Chapter 388: Bee-hold Great Fire |
Metsaitti stood behind a karnuq shield wall in the Hall of Purifying Light. Now that the Tower Keeper was returning to a normal purification schedule, the karnuq would once again be responsible for a purification of their own. Metsaitti noticed a few of the karnuq shuffling forward as the Hunger started to coalesce.
“Steady. Stay in formation, wait to see what shade we’re facing.”
The hunters settled down…as well as they could. Metsaitti shook his head. The latest battle had certainly lit a fire in them, the karnuq were made aware of just how weak they were compared to the Tower Keeper’s bees and allies. Their hunters certainly seemed to be falling behind the vast bee army or the magical golems that could go toe-to-toe with dragon warriors.
And worst of all, Noigakkuq and the other young karnuq with full blessings managed to contribute more to that fight than most of the veteran hunters. Many of the hunters were now itching to prove themselves after being showed up by the runt of the tribe. It was good that they were hungry now, but Metsaitti would not let it impact their discipline.
Still, it was all he could do to keep them from rushing the shade as it appeared. As it were, the archer peppered the shade with arrows before it even had a chance to move. It vanished long before making contact with the shield wall, much to their grumbling.
Metsaitti smirked. If they were so eager to grow strong, then perhaps he should tell the chief to intensify their training…
Belissar had spent most of the day dealing with the true dragon. The fair folk helped butcher the corpse, after which all its parts were split between him and Captain Karpakynne. Belissar then took most of the meat and blood and gave it to the butcher and bloodsucking bees. He had intended to save some for the true dragon and the other meat-eaters of his Tower…but then he saw the butcher bees going around and sharing with the spiderkin and the light dragon before he could. He thus decided to use the rest for victory banquets so that the karnuq could get a taste as well.
The next morning, Belissar was doing his normal rounds when he decided to check on the guardian angel bees. Their hives were up high in the Beecity walls, high enough that he couldn’t physically reach them himself, so he used his Tower sight to look inside while sending a Tower message to the queens themselves. The guardian angel bees were still building up their hives, so they only had workers at the moment.
“Hi, just checking in on you all. How is everything, do you need anything?”
“Everything good, hive growing.”
Belissar gave her a smile.
“Great, just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
The lights blinked a quick salute before the guardian angel queen dove back into her hive. Belissar chuckled and left them to it. They were certainly shy, but their hives were growing so they seemed to be doing well.
Afterwards, Belissar considered what to do next. He doubled checked his mana.
Mana: 331/3080
Fortunately, Belissar remembered his promise this time…mostly because Urubran had continuously reminded him throughout the battle. He double checked the room description and determined that yes, he now had enough available mana for a Dragonvein Volcano room. And this time, he had already added a Dragonvein Aurora Forest which didn’t unbalance the mana of his Tower, so he was confident the Fire room wouldn’t either.
Next, he checked his available rooms. Floors one through three and floor five were filled up with new defense rooms, experimental rooms, bee rooms, and the Flower Meadow holding all the prisoners. Floors four and six had empty slots, but those were the karnuq and fair folk floors respectively so Belissar was saving those slots for them.
Fortunately, floor seven, the floor with the Apiary, Beecity, bumblebee meadow, and the core room still had an open slot. Belissar decided he’d use that one for now…but apparently he would need to either buy a new room slot or conduct an expansion purification sooner rather than later.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
For now, though, since he had the mana and the room slot and no other more pressing need, he decided to send word to Urubran that he was ready to make the dragonvein room…lest he forget and spend the mana on something else…
Urubran arrived within minutes of the message going out, a bright smile on his face and flames dancing behind his eyes.
"Belissar! My friend! I knew you wouldn’t let me down!”
Belissar nearly stepped back. Urubran was emanating so much heat it felt like Belissar was about to fall into a campfire. A hand grabbed Urubran’s shoulder from behind and pulled him back. Tarwantrad then waved her hand around rapidly to cool it down.
“Urubran! Don’t set Belissar’s Tower on fire because you’re excited!”
Urubran looked wholly unrepentant as he exhaled smoke with each breath. Belissar heard a karnuq chuckled behind him. Metsaitti and Chief Rohsuak had come along to see the new room as well, along with the burning queens the Third of the Sixth and Third of the Fourth. Metsaitti was the one chuckling.
“You’re just lucky the Chief here has cooled down. A decade or two ago, she’d have already burst into flames.”
Chief Rohsuak responded with a big smile.
“Metsaitti, you may have a joint blessing, but you are still a Disciple of Fire as well now. You will be training in the new room to strengthen your blessing. I’ll show you how.”
Metsaitti blinked…and then paled. Belissar chose not to interfere. After all, he was supposed to help champions of Fire strengthen their blessings. He instead turned to his two burning bee queens.
“Ready to see the new room?”
The two bees zipped around in happy dances, especially the Third of the Sixth.
“Ready! King is best king!”
Belissar smiled and led the group to the travel Orchard, waiting by the wall of shortcuts. He then added the new room to the seventh floor, trying desperately not to think about his available mana dropping down to a mere thirty-one. Even less once he added the usual shortcut to the travel Orchard.
It was done now…and he had a new dragonvein room to explore.
“Shall we check it out?”
Fire streamed off of Urubran’s body as he raced through the new shortcut. Chief Rohsuak moved at speeds Belissar hadn’t known she was capable of. The Third of the Sixth and the Third of the Fourth danced salutes and stayed with Belissar, but they were both buzzing with excitement. Belissar chuckled and started to walk…until he noticed Tarwantrad lagging behind.
“Coming?”
Tarwantrad slowly nodded as she started to cast a spell.
“Yes but I need to prepare a bit. Those of us who aren’t the Tower Keeper or disciples of Fire need to be careful in a dragonvein room…”
Belissar gulped, and maybe prayed a bit that the Tower would protect him. But he didn’t want to keep the burning bees waiting, so he steeled himself and stepped through the shortcut.
He was immediately struck by the heat. Even with his protection as the Tower Keeper, the room felt like accidentally grabbing a hot pan, like the moment of heat just before it started burning him outright. Belissar glanced up at his head.
“Are you ok, Niobee?”
Niobee, fortunately, danced her reply without issue.
“Is hot, but ok!”
Belissar glanced around. Urubran was cackling and holding his hands out wide.
“This is glorious! This is incredible! It’s everything I imagined!”
Chief Rohsuak…was also cackling, with a glimmer in her eye. Metsaitti, meanwhile, looked like he was dying. He had become drenched in sweat in the time it took Belissar to walk through the shortcut and he had already brought out his Fire-Bee wings and coated himself with a thin layer of mana.
The Third of the Sixth zipped around at maximum speed.
“Amazing, incredible! Lots of fire! Is hot! First hot thing since evolved!”
The Third of the Fourth was more measured in her dance.
“Is hot, even for burning bee. Don’t know if workers can forage….”
Belissar looked at the room itself. Both sky and ground were a combination of red and black. Rivers and lakes of lava crisscrossed volcanic rock and ash, while flames and lava reflected red light against clouds of black smoke. The entire room was at an incline, traveling up towards a massive volcano at the center of the room. There was no comparison with the mini-volcano, while the feature was a tiny protrusion from the ground, this volcano was a massive mountain, larger than any Belissar had seen in his previous life. It belched out flame and smoke and lava that covered the entire room.
Flames burned at random across the room. Spouts of fire shot from the ground, burning embers drifted through the air, and Belissar thought he saw a tornado made of flame in the distance.
As for the mana…Belissar didn’t need his Tower sight to know that this room would blind him with the sheer amount of Fire mana.
This room was to the Lava Fields what a dragon was to a lizard. Even the fire-proof burning bees found it hot. Even Chief Rohsuak was sweating from the heat. The karnuq chief made a wistful sigh as she stared out towards the volcano in the center.
“This place is perfect. We’re only at the outskirts, and even my Blessing of Fire can’t hold back the heat. A Disciple of Fire could spend their entire life training here and still not reach the center, it’s a constant Trial of Fire just standing here. If only I were a decade or two younger, I haven’t felt my blood boil like this in a long time…”
Belissar froze, despite the heat, as his mind made a connection that should have been obvious in hindsight. He slowly turned to Metsaitti. The karnuq hunter who had previously been developing wrinkles and some grey hairs…but whose face was now smooth and hair now colorful…after Belissar improved his bond with the Tower…
Belissar trembled. How could he have missed this possibility? How had he not thought of this before? His sheer relief at saving Metsaitti’s life back during the Trial of Fire must have overwhelmed him. Because…if he could make Metsaitti younger…then…
“Chief Rohsuak…do you want me to try and make you younger?”