The Bee Dungeon

Belissar wanted to add some monster bumblebee queens right away but, unfortunately, his available mana was still exceedingly low. He had only sixteen mana to his name after the day’s purification reward…and he had intended to use fifteen of that to add ponds to the three second floor rooms. Then, there were still two empty rooms, one each on the first and third floor, for him to fill. And then, he would likely need to add new resource nodes both to make sure the karnuq were well-supplied and to fulfill his promise to feed all the bees to their hearts’ contents even with the arrival of a new species of queen. With all that in mind, it would likely be some time before Belissar could confidently add a monster bumblebee queen spawner.

He heaved a light sigh before turning in for the night. Well, the solution to all of those issues was the same. Stay patient, conduct purifications, and expand his mana. So, there was nothing for it but to wait for tomorrow.

The next morning, Belissar went ahead and placed three new Pond features in the new second floor rooms. It pained him watching his mana drop back to zero, especially when he knew that fifteen was more than enough for a monster bumblebee queen spawner. But he held to his course for now and made his way to the Tower’s entrance, Niobee and the soldier bee army escorting him as usual. He stepped outside to find the karnuq preparing to gather. They paused, and then saluted to him in their fashion. Leijaliuk, who had been organizing the gatherers as she normally did, walked up to him.

“Hello, Sacred Den Master, did you need us for something?”

Belissar nodded his.

“Is Chief Rohsuak around?”

Leijaliuk turned and motioned to another karnuq who ran into the camp.

“Yes, I’ll send for her. She should meet you shortly.”

Belissar thanked her and then stood off to the side. A moment later, Chief Rohsuak walked up to the Tower.

Belissar nodded to her.

“Hello, Chief Rohsuak. I’ve finished the basics of the place for you all. Could you come or send someone to check it out?”

Her eyes widened slightly before she smiled.

“We are honored, Sacred Den Master. Yes, I will come with you. I’d like to bring Metsaitti as well, if that’s fine?”

Belissar nodded and soon, Metsaitti joined them. The trio and the bees watching them then made their way back into the Tower and up to the second floor. The new Flower Field stretched out before them, the sea of colorful flowers broken up only by the occasional tree providing shade. At the end of the room, a path through the wall of trees at the edges of the room led to the second Orchard, where rows of apple trees stood in their lines, and a hole in the ground opened up to a large cavern that split off into the network of the Dirt Tunnels. By the entrances to the other two rooms was a pond of crystal clear water. Behind the trio at the start of the room where the two staircase rooms leading up and down, with the Shrine of Bees nestled between them.

Metsaitti glanced around every which way.

“This is all for us, Sacred Den Master?”

Belissar nodded.

“Yes. Well, um, I do still want the bees to go where they want, so be nice to them if they come here. But yes, these three rooms are for you. Do you have any suggestions? I can change things up while we’re here.”

Metsaitti tilted his head.

“That depends. What are you able to change?”

Belissar picked up one of the trees and moved it closer.

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“I can move the trees around, add more, or remove them, though there’s a maximum number for this room. I can change the types of flowers that grow here, though some cost mana to add so I can’t afford them right now. I can also move the ground up and down a bit, like this. And I can move any existing features around, like the pond over there. Oh, I can also move or add more entrances to the other two rooms.”

Belissar demonstrated each of these as he spoke. Metsaitti’s eyes widened just slightly, while Chief Rohsuak simply chuckled a bit. Then she turned to Belissar with a serious expression.

“Sacred Den Master Belissar, I notice that the entrance to the previous and the next floor are both here, which would make it simple for an invader to bypass our floor entirely. Do you not intend for us to guard the way further in?”

Belissar shook his head.

“Um, it’s a bit different, but no, not here. We normally fight the shades in the first Flower Meadow, since that’s where the bee army lives. So, um, if a shade gets here…we’re probably already in trouble, so it’d be better to stay out of the way.”

Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti glanced at one another. Metsaitti crossed his arms and nodded.

“So, would you have join the initial defense instead?”

Belissar nodded. Metsaitti then frowned.

“I can’t say I know much about Sacred Dens but wouldn’t letting the Hunger deep inside be a problem?”

Belissar’s face turned dark.

“Yes but…it’s…happened before.”

He took a deep breath and shook his head to clear the memories of that day.

“If it reaches the core, the shade will vanish and the core will become partially corrupted. It…seems kind of bad, to be honest, but we can also extract and purify that corruption later. I think as long as we don’t let it build up too much, it shouldn’t threaten the Tower as a whole.”

His face turned dark again.

“And if the bee army fails, we probably won’t have much choice but to get out of the way and try to survive.”

Belissar flinched as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked up to find Chief Rohsuak patting him. Niobee and the soldiers hovered a bit closer but did not intervene.

“We will do our utmost to ensure it does not come to that, Sacred Den Master.”

Metsaitti saluted as well. Belissar took a deep breath and tried to focus away from the dark thoughts.

“…thank you. Um, should we talk more about the rooms?”

Chief Rohsuak gave him a smile and a nod as she stepped back. Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti then made their recommendations and requests. Belissar made a small incline starting from the entrance to the room, with a bunch of the trees clustered at the top to give shade to anyone watching the staircases. The two karnuq mapped out where they’d start building a settlement and Belissar moved the pond to the center of that area. Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin.

“It’s a bit small for all of us…but you said this is some sort of built-in feature of the Sacred Den? Can I assume the water will be replenished regularly?”

Belissar hummed for a moment.

“I’m…not sure, but I think so? I, um, don’t even know where the water came from, but it cost mana so I’d guess there’ll be some magic involved?”

Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded.

“We’ll have to test it then, but if you needed mana to make it then it should work that way.”

The group then toured the other two rooms. They had little to say on the Orchard, save that Belissar promised them wood tree nodes so they wouldn’t have to cut down the apple trees. They had a bit more to say on the Dirt Tunnels given their long sojourns through the underway, and Belissar complied. He cut down on the winding and twisting labyrinth the Dirt Tunnels would spawn as, widening the tunnels as large as they would go while creating some bigger caverns at regular intervals. He added several more entrances in between the Dirt Tunnels and the Flower Meadow, and even the Dirt Tunnels and the Orchard. Apparently the Tower would let him do that now that he had three rooms per floor.

When it was all said and done, the group arrived back at the Flower Meadow. Chief Rohsuak looked over the land and smiled.

“It’s wonderful, Sacred Den Master Belissar. If you would allow us, I’d like to begin moving in right away.”

Belissar blinked at that.

“Oh, ok. Um, I can move the existing resource nodes you gather from to here, but it will be a day or two before I can add anything more, if that’s ok?”

Chief Rohsuak smiled.

“You have already been beyond generous and accommodating, what you have already given us is plenty for now.”

Belissar stood there for a moment.

“Oh, um, thanks?”

Chief Rohsuak shook her head with a light chuckle.

“It is we who should thank you. Thank you for everything, Sacred Den Master Belissar. I swear we shall repay your generosity.”

Metsaitti joined her in that and the two both saluted to him. Belissar fidgeted a bit, unsure of how to respond to that. Fortunately for him, he didn’t have to, as the two karnuq took their leave to organize the move. Niobee flew in front of him once they had separated.

“King, ok?”

Belissar slowly nodded, and then stretched out his hand for Niobee to land on.

“Yes, it’s just…I’m not use to people, um, thanking me for things. They used to just take whatever they wanted. It still feels weird but…I guess it’s not bad. Much better than before, if I’m honest…”

Niobee began to dance quickly, tickling Belissar’s arm.

“King is best king, everyone should thank! If take King’s things again, Niobee will sting!”

Belissar blinked at that, and then smiled and chuckled.

“Thanks Niobee, that’s reassuring to hear.”

Come to think of it, his bees praised and thanked him for everything he did. So, maybe it wasn’t all that strange that the karnuq would thank him too. Maybe…getting thanked for providing stuff wasn’t strange at all.

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