BD - Chapter 260 - Bee Favored (Patreon)

Belissar and Niobee rushed over to Velebee as soon as they could.

“Velebee? What’s going on?”

Velebee flew out of her hive and immediately began dancing.

“Hive-Builder! Queen of All Bees says another hive-burner coming! Says get ready, will try to help! Other queens of all things help too!”

Belissar’s eyes widened for a moment…then he steeled his expression and nodded.

“Got it, we’ll prepare as best we can. Thanks for the warning.”

Velebee was still dancing, however.

“Queen of All Bees says Hive-Builder best dungeon master! Doesn’t want die, doesn’t want dungeon die, so will help as much as can!”

Belissar smiled at that.

“And I couldn’t ask for a better patron god.”

Belissar crossed his arms and hummed to himself as he organized his thoughts. So…a Tower Lord was on the way if he understood correctly. He had expected that was the case but now he had divine confirmation, so he’d have to take the threat seriously. Apparently, though, not only the God of Bees but several others were granting him assistance to defeat the threat. Despite the gravity of the situation, he could not help but smile. Not only was he receiving reinforcements from the gods themselves, the fact that they were helping him against a Tower Lord was proof that he was not in the wrong for rejecting the Tower Lords’ doctrine. He felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders he had not realized was there. He smiled and stood tall. He was on the right course after all.

“Thank you all. I’ll do my best.”

Belissar, for once, felt he could indeed face the challenge ahead. He accepted the mission offers from the gods with gratitude.

New mission received: Help a champion of fire strengthen their blessing.

New mission received: Defeat a purification using primarily Flower-type monsters and features.

New mission received: Offer mead made from Water-type honey to the God of Water.

Belissar nodded and glanced up at Niobee.

“Let’s gather the council, Niobee. We should tell everyone about this.”

“Ok!”

***

“So, that’s what’s going on. We need to do what we can to prepare for the next Tower Lord assault…and we got a bunch more missions from the gods to help with that.”

Belissar glanced around at the queens, karnuq, and humans gathered before him, all happily saluting. He even invited Sehfitis this time, figuring that since Sehfitis was helping him for the sake of the gods it would be helpful to let him know about all these missions and oracles. Indeed, the old man appeared to be overcome as he fell trembling to his knees. The news that the gods were helping was well-received by all involved.

“Ok then. For the missions, I’ll take care of the Water-mead one. I’m not sure about never-before-seen bees, so let’s just keep evolving as many types as we can?”

Belissar glanced at the First of the Fifth and she immediately saluted and danced about.

“Will! Will try lots of new honey types! King is best king!”

Belissar chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“Thanks. For the God of Fire’s mission…I’m not sure how strengthening blessings works. Is it like getting the blessings again?”

He directed that question to Chief Rohsuak and she nodded back.

“That is one way to do it. Achieving feats in the name of your patron, making grand offerings to them, undergoing their trials, accomplishing a mission from them, there are many ways to earn additional favor from the gods. Ultimately it comes down to the god in question, sometimes they just bless a given champion because they like them.”

Belissar rubbed his chin.

“Got it. I guess that’ll be for either you, the Third of the Sixth, or Metsaitti? Could you try to help with that?”

Chief Rohsuak smiled. Flames danced within her eyes.

“I would be happy to, Tower Keeper.”

Belissar then turned to the bees…and one gardener in particular.

“Ok then. As for the God of Flowers, Frelis, I think that’ll be up to you and your rose?”

Frelis was indeed currently on top of the venomous slime rose. The rose waved some thorny vines around in the air, which Frelis translated into dance.

“Said excited to hunt. Ready to fight too. Other flowers help too? Poisonous flowers King planted, planted more roses by Third of the Third’s walls?”

At this point, the First of the Fifth’s Sixth Daughter danced up for the very first time in a meeting like this.

“Gravilion flowers help too, hive can tell flowers what make heavier, what make lighter. Can pull or push things.”

Belissar’s eyes widened. He had somewhat forgotten about the gravilion flowers as he was never really sure exactly how to use them in battle. But in the meantime, the Sixth Daughter had built an entire hive of gravity monster bees who gathered almost exclusively from the gravilion flowers…and had even planted more. No one knew those flowers better, so if she said they could help then he had to give it a try.

“Got it, can you work with Frelis then? Maybe you two and the rose can figure out how best to fight and practice a bit, then we can try a purification?”

Both Frelis and the Sixth Daughter danced excited salutes. Belissar smiled at them.

“Great, that takes care of the gods’ missions then. Next…we have a lot of DP stored up…”

DP: 12055

“…a lot a lot. We can afford anything in the store: rooms, monsters, features, perks, more rooms slots, more mana, anything. Maybe several things. So…does anyone have any suggestions for what might help most?”

It was then something happened that Belissar did not expect. A bunch of communers gathered around one of the queens, the First of the Fifth’s First Daughter. The communers and the First Daughter began to glow. Belissar’s eyes widened as mana burst out from the First Daughter, striking each and every queen in the area. Belissar’s mana sight filled up with flashing lights as bits of mana zipped back and forth between the queens and the First Daughter.

In just a few minutes, the mana died down. The First Daughter danced.

“King…perks make bees stronger?”

Belissar nodded.

“Yes, most of the time.”

“Then…hive of hives discussed, agrees perk best. Lots of bees evolved or evolving now, queen mother working on more. Flower one giving lots of flowers, will have more of soon. King making new rooms. But bees need get stronger.”

Belissar still wasn’t sure what happened. He guessed that the First Daughter somehow let all the queens talk to each other quickly? In any case, he gave her a smile, however for his bees had made their request.

“Got it, that makes sense to me. How about the karnuq, Chief Rohsuak?”

Chief Rohsuak made her usual “leaving it up to him” smile…but this time said a bit more than that.

“I tend to agree with the hive of hives. We currently have plenty of resources and opportunities we are still making use of. A perk that strengthens what we already have is a fine choice.”

Belissar blinked. Maybe that smile didn’t mean “leaving it to him” after all? That just confused Belissar, but he decided to press on regardless. He turned to Hirkolos and Sehfitis.

“Anything to add?”

Sehfitis slowly shook his head, clearly still in a daze. He bowed his head low.

“…no. No, I wouldn’t dare. Tower Keeper Belissar…you have not only gained the attention of the gods, you have earned their direct support in a coming conflict. Such a thing has not happened since the earliest days of the Conclave. I am the one who must seek your advice, not the other way around.”

Belissar frowned.

“I mean, you do know more about the Tower Lords than me, so anything that could help?”

Sehfitis slowly raised his head.

“…I suppose that is true. Let me consider…”

Hirkolos appeared deep in thought as well.

“I mean…perks are kind of like blessings, right? Maybe that would help us match the Tower Guard?”

Sehfitis slowly nodded as well.

“That is a good point. The Tower Lords are well acquainted with assaulting other dungeons. Traps and hazardous rooms and the like can all be overcome with time and preparation. But more powerful defenders can adapt just as the Tower Guard does. That may be a wiser approach.”

Belissar nodded his thanks. With all of his defenders in agreement, he had no further reason to hesitate.

Extra perk choice selected.

Please select a perk:

- Enhanced Sprayer Pressure (Rarity: Uncommon)

- Lingering Toxins (Rarity: Common)

- Quick Blooms (Rarity: Common)

Belissar smiled. It seemed they were fortunate this time, they were starting off with an uncommon perk!

Enhanced Sprayer Pressure

- Monster Bee Sprayers can increase the pressure of their sprays, resulting in greater starting velocity and range, and lower spread.

This perk…had a lot of words Belissar didn’t really understand. Increasing the pressure of the sprays? What exactly did that mean? Pressure…maybe it was like squeezing a water pouch? That would make squirt out…kind of like a sprayer, come to think of it.

In any case, from what he could decipher…it would let monster bee sprayers shoot their venom further? In that case it would be a simple but very effect perk. The sprayers had recently suffered when faced with adversaries that could attack from a distance. If they could attack from further away, then they’d have an easier time dodging any counterattacks.

And now for the commons…

Lingering Toxins

- Toxins remain active longer, both in the body and in the environment

- Toxic substances, such as vapors or liquids, take longer to dissipate, evaporate, or otherwise go inert.

So, as the name suggested this one would help with poisons, making them last longer. Belissar had to think for a moment on what effect making toxins last longer would have…but, well, most of his bees had some toxin or another. Apparently the toxins would last longer after being stung into an enemy…oh, and the sprayers’ sprays would last longer too? Would that help? He guessed if they lasted longer then each sting or spray might do more damage over time?

Well, in any case, boosting toxins in general helped his Tower a lot given how many poisonous monsters and features they had. The toxic monster bee workers had taken down a spiderkin all on their own recently. He felt like investing in toxins, even if he didn’t fully grasp the benefit of the perk, wouldn’t be a waste.

Quick Blooms

- Flower-type monsters and features grow more quickly

- Flowers of all sorts grow and bloom more quickly

- Abilities related to flower blooms may be used more often

This one was obviously a Flower-type perk. It was immediately tempting given the recent mission from the God of Flowers…and more. Flowers were, after all, the cornerstone of his Tower, the bees needed them to grow. Flowers growing more quickly was most definitely welcome…and it would help them raise whatever flowers they could obtain from Tarwantrad more quickly…and it would help them raise any new flowers cross-pollinated from those flowers more quickly…

Yes, the more and more Belissar thought about it, the more powerful the humble common perk seemed. He turned to bees to ask them what they thought as all of these perks were relevant to them…and found the First Daughter once again glowing. He smiled…the bees were learning that he liked to hear what they thought and already discussing it.

“So, what does the hive of hives think?”

The First Daughter was ready to answer immediately.

“More flowers! Helps all bees! If flowers fight, helps protect too!”

Belissar nodded.

“I agree.”

Belissar chuckled as his agreement set off a wave of happy dances among the queens. He checked in with Chief Rohsuak and the two humans in the meantime, but neither of them had any objections.

Quick Blooms selected.

Author’s Notes:

Ah, finally, the bees are making the decisions regularly now. Bee decisions best decisions! See, Sehfitis, this is why Belissar best dungeon master! He knows to listen to the bees!

Anyways!

Will the gods’ chosen dungeon master prove victorious? Can Belissar and company complete this latest round of missions? How many more flowers will grow now thanks to the bees’ decision? Tune in next time, to find out!