An orb of yellow energy floated down from the sky, seemingly weightless in its descent.
The stars far above it began to twinkle in resposne, and from the deep depths of outer space they sang an echoing buzz. The low buzz of a swarming hive, unsure of which queen it should follow.
Han pulled himself back from their gaze. Not bothering to question what all the buzzing meant. His battle was here... now.
'Okay, so it has queen's gaze, I know that much,' he thought, pulling up his traits screen in preparation. 'But perhaps it'll be susceptible to Scent of the Sun like all the other bees.'
'No. That's wishful thinking.'
He scrapped the plan. He would attempt it, but he wouldn't get his hopes high on it working.
'Something more concrete would be trying to end it before it even begins,' he thought. 'New borns don't just come out gun's blazing, do they? Maybe I can blitz her while my enhancements are still active.
A better plan, but not a full proof one.
He stared at his traits screen. One of skills was pulsing... the new skill he had unlocked for reaching level 5.
〖꧁Hive's Song꧂〗
If it was anything like the last two spells, it would be powerful. But for some reason, despair and hopeless was all that he felt as he stared at it. He realized now that this trait he relied so heavily upon may not be truly his.
The imposter had called him a false whisperer. And the 'Hive' had summoned another queen bee into this quest, protecting it despite his efforts.
Was he really here to prove himself to the Hive. Or to be a pawn in whatever game it played?
Han wasn't sure. But he had the feeling that there was a lot more going on here than just his survival. Perhaps he should've suspected as much all the way back when he had discovered he was 'U' rank, back when Chul had explained the ranking to him.
'Chul.'
By this point, the orb was but a few meters off the ground. It looked as if it would land right on the pedastal.
Han cleared his mind of the emotions that tried to surface. He could mourn the death of his comrade later. Right now, he had a job to finish.
He flipped the dagger in his hand, before hurling it dagger at orb.
But as expected, it bounced off without leaving a dent, landing somewhere among the flowers.
'Well, it worth a shot.'
"Return."
Blue particles appeared around his hand, before re-materializing into the dagger.
He looked back at his trait screen realizing the new skill might be his only real shot. Even if the hive was probably using it as part of some twisted ploy.
He took a deep breath.
'Please be fucking useful.'
"Hive's song!"
An agonizing burn rushed from the soles of his feet, all the way to his head. It felt like hellfire were flowing through his veins.
He fell to his knees, clutching his body as his muscles twitched in pain.
'A trap?'
Streams of golden light tore from his forehead, twisting and morphing into a perfect hexagon that floated right above his skull.
Another rush of energy tore through him. But this time, it was a warm, comforting... euphoric.
Han's head snapped back, half in shock, half in pleasure.
The stars, the song they sang... he could... understand them.
They sang something beyond words... a song so beautiful that tears began to roll down his cheeks.
That deep buzz from outerspace, was a song of challenge. The buzz of quadrillions of different existences, all singing for his victory.
He knew not how he could understand them. But what he did know was that this song was his. And so he joined them —a low buzz echoing from his body— as they had always been waiting for him to do.
A crackle pulled his attention back to Earth.
The egg was hatching.
Han stared in ancipation, wondering what sort of horror would emerge.
A pale yellow hand emerged from the egg first. Then another. And another. And another.
Han took a step forward, the confidence of the souls above steeling his resolve.
Next it was two sets of legs... then two pairs of wings.
'A human bee?' he thought.
And finally, a head.
Han held his breath.
"False whisperer..." A voice sweet as honey.
"I see you."
Now sitting atop the pedastal was a maiden, a woman of such beauty that he had never seen before.
Skin of golden silk, eyes like molten amber. Even her posture as she sat up on the pedastal was one of quiet power.
She snapped her fingers, and a bloody orb appeared in her hand.
No... a bloody head appeared in her hand; Nolan's head.
She considered him for a moment, before lifting it up to her mouth. Her jaw stretched open like some sort deepwater creature, before snapping shut. Blood and brain matter splashed all around her.
Han felt sick.
"I am Queen Beelaques..." the maiden said, wiping the blood from her lips. "And I reject your rule."
She raised three of her arms, two in prayer, and one with palm facing the sky. "Hive's Song," she whispered.
The stars' low buzzing went silent, and Han was disconnected from that place that gave him confidence.
Now, in front of this creature, he felt once again, like just a lost boy.
〖The Hive has detected distress.〗
〖Summon conquered bee's to your aid?〗
Han looked down at the notification.
From the looks of it, Queen Beelaques was doing the same.
For a moment there was only silence.
'Maybe I can talk to it? It seems intelligent enough.'
"Make quickly your decision, False whisperer," Beelaques soothed. "For it is not long that the Hive can sing it's challenge song."
'Challenge song?'
"Look, I don't know what's going on here. But maybe we don't have to fight each other," Han said. "I-I don't want to rule or anything like that. I just want to go home."
Beelaques took another bite of Nolan's head, crunching slowly in her mouth. It took Han everything he had just to keep from showing a reaction.
"You seem mistaken," she said, tossing Nolan's head.
Her wings spread out —they looked closer to a butterflies than a bees— and she flew so that she was a whisper away from Han.
Oddly, Han felt no need to try and run away. There was no malice in those soft eyes of hers.
"You are home, false whisperer."
She kissed him on the forehead, leaving behind the bloody imprint of her lips.
"This field shall be your final resting place."