Chapter 176: Chapter 176
And so, Belissar decided…to check out the waiting perk choice first. Maybe whatever he got there might sway his decision…
Please select a perk:
- Piercing Stingers (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Gardener Planting (Rarity: Rare)
- Hardened Wax (Rarity: Common)
Belissar’s eyes widened. A rare perk? Most of the perks he had seen were limited to common or uncommon, so this was unexpected. Still, he wanted to consider his choice carefully, so he put aside the desire to select it immediately and read out the perks in order.
- All stingers gain increased penetration
Well, he wasn’t sure what he expected, but that description still seemed a bit…brief. He supposed though that little more needed to be said. He had learned firsthand with the turtle shade that his bees had trouble fighting anything their stingers couldn’t pierce. This perk would directly address that issue. It needed nothing else to appeal to him.
Uncommon Perk Choice selected.
Please select a perk:
- Enhanced Toxins (Rarity: Common)
- Alluring Honey (Rarity: Uncommon)
- Bee-type Strength Boost (Minor) (Rarity: Uncommon)
Well, no rare choices this time. The first was a repeat, a general buff to toxins. It may have been common and humble…but Belissar realized it shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. After all, he had a lot of toxins now. Most of his bees had their stingers, from workers and queens to soldiers and lancers. The sprayers attacked solely through toxins as well. And then there were the various poisonous plants and mushrooms he had, and the poisonous honey that resulted. Could Enhanced Toxins boost a Sticky Honey Trap equipped with Maddening Honey, for example? Even though the perk itself was not that impressive, it would impact most of his Tower’s defenses on account of the abundance of toxins, and that made it worth considering.
- Honey may be given an enticing scent that makes it more appealing, especially to corrupted entities. Impact on non-corrupted entities depends on type of honey used and the nature of the entity in question.
Belissar found that one curious until he read the line about corrupted entities. So, if he was reading this correctly, this made the shades want his honey? At first he wondered why he would want that…until he realized that would mean he could use honey as bait for traps against shades. Or…perhaps he could use it to draw shades in different directions? Thus far, all the shades had moved straight towards the exit of any given room, save in the Dirt Tunnels where the twisting maze made it unclear which way was forward. That was ultimately why he cut down some of the Pit Traps in the Flower Meadow, since the shades just didn’t venture off to the sides.
But what if he could entice them that way? That alone could allow him to buy additional time during purifications. It would also make his traps more reliable to boot, taking some of the pressure off the soldier bee army.
Bee-Type Strength Boost (Minor)
- All Bee-type monsters receive a minor boost to strength
Belissar was about to gloss over this one…until he realized that it was not the average boost perks he saw in the daily purifications. No, this one specified that it applied not to a specific bee, but to all bee-type monsters. So, all of his monsters, at least until the slime flower did its thing.
Belissar nodded his head as his plan coalesced.
“So, I’m thinking of taking Gardener Planting for more flowers, and then one of the other perks to strengthen our defenses. Um, does anyone have another ideas? And do you like any of the next three perks in particular?”
Of course, the bees did not have any other ideas, for once he stated his the only answer he got was “whatever King chooses!” Chief Rohsuak shook her head as well. Belissar still wished she’d just tell him what she thought outright, but she apparently had no intention of defying his decision here, so he’d just go with what he thought best. As for the second choice…the Flower Meadow queens were split between Enhanced Toxins and Bee-Type Strength Boost. The First of the Fifth flew a bit unsteadily, on the other hand.
“Honey…more appealing? Make enemies want? Why want that?”
Belissar nodded at her.
“If it draws a shade’s attention, we can use it to draw it into traps.”
The First of the Fifth picked up speed, dancing to indicate her understanding…and following with a “King best king!” dance. She did not, however, indicate any specific preference for the perk after understanding it.
Belissar rubbed his chin once more, taking his bees preferences into account. Alluring Honey would work well with his traps. He hadn’t been able to rely on them in a while now…but perhaps Alluring Honey would change that? Especially if the gardeners started to spread some of the trap plants around. On the other hand, either of the other two perks would strengthen his bees directly. As powerful as traps might be, it generally came down to his bees, especially since the Hunger would ultimately adapt to the traps over time. And then, finally, Enhanced Toxins could improve both bees and traps, though it was a common perk.
Belissar glanced once more at his bees, then made his choice.
Gardener Planting selected.
Bee-Type Strength Boost (Minor) selected.