NOVEL WEB Chapter 18: The Bee
He blinked groggily, his vision blurry and unfocused. His body felt... strange. Everything hurt, but it wasn’t the sharp, searing pain of before. It was more of a dull, lingering ache, the kind you felt after surviving something you weren’t supposed to.
Am I alive?
Slowly, he tried to move, but his body was heavy, sluggish. His lower half—where he had been cut—felt... different. The pain was still there, but something had changed. He looked down and saw, to his surprise, that a large leaf had been draped over him like a blanket.
What...?
He wriggled, trying to shake it off, but the leaf clung to him stubbornly, as if it had been placed there on purpose. It wasn’t just some random leaf that had fallen from a tree. This felt... intentional. Someone had covered him.
But who?
His mind raced as he scanned his surroundings, his senses still dulled by the aftermath of the fall. The forest loomed around him, large and imposing, but everything seemed still. Quiet. Too quiet.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. A small, subtle shift in the foliage nearby, just enough to draw his attention. He froze, his heart—or whatever passed for one in this form—beating faster.
There, not far from him, was another larva. But this one was... different.
Its body was bulkier than his, with a sleek, segmented form that shimmered faintly in the dappled sunlight. Stripes of yellow and black ran down its length, and its head was rounder, with tiny, twitching antennae. It was nothing like the other insects he had seen. And it wasn’t just any random creature. It looked like... a bee larva.
The two of them stared at each other, neither moving.
Another larva?
The silence between them was thick, tense. Whoever—or whatever—this creature was, it wasn’t attacking, but there was something off about it. Something... familiar.
Without hesitating, he activated Appraisal.
[Appraisal Activated]
Name: Unknown
Species: Bee Larva
Level: 2/10
Rank: E
HP: 16/16
MP: 14/14
Stamina: 10/10
Echo Skills: [Bite Lv: 5] [Movement Lv: 3] [Honey Production Lv: 1]
Resonance Skills: [Appraisal Lv: 7] [Communal Instinct Lv: 2]
Resistance Skills: [Venom Resistance Lv: 3] [Pollen Allergy Resistance Lv: 1]
Titles: [Earth-007 Reincarnator]
Status Effects: None
Earth-007 Reincarnator.
The words hit him like a slap to the face. His mind reeled as he processed the information, his gaze snapping back to the bee larva.
Another reincarnator?
The realization left him momentarily speechless. He wasn’t alone. This larva—this bee larva—wasn’t just some random creature. It was like him. Someone, or something, that had been pulled into this world from another place. From Earth, no less. But not his Earth. This one was from Earth-007. A different version, but close enough to be jarring.
His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. Two reincarnators in the same place? Was it just coincidence? Or was there something bigger going on?
The bee larva twitched, its antennae quivering as it seemed to study him in return. Its segmented body shifted slightly, and then, almost as if responding to his Appraisal, the larva activated its own skill.
[Appraisal Activated]
For a brief moment, he felt a strange sensation wash over him, like someone was looking through him. It was disorienting, and oddly invasive, but it passed quickly, leaving him feeling a bit exposed.
He shook the feeling off and stared at the bee larva, who now seemed to be assessing him with new caution. Clearly, this creature was no stranger to the world of stats and abilities either. They were both reincarnators, and they both knew what the other was capable of, at least to some degree.
The bee larva blinked—or at least, it seemed to. Its tiny body shifted as if weighing its options. Then, without warning, another notification appeared in his mind.
[Resonance Skill: Communal Instinct Activated]
Description: A skill derived from the natural hive mind of bees, allowing the user to sense the emotions and intentions of nearby creatures. This skill enhances teamwork and coordination, granting the ability to detect hostility, fear, or cooperation in those within a close range.
His heart skipped a beat. It was reading his intentions. The bee larva could sense what he was feeling, and right now, he wasn’t sure what to make of the situation.
So that’s what I’m dealing with...
The tension between them grew, each of them waiting for the other to make the first move. He could feel the bee larva’s instincts scanning him, trying to figure out if he was a threat. And honestly, he wasn’t sure if he was or not. They were both small, weak creatures in a world full of danger, but that didn’t mean he could let his guard down.
He tried to speak, but of course, in this form, speech wasn’t an option. All he could do was watch, waiting for the bee larva to make its next move. His body, still aching from the fight with the baby birds, tensed in preparation for whatever might come next.
The bee larva took a cautious step forward, its body twitching as if debating something. Its antennae quivered, and then it paused, as if considering him carefully.
What does it want?
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, both wary of the other’s intentions. He didn’t know if this larva was friend or foe, but one thing was clear: they weren’t alone in this world.
The bee larva seemed to sense the lack of hostility in him, and slowly, it backed off, its movements cautious but no longer aggressive.
He exhaled—or did whatever counted as exhaling in his new body.
This is weird.
But weird or not, he wasn’t alone anymore. There were others out there—other reincarnators like him. And that changed everything.
For now, though, they were at a stalemate, neither attacking nor retreating. The question remained: Was this bee larva a potential ally? Or a threat waiting for the right moment?
If he was being honest, he really, really wanted to talk to that larva.