The group worked with great enthusiasm, each envisioning a bright future. If they could bring a large quantity of honey back to Rongcheng, they were sure to strike it rich. They were currently excavating a massive beehive, which surely contained an abundance of honey.
The beekeepers continued their work with utter absorption, oblivious to the ever-increasing number of ground bees around them. These ground bees were also growing to immense sizes. While normally, even the largest ground bees wouldn't exceed the length of an adult's finger, the ones now filling the sky were the size of an adult's palm.
These ground bees were undoubtedly larger than ordinary bees. Only mutated ground bees could achieve such a colossal size.
"Boss, why has the light around us suddenly dimmed?" someone noticed something amiss and quickly inquired.
The others then looked around. Through their protective glass visors, they saw countless ground bees swarming in the sky. These ground bees were of an unprecedented size, far beyond anything they had encountered before. The dark, dense mass in the sky inspired a profound sense of terror.
"What are you afraid of? We're wearing protective suits; these ground bees can't do anything to us. Besides, look at the ground around you. Others have already found honey and become rich. We're doing the same thing. Is our luck really worse than theirs? If they could excavate these ground bees, why can't we?" the leader, a man, challenged his companions.
Upon hearing their leader's words, the group gradually regained their composure. It was true; others had already earned money and improved their lives. Why should they be unable to do the same? When others had harvested honey, they hadn't encountered danger. There was no reason for them to face peril when it was their turn.
Thus, the group calmed down and continued excavating the ground bee nest. After half an hour, the six individuals had dug a hole in the ground. Peering down, they felt their scalps tingle. Beneath the earth lay an enormous beehive, occupying a vast area that was impossible to survey at a glance. It seemed there were even more beehives further within the cavern.
Within the beehive, dense clusters of wasps moved in and out, a truly terrifying sight.
"So many bees! We've found the largest beehive here. I don't think this is a good sign," someone expressed fear upon witnessing the scene. The dark depths of the cavern held an unknown number of ground bees. If they were swarmed by countless ground bees, they would be in dire straits.
"Nonsense, what do you mean 'not a good sign'? This is incredibly good! Look closely. Such a massive beehive must contain an immeasurable amount of honey. Once we extract it, we'll be millionaires," the leader exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. Through the glass visor, he could clearly see the colossal beehive underground, knowing he was on the verge of immense wealth.
However, at that very moment, the ground bees in the sky suddenly descended to the ground and attacked the excavators. In an instant, the bodies of these individuals swelled significantly, covered entirely by the ground bees. The group frantically slapped at their protective suits, trying to shake off the bees.
"Boss, these ground bees have landed. We should leave quickly while we still can. If we continue, we might be in trouble," someone urged again.
"Shut up! We have chili powder in our vehicle. Light it with chili powder, and the smoke will disorient these ground bees. Hurry and get the pepper powder and dry grass," the leader commanded earnestly, instructing his subordinates to retrieve the necessary items from the vehicle.
The methods for collecting honey were generally similar worldwide: smoking the bees. Once exposed to smoke, bees would become disoriented. Bees would not approach areas filled with smoke; they would typically choose a new location to build their nests.
The excavation pit was now several meters deep. Inside the pit, two individuals were observing the area below, while the others waited at the entrance of the pit. Someone had gone to retrieve the prepared items from the vehicle. As long as they could generate smoke, they could drive away the surrounding ground bees.
However, as someone approached the vehicle, another person felt something was wrong. A tickling sensation on their back appeared almost instantly, spreading throughout their body. Their protective suit began to bulge.
"Quick, help me see what's happening with my protective suit!" Upon sensing something was amiss, this person immediately asked those nearby to check. They noticed their protective suit had become tighter.
The others were busy swatting the ground bees off themselves and had no time to observe their teammates' conditions. When someone looked up, they were startled. There was a gap near the person's armpit, and countless ground bees were pouring into the protective suit through it.
"Ah, run! These ground bees can get into the protective suits!" someone nearby shouted in alarm upon witnessing this scene, warning everyone else.
"Run! These ground bees are tearing my clothes!" another person had also discovered the anomaly. Their clothes were being continuously gnawed at by the ground bees. Even though the protective suit was made of durable material, it was being bitten through by the relentless assault of the ground bees.
"Help! Save me, I'm going to be killed!" At this moment, this person's protective suit had ripped. Instantly, a torrent of ground bees flooded into the suit, followed by continuous stinging, and agonizing pain spread throughout their body.
Unfortunately, now that everyone realized the ferocity of the ground bees, they all retreated from the area, with no one willing to spare a thought for others, as they themselves were already covered in ground bees. The only ways ground bees attacked humans were by biting and stinging with their tails. The protective suits, made of asbestos, were a good measure against the ground bees' stingers. However, these ground bees had mutated. As they swarmed forward, they began to bite, causing the protective suits to tear.
As long as there was an opening in the protective suit large enough for a ground bee to enter, all the other ground bees would follow through that opening into the suit. The group had initially believed that by staying inside their protective suits, they would be safe from attack. However, they never imagined that the ground bees could enter their clothing. Once inside, escape became impossible.
Immediately, this group began to shout and writhe on the ground, using their weight to crush the mutated ground bees on their bodies. However, this method was inefficient. The sky was filled with a dense swarm of ground bees. As one group of ground bees was crushed, another would immediately swarm forward.
This group also began to sense that something was seriously wrong. The leader, in particular, scrambled into the vehicle, abandoning everything else. He left his subordinates and their equipment behind and sped away in the car.
"You scoundrel! Why did you abandon us? You promised we'd all get rich, and now you're running away like this!" the abandoned individuals roared in anger, clearly furious at being deserted.
If the person in the car had stopped, they would have rushed forward and beaten him severely. This man was simply disloyal. He charged forward recklessly when he saw profit but immediately disregarded his brothers' lives when danger arose.
Unfortunately, their curses did not make the fleeing man turn back. The leader drove the van directly towards Rongcheng, abandoning his subordinates in the wilderness.
The ground bees swarmed in the sky, launching relentless attacks on the humans who were destroying their nest. The sheer number of ground bees was overwhelming; it was impossible to count them. The sun itself was partially obscured by their mass. With such overwhelming numbers, even an army would find the situation challenging.
Ultimately, the people abandoned in the wilderness had their protective suits torn apart. Once the suits were breached, numerous ground bees burrowed into their clothing. Humans were naturally terrified of bee venom. Now, with countless ground bees entering their clothes and stinging them, these individuals perished in the wilderness within minutes.
The deceased in the wilderness presented a gruesome sight. When they had left Rongcheng, they were all gaunt, a result of prolonged malnutrition. Now, their bodies were swollen. This was not due to improved nutrition but rather the extensive stings they had suffered. Their bodies were covered in edema, making them appear bloated.
The leader of the beekeepers also did not escape successfully. Although he was speeding away in the van, not even closing the rear trunk door, the enraged ground bees in the sky were relentless. Their nest had been repeatedly violated, and they could no longer tolerate it. They were determined to eliminate the humans. Some were still alive and fleeing, and for the ground bees, killing this person was a priority.
The beekeeper sped towards Rongcheng, knowing that once he reached the city, he would be safe. Rongcheng was garrisoned by numerous battle-hardened troops who had seen all manner of situations. Even the zombies and mutated beasts of the past had failed to breach the city. Now, these small, mutated ground bees would surely be dealt with by the army.
Furthermore, Rongcheng was home to many powerful individuals with extraordinary abilities. As long as he reached Rongcheng, he could witness these gifted individuals eliminate all the ground bees.
Unbeknownst to the beekeeper, the mutated ground bees in the sky had formed a long, undulating stream, flying erratically and emitting a buzzing sound. Wherever they passed, countless mutated beasts hid in their dens, too afraid to emerge. Despite their small size, the sheer number of these ground bees was so immense that even mutated beasts dared not confront them.
At this very moment, Rongcheng detected the anomaly. A large number of unidentified aerial objects were approaching the city. Radar had registered this, and a reconnaissance aircraft was dispatched to observe the exterior. Suddenly, it discovered countless ground bees advancing towards Rongcheng. The scale of these ground bees was immense, and they had all undergone mutation.
"Command Center, we have detected an innumerable swarm of ground bees advancing towards Rongcheng. They pose a potential threat. Please prepare defensive measures immediately," the reconnaissance aircraft reported after discovering the situation.
However, upon receiving this news, Rongcheng's command center was thrown into disarray. They had never anticipated Rongcheng facing an attack from ground bees. While Rongcheng had previously been attacked by zombies, mutated beasts, and mutated birds, these creatures were all massive in size, making defense relatively straightforward.
The current ground bees, however, were relatively small, each about the size of a palm. Defending against them presented a significant challenge.
"Quickly find Xiao Sheng and have him lead the gifted individuals to find a solution. The army will also assist in the defense," the command center finally made a decision.
Air raid sirens blared across Rongcheng, and the city gates were closed. Many people were bewildered. Hadn't Shen Feng already eliminated a large portion of the mutated birds over Siberia? Logically, the aerial threat should have been minimal. Why were the air raid sirens sounding again?
"Run, run! Get into the air-raid shelters!" The people of Rongcheng panicked, rushing towards any available shelter.