Swarming Sovereignty

Chapter 28: Bella

canLia said, looking up at the window in front of her.

“Why? What’s gone wrong?!” Rose asked, alarmed.

Lia replied.

Rose stepped forward, let out a thorn from her hand, touched it to the cocoon, then frowned. She had almost certainly received the same window that Lia was currently looking at.

There are too many available options for conversion, and, as such, you have been given access to the random draw system! As this is your first time accessing the random draw system, please read the following explanation:

The random draw system is a subsystem of the conversion process designed to handle an overwhelming number of options. All random draw conversions pick randomly from the available race options, then have a variable number of draws from a pool of options based on the contents of the cocoon. Options listed more than once may be drawn up to the number of times they are listed. The final result will determine the actual race of the monster.

Your random draw currently draws from the following pool of options (available magic types have been compressed for readability):

Race:

Kobold (Rat): Common

Kobold (Bee): Common

Kobold (Chimeric): Rare

Ability Draws (6):

Magic (One Type): Common

Magic (One Type): Common

Magic (Two Types): Rare

Magic (Two Types): Rare

Magic (Three Types): Super Rare

Magic (Four Types): Ultra Rare

Start at ¼ max level: Common

Start at ½ max level: Super Rare

Start at ¾ max level: Ultra Rare

Knighthood: Common

Mage Training: Rare

Archery Proficiency: Common

Vanishing: Common

Leadership: Rare

Weapon Magic: Rare

Analysis: Common

Venom: Common

Increased Modeling Wax Production (Meat): Common

Night Vision: Rare

Enhanced Smell: Rare

Double Draw: Rare

Triple Draw: Super Rare

Quadruple Draw: Ultra Rare

Increased Magic Potency: Common

Stealthiness: Common

Dimensional Storage (Small): Rare

Dimensional Storage (Medium): Super Rare

Dimensional Storage (Large): Ultra Rare

“So…do we try and take it apart and custom build this thing or what?” Rose asked.

Lia replied.

“I guess as long as you’re aware, I won’t argue against it. This is, ultimately, your call to make.” Rose said. “So…go ahead.”

Lia nodded, and begun the conversion process.

Picking options…

Race: Kobold (Bee) picked!

Vanishing picked!

Knighthood picked!

Stealthiness picked!

Archery Proficiency picked!

Magic (Two Types) picked!

Analysis picked!

Available magic types:

Mind, Fire

Calculating race. . .

Race calculated!

Lesser Swarm Silent Killer:

The Swarm Silent Killer is a special race proficient in all kinds of killing, be it assassination, magic, or even one on one combat. With the ability to turn themselves and their equipment into smoke and their inborn stealthiness, they make for phenomenal assassins. They are by no means lacking in magic or direct combat, however, and are a force to be reckoned with.

Lia said.

“Oh? What is she?” Rose asked.

Rose placed her hand on the cocoon, paused, then shook her head. “Unfortunately not.”

Lia explained.

“Then I suppose it worked out.” Rose admitted. “Are…you planning on enlightening her?”

Lia replied.

“A sensible choice. But, um, may I ask a question?”

“Why do you call our unconverted sisters it instead of she?”

Lia shifted uncomfortably.

“I see.” Rose replied. “Well…shall we look at options for the bees, then?”

Lia gave a nod and walked over to the bee cocoons, opening up their conversion options. Her options were mostly identical to what goblins gave, but there was one new one.

Swarm Pollinator:

The Swarm Pollinator is a member of the swarm dedicated to helping things grow. They perform all the same functions as regular pollinators, but they can alter the pollen they transport, turning it into a transformative substance. This new pollen prompts whatever receives it to grow faster and larger for the same amount of energy. At higher evolutions, Swarm Pollinators may be able to encourage things other than plants reproduce.

Lia said.

“At once.” Rose replied, gathering up two of the cocoons and beginning to look at the options. After she finished, she walked over to Lia and sat down. “So, now that we know what we’re dealing with, what are you thinking our plan should be?” She asked.

“And then what?” Rose prompted. “How do we actually fight the bees?”

“A good thought, but I don’t think it’ll work quite like you’re hoping.” Rose said, shaking her head. “Bee monsters are, unfortunately, swarm monsters. Individually they’re rather weak, but they don’t fight individually if they can help it. The moment we start making serious forays into that hive, we’re going to bring almost the entire thing down on us.”

do

“We have a few options. The first is to smoke the building with some sort of big magic and then clear it easily, but I doubt you have the Mana required to make that happen. The second is to try and whittle the hive down with hit and run tactics, similar to what we did with the goblins. We keep taking and converting their troops, until, eventually, we have the power needed to confront the hive directly.

“And, finally, the method think is best is that we provoke the hive into swarming, then hit them with an area of effect spell. That should clear up the majority of the enemies, and then we can clean up and convert the remainder using superior numbers.”

Lia asked.

“Then we hit them with another spell. Trust me, I’ve done this sort of a thing a , as long as you’re careful there’s nothing to worry about.” Rose said confidently. “We might lose a few foot soldiers, since we don’t have anything bulky to draw their attention with, but most definitely less than we would in any other type of attack, including attacking a weakened hive.”

Lia replied.

“I’m afraid not.” Rose said, shaking her head. “I do believe that is your department.”

.

“I suppose you’re right.” Rose said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “How many Skills have you gotten this evolution?”

“It’s entirely possible that you could get one that increases your Mana pool or regeneration. Perhaps you should try and empty your Mana pool repeatedly? I’m not sure how the Skill gaining works exactly, but that might help?”

“Understood.”

Lia had to empty her Mana pool from full five times before she got a Skill that would help with Mana regeneration.

Rubber Band Regeneration

Level 1: 0/500 EXP

Rubber Band Regeneration increases your resource (HP/Mana/Stamina) regeneration based on how much of that resource you are missing.

Level 1: Increases resource regeneration for 1% for every percent of that resource you are missing.

Which was really nice, but it wouldn’t help her if she needed to fire off several big spells in short succession. Or…maybe it would, if she was just barely missing enough Mana to cast one, but it wouldn’t always be enough.

Still, it definitely couldn’t to level it up, so she supposed that she would try and keep her Mana and Stamina as empty as possible all the time. Or, at least, all the time when she was in a safe place. She wasn’t about to let an enemy catch her with no Mana or Stamina, that was just asking to die a quick death.

She took a moment and did a bunch of strikes with Power Attack to empty her Stamina, then wandered off, looking for Rose. Eventually she found her overseeing three enormous bees as they flitted between a set of roses that were almost as big as Rose herself.

“Ah, Lia, did you get a Skill?” Rose asked, looking away from the bees.

“Unfortunate.” Rose replied, frowning. “In that case, we’ll want to pivot our focus. Work on getting your multicasting Skill leveled up, and experiment with your fire spells and see which is most destructive.”

It had been almost an hour since she had started the conversion, so it was almost finished.

“Let me know when she’s finished, I’d like to be there when she’s enlightened!” Rose said, giving her a wave.

Lia said.

She meandered off back towards the center of camp where she had left the cocoons. The massive cocoon that was the silent killer-to-be was still there, but Lia got the sense that it was incredibly close to being finished, so she made herself comfortable while she waited, both for it to finish and for her resources to regen.

And, as it turned out, the conversion finished first. The cocoon sort of…melted into nothingness, and a cloaked figure emerged. Lia’s first impression was that she was…bigger than expected for a kobold; Lia was willing to bet she was almost as tall as Rose.

She had four arms and a set of bee wings on her back, and her cloak was clearly accommodated to account for both the wings and extra arms. Instead of fur she had a hard-looking yellow and black carapace, and there was a quiver strapped to her back horizontally below her wings, but any further details were difficult to make out, the cloak obscuring most of her features.

Lia instructed.

The silent killer nodded, reaching up with an arm to take off her hood, revealing a rather humanoid face, were one to ignore the three extra black eyes set on her forehead. With her other arms she deftly undid a couple of clasps, and the front of the cloak opened, revealing lithe figure with a sheathed sword and several sheathed knives strapped to her waist.

With two hands she drew the sword and a knife, while her other two reached into a fold on the inside of the cloak and withdrew a miniature, folded bow. She began to unfold the bow, and Lia watched in fascination as the bow grew in size, becoming first the size of a shortbow, pausing for a moment, then growing until it was a full longbow. Then, to Lia’s surprise, the silent killer sheathed her blades, and the bow grew bigger yet , becoming larger than the killer. And, now that the bow was so large, Lia could see that it was clearly made out of the same material as the staff that had been put into the conversion, but more…potent. It almost seemed to shimmer with magic, a shimmer that grew more intense as the bow shrunk again until it was its original size, and the killer pocketed it.

Lia said.

She turned and began to walk towards where Rose was, and the silent killer followed, steps almost completely inaudible, even when Lia listened carefully for them. After a few minutes, they reached Rose, who, as always, turned around before Lia even said anything. “Ah, she’s finished.” Rose said, looking the silent killer up and down. “Impressive.”

“Please do.”

Lia gave a nod and turned back to the silent killer. She placed a hand on a leg, focused, and then spoke. She commanded. And then, once again privately asked for her to be Rose’s daughter or wife.

. The Goddess of Life said in Lia’s mind, causing her to jump.

Lia replied, embarrassed.

The Goddess of Life said, a faint note of amusement in her tone. all

Lia admitted.

Lia focused back in on the world around her to find both Rose and the silent killer looking at her with worry etched onto their faces. She said.

“Ah, good.” Rose said, relieved. “Are you allowed to tell us what she said?”

“For…me?”

Rose blinked. “Oh. That…is more than I expected. It’s…good to know that I was at least able to get my daughter back. Thank you, my Queen.”

Lia turned to the silent killer.

“Good, my Queen.” The silent killer said. “What is my first task?”

Lia said.

“None, my Queen.”

“Understood.” Bella said.

“How is Chrys doing, by the way? Can you feel her with your link to the swarm?”

Lia paused, then nodded.

“Good. Um…could you not tell her about…herself? It’s something I would like to discuss with her myself.”

your

“R-right. Thank you.”

“I will be taking my leave, then.” Bella said, giving a bow. “If you need me, just call.” She turned and stalked off, leaving Rose and Lia alone.

Lia said.

“I’m fine.” Rose said. “I’ll just keep on working with the pollinators.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Talk to you then.”