Dearlton sighed as he finished setting out the meat for the lazarynths. They were giant lizards with the size and temperament of a medium sized dog, notable for their quick breeding and prolific egglaying. They were hardy creatures, able to come back from near death, hence why they were named after an ancient alchemist who had managed to ressurect himself and others.

Best investment I ever made buying these big lugs. No wonder everyone has at least a few on their farm, before the anklebiters these lovable dopes probably accounted for around a fourth of what I made.

His happy thoughts were cut short, remembering the anklebiters. They had all but disappeared, which would have normally been a blessing. Unfortunately he had a feeling in his gut, much like when he heard that monster sightings on the frontier were on the rise. The feeling hadn't steered him wrong before, which made it worse when he had no clue what was causing it. He had only one clue, the bees.

Bugs aren't supposed to be that organized. They went from bumbling around looking for the nearest flower to practically flying in formation to my farm for pollen. It's just not right. But I got no clue what could be causing it. Dungeons don't go for bees, too much reward for not enough conflict or death. A hive lord wouldn't be subtle enough to not attack my livestock. I've never heard of bees getting organized on their own before, especially when they were on the brink of collapsing just the other day. Worse still, I found some mana-spiders nearby. Social ones from the look of it. Whatever got the bees acting funny, hit those spiders too.

He wasn't going to take his family's safety at risk. but he also couldn't afford to move just yet. He'd have to wait until the season ended. That left one option avaliable to keep whatever was causing this from hurting his wife and kids.

Gods above, I hate adventurers. Why do they always have to be the only solution?