Chapter 324: Red Locust Bee King
"Red Locust Bee King!"
Marcus finally understood what had felt missing.
A place like this, guarding a heavenly treasure, could never exist without a true ruler. Of course there would be bosses protecting it.
And not just one.
Three enormous bees emerged from the hives at the same time, their bodies glowing with deep crimson light. Marcus’s eyes brightened immediately.
Now this was getting interesting.
"Evolve. Red Locust Bees!"
Instead of attacking the invading monsters right away, the three Bee Kings began beating their wings in rapid rhythm, circling through the air in a strange, synchronized dance. A dense pheromone spread outward, thick with locust fragrance.
The reaction was instantaneous.
Every red locust bee in the grove erupted with red light. Energy surged through their bodies as if ignited from within. Their forms expanded, power swelling violently under the nourishment of the Red Locust Spirit’s energy.
They were evolving.
In less than three seconds, the swarm divided into two distinct forms.
One type grew an additional stinger, transforming from single-tailed bees into Twin-Tailed Red Locust Bees. Their bodies became slimmer and more streamlined, clearly suited for ranged magical attacks.
The second type underwent a more brutal transformation. Their forelegs elongated and hardened into blade-like weapons, while thick armor formed across their bodies. These became Twin-Blade Red Locust Bees, specialized close-combat fighters.
The Bee Kings themselves changed even more dramatically.
Their twin stingers split again, becoming four deadly tails tipped with venomous needles. Their massive front pincers expanded, sharpening into glowing crimson blades that dripped with potent toxin.
Murderous intent flooded the clearing.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The Bee Kings wasted no time showing mercy. At their command, the evolved swarm surged forward like a living tide, throwing itself into battle.
The three Bee Kings personally charged the strongest enemies on the field, targeting the Bloodthirsty Hawk King in the sky and the golden Boar King on the ground.
Under their precise command, the Twin-Blade and Twin-Tailed bees fought with terrifying coordination. Ranged stingers rained down while armored fighters cut through enemy lines. The monsters’ advance stalled completely, then began to collapse as casualties mounted on all sides.
Bodies fell continuously.
Each death scattered drops across the battlefield, and soon level fifty equipment glittered across the ground like treasure spilled from a broken chest. Marcus felt his mouth go dry at the sight.
Unfortunately, this was not the moment to loot.
Although the Bee Kings had successfully blocked the Hawk King and Boar King from advancing toward the spirit, one threat remained completely untouched.
The strange rabbit-like creature.
Protected by the white flower it held aloft, it walked forward calmly, ignored by bees, Bee Kings, and monsters alike. No attack touched it. No one even acknowledged its existence.
It simply continued its slow approach toward the Red Locust Spirit.
Just as Marcus had suspected, that thing was his greatest rival.
He refused to underestimate it. Urging Blackie forward, Marcus accelerated toward the spirit with everything he had. Fortunately, he was already close, barely eighty meters away. The rabbit creature still had more than a hundred meters left to travel, and its upright walk was painfully slow.
"Red Locust Spirit... you’re mine."
Marcus grinned as he gazed at the open path ahead.
With the Bee Kings committing every last bee to battle, the space between him and the spirit had become completely empty. The eighty meters ahead contained nothing but drifting red locust petals and faint floral fragrance.
No guards and no obstacles.
’Perfect.’
But the moment he closed to sixty meters, disaster struck.
Ding!
[Player Stonehaven has been struck by the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada’s sonic attack. The energy of Pure Mist Cluster is rapidly depleting. Please monitor the remaining duration of Pure Mist Cluster.]
Marcus nearly lost control of his movement.
’What?’
The golden cicada.
It was a Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada, and its chirping could interfere with his Pure Mist Cluster.
He immediately checked the skill’s status and his expression darkened.
The duration was collapsing at an alarming rate. Every passing second shaved off ten minutes of remaining time, and the closer he moved toward the cicada, the faster the depletion became.
’Damn it.’
So the Thousand-Year Cicada’s sound attack had this kind of effect? Yet something else caught his attention.
This time, the cicada had not fled.
Despite its ability to interfere with his skill, it still failed to perceive him. The Pure Mist’s concealment clearly worked even against the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada.
’You little bastard...’
Watching the timer drain away made Marcus itch to grab the cicada immediately. But he forced himself to remain calm.
If he attacked now, his cloud form would collapse. The moment he revealed himself, every monster on the battlefield would notice him. And if even one possessed teleportation or burst mobility, stealing the Red Locust Spirit would become nearly impossible.
’Forget the cicada.’
The spirit came first.
The cicada could be hunted later. The Red Locust Spirit, however, existed only once. Lose this opportunity, and it might never appear again.
Grinding his teeth as Pure Mist rapidly burned away, Marcus pushed forward at maximum speed.
"You’re mine!"
Five seconds later, Blackie carried him directly before the Red Locust Spirit.
Nothing blocked him.
Marcus reached out and touched the floating flower.
Just like when he obtained the Peach Blossom Spirit, the Red Locust Spirit flowed into his body the instant contact was made, merging with him like a living entity.
Brilliant red light exploded outward from Marcus’s body. Dense locust fragrance spread through the air as spiritual energy surged within him.
The system chimed.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have obtained the Thousand-Year Red Locust Spirit and successfully bonded with it. You have unlocked half of the spirit’s power.
Effects: Luck +2
Strength +20
Constitution +20
Agility +20
Focus +20
Poison Resistance +10%
You have automatically learned the skills Red Locust Light and Illusion Red Mist. Increase your level to unlock more of the Thousand-Year Red Locust Spirit’s power.]
—
Red Locust Light
Intermediate Skill. Level 1 (0/5000)
Activates the Red Locust Spirit’s energy, surrounding you and allies with a faint red glow. Health and Mana regeneration speed increased by 50. Duration: 30 minutes.
Illusion Red Mist
Intermediate Skill. Level 1 (0/5000)
Releases an illusory red mist that confuses enemies, reducing movement speed by 5% with a 10% chance to inflict Blindness and Confusion.
—
Compared to the ten-thousand-year Peach Blossom Spirit, this thousand-year spirit was noticeably weaker.
Still, a free spirit was a free spirit. Marcus had absolutely no complaints.
The instant he secured the Red Locust Spirit, Pure Mist Cluster reached its limit. The cloud shuddered violently before dispersing, revealing his true form in midair.
Immediately, the Bloodthirsty Hawk King and the Golden Boar King, both fixated on the spirit moments earlier, locked onto him.
The sudden appearance also stunned the three Bee Kings, causing their movements to falter for a brief but critical moment.
The two monster leaders seized the opportunity at once; they charged Marcus simultaneously.
"Blood Wind Fury Spin!"
The Bloodthirsty Hawk King spread its wings wide, generating a raging crimson storm that tore through the air and hurled itself toward Marcus.
"Earth Spike Eruption!"
The Golden Boar King slammed its hind legs into the ground. Energy surged through the earth beneath Marcus, and massive stone pillars burst upward, spearing toward him from below.