Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 168: Pseudo-synthesis - The Chrysobee

Lumielle rolled her eyes with a sigh of exasperation. "The Mhaledictus knows exactly what you look like, remember?"

"Sure, but isn't this solution a bit extreme?"

"I'm certain the effects won't be everlasting," she averted her gaze to the side with a dubious twist of her lips. "...Maybe."

"Maybe?!" Daisuke remarked in a loud outburst.

But before he could defend the sanctity of his genitalia by giving her a piece of his mind, his keen sense of hearing picked up on a chorus of buzzing noises that was becoming louder by the second.

"It's okay," Lumielle reassured as he brandished his daggers. "Unlike the Slimes, these creatures aren't hostile to people unless they're provoked."

Daisuke cautiously glanced up as the faint hum continued to reverberate through the air. Eventually, he caught sight of massive, bee-like creatures gracefully flitting between the towering trees.

These weren't ordinary bees—they were colossal, easily the size of a hawk. Their bodies shimmered with an opalescent sheen, and protruding from their underbellies was a translucent, bubble-like organ cradled by their spindly limbs. Each time one of the creatures hovered over a patch of flowers, its stinger jabbed into the bulb, popping it to release a golden mist that cascaded downward like rain.

Daisuke instinctively ducked under a large leaf to avoid the golden drizzle. "Great," he muttered, grimacing as droplets splashed onto his shoulder. "Just what I wanted—bathed in monster guts."

Lumielle chuckled softly, clearly amused by his discomfort. She reached out, letting the mist settle on her gloved hand before examining it. "It's not monster guts," she said, her voice tinged with fascination. "This is Chrysobee nectar—a vital component of the forest's ecosystem."

As the golden rain coated the flowers on the forest floor, the blooms began to stir. Large petals, glowing faintly in the dim light, unfurled slowly, eagerly soaking in the golden mist. The scene was hypnotic, as if the forest itself were performing a sacred ritual.

"What's the deal with these things?" Daisuke asked, gesturing toward the insects now buzzing overhead. "What exactly are they doing?"

Lumielle allowed a small smile, her gaze still fixed on the unfolding spectacle. "The Chrysobees and the plants here share a unique symbiotic relationship," she explained. "Not much sunlight can penetrate the thick canopies above, so the forest floor developed an alternative means of survival. The Chrysobees produce this nutrient-rich fluid filled with concentrated energy."

She knelt beside a particularly large flower and pointed to its glowing pistils, now glistening with nectar. "The plants absorb the nectar, which sustains them and allows the possibility to thrive even without direct sunlight. In return, the flowers reward the Chrysobees with honey. The honey contains traces of cells from the male plant—essentially pollen. So when the bees make and distribute their nectar, they're also transferring the male essence that's mixed within, fertilizing the female plants."

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "So... they're like flying delivery drones? Spreading plant DNA instead of pollen?"

"...Sure," Lumielle replied with a nod, not entirely registering the analogy. "It's an exotic approach to both photosynthesis and pollination, uniquely adapted to the conditions of this forest. It's quite fascinating."

"Quite," Daisuke murmured as he hesitantly sniffed his shoulder. Then he glanced up at the Chrysobees again, watching one land briefly on a flower before buzzing off to another. "Huh. I guess that's one way to keep the plants happy. Still, they could've picked a less gross delivery method," he murmured, cringing at the thought of the male plants also getting blasted with their own cells.

Lumielle rolled her eyes at his comment. "This is only the beginning," she said ominously, standing and brushing off her cloak. "The ecosystems in the Murkwood Forest are even more bizarre."

"I can just imagine," Daisuke muttered wearily. "Just be sure to remind me never to go there."

Lumielle sighed. "Anyway, we should get going."

***

"We're here."

At Lumielle's confident words, Daisuke halted mid-stride, his sharp gaze sweeping the dense forest around them. Yet, no matter how intently he searched, all he could see were the towering trees and thick undergrowth, an endless maze of greenery that seemed indistinguishable from itself.

"There's obviously nothing here," he murmured, doubting anyone could navigate the complex labyrinth that enclosed them. "Did the nectar from those bees have some kind of hallucinogenic effect? Let's face it—we're lost, aren't we?"

Ignoring him, the princess's gaze swept the surroundings, her eyes flitting between subtle landmarks she had mentally marked as her navigational guides. Her attention eventually settled on the immense trunk of a towering tree, her brows knitting into a calculating frown as she analyzed its unique features.

"No matter how you look at it," Daisuke drawled, chiding himself internally for relying on 'girl GPS.' "This is just an ordinary tree—well, an absurdly massive, ordinary tree, but that's beside the point. The real issue is that you probably shouldn't have gotten so close to that nectar—"

Daisuke's final words faded into a regretful whisper as part of the massive tree trunk lit up, its glow forming the outline of a door. Lumielle, without a word or even a passing glance, stepped into the shimmering portal with quiet confidence. Her silence cut deeper than any retort, and the fact that she didn't utter an "I told you so" only made Daisuke's guilt weigh heavier.

"Hey, wait up!" he called after her. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk, alright! I'm just cranky from being sleep-deprived!"