You know what? Ever since I decided to go meet the Queen Bee, there was this weird feeling that I was back to my previous life and having a surprise exam out of nowhere and without any warning or time to even memorize anything.

And I really didn't like that feeling. It was like I would be examined so heavily that even a petal out of place would result in me being decapitated! I honestly pondered if someone basically cursed me to have a terrible encounter or something.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid now that I would have to meet someone who is technically a 'boss' who would judge and criticize every action of mine...

Thus, holding the two unconscious Mei Wu and Xie Yu that were sleeping soundly as I made sure they got hit with enough sleeping toxins to stay that way until I finally arrive, I decided to talk with the bees to pass the time.

"So, the Queen Bee also wants to meet me?" I asked as a Worker Bee joined the group. She had apparently been flying to tell their boss about my visit.

A nod was the answer as wings buzzed louder than usual.

"So, what is her opinion of me? I never really asked about that, did I?"

A single loud buzz ensued, and I was feeling insulted.

"What do you mean that even though my nectar is greatly helpful and despite being nice, she still thinks I will betray her!? And wait, why didn't she at least try to tell me, or have you do so?" and yes, I understood all that from that single sound.

Another bee buzzed. I pouted.

"What do you mean that there are ranks of importance for outsiders who make contact with the hive, and that since I am the only one that is making contact with her, even indirectly, that makes me both the lowest and highest level of importance?"

Yet another buzz... Uh, what?

"What do you mean that you're only answering depending on your lower intelligence and known info and that she didn't tell you anything but to let me visit? That makes your previous answers arguably unreliable, you know?"

The Worker Bee closest to me looked at me as she apparently did the equivalent to a shrug.

I looked at her blankly.

"What do you mean, the Queen Bee knows best? That's basically a circlejerk echo chamber argument, you know that, right? Just like what these guys think about their elders, well, at least I think that guy feels so, when the elders are on his side, at least." I pointed towards the sleeping humans.

Another look.

"Ugh, fine! I won't argue about the absurdity of the arguments you're giving." I huffed at them.

I really wonder how the meeting will go though. I'm really concerned. Not to mention that the closer we are, they seem to get more intelligent and energetic, these Worker Bees.

Are they getting smarter due to their proximity to their hive? Or is that related to being closer to the Bee Queen? I won't be surprised if there was something like that, with the bees being highly social beings. Do they become more capable with the presence of stronger protectors and rulers of their race?

That would be fascinating, honestly. And rather terrifying. That means that they are stronger when they are together, but rather fragile when on their own.

At least, if that was true. For all I know, I am just overthinking and the bees around me are just happy to go to their home.

The walk continued, until we reached a place that seemed to be as similar to any other in the forest, much to my confusion.

There was no different smell, or change in the atmosphere, not was there any differences in the sceneries. Just the plants and the few insects roaming, and nothing else.

If I walked here before, I would pass through this area without a second glance. But since I was brought here by the bees, I knew that this was their hive's area.

"So, the queen hid your hive?" I asked, and got a buzzing nod as an answer, as a Worker Bee moved towards the soil, and-

I clutched my ears as a very weird and silently loud shriek reached me. It was really baffling. There was no voice, no echo, no noise or disturbance to any other being, but apparently, only I and the other bees heard it.

No, Mei Wu and Xie Yu shuddered even in their sleep at the scream. Was it one that only those with high-enough qi can notice? That was the most logical answer.

What happened next surprised me, as a surface nearly twice my lower mouth's size morphed as grass changed into some strangely liquid matter.

Honey? I blinked at that. No, not exactly honey, but it is highly similar from the smell, but just seconds ago it was acting and feeling like how grass and plants feel like.

"A camouflaging honey-like liquid? Made to mimic the area it was put in?" I looked at them shocked, as they only nodded.

I looked back to the entrance, and I was even more surprised that I couldn't sense any qi from beyond it. I was certain that the qi of an entire colony would be hard to hide this close, but even when I extended my senses, I felt nothing.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

This liquid is also capable of hiding qi beyond it, so that's how they hide their colony!

A bee casually flew, and her body went through the yellow liquid with no resistance. The liquid didn't even make any waves, as if it was air, as if it never existed.

Whatever rank I thought the Queen Bee was, I raised that rank more. She's definitely more creative than I expected her to be.

Soon, it was my turn as I stepped on the entrance letting myself fall, feeling like I was walking through a very thin membrane that I knew was strong enough to fool my senses with no difficulty.

It was honestly like I was a girl having sensory deprivation suddenly being able to see, hear, and feel, as my mind froze for a second as my senses felt like they were screaming at me.

Qi, large amount of qi was suddenly visible to my senses, with a density that easily dwarfed my own. Individually, I could probably match some of them, but with these numbers reaching hundreds, and multiple ones having amounts of qi close to my own? I would be killed in less than a minute if they ganged on me.

And they will gladly do so if I showed hostility. My instincts were ringing loudly and telling me to be extremely cautious.

I was soon met with two bee beasts larger than the Worker Bees.

One was without any stinger, and seemed to have more of a mindless aura. A Bronze-ranked Level 2 Drone Bee, my instincts told me. It would be easy to defeat for me right now, but I knew that if I fought this thing when I was a Bronze-ranked beast, I would have lost. Or at least I wouldn't be able to decisively defeat it due to its speed.

The other one, a bit larger, having a stinger, practically oozed danger as its eyes looked at me. A Silver-ranked Level 3 Protector Bee. This one... this one spells trouble. I felt myself sweating under its gaze and I pondered if going here was a good idea, but I can't even run away now. This guy will stab me the moment my back was turned, I felt deep in my soul.

I could probably win if I fought it one-on-one. Probably. If I managed to injure it and poison it quick enough, but I doubted that I would be able to hit it at all unless the battle area was a really closed space. And while I could most likely resist the poison it has, I wouldn't be able to stop it from ripping my head off my shoulders with its speed unless I focused really hard on defense.

If this is the queen's bodyguard, then how strong could she be?

The Protector Bee looked at me, buzzing, and I felt its skeptic question.

"Yes, protector. I am the Alraune." I did my best not to show my worry and try to be respectful, though I couldn't really do so since it seemed to glare at me harder.

Thankfully, the sweet Worker Bees came to the rescue and buzzed, telling it to back off, since I am the queen's guest. The protector looked at me for a moment more before turning its back and practically telling me to follow.

"Thank you." I mouthed to the gentle bees that came to defend me.

But, even as I followed the strict and rightfully distrustful Protector Bee accompanied with my small comrades, I felt the continuous shiver running down my spine as I moved closer to the Queen Bee.

My heart wasn't hammering... yet. But even from here, I felt the presence. It wasn't overwhelming, only because I am not seeing her face-to-face, or because she isn't trying.

I honestly didn't know what was worse.

I would love to say the length of trip that felt it continued for hours allowed me to calm down, but I honestly was still feeling terrified as the presence kept following me, and the walk ended up all too soon as all what remained was one turn before I get to meet with the Queen Bee directly.

I took that turn, and the world crashed.

"...!"

An intense pressure fell on me, one that simply froze me in my tracks as my eyes looked at the giant bee gazing right at me, and I realized that I didn't grade the Queen Bee's threat level enough.

Despite me doing my best to think of how dangerous she is, my utterly paralyzed body made it clear that my imagination wasn't enough.

My Qi was circulating through my body, doing its best not to allow me to die just from fear, as my heart was beating so loud I thought it would explode. The world seemed to be surprisingly silent, despite the large sound of buzzing around me, as the presence of this... this monster... practically consumed the area.

Only her own wings buzzing faintly could I hear, and my body was sweating as I felt uncontrollable terror make itself clear on my face, and even breathing felt so unbearably difficult. And if I was breathing, I definitely couldn't notice.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak, only stay locked in this place hoping that she stops just so I can freaking breathe!

I was certain, that the only reason I didn't try to escape was just because both my mind and instincts were basically telling me to do the same thing:

Freeze and let her do whatever. Fighting or escaping from this beast is flatout impossible at your current level.

Like I can even move to even think of doing anything else!

Just as quickly as it appeared, the pressure stopped. No, it didn't stop. It just was toned down to far manageable levels.

"Ha!" I breathed, sweat drenching my body, both my faces terrified and I just wanted my upper half to melt from the sheer horror of the whole experience.

It was probably only for a few seconds, that pressure, but for me, it felt like an eternity just gazing on a god-like entity!

My heart was racing painfully I thought I would be having a heart attack as I clutched my chest.

The Queen Bee's aura grew just for a moment as I looked at her, and I saw her body language, and I was genuinely scared even further.

Because even though she couldn't speak, I understood what she meant.

It would have been just a bit easier to swallow if she was bragging, mocking, or uncaring. No, she was serious. For whatever reason, she deemed me to be a being that needed to be treated seriously.

'Welcome to my humble home, Alraune.' she spoke, with nothing but body language and a small change of aura that only beasts could understand, and she felt so casual despite the sheer seriousness of how she said it.

My voice cracked. A dull laugh exited from my mouth before I can stop it, but while I sensed the Silver-ranked bee glaring, the Queen Bee didn't even react to that.

Barely, I managed to answer, my upper half bowing a bit.

"I- I am really glad to finally see you, honored Queen Bee." I spoke, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

'There's no need for such overdramatic manners, Alraune, or shall I call you Kasumi Ai?' a buzzing ensues, and I once againt freeze in my place. There was seriousness, but there was also amusement in how she asked me.

I took a moment to calm down, before I looked at her in the eyes, "Th-thanks, Queen Bee. I'd prefer to call me Kasumi Ai, if you'd want t-to."

'Very well.' with just that, I felt the tension in my body leaving. I was still shivering and terrified out of my mind, but I felt that I won't be killed at this moment.

'Now, Kasumi Ai, was it?' she seemed so amused, 'let us talk about why you decided to visit, then we can discuss the presence of humans. We have enough time.'

I breathed a sigh of relief at that.

At least, she is listening. Bothering to listen, more precisely.

I smiled, though it was a rather strained smile.

To think that this is how strong this Gold-ranked Level 6 Queen Bee. To think that I am standing in front of a Golden King, and to think that even my imagination could even understand the sheer gap...

I really was a frog in a well, aren't I?