56. Nightbloom Rabbit Bee Breeding Apparatus
“What will happen to this little one now? If we set him free, can he survive on his own?”
[The likelihood of that is slim.]
“Why? All the goblins are already dead, right? Even though it’s sad that his children died, isn’t it possible to start over? This little one must have had a beginning too.”
[That’s not the meaning. Due to the majority of his stamina being depleted during the long confinement, the individual is in an extremely difficult situation to continue surviving. Furthermore, most traces of the originally self-sustaining plant-like flowers in this cave have disappeared.]
In short, it meant there was no chance of survival.
Food, family, the will to live, all vanished.
With the three most crucial desires of a living being gone, even if the group set him free, there was no reason for him to survive.
Perhaps he was resigned to the impending death that would come.
Alone in this cold cave.
What should be done?
He pondered deeply.
“System.”
[Please speak.]
“Can we take this little one out with us? For instance, if there were to be a problem with fairness as you always mention, would that be an issue?”
[There is no issue. Regardless of what is taken out from or brought into the tower by the regulations, there are no restrictions on such matters.]
I see. That’s a relief.
Clang!
The iron-barred door opened.
The one who opened it was none other than Han.
[……?]
Nightbloom Queen Bee.
As the little one looked up with a puzzled expression, Han raised his large hand.
Han reached out his hand to the little one.
“Come.”
Did the little one understand the meaning behind Han’s outstretched hand?
Soon, the Queen Bee extended her head towards his touch.
With a bitter smile, Han.
He stroked the lad’s head and said,
“Let’s go together.”
Did he understand the meaning?
Soon, as the Queen Bee’s flexible body showed signs of tension.
[Buzz, buzz.]
Raising her thick yellow legs, she staggered towards the iron bars with unsteady steps.
Kugukung.
The Queen Bee and the companions, each holding a staff close to their chests.
Together, they opened the door of the tower.
***
When they finally returned to the square after escaping the dungeon.
The head of the exhausted Queen Bee, who had been gently held in Irina’s arms, suddenly lifted.
The lad, as if surprised, perked up his ears.
[Buzz!]
“Ah!”
In an instant, he broke free from Irina’s embrace and began to fly around the forest.
It was a more dramatic reaction than expected.
Apparently, he quite liked this square.
The pinnacle of such behavior was when he discovered a bright flower garden.
[Buzz!!]
Showing an even stronger reaction than before, the delighted Queen Bee, surrounded by flowers, twisted her body happily.
Everyone who witnessed this scene smiled.
“Wow. Looks like the flowers are to his liking.”
“Mm. Seems so.”
The lad, even flapping his wings vigorously, seemed restless.
Approaching each flower closely and enjoying their fragrant scents, he looked thoroughly satisfied.
Rainbow colors bloomed vividly on his yellow fur.
It seemed like that was indeed the bee’s honey, or pollen.
“His reaction is quite intense. Does he really like seeing the flowers that much?”
Han let out a chuckle.
“Well, if the lad who was sulking suddenly enjoys it, then that’s good enough.”
The Queen Bee, who had lost all her precious offspring and was on the brink of death, transformed into a lively and happy lad in an instant, making even the Elven companions feel uplifted.
[For the Night Blossom Bee, flowers are more valuable than anything else. They are not only a daily sustenance but also future resources for honey production.]
“If we raise that lad, won’t it be beneficial to spread those flowers throughout the entire square?”
[Of course. The productivity of the flowers will increase more rapidly than now.]
Bees are very beneficial insects that spread pollen and various plant seeds, contributing to the reproduction of plants.
Han hoped that the valuable medicinal flowers would not only be limited to a part of the square but spread widely across the entire territory.
Let’s cherish this little one.
And strive to increase the rewards.
Of course, for now, it would naturally be too much.
Because there was only one queen bee.
But Hane believed that with patience and time, it would be entirely possible.
***
How should one raise bees?
Surely, many preparations would be necessary.
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Of course, it’s not just about the preparations.
There must be a solid foundation of skills, abilities, and experience to support it.
If any of these are lacking, it would be troublesome.
Bees are extremely delicate and fragile creatures, highly sensitive to environmental changes.
The news that honeybees raised for a lifetime perished due to slight changes was common not only in Korea but also in any part of the world.
[Nightbuzz Queen Bee.]
[Queen of the Nightbuzz Rabbit Bee.]
Moreover, this little one was a new species never before known to humanity in its true sense.
No one knew.
Not the Muah Muahs, nor the Elves.
Only the system knew about its ecology.
In such a situation, Hane had to learn how to raise an unknown new species.
Naturally, this process was not easy.
The only things he could know were the information from the system and the internet.
He searched and gathered information from the internet, filtering out only the relevant elements according to the system’s opinion.
However, there was another fatal problem.
[Zee! Zeee!]
Even now, the Nightbuzz Queen Bee was busy collecting nectar from flowers, sniffing their scents here and there.
Despite watching this, Hane felt restless deep inside.
The stinger felt like it was vibrating, as if moving.
“First and foremost, a hive is definitely necessary….”
[Yes.]
There’s no time.
Although for now, intoxicated by the sweetness of the flowers, she aimlessly wandered around all day, soon she would come to her senses.
A bee without a hive is undoubtedly unsustainable.
The torn wings of the Nightbuzz Queen Bee were visible.
The antennae were also damaged, and upon closer inspection, her whole body was covered in wounds.
Due to significant torment from the goblin sorcerer.
Even when Hane and the Elves were there, it was the same.
In just that brief moment, the little one endured considerable suffering.
Whenever the bees didn’t follow the goblins’ orders promptly, the rusty dagger would haphazardly stab, tearing wounds and causing additional pain.
Currently, this lad was severely injured and exhausted.
At first, he seemed delighted in the new environment, displaying such reactions, but soon he would realize.
There was nowhere to rest.
He had no place to stay.
[The Night Booth Queen Bee’s stamina is considerably low.]
[Please provide a resting place promptly.]
The ecology of bees is completely different.
They need their own space, their own shelter.
Once they settle in a place, it will become their lifelong resting place.
That is the significance of a beehive.
Then how can Han possibly find a beehive?
In fact, even Han couldn’t grasp it at all.
For starters, this lad, despite being huge, was way too big.
Typically, a beehive is a place where the entire group, including the queen bee, can live together.
Moreover, as the colony grows, its size expands day by day, eventually branching out into multiple beehives.
But for a queen bee of this size, no, including the growing family members, would there be a beehive big enough for all these bulky creatures to live in together?
‘Is there such a thing as a beehive of that size?’
Obviously not.
It was entirely a matter of common sense.
A queen bee the size of a person, living in a beehive slightly larger, where would you find that?
Naturally, it required a substantial size.
Perhaps a satisfactory home for him should be the size of a small building?
However, at present, Han lacked the ability to create a beehive of that scale.
Among the numerous items listed in his shop window, such a thing did not exist at all.
Fortunately, according to the system’s mention, these Night Booth Rabbit Bees were not a species that gathered in such large numbers to live together.
Even if there were many, twenty, thirty to dozens, it was considered a large scale if fifty were the maximum.
However, even if it was limited to that extent, it was a problem.
“Where can we find a structure large enough to accommodate that many bees…?”
Yes.
That was the problem.
Very simple yet a fatal problem.
And it seemed that the elves were also pondering over this fact.
Turning to the queen bee, Han murmured worriedly, “Isn’t there a suitable place for them to stay?”
“Hmm… Well, that’s a tough question.”
Muahmuah, Zion, Yumina. Everyone nodded in agreement.
No clear answer was forthcoming.
“Hmm?”
Muahmuah, who had been chewing on a potato for a while.
Suddenly, his hand moved towards their mushroom house.
“Hmm….”
What could be the reason?
Quietly gazing at their house, Muahmuah was absorbed in pulling out potatoes from the earth for a while.
After swallowing with a gulp, Muahmuah asked, “Come here.”
“Me?”
Turning her head towards Irina, the young dragon raised his hand and pointed towards their mushroom house.
“How about that mushroom house over there? It looks like a pretty good beehive to my eyes. Why don’t we stay there for a while.”
“Uh….”
The elves turned their gaze towards their mushroom house at those words.
They all looked.
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
Everyone’s mouths opened.
Indeed.
Something really good was right in front of them.
“Well done, Muahmuah, you hit the spot after a while.”
As expected, when many minds come together, answers tend to come.
***
Now, let’s make a selection.
It was necessary to be careful if possible.
Irina picked numerous mana mushrooms.
The mushrooms she had picked enduring even the cold.
She had to choose one among them.
Irina clasped her hands together as if praying with a tense expression.
“What do you think, God?”
“Hmm….”
Han did not answer her question.
Instead, he carefully examined the mushrooms.
Han’s large hand moved back and forth in front of many mushrooms as if contemplating, perhaps because they were all of similar size?
It wasn’t easy to make a decision.
Watching this, Zion whispered softly to Muahmuah beside him.
“It seems even God is having a hard time choosing.”
“Hmm. Seems so. Must be choice paralysis.”
It makes sense, kids.
But that’s also a valid point.
Choosing was quite difficult.
That’s why even if they planted, they all seemed to be of a similar size.
It was around that time.
Han flinched in front of a mushroom, coming to a halt.
“…Huh?”
There was a cluster of three mushrooms together.
A whopping three-story mushroom.
“Isn’t this the kind of mushroom that grows layer by layer? Somehow, it seems like it will grow bigger than the others.”
It seems like this is the correct answer after all.