latelenovela Chapter 23 - 23: Missing bees
Chapter 23 - 23: Missing bees
I gasped.
"What? What happened? Was there an attack? Are you alright?"
My eyes already checked the bee over. The red cross on her head meant she was a Sergeant, and as for her status…
〔Forager Bee〕 〔Ally〕 〔Progeny〕
〔Name〕: B1054
〔Active title〕: Warrior Bee
〔Health〕: 11 / 11
〔Stamina〕: 8 / 11
〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee
〔Age〕: 42 d
〔Remaining lifespan〕: 110 d
〔Attributes〕
> Strength: 9
> Agility: 44
> Endurance: 10
> Defense: 9
> Intelligence: 100
> Perception: 43
〔Special abilities〕
Flight, Barbed Stinger, Wax Production
〔Genes〕
Enhanced Intelligence X, Increased Lifespan I
〔〕〔〕〔〕
Seeing that she wasn't wounded, I relaxed a little.
B1054 stood straighter.
"Father, we've just finished counting each other this evening—and there's an entire squad that's missing! We, Sergeant Warriors, counted each other, and B1032 wasn't here. She and her squad never returned from their patrol. And their hammers are gone, too!"
"What?" I frowned. "And other patrols didn't see what could've happened with them?"
B1054 shook her head.
"No. But some ants could've gone past our borders. And the hammers of these Warrior Bees are still missing!"
Ants?
The training for my Foremen Bees was almost complete!
I checked my colony's status.
〔Your colony〕
〔Wellness〕: 83 %
〔Population〕: 24 thousand
〔Development level〕: 2
〔Development points〕: 19 / 100
〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee
〔Attributes〕
> Workpower: 15
> Military: 12
> Brainpower: 97
> Logistics: 16
> Resilience: 8
〔Resources〕:
> Food: 27 units
> Building materials: 7 units
〔Technologies〕
Dance Communication
Hive Building
Food Preservation
Stone Hammers
Forager Posts
Rank-Based Hierarchy
Primitive Containers
Border Patrols
Primitive Knives
〔〕〔〕〔〕
27 units of food—the number stayed still for the last couple of days. Surely, these stores will hold until the Foremen Bee training was fully complete. There were only a few days left!
Meanwhile, the Craftsmen Bees in the workshop exchanged worried glances, then began whispering among each other.
"That's ten hammers, isn't it?"
"Should we make new ones, then? I'd like to experiment with string."
"But what Father was about to say earlier? What if that's more important?"
"I like making hammers, but wouldn't it be more interesting to make a hammer… with rocks on both ends?"
B1054 looked at the Craftsmen Bees.
"Hey, don't you have special Material Foragers to look for things? Maybe these foragers can
"The queue! What do we have to do first?"
Oh, that.
"Just make more string. Make string until… Until I tell you to stop. We will need a lot. Work hard… but you always work hard. And don't worry about the thing B1054 said. We will solve everything."
No other option was allowed!
"Yes, Father!" my bees exclaimed.
I nodded and prepared to wait anxiously for the return of my scouting Warrior Bees.