The Bee Dungeon

Chapter 346 - Bee-ploying the Army

A claw broke through the dirt of the surface and a ground drake climbed out, followed closely by armed kobolds. But, as the drake climbed fully onto the surface, a ward lit up across the ground. The tunnel they dug widened itself into a gaping maw...while all the dirt and stone removed hardened into fangs on the edges of the tunnel.

The tunnel collapsed upon the panicking drake and kobolds. Then it smoothed out across the surface, leaving flat, unbroken ground once again.

Another group reached the surface in the middle of the forest. But as the ground drake climbed out, it overturned a patch of flowers. Clouds of pollen burst from the flowers, causing the drake to sneeze.

Then it tapped one of its claws against the ground...and then its back leg...then it swung its tail around. Before the drake knew it, it was spinning around...dancing to some unheard beat. The kobolds who came out to the surface after it soon began to dance as well.

Then a gust of wind blew across the pollen cloud, carrying a faint giggle with it...before flowing down into the new tunnel and filling it with the pollen...

Yet another reached the surface and was immediately riddled by arrows from the forest. Another found their entry point surrounded by flower one’s flower monsters, full of poisonous pollen, venomous thorns, and entangling vines.

The Firstborn watched through the hive of hives’ eyes as more groups of dragonkin broke through to the surface. Unfortunately for them, the tunneling nomadic workers and the digging bees had easily identified where they were tunneling and the alliance had prepared accordingly. Wards, pixie magic, and monsters from the Circle awaited them every time they dug their way up.

Of course, the hive of hives participated as well. Lancers dove down on a ground drake before it even broke the surface, stabbing into its head right as it first climbed out. Archers and sprayers hovered over a tunnel and showered it with stingers and venom.

The Firstborn herself, however, remained in reserve, up above the sky, while Beero and the hive of the fallen waited within the King’s realm. They knew this was only the first wave and that the next would come with wyverns, she and her knights would be needed to take on the big fliers in the air.

“Third of Third, Third of Sixth, and First of Fifth’s Sixth Daughter ready!”

Besides, the hive of hives had other plans for the tunnels. The Firstborn watched was the Third of the Third’s construction squad carried a big rock, the biggest rock she had ever seen them lift, over one of the fields in between the King’s realm and the rock hive where the fair ones prepared to fight. That was thanks to the First of the Fifth’s Sixth Daughter and her gravity bees, who were using their mana to help lift the rock, while all the bumblebees and soldier bees in the construction squad worked together to maneuver it into position. The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter coordinated the entire thing, helping them aim the boulder according to the reports of the tunneling nomadic bee under the ground below.

Once they were in position, the Third of the Sixth and her burning bees began to dance and stir up their mana. With advice from both Beero and the karnuq queen, she had learned how to send her fire to other bees besides her own hive. She now coated the construction squad in fires that didn’t burn them. The rock they were carrying happened to be covered in mana honey which burst into flames on contact with the construction bees’ fire coat. The construction bees...were completely fine, shielded from the flames by the Third of the Sixths’ own.

And then they dropped the rock. The gravity bees reversed their mana, pushing the rock down even faster as it fell. A blazing rock fell from the sky, just like the Hive Burner general had made. Well, the hive of hives’ was noticeably smaller and had less mana, but it was a good first attempt.

The rock smashed down into a ground drake as it broke the surface, knocking it back down into its tunnel. The tunnel partially collapsed, though the rock didn’t go all the way to the Underway like the Hive Burner general’s had.

Still, the Firstborn was glad. The hive of hives was cooperating better than ever and this feat was the result. The Third of the Sixth’s power from the Queen of All Fire continued to grow, the First of the Fifth’s Sixth Daughter learned more and more how to use her gravity abilities, and the Third of the Third’s construction team had developed perfect teamwork across multiple hives and bee species. Brought together by the First of the Fifth’s First Daughter’s mana link, they could do more amazing and incredible things than ever before.

“Hive Burners coming!”

And now, it was the Firstborn’s turn. The Hive Burners were sending their second wave straight towards the tunnel the hive of hives had dropped the burning rock on and the underground scouts confirmed wyverns were coming up with them. The Firstborn flew to position herself over the area while the bee army assembled a larger formation closer to the ground. Communers informed their allies and a force of the ones in shiny armor deployed from their rock hive to assist.

Several ground drakes tunneled new entrances all across the field, only for the fair ones to attack them with arrows and magic. Monster bee archers and sprayers attacked the kobolds that came up behind them, but kept their distance, attacking at their maximum range. A moment later, wyverns came rushing out of the tunnels...but the fair ones and the archers immediately targeted the flying beasts. Arrows and stingers cut through their wings as they tried to spread them before magic spells finished them off, the wyverns never had a chance to take to the skies.

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“Hive Burners leaving!”

The Firstborn’s antennae twitched. She couldn’t help sending a dance to confirm.

“Scout sure? Hive Burners sent lots more flying things against Hive Burner General?”

“All Hive Burner things going down into tunnels!”

The Firstborn considered this. Most of her enemies continuously attacked until they were defeated...save one. The first Hive Burners to invade the King’s realm had pulled back when the hive of hives first attacked them, only to attack with a new approach. This Hive Burner must be doing the same now, though it was strange they gave up so quickly compared to how many flying things they had used earlier. The Firstborn danced to the bees around her and the hive of hives.

“Prepare for more, Hive Burners will be back.”

The first wave had been handled...with far more ease than the Firstborn had expected. But King and his allies had warned the hive of hives to stay careful, this enemy would adapt and may have all sorts of tricks they hadn’t seen yet. The hive of hives couldn’t count on the same defense working again, the Hive Burners would almost certainly come up with a new approach.

But whatever the Hive Burners were planning, the Firstborn and the hive of hives would be ready to meet them.

Starami’s face darkened. His latest attack had dispersed so he could deploy greater numbers while also preventing General Rippotis from wiping them out with another meteor. But this time...General Rippotis had not been the one to face them. His vanguards had been attacked not by fire or dragons but by a variety of fey tricks and monsters.

Then, when another fire attack had come and Starami’s forces rushed out to engage General Rippotis...they had instead found a band of silver elves and insect monsters waiting in ambush. General Rippotis and his escorts were nowhere to be seen.

Starami...was perplexed. General Rippotis had previously, for some unknown reason, faced Starami’s army solely alone save for his own escorts. Starami had been on guard for ambush by the fey or the rogue Tower, but no one else had interfered with the battle. Starami had begun to wonder if the fey were truly present after all.

But now, again for reasons unknown, the fey and the rogue Tower had taken up arms, while it was General Rippotis who had vanished.

Maybe General Rippotis had believed that Starami truly thought he was an imposter and had tried to convince him through strength of arms at first? Maybe General Rippotis was taking a rest after the last fight? Maybe the fey had been waiting to see how Starami would fight before deploying their forces?

But...there was one possibility that stood out in Starami’s mind. The reason for his dark expression, the worst-case scenario.

That General Rippotis had left.

Starami knew his role here. His job was to keep General Rippotis here, ideally to capture the man but at the very least to keep him distracted. The coup should have begun by now, General Rippotis should now be fully aware of what was going on. Would the general remain here defending fey and rogues while his own Tower and army were under attack? Of course he wouldn’t, no Tower Lord would!

That was why Starami had kept up a constant stream of attacks even as the general slaughtered them. He had to present enough of a threat that the general wouldn’t be able to retreat safely, if only because trying to fight over the Hunger would likely draw its attention. But...he had underestimated General Rippotis’ personal might...and his aggression. He had expected the escalating attacks by expendable monsters to make the general pull back and conserve his mana, not for the general to go all out with a spell big enough to collapse the Underway!

And...that miscalculation had bought the general several hours that Starami could no longer send forces to pursue him. More than enough time for the general to make his escape, particularly now that the fey were holding him back.

Starami had failed. That was how High Councilors Stadvolous and Konilias would choose to interpret it, even though it was Starami confirming General Rippotis’ presence that allowed them to launch the coup in the first place! So, even though the coup should succeed before General Rippotis could make the trip back, Starami would be shunned rather than applauded.

He considered his options. Use the Towers he had conquered on the Grand Subjugation to ambush General Rippotis on his way back? No, that wouldn’t work. The bulk of his army was here and could not make it back in time. He could kill off his monsters and have them respawn, but they may not be able to stop General Rippotis without the support of his Tower Guard. Besides...as part of his supposed penance, Starami had to hand over the Towers he subjugated to High Councilor Stadvolous. If Starami were to apprehend General Rippotis by one of them, the High Councilor would claim credit for the deed, even if it was Starami’s forces that did the job.

Not to mention the gods, who had expressed great displeasure with him. His Tower could no longer grow, nor could he train any further Tower Guards. If he did not rise within the ranks of the Conclave, he could not grow any more powerful at all. If anything, High Councilor Stadvolous would likely use the excuse to depose Starami and seize his Tower for his own. His future prospects were now...incredibly bleak.

So, what could Starami do now to protect his position, much less improve it? Only one possibility came to his mind...

The fey. The mystical folk who lived and breathed magic, those born with powers like a Tower Lord. The immortals with their long memories and ancient lore. If Starami could conquer them now...surely they had some mystical knowledge he could use to empower himself. To gain in might what he was about to lose in recognition. To find an alternative means to grow more powerful besides the blessings of the gods, even should they remained displeased with him...

Assaulting a Tower guarded by the fey would be no small task...but Starami’s wyverns had caught a glimpse of the Tower during their battle with General Rippotis. It had less than ten floors, a perfectly conquerable size for his army. The fey were the main complication, he had no idea how powerful they might be. But...it should be possible. The wicked kings of old had defeated the fey in the past and they never had the might of the Towers. Starami had nearly his full army available right here and right now, surely this was a force that could match the fey of old, particularly if all they had was one single-digit floor Tower to their name...

In any case, he had no choice but to try. This was the only play he had. Any other move he could make would leave him as the lowest Tower Lord in the Conclave, if that Hunger-bitten Stadvolous didn’t use the opportunity to rob him of his Tower outright.

And so, Starami began reorienting his plan from containing the General to a full assault against the rogue Tower and the fey guarding it...