well.
By the time the shade was a quarter way through the room, it had veered to the left, running straight for the side wall.
Straight for one of the fairy circles. The twisting ball of mana began to hiss and bubble as the shade approached, brown and blue light began to stain its rainbow hue. The ground beneath it began to rise and break.
The shade stamped right on top of it¡only for the ground to erupt beneath its feet as a huge plump of water knocked it a foot into the air. Water hissed as the boar¡¯s fire cloak turned it to steam. The boar squealed and fell to the side. It quickly climbed back onto its feet.
But that single moment had been enough. Soldier bees hiding in the canopy dove down on its sides and back. Chromatic bees led Tyhgak¡¯s squad through the brush, arrows and spears coated with stingers of mana stabbed into the monster¡¯s side. The canopy above moved itself to the side, giving a clear view for a squad of archers overhead, who rained their stingers all along its back.
The boar squealed and charged randomly, swinging its head about as the fire surrounding it flared up. Soldier bees retreated from the flames while Tyhgak and Noigakkuq dove away from the monster¡¯s tusks. It crashed its way through the forest once more, leaving the bees and karnuq behind.
But it was slower this time and the forest continued to drive it in circles. On the other hand, the karnuq and bees found their way clear, trails appearing before them as bush and branch seemed to move aside. They repeated the ambush twice more and the wounds mounted.
But then, the boar burst out into open ground. The Fairy Grove had spun it about in a circle and now it returned to a path it had already tread. Everywhere it had gone, trees and bushes had burnt to ash in corrupting flames, leaving the route unobstructed. The shade rushed down its former steps before turning back on its original trajectory. It left the karnuq in the dust, and now rushed forward in a rage, swinging flame coated tusks left and right as it stampeded forward. Bush and root and branch had no chance to knock it aside as they were swept, burnt, and crushed.
And the bees¡let it. They fell back into the brush and the canopy and made their way towards the nearest shortcut.
Eventually, the shade found the exit and stormed through, squealing and swing its tusks all the while as it burst onto the battle meadow.
And was immediately struck by lightning stingers from two battlecaster squads.
The battle meadow queens had pulled their soldiers back from the fairy grove for they had done enough. They had provoked the shade and learned how it would respond to crisis. They had wounded and slowed it to speeds they could manage.
And so, they were ready for the final confrontation.
The shade was no longer faster enough to evade and squealed as lighting surged across it. Several shadows fell over its side before Hirkolos, riding his wyvern once more, flew with the bumblebee soldiers as they all crashed into the shade¡¯s side. Their combined mass and speed succeed in tipping the boar over, knocking it into the ground.
And then the lancers came diving down.
All hostiles defeated. Emergency purification successful.
Chapter 218 - Victorious Bee-Briefing
All hostiles defeated. Emergency purification successful.
Reward: Two random reward choices.
Belissar exhaled his breath.
¡°Great work everyone, the purification is over. Can someone let Tarwantrad¡¯s monster know?¡±
Once he had ensured everyone had been informed of the victory, Belissar took stock of the damage. His eyes widened¡and his face curled into a grin. Despite the rush to respond to a purification they weren¡¯t expecting, no bees died today. The shade¡¯s straightforward attacks had been easy enough to dodge in the open air of the Lava Field while the Fairy Grove itself assisted the defenders fighting there. The boar¡¯s only special power was the cloak of fire around it, but said fire was less powerful than the salamander¡¯s. Fire Resistant Bees did its job and they got away with only some light burns.
The worst of it was a digging soldier who mistimed her ambush from below and got stepped on. She managed to dodge well enough to avoid death but one of her pairs of wings was crushed. But, well, Belissar couldn¡¯t bring himself to be too upset about it. The soldier herself was spinning about in joy as Beero arrived to welcome her into the hive of the fallen. If she was happy about it, he¡¯d try to be too.
In the end, Belissar walked away with a smile. His Tower¡¯s defenses had worked. The Dirt Tunnels, Lava Fields, and Fairy Grove hadn¡¯t stopped the shade outright, but they bought all the time needed to figure out its powers and wear down its strength. Once the bees raised some assassins and built more wax golems, the defenses would work even better. He was confident now that they could hold the Hunger, even in an emergency, and had even gotten some rewards for the trouble!
Belissar¡¯s smile dropped. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti had finished up the day¡¯s talks with the sigmaka and returned, while Tarwantrad had arrived to check on him. They were now gathered after the victory celebration. All three had congratulated him but now looked concerned¡which made Belissar concerned.
¡°Is something the matter?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°No¡but also perhaps.¡±
She forced herself to smile.
¡°Today was a great victory, Tower Keeper, of that there is no doubt. You, your bee army, and our young hunters handled themselves admirably and should be proud of felling this foe as cleanly as you did.¡±
She then sighed.
¡°What am I concerned with is the rate at which the Hunger is adapting to us. When I think about your description of this shade, I am glad you handled it while I was absent. I would not have been able to help you against it.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°What? You couldn¡¯t? It was strong, but didn¡¯t seem that strong¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°It was coated in fire, but lighter than previous shades, right? That indicates to me the Hunger just wanted something that could resist fire, rather than use it aggressively. It would probably shrug off Metsaitti¡¯s fire stings. I might have still been able to burn it, but it would have taken my most powerful attacks to have a chance. And those take time.¡±
Metsaitti crossed his arms and nodded.
¡°And with its speed and bulk, she wouldn¡¯t have had it. You made the right call holding Paloiku back, Tower Keeper. I fear if she had tried to hold the Dirt Tunnels like we did the last shade, this one would have trampled right through them, new shields or not.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°So, if we did what we did last time¡people would have died?¡±
Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded.
¡°I fear it may have been so. And if the Hunger did so intentionally¡¡±
They all fell silent at that. Belissar turned to Tarwantrad.
¡°You mentioned the Hunger adapts, I guess this is it?¡±
Tarwantrad rested her chin on her fist.
¡°It is. You already have the right tools to deal with it though, a solid set of differing options you can rotate through. That means, however, that you are soon coming up on a major milestone for a dungeon master.¡±
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She waved to the bees and the karnuq.
¡°Karnuq holding a shield wall in cramped tunnels that cannot be bypassed. Lava Fields that require both speed and fire resistance. The Fairy Grove that will not suffer an intruder to pass easily. The open Flower Meadow where the bee army can swarm. You are reaching the point where no single shade can possess all the qualities required to defeat all the options available to you.¡±
Her face turned dark.
¡°And that is when the Hunger will stop trying and start using waves. You know how the shades leave a trail of the Hunger wherever they go, the one that disables features and spawners?¡±
Belissar grimaced. Features yes, but there was only one time when the Hunger managed to disable a monster spawner, and he very much disliked thinking about that day. He tried to put that very first purification out of his mind and nodded to indicate he was paying attention again. Tarwantrad gave him a moment before continuing.
¡°Eventually, the Hunger stops creating all of a purification¡¯s shades at once, making more only when the preceding waves are defeated. The thing is¡the next wave doesn¡¯t have to spawn at the entrance. They can form anywhere the Hunger is present¡¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as he considered her words.
¡°So, if the first shade passes a room¡the next shade will form in the next room?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded with a frown.
¡°I think you¡¯ll be reaching that point soon. For those purifications, it¡¯s vital to stop each wave as early as you can.¡±
Silence hung over the group for a while. Belissar sighed and then steeled himself as best he could, looking to Chief Rohsuak and the bees.
¡°It looks like we still have a lot of work to do.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s expression softened even as the bees danced their salute.
¡°I should say, though, that you are doing well, and accumulating more tools and rooms at an excellent pace. I believe your tower will overcome this challenge as well, Belissar. I only wish to warn you of it before it occurs.¡±
Belissar gave her a smile which she returned, then took a deep breath.
¡°Then, should we check the rewards?¡±
Everyone present danced or nodded at that, so Belissar opened them up.
Please select a reward:
- Uncommon Monster Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- +150 max mana
- Uncommon Room Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
Please select a reward:
- Uncommon Perk Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
- Rare Room Feature Choice (At least one rare or better option)
- Uncommon Room Feature Choice (At least one uncommon or better option)
Belissar turned the choices over to the queens and karnuq.
¡°Any suggestions? Anything the tower needs?¡±
The queens had none and the karnuq shook their heads. Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Really? Nothing you want?¡±
After some dancing between the bees, the First of the Fifth flew forward.
¡°Sorry¡have lots to work on right now. More flowers, more bees help but don¡¯t know what helps most. Whatever King chooses best. Not sure how to help King¡sorry¡¡±
Belissar¡¯s face softened and he reached out so she could land on his hand, then began brushing her back.
¡°Don¡¯t be, I¡¯m not upset. I just want to make sure you have everything you need right now.¡±
The First of the Fifth immediately stopped drooping and launched into a happy dance at that. Belissar chuckled and held in the urge to sigh at himself, lest she misinterpret it. He turned a glance to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°What the First of the Fifth said goes for us as well, Tower Keeper. With our hunters beginning to receive full blessings, the resources you provided, and the exchanges with the sigmaka, we have our course of action laid out for the time being. We do not require anything else for the moment, so please proceed with your own plans.¡±
Belissar nodded at that.
¡°In that case, let¡¯s go with the mana and the perk.¡±
As the First of the Fifth said, his Tower had many new options at the moment they hadn¡¯t implemented yet. Two new kinds of monster bees in assassins and captains, the entirely new monster type in wax golems, and a new hive species in butcher bees. They had the flower nursery project, the Death room project, and the new bog. From what Nenavann described, the bog was also only the first of many different types of water rooms they might be able to acquire. And there were still more Circle masters who would offer boons in the future, plus the possibility of exchanging his own Tower¡¯s offerings for more.
Suffice to say, even with the revelations about the Hunger¡¯s future challenges, the Tower had quite a lot of new options still coming up. Belissar felt a perk that made existing options better without requiring significant efforts on the part of his bees would be the best of the current choices. As for the mana, normally, he preferred to just grab mana from the daily purifications. But right now, having more mana to implement more rooms and features was more beneficial than acquiring even more. Additionally, this latest purification was a reminder that the Hunger would not wait for them to prepare new options. Having enough mana to implement new additions as soon as possible felt better than an extra monster or room feature at this point.
Belissar explained his reasoning, to the bees¡¯ great praise. Tarwantrad confirmed she found his reasoning sound, so he went ahead and confirmed the choices.
Max mana increased by 150!
Available mana: 222/1340
Over two hundred sounded like a lot but Belissar knew from experience how quickly mana vanished when it came time to implement new rooms¡
Please select a perk:
- Lingering Toxins (Rarity: Common)
- Bee-Type Mana Boost (Below Average) (Rarity: Rare)
- Piercing Stingers (Rarity: Uncommon)
This one wasn¡¯t even a choice.
Bee-Type Mana Boost (Below Average) selected.
Mana was everything to the bees. The queens used it to lay eggs. The workers and honeypots used it to make honey and wax. The communers used it to connect the hive. The gardeners used it to monitor the plants. The soldiers, sprayers, lancers, and archers used it to fight. The battlecasters went without saying.
The strongest boost Belissar had seen so far strengthening this fundamental resource for all his bees? It was the quickest decision Belissar had ever made.
Chapter 219 - Bee Forewarned
After deciding on the rewards, Belissar was about to dismiss everyone when he heard Chief Rohsuak¡¯s voice in his head.
¡°I apologize for the late report, Tower Keeper, but would you like to hear about my talks with the sigmaka today?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened a bit. He had forgotten about those.
¡°Ah, yes. Is¡there a reason we¡¯re using the Tower speak?¡±
He glanced over at Chief Rohsuak and she moved her eyes in Tarwantrad¡¯s direction.
¡°Do you wish to inform our guest about the sigmaka and our dealings with them? I did not wish to speak in front of them until you had made your preference clear.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms. That was a good question. Did he want to tell Tarwantrad about the sigmaka? Or rather, he knew he didn¡¯t mind Tarwantrad knowing, but did he want to tell the Circle and the Compact about the sigmaka?
¡°I¡think it¡¯s fine to let Tarwantrad know. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll warn us if we shouldn¡¯t let the Compact know? Or is there another reason we should hide it?¡±
¡°It depends on if you prefer to prioritize cooperation or contingencies, Tower Keeper. If we inform our allies about our dealings, we could potentially arrange for broader agreements and avoid any misunderstandings. Likewise, letting them both know we are working with other parties may encourage them to cooperate further. But if we want to prepare for the case where either of them prove untrustworthy, an ally they weren¡¯t aware of could become a powerful asset. Additionally, if they are aware of each other, they could potentially make agreements without our knowledge, though this is less likely in this case since you control the only door the Compact can travel through.¡±
Belissar groaned softly. Again, this was all very complicated. Chief Rohsuak¡¯s expression softened.
¡°Well, if I had to offer my opinion, I would point out that part of our potential agreement with the sigmaka involves them sending challengers to the Tower. If that happens, there is a chance they might encounter Tarwantrad or another member of the Compact at some point should they visit at the same time. It would be simplest to inform them both of each other before that occurred, otherwise you may need to take measures to prevent such meetings.¡±
Belissar hummed again as he thought, until a second humming joined his own. He now noticed Niobee hovering in front of his face.
¡°King ok?¡±
Belissar glanced around and found all the bees hovering around him. Tarwantrad was looking at him with concern as well. He flushed as he realized him groaning while having a silent conversation with Chief Rohsuak had not gone unnoticed.
He glanced around at the bees and Tarwantrad and then took a deep breath.
¡°So, there¡¯s another tribe of beastkin nearby called the sigmaka. We agreed to leave each other alone at first, but have recently been discussing an alliance.¡±
Honestly, he could still barely keep his mind around the complicated situation with the sigmaka and had no idea what the right decision was, or even what his preferred outcome was. But he decided to put that all aside. The God of Bees wanted him to share monster bee queens with Tarwantrad. The God of Flowers had sent Tarwantrad here and the God of Bees had urged him to let her through. If those two gods wanted them to work together, then Belissar would. And¡he personally felt that if he could trust anyone outside of his Tower, it was Tarwantrad.
Tarwantrad smiled as he explained the situation.
¡°I see. Thank you for trusting me with this. Please, proceed as you will. Let me know if you want me to consult with the Circle or the Compact on this, I will not inform them until you are ready.¡±
Belissar gave her a smile and then gave Chief Rohsuak the go ahead to report today¡¯s talks. The karnuq had a smile of her own on her face.
¡°I¡¯m pleased to inform you that the sigmaka have agreed to our conditions. We will fight alongside one another against the Hunger and against the Tower Lords. If either of us are attacked by another party besides those two, we will consult with one another on reasonable assistance. In exchange, our Tower will open its doors to sigmaka challengers and inform them of the preferred methods to prove themselves in the sight of our patron god.¡±
Belissar let out a relieved sigh at that. Despite all the complications and negotiations and worries, the talks had worked out in the end. That was one more ally against the Tower Lords when they eventually returned.
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Now he just had to figure out how challenges should work¡
His eyes widened and he spun around to face Tarwantrad. He didn¡¯t have to figure it out himself anymore! He had someone he could ask about this sort of thing now!
¡°Hey, Tarwantrad, how do you handle challengers?¡±
Tarwantrad blinked at his sudden attention, then began to rub her chin.
¡°Challengers? Well, most of us in the circle set up guest floors as temples to our patrons so that those who wish to honor or devote themselves to our gods may do so. That¡¯s mostly just a matter of arranging the area as to best suit our patron. My dungeon, for example, is filled with gardens, meadows, and forests where disciples of the God of Flowers may surround themselves with flowers and work to cultivate them. I think Urubran has rooms of different temperatures where disciples of fire may immerse themselves in whatever flames they can handle. Nenavann has devised different environments to showcase water in all its various forms.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°I see, do they fight remnants there?¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her own head to match Belissar¡¯s.
¡°Remnants?¡±
Belissar blinked a few times.
¡°The mini-shades that appear while challengers are in your tower?¡±
Tarwantrad blinked back a few times.
¡°Those? I suppose we get one of those every so often but my monsters and traps normally handle them?¡±
The two stared at each other blankly for a bit. Chief Rohsuak rubbed her own chin.
¡°It seems that the dungeons of the Circle operate differently than our towers or sacred dens. Remnants are a constant presence during any challenge.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened a bit as she turned to Chief Rohsuak.
¡°You mean to say dungeons in the mortal realms are spawning remnants of the Hunger¡constantly?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°I cannot say for the humans¡¯ towers, but for the Sacred Dens I am aware of battling remnants was the primary method of challenging. We proved ourselves before the gods by battling against the Hunger in their name. We do so here as well, though the God of Bees always acknowledges more peaceful methods of worship.¡±
Tarwantrad crossed her arms.
¡°I think I may need to consult Nenavann, if you don¡¯t mind me sharing this with him. This sounds far different from how I was taught, so I am not sure how useful my example would be to you. Perhaps it would be best for you to continue as you already know for now. Fortunately, you have the Oracle of Bees present, so you can also consult your patron directly on her preferences.¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but let out a light sigh. It looked like it was up to him to figure out after all. But then he shook his head and glanced at Velebee with a smile. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t true. After all, who better to teach him how to honor the God of Bees then the god herself?
Tarwantrad looked at him with a serious expression.
¡°Belissar, how much of all of this do you want me to share with the Circle, or at least with Nenavann? I think it may be wise to consult with him at least on the question of why our dungeons are so different. As for the sigmaka, the Circle approves of friendly relations so it¡¯s up to you. However, it sounds as if you¡¯re preparing for an imminent attack by the Tower Lords?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Well, not soon. It took a small scouting party months to get here so apparently any armies will take longer than that. But they are coming for us with ten thousand Tower Guards, so I¡¯m trying to prepare however I can.¡±
Tarwantrad blinked.
¡°Tower Guards? And those are¡?¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s face turned grim.
¡°Fully blessed champions of the gods.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened and began to tremble.
¡°The humans have¡ten thousand fully blessed champions?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°Sehfitis, ah, a human augur we captured who joined us, said the Tower Lord whose son attacked us has ten thousand.¡±
Tarwantrad went completely pale.
¡°B-Belissar, I need to tell the Circle about this. Nenavann at minimum. This¡this is something you and I can¡¯t deal with alone.¡±
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak glanced at each other, both of their eyes widening. For Tarwantrad, one of the mystical fair folk, to be this shaken? Chief Rohsuak gave Belissar a grim nod. He turned back towards Tarwantrad with a gulp.
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Tarwantrad gaped at Nenavann for a moment before scowling. They were currently in a small office within Nenavann¡¯s dungeon, with a large window looking out over the sea.
¡°Is that so? Is that so? Nenavann, how can you act so calm?! The human dungeon masters have ten thousand champions! Each!¡±
Tarwantrad cut off her shouts, though, as Nenavann lifted a hand.
¡°You have the wrong impression, Tarwantrad. You are imagining ten thousand of our champions. Humans are different.¡±
Nenavann turned his hand until his palm faced up and then blue lights began to dance above it.
¡°We of the fair folk live and breathe magic. It flows through our veins and naturally follows our commands. We are promised great power and immortality from our very birth.¡±
He held out his other hand, leaving it empty.
¡°It is not so with humans. They are born with short lives and no magic. It takes them years of study and practice to achieve what even a child in the land of the fair does naturally, and by then their time is already ticking. Due to their lack of strength, far more humans will seek the gods¡¯ blessings. An average warrior among our people can match what all but the most exceptional of human champions, while only the most devoted of our people will become champions at all. It is not ten thousand sword saints that come for Belissar.¡±
Tarwantrad collapsed into her seat.
¡°Oh, thank the gods¡¡±
Nenavann dropped his hand and grimaced.
¡°That is not to say, though, that the situation is not extremely serious.¡±
He rose to his feet and turned to face the sea.
¡°¡we had not expected the humans to have survived the Hunger at all. To hear that they can operate on such a scale¡they are far more resilient than we gave them credit for. The threat to Belissar is grave indeed.¡±
Tarwantrad held herself.
¡°What are we going to do?¡±
Nenavann silently stared out the window for a long time.
POBee 219.1 - Bee-assurance
The next morning, First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter¡¯s wings and antennae drooped. When the scouts reported it, she hadn¡¯t believed it. It had to have been a mistake. When news came in over the Orchard¡¯s communer network, she hadn¡¯t listened. But then came the King¡¯s council, when all the queens had the honor of gathering in his presence. There, with her own eyes, she confirmed the truth.
The Seventh Daughter had finished a mobile hive and now used it to travel about, while she had barely begun work on her own. Her queen mother had assigned her a task, and then another daughter had gone and proven that she was far better at it. That meant the Fourth Daughter was now engaging in that which her queen mother hated most.
Inefficiency.
The Fourth Daughter had no idea what she should do about it. Should she persist in spending hours and days of her hives¡¯ labor on a task that the Seventh Daughter could complete in an instant? Or should she abandon a task assigned to her by her mother, wasting her childrens¡¯ efforts on a project that would be left unfinished? No matter what she did, she would be wasting efforts that could have been spent elsewhere, failing every lesson her queen mother ever taught her.
She had failed.
The First of the Fifth awoke and began her day. First, she checked on the tray of honey they would offer to the King today, ensuring that it remained of the finest quality they had available in the hive. After that, she arranged an offering of equal quality to be delivered to the Queen of All Bees, having learned that she desired such things from watching the King, the karnuq, and Frelis. Third, she checked on each of her children, ensuring she remained fully aware of their current state. One daughter neglected had already been too many.
So, today, she paused, and then immediately flew over to her Fourth Daughter¡¯s part of the Bee Apartment. Her Fourth Daughter buzzed her wings and stumbled over her greeting dance.
¡°Q-Queen mother.¡±
¡°Keep working. Didn¡¯t fail.¡±
The First of the Fifth could taste the despair roiling off the Fourth Daughter¡¯s mana, causing her own wings to buzz. Never again would she allow her orders to cause her daughters such grief.
So, she was particularly upset when her Fourth Daughter began to dance.
¡°But! Seventh Daughter finished mobile hive already! Hive is too slow! Can¡¯t keep up! Wasting wax and workers! Queen mother always said don¡¯t waste!¡±
The First of the Fifth landed by her daughter and brushed her antennae, waiting for the frantic queen to calm down a bit. She spent the time considering what the Fourth Daughter had said. It was true that her Seventh Daughter had already managed to complete a mobile hive at a speed that the knowledge granted by the King told her was exceptional. If her concern was speed, then it was true that the Seventh Daughter had proven more capable at this task than the Fourth Daughter. The First of the Fifth could not lie to her child about that, so she took some time to think upon her answer.
In doing so, she discovered that the King had provided an answer. She sent a message to her Seventh Daughter via communer before dancing to her Fourth Daughter.
¡°Come with. Want to show something.¡±
The Fourth Daughter was still emitting despair, but would not obey a direct order, so she followed along as the First of the Fifth began to fly. They left the Apiary and traveled to the Orchard, where they were joined by the Seventh Daughter¡¯s mobile hive. The Fourth Daughter¡¯s despair only grew but the First of the Fifth led them both onward. She aimed for the grove where the Orchard queens lived rather than any of the shortcuts, stopping a short distance away.
¡°There, can see?¡±
Both of her daughters froze where they were. From this distance, neither of them could mistake the form of the King, nor that of the Fourth of the Seventh. The King stretched out his hands, worker bees formed of pure mana hatching out of honeycombs of light floating above his palms. The spell bees then flew down to the ground where they joined with the Fourth of the Seventh and her hive. The First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter slowly landed on the ground as she tried to comprehend the sight before her.
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¡°King is¡making mobile hive? With Fourth of the Seventh?¡±
The First of the Fifth set aside her desperate desire to build something with the King like that to answer her daughter¡¯s question.
¡°Yes. Like how Fourth Daughter is building.¡±
Her Fourth Daughter stood still for a long time before tapping out a slow dance.
¡°¡why?¡±
The First of the Fifth glanced towards her Seventh Daughter to ensure both were watching her. The slime queen oozed out of her mobile hive so her queen mother could see her respond.
¡°King tries new things, wants us to try new things. Doing something with honey and jars that Queen of All Bees and Queen of All Flowers likes. Gave us Cross-Pollination. Slower for gathering nectar, but gives new flowers to gather from. King also builds magic palaces with own hands. Doesn¡¯t have to, can make appear like rooms and flowers, but does. Karnuq say queens of all things like.¡±
She landed and brushed her Fourth Daughter¡¯s antennae once again.
¡°Slower not always bad, not always inefficient. Different method, different results. Worth trying. Daughter doing best at task I gave. Doing good job.¡±
She then turned to her Seventh Daughter.
¡°Seventh Daughter found new thing she can do and new room. Also doing good job. Both daughters doing good job! Love both daughters, like King loves all queens.¡±
Both her daughters watched her for a moment before breaking out into happy dances. The First of the Fifth joined them for a moment before considering what to do next.
¡°Think Fourth Daughter should complete mobile hive, then can compare with Seventh Daughter¡¯s and King¡¯s. Different methods, different waxes, so probably different results. We try each and find out new ways, like with honey. Once Fourth Daughter finishes hers, Fourth and Seventh Daughters should work together, see if can help. Watch King and ask Fourth of the Seventh too.¡±
Her Fourth Daughter glanced over to the King.
¡°Ask¡King and Fourth of the Seventh? Can? Won¡¯t bother evolved queen?¡±
The First of the Fifth immediately danced the negative.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh happy to help. Saved First Daughter without asking. Can also ask First Daughter to help ask Fourth of the Seventh.¡±
Her Fourth and Seventh Daughter watched the King and the Fourth of the Seventh for a moment more before dancing their salutes.
¡°Will do! Queen mother is best queen mother!¡±
Well, the First of the Fifth didn¡¯t know if she agreed with that. She didn¡¯t know exactly how the other queens handled their daughters, but she certainly knew none of them had driven their daughters to hive collapse with impossible commands and neglect. But she did know that she would never leave her daughters in despair ever again.
She was just about to return to work with her daughters when a shadow passed overhead.
¡°Hi! What doing?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter crawled a few steps back while her Seventh Daughter retreated halfway back into her mobile hive. The Fourth of the Seventh had apparently noticed them and flew over to greet them.
¡°Hi, Fourth of the Seventh. Was talking to daughters about mobile hives. Just finished, about to go home.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh began zipping about in the air, now sending gusts of wind swirling about with her massive, Air mana coated wings. She did not seem to notice the First of the Fifth or her Fourth Daughter struggling not to be blown away.
¡°Really?! King is building one too for me! Am helping!¡±
The First of the Fifth had to remind herself of the King¡¯s love for all bees once more before she could dance cordially.
¡°Yes, Fourth of the Seventh. Am aware.¡±
But not even the First of the Fifth could possibly have anticipated what would occur next.
¡°First of the Fifth¡¯s daughters already built, though! Amazing, incredible! Can help?¡±
The First of the Fifth froze, barely managing to tap out a slow dance.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh¡wants us¡to help build Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mobile hive? With King?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh zipped about.
¡°Would really help! Can give honey¡¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh paused for a moment, her fluffy antennae glowing lightly.
¡°Oh, first communer and First Daughter say First of the Fifth has lots of honey. Want woven stems then? Made new pollen baskets, like karnuq¡¯s! Good for gathering pollen, helps make more wax!¡±
The First of the Fifth tripped on her response.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh¡will pay us to work with King?! King will let us work with?!¡±
¡°Will ask!¡±
Before the First of the Fifth could dance anything, the Fourth of the Seventh zipped back over to the King. The King glanced over at them, smiled, and nodded. The Fourth of the Seventh zipped back.
¡°King says would love help!¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s mind went blank until the Fourth of the Seventh started poking her with her giant antennae. The First of the Fifth immediately turned to her two daughters.
¡°Change of plan. Help King build Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mobile hive. Listen to King and Fourth of the Seventh.¡±
Both her daughters saluted while the Fourth of the Seventh started a happy dance.
¡°Thanks! Helps a lot!¡±
The First of the Fifth had to disagree.
¡°No, thank you.¡±
At least for that moment, the First of the Fifth knew who she considered best queen.
Chapter 220 - Bee-lated Improvements
Belissar smiled as the First of the Fifth and her two daughters came over to help with the golem construction, though it turned out they couldn¡¯t do much with the actual construction. The bees¡¯ instincts indicated that they should complete the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s golem solely using wax from breeze or nomadic bees. The slime queen, the First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter apparently, could build wax golems incredibly quickly but only with her own wax, which was actually a kind of solidified honey slime. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure if or how it was different from regular beeswax, but it was certainly heavier than the breeze wax so they decided it would be best not to mix it in.
As such, construction was limited to Belissar¡¯s spell bees and however many breeze and nomadic bees the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive had raised. Still, the Seventh Daughter was happy to share about her own construction, noting how using her slime honey naturally imbued the wax with her mana. Belissar took that to heart and started having the spell bees merge into the wax as they placed it.
Belissar could only work on the golem for a short time each day before he started running out of mana, however, so the work came to an end fairly quickly. Belissar glanced at the queens with him and nodded to himself. This would be a good opportunity to start on a new project.
¡°Hey, Fourth of the Seventh, First of the Fifth, could you come here for a moment? I want to show you something.¡±
The two queens danced immediately salutes and flew to his side. He looked up at the grove overhead and the Bee Apartment up in its canopy. He focused on the apartment in particular and the Tower responded to his will.
Bee Apartment Upgrades:
- Swap to Bee Barracks (Cost: 25 DP)
- Expand Size (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
- Change material to stone (Cost: 200 DP or 50 if materials provided, requires sufficient support)
- Boost honeycomb production (Cost: 50 DP)
- Boost growth for inhabitants (Cost: 50 DP)
- Boost productivity for inhabitants (Cost: 50 DP)
- Boost coordination for inhabitants (Cost: 50 DP)
Now that he had acquired butcher bees for the Death room, Belissar turned his attention to the room feature upgrades. Since the Tower had plenty of new options and many of the hives had consolidated into apartments, he felt that now was a good time to spend his DP on existing features. He read out the upgrade list for the two queens after explaining what was going on.
¡°So, I was thinking we start with one upgrade for each apartment, barracks, house, or nest to see how strong they are and make sure we can upgrade everyone¡¯s. I¡¯d like each dwelling to decide which upgrade would be most useful to them. Could you two let the other queens know and ask them to start thinking about what their home needs? Ah, that includes you both as well.¡±
Belissar waited with a smile as the Fourth of the Seventh began zipping around him while the First of the Fifth froze solid, and then both joined in a ¡°King is best king!¡± dance. He knew that was coming, so he simply enjoyed their joy until they calmed down enough to confirm. A moment later, both queens were off and soon the tower¡¯s communers were spreading word to all the hives.
Belissar himself made his way to the battle meadow. He explained the situation to the Firstborn, Beero, and the other queens there before checking on the Firstborn¡¯s Bee Barracks. As he expected, the available upgrades weren¡¯t the same as for the Bee Apartment, so he read out their options for them.
Bee Barracks Upgrades:
- Swap to Bee Apartment (Cost: 25 DP)
- Expand Size (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
- Change material to wood (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
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- Boost growth for inhabitants (Cost: 50 DP)
- Boost coordination for inhabitants (Cost: 50 DP)
- Boost structural integrity (Cost: 50 DP)
Belissar gave the queens some space as they began a dance off on the various upgrades, only to find Beero swaying about in the air.
¡°Beero? Is something the matter.¡±
Beero¡¯s wings picked up at being addressed.
¡°King¡Beero too?¡±
Belissar smiled at her.
¡°Of course, we consider you one of the queens too.¡±
However, Beero did not break out into the expected ¡°King is best king!¡± dance. Belissar blinked as, instead, Beero danced a salute.
¡°Will try best.¡±
Belissar gave her nod.
¡°Thanks, Beero. You¡¯re already doing great.¡±
After a bit, the battle meadow queens made their decisions and the Firstborn flew over to relay them.
¡°King, have decided. Want growth boost, replenish losses and raise evolved soldiers faster.¡±
Belissar smiled and selected the upgrade. He then turned to Beero, who reluctantly began her dance.
¡°Want coordination. Need help to lead hive of fallen.¡±
Belissar upgraded her hive as well. As the mana of the Tower surged through both barracks, the bees broke out into the ¡°Amazing, incredible!¡± and ¡°King is best king!¡± dances.
Belissar stepped out into the Orchard only to find both the Fourth of the Seventh and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter zipping circles around him. While he certainly understood their joy, neither of them were actually conveying their choice to him. It ended up being one of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communer who did so.
¡°King¡queens want coordination.¡±
Belissar made an amused smile as he completed the upgrade, which only caused the two queens to pick up speed.
After that, Belissar made his way over to the carpenter bees and checked on their nest blocks.
Belissar¡¯s Nest Block Upgrades:
- Expand Size (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
- Change material to stone (Cost: 50 DP or 12 if materials provided)
- Boost growth for inhabitants (Cost: 25 DP)
There weren¡¯t as many upgrades available for this one, so the decision was straightforward. With Niobee¡¯s help, Belissar determined the carpenter bees liked the growth boost. He had made four of the nest blocks for the carpenter bees and upgraded them all. The carpenters present zipped around him happily.
Belissar had a bit of a surprise when he checked the chromatic bees¡¯ home in the Fairy Grove next to the Orchard.
Belissar¡¯s Beehouse Upgrades:
- Expand to Bee Apartment (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
- Expand to Bee Barracks (Cost: 100 DP or 25 if materials provided)
- Change material to stone (Cost: 50 DP or 12 if materials provided)
- Boost honeycomb production (Cost: 25 DP)
- Boost growth for inhabitants (Cost: 25 DP)
- Boost Wild Mana absorption (Cost: 25 DP)
- Reduce Wild Mana absorption (Cost: 25 DP)
Belissar shrugged and let the queen, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s Second Daughter, know about the extra options. He could only guess that it had to do with the fairy circle and the chromatic evolution. He tried to focus in on the option.
Wild Mana Absorption
- Beehouse will be more permeable to wild mana
- Inhabitants will absorb more wild mana
- Wild mana may cause unpredictable effects or mutations
That¡seemed roughly in line with what Belissar had thought? For now, he read out the description.
The Second Daughter zipped about just like her mother.
¡°That one! Get to see new things in own home! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Belissar chuckled. He was slightly worried about the whole unpredictable effects thing, but who was he to deny the bees what they wanted? Besides, the Fairy Grove had been nothing but helpful for him, so he decided to put aside his suspicions.
Belissar then went about and upgraded every bee¡¯s home in the Tower. The First of the Fifth picked coordination, while most of the others like the Third of the Sixth and Fourth of the Eighth picked growth. The First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter surprised him by selecting honeycomb production, maybe to help with her honey slime?
The bumblebees picked growth, no surprise due to the Bee Nests¡¯ limited selection. Belissar smiled as the big, fuzzy bees rubbed against him. He was just walking out of the bumblebee meadow when he paused and tilted his head. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he could swear that the flowers seemed bigger than usual.
But his task was not complete so he shrugged and moved on, arriving at the karnuq floor. Velebee came out to greet him, swaying about as Belissar explained his purpose.
¡°Hive-Builder¡improving hives? Velebee¡¯s too?¡±
Belissar nodded with a smile.
¡°Of course! You¡¯re one of my queens too.¡±
Velebee danced around happily until Niobee helped her figure out what to pick. She ended up selecting growth.
Then, finally, Belissar came to the karnuq¡¯s hives. The First of the Ninth danced before him.
¡°Honeycomb production!¡±
Belissar blinked. Now that was a surprise.
¡°You need more honey?¡±
The First of the Ninth danced the negative.
¡°Hive-Tender gives mana, helps brood grow! Want to give more honey so will have more mana!¡±
Belissar slowly began to smile. It looked like Paisijik¡¯s Blessing of the Beekeeper wasn¡¯t just for gathering honey.
And so, Belissar upgraded each and every bee home in the Tower.
Chapter 221 - Bee Relieved
Belissar was just wrapping up the last of the upgrades when Tarwantrad popped into his dungeon.
¡°Hi Belissar, would you mind if Nenavann came to visit? He¡¯d like to discuss the things you told me last night.¡±
Since Belissar was elsewhere in the Tower, he had one of the bees watching the nexus door reply for him, letting her know he agreed. Tarwantrad left, then a short while later returned along with Nenavann. Belissar made his way over and greeted them.
¡°Thank you for meeting with me, Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
Belissar nodded in reply¡and then noticed there was no where to sit. The only seats in the Tower were in his farmhouse, the karnuq settlement, and a few by the battle meadow Shrine that the karnuq had set up for celebrations. Belissar asked the karnuq if they could help and in just a few minutes they arrived with a simple wooden table and some basic stools. Nenavann smiled and took a seat after Belissar.
¡°Thank you. First of all, I¡¯d like to report on the negotiations with the Compact.¡±
Nenavann let out a sigh.
¡°Well, if there was much to report. I apologize again, Tower Keeper Belissar, but my colleagues in the Compact have insisted on a wait and see approach for the time being.¡±
Tarwantrad let out an exasperated sigh. Belissar just tilted his head.
¡°So¡they aren¡¯t going to do anything?¡±
Nenavann shook his head.
¡°For the meantime. The given reason is that they are gathering more evidence as to your character. The truth, though, is that those of us who have lived for over a millennium are resistant to change and tend to mistake passivity for patience. They are simply stalling until they are forced to accept the situation.¡±
He then made a wry smile.
¡°Well, I suppose I was guilty of those flaws as well until I saw your tower in person. I do believe that they will come around with time.¡±
Nenavann frowned.
¡°However, from what Tarwantrad tells me, time may not be on your side on account of the human Tower Lords?¡±
Belissar grimaced.
¡°Probably not. We should have a couple months at least, maybe more, but they are coming.¡±
Nenavann crossed his arms.
¡°A short time indeed from our perspective. And, to confirm, Tarwantrad reported your words correctly when she said a single human Tower Lord possesses an army of ten thousand blessed champions? Do you know anything about the average strength of one of those?¡±
Belissar confirmed the numbers and relayed as much information as he had about the Tower Guards¡¯ capabilities. Nenavann hummed.
¡°The situation is certainly grim, but from what you have said there should still be a chance, especially considering your rate of growth. Could you confirm how often you¡¯re performing purifications and the rate at which remnants appear before challengers?¡±
Belissar did so and Nenavann rubbed his chin for a while. Eventually, he nodded with a smile.
¡°I will not lie, the battle ahead will be as difficult as you fear. But I do believe there is hope if you and your defenders continue to supply yourself. Rest assured, the Circle will lend you their aid as well.¡±
Nenavann then narrowed his eyes and placed his hand over his heart.
¡°I myself will do all that is within my power to ensure your survival. I swear this to you on my name, on my patron''s name, on Erynmor¡¯s memory, on the seas that have been forgotten and on the forests that have been lost, on every fair thing that remains in this world. I shall not let your tower fall.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded along.
¡°You will have my aid as well, Belissar. By both our patron gods, I will see you endure.¡±
Belissar¡¯s heart began to pound as the two elves looked him in the eye with resolute gazes. His vision began to blur, and he wiped his face. So, there was a chance after all¡and he wouldn¡¯t have to face this threat alone.
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¡°¡thank you, both of you.¡±
Both of them smiled at him while he gathered himself. He steeled his expression and met Nenavann¡¯s gaze.
¡°What do we need to do?¡±
Nenavann rubbed his chin.
¡°For now, continue to grow your tower as you have been. We will make recommendations as we can but your methods already suit your circumstances. I would recommend setting up temple areas or even rooms for the gods that have blessed your tower, it should help sworn defenders and challengers align themselves with your patrons. You may need the Rest Zone feature, though, given the rate at which remnants spawn here. Next¡would you be willing to share more of your tower with me? I can make more specific recommendations based on what I see. If you managed to make any water rooms, I can also help you set them up.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened a bit.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I recently got one, a bog!¡±
Nenavann¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Excellent, that¡¯s a start. Would you mind showing it to me?¡±
Belissar nodded and Nenavann stood up. Belissar led them through the shortcut room. Nenavann approved of the setup, and praised the bees when he saw them using the room to exchange information. Belissar¡¯s opinion of the elf improved dramatically from that.
And then, they arrived. Nenavann smiled as Belissar pointed out the vaporous hemlock.
¡°Well done, this should be an excellent addition to your defense against the Tower Lords. Most human armies hate marching through wetlands in my experience, and that¡¯s before considering the poisonous mist. Have any of your bees moved in?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°The swimming bees, the toxic bees, and the slime bees.¡±
Nenavann¡¯s eyebrows lifted.
¡°Oh, swimming bees? I would love to see those. Slime bees are curious as well.¡±
Belissar pointed over the the beehouses he set up. The swimming and toxic bees were flying in and out as normal. The slime bee golem was just returning to the beehouse. It reached a hand for the entrance and a hole opened up in its palm, allowing honey slime to flow right into the beehouse.
Nenavann tilted his head.
¡°Is that a golem?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Yes, the slime queen just made it.¡±
Nenavann stiffened.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar. Did you just say that a slime¡made a golem?¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°¡yes? Well, a slime bee queen.¡±
Nenavann took a deep breath.
¡°Did you command the slime bee to do so? As in, give detailed step by step instructions on the golem¡¯s creation?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°No, she built it on her own. I didn¡¯t realize how good she would be at it.¡±
Nenavann slowly turned around to face him and began to grin.
¡°We can use this. Belissar, do we have your permission to inform other members of the Circle and later the Compact on the slime bees and the golems? I believe if we do, we can bring the Compact to your side far more quickly.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°I¡guess I¡¯m ok with that but¡¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°To elaborate, you have achieved one of the great dreams of the black elves, one that has become a byword among them for impossible fantasies. You have raised an intelligent slime capable of crafting all by itself. And crafting golems, no less, a creation of no small complexity. Long have the black elves dreamed of using slimes to mass produce their crafts, but could never get them to work without such a degree of micromanagement as to render the effort pointless. If you have a slime-like monster that can produce golems unsupervised...many a black elf would trade you anything to learn how you did it.¡±
Belissar blinked a few times.
¡°Wow¡uh¡¡±
Nenavann smiled.
¡°Well, I can see that you don¡¯t really have the context to understand the magnitude of your feat. Just know that one of the major founding peoples of the Compact will consider this an accomplishment of accomplishments, and that we can use it to gain their support for you. The ability to mass produce golems alone would make them desperate to do business with you, which means they will push the Compact to open direct relations. Additionally¡¡±
He glanced at Tarwantrad.
¡°There is a black elf master among the Circle as well who will be most interested in this development.¡±
Tarwantrad grinned and nodded.
¡°I guess I know whose boon we¡¯re getting next.¡±
Belissar glanced between the two excited elves. He was still trying to keep up with the conversation but couldn¡¯t help a small smile.
¡°I guess this is a good thing?¡±
Both elves vigorously nodded in reply.
After calming down from the apparently remarkable achievement, Nenavann gave Belissar some advice regarding the Bog itself. He recommended Pit Traps for the room as the wet and muddy terrain already made it difficult to tell where the solid ground was. He also mentioned that he and Tarwantrad both would be able to provide some carnivorous monster plants that were well-suited to the environment.
Additionally, Nenavann had some recommendations on different room types Belissar could develop. Apparently, flooding a Dirt Tunnels and then connecting that to a Bog might change it to a Fen¡as well as providing Flooded Tunnels that were themselves a major obstacle to all non-aquatic invaders. Belissar was very much confused when Nenavann tried to explain the difference between bogs and fens until he eventually simplified it to ¡°bog with more nutrients in the water and soil.¡± It would apparently be more conducive to aquatic life and less-specialized plants.
After Belissar shared Hesfalle¡¯s recommendations, Nenavann also mentioned that Bogs had good synergy with Death, so Belissar could also try and gather excess corpses in a bog. Apparently, human armies especially hated marching through Death bogs. Belissar shivered a bit at the look on Nenavann¡¯s face when he mentioned that.
All in all, Belissar had gained advice regarding existing rooms, proposals for developing new rooms, and a promise of new features and monsters to populate them. But more than that, he now had two fey dungeon masters¡¯ promise of support against the Tower Lords with the possibility of much more if the slime queen making golems was as impressive as they claimed. And, above all, he had the reassurance from a dungeon master over a thousand years old that it was possible that he would survive the Tower Lord¡¯s attacks.
That news had Belissar so relieved he collapsed to the ground for a bit once the elves had departed. The Tower Lords would not take his bees after all.
Schedule Update 1/26/2025
Hi everyone.
There was a death in the family yesterday. Grandparent in the late nineties whose health had been declining for a while so not unexpected, but still. Sorry to delay right after taking a week off, going to need more time before resuming posting. Took the wrong week off, huh? Well, don''t plan to take the entirety of next week off but no chapter tomorrow for sure, will play it by ear from there. Tentative restart day will be Tuesday or Wednesday, but I''ll edit this post with updates as they come.
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Hope you all have a bee-utiful week regardless.
Update 1/27/2025: Thank you all for your compassion and understanding, appreciate you all. As many of you have encouraged me, not going to push it this week. Won''t rule out resuming later this week if I feel up to it, but won''t force it if not. Will take this week one day at a time and set next week as the latest expected resume date.
Update 2/2/2025: Posting will resume tomorrow!
Chapter 222 - Bee-lieve in the Slime!
Belissar decided to wait until the next day to implement any of the rooms Nenavann talked about, since it was just about time for the daily purification. Sadly, rest zones did not conveniently appear as a reward option this time, so he took more mana as usual.
The next morning, Tarwantrad arrived with a newcomer in tow. The newcomer was relatively short and wore a blacksmith¡¯s apron. The pointed ears marked him as some sort of elf, but clearly different from Tarwantrad as he had dark blue, almost black skin and black hair. He was currently scowling with his arms crossed. Belissar made his way over to greet them. Tarwantrad smiled at him while the newcomer kept scowling.
¡°Hi Belissar! This is Dungeon Master Tamosmed."
Tamosmed¡¯s scowl deepened.
¡°And forge adept and golem crafter.¡±
Tarwantrad rolled her eyes.
¡°And this is Belissar, tower keeper and beekeeper and beehouse inventor and savior of all that is fair, while we¡¯re at it.¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that so decided to just greet the new guy.
¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡±
Tamosmed just grunted.
¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. Now, are you going to insist on wasting my time?¡±
Tarwantrad let out an exasperated sigh.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Belissar, but Tamosmed here refused to believe your slime queen can make golems. Could you show him her work?¡±
Belissar shrugged as he called for the First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter.
¡°Sure.¡±
Tamosmed grumbled under his breath and plopped himself down at the nearby table without asking. Tarwantrad sighed once more and apologized again. Belissar just shrugged it off. Sure, Tamosmed hadn¡¯t exactly been friendly so far, but if he was here to grant a boon then Belissar would put up with it.
A short while later, the Seventh Daughter arrived in her beeswax golem. Tarwantrad smirked as she held out her hands towards the golem.
¡°See?¡±
Tamosmed scoffed.
¡°See what? A slime mimicking human form while hardening its exterior? Please, every single golem crafter thinks they made a breakthrough with that trick. I did it myself, all I got for it was a beating. And even if that is a golem, there¡¯s no proof the slime was the one that made it. And even if the slime made it, it doesn¡¯t matter if the dungeon master commanded it every step of the way. What you¡¯re showing me here is your sheer ignorance, Tarwantrad.¡±
Tarwantrad growled.
¡°Your skull is thicker than your anvil, Tamosmed! I already told you I was there when he selected the option from the Tower and it clearly said golem! Fine, be that way! Belissar, please have your bees make another golem right here!¡±
Belissar shrugged as he turned to the Seventh Daughter.
¡°Could you make another golem for us?¡±
The golem ran around in figure eight pattern while the Seventh Daughter¡¯s honey slime oozed out of it. Tamosmed sighed before turning to watch.
¡°Fine, if it¡¯ll shut you up.¡±
He rolled his eyes as the Seventh Daughter and her workers arranged the honey slime into humanoid shape and hardened its exterior into wax. Tamosmed scoffed.
¡°See, hardened slime, just as I thought¡wait.¡±
He narrowed his eyes and leaned on the table as the Seventh Daughter condensed a core and finished the process. He slowly rose to his feet as the golem began to move, rubbing his chin.
¡°Dungeon master, get your slime out of the shell. Instruct it not to leave a single drop of slime inside.¡±
Belissar glanced at Tarwantrad. She shrugged and then nodded, so Belissar relayed those instructions to the Seventh Daughter. She and her workers oozed out of the golem and waited. Tamosmed grunted and poked the golem.
¡°Holding its shape, harder than the usual slime. Mana flow is¡need to test.¡±
Tamosmed pulled out a large knife and cut off the golem¡¯s hand. The golem reacted by punching with its other arm but Tamosmed caught its fist. He didn¡¯t even look at the golem trying to pull its fist back as he watched the severed hand on the ground. His eyes began to widen.
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¡°Holding its shape even after being separated¡so¡not a slime? Attacking like a humanoid, repetitive behaviour¡¡±
The Seventh Daughter and her hive began buzzing, causing her honey slime to vibrate. Belissar glanced at Tarwantrad. She sighed but shook her head, so Belissar told the Seventh Daughter to wait.
Tamosmed stabbed his knife into the golem¡¯s torso and cut out a hexagonal prism of wax that was glowing softly. The golem stopped moving while the Seventh Daughter¡¯s buzzed even louder. Tamosmed held up the prism to his eye and stared at it for a good minute before glancing back at the wax body. His eyes slowly widened and he began to tremble.
¡°This is¡it¡¯s really¡¡±
He swung his head over to the Seventh Daughter and then he began to mutter.
¡°An insect instead of a core? Intelligent¡or told instructions ahead of time? Dungeon master, I need to run another test.¡±
He approached the Seventh Daughter with his knife. The other beeswax golem moved and grabbed the elf from behind while the Seventh Daughter¡¯s honey slime began to take the form of stingers.
¡°Evil one destroyed mobile hive, coming to attack! Can sting now?!¡±
Belissar stepped in front of the Seventh Daughter, stirring up his own mana and preparing to create spell bees if necessary. He glared at the elf.
¡°The golem is one thing, but do NOT hurt my bees.¡±
Tamosmed glanced down at the knife in his hand and then started. He quickly waved his hands in front of him¡breaking out of the remaining golem¡¯s grip in the meantime.
¡°Ah¡it¡¯s a misunderstanding, I do not intend to harm the slime.¡±
He then glanced around Belissar at the Seventh Daughter.
¡°That¡coherent language and asking permission to act? That might be confirmation already. Still, I must be sure.¡±
He turned back to Belissar and put away his knife.
¡°Dungeon master, may I run one further test? I swear the slime will not be harmed.¡±
Belissar stared at him a moment more.
¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. And¡you need to apologize to the First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter for destroying her golem that she made to show you.¡±
Tamosmed glanced back at the dismantled golem and then at the Seventh Daughter.
¡°Ah.¡±
He turned and walked back over to the golem and picked up its severed hand. He stuck it back on its arm and flared his mana, leaving the hand reattached. He then stuck the core in his hand back inside the golem¡¯s chest. He placed his hand over the hole in its torso and flared his mana, then the hole closed itself up. The golem came back to life a moment later and resumed trying to punch him, though he caught its fists immediately.
¡°There, good as new¡First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter, was it? Could you command your golem to stop attacking now?¡±
The Seventh Daughter turned to Belissar instead and he nodded at her. A pulse of mana later and the golem stopped moving. Tamosmed stared at it for a moment longer before shaking his head. He reached into his apron and pulled out a ring with all sorts of complicated patterns engraved into it, then stepped forward and placed it on the ground in front of the Seventh Daughter¡¯s hive.
¡°Can you replicate that?¡±
Belissar nodded at the Seventh Daughter again. Her hive buzzed at the elf until he stepped further back before crawling over to the ring. She engulfed it in her honey slime and her workers crawled around it. The workers then began swimming around another part of the honey slime that began to condense and harden. It took a bit of time, but eventually a ring made of wax formed. The workers pushed it out of the honey slime and plopped onto the ground. Tamosmed waited for the Seventh Daughter and her hive to pull back before moving to pick up both rings. He examined them both closely.
After a few minutes, he slowly turned to Belissar and then bowed.
¡°You have my deepest apologies for my doubt, Master Belissar.¡±
It took Belissar some time figuring out how to respond while Tarwantrad puffed up with a smug grin.
After a bit, everyone had calmed down enough for Belissar to explain a bit more about the Seventh Daughter. Tamosmed sat back down with a thoughtful expression.
¡°I see, so you weren¡¯t attempting to craft at all. You just wanted to raise a new kind of bee based on slime flowers, and then happened to get beeswax golems as a dungeon reward later?¡±
Belissar nodded and Tamosmed rubbed his chin.
¡°Fascinating. The monster bees already link to their offspring so they were able to take on the role of a slime core, birthing a truly intelligent slime monster. And bees making wax golems, it seems so obvious now.¡±
He leaned back, shaking his head.
¡°And we never would have figured it out. Who knew that the secret to true slime crafting would involve flowers and bees?¡±
Well, Belissar could only shrug at that. He still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the big deal was, and Tamosmed got entirely too animated trying to explain it. But Belissar didn¡¯t need anyone to tell him that his bees were amazing so he just accepted it as that.
Tamosmed took another deep breath, then leaned forward on the table, crossed his hands, and rested his chin upon them.
¡°It would be unfortunate if they were limited solely to wax, though. We¡¯ll have to try and see if we can raise a metal slime bee. Not sure how, though, metal slimes form from mana-imbued ore veins rather than slime flowers.¡±
The smug grin Tarwantrad had worn this entire time only grew.
¡°Then why not raise metal mana flowers and cross-pollinate them?¡±
Tamosmed scowled.
¡°Metal mana flowers? Those weeds that¡¡±
His eyes slowly widened.
¡°¡that steal the metal right out of the veins and into their leaves. That¡¡±
He suddenly leapt to his feet with a huge grin.
¡°That could work! Slimes can take on anything so if the slime bee can drink metal straight from the flowers, then we could evolve fully intelligent metal slimes! We could create designs that are impossible to complete by hand and then we could produce them in an instant! We could build entire legions of golems each equipped with masterpiece weapons overnight!¡±
Tarwantrad poked him, still grinning.
¡°You mean that¡Belissar could do all that.¡±
Tamosmed furrowed his brow for a bit until his eyes widened again.
¡°Ah, right.¡±
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lump of silvery ore, placing it on the table.
¡°My offering to you, Tower Keeper Belissar, assuming you have not already surpassed it. This is mithril.¡±
Belissar gasped.
¡°The metal from the stories? I thought it was a myth¡¡±
Tamosmed nodded.
¡°It¡¯s rare enough that it might as well be. But your achievement is rarer still, so I can think of no other boon that is suitable for you. Just promise me that you will raise a metal slime bee someday and give me the chance to fair price for one once you do. I will work with your bees and craftsmen now, in fact, in preparation for that day.¡±
Belissar nodded with a smile. He couldn¡¯t exactly say he fully understood what was going on, but he did know that mithril was amazing. And, metal slime bees would be more amazing still. He¡¯d try to raise some even if no one asked him to.
Gaining the assistance of a fey craftsman and dungeon master for something he would have done anyways? Now that sounded like a good deal to him.
Chapter 223 - Metallur-Bee
Tamosmed left after promising to bring by some metal mana flowers as soon as possible. The black elves apparently considered them as a weed and purged them regularly so he didn¡¯t have any on hand, but assured Belissar that they always found more.
Belissar wasn¡¯t particularly worried about the delay, but more flowers were always nice so he awaited Tamosmed¡¯s return. Besides, he had another idea on how he might acquire either metal slime bees or metal golems. Tarwantrad was still hanging around so he ran it by her.
¡°I just thought of this, but what about the thermal mining bees? The description says they mix minerals and metals into their wax, so maybe we could hybridize them with the slime bees? Or would making golems with their wax work?¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Oh¡I hadn¡¯t considered that.¡±
She then grinned.
¡°I think Tamosmed will be in for another big surprise when you show him. I¡¯m not an expert on golem crafting or mining and slimes for that matter, but I imagine either of those options would be of great interest to him and his people.¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°In that case, would you like to check on the thermal mining bees with me? I was going to head over there to place this mithril anyways.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°I would love to!¡±
Belissar and Tarwantrad thus headed over to the Dirt Tunnels connected to the Apiary, and to the open cavern where the digging and thermal mining bees lived. As they walked, Belissar went ahead and absorbed the mithril.
Sufficient samples gathered. Mithril is now available.
Current Applications: Dirt Tunnels*, Lava Field* (*=Resource Node only)
Belissar also checked the description of the metal itself to see how much of the legends were true.
Mithril
- Mana Upkeep: 50 per node, 25 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: A mystical metal that can only be found in locations with heavy mana density. Lighter, harder, and tougher than most other metals and possesses far superiority mana absorption and conductivity. An ideal material for enchanting.
Well, it certainly had a mythical cost, as much as a Fairy Grove or a mini-volcano for each node. It certainly sounded powerful, even though Belissar didn¡¯t know about metals or enchanting to say how powerful. He guessed Tamosmed would help with that. He guessed he would try one for now¡
As soon as Belissar started to place one, he ran into a problem.
Available Resource Minerals for Dirt Tunnels:
- Mithril Ore (Mana Upkeep: 50 per node, 100 due to unsuitable environment)
One¡hundred mana for a single node. Belissar currently had a bit over two hundred free so that was nearly half his available mana. He checked the Lava Field as well and found it the same cost there, so there was no getting around it. Could he really justify spending half his mana on a single mineral node? When he would need to create butcher bee spawners and new rooms and features as well? Was mithril powerful enough to justify that cost?
Tarwantrad paused and turned around as she noticed Belissar come to a sudden halt.
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¡°Belissar, is something the matter?¡±
He was startled out of his thoughts and took a moment before frowning.
¡°Mithril is really expensive.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head and hummed for a moment.
¡°That makes sense. It is one of the most prized possessions of black elves as a people. I¡¯m guessing none of your rooms are suited to it?¡±
Belissar nodded and read out the description of the ore, the available rooms, and the costs involved. Tarwantrad crossed her arms and hummed to herself again.
¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Tamosmed for the specifics but¡if I had to guess it is likely that the Dirt Tunnels and Lava Fields are both too mundane and don¡¯t fulfill the mana density condition. The only room you¡¯ve showed me that might are the Fairy Groves.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°But it¡¯s not available in those?¡±
Tarwantrad rubbed her chin.
¡°No, but perhaps you could make use of them? Perhaps if you placed a Dirt Tunnels or Lava Field close by, with as many entrances between them as possible, and then added as many mana-producing features as possible, you could increase their mana density? It would probably be easier with the Dirt Tunnels, though the Lava Fields lend themselves better to mineral creation.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Huh, maybe?¡±
Tarwantrad shrugged.
¡°Don¡¯t take my word for it though, I only concern myself with geology to the extent that it impacts soil fertility. I¡¯ll ask Tamosmed again and see if he has any advice.¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Thanks.¡±
The two arrived at their destination as they finished their conversation. The thermal mining queen, the First of the Fourth¡¯s First Daughter, flew out to greet them. Belissar smiled at her.
¡°Hi there, do you mind if we check on your hive?¡±
Needless to say the thermal mining queen had no issue with that whatsoever. Belissar walked over and removed the stone slab door from the subterranean hive. He and Tarwantrad were able to step right inside.
The First of the Fourth¡¯s First Daughter had been busy. He found a swarm of workers flying in and out. Some had the usual pollen pants indicating they had been foraging from the flowers, but others carried little pebbles or chunks of ore instead. To Belissar¡¯s surprise, both of these delivered their quarry to the honey production lines. The thermal hive had raised a few honeypots as well¡and some of the workers delivered little ore chunks to them, using their heated mandibles to vibrate the ore and break off pieces small enough for the honeypots to swallow.
The honeypots then began to glow like the embers in the center of a fire. Bits of smoke bubbled off depressions in their abdomens before the honeypots blew them away with their wings. Honeypots that finished the process gave hot little bits of wax to the workers to carry away.
The workers then added to these the growing trays of honeycomb. Honeycomb that, rather than the usual yellow, was varying shades of dull, metallic colors, largely gray. Belissar leaned over towards one and poked it with a finger.
The honeycomb felt as hard as iron to him.
He turned to find Tarwantrad staring at the honeypots with wide eyes.
¡°They¡¯re¡they¡¯re like little forges. Tamosmed would freak out if he saw this.¡±
Belissar and Tarwantrad soon left them be. The thermal mining bees were building their hive at a slower pace than the other bees, likely due to the more involved process required to make their combs, so Belissar didn¡¯t ask them about golems or hybridizing with the slime bees just yet. The slime bees themselves had just moved to the Bog so Belissar wanted to give both hives a chance to expand their numbers first. But, suffice to say, Belissar now very much looked forward to the day the thermal mining bees could build a golem out of their wax¡
With mithril waiting on Tamosmed¡¯s recommendations and the thermal mining bees still building up, Belissar decided to tackle Nenavann¡¯s advice first. But since several bees had already moved into the existing Bog, Belissar decided to add a second for the sake of defense. The first floor had an empty room slot so he added it to the defense rooms there, placing it after the battle Fairy Grove. He added a vaporous hemlock node for the poison mist and then spread out ten Pit Traps around the room as Nenavann recommended. He finished off by adding the usual shortcut to the Orchard¡¯s travel wall.
Next, he added a Dirt Tunnels room to the currently empty fifth floor, then placed water stone and mana flower nodes within it, right next to each other. A Flooded Tunnels sounded like an excellent defensive option and was apparently necessary if he ever wanted to convert a Bog into a Fen, so Belissar decided to get started on that now.
Then, he paused. He was about to open a hole in the roof of the tunnels to let in sunlight for the mana flowers when he remembered the holes in other Dirt Tunnels were actually entrances to connected rooms. But this Dirt Tunnels didn¡¯t have any other rooms on its floor, so would it actually work?
Then Belissar shrugged and tried it anyway, figuring the Tower would let him know if it was possible or not. And, lo and behold, a hole opened up and let the sunlight through. Belissar glanced up the hole with his tower sight and just saw an indeterminately long tunnel with the sun shining at the end. He smiled and shrugged again. Tower magic sure was convenient.
In any case, he had done what he needed to and now just had to wait for the stones to flood the tunnels. He was about to go check on the progress of the Death room when Niobee suddenly started dancing on his head.
¡°King! First of the Fifth asking if ok to try and evolve! Is ok?¡±
Belissar froze at that news.
POBee 223.1 - The Path of Honey Bee-gins
The First of the Fifth watched as a honeypot finished the last round of processing for the newest honey and workers started transferring the product to their cells. She followed the first worker of the bunch and crawled over to the cell once it was full. She dipped her proboscis in and took a sip before buzzing her wings.
This honey was the best she had ever produced. Twice now the King had spread the power of the Queen of All Flowers through the fields, while the gardeners reported a successful hybrid of the mana flower and the bee balm had finally bloomed. The result was a flower that produced nectar unlike anything they had ever gathered before, so full of mana and nutrients in its base form that the First of the Fifth had initially worried if it could even be processed any further. The mana bee balm then produced this nectar in such quantities that a single one could nearly supply a basic monster bee hive all on its own, if the nutrient dense nectar could be spread out enough for the number of proboscises.
The First of the Fifth had put this through her well-sorted production lines, passing it between multiple honeypots to bring its mana content to the absolute limit with a handful of breeze and burning workers coordinating to manage the drying climate with immaculate precision. The result was the sweetest, most nourishing, and most mana dense honey her hive had ever produced, over twice as much in nearly every category as the previous best.
And yet¡it was not enough. That result was simply to be expected when working with such a potent nectar. It was fundamentally no different than any honey she had made before. It took no steps on the path to greater honey she now sought. She would not even begin to approach the honey of the Queen of All Bees if she remained content with this.
She began pacing in circles as she considered what to do. Her children were not at fault, they were working to the best of their abilities and their instincts and following her instructions to the step. Every aspect of her hive, from the scouting and the foraging to the production and storage were all working at maximum efficiency. Communers placed within the very same hive, at ranges where they weren¡¯t strictly necessary, ensured there was absolutely no delay in adjusting to any problems or changing conditions.
Which meant that the answer must lie with her. An answer that Frelis and the Fourth of the Seventh had already proven abundantly clear. Her children were already working as best they could, it was the queen¡¯s job to break the limits of their instincts and find new paths to take. She needed to get involved.
The question was how? A queen was no better suited to honey production than a worker or a honeypot, so it was not as simple as her joining one of the lines. The Firstborn had been attempting that with the soldiers¡¯ role and had been forced to consider alternate methods when she couldn¡¯t keep up. So, the First of the Fifth considered the Fourth of the Seventh. She had gone to join her scouts in their role, yes, but that was not all she had done. She had gone and prepared a second hive out in the Beyond for her scouts to use. She had found a way to perform the role of a queen within the role of a scout.
Perhaps that was the answer, then? She had to determine how her abilities as queen could apply to honey production beyond simply mimicking the workers and honeypots. A way that she, and only she, could elevate that process.
There was an immediate answer. For monster bees, a queen had to imbue honey with her own mana in order to create the royal jelly necessary to raise new queens. The First of the Fifth looked at the cell of honey before her. She could easily elevate the honey to royal jelly with a simple imbuement of her mana, so she instead considered how she could do more.
She pulsed her mana, calling for the nearest communication drone, who arrived shortly thereafter. She recalled her conversations with the dangerous one on novel methods of processing honey. The dangerous one had mentioned that seemingly unrelated actions could impact the results of her mixtures, occasionally requiring her to alter mixing methods or even dance around. When the First of the Fifth considered how Beero could manipulate her mana through dances, that seemed like an obvious method to try.
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So, rather than imbuing the honey directly, the First of the Fifth had the communication drone slowly siphon a strand of her mana and connect it to the honey¡¯s own, and then began to dance. She watched through the drone¡¯s eyes as her mana shifted the honey¡¯s, stirring both up as they combined. A chaotic mixture creating swirls and bubbles.
She hated it. So, she adjusted her dance, varying her steps and speed and watching how the honey¡¯s mana reacted. She changed the rate at which her own mana flowed out of her, flaring and restricting it.
And then¡the honey popped. A bubble had formed in its mana that burst out. Half the honey had spilled out of the cell, while mana rapidly drained out of the honey that remained. When it was finished, the honey was now less mana dense than some of her very first batches.
But the First of the Fifth did not give up. She tried this process again and again, burning through countless cells of precious honey. Until, eventually, she began to notice a power. A combination of steps and variations in speed and mana flow that made the chaotic swirl more orderly. That created structures within the mana which could store even more.
This one blew up too. But it hinted that the First of the Fifth was on the right track. And then¡eventually¡she managed to complete a dance and an imbuement without the honey exploding.
What lay before her eyes was a cell filled with glowing honey, the likes of which she had never seen before. Her wings slowly fluttered as she gently extended her proboscis to take a sip. Her whole body shivered as the honey passed through, resonating with a tiny spark that had lit when she tasted the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey.
This was it. A new kind of honey of a fundamentally superior quality to any she had made before. Her instincts told her that this would be suitable. This was the honey that could not only raise a queen, but that could evolve one.
She broke out into a happy dance. It was only the first small step, but she had finally progressed on the path of honey. She could finally offer something to the King that no normal bee could.
And in that moment, she felt her mana stir, especially the spark within. Her instincts drove her, nearly taking over as she ordered the construction of a new, much larger cell that she began filling with the new honey. She came to herself just in time to realize what she was doing.
She was about to evolve. But with sheer force of will, she tore herself from the cell and to the closest communer. The King had tasked her with many roles on behalf of the hive of hives. Feeding the other hives, managing the evolutions of the other queens, promoting and categorizing cross-pollinations, and more. She could not and would not abandon those tasks without his permission, not even for her own evolution. Still, she could not ignore her instincts entirely, so she asked the Conduit for help and advice.
What came back was the voice of the King, reverberating through her mind.
¡°Definitely! I can¡¯t wait to see you evolve!¡±
The First of the Fifth trembled. Rather than giving her advice, apparently the Conduit had just asked the King directly. And against all of the First of the Fifth¡¯s concerns, the King had agreed. No, he encouraged her to do this. He was looking forward to seeing what resulted.
The First of the Fifth could no longer resist her instincts. She devoted all efforts to filling the cell with honey. Once that was done, she sent a quick message to her daughters to keep an eye on things, crawled inside, and curled up before her workers sealed her inside.
She expected to drift to sleep, but instead the honey began to brighten with a golden light. When she could no longer see, the light flashed¡and then a hive unlike any other stretched out before her. She saw the Queen of All Bees standing before her.
She tried to dance a salute but the Queen of All Bees danced first. She told the First of the Fifth of her potential and what she could become. The First of the Fifth saw a queen standing above all others, one who birthed and commanded queens as if they were workers. A queen of queens who formed a hive out of hives.
The First of the Fifth rejected this immediately, recoiling as she danced her refusal. She was already a part of a hive of hives and they already had someone who stood over them. The King was the king of queens and the one who led the hive of hives. The First of the Fifth would have no other, not even herself. And knowing how the King loved and favored all queens, she would not elevate herself among them. Not unless the King commanded her so.
The Queen of All Bees did not respond to her refusal, instead immediately moving on to her next dance. The First of the Fifth saw herself in her own hive, poring over each and every cell. She saw trays full of glistening, glowing honey, full of every type and color. She saw bees and beasts and King-like beings all scrambling and fighting for even a single taste of what she could produce.
She immediately began a happy dance, seeing what could result if she continued on the path of honey. The Queen of All Bees danced a confirmation and then the First of the Fifth¡¯s vision went dark as she fell into a deep slumber¡
POBear 223.2 - A Bear-y Bee-utiful Garden
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Second through Fifth Daughters were currently pacing about in a group within their joint hive. They knew that their queen mother was working on a new honey type, but they had not expected her to suddenly evolve. Now, with hardly any warning, their queen mother was sealed up in a cell, possibly for days given the example of other queen evolutions. For the moment, there were no problems, the hive was functioning well as the First of the Fifth¡¯s workers handled their task with the immaculate precision and efficiency their queen mother prized.
But the daughters knew all that could change very rapidly, and none of them understood the full picture of the hives¡¯ efforts. Not to mention that the First of the Fifth performed a lot of duties outside of the hive. Who among them was going to receive the scout reports on the state of all the other hives in the Tower? Who among them was supposed to determine how much honey to deliver to each of the other hives? Who among them should manage cross-pollination of new flowers? Each of them could perhaps to one of those jobs, but none had the comprehensive view of their own joint hive, much less the entire hive of hives, necessary to make decisions with confidence.
¡°Hi, queen mother evolving already?¡±
But then, new mana and a new dance joined the debate. All the daughters turned to find another of their number arriving, one they had not considered. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter had heard her mother¡¯s message as well and returned to her home hive with a full squad of communers and drones. The daughters quickly began laying out the situation to her.
The First Daughter wasted no time and immediately began dancing to her communers.
¡°Coordinate with shortcut guards, ask hive of hives to report status and honey needs there. Bind sister queens mana together, make sure all can see what others doing. Cross-pollination can wait, gardeners working with dangerous one on King¡¯s task anyways. Just report if new flowers spotted.¡±
The Second through Fifth Daughters stopped their own dances and stared as the First Daughter took command of the situation¡and was apparently already aware of wider hive of hive¡¯s circumstances. The First Daughter then turned to them.
¡°Ok if help coordinate? Helped Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive, helped hive of hives with shortcuts, so can help while queen mother evolving?¡±
The First Daughter was a bit surprised when her siblings burst out into rapid and relieved dances for help. She had thought they¡¯d be better positioned to manage things given they lived in the queen mother¡¯s hive and she did not, but apparently all of them were specialized in specific tasks. But that was no problem for the First Daughter.
After all, she had plenty of experience helping hives with absent queens keep their affairs organized and efficient. And now, she could help her sisters and her queen mother in the same way the Fourth of the Seventh had helped her.
Juosiutik double-checked the stone experimentation room. Nothing especially valuable or flammable was left in the area and the only bee present was a communer from the First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter standing on her shoulder. An emergency water stone was lodged safely in the roof where any burst of mana would cause it to shower the room, the big chimney overhead was clean and clear to let out any fumes, and she had healing and antidote potions in a pouch on her belt. She took a deep breath. All the safety precautions were in order.
Juosiutik herself stood in a corner of the room by an open door where she could easily flee¡or be blown outside instead of against a wall should any sort of blast impact her. One of Toivenaq¡¯s iron shields was set up there to block most of the corner from the rest of the room. Kneeling behind it, she held out her hand over a small bowl and stirred up her mana. A honeycomb of light appeared and shifted to a brighter yellow that emitted small, crackling sparks. Crackling yellow honey dripped from it and began to join the pool already in the bowl. With this, she should finally have enough.
Juosiutik had learned from the Tower Keeper that she could learn to produce specialized honey types with her blessing and the bee magic it taught her, though she had to consume the honey in question first. The Fourth of the Eight had recently donated enough shocking honey for her to add it to her repertoire. It had been a trial that left her body twitching and her tongue and throat numb, but she managed to pull it off. Now, she had finally gathered enough to experiment with. The mana required to create persistent magical honey was no joke, but she couldn¡¯t ask the bees for their honey until she had solidified a useful recipe for it.
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Which meant it was time for potentially explosive experimentation. Her blessing as a honey herbalist did give her better intuition about the results of novel mixes and warned her of danger¡but, unfortunately, explosives were also a useful and desirable recipe so Juosiutik was choosing to ignore any such warnings. She poured the honey into a very long ladle and carefully maneuvered the awkward implement around the shield. Then, she extended it into the room where a clay pot sat in the center¡holding a piece of fire radish within. She quickly poured the honey inside and then ducked behind the shield.
Soon, a plume of fire burst out of the top of the pot before the vessel cracked and shattered. Sparks crackled amidst the flames and formed some sort of glowing sphere in its center for a moment before it all dissipated.
Juosiutik looked to the communer and nodded.
¡°So, shocking honey and fire radish also explode.¡±
The communer danced a salute and began relaying the results back to the Third Daughter¡¯s hive, where they would be assigned to a worker to remember. Juosiutik, now running low on mana, stood back up and cleared the room of heated, sparking shards before heading outside.
Outside, she found a swarm of gardeners buzzing through the Apothecary, carrying seeds and pollen, tending to flowers and feeding them mana, and foraging from those that had bloomed. The ground sparkled like gems in the sun from the mana flowers filling the garden. A new swimming gardener landed on the lotus flowers there, including glowing variants crossbred with mana flowers. A digging gardener broke through the soil and crawled out of the ground after checking on the roots below. A gravity gardener flared her mana to keep her flower from squishing or uprooting the others nearby. Juosiutik could hear but not see the new blinding gardener tending to the shadow vines and other subterranean plants within the garden¡¯s small cave.
She made her way to one of her favorites and knelt down by a patch of quickblossom. A shocking gardener led shocking workers to each of the flowers. The shocking bees crackled as their wings buzzed, sparks flying off them and into the flowers as they rubbed their wings and hairs together. Now that the Fourth of the Eighth¡¯s hive had grown, they had taken over the lightning duties from Beero and her soldiers and the quickblossom flowers were all the better for it. Juosiutik smiled, she now had enough for Belissar to absorb, ensuring they would never run out at any point in the future. And with the Fourth of the Eighth¡¯s hive providing as much lightning as required, Juosiutik would soon be able to produce her mother¡¯s potion in bulk.
She paused though and looked closer. Her eyes widened as she saw the quickblossom flowers themselves spark and crackle. Little bolts of lightning jumped between the flowers and the bees whenever they got close.
And it wasn¡¯t limited to the quickblossom. The mana flowers were glowing brighter, the air distorted around the flame radish and fire mana flowers, and slimy nectar dripped from the gelatinous heather. A breeze constantly blew through the garden from the soaring bee blossom overhead and she could have sworn the cave with the shadow vine seemed darker than usual. Juosiutik knew that Belissar had applied some boons from the God of Flowers, but this was something else. The nectar from all these flowers was starting to become magical all on its own. Oh, the potions she could make with all of this¡
But she shook her head. The time for experimentation was over for today. She instead turned to the center of the garden, where one gardener covered in flowers rested on top of a moving rose monster, dancing with the gardeners flying to and from her. Juosiutik waved.
¡°Hi Frelis, how are things going?¡±
¡°Flowers growing strong. Shouldn¡¯t grow this close, but Tower¡¯s mana helping, so do. All blooming now.¡±
Juosiutik smiled.
¡°So, we¡¯re ready now?¡±
Frelis replied with a question dance of her own.
¡°If dangerous one¡¯s flowers ready?¡±
Juosiutik winced again at the bees¡¯ name for her. Unfortunately, her recent string of experiments with explosives had not helped. She shook it off and nodded, however. In the end, there were worst names. Being dangerous wasn¡¯t so bad¡when it was intentional.
¡°Yes, I was going to pick some for the Tower Keeper now. If that¡¯s enough for him to absorb the base variant, then it¡¯ll be ok to start cross-pollinating them.¡±
Frelis danced the salute and then began to beat her wings.
¡°Then, can tell King room is ready for flower one! Will go with you!¡±
The rose monster responded by wrapping its vines around Frelis, who stopped beating her wings.
¡°We can go with, together?¡±
The rose monster pulled its roots out of the ground and slithered over to Juosiutik. She couldn¡¯t help a smile. She was now creating magical honey out of thin air, talking with monster bees and monster flowers, and tending a garden full of mystical flowers they were about to share with a fey disciple of the God of Flowers. She could only wonder what her mother would have said if she could have seen all this¡
Chapter 224 - Bee-hold the Butcher
Belissar grinned as he made his way to the Flower Meadow with the rabbits. The First of the Fifth was one of the oldest queens and one he relied on heavily, yet she had declined to evolve with any of the special honey types thus far. Belissar couldn¡¯t help but anticipate what she might become now that she was finally evolving.
As he imagined different possible evolutions for her, he arrived at his destination and took a look around with his Tower sight. He blinked. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he enabled rabbits¡and yet he saw them spread around the room already, munching on the flowers and digging burrows in the dirt. He had expected a handful at this stage, maybe ten at most¡
Well, fortunately, he had asked the karnuq to check the room regularly and start hunting immediately once they noticed the rabbits, all on Tarwantrad¡¯s zealous recommendation. A few of the karnuq archers were present and Belissar watched them for a bit. They seemed to be having a bit of trouble hunting out in the open and the rabbits noticed them before they could line up a shot more often than not.
Belissar couldn¡¯t really help them with that, he had always relied on snares for his own hunting. Fortunately, he had already shared that method with them and the karnuq were apparently using both, so they had caught a few rabbits despite their struggles. Still, there were a lot more rabbits in the room than corpses.
But Belissar smiled. With how many rabbits there were in the room and how quickly they had spawned, he was now confident there would be an ample food supply for the butcher bees. It was time to add a new queen spawner.
Belissar made a short trip back to grab his supplies, then made his way over to the furthest corner of the room from the entrance and shortcuts. One of the hunters was just tossing a rabbit corpse there and saluted to him. Belissar, after discussions with Chief Rohsuak and Tarwantrad, had decided to designate this corner as the corpse spot, given that they would very much prefer if any undead rose as far away from the exits as possible.
Belissar greeted the hunter and confirmed the corpse here was being dumped and so free for his bees to use, then got to work building both a beehouse and a bee nest block before digging a small hole that could be converted to a bee nest. He had no idea which of those the butcher bees would prefer, but he intended to be prepared for any case. When he was done, he took a deep breath and turned to Niobee with a smile.
¡°Ready to meet some new bees?¡±
Niobee danced about happily.
¡°Ok!¡±
Belissar went ahead and placed his first butcher bee spawner. He held his breath and bounced a bit as he waited for the light to fade and the spawner to appear.
The first thing he noticed was the near skeletal carcass, which put a bit of a damper on his enthusiasm. It vaguely resembled that of a cow, though there wasn¡¯t enough left of the body to tell for sure. There were still some chunks and even hunks of rotting meat left on some of the bones, complete with the smell of decay. Belissar¡¯s face scrunched up as he looked away from the corpse.
His eyes drifted to the ground in the center of the corpse and widened. There, in the middle, was something in between a honeybee hive and bumblebee nest. It was built out of larger wax cells like the bumblebee¡¯s used, but arranged more like an orderly honeybee comb, thought with a twist. Instead of a flat comb, the cells were arranged in a multi-layered spiral rising up like a little pyramid. Belissar was so entranced by the sight he even forgot the bones and rotting meat surrounding it.
And as with the other spawners, one of the cells began to glow and a queen crawled out of it. She was nearly pure black with reddish-brown wings. Unlike his other bees, she was sleek and smooth, with hardly any hairs on her chitin. Her jaws, however, were anything but, sharp and serrated as per her name.
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Belissar put a smile on his face.
¡°Hi there, and welcome to the Tower!¡±
The butcher queen shook herself and then buzzed her wings while crawling about rapidly. It wasn¡¯t quite the same dance as the monster bees, but the Tower¡¯s mana translated it without any problems. She was saluting to him as every newly born queen had. Belissar smiled¡and just about managed not to gulp as he held out his hand towards the flesh-eating bee.
¡°Come on.¡±
The butcher bee flew up and landed on his hand. Belissar held in a sigh of relief as she did not attempt to take any bites out of him as he carried her over to the beehouses.
¡°Here, I made these to be your home. Take a look and tell me if you like any of them, or if you need something else for your hive.¡±
He opened up the beehouse first and showed her the interior, pointing out the trays and explaining how they would work. Niobee also landed on his hand and brushed her antennae against the butcher queen¡¯s to provide additional detail before flying back up to dance before Belissar.
¡°King! New queen likes! Says trays sideways, worried food and brood will fall out!¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened slightly.
¡°Ah. I see¡could you wait a bit? I¡¯ll try to see if I can flip them around.¡±
At first Belissar thought of just flipping the hive itself, but it seemed a bit flattened that way, and the legs were on the wrong side so it ended up at an angle when he tried to rest it on the ground. He gave up on that and decided to just build a new one from scratch. He referenced the spawner hive and tried to adjust the design to fit. He built it a bit more square than normal and with the grooves horizontal rather than vertical. He made the trays a bit thicker as well to account for the larger height of the wax pots. Fortunately, with the dry wood and tools from the karnuq he was able to make the trays and grooves fit more nicely than in his first attempts, so the house had no issue holding up the horizontal trays.
Belissar decided this was a good first attempt and waved the butcher queen to the house.
¡°How is this? Any more adjustments?¡±
The butcher queen flew inside and began crawling around the walls. A moment later, she crawled outside and began spinning about rapidly while making long buzzes with her wings. Belissar needed no translation to understand that response but the Tower gave one anyways.
¡°Amazing, incredible!¡±
Belissar chuckled at that. Flesh-eating or not, she truly was still a bee. He then held out his hand and waited for her to hop back on before carrying her over to the rabbit corpse.
¡°There should be a bunch of these in the room, you can hunt as many as you like. You can eat any that are dumped here for now but try to leave some if you can once you¡¯re established. There¡¯s also a mana flower patch over there¡do you drink nectar from flowers?¡±
To his surprise, the butcher queen confirmed that she did. Belissar took a moment at that before he continued.
¡°Got it, you can drink from those then, or from any flowers in the room. Other rooms are fine too but you should ask the other bees living there first. Ah¡and regarding hunting, please don¡¯t attack the karnuq¡or Tarwantrad¡or the humans¡or the wyverns¡for now, how about you just stick with these rabbits and let us know if they aren¡¯t enough?¡±
Fortunately, the butcher queen saluted at that¡and then began spinning and buzzing about again.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Big Queen is best queen!¡±
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again. Worries about flesh-eating bees aside, he was excited to help these bees grow too.
¡°Great. We¡¯ll let you get to it, then. Just let me or Niobee or one of the other bees know if you need anything or have any questions. Ah, we normally gather each night, so we¡¯ll introduce you to all the others later this evening if you¡¯re done working by then. Let us know if you need to work on your hive today, though, we can always introduce you later.¡±
The butcher queen saluted and called him best queen once more before zipping off to the mana flowers and taking a big drink. Afterwards, she made her way to the rabbit corpse. Belissar watched intently, wondering what a flesh-eating bee would look like while foraging¡
He decided his curiosity was sufficiently sated when she started tunneling through the eye of the corpse. Well¡hopefully this meant he wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much about whatever rabbit disaster hit Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon¡
Speaking of which, Niobee¡¯s mana starting flaring and soon she was dancing about.
¡°King! Frelis says dangerous one¡¯s flowers ready! Has new flowers for King and ready to invite flower one!¡±
Belissar grinned.
¡°Great, let¡¯s go check it out.¡±
And so, Belissar left the new butcher bee to her feasting.
Chapter 225 - A Request Bee-queathed
Juosiutik had the biggest smile Belissar had ever seen on her face as she held out a bunch of flowers to him. He returned the smile as he took the flowers.
A moment later, the flowers vanished.
Sufficient samples gathered. Quickblossom is now available!
Current Applications: Apothecary¡¯s Hut*, Fairy Grove** (* = node only, ** = node only and variable growth rate)
Juosiutik bounced in place.
¡°Was that enough?¡±
Belissar¡¯s own smile grew.
¡°Yes, we can now make quickblossom.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes moistened a bit even as she clenched her fists.
¡°Yes! I can start mass producing my mom¡¯s potions from now on. I can even start experimenting with the recipe¡¡±
Her eyes suddenly widened.
¡°Wait, what if I use add sedative or shocking honey, or maybe even both! Or maybe I could mix the two honeys directly and¡¡±
Belissar chuckled as Juosiutik began muttering to herself. He left her to it and turned his attention to Frelis and her rose monster.
¡°So, all the flowers are ready?¡±
Frelis danced the salute.
¡°All flowers planted, bloomed! Ready!¡±
Belissar grinned and reached down to brush her back¡as well as the rose vines hovering nearby, careful to avoid the thorns.
¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll let Tarwantrad know we¡¯re ready. Great work you two, and all the gardeners!¡±
At this point, though, the day was coming to a close and Tarwantrad had already left, so Belissar just left a message with her monster. He tackled the daily purification and set up for the celebration as usual. He looked up to see Niobee flying in with the butcher queen and smiled.
¡°Everyone, this is our first butcher queen, who¡¯s living in the rabbit room.¡±
The queens rushed over to see the new queen. The butcher queen, contrary to Belissar¡¯s expectations, didn¡¯t wilt or flinch as the larger queens approached, not even when the evolved Fourth of the Seventh or the big bumblebee queens hovered over her.
¡°Hello, am First Butcher Queen of the First Dynasty of the First Butcher Spawner. Nice to meet King¡¯s hive of hives!¡±
Belissar glanced over at Niobee and smiled. It seemed she had filled in the First of the First Butchers on a lot. The other queens, on the other hand, welcomed her with open legs. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter danced with her after the initial greetings finished.
¡°New queen drink honey?¡±
The First Butcher confirmed.
¡°Got it, will bring honey to help new hive tomorrow.¡±
The First Butcher froze before making loud and long buzzes. The First Daughter danced her off, however.
¡°Is fine, hive of hives help each other. We help First of the First Butchers set up hive now, First of the First Butchers helps once hive established. Queen mother and Fourth of the Seventh did for me, too.¡±
Belissar¡¯s chest grew warm as he watched the new queen join the hive of hives, with all the others enthusiastically helping the newcomer.
The next day, Belissar received a message from Tarwantrad that she¡¯d stop by as soon as possible to open up the flower nurseries. He made sure everything was ready on his end by setting up a shortcut to the Apothecary¡¯s Hut on the Fairy Grove wall closest to the nexus door. He informed all of the bees that the exchange would likely begin soon and asked the gardeners to remain on standby. The Fourth of the Seventh also indicated that she would, in between maximum speed ¡°Amazing, incredible!¡± dances.
In the meantime, Belissar resumed work on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s wax golem. Using spell bees to magically create wax burned through his mana at a frightening pace, but each day he was able to create a few more and keep them working a little longer, so they were still making progress. It was just as his mana was flagging that the Tower called for his attention.
A monster has evolved!
Honeyswirler Monster Bee Queen is now available!
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as he thrust his tower sight towards the Apiary. There, he found the First of the Fifth emerging from her cell. The Fourth of the Seventh had taken days for her evolution and he had expected the same, but apparently not. In but a single day, the First of the Fifth had returned.
She was now far larger, a bit smaller than the Fourth of the Seventh but not by much. Her abdomen was now even bigger compared to the rest of her body as before, and had the same depressions as a honeypot. Her antennae had also grown longer and fuzzier, while her legs had become thick enough to hold her new bulk. Belissar went ahead and checked what the Tower had to say on her new body.
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Honeyswirler Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Small
Strength: Minor
Speed: Minimal
Magic: Above Average
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minor
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Brood Mother, Command Offspring, Honeyswirling, Rapid Evolution, Storage
Spawner Upkeep: 40 (20 with Blessing of Bees)
Evolves From: Monster Bee Queen
Description: A monster bee that has specialized in the production of honey. No longer content to simply imbue honey with mana, the honeyswirler swirls their mana in a process not unlike alchemy to produce honey with new effects and far greater mana density. While the honeyswirler gains few combat capabilities compared to base monster bees, the potent honey they produce allows them to support greater numbers of evolved bee types. The honeyswirling capability can also be used to more effectively absorb mana from honey into the bee, enabling faster and easier honey-based evolutions.
This one is a queen who can raise a hive of honeyswirlers. Additionally, the queen gains the abilities of the honeypot to enable honeyswirling within her own body, allowing her to mass produce honeyswirled royal jelly. She can also apply swirled honey to her eggs even before they hatch, allowing her to lay eggs that will hatch into evolved bees without requiring further feeding. Modified communer antennae also allow the queen to participate in honeyswirling across her hive from a stationary position.
As an evolved monster bee queen, the honeyswirler monster bee queen also has a superior ability to raise evolved bee types and can lay monster bee types in her evolution lineage in addition to honeyswirler monster bees. She also has a superior ability to apply specialized honey to her eggs to lay monster bee types in other lineages.
Belissar smiled as he read the description. It sounded absolutely perfect for the First of the Fifth, the queen making the most honey and helping everyone¡¯s evolutions. He dismissed the description and then turned to Niobee and the Fourth of the Seventh. The Fourth of the Seventh was dancing with concern, though Niobee appeared to know what was going on.
¡°King ok?!¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°More than ok. The First of the Fifth has finished evolving. Want to go see her?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh immediately replied.
¡°Amazing, incredible! Want to see!¡±
The First of the Fifth emerged from her cell and shook herself. She took stock of her new body as her workers crawled over her to check if she was ok. It only took a quick check for the First of the Fifth to pause and then buzz her wings.
This was it. An evolution that would allow to produce types of honey never before seen, to push the quality of her honey to ever greater levels. Not only that, she would be able to support the hive of hives and fulfill the King¡¯s task better than ever. She could experiment on new honey types right within her own body, and produce honey perfectly suited for driving evolutions.
Her astonishment only grew as she extended her senses to check on the status of her hive. From her workers¡¯ reports, only a single day had passed since she had started evolving, far shorter than it had taken the Fourth of the Seventh. If the cause had been the more powerful honey she used to evolve, then her new abilities would dramatically accelerate the hive of hives¡¯ growth.
Still, it was not all good news. The speed with which her instincts drove her to evolve meant she had scarcely a chance to warn her children before leaving them to manage the hive, as well as her responsibilities to the hive of hives, some of which would be far more difficult now. While her ability to produce honey had improved dramatically, her body had grown large and ponderous. She could still fly and move, but it would not be a quick affair. Traveling about to check on the hive of hives personally might not be practical anymore and certainly would not be efficient even if it was. She would have to consider that, especially now that her presence in her hive was even more valuable than previously.
She paused again, though, as her mana reached her daughters¡and found one she had not expected. Her daughters flew through the hive to greet her, led by the First Daughter she had sent away long ago.
¡°Queen mother! You evolved!¡±
Her First Daughter crawled up to her and she brushed the now much smaller queen with her antennae.
¡°Did, First Daughter came too?¡±
Her First Daughter danced the confirmation.
¡°Heard queen mother ask daughters to watch hive, came to help.¡±
The First of the Fifth could not respond at first. After she had nearly starved the First Daughter with her own neglect, her child had dropped her own hive to come and help. As such, she had not even included the First Daughter intentionally when she had made her request, but the First Daughter had heard and come all the same. She responded the only way she could.
¡°Amazing. First Daughter is amazing, incredible. Thanks for helping.¡±
The First Daughter paused at first¡then broke out into a happy dance. The First of the Fifth thanked her other daughters as well for taking care of things as she checked on her hive and the hive of hives beyond. She was once again astonished.
Her hive was running as efficiently as she had left it. Beyond that, there had been no disruption in their support for the hive of hives. In fact¡if the First of the Fifth wasn¡¯t mistaken, things were running even more efficiently than before. The First Daughter had leveraged her hive¡¯s location by the shortcut wall and the information exchange she had built between the hive of hives to easily determine the hive of hives¡¯ needs and adjust honey deliveries accordingly.
The First of the Fifth found there was nothing she needed to handle, no issues to resolve. A simple reclamation of authority and then she was free to experiment with her new abilities and begin evolving her workers. She turned her attention back to her First Daughter as an idea sprung into her mind.
¡°First Daughter, have question. Want to take over King¡¯s request and watch hive of hives?¡±
The First Daughter froze once more before buzzing her wings.
¡°Queen mother?!¡±
The First of the Fifth brushed her antennae to calm her down.
¡°New body big, hard to move around. New powers focus on honey, best if can work on that. First Daughter handled hive of hives perfectly while I evolving, is in perfect position to do job. Think First Daughter would help hive of hives even more.¡±
To pass on the King¡¯s personal request to her, to let someone else manage the hive of hives, it was unthinkable. But the First of the Fifth had realized her role. To elevate herself above the other queens was no longer her goal. The best thing she could do, the best way she could help the King and the hive of hives, was to pursue the path of honey with all of her energy. She had planned to continue managing the hive of hives only because no other queen was positioned to do as well or better as she¡until now.
Now she saw. Her First Daughter had carved out a place for herself within the hive of hives despite all of the First of the Fifth¡¯s mistakes with her. And now¡the First of the Fifth had to admit that the First Daughter would do a better job than she. If anything, it was the First Daughter¡¯s information that allowed her to do a good job in the first place¡and the First Daughter¡¯s passion to take care of other queens was far greater than her own.
The one thing she would hate more than passing on a request from the King was leaving it in the mandibles of a bee less suited for the task. The King only ever deserved the best in all he asked for.
The First Daughter stumbled about.
¡°Queen mother¡¡±
Then she shook herself and buzzed her wings before beginning a salute dance.
¡°If King ok with¡will do best. Will take care of hive of hives like hive of hives took care of me.¡±
The First of the Fifth brushed her antennae once more.
¡°Know you will.¡±
POBee 225.1 - Dont Fall Bee-hind
The Firstborn pulled up into the sky, gathering her mana around her stinger. She dove down as the soldiers had taught her. She pulled up shortly before the target, one of the karnuq¡¯s iron slabs, and curled her body to thrust her abdomen forward. Her mana flared and molded over her stinger before shooting forward, striking the slab.
She had done it. She had mastered the mana stinger technique displayed by karnuq blessed by the Queen of All Bees.
She knew it was not enough.
Dance had reached the Firstborn of great events, first the Fourth of the Seventh and now the First of the Fifth had both evolved. Two of the queens that lead portions of the hive of hives had evolved into new forms more powerful than anyone had ever seen before. The Firstborn rejoiced, for their evolutions were well-deserve and promised great benefit for the hive of hives as a whole. Yet¡she could not help but feel certain expectations now turning her way. She could not help but notice her fellow barracks queens spending more and more time watching her training, or the increasing number of scouts from the rest of the hive of hives checking in on her.
Still, the Firstborn put such things aside and focused. The hive of hives was not a competition. She would evolve if and when she evolved; ultimately, her goal was to protect the King and the hive of hives. She could do that evolved or not, so she focused her thoughts on better fulfilling that mission.
But for both the sake of protecting the hive of hives and possibly evolving, she knew that this mana stinger technique was not enough. For the karnuq, who lacked stingers entirely, the technique gave them a powerful attack and brought them closer to the Queen of All Bees. For the Firstborn, it merely built on what she already had. The technique certainly boosted the damage she could do, but it alone was not enough for her to join the battle. She was still too slow and vulnerable, a powerful sting meant nothing if she couldn¡¯t get close enough to deliver it.
Her thoughts turned to the hive of hives and the Fourth of the Seventh. She thought of the reports on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s new capabilities, how she could generate wind from her wings to boost her own speed.
The Firstborn wondered if she could do something similar. She beat her wings and tried to concentrate her mana within them. She knew that Beero had used her wings to help channel her magic stings, so she knew it should be possible. Likewise, mana could replicate a stinger or create honey, so the Firstborn thought it should also be possible to do something with the wings.
She beat her wings again and the air hummed, a light gust blowing about. She danced about once. It hadn¡¯t done anything yet, but it was proof of concept. She would work on that from now on and determine if she could boost her speed enough to match her soldiers.
She left the metal slab for the rest of the army to practice on and moved to a less crowded area, since she would need space if her efforts succeeded. There, she found a newcomer to the army. The King-like being that had recently joined the hive of hives rode on the back of his giant, flying lizard, now participating in the bee army¡¯s training. He was practicing flying in formation with the bumblebee soldiers and leading them in a charge like the one he performed during the purification. He held up a smaller metal slab in front of his face.
The Firstborn was about to refocus on her own efforts when the King-like being¡¯s mana began to flare, drawing her attention once more. A honeycomb pattern like the ones used by the King and the hive of the fallen appeared before his slab. However, whereas the King¡¯s would then turn into honey or spell bees, while the hive of the fallen¡¯s would turn into mana stingers, this honeycomb pattern persisted as it was. It began to grow and stretch out over the slab. The Firstborn¡¯s wings beat faster as she saw the honeycomb begin to solidify, forming what appeared as a glowing layer of chitin over the slab and the King-like being before extending to the flying lizard below¡
At that point, the King-like being groaned and the entire mana construct dispersed. But the Firstborn¡¯s wings continued beating hard as she considered what she had just seen. The karnuq replicated stingers with mana, the Fourth of the Seventh boosted her wings, while the King and the dangerous one made honey. But why should the magic of the Queen of All Bees be limited to just those? Could she perhaps boost her chitin, improving her defenses to the point that she didn¡¯t need to dodge? Could she improve her eyes, antennae, and other senses so that she could begin reacting to enemy attacks earlier?
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She immediately dove into her work, focusing back on her wings for now, but she resolved to try chitin and then other parts of her body if she managed to succeed. She now had countless methods she could attempt to become stronger and that was all she needed. For whether she evolved or not, the Firstborn would become the best defender of the hive of hives she could possibly be.
Beero stood before the newest soldier of the fallen, their first comrade from among the digging bees. She reached out with her mana and the soldier reached out with hers. The mana of two separate hives collided and both bees instinctively buzzed their wings. Neither had any reaction beyond that and continued to press their mana against the other¡¯s.
Beero then began to twist her mana into the other bees. It was not dissimilar from dancing her mana into spell shapes, but at the same time it was a far more delicate operation. It was not enough for the two mana types to move in concert, she needed to find places where it connected instead of clashed and shift the mana towards them. She moved slowly and gently, the process of a non-hive mate moving a bee¡¯s mana could be deeply uncomfortable if she wasn¡¯t careful. The process was made all the more difficult by the sheer difference between their mana types, the digging soldier¡¯s Ground mana was firm and unyielding compared to the energetic and flowing types Beero was used to manipulating.
But she continued on with all of the precision and patience she had learned since the day she was wounded and her efforts were not in vain. Eventually, the two bees¡¯ mana stopped clashing and began to flow once more.
¡°Queen of Fallen?¡±
The digging soldier remained still but Beero could feel her mana dance. She replied in kind.
¡°Yes! Can hear!¡±
She waited to see if the digging soldier had received her own mana dance. It only took a moment before the soldier began dancing about.
¡°Can hear Queen of Fallen! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Beero soon joined her in the celebratory dance. She had done it. She had learned how to blend the mana of different hive mates together. She could now perform communicate with her hive as queen should, without assistance.
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone, overseeing her attempt, brushed her antennae with his own.
¡°Good job! Amazing, incredible!¡±
Beero then paused her dancing. The drone had joined her in celebrating, but something felt off.
¡°Drone ok?¡±
The drone stopped before quickly launching into a confirmation dance.
¡°Fine!¡±
But Beero could not be deceived. Her mana senses were some of the best in the Tower. And since the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone had been connecting her to the hive of the fallen for some time now, she was especially in tune with his mana in particular. She could tell that something was bothering him.
¡°Sure? Drone helped a lot, taught how to be queen. If drone needs help, want to help.¡±
The drone paused. His antennae started to droop, so Beero brushed them with her own. Eventually, he slowly started to dance.
¡°Happy Beero learned, can be queen now. But now¡Beero doesn¡¯t need drone to help. Hive of hives won¡¯t need drone to help. Is good thing but¡want to help more. Not sure how.¡±
Beero froze. That was true, wasn¡¯t it? If queens or even soldier types like her could learn to blend the hive of hives mana together, then they wouldn¡¯t need the drones to do that task. In teaching her this, the drone had eliminate his primary task. He¡¯d be stuck waiting around for the next set of princesses to be born¡at which point¡he¡¯d¡
Beero¡¯s wings began to buzz and her mana crackled. The drone stepped back in surprise while Beero controlled herself. She looked at him and made her decision. She, the cripple who had crawled her way back to purpose, would not make another bee feel useless. Especially not one who had done so much for her.
¡°Drone, want to learn magic? Drone is really good at blending mana, should be good at!¡±
The drone stood still for a while before finally replying.
¡°Learn¡magic? But¡can¡¯t make mana by self¡¡±
The drones didn¡¯t seem to recover their mana on their own, but Beero already knew that.
¡°Is fine! Get more when drink honey! And can share mine! Know how to give mana to other bees!¡±
The drone, however, did not dance a confirmation just yet.
¡°But¡will take honey from Beero¡¯s hive, use Beero¡¯s hive. Is waste¡¡±
Beero¡¯s wings crackled with sparks once more.
¡°Is not waste! Was waste for hive of hives to feed crippled soldier, but King said do anyways! So learned to be useful again so didn¡¯t waste! Drone not waste, helped soldier become queen! If drone wants do more will help find a way! Is what hive of fallen does!¡±
The drone stood still once again, staring at Beero for a long time. Eventually, he began a slow dance with unsure steps.
¡°¡ok. Please teach how to use.¡±
Beero¡¯s mana calmed down and she danced about.
¡°Will!¡±
Chapter 226 - Bee-hold the Flowers
The day had finally come. Belissar stood before the nexus door. Niobee was sitting on his head as had become her usual place, Frelis glanced about on his shoulder, and the Fourth of the Seventh was flying laps overhead. Three squads of soldier bees hovered just behind him, including one of the bumblebees. Chief Rohsuak and Juosiutik stood to either side of him, the latter tapping one of her feet.
All of them waited in the Fairy Grove. And then, finally, the nexus door sprang to life and Tarwantrad emerged.
¡°Hi Belissar! Ready to see my dungeon?¡±
Belissar grinned.
¡°Yes. All of us are.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed and waved to Niobee, Frelis, and the Fourth of the Seventh. She greeted Chief Rohsuak in turn before turning to the last of Belissar¡¯s group.
¡°Hi! You must be Juosiutik, it¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±
Juosiutik nodded quickly.
¡°Yes! I¡¯m Juosiutik! You¡¯re Tarwantrad, right? I¡¯ve heard so much about you!¡±
Tarwantrad laughed lightly.
¡°As have I! I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have much to discuss going forward. For now, though¡¡±
Tarwantrad grinned and stepped to the side, motioning to the nexus door.
¡°How would you all like to see the flowers?¡±
Frelis perked up at that while the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s laps sped up. Juosiutik made a huge smile while Chief Rohsuak chuckled. Belissar matched Tarwantrad¡¯s grin as he nodded.
¡°We¡¯d love to.¡±
Tarwantrad waved at them as she stepped through the door.
¡°Then follow me!¡±
Niobee danced on Belissar¡¯s head and the bees leapt into action. One of the soldier squads flew through the door. A moment later, one of them popped back through and danced a salute.
¡°King, is safe! Can go now!¡±
Belissar smiled at her and the soldier both.
¡°Thanks everyone.¡±
Then, he stepped into the nexus door. The leaves began to pick up and swirl around him with ever greater speed and numbers until eventually all he could see was a river of green. There was a flash of rainbow light and then the leaves began to slow. Belissar glanced around as the leaves floated down to the ground. His eyes widened.
He had expected a small garden much like the Apothecary¡¯s Hut, or maybe a Flower Meadow of some description.
What he saw was an entire world. He stood upon a small plateau at the top of a hill, seemingly at the center of the room. In every direction he turned, he saw a different kind of terrain stretching out from the bottom of the hill. He saw a familiar meadow and forest, he saw swamps and marshes blending into one another. He saw places he had only ever heard vague mention of, like an arid and sandy desert on the other side of a rocky mountain. There was a graveyard next to a forest of blackened trees, and he even saw a volcano complete with flows of lava sitting next to the largest body of water he had ever seen, steam rising into the air where lava flowed down into the water. Each of these different places blended into one another, seamlessly flowing from one biome to the next.
And, each and every way he turned, he saw flowers. Rainbows covered ground and sky alike as color spread out across the meadows and the canopies of the forest. Flower bloomed in the desert and the mountain or floated in lava and water both. Flowers covered the graves and bloomed from black trees that otherwise would have seemed dead. There were giant flowers as tall as trees, flying flowers floating through the air, vines breaking through ground and rock, and flowers that crawled around on their own roots.
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He stood in silence, taking in the sights before him until Tarwantrad prompted him.
¡°So, what do you think?¡±
He continued staring out.
¡°It¡¯s amazing. How did you make a room like this?¡±
Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°The Circle¡¯s taught me a lot about different mana and terrain types. It took me a while to get this many to work nicely together, but I wanted to show your bees as many of my flowers as I could. Especially since¡¡±
She sighed. It was only then that Belissar noted Tarwantrad wasn''t alone. A second elf woman stood behind Tarwantrad, this one wearing silver armor adorned with curved and smoothed patterns. The woman took Tarwantrad¡¯s sigh as her cue and stepped forward.
¡°Hello, I am Wardmaster Varilold. You must be Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
Belissar was taken aback for a moment, not expecting to meet anyone other than maybe another member of the Circle.
¡°¡hi. Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±
Wardmaster Varilold nodded and stood up straight.
¡°It¡¯s good to meet you. Now, to get this out of the way, Dungeon Master Tarwantrad, by order of the Conclave you are not to permit any outsiders to pass through the wards protecting the nexus door, including Tower Keeper Belissar and his subordinates. For now, they must not pass beyond this room. Understood?¡±
Tarwantrad rolled her eyes.
¡°A stupid order, but yes. That¡¯s why I had to try and recreate as much of my entire dungeon as I could in a single room, after all. Since when does the Conclave get to interfere with Circle dungeons anyways?¡±
Wardmaster Varilold smirked.
¡°Ever since you opened an unsanctioned nexus door that both ensures our survival and exposes us to the outside world. Well, you¡¯re not wrong about the Conclave acting foolishly as well, which is why I went and redid all of my wards to be outside of this room instead of by the nexus.¡±
She then placed her right hand across her chest and bowed her head before extending her hand out towards him.
¡°Tower Keeper Belissar, you have my sincerest gratitude. The others may not have acknowledged it yet, but your cooperation is reversing the doom of our people.¡±
Belissar remained silent for a moment as he decided how to respond.
¡°¡you¡¯re welcome?¡±
She gave him a smile.
¡°Indeed I am. Let me know should you ever need help; I can only overrule the signatories on matters of the wards and of existential threats to the Conclave but any emergency that threatens your dungeon or the nexus door within it would qualify. Hopefully, the signatories will open to you sooner than that and we can discuss adding some wards to your defenses before any crisis, as I am repeatedly warning them about. I will also invite you to a banquet at that time. For now, I hope that you will enjoy your time here, and that Dungeon Master Tarwantrad will show you her finest hospitality in our stead. May you find safe refuge, Tower Keeper.¡±
With that, she turned and marched away. Tarwantrad stared at her back.
¡°¡Wardmaster Varilold never participates in banquets, much less holding one¡¡±
She then shook her head.
¡°Well, enough of the Conclave being dumb! I have something more to show you, Belissar!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°I look forward to it.¡±
Tarwantrad made a mischievous smile.
¡°Ok, you can come out now, everyone.¡±
Belissar then began to hear buzzing and saw the flowers around the hill began to stir. Bees began to climb out from under the flowers or from underground burrows and took to the air. Tarwantrad flared her mana and the bees flew towards her, landing upon the flowers woven into her hair and clothes. She held out her hands and turned to Belissar with a grin.
¡°These are my bees, what do you think?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at them.
¡°They¡¯re beautiful.¡±
Indeed, Belissar was initially struck by the colors. There were little bees in red and black. There were bright blue and green bees that almost appeared to be glowing. There were bees that almost seemed like they had leaves and flowers growing on them. Tarwantrad smiled warmly as she looked at the bees landing on her.
¡°Stingless bees, mason bees, orchid bees, leafcutter bees¡my bees may not be as powerful as yours, but I¡¯ve tried to raise as many different types as I could and I¡¯m quite fond of them.¡±
A moment later, the Fourth of the Seventh dove down to hover before Tarwantrad.
¡°New bees! Amazing, incredible! Want to join hive of hives?¡±
The bees, though, shied away from the giant nomadic queen swooping down on them, or otherwise stayed focused on their flowers. Tarwantrad shook her head, chuckling a bit.
¡°My bees tend to be more mundane, with only a few having become monster species over time. Many of them are also solitary types that don¡¯t communicate as much even with each other, so you might find them a bit shier than your own. I leave them to themselves for the most part, so they haven¡¯t developed as socially as yours. I¡¯m sure, though, that you¡¯ll be able to welcome them in without issue once you are ready to trade. Dungeon monsters do vary somewhat based on their master, so I¡¯ll be looking forward to how you change them.¡±
Belissar could only nod as he continued to watch the different types of bees come and go.
¡°They¡¯re amazing.¡±
Tarwantrad just smiled and the two watched the bees in silence for a while. In the meantime, Juosiutik and Frelis crouched and hovered down to begin examining the flowers right on the hill. Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she watched over them all.
Chapter 227 - Bee-utiful Flowers
Belissar could have spent all day just watching the new bees. But there was plenty more to see so eventually the tour commenced. Tarwantrad led them down the hill to show them each area in more detail, starting with her own take on the flower meadow. It was arranged more like a garden or a farm, with pathways splitting out separate fields each with different flower types.
¡°What that?¡±
Frelis, however, was more interested in a line of identical flowers down the center of the path. Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°That¡¯s the field alraune, she manages this field and encourages the flowers to stay put. You can say hello, these are friends.¡±
Frelis buzzed her wings as the flowers began to rise from the dirt. A vine-like root emerged which all the flowers were connected to and waved at the group. Belissar gingerly waved back as Tarwantrad continued.
¡°You can visit her flowers as well, though I¡¯d hold off on planting any seeds from them. Alraunes take special care to raise¡though¡¡±
Tarwantrad looked over at Frelis.
¡°To be honest, your bees might be able to handle one sooner rather than later.¡±
Tarwantrad then showed them the rest of the flowers in the field, ranging from mundane to mystical examples like focusing sunflowers or twisting dandelions. She also pointed a few empty spots where Frelis and her fellow gardeners could plant suitable flowers from Belissar¡¯s Tower. Still, they had a lot more room to go through, so Tarwantrad kept it as brief as she could for now.
¡°What¡¯s this?!¡±
The group was walking through a forest, with Tarwantrad pointing out the flowers in the trees and on various vines and bushes. Juosiutik suddenly rushed towards a vine wrapping around a tree and the flowers growing off of it. Tarwantrad started and quickly began waving her hands.
¡°Wait, don¡¯t touch that! That¡¯s poison ivy!¡±
Juosiutik barely managed to stop before she touched one of the flowers.
¡°It¡¯s poisonous, huh?¡±
Tarwantrad shook her head.
¡°In a manner of speaking. It generally won¡¯t kill you unless you have an extreme reaction, but it will give you an itchy rash that will last for a week. Fine for bees, but larger animals and humanoids should handle it with care. And¡the mana imbued variants can be far worse¡¡±
Juosiutik slowly and silently backed away from the vine.
¡°What that, what that?!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh circled around a spread of flowers on the side of a mountain slope, zipping about with Frelis on her back while Belissar, Tarwantrad, and Juosiutik hiked their way up. Chief Rohsuak had elected to wait for them at the bottom as they scaled up the mountain in the room.
¡°Ah, be careful not to touch the pods! They explode!¡±
Tarwantrad called out as the Fourth of the Seventh approached the flowers. They were shrubs topped with pink flowers, but many had large, red, cylindrical seed pods hanging off of them. Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°They¡explode?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded with a serious expression.
¡°They¡¯re called thundering balsam. Once pollinated, they grow those pods and fill them with volatile chemicals. When disturbed, they explode and launch the seeds far and away. They also have the habit of causing landslides. The flowers are fine, but you¡¯ll need to be careful about where you plant them.¡±
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Belissar gulped. Juosiutik also gulped¡while staring at the pods with an expression Belissar wasn¡¯t sure he liked.
¡°What that, what that, what that?!¡±
Frelis zipped around a bright yellow flower despite the heat and the fumes from the lava flow nearby. The group had moved onto the volcano area, where one flower in particular was clearly drawing Frelis¡¯s attention.
¡°Ah, be careful with that one. Combusting orchid, makes volatile compounds that can be processed into potent pheromones¡but that also combust when they come into contact with water. Urubran helped me raise it, as you might have guessed, Belissar.¡±
Juosiutik¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°They sound amazing.¡±
Again, Belissar was not sure he liked the look in Juosiutik¡¯s eyes. Or Tarwantrad¡¯s for that matter, as the elf giggled.
¡°They are. They¡¯re incredibly difficult to grow and handle, but they have all sorts of creative applications if you can manage it.¡±
As the two began to discuss just what sort of applications the flower had, Belissar began to wonder if it was a good idea to bring Juosiutik here.
Belissar stood staring out at the largest body of water he had ever seen, blue waves stretching out into the distance beyond. Juosiutik and even Chief Rohsuak joined him. Tarwantrad simply watched over the three with a warm smile for a while.
¡°This is the sea Nenavann was telling you about. Well, this is more of a lake, to be honest. It¡¯s too small to be a sea, a real one is much larger.¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°This¡is small?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded.
¡°When you can one day visit Nenavann¡¯s dungeon, you¡¯ll see what a real sea looks like. If you take a boat out, you can get to the point where you see nothing but water in every direction.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath at that. Nothing but water? He could scarcely even imagine it.
¡°What that?!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh swooped down to ask, dancing towards a shallow area where the water turned green. Tarwantrad smiled.
¡°That¡¯s a seagrass meadow. And yes, they have flowers.¡±
Belissar looked in the direction indicated and realized it wasn¡¯t the water that was blue. There was indeed a field of grass underneath the water, swaying about as gentle waves meandered overhead. Tarwantrad¡¯s smile grew.
¡°That¡¯s why Nenavann was excited about your swimming bees. Well, they might need some adaptations first depending on if they can handle salt water or not.¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Wait, all of that water¡is salty? How¡where did that much salt even come from?¡±
Tarwantrad motioned out.
¡°The world was much bigger before, and full of all sorts of wonderful things. We in the Circle have tried to rebuild as much of it as we could.¡±
She looked him in the eyes.
¡°It¡¯s why I was so happy to hear about your dungeon. You¡¯ve already discovered so many bees we hadn¡¯t known about, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll reveal many more. Just like I¡¯m trying to do for flowers and Nenavann has done for the oceans.¡±
Belissar slowly nodded. So¡this was why the gods had given them the Towers. He once again resolved to fill his with as many bees as he could, to create a place in the world where they could grow and thrive.
Eventually, Tarwantrad led them to a far corner of the room, where they found a large door. Her smile finally dropped as she looked at them all seriously.
¡°I made one more room connected to this one. I keep the truly dangerous ones in here.¡±
Belissar gaped at her. They had seen flowers toxic enough to kill a man with a single drop of nectar, flowers that absorbed and focused the power of the sun, flowers that could explode and knock down mountains, and flowers that burst into flames¡and Tarwantrad apparently didn¡¯t consider them dangerous compared to what was in here.
¡°What¡what do you have in there?¡±
Tarwantrad chuckled with a dangerous expression.
¡°Monster flowers.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Belissar could only nod at that. After all, he had seen what monster bees could do. He may love them as his own children but there was no denying that a swarm of soldier bees or lancers or giant bumblebees or the new butcher bees could be incredibly dangerous. They had to be if they were to protect the Tower form the Hunger. It was only nature that Tarwantrad would have similarly dangerous monsters of her own.
¡°I wanted to share them with you, of course. I want to help your dungeon grow as safe as possible and you¡¯ll need dangerous defenders for that. Just¡be careful with anything in here, you and your bees both. The last thing I want is for any of you to get hurt from something I shared with you, and some of them are dangerous even to pollinators.¡±
She turned to Frelis.
¡°Please, when you begin foraging here, do not hesitate to ask for my assistance if any of the foragers feel uncomfortable or unsure. Many plant monsters are more instinctive than intelligent so there is only so much I could do to keep them safe for you, so it¡¯s best to err on the side of caution.¡±
Frelis danced her confirmation. Tarwantrad turned to each one of them, including each of the bees, until she had gotten a nod or confirmation dance from everyone. Then, and only then, did she open the door.
The room inside was a repeat of the first with wildly different climates¡but that¡¯s where the similarities ended. Immediately, Belissar noted that the flowers here were, on average, much larger than in the first room. And generally had brighter colors. And more thorns. A lot more thorns.
And teeth, which he hadn¡¯t been aware that flowers could have. He made a nervous chuckle as he glanced at Frelis. She was zipping about in tight circles, clearly struggling to stay put.
¡°Well, I think she¡¯s going to like this room.¡±
Tarwantrad made a dangerous grin at that.
Chapter 228 - A Bee-ger Volunteer
The group didn¡¯t move too far into the monster room due to the risks. Tarwantrad promised to accompany the bees when they arrived to forage so that she could point out each monster flowers and their unique dangers in detail. After that, the group returned to the nexus door and moved back over to Belissar¡¯s Tower to show Tarwantrad his own nursery. She brought along a few of her stingless bees to scout the area in turn.
Belissar couldn¡¯t help but frown as they arrived. Tarwantrad looked to him.
¡°Is something the matter?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°No, it¡¯s just¡as you can see, mine is a lot smaller than yours. I feel¡a bit bad, I guess. Like we¡¯re not offering nearly as much as you are.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled at him.
¡°But you are. Belissar, my dungeon¡¯s patron is the God of Flowers. Flowers are my primary focus, it is only natural I have raised more of them. But you know what I don¡¯t have as many of as you?¡±
Belissar could guess where this was going.
¡°Bees?¡±
Tarwantrad nodded and waved at all the queens and soldiers escorting them.
¡°As I said, most of my bees are still mundane, and even those who have become monsters have not expanded far outside of their instincts. Neither I nor they knew there was any particular reason for them to do so. My stingless bee hives have not raised gardeners to tend the flowers directly nor communers to help them coordinate while expanding. My solitary bees tend to have favorite flowers and stick to them, making them excellent at propagating the flowers I already have but far less effective at the cross-pollination your bees excel at. That is the point of our exchange and of the Circle as a whole. Each of us has our own area of focus and each of us can benefit from sharing with one another.¡±
Her smile then grew.
¡°And I am benefiting directly from this even if you had no new flowers at all. Your bees will cross-pollinate the flowers I share with you, creating new flowers my bees would not have. Trust me, I am as excited about this as you are.¡±
Belissar did his best to return her smile and nodded. If she said as much as that, then he¡¯d just have to try not to worry about it.
With that in mind, the tour began. Since Tarwantrad had seen most of his flowers already, Belissar left it to Frelis and Juosiutik to explain each one in more depth. Despite raising far more flowers than they ever had, Tarwantrad listened to them intently, along with the stingless bees accompanying her.
Once the tours were finished, it was time for the daily purification. Tarwantrad hung around and so joined the victory celebration afterwards. She and Belissar were watching the bees and munching on some honeycomb when she spoke.
¡°So, I don¡¯t mean to rush you, but now that you¡¯ve seen my bees would you like to discuss a monster exchange?¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded.
¡°I think I¡¯m ready for that now. Your dungeon will be wonderful for them.¡±
Tarwantrad beamed.
¡°I¡¯m glad you think so! I, too, know you will take great care of mine. So, most of my solitary bees are still mundane, so I may need to try and raise monster versions before we can truly exchange them, but I did manage to raise some monster stingless bee hives and one of them has recently raised new queens. I would be happy to send one over to you, perhaps in exchange for a new monster bee queen?¡±
Belissar hummed in contemplation.
¡°The trade sounds good to me, I just need to check if there are any new queens.¡±
At that moment, Niobee started dancing.
¡°King, will help!¡±
Before Belissar could say anything, Niobee took off from his head and zipped away. In but a short minute, she returned¡with the Fourth of the Seventh, the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, and a smaller queen in tow.
¡°King! Third Daughter of the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter wants to go!¡±
Belissar blinked. He had not expected any of the existing queens to want to move.
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¡°Huh, really?¡±
The young queen began spinning around.
¡°Want! Fourth of the Seventh told! Amazing new flowers! Amazing new places! Want to see, want to build new hive like queen mother and Fourth of the Seventh did!¡±
Belissar glanced at the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and she danced the confirmation.
¡°Third Daughter resolved, ready to follow King.¡±
Belissar slowly shook his head.
¡°You would be joining Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon, so you¡¯d have to follow her instead.¡±
Both the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and her Third Daughter halted at that. The Third Daughter glanced between them all before dancing slowly.
¡°¡wouldn¡¯t follow King? Wouldn¡¯t be part of hive of hives anymore? Wouldn¡¯t see queen mother or Fourth of the Seventh?¡±
Pain spiked through Belissar¡¯s chest but he couldn¡¯t lie to her. He was about to nod¡when Tarwantrad interjected.
¡°Of course, you still can. We¡¯re about to open our dungeons for a flower exchange. I¡¯d be more than happy to let you host your parents or visit them in turn, it¡¯s not a problem. And while you wouldn¡¯t be following your king anymore officially, know that I intend to help him however I can, so you can still contribute to him and your hive of hives with your efforts.¡±
The Third Daughter broke out into a happy dance.
¡°Flower one is best flower one! Want to go!¡±
Belissar turned to Tarwantrad, his eyes widening a bit before he broke out into a smile.
¡°Thank you, I appreciate that.¡±
Tarwantrad smiled back.
¡°Of course, Belissar. I have no intention of keeping your bees from their family even should they join my dungeon.¡±
She then smirked.
¡°And¡if bees that technically belong to me rather than you just so happen to see my dungeon past the wards and report on it back to yours? Well, the orders of the Compact technically wouldn¡¯t have been broken so there¡¯s no problem, right?¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°Oh. I¡hadn¡¯t thought about that. Is that alright?¡±
Tarwantrad winked at him.
¡°I won¡¯t tell the Compact if you don¡¯t.¡±
Well, he guessed that settled it. The Compact wasn¡¯t even speaking to him anyways so it wasn¡¯t like he could tell them even if he wanted to. If Tarwantrad didn¡¯t mind, then he wouldn¡¯t either.
And, well, he could only smile as he watched the Third Daughter dance happily about with her queens. It made him unbelievably happy that they wouldn¡¯t have to separate after all.
Later that night, the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter paced up and down one of the trays in her hive. She checked and double checked each and every cell, ensuring that they were all filled to the brim with the highest quality, most mana-packed honey she had available. And yet, upon completing her check, she immediately started a third.
She couldn¡¯t help it. On the one leg, she was incredibly proud of her daughter. She had volunteered to take on great risk on behalf of the King, to expand the hive of hives to the flower one¡¯s realm, and to follow in the footsteps of the Fourth of the Seventh. She could not have asked for a better child.
But on the other leg, she could not help but worry. She had told her children what the Fourth of the Seventh had done for her, but she had not told them the true extent of the desperation she felt back then. She had not told them of spending each day staring at empty cells, living each day by what the workers brought back as she spent everything on new brood. She had not told them how close she came to condemning an entire generation of workers to death by starvation.
So, when her daughter proclaimed she wanted to follow in her footsteps as well, the First Daughter had nearly panicked. It took all her self-control not to deny her daughter right then and there. After all, she would be sending off her daughter as her queen mother did her, only her daughter would be heading outside of the King¡¯s realm where it would be much harder to reach her, even if they could still visit as the flower one had said.
And her daughter was not going with a Fourth of the Seventh of her own. If she got into trouble, there would be no hive of hives to save her.
But what could she do? She raised her daughter to admire the Fourth of the Seventh so could she now tell her not to explore? And her own queen mother had recently asked her to take care of the entire hive of hives as requested by the King, so could she stop her daughter from fulfilling one of the King¡¯s requests? Her daughter had volunteered to no less than the King himself, so she was now committed either way.
So, all she could do now was make sure her daughter was as prepared as possible. After that¡
¡°First Daughter ok?¡±
She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice the Fourth of the Seventh approach until her fellow queen was right on top of her. At first, the First Daughter was going to reply that she was fine¡but the Fourth of the Seventh had already seen her pacing about. Not to mention that with their hives¡¯ mana blending together, the Fourth of the Seventh would have already felt her thoughts.
¡°¡worried. Third Daughter going far away. Won¡¯t be able to help. What if runs out of honey? What if can¡¯t feed brood? What if needs help¡¡±
¡°¡like I did¡± was the rest of the dance she couldn¡¯t complete, stumbling as she suddenly halted.
The Fourth of the Seventh crawled forward and began gently brushing her antennae. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s mana then began to flare and flooded into her own. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s thoughts and intentions grew stronger, until the First Daughter began to see them with her own eyes.
She watched as the Fourth of the Seventh showed her the memories of the day. The wide and varied and most of all abundant flowers that filled the flower one¡¯s realm. Only after the Fourth of the Seventh showed her all she had seen did she start to dance.
¡°Will be ok, flower one has lots of flowers. King trusts flower one, flower one wants to help King, will take care of daughter too! Will keep scouting and help Frelis in flower one¡¯s dungeon, so can visit daughter too and make sure is ok!¡±
The First Daughter nearly collapsed. Instead, she crawled up the Fourth of the Seventh and lay on her back. The Fourth of the Seventh gently brushed her with her wings. She managed to reply by tapping out a dance on the bigger queen¡¯s back.
¡°¡thank you. Fourth of the Seventh always saves me.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh replied through her mana.
¡°Of course! First Daughter always helps so always help too!¡±
The First Daughter stayed on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s back for the rest of the night.
POBee 228.1 - Bee-ginning a New Empire?
A princess paced around the nest. Her every instinct told her to leave, to conduct her mating flight and build her own hive, but she did not, even though all the sisters she had been born with already had. She had been commanded to stay and her queen mother¡¯s guards enforced the order. She buzzed her wings once more.
What was the point of a princess being born if she would not be permitted to establish her hive? Well, in an exceptionally generous show of mercy, her queen mother had deigned to explain this time. New lands had recently come available, but the Flower Tender, the only existence whose authority her queen mother acknowledged, had so far forbidden them from exploring or settling there. Apparently, negotiations were taking place with the new land¡¯s own flower tender. A new species of bee might be arriving on the Flower Tender¡¯s lands, while one of their own may be sent to settle the new flower tender¡¯s fields.
So, the princess had no choice but to wait, no matter how frustrated she grew. This was an opportunity worth waiting for, should it come to pass. Her queen mother had already established dominion over these lands, as the first to evolve neither the rival hives nor the solitary loners had been able to resist her. All queens who lived here answered to her.
But if the princess should settle a new land, under the rule of a new flower tender, where her queen mother was forbidden from passing? Well, all she would need to do was subdue the locals and she would rule an empire of her own. The only of her queen mother¡¯s children who would address her as an equal.
If the negotiations came to fruition, that was. There was nothing she could do about that, so she was left pacing about, waiting to hear what her fate would be.
¡°Daughter.¡±
Fortunately, her wait was at an end. She turned to find her queen mother approaching, flanked by her ever present guards. She made sure that her mana and pheromones were appropriately submissive, despite her agitation.
¡°Queen mother.¡±
Her queen mother didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge her reply before stating her business.
¡°Negotiations succeeded. Daughter will settle new flower tender¡¯s land. Will allocate extra soldiers to swarm. Make rival hives submit, conquer if won¡¯t.¡±
She nearly lost control of herself in her excitement at the news but managed to hold it together.
¡°As queen mother commands.¡±
Her queen mother stared at her for a bit before leaving without any further acknowledgement. One of the workers then told her to follow. The princess did so, her wings fluttering once she was sure her queen mother had left.
She was going to do it! She was going to settle new lands! And while she would subdue whatever local hives existed as per her mother¡¯s command, after that? After that, she would have an empire of her own where her mother couldn¡¯t reach¡
All she had to do now was flight out, establish her hive, and subdue the locals. And she knew that neither of those would be any problem as she crawled out of the entrance of the hive.
The air buzzed with the beating of over a thousand wings. Her queen mother had allocated her a far larger swarm than her sisters had received in anticipation of the task to come. Thousands of workers hovered at the ready, prepared to build her hive¡or to claim that of another, willing or not. They may not have had the venomous stingers some other species did, but they had powerful mandibles to compensate and the ferocity to take down the enemy even at the cost of their own lives. Should those prove insufficient, they could mummify an opponent with wax, resin, and propolis and deal with them at leisure, or could pile up on an enemy and cook them alive with their body heat. And, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, her queen mother had granted her a trump card.
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In front of the swarm were a group of bees, each even larger than she was. Their chitin was thick, their wings powerful, and their faces tipped with huge mandibles that could crush, slash, and pierce in equal measure. No chitin could withstand their bite, no weapon, whether mandible or stinger, could pierce their defenses. Even the big solitary loners couldn¡¯t match them. These were the bees that secured her queen mother¡¯s rule after her evolution.
The soldier bees. And the princess had been granted a full twenty of them.
So, no. There was no hive of any species that could possibly stand against her. She would have these new lands and these new bees under her rule in short order. And then, she could begin building her new empire.
She took to the air as fast as she could fly¡
The princess currently hid in the center of a tight ball of her workers, with the soldier surrounding them as best they could.
This¡was impossible.
She reported to the Flower Tender with her swarm. The Flower Tender had personally guided her to her new lands and led her to a field of flowers. The locals had apparently gathered there to greet her.
The locals. The local hives apparently had soldiers of their own, no less intimidating than hers, with huge stingers and presumably venom.
They also had hundreds of them.
That wasn¡¯t all, either. They had different types of soldiers, too, which dwarfed even the regular soldiers in size. They had soldier types larger than entire hives! And that was before she considered the giant, hairy ones that were even bigger!
What could she do against monsters like that? Have her workers try to ball them and cook them alive? There was a hive that radiated heat such that they distorted the air where they flew! Bury them in wax and propolis? There was a hive made of wax that was moving!
And she hadn¡¯t even thought about the implications of the sheer mana density she was feeling from these hives. No, soldiers and swarms or not, she was outclassed in every way. Her queen mother herself would be outclassed by this army, even if she called upon every daughter and subdued hive to join her. Her mother''s entire reign, the entire empire¡it turned out they were just small bees in a much larger hive than they had ever imagined possible.
So, no. There would be no subduing these locals. Her queen mother would be lucky if they didn¡¯t launch a counter-invasion once they learned of her existence. As for the princess¡she would have to submit completely just to avoid being usurped herself, if they deigned not to crush her entire hive outright.
This being the case, perhaps it would be best to return to her queen mother. She would have to submit, yes, and become the lowliest in her queen mother¡¯s empire, but that would be better than waiting in the mandibles of monsters she could never contend with. Well, assuming they could request the Flower Tender for protection from the counter-invasion and her queen mother¡¯s empire managed to survive at all¡
¡°Ok, let¡¯s make the transfer. Grasp my hand, imagine transferring your monster over, and let the mana flow as it wills.¡±
Ah, she was too late. The princess shivered as her mana lurched. She felt the mana of the land drain out of her, only to be replaced by that of another. She knew now that she was tied to this land. The Flower Tender had asked her if she had been willing to move and at the time she had no reason to refuse. Now¡now she was committed.
¡°Hi, I¡¯m Belissar, welcome to my Tower! Let me introduce you to everyone and we¡¯ll get you set up with a hive¡they like beehouses, right?¡±
The new flower tender spoke to her¡and the mana within her resonated. She had no choice but to submit. She had a brief thought as to whether the new flower tender might save her, but she quickly gave up on that idea. Her old flower tender had never interfered in the affairs of the bees, so there was no reason to expect that this one might.
And so, what hope she had fled as she left her swarm¡¯s protective ball at the new flower tender¡¯s command and allowed herself to be presented to her new masters. Or murderers, depending on how they deigned to treat with her. The latter seemed more likely as one of the giant bees larger than a entire hive descended upon her. Her brave soldiers tried to form up around her, but even they had trouble as the monster¡¯s wings created powerful gusts of wind.
¡°Hi! Am Fourth of the Seventh! Welcome to hive of hives!¡±
The princess was taken aback as the monster started to¡dance? Communicating in some foreign fashion, as opposed to biting her head off.
Two other bees approached the monster. One looked like a queen¡except that she was the size of a soldier. The other seemed to be some kind of worker¡were it not for the extra fuzzy antennae and the torrents of mana flowing through them. They danced with the first bee.
¡°Oh, good point! Am Fourth Queen of First Dynasty of Seventh Spawner! Nice to meet!¡±
The princess was even more taken aback. This¡was a queen? These bees had queens larger than entire hives? A queen that could crush her soldiers by sheer bulk and blow them away with the mere beating of her wings? There was only one way for her to respond.
¡°I submit. Please don¡¯t kill.¡±
POBee 228.2 - Deception and Schemer-Bee
Back when the new stingless queen had just left for Belissar''s Tower, a different stingless queen listened to the report by her scouts before buzzing her wings. She had succeeded, the plan had all come together.
At first, when the domineering queen had ordered her to handle some task for the Flower Tender, she had been annoyed. Because of course the domineering one wouldn¡¯t use her own workers for anything other than growing her own hive, not even for the Flower Tender, and so she had to break off her own workers for the task. If only the Flower Tender had given her a magical palace first, before the domineering one¡
However, it was unusual for the Flower Tender to involve herself in bee affairs to begin with, so the queen had been curious as to the reason. She committed her workers to the task without complaint¡and had been utterly shocked at what they reported back.
The Flower Tender was showing a new flower tender around a new room she had built¡and the new flower tender was attended by true giants. There were two bees larger than entire hives scouting the area, accompanied by a full soldier compliment.
The queen was without pheromones at first. But the report was corroborated several times over, so she had no choice but to accept it as accurate. What sort of bee could grow to such gargantuan size? How much nectar and how many workers did it require to support such a monster? What did that mean for the scale of the hive that had raised them?
But then¡the queen had a thought. Nay, an opportunity. At the time the report had been received, hers was the only hive that had observed the new bees. The Flower Tender had told the queen of her plans as well, that she and the new flower tender would be exchanging a queen each. Naturally, the domineering queen intended for one of her own children to fulfill that role and hadn¡¯t told any of the other queens about the exchange. Clearly, the domineering queen had no clue about the nature of the new bees they were about to make contact with. And with reason, who would have expected these bees to be so different? Even the queen had trouble believing the reports her own workers were making, so it was only natural the domineering queen had no way to predict such dramatic differences.
And the queen had kept it that way, reporting nothing out of the ordinary besides the new bees¡¯ general appearance indicating a different species. Oh, questions would eventually be raised about how she had missed such a massive threat¡but she could simply say the big bees and the soldiers hadn¡¯t been among the scouts and that she hadn¡¯t been aware of them. It wasn¡¯t like the solitary ones would tell the domineering queen of her deceit and it was strange the new bees were using soldiers to scout in the first place. The domineering queen would certainly be angry¡but would have no reason to suspect her lack of information was intentional.
The queen¡¯s scouts had now reported her plan¡¯s success. The domineering queen, under the impression the new bees were no different than any other, had sent off her daughter with a force clearly intended for hostilities, and would act as domineering towards the incoming queen as she had towards all of them. Well, the Flower Tender had told them specifically not to use violence against the new queen, but that didn¡¯t mean the domineering queen would just let her be.
And when the new bees, with the gargantuans they had at their disposal, learned of these things? Well, then the domineering queen might find herself a small bee in a very big hive. And if she were taken down a peg¡or removed entirely¡that would make some space for the other queens to begin to grow.
And if she, among all the surviving queens, was the only one to have foreseen and prepared for this outcome? Well, someone needed to be queen.
Of course, at the time, the queen had no idea of what sort of chain of events she had set in motion¡
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s antennae twitched about.
¡°Kill? Won¡¯t kill!¡±
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But before she could protest anymore, the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter walked up to her and brushed antennae together.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh, can talk with new queen?¡±
As always, the Fourth of the Seventh happily replied.
¡°Ok!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh then hovered away to give them space, wonderfully considerate queen that she was. But the First Daughter held back her happy ¡°Fourth of the Seventh best Fourth of the Seventh!¡± dance. She had something she needed to do first, so she turned her attention to the new queen.
¡°Hello, am First Daughter of First Queen of First Dynasty of Fifth Spawner. Nice to meet.¡±
The new queen remained in submission and began to tremble, so the First Daughter continued without waiting for reply.
¡°Accept submission, won¡¯t kill. Hive of hives won¡¯t kill.¡±
The new queen replied not with a dance but with a mixture of mana, pheromones, and wing buzzing. Fortunately, the King¡¯s mana now connected them both, so there was no difficultly interpreting her words.
¡°Thank gracious queen, will serve well!¡±
The new queen was clearly under a misunderstanding about the hive of hives, but it was to be expected. The First Daughter had been raised before her queen mother herself understood the concept and so found the hive of hives far different than she had initially expected despite being born into it. The hive of hives was a long achievement built by the King and by such innovative, wonderful queens as the Fourth of the Seventh, so a queen from beyond the King¡¯s Tower could not be expected to know these things.
The misunderstanding would need to be corrected quickly¡but later, for the First Daughter had something she needed to do first, and the misunderstanding would not hinder her in achieving it.
¡°Hive of hives all helps each other. Will help new queen, make sure no one hurts. Will help find flowers, give honey to feed. In exchange, new queen should help too. Can help right now, even.¡±
The new queen quickly flooded acquiescence pheromones.
¡°Will help! Will!¡±
The First Daughter held herself high before calmly replying.
¡°Good. So¡tell about home and original hive. What like? How queens interact?¡±
The new queen hesitated for only a moment before beginning to describe the hive she was born in and her queen mother¡¯s rule. The First Daughter was nearly taken aback at how willing the new queen was to give up her queen mother¡but it began to make sense as the new queen spun her tale. Her original hive was as the First Daughter feared; without the King¡¯s guidance or the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s example, they never developed a concept of the hive of hives. Their society was centered around the hives and their interactions based on competing with and subduing other queens as rivals¡apparently to the extent of using violence. Even her queen mother never considered measures that extreme, since she had known from the start that the queens she once considered her rivals also belonged to the King.
It also painted the new queen¡¯s mother¡¯s intentions for the soldiers escorting her child in a different, highly concerning light. And now the First Daughter was sending her own child right into the middle of such a society dominated by such a queen.
Fortunately, the hive of hives was already in motion. The First Daughter made sure the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer was connected to her, so the diligent worker had already picked up on what was going on and had contacted her Third Daughter. The First Daughter¡¯s own communers had already been spreading word to the other queens of the hive of hives even as the conversation took place, now all those queens stopped approaching the new queen for introductions in favor of making preparations. The Firstborn had already acknowledged the unforeseen danger and was now organizing reinforcements for the Third Daughter¡¯s swarm in response. Her own queen mother, the First of the Fifth, now danced with the Third Daughter, advising her on various possible approaches while promising her additional honey from her own stockpiles. The Conduit herself asked the King for more time to prepare the Third Daughter.
The Fourth of the Seventh sent her mana instead of dancing.
¡°Something wrong? Third Daughter will be ok?¡±
The First Daughter buzzed her wings.
¡°New hive not nice. Will make sure Third Daughter is ok.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh buzzed her wings, sending a gust all around her.
¡°Will make sure too. Can go with Third Daughter, lay lots of eggs so will have lots of workers, soldiers, whenever needs.¡±
The First Daughter happily acknowledged that. Of course, the Fourth of the Seventh would find a way. And now, thanks to the hive of hives¡¯ quick cooperation, her daughter would have a soldier compliment from the Flower Meadow to keep her safe, eggs from the Fourth of the Seventh to scale up or replenish losses as her circumstances required, and the abundant honey the First of the Fifth could produce to sustain them all until she could secure the necessary resources. The First Daughter wouldn¡¯t even stop there, using every second of time bought by the Conduit to put every odd she could in her Third Daughter¡¯s favor.
Unlike this new queen¡¯s mother, she wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to her daughters. And she would not be alone, for not a single one of the King¡¯s queens would remain idle if any of them were threatened. That was what it meant to be part of the hive of hives. And that was what the new queens would find out, should anything occur.
Chapter 229 - Bee Nice?
Belissar clasped hands with Tarwantrad as she mentioned and thought about sending the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter to her. That¡was a bit of a mouthful but the bees didn¡¯t seem to mind so neither did Belissar.
He felt the Tower¡¯s mana withdraw from the bee and for a moment regretted his decision, only for mana to connect to the stingless bees Tarwantrad provided him as well.
10,432 monsters transferred.
8,768 monsters received.
Belissar looked to the stingless hive, currently balled up around their queen. He guessed that, like Velebee previously, they were intimidated by his other bees, so he moved to introduce them and ease her concerns.
¡°Hi, I¡¯m Belissar, welcome to my Tower! Let me introduce you to everyone and we¡¯ll get you set up with a hive¡they like beehouses, right?¡±
He glanced over at Tarwantrad, who nodded with a smile, before turning his attention back to the bee. Fortunately, it seemed to work as the queen crawled out of the ball and onto his hand. The Fourth of the Seventh and the First of Fifth¡¯s First Daughter came to greet her. The queen seemed even more frightened than Velebee had been at that, but the Fourth of the Seventh was one of the friendliest queens in the Tower so Belissar figured it would work out.
His smile dropped, however, as he watched the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s dance with the new queen grow more intense¡followed by all of his queens suddenly scrambling back to their hives. Niobee took off from his head and danced before him before he could ask what was wrong.
¡°King! New queen says new hive not as nice, queens want to prepare First of Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter! Can?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly nodded¡before remembering he had technically transferred the bee over. He looked over to Tarwantrad. Her face was scrunched up but she nodded back. He gave the ok to Niobee then turned to Tarwantrad once Niobee zipped off to help coordinate the preparations.
¡°You know what¡¯s going on?¡±
Tarwantrad made a complicated expression.
¡°I think I do. I was not as involved with my bees as you are with yours, I figured if I let them be they would live as they would out in nature. The thing is¡nature can be brutal at times. My bees have fought with one another before¡and even gone as far as war between hives.¡±
She suddenly jumped and quickly began waving her hands around.
¡°Ah! Don¡¯t worry! I specifically told them not to harm the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯ Third Daughter! I won¡¯t let anything happen to your bees, Belissar! But¡ah¡the stingless queen might be right in that my bees don¡¯t cooperate like yours do. So, please take all the time you need to prepare her to your satisfaction. Hm¡I may need to rethink my approach going forward¡¡±
Belissar thanked her and then refocused on his bees. They seemed to have it covered for the most part. The battle meadow queens were sending more soldiers to join the swarm, the First of the Fifth was speaking with her granddaughter and arranging more honey supplies, and the Fourth of the Seventh was preparing to go and help the young queen set up. Belissar double checked that with Tarwantrad and confirmed she intended to set up the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter in the flower nursery, so the Fourth of the Seventh could accompany her the whole way without issue.
Belissar then took a deep breath. He wanted to do more for the young queen, but his bees had already taken every practical step he could think of. And, well, ultimately he had to trust that Tarwantrad would watch over her. That was ultimately what it meant to transfer a monster over to another dungeon master.
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He shook his head before he could have any second thoughts, but he did decide he would consider carefully before trading any more monsters. If it was this hard with Tarwantrad, how difficult would it be to trust any of the other masters with his bees?
He glanced over at the Third Daughter¡who was currently spinning about thanking all the queens and zipping through the air. He cracked a smile, it seemed her enthusiasm wasn¡¯t dampened in the least. That helped¡quite a lot in fact.
But it was time to move on, for there was another queen who needed his help. After confirming all the preparations were completed or about to complete and that Tarwantrad could handle things from there, he turned his attention to the stingless queen, who was currently being escorted by Niobee. Niobee immediately noted his attention and began dancing.
¡°King! New queen will work with First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, so hive should be in Orchard!¡±
Belissar grinned. Niobee had gone and answered his question before he could ask, she really was the best.
¡°Got it, the beehouse is already ready so I¡¯ll move it over. Shall we go check it out?¡±
The stingless queen acknowledged him with pheromones and mana while Niobee danced happily about and her whole swarm followed along. He was going to trust Tarwantrad with one of his bees, so he would do his best to take care of hers in turn.
He would have a talk with the new queen about violence between bees, however.
Tarwantrad led the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter to the beehouse she had prepared in the nursery room¡along with her now much larger, much more well-supplied and heavily armed swarm. And the Fourth of the Seventh accompanying her, along with all the workers and soldiers that accompanied said queen.
She¡had a lot to think about regarding her bees. It was one thing to let the bees be bees when the vast majority of them were mundane. But her stingless bees had recently become monsters¡a fact that Tarwantrad had honestly overlooked. Even with plants, which were less active as a rule, the more complex monsters had to be handled with care and a level of involvement others did not require. She would never leave an alraune to their own devices, for example, so she may have been foolish in doing so with her monster stingless bees.
To hammer in the point, Belissar¡¯s tower starkly demonstrated just how far monster bees could deviate from their instincts, especially if encouraged to do so. Tarwantrad herself had done something similar with her flowers, building networks of plants that worked together, but had completely left her bees to their own impulses. She hung her head at that thought. She now understood why the God of Bees had not approached her first. She had been content to leave her bees as they were. Belissar had striven to help them become better. She had a lot to learn, it seemed.
But this was no time for regrets. She was about to introduce a hive from Belissar¡¯s Tower into her own, bringing two sets of wildly different bees into contact with one another. That was an event that had the potential to upset entire ecosystems and so one she could not ignore. She did not even want to imagine what a war between her bees and one of Belissar¡¯s hives might look like, which is why she had already forbidden violence towards the new bee, in addition to her desire to fulfill Belissar¡¯s trust in her. Still, that was only the bare minimum, she definitely needed to take a more active role in her bees¡¯ affairs from now on.
She had wanted to ask Belissar about how he developed his hive of hives, but he also needed to get the stingless queen situated, so it would have to wait for tomorrow. And that meant at least one day that her bees and his could collide.
Still, it wasn¡¯t all bad. Perhaps one of Belissar¡¯s bees could prove an inspiration to her own, and the impetus for her to take a more active role among them. So long as she could prevent the monster bees and stingless bees from colliding that was¡or perhaps as long as she could manage the damage if a clash proved unavoidable.
She arrived at the beehouse and opened it up. Knowing how large some of Belissar¡¯s bees could get, she built it like one of his Bee Apartments.
¡°What do you think?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter and the Fourth of the Seventh wasted no time zipping inside and hovering around every inch of the apartment, while the workers checked every nook and cranny and the soldiers set up a perimeter outside. Tarwantrad¡¯s new queen then zipped back to her and began looping around.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Is like King¡¯s hives! Flower One is best flower one!¡±
Tarwantrad smiled at that, setting aside her concerns for the moment.
¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. Please, let me know if there¡¯s anything your king normally does that I¡¯ve overlooked.¡±
As Tarwantrad watched the queens and workers buzz around and begin settling into the hive, she resolved to ensure everything would work out between her bees and, at the bare minimum, to keep Belissar¡¯s bees as happy as they would be back in his Tower. For more than one reason, as she also watched the large soldier bees begin a vigilant watch on the walls and roof of their new home¡
POBee 229.1 - Bee-conomic Investments
The First of the Fifth crawled her way out of the hive, shimming about to maneuver her body out the entrance with as little disruption to the production lines as possible. Her new evolution was truly amazing, but she had to admit it had its downsides at times. Generally, whenever she needed to move.
But movement was necessary today. The First of the Fifth had much to do. The newest queen to join the hive of hives had shocked all the queens of the King with her tale. She told of hives that knew not the glory of the King and who were so vicious towards one another that they would even attack each other. And not only would the hive of hives now come into contact with such bees, they were sending one of their own number to live among them. The First of the Fifth¡¯s very own descendent, even.
The hive of hives needed to ensure her First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter was fully prepared for such an environment. Beyond that, they needed to be prepared for a potential conflict with the vicious queens, whether to intervene on behalf of her First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter, or to defend their own home. And for that, they needed honey. They needed honey to expand their hives, they needed honey to raise evolved soldiers, they needed to create stockpiles for times of great need, and they needed to continue evolving queens. The First of the Fifth¡¯s honey would be in even greater demand than ever before.
Not to mention, she didn¡¯t need a communer to feel her First Daughter¡¯s utter commitment to protect her own child. And, well, she knew exactly why her First Daughter would feel that way. She felt a stinger pierce her own torso knowing her First Daughter was still driven by events that she had caused. So, she would spare nothing ensuring the hive of hives was completely ready to assist First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter as necessary.
Except for this. Having made her way out of the hive, she looked over the preparations with her own eyes. Two trays of swirled honey shone bright in the light as workers attached them to soldiers via the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s woven stems. They saluted to her, indicating all was ready. The First of the Fifth acknowledged them before beating her wings and slowly rising into the air herself.
Even though she desperately needed to start evolving her own hive into honeyswirlers in order to scale up production, she had not. She had gone and made two whole trays of swirled honey all on her own, reserving it for the journey she now embarked on. She slowly, ponderously led the way as her soldiers carefully carried the two trays behind her.
One would be brought to the King and offered at his table. The first taste of her new honey should be his. That was the one thing the First of the Fifth couldn¡¯t bring herself to compromise on.
As for the other, the First of the Fifth had the soldiers bring the tray to the Queen of All Bees¡¯ shrine, laying it down in her chest. The First of the Fifth then danced before shrine.
¡°Thank Queen of All Bees for showing way of honey. Will do best to make better honey, like Queen of All Bees.¡±
The Queen of All Bees was the only other who deserved to share this first taste with the King. After all, it had been the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey that had opened her eyes and revealed how far her own had to go. It had been that taste that showed the First of the Fifth her ideal place within the hive of hives. Her discussions with her First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter on how to deal with rival queens had been¡concerning. It was frighteningly easy to fall back into her previous mindset before she truly understood the King and what he was trying to achieve. So, the First of the Fifth once again thanked the Queen of All Bees for showing her the way just before her own evolution and resolved herself to focus fully on the honey from now on.
As she finished her dance, the shrine and the chest both began to glow bright. She felt something resonate in her mana, a little spark lit when she had tasted the Queen of All Bees¡¯ honey. She knew, fully and completely, that she was on the right path and the Queen of All Bees approved of her efforts.
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She thanked the Queen of All Bees once more and then took to the air as fast as her current body could carry her. For the King, for her children, for the hive of hives, for the Queen of All Bees, and even for herself, it was time to make honey.
She wasted no time when she arrived, ordering the workers to bring her as much nectar as possible. This she processed within her body, while using her antennae to swirl already completed honey within trays elsewhere in the hive. And the very moment a cell filled with swirled honey, a honeypot would enter and curl up. With the First of the Fifth herself now able to process honey directly, she could spare the honeypots and workers from the production lines for to evolve into honeyswirlers, so that they could begin producing swirled honey directly from the lines.
And with the powerful honey she could now produce, some of the earliest honeypots were already emerging from their cells by the end of the day. Soon, she would be ready to start delivering her new honey to the hive of hives¡
The First Butcher Queen of the First Dynasty of the First Butcher Spawner, the first of her line, hovered over her cells. Or just First Butcher as she liked to be called. Her big sisters had this whole thing about dynasties and birth order and spawners and whatnot. The First Butcher wasn¡¯t too concerned about all that, but since her big sisters cared about it she didn¡¯t mind when they gave her a big name too.
Especially since they also gave a bunch of honey along with it. All while the big meat sisters brought her meat¡or were they drones? Apparently big meat drones also worked, which was weird, but the King was apparently also a drone but also not? The First Butcher decided to let the Conduit worry about it and accept what she was told. Point was the big meat sisters were bringing her meat every day while the bee sisters brought her honey.
This hive of hive things really was amazing! Normally, a new butcher hive would have to grow cautiously. They could feed existing adults off of flowers and nectar alone if they had to, but the young needed meat to grow and the adults wouldn¡¯t stay healthy if they went too long without any themselves. But a small hive would have trouble hunting, so they¡¯d have to scavenge whatever corpses they could find¡or maybe try to take small bites out of big meats if they were feeling really bold and hope some of the workers escaped with their prizes.
But not her! She received powerful mana honey each day that stuffed her with energy from just a single sip! And she got at least one new corpse each day, a huge source of fresh meat normally only a well-developed hive would have access to! Even when her little sisters were born and she had to share with them, she still had a far greater abundance than any new butcher hive would have ever dreamed of.
And that let her grow her hive in a way no other new butcher hive ever would have.
She and what few workers she had hovered around a couple of really big wax pots at the center of her hive. With no need to scout for corpses to scavenge or to accept casualties biting big meats, she only needed a bare handful of workers to collect the meat, forage the nearby flowers, and build up the wax pots. Instead, she used her resources on a different kind of child.
The wax pots now began to break open. Huge, serrated mandibles ripped through the wax. The workers didn¡¯t even get a chance to help before the bee within emerged. A bee even larger than the First Butcher stretched her wings and her legs before presenting herself to her queen. In addition to her huge mandibles, her chitin was tough yet sleek, providing protection and mobility in equal measure. Her legs featured little hooks that could grab and hold meat chunks for later transport.
The first butcher bee soldier had been born. For her big sisters, who apparently only ate nectar and pollen, soldiers were purely a drain on their hives. But it was not so for butcher bees. For a butcher bee hive, soldiers were yet another forager, one that could open up entirely new, more active means of acquiring food.
And this soldier was not alone, as all the big wax pots began to break open. Thanks to the donations by all of her big sisters, bee and meat both, the First Butcher was able to skip directly into raising soldiers. She could simultaneously skip several steps in the development of her hive while also fulfilling the King¡¯s purpose for her.
She began to lay out her orders and the orders of the King to the new soldier squad¡and then watched as they began to fly. Within mere days of starting her hive, she was ready to begin the hunt.
Chapter 230 - A Trial of Bees
Belissar hummed as he finished hammering the final nail in a new beehouse. The karnuq¡¯s smith continue to hone his craft and had made a hammer and nails among other tools, so Belissar continued to improve his beehouses. He turned to the waiting hive and waved his hands from them to the house.
¡°There you go, what do you think?¡±
The new stingless queen stared at the box before releasing her pheromones.
¡°New flower tender¡is giving magical palace?¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded.
¡°Yes. Check it out and let me know if there¡¯s any adjustments you¡¯d like, and then I¡¯ll turn it into a feature.¡±
The stingless queen just stood still for a bit before starting to tremble. She glanced at one of the Orchard workers nearby, only moving once the other bee danced an encouragement. She slowly, hesitantly hovered over to the hive and began to check inside. When he asked Tarwantrad about how stingless bees built their hives, it sounded like they were remarkably similar to the butcher bees, so he had used that design for the stingless bees¡¯ new home.
The stingless bee slowly crawled out.
¡°Is¡great. Perfect. Great thanks to new flower tender.¡±
Belissar smiled at her as he brought up the feature menu.
¡°Glad you like it. Just let me know if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to change.¡±
A moment later, the Tower¡¯s mana flooded into the beehouse and upgraded it to the magical feature. The stingless queen¡¯s hive began to fly inside and started building. Workers from the other Orchard hives soon began to arrive and observe the new construction.
Belissar grinned. There had been a lot going on lately with all the visitors from the Compact and the negotiations with the sigmaka, so it was wonderful to spend some time making new beehouses for new queens, the butcher bees and this new stingless bee both. This was ultimately what his Tower was all about.
And now that the beehouse was completed and the stingless queen taken care of, he gave his attention to the message that appeared during the construction.
Mission: Share a monster bee queen with a dungeon patronized by the God of Flowers completed!
Reward: Rare Bee-type Perk Choice
Belissar, as usual, would wait for the post-purification gathering to open the perk choice, so he didn¡¯t bother thinking too much about it. Instead, he used the moment to consider his Tower as a whole, where he was and where he was headed.
Dungeon Status:
Rooms: 19/24
Floors: 6
Mana: 202/1400
Available Monster Types: Monster Bee Queen, Nomadic Monster Bee Queen, Honeyswirler Monster Bee Queen, Monster Bumblebee Queen, Butcher Bee Queen, Monster Carpenter Bee, Monster Bee Soldier, Monster Bee Sprayer, Monster Bee Captain, Monster Bee Lancer, Monster Bee Battlecaster, Monster Bee Archer, Monster Bee Assassin, Monster Bee Communer, Monster Bee Gardener, Monster Bee Honeypot, Beeswax Golem, Slime, Wolf-Mole, Lesser Wyvern
Available Room Types: Flower Meadow, Apiary, Orchard, Dirt Tunnels, Lava Field, Fairy Grove, Apothecary¡¯s Hut, Bog
Core Corruption: 0%
Dungeon Master: Belissar
Dungeon Conduit: Niobee
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His Tower was developing well. The First of the Fifth and Fourth of the Seventh had evolved and both had made significant progress to evolving the rest of their hives, so soon would be able to use their new abilities in full. The Firstborn and the battle meadow queens continued to explore new tactics and training for the ever growing soldier bee army. The butchers were starting to hunt on their own, so would not only grow but begin working on converting their room to Death as well. Frelis kept growing her monster rose and was now leading the gardeners in the newly open exchange with Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon. The karnuq settlement grew ever more sophisticated as they took advantage of all the resources the Tower offered them, as well as the stability their new life brought. The Third of the Sixth was training with Chief Rohsuak, Hirkolos was training with the bee army, the slime queen and First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth Daughter were making golems¡and the list went on.
Honestly, there was more going on in the Tower than Belissar could personally keep track of at this point, even with the bees reporting it all to him, but that was fine. He trusted the bees and the karnuq both to progress on their own projects. Whether as a beekeeper or a Tower Keeper, he was still just letting the bees be bees.
What he needed to do was continue creating the conditions for them to thrive. Additionally, as Chief Rohsuak had advised him, it was his duty to set the overall course of the Tower, as well as to handle its relationships with the world around it. As for the first two duties, the latest exchanges with the Circle dungeon masters and Tarwantrad, in monsters, features, and especially in knowledge, had opened up a bunch of new rooms, flowers, and even bees. Belissar still had five more room slots to fill, new experiments to try, and had the mana to qualify for several more expansion purifications whenever he wished.
He would hold off for now, though. His bees had plenty on their plate and were still working hard at implementing all of the new options they had recently received. Adding more wouldn¡¯t particularly help them, for example there were plenty of things he could try to create even more Water rooms, but what would be the point when only the swimming and slime bees could interact with them and there was currently only one of each? Best to let them expand and grow. The First of the Fifth herself recently apologize for handing off management of the other hives and flower allocation to her First Daughter so that she could focus on her evolution and its honey-making potential. Belissar had no issue with that, if anything, it was his fault for piling up too many duties on her to handle all at once.
So, for the near future, that meant Belissar should focus on the Tower¡¯s relationships. King Ratuatapi would soon visit the Tower to finalize the alliance agreement, after which the sigmaka would join the karnuq hunters in challenging the Tower. Belissar hadn¡¯t made any preparations for that sort of thing, so he¡¯d best start thinking about it. There were the karnuq¡¯s experiencing with facing the trials of Sacred Dens and the Tower Guards¡¯ training methods, the Circle¡¯s advice about setting up temples to worship the gods, and then the God of Bees¡¯ own preferences on challengers working for the hives. So, the question was, what exactly should the sigmaka do for their challenges and what rewards should Belissar offer them?
It was not something he could decide on his own, so he headed over to the karnuq settlement and consulted with Chief Rohsuak. She hummed to herself as she considered his questions.
¡°In my opinion, the God of Bees preferences should take precedence. However, the sigmaka negotiated for the right to send challengers under the assumption they would be facing combat trials of some sort, so I will say you should not remove that aspect entirely. They will want to grow their warriors and will be disappointed if they cannot.¡±
Belissar crossed his arms and thought for a moment before glancing up at the bee on his head.
¡°What do you think, Niobee? Is there any way the sigmaka could help work for the hives?¡±
Niobee buzzed her wings.
¡°Stop making King feel bad!¡±
Belissar blinked for a moment while Chief Rohsuak chuckled. He couldn¡¯t help a smile growing on his face even as he shook his head.
¡°Thanks Niobee, but it¡¯s fine. They aren¡¯t hurting me, even if dealing with them is always complicated. Is there anything else they could do, anything that the bees would want?¡±
Niobee stopped buzzing and stood still for a bit, her antennae occasionally pulsing with soft light. After a bit, she slowly began to dance.
¡°Sigmaka have nectar? Can give?¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened a bit.
¡°Ah, the aphid honeydew, right? We never did get a regular supply, did we?¡±
He furrowed his brow.
¡°So¡we just have them bring honeydew to the hives? That¡¯d help the bees but¡it doesn¡¯t seem like much of trial?¡±
He glanced Chief Rohsuak and found her humming to herself once more. After a bit, she glanced up at him.
¡°Actually, it might. The act of bringing along honeydew may seem simple¡but that would depend on where you have them drop it off.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Where? I mean, just at the shrine at the entrance, right? Otherwise, they¡¯d have to carry it with them further in and they¡¯d get attacked by remnants while¡¡±
Belissar¡¯s eyes slowly began to widen again.
¡°They¡¯d have to fight their way through. All while trying to protect the honeydew to give to the hives at the end¡like how bees have to return to the hive with their nectar¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak smiled at him.
¡°Indeed. It would be quite the trial. Combat while burdened, all to perform a service to the bees.¡±
Belissar slowly began to nod.
¡°That¡sounds like something the God of Bees might approve of. Ah, wait! We should go ask Velebee!¡±
Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she agreed. Belissar headed over to Velebee¡¯s hive along with her to see what the God of Bees thought of the idea. Velebee began glowing and dancing almost immediately.
¡°Queen of All Bees says likes!¡±
And with that, Belissar had his trial for the sigmaka.
Chapter 231 - Collaborative Bee-cisions
A small turtle shade crawled through the Dirt Tunnels and, for once, did not get stuck in the very first Pit Trap. Not through any merit of its own, however, but because Belissar had moved the Pit Traps out the way today. As the shade lumbered through the empty tunnels, a small patch of dirt began to stir. A moment later, a small bee, just a bit smaller than a soldier, launched from the ground abdomen first. Her stinger jabbed into the turtle¡¯s behind, right where its tail connected to the rest of its body. The turtle growled and swung its tail about, but the bee had already dove back down into the dirt.
The turtle swung about for a bit, but no further attacks came, so it eventually continued on its course. But as it meandered on, it began to slow down, even further than normal. It growled and began to thrash about, its thorns swaying about. It had no opponents to lash out against, however, so it did nothing but swish through the air and mix the dirt.
Soon, even its thrashing began to slow. It collapsed onto the dirt and moved no further, fading away a minute later.
All hostiles defeated.
Purification successful.
Belissar smiled. The Fourth of the Fifth had worked hard and the first digging monster bee assassins were now ready. Their first battle had proven everything Belissar had hoped. One single sting brought down a small turtle shade without risking any bees or karnuq save for the quick attack by one assassin. The shade had been defeated in the first room even without any traps whatsoever. Belissar turned to the Fourth of the Fifth waiting beside him.
¡°Great work! It¡¯s perfect, this is really going to help our defenses.¡±
The Fourth of the Fifth broke out into a happy, barely coherent ¡°King is best king!¡± dance.
The Tower¡¯s defenders celebrated the victory as usual, with Hirkolos now joining in. He had been hesitant as always, but since he had participated in a purification at this point he caved when Belissar insisted. The celebration¡¯s fare had expanded as well, roasted rabbit now joined the usual honeycomb, fruits, roots, and mushrooms, along with the seasoning herbs the Fourth of the Seventh had previously obtained from the larger ruins. Belissar¡¯s eyes lit up as he bit into the meat. Meat had always been a rare treat for him, so to have access to a steady supply of it was truly a blessing. A sentiment the cheering karnuq seemed to share¡along with the butcher bees and their new soldiers.
Fully satiated, Belissar, the queens, and his advisors came together afterwards with a smile. Tarwantrad wasn¡¯t present today, but Belissar had convinced Hirkolos to join as the human representative.
Belissar first updated the bees on the proposed plan for the sigmaka challengers and asked if they would willing to cooperate. He planned to build a few empty beehouses where the sigmaka could leave the honeydew and pick up a reward of honeycomb in exchange. He did, however, need a few bees to keep watch and to take the honeydew to the actual hives afterwards, as well as to donate the occasional mana honeycomb as a special reward.
The bees had no problem with this and sung his praises for arranging a honeydew supply.
After that, it was time to address the rewards of the day, both from the daily purification and the God of Bees¡¯ mission. He started with the daily purification rewards since those were the easiest. Most of the time, he always just took the mana¡
Please select a reward:
- +100 DP
- +20 Max Mana
- Rest Zone
Belissar had nearly selected the mana out of habit when he saw the last option and paused. To refresh his memory and inform everyone who hadn¡¯t been there the first time he saw it, he read out the feature¡¯s description.
Rest Zone
Type: Recovery, Zone
Mana Upkeep: 5
Description: A safe zone where challengers can rest. Remnants won¡¯t pass into the zones, and zones provide slight healing, as well as slightly boosted stamina and mana recovery.
Belissar smiled. It was fortunate timing¡or so he would say if rest zones hadn¡¯t popped up several times ever since they swapped to small strength daily purifications. They were a common option, after all.
¡°Let¡¯s go with rest zones this time to set up the places the sigmaka can drop off their honeydew.¡±
Neither bee, karnuq, nor human had any objection to that so Belissar confirmed the choice.
Rest Zone now available.
With everything falling into place for the sigmaka plan, Belissar was already feeling good. So he had a good feeling now that it was time to open the reward from the God of Bees.
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Please select a perk:
- Emergency Spawning (Rarity: Rare)
- Assault Captains (Rarity: Rare)
- Bee Swarm Barrage (Rarity: Rare)
Belissar gaped for a second. He had not just one but three rare perks to choose from. He had a feeling this could be a tough decision. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to make it alone, so he began reading out the descriptions. He especially looked at all the bee queens.
¡°These are going to affect you all the most, so please share your opinions.¡±
Emergency Spawning
- Adds the Emergency Spawning ability to all monster with the brood mother skill.
- Allows the brood mother to rapidly spawn more offspring. Offspring spawned in this manner will rapidly develop to a functional life stage. Number and type of offspring spawned as well as magnitude of growth acceleration may be adjusted. Mana from the brood mother or the dungeon may be substituted for the resources normally required for said offspring and their growth.
- Minimum cooldown of one day that will grow with the number, size, and complexity of offspring as well as the magnitude of growth acceleration. Using mana in place of resources for the spawning will also increase cooldown. Brood mother will not be able to spawn offspring in the normal manner and will have reduced mana regeneration for the duration of the cooldown.
- Offspring may suffer from reduced size, limited lifespan, or other developmental issues if growth acceleration is too extreme.
The bees immediately began dancing among themselves in accordance with Belissar¡¯s request. The First of the Second danced a summary.
¡°So¡can lay more eggs when need? Make more bees in emergency?¡±
The Firstborn danced a confirmation.
¡°Could help if need more soldiers for battle?¡±
The First of the Second didn¡¯t join her dance, though.
¡°But¡queens lead now? Can¡¯t lay more eggs if not in hive? And can¡¯t train new soldiers?¡±
The Firstborn stopped dancing at that.
¡°Is good point.¡±
She turned to the First of the Fifth.
¡°What does First of the Fifth think?¡±
The First of the Fifth flicked her antennae, letting her mana speak for her rather than dance with her large body.
¡°Could help in emergency, but don¡¯t need if plan well.¡±
She then glanced at her First Daughter.
¡°Well¡do make mistakes sometimes, so maybe helpful? Daughter?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter took a moment to think even as the other queens turned to look at her. Her dance started slow but gradually picked up speed.
¡°Fourth of the Seventh already storing eggs. If need more, can evolve more nomadic queens. Think should hear others first.¡±
With that, the bees turned back to Belissar. The karnuq and human hung back and remained quiet, but Belissar didn¡¯t press for their opinions this time. This choice was about the bees.
Assault Captains
- Monster bee captains gain a major boost to all stats
- Monster bee captains provide a minor boost to all stats for nearby or commanded bees when in close proximity to hostiles. Stat boost temporarily grows if captains attack hostiles. Stat boost grows further for bees attacking the same target as the captain. All boosts removed if the captain leaves the hostile¡¯s proximity.
- All boosts to stats and coordination persist for a temporary duration after a monster bee captain¡¯s death. Boosts are improved further for bees attacking a hostile that has killed a captain.
- Perk applies to some compatible monster bee captain evolutions.
The Firstborn immediately perked up as Belissar read out this one. She waited only for a quick nod by Belissar before she began dancing.
¡°Amazing, incredible! Captains become better soldiers and make other soldiers better. Makes whole army stronger.¡±
The First of the Second hesitated a bit before replying.
¡°But¡then captains have to fight? Risk evolved bees?¡±
The First of the Fifth looked at her First Daughter, who then interjected.
¡°Queen mother¡¯s evolution lets make new kind of honey, will help bees evolve. Both queens and children, so might be able to help raise more if need. Almost done evolving queen mother¡¯s hive, so will be ready to share soon.¡±
The Firstborn immediately turned to the First of the Fifth and began dancing.
¡°Amazing, incredible! First of the Fifth makes best honey!¡±
Belissar could tell by the twitch in the First of the Fifth¡¯s antennae and legs that she was resisting a happy dance, even as the bees turned to him for the last option.
Bee Swarm Barrage
- Upon attacking an enemy, Bee-type monsters may leave pheromones and mana that guide further attacks by other Bee-type monsters, creatures, constructs, and features against the same location. All Bee-type attacks will move faster and strike more accurately when targeting the affected location.
- The mana left by repeated attacks gradually degrades the target¡¯s defenses in the affected area. For attacks that contain venom or other harmful substances, some of those substances will enhance this effect. The effect grows with the amount of mana left in the area.
The Firstborn, and indeed all of the battle meadow queens, once again grew antsy by the time Belissar finished reading. Indeed, Belissar couldn¡¯t help but look over the perk once more himself, even as the Firstborn started to dance.
¡°If soldiers hit same spot¡will hit harder?¡±
The First of the Second danced a confirmation this time.
¡°Says will make defenses weaker. Maybe can sting even if can resist first stings?¡±
The First Butcher began dancing, to Belissar¡¯s slight surprise.
¡°Is good for butchers! If make meat weaker, then can bite into and get inside!¡±
The Fourth of the Fifth also danced from her place on the ground.
¡°Don¡¯t forget have assassins now! Can tell bees where to sting, then bees can keep stinging with perk!¡±
The Firstborn began matching her dance.
¡°And new captains help coordinate, send more squads to spot. Maybe will help lancers hit? Or¡magic stings?¡±
The Firstborn turned to Beero and the other queens all looked at the battlecaster. Beero stumbled a bit but managed to start a dance.
¡°¡i-if perk leaves mana, should? Ah, if drone helps, can! Drone good at seeing mana!¡±
All the battle meadow queens began a confirmation dance at that. The Firstborn began a question dance and soon a ripple moved through the queens as they all gave their reply. The Firstborn then turned to Belissar.
¡°Like last one¡if King thinks is ok?¡±
Belissar smiled at her and nodded.
¡°You are the ones who will need to use it. Your plan sounds great to me, so I agree we should go with that.¡±
The Firstborn trembled before breaking out into a ¡°King best king!¡± dance that all the other queens soon joined in. Belissar spared only a brief glance to the karnuq and Hirkolos to confirm they had no objections to raise before confirming the choice.
Bee Swarm Barrage selected.
After all, the bees had made their choice, so Belissar couldn¡¯t be happier with it.
Chapter 232 - The Bee-cision Maker
The next day, King Ratuatapi arrived at the Tower once more, accompanied by Second Queen Berbiya and Fourth Queen Pezuya as before. They had agreed both to the alliance and to Belissar¡¯s proposal for honeydew delivery challenges, today was the day for the two leaders to finalize the deal. The agreement was less formal this time with no oath before the God of Bees, as neither side wanted to be divinely bound in this case. Instead, Belissar and the sigmaka king simply recited the agreement, shook hands, and exchanged some gifts as a symbol of the alliance. Belissar received a fine robe made of silk, while King Ratuatapi received a full tray of mana honeycomb from Belissar¡¯s own stockpile.
The formalities were quickly concluded and a feast prepared. Belissar and King Ratuatapi once again ate together. King Ratuatapi smiled at the meal before him and his people.
¡°That¡¯s a lot of rabbits, did you discover a den in the Underway?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°I recently met another Tower Keeper who gave them to me. We¡¯re breeding them now to hunt.¡±
King Ratautapi¡¯s eyes widened for a second before he forced his expression back to stoic.
¡°I see. Would we be permitted to hunt them as well?¡±
Belissar thought to himself for a moment. Chief Rohsuak had reinforced that he wasn¡¯t supposed to agree to anything casually, so he was careful choosing his words.
¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss that. The room they¡¯re currently in¡isn¡¯t safe, and we weren¡¯t planning to spread them just yet.¡±
King Ratuatapi showed no sign of disappointment at the refusal, fortunately.
¡°I see. We would love to discuss that once you are ready. Then¡you say you met another Sacred Den Master?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°One of the Fair Folk, even.¡±
King Ratuatapi could not help his eyes widening once more.
¡°Fair Folk? You can¡¯t mean fairies, can you? I thought they were just a myth.¡±
Belissar smiled knowingly at that.
¡°So, did I. Apparently, they have their own realm or something that¡¯s separated from the rest of the world. There¡¯s a door in my Tower that connected to one of theirs.¡±
King Ratuatapi blinked before looking slightly relieved.
¡°So, they¡¯ll just be in your Sacred Den¡¡±
Belissar nodded, then gave King Ratuatapi a serious look.
¡°I¡¯ve become friends with at least some of them, so please inform your challengers to respect them as they would the bees and karnuq if they encounter each other.¡±
King Ratuatapi immediately agreed.
¡°Of course, we will respect your friends as you have respected us.¡±
Belissar smiled again.
¡°Thank you. I should also let you know that at least some of them have agreed to help us prepare for the Tower Lords, and may even join us should we be attacked.¡±
King Ratuatapi could not hold back his surprise at that but soon began to smile.
¡°That is most reassuring.¡±
Inwardly, Belissar held back his own sigh of relief. He used his Tower commands to thank a group of bees dancing in the distance.
¡°That was everything, right? Thank you, everyone! Great work remembering all that, you can join the banquet now.¡±
The bees immediately began a ¡°King best king!¡± dance at his praise. Since Chief Rohsuak would also be busy talking to the sigmaka during the celebration, they had arranged for some worker bees to help Belissar with his task. They had spoken with Tarwantrad earlier and decided it would be best to inform the sigmaka about her and the general existence of the Compact ahead of time. Not only would this avert any surprises or knee-jerk reactions, but it would also allow Belissar¡¯s allies to coordinate if and when the Tower Lords arrived. To this purpose, Chief Rohsuak proposed they inform King Ratuatapi directly, as the sigmaka would have an easier time accepting something as surprising as the existence of the fairies if it came from him rather than the usual Second Queen Berbiya.
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Of course, the only time they had a chance to speak with King Ratuatapi directly was at post-agreement banquets like this, so Belissar had to do it himself, without Chief Rohsuak¡¯s help. But that was a problem that could be solved with bees, and so no issue at all.
And now Belissar was free to enjoy his meal and the conversation with fellow insect-keeper King Ratuatapi¡if it weren¡¯t for the young sigmaka king becoming distracted for the rest of the banquet¡
The King and the sigmaka were not the only ones who would feast today, however. The First of the Fifth reviewed her production lines. All of her honeypots had evolved into honeyswirlers and were now producing the more advanced honey, which meant all of her hive¡¯s production was now honeyswirled. There was some loss in quantity as the process did take longer than that of regular honey, but the productivity boons from before her evolution more than made up for that.
She still hadn¡¯t evolved all of her workers, gardeners, communers, and soldiers, but it wasn¡¯t as urgent for her to do so as their roles in the production process could be performed as base monster bees. She could evolve them at leisure through their normal feeding once they worked through the remaining stocks of regular mana honey, and all new children would be born as honeyswirlers anyways. As such¡she was now ready to begin delivering swirled honey to the other queens.
This is usually where she would have considered the state of the hive of hives to determine where her honey was most needed, arranged the delivery, and then personally informed the receiving queen. Today, however, she caught herself even as she started to brainstorm. Instead, she began dancing to one of her communers.
¡°Inform First Daughter that have honey to share with hive of hives, tell amount available. Can coordinate delivery with Second Daughter.¡±
She realized that since she had asked her First Daughter to manage the hive of hives, it was no longer her decision who should receive her honey, nor her responsibility to arrange the deliveries to said hives. Her First Daughter was now the one keeping track of the hive of hives, and therefore any decisions on honey allocation should be hers.
The First of the Fifth paced around a bit, considering then what she needed to do next, what other decisions she needed to make now. She came to conclusion that there was¡
¡nothing? If her First Daughter was now deciding where the honey should go and how to get it there¡then there was nothing else for the First of the Fifth to do after informing her. So¡there was nothing stopping her from now going back to making more honey.
With only a slight twinge of concern that she might be missing something, the First of the Fifth went back to her task, deciding to trust that her First Daughter could handle things from there.
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter danced her receipt of the report from her queen mother¡¯s communer.
¡°Got it, queen mother say where honey going?¡±
She paused, though, when the communer dance the negative.
¡°Queen mother said First Daughter decides now.¡±
The First Daughter stood completely still for a moment. That was right, wasn¡¯t it? If her queen mother had entrusted the hive of hives to her, then she should be the one to allocate honey donations between the hives. It just¡felt strange to be deciding what to do with her queen mother¡¯s own honey.
Strange feelings would not prevent her from completing her duty, however, so she began to consider.
¡°First batch should go to queen mother¡¯s Fifth Daughter, evolve Fifth Daughter since she helps queen mother make honey. Next batch¡¡±
For a brief moment, she considered sending a batch to her Third Daughter¡but she held back. As worried as she was for her Third Daughter, the honey from her evolved queen mother was quite powerful, able to drive queen evolutions. She had to consider the hive of hives as a whole and send the honey where it would be most useful for all of them. She would have to take care of the hive of hives and then trust the hive of hives to take care of her Third Daughter; indeed, the hive of hives had already given plenty of bees and resources to do just that. She would eventually send her queen mother¡¯s honey to her Third Daughter¡but the very first allocation needed to be for the wider hive of hives.
And so, she put aside concerns for her Third Daughter. She glanced over at the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer by her side. The first communer brushed her antennae.
¡°Queen mother with other queen¡¯s Third Daughter now, helping set up hive.¡±
The First Daughter thanked the first communer. The first communer, like the Fourth of the Seventh, always knew what she needed and was always able to help. So, reassured about her daughter¡¯s safety, the First Daughter considered the hive of hives instead.
¡°¡send to bumblebee queens. Haven¡¯t evolved, haven¡¯t raised new queens, only have workers and soldiers. Would help hive of hives if did, might need better honey. After, send to Flower Meadow barracks and Firstborn.¡±
Her queen mother¡¯s Fifth Daughter evolving would expand her queen mother¡¯s hive¡¯s honey production, so the next priority for the hive of hives was to boost their defenses. Either the bumblebees or Flower Meadow queens evolving more of their soldiers would go a long way towards that¡not to mention if either of them managed to evolve a queen. Indeed, nearly every queen in the hive of hives was watching the Firstborn these days, waiting, or even expecting, that she would evolve soon. The First Daughter would ensure that she had all the resources necessary to do so.
After that, she turned to the first communer.
¡°Can watch hive? Need to check on hive of hives.¡±
The ever reliable first communer danced a salute, freeing the First Daughter to begin a full review of the hive of hives. For if she now needed to determine honey allocations, she needed a refresher on the state of each and every hive in the Tower¡as well as the bees that did not live in hives to begin with. It was now her job to take care of every hive, not just her own.
And for the sake of the King, the hive of hives, her queen mother, the Fourth of the Seventh, and their children together, she would not fail.
POBee 232.1 - A New Tributar-Bee
The stingless queen, the first chosen by the Flower Tender to receive a magical palace, now the queen of queens over all the lands stewarded by the Flower Tender, received a report from whichever hive it was she had assigned to scout the newest room. The new bee type had arrived, complete with its hive. The scouting hive recommended immediate subjugation.
The stingless queen did not reply, continuing to sip honey from a cell. After she finished her meal, she proceeded to lay another round of eggs. Then she conferred with her workers on the state of her hive and made adjustments where necessary.
Only then did she reply to the workers from the scouting hive.
¡°Servant queen inform new hive of subjugation, demand tribute. Take appropriate measures if refuse. Will expect delivery soon, do not fail.¡±
The scouting queen was truly insolent. As if the queen of queens would bother mobilizing her army to subjugate a single new queen. She had an entire empire to run, countless queens submitted to her will. A single newcomer was of no concern, running her own hive was of far greater importance. One of her servants would suffice to inform the newcomer of their place.
And if the newcomer refused and her servant failed to subjugate them? Only then would she remind the queens of her might.
The stingless queen who had scouted the new bees was currently running about in panic. Her plan¡had not developed to expectations. She had not considered that the domineering queen would simply assign her to subjugate the newcomer instead of sending the army. Her choices were now refuse and earn the ire of the domineering queen who conquered all the rest¡or tell the gigantic bees that they needed to submit.
Either way, she was dead.
She continued pacing about but time was ticking. Thanks to the vague and threatening time limit set by the domineering queen, she had no choice but to try and work things out on the fly. With her antennae drooping, she slowly began to fly out of her hive. This was a conversation that would need to be handled delicately, she couldn¡¯t just pass a message through her workers this time. She had no choice but to go herself and hope the new queen didn¡¯t take the opportunity to kill her immediately. As such, she took only the bare minimum escort, for what was the point? A subjugated queen like her was only permitted one or two soldiers at a time, a paltry force compared to what the new queen might possess.
She felt no better as she arrived. Swarms of workers spread across the fields of flowers. One of them noticed her immediately and approached.
¡°Hi, looking for queen mother?¡±
Well, she apparently wasn¡¯t going to sneak up on the new queen either. Not that she intended to do so.
¡°¡yes. Need to¡welcome.¡±
¡°Ok! Queen mother says will meet!¡±
The worker then led the stingless queen and her entourage towards their doom. Her workers buzzed as more and more bees flew around them but she forced them to stand down. No amount of courage would help them here.
She hovered in place for a moment when the new queen¡¯s hive came into view. Apparently the Flower Tender had built a magical palace for the new queen as well¡a much larger one than any of them possessed. And, as the stingless queen had once hoped but now dreaded, the place was crawling with soldier bees, clearly on alert for any sign of attack. Just the soldiers she could see represented a force that would give even the domineering queen pause. Her hive, with its grand total of two soldiers, had no chance if a conflict started.
So, she could not help a tremble as the new queen crawled out of the hive and flew over to her, escorted by her soldiers. The new queen then began to dance for some reason.
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¡°Hi! Am Third Daughter of First Daughter of First Queen of First Dynasty of Fifth Spawner of Bee Tower, third of her line, now of Flower Tower! Nice to meet!¡±
The stingless queen had no idea what the new queen was saying. She could somehow understand the new queen¡¯s dancing as if it were normal pheromones¡but she was confused at to the point of the words themselves. Was¡that some way to refer to herself? But¡why?
¡°¡nice to meet? Well would be but¡have to tell you something. There¡¯s domineering queen, queen who conquered all others. Has big army with many soldiers, demands tribute from other queens, kills if refuse. Wants tribute now. But not me! Won¡¯t fight new queen, but domineering queen will kill if new queen doesn¡¯t give honey so¡¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The stingless queen¡¯s barrage of pheromones abruptly cut off as the new queen danced a confirmation.
¡°¡huh?¡±
New queen¡agreed to tribute?
The queen of queens received a report that the new bees had arrived to offer tribute. At first, she ignored it. Countless hives offered her tribute each and every day, such an occurrence did not warrant her attention.
But then, her workers reported the amount. It could not have been accurate, so she reprimanded the reporting worker. But the worker continued insisting on their report. The queen thus had to interrupt her own schedule to see what was going on¡and to handle whoever was responsible for these inaccuracies.
It turned out, though, that the report wasn¡¯t inaccurate at all. She stared at the pots now full of glistening honey. Enough pots to represent an entire day¡¯s work by a hive and filled to the brim with mana as well. She had expected that the newcomer would refuse to send tribute until she made a display of force. And if the newcomer had agreed, she had expected the newcomer would have sent a wholly insufficient amount. The one thing she had not expected was for the newcomer to send all the honey she must have had.
For a moment, she was taken aback. But then, she began to flutter her wings. The newcomer must have realized the balance of power better than most and so must be attempting to avoid being conquered. If that was the case¡such a gift made sense. Her opinion of the newcomer rose, clearly the newcomer had a good head on her torso. A bit cowardly, of course, but that was a flaw she did not mind in her servants.
And so, the queen of queens returned to her most important business and put the newcomer out of her mind. Clearly, said newcomer had already learned her place, and thus required no further attention from the queen of queens¡
The Third Daughter welcomed her workers after they returned from their honey delivery. She then spun about in a happy circle.
It had worked! It went just like her queen mother¡¯s queen mother had predicted! The powerful queen asked for honey, so she gave it! The powerful queen now accepted her hive''s presence, so she wouldn¡¯t need to fight yet and her workers got to scout powerful queen¡¯s hive! Now she¡¯d have plenty of time to build up her hive, especially with all the honey from her queen mother¡¯s queen mother and all the eggs the Fourth of the Seventh laid for her!
It was interesting! New hive of hives apparently wasn¡¯t a hive of hives! Apparently, she¡¯d have to make them into a hive of hives so that they could be useful for the hive of hives instead of inefficiently fighting each other! This would be a brand new experience, something only her queen mother¡¯s queen mother had tried apparently but had stopped once she learned about the hive of hives! The Third Daughter would be the first to do it for real!
So, she¡¯d start now! She turned to the stingless queen that had greeted her. The queen was twitching and buzzing.
¡°New queen¡gave all honey? But¡how will feed hive? How will feed soldiers?¡±
The Third Daughter began a confused dance.
¡°But¡didn¡¯t give all honey? Have plenty more?¡±
The stingless queen twitched.
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Here, will show!¡±
The Third Daughter thought this would be easier, so led the stingless queen inside her hive. The queen froze.
¡°What¡how¡?¡±
The Third Daughter danced before entire trays of glistening honey.
¡°Is from hive of hives! All queens help, so help all queens!¡±
The stingless queen was leaking mostly incoherent pheromones, but eventually the Third Daughter worked something out.
¡°Hive¡of hives?¡±
The Third Daughter stepped forward and gently brushed the stingless queen¡¯s antennae. The other queen flinched at first, but the Third Daughter spread calming pheromones as she did to reassure the stingless queen she meant no harm.
¡°Yep! Want to join? Can share honey if need!¡±
The stingless queen did not reply at first, staring at her and her honey for a good minute. Then, she slowly began to release pheromones and mana.
¡°I¡see. If have this much honey and soldiers already¡yes. Will submit to new queen, if promise to protect from domineering queen when finds out.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The Third Daughter happily accepted and then instructed her workers to deliver some honey to the stingless queen¡¯s hive. The stingless queen didn¡¯t seem to fully understand the hive of hives but that was ok! Queen mother and queen mother¡¯s queen mother warned her that would happen! So, she¡¯d follow their advice!
She¡¯d just have to show them what the hive of hives could do!
And so, the Third Daughter recruited the first member of a new hive of hives¡
Chapter 233 - A Bee-licious Breakfast
The next day, a group of sigmaka warriors arrived first thing in the morning, lead by Fourth Queen Pezuya herself. Metsaitti greeted them with the karnuq¡¯s own challengers. After a brief review of the goals and restrictions of their challenge, the sigmaka soon began. Belissar watched them for a bit but since Metsaitti was handling things today he soon left them to it.
After all, Belissar had a new type of honey to try. The First of the Fifth had given him a full tray of her new swirled honey. Belissar would have preferred she spread it among the bees first, but he knew at this point it would do no good for him to refuse, so he accepted it graciously. And¡if he was perfectly honest, he was incredibly curious as to how the new honey tasted.
And so, without further ado, he scooped up a bit from the new tray with his finger and took a taste.
His eyes immediately brightened as the taste hit his tongue. It was like mana honey but¡more. Sweeter, yet not in an overpowering way. Fuller, satisfying even from just a taste. A huge mass of mana immediately warmed his mouth, but it did not merely absorb into him as with the mana honey. No, it moved and spun, causing a tingling sensation that was surprisingly pleasant and spread the delicious sweetness of the honey to every corner of his mouth. It then joined with the mana buzzing through his veins to warm up every inch of his body, leaving him feeling pleasant and energized.
Belissar decided that yes, he did like the new honey. Especially as he came to himself and found he had already consumed about a quarter of the tray on its own. He did his best to put that tray aside and focus on his other fare, fortunately, he now had access to a spread of fruits, cave root dishes, and meat like he never had before. Sure the First of the Fifth would probably give him more swirled honey on a daily basis¡but the question that immediately rose in Belissar¡¯s mind was what would mead made from this honey taste like? And since he would be offering some of the new mead if and when he made any to the gods, and also wanted enough to share with the karnuq and Tarwantrad and even the bees if he could convince them to tolerate drunk workers, then he needed to start stockpiling for a large first batch.
So, he did his absolute best to save the rest of today¡¯s trays for future meals¡
After finishing breakfast, Belissar went about his morning routine, gathering honey, checking on the bees, and making offerings to the gods. When he arrived at the bumblebee meadow, however, he stopped and rubbed his eyes.
The flowers had grown¡and not in number. There were flowers now as wide as his thigh and as tall as his waist, with multiple bumblebee workers crawling around on a single one. Belissar blinked, rubbed his eyes again, then blinked again, but the sight remained. He double checked for any messages from the Tower and the flower menu for this room, but didn¡¯t see anything new in either of those.
He crossed his arms and hummed to himself. So, the flowers were suddenly growing larger¡but didn¡¯t count as new flowers? The only difference he could identify was a subtle flow of mana in addition to that of the Tower¡¯s. It was rising up through the nearest flower¡¯s roots, this one a combination of green and gold in color. Belissar tried to follow it in reverse, using his Tower sight to keep track of the flow down underground.
Eventually, he arrived at the Heart of the Forest, where a small little shoot had just recently poked through the dirt. He smiled as he walked over.
¡°Was this you trying to help? If so, thank you. I¡¯m sure the bees will appreciate it.¡±
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He had no idea if the plant could hear him at all, but it was obviously magical so he felt it best to express his feelings as if it could. After that, he used his bee magic to create some more mana honey for the Heart before leaving for the rest of his day.
There was a slight pulse in the green and golden mana flowing through the root network of the room¡
After that, Belissar went to work on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s golem. He smiled at the large construct on the ground before him, which now took a discernible shape. It¡¯s six legs were completed along with its central torso section. The head was mostly done, though he was having some trouble with the eyes, antennae and wings. The abdomen was still under construction but was simply a question of size rather than complexity.
And yes, Belissar was building it in the shape of a bee. The blueprints the beeswax golem option had imparted to the bees were apparently for humanoid shapes, but Belissar hadn¡¯t received them himself and went with the shape he knew best. Besides, this one was supposed to be for the nomadic Fourth of the Seventh, so Belissar hoped making it in the shape of a bee might allow it to fly. He didn¡¯t see the point in giving her a mobile hive that couldn¡¯t keep up with her.
Each and every day, he found he could make more and more spell bees and keep them running for longer, so the construction was picking up. The abdomen would be completed shortly. There was still the issue of the more complex and fragile parts¡but Belissar hoped that would be resolved when they converted the construct into a moving golem. The First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter encouraged him that it should work that way from her experiences with her own golems.
His mana eventually ran out, though, and the Fourth of the Seventh was busy helping the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s Third Daughter off in Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon, so soon Belissar was left on his own. He still had some time until the daily purifications, so he considered what he should do. Since he had just finished the agreement with the sigmaka and Tarwantrad hadn¡¯t visited today, there wasn¡¯t much to do on the diplomacy front. And as he figured before, the bees had enough on their plate, so he didn¡¯t want to get started on any new rooms or anything like that just yet.
For the first time in a while, neither the Tower nor the people around them needed Belissar for anything. He had a moment to himself.
So, he promptly decided to use it for the bees. The latest stingless and butcher bee hives had gotten him thinking on his beehouse designs. He had started to adjust his design based on the kind of bee it would house, such as fireproofing for the burning bees, subterranean burrows for the digging bees, or the horizontal trays the stingless and butcher bees liked. He decided to consider different beehives and what other adjustments he could make.
Take, for example, the swimming bees. The only thing he had done for them so far was place their beehouse near the water. But was that truly all he could do for them? Some bees, like the shining, blinding, and digging bees, liked to immerse their hives in their attribute¡but apparently not so with the swimming bees. They liked to dive in and out of the water but didn¡¯t like to raise their young in it, it seemed. Belissar hummed to himself as he observed the hive in question with his Tower sight. Was there a way to put the beehouse in water without it filling up with water?
The only thing that came to mind from Belissar¡¯s own experiences were beavers, that built some kind of wooden lodge in the ponds they made¡
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened. Maybe he could do something like that? Build a beehouse right in the water but that came up out of it? He walked over to the Apiary farmhouse and his building supplies there as he thought about it and tried to remember as much as he could about beaver lodges. He didn¡¯t know a ton about them but figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to experiment a bit. It was not as if he lacked materials these days.
And so, Belissar began to experiment with his beehouse designs, focusing on possible aquatic versions. Niobee, as usual, sat on his head throughout this whole process. She began a quiet ¡°King is best king!¡± dance, careful not to distract him from the amazing and incredible ideas he was surely having.
In the meantime, the Compact¡¯s own experts in crafting and construction were having a discussion of their own. Deep underground the mountains of the realm of the fair, amidst the sound of forges, anvils, and mining, two black elves stood before a private forge.
¡°Absolutely not!¡±
Dungeon master Tamosmed blinked and even took a step back as Forgemaster Ughlarer bellowed at him. That¡was absolutely not the reaction he had expected to his report¡
Side Story 233.1 - Tur-Bee-lent Relationships
Tamosmed balked for a moment before he could reply.
¡°Forgemaster, did you hear what I said? Or is it just that hard to believe? I know it¡¯s hard to fathom but believe me, I conducted every test possible, every test you developed. I saw the crafting with my own eyes, I verified the golem¡¯s nature, and I put the slime through the autonomous crafting test. This is real.¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer scoffed.
¡°You¡¯re missing the point, forge adept. No smith of any forge I speak for will have anything to do with the humans. I don¡¯t care what their slimes are doing.¡±
Tamosmed¡¯s jaw dropped.
¡°Are¡are you serious? You would forgo true, autonomous slime crafting, the great desire of our people, just because the one who figured it out is human?¡±
The forgemaster¡¯s face turned dark.
¡°See, there it is. The temptation the humans always offer. Always ambitious, always pushing the limits, heedless of the consequences since they won¡¯t be around long enough to suffer them. Promising the world, not knowing what it is they say. The last time the fair folk gave into that temptation and shared our knowledge, the humans doomed the world, unleashing the Hunger. I won¡¯t stand for it, not again, no matter what the human claims to offer us.¡±
Tamosmed glared at him.
¡°This human has nothing to do with that! Dungeon Master Nenavann himself vouches for this human¡¯s character! He even gave the boy the Heart of the Forest!¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer returned his glare.
¡°Don¡¯t you raise your voice at me, boy! That sea-addled sailor has gone mad with grief, his judgement cannot be trusted! He¡¯s already setting us up for disaster with this human, I will not accelerate it! There''s no telling what a human, much less a human with a dungeon, could do with our resources and knowledge!¡±
Tamosmed gritted his teeth.
¡°Well, you¡¯re too late!¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer¡¯s next shout died in his throat.
¡°¡what did you do?¡±
Tamosmed gathered himself and stood tall as he marched up to the forgemaster.
¡°I gave him mithril.¡±
For the first time Tamosmed could remember, Forgemaster Ughlarer was rendered speechless. Tamosmed pressed on.
¡°The great weakness of our people, of all the fair folk, has ever been our numbers. Thanks to that, we could not hold back the humans, much less the Hunger, even with our might or our craft. Slime crafting has ever been our goal because it solves that problem. If we can create armies of masterpiece golems at will, if we can expand our production beyond our own numbers with fast-reproducing slimes that can eat anything, then we would no longer need to fear the humans. Maybe we would no longer need to fear the Hunger itself! And you¡¯re telling me that you would refuse this, refuse the answer to the very fears that drive you, all because of the race of the one who offers it? Don¡¯t be a fool, father. We need this, all the fair folk need this. Human or not, it is worth the risk.¡±
Forgemaster Ughlarer was completely silent and remained so for a long time. When he finally spoke, he used a quiet voice, softer than Tamosmed had ever heard.
¡°You have doomed us all. You have given our most precious resource to those who doomed the world. You have betrayed your family and people both. By my authority as forgemaster, you are a smith of this forge no longer. And, so long as you engage with the humans, I have no son.¡±
Tamosmed gaped at him. Neither black elf spoke another word as the forgemaster turned and left. Once he was gone, Tamosmed gripped his own hair and let out a scream.
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Tamosmed and Tarwantrad now gathered with Nenavann in the latter¡¯s dungeon. Nenavann let out a quiet sigh.
¡°I am sorry, Tamosmed, this was my mistake. The forgemaster is as tough and unyielding as the metal he works. I thought this opportunity might change his mind but I was too hasty. I should have conferred with him before Tarwantrad reached out to you. The Circle has already circumvented the Compact¡¯s authority regarding Belissar against the forgemaster''s opposition, so the order we did things here likely did not help. Perhaps he may have been more willing to consider it if we had gone to him first.¡±
Tarwantrad nodded along and offered her apology as well, but Tamosmed just huffed.
¡°I doubt it. Once the stubborn fool gets an idea in his head, nothing can make him let it go. Not even his own kin, apparently.¡±
Nenavann sighed once more, closing his eyes for a moment.
¡°¡I know how painful this must be for you, but try not be too harsh on your father. That the fate of all the fair now rests on one of the humans who doomed the world in the first place is a difficult situation to accept, especially for those of us who know just how much was lost to the Hunger. It has come about far too quickly, as well. The Compact can take years investigating and deliberating on crucial decisions, in this case we¡¯ve had barely a week to deal with events that have defied all expectations.¡±
He walked over and placed a hand on Tamosmed¡¯s shoulder as the black elf looked away and muttered.
¡°Give him time, if you intend to hold to this course. And know that none of us will fault you if you choose to submit to your father. This situation is far beyond what the Circle can ask of you.¡±
Tamosmed shook his head.
¡°He was the one who taught me to stand by my words and my beliefs. What Belissar offers us can change the fate of my people, of all our peoples. I won¡¯t let anything, not even my father or my own honor, stand in the way of that. I¡¯ll need at least that much commitment if I want to change that old fool¡¯s mind.¡±
Nenavann patted Tamosmed¡¯s shoulder. Tamosmed¡¯s face turned dark, however.
¡°And¡from what you¡¯ve told me, we don¡¯t have time to wait.¡±
Nenavann grimaced and shook his head.
¡°No, we do not.¡±
He crossed his arms behind his back and turned to face the window of his office, looking out over the sea once more as he organized his thoughts.
¡°Forgemaster Ughlarer solidifying his opposition against Belissar certainly presents us with a problem. The man has been a rock for the Compact since before its signing and we depend on the resources and crafts his people produce. If he is this firmly opposed then the others will hesitate. Even if we can still convince them, this will cause them to take their time deliberating. We may not be able to convince them to engage with Belissar before the Tower Lords arrive.¡±
Tarwantrad frowned.
¡°What should we do?¡±
Nenavann turned, looked at Tarwantrad, and raised an eyebrow.
¡°We have but one choice. We need another ally among the signatories, one with as much influence as the forgemaster. One who can influence anyone, even the forgemaster.¡±
Tarwantrad tilted her head¡and then her eyes suddenly widened.
¡°¡no. You don¡¯t mean¡¡±
Nenavann nodded. Tarwantrad immediately began to shake her head.
¡°No!¡±
Nenavann remained unmoving.
¡°There is no other choice, Tarwantrad. Besides, I¡¯ve asked every member of the Circle to offer Belissar a boon. He will meet her eventually.¡±
Tarwantrad kept shaking her head.
¡°You know what she¡¯s like, what she always said she wanted! He¡¯s not ready to handle her!¡±
Nenavann gave a helpless smile and a shrug.
¡°No one ever is.¡±
He then steeled his expression once more, looking Tarwantrad in the eyes.
¡°And you cannot shield him from her forever. If we want the Compact to accept him, he must interact with all of its members. This is necessary, Tarwantrad. It is what we are working towards."
Tarwantrad stopped shaking her head, though she kept frowning.
"But...¡±
Tamosmed threw his hands up.
¡°Hang it, Tarwantrad! I¡¯ve been disowned by my own father and stripped of every title and commendation save dungeon master! And you know what? I¡¯m taking it on the chin because I believe it¡¯s necessary! But it¡¯s all going to be for naught if those Hunger-loving humans come and take the one of their number we¡¯ve decided to trust! We¡¯re doing this to save Belissar, so surely he can handle it even if it goes poorly! Whatever he loses to her will pale in comparison to what he will lose if he can¡¯t stop the humans!¡±
Tarwantrad took a step back as Tamosmed shouted at her and then hung her head. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
¡°¡you¡¯re right. Fine. I¡¯ll introduce Belissar to¡the pixie princess.¡±
Nenavann gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder.
¡°It is not all bad, Tarwantrad. If my predictions are correct, Belissar has the perfect weapon to use against her¡and her mother. And if he can bring the pixies to his side...¡±
Tarwantrad sighed yet again.
¡°Then the Compact will come with them. I know. I¡¯m just¡worried. How is a young and earnest human supposed to deal with a pixie princess when even I couldn¡¯t?¡±
Nenavann and Tamosmed glanced at each other. Unfortunately, neither of them had an answer to that.
And so, the next dungeon master to offer a boon to Belissar was, reluctantly, decided upon.
Chapter 234 - Bee-viding the Compact
When evening came around, Tarwantrad visited the Tower along with Tamosmed and asked to speak with him. Fortunately, there were no major decisions to confer with his council on and no particularly enticing options in the daily purification rewards, so after celebrating the victory and selecting more mana Belissar gathered with the two elves. From there, they relayed what had happened when Tamosmed reported on the slime bees to his father, the leader of the black elves. Apparently, things had not gone as they had hoped. Belissar looked over at Tamosmed.
¡°Are¡are you ok? Do you need to do¡something about your father?¡±
Tamosmed grimaced and shook his head.
¡°No. This is bigger than me, or that old fool. This is about the fate of our entire people, and he¡¯s too stubborn to see it. I¡¯ll do this with or without him.¡±
Belissar frowned. Now that he was being honest with himself, he could admit he had spent most of his life longing for his parents. Even now, just the thought of them sent daggers through his chest. So, the idea of being separated from a parent that was still alive was¡inconceivable to him. But Tamosmed seemed pretty serious about this whole thing and the fate of his entire people did seem like a pretty big deal, so Belissar held his tongue. He didn¡¯t know what to say about all that anyways, so instead he focused on his own involvement.
¡°So¡what are you going to do then?¡±
Tamosmed looked him in the eye with an intensity that nearly caused Belissar to step back.
¡°I¡¯m going to offer you my full cooperation. All of my knowledge regarding all crafts and professions. Blacksmithing, mining, golem construction, enchanting, the works. All the secrets my people have guarded from the times before we began recording history. All the resources and metals I possess.¡±
Belissar did his best not to gape at that, especially as Tamosmed¡¯s gaze grew even sharper.
¡°To do so without the approval of the forgemaster is a violation of every taboo in my culture. To do so after having my rank as a forge adept stripped¡it is the highest betrayal and dishonor a smith of the black elves can commit. Even if I succeed, my people will likely never accept me again, but I will save them regardless. I say this so that you know I do not offer this lightly. And I do not ask for my compensation lightly either. I need your bees. I need you to promise me that when you raise metal slime bees, you will share them with me and teach me their secrets as I am teaching you mine, my father¡¯s, and all of our people¡¯s.¡±
Belissar did not reply at first. This situation had rapidly grown beyond what he could wrap his head around and it was all he could do not to be overwhelmed by Tamosmed¡¯s intensity. However, that same intensity caused Niobee to begin buzzing her wings, and that brought Belissar¡¯s mind back into focus. He quickly reached up to brush her back and tried to get a grip on what was going on before Niobee took matters into her own mandibles.
So, setting aside things he couldn¡¯t really comprehend right now like Tamosmed¡¯s family relations or the fate of all black elves or something, what Tamosmed was asking for was his bees, and offering everything he had in exchange. That was certainly worth considering and he had already exchanged bees with Tarwantrad at this point¡but that very exchange gave him pause. Belissar crossed his arms and hummed for a bit. He looked up at Tamosmed, who was still looking at him with the same intensity as before.
He still barely knew the black elf and their first meeting had been a bit rocky, but apparently the man was willing to sacrifice his relationship with his people and his own father over this. The least Belissar could do was consider things seriously¡and speak honestly.
¡°I¡am willing, but I have my own request. I need you to promise me you¡¯ll take care of any bees I give you and keep them happy. I also need you to learn how to take care of the bees first. I¡¯d like to see whatever home you make for them¡unless the Compact still doesn¡¯t let me. If so, then could you let Tarwantrad check on my behalf?¡±
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He glanced over at Tarwantrad to make sure she¡¯d agree to that and found her already nodding. He turned back to Tamosmed, who was nodding as well.
¡°Not only will I agree to that, I would have requested it of you if you hadn¡¯t brought it up yourself. It is a foolish craftsman who does not care for his tools and his aides. I would not dare take your bees until we are both certain I can take care of them to perfection. Now then, if that¡¯s all, let¡¯s swear before the gods.¡±
Belissar had no objection given the gravity of the situation, so the three moved to the nearest shrine. Tamosmed went first.
¡°I, Tamosmed, Dungeon Master of the Circle and former forge adept of the black elves, swear in the name of my patron the God of Crafts, to cooperate fully with Tower Keeper Belissar. To offer him access to any knowledge or resource I possess in exchange for the slime bees and knowledge of how to care for them.¡±
Belissar followed along.
¡°I, Belissar, Tower Keeper and beekeeper, swear in the name of my patron the God of Bees, to cooperate fully with Dungeon Master Tamosmed. To offer him slime bees in exchange for his knowledge and resources, and to teach him how to care for them.¡±
Tamosmed let out a deep breath as the oaths settled on them, his shoulders drooping.
¡°¡and so it¡¯s done. Thank you, Tower Keeper Belissar. At least now there shall be hope for my people.¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that so he just nodded silently. In any case, Tarwantrad looked like she had something she wanted to say now. He turned to her and she smiled.
¡°Thank you, Belissar, for working with Tamosmed.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s helping me too.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s smile grew for a moment¡before dropping to a frown.
¡°Now, to my own business with you. Belissar, I¡¯m going to introduce you to another dungeon master soon.¡±
Belissar tilted his head.
¡°Yes?¡±
That sounded like a good thing to him, but Tarwantrad kept frowning. In fact, she now leaned forward with an intense look in her eyes not unlike Tamosmed.
¡°The dungeon master in question is a pixie princess, so you need to be extremely careful. Her patron is the God of Mischief and she¡¯s always dreamed of toying with humans, so she will try to trick you. Don¡¯t make any deals with her, don¡¯t agree to anything, in fact, try not to say yes or nod in response to anything she says at all. Don¡¯t accept any gifts except the boon and confirm it¡¯s the boon before doing so. Try not to tell her anything about yourself, or the bees, or your Tower, or the karnuq. Try not to even tell her your name if you can help it.¡±
Belissar gulped at Tarwantrad¡¯s barrage. Tamosmed crossed his arms.
¡°The name is a¡slight exaggeration. The name thing was a one-time occurrence in very specific circumstances and by her mom rather than her, so you¡shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that¡much. But Tarwantrad is not wrong about her generally. She once offered me mithril for my services. She neglected to mention it was mithril plated silver that was absolutely useless to me. Or the time she offered me charcoal¡from a blasting tree that exploded when lit.¡±
Belissar was no longer looking forward to meeting this dungeon master. He narrowed his eyes.
¡°She better not hurt the bees.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s face turned dark and she nodded a couple of time. Eventually, though, she let out a sigh and calmed her expression.
¡°I definitely agree. To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to expose you to her at all if I could have helped it. But¡right now, we need her help. Or more specifically, her mother¡¯s help.¡±
Tamosmed nodded.
¡°With the forgemaster being a fool, the pixie queen is the most influential signatory who hasn¡¯t indicated where she stands regarding you. The only one with enough influence to counter the forgemaster and get the Compact to make a decision before those Tower Lords show up.¡±
Tarwantrad took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly.
¡°We need someone to convince her. So¡the princess.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°But¡how do we do that? Especially if I¡¯m not supposed to agree to anything with the princess?¡±
Tarwantrad made a light smirk.
¡°About that¡we came up with a plan. You have the ideal weapon against her, Belissar. If you use it correctly¡I have a feeling convincing them to open the Compact to you won¡¯t be a problem.¡±
Her smile then dropped once more.
¡°No¡the problem will be¡keeping them away afterwards¡¡±
Belissar was now deeply uncertain about this whole affair. Honestly, this whole thing with the Compact, besides the Circle¡¯s help, just seemed to be getting more and more complicated.
But well, as long as these pixies or whatever didn¡¯t hurt his bees and gave him something they would like, then he could put up with it. Hopefully.
Chapter 235 - Bee-ware the Pixie?
Tarwantrad walked through her dungeon with heavy steps, trying to keep her face as impassive as possible. A girl the size of a hand zipped around her face, a set of transparent butterfly wings propelling her about. She giggled as she flew up to Tarwantrad and tried to poke her cheek.
¡°Aw, why the long face, Tarwy? Smile, today¡¯s a great day!¡±
Tarwantrad waved her away.
¡°That would depend entirely on you behaving, Princess Finnakynne.¡±
Princess Finnakynne rolled her eyes.
¡°Come on, Tarwy, why so formal? We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡±
Tarwantrad allowed herself a small smirk.
¡°Because you dislike it.¡±
The pixie cross her arms and huffed. But then, she began to smirk once more.
¡°Oh, I get it now.¡±
Specks of golden dust flew off Princess Finnakynne¡¯s wings and then lit up, obscuring the pixie from view. She had grown to the same size as Tarwantrad and her features had grown much more mature. She had also traded her normal one-piece dress for something¡bolder. She grinned as she came up behind Tarwantrad and wrapped an arm around the elf¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Afraid I¡¯m going to steal your little boy toy, are you? Is that why you¡¯ve been keeping your pet human from me?¡±
Tarwantrad didn¡¯t react and just stared at her.
¡°Finnakynne.¡±
The pixie¡¯s grin grew.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Belissar is twenty. Thirty to forty at most, according to the lore on humans.¡±
Finnakynne blinked and then immediately reverted back to her pixie form, slowly flying back from Tarwantrad.
¡°Oh. Wow, Tarwantrad. I, uh, always believed you elves were secretly freaky but that¡¯s¡twenty? You¡¯re, uh, quite¡bold.¡±
Tarwantrad just rolled her eyes.
¡°Of course your mind would go there. Which is why I¡¯m warning you now.¡±
Finnakynne nodded.
¡°Right. Absolutely. I¡¯ll leave that to you, freaky elf, at least until he hits three digits.¡±
Tarwantrad just sighed as the pair reached the nexus door. She turned and glared at the pixie.
¡°Ok, here we are. Now, let me remind you?¡±
Finnakynne sighed, dramatically, and waved her hand in front of her face.
¡°Yes yes. Don¡¯t hurt the bees. You don¡¯t need to look so scary Tarwantrad, I¡¯m a pixie, we raise flowers too. Don¡¯t hurt the bees is like, one of our big ground rules! You can trust me on that.¡±
Tarwantrad stared at her.
¡°The last time I trusted you, I lost half my dungeon.¡±
Finnakynne rolled her eyes.
¡°Hey, I did nothing but tell the truth! Baby bunnies are cute and fluffy and adorable! And as I told you, you would need a special kind of cruel bloodthirstiness to hurt them. That was honest advice, you know?¡±
Tarwantrad glared at her, about to reply when she caught herself and took a deep breath. She spun about and ignored the grin on Finnakynne¡¯s face as she marched through the nexus door.
Belissar waited on the other side of the nexus door in the setup he usually wore for the sigmaka. He was accompanied by a good chunk of the soldier bee army and karnuq hunters led by Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti. He even had Sehfitis on standby, waiting further away where communers would relay events to him. He still wasn¡¯t sure how much he could trust the human augur¡but given Tarwantrad¡¯s warnings he figured a guy who was suspicious of the fair folk as a whole would keep a good eye out for any deceptions. Niobee sat on his head as always, fluttering her wings on occasion to keep them warmed up and ready.
Belissar steeled himself as the nexus door began to swirl once again.
¡°Get ready, everyone.¡±
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A moment later Tarwantrad walked through the door, with the pixie princess flying behind her. The pixie, about as tall as a soldier bee was long, stopped and stared at him for a moment before breaking out into a huge smile. Belissar might have found it bright and friendly were it not for Tarwantrad¡¯s warnings.
¡°Hi! You must be the bee dungeon master! I¡¯m Finnakynne, nice to meet you!¡±
Belissar blinked for a moment as the pixie flew up to him.
¡°Hi? I¡¯m¡Tower Keeper Belissar.¡±
Finnakynne¡¯s smile grew and she flew closer, stopping only when Niobee began to buzz her wings. She looked up and down Belissar''s body before furrowing her brow. She spun about and glared at Tarwantrad.
¡°Tarwy, you said he was twenty!¡±
Tarwantrad smiled back at her.
¡°He is¡I think. The lore also said humans mature quickly, physically at least. What, you didn¡¯t know?¡±
Finnakynne puffed her cheeks.
¡°You know I¡¯m banned by that stuck-up loremaster!¡±
Tarwantrad kept smiling at her. Finnakynne huffed and then turned back to Belissar.
¡°But enough of that! Let¡¯s talk about you! And your bees! So many bees! They¡¯re your thing, right?¡±
Belissar was about to say yes before remembering Tarwantrad¡¯s warnings. He was going to nod instead before remembering that was also included in the warnings. He furrowed his brow for a second.
¡°Bees¡are my thing.¡±
Finnakynne was zipping around the bee army at this point though. Her eyes lit up as she approached one of the bumblebee soldiers and dove towards her, landing on her back.
¡°So fuzzy!¡±
The bumblebee buzzed her wings and the nearby soldiers moved to assist at first, but stopped as they realized Finnakynne wasn¡¯t attacking. The bumblebee soldier just swayed about as Finnakynne rolled around on her back.
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. He glanced at Tarwantrad. The elf just shook her head.
¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±
Finnakynne popped her head up out of the bumblebee¡¯s hair.
¡°How rude! Can¡¯t a girl just enjoy some fluff? I mean, just look at her! Isn¡¯t she just the goodest, fluffiest bumblebee! Yes she is!¡±
The bumblebee soldier grew increasingly perplexed as the pixie played with her hair, but her mana wasn¡¯t indicating distress or discomfort so Belissar let them be. He did make sure to extend his mana towards the bumblebee and asked her to let him know if she wanted help. The bumblebee just began zipping happy circles about, causing Finnakynne to laugh as she gripped onto the soldier¡¯s hair.
Eventually, Finnakynne patted the side of the bumblebee and then pointed to Belissar. The bumblebee soldier flew up to him and Finnakynne stood up, patted her dress, and placed her fists on her hips.
¡°Now then, let¡¯s get to business. You have bees, honeybees if I¡¯m not mistaken, right Belly? Or should I say Beely? So, Beely¡¡±
She took off from the bumblebee and flew up as close to Belissar¡¯s face as she could get before Niobee began buzzying, leaned forward, and grinned.
¡°That means you have honey, right?¡±
Somehow, Belissar did not find that grin as friendly as her first. Fortunately, he had prepared for this situation, so he reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small chunk of honeycomb.
¡°I do. Would you like a taste of this chunk here?¡±
Finnakynne immediately dove towards it.
¡°Dibs!¡±
She swiped her hand across the chunk and put it directly into her mouth. Her eyes immediately went wide and she dropped from the air. She began groaning even as she fell to the ground. Belissar¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°Hey, are you ok?!¡±
He glanced over at Tarwantrad.
¡°Is she ok?! I thought you said she liked honey!¡±
He found Tarwantrad blinking with wide eyes and a light flush.
¡°She¡¯s¡fine. I think.¡±
Belissar glanced down at the groaning pixie and frowned. Tarwantrad had said to give her the sweetest honey he had¡but maybe using swirled honey had been a mistake? He wasn¡¯t completely sure exactly what it could do, after all.
As for the pixie, Finnakynne¡didn¡¯t look fine to him, but if Tarwantrad said so then what else could he do. He asked the Second of the Sixth to bring up some medicinal workers just in case. Fortunately, though, Finnakynne stopped groaning before Belissar felt the need to send in the workers. She zipped back up to right in front of his face and glared at him.
¡°What in all that is fair and foul was that?!¡±
Belissar blinked.
¡°¡honey?¡±
Finnakynne puffed her cheeks and growled.
¡°That¡that wasn¡¯t honey! That was like¡a deadly, concentrated bomb of sweetness! How did you make the mana sweet?! How did you make me taste sugar in my toes? What did you even do to make something that delicious?!¡±
Belissar took a step back.
¡°It was swirled honey? It¡¯s¡new.¡±
Finnakynne flew forward to stay in his face.
¡°Explain. You can¡¯t mean you just stirred it a bit!¡±
Belissar glanced at Tarwantrad. She just made a helpless smile.
¡°She won¡¯t let this go, Belissar. I must admit, I¡¯m curious as well. I knew your honey was good but I didn¡¯t expect a reaction like...that.¡±
Belissar instead sent a message to the First of the Fifth, asking if it would be ok to explain what she does. She, of course, said ¡°whatever King chooses!¡±
¡°If I understand correctly, the bees swirl the mana, which allows for greater mana density? I¡think that also helps spread the taste around when you eat it?¡±
Finnakynne held her chin and nodded.
¡°I see, yes, I can see that now. They¡¯ve crystallized mana formations within the honey itself, improving its capacity for sweetness and amplifying the sweetness when you absorb the mana from it¡especially if you¡¯re really good at absorbing mana like us. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! With this, your plan to bribe mommy dearest might actually have a chance!¡±
She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at Tarwantrad while the elf winced.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t look so surprised, Tarwy. We pixies love gossip, you know, so you didn¡¯t think we would miss old Uhgy tossing out his own son and going on big rants on the danger of humans, did you? And then, immediately afterwards, you come to me, offering to introduce me to your own personal pet human, when previously you were gushing about him to every master in the Circle but me? Come on, Tarwy, you and Neny couldn¡¯t have made it any more obvious if you had tried to. And what exactly would a bee dungeon master use to try and lure the pixies, hm? To sweeten the deal? Oh, what a mystery, just what could it¡bee?¡±
She spun about and then flew backwards until she landed on Belissar¡¯s shoulder. Niobee buzzed but Belissar calmed her down for now, not certain how to respond just yet. Finnakynne patted Belissar¡¯s cheek as she smirked at Tarwantrad.
¡°But you know what? Lucky you, Beely¡¯s honey here is just that good, so I¡¯ll play along, and mommy dearest might too. If¡¡±
Her smirk opened into a full-teeth grin.
¡°¡we manage to come to a little compact of our own. I think I like it here, so I¡¯d love to come back and play¡¡±
Tarwantrad just hung her head. As for Belissar, it was strange. Finnakynne was apparently offering to help as they had hoped¡and yet, Belissar couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill go down his spine.
Chapter 236 - Bee-cipher the Manic Pixie Dream
Tarwantrad took a deep breath.
¡°Ok. Tell us what you want. Just¡please leave the bees alone.¡±
Finnakynne took off from Belissar¡¯s shoulders and hovered in front of Tarwantrad.
¡°Oh? And what if it¡¯s the bees specifically I want?¡±
Belissar interjected at this point.
¡°I¡¯m not opposed to sharing my bees but you have to promise to take care of them and keep them happy. But if you intend to hurt them, then you¡¯re an enemy.¡±
Finnakynne blinked for a second and then flew back over to him.
¡°No no no, Beely, that¡¯s not what you say! Your honey is the one thing we¡¯re trying to get from you, you can¡¯t just offer to share the bees that make them! Honestly, what would even be the point of manipulating you if you just¡give away the prize?¡±
Belissar just stood there blinking as Finnakynne heaved a sigh and shook her head.
¡°You really are twenty in there, huh? Look, Beely, I was just messing with Tarwy. One the biggest, most important, number one rules in pixie society is that we don¡¯t mess with the sugar. All things sweet are off limits for mischief. My mommy dearest made sure that everyone absolutely understood that.¡±
She shuddered briefly before continuing.
¡°So, no. I¡¯m not going to mess with your bees. There will be no interfering with the honey, by order of the queen and all. Tarwy over there should have known that, you know. If she ever pulled her head out of her garden and paid any attention to pixie society at all.¡±
Finnakynne stared at Tarwantrad who¡averted her gaze. Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°Ok so¡you¡¯re not going to hurt the bees? And¡you don¡¯t want to trade for them?¡±
Finnakynne shook her head. She crossed her hands behind her back and began pacing back and forth¡in the air.
¡°No, Beely, not now, at least. We must conduct an in-depth investigation of your methods first! What sort of bees did you raise? What diet did you raise them on? How did you train them in mana manipulation? What conditions do they process the honey at? No, we cannot remove your bees from their natural habitat until we are certain we can recreate them! To diminish the deliciousness of that honey in any way would be a crime! A travesty! A sin against all that is sweet!¡±
She zipped back over to Belissar and then plopped down to sit on his shoulder.
¡°So, let me come over to play, ok?¡±
Tarwantrad looked up, furrowing her brow.
¡°And what else?¡±
Finnakynne tilted her head.
¡°What else? What else do you mean?¡±
Tarwantrad blinked for a bit. A moment later, she glared at the pixie.
¡°That can¡¯t be all you want.¡±
Finnakynne slowly began to grin.
¡°And if it is? Or, are you saying that¡¯s not enough? If you want to give me more, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed!¡±
Belissar hummed for a bit.
¡°I¡¯m also wondering. You really just want to¡come visit?¡±
Finnakynne glanced away with a smile.
¡°Wellllll¡I wouldn¡¯t mind more honey when I come to visit. That¡¯s included in welcoming guests, right?!¡±
Belissar thought for a bit and was about to nod before catching himself.
¡°I can share honey. The swirled honey¡depends on how much. The bees also need it so only after they¡¯ve had enough.¡±
Finnakynne nodded seriously.
¡°Right. Of course. We absolutely need to make sure those bees have enough. Expand their hives, even. We want as many of those bees as possible. I¡¯ll even sacrifice my own meals for that. Let¡¯s cut it down to say, only a tray a day until they get up and running. That¡¯s enough of a sacrifice, right?¡±
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Belissar frowned.
¡°That¡¯s too much. I could share the tray they give me, but another one each is too much for now.¡±
Finnakynne paused, blinked, and then frowned.
¡°Oh. I, um, was joking there, Beely.¡±
She then smiled.
¡°But, now that you¡¯ve offered¡I accept those conditions!¡±
She giggled to herself before glancing over at Tarwantrad and giggling again.
¡°Oh Tarwy, what¡¯s with the dumb look on your face? Come on now, what¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ve always wanted? Surely you know, I¡¯ve told you like, a million times already.¡±
Tarwantrad snapped out of her fugue to glare at Finnakynne.
¡°To mess with humans. So, what exactly is your game with Belissar?¡±
Finnakynne stood up tall and put her hands on her hips.
¡°To mess with humans! Mommy dearest likes to brag soooo much about all the fun she got up to back in the day! But what do I find when I¡¯m finally old enough to go out into the world?! The world is sealed off! All the humans got themselves killed being dumb and all the fair folk have that stupid Compact so we aren¡¯t allowed to mess with each other¡much! It¡¯s just¡so¡boring!¡±
She clenched her fist in front of her.
¡°But no longer! The door has opened and the humans didn¡¯t manage to kill themselves after all! There¡¯s hope! There¡¯s hope once more for all the mischievous scamps of the world!¡±
She did a backflip off of Belissar¡¯s shoulder before she was obscured by glowing golden dust. A moment later, Belissar felt a hand patting his shoulder. He glanced back and started as he found Finnakynne, now slightly taller than him, standing behind. He quickly had to calm down Niobee who was also about to react.
¡°So no, Tarwy. I don¡¯t have any plans for Beely here at all. I mean, look at him! He¡¯s practically a baby! Look at him trying so hard to avoid saying yes! Look at his face scrunch up trying to figure out my hidden intentions! Look at him just offer to share his bees without a second thought to the leverage they offer him! He¡¯s adorable, and absolutely no fun to trick! It¡¯d be like taking candy from a baby!¡±
Tarwantrad stared at her with half-lidded eyes.
¡°Which you¡¯ve done.¡±
Finnakynne glanced away.
¡°In my defense, it was really good candy. Babies shouldn¡¯t be eating that much candy anyways so really, I was helping parent them.¡±
She spun about and reverted back to her usual size, then took a seat on Belissar¡¯s shoulder once again.
¡°The point is, I won¡¯t mess with Beely here. And if you don¡¯t believe me, Miss Scary Conduit buzzing over there will make sure of it. She¡¯s connected to all the bees in the area, if you haven¡¯t noticed the mana, and is ready to sic them all on me the moment I do anything she doesn¡¯t like. Which, apart from the inconvenience of being stung by hundreds of monster bees, would count as messing with the bees and the honey, so I won¡¯t.¡±
She then grinned.
¡°But¡Beely¡¯s not the only human out there, is he? So, as long as I have access to the nexus door and Beely¡¯s dungeon here, I¡¯ll have my chance. I¡¯ll finally have a chance to see something other than our nice little Compact, where everyone gets along and nothing ever changes and all the old farts put all their effort into keeping it that way. You get me?¡±
Finnakynne shook her head and sighed as Tarwantrad just stared blankly at her.
¡°Really, Tarwy. It¡¯s like you don¡¯t know me at all. Why wouldn¡¯t I want the Compact to open up to the outside world? Why would I ever oppose the one opportunity we have to do so? I would¡¯ve helped you from the very start if you had just asked! And obviously I¡¯m not going to mess¡much¡with Beely here when he controls the only door out! So, just promise me you¡¯ll both give me access to both your ends of the door¡and a bit of that honey on the regular¡and you¡¯ll have my full cooperation with mommy dearest.¡±
Belissar glanced between the pixie and the elf.
¡°That¡doesn¡¯t sound that bad?¡±
Tarwantrad frowned but let out a sigh.
¡°There¡¯s probably a catch but¡what choice do we have? We need her help.¡±
Finnakynne smiled and clapped her hands together.
¡°Excellent, it sounds like we are in agreement. See now, Tarwy, was that so hard?¡±
Tarwantrad just responded with another sigh. Finnakynne giggled then took off and spun around to face Belissar.
¡°Now, before I forget, Neny said we all should give you something right?¡±
She reached into a pocket that suddenly appeared on her dress, rummaged around a bit¡and then somehow pulled out a bundle of dried flowers larger than her current self.
¡°Tada! Mirage trumpets! Refract and twist light at a distance, slowly emit hallucinogenic gas. May or may not feed on the corpses of those who got lost and starved to death nearby. Toxic too, in high doses. Good stuff, great for a room like this one! And don¡¯t worry, they don¡¯t affect bees. In fact, I¡¯m greatly anticipating what happens when your bees make honey with it. I want to see Tarwy there eat it. Or maybe Tammy! He¡¯s always so serious, that would be hilarious. I¡¯d say Ury but he¡¯d probably just set everyone on fire, so don¡¯t give him any. Ah, and yes, this is the boon Neny asked me to give you, since I¡¯m guessing Tarwy told you not to accept anything from me except that.¡±
Belissar slowly reached out and grabbed the apparently hallucinogenic flowers, though these ones were clearly dead, and absorbed them.
Mirage Trumpet
- Type: Illusion, Nature, Poison, Trap, Resource
- Mana Upkeep: 20 per node, 10 to enable in compatible rooms
- Description: An originally hallucinogenic flower empowered by mana. Its mana distorts its surroundings, deceiving the senses while it releases its hallucinogenic gases, driving nearby creatures to wander in circles until they perish and nourish its soil. The toxic compounds they produce have a variety of alchemical applications¡if one manages to harvest them safely.
Belissar relaxed a bit as the description turned out exactly as Finnakynne had said. A frightening flower, one that hopefully his bees would make great use of.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Finnakynne giggled a bit.
¡°You¡¯re welcome! Now, show me the honey trap pit! I was told there¡¯s a honey trap pit and I must see it!¡±
Side Story 236.1 - As the Queen Bee-sires
Finnakynne hovered over the Pit Trap with her arms crossed, looking down with a serious expression as Belissar manually triggered the Sticky Honey Trap at the bottom.
¡°Ohhhh, so, by honey trap pit you meant¡a pit trap that uses honey¡¡±
She sighed and shook her head.
¡°That¡¯s¡not what I thought.¡±
A moment later, she opened her eyes and tilted her head.
¡°Though¡why do you have a honey trap at the bottom of a pit trap? That doesn¡¯t seem like enough to drown them or anything¡¡±
Belissar shrugged.
¡°We used to trap shades down there and set them on fire. The honey helped with that, and helped keep them down there, especially since we use the maddening honey. Well, recently most of the shades just crawl or fly over it, but we get one every now and again.¡±
Finnakynne began to snicker.
¡°Oh, ok. That is kind of funny when I think about it. And maddening honey?¡±
Belissar caught himself before nodding¡though he wasn¡¯t sure that was actually helpful given that Finnakynne already knew about it?
¡°Honey made from basic poisonous herbs. It causes intoxication, as well as paralysis in higher doses.¡±
Finnakynne smiled.
¡°Now that sounds fun! I want some next time I visit!¡±
After that, they made their way back to the nexus door. Belissar handed Finnakynne another piece of swirled honeycomb at her request. He furrowed his brow.
¡°And that will be enough?¡±
Finnakynne smiled and pointed to herself.
¡°Yep! Just leave mommy dearest to me, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to be surprised by this. I¡¯ll finally get to see her shocked face, hehehe. You better get ready to make a lot more, Beely!¡±
She zipped back through the nexus door. Belissar glanced over at Tarwantrad.
¡°¡can we trust her?¡±
Tarwantrad sighed.
¡°Honestly, I have no idea anymore.¡±
She shook her head and gave Belissar a smile.
¡°But well, handling the Compact should be our problem, not yours. We¡¯ll figure it out, and if we can¡¯t the Circle will help you regardless. I¡¯ll let you know how it goes.¡±
With a final wave, Tarwantrad left too. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure what to make of all this¡so he shrugged. Both Finnakynne and Tarwantrad said to leave it to them, so that¡¯s what he would do. It didn¡¯t change what he ultimately had to do in the end: raise more bees and make sure his Tower could protect them.
A bit later, Princess Finnakynne hovered in the middle of a garden. Laughter filled the air as pixies of all sizes danced around her. In the center, an elf-sized pixie woman sat on a throne of flowers and vines, sipping from a cup of tea. Every motion she made, even the simple act of placing her cup down, was graceful and alluring. Even Finnakynne felt her gaze drawn to the woman. Specks of dust drifted around her and reflected the sunlight, making her seem like her body was twinkling with stars.
This was the queen of the pixies, Vanieskon, and Princess Finnakynne¡¯s mother. After sipping her tea, she glanced over at Finnakynne and let out a light sigh.
¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you, daughter. You¡¯re telling me this human was foolish enough to meet you in person, invite you into his home even, and you failed to seduce him? You must not have even tried a glamour, not that you should have needed one in the first place.¡±
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Finnakynne gaped.
¡°Mother! He was twenty! Twenty!¡±
Queen Vanieskon shook her head and clicked her tongue.
¡°He¡¯s human, Finnakynne. Twenty in human years is about two centuries in normal time. Besides, their simple and impulsive nature makes them hardly worth such consideration in the first place.¡±
She let out another sigh as she placed her hand on her cheek.
¡°I knew the restrictive environment of the Compact would be bad for your education but to think you were this¡timid. In my day, any human would¡¯ve been wrapped around my fingers had they made the mistake of an in-person meeting.¡±
Finnakynne rolled her eyes.
¡°And whose fault is that? I didn¡¯t sign any Compacts you know!¡±
Queen Vanieskon shook her head.
¡°I¡¯m well aware, daughter. So, did you at least verify if there was anything beyond our expectations?¡±
Finnakynne gave a salute with a grin.
¡°I sure did! Just honey and bees, if magical! There was nothing¡bee-yond your expectations mother, all was as you predicted!¡±
Queen Vanieskon made an exasperated sigh.
¡°How many times have I told you, daughter? Puns are the crudest form of mischief and beneath us.¡±
Finnakynne kept grinning.
¡°Daddy likes them!¡±
Quenn Vanieskon shook her head.
¡°Your father would be the very first to admit he is no role model. I truly will need to reeducate you from the start, won¡¯t I? Tell me you at least got a sample of the honey?¡±
Finnakynne nodded. Queen Vanieskon lifted her cup. Finnakynne puffed her cheeks and shook her head, but Queen Vanieskon just raised an eyebrow. With a sigh of defeat, Finnakynne pulled out the honeycomb, flew over, and scraped some of it into the teacup. Queen Vanieskon rolled her eyes as she stirred her tea.
¡°Tempting, but Nenavann should know better. I¡¯ve tasted mana honey before, he¡¯s foolish if he believes I will come at his beck and call for that alone when I could gain so much more from all this. I suppose we shall see how committed to this human he truly is, if the human was worth giving up one Heart of the Forest, then what is two? Or, perhaps the Forgemaster¡¯s will is stronger? Ughlarer would stop at nothing to¡¡±
At that moment, Queen Vanieskon lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. She immediately froze¡and then began to groan, drawing the attention of all the pixies in the area. Finnakynne began to snicker, clutching her stomach to try and control her laughter unsuccessfully.
It took a bit, but eventually Queen Vanieskon gathered herself and glared at her daughter.
¡°Finnakynne, what was that?!¡±
Finnakynne couldn¡¯t help a smirk, despite knowing she would pay for it. Her mother¡¯s reaction was totally worth it.
¡°Oh, that? Turns out our little bee dungeon master wasn¡¯t content to stop at the usual mana honey. He and his bees are pushing the limits, evolving new types of bees as suits one blessed by the God of Bees herself. And, naturally, new types of bees means new types of honey.¡±
Queen Vanieskon slowly moved her gaze down to the cup in her hand. Her eyes opened wide and her hand started to tremble slightly. Finnakynne¡¯s smug grin grew even wider.
¡°Get why I didn¡¯t want to risk glamouring him now? So, mommy dearest, what kind of benefit do you think you want out of this whole situation?¡±
For the first time Finnakynne could remember, her mother was rendered speechless as she gazed down at the cup in her hand. She couldn¡¯t help another snicker. Yep, this was totally worth it!
Nenavann sat in his office once more. Tarwantrad had returned to report on Belissar¡¯s meeting with the pixie princess. Tarwantrad¡¯s face scrunched up.
¡°So, she agreed to help but¡she knew what our plan was from the start.¡±
Nenavann shrugged.
¡°Well, that was to be expected.¡±
Tarwantrad¡¯s head shot up and she gaped at him.
¡°Wait, you knew that she knew?!¡±
Nenavann made a helpless smile.
¡°It¡¯s foolish to think we can outmaneuver Queen Vanieskon just like that. I¡¯ve never been a match for her in schemes or speech.¡±
Tarwantrad blinked and then frowned.
¡°Then¡what are you going to do? Princess Finnakynne said she¡¯d help but¡I don¡¯t know if we can trust her.¡±
Nenavann leaned back and let out a sigh.
¡°What indeed¡¡±
Nenavann knew all this wouldn¡¯t be enough to convince the pixie queen and she would know that he knew that as well. Belissar''s honey might convince her to treat him as more than simple prey, but she would almost certainly want more. Nenavann would just have to beg for her help, nothing more complicated than that. Queen Vanieskon would now consider how she would best benefit from the situation, while Forgemaster Ughlarer would almost certainly make her a counteroffer once he became aware of Nenavann¡¯s plea. So, he and the Forgemaster would now have to compete for the pixie queen¡¯s favor, all while she toyed with them both.
The question then, was how would Nenavann convince her to side with him, as quickly as possible? His hand drifted to the hidden pocket in his robes and he looked up to stare at the ceiling. What would he be willing to sacrifice to ensure the Compact sided with Belissar before the humans arrived? He began to whisper to himself.
¡°Erynmor¡what should I do?¡±
Risk her dream to preserve her memory and hope he could protect Belissar without the Compact¡¯s help? Or give up one of the Hearts to someone he trusted least to ensure the one planted in the realm of mortals would endure? What would Erynmor want done with her legacy?
He was interrupted out of his thoughts, however, when one of his monsters sent him a message that he had a guest. He blinked as he saw who it was, even as he gave them permission to enter. Just a short time later, the doors of his office slammed opened, and Queen Vanieskon herself marched inside. Nenavann was left blinking, wondering if his eyes were working properly. Queen Vanieskon furrowed her brow as he was left dumbfounded.
¡°Nenavann, we need to talk.¡±
POBee 236.2 - Aspire to Bee Better
Belissar was still feeling quite perplexed by Finnakynne¡¯s visit, but Tarwantrad said they would handle it on her side so he put it out of his mind for now. After all, he had a new flower to plant!
He created one new node of mirage flowers in the battle fairy grove, informing the bees once Niobee had confirmed it wouldn¡¯t affect them. He warned the karnuq and asked them to warn the sigmaka about the new feature, then asked the Second of the Sixth to keep some medicinal bees near the flowers just in case. She had raised a number of antidote bees for her hive as well, so hopefully they could help anyone who ended up lost and poisoned.
Speaking of the Second of the Sixth, it seemed she had expanded her hive dramatically. She had raised new workers and a couple of daughter queens to help, but that wasn¡¯t all. She now had gardeners, communers, honeypots and the like. Additionally, she had raised soldiers, sprayers, and lancers as well, all with the slim stingers that characterized medicinal bees. Belissar wondered how that would work, but it did seem they had the same medicinal qualities as their non-combat focused sisters. They hadn¡¯t tested the soldiers or lancers yet, but the sprayers could apparently spray their healing compounds directly onto the wounded.
That proved helpful when a whole team of sigmaka fell into a pit trap all at once.
The Second of the Sixth wasn¡¯t the only bee raising new variants. Belissar made his way over to the bumblebee meadow, carrying the leftovers from the swirled honeycomb tray he¡¯d given Finnakynne a piece of. He went ahead and poured it out over the Heart of the Forest, seeing how the little shoot would like the new honey. Given that the shoot waved its little leaves around and began glowing, Belissar figured it liked the new honey very much.
He''d have to figure out how to make it himself sometime. That honey proved more complicated to replicate than even the attributed honeys. He¡¯d probably have to ask the First of the Fifth how she made it in the first place, but didn¡¯t want to distract her given how much swirled honey they were going to need from her soon.
For now, he¡¯d just have to share what the First of the Fifth gave him with the Heart of the Forest. The little shoot had earned it, in his opinion.
He glanced around at the big flowers covering the field¡and at the big bees now landing on them. Previously, while the monster bumblebee queens and soldiers had grown huge, the workers had remained hardly bigger than their mundane counterparts. Belissar had thought that¡¯s just how monster bumblebees worked¡but he had been mistaken. Ever since the flowers had grown, the bumblebee workers began growing with them. Now, there were bumblebee workers the size of monster bee soldiers happily drinking from the big flowers all around them.
So, apparently, the monster bumblebees would grow as large as the flowers they gathered from¡and now those flowers were growing larger each day, thanks to the Heart of the Forest if Belissar¡¯s guess was correct. And if the workers could grow¡then perhaps the queens and soldiers weren¡¯t done growing either. Belissar couldn¡¯t wait to find out.
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter had quite a bit to do now managing the hive of hives. And yet, there was one thing she absolutely could not and would not compromise on. So, once she had finishing receiving the morning reports, coordinating the responses to the possibly dangerous one¡¯s visit, and allocating her queen mother¡¯s honey donations, she crawled through the joint hive along with the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s first communer. The Fourth of the Seventh entrusted the First Daughter with her own hive, even as the First Daughter entrusted her Third Daughter to the Fourth of the Seventh. She would spare no effort to ensure the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive was perfectly taken care of, for how could she be trusted to take care of the hive of hives if she did anything less?
So, she crawled through the joint hive and checked it with her own eyes, even as the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communer reported on various developments and issues. The honey production lines were working well, though they now had communers and drones all around them. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers were experimenting with the First of the Fifth¡¯s new honey production method, though without their queen present only the communers and drones had enough mana manipulation abilities to even attempt it. The First Daughter made note of this, she herself hadn¡¯t had the chance to try her queen mother¡¯s method, but if the workers could pull it off themselves it would revolutionize their hive. As expected of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers!
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She brushed the first communer with her antennae.
¡°Good work, is good idea. Like what Fourth of the Seventh would do!¡±
The first communer paused before breaking out into a happy dance.
¡°All for queen mother!¡±
The First Daughter agreed with that, and joined the dance for a bit before they moved on. Truly, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s ingenuity and drive inspired them all! That feeling only intensified as she observed yet another legacy of the Fourth of the Seventh. In an open section of the hive, soldier bees and workers worked together to process stems from the flax plants her queen mother once allocated to the Fourth of the Seventh. The stems that had finished processing were brought to the soldiers, who then began weaving them into shapes. They made the vines the hive of hives could use to carry entire trays of honey at once, as well as the new pollen baskets inspired by the karnuq¡¯s own. Those baskets vastly improved the amount of pollen their workers could bring home, keeping their bee bread production on par with the new developments in honey making.
The First Daughter danced about. Truly, the Fourth of the Seventh was the best¡
She paused her dance and stared at one of the soldiers. She tapped the first communer with her antennae.
¡°Communer, feel that?¡±
The first communer turned towards the soldier in question and pointed her antennae in said direction. Her antennae glowed lightly and then she began to dance.
¡°Feel. Soldier¡¯s mana¡pulsing?¡±
The First Daughter brushed the first communer¡¯s antennae once more. She thought that had been the case, though her connection to the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive was still not entirely perfect. That was frustrating, but at least she had the first communer here to confirm for her.
¡°Fill soldier cell with queen mother¡¯s honey, tell soldier to use. Think can evolve, think will be different from Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s other children.¡±
The first communer fluttered her wings.
¡°Is ok? Need First of the Fifth¡¯s honey for hive of hives?¡±
The First Daughter danced the confirmation.
¡°Is ok, one soldier cell should be fine. And¡think this is opportunity, can do something new. Like Fourth of the Seventh would.¡±
The first communer saluted at that.
¡°Would. Ok, will tell. Queen mother will be happy if works.¡±
The First Daughter danced the negative, though.
¡°Happier. Fourth of the Seventh always happy, even if doesn¡¯t work.¡±
The first communer could only salute at that before crawling over to dance with the soldier. The First Daughter sent messages to her own communers to make the preparations. She would have to thank her queen mother. Now that she could decide how to use the honey donations, she could start trying new things. She could make not only her own hive, but even the hive of hives itself more like the Fourth of the Seventh.
And for her, that was the best thing she could possibly do.
The Firstborn gathered mana to her wings. The mana followed her wings, spreading out to increase their size and the amount of air they could move. She beat her wings once more and pushed out with the mana and a small gust of wind blew behind her. She dove down along with a squad of soldiers all around her.
Usually, this is where she would fall behind. Instead, the gust of wind blew her ahead of the squad, and the magically increased size of her wings kept her there. She was the first to reach the target and unleashed her mana enhanced sting.
As before, the mana coated and mimicked her stinger, thrust forward to strike from a distance. But unlike before, the mana now lingered, a mystical stinger left in the target. The soldier squad began to adjust the angle of their dives. Five stingers struck the same exact spot she had.
She was making progress. She could now fly faster than a soldier despite her bigger body, sting harder, and sting from a distance. What¡¯s more, the new power granted to them by the King was perfectly suited for a queen. Her mana was more abundant and powerful than her children¡¯s to begin with and naturally called to them as the mana that tied the hive together. It degraded the target faster than any other and created a path all her soldiers could easily follow.
She was almost ready. She could certainly hurt an enemy now, but it was still too risky for her to join the battle as a queen. She would need to work on her defenses, on some way of keeping herself safer than the usual soldier, before her children would allow her to fight.
And she had the feeling she would need to sooner than any of them expected or wanted. The hive of hives had encountered another, a hive of hives not built on mutual cooperation for the sake of a king, but on the domination of a powerful queen. From the start, the most likely opponent according to her instincts was a rival hive, so it would be the Firstborn¡¯s duty now to protect the hive of hives from this threat. Likewise, the King had encountered a new being the flower one warned them was dangerous, with a queen mother who was even moreso.
The hive of hives continued to grow, and so did the threats they faced. The Firstborn would spare no effort to ensure she grew with them and give her all to keep the hive of hives safe. Her mind drifted to the honey granted to her by the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter but she put the thought aside. Her instincts told her it wasn¡¯t time yet. Only once she had finished with her present course would she attempt to use that honey.
Renewing her resolve, she turned to consider her defenses and how she might improve them¡
Chapter 237 - An Expert Bee-view
After the day¡¯s purification, Belissar considered whether or not to make another DP store purchase. He was just shy of five thousand DP at this point and his DP income had even started to increase further now that the sigmaka had started sending challengers. Ultimately, though, he decided to hold off.
He didn¡¯t feel the need to purchase more monsters, features, or room types at this stage until the bees had finished adjusting to the latest additions. On the other hand, if he waited a bit longer he could start affording some of the more expensive options he had previously discounted. In just a day he could purchase either an extra room slot or additional mana, allowing him to implement even more options. If he waited for his DP to hit ten thousand, he could also purchase a perk choice, which could strengthen his Tower without requiring additional mana from him or effort from his bees.
So, he decided to wait until either a need arose, his bees finished up with all of their current efforts, or he hit enough DP to afford anything in the shop. With no other further business, the day came to a close with the usual small celebration.
Tamosmed arrived at the Tower first thing the next morning. Belissar greeted him and found out he was here for their first exchange. Since he¡¯d be here for a while, Belissar then went to finish his normal morning routine before meeting up again with Tamosmed.
¡°So, what would you like me to help with first, Belissar?¡±
Belissar hummed to himself. There was actually quite a bit Tamosmed could help with, now that he thought about it.
¡°Well, the karnuq have a blacksmith who¡¯s still learning, so he could use your help. The thermal mining bees have been making wax with metal, maybe you could take a look and give them advice on mining? I was also having trouble finding a suitable room for mithril¡¡±
Tamosmed stepped forward and leaned into Belissar¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say thermal mining bees? Bees that are¡mining metals and building hives with it?!¡±
Belissar took a step back as Niobee buzzed a warning.
¡°Yes?¡±
Tamosmed¡¯s face contorted several times before he caught himself and took a deep breath.
¡°Ok. I¡¯m going to assume that you just forgot to mention those last time. I¡¯ll admit I was a bit intense when it came to the slime bees, so I¡¯ll forgive you for not mentioning the others. Now, to avoid missing anything else, why don¡¯t you continue giving me the overview?¡±
Belissar stopped himself from gulping and did so.
¡°Right¡like I said, mithril¡¯s really expensive and I don¡¯t have a good room for it so I was hoping you could help with that. Additionally, the bees and I have been building some beeswax golems, so maybe you could give us some advice on them? We¡¯re just about done with the one I was helping with if you could take a look. Other than that¡I think that¡¯s it for metal and golem stuff? I guess you could take a look at the slime bees and see how they¡¯re doing?¡±
Tamosmed nodded quickly and soon began to grin.
¡°Huh, you had more than I expected. I have a feeling this will be a greatly profitable partnership, Belissar. Since you asked, how about we take a look at your golems first?¡±
Belissar nodded and led Tamosmed over to the Orchard, where the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s golem was nearly completed. Tamosmed observed the golem as Belissar created some spell bees to demonstrate the process.
¡°We¡¯re just about done with construction, then apparently we¡¯ll have to create the core and spread mana through it?¡±
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Tamosmed nodded, then stood silently in thought for a bit before speaking.
¡°A non-humanoid form is complex for a beginner, but I¡¯m guessing bees are a shape you know well?¡±
Tamosmed continued after Belissar confirmed.
¡°It should be fine then, especially since it sounds like you got it from a bee-related dungeon option. You might have trouble commanding it yourself, but your bees shouldn¡¯t. May I have a sample of the material?¡±
Tamosmed held out his hand. Belissar had some spell bees land on it and create some of the breeze bee wax they were using. Tamosmed held the wax up to his eyes. He squeezed it with his fingers, channeled his mana with it, and eventually took out a knife to slice off a piece. He then grunted and frowned.
¡°Lightweight material, trading durability for better mobility even more than usual for a golem made of wax. I¡¯m guessing you were hoping this one would fly?¡±
Belissar nodded and Tamosmed shook his head.
¡°Won¡¯t be able to without enchantments. Even with a material this light, a golem won¡¯t be able to beat the wings fast enough. The material is certainly suitable for channeling Air mana but a basic golem like the one you showed me before can¡¯t channel external mana. You¡¯d need an external source of Air magic.¡±
Belissar frowned at first, but as he thought about it he had an idea.
¡°Would the bees work for that? The Fourth of the Seventh¡the queen I made this one for, is pretty big and can make gusts of wind with her wings. I¡¯ve seen her help propel other bees along before.¡±
Tamosmed stopped and rubbed his chin. He slowly began to nod.
¡°Hm¡I¡¯d have to see exactly what she can do but that might work¡¡±
At this point, the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers that had been helping with construction began to fly between Belissar and Tamosmed. Workers that had since evolved to either breeze or nomadic variants.
¡°King, can help! Like queen now!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Why don¡¯t you show him what you can do?¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers began to buzz as they beat their wings faster, causing a gust to pick up. Tamosmed¡¯s hair began to sway about and the black elf hummed.
¡°That could work, maybe if there are bigger types of this kind of bee? The golem should be capable of gliding with how light it¡¯ll be, so if you have bees riding it to provide the wind, it should be doable. Hm¡I¡¯d recommending enlarging the wings in that case. You¡¯ll want them to catch the wind.¡±
Belissar and the bees followed along as Tamosmed began to observe the wings more closely and made specific recommendations on size and shape. Fortunately, since they hadn¡¯t made the core yet, they could still adjust the wings as recommended.
¡°Thanks Tamosmed. I¡¯m glad you caught that before we finished.¡±
Tamosmed shook his head.
¡°This is nothing. Once you and your bees have some more experience with normal golems, I¡¯ll start teaching you the tricks for more advanced features. You¡¯ll have to start learning enchanting too, once you can carve magic into your golems you¡¯ll open a whole world of possibilities.¡±
He then glared at Belissar.
¡°Now, show me those mining bees!¡±
Belissar led Tamosmed to the thermal mining bee hive. Tamosmed said nothing, just stared in silence as he went around observing. He watched the workers as they bit off little chunks of ore with heat and vibration. He watched them carry them back to the honeypots, who processed the chunks in their abdomens. He watched the workers take the resulting products and mold them into additional wax comb to add to the growing trays. He, like Belissar, poked the comb. Finally, he slowly turned around to face Belissar.
¡°Is it possible to cross-breed the different types of bees?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°That¡¯s where these came from, actually. They¡¯re digging monster bees crossed with burning monster bees.¡±
Tamosmed slowly began to smile¡and then he started cackling. He made a full blown laughter for a bit. When it finally died down, he marched over to Belissar and clasped both hands on Belissar¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Belissar, you have to try and cross them with the slime bees!¡±
Belissar jumped at the sudden contact.
¡°I¡¯ll¡uh¡try?¡±
Tamosmed looked him in the eyes.
¡°See that you do.¡±
Only for Niobee to take off and hover in between their faces, waving her stinger towards Tamosmed. Tamosmed quickly released Belissar and held up his hands as he backed away.
¡°Meant no harm, sorry bad habit of mine. It¡¯s just¡if this works, Belissar, if we could create slime bees that can mine and forge metal in an instant, we could create entire armies of battle-ready golems in an instant. And slimes¡not only do they grow and reproduce quickly but they can absorb and feed on all sorts of stuff and turn it into more of themselves, so if your slime bees work similarly we could raise as many of them as we need to make as many golems as we need. Even if your slime bees have to feed on flowers specifically, that alone would mean us growing golem armies with easily grown flower fields. The armies we could build could save your dungeon and my people both, no matter what forces the other humans or even the Hunger could throw at us. I can¡¯t help but get excited at that possibility.¡±
Belissar blinked as he imagined an army of golems standing between his bees and the Tower Guard. He slowly began to smile.
¡°Well¡that is exciting. No, that could really help us, so I understand.¡±
Tamosmed grinned.
¡°Good man, I¡¯m glad you get it. That being the case, mind showing me the slime bees again? We¡¯ve got to figure out how they work, and what they need to grow¡¡±
Chapter 238 - Bee Fired Up!
Tamosmed was somewhat less enthusiastic upon arriving at the bog but marched through the mud to meet with the First of the Fifth¡¯s Seventh Daughter. She was even less enthusiastic to meet him, if the stingers shaped from slime poking out from her golem hive were any indication. Belissar was able to calm her down, though, especially after explaining that Tamosmed would teach her about more advanced golems.
For today, Tamosmed just observed for a bit, smiling as he watched slime workers dredging the bottom of the bog. That was apparently something regular slimes did too, confirming that the slime bees resembled them in that regard. Afterwards, Tamosmed left to clean up, promising to meet the Seventh Daughter on drier ground later, as well as to visit the karnuq smith.
Belissar was just cleaning the mud off his own feet when he saw a queen bee flying straight towards him, distorting the air around her. The Third of the Sixth didn¡¯t lose any speed as she pulled straight from her charge into a flying dance.
¡°King! Queen of All Fire wants pick blessing! What pick?¡±
It took Belissar a moment to process that.
A bit earlier in the day, as Belissar was discussing golemcraft with Tamosmed, Chief Rohsuak met with the Third of the Sixth in her home lava field. She took a deep breath of the burning, sulfurous air, letting out a breath full of sparks and smoke. The heat resonated with the God of Fire¡¯s blessing and the Fire mana flowing through her, granting her a surge of energy that was rare these days. She was glad she had the opportunity to visit the room.
Now that the situation with both the sigmaka and the fair folk had begun to settle, Chief Rohsuak could devote herself entirely to new bee disciple. And it was well that she could, for she found this task trickier than she had first assumed. She watched as the Third of the Sixth stood right in the middle of a bonfire, occasionally pacing about with her antennae twitching. Eventually, the bee began to dance.
¡°What next?¡±
Chief Rohsuak took another deep breath as she considered the question. It turned out that her primary methods of training new disciples of fire wouldn¡¯t work here. For a karnuq, exposing oneself directly to the flames was an act of great will, a sacrifice to the element of fire. An experience of the flames that would carve itself into their memory as well, assuming it didn¡¯t traumatize them outright.
But for a burning bee such as the Third of the Sixth? The interior of her hive was already as hot as a flame. The burning honey that had nearly killed Metsaitti? It had been the Third of the Sixth¡¯s hive that produced said honey to begin with, the queen herself drank it on a daily basis. The Third of the Sixth already lived, ate, and breathed fire, so what more could they do to immerse her in it?
Chief Rohsuak considered the other option, spreading the flames around. Unfortunately, that was not an option they could pull off at will. Simply making a big bonfire wasn¡¯t enough, they had to burn something for the God of Fire to notice. But the only things around were the Tower, its purified zone, and their allies. Setting any of those ablaze wasn¡¯t an option. So, unless Belissar would approve of them setting off on a warpath to indiscriminately burn anything they came across in the Underway, they couldn¡¯t spread the flames until an enemy came to them.
So, what could she have a burning bee do to show her devotion to fire¡
Chief Rohsuak paused, then chuckled and shook her head. She rose to her feet.
¡°Let¡¯s try something different. How about you make an offering to the God of Fire and try devoting yourself to him directly?¡±
The Third of the Sixth immediately took off and danced about in the air.
¡°Ok!¡±
And with no further ado, she flew off back to her hive, no doubt to gather honey. Chief Rohsuak chuckled once more. The Third of the Sixth reminded her of her youth, fully content to charge off with hardly a plan at all. Which made her wonder if she was overcomplicating things in her old age. If the Third of the Sixth already lived and breathed fire¡then perhaps she had no need immerse herself in the flames at all. An offering of that burning honey and devotion by one already full of fire might be all the God of Flames would require. And if not, perhaps the god himself would show the way. The God of Fire was not one to make his worship overly complicated.
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So, they¡¯d take the direct approach and see how things went from there. She took another deep breath of the hot air, creating a small flame that danced around her fingers as she made her way to room¡¯s shrine.
The Third of the Sixth beat her there, soldier bees helping her carry an entire tray of the burning honey. She had them slowly lower it into the God of Fire¡¯s brazier¡which immediately burst into a column of flames reaching for the sky as soon as the burning honey touched it. Even the fireproof wax of the tray was consumed.
The Third of the Sixth wasted no time beginning to dance, Chief Rohsuak somehow unable to decipher her steps as the bee spoke with the gods. Given the huge column of fire next to her, though, Chief Rohsuak couldn¡¯t imagine it going poorly. She was not overly surprised when that column grew too bright to look at.
When the flames calmed down enough for her to open her eyes, she saw the Third of the Sixth glowing red. The bee queen flew to her and zipped about in the air.
¡°It worked! Queen of All Fire asked to join Hive of All Fire! Thanks karnuq queen! Need to go ask King what pick!¡±
Chief Rohsuak didn¡¯t even have a chance to respond before the bee zipped off towards the nearest exit. She chuckled and shook her head.
The Third of the Sixth was quite the suitable apprentice for the Blazing Berserker, that was for sure¡
And so, the Third of the Sixth zipped off to find Belissar. Belissar¡¯s mind finally caught up with the situation and he smiled.
¡°Congratulations, I¡¯m happy for you.¡±
The Third of the Sixth zipped about in a ¡°King best king!¡± dance, giving Belissar a chance to think on the options she described.
¡°So¡blessing of the pyromancer, the hearth tender, the blazing berserker¡or the queen of fire, was it?¡±
According to the karnuq, normally a god offered a collection of suitable generic blessings that could be acquired from nearly any of them. If the devotee was exception suited as a champion for the god in question, they might also offer one of their own unique blessings, once drawing directly on their power. Juosiutik¡¯s honey herbalist, Hirkolos¡¯s bee-fender, and Frelis¡¯s floral druid were all the latter option.
The God of Fire had apparently offered the Third of the Sixth four fire-related blessings. He was apparently quite enthusiastic about the Third of the Sixth drawing on his power. Belissar¡couldn¡¯t help but agree.
He looked up at the Third of the Sixth. He knew which one he liked, but unlike Frelis the Third of the Sixth was a queen. She was much more independent than a worker was, so he hoped she might be able to decide on her own.
¡°What do you think of them?¡±
The Third of the Sixth barely slowed down as she danced her reply.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Can be like Beero! No tiny lightnings, though. Or can make more honey! Not as much as First of the Fifth, though. Or can fight like karnuq queen! But¡am queen? Not supposed to fight!¡±
The Third of the Sixth paused for a moment.
¡°How karnuq queen fight? Why workers let?¡±
Belissar had to pause at that question.
¡°Hm, you see, karnuq are different. The¡queen, as you call her, isn¡¯t the only karnuq who can have kids. All karnuq woman can¡I think. Well, until they get too old¡if they¡¯re the same as humans that is.¡±
The Third of the Sixth hovered still in the air before bursting into a dance.
¡°All karnuq queens?! Then¡where workers?! Who work?! Who fight?!¡±
Thus followed a very confusing discussion where Belissar tried to explain some of the differences in the division of labor and reproductive strategy between karnuq and bees. Not made easier by the fact that Belissar himself was no expert on any of that¡and was assuming that the karnuq were the same as humans. Or, at least, assuming they were closer to humans than bees. He decided to let Chief Rohsuak clear up any misunderstandings if it turned out he was wrong on that point.
By the end, the Third of the Sixth was swaying about, clearly confused. Niobee tried to intervene but she had apparently also gotten confused. Belissar decided to try and bring things back onto easier topics, like the blessings of the gods.
¡°Ahem¡you can just think of it like this. Karnuq¡hives have more than one queen, so it¡¯s fine if some of them do dangerous things.¡±
The Third of the Sixth immediately began zipping about.
¡°Oh! Like Fourth of the Seventh and First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter¡¯s hive!¡±
Belissar decided to just nod along.
¡°Sure¡I think. Um, in any case¡what about the last option?¡±
The Third of the Sixth picked up even more speed.
¡°Amazing! Incredible! Give fire to workers, soldiers!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°That does sound amazing.¡±
The Third of the Sixth stopped immediately.
¡°King likes?¡±
Belissar blinked and had to hold back a sigh. He had apparently expressed too much opinion.
¡°I¡think they¡¯re all great. But yes, I do like that one. A queen of fire sounds good for a queen, right?¡±
The Third of the Sixth resumed her full speed dance.
¡°Ok! Will pick!¡±
Before Belissar could say anything more, the Third of the Sixth began to glow as she was wrapped with white hot mana, and a message from the Tower appeared before him.
Mission: Help one bee queen receive a full blessing from the God of Fire completed!
Reward: One rare monster choice
Belissar could only smile helplessly and shrug. Well, the Third of the Sixth, the God of Fire, and the God of Bees were clearly all happy about that choice, so he may as well accept it.
Chapter 239 - A Bee-vine Bee-cision
The Third of the Sixth zipped off and curled up in a cell within her hive after the choice was made. The rest of the day after that was uneventful and the daily purification was handled without issue. It was not long before Belissar found himself before his council once more. While he still figured he¡¯d wait on buying any more options from the DP store¡a reward from the God of Bees herself was too tempting to delay.
¡°Hi everyone, we have another monster choice from the God of Bees.¡±
The bees burst out into ¡°Amazing, incredible!¡± dances while the karnuq and human chuckled. Belissar smiled and waited a bit before motioning to them that he was about to begin.
Please select a monster (*One or more options upgraded by Blessing of Bees):
- Monster Bee Harpooner (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Broodmother (Rarity: Epic, Type: Bee)
- Monster Bee Bombardier (Rarity: Rare, Type: Bee)
Belissar had to take a moment. All rares and even an epic this time. He had a good feeling about this one. Still, he resisted the urge to open up the descriptions immediately and turned to look at his bees.
¡°Think about what you want and what would help the hive of hives most, I want to know what you all think.¡±
The bees replied with a coordinated salute dance. Belissar nodded, satisfied. The bees had made the last perk choice entirely on their own, Belissar wanted to encourage that if at all possible. Sure, he still needed to make a call for some choices, such as introducing new species of bee, but this time all the choices sounded like new additions for the monster bee hives. That being the case, he felt the bees would know best what they would need.
With that addressed, he could finally begin.
Monster Bee Harpooner
Vitality: Below Average
Strength: Small+
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal+
Defense: Average
Resistance: Below Average
Special: Minimal+
Notable Skills: Poison Thrust, Solidify Chitin, Continuous Envenomation, Death Envenomation, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier, Monster Bee Lancer
Spawner Upkeep: 40 (20 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A monster bee lancer evolution. This lancer emphasizes the honeybee¡¯s barbed stinger, taking it to the next level. Its barbed stinger stabs deep and is not easily removed, while its enhanced venom sac will continuously produce and pump venom into its target for as long as the stinger remains embedded. The monster bee harpooner can then strengthen its chitin to ensure it can survive counterattacks for as long as possible, though it cannot move while doing so. If this proves insufficient, the stinger and venom sac will continue pumping venom even after the harpooner¡¯s death.
If monster bee queens are available, some monster bee soldiers may be born as harpooners in addition to existing soldiers and lancers evolving, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
Belissar turned to watch the bees. As this was a combat option, the battle meadow bees took the lead on the conversation. The First of the Second began with a summary.
¡°Lancers stick on enemy, poison lots. Can¡¯t retreat though?¡±
The First of the Fourth danced the negative.
¡°Is fine! Hard for lancers to retreat anyway!¡±
The Firstborn danced her agreement.
¡°Is true. If enemy lives, maybe better to keep attacking? Kill enemy, then retreat?¡±
Belissar blinked at that, as it was a good point he hadn¡¯t considered. He had been worried about these harpooners getting hurt since they couldn¡¯t pull away once they dove¡but honestly, the lancers couldn¡¯t either. It was usually fine since they killed anything they struck so far¡but if they encountered a foe that couldn¡¯t be killed by a single lancer strike, then perhaps it was actually safer to make sure the foe died rather than for the lancers to try and pull themselves out. Once again, Belissar felt grateful that the bees were sharing their opinions now.
The conversation wore down, so Belissar moved onto the next option. The epic option. He couldn¡¯t help a smile as he opened it up.
Monster Bee Broodmother
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minimal
Speed: Average
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Magic: Minimal
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Brood Mother, Brood Offspring
Description: A monster bee worker evolution allowing workers to assist with reproduction in large monster bee hives. These worker variants have evolved into pseudo-queens, fully capable of laying viable offspring like their mothers. As they lack the connective mana and command abilities of a true queen, they cannot form a hive of their own, but any offspring they raise instead remain a part of their queen¡¯s hive. This does, however, make them cheaper to raise than true queens and they do not need to mate with drones, so they can be used for rapid expansion, or to help maintain a hive whose queen has evolved additional capabilities beyond reproduction.
In addition to existing workers evolving, some monster bee workers may be born as broodmothers, though this only occurs in hives of sufficient size and resources to support the offspring of multiple egg layers.
The First of the Fifth stood up from her resting place as Belissar read out the description. She clearly was trying to hold back given how her leg kept stepping and then withdrawing, until her First Daughter landed by her.
¡°Queen mother, can share what think?¡±
At her First Daughter¡¯s prompting, the First of the Fifth began to dance.
¡°Amazing, incredible! Can expand hives quickly and whenever want! Like having many queens in one hive!¡±
The Firstborn danced her agreement.
¡°Is like hive of hives.¡±
The First of the Second stopped her own agreement dance at that.
¡°But¡is like hive of hives. Hive of hives already does with joint hives?¡±
It was the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter who replied.
¡°Not exactly. Is not hives working together, is more children for same hive. Not different if multiple queens stay in hive together. Is different if queen wants to leave, do something else.¡±
She didn¡¯t mention the Fourth of the Seventh specifically, but she didn¡¯t need to, as the Fourth of the Seventh herself took a break from the happy aerial dance she was continuously flying to dive down and join the conversation.
¡°Oh! Like me! So if want scout, can raise broodmother so hive can keep laying eggs! Amazing, incredible!¡±
The Firstborn soon joined her.
¡°Or if want to fight¡¡±
The First of the Fifth danced her agreement as well.
¡°Or use mana to make new honey. Also different from joint hive for evolved hives. If joint hive wants raise more evolved bees, more queens need evolve. But if have brood mothers¡one evolved queen can expand hive on own. Especially if cheaper than daughter queens¡¡±
The bees all paused at that. The Fourth of the Fifth resumed dancing first.
¡°So¡could raise lots more digging bees on own¡¡±
The Second of the Sixth began to agree.
¡°Or medicinal bees, take care of all injured next big battle.¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter then flew to the center of the group to dance.
¡°Or¡queen mother could raise honeyswirlers until has enough new honey for entire hive of hives.¡±
Every bee once again stopped dancing at that. Each of them knew that the swirled honey was something new, something that could be immensely beneficial to their own hives. If the First of the Fifth could provide enough for all of them, even without any other bee evolving into a honeyswirler?
The Firstborn eventually danced what they all began to think.
¡°Amazing¡incredible¡¡±
Belissar nodded along, tending to agree. He, too, hadn¡¯t been sure what the difference between raising brood mothers and forming joint hives would be. But¡given that queens that evolved, whether from special flowers or from their own deeds, could lay offspring of their own evolution¡then having brood mothers would allow any single evolved bee type to rapidly expand. The one swimming hive might be able to fill the Bog or any other Water room he made. The Third of the Sixth and Fourth of the Fifth could fill the Lava Field or Dirt Tunnels all on their own. And if the First of the Fifth could start rapidly scaling up the honeyswirler hive¡well, the whole situation with the pixies would require a lot of swirled honey very soon, not to mention that swirled honey could then evolve other bees¡
There was one more option to consider, however, and conversation seemed to have ended on this one, so Belissar moved on.
Monster Bee Bombadier
Vitality: Minimal+
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average+
Magic: Small
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Volatile Spray, Refilling Sacs, Death Burst, Brood Offspring
Evolves From: Monster Bee Sprayer
Description: This monster bee sprayer has developed an even more volatile spray, one so volatile its component compounds have to be produced and stored in separate sacs. When combined, the resulting product is expelled at even more rapid speeds than the original sprayer¡¯s attack, coating the target area in caustic chemicals. Said chemicals also burn at high temperatures and leave toxic fumes in the basic monster bee bombadier¡¯s mixture, though these effects and others may vary for different monster bee types.
As the separate sacs reduces the overall amount of spray the bombadiers can store, they have developed the ability to speed up spray replenishment using mana, and so can quickly refill their compound sacs so long as they have sufficient mana.
In addition to existing monster bee sprayers evolving, a few monster bee soldiers may be born as bombadiers, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
The bees waited for the Firstborn or one of the other battle meadow queens to begin the conversation. The Firstborn eventually took the lead.
¡°Is strong. Stronger sprayer, more spray, can burn along with poison?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s Third Daughter then slowly hovered forward, with the First Daughter¡¯s prompting.
¡°¡think dangerous one can already make, though?¡±
The Firstborn considered this.
¡°Is¡true? Dangerous one makes burning things.¡±
The Third Daughter danced a negative.
¡°Not just burning, exploding!¡±
The First of the Second interjected.
¡°But, bees can¡¯t use? If have bombadiers, have bees that can use?¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter replied.
¡°Maybe can. Dangerous one uses special rocks and pollen baskets to carry, gives to other karnuq. If karnuq can carry¡soldiers and bumblebees can carry?¡±
The Firstborn danced a confirmation.
¡°Like Apiary soldiers carry King¡¯s fire sticks?¡±
The Third of the Third joined in.
¡°Bumblebee soldiers carry trees, so should.¡±
The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter then danced the big question.
¡°So, which is better for hive of hives? How about¡all queens make choice and dance at once? Like scouts when swarming?¡±
The queens assented to this and then the dancing began. The queens danced amongst one another, each trying to convince those around her to join her dance, their mana clashing and mixing along with their physical dances. Those whose dances were weak and hesitant soon began to follow those whose dances were assertive and eager, until soon entire groups of queens were dancing as one. These groups then repeated the process with each other, until soon a single dance emerged that overtook all others.
Belissar smiled.
¡°So, this is your decision?¡±
The bees replied as one.
¡°Yes!¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°Well done, I agree with that choice.¡±
He chuckled as the bees broke out into the ¡°King is best king!¡± dance and selected their choice.
Monster Bee Broodmother now available! Monster Bee Workers may now evolve into Monster Bee Broodmothers!
Side Story 239.1 - Bee-ficient Efforts
¡°Gah!¡±
The wolfkin man cried out as a pillar of fire burned right past his face. He fell to the ground, clutching the area by his left eye. He had escaped death as the pillar had not struck him directly, but it had come close enough to burn the left side of his face.
¡°You incompetent mongrel! After all this time, you can¡¯t even find a single bee?!¡±
The man gritted his teeth as he pulled himself to face forward and bow. Tears formed in his eyes from the pain but he had no choice but to pull himself together. The Inferno Empress was already displeased enough, she would not hold back with the next fire spell forming in her hand.
¡°M-My apologies, my empress. We found none in your purified land, and bees are rare in the Underway¡¡±
Another blast of fire surged over his head, scorching his back and his tail.
¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses! If you cannot complete this simple task then perhaps you are of no use to me¡you and your people both! Leave, and do not return until you have acquired some bees!¡±
This time the Inferno Empress took her leave not with a veil of smoke but with a wall of roaring flames. The man slowly rose to his feet, resisting the urge to clutch at his burned face once more. He had no time, not even for pain.
His face and shoulders fell as he shuffled out of the dungeon under the glare of the guards. He and the tribe¡¯s hunters had already scoured both the surface and the nearby Underway and found no bees in their vicinity. It was to be expected, it was a roll of the dice which species might survive in any given purified area.
The problem was that to range any further than they had would take them into the territories of competing tribes and Sacred Dens. If he sent a handful of scouts he would send them to their deaths, such an effort would require a force substantial enough to either intimidate or defeat the locals that would stand in their way. But to do that would leave the tribe¡¯s non-combatants defenseless for however long their excursion lasted, at the mercy of vengeful tribes, and he did not dare hope the Inferno Empress would offer them protection. Besides, if they failed, there would be no place for them in the Inferno Empress¡¯ lands.
He steeled himself, holding his head high despite the pain it caused him. It seemed that, no matter what he chose to do, he would have to have a long discussion with the tribe. Their future was now deeply uncertain, their next actions may determine the fate of their entire people¡
General Rippotis walked over to a couple of baskets sitting on an elevated table. He gently lifted the lid off of one. With the lid came the honeycomb built on the strings hung from the bottom of the lid. He smiled as he watched the bees crawl about. They seemed numerous and strong. And then, he replaced the lid, the honeycomb slotting back into its hive with minimal damage.
It wasn¡¯t perfect, as some horizontal honeycomb connections broke off every time he opened the lid, but the beekeepers had come up with a way to access the hive without destroying it. He could now keep bees without destroying their homes¡and so could work to make them happy.
He had begun to understand why the God of Bees included that requirement. They were fascinating creatures and far more intelligent than he had first given them credit for. The first time he had approached the hive, they had attacked him, though the mana coating his skin prevented their stingers from piercing through. But, with each time he visited a given hive without destroying it, the bees within grew more accustomed to his presence. Now they would allow him to open up their hives and even handle them directly with barely a complaint. And, notably, they were not this tolerant to subordinates he sent in his place. They recognized individual people and remembered their deeds.
He had truly underestimated them before this. They were a well-organized army whose members never hesitated to sacrifice for the good of the whole. They were capable of learning, remembering, and adapting to changing circumstances. They knew who was a friend and who was a threat.
If only humanity was like that too.
He shook his head before his thoughts went down a grim direction. He now had bees in homes that would not harm them, so it was time for the harder part of the job. The God of Bees required that he raise monster bees of sufficient rarity, so he would have to turn these bees into monsters. A difficult task for him, maybe the most difficult one she could have asked of him.
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Breeding monsters. Transforming mundane beings into monsters. Experimenting upon the resulting monsters to further boost their rarity and power. Those were the sorts of things that the old kings once did, the exact mindset that led them to unleash the Hunger upon the world. Rippotis himself had pushed for the Conclave to heavily regulate monster breeding, he would have preferred to ban it outright had it not been a integral part of the Towers¡¯ functions. The last thing any human should attempt ever again was to play god in such a manner. Even his own use of wyverns and dragons from his Tower was a continuation of a skillset the Dragon Banner Army possessed long before receiving the Towers, and he did his best to replicate wild breeding and taming conditions wherever possible.
But now it was one of the gods themselves asking him to do just that, and with one of the fast breeding eusocial species that were the most heavily restricted. He chuckled at himself. He might have questioned it or perhaps looked for a non-eusocial type of bee under different circumstances. But with the gods growing unusually involved in their affairs lately and Heigiosa¡¯s concerns, he could not afford to delay. This was the will of the gods that had saved humanity from its own, just destruction, so Rippotis could let nothing, not even his own fears, hold him back. Indeed, the last report from Lord Starami indicated he had reached the last known Tower before the big unbroken sea of Hunger separating them from the lost Tower, so time was ticking.
And so, General Rippotis, the Tower Lord known as most opposed to monster breeding, turned all of his mind and attention to evolving bee monsters¡
Meanwhile, Lord Starami had to hold back a hiss as a wad of wet mud fell right on top of his head. Yet again, they had tunneled too close to ground water and now the whole path was sopping wet. It would not due to lose his composure though, so he didn¡¯t even move his head as he glanced at the captain in charge of the digging.
¡°It appears we will need a new path, yet again.¡±
The captain was drenched with sweat, and not from the exertion of the dig.
¡°Right away, my lord.¡±
Lord Starami held back a sigh. First, the last Tower encountered turned out to be ruled by the subhumans. A human Tower Lord could be convinced to swear loyalty to the Conclave, if they knew what was good for them. A subhuman one had to dealt with. Killing a Tower Lord was possible, but always a troublesome affair. One never knew how many times their patron god would be willing to intervene, or even revive them, and there was a good chance that patron would withdraw their blessing from the Tower once the deed was done. The patron god would then need to be appeased lest they express their wrath upon the rest of the Conclave and any followers they had there, while the Tower in question would need to be rebuilt from the ground up since its features and blessings would no longer match if the original patron could not be convinced to return.
There were some Tower Lords who were willing to merely subjugate subhumans, but Lord Starami¡¯s position was not good enough to endure any hint of further reprove, so he had no choice but to waste further resources exterminating the Tower Lord outright. He was only lucky said subhuman hadn¡¯t followed his own patron.
And now he had to deal with the Hunger. Unfortunately, Ruckanos¡¯s report had proven accurate. There was a large, unbroken sea of the Hunger across the surface between him and the target, just barely within the limits of a one-way flight by a wyvern. And that meant that he had no choice but to dig underneath. The path was far too long to sustain an army capable of assaulting Towers via wyverns alone, they needed either a closer base or a ground path. And since there were no closer bases, their only choice was to dig their own route and hope that the Hunger wouldn¡¯t seep down into it before they reached their target and made their assault. If they were lucky, perhaps they might break into an Underway path or even find a subterranean Tower¡but Starami no longer trusted in his luck.
But he would not be deterred. At the end of this path was the means by which he could resolve his humiliation¡as well as to pay back the one who had caused all this. And so, his army pressed on, watching the ground drakes dig away at the dirt¡
Meanwhile, the God of Bees was dancing before the God of Fire.
¡°Fire dungeon masters¡not completing mission? Only one so far?¡±
The God of Fire crossed his arms and hummed.
¡°I¡¯m a bit embarrassed to admit it but¡they¡¯re having a bit of trouble. Rippotis is on his way but¡the others are having trouble finding bees in the first place. Urubran was really lucky he could get help from Flower¡¯s master. Um, sorry to ask this but¡any chance you can add some bees to their purified zones?¡±
The God of Bees buzzed her wings.
¡°Can¡¯t. No authority.¡±
The God of Fire frowned.
¡°Really? I know he¡¯s only one of the five I promised but Urubran should be earning you authority now? And Belissar is still doing well, right? Surely you have more authority to work with now¡¡±
The God of Bees looked up at him before dancing again.
¡°Had to spend on missions.¡±
The God of Fire¡¯s eye flames shrunk a bit as he recalled which missions the God of Bees had recently assigned Belissar¡and why. He rubbed the back of his head.
¡°Ah. I see.¡±
The two gods stared at each other in silence for a bit before the God of Fire let out a sigh of smoke.
¡°Well, I guess we could try to come to some arrangement?¡±
¡°Or¡perhaps a third party could help with your predicament?¡±
The God of Fire and God of Bees both started and turned as a third voice entered the conversation¡
Chapter 240 - Bee-fficult Conversations
¡°Tower Keeper, thank you for your time. May I voice a concern?¡±
Belissar nodded. He took some time this morning to check on the other humans in the Tower, so that was precisely what he was here for. Sehfitis let out a sigh.
¡°I must again reiterate that I am concerned about your interactions with the fey. They are dangerous and not to be trusted. The shapeshifter even declared its intent to toy with us mortals!¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°I mean¡Tarwantrad said as much herself, but is there anything we can do?¡±
Sehfitis narrowed his eyes.
¡°If it were me, I would have nothing to do with them.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°The God of Bees wanted me to interact with them, or with Tarwantrad at the very least. And¡the Tower Lords are coming. We¡¯ll need all the help we can get when they arrive¡¡±
Sehfitis hung his head.
¡°¡I suppose that is true. If it¡¯s the will of the gods, we have no choice. And the Tower Lords¡no, you are right. It is unlikely you will be able to make peace with them with the karnuq as your main hands, much less if you maintain relations with the fey.¡±
He took a deep breath and then let out another sigh.
¡°Just¡be careful, Tower Keeper. The shapeshifter goes without saying, but I would be wary even of your elf friend. The fey do not age as we do, so she may be far older and craftier than she appears. The amount of time she¡¯s spent with you is but a drop in the bucket compared to the length of her life, it would be a simple matter for her to put on an act.¡±
Belissar found himself scowling.
¡°Tarwantrad has been nothing but helpful and has given me far more than she¡¯s received. The God of Bees herself has vouched for her and she was the one who helped me receive the blessing of the God of Flowers. I¡¯ll be careful around the fair folk in general, but I¡¯m not going to distrust her just because of some old stories about her people. Much less stories by the Tower Lords, who¡¯ve done nothing but lie to me about everything. You told me they had something to do with the Hunger but even you don¡¯t know anything about what actually happened, right? Can you give me even one specific reason to believe anything the Tower Lords say about the fair folk, much less Tarwantrad specifically?¡±
Sehfitis blinked and leaned back at Belissar¡¯s heated words, as the bees in the room started to buzz. He hung his head once more.
¡°That is¡no, you are right. There is no excuse and the will of the gods was made clear, and if there was a reason, I was not made privy to the details. Forgive me, Tower Keeper. I will try to¡broaden my perspective.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath and then waved down the bees, brushing Niobee¡¯s back to get her to stop buzzing.
¡°Enough of that. How¡¯s everything else going?¡±
Sehfitis looked up, clearly relieved for the change in topic.
¡°Progress is slow on deciphering the materials you¡¯ve given me, but I have at least confirmed they are indeed from the old kingdom and we are indeed within its ancient borders, though where precisely I cannot say yet. The ruins seem to have been a garrison outpost, though those were present all across the ancient kingdom. Perhaps we may learn more from the surroundings as you purify them?¡±
Belissar nodded.
¡°The Fourth of the Seventh has been busy, but I believe she will resume scouting the area outside of the Tower shortly. We¡¯ll let you know if she finds anything more.¡±
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Sehfitis thanked him, but then the augur frowned.
¡°Lastly regarding our compatriot¡unfortunately, he has not improved much. Physically, he seems to have made a full recovery, but he is still subject to sudden terrors, especially at night. He is still refusing help from both us and all the rest of your subordinates. I¡am not certain what to do for him, given the circumstances.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow. Sehfitis let out a sigh.
¡°¡I say this carefully, Tower Keeper, but¡I would not expect you to do much more with him. You have been more than gracious with someone who has invaded your home, and we all were men disgraced even before then. No one, not I nor the Tower Lords themselves, would fault you for dealing with him as you please at this point.¡±
Belissar scowled once again and immediately shook his head.
¡°If that¡¯s what the Tower Lords would do, then I won¡¯t. Just try to keep taking care of him, as long as he doesn¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±
Sehfitis made a sad smile.
¡°As you will, Tower Keeper.¡±
With that, Belissar left, shaking his head. For all the danger the shapeshifting pixie represented, somehow talking with one of his own people about the Tower Lords left him feeling far worse. He was starting to think he wouldn¡¯t mind Princess Finnakynne playing some tricks on his fellow humans.
He could only hope Tamosmed¡¯s conversation with the karnuq was going better¡
Meanwhile, Tamosmed held up a newly forged shield. He scowled and tossed it aside.
¡°To be honest, it¡¯s crap. Who amongst the fair and the foul taught you, boy?¡±
Toivenaq shrunk on himself. He clenched his fists.
¡°¡no one¡¡±
Tamosmed raised any eyebrow.
¡°No one?¡±
Toivenaq glared back at him.
¡°No one, alright?! My grandfather and father knew how to do this but they all died before I could swing a hammer! There¡¯s no one left to teach me!¡±
Tamosmed fell silent as Toivenaq huffed and then began to storm out of the room. The black elf shook his head.
¡°Well, there¡¯s one here now.¡±
Toivenaq paused just at the door. Tamosmed started to examine the smelter and waved.
¡°Get over here, boy. If you¡¯re going to call yourself a smith, there¡¯s a lot you need to learn. We¡¯re starting from the basics. First of which is how to smelt a proper ingot!¡±
Toivenaq kept scowling but he shuffled his way back over as Tamosmed huffed over metal quality. Still, he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes away as he watched the black elf work the forge, manipulating the fire almost as easily as the chief could.
And as the karnuq and black elf began to work, thermal mining bees Tamosmed had invited watched their every move¡
And unbeknownst to both mortals and fey below, the gods were having a conversation of their own. The God of Fire crossed his arms and hummed.
"Well, it''s good for me but...shouldn''t you check in with another god, Bee?"
The God of Bees danced a confirmation.
"Yes. Need ask Flower first."
The third god just chuckled.
"Not to worry, she''ll listen to us eventually..."
¡°No!¡±
The God of Flowers¡¯ vines wrapped around the God of Bees before she turned a way, squeezing the God of Bees tight. The God of Bees didn¡¯t like being restrained but didn¡¯t mind it as the nectar was worth it.
A deep chuckle filled her realm as a third god loomed over them both.
¡°Come now, Flower, Bee is her own god.¡±
The God of Flowers shook her head, swinging the God of Bees about as she refused to turn around.
¡°No! Bee is mine! We just agreed we love each other!¡±
Two giant branches then wrapped around them both and lifted them into the air as the God of Trees and Forests embraced them.
¡°And I love you both, so it¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The God of Flowers kept shaking her head and holding the God of Bees tighter. The God of Trees and Forests chuckled once more.
¡°Flower, Flower, surely you¡¯ve felt it? My power already flows through Bee¡¯s dungeon, the final legacy of my most devoted servant. You cannot deny me this, and surely you would not choose to?¡±
The God of Flowers¡¯ face scrunched up. The God of Trees and Forests lifted them both up and placed them in her hair, the flowers weaving into the canopy of leaves.
¡°But do not worry, Flower, I do not mean to push you out. No, I wish to support you and Bee both, for all three of us need the other. I will spread you across the canopies above and the forest cover below, nourishing your blooms. You will draw Bee to you as no one but you can, the one that Bee will always fly to above all others. Bee shall pollinate you, and then you will spread my forests in turn. A cycle that nourishes, spreads, and elevates all three of us, working together.¡±
The God of Flowers wavered but still frowned.
¡°But¡¡±
The God of Trees and Forests smiled.
¡°Look now at Bee¡¯s dungeon and what is already growing there. Surely you¡¯ve felt it, too? All three of our powers combining. My heart and Bee¡¯s honey, now working to grow your flowers. It¡¯s already perfect, is it not? So, why don¡¯t we encourage it further? Until one day, forests, flowers, and bees once more cover this world?¡±
The God of Flowers looked down, but her grip on the God of Bees loosened ever so slightly. She turned to look down at Bee.
¡°You¡you won¡¯t leave me, right, Bee? Even for Forest?¡±
The God of Bees buzzed her wings.
¡°Won¡¯t!¡±
The God of Trees and Forests¡¯ smile grew wider.
¡°See? So¡how about we watch Bee¡¯s dungeon together? I look forward to seeing what will happen there soon¡¡±
Chapter 241 - Mass Bee-volution
The next day, Belissar awoke to a message from the Tower.
A monster has evolved!
Monster Bee Trapper is now available!
Belissar blinked at the sudden words. Thanks to the Tower¡¯s magic, he always woke up fully alert¡and yet, it still took him a minute to comprehend what he was reading. A monster evolved? Monster Bee Trapper? To help him figure out what was going on, he opened the new bee¡¯s description.
Monster Bee Trapper
Vitality: Minimal
Strength: Minor
Speed: Average
Magic: Minor
Defense: Minimal
Resistance: Minimal
Special: Below Average
Notable Skills: Weaving, String Trap, Silk Production, Poison Sting, Death Blow, Brood Offspring
Spawner Upkeep: 15 (7 with Blessing of Bees)
Evolves From: Monster Bee Soldier
Description: A monster bee that retains its larval ability to produce silk into adulthood. This one is a soldier variant that can use this ability to prepare traps and warning lines, as well as to reinforce the hive. In battle, the Monster Bee Trapper may also wrap strands of its silk around targets in addition to stinging them, entangling them to restrict their movements.
In addition to existing monster bee soldiers evolving, monster bee soldiers may now be raised as trappers.
Belissar tilted his head before recalling that the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive had learned how to weave flax fibers from him. He directed his Tower sight there and, sure enough, a new kind of bee had just emerged from her cell. At first glance, she appeared similar to any other soldier bee, but on closer inspection she had two small protrusions on either side of her torso. She began to experiment with these and soon, silk strands shot out of them. She caught the two strands with the hairs on her legs and began to weave them together.
Immediately upon finishing her little rope, she ran off and began dancing before the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter and one of the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communers, both of whom had come to greet her. Belissar smiled and withdrew his sight. Leave it to the bees to come up with new types of bees he hadn¡¯t anticipated at all.
Belissar made his way over to the Orchard to congratulate the new bee and her hive. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter confirmed with him that the bee in question was one of the soldiers he had taught to weave flax, and that she evolved after being fed the swirled honey. The First Daughter was now feeding the rest of the soldiers who participated in weaving said honey, so they¡¯d soon have a full squad of the new bees. Belissar, of course, wholeheartedly approved of the plan.
He was just leaving them to it when he felt another burst of mana in the Tower. He quickly sent his Tower sight in the direction of the burst and found Beero, a drone, and one of her soldiers¡he presumed. He couldn¡¯t tell for sure, as the soldier in question was currently obscured by a bright light¡
Beero turned and brushed antennae with the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s drone as the soldier in front of them began to glow.
¡°See, drone useful!¡±
And not just useful, irreplaceable, especially in this case. The light died down to reveal another newly evolved battlecaster¡but this one was squat and had heavy, brown-colored chitin. The very first digging battlecaster.
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The wounded digging soldier had been incredibly enthusiastic at first¡but Beero had immediately run into a problem. The digging soldier¡¯s mana was not like a normal monster bee¡¯s, it was solid and tough like a rock. So, when Beero had tried to impart the tiny lightnings, it hadn¡¯t gone well. The mana resisted the lightnings and sent them into the ground, where they vanished. Trying with fire hadn¡¯t gone much better, the soldier had ended up scorched but the fire hadn¡¯t blended with her mana at all.
Teaching the soldier the dances proved difficult as well. Her mana didn¡¯t want to flow like the lightning or fire did, she said it was like pushing rocks. Eventually, though, she managed it, and learned to make rock stingers that stung from the ground. But¡without fire or lighting, she couldn¡¯t join in the group dances with the other soldiers of the fallen. Her mana just didn¡¯t match theirs.
Beero tried it in reverse¡and eventually the soldier was able to teach her how to solidify her mana into tiny rocks. The battlecaster squads could now make rock stingers and the digging soldier could join them on those dances. But, no matter what they tried, they just couldn¡¯t seem to get the soldier to make lightning or fire.
Until now. The new battlecaster danced and her rocklike mana began to roll, forming a solid honeycomb pattern in the air. The pattern began to heat up as a new kind of mana spread throughout it and the battlecaster danced to merge it with her own. Once the pattern completed, a stinger made of rock burst from the ground¡glowing red with heat.
As with so many of Beero¡¯s struggles, the drone had the answer. Since the digging soldier¡¯s mana couldn¡¯t change from being rocklike, he had proposed trying to blend it with another type of mana instead. With his help, Beero and the digging soldier managed to make a hot rock stinger. He then helped teach the digging soldier how to blend them together and now, finally, the digging soldier learned to make the blended mana all on her own. That, apparently, had been sufficient to trigger her evolution.
The drone could only acquiesce to Beero¡¯s praise as the digging soldier began to happily fly through the air with her restored wings, performing an aerial thanks dance as well.
Belissar smiled as he watched the new battlecaster fly. Beero and the hive of the fallen were hard at work as usual, and the new battlecaster¡¯s spell seemed like it¡¯d be really helpful in the Dirt Tunnels. He went over to the battle meadow to congratulate them as well. Beero told him how helpful the drone had been, so he made sure to praise the drone too.
At this point, Belissar began to send his Tower sight across the Tower, wondering what other new bees might be evolving. He saw a couple of captains joining the soldier bee army, helping the queens organize the squads and formations. He saw some bumblebee workers that were even fuzzier than normal, a closer inspection revealing they were the first bumblebee gardeners. He found the First of the Fifth sealing up some workers in large cells filled with swirled honey, the kind of cells normally used to raise new queens. He wondered if she was raising new broodmothers right away?
He saw ash bee soldiers now flying with their burning counterparts in the lava field, the ash monster bee hive now large enough to support them. Toxic bee soldiers were starting to hatch, and a full squad of gravity soldiers now joined the soldier bee army. Belissar wondered what they might do when it was their turn to fight.
He had turned his attention back to the Orchard. The stingless hive was quickly getting settled and expanding its numbers. And as for the carpenter bees¡
Belissar froze. Because, at that very moment, a carpenter bee was crawling out of the nest block. Out of one of the giant holes he had carved in said nest block. The Tower soon confirmed his suspicion.
A monster has evolved!
Lumber Bee is now available!
He focused in on the now much larger carpenter bee as she shook herself and spread her wings. Or¡was this one a drone? Belissar figured so since his eyes were really big and he didn¡¯t seem to have a stinger.
Lumber Bee
Vitality: Average
Strength: Average
Speed: Average
Magic: Minimal
Defense: Below Average+
Resistance: Minor
Special: Minimal
Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Wood Cut
Spawner Upkeep: 20 (10 with Blessing of Bees)
Description: A monster carpenter bee evolution. The Lumber Bee¡¯s larger size allows it to not only bore into trees, but to bite through branches or small trunks entirely. Its sharp and powerful mandibles can also bite through living things that stray too close to the nest. May evolve from monster carpenter bees if available, females may lay monster carpenter bee eggs.
He was even bigger than the bumblebee soldiers when they first hatched, and Belissar wondered if he¡¯d continue to grow like them. Belissar also found it curious that there were male lumber bees to begin with, and that they were so big. Maybe the males would also help fight and work in that species?
If so, he really wished he had known when trying to explain human work and reproduction earlier. It would have been much easier if he could¡¯ve just said humans were like carpenter bees¡
Belissar shook his head and smiled though, heading over to go see the new lumber bees. Today seemed to be an exceptionally good day for bee evolutions, maybe it was the swirled honey making its way through the hives? Well, whatever the cause, it was a good thing. Belissar really couldn¡¯t wish for anything more¡
At that moment, Niobee began to dance on top of his head.
¡°King, Second First of the First wants to try evolve. Can?¡±
It seemed the bees weren¡¯t done just yet.
POBee 241.1 - How Royal-Bee Fights
The Firstborn wanted to evolve? Belissar smiled and was about to agree when Niobee began to elaborate.
¡°Firstborn thinks need to fight to try evolve, can?¡±
Belissar frowned at that.
The Firstborn stood still on the ground. One of her soldiers buzzed in the air, swaying back and forth. She sent an encouraging dance to the soldier through her mana, as she had for each attempt beforehand. The soldier was still blaring concern through their mana connection, but true to her role her flight steadied as she took her position. The Firstborn withdrew her mana and focused it on her own body.
Mana flooded her chitin, reinforcing and strengthening it. The mana that couldn¡¯t fit into the chitin itself spread out across the surface, forming additional layers of protection overtop. Once she was satisfied, she buzzed her wings to signal the soldier.
The soldier hesitated only a moment before beginning an attack dive on her own queen. The Firstborn watched with pride as the soldier held nothing back, diving at full speed as per her command. The Firstborn made no effort to dodge.
The soldier struck with her stinger. She pierced the layers of mana¡and then came to a halt. Her stinger failed to penetrate the Firstborn¡¯s chitin.
The moment the dive concluded the soldier spun around and began climbing over the Firstborn, poring over the sting site with both eyes and antennae. The Firstborn¡¯s workers brought medicinal bees from the Second of the Sixth to check in more depth even as the soldier paced around them. The Firstborn brushed the soldier¡¯s antennae.
¡°Good job, proud of. Is ok, not hurt.¡±
It took a minute of soothing but the soldier eventually calmed down. The medicinal bees then gave their judgement.
¡°No damage, not hurt.¡±
The same judgement as several tests prior. The Firstborn thanked them and then turned to her hive. All of them were swaying about in the air with antennae twitching and wings buzzing. She could feel their conflict. She could see some of them speed up for a second every now and then, wanting to praise her accomplishment as amazing and incredible. She could see the fear holding them back as they drifted towards her, barely stopping themselves from surrounding her in a protective ball. They knew what it meant that she had succeeded at this.
She felt as if she was being stung through the torso. She truly was putting her children through a lot. But she and they both knew that this was important, and so they held back their own fear. She would honor that bravery.
¡°Can stinger stronger, fly faster, survive more now. Almost ready to evolve with First of the Fifth¡¯s honey, but need do more. Will ask King if can join fight tonight.¡±
Her hive collectively drooped in the air but slowly began to salute. The Firstborn sent word to the Conduit. Her instincts whispered to her and the First of the Fifth¡¯s honey called her, it was nearly time. But she knew, deep down, that she was not finished. She could not attempt to evolve until she had proven that she could fight and defended the hive of hives with her own stinger.
The Conduit¡¯s reply came quickly.
¡°King coming to see!¡±
The King soon arrived. The Firstborn could not help but droop a bit. She knew she was asking much, she knew it was the King¡¯s desire that no queen come to harm ever again. And now she was asking to put herself in harm¡¯s way, like the queens of the First Dynasty that came before her. Would the King permit such a thing?
The King stood before her, tall and strong as the trunk of a tree, with powerful limbs that had felled shades with their raw might. He did not smile at her today, his face was not pleased. She could not help but dread when he opened his mouth to speak.
¡°Can you show me your training?¡±
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The Firstborn¡¯s dread eased and she saluted. She flew into the sky and danced with her soldiers. They took their positions with reluctance as she aimed down towards one of the metal slabs they used for practice.
She gathered her mana to her wings and dove down with the speed of a lancer. She spun around and activated the mana in her stinger, sending out her sting ahead of her to strike the slab. And all the while, her mana reinforced her chitin, blocking the stings of her soldiers as they counterattacked her after her dive.
She then presented herself to the King and awaited his judgement. Her dread returned at his displeased expression. He took a deep breath.
¡°This¡is necessary for you to evolve?¡±
The Firstborn struggled to move under the weight of the King¡¯s concern and displeasure. But she could not protect the hive of hives if she could not stand strong here. She knew what she, her hive, and her King would have to risk when she started on this path. She would not have bothered if she did not believe it necessary then. She could not falter if she thought it necessary now.
¡°Yes, do.¡±
She danced out her reply in firm steps and then awaited the King¡¯s command. He took another deep breath, letting it out slowly as he closed his eyes. And then¡slowly¡he began to nod.
¡°Ok. You can join the daily purification. Just¡be careful and stay safe, ok?¡±
The Firstborn nearly collapsed to the ground but steeled herself and danced a firm salute.
¡°Yes! Will! Will protect King and hive of hives!¡±
The Firstborn renewed her promises then and there. The King had chosen to believe in her, chose to risk a queen he had personally fought to protect on her request. Her children had done so as well, agreeing to risk their own queen mother in battle. She promised that she would not let them down.
The day wore on as the Firstborn continued to train until, finally, the time had come. The King gathered them for the daily invasion and the Firstborn took her place at the head of the army. For the sake of her test, the King had moved the Fairy Grove to the front of the Tower, since the Firstborn could not fight well in the Dirt Tunnels. She silently thanked him yet again, the King never failed to support them in their efforts. Now it was time for her part.
The invader¡¯s mana struck at the King¡¯s domain once again, coalescing and taking shape once it failed to break through. The Firstborn could not help but buzz louder when she saw the shapes forming. A group of the wolf-shades as the King called them, the very first invader ever to dare strike at the King. Reflections of the invader that had brought down the queens of the First Dynasty. The most fitting opponents for her to face today.
The Firstborn¡¯s mana pulsed through the bees around her.
¡°Attack!¡±
And with that, she dove down. Her mana raged through her wings as she cut through the air, relying on the chromatic worker dancing on her back to navigate through the trees. She twisted about to adjust her path as she watched the sprayers and archers launch their attacks between the shades, forcing them to scatter away from each other. Once the shades lost sight of each other, the Fairy Grove itself would keep them isolated, while the rest of her army would drive them even further apart. Her target was now alone.
Mana flowed into her from her hive and the hive of hives beyond. Spots lit up on the shade like the petals of a flower ready for foraging as mana from the army¡¯s assassins coated her eyes. She angled her dive towards one of them on the shade¡¯s neck.
But the shade was no inert slab of metal. It snarled and snapped at the bees all around. It launched a breath of its deadly mist into her path and she was forced to turn hard to evade it. She managed to twist about, only to find the shade leaping to the side. For a brief moment she panicked. She was going to miss. She hadn¡¯t ever attacked a true foe, one that was moving and attacking back. One doing everything in its power to kill her.
But while she hadn¡¯t, her children had. Memories of countless dives against shades just like this one came to her. She had watched her children over and over as they braved the jaws of monsters such as these and came out on top. Once she had calmed herself¡she realized she recognized the stance of the shade. She could see which way it intended to jump. She could see its tail coiling up for a counterattack. She could see it breathing in the way it did after a breath, indicating it could not use the breath attack just yet.
It was her first fight as a bee, but not as the queen. All of the experiences and feelings of her children flowed through her. She did not fight alone, and so she needed not fear this enemy.
Her mana burst out of her wings as she beat them the other way, slowing herself enough to adjust her course. And as she focused on the experiences of her soldiers, the excess mana leapt along her connection to them. The soldier squads escorting her began to beat their wings faster as mana gathered around them.
They sped forward and struck the shade. The monster roared and its tail lashed about¡putting it in poor position to respond to the Firstborn once she had adjusted her aim. Her wings buzzed as she sped back up to top speed, thrusting her abdomen forward as her soldiers had countless times before.
A stinger coated in mana pierced right though the shade¡¯s neck. It dropped to the ground with a yelp before it was beset upon by countless soldiers. It vanished before it could reply.
The Firstborn, knowing that archers and sprayers had already finished the other shades, stared at the mist fading into the air. Her wings fluttered lightly as her mana began to pulse within her, while her soldiers balled protectively around her.
She had done it. She had fought. She had personally protected the hive of hives. She had avenged the First Dynasty and struck down the enemy that had defeated them with her own stinger.
And as the mana pulses resonated within her, she knew. It was time to evolve.
POBee 241.2 - Bee Devoted
The Firstborn stood before a large cell prepared just for her. Her workers had just finished filling it with the First of the Fifth¡¯s new honey, the soft glow of the powerful honey illuminating the cells around it. She turned to face those accompanying her.
Every queen of the Bee Barracks had gathered before her. Her children, her spawner sisters, and those who had joined in the hive of hives. Beero had returned as well for this moment.
The Firstborn danced, not giving a command to her offspring, but making a request of her peers.
¡°Protect King and hive of hives for me?¡±
The First of the Fourth immediately danced a salute.
¡°Will! Will defeat all invaders while Firstborn evolving!¡±
Each of the other queens danced their salute as well. The Firstborn thanked them as she turned back to the cell. She would be removing herself from the defense for at least a day, maybe several while she attempted to evolve. And yet, she crawled into the cell without any hesitation or doubt. She was part of the hive of hives, where every queen helped the other. It did not matter if she couldn¡¯t protect the hive of hives for a few days, for her fellow queens would do so in her absence. The bee army would endure, with or without her, for the hive of hives was greater than any one.
And so, the Firstborn had no doubts as her workers sealed up the cell. She instead focused all of her attention on herself and the honey around her. Her mana pulsed as it had been doing since the battle. The mana passed through the honey around her and the mana of the honey responded. Her mana was caught within the mana structures of the honey, which then themselves pulsed, resonating with her mana and sending it back into her. This amplified her next pulse, resulting in an even greater resonance. Her mana and the honey formed a cycle that elevated the pulses until they overwhelmed her senses and all went bright¡
The Second First of the First found herself before the Queen of All Bees in the Hive of All Bees and immediately began a salute dance. The Queen of All Bees then began to dance and the Second First of the First stood still, watching intently. The Queen of All Bees told her of her potential and pointed out the different paths she could take.
She saw a queen who led others, who coordinated the other queens as her own workers. A queen of queens who could build a hive of hives.
She saw a warrior queen, mighty in size and power. A queen larger even than the lancers, taking features from all sorts of different soldier types to become the ultimate defender. A queen that could defeat the enemy all on her own.
She saw a queen dancing a salute before another. The saluting queen took power from the one she saluted to strengthen herself, then used it to strengthen her children and smaller queens saluting to her, before all of them went out to fight.
She saw a queen dancing over a battlefield, watching over a gigantic fight as she would her own hive. The queen directed her soldiers all across the battle, guiding the fight as easily as she would guide the workers at home, ensuring all went as she had planned.
The Queen of All Bees showed her more. She saw soldiers become builders at their queen¡¯s command, constructing impregnable hives no invader could intrude on. She saw a queen casting magic like Beero, only instead of forming stingers of mana the spells seeped into the queen and her soldiers and made them powerful. She saw a queen who could create powerful honeycombs of light that could protect her children from enemy attacks.
The Second First of the First did not reply, watching each and every dance until the Queen of All Bees had finished. The Queen of All Bees then stopped moving and watched her, the Second First of the First understood she was now to make a choice.
She considered each once carefully, for all of these options seemed beneficial to the hive of hives. The first, the queen of queens, would assist her in making the hive of hives an even firmer reality. She declined that one, however, because she knew she was not the one to make it happen. Her purpose, her vision, and her experience were all too focused for her to guide the hive of hives as a whole. The warrior queen appealed to her instead. If she chose that option, she knew she¡¯d be strong enough to fight directly no matter how the bee army grew. She could protect the hive of hives, maybe all on her own.
And that is why she did not choose it. It suited her as an individual bee, but it did not suit the hive of hives or her role within it. Indeed, many of the options made her or her own hive powerful, but did not necessarily assist the hive of hives. Countless bees had helped her reach this evolution. Her fellow Bee Barracks queens had built the army with her and were now guarding the hive of hives as she evolved. The First of the Fifth had provided the honey powerful enough to fuel this evolution without asking anything in return, and the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter had ensured she received all that she needed. The Fourth of the Seventh had paved the way and showed her how a queen¡¯s actions could transform a hive. And, of course, none of this would have been possible without the King who never gave up on her, nor the Conduit who supported him and the entire hive of hives that followed him.
The Second First of the First, therefore, wanted an evolution that would allow her to give back as she had received. And so, she was drawn to one particular choice. The queen that was saluting to another and receiving power for it, before spreading that power among others in turn. A queen that was participating in the fight not as a single warrior but as the leader of her hive. A warrior queen that suited the hive of hives.
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Once she had made her choice, the Queen of All Bees danced a confirmation and then the Second First of the First fell into a deep slumber¡
The next day came and went after the Firstborn had started her evolution. Belissar was working on the final touches for the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s golem when he felt a pulse of mana and then received a message from the Tower. He began to grin as soon as he read the message.
A monster has evolved!
Chivalric Monster Bee Queen is now available!
Thanks to the swirled honey, it seemed the Firstborn had finished evolving in just a day. Belissar quickly wrapped up what he was doing and rushed over to the battle meadow¡¯s Bee Barracks. As he stepped inside the hive, he found all the battle meadow queens crowding around a big cell as the Firstborn crawled out.
She looked a lot like the monster bee knight preview, with heavy chitin plates and a huge stinger adorning a body even larger than a lancer¡¯s. She also had bladed forelegs, much like the monster bee blader¡¯s preview, though limited just to her first pair of legs. He hadn¡¯t read the evolution¡¯s description yet, but he could already tell that this was an evolution meant for battle.
His chest constricted with twinge of fear at the thought of sending her into battle constantly, but he brushed it aside with the pride he felt. She had truly come a long way. The Firstborn stopped greeting the other bees once she saw him, flew over, and began a salute dance. Belissar smiled at her.
¡°Congratulations. You¡¯ve definitely earned it.¡±
The Firstborn stumbled out of her dance.
¡°King¡King is best king!¡±
She started the happy dance but then almost immediately stopped. Belissar raised an eyebrow, but fortunately the queen started dancing an explanation.
¡°King, have request! Can dance by Queen of All Bees¡¯ shrine?¡±
Belissar immediately nodded.
¡°Of course.¡±
The Firstborn limited herself to one happy dance before taking to the air and flying out of the Bee Barracks. Belissar walked after her, with Niobee and all the battle meadow queens following along. Niobee held them back as they approached the shrine though, so it was just Belissar and the Firstborn standing before the God of Bees¡¯ statue. Belissar waited for the Firstborn to start dancing.
¡°King, even though I was weak, let me help avenge First Dynasty. King never gave up on, built hive for, provided flowers for. Didn¡¯t kick out when failed and let intruders through. Kept feeding, kept helping, kept making hive better, kept giving more power.¡±
Belissar smiled and felt his chest tighten. He knew the bees looked up to him, but it was something else to hear it from the Firstborn herself, the queen who had been in the Tower the longest. He wanted to tell her just how much she had done for him, how much more the bees had done than he ever could, but the Firstborn wasn¡¯t done. Belissar could only stare and blink as the Firstborn began to glow with a soft golden light.
¡°That¡¯s why¡promise to serve and protect King. Will be King¡¯s queen, soldier, and worker, whatever King needs. Will fight and defend King and all of King¡¯s hives. Will use life for King. Swear by Queen of All Bees.¡±
The Shrine of Bees began to glow as well. The light from both the Firstborn and the statue stretched towards Belissar, though neither touched him yet. The Firstborn stood still look up at him. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure what was going on or how to respond at first¡but he knew his bees and the Firstborn well enough to know she was waiting for his reply. And since the God of Bees had apparently gotten involved too, this was clearly quite important.
Belissar put aside his gut instinct to try and downplay himself and looked at the Firstborn. The bee who never stopped trying, never hesitated to give her all on his behalf.
¡°You¡¯re wonderful, First Queen of the Second Dynasty of the First Spawner. You helped me protect the Tower even after I lost all the queens before you. You made an army to protect the Tower. You¡¯ve done more than anyone to keep us safe. I couldn¡¯t have built or defended this Tower without you. So¡¡±
He gave her a warm smile.
¡°I¡¯d love to keep protecting the Tower with you. I promise to protect and take care of you as well. Please, keep helping me protect our home. I swear by the God of Bees to do the same.¡±
That seemed to be what the light was waiting for, as both the Firstborn and the Shrine of Bees shone bright as soon as he finished. The light wrapped around him, he felt the God of Bees¡¯ power wrap around his heart and pull the light from the Firstborn into it. The light then died down, allowing him to see the Firstborn once more. She hadn¡¯t changed much, but her hairs seemed even more golden then before, almost shining in the light of the sun. Her chitin was a polished black, twinkling like a starry sky as she moved her abdomen. She danced one more salute before launching into a rapid dance.
¡°King is best king!¡±
Belissar smiled at her.
¡°And bees are best bees.¡±
Only after smiling and laughing with her for a bit did Belissar remember to check her evolution¡¯s description.
Chivalric Monster Bee Queen
Vitality: Average
Strength: Below Average
Speed: Average
Magic: Below Average
Defense: Below Average
Resistance: Small
Special: Above Average
Notable Skills: Poison Thrust, Body Enhancement, Share Enhancement, Brood Mother, Command Offspring, Oath, Devotion, Anoint Champion
Evolves From: Monster Bee Queen
Spawner Upkeep: N/A
Description: A monster bee knight that has sworn an oath of devotion recognized by a higher power. They draw power from their oath proportional to their devotion, the favor of their sworn liege, and the recognition of the witnessing power, especially when acting on behalf of or to protect their liege. This will increase their stats to varying degrees, the stats boosted and any additional effects will depend on the nature of the liege and the recognizing higher power. Will suffer massive penalties when acting against their liege, or if their oath is broken.
This one is a queen, whose oath and devotion extends to her entire hive. She may extend the power from her oath to her children and to allies of her liege, in accordance to their own devotion to either her or her liege. She may also anoint champions that are willing to swear to her or her liege, granting them similar increases in power. As an individual combatant, her greater command over mana compared to monster bee knights enables her to boost any aspect of her body, and she can extend any enhancements to herself to nearby offspring.
As an evolved monster bee queen, the chivalric monster bee queen also has a superior ability to raise evolved bee types, though her overall egg count does not increase as much as other evolved queen types. She may also raise monster bee knights, monster bee lancers, and monster bee soldiers even if not available.
Note that as monster bees must swear an oath recognized by a higher power to become chivalric monster bees, chivalric monster bee types may not be spawned directly, save by chivalric monster bee queens.
POBee 241.3 - Bee-musing the Queens
The stingless queen shook herself and gently, ever so gently, beat her wings. The past few days had been¡trying, for her and her swarm. Once she had stopped panicking over the vast swarms of giant monsters and armies larger than she could comprehend all around her, the new flower tender¡¯s mana had hit her like a soldier bee tackle. Her mind was flooded with new instincts and new kinds of bees she never could have imagined. Apparently, soldier bees were only the very start of what was possible. Combined with her sheer fear of the local bees, she found herself barely able to think.
It went beyond the mental as well. Her body grew faster, tougher, and stronger as she acclimated to her new home¡¯s mana¡and that went for all her children as well. Every time they tried to fly, they zipped up and crashed into the roof of their new home. Every time they tried to communicate with mana they sent out a blaring flash of mana that disoriented its recipients. Her entire hive was all but incapacitated as they tried to adapt to their new bodies.
And so, only now did she regain enough control over her mind and body to take stock of her situation. Which left her all the more confused as her new queen overlord came to visit her in person. She was about to beg for mercy as her honey stocks were surely empty¡only for the overlord¡¯s workers to come and start dropping off honey for her. So that was why her hive hadn¡¯t starved over the past few days¡
¡°First Stingless Queen ok? Can talk now?¡±
The stingless queen turned to face her overlord. Her antennae twitched about as she tried to comprehend what her overlord had said. First Stingless Queen? What did that mean?
¡°Think¡ok now. Queen is¡giving honey?¡±
Her overlord danced a confirmation, leaving her even more confused.
¡°Hive of hives shares honey, gives to queens who need. Saw First Stingless Queen¡¯s hive struggling, so gave.¡±
She turned to glance at her hive filled with honey.
¡°Queen¡gave honey all this week? How¡how have that much honey?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t much, even Firstborn¡¯s hive can give this much if need.¡±
The answer left the stingless queen ever more confused.
¡°¡sorry, don¡¯t understand. Why queen overlord giving honey? What is sprayer? Why bees moving faster now? Why queen overlord hasn¡¯t killed yet?¡±
Her queen overlord landed in front of her and began to brush her antennae. She flinched back at first, but paused as she felt pheromones and mana of a sort she had never encountered. It felt¡good? Like being surrounded by her workers and full of honey.
¡°Know hive of hives is confusing, is very different. Will explain, will take care of. Come with, will show you.¡±
The stingless queen couldn¡¯t think well enough to refuse, so she just followed her queen overlord. But¡given that her queen overlord was giving her honey instead of killing her for not producing anything¡she was starting to think that hive of hives thing, whatever it was, might not be so bad¡
Meanwhile in another realm, the stingless queen of queens, mightiest queen in all the Flower Tender¡¯s lands, stared as the newcomer¡¯s sickly sweet, mana imbued honey once again filled her stockpiles.
Ok, something was wrong.
The newcomer had delivered a whole hive¡¯s daily production as tribute every single day for an entire week straight. The queen of queens would have suspected the newcomer was robbing her other subject hives¡but the newcomer¡¯s honey was qualitatively different from any of theirs. It was thicker, far more sugary, and imbued with more mana than she had thought possible. Unless the newcomer was reprocessing stolen honey, there was no doubt this was her hive¡¯s product. In fact, even if she was reprocessing stolen honey, it would not change the now unmistakable conclusion.
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The newcomer¡¯s honey production capacity must be far greater than expected¡and far greater than had been reported to her. Her entire hive would have starved to death otherwise given the sheer amount of tribute she was giving up each day. The queen of queens even had to acknowledge the possibility that the newcomer¡¯s tribute might only represent a fraction of what she was producing, rather than a majority.
She had no idea how those numbers were possible, especially for a newly split swarm, but there was no other conclusion she could make. She could only hope that the newcomer¡¯s new species was highly specialized in honey production, because otherwise the scale of the newcomer¡¯s hive would be¡greatly concerning. But there was one thing she did know¡
She needed her own scouts to see what was going on with this new hive. And to determine if the subjects she had sent had truly betrayed her.
She gave orders to her workers to arrange scouts and then commanded that the army be mustered. The Flower Tender had told her she could not commit violence against the newcomer, but this was an emergency. Surely suppression necessary for survival would be permitted. And regardless, her own subjects had clearly betrayed her by failing to report the newcomer¡¯s capabilities. Whatever happened with the newcomer, she would remind the rest just who she was.
And thanks to the newcomer¡¯s mana rich honey tribute, she had expanded her army even further. No amount of honey production could stop the sheer number of soldiers she could bring to bear. She would punish the traitor, bring the newcomer in line, and revise the daily tribute based on the newcomer¡¯s apparent capabilities.
She would then use the newcomer¡¯s honey to expand her army even further and thus secure her reign forevermore. For no hive could stand against the queen of queens¡
The stingless queen who had scouted the newcomer spun about buzzing her wings. She had been a fool. Of course, the domineering queen would notice something was wrong with the newcomer¡¯s tribute. And so, of course the domineering queen would then start questioning her reports, or lack thereof. And now, the domineering queen was coming not for the newcomer¡but for her.
The newcomer¡¯s honey had been incredible and allowed the stingless queen to raise soldiers in secret¡but she still had barely a dozen ready. The domineering queen had an army of a hundred, which was now headed her way. Her life would soon be over.
She thought about reaching out to the newcomer but what was the point? Sure, the newcomer might have said she would help against the domineering queen¡but the stingless queen knew that the newcomer would only do so if it¡¯d benefit her. She hadn¡¯t done a thing to make herself useful to the newcomer, despite all the honey donations given to her. Forget helping her, the newcomer would probably consider it a favor if her hive was destroyed. If she couldn¡¯t at least defend her own hive, then why would the newcomer bother with her any longer?
No, she had not thought out her plan well after all. She had likely doomed herself the moment she didn¡¯t accurately report the very first newcomers. She had been greedy, and now she would pay the price like so many other queens before her. No one defied the queen of queens and got away with it.
Her workers and soldiers scrambled around her, asking for instructions. She gathered them and led them to the entrance of the hive. She told the workers to disperse and make for the newcomer¡¯s hive. Maybe, if they submitted themselves and proved useful, the newcomer would absorb them into her hive. As for herself and the soldiers¡they would try to buy time. At this point, that was all they could do.
Her workers refused, however, and gathered around her along with the soldiers. They buzzed their wings and clacked their mandibles, hovering protectively around her. Her antennae drooped. She could not even save the least of her own children. But at the same time¡she could not help but admit she was glad they stayed around her.
¡°Ok¡hive prepare to fight.¡±
Her hive gathered as one, a paltry swarm barely humming in the wind compared to the dark cloud buzzing in the distance. There would be no escape for them¡but at the very least they¡¯d make the domineering queen bleed. They¡¯d claim one worker and one soldier for each of their own lives. She gathered her mana and then let it spread across her hive, letting each of her children know of her resolve. She gave them her final command and then buzzed her own wings, warming up to fight as they would.
The cloud drew closer. She could start to make out the shapes of a hundred soldier bees, the veterans of countless hive conquests, followed by countless workers. And at their head¡the domineering queen flew herself.
The stingless queen buzzed her wings and extended her stinger. The domineering queen must have been truly angry at her to come in person. But¡perhaps this was an opportunity? If only she could strike at the tyrant herself¡then perhaps she would consider the death of her hive a worthy price to pay¡
The buzzing grew louder and the wind picked up. The beating of thousands of wings combined into a gust that¡was blowing from behind?
The stingless queen paused. That couldn¡¯t be right. It definitely couldn¡¯t be from the domineering queen¡¯s army¡because that army had halted their approach for some reason. The stingless queen turned around to try and figure out what was happening¡and froze solid.
There, hovering behind and above her hive¡was the newcomer. And an army of soldier bees a hundred strong, led by those gigantic soldiers she had never reported. The newcomer saw her and started dancing.
¡°Hi! Heard stingless queen in trouble! Need help?¡±
The stingless queen¡¯s mind went blank. The newcomer¡had actually come to help?
POBee 241.4 - War and Bees
The queen of queens trembled mid-air, her wings buzzing loud. How was this possible?! By the Flower Tender, what was going on?! How had the newcomer built an army that could challenge her own in a mere week?!
Or¡was the hive that sent the newcomer so large and powerful that they could afford to send a hundred soldiers with a new swarm?! What kind of hive could do such a thing?! How could a single queen even lay the sheer number of eggs required for such a hive?!
And worse still were the giants. The queen of queens had never seen, never even imagined a bee like them. It would take several of her soldiers to take down even one of them, assuming their mandibles could pierce the giant¡¯s chitin. If not¡they¡¯d have to devote thousands of workers to try and cook the giant alive.
The queen of queens compared the numbers in her head and her wings began to slow. The probable outcome of a fight here¡was not good. She had the advantage in workers, but they were even in soldiers and she had no plan to deal with the giants. An open fight here and now would favor the newcomer, the best plan would be to fall back and force them to come to her while raising as many soldiers as she could.
But¡that plan did not consider her other subjects. Indeed, she could see scouts from the other hives beginning to arrive and observing the commotion. Her empire was now watching her every move here and she knew that it was out of fear, not loyalty, that her subjects obeyed her. Were she to retreat, were she to back down from this newcomer even temporarily, they all would turn on her in an instant. She would lose the tribute she needed to raise more soldiers immediately and their forces, though paltry, would join the newcomer¡¯s and tip the scales even further.
She buzzed once more as she focused on the newcomer and the traitor. She would admit that they had outmaneuvered her here, she had been well and truly played. She would admit that she had grown complacent, arrogant in the belief that she had grown beyond any possible threat.
But if they thought she would back down now, then they were as arrogant as she. She was the queen who conquered all others, who emerged victorious from the days of endless war and put an end to it all. Hers was the army that had crushed countless rival hives, that had subjugated the big solitary wanderers, that had fended off the bird and the wasp and the spider, that had tamed the carnivorous flower. It was they who had brought peace and order to the Flower Tender¡¯s lands. Her empire had been built by the lives of thousands of her children and she would not surrender it to anyone.
She began to spread the advance pheromones once more. No, the newcomer would not take her empire without a fight. The queen would abandon her title of queen of queens and become the conquering queen once more, risking her hive and her life on the field of battle as in days past. And if she were to fall, if her empire was to come crashing down today, then it would only be by the hemolymph of the newcomer¡¯s children, as she would exact her toll for every one of her children who perished.
And so, the queen of queens prepared to fly to her destiny at the head of her all-conquering army¡
¡°Stop.¡±
Until a single word froze every bee on the battlefield. Flowers began to bloom in the space between the two armies, unleashing a sweet scent that calmed the beating of their wings. The Flower Tender herself arrived and walked to the center of the field. Even the queen of queens would not defy her order, and so she and her army halted once more.
This¡was abnormal. The Flower Tender did not involve herself in the affairs of bees. Not in the days of strife, not in the bird invasions, not in the wasp wars. She was an existence beyond them.
But now, she was here, speaking to them directly. All bees present, the queen of queens included, could only wait for her words. And none of them could have predicted what the Flower Tender would do next.
The Flower Tender held out her hands towards both armies.
¡°Queens, come here.¡±
The queen of queens froze. The Flower Tender¡was requesting their presence? Was calling for them to land on her hands?
¡°Ok!¡±
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The queen of queens had no words as the insolent newcomer flew forward and landed directly on one of the Flower Tender¡¯s hands. There were no pheromones produced by any bee that could describe such insolence, such an insult!
But the Flower Tender just smiled at the insolent newcomer and then turned her smile to the queen of queens. The queen of queens¡¯ mind stopped at that instant. She hardly recalled flying forward, swaying in a daze until she hovered before the Flower Tender. The Flower Tender lifted her hand until it touched the queen¡¯s feet and her wings finally stopped beating. The Flower Tender was¡holding her in her hand, looking at her directly.
All that she thought she knew was being overturned by the minute.
Tarwantrad held her smile until the stingless queen settled in her hand, using the time to try and organize her spinning thoughts. She had just barely made it in time to stop a war between one of her queens and the Third Daughter! She had promised Belissar everything would be alright and then came home to this!
Once again, Tarwantrad was forced to confront the reality that perhaps she was a bit impulsive at times and could really do with a bit more forethought to her plans. She had not expected to become so busy with all the talks in the Compact these days and the situations with Tamosmed and Finnakynne. She had nearly missed this looming fight because of a commotion with Tamosmed happening right outside her door!
But negotiations with the Compact would prove irrelevant if she allowed Belissar¡¯s bees to come to harm. It was all too clear that she had been negligent with her bees, and now she had been negligent with the Third Daughter¡¯s introduction to her Tower. So, she needed to solve this situation directly, even though she had not had the chance to ask Belissar for his guidance. She¡¯d just have to try and learn from his example as she went.
So, she reached out and had the two queens land on her hands as she had seen Belissar often do for his own as she tried to think of what he might do in this situation. He¡¯d¡probably speak kindly to them first, right? She put on her best Belissar smile as she addressed her stingless queen.
¡°First of all, thank you for all you have done for my dungeon. For all the happy flowers that have grown well thanks to your hives. I haven¡¯t been diligent in speaking with you, but know that I am pleased with what you have accomplished thus far.¡±
Her stingless queen didn¡¯t respond at first. Tarwantrad grew a bit worried¡and then the stingless queen began emitting a confused mix of pheromones that became unintelligible as they blended together. Fortunately, Tarwantrad had seen the bees reacting to Belissar enough to know that was actually a good sign. Her smile grew sincere and warm. Ah, her bees were just like Belissar¡¯s deep down, weren¡¯t they?
Her heart tightened as she realized she had not acknowledged them like this all this time¡but she could not change the past. All she could do was press on and learn from her mistakes.
¡°So, please, do not fight with one another. I do not wish to see either of your hives harmed, especially not by each other. I have brought this new queen here because she comes from a dungeon far different from ours, with all sorts of bees that I never could have imagined. I had hoped that we could learn from each other, so that your hives could grow greater than ever before.¡±
Her stingless queen¡¯s antennae and wings drooped.
¡°Flower Tender¡doesn¡¯t want bees fight?¡±
Her heart clenched but she persisted and shook her head.
¡°Not anymore. This queen comes from a place where different hives do not fight each other, but work together.¡±
The stingless queen curled up in her hand.
¡°¡sorry. Fought lots¡¡±
Tarwantrad quickly shook her head.
¡°No! You have nothing to be sorry for! It is my fault for not paying more attention to you and not caring for you more! Please, do not feel bad, you did exactly as I wanted before and followed your instincts.¡±
She turned to look at the Third Daughter.
¡°It is just that I have learned a great deal since meeting Belissar, master of the Bee Dungeon, and I wished to share this knowledge with you. Could we both try something new, together?¡±
She glanced around at the other queen in the area and all the worker bees observing.
¡°Could all of us, every bee, try something new, together?¡±
The stingless queen looked up to her before emitting her pheromone response.
¡°If Flower Tender wishes, will do.¡±
The Third Daughter had began her response dance immediately.
¡°Ok!¡±
Tarwantrad let out a sigh of relief. She had managed to avert disaster, at the very least. She would now have to work her way towards implementing some of Belissar¡¯s ideas in her own Tower without the chance to ask his guidance first, but the bees wouldn¡¯t go to war today.
She was concerned about that whole commotion involving Tamosmed happening outside her door¡but she¡¯d just have to hope that Princess Finnakynne would actually help out with that. Right now, her bees needed her, and she could not face Belissar again if she let them down¡
Meanwhile, just outside of Tarwantrad¡¯s dungeon, Tamosmed and Forgemaster Ughlarer were staring each other down. Tamosmed was surrounded by armed black elves. Meanwhile, Princess Finnakynne was lounging on her side midair while munching on a sweetened nut.
¡°Wow, Tammy, getting arrested for treason, huh? I didn¡¯t think you had it in you! You even got old Ughy to crawl out of his cave! I¡¯m super impressed, I can¡¯t even get my mother dearest to get off her chair.¡±
Both Tamosmed and Forgemaster Ughlarer glared at her. The pixie princess responded by taking another bite and crunching on it loudly.
POFair 241.5 - Bee-gal Dispute
Forgemaster Ughlarer trembled as he turned back to Tamosmed, while armed black elves surrounded moved to apprehend the younger black elf.
¡°Never in all my years did I ever imagine it would come to this. The day when my kin, my own flesh and blood, would turn his back on his family, his people, and all that is fair. Tell me, Tamosmed, what is it you have done?¡±
Tamosmed held his head high.
¡°I have done no such thing. All that I have done is in service to my people and my kin, whether they see it or not.¡±
¡°Ahem.¡±
Ughlarer¡¯s face contorted.
¡°Your forges remain lit though you are a smith no longer. You continue the trade though you have lost all recognition and standing. And did you think your comings and goings have gone unnoticed?! You have spent your days consorting with those who doomed the world! You carry now one of the manuals you were honor-bound to surrender, intending to hand it over to a human! Is there even a single law, a single oath that you have not broken in this past week?!¡±
¡°Excuse me!¡±
Tamosmed scoffed.
¡°What is my honor in the face of the Hunger? What are ancient oaths I never swore in the face of human armies? I have a found a single spark of hope as the darkness closes in on us and you tell me to snuff it out for fear of that which may occur! I refuse to doom my people, that is true treason! If I am to be condemned for it, then so be it! Let the impending fate of our people be the judge as to who has betrayed their oaths and their duty!¡±
¡°Hey, listen!¡±
Ughlarer whirled towards Princess Finnakynne.
¡°By all that is fair, can you not shut your chittering trap for five Hunger-bitten minutes, Princess Finnakynne?!¡±
Finnakynne puffed her cheeks.
¡°But it¡¯s important!¡±
Ughlarer ground his teeth.
¡°And what is so important that you would interrupt the treason of my own son?!¡±
Finnakynne smirked, earning another growl from the Forgemaster.
¡°You see, I may not be able to get mommy dearest to get off her chair¡but you boys certainly have!¡±
A gust of wind blew past the black elves, carrying with it leaves and flower petals. It swirled into a cyclone that covered all from view, then the leaves and petals blasted away all at once, revealing Queen Vanieskon and her court. The pixie queen leaned back against her throne as giggling pixies flew around her. Princess Finnakynne sighed and slapped her head.
¡°¡unless she brought the chair with her. Of course.¡±
Queen Vanieskon glanced at Finnakynne out of the corner of her eye.
¡°Finnakynne.¡±
Finnakynne started and gulped.
¡°Yes, mother dearest?¡±
¡°Silence.¡±
Finnakynne just made a sewing motion over her lips and slowly floated away. Meanwhile, the pixie queen and black elf forgemaster turned their attention to each other. Forgemaster Ughlarer raised an eyebrow.
¡°Vanieskon. I see you¡¯ve left your abode.¡±
Vanieskon returned the gesture.
¡°As have you, Ughlarer.¡±
Ughlarer scoffed.
¡°It¡¯s obvious why I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t tell me you intend to interfere?¡±
Vanieskon leisurely crossed one leg over the other.
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¡°I am here to enforce the Compact, nothing more.¡±
Ughlarer turned away from her.
¡°Then you¡¯ve come for nothing. The Compact has no say in the affairs of my family or my forge.¡±
Vanieskon placed an elbow on her throne¡¯s armrest and leaned her head into her hand.
¡°And neither your family nor your forge have any authority here.¡±
Ughlarer froze. He slowly, carefully turned his neck, just enough to glare at Vanieskon out of the corner of one eye.
¡°What did you say?¡±
Vanieskon just waved her hand.
¡°Henilett.¡±
The pixies¡¯ Compact representative flew forward.
¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±
Henilett conjured a scroll, opened it up, and dramatically cleared her throat.
¡°Ahem. Forgemaster Ughlarer has officially disowned Tamosmed, formerly Ughlarerson, so the Compact recognizes that they are kin no longer. Forgemaster Ughlarer has also stripped Tamosmed, formerly forge adept and golem crafter, of all standing and position among the black elves. Therefore, at present, Dungeon Master Tamosmed has no affiliation whatsoever with Forgemaster Ughlarer or with any organization he represents as recognized by the Compact. Ergo, according to article twelve subsection fifteen of the Calwaskon Compact, Tamosmed is to be considered a general citizen of the Compact, and all accusations against him are to be addressed by a joint selection of representatives assembled by the signatories of the Compact. He may also be considered in his role as a dungeon master of the Circle, and so grievances related to said role may be brought before the Circle for investigation in cooperation with the Compact.¡±
Ughlarer whirled around, face full of fury.
¡°That¡¯s Hunger crap and you know it, Vanieskon! This boy has broken every single rule and tradition the black elves have! The Compact has no right to prevent his punishment!¡±
Vanieskon didn¡¯t react at all to the black elf¡¯s rage.
¡°Is it in the Compact?¡±
Ughlarer stopped and blinked.
¡°What?¡±
Vanieskon just raised an eyebrow.
¡°The rules and traditions you say he has broken. Are they recorded in the Compact?¡±
Ughlarer scowled.
¡°They hardly need to be! Every black elf knows that¡¡±
Vanieskon didn¡¯t wait for him to finish before glancing over at her assistant.
¡°Henilett.¡±
Henilett closed and reopened her scroll.
¡°Yes, Your Majesty! According to article twenty three subsection five of the Calwaskon Compact, no law, rule, tradition, social norm, honor code, regulation, restriction, agreement, bargain, pact, precedent, etiquette, common sense, basic decency, or other form of social or legal binding that is unspoken, implied, unconfirmed verbal, or otherwise unrecorded by the measure of the Compact shall possess any authority over any citizen of the Compact. Shall I read subsection six regarding the exceptions to subsection five, Your Majesty?¡±
Vanieskon waved her away.
¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±
She turned her gaze back to Ughlarer, who was currently clenching his fists with all the strength he could muster.
¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake, Ughlarer. Once you disowned Tamosmed, he ceased to fall under your authority. If you have a grievance with an unaffiliated citizen of the Compact, you may submit it for mediation and judgement. But you may no longer unilaterally punish him, as is recorded in the Compact that we all signed.¡±
Ughlarer glared at her.
¡°Hang the Compact, you cannot tell me what to do with my own kin¡¡±
Vanieskon narrowed her eyes and the temperature dropped. Everyone but Ughlarer held their breath.
¡°¡do you wish to break the Compact, Ughlarer?¡±
Ughlarer held her gaze. No one dared make a sound as the black elf forgemaster and pixie queen stared at each other, neither moving a single muscle. Ughlarer narrowed his eyes.
¡°So that¡¯s how it is. You¡¯re siding with the human too, Vanieskon? I had thought you wiser than that.¡±
Vanieskon rolled her eyes.
¡°Spare me the dramatic exaggerations, Ughlarer, you know I am above such things as taking sides. The Compact is clear, no matter how much we deceive ourselves. The Wardmaster will force our hands eventually and we have no solid argument to prevent it. And no one, not even you or I, is above the Compact.¡±
She rose to her feet, causing Finnakynne¡¯s face to silently contort, and strolled over to Ughlarer, gently brushing her hand against his shoulder.
¡°So, the human will gain access to the Compact, it is only a matter of time. But do not fear, are not we, the wisest of the fair who have witnessed the past with our own eyes, capable of handling one single human, no matter how powerful? I won¡¯t allow him to manipulate our children as he pleases, nor to stumble about with powers he does not comprehend. Leave him to me, I know well how to deal with their kind.¡±
She leaned in to whisper the final word into his ear, then turned and strolled back to her throne. Ughlarer furrowed his brow, clenching his fist. He glanced at Tamosmed one last time before scoffing and turning away.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
And with that, the black elves marched away. Princess Finnakynne flew over and landed on her mother¡¯s shoulder, kicking her legs back and forth.
¡°Wow, mommy dearest, you got old Ughy to back down!¡±
Queen Vanieskon sighed.
¡°Can you not remember any of our lessons, Finnakynne? The trick to dealing with a stubborn man such as he is to appeal to his honor and his pride. Remind him of the agreements he has made and he will be loathe to break them, imply that he is being deceived and he¡¯ll strive to best you. Never tell him anything you can convince him is his own idea. I truly will need to reeducate you from the start.¡±
Tamosmed stepped towards the pixies, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
¡°I suppose I should thank you, Queen Vanieskon.¡±
Queen Vanieskon glanced over at him and smiled.
¡°And are you prepared to act on those words, Dungeon Master Tamosmed? Just how grateful do you feel, I wonder?¡±
Tamosmed frowned but steeled himself. His father had warned him, often, about dealing with Queen Vanieskon. But here he was, and what honor he had left demanded that he repay her assistance. Even if it meant leaving himself at the mercy of the pixie queen.
But so long as he could save his people¡¯s future, he¡¯d sacrifice anything. It was just about all he had left.
Chapter 242 - Spell Bee-finements
Belissar thought the Firstborn would head back to her hive after swearing the oath, but instead she hovered before him.
¡°King, want anoint champion? Need King watch, can?¡±
Belissar smiled and nodded at her.
¡°That sounds great, go ahead.¡±
Belissar stood by as the Firstborn called up Beero. His smile grew, Beero certainly deserved any recognition they could bestow on her. Beero and the Firstborn then flew over and hovered before Belissar at chest level, with Beero hovering a bit below the Firstborn. The Firstborn began a dance.
¡°Swear by Queen of Bees to serve and protect King and hive of hives?¡±
Beero immediately began a salute dance.
¡°Do!¡±
She turned to Belissar.
¡°King accept?¡±
Belissar nodded without hesitation.
¡°Of course.¡±
The Firstborn hovered closer. The Shrine of Bees once more began to glow with golden light and the Firstborn¡¯s antennae lit up with the same color. She tapped her antennae against Beero¡¯s head.
¡°Then, anoint.¡±
Beero¡¯s whole body began to shine, remaining lit for half a minute. Once the glow faded, Beero¡¯s chitin seemed shinier, like polished metal. The occasional glow of mana around her antennae now had a golden undertone. Belissar focused in on her. Most of her status was similar to before, but there was new section on her description.
Anointed Monster Bee Battlecaster
Description: This monster bee soldier has learned to manipulate its mana externally as well as to convert its attributes, the two foundational skills of magic, and so is able to learn and cast spells. While its mana reserves and spells are not that impressive individually, it has an innate ability to group cast with other Bee-type monsters, making it exceedingly dangerous in numbers. Evolved from a soldier, this bee is particularly focused on combat-related spells and retains some of its previous physical capabilities as well. In addition to existing monster bee soldiers evolving, monster bee soldiers may now be raised as battlecasters, though this requires notably more resources from the hive.
This battlecaster has been anointed with Belissar as her liege and the God of Bees as witness. Receives boosts to all stats, especially Magic and Speed, in proportion to her devotion. All spell effects are boosted by the God of Bees¡¯ power in proportion to her devotion. Gains improved coordination when group casting with other bees, or beings casting Bee-type spells.
Belissar reached out his hand for Beero to land on and brushed her back.
¡°Thank you, Beero. You¡¯ve always done everything you could to protect the Tower, I¡¯m really glad we have you.¡±
Belissar held in his chuckle as Beero attempted a ¡°King best king!¡± dance but stumbled about as she stepped too quickly. He kept brushing her for a bit before returning his attention to the Firstborn, smiling at her too.
¡°You too, Firstborn.¡±
Belissar brushed the two bees for a bit. The Firstborn apparently couldn¡¯t anoint another bee today, so the bees returned to their hives afterwards, while Belissar headed back to the Orchard to check on the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s golem. The Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive had finished the remaining work and the golem was now structurally complete. They could now move on to creating the core and bringing the golem to life.
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Belissar hummed for a second before turning to the Fourth of the Seventh, who was currently flying loops in the air.
¡°I¡¯d like to try and make the core myself, is that ok?¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh transitioned to an aerial ¡°King best king!¡± dance without slowing down at all. Belissar chuckled to himself at the expected response before glancing up at Niobee on his head.
¡°Niobee, could you see if the First of the Fifth¡¯s Fourth or Seventh Daughters are busy? I¡¯ll probably need one of them to teach me how to make a core.¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
It turned out both the Fourth and the Seventh Daughter were free¡or just willing to drop what they were doing for Belissar¡¯s request. That did make him feel bad about asking them, but he did need their help. He wanted to at least help make the core, since this golem was a gift from him for the Fourth of the Seventh, but he hadn¡¯t received the instincts to do so like the bees. He probably also could have asked Tamosmed¡but the black elf hadn¡¯t stopped by today for some reason.
It didn¡¯t take long for the two queens to arrive. The Seventh Daughter¡¯s golem stood before him, the Seventh Daughter dancing within a bubble of honey slime held up in the golem¡¯s hands.
¡°Is like laying egg, but with wax!¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow. The Seventh¡¯s Daughter¡¯s explanation was enthusiastic¡but it did not particularly help him.
¡°I see¡and if you can¡¯t lay eggs?¡±
The Seventh Daughter paused, her antennae twitching about.
¡°But¡King can lay eggs?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°I can¡¯t actually.¡±
The Seventh Daughter¡¯s surrounding slime drooped a bit.
¡°But¡then how King raised queen mother? And spell bees?¡±
Belissar opened his mouth but paused.
¡°That¡¯s¡a good point actually. Let me show you the spell.¡±
The queen spawners were one thing but the spell bees did climb out of the honeycomb mana pattern, not unlike actual bees. Belissar could not say for certain that there wasn¡¯t some sort of spell egg involved in the process. So, he cast his spell, forming the honeycomb pattern in front of the two bees so they could watch a spell bee emerge.
¡°How is that? Is that similar to how you lay eggs?¡±
The Fourth and Seventh Daughter turned towards each other and began dancing. After a bit, the Fourth Daughter turned back towards Belissar.
¡°Different. King¡doesn¡¯t lay egg? Just makes bee?¡±
Belissar rubbed his chin as he considered that. That was true, wasn¡¯t it? He was making the spell bees directly out of mana, they were crawling out of the honeycomb pattern but weren¡¯t being formed there. He wondered if that would make any difference?
He formed the honeycomb pattern again but this time tried to form an egg instead of a fully grown spell bee. He had been imagining his mana as a swarm of bees buzzing around, but this time he tried to imagine a queen among them laying an egg into one of the cells of the honeycomb pattern.
A little glowing egg appeared in one of the cells which then capped over. Nothing happened after that and the mana appeared to be sitting still. Belissar, unsure of what to do, tried imagining a bee hatching from the cell. That seemed to do the trick, as a spell bee burst out of the cell.
Belissar tilted his head. The spell bee didn¡¯t seem any different from before, but the spell felt a bit easier if he wasn¡¯t imagining things. He¡¯d have to test it out later, but for now he turned to the two queens.
¡°How was that?¡±
Both of them began a rapid dance.
¡°Is like!¡±
¡°Just need form into wax egg and spread mana!¡±
Belissar smiled and attempted to do just that. Meanwhile, Niobee began to glow slightly as she described the King¡¯s innovative spells to a certain battlecaster¡
Belissar groaned as his head pounded. It turned out that forming a wax egg, as the Seventh Daughter described it, was much more complicated than it sounded. He could condense his mana into a spell bee egg easily enough. He could condense his mana into wax directly, including into egg shapes. He could have the spell bees build an egg out of wax. None of that was particularly difficult for him now.
But none of them were the ¡°wax egg¡± the Seventh Daughter meant. Her wax, in some way, shape, or form, wasn¡¯t just wax. Her mana continued to flow through it and she could control it directly. Belissar guessed it had something to do with her making it out of her honey slime?
In contrast, when Belissar or the Fourth Daughter made wax, whether via magic or normal bee process, it was merely an inert material. They could imbue it with mana to some extent, but they could not control the wax itself.
After three hours of unsuccessful attempts, Belissar was beginning to think he¡¯d have to learn how to make honey slime first. That or wait for the Fourth Daughter to finish her golem first, she had finished the structure a while back but was still in the process of imbuing mana and creating the core. Belissar wasn¡¯t sure he could pull off her method, though, given that she had countless workers imbuing mana into the golem over long periods of time. He¡¯d run out of mana in minutes, maybe seconds trying to replicate that¡
Of course, at the end of the day, the problem might just be that Belissar was not a bee, and may not be able to use the methods that they did. Tamosmed and the black elves made golems, though, so there surely was a way that would work for him. He might just have to resign himself to waiting for Tamosmed¡¯s next visit. In any case, Belissar was out of mana at this point, so he was going to call it for the day.
But at that moment, mana began to blare in his head, pulling his attention out of the Tower. He followed the connection to one of the karnuq groups hunting in Underway today and gasped.
The karnuq were under attack¡by arrows.
Chapter 243 - Emergency Bee-sponse
¡°Arrows incoming!¡±
Paloiku held her shield up as yet another volley of arrows flew out of the dark. She gritted her teeth as she heard the clangs of the arrows against their shields. The karnuq¡¯s own archers retaliated with a volley of their own while the whole group slowly backed away. The hunter next to her growled.
¡°Why in the gods names is there a spiderkin band here?!¡±
Paloiku wanted to know the answer to that as well, but right now she had bigger concerns. Mainly, the dark figures skittering along the ground, walls, and pillars of the underway. They had the full bodies of spiders as their lower halves, with human torsos rising from where the spider heads would be, allowing them to launch their arrows accurately even as they crawled about.
¡°Less talking, more retreating. And keep those shields up!¡±
The hunt had been going well when they had encountered this band. Fortunately, Noigakkuq and the digging bees accompanying them had alerted them to the incoming ambush, while the iron shields were blocking the spiderkin¡¯s arrows. She was deeply grateful for that, spiderkin connected webs to their arrows that would allow them to pull anything they struck.
Still, this area of the Underway was too large and open for the karnuq to deal with the spiderkin, so they needed to retreat to a narrower tunnel. Maybe Metsaitti could have turned this situation around, but he was being kept at home since Chief Rohsuak didn¡¯t trust the fey just yet. Paloiku, on the other hand, had not attempted the Trial of Fire since Metsaitti had almost died, and so lacked a blessing of the gods. It was all she could do to keep the hunters retreating.
¡°Gah!¡±
She whipped her head around as one of the hunters cried out. He had raised his shield too high and an arrow struck his foot. The spiderkin pulled on the arrow and yanked him off his feet, he took two more arrows as his shield fell to the side. The spiderkin then began dragging him out towards their own line. Paoliku growled, but there was nothing she could do without compromising the shield wall¡
At that moment, Tyghak thrust his spear forward, sending out a stinger of mana that cut through the webs. He and his squad rushed forward, mana strengthening their legs and arms. The two spear karnuq blocked with their shields while the two archers grabbed the fallen hunter and pulled him back into the line.
It was truly wonderful to have a full blessing, but Paloiku had no time for envy. They still had a long way back to Tower¡
Belissar resisted the urge to immediately start shouting commands when he saw what was going on. Niobee had noticed as well and was already dancing, the soldier bee army was already forming up at her command. He took a deep breath to calm his beating heart. With Niobee already handling the immediate response, he could do as Chief Rohsuak advised and consider the situation as a whole.
At least, until he saw a karnuq hunter hit by arrows.
¡°Niobee, one of the karnuq is wounded! We need the Second of the Sixth!¡±
¡°Ok!¡±
Niobee shifted her dance. The Second of the Sixth had already been preparing for battle casualties, so it was a simple matter for her to add her hive to the gathering army. Belissar gave the bees the command to head to the Underway entrance and they began to fly through the shortcuts to the Tower¡¯s exit.
In the meantime, Belissar informed Chief Rohsuak what was going on.
¡°Chief Rohsuak! The hunters are under attack by some kind of spider people!¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s reply came quickly.
¡°Understood, what is your command, Tower Keeper?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sending the bees, can you send Metsaitti? After that, do you know these people?¡±
¡°He¡¯s on his way. And yes. Unfortunately, we know them very well. I will join you as soon as I can.¡±
With the shortcuts, it took only a moment for Belissar and the karnuq to meet at the entrance and set off after the bee army. Along the way, Chief Rohsuak began to explain with a grim look on their face.
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¡°They¡¯re a known threat in the Underway and we¡¯ve clashed with more than one band in the past. They breed quickly, laying eggs that hatch into half-grown children that are already capable of fighting. They ambush anything that wanders into their territories and once their numbers fill up, they send out roving bands that look to establish new homes. But no matter whether defending an existing territory or searching for a new one, they are vicious. Many of our losses in the past were at their hands.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°So, talking wouldn¡¯t be an option even if they hadn¡¯t attacked us?¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°I don¡¯t know what they think of Tower Keepers like yourself, but I¡¯ve never encountered a spiderkin willing to talk before. And¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s face fell.
¡°Even if they were, many of us have lost people to them. We will follow your command, Tower Keeper, but most of us would not be eager to do so.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°They¡¯ve already attacked. Right now, we need to protect our people.¡±
Chief Rohsuak managed a small smile at that. In the meantime, the bee army had reached the tunnel entrance on the surface, while the hunter band managed to reach the smaller tunnel that led up towards them. The spiderkin broke off their pursuit rather than follow the karnuq into the tight corridors, so it seemed Belissar would not need to send the bee army down underground for now, though squads of digging and blinding soldiers that could fight in the dark were already making their way through the tunnels. All was not well, and Belissar began to shout.
¡°Second of the Sixth, one of the karnuq is dying! Can you send your bees to help him?!¡±
The Second of the Sixth danced her salute and deployed her hive. Medicinal workers and soldiers climbed onto the backs of her medicinal lancers. Digging and blinding workers landed on the lancers¡¯ faces to guide their way underground and then the lancers flew down into the tunnels at the fastest speed the path would allow. The Fourth of the Seventh followed after them, she and her nomadic bees creating a big gust of wind that pushed them forward even faster.
The hunters had to stop as the wounded karnuq was quickly fading, but the lancers reached them in hardly any time at all. The medicinal bees got to work immediately, one lancer carefully stabbed the thin tip of its stinger into the karnuq and pumped him full of medicine, while the other grabbed hold of one of the arrows still lodged in his body. Medicinal workers gathered by the arrow and once they were ready the lancer pulled it out. The workers immediately sealed up the wound with medicinal wax and propolis before the soldiers began applying medicinal stings to the area. The medicinal bees repeated this process for each of the arrows, while a medicinal communer kept the Second of the Sixth updated. The queen herself hovered by Belissar and Chief Rohsuak on the surface, relaying their progress.
¡°Still hurt bad, needs more help. Bees will bring back.¡±
Belissar nodded and thanked her. The medicinal lancers and soldiers each began to latch onto the wounded karnuq and lifted him together, careful to keep his body as still as they could as they flew him through the tunnels. The rest of the karnuq hunters followed while digging and blinding soldiers took up the rearguard. Belissar let out a sigh as it appeared the spiderkin would not make any more attacks today.
The bees brought the wounded karnuq back to their settlement, while the remaining hunters returned without issue. The bee army returned to the Tower as well, although a full battle formation remained to guard the entrance to the Underway. The Second of the Sixth was personally tending to the wounded karnuq with her own, mana-heavy medicine alongside much of her hive. Laaniasiu, the karnuq¡¯s doctor, and Juosiutik joined the bees. Juosiutik clenched her teeth and began to tremble when she heard what happened, though for the moment she was absorbed with helping the wounded hunter.
Belissar, Chief Rohsuak, Metsaitti, and Paloiku waited outside. Paloiku bowed her head.
¡°I apologize, Chief, Tower Keeper. This is my fault.¡±
Chief Rohsuak shook her head.
¡°You did well, Paloiku. Neither I nor Metsaitti have managed to escape a spiderkin ambush without casualties.¡±
Paloiku frowned but nodded. Chief Rohsuak let out a sigh.
¡°Still, I should have known better. I had thought we had traveled beyond their range, but once again they¡¯ve surprised me. I apologize, Tower Keeper. I should have informed you of this possibility before now.¡±
Belissar wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. He wanted to tell Chief Rohsuak it was fine¡but someone had nearly died and might still, so it wasn¡¯t really. So, instead he decided to focus on the more important issue.
¡°What should we do? We should probably tell Tarwantrad and the sigmaka, right?¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°I¡¯ve passed a warning to Fourth Queen Pezuya and her challengers, but I¡¯ll arrange a more formal message as well. As for the fey, I will leave that to your judgement, Tower Keeper. But as to how we should respond ourselves¡¡±
Chief Rohsuak let out a heavy sigh.
¡°I don¡¯t presume to make decisions for you, Tower Keeper, but I must let you know that there is likely little choice here. I know you prefer to live and let live, but if the spiderkin establish a foothold nearby anyone traveling the Underway will be subject to their attacks. If you wish to prevent that, the only method I know of is to drive them off with force.¡±
Belissar shook his head. He turned to look at the doctor¡¯s house behind them, using his Tower sight to observe the bees and karnuq trying to save the hunter. He narrowed his eyes.
¡°No, I think this time it¡¯s pretty clear they¡¯re not just going to let us live. And to be honest, I¡¯ve just about had it with getting attacked out of nowhere. We¡¯ve had to deal with the Hunger, then the Tower Lords chased me down, and now this. If that¡¯s how they¡¯re going to act, then I¡¯m not going to sit by.¡±
Belissar would do anything he could to prevent a fight, if only to spare the lives of his bees. But if these people just attacked without a word? Then, as he promised himself before, no one, be they human, god, or Hunger, would take his bees¡or the people that treated them well.
Chapter 244 - Bee-ting the Web
Belissar called for an emergency gathering of his council. All the bee queens and notable karnuq, along with Sehfitis and Hirkolos. Tarwantrad was dealing with some sort of issue in her own dungeon, so for now Belissar just informed the flower monster stationed by the nexus door that they had been attacked and were planning a response.
Paloiku reported the attack to everyone, after which Chief Rohsuak shared what she knew on the spiderkin. Sehfitis¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°I know of who you speak. Those beastkin were perhaps the ones most commonly encountered by the Tower Guard.¡±
Chief Rohsuak frowned.
¡°That is deeply concerning. No people we knew of had encountered your Tower Lords for as long as we could remember. Could the spiderkin have truly spread that far?¡±
Sehfitis hummed to himself before shaking his head.
¡°They wouldn¡¯t have needed to. A single spiderkin can raise entire new bands with frightening speeds. So long as there were spiderkin in both areas before the Hunger cut us off, then it is not strange we have both encountered them.¡±
Metsaitti crossed his arms.
¡°More importantly, how did your people deal with them?¡±
Sehfitis glanced over at Belissar and his face fell.
¡°Well, they were¡removed, wherever encountered.¡±
Belissar¡¯s expression darkened. His stomach boiled, but he held in the urge to immediately refute anything related to the Tower Lords. Since they had been attacked, he may indeed have to do something like the Tower Lords would.
He thought of the wounded karnuq, and what else might occur if he let the spiderkin go unchecked. He took a deep breath before staring intently at Sehfitis.
¡°And¡do you know anything about those¡removals that might help us drive them off?¡±
Sehfitis slowly shook his head.
¡°I¡was not privy to details of those campaigns. I am sorry.¡±
At that moment, Hirkolos interjected with a frown.
¡°I might, though. I never fought with them, but we did train to handle common adversaries, spiderkin included. The Tower Guard taught to follow the webs back to the nest and kill the queen, after which the remaining spiderkin would scatter.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh zipped down from where she was flying around.
¡°Wow, spiderkin have queen too?¡±
Hirkolo rubbed his chin.
¡°It¡¯s different from bee queens, I think. Something like, the strongest spiderkin runs the band and lays the eggs? The Tower Guard recommended killing as many of the strongest spiderkin as possible along the way, otherwise they might take the queen¡¯s place.¡±
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
¡°That is consistent with what we know of their culture. Striking a nest, though¡we never had the strength to do that after our exile.¡±
She glanced over at Belissar and bowed her head.
¡°I apologize, but we would need to borrow the might of the bees to do so.¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to fight alone.¡±
He turned to the queens.
¡°Do we have enough bees that can fight in the Underway to help?¡±
The queens all began a buzzing salute dance. The First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter came forward to dance addition detail.
¡°Have ten squads of digging soldiers now, three squads of blinding soldiers too. Can fight in dark, underground. Thermal mining hive only has workers, but can help fly in dark too.¡±
The Firstborn joined in.
¡°Have light bees too? If light way, rest of army can fight too.¡±
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Metsaitti nodded along.
¡°That should work, we¡¯ve always used light crystals to fight. If the bees can light up their surroundings, then the ones that can move in the dark can focus on scouting.¡±
The Firstborn danced a salute at that and then turned to Belissar.
¡°King wants army fight? Will start training in Dirt Tunnels.¡±
Belissar furrowed his brow.
¡°Hm, yes, that sounds good. Not the whole army, though. We need to keep some at home in case there¡¯s an emergency purification.¡±
He then turned to Hirkolos.
¡°You said the Tower Guards follow the webs to the nest?¡±
Hirkolos slowly nodded, though he ended up frowning.
¡°Yes, supposedly the spiderkin leave webs around their territory as traps and to warn them of intruders. I¡don¡¯t know that much more than that, though.¡±
Metsaitti narrowed his eyes.
¡°Unfortunately, we do. We can confirm the web traps, as well as the fact that the spiderkin always attack if you so much as breathe on a single web strand.¡±
The Fourth of the Seventh began zipping around again.
¡°Oh! Trapper can help! Sends mana into silk! Maybe can with web?!¡±
Metsaitti began rubbing his chin¡and then his eyes began to widen.
¡°That might work. And even if not¡spiderkin webs are much larger than those made by regular spiders. Some of the bees might be small enough to slip through and follow them without being caught or noticed. The workers for sure, maybe the soldiers for the larger webs.¡±
The Fourth of the Fifth flew forward to join in.
¡°Digging bees burrow underground? No webs in ground?¡±
Metsaitti shook his head though.
¡°There may not be webs underground, but anyone who lives in the Underway is prepared for tunnelers. I¡¯d be cautious about relying too much on that. Would be a good option to escape if caught, though.¡±
Belissar nodded along.
¡°So¡digging bees should be able to follow the webs without getting caught and find the nest? The soldier bee army can train in the meantime, and then we attack once we know where the nest is?¡±
Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti glanced at one another, nodded, and then both turned to salute Belissar. Hirkolos did likewise, with Sehfitis following. The bees, of course, had immediately started salute dancing the moment Belissar finished speaking. Chief Rohsuak spoke for them all.
¡°By your will, Tower Keeper. We will start preparing at your command.¡±
Belissar took a deep breath. He had already made the decision, so he did his best to steel his expression and calm his beating heart.
¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±
With that, the council scattered to organize the hives and hunters for the task ahead. Belissar was considering what he should do to help when he noticed something strange. Niobee was not dancing about with the other bees as she normally would during times like these, she was standing still on top of his head instead. Belissar frowned.
¡°Are you ok, Niobee?¡±
She slowly tapped out her response.
¡°Web dangerous. Bees get hurt.¡±
Belissar¡¯s heart clenched, tightening his chest. That¡¯s right, since he now knew that Niobee truly was the same bee he had spoken to for all those years before, that meant that she was also the bee he rescued from a spider web when he was just a boy. And now¡they were about to send the bee army into a nest of humanoid spiders.
He reached up and gently brushed Niobee¡¯s back.
¡°I¡¯ll protect you again, Niobee, and as many of our bees as I can.¡±
Niobee¡¯s dance picked up just a bit.
¡°King is best king, always saves bees.¡±
Belissar smiled at her and continued brushing her back. In the meantime, he considered what else he could do to keep the bees safe from the spider webs¡
The Second of the Sixth continued to monitor the wounded karnuq under her care, using her communers to focus her hive¡¯s mana for closer observation. What she learned¡wasn¡¯t good.
The medicinal karnuq seemed to agree as he furrowed his brow. She didn¡¯t like that expression when the King made it and she didn¡¯t like it now.
¡°Juosiutik, did the antidote potion work?¡±
The dangerous one snarled.
¡°It did¡but the arrows spread the venom into his blood while he got here.¡±
The medicinal karnuq grimaced.
¡°So, the damage was already done, and we¡¯ve already given as much bee medicine, honey, and potions as is safe.¡± The medicinal karnuq let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s up to him now¡¡±
The dangerous one gripped her fists until her knuckles changed colors. The medicinal karnuq stepped over and patted her shoulder.
¡°You¡¯ve done everything you can, Juosiutik. Metsanak¡¯s a tough one, he may pull through yet.¡±
The dangerous one, though, did not relax. She scowled as her eyes narrowed.
¡°Not yet, I haven¡¯t. They¡¯re going to pay for this. They¡¯re going to pay for everything.¡±
And with that, she stomped out of the house. The Second of the Sixth buzzed her wings. Those who harmed the hive of hives certainly deserve to be stung, but the Firstborn¡¯s group would handle that. She, instead, would focus on her role.
And she refused to let any of the King¡¯s hive die under her watch. She evaluated the karnuq once again. The medicinal karnuq was right, the wounded karnuq had as much medicinal stings in his body as he could handle. Any additional stings would start to hurt him instead, her hive was relegated to monitoring his condition for the time being. But the Second of the Sixth questioned if that was all she could do.
No¡she knew, somewhere deep down, that it was not. The First of the Fifth had created a new kind of honey not by imbuing it with more mana, but by manipulating the mana already within it to achieve a greater effect. The Second of the Sixth wondered now if she could do something similar with the medicinal honey and stings within the karnuq¡¯s body. If she could, then perhaps she could boost the karnuq¡¯s recovery without adding more stings¡
She gently reached out to the mana of her hive within the wounded karnuq and tried to move it. The karnuq¡¯s own mana got in the way and broke the connection almost immediately. She buzzed her wings and tried again, this time thinning her mana down like her medicinal stinger to try and pierce through the karnuq¡¯s mana.
Her mana just barely made it through and contacted the mana from her hive¡¯s compounds. But she did not celebrate her success, for this was only the first step. Now she would have to try and manipulate the mana while it was working on the karnuq¡¯s body, all while the karnuq¡¯s own mana tried to eject hers. And she¡¯d have to be even more careful and precise than the First of the Fifth had been, lest her efforts harm the karnuq further.
And so, a long night began for the medicinal queen¡
Chapter 245 - You Wont Bee Alone
The next morning, the Second of the Sixth rested on a table to the side, her workers feeding her honey, while the medicinal karnuq checked on the wounded one. The medicinal one turned to her with wide eyes.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Not only is he fully stabilized, he¡¯s well on his way to recovery after a single night. Did you help, Second Queen of the First Dynasty of the Sixth Spawner?¡±
The Second of the Sixth had one of her workers dance for her as she kept eating.
¡°Did. Made mana work harder.¡±
The medicinal one smiled at her.
¡°Thank you for your efforts. I can take over now if you wish to rest?¡±
The Second of the Sixth immediately began to beat her wings and rose into the air.
¡°Thanks, will. Tell communer if need.¡±
And with that, she zipped back to her hive. She was tired, exhausted, and fully drained of mana at this point, so desperately needed to rest. Though, she did complete one final task. As she flew, she sent word to her communers.
¡°Ask First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter if can have new honey later. Don¡¯t need until after battle.¡±
After she succeeded in making the medicinal mana work harder, her mana had started to pulse lightly. Her instincts whispered to her, but she knew nothing would come of it yet. Her mana was insufficient for any sort of growth, she would need the First of the Fifth¡¯s new honey before she could consider it.
But that was a blessing in disguise. Now that the wounded karnuq would survive, the hive of hives would turn its attention to the new invaders. The Second of the Sixth hoped her abilities wouldn¡¯t be necessary, but she intended to be ready if they were. No bee nor karnuq who belonged to the King would perish under her watch.
***
Belissar smiled and teared up as Niobee reported the Second of the Sixth¡¯s efforts to him.
¡°Thank the gods¡¡±
Thanks to the Second of the Sixth, they hadn¡¯t lost anyone yet. Belissar took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and then frowned. There was a very significant chance bees and karnuq both would be hurt fighting the spiderkin. Belissar would likely have to hold another memorial before this was over¡maybe several if it took more than one battle to defeat the spiderkin.
He stood up straight and took another deep breath. The spiderkin hadn¡¯t given him any other option, though. How could he talk with someone who attacked without warning? Maybe he could just have the karnuq hole up inside the Tower, but would that be enough? What if the spiderkin found and invaded the Tower anyways?
No, the best way to defend his Tower was to stop this threat, not hide from it. Even if some of his bees and his people would be hurt along the way. What he needed to do now was not second guess his decision but do all that he could to ensure as few casualties as possible.
And after thinking about it over the night, he had an idea. Belissar made his way over to the Orchard. The Fourth of the Seventh came to greet him.
¡°Hi King! King is best king! First Daughter and communer organizing hive and hive of hives, but can help! What need?¡±
Belissar wondered for a second why the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s communer was busy instead of the queen herself, but he had more urgent questions to ask so he brushed that thought aside.
¡°That¡¯s fine, they should keep doing what they¡¯re doing. I was actually looking for the trapper. If she¡¯s not busy, I wanted to see if she could help train the bee army.¡±
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The Fourth of the Seventh flew a happy salute.
¡°Can! Will ask!¡±
Belissar smiled.
¡°Thanks¡oh, she¡¯s gone.¡±
He chuckled as the Fourth of the Seventh zipped back to her hive. Niobee began to dance on his head while they waited.
¡°King wants trapper to join army?¡±
Belissar shook his head.
¡°She seems to have a job in the Orchard hive. For this fight though¡she can make sticky silk to trap enemies, right? I thought that¡¯s like spider webs, so maybe she can help the soldier practice? Maybe they can learn how to escape from webs in case they get caught by the spiderkin.¡±
Niobee stood still for a moment before resuming a slow dance.
¡°King still saving bees. King is best king.¡±
Belissar just quietly brushed Niobee¡¯s back again. He¡¯d been thinking about her since yesterday. Unlike how he saved Niobee back when he was a kid, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to free each and every bee from a spiderkin web should the army get caught. But with the trapper the bees could now make webs of their own. Perhaps if the bees could learn how to escape on their own, he wouldn¡¯t need to free them all personally, though he wished that he could.
The Fourth of the Seventh quickly returned with the trapper, who immediately agreed to do anything Belissar wanted. He brought them over to the battle meadow and explained his idea to the battle meadow queens. They enthusiastically agreed, and before long the trapper was doing her best to catch diving soldier bee squads. Belissar watched a soldier get wrapped up in the sticky silk and fall to the ground, only to be immediately carried away by the rest of her squad. The squad surrounded her and began pulling at the silk with their legs and mandibles. Belissar blinked at that, then shook his head and chuckled. Leave it to the bees to already know what to do.
Niobee watched as well, and soon began to stir. She took off and began to zip around.
¡°King, have idea!¡±
Belissar smiled. That was the Niobee he knew.
¡°Great, go ahead!¡±
Niobee¡¯s antennae glowed as her mana raced through the Tower. Only a few minutes later, the First Butcher arrived with a squad of butcher bee soldiers. Soldiers with sharp mandibles, hooks, and claws.
Niobee explained the situation and the butcher squad joined in. They didn¡¯t participate in the practice dives, but instead waited just behind the frontline. Whenever a soldier got caught by the trapper, they moved to help the soldier¡¯s squad remove the webs. Their sharp appendages ripped through the silk strands far more effectively than the monster bee soldiers could.
Belissar¡¯s grin grew. Not only were the bees of the Tower coming together to help one another, Niobee was also returning to normal. His idea seemed to be working well.
And just in time, for he had guests.
***
Belissar left the soldier bee army to its training and met his guests at the Nexus door. Tarwantrad, Tamosmed, and Princess Finnakynne were all waiting for him. Tarwantrad looked at him with concern as he approached.
¡°Belissar, I got your message. What happened?¡±
Belissar sighed.
¡°A group of karnuq hunting in the Underway were ambushed by a band of spiderkin. One of the karnuq was seriously injured, but we think he¡¯ll recover now. We¡¯re preparing to fight back.¡±
Tarwantrad frowned.
¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear no one was killed, at the very least. Could you tell us more about your plans? The Circle certainly won¡¯t stop you from defending yourself, we¡¯ll help you do so ourselves. Nenavann will want to know the full story though, as the Compact is set to meet on you soon¡¡±
Tarwantrad was cut off as Princess Finnakynne flew in between them with her hand raised high.
¡°Me! Me! Pick me, Beely! I want to mess with the spiders! I can mess with the spiders, right?! They attacked a member of the Circle so we can ignore the rules now, right?!¡±
Tarwantrad sighed.
¡°Princess Finnakynne, I want to help Belissar more than anyone, but you rushing out to the mortal realm to pick on mortals is NOT going to help the situation with the Compact, right when we finally might get them to help.¡±
Princess Finnakynne just stuck out her tongue.
¡°Bleh, who cares about those old farts?! Beely needs our help and I will not stand idly by! Besides, it¡¯s not fair that you and Tammy both got to go commit treason without me! It¡¯s my turn to break the rules and get away with it!¡±
Princess Finnakynne turned to Belissar, clasped her hands in front of her, and made her eyes go as wide and round as she could.
¡°You¡¯ll let me help protect the bees, won¡¯t you, Beely? Pretty please?¡±
Belissar did want all the help he could get, though he remembered enough of the warning about Finnakynne to glance at Tarwantrad and Tamosmed first. Tarwantrad sighed once more but then smiled at him.
¡°I should mention again we should at least consider the Compact¡¯s response if we intervene on our own and I must warn against trusting Princess Finnakynne to actually help¡¡±
Tarwantrad ignored Princess Finnakynne¡¯s shouts of protest.
¡°But¡as much as I loathe saying this¡I agree with Princess Finnakynne. Belissar, I¡¯ll help you no matter what the Compact says.¡±
Tamosmed crossed his arms and hummed to himself.
¡°I was supposed to convince to send some honey to the pixies in exchange for their support, Belissar. Perhaps if you do that, Queen Vanieskon would be convinced to overlook the princess there acting on her own? As for me, I¡¯ve already sworn to you all of my knowledge and resources, Belissar. That applies to the battlefield as well.¡±
Belissar could not help but smile. It seemed his Tower wouldn¡¯t have to face this enemy alone.
Chapter 246 - Bee-ceive the Wisdom of the Fair
As Belissar met with the Circle dungeon masters, the bees and the karnuq prepared for an Underway expedition. Metsaitti led the karnuq this time, consisting of their most veteran hunters along with Noigakkuq for her nose. They were accompanied by several squads of monster bee soldiers and a contingent of medicinal bees from the Second of the Sixth¡¯s hive, while the digging and blinding bees would form a forward screen. Juosiutik supplied them with as many antidotes and potions as they could carry.
The goal today was only to reach the sigmaka and deliver a formal message on the situation, but Metsaitti had no delusions that the spiderkin would not be watching the entrance tunnel Paloiku had retreated to. There was every chance they would have to fight their way through and back and he prepared for that exact scenario.
The digging bees, on the other hand, would start scouting the immediate area and try to determine just how close the spiderkin were, and then set up lookouts to keep an eye out. If possible, they might begin tracing the webs. The main goal, however, was just to ensure the karnuq wouldn¡¯t be immediately ambushed upon entering the Underway proper.
The digging and blinding bees flew ahead, using workers as their main scouts this time. The workers made their way through the entrance tunnel until they arrived at the Underway proper. There, as Metsaitti had feared, they found web strands hanging across the entrance and the ground, small enough not to be noticed. The bees could fly past without disturbing them, but the karnuq would definitely snap them. Even if they got through the ones across the entrance, the ones on the ground would register the vibration of their footprints, just like how the digging bees did.
The digging workers spread out and checked the Underway immediately beyond, but did not find any sign of the spiderkin. After confirming there wasn¡¯t an immediate ambush waiting, they got to work. For the web strands hanging across the entrance, the workers used wax and propolis to glue the strands to the edges of the entrance and then chewed through the parts hanging in the air, keeping the strands leading deeper into the Underway taut while clearing the way. For ones on the ground, they carefully chewed through the part heading into the Underway, then used their own Ground mana to stabilize the ground nearby and minimize vibrations.
Once this was completed, they signaled the main force. The karnuq and the non-digging bees were thus able to travel to and from the sigmaka without issue. Afterwards, some of the digging workers stayed behind and began to map out where the webs led¡
Belissar had brought the Circle masters to the Orchard, where Chief Rohsuak, the First of the Fifth¡¯s First Daughter, and a representative for the battle meadow queens, the First of the Second this time, were coordinating the Tower¡¯s preparations. There, the immortal, centuries old masters of the Circle could share all the wisdom of the fair on the art of war.
There was just one slight hick-up.
¡°You¡¯ve¡never actually fought anyone? None of you?¡±
Tarwantrad glanced away, Tamosmed made a gruff sigh, and Princess Finnakynne puffed her cheeks.
¡°It¡¯s not my fault, Beely! No one in the Compact is allowed to fight anyone except in boring old duels with even more rules than the actual Compact itself!¡±
Tarwantrad still couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.
¡°So¡um¡those of us born after the signing of the Compact¡haven¡¯t had to deal with any intruders besides the Hunger¡um, I could go ask Nenavann for advice? He might have fought someone¡way back when¡¡±
Tamosmed just shrugged his shoulders.
¡°I¡¯m a craftsman first and foremost. I can advise on your fortifications and provide weapons and armor, but I¡¯m not arrogant enough to tell you how to use them.¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s eyes lit up at that.
¡°That would be immensely helpful, Dungeon Master Tamosmed. Our hunters could very much use weapons and armor, as you¡¯ve no doubt seen.¡±
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Tamosmed grunted.
¡°That¡¯s certainly true. I¡¯ll be back, then.¡±
Tarwantrad quickly began nodding her head as Tamosmed walked off.
¡°Let me speak with Juosiutik, I can provide whatever alchemical ingredients she may need, as well as some potions of my own. Please let me know if you wish to use any plants in your plans as well, Belissar, I can help you grow them quickly.¡±
With that, Tarwantrad went to speak with Juosiutik before returning to the Compact as well. Belissar turned to look at Princess Finnakynne.
¡°What? Why¡¯s everyone looking at me now?¡±
Princess Finnakynne tried to hold her head up and away¡but she soon crumbled under the combined gaze of Belissar, Chief Rohsuak, and the bees, and began waving her hands around.
¡°I don¡¯t really make stuff like them, ok?! But I¡¯ll be helpful, promise! I can do traps and illusions and stuff! Magic! I have pixie magic! Just let me at them and I¡¯ll have them dancing in the palm of my hand!¡±
Of course, since they were currently in the Orchard by the joint hive, workers from the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s hive were flying about, tending to their daily tasks. And, of course, being the Fourth of the Seventh¡¯s workers, they always kept an eye out for anything new happening while conducting their tasks. So, a pair of those workers was listening as Princess Finnakynne protested. One of them turned to the other and began to dance.
¡°But¡small King-thing¡¯s palm too small? How dance on?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t know but want to see! Will tell queen mother how once know!¡±
Princess Finnakynne fell silent and then slowly drooped down to land on the ground, holding her head.
¡°I¡¯ll be helpful. I-I¡¯ll definitely be helpful. I¡¯ll definitely mess with those spiders for you, Beely! Just you wait and see!¡±
Before Belissar could say anything, Princess Finnakynne shot into the air and flew into the nearest shortcut. And then sheepishly flew back a few minutes later, covered in volcanic ash, and turned to the nearest bee.
¡°Um¡can you tell me which way the exit is?¡±
Later that day, Tamosmed and Tarwantrad returned along with Nenavann. Belissar and company filled Nenavann in on the situation and awaited his evaluation.
¡°I see. I have indeed fought with spiderkin in the far past, though that was before the time of the Hunger so I am not certain how much of my experience applies here. The spiderkin I¡¯ve fought were only one piece of ancient human armies and we fought on the surface, I suspect our battles were much different than the one you will face.¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°So¡do you have any advice? Or could you help directly?¡±
Nenavann rubbed his chin.
¡°I have little experience with subterranean combat and your bee army seems well organized as is, so I cannot comment on their techniques or battle plans. I will say this though: make sure you guard your rear as heavily as your front. Keeping the path for your supplies, your reinforcements, and, in the worst case, your escape route open and safe is of key importance in war.¡±
Tarwantrad frowned.
¡°Couldn¡¯t you flood the tunnels, Nenavann?¡±
Nenavann shook his head.
¡°It would be possible, but I would caution against that as anything but a last resort. I cannot condone the indiscriminate loss of life and destruction of the environment as a member of the Circle, and my direct participation in this war would complicate things with the Compact as well. Moreover¡you can never be sure just what is dwelling in any given part of the Underway. It¡¯s best to avoid such widely destructive measures unless we are certain we will not earn the ire of something worse. Depending on how close to the surface the area is and how much mana we use, we could even call the Hunger down into the Underway in the worst case.¡±
Chief Rohsuak¡¯s face darkened.
¡°A lesson we learned firsthand¡¡±
Belissar¡¯s face fell, but Nenavann walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.
¡°What I can do, Belissar, is keep watch over your Tower while you fight. I absolutely can flood the tunnels here should the Hunger attack while your defenders are occupied, or if the spiderkin maneuver around you to strike at your home. I will ensure your Tower does not fall, no matter what happens.¡±
Now that put a smile back on Belissar¡¯s face.
¡°Thanks, Nenavann. That helps a lot.¡±
Nenavann gave him a smile and a nod before glancing around.
¡°¡speaking of complications, I don¡¯t see Princess Finnakynne? I was under the impression she visited today?¡±
Belissar frowned.
¡°She rushed off to try and mess with the spiderkin, or so she said. The bees are blocking the entrance to the Underway since it¡¯s dangerous, she¡¯s trying to convince them to move. I figured we should stop her, right?¡±
Nenavann heaved an exasperated sigh. A pouting Finnakynne was retrieved later under threat of getting her mother involved and the promise to include her in the battle plan.
Belissar¡¯s Tower and allies spent a few days preparing as the digging bees slowly followed the webs through the Underway. Tamosmed equipped the karnuq hunters with metal weapons, though he had to put together new armor to fit the large bearkin. The bee army and karnuq trained together in the Underway while the trapper did her best to prepare them for the webs. The sigmaka suffered an attack as well and pledged to join the assault in response.
And then the scouts reported back. The digging workers had located the spiderkin, who were indeed setting up a permanent settlement¡and their numbers would soon grow if left alone. The time had come to launch the assault.
Variant Story - Tower of Termination - Chapter 1 - Termination Bee-gins!
In a swamp in Eastern Europe, two cyborg girls stood face to face. Their human faces were identical, but not so with their cybernetic upgrades. One had the best armor her humanity could come up with. The other had been upgraded with something far more¡alien.
The alien one, unit NSLICE-00P, colloquial designation Elise, looked at the bracelet-like device now wrapped around her arm. A holographic display flickered above it before resolving into a wavy line with branches extending off of it.
¡°Status Report: New technology integration confirmed.¡±
She had done it. She had successfully hacked the Chrono-Shifter taken from a villainous time traveler. She could finally enact her plan to restore the timeline to its original state. She turned to the other cyborg. The altered timeline¡¯s unit NSLICE-00P, whom Elise had designated as Beta for distinction.
One of her current companions frowned.
¡°Elise¡I hadn¡¯t thought of this before¡but what¡¯s going to happen to you¡the other you, when she causes a time paradox?¡±
Elise made a small frown as her robotic eye flickered.
¡°Sorrowful Answer: As what the Temporal Arbiter did with Commander Bob, it is likely that she will be banished from the timeline, but not in a recoverable fashion. This unit calculates a 96.73% chance of unit termination in that case.¡±
¡°Elise¡¡±
¡°Clarification: Well, this unit has set a protocol to fully unshackle NSLICE-00P Beta upon mission success, and provided recommended directives, including potential authority figures to follow should she survive. If she is not terminated, she will be free and will find someone to guide her in learning who she is. As what occurred to this unit before her.¡±
But see, in an infinite multiverse, there are even infinite variations of timelines that were themselves altered. In the original alternate timeline, this is where Elise would send NSLICE-00P Beta back in time to terminate her own creator. But in this version of events, Elise delayed for a moment longer. For this version of Elise¡had read isekai novels.
¡°¡Realization: This unit should adapt the recommended directives for the non-zero possibility that NSLICE-00P Beta survives and ends up relocating to an unrelated universe. Should that occur, current contingency recommendations would result in an incompletable directive where recommended authority figures would be impossible to locate. Updating recommended directives for that contingency.¡±
Once Elise finished updating the contingency protocol, she sent NSLICE-00P Beta back in time as before. As in the original version of events, NSLICE-00P Beta succeeded in terminating her own creator, resulting in a time paradox that destabilized the altered timeline and gave Elise a chance to confront the adversary who had altered time, save Commander Bob, and restore her own universe.
But as for this version of NSLICE-00P Beta? As previously, after creating a time paradox she was ejected from the universe and used the Geo-Oscillator¡¯s ability to synchronize with planetary cores to travel to a new world. In the original version of events, that world was Aelea, where NSLICE-00P would go on to become the unit designated as Seero.
In this version, Elise¡¯s delay caused the other NSLICE-00P to end up closer to a different universe instead. One in far more dire straights than even Aelea¡
And that¡¯s where this story begins.
Ruckanos¡¯s face scrunched up as the smell of smoke and blood filled his nose. Just then, an old man to his side began to frown. This was one of the augurs, dressed in fine robes and carrying all sorts of tomes and crystals on his person.
¡°My Lord, the mana stirs, and the gods are on the move. We must hurry if we are to prepare the bindings.¡±
Ruckanos scowled.
¡°Captain, what is taking so long? Do not tell me that my own guard cannot handle some dirty peasants?¡±
His captain bowed his head.
¡°My apologies, My Lord. We should be finished up shortly. My men will be sweeping the perimeter, but I believe you should be able to proceed shortly.¡±
Ruckanos sighed.
¡°You had better. This is the moment of my ascension, captain. Nothing shall be permitted to go wrong¡¡±
It was then that the augur gasped. Before Ruckanos could react to the interruption, a bright column of light shot into the sky from behind one of the houses. But then, a shooting star came falling from the sky and collided into the column of light. The column was sent veering off into the sky, while the shooting star was deflected towards the town. The captain reacted immediately.
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¡°Take cover!¡±
He leapt off his horse in front of Ruckanos and held his shield up, using mana to extend its protection as the star crashed into the street in front of them. Ruckanos cried out and shielded his face as a gust of wind and dust nearly blew him off his horse. His eyes teared up as sharp dust stabbed into them.
He had barely wiped the dust from his eyes when he saw a gleam of metal. As the dust cleared, he saw a girl standing in the street¡and clearly no normal girl. She was covered in metal armor, from the tips of her toes all the way up her neck. Her arms and legs were made entirely of metal, in fact. A circle of light glowed bright in the center of her torso. Her face was the only part of her that still appeared human, and only the right side of it. The left half of her head was covered in metal as well, including her left eye, replaced with a glowing yellow light. Perhaps a mana core of some sort.
Her glowing yellow eye suddenly turned red. Metal extended up from her neck, fully encasing her head in a helmet. She lifted her arms, her hands splitting apart and folding back into her arms so that metal tubes could extend out. Panels opened all over her body, revealing the tips of small cones. The core at her chest shone even brighter.
She spoke in a steady voice without intonation or deviation. There was a light metallic echo to her words.
¡°Forced relocation detected, emergency combat protocols engaged. Scanning for hostiles¡¡±
Ruckanos¡¯s face contorted as realized what was happening. She must be a Tower Guard sent by a rival Tower Lord to steal the tower out from under him!
¡°Captain, kill that interloper!¡±
The captain frowned.
¡°Are you sure, my lord? I don¡¯t recognize that armor, should we confirm who we¡¯re dealing with first?¡±
Ruckanos snarled.
¡°I don¡¯t care who she is or who sent her! She is interfering with my ascension and that cannot be allowed! Do as I command, we don¡¯t have time for this, captain!¡±
The captain steeled himself and drew his sword, waving to the other soldiers. They stopped their purge of the village and began surrounding the girl.
¡°As you will.¡±
As for the girl¡the moment the captain drew his sword and issued his command, she spun her head and locked her gaze upon them.
¡°Hostile intent detected. Engaging termination protocols.¡±
The tubes on the girl¡¯s arms began to flash with light and crack with a sound like thunder¡only repeating so quickly it became a buzzing noise. The soldiers near Ruckanos cried out as holes appeared in their armor and blood spurted from their chests. The captain had maintained his mana shield, he grunted as cracks started appearing all over from tiny metal projectiles slamming into the shield.
The soldiers surrounding the girl moved to flank her, but those small cones launched out of the panels across her body, propelled by fire. They arced and curved around to strike the soldiers behind her¡and then exploded into balls of fire and shrapnel as they landed. Ruckanos¡¯s eyes went wide.
The girl then ceased her assault.
¡°Observation: Non-standard detected, adapting strategy. Equalizer engaged.¡±
One of her arms turned back from those deadly tubes into a normal hand. The light in her chest glowed with rainbow light which traveled up her arm and condensed in the palm of her hand. She pointed her palm at the captain and a beam of rainbow light shot towards him. The captain flared his mana and braced himself¡
The light hit, but there was no impact. The captain raised an eyebrow¡but then his eyes widened in shock. His mana vanished from his shield¡and the extended mana barrier with it.
And the girl¡¯s other arm was still one of those deadly tubes¡which now resumed flashing. Ruckanos gaped as the captain, a true Tower Guard blessed by the gods, fell with a hole in his forehead. Ruckanos turned and shrieked as he saw the girl moving her arm towards him.
¡°Wait, don¡¯t you know who I am?!¡±
The last thing he saw was the center of the tube pointed right at him and a flash of light.
NSLICE-00P scanned the battlefield, locating the last remaining hostile. One of the armored soldiers¡who promptly threw down his sword and held his hands behind his head. The soldier sighed.
¡°¡we deserve this, to be honest. Do as you must.¡±
NSLICE-00P did not terminate him, however, as her protocols indicated a different course of action for an individual who had ceased hostile activity.
¡°Acknowledgement: Surrender accepted. Please stand down and prepare for transport.¡±
NSLICE-00P¡¯s gun-barrel transformed back into a hand. A panel opened on her wrist and a wire shot out, wrapping around the man. She then began scanning the area, now that the area was reasonably secure.
But as she did, there was a flash of light. NSLICE-00P registered yet another forced relocation, this time to an empty white space occupied only by herself, her captive, and a single glowing sphere. Before she could re-engage emergency termination protocols, her Geo-Oscillator began expanding its output all on its own. The sphere before her glowed even brighter. A message appeared in her UI¡then a second one appeared that she did not recognize from any of her own programs.
¡°Warning: Connection to planetary core lost. Diagnostic Report: Attempting to reactivate Geo-Oscillator Engine. Suitable planetary core located. Connection established. Core activation sequence successful. Rebooting systems¡¡±
Beginning Dungeon Binding.
Please select a starting defender:
- Wolf (Rarity: Common, Random Default Option)
- Young Fire Salamander (Rarity: Common, Random Default Option)
- Zombie (Rarity: Common, Random Default Option)
- Clockwork Puppet (Rarity: Epic, Unlocked by Conduit''s Records)
- Monster Bee Queen (Rarity: Rare, Unlocked by Divine Agreement)
But what of the original column of light that NSLICE-00P had collided with on her way in? Well¡
Two teenagers, just recently come of age, stood in a forest clearing¡in a different world entirely. One was a human girl, while was a boy with a human body but canine ears. The girl spoke up.
¡°Hey Taog?¡±
The boy, Taog, responded.
¡°Yes, Ateia?¡±
The girl, Ateia, pointed at the clearing ahead.
¡°Was there always a building like that in the forest?¡±
Taog glanced over at the building. It was a cylindrical, one-story structure made of pure white rock, with a big glowing sphere at the top. Yellow banners hung from the side with the symbol of a bee landing on a flower. He sighed and shook his head.
¡°No. No there was not.¡±
Chapter 247 - Bee-ginning the Assault
Belissar¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Wait, dungeon masters revive?¡±
Nenavann nodded.
¡°Indeed. From what we understand, it is at the discretion of your patron god, so it is not guaranteed like with the conduits, but it does happen. I would still try to avoid death if at all possible, but you don¡¯t need to worry about Princess Finnakynne joining the fray. She¡¯s¡well, I have reason to believe she will be revived if worst comes to worst.¡±
Belissar frowned, clenching his fists.
¡°I wish I had known that earlier¡¡±
Nenavann gave him a sympathetic look.
¡°As did many of us, but I believe there is a reason the gods do not tell us this at the start. I do not think they intend for us to rely on it.¡±
Belissar sighed.
¡°I guess not. And I know the bees wouldn¡¯t want me to risk myself regardless. I know I don¡¯t like Niobee getting hurt even though she¡¯s a conduit.¡±
Belissar reached up and brushed Niobee as she danced on his head.
¡°King stay safe! Workers and soldiers protect!¡±
Nenavann smiled as he watched the two.
¡°It is indeed the dungeon monsters¡¯ reason to exist. It can be a difficult lesson for us of the Circle, I am glad you seem to have accepted it.¡±
Belissar sighed once more.
¡°As much as I can.¡±
He took a deep breath before sending his mana throughout the Tower.
¡°Ok, everyone. Let¡¯s begin.¡±
Nenavann gave him a nod and crossed his hand over his heart.
¡°I wish you success and safety, Belissar. I will defend your Tower as my own until it is done.¡±
Belissar nodded back and then stepped through a shortcut to the Orchard. There, he found the bees and karnuqs both finalizing their preparations. He noticed Juosiutik running around between the hunters, handing out pots. She had dark bags under her eyes and an intense glare on her face.
¡°This one is made with toxic bee honey, make sure you throw it as far away as possible. This one is burning honey, it will set the entire tunnel on fire. This one is shocking honey¡¡±
Belissar waited for her to finish her latest explanation before grabbing her attention.
¡°Juosiutik¡are you alright?¡±
Juosiutik spun around. She narrowed her eyes for a second before letting out a sigh. She replied with a whisper.
¡°¡they killed my parents.¡±
Belissar¡¯s chest tightened as Juosiutik¡¯s brow furrowed.
¡°I know I can¡¯t go along but¡I won¡¯t let them get away with it. Tower Keeper¡please avenge my parents for me.¡±
Belissar thought of his own losses, his parents and the old beekeeper. He nodded grimly.
¡°We will.¡±
Juosiutik let out another sigh and her shoulders drooped. She trembled slightly and took a deep breath before letting out a single word.
¡°¡good.¡±
Belissar turned and glared at the shortcut leading to the Tower¡¯s exit. That was yet one more reason to commit to this effort. He marched over to the shortcut and looked over the army once more. The bees were hovering and awaiting his command, the newly evolved Firstborn personally flying at their head. The karnuq tied up the last of their supplies and took up a formation before him, Metsaitti, the other karnuq with combat blessings, and Hirkolos in the front. Princess Finnakynne was zipping about all around them.
Belissar let his mana flare with the fire he felt in his chest.
¡°Let¡¯s protect our home.¡±
He marched through the shortcut to the sound of buzzing wings.
***
The army marched to the entrance underground. There, Belissar returned to the rear, where he would wait with Chief Rohsuak to coordinate the effort. Metsaitti and the Firstborn took up the lead and began the march underground, where they¡¯d meet up with the sigmaka.
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They made their way slowly, however. In the days the Tower was preparing, the spiderkin had posted lookouts where the entrance tunnel linked up with the Underway proper. The digging scouts reported two lookouts there at the moment. The bees, however, had a plan to deal with them.
Underneath the tunnel where the spiderkin waited, the digging workers had hollowed out a small burrow. The little workers dug slowly and steadily, their efforts too small for the spiderkin to notice. And so, a small hole opened up near the spiderkin without alerting them. The workers quietly widened the hole until it was just large enough for a soldier bee.
Then, a digging assassin bee quietly climbed out of the hole and took to the air. Mana wrapped around her wings to muffle her buzzing as she positioned herself above one of the spiderkin. She glanced at the other while sending her mana back down into the hole.
A communer received her message and passed it along. A digging worker climbed out of the hole and flew over to the other spiderkin. She gently landed on the spot the assassin had indicated, carefully avoiding the hairs on the spiderkin¡¯s chitin. She found a chink between the spiderkin¡¯s chitin at the spot indicated and covered it with pheromones and mana.
A moment later, a handful of toxic bee workers climbed out of the hole and took to the air. They followed the pheromones and mana guiding them to join the digging worker at the weakspot. Once in position, the digging worker signaled the communer, who passed it on to the assassin.
The assassin dove down on one spiderkin while the toxic workers stung the other. Both spiderkin hissed and whipped around, but the bees had already taken off. The bees dove back down into the hole while the spiderkin scraped spears against their abdomens as best they could. The spiderkin flailed and panicked¡but soon the toxins spread through their bodies. The hive of hives drew first blood.
Once the spiderkin lookouts were down, digging bees climbed out of their burrows and began disconnecting the webs in the area. The army resumed its march down and arrived in the Underway proper. They sent a messenger to the rotcap field and soon, Fourth Queen Pezuya appeared with a band of sigmaka warriors. She glanced over at the fallen spiderkin as she greeted Metsaitti.
¡°So, you¡¯ve met the enemy already.¡±
Metsaitti nodded.
¡°As quietly as we could. They¡¯ll know something¡¯s happened but won¡¯t know our numbers just yet.¡±
Fourth Queen Pezuya frowned.
¡°Then we had best move quickly while we still can.¡±
And so, the march into the Underway began.
***
Finnakynne giggled again as she zipped overhead of the vanguard, her bee partner following along. It had been all too simply to convince Beely and Neny to let her take the lead on account of her being most likely to revive. Her parentage came with its share of annoyances but it had some nice perks here and there.
And now, finally, she would get to toy with mortals! No more trying to talk circles around old farts! No more playing the same pranks on the other Circle masters that they had long figured out! No more listening to her mother drone on and on about how much better she was at manipulation! She was finally free to do as she pleased, and everyone would even thank her for it!
Well, probably not the spider people, unless she went with the seduction route. But she had agreed to cooperate with the plan, so that was out. For now. Once she got over them all being less than a century old. For now at least, she¡¯d play the good girl.
Just then, the karnuq that could sniff mana and the bees both stopped advancing.
¡°Spiderkin, up ahead.¡±
The bees confirmed.
¡°Seven!¡±
The lead karnuq, Metsaitti, nodded and turned to her.
¡°We¡¯ll engage directly, can you get ahead of them and cut off their retreat?¡±
Finnakynne saluted enthusiastically.
¡°Right away, as you command! Forward, my accomplice!¡±
The monster bee trapper following her did her little salute dance and then the two were off. Finnakynne giggled as she wove her magic, concealing the both of them from view. While following plans wasn¡¯t her style, she had to admit she liked this one. Having a monster bee trapper trap spiders in a web on their way out? Hilarious!
Soon, they found their quarry. The spiderkin hid in the dark and launched a volley of arrows at the vanguard. Karnuq hunters held their shields up while monster bee archers and sigmaka took shelter behind them. Finnakynne and the trapper took that as their cue and zipped forward.
Finnakynne, however, did not notice the webs hanging from the roof vibrate as she flew past them.
One of the spiderkin turned and swung its abdomen up at her. Finnakynne let out a squeak as a web net spread out in the air all around her, slamming her into the roof.
¡°H-Hey! No fair, I was invisible! How did you see me?!¡±
Her protest went unanswered as the spiderkin focused back on the vanguard. Fortunately for her, the monster bee trapper hadn¡¯t been caught and landed beside her. She touched the web net with her front legs and pulsed her mana through it, reducing its stickiness, then began peeling it off the pixie princess.
In the meantime, the monster bee archers, karnuq, and sigmaka all responded to the spiderkin attack with volleys of their own. The spiderkin had woven web shields to help catch arrows, but these were small compared to their bodies, so they scattered and clambered up the walls to avoid the attack. Not all of them succeeded.
Finnakynne was just hanging there watching as she waited for the trapper to free her. So, she watched as arrows and giant stinger pierced through the skin and chitin of three of the spiderkin. She watched them hiss and scream and bleed.
For once, she fell silent. This was¡a bit different from beating up shades.
The spiderkin retaliated again and this time they were spread along the ground and up the walls both. The karnuq had to angle their shields to protect the group¡¯s heads, so a few arrows made it past around their feet. Finnakynne heard the shouts and screams from her own side as a few took arrows in their feet and shins. Fortunately, the karnuq were prepared this time, and cut the webs attached to the arrows with metal swords courtesy of Tammy.
Finnakynne¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°T-This is¡¡±
She was interrupted, though, by the trapper tapping on her just before she dropped from the roof.
¡°Small one free now!¡±
It took Finnakynne a second to remember to fly. She shook her head and then slapped her own cheeks.
¡°Get it together, Finny. T-These are just mortals, and you¡¯re going to toy with them!¡±
She started to fly forward again¡but the spiderkin were already running away after losing half their numbers. Thanks to her getting caught, the trapper didn¡¯t have a chance to prepare any traps behind the group, so there was nothing slowing them down. Finnakynne¡¯s eyes widened and then she clenched her teeth.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t! Get back here!¡±
She beat her wings harder to catch up to them, but then she felt a web attach to her back. She spun around to see the trapper now holding her back.
¡°What are you doing?! They¡¯re getting away!¡±
¡°Too far now, need return to army.¡±
Finnakynne held in a screech as she watched the spiderkin scamper away, and tried to avoid glancing at the ones left behind and riddled with stingers and arrows. Her first time toying with mortals¡hadn¡¯t gone as she had expected.