Marigold – A LitRPG

 

Aurum - Year 3                                                                                                     

 

Time has passed, and life goes on as it always has. The difference now is that I live in constant fear of the humans returning. I don’t know their plans, the extent of their forces, or their motivations—I'm completely in the dark.

Living without knowing if tomorrow will be the last day is suffocating. On one hand, the humans 'just' want the kobolds, so I shouldn’t be so worried. But what if the kobolds talk and reveal the location of the nest? What do I do if the humans decide, "Let’s scout the region to make sure nothing has escaped!"? It would only be a matter of days before they spot the wax tower, clear as day in the middle of a maze of wax and wood. And if the humans do come after me, what then? Do I run? Fight? Try to negotiate?

My instincts tell me there’s only one choice: Kill them all. They hurt my children and are a threat that can’t be ignored. But I’m not that fearful, anxious young queen bee who used to fall victim to [Concerned Player's] pranks. I can and should think rationally about the colony's survival. Running away is tempting, I must confess. We could burn the tower and escape in the middle of the night. A lot of research and hard work would be lost, and it would take months, maybe years, to rebuild. But that’s better than staying and fighting for a doomed castle.

The research can be archived by the archivists. Levi and his group of builders could probably construct a new, stronger, and better-planned tower in a few months. The problem with this plan is managing the people. Over 60% of the hive consists of non-combat members, like researchers, administrators, and nurses. They wouldn’t be able to help with protection until a new tower is built, and they’d just add to the burden on our soldiers.

Then there's the question of where to run. If we go deeper into the forest, I fear encountering that creature that stared at me from the spiritual plane. I’m not willing to risk my life for that, so the forest is out. Running north towards the abandoned lands of the beastmen is another option. Abandoned lands could be a good place to build a new nest, but the mysterious "Dark Corruption" makes me wary. If the hive can’t deal with this corruption, then those lands are useless.

Another option is to head south, but I have no information about that area. It could be a perfect place, or it could lead us to our deaths—it’s basically a shot in the dark. I’m not willing to gamble the entire hive's survival on a "shot in the dark."

The other options are even worse. Fighting the invaders is the next alternative, but that’s simply ridiculous. Those humans can use magic as if they were playing a game, and they can cause near-fatal damage to my children with just a surprise attack. If they come prepared to exterminate us, it would be like an anthill trying to fight a fire. I can’t lose my children; I’ve made so many wrong choices and taken so many rash paths in this life that I don’t think I could forgive myself if my children died because of my bad decisions.

No matter how I look at this situation, no matter what anyone says or does, it’s clear to me: This is all my fault.

If I hadn’t meddled with the spiritual plane, fleeing east into the forest would be a viable option. But now I have to deal with a mysterious entity that’s possibly angry with me for who knows what reason. We can’t keep it hidden because it’s only a matter of time before either the kobolds talk or the humans return and start exploring. If I had never helped the kobolds in the first place, the humans might never have come near this place. No—this all started because I began a stupid hunt for [Tears of a Saint]. I monopolized all the flowers we could find and brought them straight home, and for what? NOTHING! Just because I thought the flower was valuable and wanted a lot of them! And now I’m trapped in this damn maze with no way out. Every path seems to lead to a dead end, and I’m the one who dragged us into this situation.

If I had minded my own business like the boys suggested and acted as an exemplary queen for the hive, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault, and I need to get us out of this tiger's den, but I can’t think of a solution! Maybe if I let go of the kobolds, I could keep the humans away and buy time for the hive to strengthen. But I can’t let them go—I feel like if I leave them behind, I’ll give up my last bit of humanity and become a real monster. Have I already done horrible things? Sure. I’ve done things to the creatures of this world that would be equivalent to "inhuman testing" on animals in my past life, but they weren’t sentient. They couldn’t talk or show emotions like a person. They… They don’t count.

I needed them. I needed the information only they could provide. If I hadn’t used them as livestock, the hive would never have learned about animal handling, research, and wildlife processing.

Chaining a Wappo to the ground with spikes and draining it dry is nothing compared to imprisoning a human or kobold. They scream, beg, show fear, anger, confusion, and resentment. They can’t be easily contained like Wappos or farm animals, and I have no real reason to use them as guinea pigs. There are always animals and magical creatures that can serve as more "morally acceptable" test subjects.

Have I done anything wrong in this life? If you asked me directly, I’d say I haven’t done anything right so far! I try so hard to be the "queen" my children need—elegant, well-balanced, strong-willed, healthy, and well-behaved. But I'm a mess! I gave birth to every member of this hive, but I feel like a puzzle piece from a different set, trying to force myself into a place I don’t fit.

We are the same, similar, even identical if you think about it. But we’re fundamentally so different and distant that we just—don’t fit together. How? How could such well-adjusted, self-sufficient, and emotionally stable beings come from someone like me? It’s like a horse giving birth to a unicorn! Are they perfect? I’d say they’re infinitely closer to perfection than I am, but they still have their problems.

They are brothers, and they fight and die for each other, but that doesn’t stop them from separating into social groups. Some members are less popular, others more so. Some get along well with the rest of the hive, while others… not so much. Some hive members also suffer from real problems, things I didn’t think were possible for bees from another world.

They get sad, happy, angry, and scared. They can feel any emotion, good or bad. They feel proud of their achievements, get jealous when someone else in the hive gets something they wanted, and feel embarrassed about their jealousy. They can… love each other like a big, close-knit family.

They can suffer, get overwhelmed, make mistakes, lose control, or get shaken up. This has happened before with Steve and Ken. The work was so exhausting and overwhelming that they started to "bug out." When I stop to think and analyze their workload, I wonder, "How do they manage to handle all this without breaking down every day?"

The members of the inner circle are the top of the pyramid. They have to make decisions constantly, and their choices and actions have immediate impacts on the hive. That’s why the inner circle has several "helpers," who in turn have their own "helpers." The workload is so immense that it’s… bee-manly? — practically impossible.

If I had to handle, process, analyze, resolve, transmit, and archive every piece of information for the hive on my own, I would have lost my mind within the first five minutes. No normal brain could handle that much information.

Yet somehow, they manage to do it. They access the link as if it were a Wi-Fi network, putting, sending, processing, receiving, and analyzing every bit of information from the hive. It’s like having a robot that records every detail of your life, processes and filters all the information, and saves it to a hard drive.

Steve can do this, and I think that’s why he comes across as so… elegant? As a highly serious and rigid secretary, Steve’s group is the largest in the hive, comprising about 20% of our members who handle information processing and distribution. Steve decides what should be communicated and transmitted, while Radyo and Pipe take care of getting this information to the rest of the hive.

And Ken… poor guy. He gets too involved. He always seems cold, distant, and a real A-hole, but to me, that hardness is just a shell around his fragile interior. Ken cares deeply; he always wants to ensure that everyone in his care receives the best possible treatment. This wasn’t a problem at first, but now with so many members, it’s impossible for Ken to take care of each one personally.

Ken has always been the kind of guy who, if he saw someone getting hurt, would rush over to them, lecture them about safety, and at the same time, provide the best care for their injuries.

If I had to describe Ken, I’d say he’s like a hug—comforting and warm, or tight and suffocating. It was my fault what happened to him. I should have known that leaving one person in charge of both the wounded and the babies would lead to trouble. How does anyone feel good after seeing the babies they cared for being carried home unconscious, while they’re covered in battle wounds?

Maybe I need to establish an OSHA for the hive and introduce things like therapists, counselors, and even retirement options—forced or not. Since I don’t know if we die of old age, I can’t predict how long we’ll live before becoming "stars in the sky." We might have a high life expectancy like humans (80-100 years), or it could be a trick of the system, and soon we’ll start showing signs of aging.

The more I think about it and analyze our situation, the more I realize I have more questions than answers. I don’t know about my origins, if others like us exist in the world, our life expectancy, why I can’t produce other females, the origin of the link, the reason for affinities, what a soul is, or what I’m doing here.

Sometimes I think that if I found a magic lamp or if God appeared before me, I’d wish to return to my old life. It was sad and empty but free of problems. But then there are the boys—what would happen to them if I simply… disappeared? The scenarios are not pleasant. I wish I could build a great city where they could live happily and safely forever, far from problems and conflicts. But reality wakes me up and reminds me that I can’t run away from my problems and pretend they don’t exist.

I need to do something. I need to make a decision. I need something completely new.

---

 

Aurum - Year 3  -  2 Month Later...     

 

"Hmm... Allow the experiment. Reduce the production team, increase the safety requirements, and use smaller amounts of fuel for the bomb."

"T-That’s it? Are you sure, Queen Mother?" Yan asked, surprised by the swift decision.

"Yes. We’ve been stagnant for too long. If we don’t start taking some risks, we’ll never make any real progress."

"...Very well, if that’s your wish, then so be it, Queen Mother." Yan said before bowing and leaving the room with the royal guards.

Once the doors closed, I returned to the solitude of my laboratory. Doubts crept into my mind—was this the right choice? Was I truly prepared to take such risks for potentially great rewards? But then I thought about the factors leading me to this decision. We lacked any effective weapons against humans. Our swarm of bees with axes and spears was still just that—a swarm of bees with sharp tools. Nothing compared to a giant bomb capable of taking down a grown man.

No progress had been made in military weaponry, and Jasper’s dangerous creations were our first real advance. Supporting his experiments, even if they were risky and unconventional, seemed like our best option.

"Exploding bees, huh? That’s strange…"

As I turned my attention back to my prototypes, a sudden idea struck me. Muck, the [Familiar], had a... brain, I suppose? It was more like a "spiritual brain," but it was still a brain—a CPU made of pure mana.

"How could I have missed that?!"

Instead of trying to create a CPU from crystals or alchemical fluids, I could use a mana-based approach. I hurried across the room, retrieving a large crystal orb from a box. It was part of an old, failed prototype for a magic wand, composed of several crystal rings inscribed with magical runes and filled with life mana crystals.

I placed the crystal orb on the table and began summoning a mana echo, binding it with the [Connect] spell, and then sent the mana echo into the orb. Within moments, I felt a faint connection forming between me and the mana core.

"This—"

Before I could celebrate, the connection was suddenly bombarded with confusing signals and erratic energy waves, as if dozens of strings were being yanked and shaken violently.

"Ughhfahf—"

'UNKNOWN ATTACK ON THE LINK. DIRECT ATTACK ON THE QUEEN. REPEAT, DIRECT ATTACK ON THE QUEEN,' Radyo shouted through the link, causing chaos throughout the hive.

My head pounded as if it might split apart, muffled voices echoed through the link, and mental beacons searched desperately for the source of the attack. But soon, I lost consciousness.

---

 

When I awoke, I found myself in a completely black void, the room devoid of any recognizable features. I tried to stand, but my body felt different. I looked down to see that I was no longer in my familiar bee form. Instead, I had a human body with tan skin, long white hair, two arms, and two legs—no bee characteristics at all.

'What the…'

The realization hit me: was I dead again? No, no, I couldn’t be! The boys needed me! I couldn’t afford to be dead!

I began to walk through the endless darkness, only to discover that the void seemed to be made of paint. The surface was damp, creating waves as I moved. I ran aimlessly, but the void appeared endless. As I ran, the black substance on the floor seemed to cling to me, making it difficult to escape.

'Let me go! I need to get out of here!'

Despite my efforts, the black mud held me back. A tremor echoed through the void, and a massive wave of black ink began to form behind me.

'What the—'

Looking back, I saw the wave of ink surging toward me, and a deformed face emerged from it.

'W-What is this thing?'

彡( "Ɏ-ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ɎØɄ ₵₳₦ ⱤɄ₦ ₣ⱤØ₥ ₥Ɇ, Ⱨ₳₦₳? ł ₩łⱠⱠ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ฿Ɇ ⱧɆⱤɆ, ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ฿Ɏ ɎØɄⱤ ₴łĐɆ. ł ₵₳ⱤⱤɎ ɎØɄⱤ ₴ł₦₴ ₳₦Đ ₲ɄłⱠ₮, ₩ⱧłⱠɆ ɎØɄ ⱠłVɆ Ⱨł₲Ⱨ ł₦ ɎØɄⱤ ₮Ø₩ɆⱤ Ø₣ ⱠłɆ₴" )彡 the creature gurgled from the black mud.

'What do you mean?'

彡( "ł. ₳₥ ɎØɄⱤ—" )彡

Before the creature could finish, a bell rang, tearing through the darkness and revealing a red sky.

彡( "ɄⱧ₲-ⱧⱧ₳ⱧɆ₮—ɎØɄ—ɎØɄ’ⱤɆ ₦Ø₮ ₲Øł₦₲ ₮Ø ₲Ɇ₮ ⱤłĐ Ø₣ ₥Ɇ! Ⱨ₳₦₳—ł—" )彡

The bell continued to toll, and the creature began to dissolve into the black mud, which soon vanished, transporting me to a place that was both strange and oddly familiar.

'Where am I? What is happening here?'

I found myself in a city where everything was made of wax and wood, with some concrete and metal elements. The streets, posts, walls, and fences were all crafted from wax, and strange lights emerged from the wax posts. Despite the city's features, it was eerily empty.

'Why is everyone gone? Where is everyone?'

After wandering through the deserted streets, I arrived at a large tower that looked modern and untouched by wax, though it was covered in roots, grass, and moss.

Inside, I found a room cluttered with scattered books. I moved towards a table but felt an inexplicable urge to go up the stairs in the corner of the room.

'This place feels so familiar…'

I picked up one of the books, only to find it filled with constantly shifting letters, making it unreadable. I continued up the tower, passing through rooms obstructed by black roots, a giant bell, and a room that resembled my teenage bedroom. At the top, I found an empty room with an elevator that impossibly seemed to descend.

'What is going on?'

I entered the elevator and pressed the number 1. The elevator descended but opened to a black wall that led nowhere. After a few attempts with no success, I returned to the elevator room and went to the tower window.

Looking out, I realized I was on a floating island in a blood-red void.

'What is this place?'

I left the tower and walked along the city’s edge, discovering a bridge made of roots and moss leading to a large brown door adorned with thorns and vines. I tried to open it, but it was locked. Turning back, I found a fragile wax bridge leading to a small yellow door marked with a number. This door was also locked.

Finally, I came across a bridge made of intricate crystals with floating lights, leading to a large door made of crystal plates. Unlike the others, this door was open.

'Finally!'

As you enter the room, the air is thick with magical energy, and the space is filled with various familiar symbols and mechanisms. The large crystal orb at the center of the room pulses with golden energy, drawing your attention.

You approach the orb and place your hand on it, only to be jolted by a shock wave. The pain is sharp but fleeting, and you quickly turn your spiritual vision to the orb. Inside, you can see a mass of energy struggling for stability. It’s as if the orb is trying to contain or expel this chaotic energy.

‘Is this my... Echo? Is it trying to control the crystal orb?’

The situation is puzzling, but you decide to focus on what you can understand. You sit in front of the orb, determined to analyze and stabilize the energy. Using your mental commands, energy, and spells, you attempt to force the echo to stabilize within the crystal orb. However, despite your efforts, the echo remains unstable.

Frustrated, you reach out again, and the orb shocks you once more. This time, you resist the urge to pull away and instead try to inject your life energy into the orb. For a brief moment, the energy mass inside the crystal stabilizes, but soon the extra energy is consumed, and the instability returns.

‘This is... Complicated...’

The struggle to stabilize the echo within the crystal orb is proving more difficult than you anticipated. The chaotic nature of the energy seems to be fighting against your attempts to control it. The orb’s current state is a reflection of your internal conflict and the challenge of integrating this powerful but unstable energy.

In the midst of this, you might need to rethink your approach. Perhaps you need a different method to manage or channel the energy, or you might need to explore why the energy within the orb is so resistant to stabilization. The answers might lie in deeper understanding or a novel approach to your magic and mana control techniques.

'This is... Complicated...'

---

 

H̵̟̐à̴̻n̴̞̳̈̈́a̷̳͐͋̿'̵̬̍̐́s̶͓̀̐͘͜ ̷̡̱͎͐S̸͎͕̈̊u̷̟͉̺̅̈́b̵̛̹̳̏̌c̵̦͗͆̑o̷̤͌͆n̵̨̝̒ͅs̷̤͛͊̊c̵̛̙͓̦̽̍i̸̬͕͓̽́o̶̲͖̬̅̂̓u̷̟̖̗̓ș̷͎̒̕ - ?̶̗̤̯̺͍͌̕&;̵̨̡̛̰͖̜̳̹̬̀͊̋̏̄͗̚͡4̴̢̡̛̆͛̄͋̄͂͟͜͝ͅ ̵͍̼̼͚͉̠̞̪͋̈́̀̂̓̈́͝-̵͚́́̎̓̌̽̿̚͡ ̷̭̰͓̯͍̉̀͘Ḑ̸̧̛͉̹̩̠̮͖̩̜̄̓a̸͎͎̦̙̠̲͓̹͗͛y̴̡͎͖͓̒̈͛̊̾̀̀̚͝͡ş̵̰͈̘̠̙̼̩͆̆́̋̂̀͑ ̶̨̰̙̣͒̚L̶̼͓͇̼̻̩̤̐a̷̛͈̘̙̯͔̥͖̳͊͗͜t̵̢͎͇̮̦͆̀̈́͌e̸̛͚̹͕̒͛̐͆͗̐́r̴̛̯͎̗͎̜̮̠͕̲͈̆̒̌͐́̄̑̉͂