Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 350 Anvil Bees

Soldin acted very mysteriously.

The sturdy dwarf, whose muscles were tightly knitted and seemed to blend into his outer armor, did not reveal to the two what he had discovered.

While urging Xia Nan and Margaret by the campfire to get up and prepare in an exceptionally surprised tone, he hurriedly rummaged through his own backpack.

Xia Nan was about to go out for training, planning to come back for dinner after practice.

I intended to politely decline.

But when he saw the dwarf pull two tinderboxes out of his backpack and deliberately put that unusually heavy iron helmet on his head...

This also brings to mind Soldin's earlier mention of "a big extra meal."

Xia Nan already had some guesses in his mind.

Compared to his surprise, Margaret seemed to have long been accustomed to the dwarf's personality.

We've known each other for many years and gone on countless adventures together.

Just like that mean-spirited wanderer who seemed to get along with everyone but actually fit seamlessly with others like a puzzle piece, after a long period of getting along and working together, even with different personalities, when they are in a team, they will show a certain common temperament from the group.

I asked Soldin a question, but he seemed mysterious and unwilling to reveal anything.

The female swordsman didn't ask any more questions. She carefully put the "Oath Keeper Blackwood" squad emblem away from her body and got up to tidy it up.

Of course, one can distinguish between what is important and what is not.

Although we are currently in the middle of a mission, it is a personal rest time after setting up camp. There is no extra escort mission, and the area around the convoy camp has already been cleared and there is no danger. In fact, many warning traps have been set up.

It's just a short absence, it won't have any impact.

Soldin himself is, after all, a level 4 veteran adventurer, and there is no possibility that he would bring danger to the team for no reason.

The fact that he's showing such a joyful expression right now suggests that he's probably discovered something really interesting.

"It will take at most an hour, it won't take too long!"

Seeing that Xia Nan seemed hesitant, Soldin stuffed the tinder into his pouch, forced a somewhat affected expression on his rugged face, and chuckled in a low voice.

"Just follow me, and I'll definitely make you satisfied!"

After traveling together for seven days, the dwarf had roughly figured out the preferences of this seemingly young but exceptionally capable black-haired youth, and his tone was exceptionally confident.

Thinking it over, since I had to stay up for the first half of the night anyway, I decided to postpone the training time by an hour. After I finished my watch, the six-hour cooldown of [Gravity Etching] would be completed, and I could practice one more time before resting.

Given the short, stocky guy's behavior, it wouldn't hurt to follow him and take a look.

Xia Nan nodded and accepted the invitation.

……

Following Soldin, who was leading the way, the group left the camp and walked south into the woods for about twenty minutes.

Soon, the three of them arrived at their destination.

Xia Nan's expression was strange.

His excellent perception allowed him to roughly sense the identity of the "extra meal" the dwarf was talking about two minutes earlier.

Sure enough, accompanied by a dense buzzing sound that grew louder as he approached, a huge, dark brown "stone" attached to the thick trunk of the oak tree came into view.

It is about the size of two adult torsos, with a rough and hard surface, and an overall irregular, coarse texture, like a miniature fortress.

The buzzing sound comes from it, and if you look closely, you can see the neatly arranged, densely packed tiny holes on its surface, and...

A flock of dark blue bees hovered around the nest.

"Anvil bee?"

Margaret looked somewhat surprised and spoke up instinctively.

"These kinds of bees usually only appear in mining areas, how come they're here..."

"Hehe." The dwarf Soldin revealed a smug expression, "I happened to see one when I was setting up camp earlier, so I followed the search, and I didn't expect to actually come across it."

"Tsk, tsk."

The usually composed female swordsman couldn't help but click her tongue in surprise when faced with the enormous beehive in front of her.

"That is indeed an extra meal."

I couldn't understand a word they were saying.

Xia Nan has been spending a lot of time studying in River Valley Town, trying to supplement his knowledge of adventurers as much as possible.

However, when it comes to these ordinary little creatures that are not monsters, there is still a significant gap in knowledge compared to seasoned adventurers who have accumulated countless quests.

Without any embarrassment, he took the initiative to ask the two of them for details about this type of bee.

Anvil bees are a unique type of organism commonly found in high mountains and mining areas.

It is about the size of an adult's thumb. In terms of appearance, it does not have the yellow and black stripes commonly seen on bees, but rather a darker bronze color that shimmers with a metallic luster when sunlight is reflected.

Their unique physiological structure makes the sound of their wings vibrating at high speed during flight sound like metal being struck repeatedly with a small hammer, hence their name.

Anvil bees have exceptionally strong bodies and thick, tough wings that enable them to fly long distances and carry heavy loads, bringing pollen, tiny mineral particles, and mineral-rich clay back to their nests.

This creature has a particularly unique mouthpart, which is like a miniature chisel, capable of scraping the mineral particles needed from the surface of rocks; its chelicerae are sharp and long, and contain a strong neurotoxin. A single one might be tolerable, but with their large numbers, even those powerful creatures known as "monsters" dare not approach their nests.

It is worth mentioning that anvil honey is one of the owl bear's favorite foods, as its thick, multi-layered downy feathers are enough to withstand the desperate stings of most bees.

If you want to gain the friendship and approval of the owl bear, anvil honey is a very good gift.

Of course, this has nothing to do with Xia Nan.

"So... the 'extra meal' you mentioned earlier refers to the honey from these anvil bees?"

Xia Nan glanced at the iron helmet that the dwarf had specially put on his head before setting off, his expression subtle.

"Correct!"

Unaware of his gaze, Soldin nodded emphatically, his eyes fixed on the enormous beehive ahead through the gaps in his helmet, swallowing hard involuntarily.

As a traditional clan dwarf who grew up in the mountains and mines, Soldin was no stranger to the anvil bee and knew the taste of its honey.

Its texture, thicker and more amber-like than regular honey, and its rich, mellow, and sweet flavor...

He hadn't experienced this for many years since leaving his clan to venture out on his own.

Anvil honey is rich in trace elements extracted from plants and minerals, and it releases energy slowly and steadily. Combined with its wonderful taste, it is a coveted supplement for adventurers and dwarven miners, and is considered a precious food that can strengthen the body.

Its complex flavor and composition make it an excellent base for brewing some of the finest spirits. These rare creations, crafted by individual dwarven master brewers, can even fetch high prices at auctions.

Adding it during cooking can give ingredients unparalleled depth and complexity, making it a highly regarded ingredient that nobles would specially introduce to their guests at banquets.

For dwarfs, this honey is believed to prevent a disease caused by prolonged lack of sunlight and radiation from certain minerals, and it is also rumored to help promote wound healing, treat indigestion, and improve physical health.

In some regions, dwarves are even willing to exchange gold or gems.

These are truly expensive ingredients. Soldin talked to Xia Nan for a long time.

But in summary, it all boils down to four words:

"Delicious! Valuable!"

These two points, however, are Xia Nan's exclusive special skills.

If the reason for coming here with Soldin was simply out of respect for his fellow travelers and a little curiosity, then...

But after the other party explained the top-notch edible and commercial value of honey to him...

The nature of the matter has changed.

"So, do you have any plans?"

Xia Nan looked at the huge beehive on the oak tree in front of him and asked Soldin.

Upon hearing this, the dwarf patted his chest forcefully, his thick palm striking the metal armor with a dull thud.

"Don't worry, I have experience dealing with these little things."

"Listen to me, do this for a bit, and then..."

……

A squad consisting of two level 4 and one level 2 professionals whose actual combat abilities far exceed their levels.

Excluding those "monsters," for the vast majority of ordinary creatures in nature, they are at the top of the food chain.

Even the most ferocious wolf packs, or bears and tigers with cubs, would never dare to give it a second glance.

Exceptional physical attributes, combined with combat skills and equipment, allow intelligent beings to achieve near-crushing slaughter against wild beasts.

However, the group needed to be extra careful with the current anvil-shaped beehive.

After all, neither Margaret nor Xia Nan had enough defensive capabilities to ignore the stinging spikes.

Even Soldin, who was in the front row, put on his helmet.

Following a plan quickly devised in a short period of time, Xia Nan held the tinder given to him by the dwarf, along with several clumps of shrubs from the surrounding woodland.

Find an upwind spot and carefully light it.

"Crackling..."

The faint firelight flickered, and the thick, dark gray smoke, carried by the gentle breeze through the forest, drifted silently toward the hive.

To be on the safe side, Xia Nan also secretly used [Gravity Control] to manipulate invisible gravity, making the thick smoke in the air more solid and stable, like a column of smoke rising diagonally from the ground and pouring straight into the hive.

hum-

With a distinctive metallic crispness, the buzzing sound of the anvil bee's wings vibrating suddenly became loud.

One by one, thumb-sized, bluish-black bees crawled out of the fortress-like hive.

About two-fifths of it was dispersed by the thick smoke that Xia Nan poured in, and it swayed and scattered away.

The remaining three-fifths stubbornly resisted the onslaught of smoke, hovering around the hive.

It was at this moment that it became clear that the remaining bees could not be dispersed in the short term.

Soldin, wearing an iron helmet, suddenly leaped out of the bushes beside him.

He holds a shield in his left hand and a mace in his right.

Shout at the swarms of anvil bees hovering and circling in the air ahead, and slam your hammer into the shield.

An invisible wave instantly enveloped the swarm of bees in the air.

The dwarf actually used a taunting technique directly on the bees.

They are not intelligent beings; their actions are largely driven by instinct.

Soldin's taunts weren't very effective against the anvil bees, but since the hive was currently being hit by thick smoke, even a slight impact was enough to make the agitated swarm blame the dwarf for attacking the nest.

Almost the instant the hammer struck the surface of the round shield, producing a metallic clang, a massive swarm of bees, like a dark cloud, their buzzing sounds intertwined, pressed down on him.

Without the slightest hesitation, Soldin immediately turned around and sprinted away from the spot.

As dusk settled, the dwarf clad in full metal armor and the swarm of bees behind him resembled an iron ball rolling through the forest, kicking up thick dust in the process.

Seeing that Soldin had already led the vast majority of the remaining anvil bees away from the hive, Margaret, who had been waiting nearby, quickly stepped forward.

He carried an empty cloth bag with its opening wide in his left hand, and gripped a small, gleaming dagger in his right.

A level 4 Swordsman.

Even with a short dagger that she rarely used, her swordsmanship was still sharp and precise.

It didn't even last a minute.

The honeycomb, which was almost the size of two adult torsos, was neatly cut off piece by piece.

As Salding had specifically instructed, and respecting their local customs, Margaret did not completely destroy the beehive. Instead, she deliberately cut down only half of it, which contained the majority of the honey, leaving the other half, which housed bee larvae, on the tree.

The plan was successfully completed, with only some final touches remaining.

When Shanan and Margaret returned to the camp under the cover of night, carrying sacks full of beehives, the dwarf Soldin was already ahead of them, sitting by the campfire, grimacing as he pulled bee stings from the back of his hand.

Having grown up in a clan deep in the mines, this dwarf knew the process of harvesting anvil honey intimately and also had some knowledge of how to escape from a swarm of bees.

Frankly speaking, for professionals of their caliber, no matter how troublesome the anvil bees are, dealing with them is actually quite simple.

Leaving aside Soldin and Margaret, even Xia Nan, whose professional level is only lv2 and whose combat skills are not many, has a million ways to get the honey.

The real challenge is how to ensure the survival of the vast majority of anvil bees, and after collecting honey, preserve the larval habitat in the hive, thus allowing the anvil bee colony to continue.

Xia Nan could understand Soldin's meaning. He guessed that on the one hand, he felt that the anvil bees were too rare and he didn't want to destroy them all at once, so that they could come and collect honey when they were hungry in the future; on the other hand, it was also because of the ancient tradition of their clan of dwarves.

However, since the honey had been successfully harvested, Xia Nan didn't pay much attention to it. He just thought that he would taste it later, and if it tasted as delicious as the other party had described, he might ask the dwarf when the hive would recover.

We can collect some more from the other party later, or pay them to keep some for us.

"Hmm... Anyway, this kind of stuff doesn't expire, so I can keep a few cans on me and give them to Barn when I get back."

Although he is stronger than a goblin, he is said to have dwarven blood and grew up in his tribe's territory, so he should not be resistant to this kind of honey.

Having collaborated so many times, we've become quite familiar with each other.

Bringing back small gifts for friends after a long trip is a habit Xia Nan developed long ago in her previous life, one that requires no further explanation.

While pondering whether to leave some for Adeline and the others, before the two of them even reached the campfire, several more figures came in from the side, beckoning them in.

Leading the way was the convoy owner, Horako, with a round face and a kind smile, followed by his thin, serious-looking assistant.

Several servants, carrying steaming iron pots, followed behind the two men with short, quick steps.

(End of this chapter)