Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Ting Yu automatically equated "queen bee" in the task description with "Queen Bee," thinking that this Queen's trial was the Queen's test.

Especially since the first trial was to find a nesting site, which was related to nest-building skills—clearly, Her Majesty was testing her.

Ting Yu felt confident in her solid foundation.

Unable to complete the daily nurturing tasks, Piao Xue gave up on alliance-related missions, while Jiangnan and Qingshan were busy grinding dailies and forest reconstruction tasks.

After briefly mentioning in a group chat that completing all five major dailies would unlock the hidden Queen Bee Trial, Ting Yu flew straight toward the northeastern part of the forest.

This part of the forest was untouched by the fire, with ancient trees standing tall, their greenery stretching endlessly.

Ting Yu happened to know that in the northeast part of the forest, there was a type of giant tree with unique structures—not fruits, but parts of the trunk firmly attached to the branches, shaped like acorns enlarged hundreds of times.

The cap covering them acted like an umbrella, shielding the plump "acorn" part from wind and rain, with sharp, dense spines on the umbrella surface for protection.

The "acorn" part was hollow, and the space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside—a natural bird nest that had indeed attracted countless birds to settle in.

These birds cleared pests from the tree, drove away animals trying to damage the bark or suck the sap, and their droppings provided nutrients for the tree.

It seemed as though the tree was using free housing to employ the birds—a wonderful symbiotic relationship.

When Ting Yu first saw these "acorns" in a player-shared video, she thought they would be perfect for bumblebees to build nests in. She never thought she’d actually get to use the idea.

After avoiding several elite monsters above level 30 and killing three or four bird predators that tried to attack her, Ting Yu arrived at her destination as marked on the map.

As she approached, she was met with a cacophony of chirping birds. In the nearby area, she found three such giant trees. The largest one had a trunk diameter of three to four meters, though in this forest, that was considered relatively small.

Countless birds hopped and fluttered among the leaves and branches, and the "acorn nests" hidden under the foliage were already filled with various birds of different feather colors, living together harmoniously like a bird kingdom.

Ting Yu had second thoughts.

The trees were great, and the nests were perfect, but who could tolerate so many birds?

She hadn’t even been there for five minutes, and her head was already throbbing from the noise.

She treated the game as part of her life, experiencing this game world as a second world. The birds were beautiful, lively, and adorable, and she couldn’t bring herself to drive them away and forcibly take over.

After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to abandon this plan and find a suitable tree cavity to complete the task.

Luckily, while searching for a tree cavity, she discovered a "young oak tree" with a diameter of only 20 cm near the forest center. Struggling to grow under the shade of towering giant trees, it desperately absorbed sunlight and rain.

Surprisingly, its sparse canopy bore many fist-sized "acorns."

Because they were so small, no birds had moved in yet.

Ting Yu was overjoyed—this was practically tailor-made for her task, the perfect hive!

In their five-person team, everyone except her had chosen the Wood Element Talent. The reason? The Wood Element was the most practical in the forest. Influenced by numerous fantasy novels and movies, players had long discovered that the Wood Element could promote plant growth.

So Ting Yu immediately called for help to accelerate the growth of the "acorns." While growing the entire tree in a short time was unrealistic, growing a few "acorns" to complete the task was feasible.

Piao Xue and God Bless, who had long been curious about the hidden task, rushed over after receiving Ting Yu’s message. After accelerating two "acorns" to the size of watermelons, Ting Yu directed them to create a few holes under the "umbrella" part of the "acorns" for airflow and light. Then, they made two openings on the bottom sides as nest entrances.

After these simple adjustments, a clever, beautiful, and naturally styled hive took shape.

God Bless crawled into the "acorn," his muffled voice echoing outside: "This is amazing. It looks like a watermelon from the outside, but inside it’s like two or three square meters. In Beijing, this would cost half a year’s salary."

Piao Xue: "I thought it was incredible when I saw it on the forum. Honestly, it’s really suitable for a hive. Why don’t we just accelerate a few and use them as homes?"

A [Hive Home Qualification Voucher] could only bind one home. The players’ homes were destroyed in the fire, but their home qualifications remained, allowing them to bind a new target as their home.

Only bound homes would receive the game’s protection.

Ting Yu first marked the location of the "acorn" tree and submitted the trial task. The system registered the task as complete and immediately refreshed the second trial. After reading it, she let out a cry of disbelief.

"What the heck?! How is this even possible?!"

God Bless and Piao Xue immediately came out, and they were equally shocked after seeing the task Ting Yu shared.

"Queen Bee Trial Two: Build 1,000 nests. Time limit: one day."

"Current progress: 0/1,000."

Ting Yu was distraught: "Even if I work myself to death, I can’t build 1,000 nests in a day."

God Bless comforted her: "Since the task was issued, it can’t be impossible. There must be a way to complete it."

Piao Xue said casually: "What else can we do? Recruit more people?"

Ting Yu suddenly looked up, her face lighting up as she looked at Piao Xue, excitedly saying: "I’ll go to the forum to rally people!"

God Bless: "We’re already ahead in the game. We can trade the Five Good Bumblebee clue for others to come and build nests. We’ll tell them after you complete the second trial."

Piao Xue added: "Exactly, quite a few people have already guessed it anyway."

While Ting Yu and the others were rallying people on the forum, Shen Yi was also monitoring her task progress. After all, this was the first step in his strategy to introduce player-led management. The second trial was specifically designed to test the player’s ability to rally and lead.

Once Ting Yu completed the subsequent third trial, a gathering task, Shen Yi could appoint her as a queen and unlock the summoning application.

In Shen Yi’s plan, he would essentially select six Queen Bees, split them into groups, and let them create their own colonies, i.e., alliances.

When a Queen Bee’s alliance built enough nests and stored sufficient food, the Queen could apply to summon a corresponding number of larvae, subject to Shen Yi’s approval. These larvae would naturally be players waiting to enter the game.

If veteran players failed to take good care of the waiting players’ characters, leading to their demise, they could sort it out among themselves offline.

With the urging of players waiting in line, these veteran players would surely take nurturing and developing the hive seriously.

In the future, Shen Yi could sit back and relax, leaving trivial matters to the players. He would only need to approve the Queen Bees’ summoning applications—or even delegate that part to ATong.

"So what does this teach us?" Shen Yi seized the opportunity to impart some insights about leadership to his subordinates from life’s little lessons.

"The smartest way to shear sheep isn’t to raise them tirelessly, but to let the lambs diligently find grass to eat, feeding themselves until they’re plump and happy, willingly offering their wool."

"This way, we get the wool, the lambs are happy, and everyone benefits."

The subordinates sat in a row, listening with great interest, while Xi Ye stood to the side, looking thoughtful, clearly having learned something too.

"Ah, Boss, the stink bug died!" Lao Si suddenly shouted, pointing to a corner behind Shen Yi.

Shen Yi didn’t immediately recall what Lao Si meant by "stink bug." How could there be bugs in the Queen's nest?

It was Xi Ye who shook his hand and pulled out a bug tied with thousand-thread vines from a crack in the rocks.

The bug had turned from bright yellow to brownish-yellow, its round bead-like eyes now thin horizontal lines, and its originally gelatinous body was noticeably shriveled, as if it had been dead for some time.

The moment Shen Yi saw this bug, some painful memories were triggered, and he instantly flew back five meters, clearly had bad memories of it—and the shadow it cast was not small.

After being knocked out by the bug's stench last time, he evolved groggily, and the foul odor was eliminated during the process. He was so caught up in the surprise and impact of his new appearance that he completely forgot about the bug.

Shortly after, they encountered a mountain fire and were busy rebuilding the forest and planning the newbie village, so naturally, the trauma of the stink bomb left by the bug was pushed to the back of his mind.

Now, as that familiar figure reappeared, the terrifying memories came rushing back. Shen Yi's voice trembled: "How... how did it get into my Queen Bee nest?!"

Xi Ye paused while handling the Thousand Silk Vine. That day, he had casually brought it in. Didn’t the system say Shen Yi would be interested in this bug?

Xi Ye frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "It has gained sentience, and its Talent is quite unique. Don’t you want to take a look?"

Shen Yi’s curiosity was piqued, but he still kept his distance, refusing to come closer: "What kind of Talent?"

"Boss, boss, I know!" Number Four eagerly chimed in. "It’s self-replication. It can create many copies of itself."

Number Seven added, "As long as one copy survives, it can’t die. That’s why those bugs self-destructed that day."

Seeing Shen Yi’s wide-eyed expression, his golden pupils shimmering with curiosity, Xi Ye lifted the bug and said, "Let’s wake it up and see a demonstration."

Although it looked shriveled and withered, as if already dead, the Elves and bumblebees present could see the system panel, which clearly displayed the [Feigned Death Buff] above the bug’s head.

This bug was quite clever, but unfortunately, it had encountered them.

Number Seven and the others had interrogated the bug before. Seeing it still pretending to be dead, she said with a mischievous grin, grabbed the Thousand Silk Vine, and lifted it up to put on a show: "Oh, it’s dead."

Number Two said, "Since it’s dead, let’s grind it into powder and sprinkle it over the flowerbeds as fertilizer. Its stinky farts must be very nourishing for the flowers."

Number Four added, "I’ll help you. Let’s put it on that rock over there. It’ll be smashed to pieces in no time."

As the merciless little bees carried it toward the rock, the whoosh of air followed. The bug could no longer hold back and opened its eyes, yelling as it scrambled away.

Number Four’s large hammer landed heavily on the rock with a thud.

"Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!"

Hearing this childish voice, Shen Yi grew even more curious and leaned in for a closer look.

Number Six flew over and nuzzled him: "Don’t be scared, boss. If you get hit by this bug’s stink bomb, just cleanse it with some Essence. It’s nothing to be afraid of, and you’ll even gain some experience." Although the amount was small, every little bit helps.

Shen Yi shuddered at the memory of the stench’s power, but with Number Six watching, how could he show fear in front of the children?

Shen Yi forced a smile at Number Six, took a deep breath, and bravely flew to Xi Ye’s side, peeking out like a curious little bee.

Just then, Number Four lifted the bug and let out a devilish laugh: "Well, well, so you were pretending to be dead after all."

The bug trembled and begged for mercy: "I didn’t mean to! I just ran out of spiritual energy and fell into a dormant state."

It was true that its spiritual energy had been drained, but the feigned death was entirely intentional.

It had thought that if it played dead, these terrifying creatures would simply discard it. But who would have thought they’d still try to smash it into fertilizer even after it "died"?

While the underlings played the "bad cop," Shen Yi naturally took on the "good cop" role. He took out a Crystal Stone Plum and used his spiritual energy to extract its rich, spirit-energy-filled juice, placing it in front of the bug: "Do you want to drink it?"

The stink bug, enticed by the delicious scent, lunged forward as if bewitched. Shen Yi allowed it only a sip before pulling the juice away and asking, "Why did you attack us that day?"

Having tasted the delicious juice, the bug’s body, starved for days, was instantly revitalized by the spirit energy. It instinctively yearned for more, staring longingly at the tantalizing treat just out of reach. Desperate, it cried out, "You were trying to catch me! Of course, I had to escape!"

Although it had gained sentience, it was just a small, insignificant bug hiding under leaves to survive. It even avoided sparrows hopping on tree branches. When faced with threats, it could only self-destruct its copies to escape. It would never actively provoke other creatures.

"Who said I was trying to catch you?" Shen Yi reflexively retorted, then remembered that Xi Ye had indeed used the Thousand Silk Vine to capture one. Feeling slightly guilty, he lowered his antennae and handed the drop of juice to the bug.

Revitalized by the spirit energy, the shriveled stink bug plumped up visibly, its body returning to a jelly-like, tender yellow. Its round, bead-like eyes widened, and its tiny wings, similar to those of a bumblebee, tucked behind its back, barely covering its rear. On closer inspection, it was actually quite cute.

This was the first time Shen Yi had encountered another sentient creature in this world. But Xi Ye had said that aside from the Elves he created, other beings that naturally gained sentience were extremely rare. It was normal not to see them.

Yet Shen Yi thought, "Why does it feel like we’re in a period of spirit energy surge, like in those novels, where all things awaken like bamboo shoots in spring? Even a little bug like this has gained sentience."

Although he and his underlings were also insects, their situations were different. Shen Yi had been reborn as a human with memories intact, equipped with a system cheat. His underlings had their sentience forcibly awakened by him bit by bit. But this bug had gained sentience entirely on its own.

To some extent, this reflected the Evolution level of this world.

And there was that insect mother before, which had almost gained sentience too.

"Hey, it seems like the two sentient beings we’ve encountered are both insects..." Shen Yi suddenly laughed, leaning against Xi Ye. "Could it be that the World Consciousness has developed a fascination with insects?"

Xi Ye glanced at him and nodded in agreement: "Possibly."

"Then we’re living in the best of times! We can’t waste it!" Shen Yi clenched his fist. "Tomorrow, let’s have A Fu take us to explore new areas!"

As for why they had to wait until tomorrow, he needed time to study this stink bug thoroughly.

The plump, tender-yellow bug gulped down the juice in one go, hugged its full belly contentedly, and squinted its bead-like eyes into two slits. Suspended by the Thousand Silk Vine, its jelly-like body swayed gently.

"Was it delicious?" Shen Yi couldn’t resist poking its soft, smooth belly. He took out another drop of juice and offered it. "Do you want more?"

Having finally encountered a sentient being he could communicate with, he couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. He decided to recruit it to work for him—his gaming kingdom needed plenty of NPCs.

The stink bug’s round eyes stared at him, and ultimately, unable to resist the temptation, it plunged headfirst into the juice, gulping it down as if afraid Shen Yi might change his mind. Only by swallowing it could it be sure the treat was truly its own.

After finishing, it let out a satisfied burp, and its plump body suddenly trembled. Another identical bug split off right beside it!

Shen Yi’s eyes widened in amazement. Although he had heard about the bug’s Talent from his underlings, seeing it firsthand still astounded him.

The underlings exclaimed in awe: "It reproduced! That was fast!"

The newly split stink bug immediately tried to fly away.

Shen Yi didn’t move, letting it escape.

After it had flown around for a while, he said leisurely, "This is my Queen Bee nest. Without my permission, you can’t get out."

The stink bug, stubbornly refusing to believe him, flew around frantically until it hit walls repeatedly. Exhausted, it fell to the ground with a soft thud, its bouncy body trembling as it gasped for breath.

Shen Yi controlled it to fly back to his side and offered another drop of juice to replenish its energy: "Why run? If you stick with me, you’ll have endless juice and Essence. You could even bathe in it."

Then Shen Yi brought it near the Spirit Vein Stone: "Do you know what this is?"

The stink bug’s eyes glazed over with fascination. It didn’t know what the stone was, but it instinctively sensed that staying near it would bring immense benefits—benefits beyond its imagination. Driven by instinct, it desperately tried to cling to the Spirit Vein Stone.

The little stone had now reached level 36. At full capacity, it released spiritual essence when surrounded by ample spirit energy. This essence, similar to spirit energy, was an intangible force that couldn’t be collected or stored. One could only feel its presence near the stone.

So, Shen Yi and the others usually gathered around the stone to rest at night. Over time, the accumulated influence made Xi Ye’s star ascension smoother. As for Shen Yi and the others... no noticeable changes had appeared yet, but it certainly wasn’t harmful.

Shen Yi pulled the entranced stink bug back: "See? If you stick with me, this will be your colleague from now on."

"Besides, if you leave one copy here in my Queen Bee nest, no matter how recklessly you behave outside, you’ll always have a safe retreat."

…

With just a small display of power, Shen Yi had completely won over the inexperienced little stink bug.

Sentient creatures cannot be contracted, but Shen Yi never intended to contract them in the first place. How could he contract every new employee? He simply doesn’t have the energy for that.

“What’s your name?”

“Name?” The stinkbug’s beady eyes looked confused. “What’s a name?”

This time, it was Shen Yi’s turn to be puzzled. He glanced at Xi Ye. Wasn’t it said that when a creature gains sentience, it receives a name bestowed by World Consciousness?

Xi Ye didn’t know either. In fact, before meeting Shen Yi, he had never encountered any sentient beings other than fairies. All the information he knew was hearsay from Flower Spirit Valley.

“Maybe there are just too many creatures gaining sentience now, so they're not as special anymore. World Consciousness probably can't be bothered naming each one individually, haha.” Shen Yi laughed at his own speculation, not noticing the system interface flickering faintly, as if there was a loose connection somewhere.

True to his word, Shen Yi found a bowl-sized fruit shell, filled it with Crystal Stone Plum juice, and let the stinkbug and its clone soak in it, drinking to their heart’s content.

“I’ll give you a name,” he said with a smile, looking at the two identical round little jelly-like blobs. His naming addiction kicked in again—how could such adorable beings with self-awareness not have names? “How about Tangyuan?”

The two pale yellow little balls tumbled and floated in the juice, and in the blink of an eye, there were three of them, clustered together, round and plump—just like a bowl of tangyuan. The name couldn’t be more fitting.

The stinkbug had no idea what a name meant. It hadn’t felt the lack before, but now that it had one, it felt unexpectedly happy. Perhaps a name was indeed something very important. Now, the big bee seemed less intimidating now.

Shen Yi hadn’t yet figured out what work to assign Tangyuan. Besides, he still needed to build a relationship with it. Before establishing basic trust, it wasn’t wise to let it roam free—otherwise, it might take off, and all that initial effort would be wasted.

Soaking in the fragrant, energy-packed juice bath, feeling the cleansing effect of the Spirit Stone, and with no pesky birds around that liked to eat them, Tangyuan—now having replicated two more clones—wished it could stay here forever. It had no desire to go outside at all.

After all, the Queen Bee’s nest was already vast enough for it, and there was not a hint of feeling trapped.

The next day, Shen Yi and Xi Ye boarded the A Fu Express teleportation service. The second-in-command and the others stayed behind to look after the beginner village and level up.

Fairy also stayed behind, creating copies for new players to collect Divine Water. It had already reached level 21, progressing rapidly.

Xi Ye told A Fu to randomly choose a previously visited location for teleportation. Shen Yi added, “Preferably somewhere close to the Firefly Forest.”

The air around them instantly distorted, and with a sudden shift, they found themselves in a new place.

The first thing that caught their eyes were countless giant mushrooms of various shapes, sizes, and vibrant colors.

Not far from Shen Yi and the others stood a mushroom about two meters tall, shaped like a broad straw hat. Its cap displayed a gradient of colors with scattered specks of flowing light, and beneath the cap, a soft glow emanated, like a grounded lighthouse, attracting insects that tirelessly flew toward it. The cap would suddenly close, enveloping the insects.

It was a carnivorous mushroom.

Some had thick, towering stems with broad caps covered in delicate leaves, resembling mushroom trees beyond human imagination.

Plump mushrooms, both in cap and stem, were surrounded by drifting, colorful specks—their spores—flowing and dispersing, reflecting brilliant colors under the fluorescent light, like a miniature aurora.

Large and small, individual and clustered, red, blue, green, orange-red... every imaginable and unimaginable color freely blended here, creating a bizarre and spectacular visual feast.

Even mid-air floated giant mushroom caps, dangling with elegant beaded curtains. Each bead shimmered with fluorescence, attracting light-seeking insects that flocked toward the glow like devoted pilgrims, only to get stuck on the beads and sacrifice themselves for their lifelong faith.

A fairy-tale world beyond human imagination.

Shen Yi, mesmerized, captured each magical and dreamlike mushroom with his gaze. The system interface kept flashing with attack alerts, but the damage was too low for him to take seriously for now.

“Toxic attack, HP: -2, -2, -2, -2…”

“The Enchanted Mushroom Forest!” Xi Ye quickly grabbed Shen Yi. “Everything here is poisonous. Let’s leave first.”