"It's true! I'm a full-fledged beastman… a true beastman!"
Shaking, he shouted with pure, uncontained happiness.
"Finally!"
Gone was the wild beast of the mountains, the creature who feared little beyond the biting cold. He was now a being who was capable of something more. Something greater!
Now, he could go to the City.
Oh yes! He could find a mate worthy of his new form. He could—
And then, just like that, the fury he had felt earlier seemed to drain away, replaced by a strange, calm satisfaction. The plan to hunt down the Queen Bee, to tear her tiny body to pieces?
Completely forgotten!
"Wow! This body… it feels so light," he murmured to himself, flexing his fingers in sheer amazement. His muscles stretched, his bones cracked, the sound echoing through the cave.
And then, in a moment of unrestrained glee, he punched the cave wall, just to test his newfound strength.
Boom!
The whole cave shook with the force of it, and the bear grinned, watching the stone tremble under the pressure of his casual punch.
"So this was the strength of a beast person. No wonder, they are highly sought after clans and feared by regular beasts."
He had heard that even those picky females would throw themselves to a powerful beastman.
Sure, he had lost the massive size of his former bear form that he took pride on, but so what?
Right now, those trivial things don't matter. The red bear felt unstoppable and different. His reflexes were sharper, his movements smoother. The power he had now was... nimble.
Quick. Deadly.
"Haha, with this, I can crush those haughty wolf packs who like to flaunt their number without even trying. A single tap of my finger will surely send them running," he muttered to himself, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as he admired the way his new body responded to every movement.
He struck a pose in front of the water's edge, tracing the lines of his new face in awe. He was magnificent—no, perfect.
He wasn't just a beast anymore—he was the beast!
The bear continued to revel and was grinning from ear to ear.
"Damn, look at me. I knew I was always handsome, but if I'm a female, I would kill to have me."
"I wonder how the females who had rejected me in the past will react when they see me. What should I do if they grovel and beg to have me back? Oh man, what a lady-killer you are!" he mused smugly and guffaw, completely lost in the reflection of his own glory — totally unaware that someone, somewhere, was watching his every move with silent amusement.
Not until a strangely familiar boisterous buzzing hit him and abruptly cut his moment short.
"Pfft—Hahaha!"
From behind the propolis barrier, Nimue—who had been silently observing this entire farce—bent over in a fit of giggles, clutching her stomach as she watched the beast's utterly ridiculous behavior.
"Oh gosh, oh my! Haha! This is so funny. Did his brain regress as well when he transformed?" she laughed. "Who would've thought this ferocious beast was really just a toad in a well, marveling at his own reflection? Wow, what a freaking narcissist!"
The bear whipped around, his eyes narrowing dangerously yet despite his rumbling front, the visible red shade of flustered ears could never be concealed.
"Who's there?!" he barked, scanning the darkness around him. He swore he heard a buzz, but all he could see were the usual rocks and stalactites.
"Hmph! Schupid bwer!"
Nimue adorably remarked while looking like a squirrel joyfully chomping on a sweet fruit treat as big as her bee head. She watched the red bear amusedly while he was huffing and frantically searching everywhere for her.
Gulp.
Nimue unhurriedly swallowed what was in her mouth and once she did, she looked at him dismissively and scoffed, "Even if you search for a year, you won't see me and the kids unless I let you in."
No one had the power to infiltrate the barrier she set up around the hive. At least not within this area for now. Unless they were an actual sacred beast or some high-tier master of camouflage and in espionage, and he? He was no expert on magical defenses nor is he in the league of a sacred beast yet.
"They're not yet ready. Still too weak and stubborn. Haa..." Nimue let out a sigh of frustration.
"Even if I want to put them in a box and hide them until they can fend for themselves, I can't gamble the entire structure of this colony. Meddling so much in the natural course of things might only put them at a greater risk and harmsway."
"I can only let them forage and gather necessary things for the colony to work naturally while keeping the nest away from harmful beasts."
To say the least, it was thanks to the formation she created that the beast had a smooth sail of creating the new hive. Although a cave wasn't somewhere bees would usually start a nest due to vicious bats occupying one, the power inside Nimue's dragon heart was enough to deal with such trivial issues.
The cliff face was partially covered with vines and moss, making the cave entrance somewhat hidden. There were also abundant flowers growing on the cliff edges and the valley below, providing a rich source of nectar and pollen for the bees.
In addition, a stream nearby connected to a small waterfall was a great water source.
It would've been so great—the location of their new hive was perfect and dry and suitable for the bees to acclimate, but they do not dare to feel joyous.
How dare they?
When Nimue's small actions almost filled the poor bees' hearts with both utter fear and trepidation of what would be her next words and actions.
"The Queen is so scary! Boohoo!"
A group of bees huddled together and wailed one after another as if they were bullied and left with no dignity.
A little bee buzzed wildly with pride, "She was amazing when she obliterated the bats and stole their home. She was so cool!"
The group vehemently nodded and mirrored her awe but not long after, their bee faces contorted and turned sour as if they were betrayed by their expectations and left in the dust.
Just why?
"Big sister," a small worker bee, who had turned bluish after forcefully downing all the grilled honey glazed bat meat, weakly called towards a larger bee, "We—We were wrong to think that Her Majesty's madness was short-lived when she imprisoned that neglected hairless beast. I—bleurgh!" it gagged once again but dared not throw it up recalling the Queen's sinister aura and words behind her adorable face.
***FLASHBACK***
Once the battle was over and the enemy bees dispersed, Nimue's group departed to their new home.
This time around, the bees chose to settle in an inconspicuous cave instead of a big, towering ancient tree, modelled from their previous nest. This was to shield them from harmful elements and stay hidden against potential enemies and predators that could rip through their weak defence.
But then, by the time the weary colony reached a secluded cave carved into the side of a steep cliff, what welcomed them was a horrifying sight.