Chapter 145 Today, we are the cavalry!
Although I and my strike team of enhanced Beemarines flew as fast as our wings could carry us, took almost no breaks, and had a 10% stamina boost from the 'Homeland Protector' title I equipped, we were still too slow.
<User, because of your recent population losses, the colony lost 1 development point.>
<User, because of your recent population losses, the colony lost 1 development point.>
According to population count, 5 thousand bees have died today in Camp Rich—out of 25 thousand that were present there on average to dig and guard. Just the thought made me grimace and fly even faster.
My Beemarines could barely keep up with my endurance, even though I had heavier armor and a special spear to carry, but neither of them complained.
The special spear was something Researchina and Things-Things made for me and Forever Great overnight. An experimental weapon for my charge organ.
On our way there we met more information about how *bad* things were, exactly.
Commandos and Warriors have been dispatched from the nearest fort in order to help Camp Rich. I stumbled upon a squad of Commandos on our way there and got the latest news from them.
The green giants have tried to set Camp Rich on fire—or at least thoroughly smoke it. And they almost succeeded!
Even more terrible loss of life was only prevented by the heroic efforts of several hundred Beemarines and Warriors, who fought with no regard for their safety.
A couple dozen lucky stings made the green giants retreat some distance away, but they never left too far from Camp Rich.
However, this left the bees inside the opportunity to put the fire out, or at least, diminish in size.
After this meeting, I also had 10 Commandos with me. Although they were less genetically enhanced than me and my Beemarines, their endurance was the same, so they could keep up.
I didn't know how well the firefighting efforts were going, but I saw the thick column of black smoke above Camp Rich way before I saw the place itself.
By this point, it was still early evening. The sun, visible through the sparse canopy of trees, wasn't turning orange yet.
I pointed up and flew above the forest, with my squad following close by.
As soon as I left the cover of trees, I saw the full picture of the devastation and those who brought it.
The green giants really were giant and green. After the bug-badger and crow-dragons, I didn't know what I expected, but these creatures looked outright like aliens.
For a start, even the smallest of them was the size of a small skyscraper—one with a hundred floors! They were so gigantic that even with hundreds of meters dividing us and the blue haze of distance, I could make out the smallest of their features.
The green giants had flat, noseless faces and segmented insect-like jaws instead of lips. They had no visible ears, but had coarse beards and head-hair poking out of small round hats. Yes, hats.
More segments were covering their face, and a moment later I realized that instead of skin, they had slightly gleaming plates of pale green chitin. The shade varied a little from giant to giant.
Their limbs bent as if they had an extra joint, and their fingers were hook-like and deceptively clumsy-looking.
Only their eyes, despite the size, were undoubtedly human.
Beyond that, the anatomy was harder to make out, because the giants were wearing clothing: leather boots and simple brown-green pants and tunic from coarse-looking fabric.
Considering their size, the fabric was probably made of entire trees!
They also had other things on them: backpacks, what looked like slings on their belts, flasks. Two had thin, long stone pillars in their hand, which looked like they were just broken off from a nearby pillar mountain.
That casual show of strength was shiver-inducing.
Near me, my squad was watching the giants with wide eyes, too.
"It's like the rumors said," someone whispered. "They use clothes and tools, too…"
"But those ugly faces of them!"
"They are so huge—how many of us will it take to kill one?"
"Well, our sisters did some damage already, and we have been given the gift of Father's blood!"
Despite the situation, I smiled. My daughters never changed, and Beemarines never lost their spirit.
'I should take an example from them!'
With this thought, I looked at the smallest giant. Like my daughters said, his chitin—which clearly offered little to no actual protection—had several angry red stung spots, one of which sat right on his cheek.
And his status confirmed that he had lost some health over it.
〔Human〕
〔Name〕: Jit Yash
〔Health〕: 89 / 95
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〔Stamina〕: 98 / 110
〔Species〕: Intelligent Human
〔Age〕: 16 y
〔Remaining lifespan〕: 74 y
〔Attributes〕
> Strength: 41
> Agility: 47
> Endurance: 55
> Defense: 30
> Intelligence: 100
> Perception: 65
〔Special abilities〕
Fast Learner IV, Sweat, Throwing Wrists, Throwing Elbows, Efficient Running V, Muscular Adaptation, Fat Padding, Pack Tactics
〔〕〔〕〔〕
Just by glancing at these three, I could be left without a doubt that despite their alien appearance, they were humans, and from the same family, too. A teenager, a man who could be his father, and the father's father.
I saw them opening their jaws and exchanging words in a strangely flowing language. Their voices were loud enough to carry over all this distance!
Then Vit Yash—the middle-aged one—began walking toward Camp Rich. There were several hundred meters toward it, but the giant would cross the distance quickly.
This made me finally look toward Camp Rich, and my eyes widened.
I didn't see any open fire at the moment, but it was still smoking. Piles of charred wood and bodies of bees were lying over the entrance—several dozen, at least!
And this was just the entrance. What was going on inside, I feared to imagine. And clearly, if humans had their way, things would be even worse.
There was a bitter taste in my mouth, but despite it, I clenched my jaw in determination.
"My girls, my Beemarines and my Commandos! You see that our enemies have attacked once and now are about to attack again. I know you are tired already, but it's just one final push. Your sisters are waiting for us!"
"They won't have to wait long, Father!"
"We will protect them!"
"You made us strong, and we won't disappoint!"
"Then, my daughters, let's fly and sting! Today, we are the cavalry!"
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