Each fuse was a length of rope kilometers long, which would ensure that both humans and bees could get away from the explosion safely. After being lit, these fuses burned evenly the entire way...
Until they reached the gunpowder charges, and an almost simultaneous wave of explosions followed!
They echoed through the mouth of the cave and erupted like a beast’s growls together with a blast wave and clouds of dust! Although everybody on the demolition team had time to move several kilometers away from the cave, the gusts of wind made the bees wobble in the air even from this distance!
The noise was so loud that humans and bees alike were covering their ears. If I weren’t an astral projection, I’d be doing the same!
It was almost as if the entire mountain was rumbling. The ground was shaking. Several dragons took flight in the distance and flew away from us; the beasts that didn’t escape when the demolition team had arrived were now fleeing with cries of fear.
Through the clouds of dust and smoke raised by the explosions, I saw massive rocks fall from the ceiling of the mountain. If the demolition team’s calculations were correct, then the explosions should’ve fractured the main walls, making them collapse on themselves and fully block the way out—at the very least.
If we were lucky, the collapse would create a chain effect, spreading deeper into the cave and bury the hornets’ mega-nest.
The bees and humans present watched with awe and shock at the work of their own hands. Some humans folded their hands and began muttering prayers under their breath.
I let them and focused on bees instead. Specifically—on Malevolence, who was the one of the most awed and excited bees in the audience.
’Malevolence! Remember, we aren’t here just to watch!’
She jolted and nodded.
’Yes, Father! Of course.’
She gestured to another bee next to her—Chief Commando Flightsight—and a group of presences separated from the main crowd.
They were astral projections of scouts. Unlike the Goddess of Hornets, these projections looked nothing like actual bees—they were more akin to will-o-wisps: yellow, round and glowing.
My system still showed their status panels, but in a strange way:
〔Beehound〕 〔Ally〕 〔Progeny〕
〔Active title〕: Commando Bee
〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee
〔Remaining lifespan〕: 4290 d
Almos everything was replaced by "NaN"s, but at least I could tell which projection belonged to whom.
These Beehounds also saw me, of course. I didn’t know how exactly, but other bees always instantly recognized me, even as an astral projection! Now they surrounded me in a shining circle, then zipped into the hornets’ cave at the speed of thought.
The collapse was still happening around us. If we weren’t projections and used ordinary sight instead of astral senses, we’d be unable to see at all.
When we entered the mega-nest cave, it was still standing—but the hornets inside were all swarming around in agitation. I heard their angry thoughts—they wanted to kill an attacker, but couldn’t find any.
As I watched, the ceiling of the cave rumbled. I heard some thoughts from the scouts that spread around.
’The collapse continues down here, just like Father wanted.’
’The calculations were correct... There’s a crack in the ceiling that travels down here. It’s always there.’
’Keep watching it, 1-View.’
’There are more cracks spreading sideways, Sergeant!’
’Some hornets are trying to run deeper into the caves.’
’Let them. Any going outside?’
’No. The explosion had cut off their retreat.’
Then I saw a large crack go down the cavern wall. A second later, a boulder the size of three houses fell on a part of the mega-nest, smashing the plywood walls together with hornets and making more of them fly outside.
If I had hands right now, I’d clap.
This was even better than watching them burn! Absolutely amazing!
More and more rocks fell, smashing the hornets, while the scouts dutifully reported all this to the bees outside. Half a minute later, an entire section of the cave collapsed, burying a third of the nest under rocks and rubble in one fell swoop.
’Yes! Yes!’ I cheered silently. ’Fucking bastards, die and clear the path to my family’s success!’
I was going to watch this show until the cave collapsed entirely. I was going to burn it in my already perfect memory and reminiscence about it when my mood was down. It was perfect!
’Your goddess shouldn’t have taken a beef with me, dammit. Now suffer for it!’
"Pathetic worm, how dare you gloat?!"
I jolted, only to freeze in place. Not by my will, but because of a giant clawed hand that was holding my being in it.
Until now, I didn’t know that astral projections could be held.
Around myself, I saw astral projections of scouts freeze in alarm, but they were as shocked as I was.
The Goddess of Hornets just appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me, and nobody knew what to do about it.
’Father! She—the monster is attacking Father!’
’We must call for help!’
’But nobody in a body could fly here through the explosions—’
’Girls, just get away!’ I messaged before they did something stupid.
Unlike me, they weren’t valued by any god. They could get casualties in their games way too easily!
But the Goddess of Hornets was clearly reading my mind right now. She leaned closer to me, sneering even angrier.
"How DARE you care for the lives of your kind after exterminating mine? After bringing everything, EVERYTHING I was doing in this world, down? AFTER YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC GODDESS HAVE TRICKED ME?!"
’Wait! You are breaking the rules—’
"They can lie in the deepest black hole of the galaxy for all I care! I will kill you even if it’s the last thing I will do in this dimension!"