The Bee Dungeon

Chapter 199: Flower-Bee Exchange

Belissar slowly nodded his head, causing Tarwantrad to break out into a bright smile and hop around a bit. He had already made peace with potentially sending some of his bees abroad and a trade with a Flower specialized dungeon would certainly benefit his Tower.

“I do still need to check with the bees to see whose willing to send a daughter…ah, I was thinking of asking them to raise a new queen to send, is that all right? It might take more time.”

Tarwantrad stopped hopping long enough to nod.

“Absolutely, that’s one of the main ways we trade monsters in the first place.”

Belissar crossed his arms and hummed.

“Actually, how do you trade monsters, come to think of it?”

Tarwantrad calmed herself down.

“That’s a fair question. We normally have two different methods to do so. One, like you’ve already suggested, is to breed our monsters the natural way, and then to trade some of the children.”

She frowned slightly.

“The other…be aware that I am only letting you know for information’s sake and will never ask this of you…is to trade fallen corpses or harvested plants or something along those lines. That allows the other dungeon master to absorb the remains and create new spawners for themselves.”

Belissar immediately scowled at that but Tarwantrad shook her head.

“That’s more common for features and some more mundane fauna, to be honest, as creating new spawners outright isn’t always ideal if they are not compatible with the dungeon’s primary patron. As for us specifically, I will never ask you to do such a thing. I know that you care deeply for your bees and treat the bodies of their fallen with respect.”

Tarwantrad looked him in the eye at that. Belissar held her gaze until his anger began to subside and then he nodded.

“I see…and thanks.”

He then furrowed his brow.

“Hm…how does it work with evolutions? Gardeners don’t reproduce themselves, they evolve from workers that the queens raise.”

Tarwantrad’s eyes went wide.

“Ah. That’s true, isn’t it? A monster that is traded only comes as they are. Any evolution options from the dungeon are lost, unless the individual monster earns it themselves or else the other dungeon gains access to it. In the case of bees…so, the workers have their own evolutions independent of the overall hive species?”

Belissar nodded.

“Yeah, my spawner is for the queens, they could lay workers, drones, and queens from the start but the other types were from monster choices. Ah, except the battlecasters, Beero figured that one out herself.”

Tarwantrad tilted her head.

“And how does that work with the different types of hives you’ve shown me? The ones based off different flower types?”

Belissar hummed a bit.

“Well, the bees kind of figured all those out themselves. From what I’ve seen, the honey based evolutions change the entire hive. It’s like…all the queens can raise soldiers after I unlocked that option, and a queen that evolved with maddening honey can raise maddening soldiers.”

Tarwantrad’s eyes lit up.

“Ah, so there are two independent evolutions? One that applies specific attributes and adaptations from their diet, and then more structural evolutions for different types of bee castes within the hive? I see…so, if I understand this correctly…we could probably trade the queens that have evolved from honey and their hives would retain those adaptations but would likely lose access to the specialized bee types you’ve chosen from dungeon rewards. Though, if a queen has already been laying some of those types directly, perhaps she would be able to continue doing so? Hm…”

She thought for a moment before turning to Belissar with a frown.

“Belissar, if you’re comfortable with it, would you mind sharing more details about the gardeners? Their description, how they evolve, and any perks you have that are relevant to their function?”

Belissar nodded.

“Sure.”

Monster Bee Gardener

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Vitality: Minimal

Strength: Minimal

Speed: Average

Magic: Minimal+

Defense: Minimal

Resistance: Minimal

Special: Minimal+

Notable Skills: Poison Sting, Sacrificial Strike, Tend Plants, Enhanced Pollination, Brood Offspring

Evolves from: Monster Bee Worker

Description: A monster bee worker that has come to specialize in foraging. Most bees assist plants as a side-effect, but these bees take it further. Monster bee gardeners directly boost the growth of plants they visit, exchanging mana and tending to the health of the plant. In doing so, they boost the growth and health of all plants, including plant features and plant monsters. They also increase the rate and impact of cross-pollination between different plants. In exchange for all this, they also gather more nectar per visit, and the nectar they gather has higher mana-density, boosting their hive’s honey production.

Belissar read out the description for her.

“As for perks…Cross-Pollination and Gardener Planting are the main two. Cross-Pollination is what lets the bees grow new flowers, while Gardener Planting lets the gardeners plant new flowers directly. I also have Symbiotic Foraging, a cross-perk from the God of Bees and God of Flowers, that helps with both cross-pollination and bee evolutions. There are some others, like some Bee-type boosts to stuff like vitality and speed.”

Tarwantrad nodded along, her eyes sparkling with every additional facet of the gardeners he explained. She was smiling even as she rubbed her chin.

“I see. Actually, I already have Cross-Pollination myself, it’s a must for plant-focused dungeons. Gardener Planting probably won’t show up until I have access to gardeners. As for the gardeners…perhaps if I fed the bees Nature attribute nectar and taught some of the workers how to tend for plants, I could unlock it? Or…”

Tarwantrad’s smile grew and she began to giggle.

“I have an idea. Belissar…what do you say to this? Why don’t you send some of your bees to forage in my dungeon? That way, my flowers can benefit from your gardeners and perks immediately, while your gardeners can bring back pollen and seeds from my flowers to plant in your Tower? I would still love to arrange a trade for my own monster bee hive, but I think we could benefit from a recurring exchange without a formal trade.”

Belissar’s eyes widened.

“Ah. So, I could send some bees right away, since they could keep their hive here?”

He frowned a moment later, though.

“Is that safe? From what I’ve seen, Tower traps and monsters don’t hurt each other, but that doesn’t apply for guests, right?”

Tarwantrad nodded.

“You are correct. Additionally, I have some carnivorous plant species that even pollinators must take care around, as well as some insectivorous predators. I do aim for balanced ecosystems, but that could make it dangerous for visiting bees to wander. What we could do is set up some flower nurseries where we could keep some samples of our dungeons’ offerings, and then let the bees fly back and forth?”

Belissar blinked and then began to smile.

“That sounds great. I actually have an apothecary room that grows small amounts of lots of different plants, I’ll have to ask Juosiutik but maybe that could work? Ah, Juosiutik is the karnuq potion-maker who works there.”

Tarwantrad beamed.

“That would be wonderful, I would love to speak with her some time as well. Very well, I shall prepare a nursery where your bees can forage safely in my dungeon. Do you still want to arrange a trade for a queen as well? I would love to do so eventually, but with this plan we could wait.”

Belissar thought for a second.

“How about I ask to see if any queens are ready to raise or send their daughters, and then we can make the trade?”

Tarwantrad’s smile managed to grow even brighter.

“Wonderful. May I ask if there’s anything specific you would want in exchange?”

Belissar shrugged.

“Flowers, mostly.”

Tarwantrad rubbed her chin.

“Of course…but if your bees are to come and forage, they should be bringing back pollen and seeds already. I would feel as if I am cheating you to offer you something your bees will bring back themselves…how about missions from the gods? Any I could help you with, seeing as you allowing me here fulfilled one for me?”

Belissar double checked his ongoing missions.

Current Missions: Help ten challengers receive full blessings, Offer ten jars of mead to the Shrine of Bees, Make and offer mead from Fire-attribute honey, Help one monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers, Make and offer meads made of honey sourced from five different flower types

“Oh, yes, actually. One of my missions is to help a monster or sworn defender receive a Blessing of Flowers, could you help with that?”

Tarwantrad smiled.

“I most certainly could.”

She thought to herself for a moment.

“For the God of Flowers, the best form of devotion is to raise flowers, as you might have expected. Though, cross-pollination is likely insufficient, as it is merely a byproduct of foraging and generally not done for the sake of the flower itself. It would need to be a more intentional and involved effort, and the monster or defender in question would need to specifically devote themselves to the God of Flowers.”

Belissar began to hum as he considered that, but then Niobee began dancing on his head.

“King! First of the Fourth’s gardener raised flower monster!”

Belissar’s eyes widened.

“Oh yeah, she did, didn’t she?”

He turned and saw Tarwantrad with a questioning gaze.

“Ah, the God of Flowers asked me to raise a flower monster with the help of bees to receive her blessing. One of my gardeners managed to raise one, a Venomous Slime Rose. Niobee told me the effort was pretty intentional.”

Tarwantrad smiled and nodded.

“That sounds like it might work as far as the effort is concerned. The only question would be is that bee willing to devote to the God of Flowers, and to dedicate her achievement in the God of Flowers name? If not, you may need to find another who will repeat a similar feat in such a manner.”

Belissar nodded back and looked up at Niobee.

“Could you check with the gardener? And if not, see if there’s any gardeners who might be interested in the God of Flowers?”

“Ok!”

Belissar smiled as Niobee took off. More karnuq were receiving blessings by the day. He had numerous jars of mead fermenting each day, including ones from different types of flowers. Now, with Tarwantrad’s advice, he was making progress on each of the missions he had from the gods.

He was starting to get excited at what the near future would hold.