They said they were playing with the beehive, but in reality, it was like poking a hornet’s nest. Xin Meng and the others were somewhat prepared, thinking it was just an ordinary small hive.
Until they were enveloped in shadows and looked up at the towering behemoth before them, which was at least five stories high.
“I, I…” Dou Dou stammered for a long time, unable to curse even once, nearly biting his tongue off.
This was no beehive; it was practically a freaking aircraft carrier!
The densely packed hexagonal cells could fit an elephant’s head, and one could only imagine how large the bees inside must be!
Everyone was stunned, unable to react for a moment, watching helplessly as the little black figures crashed into it like a runaway train. The thought of what they were about to face made everyone’s hair stand on end.
“W-what do we do!” Dou Dou cried with a mournful face, wailing, “I really want to stop them! No zuo no die!”
Emotionally, he felt that way, but rationality prevented them from stopping it. This was a hurdle they had to face, and there was no way to escape it.
“Be careful in a bit,” Xin Meng’s gaze was fixed on those dark beehives, every hair on his body standing on end. “I have a bad feeling…”
You Yi also looked at the massive structure, deftly twirling a dagger between his fingers, his eyes narrowing slightly. “If we encounter danger, just run. Even if you have to retreat, don’t die here.”
“Okay!” The others nodded in agreement.
“Bang!”
“Buzz!”
After a muffled sound, the huge beehive shook a few times as the little black figures crashed into it, the thick branches it was attached to bending under the pressure. The bottom part of the hive nearly scraped the ground, and the bee swarm was disturbed, quickly drilling out from the hive.
Yellow and black, with fuzzy abdomens, if it weren’t for the fact that each one was as big as a bear, they might have looked quite cute. However, their sharp stingers were as thick as a human finger, and as their soft abdomens contracted, they pointed their stingers directly at the group…
“Oh my god!” Dou Dou screamed and ran away, covering his head!
The others immediately turned and fled, having no time to care about the fate of the little black figures, because those enraged bees, for some unknown reason, did not attack their instigators but instead aimed their terrifying weapons at the six of them!
Run!
No one had time to speak. The six of them sprinted desperately through the narrow and difficult forest, the dense trees obstructing their path. For the resident bees, it was no hindrance at all. Moreover, the ground was littered with fallen leaves and pits, with exposed tree roots occasionally tripping them up, causing great trouble for their escape. As they saw the bees buzzing in like a dark cloud, Luo Qingqing screamed in fear, not noticing her toes getting caught on a tree root, and she fell to the ground!
“Qingqing!” Li Wenjun didn’t have time to help her up; the bees had already swarmed in. He could only throw himself over Luo Qingqing, using his body to shield her!
However, the others were not faring any better. Even if they didn’t fall, they couldn’t move forward an inch. Countless bees crashed into them, and they didn’t know how many sharp stingers pierced their exposed skin. Qi Xiaokui screamed, waving her arms to swat away the bees that rushed at her, but her legs under her skirt became targets again. The bandages were knocked loose, and her already scarred legs became even more bloodied, quickly swelling with purple-red lumps!
Xin Meng, wearing pants, was somewhat better off, but his arms and upper body were also stung painfully. The sound of countless wings flapping created a deafening buzz, and he could barely keep his eyes open, using his arms to protect his head. You Yi broke through the obstacles and came to his side, taking off his jacket and draping it over Xin Meng’s head!
Xin Meng wanted to say he didn’t need it, that You Yi should protect himself, but the corner of his mouth had just been stung, swollen to the size of a bun, making it impossible for him to open his lips. He was anxious about You Yi’s condition, but under the constant assault of the bees, he couldn’t even manage to take off the jacket!
Just when they thought they were about to die there, everything suddenly went dark, and they returned to the save point!
“We, we’re saved…” Dou Dou lay on the ground, his hands and face covered in purple-red lumps, tears streaming from the pain. As his body relaxed, he sprawled out, gasping for air.
On the other side, Qi Xiaokui had already fainted.
“Wenjun! Wenjun!” Luo Qingqing’s heart-wrenching cries rang out. She was pinned under Li Wenjun, who had clearly lost consciousness.
Xin Meng tore off the shirt on his head and immediately went to check on You Yi. Fortunately, You Yi only had swollen lumps all over his exposed arms, and there were some on his neck and cheeks. Although it looked quite serious, it was much better compared to the others. The swelling was painful, but You Yi still had a blank expression, not even furrowing his brows.
Xin Meng himself was not much better off, with purple-red lumps all over his arms and upper body. Only his head and face were protected by his clothes, barely avoiding disfigurement.
You Yi was not far from Li Wenjun. Seeing that Xin Meng was fine, he went over to check on Li Wenjun’s condition. Luo Qingqing was crying so hard she was about to pass out, having no strength to push Li Wenjun away, still maintaining their overlapping position.
“It’s okay, the bandages we tied earlier protected him.” Since Li Wenjun had his backpack strapped to his chest, he should have been uninjured in the front, so You Yi directly checked his back and said lightly, “He just fainted from the impact. He’ll wake up soon.”
Only then did Luo Qingqing feel relieved. With You Yi’s help, she lifted Li Wenjun and laid him on the ground beside her, carefully tending to his wounds.
On the other side, Xin Meng rushed to Qi Xiaokui’s side, laying her down flat and checking her wounds. “She’s really hurt badly…”
You Yi walked over and handed him the first aid kit. He took out some alcohol wipes and roughly cleaned Qi Xiaokui’s arms and legs. The swollen lumps burst easily, oozing fresh blood, but fortunately, the color gradually changed from purple-red to deep red, indicating that the poison was being expelled.
After treating her, Xin Meng went to check on Dou Dou, only to be shocked to find that he had the fewest injuries!
Dou Dou was very clever. The moment the swarm came crashing in, he decisively dropped to the ground, protecting his front, and threw his backpack over his back, shielding it. So in the end, the only places he got stung were his hands, face, and neck, which were not too hard to hide.
Xin Meng paused with the alcohol wipe in hand, staring at the back of Dou Dou’s head, narrowing his eyes.
An ordinary college student has this kind of skill?
If it were You Yi, who had a background as a special forces soldier, he would have no doubt. But a regular college student with no military background, only rumored to have a mother who was a police officer, showed such quick reflexes and agile movements in the face of danger?
This kind of battle-hardened feeling could not possibly be possessed by the child of a police officer in a peaceful era. Coupled with his calmness and boldness throughout their journey, what exactly was Dou Dou…
Due to the incident with Jie Zi, Xin Meng immediately raised his guard, and his gaze towards Dou Dou became much colder. Just as he was about to question him, he saw You Yi walk over and shake his head at him.
Xin Meng was taken aback, revealing a puzzled expression.
You Yi leaned in and whispered, “No ill intentions, don’t mind him.”
Xin Meng frowned, then relaxed.
Indeed, throughout this journey, Dou Dou had not shown any unusual behavior. Not only did he not drag them down or create trouble, but he also saved Qi Xiaokui and always rushed to the front in times of danger. With so many actions taken, it would indeed be inappropriate to question him based on unfounded suspicions.
Who doesn’t have a secret? As long as he doesn’t harm the team and it doesn’t affect their progress, what does it matter?
Xin Meng was unwilling to hastily label someone as suspicious without cause. The atmosphere in this new team was good, and he didn’t want to ruin it. Moreover, he didn’t want to become paranoid, developing a persecution complex. Believing in the inherent goodness of human nature brings more hope than believing in its inherent evil, doesn’t it?
But Xin Meng was still mindful, paying more attention to Dou Dou.
Dou Dou remained oblivious, still in a crawling position, resting his chin on the ground, mumbling softly about something. When Xin Meng turned to face him, he wore a very unwilling expression.
However, upon seeing Xin Meng, he dropped the expression and smiled widely at him. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m not seriously hurt. You go save them first; I’ll be fine.”
After saying that, he pushed himself up with both hands, “Ouch, my hand hurts so much… That was really scary just now!”
“Xiaokui is seriously injured and hasn’t woken up yet. Can you help keep an eye on her? I’ll take care of You Yi’s wounds.” Xin Meng said gently. The others were not far away, so he wasn’t worried about Dou Dou doing anything.
“Don’t worry, leave it to me.” Dou Dou patted his chest and strode over to Qi Xiaokui.
Xin Meng and You Yi took a turn helping everyone treat their wounds, but their own injuries were still bleeding. So the two of them simply sat facing each other, helping each other disinfect and bandage.
“This time we returned to the save point, which means those bees not only attacked us but also killed NPCs,” Xin Meng analyzed in a low voice. “This is a problem. The number of bees in the hive is too great, and they’re so big that two of them could easily take down one person. We need to ensure our safety while figuring out how to save people…”
Most importantly, their stamina was depleting rapidly. The hamburgers had long been eaten, and there was no sign of water. Everyone’s lips were already chapped and peeling. Coupled with the constant running and significant blood loss, two people had already fallen into a coma. Even if they woke up, they would barely be able to push through, and if they encountered the bees again, they might not even have the strength to escape. At that point, casualties would truly occur.
“We can’t force our way through.” You Yi tied a neat knot with the bandage on Xin Meng’s wrist. “Do you remember how I resolved the crisis in the last game?”
Xin Meng exclaimed, “You mean… find their weakness? That’s a good idea, but what are the bees’ weaknesses… what are they afraid of?”
Dou Dou, sitting cross-legged next to Qi Xiaokui, immediately turned his head and interjected, “I know, I know! They’re afraid of fire!”
“That probably won’t work. The humidity in the forest is too high; even the wood is wet, making it hard to start a fire,” Xin Meng shook his head, but his eyes lit up. “How about using smoke?”
While wet wood might not catch fire, if handled properly, it could produce a lot of smoke, which would be perfect for driving the bees away. As long as they could smoke them out of the hive first, they wouldn’t have to worry about the little black figures recklessly attracting so many bees again!
