Goblin Dependency-Chapter 695 - 349: Anvil Bee
Soldin acted very mysteriously.
This solid dwarf, whose muscles were tightly knotted as if fused with the iron armor outside, did not reveal what he had discovered to the two.
He only urged Xia Nan and Margaret by the campfire to quickly get up and prepare, using an unusually surprised tone, while he hastily rummaged through his own backpack.
Xia Nan was planning to go out to train, intending to come back for dinner after practice.
He originally wanted to decline.
But when he saw the dwarf pull two Fire Starters from his bag and deliberately put that particularly cumbersome Iron Helmet on his head.
He recalled what Soldin mentioned earlier about "adding a hearty meal."
Xia Nan already had some guesses in his mind.
Compared to his surprise, Margaret seemed long used to the dwarf’s character.
They had known each other for years, having gone through countless adventure missions together.
Just like the once seemingly incompatible with everyone yet somehow fit like a puzzle with others’ personalities, Wanderer; the long time of interaction and adjustment, despite personality differences, when part of a team, would often reveal a collective common trait.
She asked Soldin briefly, seeing the other party’s mysterious unwillingness to reveal.
The Female Knight didn’t ask further, and carefully put away the small team emblem of "Oathkeeper Blackwood," standing up to follow and organize.
Of course, one could distinguish importance.
Even though it was mid-task, it was personal rest time after setting up camp, with no additional guard tasks, and the area around the convoy had been cleared, posing no danger, even having many traps set for alertness.
Just mildly leaving wouldn’t have any impact.
Soldin himself was at least a Level 4 Senior Adventurer, with no reason to inexplicably bring danger to the team.
His notably cheerful expression indicated he had likely found something interesting.
"At most an hour, it won’t delay too long!"
Seeing Xia Nan’s hesitant expression, Soldin stuffed the Fire Starter into his waist pouch, and with a somewhat exaggerated expression on his rugged face, he muffled a laugh.
"Just follow me, and then... you’ll be absolutely satisfied!"
After seven days together, it was somewhat figured out this seemingly overly young yet exceptionally talented dark-haired youth’s likes; the dwarf’s tone seemed exceptionally confident.
Thinking to himself, since he was to watch the first half of the night, delaying training for an hour would mean after finishing the watch, the six-hour cool-down for Gravity Etching charging would be over, and he could train again before resting.
This stumpy fellow’s current behavior made following to take a look seem harmless. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Xia Nan nodded, accepting the invitation.
...
Following Soldin leading the way, they left the camp and walked south towards the forest for about twenty minutes.
Soon, the group of three reached the destination.
Xia Nan’s expression was peculiar.
His excellent Perception Ability had allowed him to roughly detect the identity of the dwarf’s "additional meal" two minutes ago.
Sure enough, accompanied by an increasingly loud buzzing as they approached, a large, black-brown "rock" attached to the thick branch of an oak tree came into view.
About the size of two adult torsos, its surface rough and hard, presenting an irregular coarse texture like a miniature fortress.
The buzzing sound emanated from within, and if one approached and observed carefully, they would discover those neatly arranged, densely packed small holes on its surface, and...
One by one, the blue-black bees swarming around the nest.
"Anvil Bee?"
Margaret’s face showed some surprise, instinctively speaking.
"Aren’t these bees usually only found in the mining area, how come here..."
"Heehee." Dwarf Soldin revealed a proud expression, "During the camp setup I happened to see one, so followed and looked around, didn’t expect to actually find them."
"Tsk tsk."
The always composed Female Knight couldn’t help but click her tongue as she faced the giant hive ahead.
"That is indeed a feast."
Xia Nan couldn’t understand what the two were talking about.
Spending time in River Valley Town, he had allocated substantial time for himself to learn, supplementing adventurer-related knowledge wherever possible.
But getting down to such ordinary small creatures rather than demons showed a noticeable gap compared to the knowledge reserves of Senior Adventurers accumulated over countless missions.
Not embarrassed, he proactively asked the two about details concerning these bees.
Anvil Bee, a special creature commonly found in mountains and mining areas.
About the size of an adult’s thumb, it lacks the usual yellow-black stripes seen in bees, showing a more somber bronze shade that emits a metallic sheen under sunlight refraction.
Its unique physiological structure makes the sound of its wings vibrating at high speed during flight resemble fine hammering on metal, earning it its name.
The Anvil Bee’s body is exceptionally strong; its wings thick and sturdy, capable of long-distance flight and carrying weights, bringing pollen, tiny mineral particles, and mineral-rich clay back to the hive.
This creature’s mouthparts are particularly unique, resembling a tiny chisel that can scrape mineral particles from rock surfaces; its long, sharp stingers contain potent neurotoxin, perhaps bearable individually but in large numbers render even the fearsome creatures called "demons" reluctant to approach their hive.
