BD - Chapter 141 - The Best Bee-cision! (Patreon)

Belissar held his breath as he confirmed a second purchase.

Extra room feature choice purchased. One room feature choice now available.

Please select a room feature:

- Spike Trap (Rarity: Common, Type: Trap)

- Firebomb (Rarity: Uncommon, Type: Fire, Trap)

- Random Resource Mineral (Rarity: Common, Type: Resource, Variable)

Belissar exhaled his breath, letting the tension flow from his body. Finally, finally the DP shop had given him a room feature that wasn’t a common! He had been starting to wonder if the DP shop just couldn’t give him anything better, so it was nice to confirm that wasn’t the case. He had just been extremely unlucky!

Somehow, that didn’t make Belissar feel better despite getting what he wanted, so he stopped that line of thought and began reading out the choices.

Spike Trap

- Type: Trap

- Mana Upkeep: 1

- Description: A spike held within a surface under tension. Springs out to impale target when triggered.

Well, this one was quite simple. But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be useful, for this one was a direct way to attack shades. Most of his traps either didn’t directly harm shades, like the Sticky Honey Traps or the gravilion flowers he still didn’t understand the use of, or else were passive like the Pit Traps and Thorny Roses. Using a Spike Trap instead of a Sticky Honey Trap would turn a given trap from debilitating to deadly…assuming the spike was fast enough to hit a shade and strong enough to pierce it.

On the other hand, it was a one mana common option, so Belissar guessed it wouldn’t be all that impressive. At least, probably not compared to the next option.

Firebomb

- Type: Fire, Trap

- Mana Upkeep: 5 (3 if fuel provided)

- Description: A container filled with flammable material (oil by default). Explodes and ignites on contact, covering the area with burning fuel. Fuel may be provided and may change behavior depending on type.

Belissar nodded. Well, that was certainly an option. Indeed, it took his original plan of coating shades with honey and kindling and then setting them on fire to the next level, wrapping it all up in an explosive container that could be placed anywhere and would ignite itself. So, not only could they make his Pit Traps deadlier, they could forgo the need for the Pit Traps in the first place.

The only downsides were that the indiscriminate explosion meant the bees would need to keep their distance from any such traps, or the flames that resulted. They did have some fire resistance, though, especially the burning bees, so even that might not be a major issue. Worst came to worst, he could just place the bombs in the Lava Field.

It was worth considering, at the very least.

Random Resource Mineral

- Type: Resource, Variable

- Mana Upkeep: Variable

- Description: Unlocks a random resource mineral type for use in matching features and rooms.

Belissar rubbed his chin. The description sounded like it’d give him another option for Basic Resource Mineral nodes? That was certainly helpful…though he might have preferred a resource plant as so far his bees hadn’t interacted with the mineral nodes save the salt one. It would help the karnuq, though, and could provide another resource to trade with the sigmaka.

As usual, he turned to the others and asked them what they thought. Most of the bees had little opinion on this set of options, though the Third of the Sixth was curious about the firebombs and the digging queen showed some interest in the minerals. Belissar made a note of that before glancing at Chief Rohsuak. To his surprise, he found her rubbing her chin.

“I think…it would be possible for us to build something like this firebomb.”

Belissar jumped at that.

“Wait, really?”

Chief Rohsuak slowly nodded, continuing to rub her chin.

“I vaguely recall we use to do so back before we became nomads. We lacked the resources to attempt such things on our travels but that’s no longer the case. You’re already growing flame radish, which we can use to ignite it. We’d have to look into suitable fuels but Juosiutik can probably figure something out with your mana honey. And we’ve confirmed the sigmaka have clay we can trade for, so we can use that to make a shell.”

She then made a knowing grin.

“Getting it to explode on command might be more difficult but we’ve both experienced Juosiutik’s…more dramatic experiments, so I would suspect we could figure something out.”

Belissar crossed his arms while rubbing his own chin.

“Huh. If that’s the case…should we try for another mineral?”

Chief Rohsuak smiled at him.

“It’s up to you, Sacred Den Master. More resources is always appreciated, and spike traps can be quite deadly to the unaware. Additionally, it will take us time to make a working firebomb, and our first attempts will likely be far shoddier than what the Sacred Den will make.”

Belissar rubbed his chin a bit and then nodded.

“I think…that’s fine. We have the Lava Field and the mini-volcano so…I think the mineral is better.”

Chief Rohsuak inclined her head while the bees all danced a salute.

“As you say, Sacred Den Master.”

Random Resource Mineral selected.

Alum is now available!

Belissar tilted his head.

“Looks like we got alum. Um, I heard it’s valuable…and maybe used for dying or something? I don’t know much beyond that.”

Chief Rohsuak shook her head as well.

“I know it as a valuable commodity, but I am personally unaware of its use. I will ask my people.”

Belissar ended up shrugging.

“Maybe the sigmaka will like it. Let’s try one more, then?”

Chief Rohsuak inclined her head again while the bees saluted, so Belissar bought one more choice. This time, he was at peace. He had already gotten an uncommon option this time, so he’d be satisfied even if the next choice was all commons.

Extra room feature choice purchased. One room feature choice now available.

Please select a room feature:

- Rare Random Resource Plant (Rarity: Rare, Type: Resource, Variable)

- River (Rarity: Common, Type: Water)

- Treasure Chest (Rarity: Common, Type: Resource)

Belissar’s jaw dropped. A rare option?! From the DP shop, which previously gave nothing but commons?! And a rare plant at that?! It took all of Belissar’s self-control not to select the option then and there. First of all, it was a plant. Plants meant flowers for the bees to gather from. Second of all, it was rare! It was rare for him to receive rare options, especially from the DP store! And a rare plant, with the potential of rare flowers? How could he pass that up? Not to mention, rare flowers might open the door to fulfilling the God of Flower’s mission!

Belissar convinced himself to at least read out the options for the bees and Chief Rohsuak first, if only to see their reaction. He watched the bees intently as he slowly read out the description.

Rare Random Resource Plant

- Type: Resource, Variable

- Mana Upkeep: Variable

- Description: Unlocks a random resource plant type for use in matching features and rooms. Type selected will be of rarity rare or better.

He smiled as he watched the queens start to fidget and dance around.

“Rare plant?”

“New flower?”

“Rare flower?”

Which was just about his reaction too. He at least forced himself to glance over at Chief Rohsuak. She just made an amused smile and shrugged.

“It seems to me a decision has been made.”

Belissar shook his head then turned back to the bees and smiled.

“Rare flower?”

All of them began zipping about at once.

“Rare flower!”

Belissar chuckled as he made the choice.

Rare Random Resource Plant selected.

Soaring Beeblossom is now available!

Belissar saw all he needed to know he had made the right choice. But, of course, he read out the description, for who wouldn’t want to know more about beeblossom?

Soaring Beeblossom

- Type: Air, Nature

- Mana Upkeep: 10 per node, 5 to enable in compatible rooms

- Description: A flowering plant that has taken to the skies. Large, fluttering petals catch and strengthen the wind, enabling this flower to soar upon the breeze, joining its pollinators in the air.

Belissar smiled as the bees burst out into dancing.

“Amazing, incredible!”

And indeed, it was. A flower named for bees that could also fly, if he was reading the description right. That sounded very much perfect for his Tower. He immediately moved to make a patch…

Current Applications: Flower Meadow, Lava Field, Fairy Grove

Belissar tilted his head at that. So, he couldn’t put this flower in the Apiary or the Orchard…but could put it in the Lava Field of all places? That…seemed very strange indeed. He shrugged, though, and proceed to place one in the Flower Meadow, right where he, Chief Rohsuak, and the Queens were gathered.

A small patch of the ground began to glow. The nearby flowers began to sway as a gust of wind began blowing up and out of the patch. A group of white and pink flowers sprouted and bloomed…and then the entire patch lifted up out of the ground and soared into the air. The petals of the flowers fluttered, appearing like a cloud of butterflies as the flowers soared up and up. Higher and higher, until the gust cut off. The flowers continued to flutter and occasionally glow, each time they did a slight breeze blew out and across the ground. The tangle of flowers began to bob up and down in the air as the gust below picked up again, the wind of the patch below cutting in and out to keep the flowers aloft.

Belissar and Chief Rohsuak both simply watched with wide eyes as the bees danced about. An amazing and incredible flower indeed.

Author’s Note:

I was looking up various flower types we could use when I found out there’s one called beeblossom. The choice was made then and there. Though, I couldn’t find out why exactly it’s called that, apparently the flowers resemble butterflies so it’s also called whirling butterfly too.

As long as it lives up to its name, though!

Anyways!

Will the beeblossom live up to its name? Will Juosiutik set things on fire, intentionally this time? What’s alum good for anyways? Tune in next time, to find out!